JimnKaren

It is interesting as I sit at the window at the front of my house, I see many of my neighbors walking. It is about even, they go both ways.

When I go to an event where there are lots of tables of displays (art fair for instance) I tend to go toward the right. I read somewhere that right-handed people do that more often than the other way.

However, on board any ship that I have been on, it appears that counter-clockwise is the norm. One walker actually commented to me about those folks who were walking against the flow. I like to irritate people, so I go a couple of laps one way and a couple of laps the other way. Many look at me strangely. Of course, that happens a lot anyway.

Jim

On a longer cruise, the Lido staff will get to know you and your habits if you become a regular. They can see that you are not done, but getting another course and will gently clear the items that you won't need.

We have had too many inconsistencies in service in MDR, so our last two cruises on HAL (28 and 42 days) found us eating our evening meal in the Lido or Canaletto. It got to be like a restaurant where the staff knows you.

Jim

What's fun with the day of the week mats is the changing that takes place when you cross the date line. You wake up on Monday and then it becomes Tuesday! When we were on Statendam in February, we re-crossed the date line without stopping at Fanning Island (weather) and then we were back to Monday, only it was really Tuesday by then! Or something like that! I have pictures of the mats that I took during that two day mess and it was a bit funny.

Jim

Cruise Critic and Holland America

We had a large group with our Roll Call (130+ pages), with more than 70 people. HAL is not hosting a Facebook get together that had many CC people attending on the morning of our first sea day. CC had our own thing that afternoon. We had let HAL events folks know about it and they had beverages and cookies available. That was great.

Since our cruise was 42-days, most of the passengers were there the entire time. However, it could also be booked as a 21-day cruise FLL to Rome or Rome to FLL. The Maasdam staff had a second get-together after we left Rome and their special events coordinator (I forget her name and that is probably not the official name of the position) asked for cabin numbers then. Anyone who responded (many did not) got the invite to the special cocktail party. Not a huge selection of beverages, but there were three bar servers there. Appetizers were offered and the CD offered a short thank-you and they had a very rich chocolate cake to offer (along with the standard superior HAL coffee).

I enjoyed my time with this. It was one of the nicer things that I have seen from HAL and their relationships with Cruise Critic.

Jim

We were on this cruise.

An interesting thing happened, for those CC people who let HAL know who they were, they were invited to a private CC/Captain's Cocktail Party. Nice touch and I thanked all involved; there were at least 8 senior staff members present!

We went to the MDR for anytime dining 4 times and each one was less than stellar. We enjoy the experience sitting with new friends, but the service was not good. We ate in Canaletto and Lido most of the time. Interestingly, during our Mariner's meal (ours was at 1:00, yet still call brunch), the service was worse. My wife's empty soup bowl sat in front of her even as the main course was being served to me! We never got the Petit Fours either. That is sad for a Mariner's Meal.

Besides the cocktail napkins being in short supply (they didn't even get more when we were in Half Moon Cay), they ran out of large cups in the Explorations Cafe.

The ports were great! We really enjoyed Canary Islands and mainland Spain. We did have to miss Sardinia due to weather conditions on shore. Only a couple of days of less than ideal weather. That is too bad, for I took lots of heavier clothes and rain gear. Not really necessary.

One other note of something odd: our cabin garbage can was placed in four separate locations after being emptied in the morning! I really thought that one place would be OK. There were a couple of sea days when our cabin did not get serviced until after 1:00 p.m., which we thought strange. It cut into my nap time!

Jim

A different take -

When you have either a verandah or an outside and you are in your cabin, you can see only one side of whatever is out there. You just might be tempted to move to a space where you have a better view of both sides of the ship! Imagine you are on your verandah enjoying the scenery as you make your way up the inside passage...and at dinner you hear about all the whales on the other side! If you were to be in an outside cabin, your view (from the bed) is not good, so you would naturally gravitate to a place where you can see more.

