Thoughts on a So-So Cruise - Nieuw Amsterdam - March 5-12

[Spire2000]

A bit of a preface here. I understand fully that we're not within HAL's target demographic. We accept that and have cruised with them anyway, as my folks are 5* Mariners and spend all winter on HAL and we choose to vacation with them for a week. It was my wife and I, in our 40's, with our 8 year old daughter, who could be seen each evening with her American Girl doll. This was our third HAL cruise and apparently we are somehow 2* Mariners already...

 

Embarkation - Everything went very well here, considering we were able to tag along with my folks and skip the lines. Going up to the "special" embarkation lounge was neat! Free cookies! Getting on the ship was a breeze and being the only one's on for a time was a different feeling.

 

The Ship - Easily my favourite HAL ship so far. I really liked the decor, the colours and the posh feeling. Everything seemed to be in the right place, though I found Deck 2 a little odd in layout. Everything was very clean and very tidy. We didn't see anything out of order with the exception of a shattered glass pane on a water station on the back Lido deck one day. Glass was everywhere, and even though attendants were notified multiple times, it took hours for someone to deal with it.

 

The Room - We were in room 6075, a large inside. With the exception of a balcony cabin we had on the Oasis once, this was the nicest cabin we've had. It was surprisingly large and cost the same as a regular inside. There was plenty of room to move around and store things. The sofa turned into a single bed for our daughter, though she said it was not very comfortable. There is also a pull down bed above our heads, but we never had that taken down. The TV however couldn't have been in a more awkward position, placed directly above the back of the sofa and at a 45 degree angle from the bed. I'm convinced they put TV's in the worst spots possible to discourage guests from staying in their rooms. Live TV channels were terrible (seriously, does ANYONE want to watch US politics on 4 different channels on vacation?), but the on-demand movies and TV had good selection.

 

The room steward was a bit hit-and-miss. He was friendly enough and things were kept tidy generally, but there seemed to always be a single obvious thing he would miss every day. One day he didn't replace the dirty towels, another day the used glasses weren't replaced. Small stuff, but pretty obvious. We asked twice for the mini-bar to be emptied and he told us it would happen, but it never did.

 

Dining - We had breakfast in the Lido every morning. We're not the type who eat more than cereal most mornings, so the buffet was a treat for us. I found the waffles to be fantastic. I love fruit, granola and yogurt, but discovered quickly their granola had almonds in it. More on the nut issue later...

 

Lunch was a mixed bag. Sometimes we ate something quickly in the Lido (make your own pasta was a hit!), but I gravitated to the Dive-In burgers. I thought the food there was fantastic! The fries are top notch and the burgers are very tasty. Don't feel limited to their menu options, they will mix and match toppings as you wish. Now that said, the service is poor. The attendant clearly doesn't like his job. He was sour and short with everyone and he took their orders with grunts. The wait can be lengthy at peak times, but they give you a buzzer to alert you when to return (that is, unless the attendant forgets to buzz you, as happened to me once). We ate lunch off-ship on three occasions.

 

Dinner was one of the big disappointments of this cruise. We don't eat out at nice restaurants often, so the opportunity to eat in the dining room is something we look forward to. On most cruises we've been on, we can expect a selection of well-made food, served in a polite atmosphere. I've begun to notice a trend though where style seems to take priority over substance. I have nothing against fine dining. I like to cook and I consume Food Network programs like crazy. I do think there needs to be limits placed though and options given to guests. We ate in the dining room 5 times during the week. The menus are varied, but they all seem to be missing an option for guests who wish to leave full and satisfied. I provided feedback on this matter via the post-cruise survey, but I feel the dining room experience could be enhanced if they offered one or two "comfort-food" options each evening. Things like meatloaf, flatbread pizzas, spaghetti and meatballs, fish and chips, Asian stir-fry as dinner choices, and warm apple pie and Black Forest cake as dessert. I fully realize that some of these can be found in the Lido, but you miss the sit down experience there.

 

I should say the Pinnacle was fantastic as always. Chatting with our server, we learned that one must work their way through the Lido, and then the MDR before getting Pinnacle duties, a journey that took her 5 years. The experience shows.

