cbr663

9 hours ago, Daisi said:

There are stainless steel bottles at the reception desk if you wish, not the easiest to drink out of, but they work, and no charge. Just didn't bother bringing them home. We tend to refill our plastic bottles that we pick up either on the plane, or bring with us to fill after security. We had purchased collapsing bottles, but they are even more awkward and heavier than the stainless ones. 

 

Thanks for reminding me that we can use the water from the plane.  We were also thinking of bringing coffee travel mugs and quickly realized it really starts to add to your luggage, especially when our goal is to keep or luggage as light as possible.

7 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

You may come back to your cabin to find the steward has pulled the card out ...

Our cabin steward not only removed it from the slot, but also took it.  If they didn't want it there they should have simply laid it on the bed or the desk, not take it.  I wasn't impressed.

I expect the salmon served on HAL's ships is farmed Atlantic Salmon whereas it will be Wild Sockeye Salmon served during the excursion.  I remember learning that while Alaska has hatcheries for salmon it does not allow salmon farms like those for farmed Atlantic salmon.  

Tried searching this thread and couldn't find the answer so my apologies if this has been answered previously.  Does Avalon provide guests with refillable water bottles?  If so, are they complimentary or is there a charge?

Thanks for posting a live thread and will be following along.  Will be interested in your cruise and your Scenic experience.  We recently attended an information session provided by Scenic as a possible cruise option and it will be great to read your thoughts on it.

We will be travelling on our first river cruise in June with Avalon.  We are really looking forward to it.  We have decided to pause our ocean cruising in general and with HAL and we are hoping that river cruising will provide us with that cruising magic that we feel is missing with HAL.

Bon Voyage.

It just seems that obnoxious behaviour is becoming more common.  On our last cruise in November on the Koningsdam we went to the MDR for dinner and we were seated at a lovely table for 2 in front of a window.  Right next to us though was a very raucous table of six who luckily for us were on their dessert when we were seated.  They were very loud.  I wear a hearing aid and can tell you that it was quite the experience for me to stay at our table.  They were so loud in fact that when they got up to leave one of the diners leaned over and said to us, laughingly, "you can enjoy your dinner in quiet now that we are leaving, " and then just smiled and went on their way.  I took their response as they knew they were loud and they just didn't care.

So no, I am not surprised by these experiences.

I will echo the same comments as others - the experience varies from ship to ship and even from sailing to sailing.  

We sailed twice on the Koningsdam last year.  On the first cruise we went to the PG for dinner and we didn't have any complaint regarding portion size (however, a couple more asparagus spears wouldn't sink the ship 🤣), but the waiter did forget my dessert order.

One the second cruise we decided we would venture back for lunch.  A very different crew.  We had originally booked 2 lunches in the PG and the first experience was so poor that we cancelled the second reservation.  Portions were small, food items were poorly prepared and the service wasn't great at all.

Our experience has been you roll the dice with speciality dining on HAL.  I will state though that in the past we have always had exceptional service in the Tamarind Restaurant.  We do find the current Tamarind is a shadow of what it was and overall not very appealing anymore.  If you can find a meal that you think you would enjoy I feel pretty confident that you will have a wonderful experience at Tamarind.

On the Zuiderdam passengers sailing in a Neptune or Pinnacle Suite can have breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill.  It's the same menu as served in the main dining room.

Roger Jett has copies of the recent breakfast room service menus on his website.  You can visit them here and see the differences:  https://rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/hal-regular-and-specialty-restaurants/room-service-and-breakfast/

The Zudie doesn't have a separate Club Orange dining room.  The separate CO dining room is only available on the Pinnacle Class ships.  You will dine in the main dining room and should be given a CO menu or your waiter may provide you with a regular menu and simply tell you what the CO entrée is.  If you don't receive a CO menu or your waiter doesn't offer it then you should inquire about the CO entrée for that evening.  

2 hours ago, Niagarawine said:

I fondly remember the pre internet days when  cruising was relaxing although I did need it to book a flight home on Air Canada for seat selection otherwise we would have been bumped. 

It wasn't that long ago on CC that the advice was to turn off your phone and put it in your cabin safe to avoid costly roaming charges.  A common message was one of the joys of cruising was the chance to disconnect.

That has changed in 2023 and HAL, like every other cruise line, changed it on purpose.  High speed internet is another revenue stream for the cruise lines and all cruise lines are heavily promoting this as a must have amenity.

I don't believe that it is by chance that HAL introduced a mobile app for on ship use.  I also don't believe that it is by chance that HAL bundled internet access with its HIA promo.  It wanted to create a demand for internet access.  It was a way to convince passengers to start using their devices on their cruises, and all of this was just before they rolled out high speed internet access across their lines.  This happened with the past couple of years.  Many passengers who have decades of sailing without a cell phone and high speed internet access now suddenly must have it to cruise.  

This is the classic, build it and they will come.

11 hours ago, RuthC said:

Since HAL doesn't 'handle it' with so many other egregious actions of passengers, what next when they say they can't do anything about this?  

