MisterFidgetpants

Which Carnival ships have the best flow for getting around? I didn't like on the Victory on the Victory what seemed like a lot of up/across/down type action. I've noticed somewhat similar feeling on some Princess ships, but not on NCL, and especially not on Royal Caribbean where you can go front to back nearly unimpeded. I wonder, are HAL ships like this too? Is it something to do with Carnival corp ships or just ones built by Fincantieri?

What's the EASIEST to navigate Carnival class of ships? How is the Dream class?

As some of you may know, I am always looking to try out HAL. I think the ships are beautiful and I'm at the point where I am looking for a bit more "refined touch". We have a young child and I know all the cruise lines offer kids clubs, but they don't all offer the same amenities.

can anyone shed light on personal experiences in what HAL has for infants/toddlers? Do they offer family play time? Do they have a night time babysitting service and if so what are their fees?

It's not as important to me that there be hundreds of kids, I'd actually prefer less over more, but do appreciate and find it important for facilities to be offered for all ages. On a 7 day cruise, for instance, we might use the baby sitting once or twice depending on the evening entertainment schedule, but it would be helpful to know it is there.

Hello all! I guess there's another thing I didn't know about Carnival. Can anyone please fill me in on details of the seaday brunch. I know nothing about it. When does it start? Where? What does the menu include?

 

This sounds like something my family and I would really enjoy!!!!!!

 

Thanks a lot

Heimey

It will be listed in the Fun Times under the dining options. I think the times were 8:30AM - 1:00PM

This was a definite hit from our recent trip. REALLY enjoyed Sea Day Brunch. I thought it was one of the best meals I've had on any cruise line in recent years and I thought Carnival did a great job. We went in the morning and it wasn't busy at all; which makes we wonder how many really take advantage of this?

I hope Carnival continues it, it was really nice!

My very first was a weeklong New Years 1992/1993 cruise on Ecstasy. She's still in the fleet, sailing shorter itineraries out of Miami.

Just got off Victory. I wore tan Dockers and a Tommy Bahama button up short sleeve and I was easily in the top 25%. Saw some suits. Not a single tux. Lots of shorts, t shirts, and hats both men and women. Changed back into shorts and Polo shirt after dinner and was not out of place at all.

The purpose of this thread is for people to propose the wording for their ideal dress code. Please don't discuss enforcement or lack there of. Don't digress into why or why not anyone should have to comply with any particular code or the evils that will occur if people don't comply.

 

For the purposes of this thread, assume perfect enforcement by HAL.

 

Many people say the current code is confusing or wrong. This is your chance to propose the PERFECT dress code.

"You are cordially invited to partake in our Gala evening. We will be featuring special chef selected specialties (they should do this), live entertainment in our dining rooms (they should do this) and special celebratory events throughout the ship (they should do this).

Prepare by dressing for the occasion; shorts not allowed on Gala evening for men or women* (except for Bermuda and Caribbean itineraries), long pants and collared shirts on men are appropriate, but we will leave the rest up to you. Want to relax with a button up festive shirt and casual trousers or little black dress? Enjoy! Want to take it up a notch? Feel free to shine! Want to be resplendent with tuxedos and gowns? You are welcome to. Our gala evening creates a festive mood for everyone to enjoy themselves.

We will have masks, beads, and other fun dress up items for special photo opportunities. So prepare for a fun, exciting, and special evening"

Bing bang boom.

I actually welcome the new gala wear. To me it indicates festive. I have no issue wearing khakis and a button up shirt. But on vacation I'm just not interested in wearing a suit and tie to dinner. I really see no reason personally for it, although I think it is fine if anyone else wants to; I say do it.

If anything the new policy is attracting me to look more closely at HAL

Chief is the turbo used to get enough air for compression ignition or just to harvest exhaust "waste"? I remember old Detroit Diesels that had a direct drive supercharger operating as a scavenge pump just to run and turbos with after coolers for power.

