roses313

We were on the Zuiderdam a few years ago, and loved the ship. We will be on the Nov 15th cruise. Just wondering..will the Zuiderdam be in dry dock before November?

On our Veendam Bermuda cruise last month, my husband decided not to even take a sports jacket. He was definitely in the majority, even on gala nights. Much to my surprise, there were a few men in tuxes. Guess they are the lucky cruisers who do not have to contend with the airlines. It is not only the airline hassle that is a turn-off, but also if you combine the cruise with a pre or post cruise land trip. Packing extra clothes for only a few hours wear just can't be justified. When packing I'm always conscience of the weight of a garment.. also apply that rule to my own clothes. It all works out and we always have a great cruise, even if we are dressed down.

We were recently on the Veendam, and they have dairy free milk (soy and almond). It does not come in a small cartoon, but rather the server will pour you a glass. I too have a milk allergy and sure wish HAL would offer lactose free yogourt. I manage quite well on cruises.

We were on the June10th cruise and it was wonderful. We really enjoyed docking in downtown Hamilton, and had a cabin facing the street. Really enjoyed seeing Hamilton come alive in the morning. Once we shut our balcony door, the street sounds were very muted. The Wednesday street party was a great way to see and participate in a local activity. The music ended around 10pm, and once again, I had a front row seat watching them dismantle all the stalls.

Never having been to Bermuda before we enjoyed the breathtaking scenery of the sail in. On our way out on Thursday, we went out on the bow of the ship. As we neared The Royal Navy Yard, a few of the America's Cup boats came very close to the Veendam. So close that I could make out the names of the crew on the back of their jerseys. ( I did not have binoculars). I think they were putting on a bit of a show for the Veendam passengers.

Unfortunately we did not go to the Mariners lunch.

All in all a wonderful special cruise, and recommend it. We are already planning a repeat.

We just cancelled a cruise on another cruise line which was for April 2018. As of this date there are already almost 2000 posts and it has been running since early 2016. I never formally joined the roll call, but checked in every once in awhile. In my opinion the focus was no longer the cruise/destination etc, but rather the personal lives of the cruisers and their extended families. Not for me. The Roll Calls on that particular cruise line always insist on Cabin #, and are heavy into slot pulls, cabin crawls etc.

HAL roll calls, thank goodness are far more voyage focused. Over the years I have benefited from very useful and helpful information about the destinations, the ship etc. Yes, we have met some of the roll call participants at informal M&G and have had delightful conversations with them. On some cruises, I have not joined the roll call, but would check in from time to time to see how the discussion was going, and if I wanted to join in I would.

We got off the Veendam yesterday morning. We did not have a car, but rather an early flight and had been concerned about getting to the airport. We usually just take a cab to the airport after cruises, and thought that's what we would do. In the disembarkation info, HAL cautioned that there might be a shortage of cabs, not only because of the tall ships, but also because the Maasdam was in port.

Not wanting to risk our rather early flight, we selected the HAL transfer to the airport. Yes, it was more costly than a cab, but it was hassle free and got us to the airport in good time. I did see some cabs at the cruise terminal.

Did all the heavy fog in Boston in any way impact on the tall ship parade?

Oh, by the way the Veendam Bermuda cruise was perfect in every way.

Good solid advice on how to enjoy your Caribbean cruise without taking a HAL excursion. In all the years we have been sailing in the Caribbean, I can only recall one HAL excursion we took.

As has already been said, most islands are quite safe by staying in the main areas, or going to a beach. In Aruba, one of our favourite ports, we spend the morning wandering around the area around the port, then take the local bus out to the hotel area and have lunch at one of the hotel patios. We usually take a taxi back to the ship. The local bus is usually full with folks from the hotels, or condo residents. Always a good day in Aruba.

You can do whatever you want...it's your vacation.

We did the 11 day cruise a few years ago, and found the canal very interesting. Regardless of how many movies or books you read about the canal, there is nothing like seeing it up close. New canal was still under construction. Took the tour that went to the visitors centre and along the way saw the construction up close. A set of locks were sitting on dry land and we marvelled at their size.

We are considering doing this cruise again, but staying on the ship and not take a tour.

Each to his/her own as to where/what your interests are.

