Mariner Reception

[mcrcruiser]

1 minute ago, Sea42 said:

They are delivered to your cabin.

  wow so no Mariner luncheon  ,see some sort of fufu  drink   & then they send the tiles to our state room .  How  marvelous is that  ! We liked the Mariner lunch for meeting new people at our table  with like likes 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

21 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

They are delivered to your cabin.

If you are lucky.  I am still waiting for tiles from the Nieuw Amsterdam (Sept, 2021) and the Konigsdam (Feb-March 2022) which "will be mailed" since they didn't have any. 

[FlaMariner]

Looking thru the Mariner list of benefits and yep, no more Mariner Lunch....that was up until recently, the Mariner Brunch....

 

Am I missing something?

 

There is the "Mariner Society Welcome Onboard Lunch" which we all know is just the MDR being open for lunch on embarkation day. 

 

I'm fine with this.  Minus the champagne, the Mariner Lunch was really just lunch in the MDR.  Of course, we will miss the marathon race to mow everyone down to grab a table for two by the window.....And then there is the opportunity to swipe champagne from the empty tables.  We are guilty of both. 

 

We live for our tiles so glad those are still included.  Our hope is to one day tile all our bathrooms and kitchen with HAL Dutch tiles.  4,487 to go!  LOL. 

 

 

[HAL4NOW]

54 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

They are delivered to your cabin.

We have not received tiles on our last two cruises with HAL. One was on the Nieuw Amsterdam and the other was on the Koningsdam.

[RuthC]

2 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

  wow so no Mariner luncheon  ,see some sort of fufu  drink   & then they send the tiles to our state room .  How  marvelous is that  ! We liked the Mariner lunch for meeting new people at our table  with like likes 

You can still go to lunch in the dining room on every day it is open. Meet all the people you want. 

No loss here. 

[highland cruiser]

3 hours ago, HAL4NOW said:

We have not received tiles on our last two cruises with HAL. One was on the Nieuw Amsterdam and the other was on the Koningsdam.

We did not receive tiles on the Zaandam from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale this month.  Did receive a note in our stateroom  that said:  " If you wish to hold on to this card, we will be more than happy to offer you an extra tile on your next sailing."   It won't be on the Zaandam but on the Koningsdam.  The card also said: "With the number of tiles in backlong and because of extensive logistics challenges, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily halt distribution until we are able to resupply.  "   I am taking that card and will see what happens! 

[oakridger]

I got two tiles delivered to my cabin on the Nieuw Amsterdam just last week and end of September (two cruises). MDR was closed embarkation day. I received a bronze medal in my cabin two weeks ago. I don’t remember how many cruise days that signifies. I’ll check online. 🤷‍♀️

[1ANGELCAT]

30 minutes ago, oakridger said:

I got two tiles delivered to my cabin on the Nieuw Amsterdam just last week and end of September (two cruises). MDR was closed embarkation day. I received a bronze medal in my cabin two weeks ago. I don’t remember how many cruise days that signifies. I’ll check online. 🤷‍♀️

Congratulations.. Bronze is 100 days.

[SilvertoGold]

Mariner Lunch was done over two days, on both levels of MDR, on the Noordam in September.  Pretzy (from the WC) was the DR Manager and he did a seriously excellent job of arranging this.  Excellent food, gracious service. I would note that the Koningsdam didn't do Mariner Lunches during any of the 8 weeks we were on board in April - May and October.

 

Noordam also did extremely gracious Mariner Receptions on first sea day mid-morning in Billboard.  Lots of Officers who circulated and talked to many pax.  Nice array of drinks and very good nibbles were passed around. Really first class.

[mcrcruiser]

10 hours ago, RuthC said:

You can still go to lunch in the dining room on every day it is open. Meet all the people you want. 

No loss here. 

Yes true  however ,the difference is  the special touch that the Mariner luncheon  gave  all of us  . We have seen these corporate cut backs before .HAL is not alone in that ,we are  high  level Elite Plus with Celebrity & they too  cut out Ahi tuna  light lunch by their  inside pool restaurant  self serve .

 

 We rather pay a little more to keep the extras  like flowers on the tables ,the yum yum man ie    .Those little things  like you are aware make a difference in the ambiance s of the cruise😃

[Florida_gal_50]

Pay a little more.  Nope, not me.  They should have “special” tickets for people to purchase mariners lunches, pinnacle dinner for $200 a pop for those that want “special” things like that.  I’m not interested in a Mariners lunch.  That just means one more day I won’t be able to eat in the mdr.

[mcrcruiser]

15 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Pay a little more.  Nope, not me.  They should have “special” tickets for people to purchase mariners lunches, pinnacle dinner for $200 a pop for those that want “special” things like that.  I’m not interested in a Mariners lunch.  That just means one more day I won’t be able to eat in the mdr.

That was just a linch  one day at sea  . It was a nice touch  then  . Like the Meet & Greets , the last one we had a wonderful question /answer with the Captain  ,These experiences imo add to  those little things we  remeber later when we are not sailing  on a HAL ship 

[mcrcruiser]

About costs  of cruises . We all will be paying more in the future  .for HAL or any cruise line to stay in business the cost will be going higher .what I dislike is they up  the cost & still take away  those little things that make a more memorable cruise   in our minds eye  .I have seen dar too many cit backs &  increased cruise prices in our 87 past cruises . It doesn't   thrill us   to see this happen  . 

