MaryBethV

Thank you @Trish Traveler - I'm reading your review now! We have not done a Panama cruise and I'm looking forward to reading every detail you post about your cruise. 😀

@Bimmer09 - I've bookmarked your reviews for some relaxed evening reading - thanks! DH and I took a trip to Traverse City and explored the Old Mission Peninsula last year. Gorgeous area!

Sunday | February 25, 2024 | Debarkation We woke up next to RC's Odyssey of the Seas and the Celebrity Ascent. It was a beautiful Florida morning! Just five blissful final minutes on the balcony 😊 & then crew came through opening up all the partitions and hosing everything down. DH found this little guy on the stairs - And FIL found this one next to the elevators - Cute little flock of cruise ducks - don't you think? Time for goodbyes. 😭 I hate this part. California is just too far away. We had such a fun week though - and the memories always bring you closer! MrC and MrsC headed to the airport and we headed to our hotel with FIL and MIL. Our flights would leave the next morning. I always look forward to going home, even if we don't have palm trees in Michigan. Until next time... A few final thoughts for those who are interested in how HAL and Princess compare (in our opinion). HAL - what we loved! Around the ship: - Classic exterior - she is a beautiful ship! - Covered pool - this allows for use of the top deck area even in inclement weather - Aft pool is 5'6" deep, stair entry, and adults-only - No loud concerts/movies playing by the pools during the day which allowed for a more relaxing experience - Full promenade deck! - Crow's nest - a forward viewing venue open to all Stateroom: - Spacious shower with a glass door - Separate shampoo & conditioner - lit mirrors in the bathroom and at the desk, which made doing hair & makeup easy - plenty of drawers - deeper balcony with pull-out footrests for the chairs - unlimited laundry (worth every penny) - we loved that the cabin stewards worked in pairs, ours were the best we've had on any cruise and I imagine that having someone to work with is better for your mental health as well Dining: - The food across-the-board was of a very high quality and plated beautifully. (I do think their desserts could benefit from more creativity and attention to plating.) - Breakfast room service - multiple hot options and due to using a hot plate, our food arrived at a good temperature - we were usually seated immediately (and never had wait more than a few minutes) in the MDR (anytime dining with 2-6 people dining) - Bars available inside the Lido Market which made it easy to grab a drink with food - incredible sushi at Nami Sushi - The Grand Dutch Cafe sounds great, but is not a place to grab a quick lunch and also is not open at times that would be beneficial (late night) - Lido Market buffet hours were very limited compared to other ships. This was especially noticeable at night and early afternoon. HAL - what we didn't love ☹️ - When we booked this cruise there was classical music from Lincoln Center that we were very much looking forward to! Not only was this gone with the termination of their LC contract, but there seemed to be no effort to have any easy-listening music (during the day, pre-dinner, or evening) on the ship. There was even an unplayed grand piano in the Ocean Bar lounge. We mentioned this to an officer (he was walking around and asked about our experience) and also noted this in our post-cruise survey. We will likely hold off on a future HAL cruise until some effort has been made to bring back classical/easy-listening music on the ship in various venues. - We had the signature beverage package and MANY common drinks were 50 cents to a few dollars above the $11 cap. That, combined with having to physically sign for drinks, really took away from the "have it all" experience. - The interior design/decor of the ship may be classic but often felt a little boring. - The shows (except for the steel drum band) seemed amateur in comparison to the talent we have experienced in the past. PRINCESS - what we missed about Princess (I know, I'm sorry HAL friends) - Classical/acoustic/easy-listening live music (string quartet, pianist, guitar/vocalist) in various venues around the ship throughout the day and evening. This was in addition to a house band that would play band/rock/dance music and shows with highly talented dancers and singers. - The medallion. This allowed us to see where our traveling companions were on the ship (a must when traveling with older kids in our opinion), we didn't have to sign for drinks and didn't have to dig out our cruise card to open our stateroom door. - The interior decor was just gorgeous. Every hallway was lined with photographs. Venues and seating areas had so much detail and design put into every nook & cranny - yet the design remained classy and elegant. - The grand 3-story Piazza - wow factor and gathering place - The International Cafe - open 24 hours and a place to grab a quick meal, snack, or coffee - Large open closet in our stateroom that also functioned as a spacious, private dressing area - More late-night food options and extensive buffet hours (which again, if traveling with young adults is a must - and we liked it too 😉) - Desserts that looked incredible and tasted amazing. Memorable! (and not just in the specialty restaurants) - Ability to pre-purchase bottled/canned water for your stateroom We will keep both HAL and Princess in mind as we shop for our next cruise. 😍 Thank you for following along!

