iceman93

If I was miserable on a comped cruise, I wouldn't care about paying $778 to get off early. I'd be upset about the wonderful vacation I had imagined that I didn't get to have, but you couldn't pay me $778 to spend two weeks eating food I found disgusting. And since the OP sounds like a serious gambler, and the casino isn't to his liking, then he doesn't even get to enjoy the one thing he sailed for. There's no need to hurl accusations at the OP--he tried HAL and didn't find it to his liking. So be it; life goes on.

And I'm sure you know how to do your own laundry, cook your own meals, and clean your own dishes. Lol. But when I am on vacation, and particularly on an upscale cruise, part of what I'm paying for is NOT doing any of those things. Is evening turndown going to make or break my experience? No, but given that our afternoon often involves a nap (messing up the sheets), a workout or pool time (requiring an in-cabin shower which uses towels), or bringing plates or glasses back to the cabin which need to be removed, we appreciate the evening service which returns everything back to perfection before we return for the night. Pillow chocolates and towel animals are bonuses. I guess the point of this thread is that HAL is wisely asking guests what they prefer. Those who want the full pampering of two daily services can get it, while those who just want once-a-day service can choose that. Seems like a win-win for all, with no need for snark.

I'm on the young end of the HAL demographic, and even I don't find it necessary to use these abbreviations. Is it really that much harder to write "my wife" than "DW"? It's certainly less open to interpretation and potential confusion. It's always been a pet peeve of mine on this site, and this thread gave me the perfect opportunity to vent a bit--thank you!

I'm not normally a fan of branded partnerships or celebrity tie-ins, but in Chef Morimoto's case I'll make an exception. This commitment by HAL to fresh seafood sounds like just the kind of thing I want them to do to continue elevating the on-board experience, and the pop-up menu sounds truly delicious. This news made me happy!

I think they're missing an opportunity for things like this. Give everyone who comes to the tutorial $100 in play money chips, teach them the game, then let them use their play money in several rounds of slowed-down gameplay with analysis and expert tips. After an hour or so, collect the play money and open a table with min limits for the new players to dip their toes into with their own money (maybe even offer double-their-money for up to $100 buy-in or something like that). Even if only 10% of the people come back and gamble later with their own money, that's 10% they wouldn't have had otherwise *and* it gets people into the casino having fun (who otherwise might not have).

This kind of short-sighted response is sadly unsurprising. Why not make the whole casino slots, then? Remove all the bars and restaurants, all the table games, everything else and just put in slots. By a dollars-per-square-foot basis, this would maximize profits, no? They forget that not everyone goes to the casino for slots. And they also forget there are diminishing returns for each additional slot machine. At some point they will have attracted all the slots players they're going to, and adding more machines just spreads those people out but doesn't actually bring in any more revenue. Meanwhile, everyone else who doesn't play slots takes their money elsewhere. And their incidental spend which, most likely, is a lot higher than the average slot player's.

Well, I learned something here! Not that I would ever order a PG steak to the MDR or via room service, but it's educational to know that you can. Yes, you can order Uber Eats from a fine steakhouse, but you're missing out on the experience of being in said steakhouse. Some people don't care (like those folks who are okay getting a PG steak delivered to their stateroom), and I admit that sometimes the service and ambiance in the PG don't live up to expectations. But I, for one, am happy to pay the PG upcharge on occasion for the overall experience of dining there. The food, service, and ambiance make for a nice change of pace on a longer cruise.

I wasn't aware that was possible, but there are countless things I don't know. That being said, I suspect it would be easier for you to get MDR items in the PG than for him to get a PG steak in the MDR. Either way, I hope it works out for you!

Or if you have a Cruise Director who doesn't do all of those things. On my two HAL cruises last year the Cruise Directors couldn't have been more different in terms of personality, involvement, and visibility. So before you dismiss other posters' points of view, maybe pause to think not everyone has had the exact same experiences you have had.

More or less, all the bars on the ship can make the same drinks. And since the bartenders often have to cover shifts in other than their "home" locations, they pretty much know all the recipes. In addition, these are full bars, meaning they can make lots of drinks besides the few that are on the printed menus. Any favorite mocktails you enjoy at home can likely be made on board (e.g. virgin pina coladas, virgin daiquiris, virgin mudslides, virgin lava flows). Some of the best mocktails my daughters have enjoyed on board came from asking the bartender "I'm in the mood for a non-alcoholic drink that doesn't taste too fruity but has a hint of banana in it" or something like that. They love to whip things together, alcohol or not!