 

A note on allergies - I have a mild nut allergy. I avoid all nuts, as you might expect. Three years ago on the Zuiderdam, I ordered some dish or other in the MDR and it arrived with almonds in the couscous. I summoned the server over, explained my allergy, questioned why the menu didn't say anything about the nuts and he took the dish away. This was followed shortly by a manager of some sort with an ingredient list for me to review for the rest of the cruise. Each night after I was coddled by this manager when all I ever needed was a mention of which dish included nuts.

 

On this cruise, I was more guarded since I didn't want this extreme attention. Again, the allergy is mild, so a rare bit here and there is ok. I know that granola can be a nut minefield so I check those. What really gets me though is HAL's complete refusal to label something. I don't need an allergy warning on everything, because that opens a whole can of worms. What I do expect is that if you have two varieties of cookies out, label them as "peanut butter" and "chocolate chip". If you have an Asian dish in the Lido that has peanut not visible but somehow hidden in the sauce, is it too much to mention that somewhere? Such a simple thing and one HAL is obviously sensitive too, given the amount of attention they give to someone who announces their allergy. There needs to be a middle road though where someone with an allergy can reasonably look after their own needs given appropriate information.

 

Entertainment - Here's the other big disappointment. Again, I fully understand the target demographic of HAL. While Adagio is not my family's idea of a good time, their performances are well-attended and enjoyed. The main theatre shows however I find are atrocious. We had a magician who used magic-store bought props for every trick, a pianist who put the crowd to sleep, and perhaps the worst production shows I've ever seen. I enjoy stage performances and during my years I lived in London I would attend musical theatre shows all the time. The state of these shows however was very, very poor. The singers did not have appropriate voices for the songs and the material itself was off-putting, not in-line for the clientele, in my opinion. What really gets me about these shows though is that HAL appears to be unique in that they require their house musicians to stand on stage and pretend to play along with pre-recorded music. As a musician myself, I felt embarrassed for the band. I spoke with the house band's guitarist late in the cruise and he said they are more than willing to actually play the songs, but HAL's production dept feels the rehearsal time isn't worth it.

 

There's just not enough going on during sea days, especially ones when the weather isn't great. I'm not looking for belly flop contests, but perhaps some musical performances outdoors would be nice, both during the day and the evening. There was a mariachi band on night in Cozumel (we missed it but I heard it was fun) and there needs to be more of that sort of thing. One would actually forget one was in the Caribbean entirely if one wasn't paying attention.

 

The brightest light has to be BB King's Blues Club. On the Zuiderdam three years ago, we were blown away by them. I thought there could be better variety on song choices at the time. This time around, the group we had was even better. Powerful performances by all the musicians. Lots of different song choices, and fantastic showings by the individuals. I can't recommend enough. In fact, I think this initiative has been such a huge boon for HAL, that I suggested in the post-cruise survey that HAL look to build on it with a second branded act on their ships. Where BB King's is focused on soulful tunes (not a lot of blues ironically), they could use a rock-and-roll style venue. Brand it with Hard Rock Cafe or Gibson/Fender, whatever. Maybe HAL could use their BB King success and build into a line known for their live music.

 

Service - Its a funny thing, to be waited on hand-and-foot, yet somehow left wanting more. I have a lot of respect for the jobs the people employed in the service positions on ships have. I can't imagine leaving their families for months at a time to serve a bunch of well-off westerners. I've almost always been pleased with the service we receive on cruises, but there was something off about this one. My dad, a long-time HAL cruiser put it best when he said that this crew was stressed. He could tell that for the most part this group was not enjoying themselves. To hear him put it, the attitude of the staff says more about the management than the crew members and he could pinpoint some clear management problems.

 

Some examples: Drink servers were keen to get your business until you asked for a soda or produced a non-alcoholic beverage card. You were lucky to get your drink within 15 minutes. I mentioned above the broken glass on the Lido deck that was there when we arrived at 8:00 am and wasn't dealt with until after 10:00am, other than a rubber mat placed over some of it. In the dining room, we would sit with dirty dishes for up to 20 minutes at a time, while watching our server chat at the station nearby and sometimes attend to the same table multiple times before visiting us again.

 

One thing I really disliked was the reaction some members would display behind the backs of passengers. Twice I saw a very happy passenger recognize a crew member, give them a big hug and a a good laugh, only to see the crew member give a face of disgust when the passenger turned away. Two sets of people involved. Something is clearly not correct on this ship.

