SilvertoGold

OK, I like this game but this is the same menu, with a few name changes, as in March and April in NZ/Australia. Also, very siiliar to 2022, May through October, Alaska and Hawaii. I would love to see a new menu every 6 months or so! Salmon Chowder, Vegetable Cutlet (fantastic!), Strawberries Romanoff and DH: Cod Slider, Salmon, Brownie Cheesecake. Thanks, Lisa, for the great, detailed thread amd menus. Just like being there without the calories :)

Really excellent summary, nicely written and the whole thread was a pleasure to read. Your comment about not needing a taxi to get from bow to stern made me laugh out loud! I was a bit surprised about the numer of pax on this R class ship and know that can be a let-down and detract from the experience, especially the Lido seating. The gluten-free problems sould not have happened: HAL can do better. Glad you did have some good times and enjoyed Glacier Bay, your Suite, the Neptune Lounge and the service. Maybe some day you will find that bucket-list cruise and return :)

Excellent info! Personally I have not used the FE agents. My TA books the basics, then I fill in the Airline Loyalty numbers and chose seats. It has never occurred to me to phone FlightEase and, now, I am glad I haven't ! Why does FE give the wrong info and want to cancel flights? To give you more expensive options? HAL isn't looking that good in this.

Just go through the process of doing a booking. Your booking is not cancelled until YOU actually cancel it. Just looking is at what is availalbe is fine, no problem. I did this twice daily for our NZ cruise and I had some nice price decreases, which made it fun!

Our take on some of HAL's recent CDs: too young, too uniformed, too cutesy, too flippant, too surfer dude, too immature, too Barbie doll. What we would expect on Carnival, not HAL. Give us more mature, serious ones like Bruce Scudder and Tom Faulkner, class acts all the way. We really cannot imagine either reading such a script.

The napkin rings. Also, There are Blue and Silver nights. Some upgrading of menus can happen.

USD cash and a note to the Hotel Manager mentioning why your room stewards were so great.

Agree! Fantastic curries, wonderful ambiance!

Speaking of the Empress: do you remember when there used to be a Chocolate Buffet? It was outstanding and we would come over for the weekend espeically for this treat! Younger then and we could eat a LOT of sugar when it was made into those fabulous desserts!

Outstanding post on Glacier Bay Day! That Pinnacle Breakfast was so like the MDR meal in respect to the podium ladies. HAL seems to be working with a set plan on how to do things and only the higher up staff are empowered/gracious enough to understand pleasing the customer costs nothing and impresses. The more I read the more I think pax have to stand up for themselves in such cases. Of course this treatment should never happen in the first place.

About the generic black tea at Afternoon Tea: I tell the servers I don't drink black tea and I always, no problem, get a choice of green and herbal teas, while my DH asks for Earl Grey and gets it. Helps to know some of the servers, but there is always an Assitant DRM around and the box of assorted teas is close by.

Thanks for all the excellent posts and photos. The treat of the day! Looking forward to your next cruise on September 23 as much as you must be :)

Also keep in mind tht it depends on where you are sailing. Huge difference, for example, between wine list for Australia/NZ and Alaska.

We have found them to be poor value dollarwise but are convenient if you don't mind waiting around.

Delightful post and most interesting about your spooky clock ;

Maybe your attitude, which I agree with totally, is what HAL wants, an excuse to discontinue Tea since no one shows up? It sure sounds as if Tea is just an afterthought now.

My God! What a day. The ladies at the podium in the MDR are usually so good. This was horrible. As a very long-time HAL cruiser I am unhappy to hear this. Glad you spoke up and glad the two Managers acted as I would have expected them to.: I know they would be mortified. Possibly that lady was put on the podium too soon, with not enough training. And shall we talk about Afternoon Tea? Ugh! Cost-savings gone way too far. Last time we did Tea they had the most excellent choolate brownies (small, but super). We asked for 2 more and got a plate of 4. Sorry about your experience!

Hey! BON VOYAGE! One positive for you is the Koningsdam is the Pinnacle class, the latest for HAL and has more music than the other HAL ships. Try all venues on your first sea day and you will get the idea quickly about what you like. This cruise is port intensive so you won't have time of time to miss all the things you would otherwise want on a cruise with a lot of sea days. Please do come back and let us know you thoughts, pluses and minuses. Have a GREAT time!

This is going to be a GREAT thread! Thanks for starting, please continue. Love your writing style. Have a lovely FIRST cruise - how exciting!

This is very much what we saw on the Koningsdam. I would add, pretty much every night 5 pm, one hour, sometimes five or six couples, usually fewer, who mostly dressed either very casually (around the ship clothing on a sea day) or normal dinner time clothing. Watch the Daily Program to be sure when and where. Note to Pbranson: are you planning to do some posts or a review after your cruise? I think you would have a lot to say and it would be interesting :)

Not sure of course but our experience is that this is a rare happening! Very nice!

I am late to the game but have caught up and am enjoying your posts! Nice Pinnacle dinner description, much appreciated :) In CND we wouldn't bother with the Pinnacle dinner, but lunch is a decent price and quite enjoyable. Thanks for posting your observations, great info.

Thanks for this excellent post. Very informative suggestion and example. Your job must have been fun!

Noordam, April and May was Ocean Bar and Crows Nest was 50 per cent off any drink twice a day most days.

Thanks for your classy, thoughtful behaviour. If only everyone on HAL were like you.