I Luv Crusin

7 minutes ago, NavArch64 said:

One other consideration on the Pinnacle class ships ... if an Obstructed V S/R is port side forward of midship, it could be over the Queens lounge .... very loud if BB King is playing in the late evening. If you like BB King that's great ... if not, you need to be on starboard aft of midship. Where is your "new" S/R?

It's 4149, on the other side of the ship from where we were.

Lesley

8 hours ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

FYI    I always have ( no up grade ) on all my bookings ...

This is not an "upgrade".  Same category.

Are there any hotels that are within walking distance to the port?  Or offer a free shuttle to the port?

Thanks!

15 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I think we need to be very clear about so-called "cruise contracts" or the document that governs your rights with any cruise line (not just HAL).  The reality is that when it comes to cruise lines you have almost no rights.  While most cruise lines will bend over backwards to please their customers, they are not legally bound to be fair.   Cruise lines have the right to change your cabin (at any time) for any reason that strikes their fancy.  You do have the right to complain (but nobody has to listen) and in some cases you can certainly cancel without a financial penalty.     And even if you have a reservation marked as "Do Not Upgrade" that is not binding on the cruise line who can move you (at any time) to a different cabin in the same or higher category.

 

So what can the OP do?  Absolutely express your displeasure to the cruise line, put pressure on your cruise/travel agent to work on your behalf and (if it makes you feel better) write a proper complaint letter to the CEO (keep it shore, to the point and polite).  Another option (which we have done in the past) is to simply cancel your reservation (assuming you can get a refund) and book with a different cruise line :).  I am often amazed at how many folks will rant and rave about a cruise line (while on the cruise) but then tell us that "we would never go on another line."   DW and I like to say we are equal opportunity cruisers (16 lines so far with a 17th booked) and any cruise line is only as good as its last cruise (with us aboard).  My only loyalty is to my wife and family :).  HAL has managed to keep us happy long enough for us to reach 5 Star status, but if we become unhappy with the product we would not hesitate to cancel our future HAL bookings and look elsewhere.

 

Hank

Hank,

Thanks for that.  This will be our 4th HAL cruise, one day away from  **Mariner.  We have loved the product and these are difficult times.  I'm mad enough to cancel but we'd just be hurting us, not HAL.  My travel agent took it as high as he could go and had his "big" office call too. It's not in anyway an upgrade but as others have posted it may have not been a "bad" move.  I'm going to research it more before I start writing letters.

18 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

Have you determined if the new cabin is in a "higher" category level than your old one?  You can figure this out by looking at the deck plans (or post here the old and new numbers and someone will do it for you I am sure).

 

Anyway, unless you have your TA mark your reservation "DO NOT UPGRADE", HAL can and will give you a free "upgrade" to a higher level cabin.  Mind you however, what we and HAL think is a better (higher level) cabin is often not the same thing.  For this reason, most times when I select my own cabin, I mark it "DO NOT UPGRADE".  

 

One more thing, HAL can still offer you a paid upgrade (called an upsell), but you have to accept it and pay more for it.

It is the same category but on the other side of the ship.  This cruise is closed and there are no more cabins to book or change, my TA checked.  

I booked a cabin on the new Rotterdam TA, choosing carefully, to be between lifeboats.  This was an obstructed cabin and we have sailed in these before but were trying to maximize the view.  I posted in another rollcall (accidently) about this.  I was checking my information and notice Hal MOVED us across the ship in the middle of a lifeboat.  My travel agent wasn't notified, and we weren't either.  My TA called HAL and they said it "was their fault" so he went up the chain as high as he can go and even had the TA's corporate office call.  HAL will not do ANYTHING! (I just want my cabin back or another one between lifeboats.)

My husband and I are very mad. I want to cancel but HAL wouldn't care anyway.  We loved HAL the times we've sailed.  I won't cancel because I want to go on this cruise.  

