Petronillus

We just spent 14 days in July on the Rotterdam cruising in and out of fjords and up above the arctic circle. The dome over the Lido pool was closed most of the time and was opened partially at other times. The hot tubs were frequently unoccupied and even when used never looked crowded. Absolutely no horseplay. Children were few in number and invariably well behaved. The other pool at the aft end is completely open-air. I saw very few swimmers but the hot tub got more usage. Of course, that's the only spot where smoking is permitted.

Spent 15 days on board the Rotterdam in July visiting the fiords of Norway and crossing the arctic circle to North Cape. Our enjoyment was diminished by the absence of Lincoln Center Stage -- even though some signage remained as pain-inducing vestiges. I happened to walk past the lounge area where the five members of the Rolling Stone Rock 'n Roll ensemble were submitting to interview questions. One of the musicians said something to the effect that between BB King's and their gig, HAL had all of the musical bases covered. I did not remonstrate until afterwards when I button-holed the cruise director (who on the whole ranged from mediocre to lackluster). I emphatically made note of our disappointment at the loss of LCS. She spouted the HAL party line: together HAL and the folks at Lincoln Center are coming up with a new format whereby the LCS performers will perform on the World Stage as part of the overall entertainment rotation. I was not mollified. For many many HAL passengers the LCS recitals were their introduction to chamber music, and invariably attendance grew over the course of the cruise. Moreover, the concert hall is not the right venue for experiencing chamber music. The intimacy of the LCS performance space, together with the finely tuned acoustics, made for a very satisfying experience. And, most of all, what a bonehead move to discontinue LCS as we've known it BEFORE the new format is in place. We did enjoy the 3-show repertoire of the One Step Dance Company at the World Stage.

Very perceptive comment. On one occasion a few years back, the pianist suffered a slip and fall and sprained her right wrist badly. The group scrambled and developed a series of programs based on the extensive, existing repertoire of piano music for the left hand only. Brilliant!

I'm convinced that for a great many passengers the Lincoln Center Stage performances were their first exposure to chamber music and, to their astonishment, they liked it! If HAL can't make promotional hay out of that, then they're in the wrong business.

Five was the original number when Lincoln Center Stage was first unveiled as the new, improved replacement for the Adagio Strings. An ensemble of 5 is fine, very fine, for chamber music. Chamber music, however, is performed in chambers, not in grand concert halls like the World Stage. It's a matter of intimacy and scale, If they are bent on "upgrading" to the World Stage, they should be looking to field a bigger ensemble that includes brass, winds, and percussion.

One man's opinion: Cantare are over-hyped. I'd give them a B minus.

Well said! DW & I have just gotten home from a 15-day Land of the Midnight Sun cruise on the Rotterdam deep into the fiords of Norway (with a taste of the Shetland Islands thrown in for good measure). We were unpleasantly surprised to learn of the demise of Lincoln Center Stage. Oddly, there are enough vestiges remaining that its absence becomes all the more glaring. Our CD, Carlijn, did not make herself readily available for one-on-one conversations but I did manage to buttonhole her at the end of a sit-down discussion with the Rolling Stone group, and while she tut-tutted and nodded with concern, the basic message was indeed to piss off. Switching to a new and different format is okay in principle BUT to my mind it's a major blunder for HAL to abolish the old format before introducing the new. I lamented the loss for the entire duration of our cruise. At the beginning, when the Adagio Strings gave way to the much higher caliber LCS, the new ensemble consisted of 5 members: piano, first violin, second violin, viola, and cello. That meant that 5 cabins were set aside for the duration for single-purpose personnel (meaning they had no additional duties to perform beyond their musical performances). So, the players got cut back to four. Plus, each LCS venue was equipped with a Steinway concert grand. The LCS/BBKing performance space had to be physically re-shaped to improve the acoustics. All these measures, I'm sure, required a substantial budget that the central office bean-counters no doubt found lamentable. Whatever satisfaction the bean-counters gained must have been at the cost of passenger loyalty. For many HAL pax the LCS performances were their first exposure to chamber music, and I observed over and over again that attendance grew over the course of the cruise, until frequently it became SRO.

DW and I are looking forward to escaping a long Chicago winter by taking an 18-day Hawaii cruise on the Koningsdam out of San Diego, starting on 01/31/23. It's 6 days out, 6 days around the islands, and 6 days back. At a recent holiday party a neighbor, of roughly the same age and temperament as myself, said that they had taken the same cruise on HAL a couple of years ago (pre-pandemic). All went well, he said, until the final 6 days when they were heading home. By that time they were tired of shipboard life -- same food, same atmosphere, same entertainment, same old same old. If they had had their druthers, he said, they would have disembarked at the final stop in Hawaii and flown back (obviously, not doable). Is this a common experience? Right smack before the COVID shutdown, we did a 17-day Panama Canal transit from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego. We enjoyed it immensely, and our enjoyment never flagged. I have never welcomed the end of a cruise, including that one. Provided I have loaded up my Kindle before sail-away, I'm happy to while away my time on board. But are 5 sea days in a row before our final obligatory stop in Ensenada likely to test my endurance?

