3rdGenCunarder

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.

They do. Waiters circulated to take drink orders, and I had a yummy hot chocolate.

I think the aft cabins get a little deeper toward the center. My aft verandah on Eurodam was on 7. I noticed that there was a little space between the bathroom wall and a bedside table. A little more space between the other bedside table and sofa. Not a big deal, but it deal make the furniture look less crowded.

I agree about the Caribbean B2B cruises. HAL offers so many combinations that it's hard to search for a Caribbean cruise that isn't a B2B. I like HMC, but I don't need to go there twice in one trip. And I don't need the extra day docked in FLL. I'm doing a true 14-day cruise on Zaandam this winter because it is going to interesting islands, including the ABCs with late departures, which makes it safer to risk independent tours, rather than ship tours.

Montreal was the worst experience for us, too. It was in an old terminal, close to the old town. Actually, it was more of a cowshed than a cruise terminal. Total chaos--they were giving out numbers to be called to check in, but if you didn't happen to walk in past the right person, you didn't get a number. Not that it mattered. Every time a HAL bus arrived, that group went right to check in, no waiting. I like Montreal, had a number of non-cruise visits, but I swore I'd never embark there again. I suppose now that there's a newer terminal, I should try it again. @Blackduck59, I'm sorry you had such a bad hotel experience. And no, two pastries does NOT count as breakfast! I looked at their website, and the pictures look great. Just shows how a hotel can pick and choose what they show you. Choosing a hotel can be a gamble, even when you do your research. We had an odd hotel stay in Montreal one time. We stayed a few days connecting Amtrak with Via to Quebec City so we wanted to be near the train station. The Fairmont right over the station was closed for a renovation, so we stayed across the street at the Bonaventure, a hotel on a few floors at the top of office building. It got mixed reviews on tripadvisor because of the odd situation of nothing at ground level. The architecture is "brutalist," a 1960s style, and a bit strange. But the rooms were fine and not ugly like the hallways people complained about on tripadvisor. And I'm sure it was less expensive than the Fairmont would have been.

Yes, HIA becomes part of the fare. When I added HIA to a cruise that I had insured with HAL, I think it automatically increased the insurance.

It's unnecessary, yes, but what makes it a downgrade?

I call it the "club orange game." Book the lowest cabin in a "meta category" and when you add CO, you ask for an upgrade to a higher cabin in that category. So lowest grade inside to highest grade inside, or lowest grade verandah to highest grade verandah, etc. No jumping to the next meta category--no upgrade from inside to outside or verandah. I think you can even start with a guarantee, which might be even cheaper than the lowest grade cabin in the category you're looking at. HAL has multiple price structures, more than you see on the website, so it's best to book by calling HAL or using a travel agent to see what the different prices and amenities/restrictions are. The website does not show all of the available cabins. So have the deck plan open when you call and don't be afraid to ask about specific cabins. Club Orange has other perks, like some priority access and a separate restaurant for dinner and breakfast. But for many people, the biggest value is the upgrade.

Bon Voyage!!! Those corner afts are the BEST! Enjoy!!!

Yes, unless you're on a PInnacle ship--I wish HAL would widen it's vocabulary, this sounds so confusing! So on Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, Koningsdam, there is a CO dining room, and breakfast is served there for Neptune suites and people who buy CO. On the other ships, Neptune suites still get breakfast in the Pinnacle restaurant. People who buy CO do not get breakfast in the Pinnacle restaurant.