LOUSY CRUISE ON ZUIDERDAM

[Mary229]

5 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

I tend to do longer cruises too, Mary 😉 This time though it’s 3 B2B’s.  And it’s the holidays.  Never done one of these before and completely green.  One sailing at least is sold out and if the other isn’t - it might as well be.

 

Friends on board which was a swaying factor for me, but now re-thinking - especially if the foot hasn’t healed.  3 and 1/2 weeks to go.  Wonder if I will have my luggage back in time from my last cruise’s flight for it?  LOL.

Yeah, a holiday cruise on the Koningsdam might be a bit crowded.  On the other hand I was on the Zuiderdam at max capacity and never felt stifled. 

[dchip]

4 hours ago, riverrat said:

Speaking of running out of things, the first night I ordered a Hendrick's gin martini, and was informed that the ship was out of Hendricks.

Interesting! Here is the thing with the Zuiderdam bars which I didn’t appreciate. Not every bar had every type of alcohol. I did have Hendricks and tonic several times at the beginning of the cruise and then switched to other drinks. It was at the Ocean Bar. 
Denise

[Florida_gal_50]

28 minutes ago, Wakepatrol said:

What are the cost cutting issues ? Not doubting you just curious

It's the cut in staff or just not having enough staff.  I've been to the pinnacle for lunch a couple times.  The salmon has always been very nice in there.  It was just odd looking the ther day.  Like a cheap cut.  Same in the mdr. Sel de mer is not cheap.  Their "fresh" fish since I got on the ship 10 days ago is salmon.  If it's the same as the pinnacle then no thanks.  Also in sel they have lobster tail.  Lately it's been 2 tails.  Not the same.  The drinks taste odd on the ship. Not a cutback per say but who is making these things.  Hal use to have a standard that every cosmo or caesar drink for example tasted the same.  These are first world problems but I don't want to pay high prices for a mediocre cruise.  These are a few things I can think of off the bat.

[Wakepatrol]

9 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It's the cut in staff or just not having enough staff.  I've been to the pinnacle for lunch a couple times.  The salmon has always been very nice in there.  It was just odd looking the ther day.  Like a cheap cut.  Same in the mdr. Sel de mer is not cheap.  Their "fresh" fish since I got on the ship 10 days ago is salmon.  If it's the same as the pinnacle then no thanks.  Also in sel they have lobster tail.  Lately it's been 2 tails.  Not the same.  The drinks taste odd on the ship. Not a cutback per say but who is making these things.  Hal use to have a standard that every cosmo or caesar drink for example tasted the same.  These are first world problems but I don't want to pay high prices for a mediocre cruise.  These are a few things I can think of off the bat.

I’m sorry to hear that and hope things improve . Thanks for your response 

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, disneyochem said:

On board the very full Koningsdam— haven’t run across any shortages of drinks and peanuts!  Tito’s and Coke Zero readily available everywhere as are nuts in the different venues.  Brought our own wine on board.

 

Ship is crowded but not anything more than we experienced on her in July on an Alaskan cruise.  Lines not too bad, service is fantastic!  They suspended ordering from the Navigator app for Dive In because they were overwhelmed on Sunday (our first sea day).  Waits up to 90 minutes for a burger….

 

We’re having a great time though.  Love the ship, crew.

 

But, I do have to mention the horrible tendering at Cabo!  We waited over three hours to go ashore but finally gave up!  Kept being told that there were safety issues.  Our tender boat number was called at 3 pm, last tender was 4:30 back to ship.  Yeah, not really a port stop!  Fortunately we’ve been to Cabo many times so didn’t miss much.

 

Guest services called last night (after I had expressed my concern about the tendering process in Puerto Vallarta).  Told us that the ship was not tending at PV but docking. Great news if true—hubby really wants make his tee time at El Tigre!
 

 

You should have been in the Lido at around 11:35 yesterday.  I got a egg filled bun and a salad.  That took at least 20 minutes or more.  It was a mass of humanity.  I've been told there are 400 kids aboard. I think they were all there.  It didn't take any longer to tender in cabo  than the week before but we were there at around 9:30.  Why they didn't start tendering until 11:10 this week is beyond me.  I have no complaints about the food except for the salmon.  When they bring all your courses at once in the mdr that not my idea of a lovely dining experience.

