LAFFNVEGAS "LIVE" from the Nieuw Amsterdam, First HAL Ship to Sail!!

[North2Alaska]

On 7/24/2021 at 5:09 PM, 57redbird said:

Never mind - I found her.

Any hints on finding Lisa on FB??

[Copper10-8]

3 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

@Copper10-8 will have a very educated reply if you've read his posts.

 

Thanks, but it's not worth it! Having worked for HAL for 7+ years, there is NO racial stereo typing going on! On the avg, there is crew from 35+ countries working on a ship incl. officers/managers and supervisors from Indonesia, the Philippines, Greece, Thailand, Sweden, South Africa, Jamaica, Hungary, Turkey, and several others. They hire by qualification, training/education and background. Not by race!    

[yarnsinger]

4 hours ago, whogo said:

Sorting workers into jobs by their nationality sounds bizarre to this American. Can you imagine that happening in Peoria? You're from where? You can work in the kitchen. From where? You can work in the office. From where? You can be a supervisor. A woman from where? You can work in the bar.

 

How much of this is ethnic stereotyping? I remember being shocked at a behind the scenes Cunard TV segment decades ago where the only Chinese aboard worked in the laundry.

I can't help but think that some of the sorting is to facilitate communication among the staff. They mostly speak English, but there could be time when it's important for more clear communication that is easier in their native language.

[Seasick Sailor]

1 minute ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Thanks, but it's not worth it! Having worked for HAL for 7+ years, there is NO racial stereo typing going on! On the avg, there is crew from 35+ countries working on a ship incl. officers/managers and supervisors from Indonesia, the Philippines, Greece, Thailand, Sweden, South Africa, Jamaica, Hungary, Turkey, and several others. They hire by qualification, training/education and background. Not by race!    

 

There you go! That's a very perfect reply John!

[AncientWanderer]

3 minutes ago, yarnsinger said:

I can't help but think that some of the sorting is to facilitate communication among the staff. They mostly speak English, but there could be time when it's important for more clear communication that is easier in their native language.

 

Well, that was my first thought as well -- communication within teams.  But you're braver than I am...

[Tennessee Titan]

15 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

I believe we were all ocean, the True Inside Passage is for ships returning to Vancouver. Maybe someone else can give you exacts but the sailings from Seattle are never really Inside Passage.

Inside passage is also Canadian waters........

(You aren't going there!)

[woodworker&knitter]

20 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Thanks, but it's not worth it! Having worked for HAL for 7+ years, there is NO racial stereo typing going on! On the avg, there is crew from 35+ countries working on a ship incl. officers/managers and supervisors from Indonesia, the Philippines, Greece, Thailand, Sweden, South Africa, Jamaica, Hungary, Turkey, and several others. They hire by qualification, training/education and background. Not by race!    

Well said John, 

[timbom]

Back from cruise and could only read part.  My comments

 

Loved New menu (Great fish choices each night lamb and beef great) BB King night club, cruise director, stops except icy point, crew almost all were the best of the best from HA.  Love not allowing kids under 12 on cruise.  RCL cruise that ported with us at one of the stops had over 450 with most not having covid shots. 

 

Hated woman servers were not allowed to serve in dining room, McDonald style potato square with all breakfast items. corned beef hash is the worst ever tasted out of can would of been better, dance show first time was great because of all of the special effects second / third was rehash of first.  Need to drop these dance reviews and go back to elaborate production numbers other cruise lines do.  Cost cutting and excessive pricing for drinks and food items (almost 10$ for shrimp cocktail on menu when tip is included) happy hour pricing is now only 25 percent off each drink.  Also noted reduction in service in both dining room and cabins yet they have increased tip price  

[yarnsinger]

On 7/26/2021 at 4:43 PM, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Actually no one is wearing masks, although I saw one elderly person in a wheelchair wearing one so suspect they were being extra careful. Other than boarding we have not had our mask on but we are to wear them in port.

I saw a number of people besides crew who were wearing masks, particularly toward the end of the cruise when news of the Delta surge started becoming known. Interestingly,  many of them were younger passengers.

 

We were, as you know, asked to wear masks onshore, but particularly in Ketchikan, almost none of the locals were wearing them. 

[yarnsinger]

16 minutes ago, timbom said:

RCL cruise that ported with us at one of the stops had over 450 with most not having covid shots. 

I didn't think about this until after we were back onboard. Were the unvaccinated  folks on the Serenade of the Seas allowed off the ship? Since we shared a birth with them, we also shared buses into town. 

16 minutes ago, timbom said:

 

Hated woman servers were not allowed to serve in dining room, McDonald style potato square with all breakfast items.

Now that you mention it, there were no women serving in the Dining Room, but I don't recall seeing many on previous HAL cruises either. Is this deliberate? We certainly had women serving in the specialty dining areas. I don't even remember if there were men. Any idea why?

[rkacruiser]

24 minutes ago, timbom said:

(Great fish choices each night

 

The menus that I saw posted all said "Market Fresh Fish".  What kinds of fish were these Market Fresh Fish choices?  Were they "market fresh"?  Or frozen?

 

25 minutes ago, timbom said:

Hated McDonald style potato square with all breakfast items

 

Agree!  Serving such is not "fine dining" even if it is only breakfast.  Lyonnaise Potatoes are not that difficult to prepare and would add a bit of "class" to the breakfast entrees served.  

 

26 minutes ago, timbom said:

dance show first time was great because of all of the special effects second / third was rehash of first.  Need to drop these dance reviews and go back to elaborate production numbers other cruise lines do.  

