Live From The Decks Of Maasdam 14 Nights 10/24/08 - Comparing Hal To X

[tuggers]

Terri arrived this afternoon about 2 PM. Just in time to see me start to 'think' about packing! She didn't seem too distressed to find me wandering through the house instead of busy throwing things in a suitcase. After all she's cruised with me before and most everyone knows I can find a zillion reasons to NOT start packing.

I've come to the conclusion that I need a professional packer on call. Whenever it's time to cruise I could just pick up the phone. They would arrive at my house just like Mary Poppins and clothes would be magically washed, pressed and packed. They would know exactly what I should take, all my suitcases would weigh under 50# and they would carry coupons to hand any airline to exempt me from baggage charges. Boy, can I dream or what?

I did start packing this afternoon while Terri napped. Made a pretty good dent in it. Then we left to go out to dinner with my friend Marcia. We got back about 8:30 and I worked some more. Now I'm all finished. Except for make-up and last minute things. And things I'll remember tomorrow that I forgot to put in. One suitcase is at 44#. The small one I haven't weighed yet. It will be way under I'm sure. If we were flying most airlines we would be adding money to our already overpriced flights for the privilege of bringing one suitcase and we each have two! Thank goodness we are traveling SW! No charge for either bag if it's under 50#! Love those guys!

This morning I go to get my toes done at 8:45, stop to pick up fresh produce for the bird on the way home, litter for the cat and deliver Maddie to be boarded. After that I have to drop off two class proposals for my curriculum committee at the university continuing education. Barring any unforeseen problems, we can take off for Jax after I'm finished with those chores.

Once in Jax we plan to do a little shopping and check in to our hotel. We will be at Jacksonville Plaza near the airport. I've stayed there before. Very spartan furnishings but also very clean, free breakfast, free airport shuttle and two weeks free parking. For $66. Wouldn't want to stay there for an extended time but one night is fine. There is a new shopping area across the interstate with a Wal-Mart, Ross, Cracker Barrel, Dollar Store, etc. And a movie theater. All the comforts of home!

We are excited about this cruise and anxious to get started. Our flight leaves at 6:30 AM on Friday so we will have some time to kill in FLL. The forecast is for a rainy sailaway. No problem! We can meet our fellow CC'ers and watch sailaway from an inside bar! Rain in FLL will just make the sunny beaches to come all the sweeter!

Stay tuned for more.

Bye For Now!

[bububr]

Thanks for the preview to your live update!

 

John and I are looking at going with his family in September on the foliage cruise to Montreal next September on Maasdam so I'm excitied to hear your reports!

 

Thanks for taking the time to do this.

 

Anxiously awaiting.....

 

Dave ( & John ):eek:

[snausman]

Looking forward to part 2 of the story of Tuggers (Gail) at sea.

 

Laura

[Longboysfan]

Thanks... Looking for the updates....

Have a great trip.

[excitedofharpenden]

Hi Gail. I was thinking of you at the weekend and that I hadn't seen you around. Glad to see you start this thread. I always enjoy reading your "live from" posts and look forward to hearing about your trip on Maasdam.

 

I was sorry to read in another thread of your loss of Tuggie:( Keep your chin up.

 

As for your packing dreams, the filling and emptying of the suitcase I can deal with, but I'd love one of those Star Trek transporters to get me to the ship. "Energise" and I'm there would be :cool::cool::cool:

 

You and Terri have a great time!

 

Phil

[Trixsea]

Bon Voyage Gail and Terri. Wishing you both a wonderful cruise!!:)

[Cruiser Susie]

Hi, Gail!

Wishing you abundant sunshine, smooth sailing, frosty drinks and warm, sandy beaches. Have a wonderful time... you didn't by any chance book Silver Moon in Barbados, did you?? It is a wonderful catamaran; one of my favorite all time excursions, period. And if you go to Cane Garden Bay in Tortola, maybe you will have lunch at Myett's on the beach there... great food and drinks!

 

Hope your weather forecast for sailaway is wrong, but if not, an indoor bar will definitely do... please have a drink for me!

 

I was so sorry to read about Tuggers... losing beloved pets is the hardest part of sharing our lives with them, but oh, what wonderful times they give us while they are with us. Hoping those memories keep you smiling through your tears.

 

Hope your trip to Jacksonville is just fine, and I am looking forward to reading "the rest of the story!"

 

Take care,

[excitedofharpenden]

... you didn't by any chance book Silver Moon in Barbados, did you?? It is a wonderful catamaran; one of my favorite all time excursions, period.

Sue, I'll second that emotion. We did have a great time on Silver Moon, didn't we?:)

 

Phil

[Cruiser Susie]

Sue, I'll second that emotion. We did have a great time on Silver Moon, didn't we?:)

 

Phil

 

Hi, Phil!

Yes, that really is my favorite Caribbean thing to do, plain and simple. The smooth sailing, the snorkeling, the sea turtles, the food, the crew who are just the nicest and the best, and of course, the rum punch!! :D

 

We have lots of sunshine here today, but it was 29 degrees when I got up... too cool to do any snorkeling! :rolleyes:

[excitedofharpenden]

Hi, Phil!

