AncientWanderer

I know what you're talking about, having experienced that on some ships on aft decks. But we sailed San Diego to Buenos Aries on Zaandam and never noticed soot on that ship. (We spend a lot of time on the Lido aft deck, dining and sunning, so probably would have noticed.) Perhaps on our itinerary we left the ship most port days, but still, your question surprised me and I would venture to say this won't be a problem for you on Zaandam.

Early on, the signature suites were a really great value. But now they are popular and prices went up. It doesn't seem like the extra square footage is worth the big bump in price. Like you say, there aren't any other perks. Just my opinion.

Right? Dang our cruises are expensive. Still waiting for our awesomeness to be acknowledged. 🤷‍♀️

Do officers still mingle with guests on other cruise lines? I thought access to the bridge and officer mingling went the way of the dodo because of Covid.

Remember that suite guests do get the Club Orange dining room for dinner on the new ships. That's a cool new amenity.

I didn’t read through this thread, but @Florida_gal_50, you mentioned it in the other thread about HIA in Neptunes, so I’ll share my one bit of anecdotal info. On our last cruise, we met a couple who were sailing at no charge (or just port fees, whatever,) and not for the first time. The wife told me that she spends a lot onboard. She specifically mentioned art at the art auctions and fine jewelry.

Another comment... I don't view the Neptune Lounge honor bar as in any way the same as the mini bars in other staterooms. The Neptune Lounge is a place where one can chat and socialize with other guests -- as one would do in a cocktail lounge. That it can function without a bar tender doesn't mean it's not a cocktail lounge. "Neptune Lounge."

Post-pandemic and when HIA was pretty new, there was confusion. Suite guests with HIA balked at paying for drinks in the Neptune Lounge, the charges were removed, and then it became policy that those with HIA did not have to pay for Honor Bar drinks. Apparently there has been a reversal on that. Or maybe not. I guess we better wait to hear what's actually happening on the ships.

I love staying in a Neptune Suite. That would be my only comment on that.

The suites are an expensive luxury. Part of that luxury is the ability to walk down the hall and quickly grab a glass of wine or a cocktail to enjoy while preparing for the evening. It's quite a dear glass of wine if one pays for it with the price of a suite, plus the HIA, plus the honor bar list price. I hope "consistency" works out for them.

Terribly chintzy. Those who think HAL has a very weak suite program will have a field day with this one.

You'd probably do better posting it on one of the "small ship" threads. They'll tell you about the places they visit. Most here haven't been there.

We were surprised to be sent down the street in Ketchikan, while a humongous RCCL ship had the choice berth in the center of town. Even though we sailed in ahead of them. I'd always heard that HAL has first dibs in Alaska. No big deal, as it is only a short walk anyhow, but still, it was a wake-up call.

Oh, I'm sorry. I misunderstood your post. I tried to answer this part quoted here. I do believe HAL's ships still have some advantages over the megas. As far as ports where big ships can't come in, it's probably like Kazu said, innumerable. And in places like Japan, some parts of Europe, I've noticed that the small ships have totally different itineraries than larger ships. Whether the "small port" places they visit are better or worse than the places reached via industrial ports on larger ships, that probably has to be determined on a case-by-case basis. Complicated!

That's really interesting about Singapore. And all the other potential pitfalls you bring up make a lot of sense. We've spent time looking at various cruise line itineraries and then going to port schedules to see where the ships are slotted in. That a good berth could be switched up to a bad one is pretty discouraging.

We've also assumed that staffing was the issue, since with HIA, one would expect full restaurants. Whether this is purposeful, to spread the HIAs over the course of the cruise, or whether good help is hard to find...who knows?

Some years back, we had dinner in Sabatini on a Princess ship, and it was as good as any Italian food I've had outside of Italy. (I doubt it's the same now either, though.) They could make Canaletto really good if they wanted. Lots of people think the Lido location is lame, but we actually like it for the sea views. I get your point, though. It's nice to have Canaletto be just an affordable day away from the MDR. Doesn't have to be awesome, just a step up. Not sure where it fits on the spectrum now. Guess we'll find out next time we sail.

I did see that HAL announced they will be doing more overnights. This is very good news and definitely something to keep an eye on. Four overnights is awesome.

Just thought of another advantage to these more luxurious lines you are looking at. Often they stay in port for the evening, allowing one to enjoy the magic of nighttime, have a special dinner, should you choose to do so. Something to consider...

Focusing on what I think you asked, there are a couple of other considerations with ship size, and why we are absolutely maxed out with HAL's new-builds. One is the logistical nightmare of processing so many people on and off the ship. It's not too bad with HAL's kinda, sorta smaller ships. Any bigger, it's just lines and more lines. Two, all those extra people are milling about the port area, creating more lines at coffee shops, etc. That diminishes the port stop experience. A smaller ship would always be better. But price always has to be factored in, too. If port and ship size, and price can't meet comfortably, I'd just as soon stay home.

Thanks for reporting about your meal. Good news! While I do expect price increases from time to time, it was jarring this time because the increase coincided with removal of some of the expensive menu items -- lamb chops, steak. So a double hit. Perhaps the daily specials will tend to be luxurious, as your scallops were. Glad you enjoyed your meal!

Had to share this story, as so many stories are sad -- the children who survived a plane crash and the jungle. I have a feeling the eldest child must be quite extraordinary -- keeping them all going. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12179793/Four-children-missing-six-weeks-plane-crashed-Amazon-jungle-ALIVE.html

@cruisemom42, if I may chime in, DD and DSIL are decidedly "foodies." (She worked for a large food magazine, so restaurants usually tried hard.) With limited vacation time, they want to be spoiled and have been happy with Oceania. When probed, I hear that the food is all delicious, but mostly they rhapsodize about the bakery items -- breads, croissants, pastries, etc. They are not people who eat a lot of carbs, but they do on their Oceania cruises.

Sad to read this today, Terry. You did seem very worried about DH's surgery. Wife's intuition? Probably. One foot in front of the other. Lots of prayers are with you and your family.

Oh my. That really is a new menu. It's surprising to see Italian sausages over pasta on a specialty restaurant menu. That's an everyday dish in home kitchens. The Canaletto lasagne was better than that served elsewhere on the ship. Maybe too many people ordering it to go along with other main courses? And no steak? Huh? A lot of good dishes are gone. I had Canaletto booked for my birthday. Gonna have to switch it up. DH's is on the same cruise. He has PG. Guess I'll move over to Tamarind.