Subject: Report # 139 Oops.......we aren't done yet May 25, 2016 Wednesday Weather at home: beautiful in the high 70's
We were not quite done with the changes with the HAL cruise product on both the world cruise and the Panama Canal sailing.
If any of you have ever sailed on the newer ships, you would instantly know that the televisions on the Amsterdam are obsolete. Yes, we do get a few news channels, and four movie stations (pre-recorded), and numerous in-house channels. Some of these stations are good for keeping us up-to-date on world news and weather, but the movies can use a little work. We have to admit their selection was a bit better this year as far as cycling in more recent films. However, they did repeat themselves after a certain amount of time, like every three weeks. We did appreciate the port talks and the shore excursion descriptions. But the in-house shopping channels were almost overwhelming. Instead of broadcasting the lecturer's talks, they promoted sales from every department, which involved the use of several stations. This included future cruise itineraries, everything sold in the ship's shops, jewelry, and the biggest sales pitch……photography and videos. Don't get us wrong, we understand this is a business, but the photography was really overdone on the Panama Canal cruise. Many days, the photographers set up the backdrops where the passengers almost tripped over the fabric or the lights. We get it that on formal (gala) nights, people may want to have their photos taken. But towards the end of the 16 day trip, this was set up every evening from 4pm to 9pm outside the Ocean Bar. We always like to sit on the couches opposite the Ocean Bar around 5pm, but when these guys were flashing their lights every 5 seconds, we were blinded. No, they were not taking anyone's photos, just flashing the lights. It gives the impression that dozens of folks are stopping for pictures, when in fact, only a handful stop. A day did not go by, without a flyer of some sort on our mail slot with specials on the photos or videos.
Anyway, we suggest their whole system of the TV should be upgraded to on-demand movies, and also having access to your shipboard account (using a personal password). We have been on other lines where over 200 movies could be watched at your own convenience, pausing, and returning at any given time. Bet this is available on the new Koningsdam. We doubt a ship of that size will ever be used for a world cruise, so we think that small upgrades like this do belong on a Grand Voyage.
The internet? Well that is another subject we probably do not need to address, as it has been a major discussion already on other blogs. Understanding that internet while out at sea is not the same as internet on land is a given. However, better technology is out there, and it is working with other cruise lines. Bottom line…..you get what you pay for. A few years ago, the HAL ships switched to a different provider, but we have not seen an improvement with their system. To be fair, we have to say if we ran into problems that caused us to lose minutes, all we had to do is report it, and the minutes were re-instated. The problems usually happened when the system was shut down for repairs, and no one tells you that. Yes, it did happen often, especially when we left Ft. Lauderdale. Do you know how many times we were told, "We're working on it"???
Our best bet with successful internet, was finding a time when few people would be on it. That turned out to be perhaps 4am, not exactly convenient for one of us, but do-able. Arriving to a port or leaving a port? Forget it, as the system is shut down sometimes, or you are automatically cut off. Also, watch the times for emergency crew drills. Many times, all ship services are interrupted. Bottom line……..we doubt we see much improvement with the internet in the near future.
During this particular cruise, there were many flooding issues here, there, and everywhere on the ship. Dripping ceilings appeared on the lower promenade deck, as well as the entrance to the dining room on deck four. One of our best buddies, Tom M, was flooded five times in his room on deck six. Several times, decks six and seven had no water, because it had to be shut down for half a day. Sudden ceiling drips developed on deck one, and we heard of walls leaking in between cabins. We did have one instance when the commode began to fill and not shut off. The plumber was there in minutes, and changed the whole thing. It never did that again. We suspect that when the ship goes into drydock next year, these things will be addressed, we hope. Actually, in some of the Mediterranean ports, we noticed a dock full of electrical and plumbing supplies and equipment coming onboard, so some of this work may have begun behind the scenes. In addition, we did spot some outside contractors, not regular crew members, working on the outside decks on the Panama Canal cruise.
On a positive note, we were very happy with the special treatment we received from the Hotel Director, Craig. He went out of his way to meet and greet the ongoing travelers from the world cruise, especially the six of us President's Club members. We had as many events on the 16 day cruise as we had on the 115 world cruise. As for the difference between a grand voyage compared to a shorter cruise, we can say there are few differences as far as we could see. Instead of two guest lecturers, we had only one at a time. There were a few less offerings on the dinner menu for entrees, but we always found something we liked. If not, then we always had the ten complimentary Pinnacle Grill dinners to use. A couple of the entertainers that were on the world cruise had stayed onboard to perform again. We did attend many of the performances, but did not always stay for the full show. Pretty difficult to burn the candle at both ends. Of course, we did not get gifts on the Panama Canal sailing, but then, we have to remind ourselves that we are not paying the higher per diem rate either. No matter what cruise you take, the service cannot be beat from the excellent crew and staff.
And that's why we come back. There are too many pluses that keep us coming back now that we have reached this summit. It's comfortable….it's home for the approximate six months we travel a year. And we will be back, God-willing, next September on the Tales of the South Pacific on the Amsterdam, of course. Stayed tuned, as we will share our adventure with you all once again. Thanks for coming along, and many thanks for all the positive comments…………..very much appreciated!
Bill & Mary Ann
