albingirl

There seems to be a trend towards threads like this, discussing current and future cutbacks. However, my next two cruises are sold out and have been sold out for awhile. Time will tell. It's hard to speculate, really.

Here we go. That's a sold out cruise. All those verandahs are guarantee cabins. Unassigned.

That's nice. So much for loyalty.

Two points. I'm a person who does not want to spend a few hours a day in a casino, therefore I shall not receive any free cruises. Also, I read on this board that casino offers, virtually free cruises receive upsell offers all the time. I, however, do not. It's enough to drive me away from HAL. Even my PCC does not help me get upsells, so what's the point.

There have been many changes, and as others have said, not all positive at all. I am surprised at how packed these cruises are right now. There has been an incredible surge in covid in Florida, and although it is abating somewhat, it's still very much here. I really can't stand waiting a long time to dine, for instance, and the crowded ships simply add to the chaos.

Yippee. More smoking.

One of my favorite places and if it's crowded, we make do. I try to drink in the perfect colors of the sea and sky and enjoy every moment. We don't bother with the clamshells anymore, As others have noted, no real need. I like the barbeque, too, nice change from being on the ship.

Thanks.

Theft. Them's strong words. Why be so negative? He's not a HAL marketeer. Why say that? I guess this ruined somebody's cruise. Like I said, not worth a heart attack.

ok, got it. I was mistaken, sorry. Yeah, I hate going in circles with HAL on occasion, too.

And, I never said it wasn't a significant amount of money. Nor did I say they should leave it on the table. But, I do think it caused some angst and it's too bad that it had the potential of ruining a cruise. Who wants to stand in front of guest services or have many emails going on? Not me.

I'd be on a Disney ship, or at least Royal Caribbean since they have endless entertainment for kids. But, everyone is different and lots of kids would be thrilled to be on a cruise, any cruise at all.

So, if I get this straight, you let a 200 dollar difference on obc ruin your cruise.What a drag. Going back and forth to guest services all week would have given me a heart attack.

Wish I could answer that, but my experience with most ships is that the book exchange can be full of empty shelves. We are cruising soon and my kindle is fully loaded. The libraries were a wonderful asset once upon a time. Rotterdam has started up with it, and a few other ships have a library, but I'm not familiar with the particulars.

It can be disappointing. I don't consider a movie above the pool in the afternoon to be entertainment. I can stay home for that. And the BBC shows on wildlife I can do without. Last time I saw one it was all about snakes and lizards, awful. Gave me nightmares. I did like the BB King show in the beginning, but it gets tiresome after awhile. As a long time HAL cruiser, I find it has changed dramatically. Good thing I don't cruise for the entertainment value.

Remember the ocean bar at happy hour? Some pretty fancy dancers in there with the trio band. Of course, gone now, but it was fun when some people got all jazzed up and danced up a storm.

I like the escargot and the long ago but long gone king crab legs in the pinnacle grill. The dover sole is a hit in Rudis and paired with a Caesar salad is a winner winner.

I can live without it. On long cruises, we just go to happy hours or buy the wine package. It seems to me that when we buy it, I drink more alcohol than usual. Find me someone who doesn't and I'll eat my hat.

It happened to us once. We got stuck in fog in Atlanta in a connecting flight that never connected. Got no help from Celebrity. We got to the port just when they were slamming the doors shut. 2 hours ahead of sailing. We got stuck and caught a flight to Grand Cayman 2 days later. Insurance covered the lost days but the cruise was unfortunately shortened for us. We were still working then, and time off was a luxury.

Well, I read alot of people who are disappointed in their cruises. It's a shame. I really do feel it's a blessing to be able to cruise, considering the world around us. I respect your opinions, but it's never been a disappointment to me. I understand there are always little things, but overall the experience is generally lovely to me.

I really liked the old canvas bags and saved a bunch....all faded now. Honestly, a bag from Trader Joe's for $3.95 fits the ticket and it's canvas too. Bring one. The plastic ones they give out onboard are garbage. Basically, I thought HAL was getting rid of plastic and they give these out? No plastic water bottles allowed on board, and forget about plastic straws, but the plastic bags are acceptable. I know someone will say, oh those are recycled plastic, but I don't buy it.

Mistake on that post, sorry. This subject is continual, but I have been on 3 cruises since the beginning of the pandemic, and found no difference. We've yet to sail this year, that's coming up, so time will tell.

To add, it's amazing how light your luggage is when you take advantage of the laundry specials onboard. We don't have to pay for it anymore, but even if I did, it makes life alot simpler.

Aaahhhh,