albingirl

Such a very sad day all around. I am so sorry to learn this. 😢 imagine their families.

Bon Voyage! Have a wonderful time!

Wow. Just wow.

Ok, I will jump in here. We took a 49 day cruise in a lanai cabin. We don't pack excessively, we aren't very large people, and we loved it. Never had a problem with others using the reserved loungers and really liked the fact that we had some privacy when we chatted when we used them. When we have a balcony, we always feel the neighbors are a bit close, and we can hear their conversations unfortunately. I'd book a lanai again in a New York minute.

I always saw people dressed well, some formal and some smart casual. No one looked like they were going to the landfill on Saturday morning.

Erks me too

I recently booked an early HIA booking bonus. I'll probably forget all about it since it is pretty far in the future.

Not much happening in the evening, except for music walk on the Pinnacle class. Even that gets old fast. The only cruises that interest me any more with HAL are the long ones that are port intensive. We get tired after a long day and really don't care about evening entertainment. Yes, it would be nice if they had something to jazz up the evenings, but sadly, they don't. We have long, lingering dinners for the most part.

I trust a mid ship cabin far more in case of rocky seas. And that can happen anywhere. We have a personal vessel, so I generally have my sea legs, but out in rough open water it can be challenging.

You aren't a newbie on HAL. You can find these prices on their website, in case you are interested. Also, all dining is clearly subjective. Opinions are interesting, but I take it all with a grain of salt.

To the OP, yes, things can come down. They can also, more than likely, go up. There you have it. Economics 101.

I think the best perk of all is the laundry when you turn 4 star. My chief beef is the priority embarkation and so on for club orange. I am ok with the room upgrades and nice restaurant but that should be it. Lumping them in with 4 and 5 star people is unfair to those who have spend gazzilions of years and dollars to achieve that status. Of course, I've been on long cruises where just about every one was 4 star and up, but the club orange really should not have priority tendering and embarkation for instance.

This topic tends to raise the blood pressure. I used to see HAL's library books used for this purpose....just to hog the chairs. I'm at the point where I am inclined to do a broad sweep ot the arm over belongings that sit for a period of time on an unused chair. It's rude to claim these chairs as your own personal property. I just sailed on NCL, and they have an area that they call the Waterfront which has plenty of couches and chairs. I'd see people napping across the whole couch, insuring that no one sat on the chairs in that semi-circle. One person hogging an area meant to seat six. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

I like to call it as I see it. Better late than never.

Rather demeaning don't you think?

Oh stop. She's right.

Not to mention, how embarrassing for the cruise passengers!

I love how, in Italy, they bring a bowl of chips to go with your wine or beer. Well, that makes us stay longer. The salt makes us thirsty for another round!

We usually avoid the lido, but when I wander in there, off hours, I never see any difficulty for seating. But, it's the off hours. I'm usually perusing the sweets, and generally walking away, terrified of the calories but interested in the offerings. It's always torture. I can't help myself lol.

One more thing, don't book a cabin next to any white space. Could be crew's kitchen or some sort of working area. You will hear lots of dishes crashing and noise, as all the dishes from room service end up there first. It goes on all day.

I'll be very happy to follow along, probably wishing I was aboard! Bon Voyage!

Yes, I agree with your comment about hopping on a cruise without spending some time in the area you've arrived. I cannot imagine jumping on a cruise without a few days, at least, in a foreign city to immerse myself in the whole culture, eating, dining, and so on. My transatlantics have been very long cruises, so that may be the difference that I am talking about. I'm not working so I have the luxury of such long trips occasionally.

For what it's worth, and I'm sure not much, we find the transatlantics to feel the least crowded of all. I know they don't sail full sometimes, but it's a totally different vibe. Seasoned travelers who are intent on seeing as much of the world as they can, and resting in between. That's us!

We sailed the NS 2x, one year apart from each sailing, too. We noticed the drink prices went up, but more importantly, the passenger load doubled from the pandemic times. You could really feel the difference, particularly in finding seats in the shade. We didn't have too much difficulty waiting for dinner since we were lucky enough to have club orange. Which now appears to be in big demand. Of course.

Yes, "keeping four chairs all day, whether they are occupied or not" is completely being a hog. I see rows like that and think that gee, I paid for this cruise, too. What gives.