peaches from georgia

I think very very few pax actually benefit from the drink package even when figuring in coffees and bottled water. Not many people drink 15 drinks a day every single day of the cruise and you have to consider these are drinks with a max cost of $7/drink. (You cannot just pay the difference between $7 and the cost of a more expensive drink.) I think most people are better off ordering what that want including drinks over $7 and more expensive wines and come out paying less total for their cruise than $55/day every day of the cruise.

The Bill of Rights was included in the Constitution as the first 10 Amendments so that the minority would not suffer at the hands of the majority and have to live by majority rule in all things.

Yet my computer with Windows 8 and Ipad/Iphone with IOS 8.1 are fine and I never have had to sign in since I don't sign out.

Grand Cayman is often a nightmare trying to tender. Last time we were in GC there were 8 ships. My DH decided to go into port for just a short time and he ended up waiting for a tender back for hours like you did.

I've pretty much quit going into tender ports because of rough waters coming up suddenly and difficulties especially embarking and disembarking the tender. The crew does a good job helping, but we have seen people fall and be hurt. I also have vertigo and bouncing around on a tender can be a real problem with dizziness for me.

I don't mind the art auctions. We don't go, but if people enjoy them, that's fine. I don't mind the "gold by the inch" and $10 watch sales. Don't buy them, but some people enjoy buying junk. What I DO mind is when the art easels and tables of "gold" and watches are put out where crowds of pax gather and try to walk to ship activities or back to their cabins and that blasted crapola is blocking traffic so you either can't move or trip over the easels!!! :eek:

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* Key West was great fun. The "papers please" probing by gun-toting US government goons before going ashore was creepy and offensive. Welcome to the police state.

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Are you referring to the Immigration officials who are securing our country from foreign terrorists and others who have no right to enter the US? Key West is the first port of entry into the US for many cruises after the ship has been in foreign countries so everyone's documents are checked to be sure no one is sneaking in and then disappearing who do not have the right to be in the US. Government Goons? Offensive? Creepy? You should be glad these professional agents are there protecting you instead of insulting them! :mad:

We have a 50% rate getting into HMC.

What constitutes a vehement anti smoker? I'm definitely against balcony smoking and I have no cruises booked with hal right now. I keep hearing this from smokers but is it really true? I recall when hal banned cabin smoking and smokers said they would leave. I bet very few did. The loudest poster is still puffing away on a hal ship. I fully expect hal to announce an end to balcony smoking sometime after the world cruise leaves. Time will tell.

I never said it won't happen in the future. But if and when it does it will be because HAL was losing bookings and money because of balcony smoking, no other reason.

HAL's management has only one goal- to make money for Carnival shareholders. If they thought being one of the only cruise lines to allow balcony smoking was resulting in loss of $$$ they would have already banned it. At this point they must think it is helping, not hurting, their bottom line. Maybe in the future that will change, but it's not HAL's responsibility to make policy for any reason but to make a profit. Pax move to other cruise lines for many reason. Many of the vehement anti-smoking pax here on CC are still sailing HAL anyway. All HAL management is meant to care about is selling balconies at good rates, not which pax are leaving if they are have a net gain in balcony bookings with their smoking allowed policy. It's a business.

It's about time. :)

I think cruisers that would be new to HAL or to having a balcony are getting an exaggerated view of the problem. Most non-smokers who have no problem with smoking on the balconies never even bother to post here and many of the most vociferous non-smokers, who post constantly about stopping all balcony smoking, have admitted at some point that they have only rarely been bothered to such a degree that they had to go inside. Reading this thread gives the uninitiated the idea the balconies are in a 24/7 fog of smoke and that is very very far from the truth. If it was really that bad they could easily find another good or better cruise line to sail where balcony smoking is prohibited.

Sometimes they haven't changed the billing records over to the new occupant of your cabin when the charge was made on the day you disembark. We had a large amount charged to us after we got home which wasn't on the final bill we received just before we disembarked. I called HAL and it was a long phone call made early afternoon after we had disembarked that morning.

I think people have different ideas of what is 'weird' and what is just a restaurant variety on 'meat and potatoes'. Would love to hear some examples of 'weird'. :confused:

Cabin (not cabib!)

I called Holland America...came on there normal letter head.. I think it is legit...just a few dates in the caribbean Feb/March...comes from the "Casino Host" , that should tell you something.

I will find out more when I call for a booking this weekend.

It sounds like promotions at Atlantic City/Las Vegas hotels to get gamblers into their casinos. Were you a frequent gambler on your HAL cruise?

