Hlitner

No, have never been on Disney although, with two young grandsons that day might be in our future. Hank

If you believe what the fine folks, who answer the phone in Seattle say, we were told that one can go to Shore Excursion Desk and simply ask them to credit back the pre-cruise credit card charge and take the dollars out of OBC. However (my words) I cannot help but wonder if the Shore Excursion staff are aware, will do, etc. With HAL there is a long tradition of the right hand not knowing about the left hand. In another post I mentioned an issue we (and others) have had with the relatively new HIA packages. If you get on the Wait List for a tour (for which you intend to use your included HIA shore excursion credits), and alter clear the Wait List, when you complete the transaction (a necessary step to actually book the tour) you will be asked for your credit card info and immediately charged. The HIA Shore Excursion Credit cannot be used for that wait listed tour. Seattle says it is a known "bug" in their software and can only be adjusted by the Shore Excursion Desk onboard. In theory, the onboard staff would refund the tour charge back to refundable OBC and credit the HIA credit for the tour. Whether the onboard staff are even aware, will do the deed, etc. remains to be seen. I the past I have sometimes wondered if the folks in Seattle ever talk to the onboard staff 🙂 Hank

Ok, so I read it. We have no issues with female, male, or any gender masters as long as they have their license and experience. DW said she would even be happy with a Vulcan Captain as long as they were qualified, An environmentally ship is certainly a good thing, and we hope that Explora Journeys is environmentally great! But now that we are past that stuff, as cruisers booking a luxury line we expect a luxury line in terms of cuisine, service, staff, etc. Bottom line (for us) is can they compete in this competitive industry, Are they going to offer an experience equal or better to what we get on lines like Seabourn, Silverseas, Regent, etc. If the food is not up to the competition, a female Captain (or any other Captain) is meaningless. We have no doubt that Explora will have a competent Marine Department, but the big question mark is the hotel department. We like what see, in terms of senior staff, but the proof will be in what we experience when aboard. Hank

ROFL. Thank you for giving me a good laugh. Not related, but just another HAL thought. We were once on a long VOV cruise that had Barry from Boston as the piano bar entertainer. DW and I have been familar with Barry from long before he worked on HAL, so for us, it was great to see him on the cruise. We would usually sit at the bar (which surrounded the piano) and along with one other couple, were normally in our seats until close (11:30 - 12). Towards the end (every night) Barry Rocklin would do a quick count of how many were left in the bar (usually less than 10) and do the Sesame Street song for that small number. Hank

When it comes to children and seniors (with no travel/cruise history) I strongly recommend asking your pediatrician and/or family physician for advice/recommendations. This is especially true for we seniors who are likely on many other medications. Just as a very simple example, many seniors take Ambien or Xanax which are drugs that can interact with Meclizine (Bonine). Transderm Scop patches (I thought they had finally disappeared from the market) can cause very serious side effects, especially in seniors. We are talking hallucinations, sleep walking (heard the story about the elderly lady found wandering a ship late one night....completely nude?) etc.

I see good and bad with AI, but is certainly going to impact cruises (in the near term). AI technology and robotics are making it easer to replace humans with machines. AI bar tenders can work 24/7, never overpour (unless it is deliberate), not need to be flown to and from the ship for contracts, do not eat, etc. I imagine there will even be AI robotic cabin stewards although this might still be a few years in the future. Robotics will also take an increasing roll in the galley where some line cooks will be able to replaced with machines. The down side is that many of us do like the human component. It is hard to accept that we will be greeted by old robot friends in a similar manner as when it happens with friends among the crew. In the MDR I do not think we are far away from a time when AI Robots will be able to take on a lot of assistant waiter duties such as clearing the table, pouring water, wine, etc. Hank

Interesting that you posted that statement. HAL is the only line when I have seen some folks wear their Medallions around their neck (long after the luncheon) and many love to have on their 4-5* pins. The first time we cruised on Seabourn we could not tell the long-time veterans from we newbies...at least by looking. On that line it was very rare for folks to ask us (what level are you). What was more common was folks asking about travel experience and other lines. I do also think that HAL qualifies as the most clickish of all the cruise lines we have cruised (and its now 16). I say this as a 5* Mariner, but we have met more than a few HAL cruisers who do not want much to do with newbies... "ahhhh so you are ONLY 2 *!" I am sure this only represents a small minority of HAL loyalists, but it does exist. But, of course, we will take one of Grand Cruise totes on our next HAL cruise :). Before we get labeled a hypocrite, those bags are simply better than the regular bags. Hank