 

We are docking tomorrow in puerto.  That came from the captain but not to the general population which is just stupid.  I heard it through a few reliable sources.

Edited November 22, 2022 by Florida_gal_50

[Florida_gal_50]

5 minutes ago, Wakepatrol said:

I’m sorry to hear that and hope things improve . Thanks for your response 

It's still a lot better than being at work.  It just not an experience that I'm not willing to pay for.  I'm out on the balcony right now and I have 2 families literally screaming on each side of me.  There is no need to that.  They were screaming at Mexican people on shore this morning. This is what a carnival ship is like, not hal.  You don't have to act like an animal.  I feel terrible for the staff.  The  cabana guys told me people are ordering pizza through the app and not picking it up causing more than an hour delay.  Why act like that?

[oaktreerb]

3 hours ago, kazu said:

 

OK you have me concerned.  I am supposed to be on that ship in December.  I just got off the Oosterdam and the food was very good, seriously.,  Service at the Sea View Pool was excellent.  (Can’t comment on everywhere as I ended up in a wheel chair and travelling was an issue).

 

Lido was good.  All the specialties were very good and enjoyable.  Staff were very good.  

 

What to expect on the K please?  If it’s a disaster, it might not be worth the hassle of flights to San Diego and embarking there.  Thanks.

I hope you have fixed seating.  If not, charm the Maitre’d into giving you a fixed table in open seating.  Our stateroom was on 4 aft and we had to wind our way through the crowds of people outside the dining room on our way to Club Orange for dinner (where we also had to wait sometimes).   Food was good, portions small.  I don’t care for the Lido so we only went there for a salad to take to the room.  It’s not the food, it’s all the people milling around that bothers me.  Servers were helpful.

 

We did have a full ship and the Grand Dutch Cafe was pretty busy but it’s worth the wait.  People tried to leave open seats in the showroom to avoid crowding.

  

Arrive at your boarding time, tell the reps that you are 4* or above.  Assume that you will be going directly into the terminal upon arrival.  You should be treated with courtesy.  If you feel like someone has given you the wrong information, ask someone else.  

[oaktreerb]

26 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It's the cut in staff or just not having enough staff.  I've been to the pinnacle for lunch a couple times.  The salmon has always been very nice in there.  It was just odd looking the ther day.  Like a cheap cut.  Same in the mdr. Sel de mer is not cheap.  Their "fresh" fish since I got on the ship 10 days ago is salmon.  If it's the same as the pinnacle then no thanks.  Also in sel they have lobster tail.  Lately it's been 2 tails.  Not the same.  The drinks taste odd on the ship. Not a cutback per say but who is making these things.  Hal use to have a standard that every cosmo or caesar drink for example tasted the same.  These are first world problems but I don't want to pay high prices for a mediocre cruise.  These are a few things I can think of off the bat.

Agree about the drinks.  Training may be an issue here.

 

Agree about Sel de Mer.  The lobster was disappointing.  The Salmon was excellent.  Dover Sole seems to be the best choice.  Service is excellent.  The staff was looking forward to Rudy being on the Nov 12 sailing.  

 

 

[Cruise NH]

9 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We have a suggestion for those in high risk categories.  Before you cruise (or travel) ask your own family physician if he/she would advise you to take Paxlovid in the event you tested positive for COVID.  If so, simply explain you will be cruising/traveling and request a prescription.  We carry our own supply (for 2 persons) of Paxlovid along with several home testing kits.  For us, a big advantage of getting Paxlovid at home is that we have a prescription program that pays for the drug.  As very frequent international travelers we carry a pretty decent drug supply to handle most common issues.  

 

Hank

 

We asked our physician about getting a prescription for our upcoming cruise.  He said no, they will only prescribe if symptoms warrant.  I feel he's not a fan of the drug.  We both came back from a recent Cunard cruise with Covid.  My husband wanted to get Paxlovid (my symptoms were very mild) but our doctor's office put him off for a couple of days and by then he was getting better.  They said they were trying to coordinate with his cardiologist but I think our doctor just doesn't like this drug.  Some who have taken it get Covid again shortly after. 

 

I do hope something better comes along.  With Paxlovid you have to take it over the course of 5 days...most people feel better in that timeframe anyway so does it help the average case?  I don't know.

