First time cruise on HAL. Lanai stateroom. and MDR questions.

[Kingofcool1947]

DW and I are considering booking a 15 day HAL Panama Canal cruise from San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale. December. 2016 sailing. On HAL Veendam.

 

We have never cruised HAL, (only Princess and Celebrity) and have a few questions:

 

Lanai stateroom, Lower Promenade full view mid ship. Pros and cons of Lanai staterooms? We usually book a balcony stateroom on Princess and Celebrity.

 

Anytime or Traditonal dining. Is there a long wait to get in for Anytime Dining?

 

Quality of MDR menu items vs. Princess and Celebrity. I realize quality is subjective. That's fine your opinion helps.

 

Is there a dress code for dinner in MDR?

 

How many Formal Nights on 15 day Panama Canal cruise?

 

Is there a dress code for dinner in MDR on Formal Nights?

 

Thank you for your comments.

Edited November 5, 2016 by Kingofcool1947

[CruiserBruce]

Just a quick look around the board will find lots of threads on dress codes. Or look on the HAL website, where it is described.

 

How busy Open seating is changes every cruise. Yes, during peak hours (6-7:30, for the most part) you may have to wait. But that is not totally predictable. Every cruise has it's personality.

 

We find the food better on HAL than Princess. No experience with Celebrity.

[jhsocal]

Cruiser Bruce has provided you with very good guidelines.

Lanai cabins will not have the privacy you enjoyed on a balcony. Some people have reported being somewhat distracted by all the traffic on Promenade Deck. You will have two lounge chairs outside the door for your use, sometimes other people sit in them. However, many cruisers like these cabins.

[LargeTexan]

We did 35 days in a lanai cabin this summer and loved it. Great for impromptu access for photos.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Kingofcool1947]

Just a quick look around the board will find lots of threads on dress codes. Or look on the HAL website, where it is described.

 

How busy Open seating is changes every cruise. Yes, during peak hours (6-7:30, for the most part) you may have to wait. But that is not totally predictable. Every cruise has it's personality.

 

We find the food better on HAL than Princess. No experience with Celebrity.

 

Thanks. Re: HAL dress codes for MDR, Formal Night. I'll check around the HAL threads, and the HAL website for guidance. If it's like Princess and Celebrity sugessted dress codes, I'm ok with wearing a suit and tie for dining in MDR on Formal Nights. :)

 

Any thoughts on quality of food in MDR?

 

Any thoughts on Lanai staterooms? Good or bad?

[Kingofcool1947]

Cruiser Bruce has provided you with very good guidelines.

Lanai cabins will not have the privacy you enjoyed on a balcony. Some people have reported being somewhat distracted by all the traffic on Promenade Deck. You will have two lounge chairs outside the door for your use, sometimes other people sit in them. However, many cruisers like these cabins.

 

Thank you!

[Kingofcool1947]

We did 35 days in a lanai cabin this summer and loved it. Great for impromptu access for photos.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Thank you! I'm a photo enthusiast. :)

[kazu]

Some people love Lanai cabins and some prefer balconies. It's all individual taste.

 

for us, the food is better on HAL than Celebrity or Princess, but after losing weight on both those cruises we haven't been back for a while. So, things may have changed.

 

Gala (aka formal night) is pretty "loose". anything from (for men) collared shirt and nice pants to sports jacket to suit to tux. I would guess 2 - 3 gala nights on your cruise.

 

MDR smart casual nights are pretty easy - just no shorts, no tattered jeans, no t shirts. Not hard to do at all.

 

Open Dining varies as Cruiser Bruce said depending on the cruise and what people have opted to do. We have stuck to traditional dining to have the same table, same waiters, etc. Either one works :)

[Kingofcool1947]

Some people love Lanai cabins and some prefer balconies. It's all individual taste.

 

for us, the food is better on HAL than Celebrity or Princess, but after losing weight on both those cruises we haven't been back for a while. So, things may have changed.

 

Gala (aka formal night) is pretty "loose". anything from (for men) collared shirt and nice pants to sports jacket to suit to tux. I would guess 2 - 3 gala nights on your cruise.

 

MDR smart casual nights are pretty easy - just no shorts, no tattered jeans, no t shirts. Not hard to do at all.

 

Open Dining varies as Cruiser Bruce said depending on the cruise and what people have opted to do. We have stuck to traditional dining to have the same table, same waiters, etc. Either one works :)

 

Thank you.

Guess it's a "go" for the HAL Panama Canal cruise!:)

[kazu]

Thank you.

Guess it's a "go" for the HAL Panama Canal cruise!:)

 

I think you will enjoy it. It's a nice itinerary :)

[RuthC]

When the outside cabins on Lower Promenade Deck were converted to Lanai cabins, they were already smaller than the outsides on the two lower decks. The necessary furniture configuration to allow for the sliding doors resulted in a loss of furniture. There is no desk to speak of, whereas the other cabins have a large desk and drawers. Storage is at a premium.

Keep that in mind when you book.

 

There is a dress code every night which calls for "smart casual" clothing. On Gala Nights people are encouraged to dress it up a bit more, although meeting the minimum standard will get you in the dining room door. A jacket/tie, suit, or even a tux is appropriate for a man on those nights, too.