Those cruises sound amazing! Enjoy that wrap-around Neptune Suite!

I knew the mast coins were in the front somewhere (I even saved a photo someone posted of them so I'd know what I was looking for) and then I forgot to search for them! I'm easily distracted. 😂 Thank you for the info about the dining room ordering. I will try to remember that for our next cruise. Indian food is my favorite!

What an amazing journey (so far)! Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to take us along. Following!

We don't have anything booked yet. It is always fun to look and plan though!

Saturday | February 24, 2024 | Half Moon Cay Our alarm went off at 7:30 am. The Rotterdam was scheduled to be at Half Moon Cay at 8:00 am and we thought we'd tender over after the initial rush. The Daily - DH was on our balcony as I was getting dressed and packing for the beach. I hear "Uh-oh! Look at that tender!" and ran to look. A tender was making its way towards us and it was bobbing like a duck in a wave pool. 😧 Our captain swung the ship around to shelter it from the wind and waves. Sadly, the 20+ knot winds were blowing the ship into the tender and the call was made to cancel our day at Half Moon Cay. 😪 I zoomed in and captured our only look at the beach. Maybe next time! We were disappointed, but it was obvious from what we had seen that the Captain made the right call. We are thankful they take safety first! I must admit that I wasn't entirely surprised as I remember reading somewhere that Half Moon Cay is the most missed private island. (Maybe because of it's location?) Since we had ordered room service breakfast the night before, we decided to enjoy it on the balcony and think about how to make the most of what was now not only our last day, but also Sea Day #6. Room Service Menu - All American Breakfast with Fried Eggs - the sausage was lukewarm today at best, so I just ate around it. We turned on the bow cam on so that we could hear the announcements from the captain and the cruise director. Time to rally and find something to do! We met up with MrC and MrsC for coffee in the Explorations Cafe. Sadly, their coffee machine was undergoing scheduled maintenance... so no lattes. Good company though! And that is the important part, 🥰 On our way back to our room, we noticed that there was a showing of Top Gun Maverick in the theater, so we popped in to watch the first 15-20 minutes. Great movie, but it seemed wrong to us to spend 2 hours watching a movie we'd already seen... so we did some exploring and souvenir shopping instead. This photo was taken at 10:51 am... we must have caught them in-between breakfast pastries and lunch at the Dutch Cafe. Back in our room, the dreaded luggage mats were out. I'm the type that knows we need to pack because they are going to kick us off tomorrow -- but I'd rather live in denial as long as possible!!! So, we chatted in our room with FIL and MIL for a while. This trip together has been such a blessing! After that, I read my book on the balcony for a while until it started to rain. Woo hoo! Made it to chapter 22 in a book = cruise record! 😂 Hmmm - what to do for lunch? My internal thought process: Buffet? No, not in the mood to fight the crowds and find a seat. MDR? No, not craving anything on that menu either. Burgers at Dive In? Best option yet, but it seems like a repeat. NY PIzza? No, not special enough for our last day... plus those movie snacks were 😬. Wait - I wonder if Pinnacle opened up for lunch today even though it wasn't a planned Sea Day? Doesn't hurt to check..." And here we are. Yes, we have 7:30 pm reservations with the whole crew here tonight, but darn it, this sounds fun. And yummy. And makes me less sad for missing HMC. 