No shows after dinner? Really?

[sail7seas]

A few times my confirmation came through with 'waitlist' on it. I called immediately and a few times had to remind them of the "S" suite dining policy. They always made the correction but had I not noticed it on the confirmation, we could have been disappointed.

We always have Main Upper at 8 P.M. It is so important to us that we would cancel the cruise rather than take our chances on any other dining time. That is carved in stone, as they say. We always dine at our own table, always the same table, always at 8 P.M.

 

[Mary Ellen]

I'm really starting to get a little sad thinking about our holiday cruise to Antarctica with this new show schedule. We have always enjoyed the shows, but if they are all early, we probably won't make many....if any. That sure doesn't sound too festive to me. This isn't exactly what I had in mind when we booked this cruise last year.

Please don't get too worried. There is still plenty of time for HAL to learn the 'error of their ways'. ;) While our Antarctic cruise this year wasn't a holiday sailing, that was a fantastic cruise. :D We had such a wonderful experience that we're planning on going again in 2011.

 

We haven't done any holiday sailings, but I do understand that they are more 'festive'....

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[Tricia724]

Please don't get too worried. There is still plenty of time for HAL to learn the 'error of their ways'. ;) While our Antarctic cruise this year wasn't a holiday sailing, that was a fantastic cruise. :D We had such a wonderful experience that we're planning on going again in 2011.

 

Thanks, Mary Ellen. I've been thinking the same thing....that perhaps given a little time, a more equitable program will be put in place. I understand that some people do like an earlier show, and in fairness to them, I don't have a problem with some early shows. I just hope that they aren't all early.

 

We'll definitely enjoy the cruise and the destination.....there's no question about that. We're looking into excursions right now, and I'm trying to decide how many penguins are too many!

[bucsfan100]

Can someone tell me what the "S" suite dining policy is and if it applies to SY cabins?

 

Thanks!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Can someone tell me what the "S" suite dining policy is and if it applies to SY cabins?

 

Thanks!

Unfortunately NO :o

[LoyHAL]

In reading these posts, I see over and over: HAL is trying to be like Princess, etc etc. Don't we pay more to sail on HAL? Isn't that enough??? Geez....

 

LoyHAL, who also likes a drink in the Ocean Bar before dinner and never drinks at any shows OR after dinner..... sigh.

[Sailor Gal]

If HAL is going after a younger demographic and shorter cruises (i.e. 7 day caribbean) they need to have some form of nightlife after 9:00! If the shows are poorly attended - take notice and update and beef them up. I understand why there may not be as many show opportunities on longer cruises - who wants to do that every nite - but for shorter journeys - folks are looking for something to do!

[ekerr19]

Can someone tell me what the "S" suite dining policy is and if it applies to SY cabins?

 

Thanks!

 

If you are booked in SA, SB or SC - you are supposed to be given your choice of dining. Having said that, a couple recent cruises we weren't. Our docs indicated something different than waht we actually received.

 

It was only on the last one we had an issue. We requested a large table at 8:30PM (normally never a problem), instead we got 5:45PM - which is WAY too early for us!!! We talked to the concierge, but we still had to go down and meet the Maitre D' at 8:30 - and we ended up at a small table...

 

I'm not sure the "Suite dining preference" is all that much in effect anymore, sadly. It's another "perk" that seems to have gone by the wayside. :(

[kryos]

In reading these posts, I see over and over: HAL is trying to be like Princess, etc etc. Don't we pay more to sail on HAL? Isn't that enough??? Geez....

Do you pay more on HAL? I haven't really price shopped lately, but I think HAL and Princess are about on a par with each other pricewise.

 

Sadly, competition is gonna get more and more fierce for the cruising dollar over the next couple of years, and every cruise line is gonna have to be competitive in order to fill their ships. Just imagine a line trying to fill one of those Genesis ships every week!

 

So, I think we can all look forward to lower and lower cruise prices. But at the same time, I think you're gonna see more and more and more "perks" going by the wayside. After all, if the cruise lines are gonna be taking a hit on the base cruise fares, they have to make that money up somewhere.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

If HAL is going after a younger demographic and shorter cruises (i.e. 7 day caribbean) they need to have some form of nightlife after 9:00! If the shows are poorly attended - take notice and update and beef them up. I understand why there may not be as many show opportunities on longer cruises - who wants to do that every nite - but for shorter journeys - folks are looking for something to do!

