Big Al's Westerdam quick peak review 11/20:A mixed bag

[big al]

My wife & I got off the Westerdam about 6 hours ago and here are my first & quick impressions (more detailed review to come after unpacking,bills,etc.):

I will give my report card,then elaborate later.... First,she is a beautiful ship in general-Grade:B+....Food-pretty bad in the dining room:C-,or D+....in the Pinnacle Grill,A- very good,although last night was very slow(70 minutes just to our entrees!!)....service overall-B+...cabin steward-A,waiter in main dining room:A-..main show entertainment: B+,other lounge/bar entertainment-D..cabin- B+(balcony-A,beds-B+,A/C-A,Shower-D,water pressure,D-),Cruise Director Michelle-D,Casino dealers-D- Ship Cleanliness:A, Half Moon Cay-A,Ship stability:B+,Pool & hot tubs area-D-( hot tubs in aft broken ENTIRE cruise,and 2 of 3 busted in middle pool...Dining arrangements:F (we were set for 5:45 at table for 2,were switched to 8 PM and that screwed up all our evening plans!!)...friendliness of staff-A,live bands in lounges-D-..60's band in Crow's Nest one night and band at pool worst I've ever heard.....Overall,we rank this cruise a B- and WAY behind Princess,Carnival,RCL and NCL in food and entertainment,equal in service and ship cleanliness and art...my wife and I are VERY easy to please,but switching our dinner time and having to attend the 10:30 PM shows was NOT a good way to impress us..my wife fell asleep 2-3 times during shows because it was late for her (she gets up 5:15 AM every day)..put us on waiting list,but nothing happened....will give more details tomorrow,or Tuesday...met lovely CC people and other nice passengers.....

 

Big Al

[schack74]

It's amazing how people's opinions differ and that's why you have to go on a cruise with an open mind. I loved this cruise, having also sailed Royal Caribbean, Princess & Carnival. I thought the food in the dining room was excellent, quality of food in Lido was superior to that of any ship I've been on and I definately would not give the cruise director a D. As for the shows, they were ok and below par to those on the other cruise lines I've been on. This was my 11th cruise, certainly not as many as some people have been on but a variety enough to know that this was one of the best I've been on. Service was great!

[Cruisin Kay D]

We were on W for 2 wks (11/6 & 11/13) and we totally disagree with most of Big Al's ratings!! Don't agree with his rating of Michelle or the food!! Though his dinner timing situation was unsatisfactory, we thought the food itself was quite good, and we got to eat each meal 2x!!

[cdkempton]

Big Al: Sorry you had so many disappointments. I hope you'll give HAL another try as I can't imagine having TWO bad experiences with such a wonderful cruise line.

[big al]

It's amazing how people's opinions differ and that's why you have to go on a cruise with an open mind. I loved this cruise, having also sailed Royal Caribbean, Princess & Carnival. I thought the food in the dining room was excellent, quality of food in Lido was superior to that of any ship I've been on and I definately would not give the cruise director a D. As for the shows, they were ok and below par to those on the other cruise lines I've been on. This was my 11th cruise, certainly not as many as some people have been on but a variety enough to know that this was one of the best I've been on. Service was great!

 

