Westerdam: I Hope the Cruise was the Exception for HAL, Not the Rule.

[wallyboag]

Sigh... I know that this post is going to be controversial. I saw a review for the Westerdam before our cruise left that mentioned some concerns and a lot of people accused the person of being a fraud and not taking the cruise.

 

Well, I just got off the July 21-28 Alaskan cruise and was extremely disappointed with the service my family received. I had heard that HAL was the best when it came to service, but I just encountered disappointment after disappointment. If anyone else experienced what I experienced, they would never cruise HAL again. I know I won't be cruising with them again. I feel like I should write a letter to someone, because what happened on the cruise was far from the reputation HAL should expect from its ships... but I don't know if anyone would ever read it or act on what happened.

 

Anyway, here are the things that went wrong for us in order of them occurring:

 

There was a moldy chocolate-covered strawberry on the floor of our cabin when we first entered it. When we notified our steward, he removed it without apologizing or really saying anything. (Hey, mistakes are made, I am willing to let this one slide, no big deal).

 

Our room did not have bathrobes in it, until they magically appeared on day 3.

 

We had prepaid for an unlimited laundry package and packed lightly because of this. We had spent a couple of days in Seattle before boarding and really needed our clothes laundered on the first day. There was no laundry bag in our room on the first day. We called down around 7:00 and asked for one. The person said "We'll have one sent to your cabin right away." It never came. I called again the next morning and again was told one would be sent right away. It didn't come until after dinner that day. This meant we had to wear dirty clothes to our call in Juneau.

 

Juneau day dining: Here's where it got really frustrating. Because of a time change, clocks were set back the day we were scheduled to arrive in Juneau. This meant to our bodies and the 2,000 other passengers on board, 11:00 was lunchtime. The all ashore time for Juneau was 12:15. The lido did not open until 11:00 AM and the dining room did not open until 12:00. This meant that 2,000 people had to cycle through the Lido in 1 hour. Ridiculous! I called room service at 11:00 to order a steak sandwich. They would only have the limited menu until 12:00! What good is that when everyone is going on shore? The food options up at the Lido were very limited even at 11:00... only sandwiches and potato chips. Why couldn't the kitchens be opened early to accommodate the port schedule? The lines at the lido were ridiculous and people were very agitated.

 

Similarly all aboard in Juneau was after 10:00. The only food available at that time was room service. So 2,000 hungry people clogged the room service line right at 10:00. I sat on hold for 15 minutes before my order was taken. My brother called a few minutes later and waited almost 30 minutes. I was told 45 minutes for delivery, but it was delivered an hour. My brother was also told 45 minutes. After 90 minutes he called them and they said it was almost ready. He waited another thirty minutes (now it was after midnight!) and told them to cancel his order because he was going to bed. The guy told him, "But we just dropped the pasta in the water!" and my brother said "Sorry, we really need to got to bed." and the guy kept saying, "But it will only be another few minutes." My brother was APOLOGIZING to room service for canceling his order that was already over an hour late! WHAT?!?!?!

 

My sister really liked a cocktail called the wine country collins. She ordered it four times on the cruise. At dinner one night (the fifth time she ordered it) it came to the table tasting really bitter. It was not made properly. She asked the server to take it back and replace it, and he said, "No, I can't do that. Let me find the chief steward." WHAT???? A $7 drink tastes bad and you can't replace it without finding the chief steward? How does this make ANY SENSE? I have never been in any restaurant that won't replace food or drink that is not made properly immediately without questions, and here we are on a really expensive cruise and we are again being given grief for a mistake that THEY MADE! WHAT?!?!?! Sorry, this one really hurt. I get angry just thinking about it!

 

At the Pinacle grill (Best steak I've ever eaten, by the way), my wife and I each ordered a wine flight to try several different wines with dinner. Two full glasses of wine were brought to our table. At first I thought, "Hey, this is going to be a generous flight," but I knew I should ask the server to be sure. I said, "Which wine is this one?" and he mumbled something about a pinot something or other as he backed away and then left quickly. We didn't drink the wine, and when our server came back, we told her we had ordered wine flights, but we think the beverage server poured us full glasses instead. After a few minutes a different beverage server came and told us that wine flights were several "very small" glasses of wine (very small were his words) and we said that we knew what it was, that's why we ordered them! And he said "ooookaaaay..." and took the glasses away. I'm guessing not many people order the flights at the Pinacle. When the first set of wines came out... boy was very small right. These were maybe one ounce pours. There was not enough wine in the glass to cover the tongue when you sipped it. I don't know if this is standard for HAL or if he was pouring extra small to make a point.