There aren't really a lot of good choices.

For me, prior to even stepping on the ship I accept that some people may be obnoxious and rude.  I try not to let it surprise me when I encounter it as when I do encounter it I have to work to not let it affect me.  Sometimes I am successful, sometimes I am not.

There does though come a point in which if other passengers are having a negative impact on my cruise and HAL won't do anything about it that I have to ask myself if HAL is the cruise line for me.  After all, we all cruise to have fun and a great time and not to pay to endure the bad behaviour of other people.

22 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Last year on the Celebrity Apex one night in the Fine Cuts Steak house, the table next to us, one of those so called "Influencers" had set up the table with all of her streaming equipment so she could have dinner with her "followers".  I complained first to her about the noise and distraction, to which she told me it was her "right" to do this. I then asked the manager to be moved to another table, but none were available, and the manager told me the woman had pre-cleared her direct streaming. We got up and left demanding we not be charged for our dinner we did not eat, we did get the credit back. I saw this same woman doing her streaming all over the ship but Celebrity would do nothing to stop her. Thankfully this woman was not in the Retreat so we did not have to put up with her in Luminae and the Retreat Lounge. I would hope HAL would not allow this same very annoying and distracting activities by these "Influencers"

Not at all surprising.

If someone hasn't done it yet, it is only a matter of time before passengers are live streaming throughout the ship.  That is what high speed internet allows them to do and they will do it.

8 hours ago, TRLD said:

Actually it is pretty common place on land as well as on cruise ships. The norm is rapidly becoming to treat the person on the other end of the call the same as if they were there in the same room and having a conversation. The problem is that the phone conversations tend to involve speakers and occur at a louder volume.

 

Have witnessed this in everyplace from coffee shops, to high end restaurants in the US and other countries.

 

The biggest difference is in the other venues it is 20 to 40 somethings, on cruise ships the offenders tend to be older with poorer hearing making the conversation louder.

I also experience this behaviour and other examples of people not being situational aware on an almost daily basis.  My DW and I are walkers and we walk in our neighbourhood every day and every day that we meet someone else on the sidewalk it is without fail me who falls back behind my wife to pass as the other people will not move out of the way.  I have simply come to expect it now and adapt my behaviour. (And I have to do this when walking the promenade deck on a ship also).

I have also come to accept that for many people their phones are simply an extension of their hands.  They always have their devices.  HAL has brought in high speed internet for one reason only - as a revenue generator.  Passengers are paying a lot for high speed internet onboard and they plan to use it.  They will use it the same as they use it on land.  I fully expect the same land based experiences that we see - people walking and seemingly talking to themselves but are actually on the phone, people using their external speakers on their phone, people FaceTime their every experience (I am still astounded how many people have to video call their Costco trips) and people sitting themselves up in a cafe for hours upon end to avail of the internet and work in public will all transfer to cruise ships.  

Speak discreetly with the Restaurant Manager that the passenger's behaviour is disruptive and ask them to speak with the passenger.

You want to be very careful speaking with a passenger yourself.  HAL, like every cruise line, has a guest code of conduct and obnoxious behaviour toward another guest is a no-no.  I realize that many will find the passenger having the FaceTime call as obnoxious, and it is.  I think though that the best course of action is to let HAL handle it, as it is quite possible that the passenger having the FaceTime call may find your approaching them as obnoxious.

With high speed internet now available on every ship the onboard experience is and has changed.  I think that we can all expect much more of this type of behaviour and while I do believe that this is something that HAL must address, based on recent experiences shared on this platform, I am not confident that it will.  

It will be really hard to get a definitive answer on any tipping thread.  

On our last cruise on the Koningsdam we dined in the CO dining room.  During one dinner I was seated at a table where I had a clear view of the kitchen and the drop zone where the waiters bring out the trays and remove the plate covers prior to serving the meals.  This drop zone has a drawer in it with various cubbies.  Several times I saw a waiter return to the drop zone with a closed bill folder in their hands.  I watched as they opened the drawer, opened the folder and placed a sign receipt in one cubby and cash in another, quickly close the drawer, place the bill folder in its designated spot and then moved on to other duties.  Based on the fact that cash tips were not personally pocketed by the waiter and placed in an open and shared drawer I guess that tips are shared.  

From Carnival Cruise Corp's Fourth Quarter 2023 Earnings Presentation:

https://www.carnivalcorp.com/financial-information/webcasts-presentations

50 minutes ago, Charlene1985 said:

Currently on a 7 day NA Caribbean cruise.  There are a fair amount of children but I’m finding the worst behavior coming from the adults who seem set on wearing their keycard on a lanyard.  Most of them have zero stars and are probably first time cruises.....

Carnival Corp stated in 2023 Q3 reporting that 51% of its passengers on all its brands are new to the brand or new to cruising.  So this isn't surprising at all.