 

Club HAL - Since our daughter is 8, I can provide a report on Club HAL. There were 24 children on board, though some of those were teens. Club HAL seemed to have a core group of 8 kids or so, of which our daughter was the oldest. There were three staff members, girls in their early 20's. While the Club HAL facility is not exactly impressive, our daughter looked forward to going there each day. They worked on crafts, played video games, danced, played games, etc... All the usual stuff.

 

Ports - We chose our cruises based on four things, in this order [ itinerary, price, amenities, dates ], so clearly the ports were important to us. We would be hitting two new ports for us on this trip with the other two stops being favourites of ours.

 

Half Moon Cay - Unfortunately, we missed the beach day due to weather. It was going to be our only real beach day on the trip so were were all very disappointed. Only our second missed port ever. In talking with an officer that day, we were told there was a conversation around going to Grand Turk instead, but the Captain decided to go to HMC after all. It wasn't until we were at the island that the decision to move on was made, apparently because the island's staff couldn't make it over from their homes.

 

Cayman Islands - Our first time. We did the Stingray City excursion. It was a lot of fun and I highly recommend it. We walked around town a bit afterwards, but wasn't terribly impressed. Very, very busy day with 5 other ships in.

 

Cozumel - Our favourite place in the world is Playa Del Carmen, a 45 minute ferry ride from Cozumel. We immediately popped over and walked 5th Avenue in it's entirety. In the 4 years since we were last there, there's been a lot of development. Some major new stores and even a big mall have been placed on 5th Ave. I must say, a bit of the charm seems to have been replaced by high-end shopping. No matter, we still love being able to walk the whole day. After getting back to Cozumel, we sent my daughter back to the ship with my folks as she was a little green from the ferry ride and my wife and I walked over to the MEGA store to peruse Mexican groceries. I picked up some spices, dried chilies, etc, stuff we can't get up here and called it a day.

 

Key West - Another first for us. We took the Conch Train tour (very fun and informative), went to the Aquarium (quite sad and not worth the $$$), then walked around and had lunch and some drinks. Key West is an odd place. There's lots going on, but I felt a little bored with it. Maybe it was last-day exhaustion, I don't know.

 

Summary - I think we've done our last HAL cruise for a while. Both my wife and I felt less than satisfied with the trip. To get us back, HAL is going to have to create some new experiences. I think they're slowly adjusting, with America's Test Kitchen and BB King's, but they really do have a long way to go if they are going to capture the next generation.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Thanks for your review. You came to very similar conclusions in your review of your Zuiderdam cruise three years ago, so I would agree with you that Holland America is not for you and your family (at this time). There are plenty of other options.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=41712850&postcount=1

[Spire2000]

Thanks for your review. You came to very similar conclusions in your review of your Zuiderdam cruise three years ago, so I would agree with you that Holland America is not for you and your family (at this time). There are plenty of other options.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=41712850&postcount=1

 

I just looked back at that post, and you're right, we had some similar thoughts on that cruise also. I know we enjoyed the Zuiderdam cruise immensely though, mostly due to the exotic nature of the ports.

 

I'm mostly surprised that the format of my post today matches the format I used three years ago... Weird...

[Old As Dirt Mom]

I just looked back at that post, and you're right, we had some similar thoughts on that cruise also. I know we enjoyed the Zuiderdam cruise immensely though, mostly due to the exotic nature of the ports.

 

I'm mostly surprised that the format of my post today matches the format I used three years ago... Weird...

 

It's a very good format; it's clear, concise, articulate, and well-organized. Your review hit all the major points, and it was easy to read:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.

We have noticed changes in HAL the last couple of years -- some good -- some bad.

[Cruising-along]

Thank you for your well thought-out review! I couldn't agree more about BB King. Whenever we're lucky enough to be aboard a ship with that group we spend most nights there.

 

Your remarks about your cabin stewards could have been written by me, but in my case it was the Koningsdam. Very friendly and eager to please, but odd service to say the least. Every day there was at least one thing left undone....dirty glasses not replaced, no replacement of beach towels, shampoo and shower gel were down to nearly empty... but strangest of all, when we left our bath towels hanging (to save energy) they would replace ONE towel anyway. So we would have one used towel and one fresh towel. :confused: This happened every day.