Yes, that really is my favorite Caribbean thing to do, plain and simple. The smooth sailing, the snorkeling, the sea turtles, the food, the crew who are just the nicest and the best, and of course, the rum punch!! :D

 

We have lots of sunshine here today, but it was 29 degrees when I got up... too cool to do any snorkeling! :rolleyes:

Cold and wet here Sue. We had a bit of frost this past couple of days. A far cry from Barbados.

 

Just in case you decide to venture out;)

 

 

Phil

[FinelyCruising]

Gail - Enjoy!!!:)

 

(I want to go to Barbados too....)

[terrydtx]

Gail,

 

Have a great cruise!! I am a seasoned 58 yr old HAL cruiser who was very disappointed after our first Celebrity cruise last month on the Century. I just didn't feel that the food and service was up to the level we have experienced in the past on HAL. So I am interested in your reports comparing the 2 lines.

[woody14h]

Gail,

 

Have a great cruise!! I am a seasoned 58 yr old HAL cruiser who was very disappointed after our first Celebrity cruise last month on the Century. I just didn't feel that the food and service was up to the level we have experienced in the past on HAL. So I am interested in your reports comparing the 2 lines.

 

It's interesting how subjective opinions are. We have always loved HAL and X equally. Although X is slightly better for food IMHO. On our HAL cruise in the Caribbean last year we found that our server was so pressed for time that he was unable to chat with our table as they always have in the past. He explained that mgmt is giving them more tables to attend and therefore less time to socialize. This hasn't happened yet on X including our Infinity trip in April but I am afraid it is a sign of the times. As the saying goes whatever floats your boat. I am amazed at the number of people who are affected by one or two blurbs against a cruise line. We are on the Solstice in Dec. and have booked the Westerdam for Nov. next year. Both lines are great choices.

[hisfirstm8]

Gail,

I am so looking forward to your thread! We have never sailed on HAL, but have considered it. Have a great trip and I am so sorry to hear about Tuggars.

 

Barbara Frye

[crusm2sm]

Hey Tuggers,

 

You're on our cruise listing going out of Baltimore on the Grandeur on 30 Oct.

 

Was looking forward to cruising with you again.

 

Maybe next time.

[Andy]

Hi Gail !

 

I wanted to wish both You & Terri Bon Voyage on one of those "Dam" ships :)

 

I look forward to your updates. Take Care !

[usha]

Tuggers, hope you have a 'dam nice cruise.:)

[hancock]

Gail, Really interested is your observations. I have friends on board with you. You may run into them as they are also CC members. They have been loyal Celebrity cruisers and were a little hesitant booking HAL.

 

Nancy

[tuggers]

PRECRUISE – Jacksonville October 23, 2008

We left Valdosta in light rain and gloom only to drive over to Jacksonville through the same light rain and gloom. A cruise to sunshine and warm water was looking better and better.

Once in Jax we checked into our hotel, the Jacksonville Plaza near the airport. We had a double room on the first floor with EXTREMELY good a/c. In fact you could have probably hung meat in there for a week with no spoilage! Fortunately, Terri and I like it cold so we had no problem. The room was very clean although a bit Spartan in the furnishings department. The beds and pillows were comfy and the linens were not scratchy like some cheaper hotels. Internet service in the room was free. There was also one computer and printer in the lobby if you didn’t bring a laptop. I think they charge 25 cents per sheet for printing.

For $65, which includes 14 nights of free parking and a shuttle to the airport, it’s the best deal I’ve found In Jacksonville. They even give you a small, continental type breakfast but our plane was so early that they were just setting it up as we left. This is my third precruise stay at the Jacksonville Plaza and I have found it to be comfortable and clean each time. Just not fancy.

You can book this hotel, and get the free parking, either on their website or through buyreservations.com. The rate is usually either $65 or $66, single or double. If you just walk in and want the room and the parking, there will be a per night parking fee.

We drove around a little looking for something to eat and ended up across the Interstate from the hotel at a storefront Mexican restaurant in the River Towne (I think that was the name) shopping center. Margaritas, chips, salsa, cheese dip and a white Mexican pizza hit the spot.

For anyone who forgets something or just wants to shop a little this new shopping plaza has lots of stores (Ross, Michaels, Catherine’s, PetSmart, Bed, Bath & Beyond, etc) plus a Wal-Mart with a liquor store. There is also a Cracker Barrel, Sticky Fingers, Chili’s and a sports bar. Plus a few storefront type restaurants featuring Asian, Mexican, etc.

We were in bed early although I was awake late, on the phone and the computer, setting up some trips for the VSU continuing education winter quarter. I probably got to sleep about 3, right after the rain started coming down in earnest!

Day 1 – The Adventure Begins!

Our SW flight was at 6:30 so we were in the lobby, laden down with luggage (it was SW so we could have two 50# bags, FREE! God Bless SouthWest!) at 5 AM, waiting for the shuttle. We waited. And we waited. He finally arrived at 5:30. Being the nervous Nellie types we were antsy about getting to the plane on time but were assured it was JAX so we would be fine.

I have flown out of JAX many times and it is a very easy airport. Virtually no lines at security and even though I require a hand scan due to the massive amount of hardware I have in my body, I’m always out in no time.

However, you first must get TO security and herein lies the rub. As we were checking in curbside (again at no charge – thank you SW!), Terri suddenly realized that she did not have her nice little padded, blue satin HAL ticket wallet. Or her passport. She had her drivers license which would get her on the plane. She could have gotten on the ship without the tickets, but not without the passport. By this time it was 5:45. Crunch time.

