I'd be willing to pay a premium/higher price for.....

Okay, those can stay But ONLY if they don't compromise the "all-inclusive"
dining rooms' cuisine to the point where you feel you NEED to pay extra in
order to get a decent meal.

hdawson wrote:

Lindsay. I too have a limited budget but like the idea of having personal
choice options available. Most of the specialty restaurants are small in
nature and great for special occaision, or when some just like to get away
from
the crowds. They typically only seat about 120 people and the primary reason
they may serve better food is the fact that your dinner is prepared
individually (sometimes tableside). That kind of preparation is not possible
when feeding 1000 per seating.
My dinner in the Olympic on Millenium was outstanding in every respect and
matched anything I've had on land or sea.

ojunk (JEFFCOUD) wrote:

Ok, starting a new thread here just for fun....I'd be willing to pay a
premium/higher price for....

* Truly interesting/exquisite food in the main dining room/buffet (frankly
most cruise food, the notable dishes, are things which were considered
"gourmet" in the 1950's...isn't it time for an update...ever hear of fusion,
nouvelle, whatever....)

No I'd rather have well prepared plain even old fashioned food. Tasty
is good - new for the sake of it is not.

* More table-side preparation of dishes, a return to quiet sparkling service
and presentation

No - I eat to live and not live to eat. Nice looking food is good.
Efficient service is good. I can live perfectly well without the
flourishes

* Reserved deck chairs

I don't know about that.

* Mass market ship that goes to a more "off the beaten path" itinerary in the
Caribbean

The only thing on this list that I would pay for is more time in each
port, and more OTBP ports.

* A much better gym facility

I probably won't make use of what they have now.

* Getting rid of the "clutter" of a cruise...the ads in the daily, auctions,
inch of gold, tables of t-shirts and cheap watches

Would be good, but not to pay extra for.

* Free access to certain spa facilities

Hate spas.

* Halfway decent hors d'oeuvres in all lounges during cocktail hour before
dinner

Don't care about cocktails or hose d'oeuvres.

* Fresh flowers in the stateroom

Well - I always feel sorry for cut flowers. Not that I like
artificial ones either.

Ok, these are just a few things I'd be willing to cough up more for. In some
ways, with the advent of premium restaurants and of course I can pay for spa
treatments now, these things are happening in the mass market. And booking
suites will get you some of these things as well. But even if I dined every
night at the Olympic, I'd still have to look at the tacky inch of gold stand,
etc.

Oh well, thought I'd just start a new thread and see where it goes.

Jeff


grandma Rosalie

Thanks, Jeff! LOL

As for the "extras for a bit more $$$", maybe someday when I'm retired and
demand more in the way of service and the other little perks you
mentioned...but for now, it's ALL good. Just to be on a large ship out on the
ocean and having someone wait on me and being able to basically craft my own
vacation to suit my style is MORE than good, actually! :-)

Lindsay

Jeff said:

We'll have to put you in the "won't pay anthing more" category! No problemo!

Anyhow, just trying to think of things that might be nice that wouldn't cost
all that much more, but which would be cheaper than the luxury lines.
Sailing
solo is $$$ as it is

Everyone talks about the announcements and the gold-by-the-inch and the bingo
games and the loud pool games, etc, etc...but to me, that's all part of being
on a cruise. At least the ones I can afford! :-)

One good thing about all this activity, is that you can usually escape and find
a quiet corner to read or just sit and relax. Granted, there still might be the
loudspeaker blaring in the distance...but I'm sure you can block it out. Half
the time I'm some place where I miss the announcements.

Again, I would be bored to death if they were no announcements or games going
on...or the staff peddling their wares. To me, it all just adds to the
experience.

And, no, I wouldn't want this sort of thing going on if I were spending a week
at a cabin on the lake or camping out in the woods. I just think it goes along
with the territory. Maybe when I'm at a stage in my life where I simply want to
be left alone and not want to hear anything or have anyone approach me to sell
something...I might as well just stay home.

Lindsay

Everyone talks about the announcements and the gold-by-the-inch and the bingo
games and the loud pool games, etc, etc...but to me, that's all part of being
on a cruise. At least the ones I can afford! :-)

One good thing about all this activity, is that you can usually escape and find
a quiet corner to read or just sit and relax. Granted, there still might be the
loudspeaker blaring in the distance...but I'm sure you can block it out. Half
the time I'm some place where I miss the announcements.

Again, I would be bored to death if they were no announcements or games going
on...or the staff peddling their wares. To me, it all just adds to the
experience.

And, no, I wouldn't want this sort of thing going on if I were spending a week
at a cabin on the lake or camping out in the woods. I just think it goes along
with the territory. Maybe when I'm at a stage in my life where I simply want to
be left alone and not want to hear anything or have anyone approach me to sell
something...I might as well just stay home.

Lindsay

"JEFFCOUD" wrote in message
...

Jeff, I would pay extra for better food to be served in ALL dining rooms and
cut out the specialty restaurants. Cruises are quite reasonable now and a
small increase for better quality food as Tom K. stated would be fine with
me.

