PrincessDiva™ asks more HAL questions (O-Dam/MexRiv)...

[bardgal]

OMG!!!! We leave in less than TWO WEEKS and I can hardly wait for my new HAL Adventure aboard the Oosterdam! We have the BEST GROUP EVER on our Roll-Call, lots of ShoeSluts™, lots of MassageWhores™, lots of great people who can't wait to meet Mr. Deering and have a Fiesta Magnífico! :D

 

However, I still have more questions (yes, I've done many a search and I still can't find the exact answers to my questions, so I'm asking) and I have no doubt this gracious and knowledgable group here on this board can help me!

 

Pre-cruise:

- Elephant & Castle Pub at the Holiday Inn On-TheBay vs Anthony's: Can anyone tell me about this pub? Good place to have a happy hour with our fellow CCers or would Anthony's be better? Which has a more conducive bar area for a fun time where we can also get good grub?

 

Cruise!

- San Diego Embarkation: I know there is a line for Suite Pax to check in, but after that, is there anything equivalent to Princess's Platinum Lounge? And do Suite Pax get priority boarding? What if your group has two suites, and one person in an inside cabin? Will they let us all board together, or should we just hang out at the E&C pub over at the Holiday Inn and wait until all the lines go down - say around 2pm - and then board? Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

- Neptune Lounge: How safe is this to leave your stuff in until the cabins are ready? I'm mostly concerned with my laptop, and our case-o-champagne.

 

- Dining Room: I see that like Princess, Hal has a pasta selection every night. On Princess, these are available also as an appetizer. Can you do this on HAL?

 

- Tenders: From what I understand, the ODam tenders into PV (which I've never done.) Is this 100% of the time? Or does she ever get the quay? Also, suite pax get priority tender boarding... are there specific tickets you use? (What ship gets priority here as I've rarely been in PV with another ship?)

 

- Espresso drinks (Windstar Café/Neptune Lounge/Dining Room): How specific can I get when I order these drinks? (I know this is an StarbucksÜberDiva™ :rolleyes: question, but indulge me...I'm a Latte Gal.) Do they do non-fat milk? Can you have a half-caff? Decaf?

 

- Casino: Can anyone who has recently sailed on her tell me about the slot machines? (Which games, what currency, are they the new changable currency ones that spit out the tickets or have they not been updated since she was christened? Mostly reel or video or an equal number of both? Do they do a Casino Club like NCL, or do you think CCL will ever do this? (Yes, a couple of us are SlotHos™ as well.) :D

 

I think that's it for now.... thanks so much for your help as always!

 

:D

[bardgal]

87 people have viewed this thread and no one has any answers for me.

 

:confused:

[Old As Dirt Mom]

87 people have viewed this thread and no one has any answers for me.

 

:confused:

 

Bardgal:

 

I came, I viewed, I don't have the answers for you, and so I didn't reply. My one experience on HAL has not equipped me to feel confident about addressing any of the questions you brought up. Just don't want you to think that I don't care to be helpful. I simply am unable to assist you; I admit it! Very sorry!

 

Karin

[bardgal]

Bardgal:

 

I came, I viewed, I don't have the answers for you, and so I didn't reply. My one experience on HAL has not equipped me to feel confident about addressing any of the questions you brought up. Just don't want you to think that I don't care to be helpful. I simply am unable to assist you; I admit it! Very sorry!

 

Karin

Karin! Thanks so much for replying! I was beginning to feel both invisible, or I had stumped all the knowledgable people here (which I feel is very hard to do.)

 

Maybe that's why I can't find any answers to my questions when I searched - or more likely I'm just search-challenged. ;)

 

Thanks again Karin!

t

:D

[AZjohn]

OMG!!!! We leave in less than TWO WEEKS and I can hardly wait for my new HAL Adventure aboard the Oosterdam! We have the BEST GROUP EVER on our Roll-Call, lots of ShoeSluts™, lots of MassageWhores™:D

 

Ummmm, wow..... I want to cruise with you girl:D Do you have any girlfriends going with you????

I too can't answer any of your questions yet but I have a feeling in a couple of weeks I will know the answers:rolleyes:

Have a great cruise!

John

[TedC]

We've never had a problem leaving bags in Neptune Lounge until cabin was ready.

 

It's been our experience that HAL tries to please, you can have pasta for every course if you want. There's also a pasta station in the Lido for lunch.

 

The tender priority is coded into your boarding card - no special ticket needed.

 

I'm not a coffee drinker (I saw how the coffee drinkers turned out) but I know the Neptune has a speciality coffee machine that's usually self-serve, although the Neptune staff sometimes will do it for you.