I called the hotel. They looked outside in the parking lot. Nothing. Then they called the shuttle. Poor guy was already behind because some of the drivers had not shown up that morning. But he looked in the back where she had been sitting and sure enough, found everything. He rushed it out to the airport.

I had gone on, knowing that my hand scan would take longer. I was sitting at the gate. The plane was loaded. They had already told me they couldn’t hold the plane. I, of course, was not going to get on without her so I was already checking into later flights when I saw her running down the concourse. I think we were the last people on the plane, but we made it!

Talk about a little heart stopping drama to start your cruise! I think it took both of us the entire flight to calm down! For any of you who know jramrose and the London story you will know why I now call her Terri – JoAn!! They both were in a dark car, looked for something in their purse, took the passport out, laid in on the seat and never picked it back up! Our travel agent, Amber, told me to tell Terri two words: NECK WALLET! LOL!

Finally calm and cool, we rescued our luggage (it was wet from the Ft Lauderdale rain) and headed to Alamo. Because we were getting in at 7:35 AM we decided to rent a car and sightsee a little before the cruise. The only vehicles any of the major car rental places had when I made the reservations were mini vans. My Costco card provided the best discount and we got the car for $35. A little high for one day in FLL but it wasn’t bad.

We drove around, found an IHOP for breakfast and then went up to my old hometown, Pompano Beach. I went to visit my folks at Forrest Lawn and we did some shopping,

At lunchtime I took Terri to a favorite restaurant (actually a dive!) called Ernie’s. It’s located on Federal Highway about a block north of 17th Street Causeway on the western side of the street. We had the specialty: Conch Chowder with Bimini bread and a Pork Barbeque sandwich on Bimini bread. The bread is homemade and the liquid in the recipe is coconut milk (the thin kind right our of the coconut, not the sweetened stuff) which gives the bread just a hint of sweetness and makes a nice shiny crust. It’s delicious! I think Terri liked it as much as I do. We poured sherry into our chowder from a bottle on the table and washed it all down with a Margarita! Now we were in a cruisin’ frame of mind!

We took the rental back to the airport and got the Alamo shuttle to the port. Took about 15 minutes. We had dropped our luggage off at the pier earlier so we were strangely free of encumbrances.

Very, very easy embarkation. At 3 PM there wasn’t a line for anything. We filled out our ‘have you been sick in the last 48 hours?’ questionnaire (never a good sign if they have those!) and walked right up to the counter to turn in our pre boarding paperwork. The stuff Terri ‘suggested’ I actually fill out this time! LOL! We were on the ship in less than 10 minutes and that included stopping for the picture!

No one to show us to our cabin but that was okay. We got on the ship right on our deck and the cabins were very easy to find. And super, super nice! We are both in a cat D, cabin 569 for Terri and 571 for me. An upgrade from the cat G we booked. The cabins are listed as 190 sq ft and they are at least that. I have a true king-size bed, a sofa that I can lie down on and have a full foot of space left past my feet, a chair, a coffee table and a padded stool for the vanity. The bedding is WONDERFUL! High thread count linens, down pillows and a heavily padded pillow top mattress. Furnishings and carpets are new, of good quality, well maintained with no visible stains, rips, etc.

The bathroom is large with a nice sized vanity and a tub/shower. The only down side would be if you have trouble stepping into the tub. It’s pretty deep and a little hard to step into. The toiletries are by Elemis. There is a shine shampoo, conditioner, bath gel and body lotion. There are two kinds of soap – a citrus one and a body soap. The bath towels are actually bath sheets and very fluffy.

There is ample closet space broken up into 4 sections, some with shelves, others strictly for hanging garments. The desk area is also quite long. I’d say over 5 feet. It has a lighted, magnifying mirror for doing your makeup but only one electrical outlet. No problem for me, I brought a power strip! The TV is a small flat screen, no more than 19 inches but it does have a DVD player and you can rent movies in the library. There are two nice robes in the room. The sodas in the room are $1.95 and a 32 oz bottle of water is $2.50. The accommodations are great. Very happy with the cabin.

While Terri napped, I went down to check on our diner table and make sure our friend DebC was at our table. I was glad to find that she was indeed eating with us but a little dismayed to find that it was just the three of us at a table for four. When I asked about changing the table to a large, round table as we had requested. I was told it was not possible. I asked about a waitlist and begrudgingly told I could be put on one but not much hope of changing the table. When I had explained to him that we were three ladies traveling together and that we wanted a large table to meet new people, he told me the only way we could get a table like that was to ‘know everyone’s name before boarding the ship and ask for them to be at your table’. I really don’t think he ‘got it’. And I was a little put off by his attitude. He was pushing Open Dining and was quick to explain the merits of changing to this new style of dining. I told him that our group was very partial to a traditional cruise dining experience and would not sail on a ship that only offered an open dining structure. I must admit I left feeling a little bit unappreciated as a passenger!

Next stop was the Customer Relations Desk where I talked to Cynthia. She listened to my story and was sympathetic but refused to let me speak to Ramona Minten the Passenger Services Manager. I asked Cynthia directly, three times, if I could please speak with Ramona but was never allowed to do so. Or given a reason why Ramona was not available to passengers. Cynthia agreed to look into the matter of the table but offered no real hope of getting it changed. She also pushed Open Dining but I assured her that my party was not looking for anything but traditional. I also stressed to her that this table arrangement would negatively affect our enjoyment of the cruise as dining with different people and making new friends was one of the very reasons we cruise. I was disappointed but determined to make the best of things. After all, I was on a ship!