Shack-I agree about the Lido Buffet..it was very good...still my 4 meals in the Vista dining room were fair to mediocre...lobster tails Friday night were the smallest I've ever had no doubt-my wife laughed for 2 minutes when it came,knowing how much I was looking forward to it.....Rack of Pork Sunday night was pretty bad...Wed night Lido deck party buffet was good,especially the ribs..I still thought Michelle was boring,not funny at all,pleasant enough,but not dynamic certainly....The CD on the Carnival Triumph was so good and funny,I had to gasp for air when he was on stage..so good,I bought his routines he did on tape-don't think Michelle will have anybody buy her routines on tape...the guy on the AOS was pretty bad too.....Grand Princess CD very good....Service was great but I did hear people say the beverage service in the lido buffet was slow to non-existant(I too had some trouble getting a soda)..also in the Vista Lounge,one time they forgot my drink COMPLETELY (got it in 45 minutes free-nice),another time took 25 minutes for an apple martini (a bit long)...in the Pinnacle Grill on Saturday night,I heard a man call his waiter over and say,"We've waited 45 minutes for the salad...don't you think that's kinda long for a salad?" We also waited 45 minutes for that salad as well..it was good-but not 45 minutes good!! I liked the illusionist Leo Ward and the tribute Friday night to the Broadway shows..We liked the gal who sang,but clearly some of the more "mature" folks must've found her a bit loud and the music way too modern for them-I saw many sleeping or walking out.....nonetheless,we had a good time-just not nearly as good as other cruises...the dining thing they messed up on was the killer for us-on top of that,I'm a diabetic,so I had to go every night to the Lido Buffet to eat something because I'm used to eating at 6-6:30 PM every night at home,but with the screwed up dining arrangements,my sugar fell rapidly by 7 every night-that was not fun.....was very weak 2 nights I remember....don't take insulin,just pills......Deli was O.K.,but much better on Carnival.Turkey dinner on Thanksgiving was also OK,side dishes like stuffing,mashed potatoes virtually invisible..bread very good (wife LOVED the bread)..best 2 meals ever were both on NCL's alternative dining venues..Le Bistro,the French place was beyond terrific and Il Adaggio,the Italian place was also fabulous..best escargots I've ver had ANYWHERE were in Le Bistro..that was 5 years ago and I'm still recovering from it......Japanese Steakhouse also very good.Service in those places was impeccable.....

 

B.A.

[big al]

Forgot to mention that stench of sewage many complained about in earlier cruises..it was the 1st day on deck 3 near those lovely outside window elevators on mid ship -very bad!! It smelled like # 2,and even I,with constant stuffy noses could smell it..worse,we had it in our room Thursday and Friday night when we went to bed...we almost called housekeeping.....interestingly enough I JUST asked my wife about Michelle,the CD, and asked what she thought ..she said,"sweet,not funny and did nothing spectacular on stage"..I said some people liked her..she said ,"Why?She did nothing..like I said,she was nice,but quite plain...".. Again,these are just my opinions and observations,I did have a good time.But as a cruise agent,I would probably not send a young family or couple on here since clearly this is a more refined, mature ship and line (which I already knew,of course) I took my 3 nieces and nephews on the Triumph for spring break March '04 and they LOVED it...I knew they would because Carnival has killer shows,teens programs,and is activity oriented...similarly,they would've not liked The Celebrity Mercury,which while food & service were good,entertainment & activities were no where to be found...Different strokes for different folks......

[RuthC]

Twice you've mentioned the foul-up about your dinner schedule. I'm sorry to hear that.

I hope you elaborate on that in your full review---why you were expecting 5:45 and didn't get it, what efforts were made to help, what else could have been done. Things like that.

As far as a CD being "sweet, not funny, nothing spectacular on stage" goes---that's fine. The CD isn't the entertainment; it's an administrative job.

[big al]

Ruth-I was CONFIRMED for 5:45 the Wednesday (Nov.16) before the cruise..a table for 2..when I checked my dining reservations in the Explorer's Lounge on Sunday when we left (around 1 PM),the 2 men in the side room told me it was indeed 8,not 5:45..I told them that was impossible,because I had just confirmed a few days ago that I was confirmed for 5:45..they just said, "sorry,we can put you on a waiting list-right now you're # 15 on the list for 5:45"....they tried to show me the list of people waiting,but all I wanted to know was "why was I switched?"... nobody could tell me....I had to tell my wife the bad news..she was shocked,and said,"but you said we were confirmed for early seating" "I know" I said,feeling like a fool...next time I will make a bigger stink..as for the cruise CD,I couldn't disagree with you more-the cruise CD is THEE leader of the entire ship for activities and should therefore be gregarious,funny,enlightening,and should have everybody listening to every word she says..I have had CD's who also dance,sing,and do impersonations as well...I can read the ship daily brochure for activities,I don't need that or want that-she/he should be a Vegas/Broadway type personality-very dynamic,someone whom you can't wait to see again.Just didn't feel that with Michelle.....same as some comedians don't make me laugh.........

