My Review!Wang Wangs kicked my butt!

[LVSue]

I was wondering how you were even taken to the upper level (usually fixed seating), but then my stomach started getting queasy from all the Wang-wangs, so I decided I should just stop thinking.

 

Glad you had such a good time despite drawbacks!

[Taxguy77]

1. BAD, not bad, lunch in the old city of Duvrovnic? We had light lunches there and found them to be very good. We were there on a Sunday and saw a small but interesting parade, had a good lunch and DW attended a full Latin Mass at one of the Cathedrals. A marvelous day.

 

2. Lido. The food was quite varied and never "warmed over". My favorite was the Asian dinner where you picked out your own mix of veggies and meats, and they stir-fried it for you, not cold when you got to the table and finished it.

 

3. Wang Wangs. In college I learned about mixed drinks, and over 50 years of seeing what can happen (By the mix or due to what the bartender put in:eek:) I pretty much stick to beer or wine. Whiskey just with water (Except for good Scotch, that's for sipping) except for Pisco Sours in Peru.

 

4. HAL is quiet and has great beds, very good for getting a good nights sleep. Lets you be ready for a port experience early the next morning.

[erewhon]

Indy Denise,

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.

Sorry that you had such bad dining experiences.

[momatibm]

I try the beef at the beginning of the cruise -- I've found it depends on the ship -- but since I eat other than beef -- I've usually been able to find something cooked correctly. We were on a BTB and my husband noticed I wasn't eating beef -- which I love, but only eat very rare -- so he said something. I said -- not worth complaining about -- plenty of other things to eat.

 

That is how I roll. Sorry you didn't have the same experience.

[SwissMyst]

.....

I thought and read Hal had great food ......wow I.m on for 20 days. Yikes

 

Michele

 

HAL has good food and great variety. You will find lots to like starting with their excellent fresh baked breads and sweet butter, better than any other ship we have been on. Appetizers are tasty, soups are fabulous, entrees cover lots of bases for most tastes.

 

While desserts may be a HAL weak link by then who even has room. There is always a chocolate or butterscotch sundae or their lovely moist chocolate cake with raspberry sauce from room service.

 

Best of all is order their vanilla ice cream and pour your complimentary dinner espresso over it for a wonderful "affogato".

 

There is no reason to worry about your upcoming 20 days. You will dine well on these ships. And please try the Pinnacle, which can be superb. And if one wants meat, meat, meat, the Pinnacle is only $10 for lunch.

[luvcruisn']

I was wondering how you were even taken to the upper level (usually fixed seating),...

 

On my recent cruise on the Veendam I had fixed seating in the upper level at 8:00pm. Many evenings several of the tables were empty - people dining elsewhere, and many times I saw people being led upstairs to fill in some of those empty tables.

[IndyDenise]

Re Dining:

Most people will be will fine with the dining choices.

I am picky..I know it, I admit it.

Since I do not eat seafood (Asian or lamb etc ) I found it limiting. There were always a lot of seafood or vegetarian choices...just not a lot of beef choices.

The best meal onboard was during the Mariner Lunch: beef short ribs, mashed potatoes, carrots..perfect...awesome..give me more please !

I also do not like the lack of 24/7 dining, or the closure of Lido lines mid serivce, or having to go to the other line to get something one ran out of and did not replenish.

That said, for most part the quality is good. The breads are great! The house dressing ( italian ) is so good.

[vivavegas]

Nice review! Thanks for sharing your experiences! :)

[IndyDenise]

Could you please give us an update where you went,who with what you enjoyed in ports etc

I will be on the same in July .trying to get info

I hope food selections will improve before I get on . Princess usually has great food so I hope Hal measures up I.m not that fussy but taste must be in

I think I am a good cook so I expect nothing less from cruise companies I do not like the reheated stuff I like mine freshly done ok if I need to wait cold burgers not good

I thought and read Hal had great food ......wow I.m on for 20 days. Yikes

 

Michele

 

_______________

Michelle,

I am sure you will be fine. Not many will find the lack of beef choices a hardship...but remember I am a picky eater. I am not fussy, but picky.

Really, it is my issue and not HAL's..but I was surprised to see so many seafood/vegetarian choices.

The burgers are cooked ahead, the reheated on the grill..you could always ask for a freshly cooked one...

Many of the cruisers on my cruise were past Princess cruisers and most did say they liked Princess better...however, we usually like what we know and are used to..just like I am used to the 24/7 dining options on Carnival not finding it on Hal is a bit of a shock. You will be fine..

The Ports- You are in for a treat!