😉 It was like we had the whole restaurant to ourselves! The photos above may have been taken during closed hours... but it was almost the same. It was just us and two other couples. Our waiter was fantastic and the food was... Best bread basket yet, hands down! Warm and served with creamy garlic butter. Yuzu Margarita from their featured cocktails list - pretty and very good. Crab cakes - DH loved these! He cracked one open and had me take a photo. Not much filler here friends - just melt-in-your-mouth crab. Grilled Prawn Bruschetta - 9.5/10! It was served piping hot and was ah-maz-ing. I only deducted 1/2 a point for needing to take the tails off to eat it. There is no polite, gracious way to do that! Why?!! A fork and a knife risks a Pretty Woman escargot incident. Fingers are just messy and probably far from proper. Oh well. Whatever. Worth it! Beef Tenderloin with Oregon Blue Cheese - DH enjoyed it. It was cooked to order (medium rare) and full of flavor. Broiled Alaska King Salmon - This was very good. I LOVED the salmon and liked the rice pilaf. I don't know if I would order this again - just because there are many other main entrees I'd enjoy trying. Warm Fudge Brownie - DH loved it. The coffee gelato was 🤩 Coconut Trifle - This was a beautiful dessert. Maybe more beautiful than delicious, but still a solid choice. Back in our room, we spotted Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas heading the other way. I took FIL & MIL out for some photos to commemorate this cruise and their 55th wedding anniversary. ❤️ Wonder of the Seas was now just a speck, literally sailing into the sunset. I love them! 🥰 Commence crazy packing - what a mess! (I couldn't believe that when we returned after dinner, Gin & Jay had bothered to neatly arrange our pillows behind the messy bed full of suitcases! I'm going to miss them!) Time for dinner! We have such full hearts from being able to sail with & spend time with these very special people. ❤️❤️❤️ Forest Mushroom Soup - poured table-side and MIL said it "was like her mushroom soup", which means it was good. 😊 Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes - I had to get them this time and I was glad I did! Heart of Romaine Caesar Salad - DH ordered this and at first I thought it was burrata on top, but no, it was a poached egg. DH loved it and will not want a Caesar Salad any other way from this point forward! Panko Fried Stuffed Mushroom Caps - FIL enjoyed them. Onto the main entrees... Seared Jumbo Scallops - MrsC seemed to enjoy them! Beef Tenderloin with Lobster Dumplings (with a side of green peppercorn sauce) - My steak was delicious and the sauces were so good. The lobster dumplings were good, but the lobster flavor didn't come through at all in my opinion. Boneless Rib Eye - DH said it was a very nice steak - and served medium-rare, as ordered. Beecher's Lobster Mac & Cheese ($10 extra) - MIL ordered this and was surprised that the lobster wasn't mixed in... but we just cut it up and mixed it in for her. I tasted a spoonful and thought it was creamy comfort food at its finest. Sides served family style (L to R) - Roasted Baby Beets with Blue Cheese, Asparagus with Hollandaise, Sauteed Mushrooms 😍 Creamed Spinach (on the Left) Mini desserts - they brought enough for each person to try one of each kind. Creme Brulee - MrC seemed to love it. Not-So-Classic Baked Alaska - this has such a fun presentation and FIL thought it was very good Key Lime Pie - Solid Key Lime Pie Jacques Torres Chocolate Souffle - Loved it! What a perfect way to end our last night of this lovely cruise. Thank you if you have followed along this far! Next up: Disembarkation & some final thoughts.

I'm glad this review helped you plan and I hope you have an amazing cruise!

That is terrible! They couldn't tell you why the itineraries didn't match? WOW We've booked all of our cruises through Costco and while mostly helpful, there were times I felt like I was in a game of chicken to see what would happen first - me giving up or them finally passing me up the line to a supervisor. I'm super stubborn, so I usually win cruise-chicken, but it is always exhausting. 😎 Sorry your day was so frustrating!

I would have loved that!!!