[RevNeal]

It is, indeed, amazing how experiences can differ so markedly. I was on for the two weeks prior to you, Big Al, and thought the main dining room meals were some of the very best I've had on ships. I, for one, am very thankful that the portions are small, but I know some who would like larger portions. I had one fellow at my table during the second week (the week before yours) who had every portion doubled ... and then sometimes ordered second helpings. He was 6'4" and must have weighed 320 pounds (a Fire Fighter for a big-city department). The staff were very accommodating to him ... I've never seen that many lobster tails on a plate before. :) Aside from their size ... how did they taste to you? I mean ... yes, they were small. But did you fail to eat them because they were too small for you???

 

As for smells ... interesting. Yes, there was 1 day (out of 14) when I caught a whiff of some sewage on the Promenade Deck, close to mid-ships. Yes, sometimes the ship's sewage system backs up or has some problems. It's a SHIP AT SEA. These things happen.

 

As for Michelle ... this is my second cruise with her -- she was CD on Zaandam when I took a 21 day cruise through the Canal in 2004. Michelle is VERY practiced in precise in all her hand motions and actions ... to the point that a comedian on the Zaandam did an impersonation of her by just mimicking her hand motions and he brought the house down. Having heard her quips and jokes about 3 times, now, I don't laugh at them any more ... but the first time heard them I did laugh; I find her very pleasant and quite "gregarious" and engaging; she remembered Christopher and myself from the Zaandam (but, then, I was the one filing daily reports from her ship for 21 days, so I'm not surprised she remembered me) and was always happy to chat about nearly anything. And ... she can dance. :)

 

To put it simply, it is -- indeed -- always amazing to me how different people can have remarkably different experiences, expectations, likes and dislikes. That's the spice of life, I suppose ... people are different. If we were all the same life really WOULD be VERY Weird. :)

 

Thanks for the quickie review.

[wander]

Were you in a Suite? I have always understood that the table assignments given before we actually board were NOT a guanantee, but rather our request and/or initial assignment. (I have heard differently for Suite passengers, but we do not sail in Suites.) I have always understood that for the rest of us, there was no guarantee which seating we would actually get in the end, nor table size. Unless you were in a Suite, I think that you were misinformed that you were guananteed what it said on your documents, but others may know differently.

[big al]

Wander- We were in an "S" suite. I was guaranteed because as an agent I have some inside benefits,and I spoke to customer service and they told me I was all set-table for 2 at 5:45..I even explained my diabetes situation and it seemed like I was set.I booked this 10 months ago..I also had a problem with the cabanas which I haven't mentioned till now...I called in June to reserve a cabana in Half Moon Cay and was told it was "way too early" and "call back in September" a few months before the cruise ....you can guess what happened-I called back right after labor day and was told they were all sold out!!I was not happy..I bragged to my wife we were going to have a private cabana with food,drinks,A/C,etc......the HAL agent told me whoever said that to me was incorrect..I was put on a waiting list (again),but of course,nothing happened.. Rev-I've been on about 30 ships to sail or visit and we've NEVER had that sewage smell ever anywhere..maybe we were just lucky.My wife is a clean freak(terrible clean freak) and of course noticed it right away....I will say the cabin was spotless and Farid,our steward,was terrific.and yes the lobster tails were good-gone in 2 bites ,but good......getting back to the dining situation,all I wanted was an explanation of why I was switched-probably should've told them about my diabetes....there were alot of people there with many problems..seems like they had quite a mess on their hands........

