LAFFNVEGAS LIVE from the Zuiderdam to Alaska (version 2013)

[solocanadian]

Thanks for today's post. Looks like HAL is as confused as they were on my coastal on the Zaandam. I am still waiting for it to show up in my Mariner's Account/Status. They sent me an email saying to book Alaska Shore Excursions. Went to do one today and it could not be done on line - too close to sailing date. Even though it was on the Zaandam menu, there were no Escargoe - something to do with the canning process in France. USDA won't allow them into the country. Went to an upscale steak house here a week ago and they did not have escargoe either. Waiters were just told to say they were sold out. Glad you guys are having smooth seas. Who are the bar tenders in Crow's Nest and Ocean Bar?

[vtcman]

Hi Lisa, thanks for the reports, it is exciting for me since I will be doing the cruise at the end of this month. Victoria is still enjoying great weather and will continue here at least until Sunday.

Chuck

[IRL_Joanie]

As John said you are just outside of San Francisco right now:)

 

I am following you on Sea Scanner dot com and this is the info as of a moment ago:

 

Current position of M/S Zuiderdam: Under way from San Diego to Victoria B.C.

 

• Departure was 1 d 4 hrs 13 min ago. (at 15:00 h local time)
  
• Arrival will be in 1 d 18 hrs 47 min. (at 14:00 h local time)
  
• Traveled distance since San Diego: 465.94 nm (862.92 km)
  
• Remaining distance to Victoria B.C.: 709.14 nm (1,313.33 km)
  

 

• Speed: 17.5 kn (32.4 km/h)
  
• Course: 315°
  

 

We leave the house just before 8:30 tomorrow morning and will be in Seattle artound 1 pm local.

 

See ya in Vancouver:)

 

Joanie

[erewhon]

Lisa,

 

Thank you for your "live" reports from the Zuiderdam.

 

Your comments re the shop were interesting as we were disappointed with the shops on the Oosterdam, during the Christmas/New Year cruise ..........first cruise we did not purchase from the shop.

[Northshorecruisers]

Every once in awhile I see posts that say HAL isn't getting enough revenue off the ships. The lack of new items in the shops is something that could be easily fixed.

 

I would like to have ship specific items in the shops. Since HAL uses the same company as Celebrity...why can Celebrity offer ship specific items and HAL can't?

[Overtime4me2]

Always enjoy your Live-froms! Thanks for doing it again, and enjoy! :)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Wednesday Evening May 8, 2013

 

Kind of a quiet evening despite it being a Kind of Formal Night. Just my personal option it needs to be one of the other. You saw men in Tuxes and others in jeans and Polo Shirts. We did not dress Formal but i would say we were more on the dressier side of Country Club Casual. I think that HAL is trying to make this 4 day Coastal / the last 4 days of the Panama Canal like a normal cruise. I think from last year some of the complaints were that they felt like the cruise ended in San Diego so HAL is trying to make this 4 day seem like a normal cruise. Tonight after dinner we we get an invitation for a VIP Party for tomorrow night in the Crow's Nest although they are calling in a Collectors Voyage Cocktail Party.

 

Dinner tonight was like a normal last formal night with the steak and filet, it was actually pretty good. But each time we come back to a HAL cruise this one thing is getting worse and I really hope someone at HAL is reading this. Last night we did not order wine but planned to order the Navigators Package tonight. We could not get our Wine Steward to even get near us to flag him down till they were about to bring out our Main entree. I wanted to take a look at the selection of wine they offered for our first bottle. We would have easily drank a full bottle tonight between Tom and I had we been able to order right away. Instead he was pouring our wine with our main entree. Really not the Wine Stewards fault he is spread so thin. All of these guys have far too many table to attend to. I would love to know if the revenue of Wine Sales in the MDR has decreased since they started this. Of course having to wait and attempting to flag someone down thru appetizers and salads got Tom and I talking about our last cruise on NCL and comparing. Service in the main dining room on NCL was actually far superior to HAL, even the food the first night on NCL was probably slightly better. Don't get me wrong I love HAL always will but...just saying I think there are so many areas that HAL is slipping in and if they don't make some changes they will lose more people. I understand that for the cruise lines it is all about the money and profits, well some pax do want to spend the money but if you take away the opportunity like having Wine Stewards to take the order so they can spend the money HAL really has no one to blame but themselves. Even in this case the old saying you have to spend money to make money holds true. I don't mean to make this sound like things are totally terrible in the MDR, our server is amazing and funny, we are having fun with him and he is right on top of everything.

