LAFFNVEGAS

We just disembarked on Sunday and had wonderful time. Enjoy you cruise!!

I only wish with the changes they would add Onda to Bliss like Encore has but since they did not do that with Joy doubt they will for Bliss. I would have preferred to do the Encore TA return but I booked almost 2 years ago for a 2 bedroom Haven(a good friend is joining my husband and I) to go on the Bliss in November and the price is just too good to cancel so I booked the Bliss TA return to Miami for February. This way it spreads my cruising out about every 3 months. Plus the flight cost to London are cheaper in late January compared to flying in December. What is interesting is the Dry Dock time is about the same as Joy but they did a lot more with Joy with expanding and totally remodeling the Spa.

I suspect that is what will be happening to Bliss when she goes into Dry Dock in January 2025. I cannot find any information on what exactly they are doing but a few crew from the Joy I spoke with this past week said they thought that was what they were doing to Bliss. She leaves out of Miami on January 4th for 13 days to Southampton and does not return till Feb 2, 2025 for a 13 day cruising that leave 17 days between when she arrives and when she leaves. I am booked on the return and have booked air so hope all goes as planned.

Thanks Jacqui, we are already enjoying lunch on board in The Haven Restaurant

Wishing Everyone a Very Special Voyage!!!🥰

Thanks so much for the Bon Voyages from all of you 🥰 We are here at the Marriott Marquis that is located at Time Square. Our first time to the Big Apple although I was actually here 50 years ago for a college trip but that was a life time ago 😂 I have to admit with all the travels we have done NYC is very different for us. Almost a bit intimidating and that says a lot since we live in touristy Las Vegas. We do hope to do this cruise again and next time stay in NYC a bit longer and take in a show. This hotel is amazing, we are impressed with the hotel room that I booked through NCL I have decided not to do a Live From, the NCL Board is not like this HAL Board. Everyone is family here. While we may roam to another cruise line we are always at home here. That says so much for everyone here. I know some of you are friends on FB and I will be reporting there and doing my What’s for dinner on NCL. You can find me there. We have been cruising a lot this is number 5 since last September on the Westerdam. Although we are returning to the Westerdam in August 😁 We are enjoying breakfast , while the buffet is expensive but it’s NY it’s actually really good with amazing bagels 😋

I honestly do not believe this is correct unless your Travel Agent has a negotiated special rate that is extremely low or high $ SBC, I know of several instances of Travel Agent SBC from group pricing and personal gift from Travel Agent where the AARP credit was added with no problems. I have found that adding AARP credit takes a lot more persistence. The Over Seas Call Centers people tend to give NO quickly and not willing to try to add it, mostly due to they cannot and they must call into a supervisor. I have found that they do not like doing that and may even just hang up on you if it is something they cannot handle. Basically to get the AARP credit added it takes in most cases several phone calls and reaching someone that is willing to call their "Lead" supervisor to get it added. The Travel Agent must be willing to not take NO for an answer and must be persistence in telling the agent that you have already sent in everything needed to qualify. Saying you have not sent in required proof is the next thing they give an excuse for after saying it is not combinable.

Sorry I should have posted this earlier. I just realized they had a great web camera for PTZtv in Bermuda, we will be there Wednesday through Friday next week and wanted to see where it showed the ships.

Watching Bermuda Web Cam https://www.portbermudawebcam.com/

Thanks so much Everyone!!! This is a first for many things for this cruise, first time to sail out of NYC, first time to Bermuda, first time on this NCL ship. We are sailing in a Haven Suite but rather than actually be in the Haven proper we are on a different deck where the one bedroom Haven Suites are larger in Sq Ft and larger balcony Sq Ft plus price slightly less so wanted to check it out.We cannot wait for some of our favorite restaurants and food 😁 especially breakfast in Haven Restaurant Lobster Thermidor Le Bistro.

Love this itinerary!!! Have a Wonderful Cruise!!!

