syesmar

17 hours ago, EatonDoolittle said:

 

 

These are SO good! I want one right now😃

On 4/29/2024 at 11:15 PM, syesmar said:

I don’t know if they still do, but I recall an appetizer similar to the salmon one in the photo being available (complimentary) in the Explorations Cafe. So good!

I just noticed this photo from the Grand Dutch Cafe in another Thread and there’s a salmon appetizer in the display on the bottom right. Good to know they’re still available!

Since this appears to be a post-restart thing, I wonder if it originated in the days when an infected passenger was removed from the ship? Perhaps it was a way to expedite the disembarkation process in the event it came early? 🤷‍♀️

On 5/3/2024 at 3:40 PM, amandas friend said:

…The three ports were Juneau( not impressed)…

On 5/3/2024 at 9:01 PM, amandas friend said:

Juneau was cloudy. We didn’t do an excursion 

We’ve enjoyed the Blue Bus out to the Mendenhall Glacier. We’ve seen many eagles on the journey there, which I’ve loved. We’ve also enjoyed whale watching excursions in Auke Bay. The Alaska State Museum was within walking distance for us and we liked our visit after whale watching. We were going to take the tram to Mt Roberts but like your day, it was cloudy, so we wouldn’t have had visibility.

Thanks again for sharing! All the Best!

On 5/3/2024 at 4:48 AM, VMax1700 said:

UK etc is present on the list. It is Reino Unido

😂Oh my! Every weekend—often more—there are Threads about HAL website issues, aren’t there!

@amandas friendThanks for sharing your experience! Appreciate you taking the time to share.

I'm curious: what did you do in Juneau? (I have some suggestions for a return trip, but don't want to repeat in case you did them). Was it a cloudy day when you were there?

Interesting about the Main Stage being dark for 3 nights. Was it planned or due to illness? I heard some ships were improving; hopefully things will get better on NA. 

All the Best!

I don’t know if they still do, but I recall an appetizer similar to the salmon one in the photo being available (complimentary) in the Explorations Cafe. So good!

16 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Its been a number of years, but we weren't allowed to go ashore until all pax on board showed their passports to one of only 2 Immigration officials who came aboard. Took almost 2 hours to clear the ship. Everything ran behind. The Captain was very unhappy. Hopefully they have fixed this system.

This was also our experience, down to the Captain being unhappy. We ended up having a wonderful day there, but if possible I would not book excursions close to the expected arrival time.

On 4/25/2024 at 1:13 PM, Navybikermom said:

…Meclizine is sold over the counter, usually in 25mg chewable tablets. It’s my go-to treatment for motion sickness!

Does anyone know if the front desk still provides complimentary Meclizine to seasick passengers?

16 hours ago, cruisn71 said:

…The Captain came on for the noon announcement and explained the timing of the Eclipse and that they will point the aft of the ship towards the sun to maximize the deck space for viewing.

I see on HAL’s FB page they will be livestreaming from ms Koningsdam during the eclipse (stream begins at 1:30pm EST). Sounds like a wonderful cruise so far! Thanks for sharing your adventures @cruisn71
 

Livestream link here:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/280694885081850/

4 hours ago, jakkojakko said:

Thank you. I did an extensive search going pages back to where I knew I saw it last and it wasn't there. They must have put it back up again.

It’s still visible at the link in my last post. However, it has been recently locked so it won’t stay on the front pages much longer.

3 hours ago, jakkojakko said:

And yet that cannot be found anymore!…

Here it is. If it was removed, it’s back up now. 

Does anyone know if the departure time changed from the original itinerary? I’ve witnessed fellow passengers who were unaware when times got adjusted, despite announcements and signage. I’ve also witnessed passengers who would go by an itinerary’s departure time forgetting that All Aboard is earlier.

On average, approximately how many passengers get left behind per 7 nights while sailing? I understand it probably varies greatly by destination and other factors, but am curious.

As an aside tip, if you visit Canaletto for dinner, they serve Gelato.

@BobbiSox I have taken foldable Coleman chairs several times on international photography trips. I didn’t have a problem when flying American Airlines. ymmv, but that was my experience. They were in our checked luggage. The chair cases rather resemble a tripod case.

