TV Dad

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Neptune suites on any HAL ship. If you can afford it, it's a marvelous luxury for several reasons: 1. Large comfortable room. Great for relaxing or entertaining. 2. Breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill. It's a quiet intimate spot for breakfast and is reserved exclusively for premium suite guests. 3. The private lounge is great for a quick snack or coffee. The concierge there has done everything for me from booking shore excursions to currency exchange. Unfortunately, on our upcoming cruise we are waitlisted for a Neptune Suite. Currently in a Signature Suite, which is also quite nice.

I have not heard of Peet's down here in Tampa. I drink Starbucks decaf and love it. I'll have to look for Peet's. Thanks

I'm going to offer a completely different take, but I have to admit I'm a bit of a wine snob, so forgive me. The packages are fine and each has very drinkable wines. But, none have truly outstanding wines. I prefer high end Cabs, Bordeaux's and champagne. None of them are available with any of the wine packages. So, we purchase by the bottle at dinner each night. We always get exactly what we want, but admittedly we usually spend $80+ per bottle. All three packages have very drinkable wines and are great values. However, if you want the best the ship has to offer, you won't find them in any of the packages. If you are worried about cost and value, the packages are the way to go!

Thanks Kstings1. Quick question: Was there enough time to do the dolphin swim and make it back to the beach party for caviar in the surf? Did they drop you off at Carambola Beach? Or did you have to return to the ship first? Thanks, in advance, for your guidance.

In my opinion, you will LOVE Holland America. The cabins are gigantic, compared to NCL. The Main Dining Room menu is far superior to NCL. The entertainment is designed for folks your age. You will not be disappointed.

I know it is up to the captain's discretion but, we will be cruising in March, 2025. Does anyone know where to expect Caviar in the Surf? We went in 2015 and it was in St. Kitts. So, I'm guessing Carambola Beach, St. Kitts again Has anyone been on that route recently? Can you help? Thanks, Don

I cruised Viking Sky last October and enjoyed myself. But after reading this report, I will never cruise Viking again. The crew's incompetence put people's lives at risk. Totally unacceptable.

Cunard and Regent offer great entertainment on an upscale ship. So do Silversea and Seabourn.

See, how easy it is to make a mistake. I wasn't bragging. I was confessing.

A great idea would be to join the Roll Call thread and se if anyone wants to share a table. Also, ask the Maitre 'd if you could dine with an officer one or two nights. Those are fun!

I feel just terrible for you. 🤪

I am speaking from 30+ years of experience in cruising (35+ cruises) and smuggling booze on board. When I first started cruising, I could barely afford the cruise, let alone a corkage fee. I would routinely smuggle on board rum, vodka and wine. Never got caught. Never felt bad about it. I justified it to myself by saying the cruise line is still making a profit on me. Eventually, I could afford cocktails in the bar and stopped smuggling booze. I still brought wine, because we were often gifted wine, pre-cruise by travel agents and hotel managers. Back then, you could bring aboard wine for room consumption at no charge. There was a corkage charge in the restaurant. However, I was never charged because when I brought wine into the restaurant at night, I told the waiter/sommelier I would be "most appreciative" if he could open our wine for us. That meant he got a nice tip and he/she never charged corkage. Now I'm retired, comfortable enough to order the higher end wines that are not included with wine packages. I still am " most apprecitive" the first few nights with additional gratuity. Service is always excellent. My point in all this is every passenger has a different reason for what he/she does to get the most out of cruising. Let's not criticize each other.

Taste in food is subjective. So are reviews! People are more likely to write a review when they've had a bad experience. I have 30+ cruises of experience. I find the food in HAL's Main Dining Room (MDR) the best among the mainstream cruise lines (Carnival, RCCL, NCL, Princes, Disney, etc..). And I hope to enjoy that experience when I sail for my ninth time on HAL in May. HAL is not as good as Silversea, Regent and Seaborn. But those are luxury all-inclusive ships and you pay a whole lot more for that experience. The best dining we've experienced was in the Queen's Grille on Cunard. Go and enjoy yourself. Here's a tip: If your meal is not up to your standards, mention it to your waiter and head waiter. I'll wager they will do their best to make it right for you.

YES! Cellar three entitles you to all three levels of wine.

We always take advantage of the laundry package. On our 11-night cruise, the price is $115. Since we have four days pre-cruise planned, this was a no-brainer for us. We'll have a full bag of laundry on day 1.