Never again!!

[Travelbug 2]

In Sept' I strayed from "my" cruise line and took a Hawaii cruise with RCI ----- --BIG mistake. Problems to many to mention but I vow I will not sail with them again.

I am now back and I have just booked a "New England - East coast Canada" cruise on Maasdam in June from Boston to Montreal. As an ex "East coaster" this will be a trip down memory lane for me. I lost my dear wife two and a half years ago and all the ports are very familiar to me as we used to visit them often and we lived in Halifax for many years. I will not mind being a solo traveller on this cruise. :)

 

Glad to be back----looking forward to the cruise.

[startwin]

In Sept' I strayed from "my" cruise line and took a Hawaii cruise with RCI ----- --BIG mistake. Problems to many to mention but I vow I will not sail with them again.

I am now back and I have just booked a "New England - East coast Canada" cruise on Maasdam in June from Boston to Montreal. As an ex "East coaster" this will be a trip down memory lane for me. I lost my dear wife two and a half years ago and all the ports are very familiar to me as we used to visit them often and we lived in Halifax for many years. I will not mind being a solo traveller on this cruise. :)

 

Glad to be back----looking forward to the cruise.

 

I'm sorry to hear that.:( I routinely go between HAL and RCI, and love both, for different reasons. But welcome back to where you are most comfortable.:)

[solocanadian]

Thanks for the heads up on RCI. I'll stick with HAL thank you. I'm sure you will enjoy your Masdam cruise later this year. I'd love to do it but hate the thought of having to fly and put up with all the security. I too visited the East coast with my late husband and loved all the wonderful seafood. Happy New Year to you.:)

[Taxguy77]

Sorry to hear of your loss. I would hate to do a cruise without DW, and hope this helps you at this time.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sorry to hear that you lost your wife.

Sorry that your RCI cruise was not up to your expectations.

But certainly glad that you are returning to HAL.

[nlsoftly]

Congratulations on learning a valuable lesson about what you need. Sympathies that it was an extensive lesson.

 

DH worked in Halifax a decade or so ago. I visited every chance I got. That is a wonderful place inhabited by people who are beyond wonderful!

[igraf]

I would like to hear about what you did not like on the RCI cruise. How about a few examples? Which ship?

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

In Sept' I strayed from "my" cruise line and took a Hawaii cruise with RCI ----- --BIG mistake. Problems to many to mention but I vow I will not sail with them again.......

[Travelbug 2]

Thanks for the heads up on RCI. I'll stick with HAL thank you. I'm sure you will enjoy your Masdam cruise later this year. I'd love to do it but hate the thought of having to fly and put up with all the security. I too visited the East coast with my late husband and loved all the wonderful seafood. Happy New Year to you.:)

 

Hello fellow westerner. Happy New Year to you too. I am on Vancouver Island.

I know what you mean about flying and I share your thoughts, however, this trip is combined with a 10 day visit with old friends in Ontario after the cruise. The flights to Boston from the Island will be the most tiring but I guess I will have to put up with it. I know it will be worth all the hassle. I am flying into Boston the day before "just in case"!!

[Travelbug 2]

I would like to hear about what you did not like on the RCI cruise. How about a few examples? Which ship?

 

igraf

 

The main concern was food service, it was awful. Every night was a marathon at dinner. Very slow and quite inefficient. "Plate presentation" was poor. Ran out of some menu items more than once during the cruise. I have never experienced service like that on any cruise ship and I was assured by RCI that it is very unusual. Maybe it was a "one off" but it was enough to put me off. Complaints from myself and my table companions made little or no difference and a common excuse was " there is a long line up of waiters at the kitchen"!

[kazu]

Thanks for the heads up on RCI. I'll stick with HAL thank you. I'm sure you will enjoy your Masdam cruise later this year. I'd love to do it but hate the thought of having to fly and put up with all the security. I too visited the East coast with my late husband and loved all the wonderful seafood. Happy New Year to you.:)

 

Hey come on Gail - if I can fly from Vancouver back here - then you can do it in reverse :)

 

Actually just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year.

 

For those curious, my friends who are avid cruisers did RCI - actually tried to talk me out of the Prinsendam because it was a better price.

 

Well, they won't be back. Food was one thing I heard. There were a number of other issues but they didn't go on. She isn't high maintenance but they were definitely not impressed.

[ken4556]

Having just got off the Ryndam eight days ago, I cannot wait to go back on Royal Caribbean. While we had a good cruise on the Ryndam, there was not one item that I can think off that was better then the Radiance of the Seas cruise taken in March/April downunder. From the food selection, crew, entertainment, ship features, cabin functions like a toilet and air conditioning that worked the entire cruise, Royal Caribbean wins hands down.

 

I am not trying to pick a fight, but to more make the point that so much of our posts and reviews are subjective and, sometimes, just based on good or bad luck. We can, by chance, have the best waiter on a ship or the worst waiter that can make our entire feelings on a cruise positive or negative. I sometimes think the food is too fancy for me on Holland America as sometimes I cannot figure out what have the food items actually are. But that is a personal viewpoint that cannot be applied to all cruisers.

[Typhoon1]

People complain about things at HAL of late.

 

Try another cruise line, you'll find out it's not as bad as you may think.

[Travelbug 2]

I have never had a bad experience with HAL. Maybe I am just lucky........but I have never won a lottery :D

 

I agree that cruising is very subjective, different strokes for different folks.

