bob brown

They sell those $10. Bijoux-Terner watches on the rummage table sales. These are 'throw-away' watches, as when the battery dies, just toss 'em.

They also have sales on slightly better watches in the $49-99. range. Lots of 'designer' labels.

 

The fine jewelry store has better watches. I bought a Citizen Eco Drive Caliber 2100 a couple of years ago at about 40% off and tax-free. About as good a deal as you will generally find. They also have better watches like Tag-Heuer, Tissot, Bulova, Rado, and probably their best is Omega.

You will not find the likes of Rolex or Patek-Philippe aboard.

If you are an ocean liner fan, as I am, be sure not to miss some original menus and other memorabilia on the walls in the library. Fascinating stuff!

You're joking, right?

 

Apple is the Chevrolet of the computer world.

Low price, mass produced, one size fits all.

 

They try to give away the IPhone in Asia, but nobody will take them - even for free.

I don't know how it is in China, but here in the US, the I-Phone and I-Pad are the most coveted ones for sale. And the MacBook Pro line is also in demand by those who can afford them.

 

The only way I can think of to appeal to both ends of the market (and this goes for all lines, not just HAL) is to bring back class-segregated ships. That way, different passengers can truly have different experiences on the same vessel. Those willing to part with the most cash can enjoy the best facilities, cuisine and service, while the mere "tourists" can get by with simple accommodations and low expectations.

 

Of course, the modern sense of egalitarianism revolts at the very thought that some people might be treated better or worse simply due to their economic situation, so I doubt if we'll ever see it. Therefore, any ship is going to have to be either entirely "First Class" or entirely "Tourist". Anyone who expects First Class service and accomodation while paying Tourist-Class rates deserves to be disappointed, I think.

 

As always, these are only my own opinions.

 

It seems that there is already a slight trend in that direction on some lines. On Cunard, cabin grade has always determined which dining room you are assigned. The higher grades get better menu selection as well as open seating. They also have an exclusive lounge for the top grades. And they are also spreading to exclusive outside deck areas.

NCL's recent ships have what amounts to a 'ship within a ship', with upscale dining, lounge, pool, etc. exclusive to suite level guests. And other percs like reserved section of showroom.

So this may indeed lead to a return somewhat, of different classes on the same ship.

Nobody has ever lost any money under-estimating the taste of the American Public.

 

The most wildly successful company in American History is Wal-Mart.

They make all their money by going for the lowest common denominator.

 

The most wildly successful Cruise Line in history is Carnival.

Once again, lowest common denominator.

 

What happened to those great elegant cruise lines like Royal Viking, Sea Goddess, and Royal Cruise Line?

Their owners claimed that they would NEVER lower their standards - even if it killed them.

Rest in Peace................

 

Why is it that really great cruise lines like Seabourn, Sea Dream, Silver Sea, and Crystal have NEVER made a penny of profit in their entire histories?

Because the cruising public is more interested in Quantity over Quality.

Everybody claims that they want the quality, but when it comes time to ante up, lowest price always wins.

 

Thank goodness that the owners of the truly great cruise lines have such large egos and large pocketbooks they can continue to operate at a loss.

Lowest common denominator? Maybe.

But then how do you account for the wild success of Apple?

It's computers and I-things, are the top priced in general, yet they seem to be the most successful.

I agree that HAL is a 'mass market' line. They try to define their niche within that market with a more refined, traditional type cruise experience that emphasizes the itinerary rather than the ship itself as a resort, and tends to attract an older demograhic. HAL has to try to walk a fine line to retain their loyal following, but at the same time attract some new business if they hope to survive. So far it looks like Carnivals plans for them have proven to be successful. Just look how much HAL has grown over the era of Carnival ownership.

Crew members for the most part (the service crews, not the entertainers, etc.), are on board to earn cash to send home to their families. They are not on board to be entertained or collect souvenirs. Port calls, when they get them, are spent shopping for staples, or things to take home, not trinkets and souvenirs.

So yes, cash is best.

Well, like I said, we have gotten by in regular cabins, and still could, but it sure would be nice not to have to squeeze the folded wheelchair in at the end of the bed. And not to have a high sill for mom to have to step over to access bathroom.

I am traveling with my 90 year old mother, who is a heart patient and does travel with her own wheelchair, although she can walk short distances. She is certified to have special license for our car to park in handicap spaces. On HAL, we had to trade our upgraded outside cabin to an inside on a soldout ship, because the outside cabins have very high sided bathtubs instead of shower stalls, that she could not step into.

