Microwaves Machines for guest use on HAL

[Heidi13]

55 minutes ago, Torquer said:

Everyone is talking about smells, fires, pacemaker issues, etc.  Why would this be any worse than the microwaves that are common in hotel rooms?

 

Simple reason is that hotels are not subject to Marine Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Regulations and Structural Fire Protection Regulations. Another key factor is that every piece of equipment onboard must have a Flag/Class approval. UL or equivalent shore-side approval mean nothing once equipment is loaded on a ship.

[cruisemom42]

I don't use a microwave when I travel. I like to get away from all that technology. 🤣🤣

 

Seriously, though. I don't think I've ever stayed in a hotel that had a microwave -- is that a common thing?

[hrhdhd]

2 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

I don't use a microwave when I travel. I like to get away from all that technology. 🤣🤣

 

Seriously, though. I don't think I've ever stayed in a hotel that had a microwave -- is that a common thing?

Quite. Several Hilton brands have them (at least in the U.S.)--Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn.

[cruisemom42]

6 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

Quite. Several Hilton brands have them (at least in the U.S.)--Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn.

 

Hmmm, I've stayed at those brands and never had a microwave.

 

From Google:

 

 

[hrhdhd]

29 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Hmmm, I've stayed at those brands and never had a microwave.

 

From Google:

 

 

From a random HGI in Nashville:

 

[cruisemom42]

1 minute ago, hrhdhd said:

From a random HGI in Nashville:

 

 

That's no guarantee that they all have one. 

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

Embassy Suites has microwaves.

[Roz]

I've stayed in lots of hotel rooms with microwaves, and they weren't suites. Very common in the US.

[Banditswife]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

I don't use a microwave when I travel. I like to get away from all that technology. 🤣🤣

 

Seriously, though. I don't think I've ever stayed in a hotel that had a microwave -- is that a common thing?

Even the lower budget brands have microwaves & mini fridges.  Lower budget referring to Super 8 Comfort Inn, etc

[cruisemom42]

Just now, Banditswife said:

Even the lower budget brands have microwaves & mini fridges.  Lower budget referring to Super 8 Comfort Inn, etc

 

Guess I just don't stay in "lower budget" places. Can they really be considered hotels? Is that what we are comparing HAL cabins with now?

[dns20]

HAL is very much a full-service line, no DYI.  Even in buffet, most food and beverage are served by staff, no self-serve beverage machines (other than coffee and water). They do not expect/want guests to make or even heat up their own food.  If something needs heating, they will be happy to do it for you.  I do not like putting cold cream into my coffee because it cools it too fast so I tried to warm a small amount over hot water - the server saw it and offered to warm it up in the kitchen for me.  They may pop a bag of popcorn for you if they have microwave in the kitchen.

[Banditswife]

9 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Guess I just don't stay in "lower budget" places. Can they really be considered hotels? Is that what we are comparing HAL cabins with now?

No, I am not comparing HAL with budget hotels, just stating a fact that most hotels/motels provide a microwave.  I am guessing you just haven't noticed them in the hotel rooms you have stayed in. Next time you stay in a hotel, look for a mini fridge & microwave, you might be surprised. Sometimes they are hidden inside a cabinet. For us, staying in a budget hotel (as long as it is clean, has hot water for a shower) allows us to travel more frequently.

[sunviking90]

5 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Guess I just don't stay in "lower budget" places. Can they really be considered hotels? Is that what we are comparing HAL cabins with now?

 

8 minutes ago, Banditswife said:

Even the lower budget brands have microwaves & mini fridges.  Lower budget referring to Super 8 Comfort Inn, etc

Any hotel above a 3 star would be considered “Full Service” and won’t have microwaves in the rooms. You won’t walk down the hall of a Fairmont or even an Marriott and smell food being microwaved. Only the Hampton Inn type places, Courtyards, suite hotels, down to lower budget hotels will have them. 
I would think HAL considers themselves Full Service.

[TiogaCruiser]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

I don't use a microwave when I travel. I like to get away from all that technology. 🤣🤣

 

Seriously, though. I don't think I've ever stayed in a hotel that had a microwave -- is that a common thing?

We’ve noticed a trend in the past couple of years that the hotels are taking microwaves out of the rooms and offering one per floor or in a common area. That has occurred in several Marriots in the LA area, and we noticed it on a recent trip to Northern California and Arizona.

