2024 Grand World Voyage with The Inside Cabin

[WriterOnDeck]

I think the ship layout and size affects the ability to have a party. On the Zuiderdam the Lido pool area only holds about half the passengers, it seems. Almost impossible to find a seat and to move around during the first hour. And the audio system is so bad in that area that everyone around me quit trying to hear if they won anything, as we couldn't understand a single announcement. It is what it is. But the people who went (including us) really had a great time, and the free drinks were a nice touch.

Edited February 25 by WriterOnDeck

[cruzingnut]

9 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

People are still talking about 2015.  Must have been spectacular 

 

It WAS amazing!  https://lindavesadventures.com/2015/04/30/april-8-2015-mariner-event-at-ephesus-turkey/

[The-Inside-Cabin]

2 minutes ago, cruzingnut said:

 

It WAS amazing!  https://lindavesadventures.com/2015/04/30/april-8-2015-mariner-event-at-ephesus-turkey/

Thanks for sharing.   Great pics.  Sounds like a really nice time. 

[Cruising Is Bliss]

3 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I was off the ship last year.    Don't recall seeing any photos.    I will check out old blogs 

 

Kimberly is a great Cruise and Travel Director.   Infectious enthusiasm!  

 

All the games were pretty crowded most of the night.  
 

They had deep fried Mac and Cheese Balls,  mini corn dogs, mini sliders, popcorn, cotton candy, candy apples, mini pulled pork sliders., ice cream in waffle cones.   More pics later. 
 

deep fried Mac and cheese was a first for me.  
 

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/186033/fried-mac-and-cheese-balls/

 

From Capt Mercer's blog on the 2015 WC ...

https://captainjonathan.com/ashdod-5th-haifa-6th-and-kusadasi-8th-april/

https://captainjonathan.com/8th-april-kusadasi-and-ephesus/

 

The post before those two was the Suez Canal transit.

 

Edited February 26 by Cruising Is Bliss

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Gus's presentation with the announcement of the 2026 world cruise itinerary will start in one hour.   Midnight eastern time.  I will post the itinerary as soon as it flashes on the screen.   Probably around 12:15 am eastern.    

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Gus started.   Opening slides

 

showing video on fresh fish program. 

 

 

Edited February 26 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Review of itineraries 

 

no more two grand cruise in same year 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Review 2025 World. Changed coming.  Red Sea unlikely 

 

Next year is Henks last world. 
 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

2026 will be on Volendam. 
 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Q and A 

 

I will post answers only where question is obvious. 
 

1) Clergy will continue on longer cruises 

 

2) Attaboys to staff 

 

3) Need to fix corporate customer service.   Especially Brazil visa situation.   Will you do away with single supplement.  Answer.  No. 
more single cabins.  Supplement will continue. 

 

Four people answer office of the president emails 

 

US state department helped change Brazil waiver situation.   
 

4) Comments about theme nights.   Need more advance detail about events.  
 

ship is involved.  - noted 
 

 

 

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Question about marketing - nothing interesting said

 

question about single supplement- can we get double mariner  point bonus.     Gus sounds like this may happen.  
 

gentlemen host program. - will it come back? 
they are eliminated.   More details will be provided later. 
 

Another single supplement question.  Don't put single cabins only in bad locations.   A. Unlikely. 
 

Question about greener fuel - nothing easy.  Fuel alternatives are not a realistic option for now.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Complaint about CIBT.   - Noted 

Single Supplement again.   No changes coming. Sorry. 

 

Question about perks - question not clear.  Lots of cross talk.   His doesn't understand question.    No answer given.  
 

why 2025 world and pole to pole same year. 
A. Overly optimistic.   Won't happen again. 
 

Q - Account Statements-  don't want to see bills again.  Pricing is a hodgepodge.   Packages accounting is not good.  
 

A -  Gus agrees.  Needs to fix. 
 

Q- complaining about unfulfilled promises from 2023 lecture.      Food not good.  Too much seafood.   Crowd disagrees.  Clapping that food is good. 
 

complaining about mundane activities- 

 

complaining about number of free dinners for longer cruises.   2 dinners for one week and two dinners for world cruise.   Gus will look at this. 
 

gus encourages people to ask for off menu items. 
 

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Complaint about 5 star benefits.   5 star benefits watered down.   Complaint that priority boarding doesn't start until after security.  Then of less value. 
 

Gus says: problem with two many people at higher tiers.   Will take a fresh look next year.   
 

More single supplement comments.   Questioner would like single cabins reserved for higher status passengers.    Not gonna happen.    No change to single program. 
 

Q- hard to find cruises where 3rd and 4th passengers are free for 5 stars.  Not clear if this is a real perk or just a promotion.   
 

we are 1 hour in - still going strong 

 

Q - would like to see live entertainment back in crows nest.    A.  Yes it changed.  No changes coming. 
 

Q. - Retail shops clothes don't fit well.   Need bigger sizes 
 

 

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Thanks for all the information. The photo is a bit blurry (on the big screen) but it looks like the date for the 28-day Coral Triangle is incorrect. It was changed quite a while ago to January 4.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Q - compliments about food - HOWEVER- No choir.  Gus not aware.  Gus will look at.  He likes the idea.  
 

