kpgibbs

I will say that our whirlpool tub was awesome. I used it every night!

Same thing I was thinking- he is great

Mario sounds correct.

Do you remember who your PG waiter was? We have a few favorite servers in Zuiderdam PG.

I'm sorry I don't. I can tell you he was a tall white guy but not American. That may not help much.:D

Got back last Saturday from Alaska on the Zuiderdam. This is my first time sailing with HAL. I will say the service and food is far better on HAL than any other cruise line I have been on. Which is not many, Princess and RC.

The staff is beyond helpful and nice. With the exception of the guy in the Neptune lounge. He didn't know anything and was not helpful at all. And for the life of my, I can't figure out why anyone would want to sit in the Neptune lounge. It’s dark and dreary. With that said, we did not spend much time in there.

It amazes me how these people can remember your name after just one day. I can't remember someone’s name after five minutes. I went the casino on the second day and joined the slot tournament. After that, the slot host called me by name every time I went in. I did fairly well in the casino....except I ended up giving most of it back.

The food in the PG was wonderful. Our waiter was great. I can't say enough about the food and service.

Lido food was so so. Typical buffet food. Dive in.......OMG, wonderful. I loved everything I had there.

We stayed in the Neptune Suite 7151, aft with wrap around balcony. The room wasn't what we expected. We expected bigger. But I can't tell you have much storage space we did not use. I think that cabin had more storage then my house. The wrap around balcony would be great in a warm climate. Most of the time we didn't go on the side due to the wind and it was too cold.

My only complaint is the ship. I think that is one ugly ship. The colors are horrible. The ship didn't feel open to me. Plus, a lot of the bars or areas that you could sit had very low seats. If you have a bad back or bad knees, it can be hard to near impossible to get up. My mother and I went to one of the bars to sit and she ended up not being able to get up out of the low chair. She did finally get up. We got really tickled about it though.

I know this is very brief, but you have any questions, fire away. I will try to answer what I can. All in all it was a great cruise and I did not want to come back.

I've been called every name under the sun and been harassed especially by one poster on this board and it's allowed to continue. There are some smokers that are clearly not like that but I don't see why smokers have to resort to that. There is zero need for that and it doesn't win friends.

I think my reading comprehension is off today. I'm not sure what you are saying. I can't tell if you're being ugly to me or not. I see where you have someone that is ugly to you. Wellllll, you have been ugly to me many times. I have seen you be very ugly to a lot of people. In fact, I came to defend myself with you and my post was deleted while yours was allowed to stay. I found that very interesting.

Back to the subject, I am a polite smoker. If I can tell it's bothering you, or if you POLITELY ask me to put it out, I will. At the same time, I do have a right to be on my balcony and smoke. But I do not chain smoke.

when you consider yourself disgusted/offended/endangered by the lawful behaviour of some of your fellow patrons at a commercial establishment you frequent, you have options:

 

a) get over it

b) take your business elsewhere

c) attempt to convince/threaten/cajole the business into believing your are a more important/profitable/nicer client than the one(s) that offend you.

d) start/contribute to another smoking thread on CC

You hit the nail on the head! Everyone has a choice. I think there are a lot of smokers on this board but are afraid to say much due to being flamed. I am a smoker. I did not book HAL so I could smoke. But it will be a nice privledge. If it bothers my neighbors, I will put it out.

This author is a bit out of touch with the cruise industry and what I would expect for Faux News.

As many have pointed out....FOX news only reported it. Would you have felt different if CNN had reported it?

Muster should NEVER go away!

it would be nice if all these sanctimonious people would stop bleeting on about smokers,people go on holiday to have a nice time if that means smoking and drinking on there balcony's so be it there;s plenty of cruise lines were you cant smoke go on one of them and give everyone else a break.

Agree 100%! The smoking threads on this board are ridiculous!

Zuiderdam Aug 2nd. Seven day Alaska..whoo hooo

Is Amtrak cheaper than flying? I live in Amarillo and Amtrak doesn't come through here anymore. We have to drive to Raton. I've always wanted to go on the train.

I am 47 years old. I have three tats. Two are on my stomach and can not be seen. The third one is on my lower leg. It's an eagle feather with my sons name on it. I'm sure eventually, I will get another one. I was not drunk and I sure as heck do not like pain. My tattoos are for me. Not for anyone else.

The last time I checked, only God could judge me.

We were aboard Zuiderdam during the June 7 - 14 sailing. Our entertainment was a couple of hundred seals, sea lions, and one really happy humpback that waved it's tail at us repeatedly as we approached Juneau. We're really not high maintenance when on an Alaska cruise. Margerie Glacier put on a real performance while we were there with tons of calving (literally!). Honestly, we didn't see the inside of the show lounge, except to wait for our shore excursion to be called when we tendered in Juneau. There was also a cinnamon brown grizzly bear along the shore at Glacier Bay that provided lots of oohs and aahs. All of that plus a large compliment of Aussies who are the most entertaining folks we've met on a Dam ship!

Thank you Sam. Sounds like you had great entertainment. That's pretty funny. Sounds like you had a good trip.

Respectfully, there are always new members to the HAL forum, like me.