[rubrrick]

Big Al.............if you experienced this as a TA, why should we book HAL?

We are on the Westerdam next Sunday. This will be our 36th cruise, and 3rd with HAL. We have an "S" suite. On our last trip we were able to reserve a cabana at Half Moon Cay. This time we are still hoping for one, but booked late, so will probably stay aboard and enjoy the ship, unless we get a cabana. I have a condition that does not allow me out in the sun too much anymore.

The only other thing that worries me is that you mentioned that the food was not up to par in the main dining room. Could you please elaborate on that. Thanks

 

Rick

[Guest Celestia]

..as for the cruise CD,I couldn't disagree with you more-the cruise CD is THEE leader of the entire ship for activities and should therefore be gregarious,funny,enlightening,and should have everybody listening to every word she says..I have had CD's who also dance,sing,and do impersonations as well...I can read the ship daily brochure for activities,I don't need that or want that-she/he should be a Vegas/Broadway type personality-very dynamic,someone whom you can't wait to see again.Just didn't feel that with Michelle.....same as some comedians don't make me laugh.........

 

I'm sorry *you* didn't care for Michelle, but I find myself looking forward to a cruise with her as CD sometime...for me, the PERFECT CD is INVISIBLE. Not seen, not heard, certainly not doing comedy routines or dancing/singing/etc., just getting the job done, and as inobtrusively as possible.

 

I want my cabin steward visible (my one complaint about my HAL experience, we could NOT get through to our cabin steward, he appeared to not understand either written or spoken English very well) and to not know the CD is on the ship at all save for that things run smoothly!

 

Sorry you didn't love HAL....but as you say, different strokes/different folks, and I for one am glad HAL hasn't gone the way of some other lines...sounds like you might be happier on another line entirely.

 

FW&FS,

Celestia

[Charliesmom]

Hi Big Al,

 

I noticed that you didn't mention dealing with the Concierge in the Neptune Lounge at all. Last year when we were on the Westerdam, all of our problems were handled by the Concierge, who took care of EVERYTHING. That is the real value of being in an S suite.

 

Roberta

[big al]

Big Al.............if you experienced this as a TA, why should we book HAL?

We are on the Westerdam next Sunday. This will be our 36th cruise, and 3rd with HAL. We have an "S" suite. On our last trip we were able to reserve a cabana at Half Moon Cay. This time we are still hoping for one, but booked late, so will probably stay aboard and enjoy the ship, unless we get a cabana. I have a condition that does not allow me out in the sun too much anymore.

The only other thing that worries me is that you mentioned that the food was not up to par in the main dining room. Could you please elaborate on that. Thanks

 

Rick

 