Comment.   - 2024 big improvement over 2023 

 

Another question about Mariner benefits.  Repeated same question.   I suspect same answer coming.      Complaining about American Test Kitchen.  Demos only.  Cooking classes too hard to pull off. 
 

Will be looking at mariner benefits in 2025. 
 

Too much wind on Pickleball court.   can't do much to fix.  Gus agrees to play guest in Tokyo. 
 

Q - Not enough handicap rooms on Volendam. 
Gus thinks Volendam will get ADA remediation package by 2026 

 

1 hour and 20 minutes and counting. 
 

 

 

[oakridger]

Excellent minute by minute reporting Pete!!

 

"question about single supplement- can we get double mariner  point bonus.     Gus sounds like this may happen."

 

This has been one of my pet peeves for years since I often travel solo and pay double. (I understand our sister line Princess gives two points per day when solos pay double)

 

 

~Nancy

Edited February 26 by oakridger

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Question about pork allergies- pork not clearly identified on menus. 
 

complaint that food labels on menus is occasionally wrong.   Noted will continue to work hard to keep accurate 

 

Q-Any new ships coming?   No 

 

Yards want big ships.  Charges premium for smaller ships.   Gus looking at ship size between Vista and Pinnacle class.   All new ships in the industry are huge. 
 

Q - about entertainment - exercise classes too early.   Wants more activities in the PM.    noted 

 

Q- more complaints about not getting enough free pinnacke dinners on long cruises.   More complaining about mariner benefits.   People should realize answer isn't going to change today.    Complaining again about Crows Nest 

 

More comments than questions 

 

Guest wants more plant based food.   Mild boos from audience.   Noted. 
 

90 minutes in. 
 

Attaboy about library and hand washing stations in Lido

 

Compliment that Gus honored commitment that long cruises have classical musicians.    Will continue on longer cruises.  
 

All around compliment on Canelletos.    Need improved decor. like new menu. 
 

Compliment that HAL has best ADA accessibility

But now Pinnacle  ships have cleaning carts in corridors that block wheel chairs from getting around.    Carts recently added - they will take another look. 
 

Request that movies have subtitles

 

complains about shareholder benefit.   Big carnival runs that program.  
 

Question - wants to see appetizers sized main course available.   Audience shouts. - they are available. Just ask. 
 

Ballroom dancing emphasis will continue 

 

No new movies in cabins since cruise started.   Academy award movies should be available.  - Noted 

 

World stage events not rebroadcast in cabins.  
 

Will take a look.  - no quick answer 

 

Q Why was sleep timer deactivated.   - A - Wut? 

 

Q - thanks for changing crafts to 3 sections 

 

Q- phone service is bad.   Hard to find good people.  Looking to do more in Philippines 

 

3 more questions. - 1 hour 45 minutes 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Question about bathtubs.   Gus doesn't like bathtubs.   By audience applause - vast majority like walk in showers. 
 

Thanks about future ports being better

 

Last Question:

 

Hal website needs to be improved.    Gus said back end was improved last August.   Front end recently improved.   
 

really last question 

 

Would like to see availabile shore excursions before booking cruise.  Noted 

 

 

Gus wraps after 1 hour 53 minutes 

 

 

[oakridger]

10 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Gus wraps after 1 hour 53 minutes 

 

Whew!  I love that Gus has the patience to answer so many questions! 

 

And I love that YOU have the patience to sit and forward the info along to everyone for almost two hours!  Our east coast US friends are probably already asleep right now.  We west coasters are holding down the fort!

 

~Nancy

[Cruising Is Bliss]

Thank you for taking the time to do this!

 

[cunnorl]

Thank you for doing this. Appreciate it! 
 

[Wehwalt]

6 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

 

why 2025 world and pole to pole same year. 
A. Overly optimistic.   Won't happen again. 
 

So is this saying only one 100-day-plus Grand Voyage running simultaneously, but "no more than one a year" means there might still be a Grand South America or Grand Asia/Pacific of sixty or so days in addition to the GWV?

 

And did he give any sense of the timeframe the changes to 2025 will be announced?

Edited February 26 by Wehwalt

[The-Inside-Cabin]

31 minutes ago, Wehwalt said:

So is this saying only one 100-day-plus Grand Voyage running simultaneously, but "no more than one a year" means there might still be a Grand South America or Grand Asia/Pacific of sixty or so days in addition to the GWV?

 

And did he give any sense of the timeframe the changes to 2025 will be announced?

He meant no more long cruises competing with each other.   I think the other Grands - Africa, South America, Asia etc will continue.sti

No indication of when the 2025 change will be announced - they are trying to figure out how to bypass Suez but still touch the Mediterranean.  He  mused about challenging the team to see if they could go around Africa "faster"   

[Ellencruise]

Fabulous reporting. Thank you so much 

[Durango Sandy]

Thanks for the reporting, Pete.