Live from Konigsdam on a Pacific Coastal

[Cruising-along]

3 minutes ago, bluesplayer said:

Why are they assigning boarding times when they are not enforced?  Allow people to enter the foyer at their assigned boarding time.  4 star Mariner in a Neptune Suite.  Assigned boarding time was 11:00 am.  We arrived at Canada Place 10:50.  Stood in line for close to two hours.  No priority boarding whatsoever.  The foyer after going through customs was empty.  All those folks ahead of us in line could not have had assigned boarding times prior to 11:00 am.  Not sure if I would leave from Vancouver again. 

That's odd....5-star and Neptune Suite and our boarding time was noon.  Just shows there's no rhyme or reason.  But yes, there WAS a priority boarding line and a woman at the entrance guiding people.   We were in our cabin by 12:30.   

 

Contrary to the OP and his friend, we had a great time. The OP says everyone was unhappy, nobody got off in the ports, etc. etc. And yet he said the line to re-board took forever....and yet nobody got off??   I saw the opposite.  These blanket statements just aren't true.  Was it our best cruise?  No, but a lot of that was because of the rude and pushy make-up of the passengers.  The crew was outstanding.  

 

There are so many choices for dining on the Koningsdam, I really don't know why anyone would stand in line for 90 minutes just to eat in the MDR. It isn't the only dining choice.  But I would see people lined up at 5 and the line would stretch past Orange Club.  Why weren't they checking out other dining choices?  At later times when we passed by there was no line at all.  

 

 

[curtdesilets]

6 minutes ago, xlxo said:

 

Vancouver Embarkation would be a big yes to the workforce shortage.  There's discussion that May 1st was not the only day with issues.

• In addition to staff at the end of the lines, they need to have staff at the beginning of the lines to ensure people are in the right lines.  This was done at most lines, except for the elevator to P2 luggage drop.
• where was the longest wait?
  HAL check-in?  My first thought it's HAL's fault for not putting enough staff at the check-in area.  Was there empty space at that convention hall to make it bigger for more staff to process?
  Then I realize the biggest bottle-neck was US-customs not sending enough officers to Vancouver.  It's a problem at border land crossings on busy weekends as most resources are diverted to Southern borders.  In the old days, cruise ship check-in happens AFTER customs.  Today, cruise lines does their check-in BEFORE customs to not be held up by customs.  Many locals have Nexus/GE to use the priority lanes to speed the customs approval as a trusted traveler.

 

With regards to the ship...  The MDR line brought back why I hated sailing Princess pre-Covid on my Vancouver and California Pacific Coastals.  The MDR lines formed 90 minutes before the MDR officially opens.  If you are number 50 in line, by the time the door opens, it feels like you are number 250 in line as so many people were holding a spot for buddies and families who were not able (or willing) to wait in line.

 

I was on the Sapphire Princess a month a month earlier and I have to say the Medallion Class has totally eliminated the MDR lines.  I just needed to pick a 15 minute timeslot on when I'm arriving at the podium and there was hardly any wait to get a table.  So much smoother, less chaotic with line cutters, and felt so much more Covid safe without the crowding.

 

For those not familiar with Vancouverites, they have a very high tolerance for long lines compared to other cultures.  Border crossings, Black-Friday door crasher in-person deals, traffic, weekend Dim Sum restaurants, food lines, licensing office, etc...

Thanks for the info.  It is in part due to these Vancouver nightmares that we choose to sail Alaska out of Seattle.  But even that is no picnic these days. I talked to some top brass on our previous HAL cruises and for sure staffing and staff shortages are an issue.  Cruise lines had been trimming staff before the pandemic as cost cutters and post-pandemic it is definitely worse.  We tip the staff that go over and above during this patch, but we still love our cruises dearly.  We never expect cruising to go back to the way it was,  but it still beats the alternatives!  The luxury lines like Viking, Regent and Oceania do not have these staffing problems, but you pay a lot more for "the good old days" experience.  Oh and do not forget inflation.   The fact that you can get a week on a ship for under a grand pp is still a miracle in my economic playbook!  Sail away!  

[curtdesilets]

2 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

That's odd....5-star and Neptune Suite and our boarding time was noon.  Just shows there's no rhyme or reason.  But yes, there WAS a priority boarding line and a woman at the entrance guiding people.   We were in our cabin by 12:30.   

 

Contrary to the OP and his friend, we had a great time. The OP says everyone was unhappy, nobody got off in the ports, etc. etc. And yet he said the line to re-board took forever....and yet nobody got off??   I saw the opposite.  These blanket statements just aren't true.  Was it our best cruise?  No, but a lot of that was because of the rude and pushy make-up of the passengers.  The crew was outstanding.  

