Ricktan

Oh my! So the truth is that nearly all seafood served on cruise ships is farmed! It is simply a matter of logistics, cost, and their commitment to "sustainable seafood" which is easier to verify if using farmed products. When we see products like Barrimundi and Tilapia we know we are in for tasteless farmed fish (which is usually over salted on cruise ships to give it some flavor). But we do not criticize HAL since they are simply doing the same as nearly every other cruise line. And yes, we love fresh wild pacific salmon, and living in the eastern USA it means DW pays a small fortune to get the real thing (which has to be flown-in).

 

When we cruise on a HAL ship leaving from Ft Lauderdale or Seattle we usually go out for dinner the night before our cruise at a very good local Seafood restaurant....with the knowledge that it will be the last really good seafood we have until we are back on land :). I should mention that for those leaving from Port Everglades (and who stay somewhere in the 17th street area) we strongly recommend a dumpy place called Kelly's Landing where they have real Maine Lobster! After enjoying a 1 1/2 pounder (or bigger) I do not even bother with the stuff they serve on ships that they call lobster tail.

 

Hank

Great tip! Thanks!

Congrats on your PS and your luck. We are first timers on HAL and also received a PS but ours was an up sell but well worth it. 2 weeks away. And we can't wait. Ours is to Alaska on the msAmsterdam.

 

Be sure and come back with a report.

Thank you! Ours was also an upsell but in my mind , worth it!! I will definitely post a review of our trip. Hope y'all have a wonderful cruise and love HAL. We are doing Alaska next year! Let us know how it goes!

Congratulations on your upgrade and for your 25th Anniversary.

Have a fabulous cruise.

Thanks for the well wishes!!

Definitely made me smile this morning! Thanks for posting!

You are welcome.

There are a couple of loungers at the other end of the verandah:

 

 

And a table where you can eat and drink and watch the world go by:

I figured you would have some of these great pictures! Thank you for sharing. That balcony looks incredible but might keep me from joining in on anything. :D Of course, this is our BIG trip, to celebrate 25 years together (I know that is nothing compared to some on here but I am proud of it anyway!) so I'm sure we will enjoy our time together out there! I still can't believe we are going to be in that great room!

YES!! There is a hot tub on the balcony! It will hold about 4 people - or more if you are "very good friends" :) Just don't put any bubble bath in it... !

I've used the ones on Westerdam and Zuiderdam when friends were sailing in the Pinnacle (then called Penthouse) suites and it is really wonderful! The jets were strong, the water was hot, the Alaska air was brisk (it will be even better on the Med. where the weather will probably be more conducive to swimsuit wearing I imagine!)

As for not "needing" the hydropool, they are really different animals IMO.. the tub on your balcony is outdoors, will give you the vistas from your balcony, and is private - but the hydropool is (supposedly) mineral infused, can be used in any weather, and is connected to the thermal suite where, Pinnacle or not, I would spend some time on any Vista or Signature class ship! But that's just my opinion. You are going to have a great time for 12 days in the Pinnacle! Woo hoo! Congrats on your upsell upgrade!

Thanks Moriah! I am so glad to get it for 12 days! I bought the pass for the Hydro Pool/Thermal Suite but now am just second guessing how much I will actually have. I was looking forward to the heated ceramic loungers but won't have many hours left at the end of our days! I told DH, now I will be ready to get back from the ports and hurry back to our room! :D

Hot tub on the Nieuw Amsterdam's verandah:

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the pics! Looks amazing! I knew I thought I had seen something like these before. Looks perfect for a tall glass of vino :)

It happened! I received an email offering us an upgrade to the PS and I took it. We are just under 30 days. (I tried to post this yesterday but it doesn't look like it worked so sorry if it is a duplicate!) I am beyond excited. My question is....I have seen pics of the PS (I'm on the NA, 12-day Med). I couldn't in the pics but thought I read on here that the PS has a hot tub on the balcony? Can someone verify for me? If so, I'm thinking that I probably won't need the Hydro pool since this cruise is so port intensive and it would be more convenient to stay on my own balcony.....thanks! :)

HAL is the smoker's line of choice, everywhere reeks of the stuff. They allow smoking on Balconies (the ONLY line that does) and don't think of using or passing thru' the Casino unless you have a mask. Disgraceful in this modern age !

This is the kind of rveview that falls into that 80/20 category...:rolleyes:

M' dear, every young lady is taught that pearls are appropriate for every occasion, with the possible exception of childbirth. ;)

For childbirth, I think we deserve diamonds ;)

So if I'm reading this correctly.....when we leave Spain, we are subject to a VAT but since we are not cruising round trip to Spain (we embark in Venice) then once we are out of Spanish waters, the tax on ship purchases will no longer apply?

Yes.