How can they move you without saying anything?  It sounds like it's happened several times on our rollcall. Who else got bumped from their original cabin?  Are you happy with your new cabin?  What happened if you weren't happy?  I wouldn't mind if they had moved me to a similar cabin but it's not.

Does anyone know who I could contact at HAL to discuss this?

Thanks!

1 minute ago, groundloop said:

I just booked a September cruise on Magic out of Port Canaveral.  I was able to set my preference for dining, and I see that wi-fi is available for purchase as well as specialty dining..... however there are no shore excursions available for purchase.

 

I'm with you, I like to get everything taken care of as early as possible.

For August we don't even have that much.  I'll try to be patient...tap, tap, tap, tap...

I had booked the Elation but before I could even confirm time off, Carnival pulled it.  I'm sad because I haven't sailed a Fantasy class ship in a long time and I think they will be pulled sooner than later. 

Anyway, when the Magic opened for reservations I booked her but I cannot request dining, spa,  book transfers, pay for Wi-Fi, or shore excursions.  I know Carnival is working with a lot of moving pieces but I'm frustrated because I like to get my trips planned out asap. I hope they open that up soon!

Is anyone else having the same issues?

33 minutes ago, landsear said:

We're looking at Feb 2023. Our last cruise was on the Horizon and I can't cruise without the Havana anymore 🙂 Thanks!

What did you like about the Havana cabins?  I hope to sail in one soon!  Maybe Feb. 2023!  🙂

21 hours ago, richwmn said:

Flight Ease is usually available 330 days from the end of your cruise, or the date you wish to return if you want to stay at the disembarkation port a few days after the cruise.

Sorry, I guess I'm expecting all of you to read my mind, like I expect my husband to be a mind reader!

We are doing a TA from Amsterdam October 10, 2021.

Thank you everyone for your information.  I have grandiose ideas of what I'd like to do but the reality is we will probably just fly into Amsterdam a couple of days early and just sightsee there.  Coming back we like to fly into IAD from FLL and will probably look at JetBlue.

When are flights available on Flight Ease?  I'm thinking starting in November?  

We are doing a transatlantic from Amsterdam to FLL.  Home is in the Washington DC area.  We'd like to fly over a few days early and then straight home from FLL.  What are your experiences with adding on stops?  I need to look into it more but we'd like a stop over for a day or so either in Oslo or Stockholm.  Or maybe we should just wait for a cruise that includes those ports.  Right now we can't add on another itinerary to this trip.  At the very least I'd like a day free in Amsterdam to sightsee.  

What are your experiences with HAL's flights?  

Thanks-Lesley

We were on the Volendam from San Diego, April of 2022

Is there a good place to get a Flying Fish Sandwich close to where the ships dock in Barbados?

Also we are probably going to to do a ships tour that will get us back about 3pm.  Is there a close beach nearby the port?

Thanks,

Lesley

We are arriving back to Dover the beginning of July.  My husband's grandmother was from Southhampton and he'd like to visit.  He'd like us to get transportation from the port to Southhampton, probably spend a night and then onto London for a day or so before flying home. 

Any suggestions of the best way of doing this?  (Not sailing until 2021)

thank you!

On 11/20/2019 at 12:37 PM, jimbo5544 said:

Not. There has not been a change so by definition it cannot be a cutback.  That said, if it makes you feel better to say it even if untrue, have at it.  Do you have a list of “perceived” cutbacks 

I was being facetious.  Everyone seems worried about cutbacks.  I do think that it must be hard keeping track of all the partial used bottles and unopened bottles.  We have had trouble with waiters retrieving our bottles. I've never asked to take it back to the cabin because we like wine with dinner.  

On 11/14/2019 at 12:50 PM, OC SeaPA said:

So you have ordered multiple bottles at 50% off?  When?  What ship? 

We've done this.  I guess it gets tiring for the staff to babysit all the bottles of wine.  Another cutback...

