Desert Cruisers

Will be sailing Alaska on QE in late August. Princess Grill cabin. Questions: What time was embarkation day lunch served in the Grills? Was afternoon tea available in the Grills Lounge? What time are the evening shows in the theatre? Thanks.

We stopped in Monte Carlo last Fall. There was no in-town shuttle.

First-time in the Grills for us. Have a few questions. Searched the forum but couldn't find any recent pertinent postings. 1. Can you request off-menu dishes? For example, if we would like Indian food, is it possible to special order? 2. Is lunch served on embarkation day? If so, what are the typical hours? This will help us decide if we arrive early or after the check-in rush. 3. Is there a dollar limit on the drinks available with the drinks package? Thanks.

First time in the Grills. Sailing QE out of Vancouver in August. Do Princess Grill passengers get assigned a boarding time or can they just show up when they want to? Does anyone know the current transfer fee from the Vancouver cruise terminal to the airport? Have OBC to use. Thanks.

The agency thru which you are doing the tour might know [or can find out] what dock is being used.

We sailed to South America on the Volendam in 2019. Same problems back then. Add in major flooding on our deck, missing tiles in public restrooms, etc. Volendam's issues have nothing to do with leaving balcony doors open, repositioning to a new climate, etc. Bottomline is that HAL doesn't want to spend the $ needed to upgrade this ship.

Actually, for the Alaska sailings, Seabourn is not more expensive.

Thanks for info. Seabourn seems to be a better value than Cunard - no "nickel and diming" on drinks, unlimited wifi, and a true small ship experience. We are Diamond on Cunard but are giving Seabourn a look. Get shareholder OBC on both lines.

Comparing Seabourn and QE Princess Grill fares for Alaska cruise. Seabourn fare includes gratuities, wifi, and all beverages including alcohol. What is included in the Princess Grill fare - gratuities, alcohol, etc? Thanks.

I'm sure that the situation was frustrating to the "high level crew members" but what actually was done. The cabin stewards must have been aware of the situation. Did these stewards report to their supervisor? Did the Captain get involved? Were these passengers reported to Corporate and placed on a "no sail" list?

At what level do passengers get invited to this luncheon? Recently on the Oosterdam TA crossing, there was a late afternoon cocktail party but it was for 4 stars and above. No special lunch.

Thanks for update. Have been to Hawaii many times - land and cruise vacations - so have done most things. When it comes to renting a car...we have done it in the past but not really interested this time around. Know what we want to do in most ports including Kahului but want to factor the availability or non-availability of shuttles.

Would appreciate any info re free shuttles at other ports - Hilo, Kona, Nawiliwili, and Kahului. Have read conflicting comments.

I also listened to the analyst call. The two comments made by senior leadership that I found most interesting were: "Larger ships are more efficient." How I interpreted this statement...No more new-build small ships except for Seabourn. Our older small ships will eventually go away." Our focus is on "new to cruising" and "new to a cruise line" passengers. "New to cruising passengers are more accepting of higher prices because they are comparing the cruise fare to what they might spend on a land-based vacation." How I interpreted this statement...While we will still welcome them onboard, we are not going to cater to passengers who don't generate revenues beyond the cruise fare. Expect more non-complimentary services and offerings.

Okay. Perhaps Kukui Grove restarted the shuttle in 2023. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Kukui Grove shopping center website still shows complimentary shuttle on cruise days. Where are you getting your info from? Also, not aware that Walmart ever had shuttle on Kauai. We would take the Hilo Hattie shuttle and walk over to Walmart.

We were also on the transatlantic crossing. We chose open dining because we like to eat 7:30-7:45. Had the same problem as those with fixed late seating. If we wanted to see a show, we had to ask for "expedited service" which meant rushing through every course. Not only was there a problem with the Mainstage shows but other evening activities were timed to meet the needs of the early diners. Mentioned the problem for late diners to the Hotel GM. Got the "gee, that doesn't make sense" answer. Very disappointing. Those who eat late shouldn't have to rush through a meal.

Thanks for info.

This summer, we were on the QE for 26 days in Alaska. Definitely noticed that all is not well when it comes to Britannia DR service. Something was just off. Not sure if it was low morale, poor training, poor management, or a combination of factors. My husband was also chastised - for not placing his cutlery properly on the plate so that the waiter would know that he was finished.

We have extra OBC to use and are thinking about booking a Cunard transfer to Heathrow. We don't have any time pressure to get to Heathrow early. Does anyone have recent experience with the transfer cost per person?

Diamond status doesn't seem to count for much. Sailing out of Brooklyn & got 3pm check-in with a 5pm sailing.

Several posters have said that they would not book the Koningsdam without Club Orange. Just wondering...are the problems with lines at the MDR mainly during the earlier dining hours? We typically get to the MDR at 6:45-7:30 pm and have never had a problem on a HAL ship. In fact, the MDR is pretty empty by 7ish.

Booked Hawaii out of San Diego on the Koningsdam for late January several months ago. Club Orange not available. Monitoring situation and hoping for the best.

I asked and this is the info that I was given. Won't guarantee that it's correct.

Have come across this issue. We always ask our TA to price fares with and without the OBC kicker.