Where's my "Splenda"?

[doublebzz]

Anyone who has cruised HAL for a while or read these boards are aware of the many cuts introduced by HAL over the years.  No more productions shows, no dance band, staff reductions, etc. and etc.  These are all cuts you learn to live with or choose another line to cruise.  The latest cuts we experienced on our recent Zuiderdam cruise was no more packets of sugar substitutes on the table in the MDR.  Every time we wanted Splenda with our coffee, which was 2 to 3 times a day, we had to request it from the server.  Sometimes it wasn't available, more often we had to wait to attract a server while our coffee got cold.  I'm sure this will sound trivial to some, but for us it was a constant annoyance throughout our 8 day cruise and otherwise detracted from generally fine dining in the MDR.

 

Another cut, which I'm sure will seem minor to many, was that after dinner mints are no longer offered as you exit the MDR.  Give my a break!  Really, how much money is HAL saving at the cost of turning their cruises into the Staten Island ferries?  

[GRACECRUISE]

We found Splenda hard to find on our Dec. NA cruise. Our first four days of 14 day  cruise it was in Lido and main dining room.  then gone.  

 

 I did find it in Explorations cafe when I would get morning coffee.  We only use in iced tea but I took a handful two morning and we took with us to lunch and dinner.  So it was on ship but only there.

 

I did mention on comment card.  There was pink and blue sugar but no yellow Splenda.  A couple nights later we were in Pinnacle grill.  A man dressed in a uniform came in and found our table.  He called me by name and told me he had been looking all over for me.  Guessing he was the supply master and he had a handful of Splenda for me.  Told me it had been misplaced when loaded and now found.  So for the rest of the cruise we had Splenda.

 

The cut that I hate is the morning paper.  My dad is 87 and loves to read the paper in morning.  With his coffee and chocolate croissant he would read the paper on the balcony and then do crossword and sudoku.  He can not read it on a phone. The little things they cut to those who have cruised for 10 years or more are the ones that hurt.

[GeriatricNurse]

12 minutes ago, GRACECRUISE said:

We found Splenda hard to find on our Dec. NA cruise. Our first four days of 14 day  cruise it was in Lido and main dining room.  then gone.  

 

 I did find it in Explorations cafe when I would get morning coffee.  We only use in iced tea but I took a handful two morning and we took with us to lunch and dinner.  So it was on ship but only there.

 

I did mention on comment card.  There was pink and blue sugar but no yellow Splenda.  A couple nights later we were in Pinnacle grill.  A man dressed in a uniform came in and found our table.  He called me by name and told me he had been looking all over for me.  Guessing he was the supply master and he had a handful of Splenda for me.  Told me it had been misplaced when loaded and now found.  So for the rest of the cruise we had Splenda.

 

The cut that I hate is the morning paper.  My dad is 87 and loves to read the paper in morning.  With his coffee and chocolate croissant he would read the paper on the balcony and then do crossword and sudoku.  He can not read it on a phone. The little things they cut to those who have cruised for 10 years or more are the ones that hurt.

I am distressed to learn that the daily (news)bulletin/paper has been discontinued on HAL ships since I last cruised!  Is the HAL 'daily' still called 'EXPLORER'?

[redpear1]

On our just completed Zuiderdam cruise I located the papers at the front desk but no where else

[geocruiser]

2 hours ago, doublebzz said:

Give my a break!  Really, how much money is HAL saving at the cost of turning their cruises into the Staten Island ferries?  

I have had many a good greasy hot dog on the Staten Island ferry!🌭 😊

Edited January 12, 2020 by geocruiser

[kwb101]

We are on board Volendam now. After dinner at the MDR, our server brings a tray with cream, real sugar, and a chrome box with yellow, blue, and pink packets of sweeteners. 

 

The "news" sheets USA Today provides are at the Lido and Explorations Cafe, and likely other places. 

[YXU AC*SE]

4 hours ago, GeriatricNurse said:

I am distressed to learn that the daily (news)bulletin/paper has been discontinued on HAL ships since I last cruised!  Is the HAL 'daily' still called 'EXPLORER'?

 

The sky has not fallen.   Actually, what has has happened is the 8-pager NY Times has gone away and has been replaced w/ a similar publication called USA Today (not to be confused w/ the newspaper of the same name).   It seems to have been sporadically distributed in the public spaces on my last cruise -- but one may go to guest services and 'subscribe' to stateroom delivery.   The Canadian still exists as an available publication, which I sign up for delivery as well. The daily (now called When and Where) is still on your bed at turndown every night, although with the Navigator app on the larger ships, it becomes rather redundant and a waste of trees.  And one still has free internet access to read the NY Times online (for as long as that marketing relationship continues to exist.)     Scott. 

