KroozNut

Does anyone care? Really..

Don't do it!

NO!! It was a crappy option then, and still is!

TBH, I would not be envying that! 😉

I think you've already set yourselves up for disappointment on your upcoming Westy cruise, based on your very detailed (and I would agree accurate) account of how the HAL experience has declined over the past few years. If you're expecting to "be wowed" by your experience, based on "the HAL you used to know and love", you will quickly see that sadly, HAL no longer delivers that experience.

We're also a fan of the Sauv Blanc, and being white wine lovers, we also enjoy their Pinot Grigio. 🙂

Hey, nothing wrong with two buck chuck! <hiccup> 🥴😜

I was puzzled by that reference as well, but deduced it to be a reference to "Dr. Thunder". Never heard of it though.. 🤷‍♂️

A cruise friend of mine sent me this email she received from CCL, where she is Diamond level in their loyalty program (not that it matters in this context). But I thought it fit into our discussion here... sound familiar? November 2, 2022 Dear Carnival Guests, We have all experienced the impact of inflation, higher fuel prices and supply chain challenges. The food supply chain challenges have been further complicated by global politics and a myriad of laws regarding how we source products and how crops and animals are farmed and handled. At Carnival, we have worked very hard to minimize the impact on our guests, committed to our promise to make Carnival the most memorable, fun, and best value vacation option on land or at sea. We have reached a point with our food costs, however, where we must take some modest but specific actions, which we know most of you have done yourselves, whether with your dining out patterns or shopping to stock the refrigerator or pantry. Food is part of the fun on a Carnival cruise, and we have no intention of changing that. We have amazing complimentary dining options across the fleet. Many of our guests never spend anything on food once they get on board, and yet they never have to eat the same thing twice if they choose not to. Our specialty dining restaurants expand that variety and allow our guests to treat themselves to fine dining options at less than what they would pay for a comparable shoreside experience. All that will continue. But we ask for your understanding as we implement the following changes which will take effect immediately on sailings departing as of November 7, 2022. DINING Steakhouse prices across the fleet will increase to US$48, per person (from current US$42, per person). In addition, per person prices at specialty dining restaurants on specific ships, i.e., Rudi’s Seagrill and Bonsai Teppanyaki, will also increase. These changes reflect the higher costs we must pay for these fine menu items. For sailings departing through December 31, 2022 – Specialty dining reservations paid in advance of the sailing will be charged the current price. Reservations made on board will be subject to the new prices. For sailings January 1, 2023 and onward – Specialty dining reservations already paid as of today’s date will be honored at the current rate. You can reserve and pre-pay for your specialty dining on the “ManageMyBooking” tab on Carnival.com or the Carnival HUB App. (Please note that Steakhouse price adjustments are not applicable to Australian sailings.) In the main dining room, we will continue to offer lobster on itineraries of six days or more, but it will be moving to the second elegant evening (instead of the current offering on the first elegant night). The lobster isn’t going to swim away, we just ask that you wait for it further into your voyage. FOOD WASTE INITIATIVES Across our fleet, including sailings from Australia, we will be implementing initiatives to help minimize food waste, which include the following: Complimentary self-serve ice cream and frozen yogurt will be available from 11 am to 12 midnight (instead of 24/7). So, you can still have ice cream every day, multiple times a day, and as much as you want, but from lunch until a midnight snack. While ice cream for breakfast or at 2:00 am sounds like a great idea when you’re on vacation, the truth is that we are seeing lots of waste, and this is one of those times when we ask guests to join us in our efforts to reduce food waste in a way that will have a negligible impact on the overall vacation experience. In addition, we want you to enjoy your favorites and sample offerings you haven’t tried before while dining with us in the main dining room, but we encourage you to follow the golden rule of dining: take what you want but eat what you take. And remember, you can always ask for a half-portion if something looks too enticing to pass up. Guests may continue to order a second complimentary entrée if they choose; however, effective immediately, a third entrée will incur a US$5 charge (AU$7). Along these lines, we will continue to look closely at consumption habits and guest preferences so that we can meet our food waste reduction goals, while still offering you an abundance of delicious, high-quality casual and fine dining options. We want to make sure you are well fed and entertained as a guest on our ships, just as if you were a guest in our home. But we really hate to see food go to waste. If we see a menu item that is not popular or think of a better way to serve a food item that can reduce waste, we owe it to our planet to make the right change, while still assuring you plenty of food and tasty treats. We will continue to do our very best to make sure the Carnival dining experience is a key part of your memorable vacation, but we wanted to provide this update, so you understood how we are managing the many challenges we are facing and to thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We look forward to welcoming you aboard and meeting your every culinary whim and dining favorite! Thank you for your support. Sincerely, Christine Duffy President, Carnival Cruise Line

What is the difference between that and a Bloody Mary? Looks delicious by the way!

Really? Wow that sounds weird. We have never received an offer like that, and we sail fairly often, and have recently. Bring those offers on!

Me too, but I suppose they don't want to go too far out, because Itineraries sometimes change due to ship schedules (as ours did recently), and these protocols are so heavily dependent upon destinations visited.

I get it.. I suppose it was the way you phrased your original comment that you could not justify getting the beverage package because you weren't big drinkers (or words to that effect), which is what most people say and/or assume; that beverage packages were only for alcoholic drinks, which is why they couldn't justify getting one. And yes, it's good to have choices, no matter what criteria they're based upon.

Don't know how many times we see this when discussing beverage packages. They're not just alcohol, and they can be cost effective when you factor in the other beverages that they include.

Thanks, and our quest is over. The inside cabin we have booked on NS next March is more than suitable for our needs.

Hmmmm, okay. So you're saying there aren't ANY 'large comfortable' inside cabins on any of the Pinnacle class ships? Disappointing, since we're in an inside cabin on the NS next March, and were hoping that our cabin would be at least comfortable.

Looks like a pretty typical inside cabin (in terms of size) as we have experienced on various ships, HAL and other lines. All inside cabins are 'tight'..

I learned very early in life that nothing is ever 'free'.. 😏

Yes, and this was clear (I thought) in my post quoting HAL's smoking policy on specific ships. The policy says nothing about casino smoking... Sea View Bar area only. Pretty clear..

Designated Smoking Areas: Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam Sea View Bar area

Our booking confirmation email in the 'Itinerary' section clearly identifies each tender port as 'Tender Required'. In our case, for our March '23 Western Caribbean sailing, both HMC and Georgetown, Cayman Islands are listed as 'Tender Required'.

The former (no longer in service) Rotterdam did have the New York Pizza venue, so you are right in your recollection of having it on that ship. Only 5 ships currently in service have this dining venue: Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and (the new) Rotterdam.

Whenever you get there

MSC and RCCL pizza sucks IMHO. You will be blown away by HAL's pizza!

Sounds like a continuing litigation 'update' to me. Just let it go, it happened and that's it... nothing more to discuss.