56 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

Not in my opinion. Beautiful, clean island with very little or no poverty. 

Most people work 2 or 3 jobs to be able to live on Bermuda.

1 hour ago, helene109 said:

Great thanks! Trying to decide between the two for next August!

 

can you tell me what is around the pier when you dock in Bermuda? Is it similar to any other port?

 Thanks 

There's a museum that my husband loves,  a snorkel beach, bars and restaurants.  A place to rent motorbikes-DON'T.  A glass store and I think they blow glass there too.  Not a typical Caribbean stop.

On 9/20/2019 at 7:32 AM, Organized Chaos said:

 

You can interpret my comment as you wish, but I assure you you’re wrong. Several people told the OP to tell her son to wear his uniform to get attention and my comment was in direct response to that. I simply offered my opinion as to what I thought about ANY service members who do that. You can talk tough on the internet all you want, but it’s not my fault you couldn’t comprehend. You don’t know me or my guts, thank you very much. 

I read most of the comments, I didn't read to "wear to get attention" as much as that he WOULD get attention.  Either way, I believe he's decided not to bother and just to dress like the rest of the crowd.

14 hours ago, eroller said:

 

 

Royal never went to a buffet only option which is what the OP mentioned.  They went to a multiple dining concept called Dynamic Dining.  It was formal sit down dining with waiter service, but with four different MDR options.  I actually enjoyed it but yes it did flop.  Probably before its time.  Disney does quite well with rotational dining, but it's a slightly different concept.    

Someone asked John Heald to put forward a poll about this.  Why, when it "flopped"?  I'm sure Carnival Corp. has a finger on what other lines are doing and what flies and what doesn't.

I like all three but if I'm eating at the buffet it's usually right after it opens.  Minimal lines and tables to choose from.  I also like to eating in the dining room, especially the last morning on the ship.

I don't cruise for those reasons, so no.

On 9/1/2019 at 10:35 AM, cl.klink said:

We passed on patronizing this fine cafe

 

- Joel

 

 

I took my daughter on a Med cruise for her graduation present.  3 days in London, 12 day cruise and 2 nights in Rome before return.  She would not "let" me step into any fast food restaurant, including Mac's House of Fine Beef.  In fact, in Venice I started in one, just wanted to look at the menu, and she pulled me out by the back of my pants! 🙂  

We haven't sailed Celebrity but maybe some day.  We feel like we are home boarding our Holland America Cruise, so I know the feeling.   Thank you so much for taking the time to do this for us stuck on land!

I am looking at Oceania for a future cruise and WOW!  I didn't think that clothing issues would be such an issue.  I'm used to discussions like this on Carnival!  I don't wear flip-flops to dinner and my husband usually wears a jacket to dinner and often a suit or tux for "elegant" dinners.  AND I love J.Jill and Chico's clothing!

EDIT:  I have no problem following guidelines whether on Carnival or Holland America or any other cruise line.

1 hour ago, RetiredMustang said:

Debarkation was  pretty simple.  The called us by color and number, and we went to deck three midships, then were directed forward to the Hudson Room.  U.S. passports were inspected by CBP agents standing in the hall, others were sere sent into the Hudson Room.  We then went to the forward doors, outside, and then back along the promenade deck to the exitway.  Pretty painless.

 

Once ashore, we got our luggage, waited for a taxi, and went to our hotel -- we had decided to spend a night in Boston and catch an early flight tomorrow.  And, we are glad we did.  As Ruth said,

 

 

it is indeed a gorgeous day here.  We might stroll into the North End for dinner.

 

Thanks all of you who have complimented my blog.  I found it easier to post photos than with the old version of CC ... which is why I posted so many 😎.  I'm glad you enjoyed coming along on our voyage with us.

 

Many thanks,

Dave

Dave,

Did they have a line of ships officers lined up to say good-bye?  Off the Rotterdam they had two rows of people saying good-bye it made me sad...

Thanks again,

Lesley