And that's exactly why they want people in the bars and lounges after dinner, and it's why HAL has live music and dancing in most of them.

 

HAL doesn't want you sitting in a show lounge passively watching a stage show. They want you sitting in the bars and lounges, ordering drinks, and visiting the casino so that you can lose your money.

 

So, believe me, it's not an issue of nothing to do at night. It will be more of an issue of nothing to do that won't cost you plenty.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[boards]

I received an answer from someone who is cruising on the Rotterdam right now and they say the show times have not changed. They are at 7 and 10 pm. I hope they are still the same for our May 26 cruise.

[xpcdoojk]

No...... It is not, of course, everyone goes. Many of us in Main Traditional Seating are no longer going to shows. For me personally, no big deal. We rarely went to shows anyway. But I am upset for other people who enjoyed the shows and enjoy 8:00 seating. Seems they have to give up one thing or the other which will make their cruises less "Any Way THEY Want".

 

I wrote about that just above.

 

 

When we were on our South America cruise a couple of years ago on the Rotterdam. We were doing the 8pm dinner time in the upper dining room and the lower was doing 8:30pm late seating. Which meant instead of getting out of dinner 15 minutes before the shows we got out close to an hour before the show. Inevitably, after a nice dinner and a nice bottle of wine my wife and I were ready to lay down and go to bed by the time the shows started. We ended up attending even fewer shows than normal. I think that all of these dining times is not only destroying the traditional dining process, and they are destroying the entire evening process. Since the airlines are now penalizing cruisers who need to bring formal clothing and hence more luggage, I think that cruising is heading towards the least common denominator of behavior and style.

 

I find this to be very sad. IMHO in a few years we will remember this time of declining standards to be the golden age compared to where we are going.:(

 

jc

[docksider21]

The new brainstorm of having shows for people who dine at 8:00 and 8:30 before our dinner guaranteed the performers will have a near empty audience. If we wanted to dress and be out for the evening at 6:15 or so, we would be going to early dinner. We ask for 8:00 dinner because we do not want to start our evening so early.

 

Love to know who thought this was 'for the comfort and convenience of their guests'???

 

HAL probably got advice from the same people who thought

to abolish "old" Coke, to bring out "New" Coke!

[cruz chic]

Do you pay more on HAL? I haven't really price shopped lately, but I think HAL and Princess are about on a par with each other pricewise.

 

I'm paying $1400 less for my cruise on Princess in Mar.09 then I would have paid on HAL. Most times Princess in a little cheaper at least. This is the first time there has been such a difference. The ports are pretty much identical and I got a much better room on Princess.

[hammybee]

In reading these posts, I see over and over: HAL is trying to be like Princess, etc etc. Don't we pay more to sail on HAL? Isn't that enough??? Geez....

 

It all depends on the intinerary and how well or not a particular cabin grade is selling. I took a quick peak at the 7/5 seven day Alaskan sails out of Seattle. NCL's Star was the most costly, HAL was in the middle and Princess the least costly. And tomorrow, this could change, depending upon sales.

[Wild Thing ~T]

Overall the cruise was a disappointment; if it had been my first time on HAL, I'd probably never go back.

 

Julie, I agree with your comment above regarding the PNW Coastal onboard the Oosterdam.

 

We love HAL and the Oosterdam is my favorite ship! We had a great time because of the company we sailed with... HOWEVER I left a comment card behind with marks I had NEVER left on any previous cruise on ANY line!

 

I could go on and on, so I won't! The service was up to HAL and MS "O"'s standards, but HAL really botched this cruise IMO!

 

No tiles, fruit or fresh flowers left in out stateroom, long lines for the dining room ect.

 

IMO the itinerary needs to be RT either from Seattle or Vancouver. Celebrity runs a RT from Seattle in the Fall and I think we will grab it! We will cancel our Sept. HAL cruise for the reason's listed above. To bad, HAL is still my favorite line, but not this itinerary. I can't believe HAL is based in Seattle and can not have a decent PNW RT itinerary!

