Sanlin

When you disembark just hire a porter and they will take your luggage to your car and pack it in the trunk for you. They also get you through immigration very quickly. Just did it this morning. 

Just got off the Encore last week.  Our balcony cabin had  wonderful hairdryer!  You don't need your own..

I’m another HAL cruiser about to leave (tomorrow) with my teen grandson on the Sunshine for a 5 day winter break cruise. He loves HAL too so this will be new for both of us. I love the lava cake and he should enjoy the water park. Change can be good.

HAL is my choice for almost all cruises. I love the crew and the service. The N.A. hadnthe Tamarand Restaurant which is not to be missed. The Vancouver sailing is also a major bonus..Glacier Bay is awesome. I did take an. Excursion off the Volendam to Tracy Arm which was really beautiful but Glacier Bay was beyond amazing. Vancouver is also awesome.

We were also on this cruise and the Royals were fun to watch for. We had a Lido Cabana and after hearing about the Retreat, were glad we were in the Lido. The next Lido Cabana will have us bringing my grandson's battery operated fan as the people next to us did. My grandson - age 13 - said this was his best cruise ever! Only 44 teens on the whole ship but he enjoyed his freedom and the people he met as well as Patrick our Cabana butler.

Brevard Zoo in Melbourne is about a 25 minute drive. Cute zoo but has a zip line and tree treck path above the zoo. I think the last trip out is 3:30 or so. My 11 year old grandson did it. Cocoa Beach and Ron Jon is good also. Many restaurants on the pier.

I just ordered the soda card for the Niew Amsterdam for our Feb. cruise. $25 for the card for $50 worth of soda. Maybe it has to be done early?..

Liz 54 - I am on the roll call. Traveling with my daughter and 13 year old grandson. We loved the Cabana over a Christmas week cruise since there was no problem finding a place to sit and the butler service was awesome from fruit in the morning to chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling wine in the afternoon. See you on board.

We had a Lido cabana on the Eurodam - three of us but only one lounge. We didn't ask for any changes though. There are lounges in the sun by the pool and you are free to use those. We are Floridians who value shade and loved having a central place to meet during the day. My grandson could always find us as could his friends. Liz54 - I believe we are on the same February cruise.

My grandson 13 - prefers HAL over Disney and Princess. He loved our Christmas cruise 2 years ago and we enjoyed a Lido cabana which gave us all a place to meet, outstanding butler service and left us feeling pampered. Doing same thing again this year only over winter break. Fort Lauderdale beach is a great spot to spend Christmas.

There are cabanas on the Lido deck on the Eurodam. We rented one over a Christmas cruise when my grandson was 11. It was a hit. We had a place to meet - always had a place to sit and grandson knew where to find us when he tired of the kids club. They also have the retreat cabanas on a higher deck and not near the pool. The butler service in the cabana is another great benefit.

We liked it so much we've already booked one for our NA cruise in February - President's week - lots of families.

When I booked the Niew Amsterdam for a winter break cruise my TA got a lower rate and did explain carefully that the $350 deposit was non-refundable. My caveat was that we wanted a Lido cabana and so she checked beforehand that one was available and booked it immediately following the deposit. I can understand your frustration, but the Eurodam is wonderful - the cabana experience is the best and the Tamarind Restaurant is my favorite! Enjoy your cruise.

I can highly recommend the Share A Shore Excursion in Italy tour provider. I used them for a tour to Pisa and Florence and they were excellent. They used a small van at 1/4 the cost of the RCI excursion and got us right into town to all the sites. You pick the tour you want and start or add to a current group. Check them out. They are also in other countries.

Worth every penny. We had a lido cabana on a Christmas cruise and loved it. Just booked a Niew Amsterdam winter break cruise and booked the lido cabana the day we booked. So spoiled!

We also booked without Explore 4 and saved over $500.

We did the ship excursion on HAL Eurodam. Took the ferry then met at the ferry and taken to beach for snorkeling and back to ferry for ride back. Nice day and no hassles with cabs etc.

LEGOLAND is great for kids under 12 - especially good for young ones.

We had a lido cabana on our Christmas cruise. It was perfect because my grandson could be at the pool and we could supervise. They can open the walls between the lido cabanas since they are only curtains. At the end of our cruise, they were preparing for the next day and opened two cabanas to make on large one.

Just off the Wonder and not sure I'd go on another Disney with only adults. adult only pool was usually full. Middle kid pool small and noisy and most adults belonged to children. Just my opinion - so many others to choose from that cater more to adults.

We are booked with Acquarius for Nov. 2. They were quick to reply and no pre-payment required. They got good reviews in Trip advisor. Can let you know more next week. We do have an advantage since we will be the only ship in port that day.

We took the full day train to Bennet and returned in a small van. We had the last car on the train - only about 10 of us. We could walk out the back of the car and sit anywhere we wanted. Beautiful trip and day.

There is no way you could miss Mama Lou if she's on your ship - wall you could if you never left your cabin. Have been on 2 cruises with her and glad to hear she's still up and running

We're doing the Bennett trip based on a recommendation of a friend who spent a whole summer up in Alaska at a host/hostess at a national park. You can only get to Bennett by train - she said the scenery was beautiful.

Enjoying your review - will be on the same cruise July 24. Being one of the "oldies' should fit right in. Once school gets out there shold be more kids on the ships.

You can ask for a robe but may not get one if not available. Loayalty program people at Platinum level and above are supposed to get them in any cabin category so it moght dpend on how many get used. Stuff in shower is combo and also includes vinyl floor stripper and works well as laundry soap in sink. Yes, you may take wine bottle from package to cabin from any location where the wine package items are available - generally MDR, Windjammer Buffet and specialty restaurants. Water and soda are borderline and most often OK except on Spring Break time cruises and/or routes with lots of college age cruisers at which time rules are enforced tighter to keep alcohol off.

 

Welcome to RCI. We find it almost same quality as HAL but much better value.

Thanks for the information - looks like I need my own shower gell, shampoo and conditioner and some type of cover-up (large Gator T shirt). Doing same internary as you - only on Navigator April 14. Sure will miss my HAL, Celebrity and Princess wine!!! Looking for anything else I need to know.