[ski ww]

Thanks for your review. For us the big disappointment is with the shows in the Main Showroom.

Allan

[foodsvcmgr]

We are 3 Star and have sailed on NA for 12 days in 2012 and 7 days in 2016 and both times felt something was a bit "off" with the staff compared to other HAL ships, not sure why?

[OlsSalt]

The next generation of cruisers do seem to have a long litany of food "allergy" issues, requiring individual staff monitoring and attention. This will put a new stress on the former HAL "meat and potatoes" food service.

 

Accommodating new cruiser diet demands has taken over space from some former Lido offerings in order to provide this new array of specialty food products - non gluten, non-dairy etc. There is only so much finite space on cruise ships for both food preparation and food delivery, so the older ships particularly, simply have to give way to the new rather than continue to provide for both.

 

Even a newer one like the lovely Nieuw Amsterdam was built before this recent intensity of special individual diet demands gained full speed. I expect this need for separate food prep areas was built into the very new Konigsdam.

 

Nor have the older HAL passengers required a high level of daily activities to distract them from the essential low-key charms of cruising and being at sea itself. They loved their libraries and deck chairs. Now I see the former quiet space HAL libraries are getting converted to more high-tech interactive information stations.

 

I agree, HAL is not a good match for you at this time in your life. Best wishes for your next cruising experience - Disney gets high marks for more personal attention and certainly their children's activities.

 

You raise a good issue whether HAL can or should try to attract a "younger generation", or should it stick to maintaining its strong appeal to the already older crowd, who can also are a new source of new passengers too. Many of us only started cruising only after we were "older", and HAL hit all the right notes mainly because it was not dedicated to attracting "younger" cruisers.

 

BTW: "Hugging" is an acquired taste cultural thing. I would not read too much into this.

[Roz]

The last few cruises I've taken with HAL there has always been a "comfort food" option on the dinner menu. I'm surprised that wasn't your experience.

 

Thank you for your well written and balance review. Fortunately there are lots of cruise options out there for you and your family.

 

About the hugging thing, I'm not one who enjoys being hugged or kissed by people I just met or barely know, so maybe the crew members who winced are the same way.

 

Roz

[Cruising-along]

The last few cruises I've taken with HAL there has always been a "comfort food" option on the dinner menu. I'm surprised that wasn't your experience.

 

Thank you for your well written and balance review. Fortunately there are lots of cruise options out there for you and your family.

 

About the hugging thing, I'm not one who enjoys being hugged or kissed by people I just met or barely know, so maybe the crew members who winced are the same way.

 

Roz

 

Good point about the hugging, Roz. I would never assume my hug would be welcome (different cultures etc. etc.).

[OlsSalt]

Point of history here -the recent notorious large-group cruise ended March 5th right before the start of the OP's "so-so" NA experience.

 

This is the cruise where the regular passengers were down-graded in their expected cruise amenities, in favor of scheduling demands made by the large group. The poor staff were caught in the middle as it sounded like there were some mutual hostilities going on between the various groups, due to this material and for many mid-cruise disruption.

 

To say the staff had been exceptionally stressed due to that prior cruise meltdown would be an understatement, but the OP had every right to expect a normal high level of service and not suffer the consequences of that prior large group cruise.

 

I hope HAL management does a good post-mortem on those decisions made on that prior cruise. They appear to have and a deleterioius ripple effect.

[iancal]

Good review. We are in our mid sixties. Some of the OP's comments rang true for us. Especially because we cruise on several cruise lines and experience some of the differences between them. Some subtle, others not so subtle.

 

Agree whole heartedly about HAL's need to change. They seem to be changing but not fast enough. I don't mean changes related to cost cutting but rather changes related to the cruise experience itself and to the shift in customer/industry demands and demographics. HAL needs to move out of neutral and first gear and really pick up the pace if they are going to attract the next generation of cruisers.

