REOVA

No reservations allowed but Host/Hostess can suggest a time. Seems a few people like to line up at the door before they are open. We've never had to wait but every cruise is different. 

Just now, CruiserBruce said:

Gallo is a huge family of wines, of all sorts of quality levels.

Yes there were about a dozen heirs when Ernest and Julio passed. I was quoting their '80s tagline in the commercials (with their music) as I haven't had it since then. 

2 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

Wycliff is Gallo.

"Today's Gallo...All the best a wine can be"

17 hours ago, Real NHDOC said:

After spending a very pleasant month aboard Eurodam we boarded the Apex on February 24th. Our first impression of the ship was it is beautiful and certainly a level above Eurodam being their Edge class. But the beauty of the ship could not offset the issues we have had which started with one of our suitcases going missing and not being located until 7pm. Then there is the dining room noise level, intolerable. The tables are all set so close to each other there is no privacy and no way to carry on a conversation. Food wasn’t as good as in MDR on Eurodam. 
 

Since the Apex can hold 1000 more passengers than Eurodam, I would think MDR noise and table space would be more similar to Pinnacle class ships, which we find noisy and crowded. 

Thanks for your comparison. It confirms other posts about decline on Celebrity (which is a topic of many lines) and where HAL is lacking (entertainment). It's very hard to compare 1 cruise against the other (even on same ship and different dates) as there are so many factors that can occur and subjective opinions from people (even doing the same cruise) but you were able to capture overall vibe of the comparison within the same time frame. 

We paid $50 last year to upgrade from HIA to Premium (this was before Starlink) on 11 day cruise because we kept getting dropped call/FaceTime with our Grandson. Actually we paid less because of Mariner discount. We still had issues with buffering on some sites mostly due to our cabin location. Being closer to router or booster makes a difference on the ship as well. 

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Perhaps they should have open theatre as well.

They do...it's called on demand in your cabin. 😉

I like the idea that Carnival states wait time on the app (similar to ERs in our area that show it as you drive by) but it's just another thing that CCL has not consistently implemented across all brands for some reason. 

HAL has data as to how many passengers are on board, how many specialty reservations on a given night and probably historical data of what time many of the passengers eat (and what they order) since many are regulars and for 7, 10, 14 days they are sequestered. Back in the day that I cooked in a hotel restaurant, we could estimate the number of people eating and what they may order off the menu (even with them never being there before) just based on occupancy. We may be off or "86" of inventory a few times, but service was always on point. 

They've always exchanged it for me. Tell them you are allergic to bubbles. 

On 2/26/2024 at 2:04 PM, Sir PMP said:

You need Legendary cruise ships with Legendary staff and passengers:

 

 

One of these Legendary staff member will be gone after next year. The other is already just a passenger. 

15 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

We spent about 1 hour waiting for the clouds to clear - used a 500 mm telephoto lens to bring the mountain in closer.    I took the picture of Judy - then she took the picture of me and I used Photoshop to merge us into the same picture.    We were about 100 feet away taking the picture -- it was so windy- no one else was around

So that's why your hair is not blowing like Judy's. 😉😁

If they see it in security, you will be directed to a table where they will note your cabin # and charge your account $20 per bottle. No problem. We've seen people stopping at the table but hear others don't declare. We haven't brought wine onboard since the change of corkage fee on ALL wine bottles. 

18 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

If I were intent on a particular port, I would book a flight and hotel. 

Yes but with cruising, some people like the ability to "sample" different ports to see if they want to go back. But then the cruise misses that port and they become disappointed. It is a fact and function of cruising.  A few fellow passengers have been to Falklands and missed Easter Island multiple times. We were able to tender to Easter Island but missed Falklands, neither of which we would book a flight and stay there, but experiencing them for a day would be nice. Fortunately on longer cruises you have more ports but we've recently seen 7 day  cruises that missed a few ports (or changed ports) which upset many. And of course last year a Caribbean cruise (all shorts and shirts packed) diverted to Canada which caused media eruption, but cruising is about being safe than sorry. 

