iceman93

But they may still run out of certain types of fish as the cruise goes on. If you have a particular preference or just want maximum choice, early in the cruise is better.

I sail with children, and often defend children against some of the old grumps on this board, but even I think the "retreat" should be an adults-only area.

While I agree the Lido pizza on all ships is typical cafeteria-quality stuff, my family was extremely disappointed in the NY Pizza. We tried it twice and both times it was nasty--at least the Lido pizza is edible.

I tend to put dry cleaning in a separate bag from laundry, just to make sure there's no confusion. I, like most others on this board, have had many wonderful experiences with this service on HAL.

Yeah, at that price differential it's a no-brainer to pick the SC guarantee. You might end up in an SB or SA anyway, but it's not like the SC's are bad suites by any stretch!

Do you really mean "a small fraction", like the SC was 1/10 the cost of an SA or SB? If so, good for you jumping on that deal!

I'm not discounting your opinion at all, but I just want to point out mine which is different. After trying the production shows on our first few cruises we realized they weren't for us and stopped bothering. We still like the contracted magicians, comedians, etc. but the big stage shows don't do anything for us. So HAL dropping them was actually a huge benefit from our perspective, because we much more enjoy the musical entertainment they have now. And the quality of drinks, food, and particularly service levels are perhaps the most important things to us. For my family, HAL continues to deliver what we care about and enjoy.

And there's the rub. Most of us who post here are loyal to HAL and so grouse about things like bad IT but we struggle, persevere, and make it work. But the average consumer doesn't really care if they cruise on HAL or X or RCCL (kind of like flying United or American or Delta--each have their loyalists but to the once-a-year flyer they're all pretty much the same). That kind of customer is just going to give up and take their business elsewhere, wherever it's easiest to spend their money. I haven't tried to book a cruise on X or RCCL, but I have to assume their websites (if not call centers and chat associates) are easier to work with?

Absolutely, and they do a wonderful job.

Yes, it's just like a land-based restaurant that adds an automatic gratuity (often for parties larger than 8). You can lower or remove that gratuity by speaking with a manager, as presumably there has been a service failure driving one to want to do so. If you had an exceptionally good experience and want to tip more, there will be a line to add it when you sign the final bill at the spa. And I'm sure they're good accepting cash, too.

Yes, it is a bit odd. Maybe they should replace Tamarind with Morimoto @ Sea, and then do something else as a pop-up restaurant. We've got classic steakhouse, high-end seafood, and regional Italian already on board, but there are indeed plenty of other popular cuisines and themes they could try.

Maybe we've just sailed on different ships. On ours, the handle on one side of the sliding door rotates 90° into a locked or unlocked position. When locked, the door is absolutely un-openable from the balcony side. I got stuck out there one time when my wife noticed the handle was in the unlocked position but didn't know I was outside--yes, I pushed REALLY hard on it and the thing was closed tight. *lol*

Thanks for sharing your impressions. The menu sounds absolutely delicious to me, and I'm glad to hear that generally HAL delivered on the flavors and presentations.

I also always stay in the PS, and the sliding doors always have a lock.

You are so right, @Crew News. When HAL first introduced the Pinnacle Grill, we had some really incredible meals there. Keeping in mind the MDR used to be better too, the PG had to truly be something special to be worth the upcharge. Then a few cruises later (it was the Amsterdam) the PG was almost laughably bad. We tried it twice, because *any* restaurant can have an off night, but the experience was the same. That's when we learned how different experiences could be from ship to ship, and how it all starts with management/leadership.

We had such a good experience at Rudi's on the NS earlier this year that we went back for a second dinner later in the cruise. Our server would have fit in at a land-based fine dining restaurant, and every single food item we ordered was delicious. The restaurant that we were super-disappointed in? Nami Sushi up in the Tamarind area. In fact, the service and food there were so bad that we cancelled our later-in-the-cruise Tamarind reservation. Tamarind seems to get universally praised here at CC, so we were especially disappointed.