 

There are so many choices for dining on the Koningsdam, I really don't know why anyone would stand in line for 90 minutes just to eat in the MDR. It isn't the only dining choice.  But I would see people lined up at 5 and the line would stretch past Orange Club.  Why weren't they checking out other dining choices?  At later times when we passed by there was no line at all.  

 

 

I had a feeling about the relative tone of the OP.  Point counterpoint.  We had a great time on two Koningsdam cruses in the past 6 months, so much so that we booked another HAL cruise to Alaska leaving next week.   If you know the tricks you can still have a great vacation, at a relative bargain.  Try staying @ a resort hotel for a week  at a matched price.  First of all that's impossible. Second of all chill people.  Post pandemic cruising will never be as glorious as pre pandemic.  Period.  Deal with it and find your fun zone.  Geez Louise! 

[Florida_gal_50]

14 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

That's odd....5-star and Neptune Suite and our boarding time was noon.  Just shows there's no rhyme or reason.  But yes, there WAS a priority boarding line and a woman at the entrance guiding people.   We were in our cabin by 12:30.   

 

Contrary to the OP and his friend, we had a great time. The OP says everyone was unhappy, nobody got off in the ports, etc. etc. And yet he said the line to re-board took forever....and yet nobody got off??   I saw the opposite.  These blanket statements just aren't true.  Was it our best cruise?  No, but a lot of that was because of the rude and pushy make-up of the passengers.  The crew was outstanding.  

 

There are so many choices for dining on the Koningsdam, I really don't know why anyone would stand in line for 90 minutes just to eat in the MDR. It isn't the only dining choice.  But I would see people lined up at 5 and the line would stretch past Orange Club.  Why weren't they checking out other dining choices?  At later times when we passed by there was no line at all.  

 

 

Yeah, it’s interesting when people say everyone.  I’ve yet to meet everyone on any cruise I’ve been on.  There are lots of dining choices on the k.  I definitely wouldn’t stand in line for 90 minutes especially if it’s to get a window table.  Has no one ever looked out a window before?  I still don’t understand them closing the mdr at lunch after 20 minutes.  The thing I’d didn’t love in the mdr at lunch on the k is bringing everything at once at lunch after a very long wait for anything.

[terrydtx]

35 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

There are so many choices for dining on the Koningsdam, I really don't know why anyone would stand in line for 90 minutes just to eat in the MDR. It isn't the only dining choice.  But I would see people lined up at 5 and the line would stretch past Orange Club.  Why weren't they checking out other dining choices?  At later times when we passed by there was no line at all.  

The issue is and always has been with anytime dinning, people line up way before the doors open so they can be the first to get tables. We have always waited until 6:30 to 7:00pm to enter the MDR and never waited for more than a few minutes.  Last year on the almost full Oosterdam this was our experience and a couple of nights when we entered, we were taken upstairs to the traditional dining room as there were many empty tables there by that time.

[Florida_gal_50]

42 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

The issue is and always has been with anytime dinning, people line up way before the doors open so they can be the first to get tables. We have always waited until 6:30 to 7:00pm to enter the MDR and never waited for more than a few minutes.  Last year on the almost full Oosterdam this was our experience and a couple of nights when we entered, we were taken upstairs to the traditional dining room as there were many empty tables there by that time.

If you are flexible with that it helps.  I refuse to do that because my experience is that you are completely ignored because you are arriving at an “odd” time.  I’m sure it doesn’t happen every time but I just don’t want to sit for 45 minutes waiting for a menu.  I don’t eat in the mdr much for dinner on non pinnacle ships but I don’t want to be treated like second class just the same.

[terrydtx]

8 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

If you are flexible with that it helps.  I refuse to do that because my experience is that you are completely ignored because you are arriving at an “odd” time.  I’m sure it doesn’t happen every time but I just don’t want to sit for 45 minutes waiting for a menu.  I don’t eat in the mdr much for dinner on non pinnacle ships but I don’t want to be treated like second class just the same.

Arriving later has never been an issue for getting a waiter to wait on us promptly and it still beats waiting inline from 5-6pm to get in. I can sit in the bar from 5-6pm and have a predinner martini, a better use of my time.

[HappyInVan]

The machine kiosks at US Immigration are fast. We've checked in online already. The problem is that there are not enough machines.

 

Here's an airport analogy. There were enough kiosks for the pax on an 737. Unfortunately, the work load is for several jumbo jets.

 

The second problem is the waiting room before the gangway. They only allowed a trickle of pax down the gangway. There is a second higher gangway to Deck 3 reserved for wheelchair pax. It would have helped a lot if they had allowed the elderly to use that gangway.

