What Would You Like to See Gone?

[kryos]

IBut there are many who like having their pictures taken or who enjoy posing for the more formal photographs.

Usually the first time cruiser loves it. I loved buying the overpriced pictures ... for about the first two cruises. They I realized most of them were a waste of money and I stopped. I don't even bother to look at the photos anymore.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I'm sure they're not going away, too profitable.

Not as long as people attend them, and bid on the art, they will NOT go away. Obviously they are making money; otherwise, it would not pay Park West to have people onboard the ship hawking that stuff.

 

Problem with the storage of the art ... what's the alternative? Have Park West take over a lounge (like the Crow's Nest) all cruise long so that nobody else (other than those willing to attend the auctions) can use that venue?

 

They have no choice but to display the "art" work in public areas.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[codyody]

I must be the only person on land or sea that has never encountered a HAL art auction. Honestly; how did I miss these?:confused: I wouldn't want to attend, but if I did I'd be having to ask for directions.

[kryos]

So if you show up in a tux or suit they should send you away? :eek:

I'll take the liberty of trying to clarify what I believe the OP was saying.

 

Let everyone dress smart casual any night they want to, but enforce SMART CASUAL as a minimum; i.e., no shorts, flip flops, tee-shirts, etc. Anyone comes into the dining room in one of those prohibited items and the matri 'd sends them packing ... no exceptions. Today, even though we have the formal nights, half the time the dress code is not enforced and you see a hodge podge of all sorts of manners of dress in the dining room ... including people in jeans. Jeans are not permissible attire on a formal night and should not be allowed. But if you allowed SMART CASUAL on any night of the cruise, then people would have no excuse not to dress at least to that level, and if they didn't, then they shouldn't be permitted to dine with others who do.

 

Works for me.

 

Did I get that right, OP? :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[bellebaby]

I said "art auction" in my previous post. I still would like for them to be elimiated or contained.

 

However, after reading the posts, smoking is much more irritating to me than art auctions, photographers, baked alaska parades, and towel animals combined.

 

B

[HeatherInFlorida]

"Art" Auctions. I know they're not going away, but that would be my #1 choice:) . They just always seem to be in the way.

 

I don't think HAL is stagnating at all, but it's moving in the wrong direction for my taste. They had an amazing product until about 4 years ago which they have monkeyed with unnecessarily and lost much of the original elegrance of the line.

 

I understand they did this to build new revenue, bring on masses of cruisers. But let's call it what it is .... change for financial gain. It's not change that is making the line "better", it just attracts a more diverse group of people.

[luxurysailer]

If I could wave my magic wand and do away with anything I wanted, "poof" there would be no more magician acts.

[pms4104]

Deep six the "priority" checkin lines for those who've done their online forms ... seems like most passengers do these online, so that line really isn't "priority" anymore, and is generally longer than the other lines.

[Boytjie]

All clothing on the topless deck. :eek: :D

[pipedreams62]

1. SMOKING!!

2. SPORTSBAR

3. COFFEESHOP

4. ART GALLERY (DEFINITELY,FOR EVER AND EVER)

5. KIDS

6. CASINO PLUS CASINO BAR

7. SPA

8. AMATEURISTIC HAL DANCERS

9. PHOTO SHOP

10. NORTHERN LIGHTS WITH DJ!

 

 

Did you remove everything? How about the water as well

 

[deepwater]

Smoking on balconies.

[DFD1]

Yes, rita, you got it exactly right. Truth is, the airlines are going to cause more and more passengers to leave their formal wear at home anyway and, in my opinion, smart casual will eventually dominate by default.

 

Some of the very expensive cruise lines already indicate smart casual as the norm. I would expect it will eventually evolve as the industry standard.

[Sir PMP]

Did you remove everything? How about the water as well

 

No,no I can still see the Starbucks Crow's nest, needs to go!!

[airlink diva]

Art auctions.

 

B

You read my mind!! But since this is a big money maker (and I don't know why :confused: :confused: ), it's here to stay!!

happy sailing!!

[Rebecca33]

I must be the only person on land or sea that has never encountered a HAL art auction. Honestly; how did I miss these?:confused: I wouldn't want to attend, but if I did I'd be having to ask for directions.

 

I only saw one and that was by mistake when I took a wrong turn heading for the Piano Bar...

 

I will join those who say to lessen the paper... We had piles of Diamond, gold by the inch, silver, photgraphy and art ads in our room everyday. It wasn't until about the 6th day that I noticed the Paper Recycling (small) tray hanging from our trash bin. It didn't even fit one days worth of paper.

 

I must say that we love the towel animals, except this time we had a really hard time figuring out what a few of them were by the end of the cruise...

 

Wendy:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Smoking on balconies.

 

I like that one!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

I must be the only person on land or sea that has never encountered a HAL art auction. Honestly; how did I miss these?:confused: I wouldn't want to attend, but if I did I'd be having to ask for directions.

 

You wouldn't need to ask questions to find the art auctions.

Just walk through the Atrium area on sea days at the Ocean Bar -- they begin setting the pictures up very early in the morning for the afternoon auctions which last far too long!! You can't help but trip over all the pictures placed everywhere -- even in the walking areas!!

 

This happens on Sea Days.

[lawyerrose]

Get rid of:

 

Master Chef Dinner

 

Art Auctions

 

Towel Animals

 

No, no, I LIKE towel animals! :D

 

And I kinda like the Master Chef Dinner. :o

 

OK, you can do away with the art auctions.

[Krazy Kruizers]

JMO - but the room stewards have far too many other chores to do than have to worry about making the towel animals.

[m steve]

1. art auctions

2. ship's photographers and photo galleries

3. not allowing you to bring liquor on board

4. flaming on Cruise critic

5. waiter parades if they have them

6. short pour drinks at the ship's bars

[cruiseapril]

We thought the photographers on the Westerdam recently were some of the best we have experienced- especially a formal night photographer who was downright classy.

 

However, we would like to see the size of the photo gallery pared down. Just too many photos! Maybe pare down prices too?

[jtl513]

Deep six the "priority" checkin lines for those who've done their online forms ... seems like most passengers do these online, so that line really isn't "priority" anymore, and is generally longer than the other lines.

I fill in both the on-line and the paper form, and go to whichever line is shorter in the terminal. Then when I get to the desk I just tell them I did the on-line, and all is good! :)

[sail7seas]

I could happily do away with towel animals.

They make me feel bad!!!

 

I don't want them around our cabin but I don't want to hurt the steward's feelings. I truly don't want them but sure enough, every night, there's another critter sitting on the bed. It then becomes my problem to decide if I have to put up with them littering the cabin or fold up the towels and make the steward upset we didn't like them.

 

Should be an 'opt in or opt out form' on the bureau on embarkation day. Choose whether you want them or not.

 

JMHO.......

[Travelrd]

After I am onboard the ship, I want them to do away with anything that remotely looks like a gangplank to disembark. And they can only use tenders to take me to exotic ports.

[hammybee]

.

 

Should be an 'opt in or opt out form' on the bureau on embarkation day. Choose whether you want them or not.

 

JMHO.......

 

I think this makes a lot of sense, a simple YES/NO. Some people love the towel animals and others could care less or prefer none.