Nickel and Dimes...

[Real NHDOC]

Another nickel and dime story: 

 

Guest next to us ordered Pellegrino sparkling water and was told signature package only covers Perrier. What?? It’s water and presumably counts towards the 15 drinks a day but you can’t get the brand you want?  But order a scotch and Pellegrino - no problem. Just hold the scotch. Five easy pieces!

 

You also can no longer get the still water that comes in the cans that can easily be refilled with the screw top lids as part of the package. Just the non-reusable kind. Again, it’s just water and well under $11 so why not include it?

 

 

Edited February 10 by Real NHDOC

[TV Dad]

I am a 3-star Mariner cruiser, about to take my 9th HAL cruise in May. I got the Elite drinks package  "included" as part of my cruise purchase. My wife will still find a way to crave a drink (usually champagne) that is not included. First world problems.

 

However, my biggest gripe is the upcharges in specialty restaurants. Pinnacle Grill, is already an upcharge restaurant. Then they upcharge again for many of the menu items! Canaletto also upcharges for lobster. 

 

[twprincessfirsties]

HAL, like everyone else, will charge for what the "market" will bear, and I am sure there are analysts looking at all of the cruises and all of the numbers to figure out what the best mix would be to maximize revenue and not upset passengers. And really, when most cruisers are travelling under one of two corporate umbrellas (kind of what MGM and Caesars do in Vegas) Carnivore (like that!) and Royal Caribbean can pretty much mix and match according to their clientele and the line they are travelling in.

 

 

Yet, it is totally a misnomer that HIA really doesn't mean that, all all. I guess you can drink all of the beer you want. I still think that if you lower the limit from 15 to 12 and up the dollars from $11 to $13 you would attract all of the drinkers complaining that HAL is catering to the upper end drinkers!

 

Sigh.

 

 

[redbanshee]

On 2/13/2024 at 3:00 AM, TV Dad said:

I am a 3-star Mariner cruiser, about to take my 9th HAL cruise in May. I got the Elite drinks package  "included" as part of my cruise purchase. My wife will still find a way to crave a drink (usually champagne) that is not included. First world problems.

 

However, my biggest gripe is the upcharges in specialty restaurants. Pinnacle Grill, is already an upcharge restaurant. Then they upcharge again for many of the menu items! Canaletto also upcharges for lobster. 

 

Ah yes….the good old days of surf and turf on gala nights are long gone and now land and sea only. Lobster an extra charge everywhere. I did hear you get four tails for $25 in the main dining room (not sure it is true) but I do believe it should not be an up charge in the pinnacle for those who want it.

[Ride-The-Waves]

On 2/8/2024 at 11:13 AM, RICHARD@SEA said:

As far as pricing goes, HAL / Carnivore can charge whatever the market will bear.  I've never done a drink package as I don't drink that much & always order premium brand liquor. And still have an 18% gratuity added.

 

That being said, as far as costs - I was on a 9 day Rotterdam cruise recently  - the service at the bars  was horrendous. The bartenders would be talking & having fun among themselves or not in sight at all.

I never ate in the main dining room.

I had wonderful cabin stewards & the waitstaff in the lido were pretty good.

Of course all along there was the daily & drink gratuity added to my bill.(the worst was in the specialty steak restaurant where the staff were non existent &  I ended up with food poising

 

I also gave cash tips to my stewards & the staff in the lido that assisted me.

 

So what I decided to do in the future is visit the "GUEST RELATIONS DESK " once & have the DAILY fee taken off my bill & tip the appropriate staff that assist me.

 

When auto gratuity started I felt it was just a gimmick for the corporations to pad their pockets & aid them in paying the SALARIES of staff.

So as cruising has changed - so will I.  When I  go out on land if service is good or better I tip appropriately.

 

When service is lacking I adjust.

 

It's like the inmates are running the at sea Asylum!!!!

So it's "stiff" the working staff if the policies are "wrong?" 

[kazu]

12 minutes ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

So it's "stiff" the working staff if the policies are "wrong?" 

 

He’s complained on several threads and started one.

 

What he doesn’t get is that if he takes out the crew incentive (gratuities) the bar servers that he complained about still get theirs from the drink orders.

 

He’s shorting all the people behind the scenes that do your laundry, sheets, towels, clean the bannisters, the tons of waiters in the Lido, cooks you don’t see, etc.

 

It appears his solution is truly to stiff the staff 😡 

[Wakepatrol]

On 2/8/2024 at 11:13 AM, RICHARD@SEA said:

As far as pricing goes, HAL / Carnivore can charge whatever the market will bear.  I've never done a drink package as I don't drink that much & always order premium brand liquor. And still have an 18% gratuity added.

 

That being said, as far as costs - I was on a 9 day Rotterdam cruise recently  - the service at the bars  was horrendous. The bartenders would be talking & having fun among themselves or not in sight at all.

I never ate in the main dining room.

I had wonderful cabin stewards & the waitstaff in the lido were pretty good.

Of course all along there was the daily & drink gratuity added to my bill.(the worst was in the specialty steak restaurant where the staff were non existent &  I ended up with food poising

 

I also gave cash tips to my stewards & the staff in the lido that assisted me.

 

So what I decided to do in the future is visit the "GUEST RELATIONS DESK " once & have the DAILY fee taken off my bill & tip the appropriate staff that assist me.

 

When auto gratuity started I felt it was just a gimmick for the corporations to pad their pockets & aid them in paying the SALARIES of staff.

So as cruising has changed - so will I.  When I  go out on land if service is good or better I tip appropriately.

 

When service is lacking I adjust.

 

It's like the inmates are running the at sea Asylum!!!!