3rdGenCunarder

I hope they have Nordlys on my Norway cruise this fall. The menu looks good. Was it Nordlys every night on your cruise, or did they have other popups?

The one that complained about mismatched salt and pepper shakers? I am shocked-- shocked, I tell you--at such a lowering of standards! That would certainly ruin my cruise. 🙄 @Jack E Dawson, I'm glad you had such an enjoyable cruise. QE is wonderful!

I think some of the longer cruises have different final payment times. But for any cruises I've taken, it's 90 days. Your earlier post about HAL vs third-party is a good summary of the differences. I book my own flights and I'm more concerned about medical and getting home than cancellation, so I buy third-party insurance most of the time.

@OlsSalt, I found that list on HAL's site by going through "experience" and "dining." If I go into a cruise reservation, I see the same items, but formatted to look like an actual menu and no disclaimer other than saying "sample menu." I wish they would update the website. But as my mother used to say, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride."

That isn't what the website is showing. I like the old menu better. It shows the daily specials. That could make a difference in what day I choose to go.

Mmm, the crispy duck!!!!! My next HAL cruise is on Zaandam, and I will miss Tamarind. I have the HIA package, so I will have dinner at Canaletto. on the website this morning, I see that the "sample" Caneletto menu appears to be the latest that's been posted here. @Loreto does the menu show the daily specials, and are lamb chops and veal caprese on the menu? That's what I'm seeing on the website. The website wouldn't show me the Pinnacle menu for some reason.

Ohhh, opera cake!!! My favorite! Will they let you order a second one "to go" for a late snack (or breakfast the next day)? I hope the excursion is good!

Thank you!!! I was able to see excursions for my cruise and book three that I'm sure I want. Oddly, at one point, I saw the old design for itinerary/excursions and when I clicked on an excursion, the reviews were all very old. I clicked back a few times and then it reset to the new excursion pages with the updated reviews. It wasn't very happy about giving me info on dining, but I can wait to make those choices.

That's the bad request message I get using Edge.

I'm getting "Bad Request" when I click on a link to manage my cruise or sign in. Same thing last night. The website worked this morning, and now I'm getting Bad Request again. The internet has been around for kind of a while now. You'd think HAL would be able to have a decently functional website. Sigh.

I think it's my favorite Alaska port. So NOT touristy--no Diamonds International, etc.

Heath Kit!?!?!?! I haven't heard that in a long time. Dad used to buy components for something (not a computer) from them. I can't remember the first word processing program I used, but it was pre MS Word. It was not WYSIWYG, and every coding command (and textbooks have a LOT of that--ital, bold, etc) added characters that turned lines and screwed up line counts in manuscripts. I remember Word and Excel from the days before mice. Everything worked from the keyboard. I still remember "Esc Transfer Save," etc.

Another menu where I want two mains! I love the pInnacle burger. That's my staying on the ship lunch on a partial Panama Canal cruise. But I do love a lobster roll!

Do they still have carbon paper? I must admit, I haven't looked closely, but I'm surprised to see carbon paper anywhere. They don't need multiple copies since they go to the computer and make an electronic copy right away.

Maybe, if the change was very recent, HAL hasn't got all the tour options listed yet. So keep checking the website.

Every day is Be Late for Something Day at my house!! Yes, cruise line "rot gut." Pol Acker is a running joke on the Cunard board. So many good choices on the menu! Looks like a greater variety than we had on Eurodam this winter. I know this is a special Alaska menu, but I hope they get inspired for other itineraries, too.

I worked in publishing for many years. Back in the 80s, when we first got PCs (standalone desktops, not connected to anything), our managing editor went to a tech conference. He came back like a preacher at an old-time revival meeting--throw away your crutches and walk! Only this time it was throw away your paper and pencils and use your computer for everything! We were still paper-based for a long time after that. The problem with the tablets for waiters is that it's easy to flip through pages on a pad. Tech often requires working through a series of screens, which is annoying and time-consuming. And it would be HAL's tech--cuneiform would be more reliable!

I had a similar experience in FLL last winter. After I checked in, I went to the seating area and they handed me boarding group 19. I had to show that my boarding pass was marked 4-star, and then I was sent upstairs to where they had just started to board priority. You really have to know how the system works.

I thought I had a record fast disembarkation at FLL last year, but that beats my time! Did you use luggage direct? That makes things so much easier. I like you way of making the transition to "real life!" And now I have the "Barcelona" song from Company playing in my head. "Where ya going?" "Barcelona" "Oh. Do you have to?"

Ooh! That's a new combination. I never saw a guitar or woodwind as part of LC. That change presents opportunities for new sets. I doubt we'll have anything like that in the Caribbean this winter, but maybe HAL will be a bit generous on the entertainment since it's a 2-week cruise.

Oh! I want the lamb AND the sole. The filet and shrimp look good, too, but I have to control myself. And the chocolate cake, of course! And if there's any prosecco left in the bottle, I'll help you finish it!

If I needed a special meal, I'd talk to the maitre d' the first night and explain that I didn't always eat in the MDR and ask if I could stop by the podium and quickly do a meal choice for the next night there. As for the differences in preparation, could be they're trying a different prep on one of the ships, although I agree with other comments about the breading. A light coating of flour might add a bit of crispness to the outside, but it doesn't seem worth the bother.

I think all the ships do it. I'm pretty sure they did it that way on Eurodam. I can't remember what the newest ships do. They don't take the slips of paper to the kitchen like an old-fashioned diner. I believe they enter the orders at a terminal at the waiter station. I've seen waiters check the papers to verify that the orders are correct, so maybe that's why they keep that system.

Were you ordering the night before? From what I've seen of the menus (table companions ordering from a special menu), there usually are choices, not just one thing.

I had the same reaction to it. And inside, as well. I felt like I was eating in a goldfish bowl. The service is excellent, but the ambiance wasn't to my liking.