The Inside Cabin - Live on the Koningsdam Coastal California

[scubacruiserx2]

We kinda liked the old logs .

[Cap'nWoody]

On 11/5/2021 at 2:02 PM, cruise kitty said:

 

Hi David, I'm hoping early luggage drop off is still an option in two weeks 🙂. Can't believe the staff is being verbally abused... yikes !  Hopefully someone on next Friday's cruise will be able to let us know if early luggage drop off is an option... since we are all sharing a car, & staying in same hotel, we need to arrive at same time...  we'll go with group D which is the later check in amongst us... guess we will be getting brunch before boarding 😉

 

(& thank you @The-Inside-Cabin for letting me hijack your thread a little 🙂

Early luggage drop off was still an option on the October 31st cruise.  Dropped our bags about 11 AM and went to lunch. Came back for our 1:20 check in time.

[KirkNC]

That’s good to hear!

[DAllenTCY]

Because the terminal was empty by 10:15 we were able to open up for luggage drop off and entry at 10:30 am yesterday.  

 

This unusual situation was due to the ship clearing US Customs in San Francisco.

 

Next week it will be back to the "new normal" with late disembarkation and late opening.

 

David

[cruise kitty]

3 hours ago, Cap'nWoody said:

Early luggage drop off was still an option on the October 31st cruise.  Dropped our bags about 11 AM and went to lunch. Came back for our 1:20 check in time.

Thank you!  this is all we need, a place for our luggage to go..   🙂

 

[zgscl]

14 hours ago, DAllenTCY said:

Because the terminal was empty by 10:15 we were able to open up for luggage drop off and entry at 10:30 am yesterday.  

 

This unusual situation was due to the ship clearing US Customs in San Francisco.

 

Next week it will be back to the "new normal" with late disembarkation and late opening.

 

David

Thanks for keeping us all posted David. Hope to see you when I board next week.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Here is another update -

 

The first week of our cruise - we did anytime dining - but only had 2 nights in the MDR, the rest in specialties.   This week we are on early fixed which is full at 5:15 pm when the doors open.   Many people don't realize that if you are on fixed dining, once you know where your table is you don't have wait to get escorted or check in.    This will get itself sorted out in a day or two.  

 

I miss the wine stewards - the service in getting your glass refilled is slow.   If you have a bottle, then you could serve yourself, but with a package, you have to wait.   It's OK, just not great like it once was.

 

Gala nights - Tuxes are rare - maybe 4 or 5 that i saw - Even ties are the exception rather than the rule.    I haven't been to the MDR yet for a gala night - we'll see how that looks later.   We get towel animals and chocolates on gala nights.   However we asked for twice a day service - not sure what happens if you only ask for once a day.    My theory is that if the guests accept a lower standard now without comment - then that will become the normal post pandemic.    Of course be nice to the crew, but make your position clear on the post cruise comment questionnaire.  

 

Photographers are out every night - but not pushy - they are doing a good business.

 

Masks - once you are near a drink - 90% of everyone takes off their masks and leaves them off.   No one is doing the airline style sip and remask routine.   Almost 100% mask compliance in hallways and elevators and tenders - Outside on the open decks - no masks.

 

7:30 shows are packed.   A few seats here and there at showtime.  9:30 shows are half full. 

 

The live music on this cruise is outstanding.   You have a nice mix of classical Lincoln Center, BB KIng, Dueling pianos and Rolling stone rock band.     

 

Casino is crowded with slot players - maybe that's why they are putting in more machines.   Light action on the crap table - zero on roulette as normal.  Busy on the black jack $6 tables.    

 

 shown the first night on the World Stage on the Giant 270 degree screen was better than expected.    Live narration by the cruise director (he lip syncs to a prerecorded script - or he is the BEST prompter reader or memorizer ever).   I was a little skeptical at first but it was well worth your 45 minutes if you have any interest in the early days of HAL - 80pct of the story is pre 1960 - not much on the later years.

 

Other shows on the World Stage are the Neil Diamond tribute singer Robert Neary with 2 different shows, One Step Dance company with 2 different shows (Humanity and Tandem)  and a combination show with the Piano Bar players and 4 of the One Step Dancers.   All the shows are very good.   We are seeing them all twice over our 2 week cruise.   The comedians  only appear in the  BB King room.

 

pics will be coming later - hard to get them to upload - internet is bad - worse than expected.   

 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

I’m not finding the Internet to be that bad.  That said I’m just sending emails, using Facebook and reading cruise critic not uploading much.