If I was miserable on a comped cruise, I wouldn't care about paying $778 to get off early. I'd be upset about the wonderful vacation I had imagined that I didn't get to have, but you couldn't pay me $778 to spend two weeks eating food I found disgusting. And since the OP sounds like a serious gambler, and the casino isn't to his liking, then he doesn't even get to enjoy the one thing he sailed for. There's no need to hurl accusations at the OP--he tried HAL and didn't find it to his liking. So be it; life goes on.

And I'm sure you know how to do your own laundry, cook your own meals, and clean your own dishes. Lol. But when I am on vacation, and particularly on an upscale cruise, part of what I'm paying for is NOT doing any of those things. Is evening turndown going to make or break my experience? No, but given that our afternoon often involves a nap (messing up the sheets), a workout or pool time (requiring an in-cabin shower which uses towels), or bringing plates or glasses back to the cabin which need to be removed, we appreciate the evening service which returns everything back to perfection before we return for the night. Pillow chocolates and towel animals are bonuses. I guess the point of this thread is that HAL is wisely asking guests what they prefer. Those who want the full pampering of two daily services can get it, while those who just want once-a-day service can choose that. Seems like a win-win for all, with no need for snark.

I'm on the young end of the HAL demographic, and even I don't find it necessary to use these abbreviations. Is it really that much harder to write "my wife" than "DW"? It's certainly less open to interpretation and potential confusion. It's always been a pet peeve of mine on this site, and this thread gave me the perfect opportunity to vent a bit--thank you!

I'm not normally a fan of branded partnerships or celebrity tie-ins, but in Chef Morimoto's case I'll make an exception. This commitment by HAL to fresh seafood sounds like just the kind of thing I want them to do to continue elevating the on-board experience, and the pop-up menu sounds truly delicious. This news made me happy!

I think they're missing an opportunity for things like this. Give everyone who comes to the tutorial $100 in play money chips, teach them the game, then let them use their play money in several rounds of slowed-down gameplay with analysis and expert tips. After an hour or so, collect the play money and open a table with min limits for the new players to dip their toes into with their own money (maybe even offer double-their-money for up to $100 buy-in or something like that). Even if only 10% of the people come back and gamble later with their own money, that's 10% they wouldn't have had otherwise *and* it gets people into the casino having fun (who otherwise might not have).

This kind of short-sighted response is sadly unsurprising. Why not make the whole casino slots, then? Remove all the bars and restaurants, all the table games, everything else and just put in slots. By a dollars-per-square-foot basis, this would maximize profits, no? They forget that not everyone goes to the casino for slots. And they also forget there are diminishing returns for each additional slot machine. At some point they will have attracted all the slots players they're going to, and adding more machines just spreads those people out but doesn't actually bring in any more revenue. Meanwhile, everyone else who doesn't play slots takes their money elsewhere. And their incidental spend which, most likely, is a lot higher than the average slot player's.

Well, I learned something here! Not that I would ever order a PG steak to the MDR or via room service, but it's educational to know that you can. Yes, you can order Uber Eats from a fine steakhouse, but you're missing out on the experience of being in said steakhouse. Some people don't care (like those folks who are okay getting a PG steak delivered to their stateroom), and I admit that sometimes the service and ambiance in the PG don't live up to expectations. But I, for one, am happy to pay the PG upcharge on occasion for the overall experience of dining there. The food, service, and ambiance make for a nice change of pace on a longer cruise.

I wasn't aware that was possible, but there are countless things I don't know. That being said, I suspect it would be easier for you to get MDR items in the PG than for him to get a PG steak in the MDR. Either way, I hope it works out for you!

Or if you have a Cruise Director who doesn't do all of those things. On my two HAL cruises last year the Cruise Directors couldn't have been more different in terms of personality, involvement, and visibility. So before you dismiss other posters' points of view, maybe pause to think not everyone has had the exact same experiences you have had.