rkacruiser

What is the difference between the two? Of course Do you prefer with Raisins or not?

Often, having all of the ingredients I need to make a particular item at the same time is rare. I have to plan and buy and store those items until the urge returns to prepare that dish. (I have already purchased a can of sauerkraut for my New Year's Day Pork and Sauerkraut dinner on 1/1/23. It was on sale.) It would be nearly impossible to make a fresh BLT as a lunch item on a cruise ship, I think. Toast from breakfast? Dried out. Bacon? Cold, but, that's OK. Lettuce and Tomatoes? Would be available during lunch hours as would Mayo. A non-toasted BLT could be made with fresh bread at lunch time and Bacon stored in a zip-lock bag until ready to be used, I think. Maybe a better idea? If the ship has a sandwich station, present the challenge to the cook in charge and see what he/she is able to prepare.

The Dutch Cafe is the best new innovation that the geniuses in Seattle have developed. It's tied with the inspired Sel de Mer. Different concepts. Both very successful.

I did. I agree. I prefer nice crackers with my cheese plate. Is it satisfactory with you that such a simple, inexpensive item cannot be included with a cheese plate that you order on a HAL ship?

Read this issue of "no packaged crackers" or no when some find them available and some don't--depending on the ship--is one more example of the inconsistency of the cruise experience when one sails on a ship of the Holland America Line. Crackers or not is a most minor issue. But, as another poster said, I am weary of excuses that don't make sense as Crew News posted regarding what the Environmental Officer said about packaging and recycling.

Any opinion of the geology that you saw as you sailed through the Sund? I hope you do get a second trip through the Sund.

I recall seeing a food truck near the Ocean House and it might be able to provide some food that a child would enjoy. But, on the other hand, why not order a Lobster Roll and tell the child "this is your lunch. Try it. Otherwise, wait until we return to the ship."

Great Lakes cruises and American river cruises have interesting itineraries and are cruises that I have repeatedly considered. But, oh, my! The pricing! On a per day basis for this solo, I could sail on Silversea, Seabourn, a Grill Suite on a Queen, let alone a HAL Neptune Suite or MSC YC Suite for the same amount or less than the pricing that I have seen for these North American cruises. Not enough competition for these cruises is one issue that keeps them so expensive. Cruising on Lake Erie or the Ohio River is mentally not like cruising on the Pacific Ocean, etc. for me. Some might ask: "wouldn't the uniqueness of the experience and the ports be worth it"? My answer would be no. If one wants the sailing experience on the Great Lakes, try the S. S. Badger on Lake Michigan. While it is designed to be a ferry experience across the Lake, it can become a round trip cruise experience at a very significant fraction of the cost of the options.

I second Terry's advice not to push your recovery too quickly. When "we aren't as young as we used to be", healing/recovery takes more time. Be patient, Lois.

I agree. My opinion as to why we are now in the economic "soup" we are in: from the outset of when the Federal money spigots were opened, money was disbursed without proper controls, without proper oversight as to who was receiving the money and whether those who were "eligible" for payments had a genuine need for that money. An example: an employee (classified as "essential") with a family, earning a good salary but whose salary allowed them to be eligible for Federal pandemic emergency money received the benefits whether they needed the money or not. (I know of a specific situation where this happened. The money was banked and saved for their children's education and it prevented the breadwinner from considering a second job that, in the past, he would have probably taken.) Bad times or good times, the political mantra is to CUT TAXES while our infrastructure crumbles around us and we have our "political wise persons" visit collapsed bridges and offer "prayers and thoughts". Terry, our own State's General Assembly is exhibit #1 for this. Among their top three priorities is to keep cutting taxes with one State Senator even introducing a Bill to eliminate the State Income Tax.

I think I have read him saying that he is not an investor in cruise line stocks. The charts are quite interesting and one wonders why the differences between RCL and the other two. There seems to be disagreements among those analysts that cover cruise lines. Morgan Stanley's analyst, as most know, was very bearish and MS's rating is 3 for CCL. Morningstar, however, gives it a 1 and 5 Stars. Reading Morningstar's report, they provide good reasons for that rating. And, in all of their metrics, I think, a 5 Star rating is achieved and is higher than the previous rating for that metric.

