Alarm clock or HAL...who do YOU trust???

[fcorey]

On our our Oosterdam trip last October I had purchased the Coffee Lover's package that contains a coffee card and a souvenir travel mug. Its not a deal though, the mug is the same plastic one they sell in the ships store, if you add it to the cost per drink its the same. But I have two nice travel mugs now....too bad I don't have a commute anymore. As for waking up, funny thing happened on our first full day. Michelle had set a wake up call, and as we both lie there semi awake our whole room shuddered, there was a grinding noise, then silence. At that moment the speaker in our headboard comes to life emitting some rather loud tones. Still groggy she asked me if that was her wake up call, I was too busy counting the tones then realizing it was a fire alarm... the port azipod had just failed :o

[babyher]

We like using a travel alarm clock over a wake up call. Having a phone rings when I am sound asleep is far too alarming! LOL

 

 

See a phone ringing is the sure way to wake me up. If I am that beat I will sleep right through the loudest alarm clock. But as soon as a phone rings, I am wide a wake in a flash.

[kakalina]

On the Veendam cruise in March they messed up changing the main clock and awakened everyone with a call in one hour early :eek: There were a few upset folks on disembarkation morning. We always bring a small travel alarm.

[ger_77]

We always bring our small travel alarm clock with us - it takes up very little room and gives us peace of mind. We not only use it to wake up in the morning, but when we have an afternoon nap, we set the alarm so we don't oversleep. Once we laid down for a "quick nap" and woke up about 2 hours later, only 20 minutes before we were to be at dinner. Thank goodness it wasn't formal night, because it took us only a short time to get ready and we were sitting with our new-found friends talking about our day in the dining room.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[kryos]

I see HAL has no alarm clocks in the cabins so I need to bring my small travel clock. It's one thing if I only have to wake up and lay on a beach but in Alaska we have some EARLY port/excursion times! So do you bring your own clock or do you rely on HAL to wake you up

For the life of me, I cannot understand why the cabins on cruise ships do not include an alarm clock. All hotel rooms provide a clock radio ... so why can't ships provide an alarm clock in the room?

 

But, alas ... they don't ... so I use a small travel alarm that operates on a single triple A battery. I make sure to replace the battery for each trip and have never had a problem.

 

You can place an automated wake-up call with HAL, and perhaps this would be a good "back up" measure.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[SakeDad]

How about your cell phone? Mine has an alarm.

Hope you have a GREAT cruise! :)

rocks

This does me NO GOOD when I can't get service. My cell phone clock only works when there is service. Not a reliable option when at sea.:rolleyes:

[fcorey]

This does me NO GOOD when I can't get service. My cell phone clock only works when there is service. Not a reliable option when at sea.:rolleyes:

 

Another electronic item I carry is my ipod. I have a small external speaker for it, but main reason I carry it as I can download my photos from the digital camera to it so I have it with me anyway. But a small quartz travel clock can be found in most large drug store/pharmacy (like Walgreens, Rite-aid etc) for about $10 or less and is probably the way to go

[cruznon]

Yes, bring along an alarm clock AND use wake up call too--I agree with Ruth.

 

Room service or lido are great ways to fill your large coffe mug BUT you just MUST try the Neptune Lounge coffee machine---oh, it's fantastic!!

[Jade13]

For the life of me, I cannot understand why the cabins on cruise ships do not include an alarm clock. All hotel rooms provide a clock radio ... so why can't ships provide an alarm clock in the room?

 

But, alas ... they don't ... so I use a small travel alarm that operates on a single triple A battery. I make sure to replace the battery for each trip and have never had a problem.

 

You can place an automated wake-up call with HAL, and perhaps this would be a good "back up" measure.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

I think they are afraid people will steal them. The most annoying thing was that they took away the menu the last day. I had to call because I wanted at least one postcard of the ship to keep. they took all the stationary postcards pen , menu etc. I'm assuming because they are afraid people will keep them.

[SakeDad]

I think they are afraid people will steal them. The most annoying thing was that they took away the menu the last day. I had to call because I wanted at least one postcard of the ship to keep. they took all the stationary postcards pen , menu etc. I'm assuming because they are afraid people will keep them.

