cruz chic

Why not give it a try? Sometimes it's good to get out of your comfort zone. I don't think I've ever stayed in the same hotel or cruised the same ship more than once. I just enjoy new experiences:D

I have tried other cruise lines so it's not a comfort thing for me. I cruise Princess regularly and Celebrity is a hot mess IMO. It's more the fact that I generally cruise solo so things can become uber expensive very quickly. HAL may think they have me in the bag but that's not true. It does give me something to look out for.

<snip>Book early for good prices <snip>.

I would say that is not true 90% of the time.

I was just asking....wow! Clearly that person did not know what they were talking about when it came to the thermal suite. No one is preaching to you here. Take it easy.

Try Azamara. They offer a totally different experience than Celebrity. Azamara is more comparable to Oceania. Whether we cruise on Azamara or Oceania is dependent upon itinerary and price.

Good info. Thx so much.

Upsell are not offered to everyone. On my last cruise folks were offered upsells to Neptune suites for the same price I was quoted for a signature suite. We were all at the same level cabins and likely paid the same price. Hal values some folks more than others.

We are 3 Star Mariners, and after experiencing a gradual decline in the HAL, we started cruising with Azamara and Oceania. They are phenomenal. We have found them to be far above HAL in all respects including service, food, itinerary, and interaction between staff , officers, and guests. The only area where HAL surpasses these carriers is in the size of the cabins, except on Oceania's new ships.

 

Last November, we decided to give HAL another chance. During our cruise to the Amazon on the Prinsendam, we experienced problems from the onset with a 4 hour delay on embarkation. Once we boarded, the public spaces were filled with carpet scraps and dirty dishes. Since the ship was coming out of drydock, the ship should have been in pristine condition.

 

There were multiple problems throughout the ship. The air conditioning in many cabins, including ours, did not work. Air conditional is essential in the Amazon! The heat in our cabin made sleeping impossible. Finally, our cabin steward was ale to procure a fan for us. On top of the discomfort of tropical heat and humidity, there were many days where the vacuum system for the toilets was non-functional. Our toilet, as well as toilets in other cabins, overflowed and flooded cabins adding to the exasperation of many cruisers.

 

The quality of the food was mediocre at best. Some of the seafood dishes had an off taste. In fact, DH experienced severe vomiting and diarrhea shortly after eating a small amount of such a dish. While, we cannot prove that this was food poisoning, the coincidence was just too strong.

 

Due to the multitude of problems, everyone that we knew, received a letter of apology from the captain and a substantial credit to be used on a future HAL cruise. We are using this credit for our last cruise on HAL to the Caribbean. After this, we will continue to cruise on Azamara, Oceania, and Celebrity. We will never again spend any more money with HAL.

 

If you value your money and time, try some other options than HAL. You may be pleasantly surprised and converted like us. We now have taken 4 cruises on both Azamara and Oceania. Yes, they are more expensive than HAL, but worth it. Great deals can be obtained on both.

I'm not a fan of Celebrity so I'm not sure I would cruise Azamara. I would expect Oceania would be top notch but so is their price. I appreciate you taking the time to answer. Hal hasn't chased me off yet but they are going in the right direction to do that with some of their policies.

Thank you so much for the review and especially the photos. (Yes, like others, it's the closest I will get to the PH)! I really liked the photos of the balcony with the hot tub and the loungers-wow.....impressive.

 

I wish they had of assisted you more at check-in and getting you on the ship and to your cabin. I always thought they went above and beyond for that for PH suites.

 

I'm glad you had the chance to enjoy it-looks fantastic. I'm waiting to win the lotto to try it!:)

You never know. A few years ago I was doing inside cabins. If it can happen to me it could happen to anyone. To think I just about took a pass on it until someone talked some sense into me. The problem is I'd like to sail in a suite every time now. I remember when sailing in a balcony was a dream. I hope you do get to experience it some day:).

Why are we cruising? Simple question that goes to the heart of this.

 

We've only been on a single RCI cruise which we greatly enjoyed. We didn't do the rock climbing and we didn't do any shore excursions. We only did a single show. One of the things we enjoyed the most was watching the sunrise with coffee on the balcony. (BTW, we had an aft which was huge.). We simply enjoyed being there and being with each other.