 

 

[GeriatricNurse]

2 hours ago, YXU AC*SE said:

 

The sky has not fallen.   Actually, what has has happened is the 8-pager NY Times has gone away and has been replaced w/ a similar publication called USA Today (not to be confused w/ the newspaper of the same name).   It seems to have been sporadically distributed in the public spaces on my last cruise -- but one may go to guest services and 'subscribe' to stateroom delivery.   The Canadian still exists as an available publication, which I sign up for delivery as well. The daily (now called When and Where) is still on your bed at turndown every night, although with the Navigator app on the larger ships, it becomes rather redundant and a waste of trees.  And one still has free internet access to read the NY Times online (for as long as that marketing relationship continues to exist.)     Scott. 

 

 

Scott, thank you very much for this info.  Ward

[awhcruiser]

Maybe I will bring my own supply of Splenda with me!

[3rdGenCunarder]

22 hours ago, kwb101 said:

We are on board Volendam now. After dinner at the MDR, our server brings a tray with cream, real sugar, and a chrome box with yellow, blue, and pink packets of sweeteners. 

 

The "news" sheets USA Today provides are at the Lido and Explorations Cafe, and likely other places. 

 

Have you seen the packets of "raw" sugar? I prefer that to white sugar in my coffee, and I'm wondering if that's another thing I'll have to pack.

 

[GRACECRUISE]

Glad to hear morning paper is back.  They stopped on our Dex 1 xruise then brought it back in the 3rd.  That is when they told us as of Jan 1 it would be gone.

 

[TrolleyGirl]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

Have you seen the packets of "raw" sugar? I prefer that to white sugar in my coffee, and I'm wondering if that's another thing I'll have to pack.

 

I have not.  The brown packets (raw) are my preferred too.

[seachef318]

On 1/13/2020 at 11:05 AM, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Have you seen the packets of "raw" sugar? I prefer that to white sugar in my coffee, and I'm wondering if that's another thing I'll have to pack.

 

On the NS last week they had raw sugar in dispensers not packets, but did have it available. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, seachef318 said:

On the NS last week they had raw sugar in dispensers not packets, but did have it available. 

 

Thanks! 

[VMax1700]

Dispensers on Koningsdam!

[RuthC]

11 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Dispensers on Koningsdam!

No labels? 

[sail7seas]

On 1/12/2020 at 10:37 AM, GRACECRUISE said:

We found Splenda hard to find on our Dec. NA cruise. Our first four days of 14 day  cruise it was in Lido and main dining room.  then gone.  

 

 I did find it in Explorations cafe when I would get morning coffee.  We only use in iced tea but I took a handful two morning and we took with us to lunch and dinner.  So it was on ship but only there.

 

I did mention on comment card.  There was pink and blue sugar but no yellow Splenda.  A couple nights later we were in Pinnacle grill.  A man dressed in a uniform came in and found our table.  He called me by name and told me he had been looking all over for me.  Guessing he was the supply master and he had a handful of Splenda for me.  Told me it had been misplaced when loaded and now found.  So for the rest of the cruise we had Splenda.

 

The cut that I hate is the morning paper.  My dad is 87 and loves to read the paper in morning.  With his coffee and chocolate croissant he would read the paper on the balcony and then do crossword and sudoku.  He can not read it on a phone. The little things they cut to those who have cruised for 10 years or more are the ones that hurt.

My late Dh liked  to read the  Times and do the   crossword.  It saddens me they have  to mess around about that  'little '  paper that so many  of  us look for.   It was a little thing he always enjoyed on all our druises   and  I got pleasure seeing this hard working  man  relax and enjoy a few quite minutes to himself.  A luxury he did not hav e in his ofifce.   i have theimsger   o  him right now in my mind with his pensil'pen airmed at the crossword.    Many of us regularly read news in one paper/form or anther with our morning coffee.  HAL appears ridiculous  making that  another cutback.   IMO  Pitiful

 

Some of us (me)  do not carry around a phone at all times.  If I wanted a smart phone I would buy one, I do not want one..    especially NOT to read a Times-at-sea.

 

I had no  idea  the  availab ility of he Times every morning was   it   'broken '....... Did it need to be Fixed?   I think not, 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 15, 2020 by sail7seas

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

No labels? 

No labels!

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

No labels? 

Better known as WYSIWYG.

What You See Is What You Get. 😁

[tjcox9]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

Dispensers on Koningsdam!

Just saying.........Seabourn has also made the change to the same method of distributions for the "raw sugar" as well as the white. Perhaps HAL will soon also implement the Seabourn method of sweetner which is a salt shaker looking thing that says sweetner (type unknown) that is labeled merely sweetener. Totally irrelevant to me as I use neither on anything, but if I happen to get my DH's morning coffee to deliver to him, I have no idea how much to shake in. I used to just take a packet and let him do his sweetening........just off Seabourn a few days ago and this was a change since last time in April/May. If I had taken a photo of the little sweetener shaker thing I'd attach a photo. It's all in an attempt to reduce waste supposedly because of all the little packets............

Edited January 15, 2020 by tjcox9