I can do without the table side presentations, but enjoy the cherries
jubilee or bananas foster desserts being prepared at each head waiter's
section..Sometimes a pasta station, too...Noooooooo Baked Alaska parades for
me---I have gotten to dislike baked Alaska because of those darn
parades....especially when they don't offer you a dessert menu so that you
can order something else.. I do like when they bring you a dessert tray so
that you can see the choices that are available. No extra cost should apply
there! HAL does it on their cruises.

Since we cannot tolerate the sun for long, deck chairs are not that
important to us unless they are in the shade or on the deck sides...I wish
more ships had chairs on the promenade and other decks to sit on and lazily
watch the ocean or read...But I don't think that you should be able to
reserve them. It would tie up the choice locations for the same people all
the time..I just think that the crew should be more attentive to *chair
hogs* who leave for more than a 1/2 hour..Use it or lose it is what I think!
;-)

I think the more off beat, lesser visited places are available on cruises
from San Juan..We are taking an 11 day Southern Caribbean on the Empress of
the Seas over Thanksgiving and it visits St. Maartan, St. Barts, St. Kitts,
St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Margarita Island, Venezuela, Curacao, Aruba
and ends up back in San Juan...Our GGC2005 cruise which leaves Miami, goes
to Barbados , St. Lucia, Grenada, Antigua and Tortola.. You have more off
beat places if the cruise is more than 7 days...Some good ones for 8-9 days
leaving from Florida are in option now. Extra cost would be only for extra
days ..

I agree about the inch of gold and other stuff., but no one forces you to
buy and if it keeps the cruise cost down, so be it~just not so much *in your
face* cluttering the aisles. I had to laugh about the cheap watches! While
on a cruise, the battery went out on one of Ed's good watches...He saw none
that he liked very much in the jewelry section and felt that since he owned
two other good watches at home, he asked if they had a battery..No batteries
were to be found, so he bought a cheapie watch! Now he wears to the gym and
when working in the yard! It runs perfectly and he *brags* about his $10.
watch!
So maybe we better not cut out ALL the cheap watches! :-) Someone else may
be in the same predicament one day!

I agree about the fresh flowers in the cabins...for those who are allergic,
there could be a space to specify that on your preboarding information
and/or have your T/A advise them of it when they request size of table and
preferred seating time.
They do so much to brighten up the cabin..HAL is great about fresh flowers
all around the ship..The most "flowery" HAL ship
we have been on was the Westerdam to the Mediterranean..Maybe because she
was brand new on her second voyage.
Gorgeous HUGE arrangements everywhere and many with sweet smelling
lilies..All tables, even those in the buffet were decorated with potted
orchids..not tiny ones but in 4-6" pots. Just lovely!

Interesting topic, Jeff!
--Jean

"JEFFCOUD" wrote in message
...

Jeff, I would pay extra for better food to be served in ALL dining rooms and
cut out the specialty restaurants. Cruises are quite reasonable now and a
small increase for better quality food as Tom K. stated would be fine with
me.

I can do without the table side presentations, but enjoy the cherries
jubilee or bananas foster desserts being prepared at each head waiter's
section..Sometimes a pasta station, too...Noooooooo Baked Alaska parades for
me---I have gotten to dislike baked Alaska because of those darn
parades....especially when they don't offer you a dessert menu so that you
can order something else.. I do like when they bring you a dessert tray so
that you can see the choices that are available. No extra cost should apply
there! HAL does it on their cruises.

Since we cannot tolerate the sun for long, deck chairs are not that
important to us unless they are in the shade or on the deck sides...I wish
more ships had chairs on the promenade and other decks to sit on and lazily
watch the ocean or read...But I don't think that you should be able to
reserve them. It would tie up the choice locations for the same people all
the time..I just think that the crew should be more attentive to *chair
hogs* who leave for more than a 1/2 hour..Use it or lose it is what I think!
;-)

I think the more off beat, lesser visited places are available on cruises
from San Juan..We are taking an 11 day Southern Caribbean on the Empress of
the Seas over Thanksgiving and it visits St. Maartan, St. Barts, St. Kitts,
St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Margarita Island, Venezuela, Curacao, Aruba
and ends up back in San Juan...Our GGC2005 cruise which leaves Miami, goes
to Barbados , St. Lucia, Grenada, Antigua and Tortola.. You have more off
beat places if the cruise is more than 7 days...Some good ones for 8-9 days
leaving from Florida are in option now. Extra cost would be only for extra
days ..

I agree about the inch of gold and other stuff., but no one forces you to
buy and if it keeps the cruise cost down, so be it~just not so much *in your
face* cluttering the aisles. I had to laugh about the cheap watches! While
on a cruise, the battery went out on one of Ed's good watches...He saw none
that he liked very much in the jewelry section and felt that since he owned
two other good watches at home, he asked if they had a battery..No batteries
were to be found, so he bought a cheapie watch! Now he wears to the gym and
when working in the yard! It runs perfectly and he *brags* about his $10.
watch!
So maybe we better not cut out ALL the cheap watches! :-) Someone else may
be in the same predicament one day!

