Also Mostly Live from the NA 4th Sailing

[zgscl]

Sorry looks like the videos did not load. I will try again tomorrow!

 

 

[zgscl]

Wednesday Evening

 

Due to the timing of our tour we skipped lunch and made a trip to the Lido. I had to try the fries with Dive In Sauce as well as a pizza. Both were very good. 

Although we went to the Canaletto for dinner I am posting the MDR menus for reference. 

[zgscl]

The Canaletto started off a bit rocky. We were told by our MDR waiter that the Mariner beverage coupon could be redeemed for either the daily DAM drink special or a sparkling wine. To begin with the coupon thoroughly confused the Canaletto staff and they seem to have never seen it before. While my Tequila Sunrise came right away my mom asked for a sparkling wine with the coupon and this confused them even more. We were waiting to order until after our drinks both came so that we could relax and enjoy them. However after talking to two waiters, three bartenders, one Canaletto manager and being delivered a Dam drink instead of the sparkling wine and waiting 50 minutes we gave up and asked for the coupon back and my mom got a Gin and Tonic (which came quickly). Moral of the story is please don't try to use this coupon in the Canaletto!!!  Apparently the lido bar services the Canaletto and sparkling wine is not stocked here. 

 

All of the specialty restaurants have moved to including upsell options and they are definitely recommending these (in fact the running joke with our MDR waiter was that the "Tomahawk steak is always available" as the indulge options are not listed on the gala night menus - seems counterintuitive to me as the gala nights where everyone dresses up would probably be the night they would sell the most, but that is a topic for another post). 

 

We ordered the Veal and Sage Meat Balls and Beef Carpaccio both of which were good. I also decided to try (for the benefit of Cruise Critic only) the Crab Risotto. This was phenomenally good. Very generous with the crab on top and there is also a lot of crab mixed in with the risotto. It is quite flavorful and one of the best dishes I had the entire cruise - 10/10 would recommend.

 

Although they really tried they could not talk me into the Spaghetti All Astice - I just can't quite wrap my head around lobster, tomato and garlic in a pasta dish. Maybe on the next cruise I will try it. 

For main course my mom ordered the lamb and I had the Braised Beef Short Rib Gnocchi. The lam was excellent, another one of the best dishes we had onboard. The Gnocchi was OK, the been was good but the pasta was served in a brown sauce which just didn't really work well with pasta. I think if they served it with tomato, pesto or gorgonzola sauce it would have been a much better pairing. 

 

For desert we ordered the Tiramisu and the Gelato. Both were very good. The Gelato was chocolate, vanilla and amoretto (different than what is on the menu due to supply chain issues), all three of which I enjoyed. 

 

I wanted to see the magician but a long day with lots of walking combined with two tequila sunrises (I ordered a second since I finished my first one by the time my mom got her drink) left us both ready for bed. Upon our return to our cabin the When & Where for Ketchikan were waiting for us. 

[Boytjie]

5 hours ago, zgscl said:

I did not see any printed newspapers but there was a place in Navigator you could view news. To be fair I never made it up to the EXC Central so it could have been there. 

There were no printed copies of the newspaper in the Crow’s Nest. There is a link to the NY Times on the Navigator.  

[Florida_gal_50]

Thank you for continuing on with your thread.  Your detail is wonderful.  I hadn’t heard about the risotto.  It looks quite good.  I don’t know if I’m motivated to pay the extra but appreciate you mentioning it and showing pictures.

[canadianbear]

Your review & photos are fantastic!  Love your detail.  Such wonderful memories have been made for you and your mom on this cruise.  

[CruisinAddict]

I see that there is a Pickleball Game scheduled on the daily program. My husband wants to know if the paddles are provided by HAL or if he has to bring his own.

[caviargal]

"All of the specialty restaurants have moved to including upsell options and they are definitely recommending these"

I find it totally annoying that they are pushing upcharges in addition to the dining charge for the specialties.  This is why I have not cruised on a mainstream line in twelve years.  I refuse.

[zgscl]

2 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Thank you for continuing on with your thread.  Your detail is wonderful.  I hadn’t heard about the risotto.  It looks quite good.  I don’t know if I’m motivated to pay the extra but appreciate you mentioning it and showing pictures.

Out of all of the indulge dishes this was by far the best and most worth it I had! Very generous with the crab and so good. 

[zgscl]

40 minutes ago, CruisinAddict said:

I see that there is a Pickleball Game scheduled on the daily program. My husband wants to know if the paddles are provided by HAL or if he has to bring his own.

I believe they provide the equipment. 

[canadianbear]

@zgscl Regarding HAL excursions-you used to be able to go on the website & post a review, especially when something is not handicap friendly.   A lot don’t do reviews but I have used this tool in the past reading them and posting my own.  Just a suggestion as I’m not sure if it’s even available any more at this time.

[zgscl]

4 minutes ago, caviargal said:

"All of the specialty restaurants have moved to including upsell options and they are definitely recommending these"

I find it totally annoying that they are pushing upcharges in addition to the dining charge for the specialties.  This is why I have not cruised on a mainstream line in twelve years.  I refuse.

I can't disagree with you here. They are clearly pushing folks to do more specialty dining and more up-charges even when you do the specialty dining. Now that most folks get some specialty dining with the HIA there is certainly a capacity issue in the specialty dining restaurants. While we absolutely never starved there were multiple nights where there was not a single thing on the standard MDR menu that were at all inspiring or interesting to us. 

