I was on the same Bermuda trip as Henry43, and was VERY surprised to find that at least on the Veendam, lemonade is no longer available in the Lido. It is now a bar drink, and therefore an extra charge at the same price as soft drinks.
I don't know if this is a new HAL policy or just initiated on this ship. I was on the Veendam in February, with a different cruise director, and lemonade was constantly available and free, then.
I was on the same Bermuda trip as Henry43, and was VERY surprised to find that at least on the Veendam, lemonade is no longer available in the Lido. It is now a bar drink, and therefore an extra charge at the same price as soft drinks.
I don't know if this is a new HAL policy or just initiated on this ship. I was on the Veendam in February, with a different cruise director, and lemonade was constantly available and free, then.
I'm not sure where you were but I had FREE lemonade at least once every day and more than one on the first 2 port days when it was really hot out .
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Yes, they have a dispenser just outside the ramp, and I had some there, too. What I'm referring to is the lemonade that used to be available both at meals and in between, up in the Lido. I don't even usually drink it there, but overheard parents asking about it and being sent to the bars. There were a fair number of children on board, and I certainly can understand that many parents would not want their kids drinking sodas all day, or even iced tea (particularly in the evening). But if they had to pay $1.95 for each drink, $2.24 after the mandatory gratuity, that must have added a fair bit to their tabs.
On a side note - what did you think of the "Things"? Those 11 kids sat at dinner near us each night, and were incredibly well behaved. I was also impressed at the adventurousness of their selections.
Yes, they have a dispenser just outside the ramp, and I had some there, too. What I'm referring to is the lemonade that used to be available both at meals and in between, up in the Lido. I don't even usually drink it there, but overheard parents asking about it and being sent to the bars. There were a fair number of children on board, and I certainly can understand that many parents would not want their kids drinking sodas all day, or even iced tea (particularly in the evening). But if they had to pay $1.95 for each drink, $2.24 after the mandatory gratuity, that must have added a fair bit to their tabs.
FBOW, "enhanced onboard revenue" is a fact of life in modern cruising. This means: (1) providing more opportunities to spend money aboard ship (specialty restaurants, new activities and facilities that carry a charge, computer classes, Internet access, etc.), and (2) charging for items that were previously free (airline baggage check-in on the pier, ice cream, certain non-alcoholic beverages including coffee and tea in the lobby pastery bar, etc.). Fortunately, some of this has bombed in royal fashion -- Celebrity's "Bar at the Edge of the Earth" was a total disaster and enough passengers on Royal Caribbean International balked at paying for hamburgers at Johnny Rockets so the line dropped the charges for food but still charges for shakes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by You
On a side note - what did you think of the "Things"? Those 11 kids sat at dinner near us each night, and were incredibly well behaved. I was also impressed at the adventurousness of their selections.
There are many children who develop very sophisticated pallates at a very young age because their parents introduce them to good cuisine. I have yet to meet a child who would not choose a steak at Capital Grill over a steak at Denny's.
As to behavior... well, children reflect what their parents teach them. Most children have a natural curiosity about situations that require them to be on good behavior, so they will behave quite willingly if participation in such events is their reward for doing so.
When I see children who are well behaved in church or in another formal situation, I try to complement their parents if it's opportune to do so. Often, the parents of the most well behaved children were frantically worried that the children might have disrupted the service or event. The parents of the children who are running wild, OTOH, clearly don't care. As a result, I always tell the parents who are worried about their child(ren) causing a disturbance that their child(ren) will be no problem.
Oh, yes, Norm --- the parents definitely set the tone. The "Things" on this cruise were a couple celebrating their 49th anniversary, who arrived on board wearing bright green tee shirts stating "Thing 1" and "Thing 2". They were accompanied by their three grown children, "Things" 3, 4 and 5; and the children's spouses, "Things" 6, 7, and 8. The 11 children were Things 9 through 19. They are all fortunate to be part of such a group.
Yes, they have a dispenser just outside the ramp, and I had some there, too. What I'm referring to is the lemonade that used to be available both at meals and in between, up in the Lido. I don't even usually drink it there, but overheard parents asking about it and being sent to the bars. There were a fair number of children on board, and I certainly can understand that many parents would not want their kids drinking sodas all day, or even iced tea (particularly in the evening). But if they had to pay $1.95 for each drink, $2.24 after the mandatory gratuity, that must have added a fair bit to their tabs.
On a side note - what did you think of the "Things"? Those 11 kids sat at dinner near us each night, and were incredibly well behaved. I was also impressed at the adventurousness of their selections.
Oh, yes, Norm --- the parents definitely set the tone. The "Things" on this cruise were a couple celebrating their 49th anniversary, who arrived on board wearing bright green tee shirts stating "Thing 1" and "Thing 2". They were accompanied by their three grown children, "Things" 3, 4 and 5; and the children's spouses, "Things" 6, 7, and 8. The 11 children were Things 9 through 19. They are all fortunate to be part of such a group.
What can you say except they all have a love of each other and some great humour.
In our family, not gone to t-shirts though, we some times call my OH brother 'Peter' as P1 then my grandson 'Peter' as P2 , my daughter's Husband 'peter; prior to marriage was 'Pnaught' and is now P3 .
Lemonade I have gotten in the buffet, served myself and on our recent Princess cruise , same thing.
Nothing wrong with writing to the cruise line expressing your concern as it is bought onboard as a concentrate. Next they will be trying to charge for tea bags and tap water
__________________ Rob Next Cruise: History: Celebrity Infinity-1, Dawn Princess-1, Sea Princess-2, Golden Princess-2, HA Maasdam-1, SS Cavina-1 Web site: http://robbarcruises.wordpress.com/
What can you say except they all have a love of each other and some great humour.
