Cocktails Before/Drinks After Dinner?

[tjcletsgo]

I have sailed HAL twice, both times in a Deluxe Verandah Suite. We spent hours out there watching the seas and this last time, the majestic inside passage of Alaska.:p

 

I usually have umbrella drinks (I never, ever have them any place else) and lemon drop martinis, and have several! I'm not driving!

 

Happy hour starts at 5:00 and is over for me after dinner. I'm just too full! Even if I'm alone and my fellow sailer is running around, the very best thing for me is lying on my lounger, sipping my martini or pina colada watching the world go by, and saying silent prayers, thanking my maker for the opportunity to experience such splender.:o

 

On the last sea day I discovered HAL has a happy hour every night in the Ocean Bar! :D Who knew?????? LOL!

[alpal1993]

You can find me most evenings before dinner at the Martini Bar. I love those foo foo Martini's.Does HAL have its own specialty Martini?Other wise my favorites are Pomagranate,French,and Cosmos.DH is quite happy with Jack on the rocks.

In the lounges probably a glass of white wine or a refrshing Bay Breeze with Malibu Coconut rum.

[airlink diva]

Love the Crow's Nest the most. 3 of my 4 cuises so far have been with friends and we would always meet at the CN for a leaving port drink and a before dinner drink. If you look at my siggy you'll see I am going on a CCL ship for the first time. I've been cruising thier forum and what I have learned is there is a lot of smoking, the food is hit or miss, and there is no Crow's Nest (oe equivalent). My favorite part of the ship.

 

May I suggest the "Kiss on the Lips", it's very yummy and the one drink that I wish HAL offered!!

[happy cruzer]

Love the Crow's Nest the most. 3 of my 4 cuises so far have been with friends and we would always meet at the CN for a leaving port drink and a before dinner drink. If you look at my siggy you'll see I am going on a CCL ship for the first time. I've been cruising thier forum and what I have learned is there is a lot of smoking, the food is hit or miss, and there is no Crow's Nest (oe equivalent). My favorite part of the ship.

 

Hi, Ron

 

We too did a carnival cruise for the first time last year on the same class ship as you are booked on. We loved driving to the port and saved a ton of money.

 

I recommend continue your research and then when you have a list of questions or concerns posting them on the Carnival site. This will help you know what to expect. I was concerned about finding a quiet place to eat in the buffet and was pointed to two very nice spots by previous Ecstacy cruisers. Was informed no ballroom dancing available but it turned out there was dancing at both of the Captain's parties. Not what I was used to but with expectations set properly we had a great cruise.

 

Doing your research like you are is the key to making that change and enjoying it. We now have no fear to book a Carnival cruise when it makes sense like getting to home port cruise!

 

Back on topic, we have wine with dinner so typically don't drink alcohol at other times, we do love a club soda in the lounges. HAL bar staff are very friendly even if you are not purchasing the most expensive drinks.

 

Cheers.

[ekerr19]

DH and I always have a cocktail or 2 on Friday night after a busy work week, its a way to unwind and signal the beginning of the weekend.

 

On a cruise....we drink quite a bit. DH has a few beers duing the day, I may have a gin and tonic while lounging. Some time in the Ocean Bar for a pre-dinner Martini. And then the Explorer's Lounge following dinner, DH will have a Congac and I love the Flaming Spanish Coffees. Oh and once or twice during the cruise a mid morning Bloody Mary.

 

We don't drink to get intoxicated, but to relax and enjoy the social atmosphere. No wonder our on board account is always so high!:eek:

 

I like your cruising style Kathy! We're the same. On vacation, we tend to drink much earlier in the day - we enjoy it. It's our time to relax and enjoy each other and our friends. :)

 

We always have a huge shipboard account - I no longer even worry about it - I just enjoy myself and give thanks I'm able to do it. :)

[kenevenpar]

I don't drink any more, but then again, I don't drink any less.:D (bada bing)

 

It has been our tradition to have a coctail before dinner every night on a cruise. We try to find the perfect bar (it differs by ship for us), and if we like it we return to the same one each evening. We enjoy finding friendly staff that we can talk with while we enjoy our coctail. BTW, if the show is a pre-dinner show, we leave early (or skip it) so as to not miss our coctail.

 

I'm glad to say, our two grown sons have taken to this tradition. Must be good parenting;)

[the_dylaness]

We do often enjoy glasses of wine in the cabin, before dinner, not after. Sometimes we go to a bar or lounge (especially if there's some music we'd like to hear) but very often it's comfy just to hang out in your robe, get ready for dinner at a relaxed pace, watch the waves go by.

 

We tend to spend a lot of time in our cabin in general. Sometimes it's nice to sit around in your jammies, listen to music, and hang out in peace.

 

Always, always, always we celebrate sail away in the room with a bottle of champagne. I prefer the private intimacy of sailing away on my own balcony to the excitement of the crowd. To each their own!

[kakalina]

We used to go to the Ocean bar every evening but as they went non smoking it is now the Crows Nest for us. DH doesn't drink at all and like so many others who have posted I only drink on a cruise. The green apple martini, no sweet and sour with a touch of Midori is the perfect cocktail for me.

[pris993]

We use to have a drink in our cabin before dinner, always seemed a bit rushed. Then went to dinner and had wine in the MDR.

 

On our last cruise, we discovered we really enjoyed having a late lunch in our cabin and a couple of drinks, plus wine or beer with our lunch.