I appreciate the review but will form my own opinion (on staffing) when we spend 42 days on Westy in the spring. But, I do think that the time for excuses (by some cruise lines), defensiveness by cheerleaders...many of whom have not even been on a cruise since the COVID shutdown, etc. is past. Yes, there are Visa and other bureaucratic issues (nothing new for the cruise lines) but we are now well past a year since most operations were resumed. We have been on 3 other cruise lines, in the past year, and service levels were fine on all our cruises. On one voyage with Princess, there were obvious staff reductions which was expected since that ship was only sailing at about 60% of capacity. In fact, Princess shut down one of their 3 MDRs (all 3 are essentially identical) since it was not needed during our 2 week voyage. That made good sense, and everyone was easily handled in the other two MDRs with no inconvenience. I should also add that on those other lines (Princess, Seabourn and MSC) entertainment and other onboard activities were completely normal with no dark nights, no passing off a slide show or documentary as main entertainment, etc. I have always been somewhat amazed how MSC manages to put on 7 different Production Shows (with relatively large casts) on a 7-day cruise! HAL did not have that many Production shows on a 2-month cruise (back when HAL still had Production Shows) as their singers/dancers only had 4 shows in their repertoire. I am also curious about some of the recent info on the conversion from BB King to Rolling Stone. A few posts suggest that HAL has simply reduced the size of the old BB King groups (eliminated the horns) and rebranded. If this is true (we would like to see more posts from the ships) it continues a disturbing HAL trend (started many years ago) to keep reducing the number of onboard entertainers. I am sure there are come long time cheerleaders who would simply say "we don't stay up for the show so do not care" but this guy does stay up for the shows and lounge entertainment. I could not help but laugh about one recent post (by a long time HAL fan) who said they really didn't care about their meal since they were happy with after dinner gelato. Come on folks, with that kind of logic I could say, I don't care about food, entertainment or service as long as my cognac glass is filled 🙂 Hank Hank

I think HAL still lags most of the industry and moving back to a true class system. Consider that quite a other lines (i.e. MSC, NCL, Celebrity, Cunard) offer a ship within a ship experience for those in certain cabin/suite categories. This includes dedicated eating venues, private pool decks, private lounges, and many other perks/privileges. HAL has yet to even come close to that class distinction. Even the Neptune Lounge is laughable when compared to the venues and offerings of other lines that have created a "1st class" experience. Some would argue that this is a good thing (for HAL) while others might argue that this is another of those times when HAL is years behind the times. Hank

Many years ago, there was a private company (either called Singleworld or Gramercy Singleworld) who served as a clearing house for seniors wanting "roommates" for cruises and some land tours. That company also provided hosts for some of their larger group cruises/tours. Apparently that all ended with a change of ownership back in the 90s. Perhaps this is an idea just waiting for some new entrepreneur to refine/launch. Consider that many folks now see online dating and match making as part of modern society. Combine that with travel, group discounts, etc. and there might be a market. Hank

I do not have any solution to insurance companies slow walking claims. A good broker may have more clout with the insurance company and be willing to try and help (Steve of Tripinsurancestore has that reputation). Although I have a good background in the industry, it is not very helpful when insurers play games or just drag their feet. We, personally, have about $25,000 of outstanding claims (through our Chase credit card) that I believe are processed by Allianz. I have met all their demands (for documents and Statements) and they simply say everything is in "pend" status and we should hear within 5 business days (that was nearly two months ago). A phone call tells me that we have done everything correct, they have all our documents, and to just wait! My simple response is either pay the claims, tell me what else you need, or give me an explanation. And the response is silence! So, let's look at things from the insurance company perspective. Most claims processing centers are completely overwhelmed and understaffed. We all know about the 10s of thousands of airline cancellations, delays, etc. Many of these will have generated claims and created a true mess. The insurance claims adjustment centers were already having staffing issues (just like many business) and this is like a perfect storm. When insurance processing centers get behind, everyone must wait! It is wrong, not fair, in some cases illegal, and there should be some liability. When we, consumers, are late with a payment there is little mercy and we may need to pay fees, interest, or simply get screwed, But when an insurance company slow walks claims, sometimes nothing happens unless a State's Insurance Commissioner decides to take an interest. If all else fails (and this is about last resorts) there are a few options. Certainly, contact your own States Insurance Department and find out how to file a complaint (Insurers in the USA are licensed in all States where they sell policies). Other options include social media or trying to get help from various ombudsman organizations such as Elliott.org. There is also legal action but that is truly a desparate last resort and requires legal counsel. Getting to the OPs issue with Aon, this is just so wrong! Medical claims, when properly submitted with the necessary supporting documents should be paid within a few weeks! Medicare actually requires their fiscal intermediaries (insurance companies) to settle most claims within 30 days! Our recent GeoBlue claim was paid in less than a month! There is no excuse for an Aon claim filed in April to not have been settled as long as you have submitted the necessary documentation. If AON needs additional info or has an issue with other payors, you should be informed. In your situation I would certainly file a complaint with the Maryland Insurance Administration. Perhaps somebody in your State government will develop an interest and do some work on your behalf! State governments have a lot of leverage over insurance companies so do not sell them short. And if you need help dealing with your State's burocracy, a call to your local member of the legislature can often help gets things expeditied. None of this stuff is easy, fast, or fun. But sometimes the little guys need to fight back and use the system. Hank