Hal is our cruise company of choice. Have tried others, but keep coming back to HAL.

Is it just my imagination or are there more and more HAL cruises that are being turned into charters? Is this a sign of the times, or just a fad? Are they primarily 7 day cruises or even longer ones?

Under these circumstances, I would start to think twice about even booking another HAL cruise. This would be really disappointing as we are loyal HAL cruisers.

Agree with the comment that the Crow's nest will look like a conference room. Yes, it looks exactly like the conference rooms/meeting rooms we all try to escape from when we head out on a cruise. Does not have a relaxing look at all. Too bad...so sad.

Wonder if trivia will be allowed to be held in this "new age" space? Or perhaps Ashford considers trivia to be "so yesterday"???

If you have never been to the Mariners Lunch, suggest you go to see what is about and whether you like it.

We have not been to one of the lunches in years. Find them just too rushed. They start to clear the table even before coffee...that is if you can flag a server to even serve you coffee. Agree with the the posting that it is a good day to have a relaxing lunch in the Lido.

What gives with HAL and all the charters? They will definitely start to turn off those of us who are loyal, independent HAL cruisers. We usually take a Feb cruise and prefer the Eurodam or NA, but would be very reluctant to book one now.

Thanks for the information. Yes, agree it is the groups of 500+ that can ruin it for all the others.

Thanks for this very useful information.

We are booked on the June 10, 2017 Veendam from Boston to Bermuda. Any known "groups" on it?

A few years ago we took a 7-day cruise and said "never again", but never say never, as we are booked on a 7-day to Bermuda in June.

We prefer 10-21 day cruises.

HAL food is good, but we find it too salty. I never fail to say so in the cruise survey.

Believe I was on the same October cruise as "Alberta Quilter". Yes, there is still a fairly well stocked library. I found a few interesting books to read, and was not concerned about no librarian. I find that often it is the passengers who pull books out and then do not return them to the proper place.

The fact I found interesting reads may not be so for others, so my advice carry a book/reading device of your own as back-up. Enjoy your cruise and one of the last HAL libraries.

Not surprised HAL is doing a modification of the Lincoln Center venue. We were on the Eurodam in February, shortly after its retrofit. The Lincoln Center venue was packed for each performance. Most disturbing was the people standing in the passageway. I wrote not only in my cruise survey, but also numerous times here on CC forums about the safety issue of the crowding in the passageway.

Too bad for the current cruisers. Not only is there no Lincoln Center performances, they also have to content with a construction site. I have never heard of major construction going on during a cruise.

We will be back on the Eurodam in April, so looking forward to seeing the changes.

We were on the Eurodam last Feb and the Lincoln Center performers were very popular. You had to get there at least 30 minutes in advance to get a seat. People were standing 2-3 deep in the hallway. On sea days they performed an addition concert in the afternoon. They were far and away much better than what was going on in the Main Theatre. (not just our opinion).

Fortunately we will be back on the Eurodam in April and really looking forward to the Lincoln Center group.

Celebrity has denied all rumours.

We are more than just mildly interested as we are booked April 29, 2018, on the Solstice from Honolulu to Vancouver. Will closely follow this developing issue.

Good to hear you made the best of it. Hope you can enjoy many more cruises.

I'm very impressed with your positive attitude.

You are on restaurant row. Probably more places than you will have days there.

With the information you have, staying on board is a wise choice. As you said, you will assess the situation again when you are there.

From my recollection the whole area around the port is not friendly to those with any kind of mobility issues. You would probably find even getting on the very old van/bus from the ship to the terminal area difficult. Add to that the pushing and shoving around the bus loading area.

We didn't get any further than the taxi area...assessed the situation and returned to the ship. Had a pleasant day on board, and there were loads of people who had decided to do the same thing.

Have a good trip and let us know how you did in Montego Bay.

We were in Montego Bay with Holland America last Feb. The pictures posted of the port area were what we saw as well. If you dock in the industrial area you must board the vehicles which take you to the terminal area.

The ground outside the terminal area is very uneven. They were constructing small shops immediately outside the terminal building. There is a sidewalk from the terminal bldg to the area where there are the buses however you need to walk down to the main road to get a taxi. Be prepared to be pushed around and hassled.