WanderingTheWorld

On our recent Nieuw Statendam cruise (10/29 to 11/9), I found this very spooky rubber ducky in one of the stairwells. I left him in another hiding place on the ship, and he quickly disappeared. I hope he was hidden again. Thank you to the couple from Ontario who brought the ducky on board! (I forgot to take a picture of the back of the card, and I cannot remember your names.) These fun surprises make cruising more fun!

@tigger54 - I was also able to get my OBC added to a current booking by using the chat.

I received a 1pm boarding time for my upcoming cruise on the Nieuw Statendam out of Rome (Civitavecchia). I have to be out of my Airbnb by 10am, so I reached out to HAL via chat to see if I could be moved to an earlier boarding group. According to the agent, 1pm is when boarding begins. This seems like a late time to start because the ship sets sail at 5pm. Here is the really confusing part. I asked when the Mariners lunch would occur since boarding begins so late. Here is the agent's response, "Welcome Back Mariner Lunch, on day of embarkation from 12-1:30 in the main dining room." Huh? 😕 Does anyone have any recent experience embarking in Civitavecchia? When did boarding begin? Did you arrive before your time? Were you able to eat lunch in the MDR?

You can check out drink menus here: https://rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/hal-regular-and-specialty-restaurants/hal-beverage-menus/ Personally, I think the HIA is a bit pricey. My upcoming HAL cruise is 11 days and port heavy. The HIA would cost $1,100 for the two of us. We don't need the wifi; we try to avoid cruise line excursions; and specialty dining isn't a priority. That's just too much for drinks alone, especially with so much time on land. The value of the HIA package all depends on the importance of the inclusions, the length of your cruise, and the number of sea days.

I have been on 4 different HAL ships, and the Koningsdam has been my favorite so far. (I'm going on the Nieuw Statendam next month, and I can't wait to see how her sister ship compares!) Here are some great things about HAL (and specifically the Koningsdam): Free room service breakfast that includes hot items - This is perfect for port days. An extensive breakfast menu in the MDR - There are so many different options! Vegetarian menu - DH and I aren't vegetarians, but we don't eat meat every meal. In the MDR, you can ask for the vegetarian menu and preorder your meal for the next day. We love doing this for lunch because there is only one lunch menu in the MDR. Grand Dutch Cafe - This is another good place to eat lunch. Drink Specials - If you have the Have It All package, you can ignore this one. If not, check the Daily for drink specials. There is usually a BOGO in the late afternoon at a specific bar. Music Walk - I love dancing at BB King each night! Tip: Bring earplugs in case the music is too loud.

I don't know. I only qualified for the Educator credit. Now that is has been applied, I am no longer able to see that code.

You most definitely do not need the app. When I go cruising, the phones are locked away in the safe. The only times they come out are on port days. (I would literally be lost without Google Maps!) Pack a highlighter. When the daily arrives, highlight any activity or event you are interested in and then carry around the schedule page in your pocket. Personally, I am torn about technology. It is a very handy tool and often makes life easier (e.g. checking-in, asking questions in online forums). However, technology also takes us away from life. When I look over at dinner and see an entire family staring at screens instead of conversing with each other, I get depressed.

I'm sorry you're having issues adding the credit. Within my HAL account, I clicked on Future Cruise Credits. From there, I could see the $100 listed under Onboard Credits. I used the chat feature on the HAL site to contact customer service. They were able to see the credit in my account and then add it to my reservation. I had booked the cruise through a TA, so I was able to reach out to them and have a new booking confirmation emailed to me. The credit is now listed on the booking confirmation. I hope you are able to resolve this soon.

@AryMay - Thank you for posting this topic! I did not know about the Educator Credit. I was able to sign up and have this applied to my upcoming cruise! 😁

Prior to Covid, my husband and I spent the holidays at sea for 5 years in a row. It is so much fun! The ship will be decorated. Our last Christmas cruise was on the Koningsdam, and we loved their gingerbread creations! On a different cruise line, there was one passenger who dressed up as Santa Claus. He looked like the real deal! As for decorations, go for it! If you're worried about stepping on anyone's toes, keep everything secular or winter themed. All my decorations come from Dollar Tree. For the door, I try to get things that hang and are mostly flat. This makes packing easier. For inside the stateroom, I have a little tree with a small string of lights and ornaments.

@sun16 - Yes, we are on the same cruise! Thank you for sharing the video and article. I agree that it has been tough finding private tour companies here. There aren't many to choose from, and some of them have less than stellar reviews.

@cruisemom42, I just emailed you. Thanks so much! 😊

I will be in Sarandë in early November on a HAL cruise. I am interested in visiting Butrint. Through the cruise line, I found an excursion called Archaeological Albania. Has anyone been on this excursion? Did you have to pay admission to Butrint, or was it included in the excursion price? I do prefer using an independent tour company rather than the cruise line. Does anyone know of any good tour providers? My internet searches have not yielded much. Thanks!