 

Does this info 'qualify her' to book this cabin, and satisfy those that are questioning me?

 

True, we can get by in a regular cabin if necessary. Since we are only a couple of months from cruise, I would think someone that had to have this cabin would have booked it already. Should cruiselines set a date when these cabins are released (perhaps they already do?) for general sale, or should they keep them open until sailing 'just in case'?

I asked this on NCL board, and got no response, so I am trying here also....

Has anyone sailed in this accessable inside or similar on sister ship?

Any comment on it?

We are thinking of booking it primarily for the huge floor space shown on the deckplan, and its midship location (opposite medical center).

 

I played Trivia and Name That Tune every day on the ZUIDERDAM in March 2010, and the prizes included mugs, sweatshirts, caps, umbrellas, picture frames and, yes, keychains. CD Patti Honecki (sp?) was super, and she had up-to-date questions and answers. I think she was finding her own topics, and she has since asked some of us cruisers to contribute good topics. Randall Powell, in the casino piano bar, had similar prizes. On the last night of the 10 day cruise, he ran out of prizes and bought drinks for the winners. Patti and Randall make a great team! And kudos to Raj in the MDR while I'm at it.:D

Sounds like you had an anamoly on that ship for the good prizes as compared to other recent reports I've read here and experienced myself.

 

Was that "Rockin' Randall" you had in the piano bar?

If he's who I think, he was great on the Maasdam and the Noordam back in 2007 and 2006.

He even awarded prizes during team "name that tune" for the funniest team name (based on loudest applause).

I had heard that he had left HAL. If not, I'm glad he's back. We had a lot of fun with him holding court in his venue, late into the evening to an appreciative crowd.:)

 

I heard that HAL was also doing away with "dam dollars" as well.

 

Yes. "Dam Dollars" has gone the way of "Passport to Fitness".:(

We enjoy doing the daily quiz....not for the gifts (although I really do have plenty of luggage tags, key chains, umbrellas, and mugs), but for the "joy" of seeing my winning entry posted.

 

On one cruise (I forgot exactly which one), we participated in the daily quiz on the first day. We lost to someone who answered 20 out of 20 and submitted the entry at 9:05 AM (the questions are available at 9AM).

 

Day 2, again we entered, again the "winner" (same person as the day before) had 20 out of 20 AGAIN and submitted the entry at 9:07AM.

 

On the third day, the theme of the quiz was chocolate.....one of the questions was "how many tons of chocolate chips are produced annually to make chocolate chip cookies?". Again 20 out of 20 at 9:10AM.....same person.

 

Obviously, she took a back-to-back cruise and the questions were repeated on both cruises or she brought "old" quizes with her on the cruise, but obviously she had all the answers at her disposal.

 

This does not make the game fun!!:( Does she need the HAL prizes so badly, she cheated? ...or did she like to see her name posted on the winning entry? Only she knows.

 

Bottom line, no matter what HAL does, it won't be good enough to appease all the trivia buffs onboard.

 

I would like to see HAL create a standard 366 trivia and daily quiz questionnaire and release it to all the ships at the same time each year, then create a new set for the following cruise year. If you notice, your daily food menus are pre-planned and dated on the bottom right.

 

It looks like the food department in corporate has it more "together" than the entertainment people in corporate.

The library quiz is interpreted by people in many different ways. I like to get the quiz at 9:00 am, and on my own answer the questions as fast as I can, with the correct answer, if I know it, or a humorous answer if I don't.

I usually submit it by 9:06.

Other people will make it a team effort, pooling knowledge with others.

Still others, will spend as much time as it will take to research the correct answers either with the books in the library or simply Googling the 'net.

 

I mentioned this observation to the 'librarians' and they like the latter as they say it encourages use of the reference materials in the library. I see that as a ploy to encourage more use of the ship's internet.;)

 

I agree that it is silly to 'cheat', by having an answer sheet to copy from a recent cruise.

It is most satisfying to see how much trivia you have at the top of your head.

No one has more fun at Trivia than we do. But ... we can play Trivia at home, for free, and go for the juggular. On a cruise, we play it for the fun and comaraderie. Although it's always a thrill to win, it's enough to know we are right - especially when the CD is wrong. We don't need a keychain to affirm our intelligence. Though we do tend to fight for the mugs. :)

This is my opportunity to reopen the discussion on trivia prizes.

