cruzngal

Their Facebook page changed to Beale Street Blues At Sea awhile ago. Must have lost their affiliation with the BB King franchise.

Coffee in the lounge is much better.

Thank you to everyone for this information! I was able to use one of the chairs in 2023, on the Nieuw Statendam in April 2023, but it was only on the aft pool. They made it very difficult to use. I had to make an appointment 24 hours in advance to even use it. The Nieuw Amsterdam didn’t have one at all. I am hoping that with the accessibility upgrades they are making, it becomes less difficult to actually to actually use them. If, as you go on future cruises you see whether they have one or not, I would really appreciate the update. It helps me know as I book future cruises. The personal cruise consultants don’t have that information. Thanks again!

Hi folks, i wanted to see if those of you that are currently onboard a HAL ship or just recently off can tell me if the ship has an accessible chair to get into the pool. It would typically be on the aft pool, but I don’t know that for sure. It would be permanently installed, so if it’s there, you won’t miss it. A list would be helpful when we sign up for future cruises. Thank you for your help!

I saw on the BB King’s at Sea FB page that they are being rebranded as Beale Street Blues at Sea. Should still be on the Pinnacle ships.

We were onboard the N.A. Thanksgiving week. Staff confirmed that it was going to dry dock on December 2 for 2 weeks.

Thar would make sense only if you are going to drink more than the 15 drinks per day limit. To me, that would be hard to do, I would think, even with the non-alcoholic drinks thrown in. I’d suggest just using your drink package, because no charge still beats 75 cents. And I never saw 75 cent drinks onboard the NS this Spring. It seems like those prices are long gone"

We are on a Thanksgiving week cruise. Our adult daughter is also traveling on a separate reservation. We want to book our complimentary HIA dining together, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to book a table for 3 using two confirmation numbers. The HAL rep claimed it was not possible, but I’ve read about people on this board arranging shared complimentary reservations. How did you do it? Is it just a matter of visiting the Dining desk at embarkation to combine the two tables? Or is there something we need to do ahead of time? Thanks!

On this sailing as well and get the RS coffee every morning. They have nice thermal pots which keep the coffee hot, but they use old fashion cup and saucer so it gets cold quickly. If you want coffee to stay hot, you might want to pack a thermal mug. Otherwise, as L454S said, ship is beautiful. The food has been excellent, as has the entertainment. You will enjoy!

Swap meet at Aloha stadium. Great place to buy the souvenirs, jewelry, carvings, clothes, treats that are overpriced everywhere else.

Short answer: yes. They should start getting credit for days at sea now. My daughter is 26 and is already working toward her 3 star status. We started taking her on cruises with us when she was 4.

BB King is a full band including horn section that plays covers of top 40 hits from the last few decades. It is a great dance band and fun to listen to. onboard the NS now and they do have a ballroom dance band in the Ocean Bar. It was a hopping place last night during dinner service.

Were any of you out on the lawn with the Bon Voyage and Holland America banners? We waved at you! 👋

My MIL fell face first and broke a tooth on the way to embarkation. She powered through to get onboard so that we didn’t miss the cruise. Then she went to see the onboard medical facility. They examined her for other injuries, dealt with the cuts and scrapes, checked for other loose or damaged teeth, and provided meds for her mouth pain, but that was about all. She was very satisfied with the care they gave her, but it was generalized medical care.

The last time we did this was before Covid, We just used an Uber. Less expensive and very quick. Dropped us right off at the port terminal.

Very cool! That’s a once in a lifetime experience. I’ll have to add that one to my HAL bucket list!

As everyone has said, mid-ship, decks 4/5 are good. One other suggestion. Get a minimum of an outside cabin, but veranda would be better. No inside cabins. If you feel sick, focus your eyes on the horizon and get some fresh air.

Thank you! Did not realize they had that!

Thank you for the clarification. I don’t remember it either, but was hoping.

I’m wondering if anyone knows if any of the bars or cafes have a juicer that can make fresh juices, particularly vegetable juices, onboard the NS? And if there is, would the HIA package cover it? It’s a part of my daily health practice, so hoping to not break my routine while onboard. I haven’t been on a cruise for 3 1/2 years, so not sure what is available or not anymore. Thanks in advance!