alyssamma

Thank you for providing specifics...this REALLY helps me make my decision

These are the analogies I hear all the time, but it isn't really the same. It's comparing a very quick sight to spending more time looking. My examples are helicopter over the grand canyon, cruising the Hudson from NYC to Canada, or taking 4 days and driving through Montana. None of these are remotely like looking out a back window.or seeing a single flower. So you are saying in the above examples, you have NOT been to the grand canyon, not visited the continent of north America, and not visited the state of Montana? And, to be clear, this has nothing to do with money. I think @olsalt said it best above. I'm really going these for scenery only. And since I have no desire to go to Australia, I'll never got all 7 continents

So, my real Q was OTHER than bragging rights is there much of a difference? And I specifically made my car an RV so I wouldn't have to get out. We stocked up on potato chips and pop tarts before hitting the border so didn't need to get out, lol. I have done either yet (drive by or expedition) so really am not qualified to speak...but I think for me personally I'll consider it done. I think your NY example would be better if you, for instance, sailed up he Hudson from NYC into Canada and then out to Bermuda. I think I'd say you'd been to North America in that case. Too late to edit my original reply...but add to this a helicopter ride over the grand canyon. I think that would count as visiting it.

Can you give specifics of why you say this? I am.looking at one of these cruises and don't care about seeing the penguins in Antarctica...am happy to see them elsewhere if at all. I really just care about scenery. I haven't heard any specifics of why an expedition is better than a drive by...other than seeing penguins which you can see elsewhere. At one time I wondered if a drive by would be considered as actually being there, but then I thought about taking a drive through Montana where I spent 4 days looking at the scenery, but slept and showered in the car (lol, say it is an RV). I would certainly consider myself as having been to Montana in that case.

I'm on the ship too and agree with what you said except we haven't seen lines at CO...but as a result we've missed out on bagels at NY deli, lol. This is our first HAL cruise and definitely impressed. We are Celebrity cruisers, but are quite happy with this.

I am currently on the same cruise as you. While I don't doubt your experience, to us it is the exact opposite. We find the ship mostly empty and not full at all. Now, we do have club Orange (just purchased...we are not in a suite) so don't eat in the MDR, but we haven't found the Lido crowded and there is the dutch cafe and the dive in and the pizza place to eat lunch in addition to eating lunch in the MDR. We've never had a problem finding space at a bar or finding a quiet place to sit. We did find the area on deck 12 to always be crowded and the nooks with chairs that look out the windows to be full, but mostly the ship feels empty to us.

We are X cruises and on our first HAL cruise right now. We are on the Nieuw Statendam, one of the larger Pinnacle ships. It's a 14 day cruise. Unlimited laundry costs 147 and although they say 48hr turnaround, we have been getting it back the next day. We purchased the Have It All, and as others have mentioned, it includes much of what you are looking for. However, whereas X gives pretty much unlimited everything, HAL gives 15 TOTAL drinks. This means a soda or can of water counts towards that. If you upgrade the drink package then the 15 limit only applies to alcoholic drinks. This is probably not a problem but wanted to mention it. We find the food to be good, but not as good as X. Entertainment is nowhere near as good on X. Crew is friendly and passengers seem older. While these may come across as negatives, they really aren't for us, except for the entertainment. The food is very good...just not as good as X. And the passengers are friendly and very well travelled. We find X ships to be more beautiful than HAL, but the layout of the HAL ship is much better. We would sail X if the prices were similar, but we find HAL to be cheaper and have better itineraries, so will sail them. Lastly, HAL has Club Orange which we love and is very cheap for what you get. The room upgrade basically pays for it alone.

Oh, completely understand and am aware of the limited number. It has to be, otherwise it wouldn't work. My comment was directed to the poster who was having all of the problems getting it...none of which seemed related to capacity. As for Pinnacle, yes the dedicated dining room was a huge plus for us, but the room upgrade was the best. CO paid for itself and then some with that alone. Both times I purchased CO during the booking process and got my preferred room immediately. As for your saying, it is common worldwide with slight variations. Bird and worm.instead of bat and orange in the US.

This is very interesting. I've only booked 2 HAL cruises but both times had no problem getting CO. Both times booked VH and upgraded to VB onceabd VS the other time.

My understanding is the deposit is gone. No FCC. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong

Thanks for an interesting post that isn't about dress codes or chair hogs. I've seen you often on the MSC board. Anyway, for me it's yes. X is my fav line, but I am booking them less because of cost. Yes, my TA occasionally gets me a great deal on a refundable group rate, but absent that, I don't want to pay that much higher for the cruise. I'd be fine if I could take that and roll it into a different cruise but that is now no longer a thing.

Fyi, I booked through a TA and the offer goes to them and they forward to me. I've gotten 4 offers so far on my cruise in the 14th, including one today.

I actually agree with this. I engage with bartenders primarily and then somewhat with room steward and waiters. But my comments above about wanting to know where they are from is strictly for bartenders.

Agree 100%...but beyond fun, I think it's also politeness. You are a visitor in their country and should make some effort to learn their language.

And I *think* you are saying you agree with me and the OP because we def don't think you need to stare at someone's chest before acking gratefulness. So we are all on the same page ...

I think people have given you at least 2 reasons. The OP likes to say thanks in their native languages. I enjoy talking about their native country if it's someplace I've been to. I know mine is genuine and I'll take the OP at their word that theirs is also. Travel is a passion of mine and I enjoy talking about it. I've found that people in general, not just crew on a ship, enjoy talking about their homeland. Not sure where you see the problem, or why you are implying the interest isn't genuine. Are you saying you never make small talk and all of your conversations convey critical info?

I got one of those today also. It's interesting, but it has to be done in a week. I was just checking a price, and the deposit was way too high (1200) for me to book. But yes, nice offer...

Not sure I understand your point. Are you suggesting to ask that of all crew members you see? Because, if so, that certainly wouldn't work for the OP. Often they are really busy and don't have time to chat, but saying a kind word in their native tongue can be done quickly. Similarly for me. A server might be busy and I'll wait to talk to them about where they are from. That being said, there have certainly been times when I've straight up asked where they are from.

This is what I like it for. I love to travel and if I've been to a country I see a crew member is from I like to discuss it with them. Ditto for a country I haven't been to but want to

Interesting...I took that at face value...saying that because of CC you can read these posts and become educated about cruising. Now I see it might have been sarcastic... Now you're talking my language...but wrong forum unfortunately 🙂 This is a great attitude to have. I'll be honest, slow bar service pisses me off and it's hard for me to not get upset about it. However, I *try* to think the way you said and remind myself of where I am and how lucky I am to be able to be there. It's a work in progress for me 🙂

What experience did you book? (e.g., Bella, Yacht Club, etc.)

Also, the woman could have just eaten in the buffet at whatever time she wanted...

Wow...this is your third post? You *definitely* favor quality over quantity 🙂 Excellent post/points...

If you sail MSC, you'll encounter this stuff and much more 🙂 I would make a call to the rep. Because you're through a TA, they won't tell you much, but they should at least be able to tell you where to find your cabins on a deck map and confirm they are the same class of cabin.

Some have reported they are able to split, others say they were denied. Sorry this doesn't answer you, but that is, unfortunately, the reality with MSC. That being said, I suspect if you are polite about it, you can make it happen...