I checked out the library. I found two books that interested me but my advice is, if you are not looking for biographies or travel guides, bring your reading material with you.

There was one small section of ‘Bestsellers’ and a fiction area with four of the same size sections as housed the bestsellers. Lots of heavy stuff including The 36 Hour Day. I don’t know about you but on a cruise I really don’t want to read what is considered the ‘Bible’ on Alzheimer’s. I’m looking for fluff fiction and murder mysteries. Not something I have to spend a lot of time thinking about! I brought Tim Dorsey’s Atomic Lobster and the new Stuart Woods book with me. That’s the kind of stuff I like to read on a cruise!

Those of you who know me are going to find this next bit of news totally unbelievable but I swear to you it’s true. And it’s nothing I am going to repeat on a regular basis. But I did it this one time. While I am not proud of having done it, it’s just a fact of life that I have to learn to live with. Here is the unvarnished truth: I went to the boat drill. There. I’ve said it. I’ve done it. Now it’s over and I can go back to my normal self and ‘sit’ them out. Trust me when I say a person with a neck fusion does not need to be putting on a life vest and having her head held in a strange upward position for any length of time. I still have a headache from it. So, been there, done that, got the t-shirt (well not really but Terri did take a picture) and I’m over it!

Show for late seating was at 7. I assume (hope) it was just the regular variety show with a little bit of everything the entertainers have to offer. Whatever it was, we missed it. The early flight, the sightseeing around Fort Lauderdale and, my hometown, Pompano Beach, had worn me out. I didn’t nap like Terri but I was not up and raring to go at 7.

Dinner is at 8 for what they call Main Seating. Because the lower level of the restaurant is now entirely converted to Open Dining our table is on the upped level. Promptly at 8 the doors were opened although I never heard the little three note chime from the Yum Yum man to signal that dinner was served. Kind of missed that!

Dinner had some pretty interesting choices but I was not very hungry, having had breakfast and lunch before boarding the ship. I ordered the Mixed Green Salad with Pears, Blue Cheese and Caramelized Pecans. It was served with a special dressing that perfectly set off the sweetness of the pears. I wish I could say the pecans were good but there was not even one in my salad. Bummer! Main course was typical first night fare: Prime Rib of Beef served with a Baked Potato and Green Beans Almandine. The food was well prepared (my meat was medium rare) and attractively served. I used my wine card for a glass of merlot. Not bad. House wine but with my 20 glass wine card it comes out to $3+ per glass. Tip: Buy your wine and drink cards online before you leave home to avoid the 15% surcharge. Terri bought hers onboard and it did cost her a little more.

Dessert was Triple Chocolate Sugar free Ice Cream for me and a Mango Sundae for Terri. That girl REALLY likes her mango!

We were all pretty much pooped so we each headed off to our cabins and an early night.

Tomorrow is Half Moon Cay. I hope we make it in. People around here have said that the Veendam was unable to tender people in last week because of the weather. Keep your fingers crossed for us! We really want a beach day!

So far I give HAL an A for the accommodations – the cabin is lovely & spacious.

Food is a B+. Very good, a definite cut above Royal but not quite up to X. Dining staff I give a C- only because of the reception I was given while trying to change the dining table. Service in the dining room itself and the buffets has been a definite high B+. The Front Desk gets a C- for shielding its managers from the passengers.

Overall the service has been wonderful and the food better than I remembered. I think HAL is a definite possibility for X devotees who are looking for better itineraries and longer cruises out of easy ports (FLL, MIA, TPA, etc).

Bye For Now!

PS I will be writing everyday but only posting when I am in a port and can find an internet café. Cheapest rate onboard is 40 cents per minute. 250 minutes for $100. Without that package it’s either 50 cents or 75 cents. A little pricey and from what I hear, very, very slow! San Juan on Monday will be the first chance I have to get this posted.

[tuggers]

Day 2 – Half Moon Cay

We awoke to a glorious, sunny day! The water is a little bit choppy but the Westerdam in already in and tendering while Maasdam is letting down her lifeboats. Looks like Half Moon Cay is a go this trip!

Terri and I had breakfast in the buffet. Nice selection of fruits and cereal. Even had the muesili that I’m so fond of. Unfortunately, when I tasted it I thought I was eating a bowlful of sugar! Man, was that stuff sweet! The buffet had an egg station where they were cooking eggs to order. An omelet station and a place for pancakes and Belgian waffles with all manner of toppings. I had some eggs and bacon while Terri opted for the Mango Pancakes covered in a mango compote. As I mentioned before, that girl loves her mangos!

After breakfast we walked down to the Rembrandt Lounge where they were giving out tender tickets. There was no line for the tickets and no wait for the tender. We picked up the tickets and walked directly to the tender. In no time at all we were on Half Moon Cay.