Rick-sometimes cruise lines make mistakes...the cabana thing clearly was a mix up..the gal I spoke to in September was very apologetic...I will not back down on my assessment of the food..bread was great,appetizers fair,salad was pretty good-it's the entrees I thought were bland & tasteless.We are both VERY easy to please.In fact,we both could eat burgers,pizza,& ribs all the time....I spoke to many others who felt the same way-that the food was nothing special.BUT it's not suppose to be special-if you want special,eat at the Pinnacle Grill.Same on RCL..eat at Chops or Portofinos..dining room food is more like Friday's or Appelbees,not Ruth Chris or Morton's...I tell people DON'T cruise for the food-you will probably be disappointed.Food is adequate,plentysome,we cruised HALfor 2 reasons:1) Wanted to try HAL & new ships despite many mixed reviews & warnings from other CC members on other cruise threads and 2) we loved the itinerary,especially Tortola,one of the few islands we've never visited (and were not disappointed with-we loved it!),and we loved HMC...back to the food,everything but the entrees was good..I thought entree selection was weak..I.E. one night on Princess,they had this to select:Lobster tails,filet mignon,mahi-mahi,or rack of lamb,plus one other dish!!Now that's a selection!!Other nights they had many shrimp choices (HAL did not-in fact,don't recall any shrimp entrees unless it was on the night we were not there),as well as veal parmesan(didn't see much of that either)...desserts were not bad..If you've read the past reviews,many CC people said the Lido buffet was better than the dining room..in fact some said they skipped the DR,and just ate in the Lido..that should tell you something.Again,these are solely our opinions...MY opinion that anybody who says this was the best dining room food they've ever had is in need of an MRI or they've never been on other cruise lines...when I told my wife what some said about the food,she said,"yes the Lido was wonderful,but the dining room food GREAT? We're both so easy to please,it was OK,but NOT great.." You should book HAL because you want a nice new ship,with nice bars/lounges,no kids/teens running around,decent nightly shows,well-appointed cabins,good service,good eastern itinerary,and a friendly staff.You should NOT book HAL if you want lots of activities day & night,great pool area w/reggae band,gourmet food IN the dining room,have teens/pre-teens,pool games,younger crowd in general(say 45 or younger),want waiters who sing/dance,or who just want 24 hours of partying-this cruise line is not for you....I have booked about 200 customers since I began in '98 working PT from home..198 have been happy to ecstatic..the other 2 liked their cruise but had weather problems,certainly not my fault.I do well because I know what clients want...I carefully question them and try to steer them to the cruise ship & line that would please them.I NEVER GO BY PORTS OF CALL unless they specifically want to,say snorkel in Grand Cayman and Cozumel because they love snorkeling.Beaches & shopping?Eastern Carib....water/diving/snorkel? Western Carib.Heavy itinerary?Southern Carib........

 

BIG AL

[rubrrick]

Thanks for your comments Big Al. Being in an S suite, did you use the Neptune lounge or ask the aid of the concierge? We cruised last spring on the Zuiderdam with the same basic itinerary and came off thinking we needed our eyes examined with all of the different bright colors aboard. We understand that the Westerdam is a bit muted. We enjoy the ports of call. It will be interesting to compare notes.

 

Rick

[big al]

Hey guys & gals-sorry,we were in an "SS" suite,not an "s"...heard Neptune was very nice........interestingly,our JS suite on the RCL's AOS was 277 sq.ft and seemed MUCH bigger than HAL's,which was listed at 392 sq.ft,100 which was the verandah(which was very nice) I don't know how,but our suite on the AOS was bigger in both the cabin & verandah(aft cabin),yet 115 sq.ft smaller? Bathroom maybe a tad bigger on HAL....if there is a next time(???),we would take an "S" suite maybe in the back-saw those from above..looked very nice......

 

Big Al

[afgirl]

We just sailed the november 13-15 cruise on the westerdam. My husband and I were not thrilled with the diningroom food. Portions were a little small, but we would just get something afterwards. The food was a little bland and I did expect more. We were also stunned with the lobster. I haven't ever seen anything so small! But I ate it none the less.

 

We laughed at Michelle. We thought that she was too rehearsed and too predictable. She was fine for a CD...we just thought it was funny that she would laugh at her own jokes.

 

We had a deluxe verandah suite. Definitely worth the money to use Neptune Lounge. THey were the only people who would do things correctly and do it all without headaches.

[big al]

Afgirl-Finally someone who also thought the food was a little bland and the portions a bit (???) small, ESPECIALLY the lobster tails...like I said earlier,my wife laughed for 2 minutes when she saw my face when they put the so-called Surf & Turf in front of me..she said I looked around thinking,"where's the rest of it?"...you are right about Michelle laughing at her own rather lame jokes..usually people who laugh at what they say or their own jokes do so because it's a defense mechanism to get you to laugh with them kind of like the old comedy shows that played those stupid laugh tracks to tell you when you suppose to laugh? Nevertheless,we did have a good time and loved the islands.....

 

B.A..

