Oceanwench

I was at Disney this weekend (I live 2 hours away) and only went to Animal Kingdom.
It was jam packed with people. Lines were long.
We were there all day and got on 3 attractions.

A lot of walking, a lot of people and a LOT of money.

Flew from AMS to Edinburgh on 5/1.

We had a 3-plus hour wait to get through security.

Many people in line missed their flights. It was chaotic.

I'd visit Edinburgh Castle, then walk down the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace.

As someone suggested, buy your tickets ahead of time online.

As you walk down the Royal Mile, you can pop into some of the closes, enjoy a pint in one of the many pubs (World's End is a favorite!) or stop for lunch at one of sidewalk cafes. There are lots of shops selling souvenirs, woolen scarves, kilts, etc.

That would make for a nice visit!

You can find up-to-date info about AMS online, but everything I've read lately shows the queues are very long.

We flew out to Edinburgh on 5/1, and we had a wait for more than 3 hours to get through security. We were on a ship-sponsored tour with airport transfer, but we got to the airport early (just before noon) because one couple on our tour had an early flight. I doubt they made it though.

Our flight was around 4:20 p.m., so we got to the gate with little time to spare. 

Are you heading to the airport?
We had a 3+ hour wait to get through airport security after we disembarked in Amsterdam.

I'm considering booking the TA on the Rotterdam for next April.

Verandah stateroom for $892 plus $125 taxes/port charges.

FOR TWO WEEKS!

I don't care about the amenities package, as I am not going to have a $1k bar bill.

I did the TA on Rotterdam last month, and I was blown away by the ship, the staff, the food and the entertainment.

If you see a couple with a service dog, tell them Sy said Hi!
They're from the Boston suburbs. Great friends! 

20 hours ago, Taters said:

We disembarked Rotterdam in Amsterdam on Sunday and I agree that Schiphol is a bit of chaotic mess.  It took us over an hour and a half to get us and our bags checked in, get through passport control, and security.  The lines were insanely long.  And then there was that VERY long walk to our departure gate.  It was a very stressful experience.

 

Anyone flying out of AMS should plan on arriving there a minimum of 3 hours in advance of their flight.  3.5 hours would be even better.

We flew out of Schiphol on May 1. Three hours-plus in line to go through security. It was awful. 
We made our plane, luckily.

On 1/22/2022 at 10:55 AM, mikebsxm said:

My biggest concern cruising now is the disaster that happened on the NCL Gem 10 day cruise from New York to the Caribbean on Jan 9.  The only port that would allow them to dock was St. Maarten.  All other ports denied the ship's entry.  They had an overnight in St. Maarten and a slow cruise back to NY.  That would be my concern cruising now.  Yes, they got their money back, probably as future credits, but not a great way to blow a 10 day vacation.

I know someone who was on that sailing. It was her first cruise, and she had a blast!
She said it was a great vacation -- open bar, great food, some entertainment and all for free!
She got a complete refund and FCC of 50 percent of what her cruise cost. 

I believe the cruise was cut short, and they had 7 days on the ship.

Stock price is very low today.

I bought mine many years ago. 

I have two cruises booked for this year. I emailed my statement to the address someone mentioned above.
I included my reservation numbers.
In a couple days I received a reply saying that my OBC had been applied to both cruises. 

The magic of Disney is long gone.
I was an annual passholder for two decades.

I don't think it's worth your time and effort.

We were on Escape 12/18-23.

My fifth time on that ship. 

I thought mask compliance was pretty good on the whole.

Food was great. No complaints.

Entertainment was wonderful -- love Choir of Man!

The crew seemed energized and happy to be back at sea.

The demographics -- very strange. It felt like a spring break cruise. Lots of groups of college-age kids.

Also roving groups of teenage boys and/or girls.

I was on Escape 12/18-23. Masks were required then, unless eating or drinking.

The crew was outstanding.

Our food was always very good. No disappointments.

I'd say less than half capacity for our cruise, but the demographics were completely different from any other NCL I've been on.

It felt like a spring break cruise.

My grandkids loved Escape and Bliss.

Lots to do, great water slides, etc.

When they were babies, they went to Guppies on Escape when the adults went to specialty restaurants.

I once saw a man standing by the self-serve soft ice cream machine. 
He licked off some of his ice cream, then put the cone back under the nozzle to top off his cone again!

I thought that was disgusting!

