albingirl

I think they don't want to dress up at all, too. Can go in grunge. Seriously, tank tops and flip flops...what's better than that.

No sense traveling anymore if everyone is flipping over masks. I think they should be worn but I don't rule the world. Covid is everywhere. No getting around it. I'm beginning to think this is our forever. t

Too bad there was alot of disappointment on your cruise. I try to go with the itinerary and concentrate on that, rather than the shipboard experience. The very best cruises we've had have been while in Europe, and we were off the ship more than on. The entertainment on HAL is definitely meh, and the dining can be mediocre, although lately I think it's vastly improved. We don't do the casino, and shopping on a ship is not our thing, so if those things are important to you, maybe another cruiseline would suit you. To each his/her own. I'd rather stay home if I felt like so much was missing.

Hope you continue to do ok....best wishes.

Some outside dining, like bar and grilles, in Florida. It's disgusting. Maybe it's over now, I don't know. I don't go to those places anymore because I hate the smoking. But, a couple years ago, it was going on.

What a shame. That's the entertainment we loved. Rolling Stone, not so much. BB King was like a dance party sometimes...lots of fun.

I hope the numbers climb so that the cruiselines stay in business. The stock keeps falling, and with limited capacity, the lines face an uncertain future financially. Like anything else, I could be wrong, but these are not good indicators of a healthy cruiseline.

I cough when someone lights up a cigarette, when the pollen blows, when there are to many chemicals in the cleaning solutions used, or when a bus goes by with that awful exhaust. People need to get a grip. I wear a mask but most people seem to be without them these days. I'm not about to get into a confrontation about it. Heck, there's enough anger out there and I sure don' t need it in my life. This mask topic has been going on and on and on.

Correct. Thank you for this great thread. I've appreciated it.

Probably it's coming. Insane gas prices, how could they not?

I never buy that stuff, but this guy I know buys the tshirts all the time and wears them around the pool where I live. Not an attractive fashion item for women, that's for sure. Ugly.

Whenever you are in a crowd, it's always disgusting to watch people around food. I've seen people talk to the staff like they don't understand English and rudely point over the plexiglass to what they want. Rude. Needless to say, I believe in vacinations and masks, and I don't care if the industry requires them. This endless debate is fruitless. They will do what they do. For safety's sake. You don't like it....stay home. Nobody really cares if you are put out. We all want to stay well.

Agree with you for the most part. The plus is the push to a better cabin. Half the stuff I read on here, about free cruises to people who havent cruises in awhile, I can take with a grain of salt. In other words, they are casino cruises and nothing else. Total bs to tell you otherwise.

Ok, I have enough tote bags to sink a ship, so to speak. Laundry service, I expect that after a million cruises. It's another example of HAL doing a cash grab in my opinion. Nothing more. And offensive to high star passengers if they are excluded from the "special Club Orange dining experience".

Right, and at the end of the day, who really cares? I've had better food in certain cities in the Italian sections, for sure, but you are a captive audience on a cruise ship. Does it really make or break my cruise? No way.

We were blown away by how nice Canaletto was on 2 cruises lately...staff was exceptional. I'd do that again in a NY moment! Pinnacle leaves me dry lately; maybe it's all the formality and attitude. I just find a friendlier staff in Canalleto and good was very good. I don't get caught up in the upscale restaurants to begin with but nobody loves good attentive staff more than me.

You can get Club Orange just by paying a bit more for your cruise. Better than what 4 and 5* get, honestly. I don't get to eat in their dining room, even though I feel like I've been on a gazillion HAL cruises. I think they even get priority tendering over us lowly 4 and 5* people, but I could be mistaken. Haven't studied this issue thoroughly, probably because it pisses me off.

What does not being an American have anything to do with it?

Any TA who refuses to sell Carnival cruises would be a friend of mine. Last one we cruised, years ago, kids were running up and down the hallways and knocking on doors all night long. I said never again.

The negative comments here are common to these boards. No mariner party doesn't matter to me, since I always find it boring, and I couldn't care less about an Orange Party, but service in DR and bars are areas that are important to me. I've yet to have trouble in that direction. Enjoy your cruise.

I'm always surprised at the comments on food quality on these threads. I have found food to be delicious on all Holland America ships, and I am no cheerleader either. I wonder what people are eating at home to say the food is not good? I think there is room for improvement, particularly in the area of entertainment, but I found the food to be consistently fine.

Most of the time I never get room service because I don't want to look at dirty dishes for a while afterwards. It can take some time for your cabin steward to make up your room to remove them. Of course, you can call someone to retrieve them, but I don't. It's just more clutter in a small room.

It seemed to me that, at least on the Pinnacle class ships, that the NY deli and pizza station is open all day into the evening. If you want something other than that, say a salad or something else, you are going to be out of luck. Lido does close early.

Thirty days.

I've always gotten an opportunity to pay more money for an upsell. Usually it's a good deal. It's always after I call my PCC to request one. Just depends on what it's worth to you.