Chrisfromco

As seen here, http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Beverage-Packages.pdf

 

Beer tasting and the Bartenders Mixology Class are included in the Elite Package. Not wine or spirits other than you might sip in Mixology.

 

Thank Roger!

Chris

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I'm probably mistaken, but I thought I read somewhere that the elite package included the tasting events? Can anyone confirm this? I've been doing a lot of research lately, and I can't remember if it was from HAL or someone else. Lol! On a side note does anyone have any feedback on these events? We are on Eurodam to Mexican Riviera in December and several of them look interesting to me.

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Hi Everyone,

We have an aft facing cabin (6166) booked in December. It is the cabin farthest from the center of the ship. On the deck plan each room tapers down slightly as you go outward. Will this cabin feel cramped as it looks to be the smallest? We have never had a cabin facing the back of the ship, so that is why we chose the location. It was the only one for this trip available. Anyone have experience in the size difference vs. any other balcony on Eurodam or a similar HAL ship? Thanks!

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Last I checked, just like the unlimited laundry package, the signature beverage package (and the elite) are priced on the full cruise. If you wait until the 2nd or later day to purchase it onboard, you will be cautioned that the price is still for the full cruise, no prorating. The reasoning there is that some people will try to purchase the package for the last days of the cruise when there may be a lot of sea days. HAL doesn't permit that. For example, a 7 day cruise where the last two days are sea days. With prorating you would buy the package for only $103.40 for the 2 days, and drink $300 in liquor. That is the reason for no prorating, same for the unlimited laundry. It's $7 (or $9) a day for the entire cruise. People would only buy it for the last few days of the cruise and get 2 or 3 bags of laundry (a $40 or $60 cost, by the bag) for only $14 or $21. Some people will always try to scam the system, and that's why there is no prorating.

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After looking closer, those V Cabins were the "Accessible" ones. We decided to go with an AFT facing cabin on deck 6. (6166) Will be the first time we've tried one on any line. I had a hard time finding information on these cabins, so I will make sure to take lots of pictures and report back. I am really looking forward to trying HAL. Thanks again for everyone's help!!

So can someone clarify, if you wait until the 2nd day to purchase the drink package you will only be paying for the remainder of the cruise? Reading the comments about 1st day being lower in terms of drinks. This would save around $100 (minus drinks on the first day) Is this correct? The beverage package states "per day" so it would seem to me the clock starts the day you purchase?

Thanks to your help on the forums we've decided to give Holland America a try. We are looking at the Mexican Riviera Cruise on the Eurodam in December. There are 2 category "V" available that have an angled balcony. We have had the angled balcony on Celebrity before and enjoyed the extra space. It's less than $100 difference versus other cabins on deck 6. Does anybody have any experience with this balcony type? I'm thinking of getting the spa pass and the dining package that lets you try the 3 specialties. Still debating on the beverage package. Any other advice? Thanks again for all your help!!

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I would not do a guarantee. I like to have some control over my "home for a week". We like deck 8 (navigation deck) for its convenience to the pool, spa, lido restaurant and the view. We have had a VA 2 doors down from the mid ship elevators and a VE near the front elevators. Both were good and quiet . The VE is less expensive. VA and V cabins are mid ship and considered more desirable by some thus more expensive. I vaguely remember that the deck 8 verandas are a foot deeper than the other decks excluding deck 4.

Thanks for the feedback! Glad to hear about deck 8 as those were the ones I am most interested in.

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Thank you all for the great information! The more I research this, the more I think it might be right up our alley. Hal's current promo just ended, so we'll see if they extend it or change it up. We have always had drink packages on Celebrity, so that may be the one thing that bumps the cost. We enjoyed our NCL Escape trip, but missed the specialty coffees that are part of Celebrity's package. I'm not sure how inclusive of those the HAL package is?

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Hi Jane,

Thanks for the feedback. We'll go ahead and choose one then instead of the guarantee. I know the ships are not identical, but would you recommend a particular Balcony class or location over another? There are staterooms available on deck 4 through deck 10. Prices are all within $100 or so of each other. We usually prefer mid or aft cabins.

Thanks!

Chris

Hi Chris,

 

My wife and I have cruised Celebrity 29 times and HAL 10 times. Celebrity wins in most categories, but HAL does offer some great itineraries. We will also be on the Eurodam this December (12/16/2018) as we are stopping in San Diego on our way back from Hawaii. San Diego is a short non-stop flight for us compared to that long haul to south Florida.

 

We too have tried NCL as of late, but only if we pick up their UDP (ultimate dining package) and eat every evening meal in one of their excellent alternative restaurants. Too bad their prices are climbing and it's not as easy to score their "free" beverage package.

 

Good luck,

Kel:D

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We sailed the Eurodam at New Years. It confirmed to us that we prefer Celebrity for both the ships and the full package. Hal was nice in some areas but all things being equal we’d choose Celebrity first. If the price or itinerary were better on Hal we would again consider them.

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We tried our first HAL cruise on Eurodam a couple of months ago and were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed it... even though it was just a short 4 nighter from Seattle. Was it any better than Celebrity? No... there were things we really liked and things that were just ok, so I say give it a go and see what you think. I'm convinced that there is no perfect cruise line, but with the prices on X lately we decided to try. We've now booked a Mexico trip next April on Eurodam's sister ship, Nieux Amsterdam.