 

We're both retired now, we've worked hard, and now we want to enjoy life. Cruising just seemed so relaxing that we couldn't wait to make another reservation. We're on Caribbean Princess in March 2014.

 

We would like to find a cruise line that provides good service and makes us feel at home. We'd like to find a cruise line with a multiplicity of destinations. We'll only be able to do a couple of cruises per year for now (we've got a couple of dogs), in the not too distant future, we'll do more cruises.

 

We're looking for that special cruise line which will be our 'go to' line for our future cruises. I guess you'd say that we're shopping around now.

 

What are we looking for? Some thing that makes us feel at home, that is relaxing not hyper intensive, good food, good conversations, interesting destinations, a cruise line to call home.

 

I do appreciate everyone's responses. They seem to reinforce my thoughts that HAL just might be what we're looking for.

I think you will enjoy Princess too. I find that their MDR service to be much better than Hal although Hal is my preferred line. I've only been on the smaller ship that Princess has so their large ship may be different.

What misinformation was reported? I've had one of these cabins and I know I've reported what you wrote. I'm fine with being assigned one of these cabins. Best not to book a guarantee if you are not.

I'm 52 and Hal fits me well. The gym is not busy and it's quiet. Those two things are important to me. I'm also self entertaining. It you need a lot of activities Hal may not be for you.

Per My experience, it is true, as I stated.

 

Clearly, your experience and ours differ. ;)

 

There is not many places to go from an SA. That is likely why. That said, it's been few and far between for me and I rarely pick a cabin. I'm hoping my luck is going to change now that I'm using a PCC.

Jacqui, It was the third day of the first cruise someone finally came and gave us a "tour" which was their terminology. We found out later, this should have happened the first day. We couldn't figure out all the lighting which some panels controlled the whole cabin, or the music system with all the speakers throughout the rooms.

 

We will be better prepared in May.

I got a vague tour the first day but I asked a LOT of questions. It took me days to learn how to use the lights. And blinds. Never did figure out the music system.

I would still trust any steward on Hal over staff in a hotel. You'd think from this thread we should lock up everything including underwear. If you are concerned the best idea would be to lock everything up....I mean everything.

OP, thank you for the thread. It looks a lot like the ph on the Oosterdam. Funny how they do things differently on different ships. The only time I had anyone at my dining table was when I filled out a comment card on the slow wine service. Glad you experienced the ph. Everyone should be able to try it once.

If you look at the bathroom you'll see a square face like piece of artwork that is hung next to the tub. It's mouth is a round pipe that shoots out water. This tub had more controls than a 747 airplane and nothing was marked. For the first three days, my wife would turn on the water, and water would shoot out onto the floor. We were thankful there was at least a dozen large towels, because she "washed" the floor every night until she found out how to operate the controls for the tub.

 

I gave up after the first day and used the shower thereafter.

I never tried it on the Oosterdam as I was still recovering from my knee surgery. I still haven't sat in my bath tub yet:rolleyes:. Looks like I dodged a bulletin not trying it:D.

Excuse me Typhoon1, but I was asking a question for the people who are knowledgeable about HMC Cabanas and wondering if they ever are discounted.

 

I also think that HAL DOES seem to be having a problem selling them at $299.00 since our cruise is less than a month away and there are 15 Cabanas available!

 

IF I wanted to sail Carnival and get a Cabana with them I could and would do it.

 

Rude comments like the one you posted are the reason some people don't post on this board and are discouraged from coming here and sailing HAL.

I agree with you. I think they are having problems selling them. Just love it when posters post things as fact when they are generally very far away from fact. I assume the reason they don't discount them is that the people that booked at full price would likely be pretty upset.

I wasn't going to post on this thread, but I am rather concerned about all the people who firmly believe no crew member would steal, or otherwise do something they should not. There are "good" and "bad" people everywhere, including onboard a ship, whether it be passengers or crew members. A few years ago on the Zaandam, I caught our two room stewards doing something they should not when I returned to our cabin for something right after leaving for dinner. One was possibly keeping "look out" but had been distracted by passengers engaging him in conversation in the hallway, and I came around the corner from the elevator lobby, and caught the other one going through the drawers, and with the tip money from a drawer in his hand. There was very quick and very ashamed movement and rapid explanations that made no sense. I was mortified and not sure what to do, but yes I did report it to the front desk, and we had a change in stewards. I don't know what happened to them, I simply submitted an incident report and left it at that. But I certainly did not like the fact that my clothing had been rummaged through.