 

I was disappointed!:(

 

However, it was so nice to meet you!;)

[jocelysue]

Just got off a cruise on the Rotterdam. For the first part of the cruise (Rio to Lisbon), show times were at 7 and 9:30. This meant that Main sitting diners had to attends the 7 pm shows or make do without. A few people I knew just rushed through their meal, skipping dinner, in order to attend the 9:30 show.

 

Believe me, there were many complaints, especially on formal nights . These complaints reached Capt. Krombeek's and Susan Woods' ears and there was definitely an attempt made to bring back the 8pm and 10:30 shows. In some cases, it wasn't possible, but there seemed to be fewer complaints.Kudos to them for trying. So it's great to know that the shows have now all returned to the (former) regular times.

 

This seems to be a case where passengers are listened to.The comments are most certainly read. At the Meet & Greet, Capt Krombeek said that the early show (at 7pm) was a trial only, and that the times were not set in stone.

 

I am not a dyed-in-the-wool HAL fan. I have cruised on other lines very satisfactorily. And there are certanly deficiencies in the HAL system, their shore cruises , for example.

 

But I must say that cruise with Capt. Krombeek as master and Susan Woods as cruise director is bound to be a success because they truly seem to care. A cruise with them aboard will most certainly be a positive experience because they are willing to look at a situation, analyse it and try to come up with a solution...of course it is well nigh impossible to satisfy everyone but they do make a valiant attempt at it.

[boards]

Jocelysue do you know if Capt. Krombeek and Susan Woods are scheduled to be on the May 26 15 day cruise. I certainly hope that there a show time at 10:30 pm, we attend most of them. We do not bar hop and will probably be in our cabin early if there is no show.

[jocelysue]

Sorry, I don't know for sure. However, since they seem to be at the front end of their terms, chances are they will still be there. Perhaps someone more savvy tahn I re HAL's scheduling will be able to advise you better.

[Jade13]

Overall the cruise was a disappointment; if it had been my first time on HAL, I'd probably never go back.

 

Julie, I agree with your comment above regarding the PNW Coastal onboard the Oosterdam.

 

We love HAL and the Oosterdam is my favorite ship! We had a great time because of the company we sailed with... HOWEVER I left a comment card behind with marks I had NEVER left on any previous cruise on ANY line!

 

I could go on and on, so I won't! The service was up to HAL and MS "O"'s standards, but HAL really botched this cruise IMO!

 

No tiles, fruit or fresh flowers left in out stateroom, long lines for the dining room ect.

 

IMO the itinerary needs to be RT either from Seattle or Vancouver. Celebrity runs a RT from Seattle in the Fall and I think we will grab it! We will cancel our Sept. HAL cruise for the reason's listed above. To bad, HAL is still my favorite line, but not this itinerary. I can't believe HAL is based in Seattle and can not have a decent PNW RT itinerary!

 

I was disappointed!:(

 

However, it was so nice to meet you!;)

 

No flowers and long lines at dinner? As far as tiles, how long was the cruise? I belie e they are for 7 nights or longer. If missing I would conact HAL to have them sent.

[sail7seas]

sorry. double

[sail7seas]

Usually.......HAL Captains are on the ship for three months then off for three months. If Captain of Rotterdam just boarded, he should be there end of May.

 

[Wild Thing ~T]

No flowers and long lines at dinner? As far as tiles, how long was the cruise? I belie e they are for 7 nights or longer. If missing I would conact HAL to have them sent.

 

Jade, I thought that might be the case! It was a 3 day cruise. Our first short cruise. But I did think we would get at least a sprig of a fresh flower and an apple in out veranda cabin? :confused:

 

We had a great time, but I did miss the normal HAL touches we have come to expect.

 

What was the worst part of the cruise for us long dining room lines (we missed the shows because of them) and the itinerary not being RT. That bus ride across the Canadian boarder is never a treat. Especially when they empty the bus and check all luggage. IMO a Seattle RT itinerary would be MUCH better.

 

Oh well...try new things... live and learn!:rolleyes:

[boards]

We were looking forward to seeing and hearing Susan Woods, since there has been so many good things said about her. If we cannot have her we will take Jason Venner (sp) if he is available.

[Jemima]

We really like the new show times and hope that they won't go back to the old times. The new ones allow us to enjoy some of the evening shows. We are usually up at six on port days and by around seven on sea days.