ExpatBride

I can't comment on ship-size preferences, but I know someone (socially) who worked on Princess and he said that the crew preferred longer sailings because turnaround days are a lot of extra work for almost everyone onboard, and they dread them.

Thank you for these detailed instructions! I'll definitely give it a try.

Thanks everyone. It was actually the last spot on this particular excursion which is why I grabbed it. I'm not willing to jump through crazy hoops for $30. Maybe I'll upgrade my cocktails and take up gambling, that should eat up some of the OBC 😁

I've just booked an excursion that's $30 over the $100 HIA limit. It's not a big deal, but I have a few hundred dollars in non-refundable OBC, which I'll struggle to spend. Does anyone know if it's possible to use the OBC to cover the $30 gap once I'm onboard (i.e., they refund the $30 to my card and debit it from my OBC instead)?

My SO is going kayaking. I'm staying on the ship. We live in Denmark, so going to Norway isn't a big deal for us. We're mostly cruising for the scenery.

My SO is a physician, and he was more confident that I was about the safety of traveling this summer. He said, "If you decide we shouldn't go, don't let COVID be the reason." He's been very informative, level-headed, and on-point throughout the past few years. I think you'll be just fine 🙂

Clark's ballet flats (Couture Bloom style) are my go-to comfy and stylish walking show when traveling. I also love my Doc Marten's Mary Janes (style 8065), but I think you need to be Gen X or have a certain vibe to pull those off 😅

I find this kind of thing cringe-worthy. I'd never participate, but if you're having fun and your family are willing participants, who cares what other people think?

Resist the desire to sleep when you get to Amsterdam. The best way to get over jet lag is to get onto local time ASAP. Go to sleep at 8 PM if you must and sleep 12 hours, but failing to acclimate to the local time zone ASAP with have a knock-on effect. I used to travel between the US and Europe for work at least twice a month, and this advice from my former boss has served me well.

It actually contains 85% Ethanol. The "99.99%" refers to the percentage of "germs" it supposedly kills. It claims "effectiveness" against Norovirus, so I suspect that the higher-than-average alcohol content (standard is around 70%) and some clever marketing speak are at play here.

The level of English in Northern Europe (and Europe in general) particularly in tourist areas is very good. People here also have food allergies that restaurants are used to accommodating. It's not a region-specific condition 🤷‍♀️

Have a great trip, I look forward to reading your updates! I'm sailing on NS in July/August.

Gordon's was my grandparents' brand and they bought it in plastic jugs (1.5 litre?). It's forever tainted 😅 In Denmark, it's a cheap gin... 89 DKK for 70cl on special offer, which is well below Bombay/Tanqueray, which are 119- 129 DKK on offer. Beefeater can be found for 99 DKK and it's definitely an acceptable (budget) classic. Gordon's is what I'd expect if I ordered a G&T at a dive bar here. I don't consider it a call brand.

Gordon's 😝 I hope your hubby is right 🙏

Nooooo!!!! 😩 This is definitely a change for the worse. Hendrick's was in good supply the last time I sailed HAL (admittedly, it was in 2016 😬)

That's an interesting approach 😳

IF you're taking it out of the EU the VAT refund is somewhat significant, but the exchange rate alone doesn't add up to purchasing one for "not much money" (comparatively speaking). I'd argue that most people looking at, for example, an Alma in Epi leather wouldn't know that they're looking at an LV. Not all LV is trashy, though I agree that it's not a luxury brand.

What??? LV prices are standardised throughout the world. It's possible to save money with the VAT refund for people shopping in Europe but living elsewhere. I have several LV bags that I've bought in Europe while living in Europe, and I definitely didn't purchase them "for not much money."

Does anyone know if it's possible to get a Pimm's Cup on HAL? That would be my first choice followed by a good old Hendrik's & tonic.

I swear by ginger. The only sailing I haven't been seasick on was an HAL sailing that still had the yum-yum man handing out candied ginger after dinner. That was also my first time using ginger pills. I just buy whatever is cheapest.

The martini bar used to have something called a "Lavender Patch Martini" (I think that's what it was called). I remember it fondly and it's one of the things I miss since moving on from NCL.

I also agree. I'm taking my 4th fjords cruise this summer and Geiranger is a major reason that I sail similar itineraries over and over. I'm going to be seriously disappointed when the cruise ship ban comes into effect, but I understand why they're doing it.

I'm a tiny lady, it would take me months to try everything 😅 And I don't subscribe to the "I've paid for it, so it's my perorogative to waste it" school of thought.

I've had a look at that one, and it's definitely piqued my interest! Food is one of my favorite parts of cruising because I cook almost 100% of everything I eat, so it's nice to hand off that responsibility to someone else for a bit.

Please do report back 😊 I'm not sailing until the end of July.