cruz chic

It isn't so much that we care if OP is following the rules. It's more that we care about his acting like a cry-baby when HAL enforced the rules he was choosing to break.

Bingo. I didn't think it was that hard to understand.

I think this is a very good point. We did main traditional dining all three times. Perhaps because the wine stewards 'know' you as you are at the same table, they can give better service?

I think in traditional they get to know the crowd quick because it doesn't change. In open its new everyday so it likely throws them off.

Hearing about all these problems and unhappy crews is really making me nervous about coming back to HAL.:eek: we are platinum with NCL now. We each receive dinner and free wine in a specialty restaurant, free laundry, free wine in the cabin also. Priority embarking and debarked also. We can also bring as much wine as we need with the $15 corkage. Also a welcome box of Godiva chocolate in our cabin. Yum!

I took the Oosterdam on August 18th. While the wine service sucked until I filled out the comment card the crew seemed really happy. The O has always been my fav ship until she moved to Australia. I still have a soft spot for that ship. I don't understand why some ships are great and other ones suck. The captain and upper management have to have something to do with it.

Sorry to jump in I just wanted to check something - we're about to jump on a 41 night HAL cruise. Is it correct that the current policy would literally let me load up a few cases of wine and bring it on board?

 

Seems super generous given how cruise prices have remained flat for years.

Just as long as its before jan 31, 2014 knock yourself out.

Please tell me how my bringing onboard something for my own enjoyment that they do not sell onboard is going to "ruin it for everyone"? What they are actually doing is ruining my enjoyment of my cruise. I can't understand why so many people on this board can't see this. You have a guest that has paid thousands of dollars for the cruise and you are going to insult him or her if they want to enjoy something that is not sold on the ship?

Did I say YOU ruined it? That is not what I meant. Lets say I really like to smoke a joint. I paid thousands for my cruise. Why can't I do it? We know the rules when we sign up. If they are something we can't live with then why not pick something else? Honestly, it makes you sound a bit spoiled. Do you always get everything you want? If so, I want your life. Changes come about because people feel entitled to do what they want to do. Life just doesn't work like that.

We first cruised with HAL on the old Noordam in 1994. At that time, you could buy a bottle onboard or ashore, no big deal. Later, you could still buy one onboard, but they would charge you about 20% more if you wanted to consume it onboard. Still no big deal. They were making a couple of bucks and you were still enjoying yourself. Later, they changed it so you could buy a bottle for your room, but the price went up about 300%. Then they would sell you a bottle for your room, but it would be about a third of a liter. I accepted these changes and still enjoyed sailing with HAL. Their cruise prices are reasonable and when you take a Grand Cruise and the sign on the gangway says "Welcome Home" you feel that they mean it. But I hate to see them hassle us with "rules" that only aggravate the guest and do nothing for their bottom line. For example, we were on the Prinsendam in Lithuania a couple of months ago and I found some very nice apple and berry cider in a local store. They don't sell cider aboard ship and it may be 3 or 4 % alcohol; nothing close to the fruit wine I could bring aboard. But when I tried to bring a few cans aboard they made a big deal of it on the gangway, but finally like they were doing me a big favor, let me bring it aboard. I don't understand what HAL gains from treating its guests this way. Maybe it is in the "rules", but to me it is total BS. As a business, they can treat their customers any way they want, but at some point their customers will walk to another cruise line.

The problem is, where do they draw the line? Someone is always going to complain. The few ruin it for everyone.

I was only commenting from the comments read on CC. Personally, we've had wonderful service from the wine stewards.

 

On our Veendam cruise to and from Bermuda in May of 2012, we had a lovely wine steward. She was there constantly...watching out to see who needed service. Then, most recently on our Ryndam 21 day cruise, we had the same wine steward we had on the Noordam. He remembered us and all was good!

We'll see what the NA brings...not hoping for the world... :( being such a large ship.

It's funny but one cruise on the NA was excellent, the other one was not good at all. I've never seen so many unhappy crew as I did on the NA last November. I hope you'll let us know how you find it.

No, I'm pretty sure you were quite clear - in fact crystal:D Too bad - well, it's worked for me - so I was hoping.......it would help others.

 

I guess - different ships - different crews? We've had good service on the Prinsendam, Maasdam and Westerdam (our most recent - all within the last year). Too bad it wasn't consistent

I suspect table size, time and traditional or open plays into it. Service was decent when I did traditional. I generally eat around 6 or 6:30 in open at a larger table. Many times I'm the only one drinking wine so I think my table gets written off.