Women may arrive in cocktail dresses, or even long gowns. Or, merely smart casual, too.

Expect three Gala nights on a 15-night cruise.

 

The waiting time for open seating will vary based on the particular passengers on your cruise, and the time in the evening you arrive. I can practically guarantee that if you arrive at 8:30 or later, there will be no line; at opening, there will be a crowd at the door waiting to get in, but there will be room for all. The peak time seems to be from 6:30 (or so) until about 7:30 (or so).

[Kingofcool1947]

When the outside cabins on Lower Promenade Deck were converted to Lanai cabins, they were already smaller than the outsides on the two lower decks. The necessary furniture configuration to allow for the sliding doors resulted in a loss of furniture. There is no desk to speak of, whereas the other cabins have a large desk and drawers. Storage is at a premium.

Keep that in mind when you book.

 

There is a dress code every night which calls for "smart casual" clothing. On Gala Nights people are encouraged to dress it up a bit more, although meeting the minimum standard will get you in the dining room door. A jacket/tie, suit, or even a tux is appropriate for a man on those nights, too.

Women may arrive in cocktail dresses, or even long gowns. Or, merely smart casual, too.

Expect three Gala nights on a 15-night cruise.

 

The waiting time for open seating will vary based on the particular passengers on your cruise, and the time in the evening you arrive. I can practically guarantee that if you arrive at 8:30 or later, there will be no line; at opening, there will be a crowd at the door waiting to get in, but there will be room for all. The peak time seems to be from 6:30 (or so) until about 7:30 (or so).

 

 

RuthC,

 

Thank you very much for the very helpful information re: Lower Promenade deck Lanai cabins and the reduced size .

So the cabin is smaller than the typical balcony cabin on HAL, Princess or Celebrity?

Edited November 6, 2016 by Kingofcool1947

[RuthC]

RuthC,

 

Thank you very much for the very helpful information re: Lower Promenade deck Lanai cabins and the reduced size .

So the cabin is smaller than the typical balcony cabin on HAL, Princess or Celebrity?

I have no experience with the balcony cabins on Princess and Celebrity, and very little on the HAL balcony cabins. The HAL balcony cabins are at least as big as most of the outsides on that class of ship.

 

But I do have vast experience in the HAL inside cabins, and know that the insides across the passageway from the Lanai cabins are larger than the Lanai cabins are.

I have some experience with the HAL outside cabins, including on that ship, and know that the outsides on that deck are smaller than the outsides on the lower two decks.

[TiogaCruiser]

Had a lanai on Veendam as a solo. Agree with Ruth on storage (but it was quite fine for 1). The "sofa" isn't even a love seat. I measured it - but don't remember the "length". I can say at 5'2" my legs were almost fully hanging over the other side when I laid sideways on it. There was either 16" or 18" between the bed and the wall ( this was the size of the bedside tables). There was about that much space at the foot of the bed.

 

I loved the large window and enjoyed sitting on the "sofa" and looking out. The slider was really heavy for me to open. (Remember, I'm not that big). Loved being able to go right out on my favorite deck, and there was no need to worry about getting a steamer. I ended up using the slider as my "front door " into my livingroom. For pix google Veendam 375 pictures. You'll get the Facts. ;-)

Edited November 6, 2016 by TiogaCruiser

[Luna]

 

I haven't read all the posts, so I apologize if any of this is redundant, but I'd like to share our experience with a Lanai cabin.

 

We were on for 30 days on the Hawaii/South Pacific itinerary. Because we had several sea days there were a plethora of passengers wanting to lounge on the lower promenade. Even on port days, some of the scenery was so lovely that there were still a lot of people lounging (us included, after returning from excursions). We knew we had loungers that were dedicated to us.

 

During the day, even with the lights on, you couldn't see inside the glass. We tried, even putting my nose up to the glass, I still couldn't see anything. On the other hand, if you do go with a lanai, keep your camera handy. One day when DH and a friend, also on this cruise, and I were viewing photos we'd taken, I looked up and saw dolphins frolicking. Grabbed my camera and started filming.

 

One final thought, some will tell you there's less storage than in a regular, outside cabin. This is true as there are no drawers in the desk area. I remedied that by using one of our carry on bags for underwear and just kept it under the desk, out of the way.

[TiogaCruiser]

Regarding the glass thing: I've come to the conclusion that some of the Windows are of a glass that is sufficiently coated to protect privacy: I know I checked (as you described) and both 390 and 375 did not allow views inside. But in walking the deck I can tell you there were some cabins you COULD see all the way in to in living color.:eek: so its best to check for yourself.

[GradUT]

Re: Anytime Dining. Last time we did it on HAL (a couple years ago on the Veendam), you could book a time in advance (and up to 3 days in advance). This saved us having to wait in line .

[navybankerteacher]

I do not think the lanai cabins are worth the extra cost: reduced space, lack of privacy at night unless you keep curtains drawn, view from inside the cabin during the day is limited as you are looking across the promenade deck, when using your "piece" of the promenade deck you have no privacy.

 

Food on HAL has regularly truck me as superior to that on Princess and Celebrity. Dress code for gala nights is not that strict (nor even strictly enforced).