 

I didn't care for the first show and walked out after the second began.  HAL's evening programming is not being competitive with Princess or MSC.  (MSC is going to eat HAL's "lunch" if they aren't careful.)  

[RGEDad]

2 hours ago, yarnsinger said:

Now that you mention it, there were no women serving in the Dining Room, but I don't recall seeing many on previous HAL cruises either. Is this deliberate? We certainly had women serving in the specialty dining areas. I don't even remember if there were men. Any idea why?

I asked about that one time in the MDR: I was told it was because of the large heavy trays of food they have to cart up from the galley. 

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, RGEDad said:

I asked about that one time in the MDR: I was told it was because of the large heavy trays of food they have to cart up from the galley. 

 

I have learned that one of the "tests" that these dining room employees must pass during their training at Hotel Jakarta is the ability to handle such heavy loads.  

[Copper10-8]

6 hours ago, Tennessee Titan said:

Inside passage is also Canadian waters........

(You aren't going there!)

 

Yep, a lot of it! 😉 

 

[Boytjie]

7 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

(MSC is going to eat HAL's "lunch" if they aren't careful.)  

 

I's much rather eat HAL's lunch than MSC's! 😄

[bluesplayer]

Hi Lisa..   are you still

pla to post the menus?  Thank you!!

[kazu]

On 8/2/2021 at 1:33 PM, North2Alaska said:

Any hints on finding Lisa on FB??

Go to her signature and you will see her company underneath the Lisa.

type the company and Lisa in a google search and it will come right up 😉 

[shipshapegirl]

On 8/1/2021 at 5:03 AM, Copper10-8 said:

 

Can I ask you when this was, because it would indicate a major change in HAL's policy! After the Dutch restaurant staff left the co. in 1970, the first Indonesians came in and they have always shown their talents in the main dining room, among other places onboard. Rule of thumb has always been:

 

Indonesians:

Housekeeping Dept.; Stateroom stewards, laundry staff

Restaurant stewards incl. Lido/Canaletto and Tamarind

Deck Dept; sailors, quartermasters, lifesaving attendants/boatmen, bosun/asst. bosun, storekeeper, florist

Technical Dept/Engine room guys in various positions

Human Resources Dept. clerks

 

Filipinos:

Beverage staff, incl. bartenders, wine stewards, bev stewards in the bars, baristas

Front Office staff; all sorts of admin positions, I.T. officer, printer, sanitation/garbage room attendants

Security staff, stage crew, crew physician

Galley staff; chefs, cooks, asst. cooks, kitchen assistants, baker, butcher

 

Deck Dept., fire safety attendant

Plumber, carpenter, upholsterer, tailor, locksmith (these guys double as firefighters) 

 

Prob forgetting some.............

 

Bac around 2017, HAL started hiring Thai young ladies (no males as of yet) for restaurant service and housekeeping

 

The Pinnacle Grill has always had an international staff with stewards from the Netherlands, Hungary and other Balkan countries, Belgium, Indonesia, etc.

 

 

We were on the July 24th cruise to Alaska.  Our dining room server was Indonesian and the assistant was from the Philippines.  He and my husband talked a lot about the Philippines because my husband was stationed on an island that belonged to the Philippines during Vietnam.  The waiter was from Manilla.

[Copper10-8]

24 minutes ago, shipshapegirl said:

We were on the July 24th cruise to Alaska.  Our dining room server was Indonesian and the assistant was from the Philippines.  He and my husband talked a lot about the Philippines because my husband was stationed on an island that belonged to the Philippines during Vietnam.  The waiter was from Manilla.

 

 

Thanks a bunch for the update and please thank your husband for his service! 

[oaktreerb]

On 8/2/2021 at 9:33 AM, North2Alaska said:

Any hints on finding Lisa on FB??

Have you read her entire report?  I finally solved the FB mystery.  The key is in the report.

[North2Alaska]

16 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

Have you read her entire report?  I finally solved the FB mystery.  The key is in the report.

Yes, thanks!

[Boytjie]

I know "Past performance is no guarantee of future results"; but how was the motion of the ocean during the cruise?

 

We just got our cabin assignment and it is the first verandah at the front!

 

On our September 2007 Alaska cruise we had pretty calm waters except between Glacier Bay and Sitka, but I was oblivious to that! Let's just say that Benadryl and red wine do not make for a good combination; I did not make it through dinner! 😲

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

41 minutes ago, Boytjie said:

I know "Past performance is no guarantee of future results"; but how was the motion of the ocean during the cruise?

 

We just got our cabin assignment and it is the first verandah at the front!

 

On our September 2007 Alaska cruise we had pretty calm waters except between Glacier Bay and Sitka, but I was oblivious to that! Let's just say that Benadryl and red wine do not make for a good combination; I did not make it through dinner! 😲

 

It was surprisingly calm, we were on the stern and really had very little motion. I actually thought after not cruise for over a year feel a bit of motion like one would after getting off the ship but that did not occur. 

[Traveling Dot]

On 7/31/2021 at 1:50 PM, woodworker&knitter said:

They are at the coffee stations and the stewards will get them for you

I wouldn't count on getting Splenda from anyone.  I asked several times and I think only once I got two packets of Splenda and once they gave me this little shaker marked Splenda with three tiny holes that I couldn't get very much to come out.  Luckily I usually carry my own Splenda and had a few packets with me.  The rest of the time when I asked they offered me stevia (so?), equal or sweet and low.

[zelker]

@LAFFNVEGAS Lisa - how much was the per night per person charge for CO for this cruise?  Thx.  Barb