Try using NYC as your airport code and, if the site is working properly, you should see multiple flights from both JFK and EWR. Also keep in mind that the cruise lines do not contract with all the airlines so it is possible (but unlikely) that there are no available seats for that route on that day. If you still do not get any results you might want to call the cruise line and have them take a look. Hank

I cannot help but remember, "try it, you'll like it." I am still mystified by the so-called Loyalty mind set. I have equated it with the person who thinks that Volkswagen Beatles are the best luxury automobiles in the world because they have never been in any other car. The reality is that each cruise line is different and many ships within the same cruise line are substantially different. For many, it is just easier and convenient to stick with a single product and rationalize things they may not like. For us, we have spent over 50 years seeking the perfect cruise/cruise line but even when we have found something close, there will be changes that impact future cruises. At one time we thought Celebrity was, by far, the best mass market cruise line and we were unable to find a better product. These days, you would have difficulty convincing me that we should book a cruise on X...especially their newer Edge Class. I find the entire concept of their infinity balconies laughable! They are merely similar what we used to call French Balconies and other than on some riverboats (where maximum width dictates design) there is no reason we would want to give up a real balcony/verandah for what is an outside cabin with movable windows. In fact, just ask the folks on the recent Viking Polaris cruise (where a lady died after her "infinity window" was smashed by a wave and left her dead as well as several cabins destroyed. Hank

We love overnights and usually take advantage to dine ashore. if in a port with some decent restaurants. But we have always found it fascinating at the vast majority of passengers who will stay aboard with many saying, "we are not going to miss a free meal." I still recall one HAL cruise where we overnighted in Venice, Italy (when ships actually docked in Venice). DW and I went ashore in the afternoon and stayed ashore to dine and enjoy the evening at a local cafe. We returned to the port about 11pm and realized that we were the only souls walking towards the ship! But there were plenty of folks leaving (at 11pm) and they were all crew (we saw a few with red eyes the next morning). That same ship often did overnights in Lisbon where DW and I would always go ashore for the Fado dinner show at a popular local fado restaurant/club. But again, we were in the minority with most either staying aboard or perhaps taking an overpriced cruise line evening excursion. We also did an overnight in Tahiti, and fortunately, there is a decent nearby evening market with lots of food vendors. Most on the ship took advantage and went ashore for sample the local goodies (they had some amazing crepes) and decent seafood. I think the trend among luxury and premium cruise lines is to have more overnights since they are enjoyed by many passengers and crew. Hank