 

Ultimately, the situation is unacceptable and not sustainable. It's up to HAL to do something about it. I sailed out of Vancouver twice last year. Nothing like the mess this year🙄

[Florida_gal_50]

17 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Arriving later has never been an issue for getting a waiter to wait on us promptly and it still beats waiting inline from 5-6pm to get in. I can sit in the bar from 5-6pm and have a predinner martini, a better use of my time.

Agreed.  No way am I going to be standing in line at that time because I'm starving or need a window.

[KmomChicago]

I'm only finishing up page 2 and all I can say so far is WOW and THANK YOU. I was unsure about my plans for Alaska for next year but now I am so glad we are sailing R/T out of Seattle rather than Vancouver R/T or one way northbound, all of which we considered.  It's already enough of a miserable hassle to have to travel from the Chicago area to literally any cruise port in North America, without adding on a long, tiring, frustrating, uncomfortable embark process. 

 

I am also glad we didn't  "upgrade" to HAL from our usual entry-level, mass-market lines.  I was definitely thinking I might try them or Princess, neither of which I have ever sailed, but have always wanted to give a try.  I have seen more than one reviewer with less than complimentary things to say about HAL so I think they may be permanently dropped from the bucket list at this point.  Frankly I can't figure out what they are offering that puts them into the next tier of cruises as neither the service nor food sounds any better than what I am used to.

 

We booked RCI because we got both a better ship and better price this go 'round, but generally sail more often on Carnival.  Cheap, reliable, pretty consistent, gets the job done for us so far.

[Seasick Sailor]

We were on Koningsdam for the 35 day Hawaii/Tahiti cruise in Feb/Mar

 

We sailed out of San Diego (can't wait for the work to begin on the port building)

 

It was a bit more hectic boarding than usual but we were onboard earlier than expected. 4 and 5 stars moved pretty well.

 

The crew were outstanding,  food wonderful, except the lobster upgrade. The menu states broiled tails but no, they were not. We had a set dining room table every evening and our waiters were awesome. One waiter made us napkin swans and put them in a wine glass. Anyway..

 

Loved all the pay for dining venues and knew several servers from Rotterdam last year.

 

The cruise was so special. There was a surprise one morning as we woke up to the whole Lido pool area filled with towel animals.

 

We are a smidge away from 5 star and have 4 cruises (B2B2B2...) booked on Rotterdam at year end.

 

I hope our fellow cruisers do not make a decision on one or two bad reviews.

 

Blessings!

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by Seasick Sailor

[Haljo1935]

Boarding never gets better (or quicker, or fewer/shorter lines) in Vancouver. There are other posts re different cruiselines with the same lamentings, most including the phrase "never again." Pre and post -Covid produce same results. It's a painful process. 

[KmomChicago]

On 5/5/2023 at 3:56 PM, DrKoob said:

Today Bob spoke to the head waiter in the buffet that said he that they were "operating at full capacity but they just could not keep up." Bob told him, "If you can't keep up, then don't sell so many staterooms."

 

I realize you were all completely fed up by this point, but telling a head waiter how to manage stateroom bookings is not likely to do any good. Preaching to the choir most likely as surely the crew are not enjoying the situation any more than the passengers and would fix it if they could.

[terrydtx]

34 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Agreed.  No way am I going to be standing in line at that time because I'm starving or need a window.

Once the sun sets, nothing can be seen out the window anyway.

[terrydtx]

17 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

We were on Koningsdam for the 35 day Hawaii/Tahiti cruise in Feb/Mar

 

We sailed out of San Diego (can't wait for the work to begin on the port building)

 

It was a bit more hectic boarding than usual but we were onboard earlier than expected. 4 and 5 stars moved pretty well.

 

The crew were outstanding,  food wonderful, except the lobster upgrade. The menu states broiled tails but no, they were not. We had a set dining room table every evening and our waiters were awesome. One waiter made us napkin swans and put them in a wine glass. Anyway..

We will sail on the K'Dam in November from San Diego for the California Coastal and we are looking forward to our first Pinnacle Class ship, no matter the negative comments here.

[Florida_gal_50]

17 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We will sail on the K'Dam in November from San Diego for the California Coastal and we are looking forward to our first Pinnacle Class ship, no matter the negative comments here.

Fixed dining is much different than open though.  I have friends that have sailed about 2 months on the koningsdam since November.  They have said that the fixed dining service has probably been the best they’ve had and they cruise quite a lot on hal. Fixed dining has no bearing on open.

[terrydtx]

18 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Fixed dining is much different than open though.  I have friends that have sailed about 2 months on the koningsdam since November.  They have said that the fixed dining service has probably been the best they’ve had and they cruise quite a lot on hal. Fixed dining has no bearing on open.