It's a 2 hour train ride from Trieste to Venice. You'd probably spend more time using transportation than actually exploring Venice. If it were me, I would spend the day in Trieste. As often happens in the Mediterranean, people leave the port city and flock to the cities and sites most often mentioned in tourist guides. Sometimes, it is practical and worthwhile (i.e. going from Civitavecchia to Rome). Other times, you are missing out on a great place right under your nose (i.e. staying in Malaga instead of going to Granada). Because your vacation time is valuable, stick with Trieste and enjoy all your can on your final day. If you really want to see Venice, then you have the perfect excuse for planning another trip. 😊

About 6 years ago, I lived in Vancouver for a couple of years. It is a lovely city, but the homeless are concentrated in the area you mentioned. One Saturday morning, my husband and I decided to visit Chinatown and then walk to Gastown. We observed a similar scene on our journey. If you ever revisit the city and wish to see the real Chinatown, take the Skytrain to the Richmond Night Market. I am glad you were able to visit Stanley Park! Vancouver has so many beautiful green spaces and is very walkable. I miss it a lot!

Has anyone brought wine on board from a port of call? Is it confiscated until the end of the cruise? Or, can you pay the corkage fee and keep in?

When we do not have a drinks package, my husband and I always bring wine with us. However, we buy at the port of embarkation. Before leaving home, we use Google Maps to scope out the area surrounding our Airbnb or hotel. Then, we visit a nearby grocery/convenience/liquor store to make our purchases. It is a fun pre-cruise adventure! When we've cruised out of Europe, it is even better because we get to bring the local wines along. Plus, you get more bang for your buck (euro) in Europe than in the States. Thanks to everyone who has shared their recent experiences with bringing wine at embarkation!

My husband and I have a HAL cruise booked in a couple months. This will be our first time back on a HAL ship since the pandemic. On previous cruises, we always brought 2 bottles of wine at embarkation without paying corkage fees. We would just enjoy our bottles in our stateroom. I checked HAL's updated alcohol policy, and things seem to have changed: "Guests may bring Wine and Champagne onboard, however a corkage fee of USD $20.00 (which is subject to change without notice) will be applied to each bottle (max 750 ml in volume or less). Limitations apply. Wine brought in quantities deemed to be excessive by the vessel or security will be refused." This sounds a lot like NCL's policy, which I've experienced a number of times. On those ships, the charges were inconsistent, and we probably only paid corkage on about half of what we brought on. Does anyone have recent experience with bringing wine on board at embarkation? How does the process work now? Thanks!

Last April, I took a California Coastal cruise on the Celebrity Solstice. Originally, we were supposed to visit Monterey, but the City Council intervened. We stopped in Santa Barbara instead. The locals we encountered were very friendly. There was even a docent at the courthouse ready to chat with cruise ship passengers. Our actual itinerary was Avalon, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Ensenada. All these ports were winners, and we dragged our feet getting back to the ship each time. We did not do any excursions; we just enjoyed the activities and attractions in the towns/cities. The overnight in San Francisco was the highlight. As for the popularity of the itinerary, the ship seemed mostly full. However, we got a very good deal. Perhaps others were enticed by the low prices?

My husband and I are considering an Alaskan cruise on the NCL Sun. In the evenings, we skip the shows and go dancing after dinner. We haven't cruise NCL since 2018, and we've never been on the Sun. Is there plenty of dancing in the evenings on this ship? We prefer live bands over a DJ. Thanks!

I was there back in December 2016 on a cruise. The husband and I took a cab into town. (We were on NCL, and they charged for their shuttle. The cab was cheaper for us. Check on your options with Celebrity.) After being dropped off, Palma is very easy to navigate by foot. This was a lovely port! We had tapas for lunch, but I can't recall the spot. We wandered around and let ourselves get lost. Then, we stumbled across a square with several restaurant choices. Just follow your nose! 😆 While there, visit La Seu Cathedral, the Arab Baths, and Convento de Santa Clara

My husband and I always embark with wine. If we are flying in, we do not pack it in our luggage. We don't want something to happen to it (and our clothes) in transit. Plus, if it is a warm weather or short cruise, we don't need to check our bags anyway. Paying the extra checked bag fees negates the savings from bringing our own wine on board. We always arrive at least 1 day before our cruise. Before leaving, we use Google Maps to scope out the area surrounding our Airbnb or hotel. Then, we visit a nearby grocery/convenience/liquor store to make our purchases. Besides keeping your belongings safe from spilled wine, you also get to explore the area a little bit more.

Yes, you will need to do some advanced planning to get to Rome or Florence. In the past, I used Tuscany Bus for transport to these cities. They did a great job and were very affordable! In fact, the cruise had an itinerary change after boarding, and Tuscany Bus did an excellent job working with us. https://www.tuscanybus.com/en/ If you want to visit major sites (e.g. Colosseum, Academia), you will need to prepurchase your tickets. These are timestamped, so you'll need to plan out your day before leaving home.

When disembarking in LA, are there plenty of taxis ready to head to the airport? Also, does anyone have an idea of the fare? Some cruise ports (Seattle, Miami) charge a flat rate to reach the airport. I wasn't sure if this was available in LA.

I am in the greater than 60 day window. Within 48 hours, everything was taken care of. Part of this was the airline just changing the schedule. When a flight time is changed or cancelled, the airline is usually on top of it. The other part was due to me taking initiative and fixing the flight that didn't work. In the FBC email, I don't know what these long windows of time are for. Perhaps it's to discourage people from calling in?