I hear everything you're saying, and understand your point of view. Our opinions and approaches just differ - and there's nothing wrong with that. :)

 

Personally, I want absolutely nobody to have access to Margaritaville that's not paying the new a-la-carte prices. I was actually disappointed that they made the decision to allow those with UDP and SDP access. Why? Because I'm hopeful that the policy change completely backfires on them - that a feature they once touted as new and exciting becomes nothing more than a ghost town in a prime location on their newest ship. That would hopefully encourage them to reevaluate their new policy, and either reverse it or implement a different pricing structure (I keep saying a $7 or under cover charge would be viewed favorably by me).

 

If, as you suggested, everybody that booked the cruise prior to the change has free access, we're going to slowly rip the Band-Aid off over an entire year. I fear we'll all suffer as a result.

 

BTW, not that it really matters... but I'm traveling in a group of 10 in four state rooms. We all booked prior to the change, and will be sailing in January. We all received the SDP & UBP promos, and subsequently still have the option to dine freely at Margaritaville if we choose to use one of our meal credits (at least the first 2 adults in each room). I suspect we won't cancel any of our specialty dining reservations to accommodate this.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

You enjoy too. I've enjoyed the discussion. If I receive any follow up information I will share.

Yes, that clarifies it.

 

To those asking for a credit... do you think your circumstances are special, and that you should be entitled to a credit while others are not? Or are you suggesting that everyone should be provided a similar credit? If it's the latter, then how is this a policy change?

 

I'm all for expressing an opinion, both here and directly with the company. I just can't comprehend how some people think they're owed compensation over this. And truthfully, I believe our communications with NCL are less effective when we follow them up with requests for person gain. Instead of allowing NCL to hear our collective voices, we're forcing them into a defensive stance.

Glad I was able to satisfy your earlier questions.

Do I think my circumstance is special? No. NCL has made a unilateral change against ALL guests.

Do I believe I am entitled to a credit and others are not? No. I feel all guests booked prior to the announcement of the change should be given credit to use at the restaurant.

How it is a policy change is that prior to the switch I could dine at the restaurant as many days as I wish with no further charges. Now I can no longer do that. A modest credit, to me, would show that NCL does value its guests and I would accept being able to go one time to try it out without any further financial penalty or detriment on my behalf. $15 per person is very low. I don't even think that covers a burger, fries, and a slice of key lime pie per person once you factor in the newly added service fees. So I certainly did not request that I be provided 7 days of all you can eat at the venue. Also, NCL would have no reason or precedent to compensate anyone else who booked after the change was made; those people made a booking with understandings and expectations of certain inclusions and exclusions associated with their fare. That is to say, someone can be on my cruise but be booked after the announcement to change to a la carte and really have no valid reason at that point to request compensation.

I believe expressing an opinion here is akin to being in an echo chamber, or a padded cell. The company does not read or respond to this website at a corporate level. I have every right to contact directly and state my disappointment and request a resolution. A request for resolution is in no way a personal gain.

Please explain to me, *IF*, big if, NCL were to arrange for a complimentary meal for our party or provided a token credit to cover one small meal, that is a personal gain compared to when I booked and the offering was no charge daily for as much food as I'd like to order. Recovering less than 1/7th of what I was advertised as being able to use is some conciliation on their behalf, but hardly is a personal gain on mine by any stretch of the definition.

I believe it did not matter if I asked for something or not. The purpose of the Resolutions Specialist was only to inform me that my message had been read. He had no ability or intent to resolve the situation. Their corporate stance is exactly the same whether you are just letting your voice be known, or asking for compensation.

I never want more than I am fairly entitled to, and in this situation I do not expect NCL to make any drastic change to provide to me what they advertised. I would however appreciate some consideration from them in the name of good customer service.

I fully understand some people simply not caring or being impacted by this. But if advertising a fare inclusion and removing it without notice or compensation is fair to the guest, what will the next one be? Will you board a ship and find with no notice there are fees to use the pool, or a minimum fee to be in any lounge with live entertainment? Further, would you stand for that sort of treatment?

The ball is NCL's court. They are not impressing me much today, but I will give the Resolutions agent time to follow up and respond, as he stated he would. Please also note, at no time did I demand, threaten, get loud, or argue. The agent was very nice, just ineffective and, apparently, not fully aware of communication others at the company had been relaying to guests.

Thanks! What type of room was that in? (Curious what rooms have a coffee maker; that's a nice touch).

Pardon my ignorance, what is the wood shelf/ottoman?

