Catlover54

Given interest rates have gone up in the last couple years, my guess is that their bean counters decided that forcing final payment very early will help their bottom line, because they can invest your money in that year (instead of *you* investing it), but without publishing an official higher "price" of the cruise. If this starts to deter cruisers, they might back off.

It's the wonderful Miss Apple, of course! 🙂

Edinburgh is wonderful and I think requires more than just one day, if you want to see more than just the castle, and/or the environs, especially if you are interested in history of the region and also want to have nice unrushed meals locally. To get an idea, you can see lists of "things to do" in and around Edinburgh on various commercial websites that sell tours, (and also allow extra hours for just wandering around without a tour).

On Rotterdam recently, there were almost constant long lines at the Dutch cafe at all but the most inconvenient times (though getting the hot food after ordering only took 10-15 minutes). We would have gone there almost every day and spent more money (e.g., on the specialty beers DH enjoys), but for the lines (I have trouble standing for a long time, especially when tired after already standing in very long tender return lines). You cannot use the app to pre-order like you can for the very efficiently run Navigator app for Dive-in and NY Deli. Does anyone know why HAL has not yet moved the GDC to app ordering?

Were the return flights at roughly 1 and 2 in the morning, or in the afternoon (I assume the latter, but I ask because for unclear reasons polar related flights like Antarctica often have unusual and inconvenient timings)? 2 hours and 40 minutes of standing to check in for *Greenland* security is insane and not possible for many people who aren't sick enough to travel with personal wheelchairs, but who are also not 100% healthy and frisky. SB of course cannot do anything about slow Greenland ground staff, but likely paying a higher cost could have taken care of the issue with the crowded coach style flight (the question, of course, is whether or not pax would be willing to pay more).

I love the laundry service overall, but I still write "Machine wash on low (not on hot), tumble dry low" when I submit special tencel material sleeveless tanks I have that are next to impossible to replace. The first time I sent one in (fortunately just one) it came back beautifully hung on a hanger but sized to fit a 10-year-old. However, after that, always with the instruction, and perhaps due to the instruction though I cannot prove it, the same shirts come back perfect, unshrunk.

On Rotterdam right now, per my suite status DH and I are entitled to free laundry and dry cleaning. Laundry is beautifully done, and will be put on hangers or folded *per your request*. I always also request in the comments that they wash on cold, not hot, and tumble dry low, to prevent shrinkage (I had a tencel undershirt shrink last year). I usually get it back the sane day with a note (lately, "Rudi" has been thanking me.This is one department that runs very smoothly.

It's nice to see you posting again, EV. I hope you have had opportunity since Covid to go back on the lovely Europa2. I agree that HL certainly is not pre-WW2 in any way. HL still remains my favorite line overall so far, and the MS Europa is my favorite overall luxury ship (in part because of the regular Ocean Sun Festival outstanding classical music). The Europa 2 sadly does not have such a festival, though depending on the voyage, she may have classical music guests. But I also like the Europa (as you know, German only officially, though staff speak varying degress of English). This is because despite loosening in the evening dress code on Europa to match the business casual style on Europa 2, which I'm ok with, there are still some old style luxury features. I also like that there is on average an older clientele (since I belong to the latter group 🙂). Some Europa pax I talked to say they would not set foot on the Europa 2 because it is "too modern" in overall style (though they do like the food and the wine list of hundreds of wines, even more expansive than on Europa). I am fine with and appreciate the modernity there (especially the decor), but the itineraries are often to very hot places which I have trouble tolerating, and the AC on HL overall is sometimes not as strong as I would like, i.e., not like that on English/American focussed lines. I am currently in a very nice suite on Holland America with my DH, and though it is not a "ship within a ship" and there are sometimes lines and odd rules, I am also enjoying that experience, but in different ways (e.g., the specialty Japanese and French restaurants on board are very good, as is the "blues" club, and the option to easily get simple good hamburgers and pastrami sandwiches in the casual venues, which I often miss on HL when I eat one fancy meal after another, is welcome! ). It is fun to mix and match and have good food, service, and attention, regardless of what is called "luxury".

The crab are impressive in their size, however! It is good that HAL provided some credit for the botched excursion. In Bodo (ship there today), we had beautiful weather. We engaged a private guide (who works as an air traffic controller in his day job), and who took us around and about town for six hours, to the fortress above town for great views, and to see maelstrom currents (HAL did a RIB boat excursion there). He had his own key to an old WW2 bunker we toured with him in town (currently right next to a children's playground), which was cool. There is also a very large aviation museum. In case you or others are interested in going private when/if you stop in Bodo, his name is Ola Sakshaug, ola@opplevnord.no, +4790192636. He also organizes e-bike tours.

The second floor of the museum has sobering WW2 history exhibits, including information about the hundreds of Soviet POWs and Czechs who had been kept near Harstad and died of hunger and poor care by their German captors, roughly 40-50% mortality (this of course doesn't compare with the roughly 2 million Soviet POWs who died on the eastern front due to poor care when masses of Soviets surrendered during the initial phases of Operation Barbarossa).