On an Alaska cruise you don't have to worry about significant ship's motion; however on the open water, you might feel a bit more roll than pitch. I sleep on my side and the movement of the ship is less of a problem for me on the inside layout (but that's me - not necessarily how others might be).

Keep the money and be sure you have some mittens with you.

Jim

Two questions you asked. HAL has several sized ships and to try to compare them to Pacific Princess might not work. It all depends on which HAL ships you have been on.

The other part of the questions has to do with the people on board. And, that is determined a lot by the time or year and the itinerary. Longer cruise, a bit older crowd. Those folks have also cruised more. A typical 7 - 10 day cruise will have a younger crowd (because they can take only so much time away at a time). If it is summer, then more youngsters will be on Princess. I have never seen very many younger people on HAL.

The menus are similar, the cabin sizes are too.

After experimenting with several cruise lines, we have decided that the itinerary is foremost, along with the time of year. We are open to almost any cruise, as long as it goes where and when we want to go.

Jim

Oh boy, I have been lax in coming back here. Retirement is sooo tiring!

Our cruise on Statendam from San Diego to Hawaii to French Polynesia and back was great. Lots of sea days. I read so many books I cannot recall how many, Karen knitted socks for half the crew. Our favorite ports were Bora Bora and Nuku Hiva. In fact, when we returned, I tried to find some property to buy on Nuku Hiva, but was unable to locate anything on the Web.

My biggest gripe (and I did gripe) was the service in the Main Dining Room. It was spotty, at best. After my second complaint, we got better, but not great, service; however, they put us at a table for 2, even when we requested to sit with others. Other food services were great!

I don't know if we would do that itinerary again, although we will be cruising to Hawaii in February. In the mean time, we have a 42 day FLL to Europe/Africa and back on Maasdam starting at the end of October. Lots and lots of sea days in a row and then lots and lots of port days!

As to retirement, I find it so difficult to keep track of the days and the dates. Whenever I go anywhere, I have to ask the date and sometimes the time. Wow! I still get up before the sun, but Karen has decided to sleep late every day. And...I have been grabbing some nap time, although not as often as I thought I would.

Jim

We prefer to stay at the hotel until they toss us out! Too many crazies trying for the shuttle before 11:00. We get preferred boarding, so there is generally not a long line (can be if it is longer itinerary and lots of Platinum and Elite folks are there). However, we don't mind the lines too much as it gives us a chance to chat with other cruisers. We always seem to meet some of those folks on board!

If we get there quickly, I consider a short nap after a bite to eat (I have anxiety about that first day and a nap quells things a bit).

Jim

Another idea to consider. We are in a university town...University of Illinois. Lots of students want/need to do things all the time.

Ask around to see if there might be some students who need some experience as an intern. If you structure it right, you can have them contacting you all the time. Younger minds have lots of ideas, some not realistic, but it is great learning from them.

Jim

HImom,

A thought for you to consider. Contact your local RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) and see if they have some folks who want to contribute to the community by volunteering for your non-profit. I am on our local RSVP advisory council and I am surprised at the number of 55+ folks who are willing to do stuff just because they want to. At our annual recognition luncheon a couple of months ago, there were 3 women who each volunteered more than 2000 hours in a 12-month period! Yikes! That's full-time...and they did it for fun!

Jim

Today is my first day of being a retiree! I tried to nap, but am still too wound up from yesterday's activities. I worked all the way to the time to leave. I thought I was organized, but there were lots of loose ends out there. And then there were my co-workers, I got more cards than we did for Christmas. I almost had to put people on a timer so that the next one could come in with best wishes. I told some folks that I was going to follow my wife around the house like a puppy. She threatened that there might be serious consequences to doing that!

Now, for the fun. 21 days from today were are boarding HAL's Statendam for a 28-day to Hawaii and French Polynesia. The suitcases are out, just not packed yet.

So far, retirement is good! It can only get better.