I agree about the fresh flowers in the cabins...for those who are allergic,
there could be a space to specify that on your preboarding information
and/or have your T/A advise them of it when they request size of table and
preferred seating time.
They do so much to brighten up the cabin..HAL is great about fresh flowers
all around the ship..The most "flowery" HAL ship
we have been on was the Westerdam to the Mediterranean..Maybe because she
was brand new on her second voyage.
Gorgeous HUGE arrangements everywhere and many with sweet smelling
lilies..All tables, even those in the buffet were decorated with potted
orchids..not tiny ones but in 4-6" pots. Just lovely!

Interesting topic, Jeff!
--Jean

"JEFFCOUD" wrote in message
...

Jeff, I would pay extra for better food to be served in ALL dining rooms and
cut out the specialty restaurants. Cruises are quite reasonable now and a
small increase for better quality food as Tom K. stated would be fine with
me.

I can do without the table side presentations, but enjoy the cherries
jubilee or bananas foster desserts being prepared at each head waiter's
section..Sometimes a pasta station, too...Noooooooo Baked Alaska parades for
me---I have gotten to dislike baked Alaska because of those darn
parades....especially when they don't offer you a dessert menu so that you
can order something else.. I do like when they bring you a dessert tray so
that you can see the choices that are available. No extra cost should apply
there! HAL does it on their cruises.

Since we cannot tolerate the sun for long, deck chairs are not that
important to us unless they are in the shade or on the deck sides...I wish
more ships had chairs on the promenade and other decks to sit on and lazily
watch the ocean or read...But I don't think that you should be able to
reserve them. It would tie up the choice locations for the same people all
the time..I just think that the crew should be more attentive to *chair
hogs* who leave for more than a 1/2 hour..Use it or lose it is what I think!
;-)

I think the more off beat, lesser visited places are available on cruises
from San Juan..We are taking an 11 day Southern Caribbean on the Empress of
the Seas over Thanksgiving and it visits St. Maartan, St. Barts, St. Kitts,
St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Margarita Island, Venezuela, Curacao, Aruba
and ends up back in San Juan...Our GGC2005 cruise which leaves Miami, goes
to Barbados , St. Lucia, Grenada, Antigua and Tortola.. You have more off
beat places if the cruise is more than 7 days...Some good ones for 8-9 days
leaving from Florida are in option now. Extra cost would be only for extra
days ..

I agree about the inch of gold and other stuff., but no one forces you to
buy and if it keeps the cruise cost down, so be it~just not so much *in your
face* cluttering the aisles. I had to laugh about the cheap watches! While
on a cruise, the battery went out on one of Ed's good watches...He saw none
that he liked very much in the jewelry section and felt that since he owned
two other good watches at home, he asked if they had a battery..No batteries
were to be found, so he bought a cheapie watch! Now he wears to the gym and
when working in the yard! It runs perfectly and he *brags* about his $10.
watch!
So maybe we better not cut out ALL the cheap watches! :-) Someone else may
be in the same predicament one day!

I agree about the fresh flowers in the cabins...for those who are allergic,
there could be a space to specify that on your preboarding information
and/or have your T/A advise them of it when they request size of table and
preferred seating time.
They do so much to brighten up the cabin..HAL is great about fresh flowers
all around the ship..The most "flowery" HAL ship
we have been on was the Westerdam to the Mediterranean..Maybe because she
was brand new on her second voyage.
Gorgeous HUGE arrangements everywhere and many with sweet smelling
lilies..All tables, even those in the buffet were decorated with potted
orchids..not tiny ones but in 4-6" pots. Just lovely!

Interesting topic, Jeff!
--Jean

RTCReferee wrote:

Howie wrote:


JEFFCOUD wrote:

Ok, starting a new thread here just for fun....I'd be willing to pay a
premium/higher price for....

* Truly interesting/exquisite food

Truly interesting people would be worth a higher price to me. Exquisite
people would also be nice, but only if they were also interesting.



I've heard of drinking exquisite, interesting, pretentious, even amusing WINE,
of course, but devouring interesting PEOPLE?

Howie, I'm shocked! You, you....CANNIBAL, you! ;-)

You caught me, ref. I am an addicted to consuming interesting people.

Howie

RTCReferee wrote:

Howie wrote:


JEFFCOUD wrote:

Ok, starting a new thread here just for fun....I'd be willing to pay a
premium/higher price for....

* Truly interesting/exquisite food

Truly interesting people would be worth a higher price to me. Exquisite
people would also be nice, but only if they were also interesting.



I've heard of drinking exquisite, interesting, pretentious, even amusing WINE,
of course, but devouring interesting PEOPLE?

Howie, I'm shocked! You, you....CANNIBAL, you! ;-)

You caught me, ref. I am an addicted to consuming interesting people.

Howie