oakridger

I was actually told two things by bar waiters themselves: 1-it's for inventory purposes (seems that big, nice computer no longer knows how to do that??) 2-So that there is proof that guests have received the item. *** Sometimes no receipt was presented and mostly I just scribbled my supposed signature. I didn't want to hassle or argue with waiters for sure. They have enough to deal with. I also had to sign for my included burger/hot dog at the Dive In and the Dutch Cafe.....I didn't have to sign for food anywhere in the other included venues. 🤷‍♀️ ~Nancy

That's great! As happens often around here, there is a lot of ship to ship inconsistency! I'm curious to see if anyone else has attended a Pop Up Rudy's since October 1st. My October 8th reservation was definitely cancelled but I did get a phone call onboard a couple days ahead to let me know. ~Nancy

The ships all still have live trivia, don't they? Is @REOVA only referring to a printed trivia hand out?

I'm loving seeing all the pictures and descriptions from "our" cruise!! 🙂 ~Nancy

Thanks @bobpell. These two items have to be some of my biggest peeves! I was on Rotterdam boarding FLL on October 30th when this receipt signing first started on that ship. What's the point of signing if you have the beverage package? I immediately sent off a "Tell Us" note to express my thoughts! I did not ask for a response from management and did not get one. It's so much extra work for everyone involved and to me anyway, it seems a lowering of the nicer ambiance on a HAL ship!! The food trays and other random stuff left around the ship on the floor is just plain a safety hazard!! I'm always surprised to hear that staff has been actually instructed to tell pax to put trays on the floor. I would think it would be a ship wide safety practice to keep egress corridors clear! During an emergency how many passengers and first responders will trip over the junk on the floor or halls become inaccessible to gurneys, etc.??? Thanks for letting me rant!! I still had a good cruise but am seriously rethinking my future cruising priorities and choices.................. ~Nancy

Fairmont Waterfront will also transfer your luggage to the ship for no charge...tip though. I stayed on club floors in each and the service and Club lounges are both very good and about equal in service and amenities. I will choose the Pan Pacific next time though, because it has the better unobstructed views from the Club rooms and lounge. I love my views!!! ~Nancy

With luggage I would use Lyft/Uber or taxi for sure! Much easier, quicker and direct. Not much cost either. Having ridden BART to work and for play since 1977 I no longer use it. For me it's scary due to some really sketchy people on board the last several times I've used it. Too bad, because now I have the senior Clipper card and it's really cheap. I'd still opt for a car now. Have a great cruise! ~Nancy

Welcome to Cruise Critic @yonader! No regular phone service on board, only the really expensive service is available at sea. I've been told that What's App and WiFi calling on iPhone aren't available but haven't tried. Check Google for average temperatures in each port you will be in...the further south, the warmer. December in San Diego has a good chance of being cool, or maybe not! 50-60F??? average temperatures in san diego in december - Search (bing.com) average temperatures in december for puerto vallarta - Search (bing.com) It's a fun itinerary! Enjoy. ~Nancy

#4152 and #4154 have huge balconies. They are VB though. Rotterdam Beethoven Deck Plans (cruisedeckplans.com)

Signing for drinks and even for included food at the Dive Inn was new for Rotterdam on my cruise. I immediately sent a note to the ship via the app expressing my dislike for the practice. I did not ask for a response from HAL. The poor bar people had to then keep track of all those little pieces of paper. What a waste of staff time! I just don't get it. I still had a good time on the cruise, but it seemed like a lowering of the shipboard ambiance for sure. I thought of the term "Carnivalization". ~Nancy

