Cunard fan but doing a 30 day HAL in Jan 2024. A few questions

[Lakesregion]

1. Can one havefresh fruit delivered to theroom every day by asking the steward when boarding or do you have to order it each day?

2. Turn down with a mint on the pillow?

3. Two aday room clean andfresh towels?

4. Bar soap or just that pump stuff?

5. Slippers and robe or just robe (Inside cabin) ?

6.wood or wire hangersand number?

7.Musicavailable in room?

8.on embarkation - does a staff member escort you to your cabin?

9. When are the cabins ready. Do we have to lug carry on to lunch or canwe leave things in the cabin?

10. Anyone shipped luggage via FedEx from the Boston area to Ft Lauderdale hotel?

 

Thanks for all helpful responses. Note I have an inside cabin (Unless upgraded)

 

[0106]

My last cruise was on the Rotterdam in February.  Here is my experience.

1. Fresh fruit can be delivered to the room every day by asking the steward when boarding or do you have to order it each day?  Not sure

2. Pillow chocolates on Dressy nights only

3. Two a day room clean and fresh towels- yes just ask

4. Just that pump stuff

5. Just robe 

6. Wood hangers- just ask for more if you need them

7.Music available in room?  Should be able to get something on the TV

8.on embarkation - does a staff member escort you to your cabin- NO

9. When are the cabins ready.   Usually as soon as you board.  Even if they are not you can drop your carry on in your room.  

10. Anyone shipped luggage via FedEx from the Boston area to Ft Lauderdale hotel? I have never used luggage shipping

 

[oakridger]

8 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

1. Can one havefresh fruit delivered to theroom every day by asking the steward when boarding or do you have to order it each day? You can order sliced fruit from room service with no extra charge.

2. Turn down with a mint on the pillow? Chocolate only on "Dressy Night".  Ask your steward for some and he may provide them...maybe.

3. Two aday room clean andfresh towels? Yes, just tell the cabin steward on day one that is what you want.

4. Bar soap or just that pump stuff? Liquid in a pump by Elemis.  Also shampoo, conditioner, body wash and body lotion.

5. Slippers and robe or just robe (Inside cabin) ?  Robe. 

6.wood or wire hangersand number?  Wood hangers.  Never counted them but if you want more the steward will bring them.  Just ask.

7.Musicavailable in room?  Some music channels on the TV plus on demand movies, news and a couple TV channels.

8.on embarkation - does a staff member escort you to your cabin? No

9. When are the cabins ready. Do we have to lug carry on to lunch or canwe leave things in the cabin?  Cabins are normally ready upon boarding

10. Anyone shipped luggage via FedEx from the Boston area to Ft Lauderdale hotel?

 

Thanks for all helpful responses. Note I have an inside cabin (Unless upgraded)

 

 

Oops, typing at the same time as @0106!!!

 

~Nancy

[Cruise NH]

I'm also a Cunarder but have been on HAL several times.  I'll try to answer below your questions

 

13 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

1. Can one havefresh fruit delivered to theroom every day by asking the steward when boarding or do you have to order it each day?

Don't know, never tried this.  I don't think fresh fruit is a room service item though.

2. Turn down with a mint on the pillow?

Only upon request, otherwise just once a day service.

3. Two aday room clean andfresh towels?

See above, if you request it they will come.

4. Bar soap or just that pump stuff?

Pump.

5. Slippers and robe or just robe (Inside cabin) ?

Both

6.wood or wire hangersand number?

wood

7.Musicavailable in room?

Perhaps through the TV, I didn't try it.

8.on embarkation - does a staff member escort you to your cabin?

No

9. When are the cabins ready. Do we have to lug carry on to lunch or canwe leave things in the cabin?

They've always been ready on all our HAL trips.

10. Anyone shipped luggage via FedEx from the Boston area to Ft Lauderdale hotel?

We use Luggage Forward and never had a problem.

 

Thanks for all helpful responses. Note I have an inside cabin (Unless upgraded)

 

 

[lissie]

Hello from the Cunard boards!  I may be more helpful after August when we get back from our first  HAL cruise. We're in an inside cabin too - same as we do on Cunard.  Some of the stuff you mention doesn't happen on Cunard now either  - particularly #4 and #8 The rest of it  

 

Differences I've noticed so far 

* no laundry rooms (no gossip!) though laundry by the bag seems an OK price 

* drinks seem generally cheaper 

* excursions book out really, really fast - we booked our july cruise in Nov  - which I thought was early - but many of the better excursions were already booked out an the wait lists have never cleared. 

 

Also the shps are much more varied than Cunard so  it really depends which ship you are on - we are on Zaandam - what are you sailing?

[oakridger]

Ha ha.....I guess between all of us we have pretty much answered all of OPs questions!!  All at the same time!!

 

Have a great cruise!

 

~Nancy

[Cruise NH]

One thing that we were disappointed with on HAL (we did two voyages earlier this year) was the enrichment speaker program, if you can even call it that.  Coming from Cunard where they always seem to have good speakers on a variety of topics we were sad to see most lectures were done by the cruise director, reading a script.  Even when we went through the Panama Canal where there is usually a lot of interesting information to impart, it was just the CD reading.  They did it in an entertaining way but it's not the same as having a real expert.  

 

We've been through the Canal before but had never stopped in Central America so we were expecting some lectures on the history, etc.  Nope, none.  Just FYI.

[Lakesregion]

1 hour ago, lissie said:

 

 

Also the shps are much more varied than Cunard so  it really depends which ship you are on - we are on Zaandam - what are you sailing?