I assume you sent an email expressing your disappointment because you wanted to express your disappointment? You received an email response, and an opportunity to speak one-on-one with a representative. I can assume you were given ample opportunity to express your disappointment. So why was it a waste of time? Because they didn't offer to pay for your disappointment?

I was disappointed because I spoke to a Resolution Specialist from the Executive Office and they were reading from a script and powerless to do anything one way or another. One would think that if someone titled "Resolution Specialist" from the Executive Office emails to say they want to have a discussion that they might be empowered to resolve issues, not just read off a card. Overall I am disappointed with the response because it displays a complete lack of understanding of the issue or having any ability whatsoever to resolve it. Why ask to speak to me via email if they have nothing to say? It's a waste of my time and theirs and just creates the illusion that they care about the matter.

I haven't made a lot of noise on here like others because I can already see they have no corporate presence here, so that is a waste of time. I obtained an email address from this site that I felt appropriate, contacted the company, and posted my personal experience for the benefit of others. I am quite glad that the person who received consideration from the SVP was kind enough to share their letter as I have forwarded it back to the Resolution Specialist I spoke with.

When the cruise was booked we had the option to eat at Margaritaville daily and as much as we desired, not that we necessarily would do so, but that we could. Given the changes, I do not think asking for $15 credit per person to dine there is an unreasonable request. That would allow us to have one, modest, meal per person.

Our combined bookings total WELL into five figures on price, so yes, I am allowed to be disappointed in changes. I am allowed to address those to the company. And I am allowed to share my experiences with others.

I hope that answers your question.

I already answered that question they are regular American plugs

There are nearly 7K posts here, can't go through all of them. Eroller said there is a razor outlet in the bathroom, which means I may have to get an adapter for my US style plug.

Nice to know about the USB chargers built in. That's a nice feature!

They aren't going to give anything. People on Facebook have reported that they have received reply emails -"sorry to learn of your discontent and any inconvenience this may have caused". Nobody is going to get compensated. NCL doesn't care.

Herr is my experience. I sent an email expressing my disappointment. I quickly received a response from guest relations saying they wanted to speak to me. So I called the guest relations agent and they said the same as above right off a script. I asked what was the point of asking to discuss this with me and they said they wanted to acknowledge my email. Well...that was effectively done when they had emailed me so the phone call was a waste of time.

8 had referenced a thread here where someone claims to have received comped meals for 7 people and the rep said others have told him the same thing but no one has seen it bc they don't read CC. I was also told NO ONE was given any credit or compensation and that the claim was false.

I did formally request $15 credit per person so we can have a meal there as advertised and was told it would be sent to management but so far they have denied all requests.

The guest relations agent was nice but just reading a script and so ultimately was useless and a waste of time.

We have 4 rooms booked with 14 people.

One and done.

I am always batting around the idea of a HAL cruise, but have not been on one yet.

Let me ask; how come relaxing of the dress code and elimination of formal nights suddenly brings out people talking about

Saggy pants

Sideways hats

Shorts at dinner

etc.

I think it is absurd. I do not think you will suddenly see those things just because the dress code has been relaxed a little bit. It makes no sense. And you can still dress just as nicely as you please. Why is it that people that were generally in compliance (with some discretion this way or that) are suddenly thought to all be showing up in sweat pants and undershirts? I just don't believe it will happen.

On a similarly related note, since formal night is gone, can anyone tell me exactly WHAT is Gala night? The HAL website just has marketing speak and doesn't really say much of anything.

can anyone say what the outlet situation is in the room? Are there any USB charging ports? Does the bathroom have a US plug or only Euro style plugs?

They probably will as a retrofit, but there was no need to do so with the original plan...

 

That said, anyone who knows the gambling industry knew that was a bad call.... It's never worked for land based casinos (for a case study in how not to do things, look up the now bankrupt Revel in Atlantic City)

 

 

I had read they were making the casino smoking within an enclosed section. Did that change?

What happened to the stickers?

I agree, probably could have been handled better.

They were never provided any stickers.

They did not have BVE stickers on.

When we were sat the person that took us in told the waiter 'They are BVE' and we were all offered a choice of red or white. It was either a maitre D or manager that came up afterwards and demanded, and that is the only word I can use, payment.

