Remember When....

[atexsix]

5 hours ago, CM1984 said:

I miss the little silver metal sticks that the waiters used at dinner.  They would come to the table, remove your plate and use the stick to clean away the crumbs left and scoop them on a little tray/plate.  I tried to get my husband to do that at home, but it didn’t fly. 😊

I'm the "crumb catcher" at home.😞  It's called getting on my hands and knees, crawling under the table, and picking up the crumbs by hand.  

[USN59-79]

Remember Dam Dollars and the Half Moon on the logo?

[12cruise2]

French onion soup with the correct cheese on top.

[atexsix]

2 minutes ago, USN59-79 said:

Remember Dam Dollars and the Half Moon on the logo?

I haven't seen those in years!

 

Do they still have them?  They were popular when I first started cruising in the early ought's. 

[atexsix]

1 minute ago, 12cruise2 said:

French onion soup with the correct cheese on top.

French onion soup is Dear Dad's favorite, thank God it's still on the MDR menu, he'd die without it.

 

He even got me started on it, but only on HAL, normally I don't like it.

[atexsix]

8 hours ago, 12cruise2 said:

we had the daily newspapers--in print with a puzzle.

I sure hope this wasn't one of the things eliminated, a daily ritual for us is to sit in the Ocean Bar doing the puzzles, they used to be in the Crow's Nest but after the remodel they moved them down by Guest Services. 

[12cruise2]

Just now, atexsix said:

French onion soup is Dear Dad's favorite, thank God it's still on the MDR menu, he'd die without it.

 

He even got me started on it, but only on HAL, normally I don't like it.

Well, to me something changed (the cheese on top) several years ago on HAL, and what used to be our favorite, something we really looked forward to every cruise, flavor completely changed.  Glad your dad enjoy's it for sure.  And it's offered in the MDR every evening, too, at least it was 2020 and prior.

[atexsix]

Just now, 12cruise2 said:

Well, to me something changed (the cheese on top) several years ago on HAL, and what used to be our favorite, something we really looked forward to every cruise, flavor completely changed.  Glad your dad enjoy's it for sure.  And it's offered in the MDR every evening, too, at least it was 2020 and prior.

I didn't know that, but like I said I'm not really an expert on it, I seem to recall a giant crouton floating on top with the cheese over that, unless I'm thinking of another kind of soup.  Our last two cruises were on the Eurodam, I know the recipes are generally the same from ship to ship, but perhaps there's still room for improvisation, hence the different cheese?

[12cruise2]

6 minutes ago, atexsix said:

I sure hope this wasn't one of the things eliminated, a daily ritual for us is to sit in the Ocean Bar doing the puzzles, they used to be in the Crow's Nest but after the remodel they moved them down by Guest Services. 

When we sailed both ways Panama Canal Feb-early March 2020, no newspapers (as well as no flowers on the tables and other things I can't remember).  There were none--not at the front desk, not in the Lido, nowhere they'd been before, and the front desk said no more.  We, too, enjoyed working on the puzzles together.  So we've printed many puzzles out of USA Today--which you can download and print for free--and bring them with us!  I think you can print 10 days at a time, per my husband who does the work.

Edited August 8, 2021 by 12cruise2
add sentence

[USN59-79]

33 minutes ago, atexsix said:

I haven't seen those in years!

 

Do they still have them?  They were popular when I first started cruising in the early ought's. 

Don't think so, but I have 97 of them.  

[atexsix]

31 minutes ago, 12cruise2 said:

When we sailed both ways Panama Canal Feb-early March 2020, no newspapers (as well as no flowers on the tables and other things I can't remember).  There were none--not at the front desk, not in the Lido, nowhere they'd been before, and the front desk said no more.  We, too, enjoyed working on the puzzles together.  So we've printed many puzzles out of USA Today--which you can download and print for free--and bring them with us!  I think you can print 10 days at a time, per my husband who does the work.

Thanks for that, will definitely do it.  That means I better have some other options with us as well. 

 

There were rumors when I last cruised in 2018 that they were getting rid of them because they didn't generate any income, a big topic of conversation at the time, obviously it came to fruition.  What are we going to do without our daily Jumble and Sudoku?