 

We did the usual walk around the ship after dinner went by the Ocean Bar rather quiet there at 7:20, then went back thru the shops still nothing new :-(

then went up to the Crows Nest. Last night I had had my Mango Daqueria, tonight I had a Mango Margarita. There is a guitarist that is pretty good performing in the Crow's Nest by the name of Larry Gibson he plays from 6pm till 10pm.

 

Of course we are now back in the cabin for the evening. I am playing tomorrow morning by ear, if I wake up by 8 will go to the Thermal Suite for about 90 minutes if not I will just lounge around the cabin to go to the Mariner cocktail party in the Ocean Bar at 11.

Well gong back to reading, finished one book and starting on a new one.

 

Signing off from the Beautiful and Elegant MS Zuiderdam.

[localady]

I agree with you Lisa, we too had many nights when we wanted to order a bottle of wine and there was not a wine steward to be found till our entree was served....

we also declined to purchase one at that late point in dinner and drank ice tea.

That is a money loser for HAL to me, but hey, I am not a beard! :rolleyes: :D

[JamesEM]

Thanks for your cruise reports and photos, have a great cruise.

[hal lover]

Thanks so much for doing this review! I'm loving it!

 

Wishing you lots of enjoyment and relaxation in the thermal suite! I love that place! Tell me more!

 

Please say hello for me to popcruisers and joanie!

 

Wishing all of you a great cruise!

[IRL_Joanie]

Thanks so much for doing this review! I'm loving it!

 

Wishing you lots of enjoyment and relaxation in the thermal suite! I love that place! Tell me more!

 

Please say hello for me to popcruisers and joanie!

 

Wishing all of you a great cruise!

 

 

Joanie says Hello back at ya my friend!!

 

We are leaving in just about 2 hours for the airport. Cruise Mode is on!!!

 

Next Post will be from Seattle after dinner with our dear friend and HAL PCC:)

 

See all of you on our Roll Call Saturday!!

 

As of right now the ms Zuiderdam (My Baby Girl and all time favorite HAL ship) is currently:

 

Current position of M/S Zuiderdam: Under way from San Diego to Victoria B.C.

 

• Departure was 1 d 14 hrs 29 min ago. (at 15:00 h local time)
  
• Arrival will be in 1 d 8 hrs 31 min. (at 14:00 h local time)
  
• Traveled distance since San Diego: 637.47 nm (1,180.59 km)
  
• Remaining distance to Victoria B.C.: 537.61 nm (995.66 km)
  

 

• Course: 353°
  

Joanie

[innlady1]

The situation with wine stewards seems so inconsistent throughout the ship.

The last two years, all of our cruises have been on "S" class ships...if I remember correctly, wine service on Maasdam was slow; Veendam and Ryndam, wine service was abundant.

Our most recent wine steward on the Ryndam was on one of our Noordam cruises a few years ago.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

This wine steward situation is quite distubing. Bill and Mary Ann reported that they were told on the World Cruise there would be NO wine stewards next year on the WC and the servers would do all wines not just glasses, I guess. And now Lisa reports they couldn't flag down a steward and they were willing to consume. So far we have had no problems but have not been on HAL since December so we shall see how it goes in June. Barbara

[Copper10-8]

ZUDM is just about to pass the California/Oregon border

[Vict0riann]

Is it tomorrow Zuidy arrives here? Hope the weather stays good. Now they're talking about showers for the weekend.

[solocanadian]

ZUDM is just about to pass the California/Oregon border

Getting closer & closer - thanks, John. If my roof garden was open at 5:00 AM I would be able to see her sailing past Sand Heads and on her way past Vancouver Intl Airport on Sunday.