I am floored at what you are reporting!!! A couple lapses here and there are easy to understand given circumstances, but this is awful! And the response from supervisors..."I'm too busy to talk to you"?? Oh, hell no!! I wonder too about the ship-to-ship inconsistency? I just got off Nieuw Amsterdam and Rotterdam and my stewards were fabulous!! The rest of the staff were very good too and even though a few were obviously new, the majority did know what they were doing and the staffing level in all the food venues was adequate. Excellent prime rib in the lido, for example!! They did seem short on some fruits, because the only strawberries I saw were small pieces for dessert garnishes and they were out of strawberry purée for my margaritas the last 12 days.!!!😲 I sure hope it gets better for you @GeorgeCharlie. ~Nancy

I was told personally by one of the Pinnacle Grill supervisors on the Nieuw Amsterdam that all Rudy's pop ups were discontinued as of October 1, 2022. 😒 It's now only available in the dedicated Rudy's restaurants on the Pinnacle class ships. I had my reservation for October 8th cancelled. @scubacruiserx2got in just under the wire. Too bad, because I really enjoyed the pop ups previously (except on one horrible time on Oosterdam in 2019.....that one was a one off for sure). On Rotterdam earlier this month I had to cancel my Rudy's reservation due to illness then when I went to rebook, I was told it was sold out and waitlisted for the remainder of the cruise. ~Nancy

Some solo cruisers are like me. I love meeting new people out around the ship, at bars and excursions, just not at dinner. When I meet people around the ship that are fun to be around, we then agree to meet for dinner together at a later date. I prefer to not go through the "first date" type questions at the dinner table. Works great for me! ~Nancy

Just off Rotterdam last Sunday and the hair dryer was a brand I'm not familiar with, but it had a high and low setting and a button that needs to be held down for cool air. It worked just fine for me, but I don't have thick hair. To avoid having to pack one from home, this one should work for the majority of people even if it takes a few minutes longer to dry than your home model. Have fun!!! ~Nancy

Not the answer to your question, but they had it on the Rotterdam last week also, sooo................probably.

No.

Thanks Roy! I always enjoy your trip blogs. Happy Thanksgiving! ~Nancy

I have never waited to get a solo table for anytime dining more than a couple of minutes, but I don't go right when the MDR opens or on the hour. I may be imagining it but going at non quarter/half hour start times feels like it helps! For example, I enter the MDR at 7:50 not 8:00pm and not 7:30. Think about it, when you say you will meet someone for dinner (family or companions) do you ever suggest 7:50? Who knows? Worth a try. 🤷‍♀️

Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Sorry to not have any more exact information. Are you referring to a specific ship or port/cruise?

I didn't need it for Aruba and Curacao cruise out of FLL on October 30th. No Covid stuff checked other than the Health Assessment question on HAL site.

Hi guys! How lucky are you to have had the entertainer on your Tram ride in Juneau?!! Such a cool chant and I'm going to watch/listen to it again! ~Nancy P.S.- I'm home now!

Welcome to Cruise Critic @NMScotts!! I don't believe HAL goes out of Galveston at the moment either. They do great 7-day cruises down to Mexico out of San Diego though! I agree with @vicd1969 regarding three regular beds. Carnival may be your best bet out of Galveston for that length of cruise. It will be probably more of a party cruise than anything on HAL though. Very different experience, check it out if that appeals!! ~Nancy

Basically, the mixer. Long Island Iced tea uses the booze plus a squirt of Coke and some lemon mix so it looks like iced tea. Wang Wang adds fruit juice (Pineapple and Orange Juice. Add a splash of Grenadine) to the booze. See the picture in post #15

Lincoln Center Stage, by the way, has 4-5 musicians play classical or updated string and piano mini concerts in the afternoon and early evening many days. Check it out because I have really enjoyed their performances!

#1097 is below Lincoln Center Stage and the corridor on starboard side to the MDR. It shouldn't have any noise from above!! Good spot in my opinion, though I haven't stayed there. This site has very good graphics of the deck plans and you can overlay a deck over the other to see what's above and below. VERY useful tool! Nieuw Amsterdam Cabin Checker Tool. (cruisedeckplans.com) Enjoy! ~Nancy