Friday | February 23, 2024 | Sea Day #5 You know this view makes me 😃! The Daily - We woke up early, bundled up our last laundry to go out, and headed to the MDR for breakfast. Budayasa was our server and we had a table with an aft view. The last MDR breakfast of the cruise called for a mimosa! Full English Breakfast for DH Aloo Masala and Egg Bhurji - I had read on these boards that this Indian breakfast option was delicious. And it was! Mmmm! After breakfast, we headed to the World Stage for the "City on the Sea" presentation. Think of it as a behind-the-scenes tour without all the walking! We were joined by FIL, as well as MrC & MrsC. A well-deserved standing ovation for all of the crew! (photo taken as they just started to walk out) We passed by the DE LIJN gin DH had come to like. Why we didn't purchase some onboard, I don't know! Regretting that. After a short break on the balcony, we headed to meet MrC and MrsC for lunch. When we ordered, MrC and DH both ordered the club sandwich. Our server asked each one of them if they would, perhaps, like half a sandwich, which was a tad odd. MrC ordered a half and DH ordered a whole sandwich. When they came out it was obvious that it had only a fraction of the lunch meat on it as the ones they had had previously on this cruise. (Kicking myself for not taking a photo!) HAL might not have anticipated the lunch meat needed for a 9-day cruise with so many sea days - or maybe our love of club sandwiches was what threw off their calculations. 😂 BBQ Chicken Springroll - MrsC liked it! Mexican Street Tacos - both MrsC and I ordered these with fish. Very good! After lunch, DH rested and I decided to explore the top decks a bit. This is outside of Tamarind. Busy aft pool area - Pickleball! Main Lido Pool - Forward - If you put your camera over the glass wall, it is a great forward view! Beautiful Retreat area - maybe next time! I headed to the Explorations Cafe and met MrC & MrsC for some puzzle time in the game room. Iced Mocha from the coffee bar - refreshing! Another pre-dinner elevator selfie. 🤷‍♀️😄 And a Pre-Dinner Snack at Nami Sushi 😉 We decided to try some Sake for the first time and went with our server's recommendations. Amy (who was our server in Tamarind earlier in the cruise) came over to say hi to us and warned us about Sake. "Easy to drink. Easy to drunk." she said. 😂 Warning taken. We only shared two little shot glasses. I wasn't expecting to like it, but I thought it was pretty good! Vegetable Tempura - very light batter, we enjoyed it. The couple sitting next to us at the bar told us how amazing the Spicy Scallop Roll was and they were not wrong! It was even better than the Lobster roll we had previously! Mmm! Beautiful sunset! We had such a nice time chatting with Laxman, who is from India. I mentioned to him that all of the Indian dishes I've had on the ship were SO delicious and he said that you can ask for a special Indian menu in the MDR if you ask for it a day in advance. Can anyone confirm that? That alone may be worth booking another cruise! 😍 Asparagus & Salmon Roll - very good. We had now tried all 4 signature rolls and felt accomplished. The sun may have already set, but the afterglow was gorgeous! We headed to the Half Moon Bar area and sat for a while by one of the windows across from Club Orange. All of a sudden, DH takes his camera and takes a photo of something by the window next to me. I turn around and... Aw! Turns out it was hidden by someone on our cruise who was celebrating her graduation. It came with instructions to post it to a duck Facebook group - so I will try to do that soon. I have to say though, when looking up duck Facebook groups, I wasn't expecting to find so many and with, um, DRAMA. How can you have drama in a duck-hiding group? I'm a little scared to post there lol. Late Gala dinner with my amazing DH! ❤️ Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail - the shrimp were quite large and DH liked it! Ricotta & Spinach Tortellini - pasta course for my starter again. It was very good! Cracked Pepper Tenderloin with Grilled Shrimp - DH and I both ordered this, medium rare. Delicious! A classic dish done well always makes me happy. Rhubarb Crisp - DH thought it was very good. Tiramisu - Mmm! Perfect ending to a lovely meal and a wonderful day. Next up: Last full day!

They used to have an America's Test Kitchen on the ships?!? I love ATK (subscriber and avid YouTube watcher). What was that like?

That is what I was wondering (regarding the slats). I have to say I'm also surprised that the window views went to chairs/tables along the hallway instead of to the suite-restaurant.

We are aware of that (and have had a divider opened before when traveling with our kids). We had connecting rooms, which came in handy when needed, but we felt we each wanted some privacy on our balconies.