Zaandam in Jan ft l to san d and back.

[Lakesregion]

Thanks for the prompt answers to my questions. Will bring my own bar soap as I find the pump stuff not to my liking. Good to know that one must ask for twice a day service and I will do so. Also good to know that the cabin wil be ready on arrival on board. Did an NCL last January and the lugging of carry-on bags was a drag. 

 

Only one really unanswered question. Being a bit of a belt and suspenders guy, I would not use a luggage to the ship service but a luggage to my pre cruise hotel hopefully works because if it does not show I have time to go out and buy a full wardrobe. Not possible if th bags do not show on the ship if sent directly from home. Anyone done this?

[OlsSalt]

No mints on your pillow, just the occasional chocolate on "gala" nights on your pillow. And maybe  cute towel animal.

 

Not long ago, they had a brightly uniformed young man who handed out traditional seafaring treats on the way out of the dining room - but alas, a tradition no more: mints, candied ginger, dates or figs.

 

You can get as many wire hangers as you like- ask your steward, if you don't like the thicker wooden or padded ones which do take up a lot of closet space.

 

You can ask for a small bar of soap - they often have them, or buy single bar of soap -various brands including Dove Soap, in the onboard ship's store - usually located where they also sell duty free liquor- along with other traveller needs.

 

Or follow the crew in port to the special mariners shops, where they buy their own snacks and toiletries. I always pack  small soap dish since I like bar soap too - there is no real place for wet soap in the sink area.

 

Crew members are available when you board to greet, and perhaps arrange to escort you to a cabin. You will find the crews on these ships to be warm and welcoming, in a very professional and sincere way,  and will help you if they can. Odd number cabins on one side, even numbers on the other. Front of the ship - the smaller numbers -get higher numbers s you move towards the back - which may be standard on all ships.

 

Best rule is "food" is in the back and "entertainment" is in the front of the ship, with the pool and buffet and fast food options more in the middle.

 

The smaller ships are pretty easy to navigate on your own - layouts are posted by each of the three sets of elevators  - mid- fore- aft. So just go down a hallway until you reach and elevator bank and work from there.  The older the HAL ship, the more traditional it will feel, some still retained they wonderful libraries and reading rooms.

[Cruise Suzy]

13 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

Good to know that one must ask for twice a day service and I will do so.

 

The room stewards usually ask what your preference is - including how often you want the ice bucket filled. So far they have not returned to the nightly turn down service, but will empty wastebaskets, close drapes, replace towels, etc. In the morning they also vacuum, clean the bathroom and deliver any fresh fruit you have asked for.

[ExpatBride]

6 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

 

Not long ago, they had a brightly uniformed young man who handed out traditional seafaring treats on the way out of the dining room - but alas, a tradition no more: mints, candied ginger, dates or figs.

 

 

I sincerely miss the yum-yum man 🥺

[Cruise NH]

11 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

Thanks for the prompt answers to my questions. Will bring my own bar soap as I find the pump stuff not to my liking. Good to know that one must ask for twice a day service and I will do so. Also good to know that the cabin wil be ready on arrival on board. Did an NCL last January and the lugging of carry-on bags was a drag. 

 

Only one really unanswered question. Being a bit of a belt and suspenders guy, I would not use a luggage to the ship service but a luggage to my pre cruise hotel hopefully works because if it does not show I have time to go out and buy a full wardrobe. Not possible if th bags do not show on the ship if sent directly from home. Anyone done this?

As I mentioned in my initial reply we use Luggage Forward to get our bags to the ship.  I can tell you that we’ve never had a problem even when we shipped our bags internationally, they’re a good company.  Check with them to see if they’ll ship to your hotel if you want that peace of mind.

 

We do put AirTags in our luggage which helped with my husband’s peace of mind.😁

[lissie]

11 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

Thanks for the prompt answers to my questions. Will bring my own bar soap as I find the pump stuff not to my liking. Good to know that one must ask for twice a day service and I will do so. Also good to know that the cabin wil be ready on arrival on board. Did an NCL last January and the lugging of carry-on bags was a drag. 

 

Only one really unanswered question. Being a bit of a belt and suspenders guy, I would not use a luggage to the ship service but a luggage to my pre cruise hotel hopefully works because if it does not show I have time to go out and buy a full wardrobe. Not possible if th bags do not show on the ship if sent directly from home. Anyone done this?

Use Airtags - you'll know exactly when your bag goes on the ship. I had a tag in a bag we had stored for 6 weeks between cruises in Barcelona. I knew which building it sat in for 6 weeks and then at 7am the morning of boarding Igot a message from the company saying they had delivered the bag and an alert from the airtag telling me it hadmoved from where it had been for 6 weeks to the pier  I knew the ship was at. Job done - zero stress.

[Roz]

I'm a pretty low maintenance person.  When you say fresh fruit, are you referring to whole fresh fruit, such as an apple or banana?  If so, you can go to the Lido and get what you want and bring it back to your room.  

[OlsSalt]

58 minutes ago, Roz said:

I'm a pretty low maintenance person.  When you say fresh fruit, are you referring to whole fresh fruit, such as an apple or banana?  If so, you can go to the Lido and get what you want and bring it back to your room.  

 

Good workaround for some of the daily service items e no longer get.

 

I do  like my daily fresh orange. DH brings them back from the Lido when he goes up for early coffee.  Best mid-afternoon snack for us, if we can no longer get them from the staff.  DH now packs his handy little plastic orange peel hook.