They have done some work on Half Moon Cay, maybe because of hurricane damage. For whatever reason, they’ve made it even nicer that it was. There are still plenty of chairs available for free or you can rent one of the clamshell cabanas. There is plenty of soft, white sand on the beach. I did notice that the stairs you need to go down to get to the beach were a little steep making access to the beach a little dicier for someone who is handicapped or maybe not so stable on their feet (like me!). There very well may be places where it is easier to get on and off the beach. I didn’t actively seek out that information. I was too glad to see sun, sand and blue water! One thing I did notice was that there were more misting stations this trip. Nice to cool off with on a hot day.

The water was beautiful, clear and not very cold. I would say it was refreshing. There was no big ‘step down’ to get into the water. The beach was a very flat slope that made getting in and out of the water very, very easy. I took my noodle and was in the water 10 minutes after we set foot on the island. There are clean rest rooms (which I visited) and a gift shop, massage building, hair braiding stations, etc but I never went in any of them. Just the water, my lounger, a couple of trips to the misting stations and that was it. We arrived around 10:30 and came back to the ship at 1:45. Last tender was at 2:30 after which we pulled up the anchor and set sail for San Juan. Tomorrow is a sea day and there are lots of activities planned.

I heard great comments about the food. A real step above the food the other cruise lines supply for an island barbeque. One thing I noticed right off: they were using real plates (melamine type) and real silverware. When you got an iced tea or water it was served in a 16 or 20 ounce paper cup. Not those little 6 or 8 ounce cups you are usually given.

As for the food there was Chicken, Ribs, Mahi Mahi, Bratwurst, Hamburgers, Hot dogs, 3 Bean Salad, Macaroni Salad, Cole Slaw and Corn on the Cob. There was iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, onions for the burgers and a garden mix of greens for a salad. There was fresh fruit, cookies and brownies. All was very good according to reports. There were four lines to get to the food and it all moved quickly. There were also several covered areas with picnic tables to eat in. All the ones I saw were landscaped with very lush tropical plants which not only made the eating areas more attractive, it also kept them cooler. Nice job on the island food HAL!

Returning to the ship was as easy as the trip over. No waiting on a tender and I was back onboard in about 15 minutes.

I didn’t take a nap, just showered to get all the sand off and headed out with Terri for Bouce Ball so we could earn some Dam Dollars. Terri had never done any of the little physical challenges they dream up to get people to come out and play. They give you ‘Dam Dollars’ which can be used for gift items at the end of the cruise.

After Bouce Ball was Team Trivia. They said it was general knowledge but some of the questions did seem a bit male oriented. Our team got 9 out of 16 right. They’ll be doing it most afternoons so I hope we improve! Terri and Deb are really good, I just get on a lucky streak sometimes!

Now it really is time for a nap except I’ve been working on this post for so long I’m out of time. Have to get dressed for the 7 PM show.

The act tonight was a comic violin player. He was pretty funny and could really play the violin. Good stuff but a little went a long way. We stuck it out to almost the end and then escaped up to the Crow’s Nest for a Single/Solo Meet Up. There were only two women and Terri and I. At least we got some hot canapés and champagne!

There is a fairly new position on the HAL ships called a Party Planner. She was the one running this Meet and Greet. I don’t know how to say this any nicer. We basically sat there and listened to her life story. Which she was really anxious to tell. Seemed to really like the sound of her own voice. Never once asked a question about us! When I asked how many singles were onboard she had no clue. I would think that might be something one would need to know to organize parties and get togethers for a group. Then we were back to where she’s been, how she got this job and how she wants her ex-fiancée to come on the ships and work with her. She started pushing her Scrap booking class before we left for dinner. She would love to have us all join her for the small sum of $29. We think we are going to pass! LOL! She is also doing dance lessons on the ship. Terri asked if she taught any classes that did not require a partner so the single ladies could come and not feel ‘weird’. She told us that lots of the married men did not mind ‘helping out’ the single ladies. I think we’ll pass on that, too! J

Don’t think we’ll be rushing to any more of the single meet ups. We have met lots of singles onboard on our own. It seems this ship is loaded with solo travelers. Too bad there is not a good way to get us all together. Something interesting that would attract a larger group of people. Maybe organized by someone who would make an effort to find the single people onboard and send them invitations to an event. There must be a better way to do this than what’s being done now.

Dinner tonight found us at a new table! Yea! We got a card on our door saying everyone was assigned a new table, #69. It’s a very nice table in a good location. There are two couples that had sat together last night. One from Canada, the other from North Carolina. Very nice people. Fun. We laughed a lot and got to know each other a little bit. I think it’s going to be a very nice table!

The appetizer I chose was a Quesadillas with baked baby beetroot flavored with Chipolte peppers and Ancho peppers. It was VERY spicy and very good! No salad for me but I did have the cream Fish Chowder followed by the Short Ribs of Beef Korean Style with Jasmine rice and green beans. Dessert was Key Lime Pie. It was a tiny little slice but very tasty. I also had a glass of Merlot, using my wine card.

After dinner we went up to the Crow’s Nest for Karaoke but it was a disappointment. First there was smoking in the bar. Terri promptly got a headache and my sinus’s clogged up. One family with four children onboard let the kids run wild in the bar. The boy had on those shoes with skate wheels and he was going much too fast, cutting across the dance floor. Not only were they in the bar, the kids starting picking out songs to sing. And they let them! Imagine a 12 year old singing about ‘stick it to me, stick it to me’. Not a very pretty picture, huh? When the littlest girl got up to sing they asked her where she was from and she’s like, ‘Phoenix maybe?’! She wasn’t even old enough to know where she lived. Although DJ Dan was great, ‘children’s hour’ seemed to put a pall over the crowd. When we left they were trying to ramp it back up a notch. Don’t know if that ever worked. I do know that HAL’s stated policy is no children in bars after 10 PM even with parents.

