jimdee3636

I guess I haven't been paying attention: I thought that the classical music and the Ocean Bar dance bands were gone from all the HAL ships. But it seems that, at least on the Volendam (and maybe on the Zaandam?), they still survive. I sure hope so.

@richwmn I'm 4-star with HAL, and I can tell you that the embarkation in San Diego on December 5 (on the Koningsdam) was an absolute breeze. We were on the ship within 35 minutes of arriving at the terminal. I hope you have a similar experience. By the way, what category of cabin do you have? Bon voyage! Jim

What a terrible experience! I wouldn't give up on the potential travel insurance claim. There are of course many different types of travel policies out there, but most of them have some sort of trip interruption coverage. Fortunately, you're still in touch with many of the other passengers so maybe you can pool your knowledge and insights. I had never heard of Variety Cruises before, but I see they're an American company, with offices in New York. Litigation is rarely a desirable option, but at least it's a possible one when you can sue a company in U.S. courts. Good luck. I hope you'll post any new developments on this board. Jim

@kazu Thanks! that's helpful.

We're four-star with HAL and will be boarding the Koningsdam next week for 11 nights. I know we'll buy a wine-by-the-bottle package (with the 50% four-star discount, we'd be crazy not to), but I also know that Canaletto (where we're likely to go at least once) has a different wine list. Is it possible (without waiting forever) to have the Canaletto waiter or wine steward find a bottle from "our" list somewhere and serve it to us? Or would it be easier to get an unopened bottle from the MDR the night before and just bring it in to Canaletto with us (assuming that's allowed)? Or should I just ditch the whole idea and pay full price for a bottle on Canaletto's list? (We won't have the HIA package, and in any case I'm not wild about HAL's wines-by-the-glass lists, in any venue). Thanks for any insights or advice. Jim

@spinnaker2 We were actually booked on your cruise (or at least the Reykjavik-to-Halifax segment),but cancelled due to a (now-resolved) medical issue. We wound up losing $500 of our deposit, although that is now applicable to a future SS cruise. Your accounts of the cruise make me glad I cancelled. At this point, I'd still consider a future SS cruise, but no way in hell would it be on the Cloud. Although your issues may, on the surface, be unique to the Cloud, they call into question SS's overall competency and customer service. I may just let them keep the $500 and consider myself ahead in the game. Sad, because my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our three previous SS cruises. But I'm not about to throw good money after bad. Jim

I can't answer your question, but I suggest you also join the Cruise Critic Roll Call for your cruise. When you do, be sure to point out that you're traveling solo and would like to hear from others travelling solo on that cruise. Good luck! Jim

@Ski Mom You're forgiven! I'm a lot like you in that I hate spelling and grammatical errors, especially when I'm the one who makes them (which is all too often, unfortunately). And I never use voice activation, so I don't even have that excuse! Jim

@Ski Mom A very belated thank you for your informative and well-written review, and of course the great pictures. I have one question: were there any tables for two in the dining room at dinner time? My wife and I like to socialize with fellow-cruise guests over drinks, but prefer to dine by ourselves. Thanks! Jim

The fact that SS "can" do something outrageous doesn't mean they should do it, or that guests should put up with it. If they can raise prices on excursions you've already booked, and arbitrarily drop you from an excursion at the time you wanted and put you on one at a less-convenient time, what else might they do? Maybe I'd be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but I'd cancel the cruise and kiss SS goodbye. Life is too short to be pushed around, especially when you're paying big bucks. (And for what it's worth, I'm not a SS "hater." My wife and I loved our three cruises on SS. I just won't put up with BS). Jim

@mandymay You're right: it's not for everyone. But if you have the time and the money it's actually a great deal. I've only been on Seabourn once, a very long time ago, but if they're as good now as they were then you'll eat and drink well and feel pampered the whole time. Have fun! Jim

@SATaxman I don't think you've said how far in the future all this is, but if you haven't reached the final payment date why don't you just cancel the whole damn thing---the cruise, the air, the hotel, everything---and get your money back? Even if you have to lose some of your deposit, it would still be worth it. You've been stressing over this for two weeks with no obvious sign of a satisfactory resolution. You're putting yourself in an early grave! On the other hand, if you'd lose tens of thousands of dollars by cancelling, I'd just live with the long layover, take the free hotel, and make the most of it. Jim

