LocoLoco1

Hoo-boy. Noro. Covid. Tuberculosis. Dengue. Yellow fever. Dysentery etc. etc. Cruisers need to seriously think while cruising. My RN spouse splats sanitizer on the tarmack thence to the soles of her shoes before boarding after shore excursions. And yet we still cruise…

MS Renaissance doesn’t have any Press releases yet from its new French owners. We did a USA/Polynesia cruise on the Maasdam. She was quite rough around the edges then.. curious was its new iteration will look like…. I sailed on an old CHANDRIS vessel that had a severe list.. Sank shortly thereafter.

Renamed AEGEAN MYTH. I guess what I mean’t: Coupla used boat $Sales$ went to Shipyard and have came out as Uber-luxury vessels. Others end up as budget floating Casinos or car-haulers. MAASDAM? Dunno.

Q: What would be different aboard MAASDAM now that it has a new owner? Less food & entertainment? Overall maintenance??

I wonder which Cruiseline has NOT cut back whatsoever as of late. Aside from HAL we have only sailed Cunard recently, but I’m shopping. Any thoughts??

Drip drip drip…. Kinda sad to witness it.

Anywhere..?? So… A Naples or Rome’s hotel Front desks can/will steer us guests to the proper ‘Test site’?? I asked this before, so apologies, but things are changing….

I PRAY Italy’s pharmacies will still offer monitored tests in November. Looks like a 14-day cruiser will need to be tested pre-sailaway. Hmm.

Thanks. Quote went over this boy’s dragon-free head. So VOLENDAM is still hosting Ukraine refugees?? I’m left wondering if HAL is using it for training new employees.

All ships have a ‘Laundry Plan’. Ask your cabin-boy wuzzup. There will probably be a brochure in your room on Day #1, hang on to it. Occasionally, I have seen self-serve Laundromats also.

I’ve Noticed: CUNARD still has ‘The Good Stuff’, ie music, lecturers, hor d’ovrs, gorgeous A+ library etc. HAL however has cut to the bone. Sad to see..

‘Group Tours’ by definition are only as fast as the slowest one. Have it YOUR way and hire a local driver to follow the bus around, then leave if the going gets too tough or linger longer if it’s too tame. You will have a nicer time methinks

I think ‘what’s going on here’ is they’re broke. Flat busted…

Methinks HAL’s parent, CCL, has squeezed the livin’ bejeezuz out of shipboard expenditures. It was fun when they were flush with $Cash$.

Considering that the clientele the message is directed to are not Olympians or weightlifters it’s been my experience that only the SCUBA and true mountain climbing forays seemed strenuous. Obesity and need for crutches etc. could rule them out of course.

As everywhere, it depends how well you can walk AND if you want the comfort of Gangplank to Gangplank handholding. Tour buses aren’t for everybody..

Replies and comments here seem to strongly suggest that as of late the HAL experience has been diluted, ie the advertised Cadillac is looking suspiciously like a Chevy. But what’s the alternative, book Pinnacle Dining & Suites? HAL go to 1stClass/2nd Class ala Cunard?? Probably.

Thanks for your reply. It’s becoming clearer to me by the week that cruising is changing. Too bad if cruiselines have seemingly cut onboard activities/staff for financial reasons, as that doesn’t inspire me. I’m pleased I can still cruise, just not as pleased as I used to be. A return to the good old days of Limbo Nights with the Officers and free unlimited Lobster in the MDR?? Probably just wishful thinking on my part. I love being at sea nonetheless.

Personally, I have seen HAL go from a few to nearly ZERO group activities on long cruises. No crafter/painting classes for the guests, no pool vollyball, no librarian hour, Chocolate nite? Nope. Guest authors, astronomers? Fitness folks. Nope. Cooking? Nope. Myself, I go ashore for activities. Onboard HAL becomes Sun and a Kindle reader for me lately. Mega-ships for more action maybe??

Thank-you all. Not what I was hoping for. Time to walk around a Mall or two and thus get Quad-ruple vax’d before cruising. Our March 2022 15/day cruise while masked was truly miserable. Felt like prisoners at sea.

Our last HAL cruise was about 35% full and everybody masked up etc. We now have a T/A booked. What’s it like now? Full staff, dancing, Pub crawls and good times or still in ‘Caution Mode’??

Nobody REALLY cares where the guests lay their head on a pillow, be it a minute or an hour. It’s moreso a legality thing I suspect, so keep the perks where they best benefit your entire group. We did a similar arrangement a few yrs. ago.

More like Princess. Definitely.

‘Innocents Abroad’ by Mark Twain. No contest. (Or any Travel book by Paul Theroux)

I agree. Peddling Non-HAL excursions and tours seems tacky when done aboard a HAL ship