I've wandered off the HAL reservation. . .

[dvrdude]

But I want to come back. :D DW and I tried NCL a few years ago and went back to HAL for our next couple of cruises. Just got back a couple weeks ago from our second in a row Carnival cruise, and I'm not knocking Carnival, as we had a great time on each, but we're really missing some of the nuances of HAL. We're both mid 40s and prefer the demographic that HAL draws. We also miss the little things like the bartenders remembering our names/drink preferences and cabin number so we're not having to constantly whip out our card. Really miss hanging out in the Ocean Bar or Crows Nest before dinner and having plates of appetizers magically appear. I could go on and on. Please tell me HAL is still as we remember it. Looking to book an Alaska in May. That reminds me of another one-Pea Soup!!

 

Jim

[CTBob]

But I want to come back. :D DW and I tried NCL a few years ago and went back to HAL for our next couple of cruises. Just got back a couple weeks ago from our second in a row Carnival cruise, and I'm not knocking Carnival, as we had a great time on each, but we're really missing some of the nuances of HAL. We're both mid 40s and prefer the demographic that HAL draws. We also miss the little things like the bartenders remembering our names/drink preferences and cabin number so we're not having to constantly whip out our card. Really miss hanging out in the Ocean Bar or Crows Nest before dinner and having plates of appetizers magically appear. I could go on and on. Please tell me HAL is still as we remember it. Looking to book an Alaska in May. That reminds me of another one-Pea Soup!!

 

Jim

Certainly much of it is the same. We just returned from the Nieuw Amsterdam and the crew was great. There were two barmen who remembered our names for the entire cruise after meeting on the first day. However since we changed drinks often they never knew what we were going to order. As for appetizers, the only thing I saw were small bottles of nuts. Oh well...

 

Just a hint, if you order a drink card it isn't good during "Happy Hour".

[Krazy Kruizers]

Pea Soup -- gone from all the cruises that we have been on the last couple of years -- Caribbean - - BUT -- Alaskan -- you might see it offered there.

You will have to hand over your ship ID card or a Beverage card when you order a drink. Everything has to be scanned.

Appetizers -- also just on the Nieuw Amsterdam recently -- only got bottles of gold fix and nuts during Happy Hour -- never saw any hote appetizers either in the Ocean Bar or the Explorer's Lounge.

[dvrdude]

That's sort of disappointing about the card swipe. I can't understand how it's not in the best interest of the bar til for guests to run a tab. I know I tend to be much more awre of how much I'm spending if I have to sign for everything individually. Too bad. Bummer about the hot appetizers too. <<sigh>> Thought I was too young to be nostalgic. I guess I'm not. :(

[Highflyer1]

If you cruise long enough on HAL you will be able to see the sucession of the staff. We were on the Nordam two years ago and met the singing waiter serving us lunch - Burt Reyonlds was what he told us his stage name was.

 

We met him again doing room service two year later and he REMEMBERED us, not our names. He remembered us because we tipped him for his impromptu siging of the ****** song.

[Assateague Island Princes]

Pea soup in Alaska remains! YUM! See? There still is SOMETHING to smile about:p!

[dvrdude]

Hey, I remember Burt Reynolds!!! Can't remember if we encountered him on the Noordam or Westerdam. Glad to hear about the pea soup. nothing better than taking in the beauty of glacier bay from the bow while enjoying some nice hot pea soup!!

[dot73]

I was on the same cruise as CTBob. There were appetizers at my favourite bar before each dinner seating. It was my favourite bar but for the life of me, I cannot remember it's name.:confused: 14 fabulous days on the NA and I am totally brain dead from total relaxation. I do know that my fabvourite bar was on the Promenade Deck (3), towards the middle of the ship, in between the shopping area and the photogallery and by the glass stairs. It also had a small dancing area. Bob, can you help? As for the appetizers, you had to ask for them. They were excellent - that I do remember.:D

[dvrdude]

That's the ocean bar. So they do still offer pre-dinner appetizers! Whoo Hoo!! :D

[iriemon]

That's the ocean bar. So they do still offer pre-dinner appetizers! Whoo Hoo!! :D

 

Don't get too excited, We just got off the Zuidy and we always met friends at the Ocean Bar before dinner. Yes they always remembered our name and drink, it was like being at "Cheers" bar where everyone knows your name. We did get the nuts and then they would bring out a small plate of 4 different appitizers (there happened to be 5 of us). Nothing to write home about, and nothing like they use to serve. We always use to look forward to them, but like many things they have gone the way of budget cuts.