[kentuckycruiser]

Thanks for the review! We have 2 cabins on the NA in a few weeks - one is 6075! I'm thought it was a bigger one so I'm glad you liked it. We will be on with our 2 boys. It's spring break week so I think lots of kids will be on board. I think HA hires good college girls as Club Hal workers which helps a lot as the facilities aren't over the top. I just hope that there aren't too many kids that overwhelm the club.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Spire2000]

Thanks for the review! We have 2 cabins on the NA in a few weeks - one is 6075! I'm thought it was a bigger one so I'm glad you liked it. We will be on with our 2 boys. It's spring break week so I think lots of kids will be on board. I think HA hires good college girls as Club Hal workers which helps a lot as the facilities aren't over the top. I just hope that there aren't too many kids that overwhelm the club.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Well, the Club HAL facility is quite small, though there is a teen room that we didn't see. I would think any more than 20 kids in the room at a time would be overwhelming.

[Spire2000]

Good review. We are in our mid sixties. Some of the OP's comments rang true for us. Especially because we cruise on several cruise lines and experience some of the differences between them. Some subtle, others not so subtle.

 

Agree whole heartedly about HAL's need to change. They seem to be changing but not fast enough. I don't mean changes related to cost cutting but rather changes related to the cruise experience itself and to the shift in customer/industry demands and demographics. HAL needs to move out of neutral and first gear and really pick up the pace if they are going to attract the next generation of cruisers.

 

Quite right. Small things can go a long way.

 

Servers were not happy to serve us soda. I get it, but I don't have any other options if I want a pop. If they brought on Freestyle machines (like they have done on Koningsdam), not only would allow me to grab my pop when I wanted, but the servers would be freed up to serve the higher paying customers.

 

Stuff like that can make quite the difference.

[Spire2000]

Point of history here -the recent notorious large-group cruise ended March 5th right before the start of the OP's "so-so" NA experience.

 

This is the cruise where the regular passengers were down-graded in their expected cruise amenities, in favor of scheduling demands made by the large group. The poor staff were caught in the middle as it sounded like there were some mutual hostilities going on between the various groups, due to this material and for many mid-cruise disruption.

 

To say the staff had been exceptionally stressed due to that prior cruise meltdown would be an understatement, but the OP had every right to expect a normal high level of service and not suffer the consequences of that prior large group cruise.

 

I hope HAL management does a good post-mortem on those decisions made on that prior cruise. They appear to have and a deleterioius ripple effect.

 

Interesting information there. I knew the Princess of The Netherlands was previously onboard but I knew nothing about any problems. That can certainly sour a crew, I am sure.

[Spire2000]

The next generation of cruisers do seem to have a long litany of food "allergy" issues, requiring individual staff monitoring and attention. This will put a new stress on the former HAL "meat and potatoes" food service.

 

Accommodating new cruiser diet demands has taken over space from some former Lido offerings in order to provide this new array of specialty food products - non gluten, non-dairy etc. There is only so much finite space on cruise ships for both food preparation and food delivery, so the older ships particularly, simply have to give way to the new rather than continue to provide for both.

 

Even a newer one like the lovely Nieuw Amsterdam was built before this recent intensity of special individual diet demands gained full speed. I expect this need for separate food prep areas was built into the very new Konigsdam.

 

Nor have the older HAL passengers required a high level of daily activities to distract them from the essential low-key charms of cruising and being at sea itself. They loved their libraries and deck chairs. Now I see the former quiet space HAL libraries are getting converted to more high-tech interactive information stations.

 

I agree, HAL is not a good match for you at this time in your life. Best wishes for your next cruising experience - Disney gets high marks for more personal attention and certainly their children's activities.

 

You raise a good issue whether HAL can or should try to attract a "younger generation", or should it stick to maintaining its strong appeal to the already older crowd, who can also are a new source of new passengers too. Many of us only started cruising only after we were "older", and HAL hit all the right notes mainly because it was not dedicated to attracting "younger" cruisers.

 

BTW: "Hugging" is an acquired taste cultural thing. I would not read too much into this.

 

I just want to note that I'm not asking for any special new menu items or changes to the way any of the kitchens operate. I'm simply asking that when a dish or item contains an allergen of concern and it is not obvious, simply label it as such. In many places, this is now the law.

[styles27]

Point of history here -the recent notorious large-group cruise ended March 5th right before the start of the OP's "so-so" NA experience.