Thank you for the information.

Not interested in beaches any more.

These new places that Carnival has been building don't interest us as well.

Nor us. If I'm going to a foreign country I like to see the real country or what's the point in going?

We've done this option also and found it was ok. On the pro side, there was the closeness (sometimes you can see your car from your ship) and covered parking. On the con side is the elevator wait and cost (and schlepping your luggage the entire way which can be difficult if you have mobility issues). I walk off with my own luggage either way. Also have found the car covered with salt spray either in covered or open lot.

We have had a porter come with us from the pier to the parking deck, right to our car, with all our luggage on his cart. Of course a very nice tip was expected I'm sure and well deserved. ;)

Thanks for all of your input---they are all very high---so I think we will just leave Atl. Ga. very early AM and drive to the port (its about 9 hrs.) we will keep looking for a better price in the time we have until the cruise. If anyone sees a good deal please post it. Again thanks for of your help-----

We also drive from Atlanta and one day driving can be taking a huge chance. Whether you take 75/10/95 or 75/FL Turnpike/95 or 75 all the way to Naples and then cross over the state at Naples on 75 Alligator Alley there is a big chance of missing the ship doing the whole drive in 1 day.. No matter which we choose there are often long traffic backups due to accidents and road construction which can last for hours and make one day driving a huge risk. We much prefer going 75 down the west coast to Naples, spending the night north of Naples and then going directly over to Ft Lauderdale out of Naples, but one day we don't do.

Yes Peaches you are correct we are the PR's for the estate. What complicates matters is that for reasons I can't go into here not only are we trying to handle the estate but we have a couple of "squatters" in the property. There were two and unknown to us a third moved in. The lawyer has issued 30 day notices. We get the feeling these people are very up on tenent (squatter) laws here. Hopefully before we leave for the cruise this situation will be resolved one way or another.

Oh, dear. I feel so sorry for you. What a mess. I have read of the problems squatters can cause and don't understand why they have any rights in law at all. They should be forcibly evicted immediately and you shouldn't have to go through anything like this if life and law were fair.

I assume PR means Personal Representative for an estate/trust/will. Similar to an executor. Of course I could be wrong, but that is what I have seen in documents when someone has died. I have been a PR, but with modern communication and technology have never had to remain near or at the property of the deceased for a lengthy time like OP is experiencing.

I'm sorry, I don't understand. I ate Caesar salad almost everyday and I never once felt embarrassed to do it. Why would you be embarrassed? You like what you like. No shame in that.

And who would notice or care where someone is ordering from? The steward I'm sure could care less what any pax orders or what section of the menu it is on. I don't get it either.

Maybe grandma would be better in her own inside cabin near you if privacy is an issue.

I agree with Sail. If grilled shrimp is not already on the menu in another dish I wouldn't consider asking for shrimp in my entrée salad. It would be the same as requesting a special entrée being cooked just for me. However, salmon is always on the menu so salmon added to a plain or Caesar salad is a great addition and no extra work.

We were on the Statendam 10/3 thru 11/2 of this year. There were many issues ship-wide with toilets overflowing or just not working at all in cabins and public areas. Our toilet overflowed 5 times. 2 of those times we were not even in the cabin!

@Momis2

How was the staff on the ship ?

Would you go with the Statendam again, even you had the issues ?

 

Thanks

I can't speak for the poster who had the problems, but I would never recommend or return to a ship where I had this kind of toilet problem. Or book a ship with a history of such problems either. Older ships with maintenance problems are a disaster waiting to happen, IMHO. :(

HAL's problems are the same as those that have affected so many industries in the present and past. Customers don't want to pay the price necessary for the product they say they want and cost-cutting measures necessary to stay in business at the price customers are willing to pay (mainly labor costs and food quality) have devalued the product HAL can offer. You can read this over and over on this thread- we want more staff in the MDR to serve us and better food, but we want the same low cruise fares we are now used to. Customers who are willing to pay more for what they want leave and go elsewhere and those who aren't continue to complain. It's a catch-22 for the company. You get what you pay for and no more.

Actually I don't even understand the purpose of or need for asking whether a solo would be welcomed at a table. Why wouldn't a solo be as welcome as a couple? The days of women being afraid to travel alone or looked at strangely for doing so, are long over and no one thinks anything of it. A single pax need not even give a reason for doing so. If people are at a table larger than for 2 they have requested to have other pax at their table, so why would they reject anyone? A solo is like any other person except with a couple there is double the chance of their not being compatible. :confused: