Questions about longer cruises

[Cybercsp]

I suspect that these questions may have been asked before, but for whatever reason, I have not been able to find the search feature for the boards...so apologies if this is well covered information.

We have a 33 day Noordam Med cruise coming up (so excited). The cruise is also marketed as 11 And 22 day options.

Will we need to attend each muster drill or just our initial one?

Any idea how menus will rotate or repeat?

And finally, any and all tips from you very experienced cruisers on long term cruising will be most welcome!

 

Thanks!

[POA1]

Just the one life boat drill and they try to minimize repetition on the menus. There aren't enough proteins not to have some repeats, but they change the set ups - the sides and sauces.

Edited February 22, 2014 by POA1

[cruiseing marly]

Should only be one drill. As far as menus there will be some repeats but you will have enough choices .

[dobbsie]

If the cruise is listed as two segments, there will be two lifeboat drills, which you must attend. Menus will probably be based on the segments, therefore some repeats.

[serendipity1499]

I suspect that these questions may have been asked before, but for whatever reason, I have not been able to find the search feature for the boards...so apologies if this is well covered information.

We have a 33 day Noordam Med cruise coming up (so excited). The cruise is also marketed as 11 And 22 day options.

Will we need to attend each muster drill or just our initial one?

Any idea how menus will rotate or repeat?

And finally, any and all tips from you very experienced cruisers on long term cruising will be most welcome!

 

Thanks!

I believe you will be required to attend all Muster drills, as on any of our longer cruises we were required to do so..

 

We've done lots of longer cruises & have never thought about menu rotation, as have always been able to find something we enjoy.. Usually we eat breakfast in the MDR, lunch in the Lido & dinner in the MDR or the Pinnacle..On larger ships we also enjoy Canaletto..

 

We love the longer cruises as enjoy sea days which we spend out on Promenade deck, or if it's cold in the HAL library.. I enjoy the casino while DH does not, so much of my casino time is gone unless we travel with Friends who also enjoy the casino.. We don't play Bingo but do enjoy spending time in the Crow's Nest & listening to the daily trivia questions.. We also enjoy going to lectures & my DH enjoys playing Bridge if we are with Friends..

 

DH likes to go to afternoon tea, so I go with him when we are alone..If we are with Friends usually the men go to tea while my Friend & I spend the time out on deck.. However the Gals will go with them to the Indonesian tea..

 

Enjoy your cruise..Betty

Edited February 22, 2014 by serendipity1499

[bernie5]

I guess you will need to ask when you board but when we did back to back 11 day cruises on the Noordam in the Med we were NOT required to attend the drill. We had an incredible tour that day of the Etruscan burial grounds and museum and did not have to be back early. It is so wonderful to be on the long cruises---you will have a fabulous adventure!

[RuthC]

I've been on more longer cruises than I can count, including a single cruise, back-to-back, and Collectors' cruise. My experience is the same as Betty's, in that you must attend every single muster drill. Only once was I excused, and then the Costa disaster happened.... So much for being excused.

 

This sounds as if you are doing a Collectors' cruise. If so, no menu is supposed to be repeated in its entirety, but individual selections are repeated. For example, prime rib is standard the first night, so I would expect to see it on both "first" nights of your cruise.

 

My biggest tip is do not overpack! figure what you want for 7-8 days, make ample use of the laundry, and repeat outfits. You might want an extra evening outfit, just for a change, but primarily keep it minimal.

My next tip is do not try to do it all. If you are in the Med, there is more to see than can be done in one trip---even a trip of 33 days. Plan your days with some down time once in a while. You'll need it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Before the Costa Concordia incident, we only had to attend one lifeboat drill. But right after that, on all cruises that are called Collector Cruises -- made up of 2 or more segments -- we have had to attend all lifeboat drills.

The menus will vary -- same foods, different sauces, a few new dishes.

One thing -- at the end of each segment we always tip extra to our cabin stewards and dining room staff. Many times we do not have the same staff in the dining room from one segment to the other as they are rotated.

[jtl513]

Last March we joined the last segment of a Grand Med cruise and only the 50 of us that boarded that day had to do the drill. It was a very low-key drill ... one officer talked to us about 15 minutes under a life boat ... no whistles or PA announcements. However, when a large number of people are joining a segment I believe there will be a general drill and all must attend.