 

 

[Banditswife]

5 minutes ago, sunviking90 said:

 

Any hotel above a 3 star would be considered “Full Service” and won’t have microwaves in the rooms. You won’t walk down the hall of a Fairmont or even an Marriott and smell food being microwaved. Only the Hampton Inn type places, Courtyards, suite hotels, down to lower budget hotels will have them. 
I would think HAL considers themselves Full Service.

Interesting, so the higher star hotels don't have them?  I don't ever use the microwave, so I wouldn't care.  I do, however use the fridge.

[sunviking90]

4 minutes ago, Banditswife said:

Interesting, so the higher star hotels don't have them?  I don't ever use the microwave, so I wouldn't care.  I do, however use the fridge.

My experience is that the more you pay, the less they provide, lol.

I think they usually have a few that can be requested for special circumstances like heating up formula, etc.

[Hlitner]

Having microwaves in a cabin would be a slippery slope.  How long until the only free breakfast would be microwaved items.  Lunch?  Just pick up your ramen or frozen meal before microwaving in your cabin.  For dinner, you might even get microwavable oriental options?  

 

We have already seen this slippery slope in some hotels.  Restaurants have shortened hours or are completely closed.  If you are hungry, they have a selection of microwave food products (including popcorn).  Not my idea of a cruise.

 

Hank

[Roz]

So now we're lower class because we stay in hotel rooms with microwaves?  There are some real snobs on this board. 

[Torquer]

1 hour ago, dns20 said:

HAL is very much a full-service line, no DYI.  Even in buffet, most food and beverage are served by staff, no self-serve beverage machines (other than coffee and water). They do not expect/want guests to make or even heat up their own food.  If something needs heating, they will be happy to do it for you.

We almost exclusively stay in the Pinnacle Suite on HAL.  When we order something from room service, there is usually something that is not as hot as we would like.  We just pop it into the microwave ourselves (there is a microwave in all PS), rather than waiting a half-hour for room service to deliver another item.  I think they are very useful and should be in more cabins.

 

And even though we stay in the PS on HAL, we also stay in many hotel rooms that have microwaves in the US.  We do sometimes stay in high-end hotels like Four Seasons, Fairmont and others, but these are only in major cities or resorts, and they don't have microwaves.  But our favorite hotel chain in the US is Embassy Suites since they provide excellent value, and they have microwaves.  We also stay in lots of Holiday Inns and Residence Inns in smaller towns, and they have microwaves.  I think if you travel outside of major cities, it is likely your hotel room in the US will have a microwave, because it is not one of the high-end hotels that provide poor value.  BTW, we have never seen a microwave in a hotel room outside the US and Canada.

[OlsSalt]

Our local building codes require a separate, solely dedicated electrical line with its own circuit breaker for a microwave. Would a ship retrofit ask for anything less?

[bennybear]

We stay in a lot of suite hotels, Hilton, Marriott brands have all had microwaves.  
 

I think some here seriously underestimate popcorn addiction.  But for me the bagged stuff doesn’t cut it,   I need real butter, preferably Irish and Italian black truffle salt….

 

But on a cruise my tastebuds are usually happy. 

[Mary229]

3 hours ago, sunviking90 said:

 

Any hotel above a 3 star would be considered “Full Service” and won’t have microwaves in the rooms. You won’t walk down the hall of a Fairmont or even an Marriott and smell food being microwaved. Only the Hampton Inn type places, Courtyards, suite hotels, down to lower budget hotels will have them. 
I would think HAL considers themselves Full Service.

Not true anymore.  Plenty of Marriott’s now have microwaves and fridges.  As a former road warrior I would search for that option in my hotel search and stayed in quite a few Marriott’s with micros.  

[Mary229]

35 minutes ago, bennybear said:

We stay in a lot of suite hotels, Hilton, Marriott brands have all had microwaves.  
 

I think some here seriously underestimate popcorn addiction.  But for me the bagged stuff doesn’t cut it,   I need real butter, preferably Irish and Italian black truffle salt….

 

But on a cruise my tastebuds are usually happy. 

You are a pretty fancy lass.  When I have been at sea a week any popcorn will do.  😊

[VMax1700]

49 minutes ago, bennybear said:

I need real butter, preferably Irish

go raibh maith agat.

(Thank you! Irish!)

[bennybear]

30 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

You are a pretty fancy lass.  When I have been at sea a week any popcorn will do.  😊

Lol!  Even our DGD has to have truffle salt🤷‍♀️