We thought about gambling a little when we left the Crow’s Nest but decided to just call it a night. Tomorrow’s a sea day with lots of activities so we needed to get to bed. Besides, Terri still has her smoke induced headache and I still have my sinus problems.

HAL now gets a B+ for handling the dining table situation. I would have given them an A had they been more accommodating at the very first. The new Party Planner position may be a good idea (they seem to have put some of the activities normally handled by the Cruise Directors staff over to this position) but I think the person doing the job needs to be a little less self-involved and more interested in the passengers. It’s hard to get her off the subject of ‘her’! JMO, of course. So I give a C for the Party Planner. Karaoke staff gets a D for not enforcing the children in bars hours set by HAL.

BTW, there’s a galley tour tomorrow. For anyone who wants to go. No special status required. I would really like to go but it conflicts with our CC party! Darn!

Bye For Now!

[tuggers]

Day 3 – At Sea

Yea, a sea day! Don’t we all crave them? A beautiful relaxing day to do NOTHING! Love them!

Terri and I started out with a dining room breakfast at about 8:45. Hours for today were 8 to 9:30. The regular menu is quite extensive featuring Eggs Benedict, Frittatas and Corn Beef Hash plus the regular pancakes, omelets, waffles, etc. In addition they had a printed separate menu listing about four specials. I’m sorry but I am drawing a complete blank on what the specials were and I did not take my pad so I have no notes to fall back on. I’ll try to do better in the future!

I tried a sugar-free muffin from the pastries that were presented on a tray a la X as we sat down to breakfast. It was quite good. In fact I would have never known that it was sugar-free. For the rest of my breakfast I had tomato juice (the juice list is quite extensive with about 6 or 8 choices), two eggs over medium (they were done perfectly, whites cooked, yolks still runny), a slice of honey baked ham and two strips of bacon, cooked crisp. It was a very, very nice breakfast. Also ordered at the table was the Frittata which looked great, a Mushroom Omelet with three kinds of mushrooms and Oatmeal which appeared to be the steel cut, healthy variety. Coffee cups were always full and the service in general was excellent.

There was an Interdenominational church service this morning at 9:30 but I forgot about it. When we walked by the theatre where the service was held I heard a good many voices singing an old standard hymn. I would say it was well attended. Next week I will make sure to attend. There is a Mass done each day but this was the only interdenominational service I have seen listed so far.

After breakfast we tried to get in to see the Future Cruise Consultant Allan Shapiro but our didn’t come up on the sign in sheet before his hours ended. They have no appointment system that I could see, just the sign-in sheet for the time he is currently working. When he didn’t get to us no one offered us a later appointment or said ‘come at 1:30 when I open again and I will get you in’. We did tell him which cruises we were interested in and he said it was a ’30 minute job to get the prices’ for what we wanted. We asked for the price on a cat G and inside cabin, single, on the cheapest 14 night sailing Maasdam does in March/April ’09. He did get the information for us and it was in our cabin around 4:30. Terri and I looked at it and if the prices are right for a single (they are awfully low) we are going to book one of them with the $100 deposit and OBC they are offering for booking onboard. This is a backup in case the 3/16 Connie doesn’t work out or Perry Grant is not going to be onboard during that time. Perry not being on Connie is a deal breaker for our group! J

We took the Galley Tour this morning. They divided us into groups of 25 and we went through fairly quickly. It wasn’t an in depth tour but it was interesting with food samples and dining room officers at various stations to explain the workings of each area. I am always fascinated with any kitchen that can serve the volume of meals a cruise requires and do it as well as HAL does. All that good food and its preparation is a joy to see. And it is SPOTLESS! You could eat off the floors or any other surface with no worries.

We were headed into the dining room for lunch when we ran smack into the Singles/Solo Lunch Group. Patricia asked us to join them. Including Patricia, there were seven of us, all ladies.. Because it was an organized lunch we were given our choice of a glass of house wine or a glass of champagne, on HAL. That was nice. I had a wonderful Cheese Seafood Chowder and a Minute Steak Sandwich with French Fries. For dessert I ordered Profitteroles with Coconut Ice Cream.

The chowder was absolutely delicious, the steak a bit overcooked and just a tad dry. But edible. The saving grace was the sautéed onions. They made the steak much better. When they brought the dessert I was told that they were out of coconut ice cream but they would have more in 5 minutes. We waited well past the 5 minutes but never saw the waiter again.

From the dining room we went to the casino for the Slot Tournament. It was done a little bit differently than I’m used to but I think I may like it better. You signed up and paid your $20 either the day of or the day before the tournament. You were given a card with a letter and number. On the day of the tournament you show your card and have your name added to a list. The order you play in is based on when you walk up with your card and not when you paid. Also, the winners come back at 3:30 for the finales. So if you are one of the leaders you can go off and come back. Kind of nice. The top prize (the only money prize) is $500, entry is $20 and if you buy 2 entries you receive the third one free. Needless to say we did not end up in the finales but Pamela, a lady I met on Brilliance in January was in the lead when we left the casino with over 9,000 points. I’m sure she made it to the finals with a score that high.

