Would anyone like to read feedback after my first ever HAL Cruise?

[Crew News]

1 minute ago, Mary229 said:

That is a good idea.  On my last cruise the cruise consultant gave very interesting and well attended talks. He was was travelled having been with HAL for a while.  People love travel and love to talk about it. 

So the Cruise Consultant could be invited but just to answer booking questions.  CC members are so much better qualified to speak to passengers' other questions. 

[Mary229]

Just now, Crew News said:

So the Cruise Consultant could be invited but just to answer booking questions.  CC members are so much better qualified to speak to passengers' other questions. 

Recently someone mentioned that they were limited in some way using Cruise Critic name.  I assume since CC now sells travel they are competition to other agencies and those agencies may object to CC getting a headline.  Perhaps CC should develop a licensed product they can sell to the lines.  What we could do is headline as cruisers helping cruisers or something like that. 

[Crew News]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

Recently someone mentioned that they were limited in some way using Cruise Critic name.  I assume since CC now sells travel they are competition to other agencies and those agencies may object to CC getting a headline.  Perhaps CC should develop a licensed product they can sell to the lines.  What we could do is headline as cruisers helping cruisers or something like that. 

So lets call the Q&A session "Ask a HAL Mariner".  There should be a a few passengers with 200+ sea days willing to devote an hour or so.  If they just happen to be CC members, they should be well prepared to give answers.

[OlsSalt]

Leaving San Diego over the holidays on the Konigsdam, they showed TopGun:Maverick in the showroom during the day, since it was topical to San Diego. Showroom  was packed.

 

Great idea- use the Main Stage for movies during the day - topical to where one is traveling. Not sure how much rehearsal time needs to be reserved for the live productions, as well as possible sound issues in the adjoining cabins. And it does take extra crew time to clean up all the free popcorn.

[SSBrickNJ]

I would like to add that there was a point in the day where the Lido Market had their screens down for 90 minutes. That's a big break between lunch and dinner...especially on an "At Sea" Day.

Am I off base or correct about that 90 minute reference?

[Crew News]

1 minute ago, SSBrickNJ said:

I would like to add that there was a point in the day where the Lido Market had their screens down for 90 minutes. That's a big break between lunch and dinner...especially on an "At Sea" Day.

Am I off base or correct about that 90 minute reference?

That is normal near the end of service to allow for clean up time and transition to the next meal service.

[kazu]

3 minutes ago, SSBrickNJ said:

I would like to add that there was a point in the day where the Lido Market had their screens down for 90 minutes. That's a big break between lunch and dinner...especially on an "At Sea" Day.

Am I off base or correct about that 90 minute reference?

 

No, you are right

 

the Dive in is still open though as well as the salad and sandwich station and pizza.

 

Not to mention room service.  My question I guess - does anyone really have to eat 24/7?  do you do that at home?

 

I don’’t.  Personally I like to savour some flavour if I am in port and if not, the hours are more than adequate on sea day for me - but I don’t need to eat every hour.  

 

No offence meant JMO.

[SSBrickNJ]

21 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

No, you are right

 

the Dive in is still open though as well as the salad and sandwich station and pizza.

 

Not to mention room service.  My question I guess - does anyone really have to eat 24/7?  do you do that at home?

 

I don’’t.  Personally I like to savour some flavour if I am in port and if not, the hours are more than adequate on sea day for me - but I don’t need to eat every hour.  

 

No offence meant JMO.

I get that. I am 6ft tall and a size 38 waist. I don't want to eat every hour either. Yet if I remember it correctly, my wife and I got to the Lido at 4:55pm and we were hungry. Everything was closed until almost 5:30pm. 

[RuthC]

2 minutes ago, SSBrickNJ said:

Yet if I remember it correctly, my wife and I got to the Lido at 4:55pm and we were hungry.

Then head up to Explorations Café for a small snack to hold you over. 
This is also a good time to have a stash of popcorn on hand in your cabin for just such an emergency. 

[Crew News]

2 minutes ago, SSBrickNJ said:

I get that. I am 6ft tall and a size 38 waist. I don't want to eat every hour either. Yet if I remember it correctly, my wife and I got to the Lido at 4:55pm and we were hungry. Everything was closed until almost 5:30pm. 

The Lido Market schedule from the daily program is:

7:00 A - 10:30 A

11:30 - 2:00 P

2:00 - 4:00 P select stations

5:30 - 8:00 P

10:30 - 11:00 P select stations

[oakridger]

I'm OK with those Lido hours except the dinner should be open at least until 9pm!  Sure, there is food elsewhere, but for those who like to eat an actual dinner in the Lido it should be open until later.

 

~Nancy

[SSBrickNJ]

12 minutes ago, Crew News said:

The Lido Market schedule from the daily program is:

7:00 A - 10:30 A

11:30 - 2:00 P

2:00 - 4:00 P select stations

5:30 - 8:00 P

10:30 - 11:00 P select stations

So that's very helpful. Thank you.

IF a couple comes back from hiking or kayaking or something like that. The ship requires everyone on board by 4pm....the ship sails at 4:30pm.

OK? I've set the table for my point...

So we come back to the ship at the required time and we don't feel like popcorn and we are tired from physical and enjoyable fun.....so....THIS is the perfect example when we want to not shower immediately and get ready for the Main Dining Room...we've "played hard" and we want some real food in the casual setting.

Yet....the Lido is closed until 5:30pm.

