Lakesregion

Don't know the length of your relationship but there is always "The couch" until you treat me right.

And as the Poster says not matter how poorly they treat me, I will still cruise. The beancounters love you man - No Joke

"Haven't been out of my shorts for months" not a pretty mental picture.

If you encounter a line on board in the evening, do you ask to "Play through"?

The horros for such requirments how will we ever enjoy a cruise again.

Dressing to go to church meant a full suit and tie for all males even those that were still in short pants. But now everyone is still in short pants. Many males never have grown up. But then in as much as the American public took the circus side show on the road what can one expect.

Entire industry has moved on. For the most part one can travel with a simple gym bag and be right in step with the majority even for dinner in the fancy rooms. The other day I had a realization why the circus failed - The American public took the side show on the road.

Last Janaury I did a 12 day on a 4,000 pax ship as a solo and unless you enjoy stading at the bar with a crowd of load people and lining up for every meal they are not in my opinon fun. Small ships offer better solo experiences.

Also being a solo traveler for the past 23 years I have noticed the cruies lines slowly increase the single supplement from 50% to 100% depending on cabin ctegory. On occasion, Usually available if you can catch a short notice cruise) they will eliminate or significatly drop the suppliment if they can not sell the cabins to two people. On land, I have noticed that the reservation services that do on- line booking for restaurants do not like reservations for one person and will state that there are no tables available but if you return later to the site and book for two shazam they have tables. Same for resort hotels. One person rarely consumes the amount of booze nor gambles or uses the same amount of revenue producing asstes that two people do. Just business economics and we do pay for it but staying home and waving at cars in your front yard really is not a vacation.

Question: You mention that you are sharing a table for dinner. Are you on fixed early or late dining or on anytime ? Just hoping that if one askes for a large table under late fixed and is sailing solo that the other passengers at the table will be the same ones every night.

What happens if you do not have App capabilities and will not be home three or four days before sailing date and you do not have the boarding pass?

I am amazed at the level of HAL cheerleading here. It would appear that the original poster made a number of sincere efforts to get the situation resolved, first on board and thn after the cruise. Anything short of a full 100% refund of the cruise fare is low class on the part of HAL. But now that both at sea and on land hospitality businesses are hiring people with little to no hospitality expeience nor desire to be a functionin hospitality employee, one can expect more of the same reaction.

Usually you can join the ship at the next port but you have to get yourself there at your expense. If you have a Cunard booked flight, then they hold the ship until the plane arrives and the booked passengers get to the ship.

Biggest issue with the bus transfer is where they drop you off. Penn Staion is huge and there is really only one small entrance that gets you directly into the new part of the station without having a long walk through the usual compliment of homeless. If you take a cab, about the same cost, you get to tell the driver whereto drop you.

Assuming an on time arrival in San Diego at 7 am how quickly can I leave the ship to get over to the Del Coronado Hotel for breakfst? Any one done this before? Looks like Ican get a ferry to the island and then a taxi to the hotel. That all takes around one and a half hours. To be confortable and not miss the 3 pm sailaway I would like to be at the hotel no later than 10 am.

Thank you for the information. Looksd like the cruise on the zaandam will be just to my liking quiet, lots of space to read. plenty to eat and retire early. Truly HAL is for us older folk.

How far back in time does the Karaoke music go? 1940 - 1950 - 1960? Any group songs?

What makes Holland America so great if you have to bring your own food?

Ifthat istrue, Iwonder why I keep getting "privatesale" letters offering 10 day cruises at $499 - $699 for obstructed view out side cabins etc. I thnik before you see fares rise you will see more of the nickle and dime increases in packages, specialty restaurants, new "clubs" , shore excirsions and so on. It is much easier to releive a booked customer of a few extra dollars a day with all manner of gimmicks than it is to convince an unbooked passenger that the cuise is worth it at a 10 - 20% fae increase.

Canada has some strange customs requirements that may prevent Cunard from allowing this. Fear of being invaded runs deep up there. However, I would get in touch with Cunard directly as the TA may have asked about refunds etc which of course you will not receive. And worse case you could simply leave the ship with the day trippers and not return. Luggage could be an issue but planed correctly as both legs are really short runs and there are no real dress codes on either line a genrous over the shoulder type bag might work well and not be thought about when leaving in Canada.

Every once and a while after watching an elderly couple eat dinner with both parties fixated by their smart pnones I will say in leaving the room. "You know that one day one of you will not be here, why not enjoy each other while you can". I do not wait for a response just leave them with the thought.

I find the bestway to squelch those calls is to join them. Respond loudly to the call from the next table. Sooner or later unless they ae totally brain dead they get the message and stop the rudeness.

Just wonder in the Zaadam will offer any enrichment lectures, port lectures etc during the Panama Cruises this coming winter. Also, which lounge offers after dinner dancing?

Nothing like a gut rentching adrenalin inhancing morning to put that relaxing cruise in the rear view mirror.

Don't know if the current dining room staff is up to par but in the past a phone call from your cabin to the dining room desl\k was gladly relayed to your table mates.