 

Remember the laundry bag that wasn't in our room? Well when it finally came and we used the service, we noticed that they had charged us for the laundry service despite having pre-paid for it (there was even a card saying we had pre-paid in our cabin). I called the front desk and asked the charge to be removed. Went down later the day to check the balance and again the laundry charge was still on there! Before leaving the front desk I asked again for the charge to be removed. The lady there checked and said "Oh, you do have it pre-paid. I'll contact housekeeping to have it removed." It was removed, but again, so aggravating to have to ask for something to be fixed twice!

 

Finally, the day we were pulling into Victoria, I called the front desk to ask what the exchange rate was for Canadian dollars. I didn't want to exchange currency. I just wanted to know what the rate was so I knew how much things were in American dollars when I used my credit card in town. The lady who answered told me "I should bring small dollar amounts because they would only give change in Canadian dollars in Canada." I told her, "OK, but I'm going to use my credit card. I just want to know what the rate is so I know how much things really cost when I use my credit card." She said, "It depends on the store. Some places charge different amounts than others." I don't know if there was a communication problem or what, but it was a simple question. One that I would imagine was asked on every cruise. I can't be the only guy who wants to know what the exchange rate is. I guess I should have looked it up online before leaving! Is this question really left field? I don't know. I just felt it should be the kind of thing easily answered by the front desk!

 

Alaska itself was great, and so was Victoria. I would love to take this cruise again, but I am definitely going to use a different cruise line this time.

 

What do you guys thing? Is this odd for HAL? Am I being overly picky? Should I write a letter? Do you think it would do any good for them?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sorry that you had so many disappointments on HAL.

But glad that you liked Alaska.

Yes -- if it will make you feel better -- write a letter to Seattle.

[kazu]

If you are unhappy, you should definitely let Seattle know.

 

I'd leave the Canadian exchange rate out of it as the HAL employee is NOT going to know the exact rate that will be charged by your credit card company. The rate is calculated when the charge is processed by the credit card company so it really is an unknown. As is the surcharge that the various companies charge.

 

If the rest of your experiences are enough to keep you from sailing HAL again - then by all means let Seattle know. I think a couple of things could have been dealt with onboard (ie laundry bag - if it doesn't come - call /go to the front desk and get one - don't wait until the next day. JMO though). I far rather deal with what I can onboard, get it resolved and move on.

 

Glad you enjoyed Alaska though and welcome home

[erewhon]

What a shame you had a negative cruising experience.

If you write a letter to Seattle, please let us know the response you receive.

[sapper1]

On any cruise I have ever taken, we have always accepted that if we choose not to return to the ship for the set dining times then we would eat ashore. It was our choice and never considered it an issue of poor service.

 

As to opening the Lido early for lunch---breakfast runs until 10:30 or 11:00 (can't remember which) and the workers need some turnaround time before lunch. When the situation you described occurs we have a late and heavier than usual breakfast to compensate.

 

Often there is no laundry bag but a little sticky note on the mirror for the steward solves the problem. The note would have made the bathrobes appear as well. Front desk is a last resort for any problem. ;)

 

The strawberry? I would have picked it up with a tissue, tossed it in the waste basket and forgotten about it.

 

I guess I should bear in mind that small issues for some people are monumental issues for others and vice versa and just say I am sorry you did not enjoy your cruise. Or maybe you did. What happened that was good? There must have been some good parts. It was Alaska after all. :)

[KirkNC]

Everyone's perception of experiences will be different. For you these items in a cumulative fashion were negative, for that reason, write a letter to let Seattle know how you feel. Personally, I don't think the same experiences would have been that big of a deal to me (but I wasn't there so who knows). The one that might have got me going was the room service problem.

[Cindy]

I personally wouldn't write a letter for any of those items on your list, but if it makes you feel better, by all means write one!

I don't think even cumulatively your issues would have impacted my cruise at all. I can see being frustrated by the Lido and room service problem, but we've cruised enough that we adjust our schedule to accommodate an unusual port schedule by doing things like eating a big, late breakfast or planning a meal on shore. It never would have crossed my mind to reboard the ship after 10 p.m. and order room service for dinner.

As for the rest of your concerns, I've had things like that happen on every cruise I've taken, and all my cruises were wonderful. I just shrug it off as "ship happens" and move on.

