AKJonesy

We were on SA cruise for 31 days this winter. On one of our "Dressy" Nights, our Cruise Director wore a polo shirt, trousers, and dress shoes with no socks. I saw a combination of everything from formal wear and sparkly dresses to casual...like what our Cruise Director wore. I did not see people trying to get in with shorts and flip flops on dressy nights.

Transfer to Anchorage then rent a 10 -12 passenger van. I haven't rented from Midnight Sun Rentals, but I know they rent vans.

Yes. We have done this also.

@MaryBethV I noticed these staterooms are not on Halfacts and you may want to post stateroom pics there and anything else about the room that might be useful like noise, movement, etc. Thanks for the post.

Woops. Just checked it again. $538 for two. So, $270pp. I wonder where I got that $777 number from...hmmm. Brain wasn't working that day! :)

ANYONE - I heard of security headaches at Schiphol. Does anyone know if booking a security time slot is only for Clear? Has anyone done this? https://www.schiphol.nl/en/page/timeslots/

@mrsh8b Read this thread: some good insight on what you may and may not see

@hmatt Look at Halfacts.com for Oosterdam and select one of the rooms that are in a more bold print which means those would be newer posts. Look at rooms that have OV designation. Yes, the rooms in terms of having the old tub style vs newer large shower on the Pinnacle class does probably seem outdated. Also, you have to ignore some people when they seem to be more about challenging the question than answering it.

IF there was a better place to change at the pool; especially aft, I would do it, but the bathrooms are very small back there.

There have been on occasion a few people showing up and eating in the Lido with their robes. When I have worn my robe to the pool over my swimsuit, I take the far end stairs or elevator up to the pool and avoid the Lido.

@Tigerlily75 How did you figure out how much local currency you were going to need?

7 day

Not sure but I just pulled up a cruise and fees were $777 pp so that's $1500 before the fare. In other words, that's $200 plus per day for the fees before the fare and before the daily housekeeping fees. For the heck of it, because I saw Celebrity advertising an Alaska cruise for cheap and there was a ton of rooms available on a May sailing. I just took a peek.

Hubby likes bath but as already stated on the Pinnacle Class in the usual staterooms we book there are only showers. He likes when we travel on the R, Vista and Signature so he gets a tub. I've encouraged him on Pinnacle class to just go to the spa for if he just needs a soak, go to the hot tubs. Eventually, the tubs will go away.

It's hit and miss; mostly miss. On our most recent cruise, it was a few lectures, port excursion information and a few performances. That was a 31 day. We don't sail on HAL for world stage entertainment or the music walk; which many people do like.

Try "Tokyo Airport Transfers" does transfers between hotel and cruise port. They have larger SUVs and vans.

Seems high. I looked as Princess as a comparison and there was one less port and half the fees. It is hard to compare, but I have noticed that Holland pacific coast and Alaska are high no matter the ship. Just sayin.

Add on time before or after cruise if you when disembarking in Seward, Whittier, or Anchorage. Rent your own car or RV and get out and really see some great Alaska.

It's kind of hard to answer not knowing your interest, but I don't recommend Anchorage unless you have a reason to go there. You could explore around the Portage Valley which is the valley you will be in when you come out of the Whittier Tunnel. There are a couple of easy hikes I could recommend there, and it's a very pretty valley. When you come out of the tunnel and head to the Seward Highway, I also recommend the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and/or hop up to Girdwood and take the tram up Mt. Alyeska and/or there are a number of hikes there also I would recommend. Girdwood is a lovely little town. Grab lunch at he Bake Shop at the base of Mt. Alyeska and stop at Girdwood Brewing. Even if you don't like beer, they have their own great root beer and always have food trucks. If you are interested in any of that, we can provide more details.

@volk904 We curb check wherever it's offered. It's so much faster than waiting in line for check in or drop bag.

They had a free airport shuttle when we were there last in November. Call them when you arrive, and they will tell you where to meet them. There is a shuttle bus area to the left and right out of baggage claim. They come about every 20-30 minutes if I recall and there is a covered area at the pick up. Great food at Padrinos about a block away. Find it on google maps.

IDK, but this morning I pulled up a couple of HAL cruises on Pacific Coast and Alaska and wowsers...the fees/etc were in some cases as much as the fare. Just sayin.

I can't remember back 10 years ago when we were on a cruise, but we're told to keep the police in view at all times and do not go more than a few blocks outside of the port. Police were everywhere. Truthfully, it made me kind of mad that HAL would even go to such a place. I mean, it didn't seem HAL was giving us some great experience so I had to wonder what their reasoning was. This was NOT THE SAME as going many places where we are always told to: keep your eye on your belongings, etc. So, IMHO, it's a combination of being aware of one's surroundings plus the CRUISE responsibility in keeping passengers safe. HAL can't be responsible for everything, but in that case, it went beyond creepy.

If you stay near the cruise port or FLL, a cab will be cheap to the port. It's a hop skip. We stayed at Hyatt House Fort Lauderdale South and Cruise Port. When you walk in the door there is a kiosk to sign up for the shuttle. I can't remember the price, but it was about the same as a cab. We liked the area and have stayed there twice now. There is good food within a block or two.

Yes, I would do it again. The latest I booked was 3 days prior. I once booked a Holland America cruise while sitting in Sky Club in LAX. It was a 2 week cruise that began in Auckland and ended in Sydney. We spent 10 days in advance of that trip in New Zealand driving around the country.