 

[zgscl]

1 minute ago, canadianbear said:

@zgscl Regarding HAL excursions-you used to be able to go on the website & post a review, especially when something is not handicap friendly.   A lot don’t do reviews but I have used this tool in the past reading them and posting my own.  Just a suggestion as I’m not sure if it’s even available any more at this time.

Thanks! I have to look into this. I have not yet found anywhere to go actually complete a review of shore excursions but will do some poking around on the website. 

[woodworker&knitter]

Do they still have the Tomahawk.? I believe it was around $75. 

[zgscl]

2 minutes ago, woodworker&knitter said:

Do they still have the Tomahawk.? I believe it was around $75. 

Yes they sure do and it is $75. Stay tuned, we did it on our last night and I am hoping to finish off my reporting this evening 🙂

[canadianbear]

46 minutes ago, zgscl said:

Thanks! I have to look into this. I have not yet found anywhere to go actually complete a review of shore excursions but will do some poking around on the website. 

It was never easy to find which made me wonder if they didn’t want good or bad reviews, lol.  Obviously you have to be signed in but if they still have the feature it should be easy under your excursion you had booked to do a review.  

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, canadianbear said:

@zgscl Regarding HAL excursions-you used to be able to go on the website & post a review, especially when something is not handicap friendly.   A lot don’t do reviews but I have used this tool in the past reading them and posting my own.  Just a suggestion as I’m not sure if it’s even available any more at this time.

I wanted to do a couple reviews on hal excursions.  One was so bad on a cruise that I almost canceled the second one.  I’m so glad I didn’t  because I loved the second one and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I asked hal at that time if they would have the ability  ready on their website for me to post a review and they said soon 🙄.  That had to be at least 3 years ago.

[canadianbear]

1 minute ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I wanted to do a couple reviews on hal excursions.  One was so bad on a cruise that I almost canceled the second one.  I’m so glad I didn’t  because I loved the second one and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I asked hal at that time if they would have the ability  ready on their website for me to post a review and they said soon 🙄.  That had to be at least 3 years ago.

Wow-3 years ago!  I know I have not  done a review for quite some time.  It seems ridiculous if they are avoiding that function now.  Good or bad reviews, people can still make their own decision.   Perhaps it’s something we need to put in any survey they issue in future.  

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, zgscl said:

Out of all of the indulge dishes this was by far the best and most worth it I had! Very generous with the crab and so good. 

I may have to try it.  Do you know if there is any discount for star Mariners like there is for restaurants for the supplemental charges?  I know posters like to say there isn’t without being on a ship for a long time but I’m fairly sure laffinvegas did get a discount when she posted on her live from thread.  Thanks.

[Florida_gal_50]

1 minute ago, canadianbear said:

Wow-3 years ago!  I know I have not  done a review for quite some time.  It seems ridiculous if they are avoiding that function now.  Good or bad reviews, people can still make their own decision.   Perhaps it’s something we need to put in any survey they issue in future.  

It’s crazy, right?  I find the descriptions that hal has for shorex are terrible and I love to read reviews. I did one in San Juan a couple years ago that said moderate I believe.  I was concerned it might be too strenuous so I asked on board.  The woman told me it would be fine.  She had us running up stairs, walking very fast up the very steep hills etc.  I begged her to slow down and she couldn’t have cared less as she was about 20 years old.  I was so embarrassed as I couldn’t keep up to the group.  I wrote a very angry note to shorex department and they agreed with me it was strenuous but I believe the last time I looked it still said moderate.  I feel people would like to know that.

[bcummin]

Once before we reached Hakodate, Japan, I asked shore excursions how "strenuous" the tour really was that we wanted.  They did some investigating, and the choice tour ended up with options for those who were not up to strenuous hiking.  It turned out so good.

Barbara

[DWAliaschief]

On 8/17/2021 at 7:45 PM, zgscl said:

Yeah the steak presentation was definitely not what I expected!

 

Totally not a fan of the McDonalds style hash browns! I agree they are not brand appropriate at all

Its interesting that when we were on board Aug 7-14 the hash browns never appeared but we had lovely "fried and sliced potatoes".  We did tell the PG manager that it was a good change.  Sorry to hear the triangles are back. . .

[zgscl]

4 hours ago, canadianbear said:

It was never easy to find which made me wonder if they didn’t want good or bad reviews, lol.  Obviously you have to be signed in but if they still have the feature it should be easy under your excursion you had booked to do a review.  

That is what I thought too. I’ll have to log back in and see if I can find somewhere. There is still a review section but most of the tours has no reviews 

[zgscl]

4 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I may have to try it.  Do you know if there is any discount for star Mariners like there is for restaurants for the supplemental charges?  I know posters like to say there isn’t without being on a ship for a long time but I’m fairly sure laffinvegas did get a discount when she posted on her live from thread.  Thanks.

We got the mariner discount for the specialty restaurants and on any ups Ella there. We did not get one on the MDR indulge options. Interestingly when we got the breakfast indulge in Pinnacle we got the same Pinnacle grill discount. 

[zgscl]

31 minutes ago, DWAliaschief said:

Its interesting that when we were on board Aug 7-14 the hash browns never appeared but we had lovely "fried and sliced potatoes".  We did tell the PG manager that it was a good change.  Sorry to hear the triangles are back. . .

I guess their supplier must have found more stock. Too bad. The fried and sliced potatoes would have been preferred. 
Drat I forgot to mention the potatoes in our survey