 

Bring food on the ship---ok

Take food off the ship---it depends

Thank you Ruth. I promise, with all that good Med and Italian food in port, I have NO desire to carry anything off the ship!:D

absolutely :) and flowers ;)

 

always nice to meet another fresh flower freak. A lot of flower markets have arrangements which make carrying and displaying a lot easier and some locations are dirt cheap. I picked up a gorgeous one last time for 4 euros!! Made fresh :)

I know in Nice we are going to the market....I'm sure I'll find something I love there! Can't look at all those pretties and big carry something back!:)

Are you sure this shouldn't be reversed;)

 

You can bring just about anything on board as long as it isn't dangerous. Food and flowers are not forbidden. Of course they check bags and they also let me keep my flowers in my hand when I go through the "xray". After all, the ships get their food and flowers someplace especially in the Med.

 

Unless I was sure it was safe to take food off and permitted by the country where we were docked, I just wouldn't do it. You don't know what harm you can do to the country with one bug someplace on your sandwich/fruit. properly sealed food (hermetically?) is fine but not the other stuff in most places

 

Besides, If I am in the Med, I would never take food off the ship for a much MORE important reason - the joy of eating their very fresh, lovely salads and food. We like to enjoy the culture and are happy to pay the euros for a very enjoyable bite or sip :)

Hey Kazu. I've seen you post something similar to this post. I'm a fresh flower freak so happy to hear I can carry on board. Just to clarify... It IS okay to bring food BACK on board????

Thanks!

Congratulations! Bon Voyage!

I guess it really depends on what you'd like to do. If shopping is important, St. Thomas is the winner. Both have lots of nice beaches.

WE LOVE THE BEVERAGE package. We aren't big drinkers, but on vacation, we love the freedom of trying new drinks, having specialty coffees, drinks before dinner, wine, etc. etc. without thinking or tallying up the cost in our heads. It's a real bonus to us and a real asset to a booking.

Thank you! I, too, know think the SBP is a plus for us! I love the idea of trying without the worry of paying! (Yes, I do understand that I'm paying but since it's all over by the time I cruise, I don't care anymore! :))

I have been to each only once, but between the two, I preferred St Maarten, largely because of the airport and plane watching at the beach (see video on my blog)...

In St. Thomas, we had a great time, and sailed to St. John and snorkeled around (video on my blog also)... But for me, the airplanes win.

 

Either one is a lot of fun. I cannot comment as to taking or not taking the ship excursions, as I have only once thus far in our cruise adventures.

 

Enjoy yourself! And ...um... you're correct... I don't think you can make up that particular excuse if you tried.

Really cool video! I enjoyed lots of the other ones, as well. Trust me, I tell my DH all the time, only in the cattle world can a cow's breeding schedule dictate a humans vacation schedule!!:D

You might want to check how many ships will be in each port during your stops, as that can have a huge influence on how hectic things are. Cruisett com is one website where you can find out info on ships in port.

Never thought of that but sounds like a great idea......I will do that today.

St Maarten has America Cup Racing as an excursion. You are on one of two older AC sailboats and learn to sail them under the tutelage of their crew. You then have the opportunity to race against the other boat. Worth the price!

This actually sounds awesome!

Thanks for the great suggestions.....I know have several things to go back and check out to help me decide!

Okay, I'm a little bummed! Due to several reasons, it has been decided that my husband's prized heifer has to be AI'd the very week that we have our Dec cruise booked. (Hey, even I couldn't make this reason up:eek:). So, looking at the different routes, I'm thinking about pushing it into Feb since it will be a nice break from a bleak time of time and at least the '16 cruises have the Explore4! My question.....on the Eastern Caribbean, one stops in St Maarten, the other one in St Thomas......I've never been to either. Can't see much difference besides that so would love some opinions as to wether I should choose one over the other. :)

Thank you for sharing Sail! I was really hopeful that you would have a great cruise! Looking forward to hearing more.......

Exactly. Also there's the speed issue. I can order our breakfast in under a minute using the card. There's no way the interactive TV could compete.

 

Turn on TV.

 

Press room service button.

 

Select breakfast.

 

Choose omelets.

 

Select eggs, not egg whites.

 

Press omelet fillings.

 

Choose cheese.

 

Select Cheddar.

 

And so on....

 

At this point, the hang tag users have been asleep for 15 minutes. (I'm a former Bell Labs systems engineer. I can state with authority that sometimes manual processes are better. Way better.) :)

NOW I understand why I relate to your humor....you're an engineer!! I should have realized .....my older brother (about your age if I remember correctly from one of your earlier posts) is an engineer (runs 6 nuclear power plants for Duke Power). He has a very similar humor....quick, smart and sometimes so dry that it flies over right over heads a lot of times! Even after all these years, he easily pulls my leg without ever cracking a smile......:)

Thank you for your review!! Enjoyed!

Hoping you have a wonderful cruise!