Funniest HAL moments

[SarasMommy]

I thought it might be fun to share funny experiences that we have had on HAL. So here goes the first (and hopefully not the last) one...

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the seaquest game, where passengers gather in the lounge and are separated into two teams. Usually each team has two cruise activities staff as team captains. Then the cruise director asks for particular items one at a time (eg. foreign coin, Canadian drivers license, red sock, etc.) and the first team to produce said items gets a point. On our Mediterranean cruise, the cruise director asked for a half moon, which is what HAL's logo is called. Instead, one gentleman jumped up, turned around, and pulled his pants halfway down to reveal his own half moon!

I think that team got bonus points.

[innlady1]

I thought it might be fun to share funny experiences that we have had on HAL. So here goes the first (and hopefully not the last) one...

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the seaquest game, where passengers gather in the lounge and are separated into two teams. Usually each team has two cruise activities staff as team captains. Then the cruise director asks for particular items one at a time (eg. foreign coin, Canadian drivers license, red sock, etc.) and the first team to produce said items gets a point. On our Mediterranean cruise, the cruise director asked for a half moon, which is what HAL's logo is called. Instead, one gentleman jumped up, turned around, and pulled his pants halfway down to reveal his own half moon!

I think that team got bonus points.

I don't have any stories that can beat yours, SarahsMommy. Yours made me chuckle! ;) :D ;)

[NoNoNanette]

As Dom and I were boarding the Volendam in December, one of the security guys said to his buddy, "oh oh.... here comes trouble", looking at me.

He smiled with a knowing look.

Dom asked me what that was about. I told him that it was a "long story". :D

I have no doubt in my mind that they recognized me from this forum.

Throughout our 10 day cruise, he'd make it a point to smile and wave at us.

Too Cool! ;) (He was extremely easy on the eyes, as well as sweet!)

[bepsf]

My pal Joe was aboard Oosterdam with me enjoying lunch in the Lido one afternoon during a day at sea.

The waiter came along offering offering drinks, so Joe ordered a glass of wine.

When the waiter asked for his stateroom number, Joe calmly replied, "Oh, I'm not staying here."

You should have seen the waiter's face...
:eek:

[sail7seas]

Along the same lines.......

We were in a Suite cabin years ago when they used to have Suite Dinner.
We received an invitation to it and there was a request for RSVP. I called the extension indicated, thanked the young woman who answered for the invitation and said we would not be attending.

She paused and asked, "Why Not? "
I thought that quite rude and truly inappropriate to ask.

I responded, "We'll be out of town that night".
She said "It's a sea day at night".

I answered, "I am aware of that"..... and hung up.

I saw her (front office girl) a few days later and I think she was still trying to figure out that conversation. :rolleyes:

[JimVrhovac]

It is fun to play with a woman's mind and get away with it so cleanly

Good Show

Ruth & Jim

[Krazy Kruizers]

SarasMommy

Great story!!

On several of our last cruises they haven't even had the seaquest games.

[Krazy Kruizers]

sail

Are you serious??

You didn't go to the suite dinner?

We loved going to them.

[diveoz]

Our bar bill on our first cruise... It was almost 19 years ago and was for my wife's 21st B-day...

For 3 of us it was $1,100 - for a 3 day cruise, or $122/person/day.

Assuming drinks were $5.00 each back then, that's 24 drinks/person/day!:eek:

I think the front office must have made a mistake! Yeah, that's the answer!

Fortunately we've mellowed with age!

[diveoz]

Oops...
I guess I woke up too early to post the where "HAL Ships Are..." and thought the thread was funniest cruise moments... Sorry!

[Spoely]

Hi, Folks

In April of '06 we were at early lower dinner seating on the Ryndam. Our table companions were wonderful and witty and fun to talk with. You all know the sweet and charming young man who chimes us in to dinner, right? Well, we were so busy chatting and laughing, that he came over to our table, gave us a big smile and chimed us out of the dining room! :D We then realized we were the last ones there and the waiters needed to finish setting up for late seating.

Cheers,
Karen and Dave
(a.k.a. Spoely)

[SarasMommy]

During the same seaquest game as my original post, the cruise director asked for a member of the bar staff. The two team captains took off like a shot and ran out of the lounge. After a couple of minutes, the male captain came running in with a very small female waitress over his shoulder. I can only imagine what she was thinking - minding her own business, working away, when all of a sudden this crazy guy comes running up to her and scoops her up.

Good times!

[sail7seas]

sail

Are you serious??

You didn't go to the suite dinner?

We loved going to them.


Yeeees. I am serious. Some we went to; actually we went to most. Some we did not.

You also like Suite Lunch. We don't attend that......as you know. Just because someone runs a party, doesn't mean someone has to attend. ;)

That's what is so great.... each of us can do what we like. :) Choices. One of the wonderful things about cruising.... Choices I would stand with a picket sign to protect HAL continue to offer Suite Lunch as I think they should. But I don't have to attend if I don't wish. ;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

We never missed any suite dinners. Loved them and not only did we get to meet some of the officers as we all mingled before sitting down for dinner, we also had another chance to meet some of the other suite guests.

Same goes for the suite lunches/buffets. Never miss them either. Really love it when the captain, HM and a few officers stop by the various tables on some of the ships to chat and maybe even have a bite to eat. The suite lunches are the best - thankfully we have been fortunate enough that a couple of the captains still have them.