[cindiedee]

DH and I were on the transatlantic on W'dam back in Oct/Nov - we always chose HAL when possible but no more. We had a great time and a good cruise but the food! Lido was absolutely wonderful and many, great choices but the dining room truly was a joke. The portions were so small (and I am not a big eater) that it became a joke at our table - "could they spare those 3 bites of lettuce they called the salad" - the lobster tails! I eat shrimp larger than they are! The soups were great but they were the only thing that was remotely good. I know it is a matter of opinion but......one night I had a steak - absolutely could not be cut so I didn't eat it. Head waiter asked if something was wrong and I just said "if I can't cut it with a steak knife, I sure can't chew it" - so he picks up the knife to try to cut it - nada - steak skidded around on plate. He laughed and said, yes, it isn't very good, is it? We had folks at our table (and we had a GREAT table!) who ate what was served in dining room and then went to Lido "for dinner" - I have never had such awful food on a cruise ship in a dining room. Waiters were outstanding and clearly embarassed by all the comments (not just from our table) about how small the portions were.

 

On Michelle, the CD - worst we have ever seen - she did absolutely nothing - my DH called her "the spokesperson with legs" - she wasn't funny, wasn't entertaining, etc - whomever said her job was administrative was correct - because she sure didn't do anything else. We had invited her to our first M&M (unofficial of course, because this is HAL) and no show. I talked to her personally after that and told her date and time of next M&M, she wrote it all down and assured us she would be there. Nada - she never showed, never called, nothing - just didn't care - too bad since we had a lot of folks who spend their lives cruising (and spending $) who cared that she was a no show twice. Oh well - HAL's loss. And they are losing folks between the food, the CD, the shows, etc. - I will say, that the cast, the Westerdam singers and dancers were absolutely the best I have ever seen on a cruise ship - just outstanding. According to the cast though, they were leaving the ship when it hit Ft. Lauderdale - that's too bad. All in all a cruise is what you make of it (most of the time) and we chose to have a good time irregardless of the food, the CD, etc - but we will definitely looking at Princess and Celebrity for our future cruises - HAL has always been a cut above but no longer - they are becoming equivalent with Carnival but we had better food on Carnival! Just my opinion..........................

[HeatherInFlorida]

Thanks so much for your thoughts about your cruise, Big Al! Enjoyed reading. I've never liked HAL food, but I'm in the minority on this board:o . I just don't like it and I'm a plain food kind of person ... doesn't have to be exotic at all. But HAL food (IMO) is just basically tasteless. But we all know that a person's taste in food is very subjective. I was, however, fine with the portions ... I could always get more by request.

 

As to the CD, I'm puzzled about your reaction only because I've never expected to be entertained in any way by the CD. Our CD on our recent Summit cruise was amazing (I thought) and there was nothing funny about him! He was fun sometimes, did some fun dances and joined in on everything, but he wasn't entertaining in any way ... I didn't expect or want him to be.

 

I think a lot of cruise "humor" gets very unfunny after awhile, but that's across the board.

 

I absolutely think it inexcusable given your medical condition that you didn't get your confirmed dining time. That definitely should have been remedied immediately.

 

But I don't see your overall comments as negative. You mentioned a lot of positives and I think you were very fair in your judgments given what you personally experienced.

[RuthC]

You should NOT book HAL if you want lots of activities day & night,great pool area w/reggae band,gourmet food IN the dining room,have teens/pre-teens,pool games,younger crowd in general(say 45 or younger),want waiters who sing/dance,or who just want 24 hours of partying-this cruise line is not for you....

That sums it up nicely. And may it ever be thus.

I'm truly surprised and sorry that you didn't get the early sitting, since you booked 10 months in advance; I'm of the opinion that assignment of dining times should be first come-first served. That should have been plenty of time to have been at the head of the line.

I'm also one of those who is happy that HAL's food is (what some call) bland. Suits my taste buds just fine.

 

Sounds like HAL is not the line for you, but that you do recognise that it is the line for some of your clients.