Forgive me for going off topic, but how do the CCL companies handle each other's loyalty points? Specifically, does one accrue points to one's Mariner account when sailing on Princess?

For me the point of Freestyle is not the cola products but the no-sugar Minute Maid lemonade. I doubt the bars will be stocking that product in cans.

I have developed a taste for mackerel. And yes, I've learned that sushi and sashimi are finger foods. Even so (ingrained guilt?), I tend to use chopsticks when feasible (like for segments of a roll). I couldn't imagine not putting wasabi in the soy sauce. =Bob=

I'm confused. For our upcoming cruise (18-day, R/T San Diego, Koningsdam, 01/31/23 to 02/18/23), the on--line info on our booking says for each of us: "Complimentary Dining: 2 credits available." The word "Dining" is underscored to indicate a link, which shows us 5 options to reserve ranging from Canaletto (@ $22.50) through Nami Sushi at Tamarind (@ a la carte pricing) and Pinnacle Grill (@ $46) and Rudi's Sel de Mer (@ $47.20) to Tamarind (@ $34.20). So,... I'm wondering what we're getting and at what cost? =Bob=

Thank you! This is exactly what I was hoping to hear. Bob

DW and I are planning to pitch a cruise to our DD and DSIL. 12 days in June 2023 r/t Trieste to Greece and Israel. Our grandson will be 11yo by then. Practically speaking, it would be their first experience with a cruise vacation. In the good old days (pre-COVID) Club HAL would have been a big plus factor. What can we realistically expect with Club HAL on this cruise next summer? Thanks!

We're giving thought to a river cruise in the late spring of 2023 originating in Paris and heading south toward Avignon. Does the CCL family of lines include any river cruises? Other things being equal, I'd like to continue racking up Mariner points. Thanks! =Bob=

Interesting. In a supposedly current (?) article on CruiseCritic.com is an article captioned "7 Best Cruise Lines for Solo Travelers." It lists HAL in second place, with the following key sentence: "Holland America's Single Partners Program, available on most voyages, offers events for solo travelers like cocktail mixers and games, too." Despite diligent searching I could find nothing further on the HAL website or in this forum other than this thread. Would be interested in any further info. DW, DS, and I are taking an Alaska cruisetour in August. We're in side-by-side verandah cabins. I would like to know in advance if we can expect any special activities organized for singles on the Noordam.

The follow-up (back-pedal) was dated Friday, June 17. Our itinerary starts with the land portion out of Fairbanks and concludes with the 7-day cruise out of Whittier. =Bob=

DW and I also experienced frustrating difficulties getting follow-ups from our PCC in timely fashion. He redeemed himself, however, with the FlightEze arrangements. It was an "open jaw" booking (out from Chicago to Fairbanks and back from Vancouver to Chicago). I searched beforehand on my own and the pickings were slim and expensive. Once we had booked, he instantly found us non-stop flights both ways at a fair price. If one books a cruise directly with HAL (bypassing a PCC), does one get access to FlightEze for booking air transportation?

We are booked on a cruisetour starting in Fairbanks on August 10, with the Noordam out of Whittier and arriving at Vancouver 7 days later. We just received this follow-up missive from HAL: Plainly, HAL has received a lot of blowback and is backpedaling.

I was wondering. We too are disembarking in Vancouver at the end of our Alaska cruisetour and then heading straight to the airport. Presumably that's considered entering the U.S. by air (and thus eligible for the new no-test rules) rather than by sea.

That sounds beautiful and very elaborate. Oddly enough, if you want something special but with less hoop-la, ask the chaplain. Although the chaplains on HAL are invariably Catholic priests, you don't have to be Catholic or Christian (of any other denomination) or of any religious persuasion at all for the chaplain to put together a simple ceremony for you. I'd like to know if anyone tries approaching the chaplain and gets the cold shoulder; seems unlikely to me.

We have a hold on an Alaska cruisetour in August on the Noordam. Even at this late date we were able to get two verandah cabins on the 5th deck, side-by-side facing aft. (DW & I would be in one, our son in the other.) Two questions: The aft cabins are not terraced; it looks like the decks are stacked one upon another. Are the verandahs roomier than those on the port and starboard sides? Are the outer walls of the verandahs clear or opaque (metal)? Thanks! =Bob=

OK but I gotta ask the question. You're disembarking in Vancouver and heading to the airport to catch a flight home to the US. What happens if you test positive? =Bob=

Squeaky wheel got grease. We connected, our PCC and I. He's working up a set of options, has promised to send them this pm by email and we'll discuss tomorrow morning. He struck what was for me the perfect balance between abject apology and professional efficiency. Looking for the happy ending. =Bob=

I'm glad it worked out well for quack2 but I'm still stymied. I couldn't find a number into the Mariners Society. I tried the chat message feature on the HAL website. The gentleman there told me I had no option but work with the PCC department. I called the central number (800.355.3017) and another PCC, Joy, picked up. She checked and told me my PCC is still employed with HAL and is not on vacation or otherwise shown as out of the office. Sympathetic though she was to my plight (2 previous voicemail messages starting last Wednesday, followed up with an email message), she urged me to try once again. She forwarded me on to him and promised that she would follow up with an internal message. I'm waiting. =Bob=