 

Funny thing about the chocolates.  I asked if I could get one nightly.  Nope, only on gala nights.  I just happened to be walking by when they were having their morning q and a with the audience.  Someone mentioned about the chocolates and they said of course you can get them daily. Can you tell my steward that 😛?    They maintain people were throwing them in the garbage and that’s why they stopped.  I just love the excuses they come up with.

 

I’ve eaten at specialty restaurants so far.  This is the first cruise that it’s been a struggle to get reservations at the specialty restaurants.  I have club orange and I’m glad because this morning there must have been 150 people waiting to get into the mdr just after 8 for breakfast.  I would definitely buy club orange again on a pinnacle ship.

[Cruzmama]

Thanks, The Inside Cabin, for your updates.  We get on November 21, and looking forward to the shows you mentioned.  Are the comedians any good?  Can't wait to see your pictures.  How's the weather?

Any must-have dinners in MDR?

[CruiserBruce]

38 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I’m not finding the Internet to be that bad.  That said I’m just sending emails, using Facebook and reading cruise critic not uploading much.

 

Funny thing about the chocolates.  I asked if I could get one nightly.  Nope, only on gala nights.  I just happened to be walking by when they were having their morning q and a with the audience.  Someone mentioned about the chocolates and they said of course you can get them daily. Can you tell my steward that 😛?    They maintain people were throwing them in the garbage and that’s why they stopped.  I just love the excuses they come up with.

 

I’ve eaten at specialty restaurants so far.  This is the first cruise that it’s been a struggle to get reservations at the specialty restaurants.  I have club orange and I’m glad because this morning there must have been 150 people waiting to get into the mdr just after 8 for breakfast.  I would definitely buy club orange again on a pinnacle ship.

Curious how you know people aren't throwing them away? You don't, apparently, but do you know others aren't?

[Florida_gal_50]

8 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Curious how you know people aren't throwing them away? You don't, apparently, but do you know others aren't?

Who would throw them away? Just ask the stewards not to give them to you, easy peasy.  I don’t like to waste things.  How do you know that people are throwing them away? Last week hal claimed that they did away with wine stewards because people were getting confused by having so many people wait on them.  I suppose you believe that as well.

[zgscl]

12 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Who would throw them away? Just ask the stewards not to give them to you, easy peasy.  I don’t like to waste things.  How do you know that people are throwing them away? Last week hal claimed that they did away with wine stewards because people were getting confused by having so many people wait on them.  I suppose you believe that as well.

The idea that the wine stewards were confusing is comical especially when many of the folks in MDR have reported having multiple servers throughout the meal for different stages of it. Talk about something that is actually confusing 

[zgscl]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I’m not finding the Internet to be that bad.  That said I’m just sending emails, using Facebook and reading cruise critic not uploading much.

 

Funny thing about the chocolates.  I asked if I could get one nightly.  Nope, only on gala nights.  I just happened to be walking by when they were having their morning q and a with the audience.  Someone mentioned about the chocolates and they said of course you can get them daily. Can you tell my steward that 😛?    They maintain people were throwing them in the garbage and that’s why they stopped.  I just love the excuses they come up with.

 

I’ve eaten at specialty restaurants so far.  This is the first cruise that it’s been a struggle to get reservations at the specialty restaurants.  I have club orange and I’m glad because this morning there must have been 150 people waiting to get into the mdr just after 8 for breakfast.  I would definitely buy club orange again on a pinnacle ship.

Great to hear about the internet that they are making improvements. 
On our Alaska cruise we got chocolates every night, but we were in a Neptune suite and still had “turndown” service (actually beds remade bht not actually turned down, and cabin cleaned and tidied) not sure if that makes a difference in the chocolates. We got the fancy chocolate on the gala nights and the regular HAL chocolate on the other nights. No towel animals though. I wonder if the chocolates may fall victim to the no single use anything policy. 
 

How has specialty dining been? Have you found club orange to be elevated service at all or mostly just less crowded (plus the extra main dish selection)?

 

[Andi Land]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Who would throw them away? Just ask the stewards not to give them to you, easy peasy.  I don’t like to waste things.  How do you know that people are throwing them away? Last week hal claimed that they did away with wine stewards because people were getting confused by having so many people wait on them.  I suppose you believe that as well.

I’ll raise my hand🤚. It’s me. I’m the one throwing them away. I’ve asked not to get them but they always leave them anyway. I don’t like the chocolates and they won’t take them back once they’ve left them in the room. 

[Florida_gal_50]

37 minutes ago, zgscl said:

Great to hear about the internet that they are making improvements. 
On our Alaska cruise we got chocolates every night, but we were in a Neptune suite and still had “turndown” service (actually beds remade bht not actually turned down, and cabin cleaned and tidied) not sure if that makes a difference in the chocolates. We got the fancy chocolate on the gala nights and the regular HAL chocolate on the other nights. No towel animals though. I wonder if the chocolates may fall victim to the no single use anything policy. 
 