We had already booked CO before I read this thread so I am not worried about any lines. We have sailed primarily in the Retreat suites with Celebrity post Covid and hope CO gives a little of the premium feel we love about the Celebrity Retreat.

[MaryBethV]

Just WOW! I especially feel terrible for all the 1st time cruisers on that cruise. At least they had you to tell them that was not normal. 😔 We haven't even gone on our first HAL cruise as of yet (scheduled for next Feb) and I've been researching Alaska for the one after that. There is no way I will even consider a cruise leaving from Vancouver after reading this - thank you for that!

A side note - the BEST thing to come from your cruise was your photographs!!! Thank you for sharing! Go to his blog to see them all, they are absolutely stunning.

[Florida_gal_50]

20 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We had already booked CO before I read this thread so I am not worried about any lines. We have sailed primarily in the Retreat suites with Celebrity post Covid and hope CO gives a little of the premium feel we love about the Celebrity Retreat.

It's very nice for sure. The food is hot which is important to me. I thought everything was very tasty as well.

[BellKat]

4 hours ago, bluesplayer said:

Why are they assigning boarding times when they are not enforced?  Allow people to enter the foyer at their assigned boarding time.  4 star Mariner in a Neptune Suite.  Assigned boarding time was 11:00 am.  We arrived at Canada Place 10:50.  Stood in line for close to two hours.  No priority boarding whatsoever.  The foyer after going through customs was empty.  All those folks ahead of us in line could not have had assigned boarding times prior to 11:00 am.  Not sure if I would leave from Vancouver again. 

I’m DrKoob’s (Jim’s) wife Kathleen. We mostly followed the rules and paid for it. Our onboard time was one pm. We thought we would head to the line around noon. Imagine our shock at seeing the lines and then watching how quickly they doubled. If we had waited until one, who knows what time we would have gotten on the ship. My daughter & her husband accompanied us - this was their first and LAST cruise. Left a very bad taste in their mouth. Lines, lines, lines! Poor Brian geared himself up for another 3 hour wait just to get off. To our surprise, we were HOME in 3 hours (Redmond, WA). 

 

Just remember also - you spent most of that time in line with 2 other cruise ship passengers. 

[canadianbear]

2 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Fixed dining is much different than open though.  I have friends that have sailed about 2 months on the koningsdam since November.  They have said that the fixed dining service has probably been the best they’ve had and they cruise quite a lot on hal. Fixed dining has no bearing on open.

This thread has made me happy that we’ve booked set dining on our next 2 cruises.  Although one is in a Neptune the other isn’t.   Just hope Mr Bear is ok with the late seating I chose 😁

[DrKoob]

2 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

 

I realize you were all completely fed up by this point, but telling a head waiter how to manage stateroom bookings is not likely to do any good. Preaching to the choir most likely as surely the crew are not enjoying the situation any more than the passengers and would fix it if they could.

First, I didn't say that. I quoted someone else. Second, we are sure that the crew member agreed with him because he just nodded. And my buddy Bob did not tell him to book less, he said maybe HAL should not book the ship that full when they know they are understaffed and the ones they do have are so new.

[DrKoob]

20 minutes ago, canadianbear said:

This thread has made me happy that we’ve booked set dining on our next 2 cruises.  Although one is in a Neptune the other isn’t.   Just hope Mr Bear is ok with the late seating I chose 😁

We would have done fixed dining. Really wish we had. When four of us booked we could still do that. When our other four joined us, they could not. It was full so we pulled out and went to Select. I think you will be much better off with fixed.

[DrKoob]

1 hour ago, MaryBethV said:

Just WOW! I especially feel terrible for all the 1st time cruisers on that cruise. At least they had you to tell them that was not normal. 😔 We haven't even gone on our first HAL cruise as of yet (scheduled for next Feb) and I've been researching Alaska for the one after that. There is no way I will even consider a cruise leaving from Vancouver after reading this - thank you for that!

A side note - the BEST thing to come from your cruise was your photographs!!! Thank you for sharing! Go to his blog to see them all, they are absolutely stunning.

Thank you MaryBeth. Photography is my passion. I totally appreciate your compliment. 

[DrKoob]

2 hours ago, terrydtx said:

We will sail on the K'Dam in November from San Diego for the California Coastal and we are looking forward to our first Pinnacle Class ship, no matter the negative comments here.

You will have a great time. I wrote about the problems so you could avoid them. Avoiding Canada Place will help you. Fixed dining would also help. By that time the crew should be much better trained. There are so many things we could have done had we known how bad it was going to be,