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One question wanted to know about incentives. One was a drink package valued at $700. Since I only drink Diet Coke I had trouble understanding the $700. I prefer OBC which I guess is what they wanted to know.

Zuiderdam NS on deck 7 walls wouldn't hold a magnet but ceiling would. Didn't try the bathroom.

Good tip for Venice. Find your way from your hotel to St Mark's then wander through the maze of alleys and streets. Pick a restaurant or window shop. When you are totally lost ask for directions back to St Marks. The people are friendly and glad to point you in the right direction. When you get to St Marks you'll find your way back to your hotel. We never looked at a map.

Been there, done that, wouldn't do it again. The $999pp is correct. We loved the Hal transfer and the Bonvecchiati hotel but the rest of the deal wasn't very good. As others have said you don't need a guided tour. The package included a gondola ride on the grand canal. Everyone should do one gondola ride but the small back canals are more charming. Others will tell you how to do it cheaper than a Hal transfer but putting your bags outside your room in the morning and finding them in your room when you board the ship is hard to beat.

We did the HAL excursion in September. It is pricey but it was the best I've been on. The provider was Sea song. We saw all of Ephesus plus the hill houses then had lunch at a beautiful sea side hotel. It was followed by a carpet demonstration,but no pressure to stay for the sales pitch. To each his on.

Venice to Istanbul. Extra days pre and post cruise in two fabulous cities. Stops at Santorini (impossible to make a bad picture) and Ephesus. It's always about the ports for me.

I don't know if one of the concierges is actually in charge but there always seems to be an alpha dog between the two. Both have always been great but I wait for the alpha when I have an unusual request. I believe Darius on Zuiderdam could have arranged for me to drive the ship if I had asked!

Love your redneck reviews. Finally something on here that makes sense to another redneck from South Carolina. Did you notice everybody talks funny except us? I've been on a bunch of them Dam ships and never found the sweet tea. Any help appreciated. You might sign on as a guest lecturer to explain what to do with the grits (yes they do have grits)

Itinerary and time of year will greatly affect the number of children in the program. A club Hal rep told me she had 300 children on a summer cruise and 17 on a winter cruise. I think the young man will enjoy a lot of attention on a January cruise.

If you're on Zuiderdam stop by the explorer's lounge, enjoy Adagio, and say hello to server Jennifer Gandol. On a ship filled with smiling faces she was the sweetest. My wife said it was a crush but I think the 45 year age difference kept me out of trouble. I mentioned her on the survey. I hope it got her some time off or other recognition.

Pinnacle grill lunch is the same every day I think, but I was always off the ship on port days. I saw two of the waiters in Santorini. They said there were only 3 reservations for lunch that day so they got the day off. If you stay on board it should be easy to get a reservation. Sea days are busy. I don't think you can book until you get on board. The bistro steak is about 6 oz well seasoned and blue cheese encrusted. It was so good the first time I had it I haven't tried anything else. If Enrico is still there at night ask him to put creme fresh on the lobster bisque and have your camera ready. It was a work of art.

Venice to Istanbul on Zuiderdam in late Sept to early Oct. No problems in 7070. The Neptune suite experience was executed perfectly. Really enjoyed the staff in the Pinnnacle Grill. We ate breakfast lunch and dinner there on sea days. Don't miss the bistro steak at lunch in the pinnacle grill. Best $10 I ever spent.

Just off Zuiderdam. The BB king group was the best I have heard. They belonged on the main stage and "the band" belonged in a small lounge or a high school dance. I agree BB King group was loud but they sure were good.

Ship size, Itinerary, and fellow passengers all matter more than the line you're on. If you like HAL small ships you won't like Princess' largest. I found Eurodam and Ruby princess to be similar. Both were 11 night European with older passengers and few children.

Frequently mentioned on other threads, keep your drapes drawn when possible. If you leave the ship for the day with them open it can be too much for the AC.

I was looking for a retirement cruise in 2010. A review on trip advisor said,"HAL sucks. They have nothing for kids." Sounded good to me! I took Oosterdam to Alaska and loved it. Been cruising with Hal ever since. Venice to Istanbul is five weeks away!

For breakfast I'll have a made to order omelette from the lido. I like to eat at the tables by the pool. If the weather is nice and the roof is open it's even better.

Maasdam New England 2012 was the last time we experienced truly personal service in the MDR. The waiter knew everything on the menu and made excellent reccomendations. We had as you wish dining but were seated at the same table every night. Eurodam seemed rushed and impersonal. Zuiderdam Mediterranean coming up in September. Hoping for Maasdam style service!

Looks like fewer signature suites(my favorite)but so far no ship has signature and vista. The new ship has vista suites in the bump out area so they may be larger than usual. I haven"t seen square feet on any of them. From the diagram the vista suite appears to be longer from entry to balcony than on the older ships. I will definitely not miss the orange couch. ugh!

mini suite comparison between Eurodam and Ruby goes to HAL. HAL suites are wide while Princess suites are long and narrow. Less window and less balcony width on Princess. Slight edge to HAL MDR for the culinary council menus. More interesting than Princess "comfort food". Overall not much difference. We cruise for the ports and don't care about daytime activities. Usually too tired for nightlife.