[CruiserBruce]

but as my last cruise was 12/2004, the info maybe a little out dated.

 

There is a line for suite passengers. Suite passengers usually get priority boarding. I can't answer for your inside passenger, but if you get there around 10:30 or 11, there won't be many people, and your inside friend will likely get on pretty quickly. My DW and I can't wait to get on, so we won't hang out anywhere but as close to the front of the line as we can get. The last thing I would do is sit within sight of the ship and hang out- just ask my wife!

 

No, HAL doesn't have a Suite club, or similar.

 

I would consider the Neptune Club very safe. Case of Champagne? Can I go with you? I promise to only drink half the case!

 

I don't think pasta is an appetizer, but if you ask your waiter nicely for a small serving up front....

 

As I understand it there is room for 2 ships at PV, although maybe not two larger cruise ships. So, tendering at PV depends on arrivals- number of, and timing. The times I have been there there has only been one ship, so no problemo...

 

Bruce

 

Next up- W'Dam, FLL-San Diego, April 2008

[bardgal]

Ummmm, wow..... I want to cruise with you girl:D Do you have any girlfriends going with you????

I too can't answer any of your questions yet but I have a feeling in a couple of weeks I will know the answers:rolleyes:

Have a great cruise!

John

(John darling, YOU were the MassageWhore™ I was reffering to!) ;)

 

And yes! I think we're all going to have a BRILLIANT cruise, one azipod or two!

:D

 

Thanks everyone for the info! Every bit is so appreciated!

[legalslave]

I can answer one of your questions. When we were on the Amsterdam, we had a suite and our adult sons had inside cabins. They were allowed to board with us. Surely some San Diegans will jump in on the food question. I haven't been to Anthony's in many years. The food was very good! Friends of mine who live in San Diego have been there recently and said it is still very good. I know I saw it on the Food Network very recently. May have been one of Rachel Ray's picks for San Diego.

 

Diane

[Copper10-8]

Hey Tally - couple of answers for you:

Don't know anything about the pubs you mentioned but do know that there are multiple pubs/restaurants/bars in the Gaslamp district of SD and an awesome Ruth Chris restaurant right slam next to the Holiday Inn.

All pax (suites) included can board early but will be directed to the Lido restaurant until the rooms are ready for occupancy - depending on what time you and your group (interesting names y'all chose, BTW:rolleyes: ) want to board, that's what's going to happen until all rooms are ready. If you board at a time after the cabins are ready, obviously you can go straight there however since you have a suite and get "suite priority" you might have to wait for your "steerage" friend who won't have that privilege.

We've never done it but I'm pretty sure you can leave carry-on bags with the concierges in the NL. Someone else that has knowledge will more than likely correct me if I'm wrong here.

Yes, HAL does serve pasta dishes but on Oosterdam they are all part of the entrees, not the appetizers.

No way of telling until you see your daily program on embarkation day if Oosterdam's gonna dock or tender at PV. There's a pecking order and until the new pier is done (wich is delayed) room for only two large cruise ships to dock in PV. When we were there this last FEB, Carnival Pride and "The World" were docked so we tendered. It's not a very long tender ride - maybe 10-15 minutes at the most

 

HAL has coffee machines in the Neptune and Lido where you can have choices like Espresso, Cappucino, Latte etc. but don't believe you have an option to go non-fat, half-caf, or unleaded. I suggest going to the Explorations Cafe for those choices.

Sorry, haven't played the onboard slots in a really long time because I wasn't winning anything and got tired of donating money

Have a great cruise on Oosterdam and stay out of trouble in places like Cabo Wabo, The Gigglin' Marlin, Senor Frogs, Pappas & Beer, etc, etc, etc.

[bardgal]

Have a great cruise on Oosterdam and stay out of trouble in places like Cabo Wabo, The Gigglin' Marlin, Senor Frogs, Pappas & Beer, etc, etc, etc.

Yes Officer.

I'm fun, but my speed is The Office in Cabo, I stay from Frog's-n-Co! - Thanks John!!!

 

Hey Bruce! Of course you can come with us!!! :D

 

Thanks Diane for the info on Anthony's!

[bardgal]

In my overwhelming anticipation for this cruise I have apparently lost the abilty to form complete sentences.:rolleyes:

 

I meant to say I stay AWAY from Señor Frog's etc.... Of course it took me two times of going there and completely sleeping thru dinner to learn my lesson, but LEARNED I HAVE.

 

What a thing learning is! Romeo and Juliet - quarto 1, 1597

:D