[oaktreerb]

12 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It's still a lot better than being at work.  It just not an experience that I'm not willing to pay for.  I'm out on the balcony right now and I have 2 families literally screaming on each side of me.  There is no need to that.  They were screaming at Mexican people on shore this morning. This is what a carnival ship is like, not hal.  You don't have to act like an animal.  I feel terrible for the staff.  The  cabana guys told me people are ordering pizza through the app and not picking it up causing more than an hour delay.  Why act like that?

Kids sail free?

[Wakepatrol]

11 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It's still a lot better than being at work.  It just not an experience that I'm not willing to pay for.  I'm out on the balcony right now and I have 2 families literally screaming on each side of me.  There is no need to that.  They were screaming at Mexican people on shore this morning. This is what a carnival ship is like, not hal.  You don't have to act like an animal.  I feel terrible for the staff.  The  cabana guys told me people are ordering pizza through the app and not picking it up causing more than an hour delay.  Why act like that?

Ugghh- how to ruin a balcony experience. We went on Nieuw Amsterdam in March we only had  

900 aboard. If it makes you feel any better I saw a Princess post on Facebook that there were 1,000 kids aboard one of the ships today. 

[Florida_gal_50]

2 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

Agree about the drinks.  Training may be an issue here.

 

Agree about Sel de Mer.  The lobster was disappointing.  The Salmon was excellent.  Dover Sole seems to be the best choice.  Service is excellent.  The staff was looking forward to Rudy being on the Nov 12 sailing.  

 

 

I think I'm going to have the sole tonight.  The Lobster has been awesome before.  I was really looking forward to a lovely whitefish of some sort.  I did have a lovely halibut dinner the first week in club orange.  The Nov 12 was supposed to be a culinary cruise. I heard nothing.  More promos about the adult coloring books.

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

Kids sail free?

we did that sailing once and only once on another line.  Holiday week, kids out of school, very competitive rates - not for us

[Florida_gal_50]

3 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

Kids sail free?

It must be that.  Everyone seems to have at least 3 kids.

[albingirl]

I am so sorry to hear all this. Without going on about my life, just hoping my beloved husband and I have a better experience in Feb.

[Florida_gal_50]

1 minute ago, albingirl said:

I am so sorry to hear all this. Without going on about my life, just hoping my beloved husband and I have a better experience in Feb.

I think it will be better.  I think this is just the perfect storm of holidays and not enough staff.  There is just such a mood change from March in this ship.  Most of the staff just doesn't seem happy.  That's coming from somewhere.  Completely different from March.  Don't get me wrong there is a lot of lovely staff.  

[Florida_gal_50]

8 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

we did that sailing once and only once on another line.  Holiday week, kids out of school, very competitive rates - not for us

Unfortunately I seem to forget about Thanksgiving being Canadian but I'm very hemmed in by work commitments.  Doesn't leave much wiggle room.

[FLcruiser2011]

Well, this cruise just gets worse and worse.

 

We were told by the Pinnacle hostess that Pinnacle is sold out for the remaining 9 days of this cruise.  We have not even had a chance to try it.  What's the point of buying a Signature Suite and a Club Orange package if you can't get into Pinnacle once.

 

But we then decided to try Canaletto tomorrow night, when they have veal liver.  They could squeeze us in at 9 pm, we were told.  And THEN, to add insult to injury, the guest services person suggested we might like to have DINNER at the Lido, "where you won't need a reservation.
 

So what I'm really looking forward to on a not inexpensive cruise is fine dining in the buffet.  Wow!  This sure is one classy cruise line.

 

BTW, we sat a couple of miles out of Huatulco for three hours, while the Mexican authorities messed with the ship's officers for cancelling their stop in Huatulco.  Of course, we could have spent that three hours in port and perhaps everyone would have been happy!

[Mary229]

16 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Unfortunately I seem to forget about Thanksgiving being Canadian but I'm very hemmed in by work commitments.  Doesn't leave much wiggle room.

Yeah, I figured that.  I know the feeling I once showed up at Niagara Falls on Citizens Day.

[Wakepatrol]

8 minutes ago, FLcruiser2011 said:

Well, this cruise just gets worse and worse.

 

We were told by the Pinnacle hostess that Pinnacle is sold out for the remaining 9 days of this cruise.  We have not even had a chance to try it.  What's the point of buying a Signature Suite and a Club Orange package if you can't get into Pinnacle once.