A little about the casino. There are not a lot of slot machines but there is a nice variety of machines from 2 cent ones to $5 ones. They are not in a room but rather in the middle area of the shops. Most of the machines are the reel type with some computerized ones. There are also quite a few table games and they seem to attract a steady clientele from opening till closing. It is a very pleasant place to while away an hour. Terri and I have played the 2 cent machines, 20 lines per spin for quite a while on $20. They also have a Blackjack Tournament. I might give that a whirl!

Followed the gambling up with some shopping. The jewelry store had a sale on Citizen Eco Drive watches. I explained the Eco-Drive to Terri (I’m a bit of a watch nut!). Terri bought one. I didn’t. I just blew the farm on that Zodiac watch right before I left home! I do still have my eye on a Le Monde Travel Memories Necklace. I’ve lusted after one for years but they are the price of a cruise. A NICE 14 night cruise! If you’ve never seen one it is a handmade 14K globe necklace that you add stones to for places you’ve visited. Right now they are giving two free stones with the purchase of the medium sized one in white gold. I think I might could talk him into two more free stones if I buy it. It really is beautiful. It is a once in a lifetime piece! So much for our ‘we’ll keep each other from spending money’ pact!! J The man who makes these pieces does all the stone setting by hand so each is truly a custom made work of art. If I want it before my 12/8 cruise I would need to buy it this week! Decisions, decisions!

Team Trivia was at 3:30 in the Rembrandt Lounge. Don’t know if I mentioned this after the show the other night but the Rembrandt Lounge is one of the most uncomfortable venues I’ve been to on any ship. I haven’t tried the upper level but I think it will be much the same. The chairs and sofas on the lower deck are on a level floor so if someone tall sits in front of you you can’t see. That’s bad enough but the backs of both the chairs and the sofas come only up to about the bottom of your shoulder blade. No back support at all. After 30 minutes or so that can really get to you. Remember those horrid chairs with the split back they used to have in the Rendezvous Lounge on Zenith? To me these are even more uncomfortable!

Off the rant and back to the trivia! We had our same ‘Fab Five’ team but now we are the ‘Fab Five Plus One’. We’ve added a sixth team member which puts us up to our size limit. First question today was ‘define nictate’. We missed it but will ya’ll? No fair Googling! We didn’t win the top prize today and are now wondering if we would be better off going for the bottom prize. The one for the worst team overall. I think we may have a shot at that one!! LOL!

Terri and I went up to the buffet for a little snack (cinnamon ice cream w/fudge sauce) and then it was nap time. I’m sorry to say that we missed the CC party at 4:30. Tamara had worked really hard on it but Terri’s eyes were closing and I was fighting a headache so we opted for a nap. I heard the party was well attended with visits from Michelle the CD and the Hotel Director.

Refreshed and dressed in our formal duds we headed out to the Piano Bar at 7:15 for a pre-dinner drink. The drink of the day was something hand shaken martini like with Mango and a float of Champagne. It was very tasty! We hated that the piano player wasn’t there until 9 PM but it was still a very pleasant place to sit and have a drink. Small, intimate and the chairs were comfortable. We want to go back one night when Steve is playing.

I don’t know if I’ve told you about the drink prices. Drink of the day is $5.25, Signature Cocktails (which include almost everything else) are $6.45. You can upgrade any drink to a call brand for 50 cents or to a super premium for $1. So the drink of the day with Absolute would have been $5.75, with Gray Goose it would be $6.25. The drink cards give you 10 Signature Cocktails for $56 which I believe includes the 15%. Not a bad deal for the regular cocktails. If you want a drink of the day you should pay for it and not use the card or you’ll lose money on that one!

The wine card (sorry if I’ve mentioned this before) is available in 10 glass cards and 20 glass cards. I bought the 20 glass card off the internet from home for $70+ (don’t remember the exact amount). Terri bought hers onboard and said I had saved money because online they don’t charge the 15%. I’m sure this would also be the deal with the drink card. So now I know to do those things ahead of time.

The soda card did not appeal to me because it is glasses of fountain soda sold by the glass, not the unlimited glasses per day I’m used to. With the card it comes out to about $1 per glass. I decided not to get one of those and just buy a can of coke for $1.95 if I HAD to have one.

Our new dinner table is such a joy! We have great tablemates who are interesting and knowledgeable cruisers who truly enjoy their cruising experiences. Not a complainer among us, we all just kind of go with the flow!

As Terri, DebC and I were sitting at the table waiting for the others to arrive I asked each of them if there was anything that they really missed not having on HAL that they are used to on X. Deb misses the amount of activities available on X. Particularly she misses the Pictionary, Battle of the Sexes Trivia, etc that’s available almost every day on X. On HAL there is Team Trivia. Period. No other game type activities today and this was a sea day! Terri has an issue with her cabin. While it is lovely, her windows have obviously leaked and rather than caulk the windows they have patched them with duck tape! Yes, you read that right – duck tape! On the cabin side of her window! Can’t imagine who thought that up! As for me, I came up with no Q-tips in the bathroom. We are all extremely happy with the cruise but I am trying to compare HAL and X so I’m looking for the subtle differences.