 

Doggone it HAL!  Why do you always do that to us?  Every time we discover something we like you get rid of it.  Well fine.  I will print the USA Today puzzles then.  And I have my Kindle.  How do you like that for apples?  Rant over.  

[Dothan1952]

Do they still give out the ceramic tile squares with a picture of an old HAL ship ?

[rucrazy]

4 minutes ago, Dothan1952 said:

Do they still give out the ceramic tile squares with a picture of an old HAL ship ?

They did last time we cruised. A great marketing tool for HAL at Mariner lunches.

[idiebabe]

1 hour ago, atexsix said:

I didn't know that, but like I said I'm not really an expert on it, I seem to recall a giant crouton floating on top with the cheese over that, unless I'm thinking of another kind of soup.  Our last two cruises were on the Eurodam, I know the recipes are generally the same from ship to ship, but perhaps there's still room for improvisation, hence the different cheese?

I thought the Onion Soup on NA was very good and I think Dad will be happy with it!  Some of the Ships were meh in the last couple of years!  Still the new way of doing it with not properly melting the cheese (where it's melted on top of a piece of bread) and think they did that for two reasons (just a guess):  Easier to clean for the Dishwashers and kept the heat in and people probably complained it was too hot.  I always now ask for it Hot, Hot, Hot! 

[Cruise Suzy]

7 minutes ago, Dothan1952 said:

Do they still give out the ceramic tile squares with a picture of an old HAL ship ?

Those on the first 2 2021 cruises reported they got them the last night

[idiebabe]

2 minutes ago, rucrazy said:

They did last time we cruised. A great marketing tool for HAL at Mariner lunches.

They gave them out in our Staterooms until they bring back the Mariner Lunches.  

[idiebabe]

I miss the Black & White Ball!

Chair Covers (which was a hot Debate at one time) on "Formal" Night.

Dimmer lights in the MDR.

I also miss International Night on the last Evening with the Flags and the Servers dressed differently.

The Cooking Competition between the Departments were fun to watch, too!

Live Music on Lido (another Debate if I recall).

 

[dfish]

1 hour ago, atexsix said:

I'm the "crumb catcher" at home.😞  It's called getting on my hands and knees, crawling under the table, and picking up the crumbs by hand.  

You know, we have this wonderful invention called a vacuum cleaner that will do that.   I can no longer get down on my hands and knees with any expectation of getting back up, so that is what I use.

[rucrazy]

7 minutes ago, dfish said:

You know, we have this wonderful invention called a vacuum cleaner that will do that. 

and so will a puppy!

[dfish]

Just now, rucrazy said:

and so will a puppy!

They are even better!

[atexsix]

8 minutes ago, dfish said:

You know, we have this wonderful invention called a vacuum cleaner that will do that.   I can no longer get down on my hands and knees with any expectation of getting back up, so that is what I use.

Oh my gosh!  That sounds like a wonderful invention!  Just kidding of course. 

 

Unfortunately it requires going upstairs, dragging it back downstairs, wrestling with the evil power cord that never wants to unwind correctly, I'll trip over it at least once, then do it all again in reverse.  So I get down on my hands and knees instead.

[atexsix]

7 minutes ago, dfish said:

They are even better!

We have a cat, and he's quite finicky....not to mention he's never discovered crumbs, he does like to lick plates though, more out of curiosity than hunger.

[Seasick Sailor]

2 hours ago, atexsix said:

This is gross, but you wouldn't believe the number of times hotel room service on land have told me to just leave it in the hall which I refuse to do.  I literally rinse all the dishes in the bathroom sink, throw out the garbage and neatly stack everything, then I leave a generous tip for housekeeping. 

 

Are you my long lost twin brother? I absolutely did that too. 

[atexsix]

6 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Are you my long lost twin brother? I absolutely did that too. 

I try and make it easier, housekeeping is hard work.  They used to get paid by the hour, but about 20 years ago the time/motion police came in and performed studies, now they pay according to the number of rooms they clean.

[idiebabe]

21 minutes ago, atexsix said:

Oh my gosh!  That sounds like a wonderful invention!  Just kidding of course. 

 

Unfortunately it requires going upstairs, dragging it back downstairs, wrestling with the evil power cord that never wants to unwind correctly, I'll trip over it at least once, then do it all again in reverse.  So I get down on my hands and knees instead.

Cordless!  They are great!  👍