 

This is the cruise where the regular passengers were down-graded in their expected cruise amenities, in favor of scheduling demands made by the large group. The poor staff were caught in the middle as it sounded like there were some mutual hostilities going on between the various groups, due to this material and for many mid-cruise disruption.

 

To say the staff had been exceptionally stressed due to that prior cruise meltdown would be an understatement, but the OP had every right to expect a normal high level of service and not suffer the consequences of that prior large group cruise.

 

I hope HAL management does a good post-mortem on those decisions made on that prior cruise. They appear to have and a deleterioius ripple effect.

 

 

This is exactly what I was thinking when I was reading the OP's review. I have a feeling that poor crew was stressed from the previous week's events.

 

Thanks for such a very well written review. We've cruised with RCCL, NCL, Carnival, Princess and once on HAL...with our next HAL cruise scheduled for May 6th on Eurodam to Alaska.

 

I agree about the demographic of cruisers on HAL. I'm 50 and my husband is 52 and yes we were definitely In the younger age range on Veendam 5 yrs ago. I was ok with that but it did mean a much quieter night life after 10pm most nights.

 

Having said that...we really don't have a favorite cruise line. Each line we've sailed with does some things right and better than the others and vice versa.

 

Our first cruise was around 1991 or 1992 and over the years we've noticed one common thing amongst all of the lines...cruising is a LOT different than it used to be. Especially the main dining room meals and overall service.

 

We don't cruise as often as we used to....haven't been since 2012 but we want to see Alaska and feel cruising is a great way to get a sample of it.

 

We chose HAL because of the Itinerary, ports and price...surprisingly it was the least expensive option for a verandah on the date we wanted. Hopefully, we won't be disappointed with our Eurodam experience.

[cruisemom42]

Thanks for your review.

 

It seems some can't accept anything other than a perfect 'blue sky' review from others. Or that others may value different things -- and have just as much right to their opinion.

 

They will seize upon any negative and disregard your positive comments about the cabin size, the Dive-In, BB King, Club Hal and even the ship's layout and decor. As if you've only come here for the purpose of belittling their favorite child. :loudcry:

 

Never mind, you raise some good points for consideration.

 

It's interesting to me personally how some pretend that HAL has never had many daily activities, while in fact there used to be more. More lectures, more games, more 'lessons'. Not necessarily cutting edge, but at least something. I love reading as much or more than your average HAL cruiser, but even for me there's only so long I can keep my nose in a book.

[styles27]

Thanks for your review.

 

It seems some can't accept anything other than a perfect 'blue sky' review from others. Or that others may value different things -- and have just as much right to their opinion.

 

They will seize upon any negative and disregard your positive comments about the cabin size, the Dive-In, BB King, Club Hal and even the ship's layout and decor. As if you've only come here for the purpose of belittling their favorite child. :loudcry:

 

Never mind, you raise some good points for consideration.

 

It's interesting to me personally how some pretend that HAL has never had many daily activities, while in fact there used to be more. More lectures, more games, more 'lessons'. Not necessarily cutting edge, but at least something. I love reading as much or more than your average HAL cruiser, but even for me there's only so long I can keep my nose in a book.

 

Completely agree.

[DisneyDatknee]

The next generation of cruisers do seem to have a long litany of food "allergy" issues, requiring individual staff monitoring and attention. This will put a new stress on the former HAL "meat and potatoes" food service.

 

Accommodating new cruiser diet demands has taken over space from some former Lido offerings in order to provide this new array of specialty food products - non gluten, non-dairy etc. There is only so much finite space on cruise ships for both food preparation and food delivery, so the older ships particularly, simply have to give way to the new rather than continue to provide for both.

 

Even a newer one like the lovely Nieuw Amsterdam was built before this recent intensity of special individual diet demands gained full speed. I expect this need for separate food prep areas was built into the very new Konigsdam.

People with food allergies should just be banned from HAL. They are such a burden and cause so many problems in the kitchen. Guess they can't eat.

Children with food allergies has grown 50% from 1997 to 2013. Why? Have no clue. The only reason food allergies is a big deal now is because they are actually becoming a "huge" deal. Now HAL isn't marketing towards children, but more children with food allergies means more adults with food allergies-- and food allergies are deadly and can cause severe reactions- and especially at sea? Who knows what could go wrong... I don't think HAL wants to take multiple liability hits. Turn that vacation from yay to nay in a heart beat-- So I think I'm pretty solid on the fact that a rise in allergies may impact counter space, but for a good reason.