[hypercafe]

Sorry your last cruise left a bad taste in your mouth. I know how you feel as the same has happened to me at times. There are lots of lines with lots of ships so the next time pick another, for me half the fun is the research.

[ChelseaSailor]

Seems like you had a lot of inconveniences on your cruise. I wonder if the Alaskan Cruises with,except for Juneau, short port times makes it difficult for the Stewards and other service personnel have a harder time keeping up.

ChelseaSailor

[SwissMyst]

....

 

Well, I just got off the July 21-28 Alaskan cruise and was extremely disappointed with the service my family received. I had heard that HAL was the best when it came to service, but I just encountered disappointment after disappointment. If anyone else experienced what I experienced, they would never cruise HAL again.......

 

What do you guys thing? Is this odd for HAL? Am I being overly picky? Should I write a letter? Do you think it would do any good for them?

 

Yes, I think you were "overly picky" since you asked that question directly.

 

And it helps to form a realistic set of expectations rather than claiming you "heard that HAL was the best when it came to service". What you may have thought that met could have set you up for disappointment.

 

Even paying twice as much for Crystal who markets themselves as "anticipating your needs before you even know then yourself" often fails subjective expectations too.

 

Sorry you had such an unhappy time. If you could point to parts of HAL's actual marketing imagery that they control and direct your specific complaints linked to what they put out, rather than "what you had heard" would probably be most helpful in you want to write to Seattle.

 

Something as vague as "Signature of Excellence" does leave a lot of holes for misunderstandings.

[sail7seas]

On any cruise I have ever taken, we have always accepted that if we choose not to return to the ship for the set dining times then we would eat ashore. It was our choice and never considered it an issue of poor service.

 

As to opening the Lido early for lunch---breakfast runs until 10:30 or 11:00 (can't remember which) and the workers need some turnaround time before lunch. When the situation you described occurs we have a late and heavier than usual breakfast to compensate.

 

Often there is no laundry bag but a little sticky note on the mirror for the steward solves the problem. The note would have made the bathrobes appear as well. Front desk is a last resort for any problem. ;)

 

The strawberry? I would have picked it up with a tissue, tossed it in the waste basket and forgotten about it.

 

I guess I should bear in mind that small issues for some people are monumental issues for others and vice versa and just say I am sorry you did not enjoy your cruise. Or maybe you did. What happened that was good? There must have been some good parts. It was Alaska after all. :)

 

 

I'm sorry for your disappointment, OP, but on all matters, I agree with Sapper.

 

I would have discarded the strawberry and would not expect the front office to know what rate of exchange one store would charge vs another nor what my credit card company would charge.

 

Breakfast closes in Lido at 10:30 (often) and lunch opens within a half hour. How hungry could all these 2,000 people be? A little prior planning on their part would have had an abundance of food available for the choosing. Thirty minutes between breakfast and lunch does not a famine make IMO We would have planned accordingly and most likely would have had something ashore to eat if we were hungry at dinner time.

 

The robes coming a day late could be annoying, at worst, and a note to steward left on the bed/mirror most likely would have gotten robes delivered.

 

I do not mean to imply these matters should not disturb you as we each decide what matters to us and no one else knows what life experience/perspective the other brings to each situation.

 

I'm truly sorry whenever I read someone's cruise was not what they hoped it would be and wish you a happier experience next time. :)

 

[wallyboag]

I guess I am over reacting? I don't know. Really, I know it sounds like I am whining, but I am not a complainer by nature. Our last cruise was wonderful. When it came time to tip at the end of the cruise we doubled the recommended tips for our waiter and assistant waiter and added more for our room attendant. We truly received exceptional service (It was a Disney cruise to Mexico, by the way).

 

What really irked me about the service was not that things went wrong. I can forgive when things go wrong, but the reaction when we asked for them to be fixed. For instance the drink thing: I can totally understand a bartender making a mistake when making a drink. Especially at dinner time when there are probably 50 drink orders coming in at once. But when the drink is made improperly and not drinkable, it should be replaced right away no questions asked! It shouldn't be left on the table while the server goes to find the head steward! Or the laundry bags. I can understand the room attendant forgetting to put out two or three of the 50 things he has to put in the room, but it shouldn't take two calls and three days to get it replaced (incidentally about the note left for the guy, I actually thought about doing that, but there was no paper or pen in the room either... another thing he forgot to leave for us). Or the room service thing. When my brother called the third time and asked to cancel, they should have apologized to him for taking so long, my brother shouldn't have had to apologize to them for canceling an order two hours after he placed it! I work in the service industry and these things are called "Service Recovery" and they are more important than the actual service. When things go wrong it's how they are fixed that make animpression on the customer, and the crew of the Westerdam had absolutely no service recovery skills, which is what made this cruise seem exceptionally unfriendly to me.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I can see how a string of "little" things becomes a disappointing cruise.