In our family, not gone to t-shirts though, we some times call my OH brother 'Peter' as P1 then my grandson 'Peter' as P2 , my daughter's Husband 'peter; prior to marriage was 'Pnaught' and is now P3 .
Lemonade I have gotten in the buffet, served myself and on our recent Princess cruise , same thing.
Nothing wrong with writing to the cruise line expressing your concern as it is bought onboard as a concentrate. Next they will be trying to charge for tea bags and tap water
You can write and complain about the lemonade made from concentrate.
But it won't do you much good.
The US Public Health service has everything to say about beverages served in buffets on cruise ships.
They will only approve one brand of dispenser for use on cruise ships, and that dispenser only produces beverages from concentrate.
Every cruise line that has ships calling at US Ports can only use Vitality Brand beverage dispensers onboard.
You may have already guessed this, but these dispensers will only work with concentrates produced and sold by the Vitality Company.
You can write and complain about the lemonade made from concentrate.
But it won't do you much good.
The US Public Health service has everything to say about beverages served in buffets on cruise ships.
They will only approve one brand of dispenser for use on cruise ships, and that dispenser only produces beverages from concentrate.
Every cruise line that has ships calling at US Ports can only use Vitality Brand beverage dispensers onboard.
You may have already guessed this, but these dispensers will only work with concentrates produced and sold by the Vitality Company.
Bruse
That is interesting as to the supplier and the US Public health connection.
I meant 'writing to company to complain for the the person who mentioned on the fact they were being CHARGED to have lemonade at the bars. Not an issue if it is concentrate
__________________ Rob Next Cruise: History: Celebrity Infinity-1, Dawn Princess-1, Sea Princess-2, Golden Princess-2, HA Maasdam-1, SS Cavina-1 Web site: http://robbarcruises.wordpress.com/
In our family, not gone to t-shirts though, we some times call my OH brother 'Peter' as P1 then my grandson 'Peter' as P2 , my daughter's Husband 'peter; prior to marriage was 'Pnaught' and is now P3 .
Not sure why, but this is bringing to mind the story about a new breed of grapes grown in Italy that contain an ingredient that helps to control unrinary incontenence. They make a very nice wine from it, called "Pinot More."
Oh, yes, Norm --- the parents definitely set the tone. The "Things" on this cruise were a couple celebrating their 49th anniversary, who arrived on board wearing bright green tee shirts stating "Thing 1" and "Thing 2". They were accompanied by their three grown children, "Things" 3, 4 and 5; and the children's spouses, "Things" 6, 7, and 8. The 11 children were Things 9 through 19. They are all fortunate to be part of such a group.
That's fantastic!
Just of curiiosity, did the parents' surname happen to be Thing?
And approximately what ages were Thing 9 through Thing 19?
You can write and complain about the lemonade made from concentrate.
But it won't do you much good.
The US Public Health service has everything to say about beverages served in buffets on cruise ships.
They will only approve one brand of dispenser for use on cruise ships, and that dispenser only produces beverages from concentrate.
Every cruise line that has ships calling at US Ports can only use Vitality Brand beverage dispensers onboard.
You may have already guessed this, but these dispensers will only work with concentrates produced and sold by the Vitality Company.
This does not seem to be accurate.
>> 1. It is the U. S. Center for Disease Control (CDC), which is separate from the Public Health Service (PHS), that inspects cruise ships.
>> 2. The requirements for cruise ship design published by the CDC (draft of latest revision) say nothing whatsoever about the brand of equipment. They only specify the requirements for the design of the system (removable drip trays, flush fittings, encasement of lines, etc.) to allow proper cleaning.
No; I did not get the surname of the grandparents, but it was not Thing. I spoke with one of their daughters (they had 2, and a son) so not all the family shared the same surname. The youngest (girl) appeared to be about 7; the oldest was also a girl and appeared to be 15 or 16. There was one other girl in the middle and the other 8 were all boys, the eldest looking about a year younger than the oldest girl.
>> 1. It is the U. S. Center for Disease Control (CDC), which is separate from the Public Health Service (PHS), that inspects cruise ships.
>> 2. The requirements for cruise ship design published by the CDC (draft of latest revision) say nothing whatsoever about the brand of equipment. They only specify the requirements for the design of the system (removable drip trays, flush fittings, encasement of lines, etc.) to allow proper cleaning.
Norm.
Norm,
For the past 35 years that my ships have been inspected by USPH - and for the past 10 years that I have worked for USPH (when I am not working on a ship) the CDC has been the umbrella for USPH and USDA.
When I receive my paychecks from USPH, it says "Centers for Disease Control" at the top of the check.
USPH inspects foreign flag ships as part of their VSP (vessel sanitation program).
USDA inspected American Flagged ships until recently, when that duty was taken over by USPH.
USDA also inspects foreign and domestic flagged aircraft, trains, and buses.
It is true that the VSP does not specify the brands of equipment required onboard ships. It's also true that they only specify the exact specifications required of that equipoment.
But the part you don't get to see is the fact that Vitality is the only beverage dispenser that meets all the requirements. We can install any dispenser we want on a ship, but if it is not Vitality brand, USPH will automatically fail us on our inspection.
They also don't tell you that there are only 2 brands of icemakers - both made in America - that USPH will approve of. Once again, I can install any brand I want, but if it is not one of the 2 approved ones, my ship will fail the inspection.
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