Can I get an "amen"?! I've said this from the start, when the partnerships with Microsoft and America's Test Kitchen began. Then the partnerships continued--Oprah, BB King's, Rolling Stone, Chateau Ste Michelle, and I'm probably forgetting a few. I'm sure some made more sense financially than others (Microsoft may have actually paid for the computer centers, for instance, rather than HAL paying for the Microsoft name), but for a venue like a nighttime rock and blues club HAL could easily have done their own thing.

But you have the funds to fly halfway around the world and take an upscale cruise? Your original question was "will I make the flight". The answer is "maybe". It will certainly be stressful worrying about it, even if everything goes smoothly. And what happens with your dog sitters, car at the airport, and all your other excuses if you DO miss the flight? I hope everything goes smoothly for you and you have a nice end to your vacation. But I'm not sure what advice you were looking for here if you're just going to push back on everyone's suggestions.

I second the advice of a previous poster to spend a night (or two) in Copenhagen before flying home. It's one of my favorite cities in the world to visit for a couple of days, and that little decision would take all the stress out of this equation.

Okay, I think the OP has taken their fair share of abuse here (not that I think it was unwarranted). But it does strike me as amusing how the theme of these posts has been that one needs to go with the flow yet we are deluged by constant threads complaining about how every tiny little thing has ruined one's vacation, how HAL is a shadow of its former self, and on and on. The site *is* called Cruise CRITIC, after all...

I'm certainly not defending HAL's decision here; I assume they have a rationale based on facts and revenue metrics that backs it up. And you know what they say happens when one ASSUMEs something. 😁 My complaint is the flip side of yours--the lack of Club HAL (or I guess, as they're calling it now, "Kid's Club") on longer cruises. Sure, there may be fewer children on longer voyages but there are certainly some, and one could argue those are the cruises when on-board child care would be most appreciated.

I know my opinion won't be popular in this thread, but I am not sad in the least to see the LCS go, or classical music completely from the HAL ships. I do feel for those of you who have a different opinion, but this is one change that I'm perfectly fine with. I guess I'm much more like AtlantaCruiser72, in that I'd rather enjoy a variety of great music that I can enjoy while still having a social time with others.

Yes, both of these charming towns are walkable and explorable on one's own. That being said, I did the HAL walking tours in each and found them well worth the small expense. Our guides pointed things out and told stories about the local culture that we never would have learned just walking around by ourselves.

I guess it depends what you mean by "chef table". As others have said, depending on the cruise there will likely be special dining events for an additional charge. But if you're actually talking about a secluded table with personalized attention from the chef (sometimes right in the kitchen) like some land-based restaurants offer, they don't have anything like that.

Yes, you can order room service on embarkation day. And while it technically shouldn't matter that you're in the PS, I'm sure they will prioritize your order and make extra effort to get it to you quickly.

I don't mind something like, "I hope you had a wonderful cruise, and if so we'd really appreciate your positive feedback on the end-of-cruise survey." But one of the fastest ways to get me to NOT leave a top rating is to harp on it or put any kind of pressure on me to do so. Like HappyInVan, I give fair and honest assessments which usually do max out many of the ratings (I wouldn't keep sailing HAL if they didn't). But overt pressure to leave positive ratings is not conducive, in my eyes, to an elegant and upscale experience.

Yeah, sorry, it was the Westerdam (which is easily verified in my signature block--I guess I should have double-checked that).

On my Nieuw Statendam cruise from Sydney to Singapore at the beginning of the year, the ship had a truly wonderful selection of local beers from Australia, New Zealand, and the broader south Pacific. They were on display at every bar, as I suspect they were wanting to use up this inventory before proceeding to Japan and eventually Alaska cruises. I wouldn't call them microbrews since they came from larger producers, but am comfortable using the term "craft beers" as they were definitely not the standard, mainstream beers one can get anywhere in the world. Even though there were some I only tried once, I found a few new favorites and definitely enjoyed experiencing a bunch of new beers I wouldn't have been able to otherwise.

Are you trying to upgrade with cash, miles, or elite status?

Isn't there a way to submit compliments via the Navigator app? I realize it's more cumbersome than pen and paper, but that's probably what they've transitioned to.

No wonder HAL likes me so much. I cannot fathom having OBC left after a voyage that would get refunded to me! In fact, I wish HAL would give Mariner night credit for every $300 per day one spends on board, not just a max of one bonus night for $300+.