Once upon a time on HAL, story not review.

[VallyD]

The second we got into our room, praising the lord for being on the DAM SHIP... also reviewing pictures later realizing how thin that fabric was...

 

 

This is what "dock rock" looks like, ten minutes off the ship.

 

 

 

Celebrity Suiloette leaving San Juan

 

 

Fort in San Juan

 

 

Mystery stain... still a mystery...

 

 

I'm sorry I really love towel animals and our steward taught the class!

 

[VallyD]

Husband looking like a true gentleman

 

 

..... Cheese tray......... I am admittedly not well versed in cheese trays..... but.... I don't know you tell me

 

 

You really cannot beat this view

 

 

My lovely flowers :)

 

 

They were still hanging on perfectly the last day.

 

 

Husband swears he took this because it was "artistic" ... I am skeptical.

 

[brazilgirl]

The cheese tray....cracked me up!! Unbelievable and photoworthy! And the mystery stain! Looks a bit scary!!

Your review/story is continuously entertaining :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[VallyD]

The cheese tray....cracked me up!! Unbelievable and photoworthy! And the mystery stain! Looks a bit scary!!

Your review/story is continuously entertaining :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

We spent a good hour speculating on what exactly it was, it was bright red... we decided to go with ketchup for the sake of not being totally freaked out lmbo

[zoomer1956]

Good read!

 

Your cheese plate really didn't have much garnish. Just four measly grapes.

There should have been some figs and walnuts. I've added the smoked salmon with onions and capers to the cheese plate. I find it kicks it up a notch. The mini bagels also go good with it. BTW, it took a couple of cruises before I thought to do that.

[monina01]

that cheese plate looks like somebody picked it over before delivering it to your door :D

[HamOp]

that cheese plate looks like somebody picked it over before delivering it to your door :D

 

That's what I was thinking too. Room service guy must have been hungry and figured it wouldn't be noticed!:D

[nana51]

Your room looks a bit bigger than a regular verandah cabin. What was it?

[VallyD]

Your room looks a bit bigger than a regular verandah cabin. What was it?

 

It was quite large! Eurodam 5188

[VallyD]

It was aft facing, dunno if that has anything to do with it. We were looking at Suites vs Verandahs for our next cruise and honestly our room was so nice we can't justify it!

[Pam in KY]

Loved your "stories"...we were also on that cruise. In fact, the 8 yr. old boy you saw in a tux could very well have been my grandson. I thought your comment about only seeing a few children was interesting...there were over 400 children on the cruise (I don't think you were by the Lido pool). This was our third HAL cruise and this time we were with an 8, a 9, a 16 and an 18 year old. We were concerned about the children enjoying the cruise but everyone loved it! I did not see one child misbehaving (though this former teacher, mom and grandmom is certain that one did at some time). My 8 year old grandsom loved talking to some of the older kids and adults in the pool area.

 

I think my daughter heard the same person you heard complaining in the Lido! She has cruised on two other lines and thought the food in the Lido beat the food in the other two ship's "cafeteria" lines. You just can't please some people.

 

Thanks again for your "honeymoon" story...I enjoyed both the pre-cruise and post-cruise

posts!

[VallyD]

Loved your "stories"...we were also on that cruise. In fact, the 8 yr. old boy you saw in a tux could very well have been my grandson. I thought your comment about only seeing a few children was interesting...there were over 400 children on the cruise (I don't think you were by the Lido pool). This was our third HAL cruise and this time we were with an 8, a 9, a 16 and an 18 year old. We were concerned about the children enjoying the cruise but everyone loved it! I did not see one child misbehaving (though this former teacher, mom and grandmom is certain that one did at some time). My 8 year old grandsom loved talking to some of the older kids and adults in the pool area.

 

I think my daughter heard the same person you heard complaining in the Lido! She has cruised on two other lines and thought the food in the Lido beat the food in the other two ship's "cafeteria" lines. You just can't please some people.

 

Thanks again for your "honeymoon" story...I enjoyed both the pre-cruise and post-cruise

posts!

 

It very well may have been! His mother stopped in the piano bar with him for a moment, that's where I saw him.

 

I never went to the other pool, just the aft pool... I don't think I even saw half of that ship!