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Hello! I am considering a Mexican Riviera cruise in December and there are guarantee balconies available in several classes. VF through VA I believe. I've never sailed on Holland America. Is there a particular one I should try for? I do like having chairs on the balcony, so I don't think I'd be interested in the Spa balcony as it looks like standing only on the balcony? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Chris

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Hello everyone,

I have a Celebrity cruise booked for October that I'm going to have to let go of for financial reasons... I still want to try and fit a cruise in this year and there is a Holland American cruise to the Mexican Riviera in December that looks interesting. It's on the MS Eurodam. Celebrity is always our first choice, but it's not going to work this year. The Eurodam cruise is significantly cheaper and leaves from San Diego, which is also a much cheaper flight for me. The style of the ship and balcony cabins look similar to Celebrity. My wife and I are primarily interested in relaxing. Any thoughts if this is worth giving a try? We tried Norwegian this past January for the first time (Escape) and really enjoyed the ship. If we don't do this one, we may end up waiting until 2020 to try and get something on the Edge. Thanks for any input! Much appreciated!

Chris

What a great review! Thanks for taking the time to share this!

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I really appreciate all your input! I reserved the flight with points for now, but I'll look at the options you all have mentioned. Fortunately with southwest I can change later without cost. I understand your comments of not wanting the last morning to be so stressful!

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We are looking at a Southern Caribbean in October on Equinox. The cruise is out of Miami. Is it crazy to try and make a flight home out of Fort Lauderdale at 11:45am? Southwest just released flights into October and I wanted to book with miles. The latest flight for that price is at 11:45. If I self disembark can we make it in time? I've always used QLS transportation in the past and they have been on time. Not sure if I'm pushing it, considering it will be a Tuesday and work traffic could be a factor. Any help would be much appreciated!

Chris

I use this site - http://www.stormsurf.com/mdls/menu_wam.html It has forecasted wave height models going out about 10 days into the future.

 

Click on the region and it will take you to the model where you will be cruising. I've found it very accurate.

Thanks Jim!

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Adding another thank you, Chris.

 

This is definitely one to bookmark.

 

 

 

We have picked up so much good cruising info reading Cruise Critic (as well as all the silly stuff, which often turns out to be quite entertaining).

 

Your welcome! I Definitely agree! I've learned so much from Cruise Critic. My wife says I spend too much time on here! Lol!

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Hi Everyone!

I thought I would pass along a website that I have found helpful in planning on what to expect from the seas. I have used it the last three cruises and it has been pretty accurate. Obviously the farther out, the less accurate. One tab will list wind speed and wave height and the other tab will show precipitation and cloud cover. If you go for the really wide view it will list ocean temps as well. Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Chris

http://passageweather.com/

Ship - Escape

Deck - 11

Stateroom # - 11204

Stateroom Category – Mid ship Mini-suite

Starboard or Port Side - Port

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Mostly, occasional banging metal sound

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Great, no obstructions

Balcony Size? Normal

Was wind a problem? - No

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? -

Any specific problems with this cabin? -

Any other comments? - Bed near window. 3rd bed couch, 4th bed is drop from ceiling

Final Thoughts:

I went in to this cruise with lower expectations due to traveling with the kids and trying a new cruise line. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this ship! I could easily take another cruise on Escape and have a brand new experience again. There was so much that we didn't get to try. I'm embarrassed to say that we didn't even hit any of the shows. The only negative regarding the ship is that it definitely feels crowded at times. Mainly in the buffet and the main pool deck. Once you get used to it though, there are plenty of places to get away from the crowds. In terms of the vacation itself, the negative would be the weather for sure. It was never terrible, just cool and windy enough to mess things up. It caused us to miss our excursions in Grand Cayman and getting a chance to try out Great Stirrup Cay. We have been so spoiled. In the previous 3 trips weather has always been terrific! Eventually it had to happen though.

Since I love Aqua class so much on Celebrity, I thought I would give my plan for our next Norwegian Cruise.:

I would book a Spa Mini-suite or balcony to take advantage of the Thermal Suites. We love the heated tile beds and other amenities in the Persian Gardens on Celebrity. I would also purchase a dining plan that would allow us to eat in Specialty restaurants every night. I think that I would try for a VIBE pass just to get away from the crowds when needed. Doing some comparison pricing, I could get all of those things for the around the same as an Aqua Cabin on Celebrity.

In closing, I would highly recommend the Escape if you are a fan of Celebrity! I would still choose Celebrity if price and itinerary were equal. Though, it's nice to know that we have another great option to look to for future trips! Thank you all for your kind words, and following along. Bon Voyage until the next cruise!!

Disembarking: My parents and sister were concerned about not having what they wanted to get ready in the morning, so we chose to just carry off our bags. This was a pain, but that was our fault, not Norwegians. Otherwise, disembarking was very easy and we were off the ship and through customs in less than 30 minutes. It's nice not having to fill out the customs forms anymore. (under $800 is the cut-off I believe) We used QLS transportation to get to Fort Lauderdale Airport. We have used them in the past and have always had a good experience. We were ready about an hour before our scheduled pick up. I called QLS and they had a shuttle there within 15 minutes.

For our last night we all dined in Taste. We had one more Specialty credit, but we weren't able to get a table for 11 and we wanted to eat together for our last dinner. I did enjoy having the option of different venues for the main dining choices. In total we dined in The Manhattan Room 3 times, once in Savor, and once in Taste. The main dining choices are by no means a bad experience. Everyone in our group thoroughly enjoyed each meal. The live music in the Manhattan Room added to the experience as well.

Dining Summary:

O'Sheehans: Great for fresh wings and burgers as well as appetizers. Just be prepared to wait if it gets busy.

Buffet: Great for breakfast and lunch. Always lots of fresh hot choices. They also have a nice bar right in front for easy access to beverages. (Don't forget the Crepes at night!!)

Main Dining Rooms: Very elegant and an enjoyable experience with good food.

Le Bistro: Excellent service and food! Great atmosphere!

Cagney's: Our favorite of the trip! Great ambiance. Terrific food, and as I mentioned a nice bar right outside if you have to wait.

Bars: There are so many great bars on the ship and we never had to wait more than a minute or two for a drink.