Where to start (sigh). To book the Sanctuary you need to head directly (as soon as you board) to the Sanctuary and just hope that those who have boarded before you (and those on the previous cruise) have not already booked all the available slots. The Sea days are the most popular not to mention that some folks will book for the entire voyage. The reality is that if you do not have some kind of priority embarkation, it is likely you will not get your slots...but good things sometimes happen. As to the dining with the captain, this just does not often happen on mass market lines (like Princess) anymore. The captain may opt to dine with some VIPs, but this will generally be done in a private dining area. If you truly want to dine with a Captain, you can generally do this on some small ship upscale lines such as Seabourn, where the crew still interacts with passengers on a routine basis. But when it comes to dining with Captains (which we have done quite a few times) I cannot post without relating this old cruise line tale. Many decades ago, a Lady was invited to dine with the captain on the old Queen Mary! Her reaction was, "Sir, I do not dine with the hired help!" DW and I have had numerous opportunities because we have been cruising for over 50 years and times used to be different. In fact, at one time Celebrity guaranteed that those with "Elite" status would get an invite to dine with a "Senior Officer" at least once per cruise. This is no longer done. These days, most Senior Officers on mass market ships prefer to avoid many passengers (the theory is that they got tired of hearing all the complaints). When we recently cruised on Seabourn and got invited to dine with the captain (a charming Greek gentleman) we were surprised that it was a dinner in their Thomas Keller Grill at a table of 6. There was only one other couple (from Whales), us, and the captain. He told us he actually enjoyed dining with passengers since it can get boring dining with the same few senior staff every day. He also explained that Seabourn "encouraged" all their senior staff to dine with passengers at least twice a week (several we met did it more often). But this is truly the exception in an industry where the sheer numbers of passengers and increased workload on senior staff have made interaction much more difficult. Hank

We just looked at our "Princess Travel Summary" which has the detailed info on specific benefits covered by packages. We recently booked the Sky with the Plus Package, got a free upgrade to the Premiere Package (promotion for vets). On our summary it clearly says "Free Medallion Shipping" and values this at $14 per person! Hank

Perhaps the solution is that somebody should write the CEO and demand a free roll of duct tape in every cabin. They might also ask for a good supply of cardboard shims (in every cabin) to deal with cabin squeaks and creaks. I have also thought of writing to complain about the bathroom mirrors getting fogged from the showers. These are the kind of issues that need to have the immediate attention of the CEO. Issues like the debt service on CCLs $32 Billion debt is not important. But he does need to get more trash receptables. I also think that getting plates in the Lido, that have an additional inch of diameter would be helpful/ Hank

Not good, and we thought this only happened on Carnival (where the Coast Guard had to go out to a ship and intervene) and RCI. On the other hand, we never saw anything like this inside the "civilized Yacht Club. But I will tell you a secret. One morning, when we were in the YC on the Divina, somebody left the outdoor gate (on the pool deck near the buffet) ajar! Within minutes, the "riff raff" started pouring through the gap to take a peek. Several of our trusty crew were quickly on the job, commenting, "we have interlopers!" As an experienced YC cruiser I simply smiles, kept reading my newspaper, and sipping my fresh squeezed OJ. What horrors. Speaking on fresh squeezed OJ, we still remember when Celebrity had that for anyone at breakfast for no extra charge. In fact, in the LIdo they had a cool squeezing machine where you could watch loads of fresh oranges being squeezed. Now! Do not even make me laugh. Hank

I am still trying to get my head around writing a letter citing missing trash receptacles at elevator stops! After more than 50 years of extensive cruising I cannot imagine such a horrible circumstance! And the horror that nearly all cruise lines have moved away from the traditional (think back to the 70s,80s) fixed seatings to a system where folks actually have a choice! How outrageous. I still recall our Dec 2021 Enchanted cruise when I would sit at the IC (every morning) trying to decide, which MDR and what time. Once determined, I actually had to use my phone to input the info and get a reservation. Could there be a worse fate? Imagine varying one's dining time to best fit the evenings schedule. And my goodness, automatic night lights! This is a fate almost worse than death itself! I must rush and write the CEO about such nonsense. Don't we all miss the days trying to get around a completely dark cabin without falling over a mouse or cat? But seriously folks, time have changed, and we seniors need to deal (and even embrace) some of the changes or be left behind with the others who still go to work in horse/buggies. As to the nearly infamous (Princess Medalion) I do have some very strong (not really) feelings. We cruised on Princess many times as they were just rolling out the Medallion. On several cruises we watched contractors tearing open ceilings to add new sensors, Wifi antenna, etc. We watched as they changed over the door locks. All this was quite exciting (yawn). Now, instead of carrying a key I must carry a Medallion. And having a smart phone also helps complete the cycle. I do think that Princess spent an awful lot of money on an unnecessary system. But ONLY being in our 70s we can learn new tricks and have gradually embraced the technology. I will admit to some lazy mornings, where we are relaxed in a deck chair, when I have used my phone (along with the Medallion) to order a Bloody Mary...which somehow appears at my lounger! Tis magic. I must admit to also doing some "bad" things. One morning, while at my usual place not far from the IC, I wanted to get another cappucino. I noticed there was a long line at the IC. So, horrors, I pulled out my phone, opened the app, and ordered my cappucino. About 10 minutes later one of my favorite IC waiters came buy to deliver my order! Truly an awful experience and I will need to send a Special Deliver Telegram to Mr. Padgett complaining about such an outrage! Imagine not having to spend 10 minutes in a queue. But one of my favorites (in the letter to the CEO) was the complaint about no longer having the cardboard signs (like Do Not Disturb or Clean my Cabin). I used to also like those signs, but they always seemed to disappear (probably taken by teens or children having some fun). A fellow cruise told me that if your sign disappears just take one from another door! That was a great system 🙂 Hank

