Just when I thought there was nothing else to cut

[cccole]

1 minute ago, CruiserBruce said:

You know HAL is not allowed to change...ever?

Oh....I forgot that HAL is not different from other hospitality venues...  Why don't they just ask us?😉. Cherie

[Tradestock]

12 hours ago, doublebzz said:

Gone is the ship's band.  Instead, musicians and production shows employed canned music which sounded like glorified karaoke. 

Just for clarification, there was no live band in BB Kings?

[CruiserBruce]

1 minute ago, Tradestock said:

Just for clarification, there was no live band in BB Kings?

Yes, there's a live band...its now the Rolling Stones band.

[TiogaCruiser]

1 hour ago, cccole said:

2 years ago?  Did you go back more than one time?  Possibly those who can play a piano better and sing better than the entertainers should offer to help.  JMO. Cherie

We walked through several times- it truly wasn’t worth staying around for. Frankly if they HAD opened the mic to those in attendance they certainly would have found better talent. 

[Haljo1935]

6 hours ago, POA1 said:

... DW reminded me that the Capital Grille calculation doesn't include the Clothesline Bacon we usually share. However, the Capital Grille doesn't have anything to compare with the "meat curtain."

❤️

[*Miss G*]

7 hours ago, Guinness1000 said:

I watched a YT video by Gary Bembridge about repositioning cruises. He said most people don't realize that they are inexpensive because the purpose of them is to move the ship to a new area. Their aim is not to give guests the best time ever. Port stops are mostly for replenishing supplies and such. I have never been on one myself, but it made sense when I watched it. I want to do a transoceanic cruise, but my expectations will be lower than a regular cruise. Hope you still managed to enjoy yourself.  🙂

 

I have never experienced a “less than” repositioning cruise. Ever.

[albingirl]

As someone told me recently, not everyone is going to like you. If Holland America is not for you, it's easy enough to move on.

[BermudaBound2014]

9 hours ago, Tradestock said:

Just for clarification, there was no live band in BB Kings?

 

With the exception of pinnacle class, the BBKings band has been cut from all HAL ships.

 

 

[JohnCoffield]

!

Edited July 29 by JohnCoffield

[taxmantoo]

8 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

❤️

If you go home after a week on a cruise ship and bacon is one of your memories, I think you might have missed the point 🙂 

Edited July 29 by taxmantoo

[JohnCoffield]

If cruisers really want to see what cost cutting looks like then I suggest you try P&O (UK). Just back from a 2 week cruise to Norway, Iceland & Ireland & our first time on P&O since taking 2 cruises with HAL last year (Noordam & Nieuw Statendam). Despite being part of the same group they really are chalk & cheese & it will be very unlikely that we will return to P&O. We have 2 more booked with HAL & I am looking forward t them even more.

[AKJonesy]

When you compare a daily schedule from HAL to some of the other mainline cruise companies, at least I noticed there is a significant amount of daily activities on others compared to HAL.  The daily schedule over years has become less and less.  I have to laugh at some things on the daily schedule like coloring for adults as an example.  The way to get around this is to sail on a port heavy cruise.  Now, I for one do not need or want to go to coloring for adults or lectures by the staff and basically use the time to read, study, and exercise between ports or on long transitioning cruises.  My husband likes to exercise, eat, rest and catch up on news and a few movies.  If there was a cruise to "nowhere", he would be for that.  Not trying to give HAL anymore ideas.  🙂

[TRLD]

1 minute ago, AKJonesy said:

When you compare a daily schedule from HAL to some of the other mainline cruise companies, at least I noticed there is a significant amount of daily activities on others compared to HAL.  The daily schedule over years has become less and less.  I have to laugh at some things on the daily schedule like coloring for adults as an example.  The way to get around this is to sail on a port heavy cruise.  Now, I for one do not need or want to go to coloring for adults or lectures by the staff and basically use the time to read, study, and exercise between ports or on long transitioning cruises.  My husband likes to exercise, eat, rest and catch up on news and a few movies.  If there was a cruise to "nowhere", he would be for that.  Not trying to give HAL anymore ideas.  🙂

That is why we do our twice a year TA cruises on other lines. We like HAL for certain itineraries. However for TAs which lack unique stops and are pretty much the same we tend to take Princess mostly, with some Celebrity. Mostly because Princess has a more diverse set of activities. 

[JimDee363636]

@AKJonesy

For excellent daytime activities, especially guest lectures, try Cunard, a sister line to HAL. We've just completed our third Cunard cruise (on the new Queen Anne), and like the ones on Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 it offered quite an array of speakers. Although many Cunard lecturers are academics, on our Queen Mary 2 cruise there were three separate sea day presentations by Roger McGuinn, founder of The Byrds and member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Cunard isn't for everyone---the dress code is more formal than many people like, and the clientele is heavily British---but those who like the line really like it.

