togacath

am so glad you said something about the picture showing the ferry...I thought I was being technologically challenged!

Per the itinerary, 2 sea days, then they are at St. Thomas on Sunday and St. Maarten on Monday. Then, those lucky ducks have SIX sea days in a row until reaching Tenerife.

Mom on board. Departure was supposed to be 11 but she doesn't see much action yet. Earlier today (dinner time), they told her there were 4 passengers who weren't landing at FLL until 9pm.

Hi All, my mom is sailing on her and the documents say 11pm departure. It definitely can't be 4pm. She opted for the HA air program and doesn't even arrive at the FLL airport until 5pm tonight.

They do two stops before the transatlantic crossing: St. Thomas and somewhere else (sorry, don't have the itinerary in front of me right now).

And, yes, just for the record, I am extremely jealous that I'm not sailing with her! Hubby and I are on the Noordam on April 20th and it seems so far away!

Hi All,

I am enjoying Kazu's live from the Prinsendam and Bill and Mary's report from the Statendam.

Has anyone found a passenger blogging/doing a "live from" for the Rotterdam's current trip around Africa? I'd love to hear about that trip.

Thx!

We were in a Neptune Suite on the Noordam right next to the elevator back on our May sailing. No noise issues at all.

Yes, one morning, very early, I was distracted by the view and went out to take a picture in my PJs before realizing that folks could see me, but I got the picture anyways!

Best part about being next to the elevators is that it is super easy to find your cabin!!!

We were on the Noordam for the May 29th sailing...also in a Neptune Suite (7068). Our cabin stewards were fantastic. Our cabin was in great shape. The Neptune Lounge concierges, Homer and Celine, were dynamite. We only ate in the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast but the service was quick and attentive. We used the laundry service many times with fantastic results and a very fast turnaround. There were no air conditioning issues or plumbing issues during the entire 11 day cruise. Sure, the cushions on the balcony furniture weren't brand new but who would expect such a thing? I didn't see any rips or tears in ours. Heck, they are left outside all the time...one should expect some fading, etc.

For our 5/29 sailing on the Noordam, we are being bombarded with upsells to the Pinnacle Suite. Two weeks ago, it was for 1,899 per person. It dropped to 1,699 per person and last night it was down to 1,099 per person. Does this mean that the HA Upgrade Fairy doesn't ever upgrade anyone to the PS?

Spoke with the PCC at HAL. She checked and they will let us off the ship as early as 4:30AM on June 9th but they will not be offering transfers to the airport until 6:00AM.

She also checked and said we would be allowed to disembark on Sunday, June 8th as long as we checked in with the Front Desk 3-4 days beforehand so they could have our paperwork ready.

I asked her opinion about staying at the airport the night before versus getting from the ship to the airport the day of my flight and she said she thought it best to be by the airport the night before. Her quote was "It's Italy...things don't always go as planned". I've bit the bullet and booked a room near the airport. Many thanks to all who offered advice!

Thanks to all! Appreciated everyone's advice. Am going to call HAL this morning and see what they have to say.

Hi All, I'm looking for some guidance from you experienced travelers. We are on the Noordam leaving May 29th. This cruise ends in Venice. We arrive in Venice on Sunday, June 8th, clear customs, etc. and get to spend the night on board. The cruise officially ends on Monday, June 9th.

I booked a flight leaving Monday morning at 6:55am. Will they let me walk off the ship with my bags at 4:30am? Should I pre-arrange a taxi to the airport or will they be waiting on the pier? Does anyone have a recommendation for a transfer to the airport?

Many thanks!