What may be surprising to some of us is that there may be a chance that the cruise line isn't as interested in meeting the needs of it loyal passengers as it is in meeting the needs of all these new passengers?  Welcome to the era of big data, where companies know which customers add the most to the bottom line and which customers don't.  

I realize that most people booking a cruise don't read the cruise lines investor relations information prior to booking a cruise. You really should though as in 2023 things changed in the cruise industry and will continue to change for '24, '25 and possibly beyond.  

From today's Carnival Cruise Corp Q1 report:

"The company experienced an early start to a robust wave season with record booking volumes for all future sailings that exceeded expectations....

"We are enjoying a phenomenal wave season with strength across all major deployments and brands. Even with less inventory available for the remainder of the year, booking volumes hit an all-time high, driven by demand for 2025 sailings and beyond. Our brands have demonstrated continued success creating demand that outstrips available capacity translating into higher prices (in constant currency) and a further elongation in the booking curve.."

What does this mean for the company?  

"Record first quarter revenues of $5.4 billion, with record net yields (in constant currency) and record net per diems (in constant currency) both significantly exceeding 2023 levels.

Gross margin yields nearly doubled compared to 2023 and net yields (in constant currency) significantly exceeded 2023 levels by over 17 percent."

https://www.carnivalcorp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/carnival-corporation-plc-reports-record-first-quarter-revenues

What does this mean for cruise passengers?  It means that you can expect to pay much more for your cruise fare and can expect that there will be more and more people sailing.  Occupancy is over 100% and yes, this does mean more people on board - people being children and adults.

HAL has never marketed itself as an adults only cruise line.  It actively markets itself to families with children and while many people may mistakingly believe that HAL can't compete with the RCs range of ships, fact is that there are many people travelling on HAL's ships with children.

54 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

Ok I think this close enough to be on topic.  The guy sitting next to me in the Crows Nest just answered a FaceTime call and is on the speaker.  It’s annoying to me and others in the area.  What should I do?

Welcome to the new cruise experience of high speed internet being widely available and widely promoted by the cruise lines.  You have to expect that this will happen.  You have to expect that cruise passengers will now be doing live feeds on their devices on a cruise ship.

13 minutes ago, boze9999 said:

At $49 x 2 per day, the standby is not always a "bargain". If you get better than an inside room, yes. If you only get an inside room....perhaps not always.....

You really want to keep an eye on HAL's numerous sales.  For instance, I am Canadian and HAL has the 7 day Zaandam Wine and Country sailing on the Stand by list.  At $49US standby it isn't a bargain when it is currently advertised for $349 CDN for an inside cabin.  Better to pay $49 CDN pp/pd right now than roll the dice on paying $49 US pp/pd on standby.

3 hours ago, Trish Traveler said:

HALF MOON CAY    Monday 2/26   8AM-5PM  Tender Port

We were awakened by the knock on the door with our room service order.  The tray was huge stacked with all these dishes, as I soon realized my mistake – that I had ordered double of everything by indicating there were two people dining, when in my mind, we planned on sharing one set of all our choices marked with an X.  Oh well, it was delicious.  Just hard to find a place to set everything in an inside cabin.  I always feel very bougie eating room service presented so lovely.  The bow cam on the TV showed a nice day outside. 

 

One of the things that I always appreciate about HAL is the stainless steel plate covers.  I hate (and yes, hate is a strong word 😆) those plastic covers where you can see all the condensation underneath.  I've always heard that we eat with our eyes and the plastic covers just ruin the dining experience for me.  Now, if we can only convince HAL to get rid of those screw top bottles they are using for coffee cream/milk and bring back the stainless steel carafes they used to have.  

45 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

I think you are probably safe, between Club Orange, booking before the policy was started, not being warned, and the strict limitation NOT being in effect (although at least two of us did get the idea from our PCC, that that was the end goal).

 

Club Orange may in fact be the way around being bumped...

Club Orange is another targeted bundled amenities package to get passengers to spend more on their cruises.  Getting passengers to spend more is why these policies and programs exist.  So yes, I think you are right that CO may be a way around being bumped.  It makes sense to me, but then again, I don't count beans for a living.  🤣

33 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

... HAL is aggressively wanting family type groups and will do what they can to bring these small groups on board. 

Lisa, I thought it was well known that HAL has been aggressively marketing to family and groups, but from some comments on this thread it seems some people still believe HAL is the cruise line of 10+ years ago.

I am surprised that they are requesting 2 copies of the passport that will be collected at check-in as someone will have the verify that each copy is an actual copy of the passport.  That can make for a very long and slow check in process.

2 hours ago, coolbluegreenseas said:

All while sharing one bathroom? That does not sound like a vacation but a test in patience.

I agree.  Not how we travel but I do know lots of people who do travel like this.  We all have different wants and needs.

We are sailing in June and we booked our air separately.  Avalon offered air but its flights weren't the greatest.  We selected the flights that we wanted and our TA reached out to Avalon to see if they would price the same flights.  They did and at that time were the most expensive.  No sense paying more for the exact same flights.