darstamp

I have been to several of these destinations and they are wonderful. I know that excursions have become extremely expensive and they are limited for disabled people like us. You may never get to these places again so please consider the ones that are being offered especially in the Canary Islands, a fabulous place. In Madeira there is a wonderful chairlift (you could wheel in) that goes up the mountain but coming down is another story. We slid down in baskets! So much fun. However, I recall that we were offered a choice of coming down in the chairlift as well. It gives you a fabulous view and I would definitely inquire if it is wheelchair accessible. If it's not do-able, at least purchase some of the wonderful Madeira wine - so enjoyable. There is a beautiful waterfront park in Lisbon that is dedicated to the Portuguese sailors who sailed into the unknown and discovered so much. If the cruise line isn't offering it as an excursion, perhaps you could find a private one. Portugal is famous for Fado, a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics. We did a private excursion to a restaurant where they entertained with Fado while we ate dinner - at midnight!! If you like it there may be some options there. I know you will have a wonderful cruise.

I have been unable to get into the Holland America website for several days. Have gone to the login link and submitted my e-mail address and account number with no success. Any suggestions?

Embarkation can be very noisy. I would bring earplugs just in case. There are always people available to help you and answer your questions. I don't recall any instances where leaving the ship was particularly noisy.

I would recommend that you google the various tourist websites in those locations and then lookup the sites you are interested in seeing to find out if they are accessible. For example, in Halifax one of the most popular destinations is Peggy's Cove but I looked up a tour there and it says it is not wheelchair accessible. You could check out The Citadel, it's a National Historic Site so it should be accessible. There is also the Titanic cemetery, and the wonderful 4KM harbour walk.

I had no idea they were so complicated. I had taken a cruise from Vancouver to LA and then it continued on to Mexico and returned to LA. They called it a back to back. I have looked at one that goes from Montreal to Boston and then turns around and goes from Boston to Montreal. I assumed that was a back to back. Thanks for all your comments

I think it would be great to have a listing of back to back cruises that are available. Is there a demand for this?

pretty disgusting.

I take a portable but I rent a full size concentrator from Scootaround to use at night. My next cruise is 18 days so I spent an extra $25 and got two (One for a backup), My Simply Go has not been reliable and is not ideal for using with a walker so I rent an Oxy-go and take that.

I keep looking for the health protocols on the website and get the message that the protocols have not been posted yet for this cruise. I suspect that they are waiting to see what the Covid situation is closer to the cruise. I know that the Canadian government has dropped their requirement for a pre-cruise test but things can change so I will keep checking until I get an answer one way or the other.

We are booked on a 7 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera in November on the Bliss. The selection of excursions is very poor, especially in Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan. Mostly shopping and I don't go on a vacation to go shopping. There is a site called "Shore Excursions" which has a few better ones in a couple of cases. Just wondering if anyone has ever used them.

I tendered in Santa Barbara last fall with my walker. I had no problems except I unknowingly wheeled through some dog poo and didn't realize it till we got back to the ship. Fortunately, my daughter had a pack of wet wipes and we cleaned it up before tracking all over the place. I will be extra diligent about that in the future.

I can't answer your question about the ship but when I'm in Ketchikan I always take the Crab Feast excursion to the George Inlet Lodge. Last time they offered it twice. One version included a boat trip for wildlife watching, the other version included the Lumberjack show. It used to be "all you can eat" but the poor crab return last year and Covid made it necessary to limit it to two servings. It was very expensive but it is so good that it is worth it. Also comes with salad and dessert and (I think) a glass of wine.

Thank you. This is helpful.

I've only been on two HAL cruises and am scheduled for an 18 day to Hawaii in April. The Lincoln Centre Stage was the thing I liked best about HAL. They were always packed with people of various ages so I don't believe it has anything to do with age. If cruise lines are depending on young people for survival I don't think they will make it. However , I don't think cruising is a holiday option for a lot of people under 50. Many are struggling to find work, pay mortgages or raise families. Buying a house, at least in Canada, is out of range for many. Holidays consist of camping and local road trips. I don't have a problem with HAL shaking things up. I went to one of their production shows, mostly dancing, but it was a snooze fest for me. Why get rid of the best thing they have going - beats me.

I love the music on HAL. Especially the Lincoln Centre Stage. I like to have breakfast in the main dining room. We ;like the Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind and Rudi's Sal de Mere was great but too much food. Take my advice and restrain yourself.