Villa Maria is my favorite Sauvignon Blanc and I have had more than one bartender and wine steward tell me that it's one of the best, if not the best, in that price range. Used to be easy to find on a ship, in recent years, other New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are available. I wonder why. Change in distributors? Change in pricing/profit for the cruise lines? Not Villa Maria.

Yes! That's the one. Your description of its interior makes me certain that it is the one I remember (along with looking at its location on Google Maps). Thank you for jogging my memory! I added their web site to my favorites. Hopefully, I won't forget its name again.

While sailing in New Zealand waters, I was reading a book about the sinking of the Mikhail Lermontov which took place in the area between the North and South Islands. Almost felt that I ought to have a brown paper cover on the book.

WOW! What a great price! I assume on American. Managing the booking myself is something that I have been able to do in the past even if I booked cruise air. I don't recall difficulty in choosing a seat or, if the flight details are changed and I am assigned a seat I don't care for, getting that seat changed by working with the airline. Reading recent experiences of others with cruise air, I am wondering if "things" have changed.

I sailed on the Independence when American Hawaii operated the ships. I don't remember a coffee "boy" on deck, but, I do remember a delicious steak dinner that was served on the open deck by the pool one evening. And, the wonderful Hawaiian music!

I wonder if there is an exception if the fish is caught on a cruise line fishing excursion and is brought aboard to be prepared by the chefs and served to those who caught the fish. (I remember that one of the cruise lines did offer this type of an excursion at one time. I think it was Princess.)

If the Hop On/Off bus is available, that would be another option to consider. I also suggest a visit to the Australian Maritime Museum. It's excellent and has a very good gift shop/book store. (I found a book that I had been wanting to buy and was unavailable in the United States.)

You will be stopping at some islands en route to Auckland and that will add more enjoyment for you. I hope you are planning on staying in Auckland and New Zealand for a few days. Auckland many attractions and New Zealand is an interesting and beautiful country to visit.

I think we access the same threads and have backgrounds that warrant our participation on those threads. I sometimes wonder how worthwhile some of my posts are, but, whatever I post is based on my experience, my opinions which, I think, are relatively well informed, and my desire to help others. CC has helped me. Not just good information, but, developing a network of friends through the Roll Call feature that would not have happened, I don't think. We have never met; yet, I feel that I know you as well as some others with whom I have shared conversations. We don't always agree. And, that is what "friends" experience. HAL's Lido Restaurants had such a machine. Toast? English Muffin? I have these items as part of my daily breakfast (although my Chef, me, wouldn't do such a preparation. When I cruise, I want a different bread option. Sticky Buns, quality croissants and danish, and lots of butter will satisfy me.

Yes, my TA has told me she had received such. But, I never fail to check to see such an "affirmation" is correct during embarkation day. I have found that the "confirmation" is not always correct,

You have lived a charmed life with regard to traveling experiences with such expectations of perfection. Allow me to provide some doses of reality: A Virginia Beach stay in a quality property during August, my room's A/C broke. It took a couple of days to fix. I survived. A Business Class Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore to Hong Kong to SFO: my entertainment system froze during the first segment; rebooting in HK, it froze again. I survived. My room key would not work to allow me to re-enter my room in the Sheraton Hotel in Xian, China. I had to go to the Front Desk, twice, to get the lock to unlock. When one travels, one ought to expect challenges during their travels and be most appreciative when one's trip has been a smooth one.

"They" refers to which line?

No, it's not funny. If there is a lapse in the service that a guest expects and the guest cannot individually resolve it, then, why should that guest not meet with the Guest Relations Manager? Why is that person employed if it is not to resolve even minor issues for a guest? I support the CCL's brands of "going green". Their responsibility is to then provide an acceptable substitute for the item eliminated because of it's packaging. The lack of crackers on a cheese plate is a good example of this. What can be substituted? There are options: boxes of Melba Toast and Dutch Rusks are available as examples.

That has been true forever! Sometimes, I get what I have requested and sometimes not. If the table size I am assigned displeases me, I try to make different arrangements during the DRM's hours on embarkation day or after dinner the first evening.