 

This is more in keeping with the what we do at home, we eat a late lunch/early dinner with a drink and wine.

 

After our late lunch we relaxed, took a nap, later we got up showered and dressed for the evening. We went out to enjoy the entertainment on board, we really were not hungry so skipped dinner and just enjoyed going dancing or a show. Often had a drink or a beer while we enjoyed the entertainment.

 

We find the MDR experience on ships doesn't do that much for us anymore, we have been cruising for 30+ years and we are not hungry enough to go to one of the speciality restrauants. Even when we have gone to the MDR recently, we often only ordered a main dish and skipped everything else because we were not hungry.

 

Our approach probably is totally different from what others are doing but it works for us. The new approach on ships, encouraging folks to dine when they wish, has helped us explore what we really want and ship what isn't working for us.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Since we're both alcoholics and not a drop of alcohol has passed our lips in well over 20 years:), we have to bow out of the fun of drinking cocktails before, during and after dinner.

 

But that doesn't stop us from enjoying a "virgin" something before dinner in the Ocean Bar or the Piano Bar, our two personal favorites.

 

For us one of the many fun things about cruising (before and after I stopped drinking) is relaxing with friends. Where better to do that than on a ship at sea?

[GmaPajama]

We pretty much drank our whole life's allotments by the time we were 40. DH never drinks now, and I rarely do - something about needing a liver to survive. :)

 

On a cruise, I will have a glass of wine before dinner a couple of times ... or my favorite, some sweet Tia Maria on ice after dinner. Always in the Ocean Bar, AT the bar. Sitting at the bar feels like being home. We just don't tell our livers where we are.

[sail7seas]

:D Those are OUR Seats, Donna. :)

 

Two seats at the bar in Ocean Bar. Yup. Maasdam. Yup. That's us! :)

 

 

 

[suse]

Love the Crow's Nest the most. 3 of my 4 cuises so far have been with friends and we would always meet at the CN for a leaving port drink and a before dinner drink. If you look at my siggy you'll see I am going on a CCL ship for the first time. I've been cruising thier forum and what I have learned is there is a lot of smoking, the food is hit or miss, and there is no Crow's Nest (oe equivalent). My favorite part of the ship.

That sounds terrible. Can you change your plans? The smoking, hit or miss food etc.

Know what I always wonder about? Those people at the bar having their first one at 8 A.M. Kind of out there, don't you think?:eek:

[m steve]

Bloodys at 11 on sea days, drinks on balcony every evening, drink in Ocean Bar before dinner (when they allowed smoking) a drink at the show or casino after dinner and wine most nights w/dinner. Sometimes my obcs cover the first 2 days, sometimes, not. Pretty much the same at home but rarely after dinner.

[FunForUs]

Our usual routine is to have a cocktail before dinner (Manhattan for me and Martini for DH) and listen to the classical string group in the Explorers Lounge. This is one of things that we enjoy most when we cruise. It is very relaxing.

We then have wine with dinner, usually one glass each.

[Bobed1927]

When you have cocktails in your cabin do you have to make them yourself or can you order drinks through room service?

[Sea King]

but there's something civilized about a cocktail before dinner.

 

there's also nothing "uncivilized" about a drink with dinner and another one after dinner:D:D

[m steve]

I make them as I want to taste the liquor.

[sail7seas]

When you have cocktails in your cabin do you have to make them yourself or can you order drinks through room service?

 

 

You can order any drink you'd like through Room Service. Of course, the normal charge for the beverage would apply.

[Y's Owl]

When I cruise, it's not so much whether I have the drinks in cabin or in a lounge. It's more of a question of when not to drink for me. For that, it is usually when I sleep and shower. I will be trying all the lounges, and also the drinks while perched on the deck lounge chairs, and while flapping around the casino, and anywhere else I find a nearby streward to get me my drink.

[ekerr19]

We used to go to the Ocean bar every evening but as they went non smoking it is now the Crows Nest for us. DH doesn't drink at all and like so many others who have posted I only drink on a cruise. The green apple martini, no sweet and sour with a touch of Midori is the perfect cocktail for me.

 

Trish -

 

Are all ships Ocean Bars non-smoking now?

[sail7seas]

I'm (obviously) not Trish but all Ocean Bars fleetwide are now smoke free.

 

[suse]

When I cruise' date=' it's not so much whether I have the drinks in cabin or in a lounge. It's more of a question of when not to drink for me. For that, it is usually when I sleep and shower. I will be trying all the lounges, and also the drinks while perched on the deck lounge chairs, and while flapping around the casino, and anywhere else I find a nearby streward to get me my drink.[/quote']

Now there's a party guy!:) But, just as an aside, you probably could sneak one into the shower to keep the momentum going.

[m steve]

The new rules suck! I don't know how bad it could be with only a dozen seats that allow smoking. Another case of the complainers winning demanding everyone do as they like.

[CowPrincess]

The new rules suck! I don't know how bad it could be with only a dozen seats that allow smoking. Another case of the complainers winning demanding everyone do as they like.

 

We don't often go to lounges when onboard, but on the rare occasion we do, the non-smoking doesn't bother us. We didn't smoke there before, so it is no adjustment for us.

 

As for drinks after dinner, we are usually so sated by pre-dinner wine, and dinner with wine, we usually just walk the deck. Then back to the cabin for a cheese plate and (yes another!!!) glass of wine.