Desert Cruisers

Thanks for correcting me on the correct designation for Carnival Corporation and that the comments were made by the CEO rather than the CFO. I actually got up at the crack of dawn on the West Coast to listen to the analyst call. I've also listened to previous calls as I'm a shareholder. The CEO & CFO are always adept at putting the most positive spin on results. My comments were not meant to indicate that HAL is on its deathbed. However, HAL leadership still needs to successfully implement whatever plans there are for HAL to improve its financial performance. Meeting HAL's "potential" & exceeding the ROI target would encourage Carnival Corporation to invest further in new-builds.

A few weeks ago, CNL [not CCL] held its quarterly analyst call. After boasting about their crown jewel - Carnival Cruise Line [CCL] - an analyst asked about Princess, Holland America, and Costa specifically. According to the CFO, none of these lines are currently meeting return-on-investment targets. I would expect that corporate executives, before agreeing to any new builds, would want HAL to have a game plan to improve its financial performance.

We have sailed Princess and Cunard a lot. There are significant differences between the 2 lines. Whether these differences are good or bad really depends upon your personal preferences. For example: Cunard attracts a more international mix of passengers than Princess. The majority of passengers on Princess, even in Europe, will likely be from North America. Food and entertainment will be geared to American/Canadian tastes. Princess is more casual and laidback. Princess staff are more approachable while Cunard staff are more formal. Princess has better technology. Cunard is definitely behind the times. Cunard provides a lot more opportunities for ballroom dancers. Cunard's speakers are overall of a higher quality. Cunard still has an evening dress code although it is fraying around the edges. Most passengers expect to follow the dress code on formal nights. On Princess, it's usually "dress as you please". Cunard has better toiletries and a kettle with supplies [including wonderful cookies/bisquits] in the cabins. Plus there are slippers provided in all cabins. TV options are better on Princess.

Starting in June 2025, Queen Elizabeth will be spending its days sailing out of Seattle or Miami. Also, now that Cunard has added Queen Anne, Queen Mary 2 will be spending more time serving North American passengers who are attracted by roundtrip European adventures out of NYC. It's clear that CNL sees opportunities for Cunard in the NA market. As someone who has cruised Cunard in Alaska, across the pond, & in Europe, I would describe their focus as the international market. We find it attractive to meet people from all over the world.

Yes, we could book a Neptune Suite but haven't found it to be a good value as compared with what we can get on some other cruise lines when you factor in gratuities and drinks. A balcony or mini-suite would be fine for us. Don't feel the need to book a full suite just to get a better dining experience.

Does anyone know if dinner is still offered at the Golden Lion Pub on the Queen Elizabeth? We ate there a few times last summer in Alaska.

All of this sounds good but only a small number of passengers can book Club Orange. Unfortunately, when we go to book a HAL cruise and try to get Club Orange, it's always "sold out". This situation makes it less likely that we would choose HAL when we have other options - e.g., Cunard, Azamara, and Crystal.

For all those who said that the OP should have made dinner reservations.... We were on the Oosterdam TA in November from Barcelona. Upon boarding, we attempted to make dinner reservations for 7:15-7:45 nightly. Unfortunately, the earliest time slot every night was 8:15pm or later. When we questioned the maitre d' about this, he was embarrassed to admit that, because there were so many in-transit passengers from the prior sailing who had access to reservations earlier than we did, passengers boarding for the TA were out of luck and would have to queue for available space. With the help of the DR staff, we were able to be accommodated in the fixed seating area which was mostly empty after the early fixed dining crowd left. We did e-mail the C-suite about this situation but never received any reply even though I sent the e-mail to both the C-suite and Customer Relations.

Will be sailing Alaska on QE in late August. Princess Grill cabin. Questions: What time was embarkation day lunch served in the Grills? Was afternoon tea available in the Grills Lounge? What time are the evening shows in the theatre? Thanks.

We stopped in Monte Carlo last Fall. There was no in-town shuttle.

First-time in the Grills for us. Have a few questions. Searched the forum but couldn't find any recent pertinent postings. 1. Can you request off-menu dishes? For example, if we would like Indian food, is it possible to special order? 2. Is lunch served on embarkation day? If so, what are the typical hours? This will help us decide if we arrive early or after the check-in rush. 3. Is there a dollar limit on the drinks available with the drinks package? Thanks.

First time in the Grills. Sailing QE out of Vancouver in August. Do Princess Grill passengers get assigned a boarding time or can they just show up when they want to? Does anyone know the current transfer fee from the Vancouver cruise terminal to the airport? Have OBC to use. Thanks.

The agency thru which you are doing the tour might know [or can find out] what dock is being used.

We sailed to South America on the Volendam in 2019. Same problems back then. Add in major flooding on our deck, missing tiles in public restrooms, etc. Volendam's issues have nothing to do with leaving balcony doors open, repositioning to a new climate, etc. Bottomline is that HAL doesn't want to spend the $ needed to upgrade this ship.

Actually, for the Alaska sailings, Seabourn is not more expensive.

Thanks for info. Seabourn seems to be a better value than Cunard - no "nickel and diming" on drinks, unlimited wifi, and a true small ship experience. We are Diamond on Cunard but are giving Seabourn a look. Get shareholder OBC on both lines.

Comparing Seabourn and QE Princess Grill fares for Alaska cruise. Seabourn fare includes gratuities, wifi, and all beverages including alcohol. What is included in the Princess Grill fare - gratuities, alcohol, etc? Thanks.

I'm sure that the situation was frustrating to the "high level crew members" but what actually was done. The cabin stewards must have been aware of the situation. Did these stewards report to their supervisor? Did the Captain get involved? Were these passengers reported to Corporate and placed on a "no sail" list?

At what level do passengers get invited to this luncheon? Recently on the Oosterdam TA crossing, there was a late afternoon cocktail party but it was for 4 stars and above. No special lunch.

Thanks for update. Have been to Hawaii many times - land and cruise vacations - so have done most things. When it comes to renting a car...we have done it in the past but not really interested this time around. Know what we want to do in most ports including Kahului but want to factor the availability or non-availability of shuttles.

Would appreciate any info re free shuttles at other ports - Hilo, Kona, Nawiliwili, and Kahului. Have read conflicting comments.

I also listened to the analyst call. The two comments made by senior leadership that I found most interesting were: "Larger ships are more efficient." How I interpreted this statement...No more new-build small ships except for Seabourn. Our older small ships will eventually go away." Our focus is on "new to cruising" and "new to a cruise line" passengers. "New to cruising passengers are more accepting of higher prices because they are comparing the cruise fare to what they might spend on a land-based vacation." How I interpreted this statement...While we will still welcome them onboard, we are not going to cater to passengers who don't generate revenues beyond the cruise fare. Expect more non-complimentary services and offerings.

Okay. Perhaps Kukui Grove restarted the shuttle in 2023. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Kukui Grove shopping center website still shows complimentary shuttle on cruise days. Where are you getting your info from? Also, not aware that Walmart ever had shuttle on Kauai. We would take the Hilo Hattie shuttle and walk over to Walmart.

We were also on the transatlantic crossing. We chose open dining because we like to eat 7:30-7:45. Had the same problem as those with fixed late seating. If we wanted to see a show, we had to ask for "expedited service" which meant rushing through every course. Not only was there a problem with the Mainstage shows but other evening activities were timed to meet the needs of the early diners. Mentioned the problem for late diners to the Hotel GM. Got the "gee, that doesn't make sense" answer. Very disappointing. Those who eat late shouldn't have to rush through a meal.