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Just in case no one has posted this yet: Holland America Line Announces Onboard Credit Offer for AARP Members (msn.com)

Our experience has been stellar. I have never experienced a better outcome than our requests for the OBC. You need a recent investment statement to prove you own the stock. Our return email from the department is less than 24 hours and recently only 2 hrs from the time we submitted our statement.

I hate to say it but the role seems to be behind the scenes. I found them practically invisible on N Statendam and Zaandam. We are more accustomed to the Cruise Directors on Celebrity where they seem to be more visible.. (in our experience)

We sailed on a sister ship, the N Statendam and loved it. The ships are not as "pretty" as the new Celebrity ships but the interior is much more to our liking. We loved the food , the live entertainment and the crew. The theatre performances are weak in comparison but on Celebrity we found the shows repetitive. On Celebrity the guest performers are better. We "lived" in the Crow's nest on HAL and loved lunch at the NY Delhi!!

Did Captain Nigel come across from Azamara?

My wife and I attend every free libation invitation. It's a great way to meet other cruisers. The nibbles can be tasty. I won't quibble about the quality of free wine and some tastings have been great. A few pieces of cheese, wine and new friends. A great way to spend an afternoon.

I remember the days when Celebrity had a designated area in OV cafe with table cloths and service for a $5 charge. Around South America, this was THE place to dine.

Absolutely wonderful description of your travels and the pictures are outstanding. When we visited the north cape a decade ago, all we saw were clouds and drizzle.

Don't forget the jokers, both of them. There are some captains who are very reserved but in the 30 years cruising with Celebrity we have met only one invisible one.

And "X the rules"

I can't pick from any of those entrees... 6 starters to compensate.

Could you provide a link?

Someone must have missed posts about short cruises during March Break. Even the CD was stunned by the antics. Let's just say his remarks were repeated three letter acronyms.

One of the most memorable commercials ever.

Thank you for sharing. When "ship" happens, outside forces besides weather can affect our departure or arrival in port. There is lots to consider when making travel plans.

I just read this menu change on Carnival: Carnival Debuts New Dinner Menu Onboard Carnival Dream - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News

Over the last year we spent eight weeks on HAL's N Statendam (their Pinnacle Class) and the food was exceptional. I had given up on Celebrity's desserts years ago but indulged nightly on HAL. My wife is a carnivore and raved about the quality of beef. Just over a month ago we sailed on the older and much smaller Zaandam for two weeks. The food was good but not quite the same as 6 months earlier. The desserts were still great. On the Boston run they ran out of Sam Adams on day one and my favourite wine on day two. HAL has the best itineraries of any major cruise line but they are $$$$. We are booked on Constellation this coming winter because we are sailing with friends and because Connie is our favourite ship; the right size, the right lounges and some of the best cabins found anywhere... and at great price compared to the rest of the fleet.

Only the exotic luxury ones imported ones from France.🙃

We've cruised on every class of Celebrity ship and Connie is also our favourite. A forward observation lounge, a Rendezvous lounge with a stage and a dance floor, 3 banks of elevators, fewer decks to climb for those who wish to have some exercise prior to eating, the sweet 16 and those absolutely incomparable cabins at the back of the ship. I could say the same about the other M-class ships but we have wonderful memories of all the ports we have visited and the masters who have captained this ship. It's not about the glitz of the new builds but about the comfort similar to enjoying your favourite jeans or most comfortable shoes. Even the nick name evokes a familiarity unique to Celebrity.

Some people want to see where they are going, others where they've been.

I used to have home trust card but they stopped giving 1% cash back several years ago.

Rogers Connections Mastercard | Rogers Bank

I booked a number of cruises over the last month all in Canadian funds. I believe that the cruise lines hedge their dollar and pricing in CAD was about 1.27 vs the 1.37 going rate. I also use a Rogers credit card and they give 2% back for US purchases.

I just made an application for our first Nexus. Wait time is about 1 year.

It is not fair to compare Blu to the MDR either on the same ship or between different lines unless you are paying the same $/day. We were very happy with the food on HAL's N. Statendam but not so much on Zaandam. My wife is a beef carnivore. I'm happy with a glass of wine and a cheese plate. The beef was exceptional. I don't do green so salads would not impress me. The desserts on HAL are better than they are on Celebrity. I gave up eating desserts on X but indulged in the chocolate offerings every night on HAL (all ten weeks over the last year.) I come home healthier and skinnier on X than on HAL but we just love the Connie too much to look elsewhere this fall and winter.