Eurodam...post Hawaii cruise comments

[RetiredRich]

I'm not going to pay good money for a cruise and come on the forum with nothing but complaints.  The cruise was great. The crew was great.  When problems arose they handled it.  I just have some comments that may be helpful.  Before the cruise we looked into the text and phone  plans offered.  My wife called AT & T and came out with a $50 plan that gives no limit texting and 50 minutes phone at sea.  This was apart from HAL plans.  The plan would have been great if it had just worked.  All the texts we sent would not work if the person sent to had an ipad.  Only one of our daughters got the tests and had to relay our info to all the others.

Also before the cruise I saw on this forum that the Arizona Memorial was once again open.  My wife lost 2 of her uncles on the Arizona so I signed up for the Pearl Harbor/Mighty Mo excursion.  Only to find out the memorial was not open.  The park has a fine memorial to those in the Pearl Harbor attack.  But for the Arizona Memorial you are jammed into a small boat and taken close to it but not on it.  I did so want to pay tribute to my wife's uncles by walking on that platform above the sunk ship and taking the picture of their names on the plaque.

If you are a licensed ham radio operator you can contact the station on the Battleship Missouri KH6BB web site as I did.  They gave me permission to operate their radio club station and talk to my friends in Kentucky.  We worked out a sked and they were waiting for me.  Best part of the whole trip for me.

That was our 50th state we have visited.  Bucket list complete.

 

Richard Mc Kinney  WB4VFN

[sambamama]

I was also on this cruise and still am on the 4 day cruise after. The Lido staff on this cruise was amazing-the best I've ever seen. Really friendly and always offering to get juice or coffee, etc. The Lincoln Center Stage Group-superb! It's a shame they can't keep them as a group since they connect so well together. They all are amazing musicians in their own right and all have a sense of humor. Ive had wonderful food in the MDR as well as great service! I love my cabin stewards, too. But the ship didn't handle the azipod situation well in two ways. They didn't keep us informed soon enough, and there was inadequate compensation. The 20 day cruisers got the same compensation as the 16 day cruisers despite losing another port and spending another whole day docked at Port. As I write, we are still docked at Port. We were supposed to leave at 12. We have spent 5 extra hours in San Diego the first day, 3 extra hours in Kona, 2 hours in Ensenada we could not get off, and we've been docked in San Diego since 6:30pm on the 28th.

[galipemi]

5 minutes ago, sambamama said:

I was also on this cruise and still am on the 4 day cruise after. The Lido staff on this cruise was amazing-the best I've ever seen. Really friendly and always offering to get juice or coffee, etc. The Lincoln Center Stage Group-superb! It's a shame they can't keep them as a group since they connect so well together. They all are amazing musicians in their own right and all have a sense of humor. Ive had wonderful food in the MDR as well as great service! I love my cabin stewards, too. But the ship didn't handle the azipod situation well in two ways. They didn't keep us informed soon enough, and there was inadequate compensation. The 20 day cruisers got the same compensation as the 16 day cruisers despite losing another port and spending another whole day docked at Port. As I write, we are still docked at Port. We were supposed to leave at 12. We have spent 5 extra hours in San Diego the first day, 3 extra hours in Kona, 2 hours in Ensenada we could not get off, and we've been docked in San Diego since 6:30pm on the 28th.

 

I am also on the full 20 day sailing and would have to agree that the Lido staff have been incredible. 

 

I understand and share the disappointment at missing Nawiliwili but fully understand the potential dangers of high winds, small ports and a large ship.  While the communication appears to have been less than perfect along the way, I understand customer service doesn’t always dictate full honesty (whether it should or shouldn’t is another discussion entirely).  However there have also been several instances of mixed information and downright misinformation among the passengers on board and the posters here on CC.  My understanding is that passengers on the 16 day sailing were offered $50 for missing Ensenada.  Passengers from San Diego to Vancouver were offered $50 for missing Victoria.  And passengers on the full sailing were offered $100 for missing both.  

 

Overall this his has been a wonderful cruise with a lovely staff onboard.  I was warm and dry, didn’t have to cook, didn’t have to do the dishes and had no beds to make. I’m a happy sailor and I hope looking back that most of my fellow passengers can say the same. (Asking for all to feel that way is an exercise in futility)