Dubrovnik: took a taxi ( 10 euros ) to Old Town and walked around. Taxi is MUCH cheaper and faster than ship's bus which was $7.99 one way per person!

Corfu: We walked past the row of tour bus' and caught the city bus ( 1.50 Euro ) into Old Town. I think the HAL bus was priced like above....which is nuts since you can also walk into Old Town. You may want to tour Corfu too...and go to the beach...it will be warmer when you are there.

Athens: HAL tour of Acropolis. Yeah, I know it was overpriced but it was just easier to book through HAL, and I have no problem giving HAL some extra money. Next time though I would DIY, but with a guide. If you ever need to wear sensible shoes in your life...this is it! Seriously!!!!!!!!!

Some of my Aussie friends booked a tour and their guide never showed up so they found a tour at the port and joined it...and said it was great ( and cheap! ). I wish we had seen the Plaka ( ? ) ..our tour did not include it...hopefully yours will.

Katakolon: We did not visit Olympia, we stayed in the little seaside village. You could go swimming that day ( two beaches in a easy walkable distance ). I did talk to those that went to Olympia and most found it lacking..this was the Wang Wang morning so we had NO energy to do much

Kusadasi: HAL tour of Ephesus. Ephesus is awesome, do go. You will probably need a guide, there is so much to learn here, so do a tour. City is clean, clean, clean. There is TONS of shopping for fakes, and while the shopkeepers try to get you to come in their store they are not agressive like in say the Caribbean..they do not follow you around. Very polite. Waterparks are also an option.

Santorini: OMG! Did the HAL tour of Oia and Mount Profits (sp) . Tendered to Athinos port and got on a bus..up the cliff we went. Our guide was great, the time in Oia was almost 2 hours, then went to Fira for the rest of the day.

Had lunch at Mamma's Place ( very very reasonable and good ). We had no lines for the " ski lift" back down the cliff. This was a perfect day spent in a perfect place. Glad we did the HAL tour..others we know rented quads and explored the island, or taxied around.

Messina: Really nothing there much to see..

Rome: Did a Walks Of Italy Pristine Sistine Tour. I can 1000000000% recommend this company. BEST BEST tour we did EVER!!! I only wished I had more time to do more tours with Walks..they are that good!!!!!!

[PGV]

Hi Denise,

Thanks for your review. Which were your formal nights?

Thanks

PGV :)

[SwissMyst]

Tracking down the famous Sicilian sweets can be a worthy activity in Messina.:p

 

« Sicilian cakes, pastries and desserts

 

Messina's pignoccata and the Pistachios of volcano

 

Rebuilt after the 1908 earthquake and the Second World War bombardments, Messina looks rather a modern town nowadays. There are, however, some sights to see. Piazza del Duomo has its church rebuilt in original mediaeval style and the sixteenth-century Fontana di Orione just in front of it is worth seeing too. The excellent Museo Regionale has three fabulous pictures - the Polyptych of San Gregorio by Antonello da Messina, and the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Resurrection of Lazarus by Caravaggio.

 

The pasticceria shops, especially at Doddis and at Irrera, specialise in "pignoccata", balls of egg pasta either baked or deep fried and then made into a pine cone shape and covered with an icing of white sugar or chocolate.

 

The nature reserve of Mount Etna deserves a careful visit. Leave the Catania-Messina motorway at the Fiumefreddo exit and climb up through Piedimonte Etneo to Linguaglossa, where a pretty side road leaves the village and winds up the mountain. The splendid fir trees soon give way to expanses of black lava. At Piano Provenzano, where the road finishes, a four-wheel drive service will take you up to the peak and the crater 3,000 metres above sea level from the refuge station.

 

On the slopes of Mount Etna in the Bronte area there is Italy's only grove of pistachio nuts, which exercise a strong influence on the pasticceria shops of the entire locality. They are used ground or crushed in the making of many types of biscuits.

 

The classic local dessert is still today the "pistacchiata" or "fastucata": the pistachios are cooked with sugar, cinnamon and vanilla essence to make a type of crunchy sugar bar similar to torrone. In Linguaglossa go to Pasticceria L'Alhambra and in Bronte go to the famous Pasticceria Lazzaro on the main corso.

[Typhoon1]

Thanks fot the through review.

 

Waht else are vacations for? A few wang wangs.

[snowman]

I have had a few Wang/Wangs on our cruises. I talked her into have one 1,2,3. My wife who is a retired M.D. had 2, last year and I had to find a wheel chair for her and she is only 5*+. I really had realy laugh about your post.