The majority of pax are Dutch (per the roster), so it is not surprising that they offer Dutch menus. I didn't know about the Dutch language excursions. Anyone tall, and/or large-boned and with whitish hair is Dutch until proven otherwise (or maybe it is just a good bet statistically on this cruise). 🙂 If you go back to the Asian restaurant (Tamarind), ask for the waitress named "Apple". She is from Thailand, has an accent, but is understandable and very sweet. I am enjoying your posts and pictures.

I am pretty sure you won't have to go "ugly American" on them, because I think you're right that my case was in outlier. Everyone who has main speaking parts *can* speak in English if they want to or are alerted they need to or have to (the captain, the expedition leader, the expedition team members), and they are nice people, who want to do the right and proper thing, once politely alerted if there is a problem. So even if you're the only Americans on board, once they know that's the case and you say that you want full service English, my guess is it will happen (but it would of course be nice to have it happen starting with check-in and have staff already expecting you, with English menus etc.) I never asked them when I was on board to start doing English as well as German, because at that point it would have been just to run an experiment and report about it on CC rather than to understand. Just in case, there is a "customer relations" (i.e., complaints) person on board with an office near reception. The expedition leader made a point at the beginning of the cruise (appropriately) to let them know if something is not to your satisfaction early on, so they can try and fix it. There is no 'cruise director' per se. Staff hours for different departments are announced in the written daily program towards the back -- you should get yours in English (paper and TV -- stewardess can show you key things on TV), after you get your safety briefing in English). If you have an elective issue, be there 5 minutes before they open, otherwise there may be a German already in line in front of you. No one will likely be there in off hours, and staff expect to leave when their hours are up. But receptionists are there 24/7 officially for whatever you need, including urgent issues, deck 4, which also has the Hanseatic main Restaurant. Keep in mind the stewardess (likely a Filipina with better English than German though it helps to avoid slang and jargon and speak clearly and slowly), is not a butler or general problem solver like on Silversea. Her duty, other than orienting you initially to your cabin, is to clean 2x/day (unless you put the do not disturb sign out) and keep the mini-bar stocked with your requests (I had my list of requests and preferences written out in advance, to keep the first day flow going quickly for her). Everything else goes through reception triage. One more thing I didn't mention: Germans value and expect punctuality. So don't be late for Zodiak rides, spa and other appointments. This may mean coming a couple minutes early (in case the elevator is slow -- which it often is). Then there is just a general politeness expectation , e.g., "hello" when you enter a venue (like the boutique, a restaurant if there is a host standing there or line-up of waiters etc.), and goodbye. If you talk to other guests, if they're older, don't immediately go first-name with them (if at all), that is not customary (i.e., no, "Hi, I'm Jeff from Texas"), but if you get seated close to someone, either nod or say "Guten Abend" (Good evening) before you sit down. One older couple I sat next to landed up asking me about the Japanese venue and though we talked for 20 minutes, we never exchanged names, and the wife still felt she had to semi-apologize and say "I hope we didn't disturb you". Immediate boistrous familiarity is not the norm, but there are friendly people curious about foreigners.

🙂 If you booked through a TA, I suggest calling her and having her confirm with HL that you are an English-speaker (and are thus relying on the dual language presentation). On HL's other dual language ship (Europa 2), the English speaking started right in the boarding line when they see your foreigner passport (typically at 4PM, all in a mass). If it's not happening, speak up immediately, because Sargent Schultz isn't going to be on board. Also get to know the expedition team as quickly as you can, they speak English, so they can organize you. Have a wonderful trip!

Below is my very long review of my recent experience on this Hapag Lloyd (HL) luxury expedition ship. Unfortunately I accidentally submitted the review before I was done fixing spelling errors and typos, so many apologies for that. But it can still give you an idea how the ship was. One very positive thing I forgot to mention is that unlike on most English language luxury ships, out on the decks, unless there is a party going on, *there is no pumped in pop music*. That way one can enjoy the sound of the sea from the many comfortable outdoor perches that are available. I truly dislike pumped in music, usually thumping or wailing, on outdoor decks, and am happy it is not present on HL. If anyone has any specific questions, please ask me on this thread. https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=715896&stay=1&posfrom=1

DH and I are on the verge of booking a panorama veranda suite to Antarctica, but the only ones available on the cruise we're interested in are on deck 5. It is of course good to be low in a storm/Drake Shake, but I'm wondering if deck 5 is *too* low, i.e., so low that crew would often have to seal off the windows during such storms (which would defeat some of the purpose of paying extra for the awesome views, including views from the bath tub which appeal to me a lot). Of course I understand that it is unlikely one would have a severe storm the entire trip, but I wonder if it is typical, or if anyone knows how often deck 5 windows and balconies (be it in a panorama or a regular veranda) have to get sealed off for protection. Thanks in advance!