Argh! I think that anyone who cruises long enough will get one voyage with less desirable ship mates. We have rarely had problems with shipmates, but in Dec 2021 we cruised on the Enchanted Princess for back to back 7 day cruises (in the Caribbean). The first 7 days had DW and I laughing about the old saying, "they must have been raised by wolves." We are talking "wife beater" shirts and backward ball caps in the MDR. We finally saw a few turned away from the MDR (on a dressy night) but that was rare. The 2nd week it was like a whole different world with mostly pleasant folks who had a little fashion sense and also knew how to complete a sentence. On MSC, we have only met fascinating folks in the YC. It is a very international line, so in the YC we interacted with folks from many European countries and made a few good friends. Outside of the YC we met quite a few folks and most were enjoyable. But we are seniors and tend to hang with other older passengers. We did not meet anyone who we would call "rude or overbearing" but that is luck of the draw. Having cruised on 16 cruise lines (the 17th will happen in September) friends have often asked us on which line we have met the best shipmates. We normally say it is more about the itinerary and lenght of cruise than the cruise line. The folks you meet on a 70 day HAL cruise and much different than what you meet on a 7 day HAL cruise. But if we had to choose a specific cruise line where we have consistently met interesting folks it would be Seabourn. One theory is that on a luxury line, folks do not feel they have anything to prove or need to impress anyone (many of these folks are actually quite impressive) so folks are just nice. Hank Hank

We are inclined to agree, which is why the only way we cruise on MSC is in the Yacht Club. With MSC one must decide whether they want to keep down their costs (lots of options outside of the YC) or are willing to pay for a luxury cruise (Yacht Club). But your post has me scratching my head. If you believe what you say why would you ever cruise on MSC? Simply go on any of those "superior" cruise lines that you like. Hank

Perhaps. But consider our most recent MSC cruise (2 weeks in the Caribbean) cost us about $365 per person/day for a Deluxe YC Suite (this is an outside suite with a nice balcony). And that is all-inclusive of premium drinks, Internet, food (no add-ons), and even tips (we get enough OBC from our cruise agent to cover that). Now compare that to the lowest cost Retreat Suite with drinks, tips and Internet. A quick look, using one of my favored discount cruise agencies has an Apex Sky Suite (lowest cost available Retreat cabin) costing about $800 per passenger day plus one would need to pay extra to upgrade to the premium drink package. That is MORE THAN TWICE the cost of MSC's Yacht Club. And yes, I guess for twice the price (compared to the YC) Celebrity might give you free room service....at least this week. Do not get me wrong. We have no problem cruising on X (we have been Elite Plus for many years) but simply do not think that X is price-competitive with much of its competition. My goodness, we do not even pay $800 per person day for most of Seabourn Cruises. And in its best day, Celebrity is no Seabourn. Hank

Honestly have no clue as we only cruise in the YC when on MSC. Outside the YC we think the line is more akin to Carnival or perhaps RCI which is no longer our "cup of tea."

I bet you really like that new room service charge on X :). Charging over $12 for a cup of coffee (delivered to one's cabin) does not fit my idea of a cruise.. I do think if you want to avoid tons of kids you need to avoid just about any mass market line during school vacations. We cruise on MSC, during the school year, in the Yacht Club where children are not a major factor. And there are no room service changes 🙂 Hank

I just had a thought. We have an upcoming Asia cruise (an 8 week trip with 6 week cruise) and cannot even imagine how one who takes 12 bags on a simple Caribbean cruise would deal with that problem. You would need to hire a trucking company to move your luggage in Japan (you can actually arrange for this) but what a problem. And many Japanese hotel rooms would not even have enough space to hold 12 bags :). Hank