[sail7seas]

. The suite lunches are the best - thankfully we have been fortunate enough that a couple of the captains still have them.

We have never yet been on an HAL ship that did NOT have a Suite Lunch. Every cruise we have been on in all the years they have run the lunch, has offered it.

We choose to not attend.

Happy you find them so enjoyable..... I hope they continue to offer them and that you keep enjoying them.

[Mary Ellen]

Well, as long as we're talking about the Suite lunches, we did have an 'interesting' experience at one, actually our first one. It was a buffet in the Crow's Nest. This was also the first time we really have NOT cared for the CD and we apparently we weren't the only ones. We're pretty quiet, not 'mixing and mingling' and we're getting ready to leave the Crow's Nest, until the Captain came to sit with us. Now, I've always thought it on the rude side to leave right after someone joins you, so we stayed. I've also never had any interest in sitting at the Captain's Table, but since he came to sit with us.... Anyway, we're chatting and the CD comes up and actually interupts the Captain as he is speaking. :eek:

CD: "It is time for the 'voice from the Bridge"
Capt says something that he isn't going to do one that day as the passengers could see it was raining and where we were.
CD stammers and says he has to as the concessionaires are dependent upon the promotions.
Capt- icy stare, then 'You may do as you wish, but I am not going to give an announcement'.
The CD departs (in a bit of a huff) and the Captain continues chatting.

Well we learned (in at least that CD's mind) that the noon 'voice from the Bridge' isn't meant to be informative, but merely 'advertising'. I also seem to remember hearing/reading not too long after that that CD was no longer with HAL.

[sail7seas]

Wow...what a story, Mary Ellen. Thanks for sharing it.

[bepsf]

We have never yet been on an HAL ship that did NOT have a Suite Lunch. Every cruise we have been on in all the years they have run the lunch, has offered it.

We choose to not attend.


I know what you mean...
...I attended the Suite Pax luncheon aboard that same Oosterdam cruise a couple years back - a buffet which was held on the Crow's Nest. You would not believe how boooring the other suite pax were - and this was a Gay Cruise!

...until I spotted some whales in the distance - It wasn't till then that a few folks finally started chattering w/ one another.
:)

[Susie51]

Great idea for a thread. You started out with a very funny story.

Mom never likes to be "late" for dinner (that means being first in line at the door.) While on the Maasdam Canada/New England cruise we had early seating. I am a lighthouse buff and there were a lot to see. I liked staying out on deck as long as possible to see the lighthouses as we left the harbor. Each evening except for sea days, she would appolize to our tablemates for my tardiness. They also liked to be in line before the doors opened. MOST of the tables were not filled yet. So I wasn't that "late".

I find this quite amusing. I'm sure most people wouldn't, but you gotta know mom and her antics to appreciate the story. If I was back from the sail away before she left the room, she wouldn't wait for me to change my top. She would hurry down the hall as fast as she could with her walker. She would collapse on the seat of the walker from overexertion. Then when she saw me coming down the hall. She'd get up and start "running" again. This picture in my mind always makes me smile.

[sail7seas]

And I feel your love for her in your words. :) What wonderful memories you will have from your cruise together.

[Krazy Kruizers]

In recent years there is a BIG difference between the suite luncheon and the suite buffet.

Most ships have the suite buffet either in the Crow's Nest or in the Explorer's Lounge - very few officers attend these.

The suite luncheons are regular sit down luncheons in the dining room - NOT related to the Mariner's party which some ships have. We have been fortunate enough that even last year on our 7 day Alaskam cruises we still had them. Mnay captains do not want to be botheres with them.

ALL the recent brochures I have indicate that the suite buffets/luncheons are offered only on cruises of 10 days or more. Thankfully we still have many captains and hotel managers who still wish to have them on 7 day cruises!!

[mamaofami]

My fondest HAL memory isn't a funny moment, but rather the incredible moment when I won a free cruise playing bingo on my special birthday. Going into the lounge, I just had this funny feeling that I would win because it was my birthday. I took one card and in the beginning had none of the numbers they called. i was so frustrated I almost left. Then, it was down to me and another person and we both needed one more number. DH was at the front desk and I came out waving this piece of paper saying, "I won, I won". He couldn't believe it either! :D

[kruise53]

sailing on the old noordam one afternoon on the elevator an elderly couple were getting on the elevator and said to each other "i dont think this is the floor we are on , the carpeting had different colors in it. after talking to them a few minutes they were telling me that the knew the deck they were on by the floor carpeting but during that day the crew had been replacing some of the carpeting,after trying not to laugh i took them down to the front desk so they could locate their cabin everytime i think of that i start laughing and often wondered how many trips up and down the elevator they would have taken ,i never saw them again on the cruise and wondered if they were still looking for the floor they knew..another time i was walking to my cabin and while passing a cabin the cabin boy let out a holler i looked and here on a passengers bed where 3 differnt wigs the poor boy thought they were sleeping animals nnot like the towel ones we receive now..if i think of any more i will let u all know

[Tobermory]

During a "Zaandam" cruise to Alaska four years ago, many of the passengers were out on deck watching the whales that we were passing. I was standing on the starboard deck of the Lower Promenade deck, when I heard a lady remark: "Oh, they also have lifeboats on this side of the ship -- I thought the lifeboats were just on the other side!"