On 3/12/2024 at 12:52 PM, cbr663 said:

It states under FAQs: …

"If HAL does not confirm guest on the Cruise’s standby list at two (2) days prior to the Cruise’s depart have two options…."

On 3/12/2024 at 12:54 PM, melissy123 said:

From the FAQ:

 

If HAL does not confirm guest on the Cruise’s standby list at two (2) days prior to the Cruise’s depart have two options….”

HAL needs to proofread this and make the necessary edits.

A few years ago I called the Mariner Society about this issue and was told if you’re within 3 days of the next star AND your cruise is 21 days or longer, you can call and request the early upgrade to receive the benefits for the duration of the cruise. It has to go through an approval process.

I will miss the lunch on embarkation day in the MDR. Outside of tea time, it’s about the only time DH will agree to a meal in the MDR (mainly because of how lengthy meals can be, plus the Lido has so much variety). Although I must admit, after our last embarkation day lunch in MDR, we did find ourselves in the Lido perusing the dessert options.😀

I agree with those who say the excuse of not being well attended is a weak argument, in light of the fact it wasn’t well publicized. Those little touches of having a quiet place to dine amidst the hustle and bustle, having some space to think and prepare for the days to come after the morning’s check-in was really nice, in my opinion. 

On 3/8/2024 at 9:20 AM, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I saw a similar thing in Ocean bar on Zaandam last month…. 

…Like he had some kind of right to their table. And the women moved!!!! I'd have told him, "If you can hear the music just fine over there, I hope you enjoy it." 

Oh, my! I definitely would not have budged either! I remember how offended the people trying to get our seats/game board were. It’s like they had a stakeout nearby and were trying to stare us down and make us uncomfortable so we’d move. One of the oddest moments aboard, but hey, it gave me a story and an unforgettable memory!😉

Here’s an older Thread with some suggestions: 

It’s been a number of years, but we have stayed at the Inntel, now MaasHotel, in Rotterdam a couple of times. 

On 3/6/2024 at 10:09 AM, Fly and Sail said:

We received a free casino comp via the HA status match in a Visa Suite for which I booked a 12 day Med cruise….

What is a “HA status match”? Thanks!

On 3/6/2024 at 8:20 AM, *Miss G* said:

 

I got left behind for breakfast!  I have been on only one HAL cruise where the clock wasn’t adjusted for port time.  When we arrived at the Pinnacle Grill, the Maître d‘ told us they were closed and we had to go eat in the Lido.  😭

Oh! I would imagine it can get confusing if the ship’s time is different than the “real” time! Thanks for sharing😀

On 3/1/2024 at 4:43 PM, Heidi13 said:

 

Regardless of how many warnings and notices are posted, for pax on shore leave, it is still an additional risk factor that could be easily mitigated.

On 3/1/2024 at 5:17 PM, jljcruise said:

I bought a cheap analog watch that I wear on cruises. I set it on ship's time (verified each time we disembark) and then don't have to worry if some satellite changes our phone or tablet's time to local. I just find it an easy fix to the problem of worry about getting back at the correct time.

For those who have experienced a cruise that uses a “ship’s time” that differs from that on land, do you find more passengers get left behind on such sailings?

On 2/23/2024 at 5:44 AM, hokie_fan said:

I has something strange happen yesterday. I was curious about the flights that I had and if there would be a way to select seats. (knew that was a long shot) so I logged in and chose "View Flights". It allowed me to choose an airport, and then I stopped at that point realizing I was not going to access my flight. Later I looked at my remaining payment to find out the flight portion of my balance had been removed and I only owed for the cruise.  I called HA and was told that I had cancelled the flights. They were absolutely sure that I did.  I can't imagine that choosing "View Flights" would have cancelled what I had.  Seems there would have been some message to warn me?  Anyway, they were able to rebook the flights, but when I got the confirmation, the inbound was a different flight. I had sent them my confirmation, so I am not sure what happened there. Guess I will be on the phone again today with my fingers crossed.  Getting nervous!

@hokie_fan I recall this was an issue in the past, where just checking flights could cause a cancellation. Here is an old Thread about it, along with tips:

 Hope you got the flight you wanted back!