 

So while it's a sad comment on our times, you cannot be trusting of all crew just because you think they wouldn't do something like that. I never leave even a few dollar bills anywhere but the safe.

Thanks for stating what your experience was. I'm surprised that happened on a HAL ship. I hope they sent them packing. You have credibility here. It's hard to establish that in someone else when they come up accusing from the get go IMO.

As "reformed smokers" we try to be tolerant of smokers on cruises. In March on the Westerdam though, our buttons got pushed to the limit so to speak. At the Muster Drill we were in the back row purposely so my scooter and I wouldn't get run over. :rolleyes: Sitting on a bench next to us were younger adults (quite honestly, they seemed too lazy to stand).

 

When one of the men started puffing on his cigar during the Drill, I tried to just ignore the situation. After several others around us complained loudly he did put his cigar out ... right into his Lido coffee cup. :eek: I happened to turn my head towards him just as he did it and I thought I was going to lose my lunch. I can honestly say, I will never be able to drink a coffee out of anything that resembles a Lido cup. I don't care where smoking is allowed/not allowed. I won't attend another Muster Drill without complaining to HAL staff if I encounter another cigar.

What a piece of work he is. I found your statement to be funny about ex-smokers. I'm one of them and I think I'm way more intolerant than someone who hasn't smoked.

It wasn't your statement he was referring to. Someone who has never been on a HAL ship, never been to HMC, and never been in a cabana there, was issuing a strong opinion against the cabanas.

 

CruiserBruce was referring to that statement.

Sure didn't seem that way when my post is the one quoted.

That's for me to know and you to find out:D Seriously, I don't think any are perfect but I do expect a working toilet and air-con. Everything else I deal with.

Yes, I expect that as well.

Huh? That is outlandish! This is my opinion. I don't get how that's making overhyped statements. I didn't realize your opinion is the only sensible opinion. Thanks for letting me know that:rolleyes:.

While were at it, telling people 100% a day to search for something isn't doing much for me or anyone else.

dcl :)

Too many kids. When I was leaving Port Canaveral on my last cruise there was a Disney cruise leaving just ahead of us. The noise that was coming from there was unreal. I thought it was a Carnival ship:D. I'd almost prefer being at work:eek:.

But research is no substitute for actual experience.

 

We've rented the HMC cabanas several times and think they're worth it. I have issues with sun and heat, and those cabanas provide a wonderful respite from those elements while still allowing me to enjoy the beach. We've also done the clamshells, but they are not comparable to the cabanas.

 

Many will complain about the cost, but IMO it's just another shore ex that we factor into the overall vacation cost. Many cruisers will happily pay for those pre-cruise hotel/transfer packages offered by the cruiselines, which are outrageously overpriced and could be purchased independently for a fraction of the cruiseline price, yet complain about about other cruise related expenses which are part of the cruise experience. The cabanas are a unique experience, and we're willing to pay for it.

 

We've never had any problems tendering back to the ship after renting a cabana. The only time at HMC that we had a problem returning to the ship was when we rented a clamshell, and that was strictly weather related.

 

BTW, if you want a cheaper HMC cabana, sail on Carnival. They offer them for a lower price. We did, and the amenities are the same as HAL. What was surprising with Carnival is that they had us go to a lounge on the ship, where we were greeted and escorted directly to the tender, bypassing the tender line. We never had that happen on HAL.

 

I would never offer an opinion about something that I had not experienced.

 

The bottom line is that you have to decide whether it is worth it for you, not if it was worth it to others who may not have actual experience.

I've never poked my eyes out or sliced my arm open with a knife but I'm fairly sure I wouldn't like. I don't need the experience to know that. If you like it that's great. More power to you. If others don't, how is that lessening your experience?

Wow! So many posters who have never even set foot in a cabana, giving so many strong negative opinions based on what?

Being able to see them with my eyes. If you like them that's fine or do we all need to like the same things?

My last cruise dropped by $1200 after final.hal made me pick a room at the VD level. I think you've done ok. Enjoy the Eurodam. I had a great cruise in oct. The crew was great.