I don't know if this helps or not, but we have had quite good service from the wine stewards. I think it helps if you either (a) order a wine package or (b) make it clear that you will want wine every night.

 

The first night on one cruise we didn't see the wine steward until the main course. I ordered the package and told the wine steward that we enjoyed our wine first thing please with a big smile;) After that he was at our table literally a minute in the time we sat down.;)

 

Now, ordering a glass of wine is a horse of a different colour.:rolleyes:

I always order a wine package. I also told the wine steward that I don't want my glass empty. I guess I wasn't clear enough:rolleyes::D.

Well to clarify seeing as I've been somewhat flamed:rolleyes:.... we did not order any wine in the MDR on our last cruise, however on the same ship a week or so before a friend had problems getting a glass of wine, and another could not get the wine steward to bring the bottle they had purchased the night before, when he finally did they were at the dessert stage. My daughter also observed the same situation when she was on the Zuiderdam, where her table neighbours gave up and left without ever getting their bottle.

 

I don 't just pull it from nowhere, just relating what I've heard from reliable sources.... and read on here.:cool:

While not on the Z it has been a pita to get my wine that I purchased from Hal. The last several ships I've been on the service has been dismal even though many times they were standing around doing nothing. I wish I was as lucky as some folks. It does happen even though it never happens to them. I remember years ago complaining about a bad cabin steward only to be told that doesn't happen. Only when it happens to some folks is it valid. The rest of us are unimportant.

You assumed incorrectly. It was about beer, which this thread is about.

You should be so proud of yourself:eek::rolleyes:.

Exactly. It looks like an awful lot of people have jumped in to say the same thing, over and over. I'm sure the OP gets the message. Welcoming lot, aren't we?:rolleyes:

Kinda like the wine thread? Pretty much even thread is the same thing repeated over and over again. Silly people we are not embracing rule breakers.

I'm amazed at how many people jump to HAL's defense over every little dissension. A lot of folks must own stock in Carnival.

It's against the rules, plain and simple or are the rules only for others?

I'm amazed at the things people complain about. A lot of folks must live a charmed life.

We just booked a b2b 14 day cruise. Will we be able to bring on 2 more bottles for the second 7 days? And if we buy liquor on board during the first 7 days, will it be delivered to our cabin at the end of the first 7 days? Then we will have it for the next 7.;)

They say no on the wine for the second half but how would they know. I would also say the liquor would be delivered. I've had it happen before.

We will surely miss your words of wisdom.

That's for sure:D:p.

You are right, I looked again and the cabanas I photographed are in the Retreat on deck 11. I knew I could see them from the Lido deck, and made a mistake thinking they were on deck 10.

 

I don't know if they had a different menu there than the one in the Lido cabanas -- they had a fence up to keep riff raff like me who had not paid for a cabana out of the Retreat :D, so I didn't see a menu card. I suspect it was probably the same.

 

Dave

You should have gone right in there:D. I had a cabana on the NA last Nov. I took a lot of my junk (camera, computer etc) because I was about 5 feet away at all times. I got to know everyone up in that area and it was just like family:eek:. People that did not pay came walking thru and right into the private cabanas. I thought that was beyond rude. Before I had a cabana I respected the fact I shouldn't be in there. If no one was in there I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem.

Dave, it's been great! Thx again.

Sorry to hear your cruise is almost over but it's one day closer to mine:D. Thanks so much for the time and effort you put into this. I'll be following until the bitter end.

Gotta love your taste in desserts!:) Better than Navy grub!

Barely:D. Usually they look better than they taste.

Love the towel animal pics.

Thx for today's update. I hope you see the sun sometime.

Welcome to Canada! Great pics.

I have been in line at the front desk when I have heard a passenger being asked for more money to be put on their account. So I think our accounts are probably watched continually to see if over spending is done. Also on the day of embarkation you may hear the paging of guest to please check in with the front desk....I have been told those are people that need to settle their account and that no one gets off the ship until that is done. Not sure if this is true or not but what I have been told.

I assume you mean disembarkation.

Oh, I know why it's done (spent a number of years in retail/tourist industry), I was just curious how long the hold is. Because a hold that large (cumulative number for longer cruises) could seriously hamper the ability to use said CC for other things during the trip.

If a person is taking a longer cruise I would think they should have the means and the credit to sustain that. that said, I'm sure someone will rip me a new one for saying that.