11 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I'm probably an anomaly, but "stepping" on Antarctica really means little to me. I'm not a collector of places or keeper of lists of things I've done. I try to go places that interest me. And I go back and forth about Antarctica. It's not really my thing -- natural beauty doesn't do it for me. I'm far more interested in the great achievements of human civilization. (In the same way, I just can't get excited about safaris, for example. Or the Alps.)

 

That said, there's a part of me that thinks I should go do the passage, see what it's like down there at the bottom of the world. And if I can do it while also seeing more of South America and -- the biggest ask -- Easter Island, well that makes it a lot more compelling.

 

Who knows, maybe I'll fall in love with it -- and if that's the case I can always return and do a very much more hands-on thing. But I doubt it. 

Understood. Some people see icebergs all the same in Alaska, Greenland, Antarctica, etc, but each has its own beauty and mystery. You will love the SoAm cruise as there are many ports with history and its civilizations. Of course currently the World is a mess with politics and protests so hard to know which ports you'll actually get to to plan (and always depends on weather). We got lucky for the most part in 2020 (until mid way) as we've heard from crew and passengers over the years about the storms and damage crossing the Drake, so DW (who shares your view) is one and done (why chance it again 🤣) while I'm an explorer (and gambler) so ...why not. 😁 But as Pete said, Cruising for a particular port can be disappointing has many times you will miss one or two. 

Is there still a shortage of chips for IC cards (other than tourist Welcome Sucia)? 

We've  met many people from down under that walked clockwise around the ship. 😉😁

It's a pet peeve of DW, but I go with the flow. Just like on trails, people walk in different directions. Yes courtesy is most important, especially on the Pinnacle ships where the Promenade Deck is single file (and obstructed view) in many places. 

20 minutes ago, 0106 said:

I think that you started a very interesting and useful thread Mic.  

I have Club Orange on my cruise departing Sunday but I am committed to visiting the MDR at least once strictly for comparison purposes.

Assuming it's a Pinnacle Ship, yes, I would suggest it, just for comparison.  And try to tell us details (time of day, sea day, etc). 🙂

6 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

If it fills, then it fills (and good for HAL). If not, the first half of 2026 looks very interesting to me. If I don't do Antarctica before that.

It was a good cruise in 2020 but we couldn't get to the Falklands due to weather. Drake passage was calm and we also were able to tender to Easter Island, which is hit or miss as well. Depending on what you want to do in Antarctica, maybe another cruiseline/Polar class ship would be better. Much more expensive but probably worth the experience (and to claim you walked on the driest, coldest, windiest, highest Continent, even if you were only able to set foot on the frozen edge 😁). 

There are always cancellations on the GWC and always segments to book. Many people sail every year or a few different years so you should be able to get onboard. 

13 minutes ago, oakridger said:

Meh.  Reminds me of a Carnival Cruise Line kind of thing.  If people like it, no harm, as long as it doesn't replace something I like to do! 😉

 

 

~Nancy

Yes if it takes the place of Adult Coloring, I will be upset. 😉

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I have for many years heard that having fixed seating makes for better service, but I can say that such was not the case on my November TA on Nieuw Statendam. 

 

I normally opt for Anytime dining as I don't like to commit to a fixed time when on a port-intensive cruise. However, since this cruise was a TA with many sea days, and the acquaintance who was also onboard wanted to select fixed late, we did that and had a table for 8 (though in reality only 7).

 

Dinner was very slow and there were repeated errors -- some courses for some diners never showed up, others got things they didn't order. There was no effort to serve or clear properly. On more than one night, one of our group was given a piece of cutlery that obviously wasn't clean.

 

Contrary to what I've often read about fixed dining waiters remembering drink preferences, the bar service was very haphazard. No one ever took the trouble to figure out if anyone had a standing drink order (I didn't, but some people did). And while I am one who enjoys an espresso after dessert almost every night, no one bothered to remember and some nights the espresso never arrived even after I enquired after it multiple times.