Always on ships, when I go for a second cup of coffee, I get a fresh cup rather than use the one I have been drinking from. 
And when filling my own person mug with water or juice, I use a small, clean cup and pour the liquid into my mug.

It's the considerate thing to do.

My daughter and her friends wanted to get off the ship and stay in Croatia instead of returning to Venice.

NCL said absolutely not. She talked to a number of people, to no avail.

Love Nieuw Amsterdam! I have a cruise booked on her in 2022.

I'll be watching!

1 hour ago, Boatdrill said:

It seems that the OP has sailed on. His/her posts are gone. 

I would go away too, frustrated at how people don't read the post and jump to conclusions.

There is always a lot of victim blaming on this board -- has been for years. That's why I have stayed away. Too much bullying.
But I have two cruises booked for 2022 on HAL, so I thought I'd visit and get up to speed on the changes. I haven't sailed on HAL since 2017, but I once sailed HAL exclusively and am a 4-star Mariner.

OP never mentioned "legal action." But suddenly that's a topic here.

OP is being chastised for not staying on top of her reservation. Read her own words:

"In January of this year we were able to book a transatlantic on the Rotterdam for 4/22.  We have our confirmation with our room number, showing paid in full."

She has the paperwork. Confirmation with cabin number, stating paid in full.
Why does she need to go online to see if that has changed?

Obviously HAL messed up. I've seen the cruise line do all sorts of things for passengers, even when it's not the line's fault. In this case, it is.
Maybe they should tell the people who are in the cabin OP booked that it was double-booked, then move them?
 

38 minutes ago, DAllenTCY said:

I think leaving your passports in your checked luggage is on you.

 

A responsible longshoreman will remind you, and certainly if you arrived in plenty of time for your sailing....ground staff and ship's staff would have located your luggage in time.

 

Does it happen often?.....just about every sailing.  Either PP or Covid Vaccination Card, or recent test results are left in checked bags.

 

 

David

 

 

 

 

Obviously their fault for putting passports in their checked luggage.

That was not my point.

A newspaper columnist, who handles consumer issues, took up their cause. Readers agreed that the couple was not treated well by the cruise line. In the end, the cruise line made it up to them, and then some.
Even though the cruise line was not at fault in this, they did not want the negative publicity.

This was merely an illustration of how various social media can play a role in a difficult situation.

Having worked extensively with pubic relations people from many cruise lines, I know how much they hate adverse publicity.

A Boston Globe columnist did a story on an elderly couple who missed their cruise because they had put their passports in their checked-on luggage.
The cruise line got a lot of heat for that, and they made up for the way it was handled by their staff.

Just now, rkacruiser said:

 

What good would that do?  I suspect the Mariner Society consists of Gerald and maybe a secretary whom he shares with whomever.  He is a puppet.  The Mariner Society once was headed by a woman who had some clout.  

One never knows.

I would try every avenue possible.

The MS has always been responsive to me when I have had a question about my account, and they've always provided great customer service.

But thanks for the gentle criticism. Have a good evening.

You can take Tri-Rail or Brightline trains from Fort Lauderdale to WPB.

You'll need a taxi from the port to the train station, and a taxi from the end point to PBI.

If you need to go further north, to Jupiter, you'll have to call a ride-share service.

The trains do not go as far as Jupiter.

I have two cruises on HAL booked for next year. I haven't sailed with them since 2017.

I just went on my account to make sure I'm still booked!

This situation just blows me away. I would be livid.

First, they need to apologize and admit it was their fault. Second, they need to rectify the situation in a way that is acceptable to you.
I don't think they should charge you a cent over what you paid (or believed you paid with your FCC)!
 

You booked for 2021. When that was canceled, you showed good faith and transferred your funds to FCC. So they've had your money all this time! When you booked again, they messed it up because of some computer issue: their fault. 

Shabby treatment for a loyal HAL cruiser. You need to escalate this quickly to the top levels.
 

Could you also mention it to someone in the Mariner Society? It couldn't hurt.

Shame on HAL.

Do you take taxi there, or tram?
I've gone both ways.
My kids and grandkids love that place and were sad to hear it had closed.
I'm glad it's back up and running with same staff.

Sailing on Escape on a 5-day cruise in December.

We're booked in a Club Balcony Suite.

The minimum upgrade bid for a Haven cabin was $600 each!

I decided that was more than I wanted to spend.