Lots of opinions here and of course you will hear all favoring Holland America over NCL. We are 5 Star with Holland America most recent HAL cruise was in December, then previous November and previous to that August. We are Sapphire with NCL but our last NCL was February of 2023 but in 12 days will be boarding NCL Joy. HAL and NCL are our 2 favorite cruise lines. My view of both lines may not be the same as most because we cruise Haven on NCL and 95% of the time Suites on HAL. But even if we did not sail in Haven for NCL my take on them would probably be the same. For Food we only eat in the Specialty Dining on NCL, that is where they shine. They have always been consistent from ship to ship with what they serve. If you are one that does not want to spend the extra for specialty then possibly the food quality has gone down hill in the main dining room but then so has HAL. Our November cruise on Koningsdam was honestly one of the worst cruises we have ever had for over all food in 60+ cruises but HAL redeemed themselves when we cruised on Nieuw Statendam in December. And there lies the problem with HAL they are extremely inconsistent. One ship can be great, then next not so much. Overall I like the buffet better on NCL. NCL also offers more non pay options and places to eat at all hours, Holland America does not. There is no Local on HAL and the buffet closes very early in the evening, then does not reopen with very limited items for about an hour at 10:30 at night. Entertainment...I know that is actually a sore subject for both lines. NCL had always been far better than Holland America but with NCL going cheap on shows it is not good for them but HAL is still not good. Some nights it will be hard to even find something to do unless you can get to one of the lounges early and camp out for a chair. At least with NCL there is several things going on at the same time with much larger venues that for the most part is easier to find a seat. Stateroom accommodations over all HAL staterooms are larger with more amenities but I find the regular staterooms on Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam to not be nearly as nice as the older ships and the space and balconies are much smaller. Comparing Crew, this is where I feel they are tied, it was odd you mentioned that Officers were not out and about on NCL because that has been happening with HAL for several years and my previous NCL cruises I thought Officers were more approachable. I may find in 2 weeks that has changed. Over All crew for both I find to be extremely friendly and felt they are very similar. As stated if you can before you commit to a long expensive voyage I would try to do a quick 7 day cruise on Holland America or at least before you have to make final payment on the long cruise. And preferably on the same ship or same class of ship you are looking at with HAL to get a feel of what HAL is all about. If this was 15+ years ago I would say that HAL and NCL had far more in common than not with the exception of when they started up with the Free Style Dining which was about 18 or 19 years ago. Overall we like both cruise lines, and after our upcoming NCL we will be back on HAL for August, then November on NCL Bliss. 🙂

I have had the salmon on HAL several times, usually though just in Alaska and I do agree it is pretty good but was more than likely previously frozen and probably Atlantic Salmon but of very good quality. With that being said the Salmon Bake being offered and I have attended twice the first in 2004 and probably again in 2009 was more than likely frozen salmon. There is no way doing these salmon bakes from late April till October that those tour operators can provide FRESH Salmon. I will say that I did enjoy them but both times knew they had to been previously frozen especially because they were extremely dry and very small pieces. It was fun doing the salmon bake the first time we did it in Juneau and then later did it as part of our Whale watch that was on an island not far from Auke Bay. It was nice to have done it once but the prices seem to be so much more now that I agree you may enjoy what you would be served on the ship much more.

I can tell you it was done just yesterday with 6 AARP gift cards with absolutely no problems. It was also done with several others last week and no problems.

Not sure why your TA cannot do this in POLAR, TA's definitely do not need to call in the Gift Cards. The only reason would be that they have not tried recently or they are not attempting to do it. They need to start it like a credit card payment but in the drop down box mark gift card. Absolutely no reason to call into HAL which in itself is extremely painful lol.

It was not just end of the month, it can be at any time as stated. I caught 3 different sailings changed in the middle of March. They did usually change late in the evening. It truly works on supply and demand and the algorithm. Although if they are also getting ready to change to a new promotion they do always raise the prices one to three days prior to adjust/pay for the new promotion.

Hopefully it will be as good as it was on the Nieuw Statendam

Enjoy and Safe travels on the next segment of the Volendam!!

Hi Brian and Michelle, I am just getting caught up today with CC, will look forward to following along. It's another 2 weeks till our next adventure but that will be out of the Big Apple on NCL. At any rate love following along on your adventures but something that caught my eye and maybe I missed it but I definitely do not remember the upcharge Lobsters for Pinnacle Lunch, I vaguely remember it said the Lobster Roll but not the entree of 2 small lobsters....interesting. Enjoy your cruise!!

Wishing Everyone Safe Travels on their Upcoming cruises!!

Thanks so much Gerry 🥰

No, you are not wrong, HAL wants their Cake and to eat it too 😀 The cruises that are 10 or less days or cruises over and near Holidays they are going into overdrive to sell to family group. Prices are higher than they have ever been but family groups tend to not be as concerned for prices which is what HAL likes. HAL is still going to also sell the longer exotic itineraries and in looking at those itineraries I am not seeing the restrictions they are giving on not offering the triple and quads for for the shorter cruises. Where I am seeing it being very obvious is on the Pinnacle Class Ships, I am not seeing it at all on the S class ships or the longer voyages of Vista Class. I did find it on some sailings of the Signature Class.

I have to disagree with your assumption, as of right now and has always been HAL will NOT sell a guarantee cabin for a triple or quad so the assigning of staterooms at 1 to 3 weeks would not apply. It actually would happen much further out from the sailing when HAL has a request from either a TA or their own PCC with a group wanting several cabins with staterooms that need 3 and 4 passengers. Often a family group wants 3 to 6 cabins all close to each other or connecting. In the past going back many years this was done once in a while. Now HAL is encouraging and accommodating these types of requests. These types of requests happens most often close to final payment but not 1 to 3 weeks from sailing. As a side note Princess has been doing this since prior to the shutdown without informing their passengers even if marked do not upgrade. HAL is aggressively wanting family type groups and will do what they can to bring these small groups on board.