My how things have changed in just a year. All the cut backs due to the recession. We just got back from a 10 day on the Zuiderdam and noticed quite a difference from the last time. On Lido deck they discontinued the trays. Now you stand in line, get your entree on one plate, your salad on another, and your soup on the 3rd. YOU have to carry the three items to your table now. Then you go back and stand in line for your coffee and water, go back to your table and your food is now cold! I tried doing it in reverse, getting the beverages first, but that just made the coffee get cold. There are NO servers out by the pool, unless you want cocktails. When you sit down with a early morning cup of coffee, there is no one to refill it. You walk back in, stand in line, and go back out and your table is taken! The MDR was no better. Our server had SIX tables and the service was SO slow. I only had my water refilled once, the last night. It was 20 minutes between courses and always took two full hours to eat dinner. The ship was not too clean either, IMO, and disembarkment was a nightmare. We stood in line from 7:30 AM-10:30 AM, and half of us missed our flights. They were having trouble with the computer that scans the ID cards. That's all, vent is over, carry on.
Ouch! That does not sound like a fun cruise, Gene. Are you going to write a full report, including the Costa Rica trouble?
No, Char. Just venting a little. However my comment card that I filled out for HAL was 3 pages long. I don't want to sound too negative, I still love cruising. I am sure first time cruisers would have loved this cruise, but for old cruise veterans like my self, who were use to the pampering and exceptional service they received in the past, it is quite disappointing.
Gene, if you read my report on the Noordam, I discovered the same things that you have. Our first cruise on the Veendam was wonderful, lots of attention to detail, phenomenal service, and the time of our life. The Noordam was more of the attitude "Sorry, we apologize but we cannot do that" unless it was specifically stated that it could be done. When I was confined to my cabin with Noro they said that I could have anything on the room service menu. But anything else was a "Sorry" French toast was available in the buffet but "Sorry" it was not on the room service menu so they would not deliver it.
Gene, if you read my report on the Noordam, I discovered the same things that you have. Our first cruise on the Veendam was wonderful, lots of attention to detail, phenomenal service, and the time of our life. The Noordam was more of the attitude "Sorry, we apologize but we cannot do that" unless it was specifically stated that it could be done. When I was confined to my cabin with Noro they said that I could have anything on the room service menu. But anything else was a "Sorry" French toast was available in the buffet but "Sorry" it was not on the room service menu so they would not deliver it.
The whole cruise was like that.
So they couldn't have brought you French Toast? That's just plain lousy service and one heck of an attitude. I have not cruised with HAL as yet, but I sure know what to expect.
Interesting point, Gene. I have heard from some Princess cruisers that Princess has really deteriorated since Carnival bought them. It should be interesting to see if Cunard suffers. We will need to ask Stephen about this.
One thing I don't like about the buffet on Princess is that there are no trays. There are large sized platters, but if you have to carry that and a drink at the same time, plus maybe silverware, that's a pain. And if you're also carrying a plate for someone else like a child, it's nearly impossible. Making several trips back and forth isn't acceptable, especially if the room is crowded and there's a line for food.
Another problem is if you are dining by yourself for whatever reason. You can't leave your plate or drink unattended because the waitstaff are very quick to remove these, thinking you might be done.
My hubby will use the tray that's left in the cabin (has bottled water on it to get you to buy it) for making us a breakfast tray. He'll get up first and go to the buffet to get his made-to-order omelet and then make a tray of breakfast goodies for my daughter and me. He'll stash the tray away in the closet for the next morning.
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Guess, all of us long-time cruisers have the same question: 
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