@TLCOhio Good points (as always) about inherent mechanical and systems problems with older ships. But apparently ships---like cars and, I suppose, people---don't necessarily age at the same rate. Case in point: the two Sea Dream Yacht Club ships, which entered service in 1984 and 1985, about ten years before the Silver Cloud. Although I've never been on either Sea Dream ship, I occasionally check the CC Sea Dream boards because I have a friend who often sails on the line. I have rarely, if ever, heard or read a complaint about the condition of those ships. Our one time on the (pre-expedition) Cloud was similar to yours, Terry. We were in the most far-forward starboard-side Vista cabin, and the noise when they dropped anchor (which was early each morning on a port-intensive Caribbean cruise) was deafening! We did, though, put up with it and otherwise had a great cruise. Jim

@Victoria2 Does the "fluid pricing" also work the other way? In other words, if the initial demand for a just-announced cruise is weaker than Cunard had anticipated, is it likely that the price will drop?

@Sasksilver That's a nice itinerary. I've been to almost all the ports, and I'd happily go to every one of them again. And the price---less than $2,000 in U.S. dollars---is quite reasonable. Congratulations! jim

I'm married and usually cruise with my wife on HAL, Oceania, and Cunard, but Princess is my preferred line for when I cruise solo. The other lines I mentioned are either too expensive for solos (i.e., 75-100% single supplements) and/or too "couples oriented." Of course, every cruise line involves compromises of one sort or another, and for me that means I have to pay for specialty dining on Princess most nights. Others may disagree, but I feel that, on Princess, every specialty restaurant on every ship is head-and-shoulders above the MDR experience on the same ship. But it's a price I'm more than willing to pay because having a nice dining experience is one of the high points of my day. Anyway, I think Princess can be an excellent and reasonably-priced choice for most solos.

@spinnaker2 I'm going to live vicariously through you! My wife and I were originally booked on the Reykjavik-to-Halifax portion of your cruise but had to cancel because of an unexpected surgery I had to have a few months ago. I'm fine now and we probably could have re-booked, but we just didn't want to risk a medical relapse in the middle of nowhere. I look forward to your updates. Jim

@deck chair Thanks for the useful and very specific suggestions. My wife and I have booked Britannia Club on the QA for a 14-night Northern Europe/ Baltic sailing next June and July. On our previous Cunard cruises (QM2 and QE), we have had tables for two, late seating, in the Britannia dining room, and we want to be sure we get a table for two in Britannia Club. As an American, I'm used to tipping, so I'm not averse to "showing my appreciation" to a Maitre d' who can "get the job done." Thanks again. Jim

@knotheadusc Thanks for the information. The bus transport makes the whole thing a lot more appealing. Jim

A question I have about the cruises that start in Oban: how exactly do you get there? If I'm starting from the U.S. and flying to LHR, then what? It looks like Glasgow is the nearest major city to Oban, but it's about 100 miles away and there doesn't seem to be any direct air connection between the two places. There's no way I'd rent a car (I'm not going to risk my life trying to drive on the left side of the road), so is taxi service the only way to get there? If so, it would make an already-expensive trip a prohibitively-expensive one. Thanks for any insights and suggestions. Jim

It makes me want to go! https://quirkycruise.com/hebridean-princess-cruise/ Jim

@whylion It's good to know that, at least on the Inspiration, the expedition people spoke English. But were the "regular" crew members (servers, bartenders, room attendants) able to communicate in English? Jim

I recently got hit with a $500.00 non-refundable cancellation penalty from Silversea on a cruise that was over a year away. However, I can apply it to the cost of any other Silversea cruise I might book over the next four years, which does take a bit of the sting out.

My wife and I are four-star with HAL. We've taken six transatlantics over the years, three in each direction (although not all on HAL). In our experience, only Cunard changed the clocks during daylight hours, which seems bizarre to me. As for when to dine, on every HAL cruise we've taken we've always done "main" (i.e., late---usually 8:00PM) fixed dining, and have always requested (and gotten) a table for two. We have always heard that on HAL it is much easier to get a two-top at the late dining time compared with the early fixed dining. (I've never done anytime dining on HAL, so can't comment on that). Jim

@pookel I'm sure others will have suggestions about ships, destinations, and such, but I'm writing to applaud you for your positive attitude. After such a tragic and unexpected loss, many people---especially women---go into a shell, in some cases never to emerge (I know people like that). You're still young and you obviously still want to enjoy life. With your attitude, you'll do fine no matter what specific choices you wind up making. Good luck! Jim