[Charliesmom]

This thread has reminded me that the food in the dining room was lacking garlic last year. I think I am going to pack a jar of garlic powder just to spice things up a bit.

 

Does anyone know if you have to reserve dinner in the Lido? Or can you just walk in whenever you want?

 

Roberta

[RuthC]

Does anyone know if you have to reserve dinner in the Lido? Or can you just walk in whenever you want?

The Lido is the casual dining option---just arrive any time during the hours of operation. Those are not extensive, however, so check the times in the daily program.

[big al]

DH and I were on the transatlantic on W'dam back in Oct/Nov - we always chose HAL when possible but no more. We had a great time and a good cruise but the food! Lido was absolutely wonderful and many, great choices but the dining room truly was a joke. The portions were so small (and I am not a big eater) that it became a joke at our table - "could they spare those 3 bites of lettuce they called the salad" - the lobster tails! I eat shrimp larger than they are! The soups were great but they were the only thing that was remotely good. I know it is a matter of opinion but......one night I had a steak - absolutely could not be cut so I didn't eat it. Head waiter asked if something was wrong and I just said "if I can't cut it with a steak knife, I sure can't chew it" - so he picks up the knife to try to cut it - nada - steak skidded around on plate. He laughed and said, yes, it isn't very good, is it? We had folks at our table (and we had a GREAT table!) who ate what was served in dining room and then went to Lido "for dinner" - I have never had such awful food on a cruise ship in a dining room. Waiters were outstanding and clearly embarassed by all the comments (not just from our table) about how small the portions were.

 

On Michelle, the CD - worst we have ever seen - she did absolutely nothing - my DH called her "the spokesperson with legs" - she wasn't funny, wasn't entertaining, etc - whomever said her job was administrative was correct - because she sure didn't do anything else. We had invited her to our first M&M (unofficial of course, because this is HAL) and no show. I talked to her personally after that and told her date and time of next M&M, she wrote it all down and assured us she would be there. Nada - she never showed, never called, nothing - just didn't care - too bad since we had a lot of folks who spend their lives cruising (and spending $) who cared that she was a no show twice. Oh well - HAL's loss. And they are losing folks between the food, the CD, the shows, etc. - I will say, that the cast, the Westerdam singers and dancers were absolutely the best I have ever seen on a cruise ship - just outstanding. According to the cast though, they were leaving the ship when it hit Ft. Lauderdale - that's too bad. All in all a cruise is what you make of it (most of the time) and we chose to have a good time irregardless of the food, the CD, etc - but we will definitely looking at Princess and Celebrity for our future cruises - HAL has always been a cut above but no longer - they are becoming equivalent with Carnival but we had better food on Carnival! Just my opinion..........................

 

Cindidee-Guess you felt as I did about the portion sizes,and Michelle as well....and Heather-thanks for saying I was fair..I just report what I experienced and what I felt...sometimes you get attacked for being honest..I am such a positive person,but I am vocal on both the positive and the negative.....believe it or not the CD on the AOS was even worse than Michelle.....he kept saying when he introduced someone or when they finished,"give it up for....." " Come on now,give it up for so and so"....it got really annoying after a while..he made remarks and jokes that virtually nobody laughed it......BTW,I won a Carnival Passenger Talent Contest on the Fantasy in 1990 for my stand-up comedy routine-I did about 4-5 minutes mostly on my wife & her family..she said the audience was laughing hysterically..I did get quite an ovation after I finished,but was too nervous to notice..afterwards,the CD asked me if I wanted a job on Carnival,but of course I said no....I still have the certificate they gave me.....also sang Karoeke Monday night in the Northern Lights Disco ..I sang "The Wanderer" by Dion just before Midnight..they gave me an application for the Superstar contest,but it was a bit complicated and very late,so I never entered..later,one of the guys who ran the karoeke show said I would've won if I entered....I had a band for 7 years and was lead singer so this was easy for me......