catlib55
December 15th, 2004, 05:26 PM
Our cabin was very nice, on Dolphin deck aft. It was abit noisy from time to time because we could hear the engines and stern thrusters when we were docking and leaving a port. But it was very roomy and comfortable. There were a couple of days when we couldn't use the toilet for awhile, but it wasn't bothersome enough to even report it to more than the cabin stewards in the hallway.
Puerto Limon was very pretty, but Costa Rica is a very poor country where the living conditions are horrid. We took the jungle train adventure. It was a wonderful excursion through the rain forest, and we saw sloths and howler monkeys up in the trees. The rain forest is beautiful. On this cruise, the aerial tram excursion had been cancelled. I am glad we didn't sign up for it. I would have been disappointed if we couldn't go.
Disembarkation went very smoothly except for one bump which was not HAL's fault. For some unknown reason, the INS decided to pick us to search everything we owned - hand luggage first, and then after we picked up our suitcases, they decided to search them also. If gave a very bad aftertaste to a beautiful vacation for us. I still don't know why they decided to pick on us.
HAL has changed their policy on alcohol, and if you want it in your cabin, you have to order it through room service or order it from the Ocean Bar and have it delivered to your cabin. A bottle costs $27.50 plus tax. In the liquor shop on board, the same bottle was half that price. If you bought it there, they held it for you until the end of the cruise.
I thought the tipping policy was explained very well by our cruise director Peter.
The entertainment was awesome. We had Marty Brill, an excellent comedian, Martin Lass, a wonderful violinist, Brad Cummings, a hilarious ventriloquist, a magician that I didn't see, and Jason Chase, who sang and told funny stories.
The Rotterdam cast was fantastic as they sang and danced for us three nights during the cruise.
There was a wonderful and very interesting lecturer on board who talked about the history of the Panama isthmus and the Panama Canal.
All in all, it was one of the best cruises we have ever taken, but then again, every cruise we have taken is the best!!
Thanks for all the great advice from everyone on this board before we left. We will definitely sail with HAL again.
Mary Ellen
Puerto Limon was very pretty, but Costa Rica is a very poor country where the living conditions are horrid. We took the jungle train adventure. It was a wonderful excursion through the rain forest, and we saw sloths and howler monkeys up in the trees. The rain forest is beautiful. On this cruise, the aerial tram excursion had been cancelled. I am glad we didn't sign up for it. I would have been disappointed if we couldn't go.
Disembarkation went very smoothly except for one bump which was not HAL's fault. For some unknown reason, the INS decided to pick us to search everything we owned - hand luggage first, and then after we picked up our suitcases, they decided to search them also. If gave a very bad aftertaste to a beautiful vacation for us. I still don't know why they decided to pick on us.
HAL has changed their policy on alcohol, and if you want it in your cabin, you have to order it through room service or order it from the Ocean Bar and have it delivered to your cabin. A bottle costs $27.50 plus tax. In the liquor shop on board, the same bottle was half that price. If you bought it there, they held it for you until the end of the cruise.
I thought the tipping policy was explained very well by our cruise director Peter.
The entertainment was awesome. We had Marty Brill, an excellent comedian, Martin Lass, a wonderful violinist, Brad Cummings, a hilarious ventriloquist, a magician that I didn't see, and Jason Chase, who sang and told funny stories.
The Rotterdam cast was fantastic as they sang and danced for us three nights during the cruise.
There was a wonderful and very interesting lecturer on board who talked about the history of the Panama isthmus and the Panama Canal.
All in all, it was one of the best cruises we have ever taken, but then again, every cruise we have taken is the best!!
Thanks for all the great advice from everyone on this board before we left. We will definitely sail with HAL again.
Mary Ellen