Note to self:Steal things EARLY in the cruise:rolleyes:

[RuthC]

I think they are afraid people will steal them. The most annoying thing was that they took away the menu the last day. I had to call because I wanted at least one postcard of the ship to keep. they took all the stationary postcards pen , menu etc. I'm assuming because they are afraid people will keep them.

You mean the large, padded book? I always thought it was to clean it up and to replenish the supply inside.

[RuthC]

I think they are afraid people will steal them. The most annoying thing was that they took away the menu the last day. I had to call because I wanted at least one postcard of the ship to keep. they took all the stationary postcards pen , menu etc. I'm assuming because they are afraid people will keep them.

You mean the large, padded book? I always thought it was to clean it up and to replenish the supply inside.

[mamaofami]

Why would anyone want to keep the room service menu? :confused:

[luv2cruz4fun]

On the Noordam we had an alarm clock in our SY cabin. My parents had a VD cabin and did not have one.

[Copper10-8]

I think they are afraid people will steal them. The most annoying thing was that they took away the menu the last day. I had to call because I wanted at least one postcard of the ship to keep. they took all the stationary postcards pen , menu etc. I'm assuming because they are afraid people will keep them.

 

HAL used to carry tons of those ship postcards in slots of desks in the library onboard all of their ships. You could take as many (within reason) as you'd like and nobody would blink an eye. Now that you mention this, I haven't seen those postcards in the library section of the new Explorations Cafe's. Wait a second............................Holy moly!:eek: ...............say it ain't so, Joe! Another HAL change!! No more free ship postcards in the libary!:(

[SDHALFAN]

Why would anyone want to keep the room service menu? :confused:

 

 

Scrapbookers maybe? I'm not into scrapbooking but I do love doing collage and have been known to bring home the most incredibly odd (odd to others that is) items. I have several paper menus from the food courts in Hong Kong simply because I love the Chinese calligraphy.

 

Valerie:D

[jwitt2]

I see HAL has no alarm clocks in the cabins so I need to bring my small travel clock. It's one thing if I only have to wake up and lay on a beach but in Alaska we have some EARLY port/excursion times! So do you bring your own clock or do you rely on HAL to wake you up (and this MUST include on-time COFFEE!!:cool:) Need to know if I should pack two alarms JUST IN CASE and a BIG coffee mug to steal as much strong coffee as I can from Neptune....I am NOT a morning person!:(

 

On the Ryndam several months ago, after we crossed a time zone, the phone's clock was not updated right away. Our friends' wake-up call arrived an hour late. This happened more than once (long cruise). We had a travel alarm as a back-up.

[gooselace]

I always bring two small alarm clocks - one for sentimental reasons. My very first cruise circa 1967 stopped in St. Thomas. Was traveling with my mother, and thought I should buy something for DH. Tiny travel clock -about the size of a 50 cent piece (remember them?) - gold-plated Swiss windup , with wonderful bell chimes, that rolls into an elegant leather case. Don't remember the price but seemed VERY expensive then. Probably my mother chipped in to thank DH for my time.

 

It has gone on every trip DH and I we've taken together and separately since. Wind it up, set the time, and it never fails. But last year on a domestic flight it set off scurity alarms in my carry-on. So for the Baltic cruise I bought a new small plastic battery-operated one for $8 to pack in my carry on. It's also simple and works fine. But at the last minute, I just had to pack the little Swiss buddy in my checked bag. It reminds me of that first cruise and of my first, and only, DH. Obviously worth whatever it cost!

[judyzoo]

Scrapbookers maybe? I'm not into scrapbooking but I do love doing collage and have been known to bring home the most incredibly odd (odd to others that is) items.

Valerie:D

 

Absolutely. Anything that can possibly fit into my scrapbook comes home with me.

[Tinknock50]

I always use the phone wake up call.....it has never failed me.

I never bring my own clock now.....I just keep my wrist watch on the night stand if I want to check the time.

[LHC]

DD and I use the walk up calls but on upcoming trip my DS who is brain injured from a car accident and is glued to his watch, we have purchased an LL Bean Travel Clock, so we can view it at night and prevent the age old question: What time is it?

LHC