How has specialty dining been? Have you found club orange to be elevated service at all or mostly just less crowded (plus the extra main dish selection)?

 

The specialty dining has been excellent.  I did tamarind Sunday and canaletto last night. I had originally planned to go back to the tamarind tonight but I enjoyed canaletto so much I'm going back tonight.  I had the crab risotto you liked so much and it was excellent.  Well worth it.  When I got there the hostess greeted  me by name.  I first met her on the n Amsterdam and she remembered me from there.  She is without  doubt the nicest person I've ever met on hal.

 

I feel the service is better in club orange.  I've only been there at breakfast.  It was a zoo yesterday but apparently they got slammed all ar once.

[Dismomx5]

2 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Other shows on the World Stage are the Neil Diamond tribute singer Robert Neary

DH would LOVE this show. Fingers crossed he's on next year's TA in October.

[Florida_gal_50]

16 minutes ago, Andi Land said:

I’ll raise my hand🤚. It’s me. I’m the one throwing them away. I’ve asked not to get them but they always leave them anyway. I don’t like the chocolates and they won’t take them back once they’ve left them in the room. 

I would write a note not to leave them.  It shouldn't be that hard to stop something.  I'd be shocked if this was widespread.  I have heard if people taking them home.  Mine would never make it that far.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

2 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I’m not finding the Internet to be that bad.  That said I’m just sending emails, using Facebook and reading cruise critic not uploading much.

 

Funny thing about the chocolates.  I asked if I could get one nightly.  Nope, only on gala nights.  I just happened to be walking by when they were having their morning q and a with the audience.  Someone mentioned about the chocolates and they said of course you can get them daily. Can you tell my steward that 😛?    They maintain people were throwing them in the garbage and that’s why they stopped.  I just love the excuses they come up with.

 

I’ve eaten at specialty restaurants so far.  This is the first cruise that it’s been a struggle to get reservations at the specialty restaurants.  I have club orange and I’m glad because this morning there must have been 150 people waiting to get into the mdr just after 8 for breakfast.  I would definitely buy club orange again on a pinnacle ship.

Its working fine for browsing and emails.    Can't get any photos to upload to cruise critic, but that may be a cruise critic thing.    I am going to try uploading some photos to my blog.   I did upload a massive you tube file earlier, that went thru - albeit slow.   Soooooo....it's probably OK for 90% of most of your needs..

 

I seem to be getting better results using Microsoft Edge rather than Chrome.....

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Regarding internet - normal browsing and email seems ok - Finally got a small picture to upload to my blog - Here is Robert Neary

 

Edited November 9, 2021 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We received our disembarkation letter today.   A few changes:

 

Everyone except 4/5 star, club orange and suites, needs to select their own colored tag from a rack near the front desk according to their preferred disembarkation time.    Per the front desk, the number of tags for each color is limited and if you come late, you may not be able to select your preferred time.

 

4/5 stars etc will receive special baggage tags the day prior

 

No more statements delivered the night before.   You are expected to check your statement on the navigator app or use one of the Navigator stations near the front desk.   I am sure the front desk would print a statement for you on request.   

 

 

[waASPCrusier]

10 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

We received our disembarkation letter today.   A few changes:

 

Everyone except 4/5 star, club orange and suites, needs to select their own colored tag from a rack near the front desk according to their preferred disembarkation time.    Per the front desk, the number of tags for each color is limited and if you come late, you may not be able to select your preferred time.

 

4/5 stars etc will receive special baggage tags the day prior

 

No more statements delivered the night before.   You are expected to check your statement on the navigator app or use one of the Navigator stations near the front desk.   I am sure the front desk would print a statement for you on request.   

 

 

Anything about walking off with your luggage as soon as disembarkation starts ?

[The-Inside-Cabin]

3 minutes ago, waASPCrusier said:

Anything about walking off with your luggage as soon as disembarkation starts ?

Self assist can leave whenever they choose - in the first group along with the 4/5 stars etc

[Florida_gal_50]

I've been watching my account closely.  I bought a wine package on board  and a few dinners before I left.  I didn't receive any discounts.  I think this happened the last time I was on the koningsdam too.  The "auditor" fixed it and it seems ok now.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

My accounting has been perfect.   Beverage package working correctly.   No beverage charges ever appear.  
 

Cant get photos to appear here.   There are loading on Twitter.   Check em out here

 

https://twitter.com/theinsidecabin/status/1458232647839330307?s=21

[The-Inside-Cabin]

More updates on Twitter.    Can't get photos to upload here @theinsidecabin is my Twitter handle.