I haven't been on HAL from my last in 2007 until my recent cruise last month on the Amsterdam.

The cutbacks in expenses were very noticeable in this area.

 

In the past, the prizes awarded to the winning team got progressively better through the cruise. They started with bookmarks, mouse pads (remember those?), then pins, keychains, pens, better keychains, sun visors, water wallets, fanny packs, them 'dam' mugs, and finished with HAL umbrellas, nice picture frames, and the top HAL MiniMagLite.

 

Now they gave out various Amsterdam pins, HAL coasters, set of 3 golf balls and tee's, and then the insulated travel mugs.

 

And they stopped giving prizes for the library quiz entirely.

 

Sure many people say it's only for the fun of playing. I agree with that, but who doesn't like to win prizes? Even though they are not high value,

they are very nice souvenirs and remembrances, that are unique in that they are entirely different from the line of items that you may purchase in the logo shop. And if you win a few prizes, it's fun to trade them for others that you did not. Or simply give them away, as I have done with excess 'dam mugs' over the years.

 

Oh, and I miss the 'dam dollars' too.

I don't know about the "shorter" cruises of 7-10 days, but on the "longer" cruises, trivia is the #1 activity on the ship.

 

My problem is that each ship has it's own series of questions......some VERY WRONG (example: on the Volendam which mainly sails Australia/New Zealand, one of the questions was "What was the 50th state admitted to the United States?" Trivia answer: Alaska.) If you have ever played trivia what they have on their answer sheet is ALWAYS correct - so even if it is wrong, the answer given by the staff is right.)

 

The answers are "old" and sometimes "stale". One of the questions on our last cruise was "how old is Holland America?" Answer given by cruise staff 181 years. Unfortunately, 1853 was the year it began, so even if the cruise member couldn't subtract, the answer given is "correct".

 

On our 55 day cruise, the questions were repeated many times during the voyage because they did not have enough questions.

 

The problem also exists on the daily quizes. If people take back-to-back cruises the questions are repeated and the "new" passengers are at a disadvantage.

 

Suggestion: HAL should create "standardized" trivia and daily quiz questions and distribute to the ship's entertainment staff.....or the trivia and daily quizes already onboard, should be reviewed for accuracy and relevancy. I.e one of the questions was "who is the current PM of Spain". The answer was from 2000 and the person was no longer PM.

 

Any comments?

I always enjoy trivia on board. Just got off the Amsterdam 31May, and we had team trivia at least once a day, sometimes in the Explorer's Lounge, other times in the Queens Lounge, or the Crow's nest. In addition, there was 'food trivia', conducted most days in the Culinary Arts Center (where else?). And most evenings we had music trivia in the Crow's Nest. And of course there was the usual library quiz.

I must say the questions were really challenging for the most part. And very eclectic, with few repeats of anything.

Of course, CD Jimmy Lynett gave the usual spiel about his answer's were always right, but he did offer a free prize to anyone who could show proof other than "Wikipedia" that his answers were ever wrong.

RuthC and I both love 2619. As for the others you mentioned, 1877 and 1905 look to be slightly larger (notice on the deckplans how they are as long as two and a half of the width of the opposite outside cabins, while the rest are just two of the width? As for location, 1877 wins, as it's almost dead center of the ship.

[quote name='Annecrs']The anytime dining usually is not a problem for whenever you want to go eat. we found that if you ask for a larger table to be seated at with more people we never had to wait more than 3 min. If you want a table for 4 or 6 you could have to wait a bit longer.

Anne and the Captain :)[/quote]
I wonder about that. I haven't done it on HAL yet, but my last cruises on NCL, you would be seated quickly at a large table, but then you would have to sometimes wait somewhat for the table to fill cmpletely before the waiters would begin service.

Most cruiselines I have sailed on designate the second to last night as the "Captain's Farewell Dinner". As mentioned, it is usually a formal dress night and menu offers lobster and sometimes Baked Alaska dessert paraded in by waiters.

We did not have such a thing on NCL Jewel, however we did have lobster on the menu two different nights! :)

We prefer pre-assigned dining, but this new plan may work to our advantage. We always book less than 30 days out to get lowest rates, and our preferred early dining is always closed due to HAL's demographics.

With this new AYW plan, we can get our low fare, and get our early seating too.:)

Cunard's QE2 has several single cabins in various classes. I imagine any cruise ship that dates back to liner days has likewise.