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cccole

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  1. The reason I mention it is because we made new friends who were not in a suite and they had help with there luggage when leaving the ship the evening before official disembarkation. I know this because we accompanied them off the ship and to their taxi to say good-bye. Of course they, and we, tipped the staff member that helped. Possibly it's a matter of asking for something outside the official policy and being willing to show appreciation to the staff member helping you. Cherie
  2. mawvkysc - My husband called the Neptune Concierge because we thought this was a benefit of Neptune suites. It could be that whoever was staffing the Neptune lounge at the time was unaware that h'orderves were available for preorder to our cabin or possibly on the Oosterdam this was not a benefit. I thought that Patrick had mentioned this benefit when we introduced ourselves on the first day but as you can tell it was not a huge deal for us. Cherie
  3. How amazing to see the Terracotta Warriors in Xian. I have only seen a traveling exhibit. Fabulous report and photos. Cherie
  4. We cruised on the Oosterdam in January and chose the particular cruise because I like aft wrap cabins. On the Oosterdam they are Neptune suites. Not a big deal to us but our cabin was amazing. We did enjoy the benefits of Neptune suites at times and when we disembarked early with large bags the concierge arranged for someone to be at our cabin at 5:00a.m. to help us. I think this is available to anyone though. Regarding the shower/tub. I took showers in the tub because I felt so confined in the shower, so I would have preferred a larger shower and no tub. But I realize that many really do enjoy a nice bath. I think we understood that h'orderves or high tea could be ordered by 11 a.m. the day of. When we called we were told that only high tea was available and if we wanted h'orderves to go to the Lido. Not a big deal but we were surprised. We did enjoy high tea one day. We always had the Club Orange choice on the MDR menu and sometimes but not often ordered it. If I could get an aft wrap with out being a Neptune suite I would prefer it. JMO. Cherie
  5. Love our menu tonight. I would like fried calamari, Chicken tikka masala, and panna cotta please. And red wine. The photos are beautiful. Cherie
  6. You are right, I don't like eating in the Lido because it is so crowded. I would rather get food and take to the Lido pool area tables or back to our cabin. The Lido itself is an amazing space for passengers, with a variety of offerings and open to all passengers. Some want a quick meal and some want to enjoy the company and fun of others. My opinion is that the Lido is for everyone, That is just my opinion. You actually did not get it...it's not that I don't like the Lido, it's that I don't like the atmosphere when it is incredibly crowded. Sounds like you have a solution...go early or late and you will find a table. Please if you would like to say what I think be accurate. And I'm sorry that your cruise(s) did not have the variety of dining options that our cruise did. Cherie
  7. And why should they? Shouldn't passengers choosing to eat in the Lido know how to behave? Because you choose to eat in the Lido for whatever reason, and enjoy the variety of offerings, and amazing staff...does that give you superiority over anyone else dining in the Lido? Cherie
  8. Thank you for your post. I know you love the aft wrap balconies on HAL and I do also. I don't think the Windstar ocean ships even have aft cabins. It's nice to know that everything else makes up for the balcony space. Loving your posts from this cruise. Cherie
  9. I don't know that there is a solution to this post. You are choosing to travel on a ship with over 1000 passengers, there are 4-5 dining options, there are several hours for dining and you are upset because? When you decide you want to go to the Lido instead of the MDR, Dive In, or Room Service there is not a table reserved for you? What? I hated even going to the Lido on our 22 day cruise. I would have to take deep breaths and brace myself for absolutely clueless individuals intent on only one thing...eating! We occasionally took food out to the Lido pool tables for lunch, but mostly took Lido food back to our cabin. Usually we ate in the MDR to avoid the chaos of the Lido. The variety in the Lido is wonderful but you have to be prepared for others to be there. One time we were just walking thru to go to the Lido Bar and I was actually knocked into a pillar by a woman only able to focus on the fact that she had her food and was on her way to a table. I had seen her at one of the counters but did not think that I would be in her way. Think again. She did not even skip a beat. I loved seeing groups enjoying themselves all over the ship. People are having fun, isn't that what cruising is about. If tables are blocked off for people having fun and those just wanting 10 minutes to eat, will those being in a hurry to eat be denied access to these tables? Wow, so many things in this world to worry about. JMO. Cherie
  10. Puerto Madryn and Punta Arenas are other cruise ports where you can get close to the penguins. Some of the ports are a 50/50 chance of being able to go ashore because of weather. Our excursion in Punta Arenas was cancelled because of wind. We did go ashore but were not able to make the boat trip to the penguins. In Puerto Madryn we chose a private tour that included penguins plus elephant seals, seal lions, and other wild life but I think there was a tour that was just for penguins. The Falklands is also a 50/50 chance. We were lucky and we were soooooo happy. I think you should not choose just one location to be close to the penguins because mother nature decides what you will be able to do. You will see so many penguins and just be amazed. Cherie
  11. This is just so much fun. I would love to have the tomato and watermelon salad, seared sesame crusted tuna, and ice cream. Thank you for inviting us to join you for dinner. The beach bbq looked fabulous. Nothing like a wonderful beach day with great food. I loved your photos of your HAL cruises and we were on a 3 week cruise in January. I found the food looked wonderful but did not have much taste, except for the specialty restaurants. How are you finding presentation and taste on Windstar? And do you miss having a balcony? Thank you again for bring us along. Cherie
  12. I think I would take a printed copy of this response with me. Sometimes not everyone on every ship has the same info. It is clear to you but it was not clear to the person responding to your first email. What is stated in the second email should be what you will be able to expect, but you may need to be able to show the last email. Have a great cruise, Cherie
  13. We used Kidney Cove Tours on the Falklands. Our friends are amazed when they see the photos and at how close we were to the penguins. We saw 4 different species of penguins and it was a fabulous tour. Cherie
  14. We found it pretty easy and fast. If we needed one at a particular time and at a specific place we ordered ahead of time. It costs more, maybe $5, but is way less than the taxi scalpers that are waiting outside the cruise terminal. We did this when leaving for the airport at 5:30 a.m. If you are going to be there soon you might just do a trial request to see what the time and rate is for what you are looking for. We did this so we had an idea of what the Uber or Lift might be as opposed to a taxi. Also, if taking a taxi...make sure they are going to use the meter. Cherie
  15. OlsSalt - I know that ships are different but when we were recently on Oosterdam for 3 weeks we noticed the Pinnacle Bar and Ocean Bar areas to be nice spots where small groups or individuals were reading or enjoying conversation during the day. Of course, the Ocean Bar provided beverages. There's sooooooooooo much room in the Lido and on the Lido pool deck I have a hard time worrying about others having a good time. I thought it was awesome when we saw 2-10 persons enjoying a game and enjoying their meal. When you choose to travel with over 1000 of your best friends you may have to have an open mind and a good attitude. JMO. Cherie
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