PACD_JG

What's the point of acquiring so many cards? Is it a contest like mariner status? #boomergoals

Perhaps you'd like some tunes to go along with your manifesto.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Now that would be an interesting strategy for the CCL brands....making your OBC dependent on how many shares you own. For example - 100 shares gets you $100, and then you get 20 cents for every share you own after that, so somebody with 200 shares would get $120, somebody with 1000 shares would get $280.

I'm waiting for spring 2024 Mexico to be released because I'm wondering if HAL will be smart enough to capitalize on the eclipse. (Princess has). Anyway, my guess is they won't release the schedule until they figure out which ships they're going to have to sell before they go bankrupt.

I've been on exactly one HAL cruise, and I received this promotion on 09/15 for a summer 2023 cruise (didn't use it because I already have one booked and that wasn't on the list). And then on 09/30 I received another free stateroom offer for Mexico, Caribbean, and Panama Canal cruises. These offers are great and appreciated but I'm too young to retire and obviously the offers are for less desirable times. If you're not getting these promotions...perhaps the Cruise Critic forum isn't alone in noticing "the lady doth protest too much, methinks."

I'm on the NS for Thanksgiving. I've never been to Grand Turk and although I'm indifferent to it being on the itinerary, I think other lines replaced it with Bimini, which I have zero desire to visit.

Turks & Caicos? I check all the time... https://www.gov.tc/moh/coronavirus/advisory

Iceman proves that Club HAL policies are ship dependent. You never specified the age of your children, but I can just tell you that my two teens were on the Koningsdam this summer, roundtrip from Vancouver, and masks were not required (my teens just said about 10% of the kids wore them), reservations were not needed (since teens are free to come and go as they please), and only the virtue signalers would be "proud" of being vaxxed. If you're asking about proof of vax....depends on your ship and itinerary. Check here: https://book2.hollandamerica.com/protocols/ If vaccinations are not required for your trip, then you better assume there will be unvaxxed kids in Club HAL.

I'm sure there are quite a number of children/grandchildren who have a higher mariner status than regulars on this forum.

But that kind of sensible advice makes it harder for the OP to add to his future cruises!

When in Rome... The US has a tipping culture. For that, cash is king.

If everybody said- no, your teen would hate it - would you not go? I took my 15 and 14 year old daughters on an Alaskan cruise on the Koningsdam a couple of months ago. They enjoyed it enough that they didn't balk when I booked a Thanksgiving cruise on the Nieuw Statendam. But to be honest, I could care less if they enjoyed it or not. My wife and I did, and we're the ones with the money, and therefore the say-so.

Stop talking sense, please.

Thanks for answering. 1. I would. 2. I would. The CDC 7-day average for deaths from Covid is 390. Let me know when I should worry.

Still never answered - why did you test in the first place?

Sounds? 🤔

Sorry if I missed it...but why did you test?

And I thought Carnival was the fun ship!

Was on the Koningsdam in June 2022 and I admit I'm not the best on the water. I was midship, starboard, deck 5. Never noticed the motion in the cabin. Second day was the roughest, but really only noticed it in the MDR (aft). As everybody stated - midship and low is best.

I can second the Auberge. Stayed there summer 2022 and it was nice enough that I booked it again for summer 2023. A 5-minute walk to Canada Place and a 5-minute walk from the Canada Line. But I would never stay 5-nights in Vancouver. If you have to be there that long, split it up - consider Whistler, Victoria, San Juan Islands, even Seattle.

Don't limit yourself looking at roundtrips when two one-way tickets could be cheaper. In Aug 2021 I bought four one-ways DAY-ORD-YVR for $196.28 a ticket. In Dec 2021 I bought four one-ways YVR-SEA-CVG for $221.43 a ticket. So $417.71 per person. Every time I looked for roundtrips it was closer to $700. Having said that, today is the first day I'm able to book for my summer 2023 dates, and Air Canada is showing roundtrips CMH-YYZ-YVR for $514 per person. I might be buying today!

Another thing HAL forgets to mention that could affect quite a number of folks this fall/winter - Grand Turk won't let you off the ship unless you're vaccinated.

I've only taken one HAL cruise but have two booked including one over Thanksgiving. As a newb, I'd like to know why I can't use my excursion credit with HIA for equipment rentals on Half Moon Cay. After all, it appears Carnival treats rentals as excursions. https://www.carnival.com/shore-excursions/half-moon-cay

It was posted last night, but kudos for posting this news without the sensationalized title.