 

And personally, I have found out several bits of information in this thread that I am grateful for. So I thank those who have participated, on both sides.

 

IMHO, you need not read a thead that bothers you, one that you have no interest in, nor one that has been beaten to death in your opinion. This is a passionate topic for many and I don't think anyone is suggesting that the smoking policy is going to be changed by Cruise Critic forum posts. But on the other hand, it is an American tradition to speak out. Many unenlightened policies of the US govenment have been changed by demonstrations, rallies, and the voice of the common citizen. (examples, the vietnam war and equal rights). It is unfortunate you are promoting a form of censorship. Just ignore us. :D

 

.

If you will read back a few pages, I am not the only one that thinks this topic has been hashed to death. Yet, I am the only one you chose to reply to. As I stated, I did not read the entire thread simply because everyone is saying the same thing over and over. The search box is a wonderful tool. Where do you get that I am promoting censorship? All I am saying is there no telling how many smoking threads there are on this board. Why do people insist on starting another one?

I would like to know what you have found useful in this thread that you couldn't find in the tons of other smoking threads. And for the record, I am also new to the HAL board. I have found that more people flame me than help me. People have opinions and they are entitled to them. Just as I am entitled to state my opinion about to many threads of the same topic. Yet, for what ever reason, you decide to quote mine rather than another person that feels the same as I do.

We will be on the Zuiderdam to Alaska August 2nd. Seems like I read a thread that said the BB King show is on a break. Can anyone tell me what replaced it? Or what the overall entertainment is this summer?

Thank you kindly.

I honestly believe this was a total oversight. Think about working on a ship. These people work hard week after week. I can only imagine how dates and even days of the week run together. I'm sure the date didn't even register with them. That is not their fault.

To make an issue of it....well I find it kind of sad. I understand the date means a lot to some people. The fact that it was not mentioned or announced is not a reason to complain. You are on a cruise for heavens sake. A lot of people will never ever be able to go on a cruise. In fact, I would bet a lot of people call going to their neighboring city or town for the day a vacation.

Pick your battles.

I haven't read all of this thread. Simply because it's beating a dead horse. This board has tons of smoking threads with people saying the same thing over and over. But I find it funny that this thread is already to page 5.

I wish the moderator would stop all smoking threads and keep just one. People can rant all they want. HAL will do what they want. I do think HAL will change their policy but I don't think it will be because CC has 2000 smoking threads.

Just my two cents.

We did zip lining in Ketchican. So much fun. We saw so many eagles....close up. One line ended on a platform in the water. Eagle were catching fish right by us. It's in the rain forest and so pretty.

Awww, he's so freaking cute. I want to cuddle with him.

After reading all your wonderful reports and finally reading this one....I truely felt my trip was coming to an end. You know that feeling you get when it's the last day? That's exactly how I felt.

You are a wonderful writer. You should consider writing a book. :D

Very nice photo's, I especially like the one of the moose, really cool. Thanks for sharing.:D

I have watched the video three times looking for a moose. I can't find it. Am I really that blind? :eek:

Very nice photos Bump. I will be on that exact cruise in August. Can't wait.

I understand where you are coming from. The problems is that if you never eat in the MDR you are missing out on some pretty good meals. Also you miss out on some "fun" times such as hearing the wait staff sing Happy Birthday in their native language. The food from room service and in the Lido is not as good nor is there much of a selection. I always compromise by wearing smart casual/ jacket and tie and immediately after dinner change into my jeans for the rest of the night. Remember too; you paid for all those missed meals in the MDR.

I know we will miss some things. But honestly, it doesn't bother me too much. I have been to the MDR and it was OK for the most part. But that was on Princess. While on Princess, I didn't notice anyone dressed sloppy. But, I'm not one to really care what others are wearing and I rarely notice what others are wearing.

I love the mentality of some.

 

"I Refuse To Dress Up, Therefore I'll Eat In A Cafeteria And Grab My Own Grub On Formal Nights"

 

Too funny

I'm a little confused on your comment. What do you mean by the "mentality of some people" It seems damned if you do and damned if you don't.

I will be sailing to Alaska in August. I am not a girly girl and I hate dressing up. I am a jeans kind of girl. We will not be dining in the MDR at all. Two reasons for this. I know the rules for dress in the MDR and I won't break them. But I also don't want to be looked down upon for what some people think is not dressy enough.

My jeans will not have holes in them or be tacky in any way. If my nice jeans offend anyone, I'm sorry. But that is what I am comfortable in. Let me add, I will take some slacks to wear when we eat in the PG. But the rest of the time, I will be in jeans.

You can call the cruise line and ask how many teens will be on board. They will give you a breakdown of ages and the number of kids in an age group.

My mother and I travel together every summer. We have a great time. I realize my cruise will be what I make of it. And YES, I'm on a cruise, what more could I ask for?

HAL is all inclusive. I don't know why people keep having to associate age with the its passengers.

What do you mean "all inclusive" What sets HAL apart from other lines when it comes to all inclusive?

I downloaded a book on my Kindle about crusing. It gave the demegraphics with all lines. It said HAL was an older crowd. That is another reason why I asked the questions.