Now if only they had cabins with a kitchen (I'd pay for that) ;)

~ Hoog van de toren blazen ~

So if they had a simple sign just saying "Hello there! I got a "ship"load of peanuts in me", I think that would be a nice addition!

 

[erewhon]

Thank you for reviewing your cruise.

 

Has HAL replied to your menu comments on the post cruise survey?

 

During our last cruise, (Maasdam 6 weeks October to December 2016,) one evening we both ordered the Rosemary Roasted Chicken, half a chicken was served, the two large pieces of Chicken just fitted on the plates. When the chef spoke to us during his walk around the diners, we told him the serving was too large, when the menu again featured that chicken dish, just one piece of chicken was served.

[slidergirl]

Thanks for your review.

 

It seems some can't accept anything other than a perfect 'blue sky' review from others. Or that others may value different things -- and have just as much right to their opinion.

 

They will seize upon any negative and disregard your positive comments about the cabin size, the Dive-In, BB King, Club Hal and even the ship's layout and decor. As if you've only come here for the purpose of belittling their favorite child. :loudcry:

 

Never mind, you raise some good points for consideration.

 

It's interesting to me personally how some pretend that HAL has never had many daily activities, while in fact there used to be more. More lectures, more games, more 'lessons'. Not necessarily cutting edge, but at least something. I love reading as much or more than your average HAL cruiser, but even for me there's only so long I can keep my nose in a book.

 

As always, you are so right.

 

I applaud HAL for offering more healthy choices for the varied tastes of the clientele. I applaud HAL for upgrading the musical experiences to some degree. I applaud HAL for recognizing , albeit at a snails pace, that they need to court the upcoming cruisers to ensure the health of the line. So, they had to lose some of the old choices. Changes happen. Move on.

I liked your review; you were honest and told it like it was from your perspective. Sorry some cheerleaders tried to belittle your opinion.

Hugging - I can totally believe what you saw. I see it in my hotels. Some people believe they are friends and buddy-buddy with crew. They will walk up and hug staff. The staff MUST act "genuinely" happy or appreciative of the new "friend." When they turn away, they have to make those faces. To say the OP is in some way lying is denying what really happens in many cases. I've got a "family pack" at the hotel now ( a family pack is a get-together of 2 or more families, friends or blood). When any of the women or the rude children (the husbands are pretty quiet) come to the Front Desk, we all have to smile and say "of course" to stuff. Even when one of the teenage boys barges in front of others in line and shouts "excuse me, excuse me - I need my skis fixed" (we have NOTHING to do with fixing skis), we can only smile, say "if you go the ski shop right behind you, they may be able to assist." But, we call the pack The WackaWackas and roll our eyes when they leave the desk. One can only act happy for so long...

[OlsSalt]

I just want to note that I'm not asking for any special new menu items or changes to the way any of the kitchens operate. I'm simply asking that when a dish or item contains an allergen of concern and it is not obvious, simply label it as such. In many places, this is now the law.

 

You are asking for something special - a list of ingredients for every item that comes out of the HAL kitchens and special labeling to accompany every item coming out of the HAL kitchens and for this to be the new normal. Which obviously has not yet happened according to your report --and others.

 

I appreciate your need. This does make cruising far more than just a new travel experience; it becomes a life and death experience for the many who now cruise with various food allergies. Even cross-contamination threats in food prep now demands exquisite precision in every step of execution, entirely separate utensils, prep space, ventilation and equipment.

 

I am just daunted what will take to satisfy the long list of other diverse allergies we hear about now almost constantly from other passengers, like yourself: shellfish, gluten, tree nuts, ground nuts, dairy ............. HAL menus are already required to label origins of meats, and warnings about uncooked or partially cooked foods. Next if it has not already happened: GMO and certified organic.

 

Good luck HAL, you have your work cut out for you ..... or you may be on the wrong end of a law suit as a sign of these new and changing times. Good news is this new level of detailed accommodation will open up cruising for a formerly neglected group of travelers. Bad news is you will lose those of us who still prefer a powder sugar donut to a bowl of unoffending congee.