[KirkNC]

Having just got off the Ryndam eight days ago, I cannot wait to go back on Royal Caribbean. While we had a good cruise on the Ryndam, there was not one item that I can think off that was better then the Radiance of the Seas cruise taken in March/April downunder. From the food selection, crew, entertainment, ship features, cabin functions like a toilet and air conditioning that worked the entire cruise, Royal Caribbean wins hands down.

 

I am not trying to pick a fight, but to more make the point that so much of our posts and reviews are subjective and, sometimes, just based on good or bad luck. We can, by chance, have the best waiter on a ship or the worst waiter that can make our entire feelings on a cruise positive or negative. I sometimes think the food is too fancy for me on Holland America as sometimes I cannot figure out what have the food items actually are. But that is a personal viewpoint that cannot be applied to all cruisers.

 

Nothing wrong with that, there are so many successful cruise lines because different folks like different things.

[TracieABD]

Welcome home... We have left a light on for you. :)

[pcur]

The main concern was food service, it was awful. Every night was a marathon at dinner. Very slow and quite inefficient. "Plate presentation" was poor. Ran out of some menu items more than once during the cruise. I have never experienced service like that on any cruise ship and I was assured by RCI that it is very unusual. Maybe it was a "one off" but it was enough to put me off. Complaints from myself and my table companions made little or no difference and a common excuse was " there is a long line up of waiters at the kitchen"!

 

We've been cruising with RCCL for over 40 years now, and your experience really was a "one off" situation. Hawaii is not a regular itinerary for them, so I'm guessing it was a repositioning cruise to Hawaii, and probably over to Australia or Asia. Repositioning cruises going to start a new season in another part of the world usually mean a huge crew turnover. Crew members that have family in the new area request that ship, and the repositioning cruise is where the crew have to be trained and become acquainted with the new ship. Also, it's also a time where the executive level and and management staff are transferred around, too. Sounds to me like there was new dining room and maybe kitchen management, as well as newbie dining stewards.

 

I'm so sorry you had a bad experience, and I agree you should definitely sail with a cruise line you feel gives you the best experience.

 

We are going to try our first HAL cruise next year, so it's going to be interesting for us to see the comparison first hand!

[energizer bunny 7]

Don't rule out RCCL. We like both Royal Carribean and HAL. They are just different. Going on our 18th cruise the 13th of this month on the Zuiderdam.

Edited January 7, 2014 by energizer bunny 7

[Lady Chew]

We also go back & forth between HAL & Royal C. We like them both for different reasons. And all of our likes, as is the case with just about everyone else's likes, are subjective.

 

We tried a cruise on Celebrity last year, and didn't really care for the ship ... but so many people here on CC just rave about it.

 

Taking a cruise on Oceania this spring, because the timing & itinerary are exactly what we want, and the price is amazingly low. We've already been upgraded to a PH. I do have to say, I am detecting a "tone" on the Oceania boards which makes us wonder how we'll feel once we're onboard. We'll just have to wait & see!

[gone2c]

We also go back & forth between HAL & Royal C. We like them both for different reasons. And all of our likes, as is the case with just about everyone else's likes, are subjective.

 

We tried a cruise on Celebrity last year, and didn't really care for the ship ... but so many people here on CC just rave about it.

 

Taking a cruise on Oceania this spring, because the timing & itinerary are exactly what we want, and the price is amazingly low. We've already been upgraded to a PH. I do have to say, I am detecting a "tone" on the Oceania boards which makes us wonder how we'll feel once we're onboard. We'll just have to wait & see!

We did the far east on Oceania a few years back and the ship, service and itinerary were fantastic. However, there was definitely a "tone" from the passengers. Thus we probably will not book with them again.

[cruisingxpert]

Taking a cruise on Oceania this spring, because the timing & itinerary are exactly what we want, and the price is amazingly low. We've already been upgraded to a PH. I do have to say, I am detecting a "tone" on the Oceania boards which makes us wonder how we'll feel once we're onboard. We'll just have to wait & see!

 

I know what you mean about the "tone" on the Oceania Board but I've gone on 2 Oceania cruises and booked for a third in a few months. Onboard, I've found the passengers to be great - relaxed, interesting and informal. Totally different from the feeling you get reading the posts on the Board.

 

CJ

[mor mor]

We usually sail HAL but cruised Alaska last summer on Oceania, and also twice in the past. We don't know what our "tone" may be but had good times on both lines. BTW what is a "tone"? I don't want to be one!

[cruisingxpert]

We usually sail HAL but cruised Alaska last summer on Oceania, and also twice in the past. We don't know what our "tone" may be but had good times on both lines. BTW what is a "tone"? I don't want to be one!

 

Good point! I'm sure you're not a "tone" My interpretation of "tone" was that some people on the Oceania Board do sound a bit snobby or condescending but when I was on the ship, I never got that feeling. Maybe the lack of formal evenings relaxes everyone. Not sure why but I really enjoyed meeting the people on board. I made this comment on another thread - that the people I met on my HAL cruises(7) were perfectly lovely but I found that I connected with more people on the Oceania cruises(2).

 

CJ

[Lady Chew]

I really don't know a good way to explain "the tone" ... I think you either sense it or you don't! I think it's definitely present on some of the forums ... I do know from experience that what you get on the forums isn't always the same as what happens on board, though, so we are very much looking forward to our cruise. We've always made some good friends on our longer cruises.

 

When we're done with that cruise, we will have finished our 'round the world circumference, and can start with our "filler" cruises!!