 

Several of those at the table took it in turns to bring the issues to the attention of the staff. Interestingly, service did not really improve but it did lead to the maitre d' stopping by the table awkwardly asking how things were. He wasn't happy to hear "Much the same..."

 

I have to say that I don't think I've been missing much doing the Anytime dining!!

 

(The worst was one of the bar service folks who would roll up to the table with various glasses of wine and no idea who had ordered what. She would just holler, "Anyone order a Sauvignon Blanc?" Totally unprofessional in a dining room environment. We're not in a neighborhood bar.)

 

I find the service on the Pinnacle ships more chaotic than the smaller ships. Even before the shut down it seemed the size of the MDR rattled the crew (along with the noisy acoustics). Most of the crew we talk with prefer the smaller more intimate ships. During down time it's not as bad but having more passengers onboard, all coming at a set time (or a bulk at same time during open seating) frazzles the kitchen and servers. Unfortunately paying for Club Orange while  less chaotic, limits who you can meet and sit with if that is a goal. 

Search 2026 in Holland America

2 hours ago, Wehwalt said:

I would suspect that HAL's hope is, with only one Grand Voyage running, and with a smaller ship, to sell out the GWV without the need to sell segments, and they will not sell segments until, and unless, it is clear that it will not happen. Among other reasons, if you are not selling segments, you do not need to worry about what happens to people who are segmenting if you make a major change to the itinerary like going around Africa instead of through Suez, something important this year, and also next. It sounded to me in his talk like one of Gus's priorities for 2025 if that itinerary must be changed, was getting the Zuiderdam to Barcelona for the rendezvous with the Volendam, and not getting the ship to Piraeus to accommodate the final segment. They would undoubtedly consider it nice not to have to worry about segments.

 HAL used to only do 1 GWV and did it on smaller ships and did segments then as well. I'm sure they feel that two pulls passengers away but there's always a market for segments and its more profitable for HAL. 

1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Arrival Tokyo.   Mt Fuji at 6:30 am local.   Covered with snow.    Climbing season for hikers  is from July to Sept 

 

Nice. Clear skies too. 

1 hour ago, MicCanberra said:

Yet, it has been met on Hal, just not consistently in the anytime dining.

You won't find HAL in "consistently". Just an L, so 2/3's of the time you won't know what to expect. 🤣. This is across the board when dealing with Customer Service, emails, Mariner amenities, supply,  etc. I get different answers to the same questions. 

Unfortunately it's been this way for 3 years now but appears they are trying to get better. We just need to help them along (and they appreciate that). Some have posted that they let the servers know ahead that they want to be somewhere by xx:xx and the crew oblige. Not saying we should have to do that, but we are all on the same ship for a while so we have to communicate and make the best of our time. They will remember you. 

We still keep in touch will many crew that no longer sail. Many of the crew now are new and sharpening their skills (especially when faced with inevitable slip ups). Crew is one of the reasons we sail HAL (and of course itinerary which you said) and it does crimp a smooth cruise when problems arise, but doesn't sway us to leave. We sail other lines that may have better food and service (and entertainment) but not better crew, small ships and itineraries of HAL unless we want to spend much more. 

7 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Yes, definitely true. But sometimes one is only interested in a certain part of the itinerary... so it is cheaper than buying the whole package all in, though not necessarily cheaper per diem.

Yes it's cheaper to by 47 day segment than 128 day whole. 🤔

2 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

I personally would never choose open dining. It can't help but be chaotic in this setting. 

It may also depend on time of dinner for open seating. We try to eat (if in MDR) before or after the rush of fixed times or "anytime" bottleneck and usually try to get the same section if available. We no longer do fixed as we are not reliable MDR eaters and don't want to leave open seats at a table causing others eating alone if we decide we are not up to or can't make dinner on time. But both can have issues if the kitchen is trying to handle a rush. The key is to nicely respond to someone or Navigator so they can review and try better. Usually doesn't happen every night, especially if they flag you 😉.