Jim

In the mid to late 1980s (I forget the year), we sailed to the Bahamas on 3-night trip. Just an hour or two underway, they started putting the little white bags all along the passageway. The dining room, which was low down and no windows with lots of paneling, was less than half full. That first night in the Bahamas, I was up on deck late at night trying to make the other ships in port jealous of all the fun we were having doing that Chicken Dance and the Makarena (sp?). What a blast.

Jim

And...Old San Juan is not flat! My hip (replaced in 2005) made life difficult. I did find that going down hill was easier that going up. Take a taxi to the top and walk back to the ship. Go slow and enjoy the town.

Jim

The date is getting closer. Karen is counting the number of days of work. I figure that I'll start to count when she retires.

People used to stop at my office and say that I could not retire! Now they are accepting it (I have a complete itinerary of our retirement cruise posted for all to see). And, little by little I clear out some personal things and that is being noticed. I am glad that I did not get fired, I would have had to enlist at least 4 people to haul away my 'stuff'.

The reality is beginning to set in. It is sorta scary, but I will look at it as a new-and-better phase of my life.

December 31 for Karen; January 10 for me.

Jim

We're getting closer! Karen on December 31 and I will finish on January 10. Then a 28 day cruise to Hawaii and South Pacific. Mentally, we are ready.

Jim

Several years ago, we were on Ryndam from San Diego into Sea of Cortez. Great female piano person who was from Canada. Generally there were about 15 of us, we might have scared away others who tried to get into our group. Many hours spent there, even the bartender knew our preferences.

Jim

Almost daily at work, someone comes into my office to make a comment something like, "You can't retire!"

Every time I hear that, it makes me want to tell them how many days it will be. Unfortunately, I don't keep track of that, so all I do is smile!

Jim

I work in a nursing home and most of our residents nap both mid-morning and right after lunch. When people ask me what I intend to do when I retire, I respond that I am going to catch up on my naps!!

Jim

OK, I understand your concern about his retirement, but what will happen when you eventually stop working? Are there plans? With you around, will that drive him to find work?

Jim

Interesting that you mention this. My supervisor and I had a discussion about whether I should postpone my retirement for a couple of weeks, then take my 4 week cruise and then return to work. I think not! I hope that they have my replacement at the desk. If they need me for something, I will be gracious and advise. No returning there. Nice folks, but...

Karen has had a verbal offer from someone, but she would work only on her terms. That would be 2 full days a week, not 5 half days. I gave up with her trying to guess on things like that.

I am 66 and Karen is 65. At sometime in one's life, ya gotta pull the plug! We have 70 days of cruising set for next year. I don't believe that I will return to my old job. Maybe I'll get one of those things that has you standing in a grocery store, heating up whatevers to tempt people to buy. One for the customer, one for me, one for the customer, one for me! Our food budget would be minimal!!

Jim

Several months ago I was trolling the cruise line's sites and discovered a really neat cruise that I thought might be good for us. 28 days to Hawaii and French Polynesia. We both have the time, although our work places would not be really happy having us gone that long. The more we looked at the cruise, the bigger the light bulb that indicated we should both pull the plug at the same time. We are both mid-60s and are working full-time.

So, we made the decision. January 10 is the day and then the cruise starts February 1. What will we do when we return? That is a big question for our co-workers. They don't believe that either or both of us will be content to be at home 5 days each week.

Less than 150 days. We'll see what we shall see!

Jim

Or maybe they forgot about daylight savings time.

Jim

We were on HAL earlier this year. They worked their food service for the first couple of days as though there were a virus outbreak on board. I believe that it made more passengers aware of proper hand hygiene. It was preventative and it worked. I believe that all the HAL ships do this at the beginning of each cruise. I believe it to be good!

Jim

I sailed Regency to Alaska and had a great time. I suggested that my parents consider taking that same cruise. Boy, was I wrong on that one. Regency served a cuisine that was French inspired and my folks were not into the rich sauces that come with that. They hated the cruise simply because of the food. Nowadays, that type of cuisine just isn't to be found in the cruise lines that appeal to the masses.

Jim