I can certainly understand a mistake being made.

I thought the manager could have been a bit more hospitable in rectifying it. I guess in the end the charges were handled properly, but the treatment was lacking of tact. Their attitude was one more of "we're not going to let you get over on us, CARD NOW."

I'd caution folks reading the above.....like the poster says, "Your mileage may vary.....". In my experience, you will most likely pay $15 for each bottle of wine you bring over your one "free" one. There are lots of exceptions, but best to be prepared......

Sure, be prepared to pay.

But I saw everyone stream out of security and blow right past the wine check table that was way off to the side. And security is not Princess employees so long as you aren't carrying an illegal item they aren't going to stop you. That's not to say everyone walking past had more wine than their allotment, or any wine at all even. I'm just saying they won't actively look and stop you.

I mean we were on the ship and my SIL said "Was someone supposed to check this?". That ship had sailed, pun intended.

Recently boarded from Port Everglades. Security is NOT Princess personnel. They don't really notice or care. There were three adults in our party, each brought 1 bottle. One person had a bag with all of them. We were in separate security lines (as directed by security staff) and the person holding all 3 bottles was never stopped or questioned.

The check in table was way off to the side and I never saw anyone stop there to ticket for extra bottles re: corkage.

So while none of us smuggled or brought more than our standard allowance, short of wheeling your own barrels through security I think you can bring as much as you want in practical application.

Your mileage may vary. this is not an endorsement to break rules. I am just reporting what I experienced.

I recently did a Bon Voyage Experience when I dropped family off at the port. When I made the BVE reservation I made sure to give the princess representative my families booking number and asked that they be linked. This was to ensure that they got to board early with me. This part went fine.

When we went to the dining room for lunch we indicated that we were BVE and we were promptly sat. The waiter asked us if we wanted red or white wine (no choice on type, just red of white) which I understand is part of BVE. They asked the traveling guests "red or white" and they put in their order.

After the wine arrived the maitre D / dining room manager appeared and quite coldly and sternly demanded their room cards for payment of the wine. I said we were on the Bon Voyage Experience and our reservations were linked. I was told this meant that they could come to the lunch and I was told that was not right and they were not supposed to get an BVE benefits.

We dropped it. I wasn't going to waste any of our short time hashing it out and didn't want to get anyones vacation off on the wrong foot, but after I left the ship it has bothered me. I feel like if they were going to be charged that the waiter should have disclosed that upfront. It just didn't feel "right" the way they served and then someone else came and demanded a payment.

Can anyone please confirm if they were supposed to be charged or not? I haven't called Princess yet. I was hoping to find someone else here that has done the same thing and see what your experience has been.

Get yourselves a new email address and sign up for Holland America's mailing list. When you sign up, put in a Fort Lauderdale address and a ZIP code of 33316. Opt out of snail mail (postal) and in to email. You'll then have a profile that is in the same ZIP code as Port Everglades. You'll get all the last minute offers, probably for at least 6 months until they clean the marketing database.

 

When you read the messages, it's best to have private browsing enabled. Otherwise, the system might tie your new email address to your real Holland America profile. If, at some point you tire of the emails, you can opt out.

 

This should work with Holland America, Princess, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Seabourn, Silversea, and most anyone who sails from Port Everglades.

 

Port Miami is 33132. The Fort Lauderdale ZIP will also get some last minute offers from Miami, but it depends on how tightly targeted the emails are. Do not use the same email address with both Miami & Fort Lauderdale. Since some of the cruise lines have the same parent company, there's a chance you'll get "cleaned" at the corporate level.

Nice!

And I am glad to read some people were able to take advantage of a great deal.

That was one time and I wanted to help the other cruisers realize the error of their ways. Why pick a crappy little boat when you can cruise on a real ship?

They probably didn't want to go to Nassau. :cool:

Suffice it to say, Norwegian has a very liberal policy regarding dress. If you feel like dressing up formal, do so. If you prefer casual, do so. I think one restaurant wants what most lines would consider smart casual, the rest do not. Just use your common sense a little bit and think about what you'd wear to dinner if you weren't in your own home. Probably 99% of people really are fine.