 We get use to things & then  no more   .Could there come a day when rogots replace waiters & cabin attendants  ,Yes  in  todays world that could happen .Well it would take care of those labor shortages 

[Florida_gal_50]

9 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

That was just a linch  one day at sea  . It was a nice touch  then  . Like the Meet & Greets , the last one we had a wonderful question /answer with the Captain  ,These experiences imo add to  those little things we  remeber later when we are not sailing  on a HAL ship 

The dining room is closed every day in port for lunch.  It’s rarely been open on embarkation lately and yes I have checked.  Then close it for Mariners lunches so it’s not just one day.  I know people enjoy eating in a cafeteria.  I don’t.  I don’t enjoy fighting for a table and people that take forever to decide what they want on their salad.

[Florida_gal_50]

9 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

About costs  of cruises . We all will be paying more in the future  .for HAL or any cruise line to stay in business the cost will be going higher .what I dislike is they up  the cost & still take away  those little things that make a more memorable cruise   in our minds eye  .I have seen dar too many cit backs &  increased cruise prices in our 87 past cruises . It doesn't   thrill us   to see this happen  . 

 We get use to things & then  no more   .Could there come a day when rogots replace waiters & cabin attendants  ,Yes  in  todays world that could happen .Well it would take care of those labor shortages 

I suspect both of us will be long gone by the time robots replace humans and I’m quite a bit younger than you.

[mcrcruiser]

24 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

The dining room is closed every day in port for lunch.  It’s rarely been open on embarkation lately and yes I have checked.  Then close it for Mariners lunches so it’s not just one day.  I know people enjoy eating in a cafeteria.  I don’t.  I don’t enjoy fighting for a table and people that take forever to decide what they want on their salad.

So even  on  embarkation   day HAL closes the MDR  for lunch  . This is not good . We as well do not like the buffet    for many reasons .We hope that HAL reverses that decision  but no doubt do to having staffing problems  is why they closed the MDR the first day for lunches .

[mcrcruiser]

29 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I suspect both of us will be long gone by the time robots replace humans and I’m quite a bit younger than you.

Not that far away  .more & more use of robots  in manufacturing ,packaging ie  .It is only a matter of a relatively short time now for  human type robots  . Actually we saw a human type years ago at Disneyland, Anaheim California at  the  Honda motors   display    With  the  computer chips holding  more & more information  the functions become a lot easier to accomplish . I would say you could see human type robots in use with in a decade  or perhaps sooner 

[highscar]

In Walmart yesterday, heard a hum behind me and there came the robot cleaning the floor.  

[rkacruiser]

22 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

Mariner Lunch was done over two days, on both levels of MDR, on the Noordam in September.  Pretzy (from the WC) was the DR Manager and he did a seriously excellent job of arranging this. 

 

Presti is an excellent person.  A very pleasant gentleman as well as a very competent person in the job that he has.

 

22 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

We rather pay a little more to keep the extras  like flowers on the tables ,the yum yum man ie    .Those little things  like you are aware make a difference in the ambiance s of the cruise😃

 

Yes.  I support your thinking.  I expect the "Signature of Excellence" slogan, as well as previous ones that "indicate" a cruise that is "something above and beyond the ordinary" to be fulfilled.  

[Crew News]

34 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Presti is an excellent person.  A very pleasant gentleman as well as a very competent person in the job that he has.

Another vote for Presti!!!!  Best Manager in the fleet.

[Florida_gal_50]

39 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Presti is an excellent person.  A very pleasant gentleman as well as a very competent person in the job that he has.

 

 

Yes.  I support your thinking.  I expect the "Signature of Excellence" slogan, as well as previous ones that "indicate" a cruise that is "something above and beyond the ordinary" to be fulfilled.  

The signature of excellence slogan has not been used for many, many years.  Clearly it’s something they couldn’t live up to and really isn’t relevant.

[Iwilder]

Things change to accommodate the newer generations. I miss the gong guy who went about announcing dinner. I miss the classical music (elevator music) that used to be throughout the ship. It seems each voyage changed something and in my estimation not for the better. I am only a three star and will never make four at my age. Things change.

[LocoLoco1]

On 10/26/2022 at 10:11 AM, RuthC said:

You can still go to lunch in the dining room on every day it is open. Meet all the people you want. 

No loss here. 

The point is methinks: HAL has cut things to the bone. A floating WalMart? Getting closer…

[rkacruiser]

22 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

The signature of excellence slogan has not been used for many, many years.  Clearly it’s something they couldn’t live up to and really isn’t relevant.

 

Maybe not relevant on October 28, 2022, but it is my expectation when I embark a HAL ship.  

 

And, then, I must ask this question.  Why is it not relevant in October, 2022?  There is a competition "out there" for guests,  Is there not?  Fulling a proposed "Signature of Excellence"--as Holland America Line once did on a consistent cruise to cruise experience--would make HAL a stand out among their competitors.  

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Maybe not relevant on October 28, 2022, but it is my expectation when I embark a HAL ship.  

 

And, then, I must ask this question.  Why is it not relevant in October, 2022?  There is a competition "out there" for guests,  Is there not?  Fulling a proposed "Signature of Excellence"--as Holland America Line once did on a consistent cruise to cruise experience--would make HAL a stand out among their competitors.  

You are more than welcome to expect that.  What you can’t expect is for them to live up to something they no longer have as a slogan.  I think you are looking to be disappointed. You’ve mentioned many, many times how they weren’t  living up to it pre pandemic.  Things haven’t gotten better in that time.

Edited October 29, 2022 by Florida_gal_50