 

But we then decided to try Canaletto tomorrow night, when they have veal liver.  They could squeeze us in at 9 pm, we were told.  And THEN, to add insult to injury, the guest services person suggested we might like to have DINNER at the Lido, "where you won't need a reservation.
 

So what I'm really looking forward to on a not inexpensive cruise is fine dining in the buffet.  Wow!  This sure is one classy cruise line.

 

BTW, we sat a couple of miles out of Huatulco for three hours, while the Mexican authorities messed with the ship's officers for cancelling their stop in Huatulco.  Of course, we could have spent that three hours in port and perhaps everyone would have been happy!

I think you should fly home at the next port 

[Florida_gal_50]

26 minutes ago, FLcruiser2011 said:

Well, this cruise just gets worse and worse.

 

We were told by the Pinnacle hostess that Pinnacle is sold out for the remaining 9 days of this cruise.  We have not even had a chance to try it.  What's the point of buying a Signature Suite and a Club Orange package if you can't get into Pinnacle once.

 

But we then decided to try Canaletto tomorrow night, when they have veal liver.  They could squeeze us in at 9 pm, we were told.  And THEN, to add insult to injury, the guest services person suggested we might like to have DINNER at the Lido, "where you won't need a reservation.
 

So what I'm really looking forward to on a not inexpensive cruise is fine dining in the buffet.  Wow!  This sure is one classy cruise line.

 

BTW, we sat a couple of miles out of Huatulco for three hours, while the Mexican authorities messed with the ship's officers for cancelling their stop in Huatulco.  Of course, we could have spent that three hours in port and perhaps everyone would have been happy!

That sucks about the port.  I second I got on the ship I made my reservations.  I find if you don't you'll be in trouble.

[ShipWalker]

1 hour ago, oaktreerb said:

Kids sail free?

 

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It must be that.  Everyone seems to have at least 3 kids.

 

One of each?

[Disneylandfan]

DH and I are also on this cruise. Very disappointed that two of the 6 ports have been cancelled  so far, but we  understand these things happen. I will say we haven't enjoyed the food, which we were looking forward to since all of the press for HAL seems to be that the food is excellent.  Maybe we just haven't made the right choices. The meat, in particular has not been very good. We are glad we have given HAL a try, but will definitely be going back to smaller ships (Azamara and river cruising).

[dmcfad2]

7 hours ago, kazu said:

 

OK you have me concerned.  I am supposed to be on that ship in December.  I just got off the Oosterdam and the food was very good, seriously.,  Service at the Sea View Pool was excellent.  (Can’t comment on everywhere as I ended up in a wheel chair and travelling was an issue).

 

Lido was good.  All the specialties were very good and enjoyable.  Staff were very good.  

 

What to expect on the K please?  If it’s a disaster, it might not be worth the hassle of flights to San Diego and embarking there.  Thanks.

Well, I have tried to answer you twice in great detail and both times my whole post disappeared after spending about 15 minutes writing it! So, I will just say to not be concerned. You will have a great time. Maybe if I have time tomorrow, I will go in to more detail about what I experienced. 

[GeezerCouple]

23 minutes ago, dmcfad2 said:

Well, I have tried to answer you twice in great detail and both times my whole post disappeared after spending about 15 minutes writing it! So, I will just say to not be concerned. You will have a great time. Maybe if I have time tomorrow, I will go in to more detail about what I experienced. 

 

Not related to the ship, but about your vanishing text...

I've had that happen occasionally (but not predictably) when it isn't a quick typing.  I don't know if something times out, and if so, where that is happening.

 

However, using hints from other uses, it might help to type on a Word.doc first, and then copy/paste it into CC, or perhaps type on CC, and every so often, copy and paste the work thus far into a Word.doc or such.

 

Also, a few times, when I thought it had been lost... all gone, etc.... I later went to respond to something else, and when the edit window opened, there was my old text!  And a message about did I want to save it or erase the old message-in-progress.

 

There's another online Forum where this happens, but that one, although it's very rare, when it happens... suddenly it's just... "all gone!".  😡

That was when I started keeping copies of anything at all lengthy.  Nope, I didn't learn it the first time, but I *did* learn it the second time it happened!!

 

GC