[dvrdude]

Darned budget cuts! :mad: Sell off some teak deck chairs, same with the shuffleboard thingies, but please bring back the pre dinner yummies!! I swear there were some nights when the plates just kept coming and coming 'til hitting the dining room was no longer necessary. Coconut shrimp, fried wontons with crab meat (rangoon??), big fat meatballs. All a thing of the past, eh? I'll miss my fave yummy delivery dude. Jaime on the Zaandam. I can still picture him in his bellhop hat holding out a big tray of snack plates with white gloved hands. <<sigh>>

[iriemon]

Darned budget cuts! :mad: Sell off some teak deck chairs, same with the shuffleboard thingies, but please bring back the pre dinner yummies!! I swear there were some nights when the plates just kept coming and coming 'til hitting the dining room was no longer necessary. Coconut shrimp, fried wontons with crab meat (rangoon??), big fat meatballs. All a thing of the past, eh? I'll miss my fave yummy delivery dude. Jaime on the Zaandam. I can still picture him in his bellhop hat holding out a big tray of snack plates with white gloved hands. <<sigh>>

 

Yup sorry to disappoint you but they are gone. I know exactly what you mean, I went into serious withdrawal the first time I went on HAL and they did not have them. Most of the ones they have now are really poor and IMHO weird. Could skip them very easily in fact most of the time did.

[Randyk47]

Funny, we're probably going to wander off the HAL reservation for our next cruise. We've decided to stay with the booked Maasdam cruise so I'm really talking about the cruise after that and we're seriously considering and researching some of the smaller upscale lines but not mass market lines like Celebrity or NCL. We'll see how the Maasdam cruise goes but another cruise like our last on the Veendam it might be time for a change.

[ctcruisedream]

Where is 'Burt Reynolds' now? Loved him on the Noordam.

[iriemon]

Where is 'Burt Reynolds' now? Loved him on the Noordam.

 

OK, I will take the bait, who are you talking about?

[RuthC]

OK, I will take the bait, who are you talking about?

"Burt Reynolds" was a steward on the Noordam when I met him. He handed out trays in the Lido, and I'm sure had other duties as well. When I was next aboard (maybe a year later?) he saw me, and remembered me long before I could place him.

He's one of several stewards known for their ability to remember people and names.

[Himself]

Come Back to HAL and please stay!

[Gablin]

Pea soup was served on the deck on the Veendam, at least once, during my cruise November 26 to December 8, in South America.

 

My friend and I are not big spenders in the bars, but found the Crows' Nest a comfortable place to watch the waves in the late afternoon. One afternoon, we were offered very fancy hors d'oeuvres, which my friend sampled. They were all meat or chicken items, and I am a vegetarian, so I didn't try them. They were very attractive and presented beautifully.

 

This was my first cruise with HAL in eleven years. I do remember when hot hors d'oeuvres were offered in all of the lounges, whether one was buying drinks or not. Then, in 1999, I recall being told that the hors d'oeuvres were only for those who were buying drinks.

 

I don't know whether the server was just feeling friendly, on this recent cruise, or whether the policy has changed.

[shoresofsuperior]

We just returned from the December 5 Nieuw Amsterdam cruise and were offered lovely plates of appetizers in the Ocean Bar. Plenty on each plate, including very generous lobster chunks with mango relish and several hot treats. I think the happy hour begins quite early there, possibly 4pm.

[dvrdude]

Wow. Seems very inconsistant. Whether or not they still serve the goodies won't keep me from booking a HAL cruise, for sure. Just curious as to how/if things have changed since our last HAL cruise in 2008. Can't wait to see Burt again!

[iriemon]

Wow. Seems very inconsistant. Whether or not they still serve the goodies won't keep me from booking a HAL cruise, for sure. Just curious as to how/if things have changed since our last HAL cruise in 2008. Can't wait to see Burt again!

 

Oh never let that stop you from booking the cruise, there is so much more and you won't go hungry!:D

[iriemon]

"Burt Reynolds" was a steward on the Noordam when I met him. He handed out trays in the Lido, and I'm sure had other duties as well. When I was next aboard (maybe a year later?) he saw me, and remembered me long before I could place him.

He's one of several stewards known for their ability to remember people and names.

 

Thanks Ruth, thought it may be something like that. I remeber on one of the other HAL ships there was someone named Okey Dokey who remembered everyone. I saw him on 3 ships. Have not seen him for years since.:cool:

[CTBob]

Wow. Seems very inconsistant. Whether or not they still serve the goodies won't keep me from booking a HAL cruise, for sure. Just curious as to how/if things have changed since our last HAL cruise in 2008. Can't wait to see Burt again!

Not inconsistant at all. It just depends on where you are and when. That's why there are so many varying opinions on the exact same cruise. I was never in the Ocean Bar at that time so I didn't get the appetizers, but that was my experience. On my last cruise I did find the appetizers every day, actually I didn't find them a friend did.

 

BTW - Our first cruise without the trays. I didn't really miss the trays, but I did miss the person remembering my name every morning. In my case it was either Hunky Dory or Buddy Holly!

[GmaPajama]

Pea Soup -- gone from all the cruises that we have been on the last couple of years -- Caribbean ...

My experience is different, even in the Caribbean. At least one night on every cruise we've done - I've found Pea Soup on the menu. HAL absolutely does it right, and I love it so ... I always order it as an entree, and get a huge bowl of it. Yummy!

[arzz]

It is possible that to get appetizers (which we enjoyed for 36 days aboard the Prinsendam this summer) you have to be there between certain pre set dinner hours, possibly based upon the two fixed seating times -- this gets difficult with many diners selecting other, open dining times.