[Copper10-8]

Is it tomorrow Zuidy arrives here? Hope the weather stays good. Now they're talking about showers for the weekend.

 

 

Victoria, BC tomorrow; Vancouver, BC Saturday

[Vict0riann]

Victoria, BC tomorrow; Vancouver, BC Saturday

 

Thanks, Copper, I'll be on the lookout. I think they come in around noon, right?

[Copper10-8]

Thanks, Copper, I'll be on the lookout. I think they come in around noon, right?

 

Scheduled for a 1400 (2:00 PM) arrival at Ogden Point Ma'am

[Krazy Kruizers]

This wine steward situation is quite distubing. Bill and Mary Ann reported that they were told on the World Cruise there would be NO wine stewards next year on the WC and the servers would do all wines not just glasses, I guess. And now Lisa reports they couldn't flag down a steward and they were willing to consume. So far we have had no problems but have not been on HAL since December so we shall see how it goes in June. Barbara

 

No wine stewards on a World Cruise -- that is terrible.

[solocanadian]

Victoria, BC tomorrow; Vancouver, BC Saturday

 

Showers now forecast to start Saturday evening in Vancouver and rain for Mother's Day on Sunday. Wet sail-away for the Statendam. Let's hope we leave Vancouver before the showers start.

[sail7seas]

Enjoying your reports, Lisa.

Thanks for posting them. :)

[cruz chic]

No wine stewards on a World Cruise -- that is terrible.

They need to learn from Princess. The waiters handle all alcohol orders. My wine was always refilled when needed and they brought the wine promptly when entering the MDR. It's been an ordeal on HAL lately. The waiters have plenty of peeps to wait on but they seem to do it with ease. I really don't know why HAL struggles so much with it. They did have wine steards on the world cruise according them them.

[Sea42]

Wednesday Evening May 8, 2013

 

 

Dinner tonight was like a normal last formal night with the steak and filet, it was actually pretty good. But each time we come back to a HAL cruise this one thing is getting worse and I really hope someone at HAL is reading this. Last night we did not order wine but planned to order the Navigators Package tonight. We could not get our Wine Steward to even get near us to flag him down till they were about to bring out our Main entree. I wanted to take a look at the selection of wine they offered for our first bottle. We would have easily drank a full bottle tonight between Tom and I had we been able to order right away. Instead he was pouring our wine with our main entree. Really not the Wine Stewards fault he is spread so thin. All of these guys have far too many table to attend to. I would love to know if the revenue of Wine Sales in the MDR has decreased since they started this. Of course having to wait and attempting to flag someone down thru appetizers and salads got Tom and I talking about our last cruise on NCL and comparing. Service in the main dining room on NCL was actually far superior to HAL, even the food the first night on NCL was probably slightly better. Don't get me wrong I love HAL always will but...just saying I think there are so many areas that HAL is slipping in and if they don't make some changes they will lose more people. I understand that for the cruise lines it is all about the money and profits, well some pax do want to spend the money but if you take away the opportunity like having Wine Stewards to take the order so they can spend the money HAL really has no one to blame but themselves. Even in this case the old saying you have to spend money to make money holds true. I don't mean to make this sound like things are totally terrible in the MDR, our server is amazing and funny, we are having fun with him and he is right on top of everything.

 

Lisa, I'm wondering if you asked when you were seated to have the wine steward sent over. After our first night on the Noordam where he didn't show up until after we had ordered, we made a point of asking the person who showed us to our table to send him over and that seemed to help make him appear faster.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

They need to learn from Princess. The waiters handle all alcohol orders. My wine was always refilled when needed and they brought the wine promptly when entering the MDR. It's been an ordeal on HAL lately. The waiters have plenty of peeps to wait on but they seem to do it with ease. I really don't know why HAL struggles so much with it. They did have wine steards on the world cruise according them them.

 

That is true about Princess - however, we have had two different experiences with this. When we had fixed dining, the waiters took the drink orders for the entire section, so if people were late, you waited for your wine, etc. in our case up to 45 minutes. Not acceptable IMO. More recently, we had anytime dining, and the wine order was taken immediately and served very quickly. I guess it all depends on the experience of your servers.