Our dinner companions arrived so the talk moved on to the night’s menu. The shrimp in the Shrimp Cocktail were longer that my index finger and as big around as my thumb. Of the four that were served as an order most were two biters, some even three biters! That was a nice surprise! They were seasoned nicely and served with cocktail sauce. In addition to the Shrimp Cocktail Terri and I decided to share a Fish Cake with Fried Leeks and Chipolte Pepper Sauce. There were two fish cakes per order, each about the size of a quarter, sauce on the side and sprinkled with the fried leeks. They were fabulous! Fairly spicy but in a tasty way. Not heat just for the sake of heat. We both loved them and said we could have had an entrée sized serving of them!

Formal night usually means a little fancier food and tonight was no exception. Following the Shrimp Cocktail and Fish Cakes we dined on Cream of Four Mushroom Soup (wonderful), Beef Wellington (Roasted Whole Filet Mignon topped with a good inch of Goose Liver Pate and wrapped in puff pastry), sliced into about 1” pieces and served with Asparagus, Snow Peas, Carrots and a delicious dark brown gravy. Everything was prepared to perfection, the meat medium rare, soup hot and steamy and the vegetables crisp tender. I thought it couldn’t get any better!

Then came dessert! My personal favorite, Chocolate Soufflé was on the menu! I was afraid I would be disappointed as I was on the Sea Princess when I was anticipating soufflés and got some horrible, dry, bready things. Just in case, I ordered a back-up dessert: Hot Fudge Sundae with nuts! You just can’t take chances with dessert!!!

When the desserts came, and I was the only one brave enough to order the soufflé, it was wonderful. The waiter cracked the top to pour in the hard sauce just the way you are supposed to. When I put my spoon into the center it came out with a dark, chocolaty, oozy center covered with hard sauce. It just doesn’t get much better than this!

The entire table sat, talking and drinking coffees and cappuccino until we were the only ones left in the restaurant! It was great fun. I am so thankful that we now have this great dinner table! I know I will look forward to their company every night.

So how did HAL stack up against X today? Deb gives HAL a C for lack of game type activities (there are plenty of semi physical activities like golf chipping and soccer kicking for the dam dollars). Terri gives maintenance an C for the poor repair in her cabin. The duct tape is getting on her nerves! I give HAL a great big A+ for the food today. It was wonderful!!

Like all cruise ships HAL wastes too much time and space on Park West but we all know that’s about the revenue. I find that lots of things I want to do either are at the same times or they overlap so much it is not feasible to do both. While I would have to give them a low B- on scheduling as well as variety of activities I do want everyone to know how good HAL really is. They could fix these minor problem in about one day. The CD needs to get together with the rest of the activities people and take a big red pencil to the schedule!

As an example of poor scheduling, Main Dining is at 8. The Captain’s Welcome Toast

was at 6:30. We didn’t find a lot of people who said they got dressed that early to go and get a free glass of champagne! It’s not a real important function but let’s give it a B-.because most missed it!

So far I am more than pleased with the food and service. I feel they are just about on an even keel with X for food. And I include presentation in that. You all know I love X but giving the devil his due I have to say HAL is very, very good!

I hope you are enjoying this drivel, perhaps learning a little bit about another cruise line and seeing if it might fit with your style of cruising. On this board we all LOVE, LOVE X but some of us are looking for 14+ days in nice Caribbean ports or South America, even Panama Canal. X has chosen to either deploy ships to other area not so easily accessible or to do short cruises. If you are now looking for a choice, read these posts carefully and see if HAL might fit you when X won’t.

We were going to do the Oldies Night but Terri’s knee was really bothering her and she wanted to go to bed. I needed to write this so here I am. I’ve been writing for about two hours, it’s 1:30 and I am pooped. If I forgot anything I will try to add it in the morning.

San Juan is today and we plan to be at the Internet Café at 10. After I get this posted please read the four days and tell me what you think, ask questions or just make fun of my errors! Feedback helps to get you the information that’s important to you.

BTW, we found out today that we are docking at Crown Point in St Thomas and not Havensight. Bummer!

Bye For Now!

[tomatopa]

Gail,

 

Great to read your post. wish Joe and I were joining you all at your dinner table. you didn't say, but guess when you got to your dinner table it was just the 3 of you...how disappointing....

 

I also realized that I won't be able to read your daily posts after tomorrow since we will be on our cruise...guess I will have to read them after we return.

 

Think I am going to wish I had your cabin...ours on the Grandeur will be very small.

 

Have fun!

 

Judy

[hisfirstm8]

Gail,

I am enjoying your posting so much! Since we don't have a future cruise booked, I am living my future dreams through you right now....

 

While in St. Thomas, have a bushwacker for me!!!

 

Barbara

[tuggers]

I have copied and pasted everyone's questions to this point into a word document that I can work on tonight. We are in St Thomas tomorrow so I should be able to find internet and post replies then.

Thank you so much for all of your kind comments about Tug, my posts, my extended absence and best wishes for a great trip. They are muchly appreciated.

CC truly is a family and it's great to be a part of it!

Gail

BTW, Terri says hello and wants you all to know that she hasn't lost anything TODAY!:)

[tuggers]

Barb, those are the only plans Terri and I have for St Thomas - to go and have a Bushwacker for you. Then one for us, maybe another for us, one for Horizon, another for Zenith... :D :D