 

Jim

[Petronillus]

17 hours ago, POA1 said:

I also did not throw in our mortgage, maintenance, property taxes, and insurance. I can if you want. We have ocean views and a balcony and everything. That would be more apples to apples. After all, your throwing the whole cost of the cruise with one meal. (Probably need to put the cost of the car and valet parking on my side of the ledger, since we can't walk to the restaurant.)

 

In all seriousness, the OP said that the PG is approaching the cost of a land based restaurant. I simply chose a comparable restaurant with comparable service. The I took a comparable set of courses. DW reminded me that the Capital Grille calculation doesn't include the Clothesline Bacon we usually share. However, the Capital Grille doesn't have anything to compare with the "meat curtain."

This is so grudging an interpretation of OP's remark that, imho, it verges on flaming. All he was saying is, in effect, "It costs X to dine at the Pinnacle Grill. X is approaching the cost of dining out at a land-based steakhouse." The only point of  reference was the cost to the consumer. The relative costs of operating a restaurant, on the one hand, and operating a cruise ship, on the other, are totally beside the OP's point.

 

I call foul. 

 

P.S. Clothesline Bacon is a monstrous atrocity.

[POA1]

14 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

When I use the top link I can click on view cruise button but I still get a big cup of nothing unless I'm in incognito mode.

 

The brochure link will be very helpful to anyone searching for Legendary cruises specifically.

 

 

I get all the cruises in regular Chrome, Firefox, Bing browser, and Dolphin. I'm sorry that you have bad cookies. I could post screenshots for each browser, but that seems mean.

[3rdGenCunarder]

32 minutes ago, JimDee363636 said:

@AKJonesy

For excellent daytime activities, especially guest lectures, try Cunard, a sister line to HAL. We've just completed our third Cunard cruise (on the new Queen Anne), and like the ones on Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 it offered quite an array of speakers. Although many Cunard lecturers are academics, on our Queen Mary 2 cruise there were three separate sea day presentations by Roger McGuinn, founder of The Byrds and member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Cunard isn't for everyone---the dress code is more formal than many people like, and the clientele is heavily British---but those who like the line really like it.

 

Jim

 

That would be me! I sail Cunard for the experience and ambiance as much as for the itinerary. I sail HAL for itinerary, which means plenty of ports where I can find something to do. 

 

I agree with @AKJonesy about the daily schedule on HAL. It looks like there's a lot to do, but when you take out the infomercials from the jewelry store and the spa, it's coloring, bingo, trivia. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

12 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Yes, there's a live band...its now the Rolling Stones band.

 

Rolling Stone, as in the magazine.

 

I cannot imagine the Rolling Stones doing a tie-in with HAL. (although, God knows, they're in the right age demographic to be HAL passengers)

Edited July 29 by 3rdGenCunarder

[POA1]

1 minute ago, Petronillus said:

This is so grudging an interpretation of OP's remark that, imho, it verges on flaming. All he was saying is, in effect, "It costs X to dine at the Pinnacle Grill. X is approaching the cost of dining out at a land-based steakhouse." The only point of  reference was the cost to the consumer. The relative costs of operating a restaurant, on the one hand, and operating a cruise ship, on the other, are totally beside the OP's point.

 

I call foul. 

 

P.S. Clothesline Bacon is a monstrous atrocity.

Please refer to my original post. I posted a course for course comparison with the PG menu vs Capital Grille.

 

My rebuttal was to the "$10,000 cover charge."

 

Bring it in with the PG vs. land-based restaurant comparison. Don't try to entertain a logical fallacy.

[POA1]

2 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Rolling Stone, as in the magazine.

 

I cannot imagine the Rolling Stones doing a tie-in with HAL. (although, God knows, they're in the right age demographic to be HAL passengers)

Don't besmirch Michael Philip Jagger. I thought we were friends. 😁

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 minutes ago, POA1 said:

Don't besmirch Michael Philip Jagger. I thought we were friends. 😁

 

I would never! But he turned 81 last week. Just sayin'...

[POA1]

1 minute ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I would never! But he turned 81 last week. Just sayin'...

So, basically "rocker age". Tip o' the hat to you

 

[HappyInVan]

On 7/28/2024 at 7:09 AM, doublebzz said:

I am now waiting for HAL to require guests to bring their own bed linens and towels.

 

There's always something more to cut; if costs rise and fares are too low. 😬

[albingirl]

1 hour ago, POA1 said:

Please refer to my original post. I posted a course for course comparison with the PG menu vs Capital Grille.

 

My rebuttal was to the "$10,000 cover charge."

 

Bring it in with the PG vs. land-based restaurant comparison. Don't try to entertain a logical fallacy.

All things aside, I love the Capital Grille, beyond measure!!!!!!

[leafsnation]

Have they cut the daily mass with a priest on board?

Daily mass is why my wife sails HAL.

Bob