Are other cruise lines the same?....or maybe some of their Lido's are open by 5pm? 🤔

Edited August 18, 2023 by SSBrickNJ

[Mary229]

I get the late afternoon munchie.  We often arrive back at the ship and just need something to tide us over.   At least onthe K you have the Dutch Cafe where they can serve you a sandwich.  They used to offer hors d’oeuvres in some of the bars starting at 5 but that has disappeared.  They should bring that back.  

Edited August 18, 2023 by Mary229

[Ellencruise]

12 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I get the late afternoon munchie.  We often arrive back at the ship and just need something to tide us over.   At least onthe K you have the Dutch Cafe where they can serve you a sandwich.  They used to offer hors d’oeuvres in some of the bars starting at 5 but that has disappeared.  They should bring that back.  

Dutch cafe is open on other ships as well.

[Ellencruise]

The Lido has some varied hours on days when in port etc, due to early tours. I found it helpful to read the next days planner every evening so I would know when eateries were open the next day. And no one ever stopped me from taking food to my cabin when anticipating late morning or afternoon snacking needs. I packed a sandwich from Lido when my tour was going to be long or was not including food. As long as I don’t have to cook or clean, I am always a happy cruiser!

[Mary229]

8 minutes ago, Ellencruise said:

Dutch cafe is open on other ships as well.

Only on the Pinnacle class ships 

[pmjnh]

9 hours ago, SSBrickNJ said:

So that's very helpful. Thank you.

IF a couple comes back from hiking or kayaking or something like that. The ship requires everyone on board by 4pm....the ship sails at 4:30pm.

OK? I've set the table for my point...

So we come back to the ship at the required time and we don't feel like popcorn and we are tired from physical and enjoyable fun.....so....THIS is the perfect example when we want to not shower immediately and get ready for the Main Dining Room...we've "played hard" and we want some real food in the casual setting.

Yet....the Lido is closed until 5:30pm.

Are other cruise lines the same?....or maybe some of their Lido's are open by 5pm? 🤔

 

Dive-In is open in throughout the afternoon. On our last cruise we had late dinner seating and DH found he needed a snack around 4:30. Dive in was a good option.

[SSBrickNJ]

As the OP I'm grateful for those who have participated in this thread. I've learned a lot and definitely benefitted from what my fellow cruisers have shared.

I need to get ready to take my daughter back to college to begin her Fall Semester.

In order to keep myself from coming back to this thread I thought it would be best to just say:

1) Thank you

2) Take Care 

3) Bye

[syesmar]

3 hours ago, Mary229 said:

…They used to offer hors d’oeuvres in some of the bars starting at 5 but that has disappeared.  They should bring that back.  

According to the “Know Before You Go,” under Shipboard Meals, it says “In addition to breakfast, lunch and a multi-course dinner, you can enjoy afternoon tea, hearty salads, comfort classics, global cuisine, an ice cream bar, hot hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hours, and the traditional late-night snack.…” https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq/know-before-you-go.html

So HAL is advertising the hors d’oeuvres as still available, difficult-to-find though they may be. On my last sailing (pre-pandemic), I had to request them. I have heard of others more recently getting them on request.

[ExpatBride]

4 minutes ago, syesmar said:

the traditional late-night snack.…” 

 

On NS last month, they opened one Lido station for "late-night snacks" and it was the oddest assortment. My SO and I started going every night just to see what odds and ends they managed to scrounge up. It looked like leftovers from the crew canteen. 

Edited August 18, 2023 by ExpatBride

[Mary229]

19 minutes ago, syesmar said:

According to the “Know Before You Go,” under Shipboard Meals, it says “In addition to breakfast, lunch and a multi-course dinner, you can enjoy afternoon tea, hearty salads, comfort classics, global cuisine, an ice cream bar, hot hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hours, and the traditional late-night snack.…” https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq/know-before-you-go.html

So HAL is advertising the hors d’oeuvres as still available, difficult-to-find though they may be. On my last sailing (pre-pandemic), I had to request them. I have heard of others more recently getting them on request.

Yes they are difficult to find. Occasionally I would be somewhere and the bar tenders would have a few trays of a few olives or something but nothing else

[AFNavigator]

18 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Game shows are not popular on HAL, IMHO, thankfully, we will leave that to Carnival and their brethren.  However they could use the theater a lot more for enrichment or even film screenings.  How about sporting screenings.  There are a lot of things that could happen in that space. 

I just threw out the generic Game Show concept as something fun that can be offered to interested passengers.  Tailored to the appropriate audience, some of these types of activities can be quite entertaining.  More sports screenings would be great, especially when there are championship tournaments underway.  We were onboard during the men's FIFA World Cup semifinals--zero coverage because, we were told, HAL didn't have a contract with Fox.  Work a short term contract!

[Crew News]

2 hours ago, ExpatBride said:

 

On NS last month, they opened one Lido station for "late-night snacks" and it was the oddest assortment. My SO and I started going every night just to see what odds and ends they managed to scrounge up. It looked like leftovers from the crew canteen. 

This late buffet is for those senior crew who work odd hours but all passengers are invited.  Just like the MDR, there are regular menus that are served on every ship in the same season/location. 

 

Here is a link to the Alaska 2023 season menus:  Alaska Late Snack Buffet Menus

[ExpatBride]

2 minutes ago, Crew News said:

This late buffet is for those senior crew who work odd hours but all passengers are invited.  Just like the MDR, there are regular menus that are served on every ship in the same season/location. 

 

Here is a link to the Alaska 2023 season menus:  Alaska Late Snack Buffet Menus

That's not even close to what was served on NS last month.

[Crew News]

Just now, ExpatBride said:

That's not even close to what was served on NS last month.

Each location has their own menus and I just posted what was being served in Alaska currently.  Since the NS in not in Alaska at the moment, her menus will not be the same.