 

I heard this man complaining while we were on the ship in Half Moon Cay at lunch for reference lol

[CowPrincess]

Thanks so much for the story-not-a-review :D Loved it! We've had bad cheese plates on HAL, but yours was MUCH worse than any we got. :eek:

[Wakepatrol]

The cheese tray....cracked me up!! Unbelievable and photoworthy! And the mystery stain! Looks a bit scary!!

Your review/story is continuously entertaining :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

 

That's not a cheese tray...it's a mousetrap

[VallyD]

That's not a cheese tray...it's a mousetrap

 

BWAHAHAHA!

 

Im so glad I didn't over react to that

[VallyD]

Thanks so much for the story-not-a-review :D Loved it! We've had bad cheese plates on HAL, but yours was MUCH worse than any we got. :eek:

 

Ehhhh it's the only picture-worthy food we had. We even showed the picture to the front desk lol, I just couldn't believe it... husbands "tray of cookies" were three wrapped in cellophane and my club sandwhich lacked bacon so we ordered a hamburger and it was so burnt I just.... man..... lol not ordering room service after 10 PM :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great review.

Love your pictures.

You have some beautiful gowns and dresses. Very Chic.

[lvz2cruz]

that cheese plate looks like somebody picked it over before delivering it to your door :D

 

 

I see the room service man alone in an elevator hearing tummy rumble. Thinking, can't take bite out of sandwich, too obvious. Maybe a few chips here. Oooh cheese, no one will miss a few pieces....Yummy--just one more...ooops half the plate is gone!!!

 

Love your story, ValleyD and welcome to the boards! Our twenty something daughters love HAL too.

[VallyD]

I see the room service man alone in an elevator hearing tummy rumble. Thinking, can't take bite out of sandwich, too obvious. Maybe a few chips here. Oooh cheese, no one will miss a few pieces....Yummy--just one more...ooops half the plate is gone!!!

 

Love your story, ValleyD and welcome to the boards! Our twenty something daughters love HAL too.

 

LOL I can see it too, maybe even a couple more grapes.... oops!

 

Thank you and thanks for the laugh!

[RandyinDEN]

Next time try the lido buffet after 10 pm. They have various country specialities each night. We love dutch night with apple fritters! They are addicting. I kept asking people where I could get one after that, but no luck.

[hearsegirl]

VallyD, I'm glad that you had a great vacation - even if it had stressful parts too. I was on the same cruise. I didn't see you, but you seem like a cool person that my sis and I would have hung out with. I had to laugh at your dress issue in San Juan. I tried walking the deck after dinner on the first formal night and I, as my family called it, "pulled a Marilyn Monroe". A gust of wind all of a sudden came from a slightly different direction and the whole skirt went flying. I don't think my sister's inlaws were expecting to see me in my underwear on the cruise, but they did. Needless to say, I changed to pants or capris after dinner each night before walking the deck after that incident. lol

 

Glad you and your husband enjoyed the cruise and that you're a HAL fan now. :)

[Mumsysailor]

VallyD, I loved every bit of your story and I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip. Thank you so much for sharing with us.

 

Looking forward to more of your posts. :)

 

Mumsy.

[mamaofami]

Regarding that cheese tray: Either someone helped themselves to a large part of it, or it's Hal's way of cutting corners. I've never seen one so small.

[kangforpres]

Valley D-

 

Glad you came through your first HAL cruise with flying colors since you were a nervous nellie pre-cruise, now you are a regular old salt like the rest of us.

 

It's good to see younger couples enjoying the HAL experience it is a demographic they will have to reach in order to stay competitive.

 

My wife an I are our 40's and loved our first HAL Cruise/Cruisetour to Alaska in 2009. We have since been on 4 HAL cruises and have 3 in the hopper including an Alaska Explorer in just 22 days! (We are DINK's, double income no kids, so travel is something we can both do and afford)

 

What appealed to us about HAL was the maturity level of the pax (I know they are older) but when you walk around the ship and see people reading books or kindles or just enjoying the music of the Neptunes or Adiago Stings you know you don't have to worry about an obnoxious drunk getting in your face about something on the Lido deck.

 

Of course the service, food, decor, cabin were all great too.

 

Did you book your next HAL cruise on board the Eurodam?

 

-Paul