Edited February 22, 2014 by jtl513

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

It has been reported that even those doing the full World Cruise must attend all safety drills.

[cle1]

In Oct. 2012 we did 28 days back and forth to FL.. Lauderdale on the Statendam, in May 2013, 30 day Transatlantic on the Prinsendam, in Oct. 2013 42 days Transatlantic on the Maasdam. All these cruises had 2 segments, and we only did one fire drill the day we boarded. Carol

Edited February 22, 2014 by c 2 c

[innlady1]

I suspect that these questions may have been asked before, but for whatever reason, I have not been able to find the search feature for the boards...so apologies if this is well covered information.

We have a 33 day Noordam Med cruise coming up (so excited). The cruise is also marketed as 11 And 22 day options.

Will we need to attend each muster drill or just our initial one?

Any idea how menus will rotate or repeat?

And finally, any and all tips from you very experienced cruisers on long term cruising will be most welcome!

 

Thanks!

 

Unless things have changed since last fall when we were on a 7 day Med and 14 day TA on the NA, you will have to attend both muster drills.

[Hlitner]

We have done many longer cruises on HAL (including 2 in the past 7 months) and the rules have changed. You will now be required to attend every boat drill, even if you are on back to back or even back to back to back. This is part of the newer enhanced safety guidelines put into effect after the Costa Concordia disaster.

 

And by the way, failure to attend a boat drill (on HAL) will likely result in you not being allowed to stay on the ship! This is a no nonsense drill.

 

In fact, it can sometimes be a pain, but that is life! On our recent 28 day Veendam cruise we actually had to attend 3 drills in the first 9 days because we stopped at both Boston and Ft Lauderdale where we did take on some new passengers.

 

Hank

Edited February 22, 2014 by Hlitner

[kakalina]

Having recently done two long back to backs we had to attend every single muster drill. This is the new wave since the Costa disaster.

[Cybercsp]

Thanks so much to all of you for the replies. Krazy Kruisers, I appreciate that reminder about rotating staff! And thanks, Ruth C, for your advice...I am fighting that urge to plan every minute! The packing seems daunting, but we have promised ourselves to be sensible. We have learned from past experience that we always pack too much!

 

We have no opposition to attending as many drills as they see fit...just wondered in terms of planning our time in the ports.

 

It has been seven years since our last HAL cruise; thanks for the reminder of how welcoming the folks who participate in this board are!

[kazu]

Thanks so much to all of you for the replies. Krazy Kruisers, I appreciate that reminder about rotating staff! And thanks, Ruth C, for your advice...I am fighting that urge to plan every minute! The packing seems daunting, but we have promised ourselves to be sensible. We have learned from past experience that we always pack too much!

 

We have no opposition to attending as many drills as they see fit...just wondered in terms of planning our time in the ports.

 

It has been seven years since our last HAL cruise; thanks for the reminder of how welcoming the folks who participate in this board are!

 

Just agreeing with those that said you will have to attend both. We did in 2013. Really not a biggie. The life boat drill is usually around 45 minutes before you sail and you have to be back on board 1/2 hour before anyways. Most of us don't want to cut it that short so it won't interfere with your port times.

 

I echo RuthC's advice on the packing - layers are helpful and do use the laundry (HAL's laundry is good IMO - I don't want to do laundry on vacation except for a few 'delicates").

 

I expect you have joined your roll call - if not do so. Go to the meet and greet and connect with your fellow cruisers. It they have some activities planned and they appeal, go along - it will be fun.

 

If someone has organized private tours and there is room - see if it appeals and sign up. Smaller groups are much nicer and you see so much more (IMO)

 

Pace yourself - there is a lot to see - you don't want to get 'toured' out.

 

Recognize that you can't see everything - settle for what is important and take time to relax in the Med/Europe and feel the ambience of the people and the area you are in - a café, whatever.

 

Enjoy the feeling when the first segment ends and you realize that you are still cruising. It's a nice one :D

 

Time will fly faster than you think, so enjoy each and every moment and most of all, have fun:D