 

I agree with the posters who defended the statement about exchange rates. Some stores will do the conversion and bill you in USD. And the rate might be different depending on when the charge is processed.

 

But the strawberry would bother me. It's one thing if it had been fresh and the rest were on a plate waiting for you. (Oops, it got dropped) But something old and moldy would make me wonder what ELSE didn't get done right.

 

I agree that HAL's Lido hours don't always match the needs in port. Juneau is a good example of this. They should be able to anticipate that a lot of people might have lunch early on some days. They could close one side of the Lido breakfast a bit early in order to start lunch early. And I've wondered why they don't keep the Lido open later when the ship departs late, especially when there are a lot of tours that are scheduled to come back late. (I have to say, the buffet is one area in which Princess beats HAL because they do the change from one meal to the next so well and have SOMETHING available 24/7) But HAL's Lido hours are limited, and you have to work around it.

 

Consider this a learning experience before your next cruise (whoever you sail with). Think about what you want to do in terms of meals on port days and think about how many other people will want to do the same thing. And maybe try to look for a different approach to avoid crowding and room service delays. LIke other posters, we tend to eat a large breakfast on port days and not bother much about lunch (unless we find good beer or ice cream ashore).

 

Robes and laundry bags often take a day to appear, and sometimes you have to ask for them. Not just on HAL, I've seen it on other cruises. Sadly, errors on accounts happen on cruises, and front desk people are not always quick to be helpful (Here Princess was waaaaay below anything I'd seen on other ships). I don't usually have a lot to do at the front desk, but I've found HAL not to be the best, but certainly not the worst.

 

If you had posted a review saying that any one of these things had "ruined your cruise," I'd say get over it. But you did have a lot of little inconveniences. So, yes, write to HAL. I don't know what sort of response you'll get, but there's nothing wrong in letting them know about your experience.

 

Other than the Pinnacle steak, was there anything you liked about the ship or about HAL?

[3rdGenCunarder]

I guess I am over reacting? I don't know. Really, I know it sounds like I am whining, but I am not a complainer by nature. Our last cruise was wonderful. When it came time to tip at the end of the cruise we doubled the recommended tips for our waiter and assistant waiter and added more for our room attendant. We truly received exceptional service (It was a Disney cruise to Mexico, by the way).

 

What really irked me about the service was not that things went wrong. I can forgive when things go wrong, but the reaction when we asked for them to be fixed. For instance the drink thing: I can totally understand a bartender making a mistake when making a drink. Especially at dinner time when there are probably 50 drink orders coming in at once. But when the drink is made improperly and not drinkable, it should be replaced right away no questions asked! It shouldn't be left on the table while the server goes to find the head steward! Or the laundry bags. I can understand the room attendant forgetting to put out two or three of the 50 things he has to put in the room, but it shouldn't take two calls and three days to get it replaced (incidentally about the note left for the guy, I actually thought about doing that, but there was no paper or pen in the room either... another thing he forgot to leave for us). Or the room service thing. When my brother called the third time and asked to cancel, they should have apologized to him for taking so long, my brother shouldn't have had to apologize to them for canceling an order two hours after he placed it! I work in the service industry and these things are called "Service Recovery" and they are more important than the actual service. When things go wrong it's how they are fixed that make animpression on the customer, and the crew of the Westerdam had absolutely no service recovery skills, which is what made this cruise seem exceptionally unfriendly to me.

 

I've never heard the term "Service Recovery," but I like it. I agree that how a problem is handled is more important than the problem itself.

[Sea42]

I feel the front desk should be able to tell you what the latest official exchange rate is. The OP was not asking what his bank would charge or what an individual store would charge. A quick look online and the desk person could have told the OP what today's (or the latest) official rate is. It would at least given a rough idea on prices. I don't think that's asking a lot.

[startwin]

The strawberry - hmm, not sure about this one. It was moldy, and the cabin had just been cleaned so I wonder about it being there. I think I'd have done the same as Sapper, but it would have a "hmmmm" moment and I'd have been alert for how clean everything else was.

 

As for the rest, yes annoying. And the front desk could have checked the current exchange rate for you. But Juneau.... I've been there 4 times on cruises, same time frame. We always go ashore for lunch - perfect timing! - and if we are not back for dinner, we eat that ashore too. So honestly on that one I do think you are being picky. There are fabulous places to eat in Juneau.

[Ray in NH]

I feel the front desk should be able to tell you what the latest official exchange rate is. The OP was not asking what his bank would charge or what an individual store would charge. A quick look online and the desk person could have told the OP what today's (or the latest) official rate is. It would at least given a rough idea on prices. I don't think that's asking a lot.

 

 

Of all the "inconveniences the OP suffered, this is probably the least disturbing (in my opinion). The exchange rate between US dollar and Canadian dollar has been +/- 0.03 dollars for a period of months. If it is that important to the OP he would/should have had a very good idea of the exchange rate, or could have checked it on-line himself (as he mentioned). As to the "official" exchange rate, there are many (sometimes varied) that different parties might consider "official".

I too, feel sorry that this cruise was much less enjoyable than anticipated. Hopefully if he notifies Seattle, they may be able to mollify him.

Ray in NH

[kazu]

I guess I am over reacting? I don't know. Really, I know it sounds like I am whining, but I am not a complainer by nature. Our last cruise was wonderful. When it came time to tip at the end of the cruise we doubled the recommended tips for our waiter and assistant waiter and added more for our room attendant. We truly received exceptional service (It was a Disney cruise to Mexico, by the way).

 

What really irked me about the service was not that things went wrong. I can forgive when things go wrong, but the reaction when we asked for them to be fixed. For instance the drink thing: I can totally understand a bartender making a mistake when making a drink. Especially at dinner time when there are probably 50 drink orders coming in at once. But when the drink is made improperly and not drinkable, it should be replaced right away no questions asked! It shouldn't be left on the table while the server goes to find the head steward! Or the laundry bags. I can understand the room attendant forgetting to put out two or three of the 50 things he has to put in the room, but it shouldn't take two calls and three days to get it replaced (incidentally about the note left for the guy, I actually thought about doing that, but there was no paper or pen in the room either... another thing he forgot to leave for us). Or the room service thing. When my brother called the third time and asked to cancel, they should have apologized to him for taking so long, my brother shouldn't have had to apologize to them for canceling an order two hours after he placed it! I work in the service industry and these things are called "Service Recovery" and they are more important than the actual service. When things go wrong it's how they are fixed that make animpression on the customer, and the crew of the Westerdam had absolutely no service recovery skills, which is what made this cruise seem exceptionally unfriendly to me.

 

I already said write - but I do think some things can be resolved on board. No laundry bag? I call and get one. If it doesn't come - I call again - and it comes.

 

I worked in the service industry too and really appreciate good service. On the other hand - there are times it can't be done - totally agree with you on Service Recovery - heck - I've had issues on ships - who hasn't? but it's how they are resolved that takes care of things.

 

Fair winds and following seas to you wherever you cruise. May they all be problem free:D:D

[cricri7]

I don't know if it is a coincidence but the Westerdam is the only ship where I did not leave a tip to the room steward. On all the other Holland ships, and non-Holland ships, I have sailed, I always leave a tip to the room steward. I was on the Westerdam in January and thought the room was never quite clean. The steward was non-existent. I am usually in an inside stateroom so I am not used to having butler service so I am not spoiled but a clean room is the basic thing for me and it was not very clean. There was dust everywhere! I never encountered that on other ships. Some ships may not be run as tight as others and it may be Westerdam's case.

[496and706]

The exchange rate changes every single day.

 

2000 people were starving just after breakfast? Really?

 

The Lido has pizza and pasta available until 11 p.m. (or whenever the Lido on the Westie closes). On the Noordam, (a sister ship in the same class) it closed at 11. There are numerous restaurants and bars in Alaska. They take USD.

 

Strawberry? Pick it up.

 

Laundry bags? Did you look in all the closets and drawers? We had one hanging up and another in the drawer under the end of the bed. There were extra blankets, pillows and (gasp) 2 extra robes in there as well.

 

Pen and paper were on the desk in a hard booklet that had other info about the ship as well. It was leaning against the mirror. In behind that little rail on the desk. Same book as the room service menus.

 

Did you mention any of this on the survey that you were given on the second last day?

[wallyboag]

Other than the Pinnacle steak, was there anything you liked about the ship or about HAL?

 

Lalu, our assistant server in the dining room was great. He remembered our names and greeted us wherever we bumped into him on sea and on shore. In the survey they gave out at the end of the trip I wrote his name and position down and gave him a nine. Same with Gil, the bartender at the Crow's Nest. Very friendly to us. The itinerary was good. I liked leaving from Seattle instead of Vancouver, and I liked going to Glacier Bay instead of Tracy Arm.

[wallyboag]

The exchange rate changes every single day.

 

You are right, but as i said, I should have checked it before I left to get a general idea within a few cents of the rate. It was actually .99 cents to a dollar. How did I find this? My mother had a copy of the "Times Digest" she picked up near the dining room and it was printed in that. I still think that this is basic information about a port the ship was visiting and should have been provided upon request. I wasn't asking for anything but the simple exchange rate. And ".99 cents to the dollar" was a simple answer that I feel should have been provided. Incidentally, none of the shops that I visited said anything about an exchange rate other than 1 to 1.

 

2000 people were starving just after breakfast? Really?

 

Judging by the giant crowd of people jockeying for the sandwiches that were available at that time, I would say yes. Very close to 2000 people were hungry after breakfast. And judging by the ridiculous wait we had contacting room service after getting back on the ship, again I would say yes, the demand far overreached the supply of food at those times.

 

Strawberry? Pick it up.

 

I think you fail to see the point to this strawberry issue. When I picked it up should I have picked it up with the white fuzz growing on it side up or side down? Should I have put it in the paper waste basket or the regular waste basket?

 

Laundry bags? Did you look in all the closets and drawers? We had one hanging up and another in the drawer under the end of the bed. There were extra blankets, pillows and (gasp) 2 extra robes in there as well.

 

Yes, we looked in all the cabinets, drawers, shelves etc. Very extensively. There were no robes and no laundry bags.

 

Pen and paper were on the desk in a hard booklet that had other info about the ship as well. It was leaning against the mirror. In behind that little rail on the desk. Same book as the room service menus.

 

There was no pad of paper and no pen in this book. Just the room service menu and some other information about the ship and its services.

 

Did you mention any of this on the survey that you were given on the second last day?

 

What I could fit I mentioned in the survey. I also put down the names of the two crew members who provided excellent service to us and gave them nines (the highest available rating).

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for your updates. I guess everyone is entitled to drop the ball periodically.

[SwissMyst]

Count me among those who agree it is not the ship's responsibility to make currency exchange rates available. Anything to do with "money" is always fraught with liability. Maybe not in your mind, but in others who would not only complain but probably haul HAL into small claims court if they were a tuppance off.

 

Best policy is to not provide this information to anyone. They are responsible for you on board where you don't need this information because it is a cashless cruise. But what you do on your own in port is really entirely the passenger's responsibility, Including making purchases on shore excursions unless they are the HAL "approved" shops.

 

We had an unfortunate experience with one of the on-board currency exchange desks for Burma (Myanmar) on another ship - they were trading in the "offiicical rate" which was lets say 8-1 but when we got in the country the black market rate was 80-1, except even the airline ticket desks were advertising the 80-1 rates, so how "black market" were they. That was an expensive lesson.

[kazu]

OMG - I was tolerant - but honestly - I would not recommend you cruise in the future unless you are taking a luxury line. You can easily get a laundry bag - you call - it doesn't come you call again - they come -- seriousy?

 

If you knew your itinerary was at noon - why not get a big breakfast - for Pete's sake it reminds me of a tour in St. Petersburg where a certain nationality was complaining of the box lunch - the tour guides were drooling and I watched their faces as everyone complained.:eek:

 

I'm sorry but no one goes hungry on a cruise ship for long. You can easily grab a roll and some cheese or whatever - after all dinner isn't that far away - my heavens - you are about to experience some fabulous ports - there comes a time when you have to choose between that and your stomach (which I can assure you will easily last a few hours);)

 

sorry = but watching your posts back to some people - a reality check is in order:) you can flame away but I think we forget how lucky we are to do this and instead of complaining that lunch was hard to get - how about the joy to be at this port - that's a choice we all make and plan around.

 

do you really expect the cruise line to cater to everything???? unrealistic and totally unfair IMO.

 

and I'm one of the nice guys;)