Mtngirl2

I sailed on the Zaandam last fall, from Santiago to Buenos Aires for two weeks, and it was a very comfortable ship. With the small amount of people on board (1300?), it makes for an opportunity to enjoy other passengers and not have a feel of a huge city like the larger ships. I agree with the other post, enjoy the scenery on the cruise! The enrichment classes and other activities are fun and well worth doing, but going to Alaska would mean to me, scenery first! Have a wonderful time!

HAL is so organized! Last fall I landed in Santiago, Chile, for a two week cruise around the Horn to Buenos Aires. There I was, waiting for my luggage, and all of a sudden I heard a man greeting me with a smile and my name, very professional and courteous, dressed in HAL clothing and ID, with a clipboard, waiting to bring me to the hotel in Santiago. He had already met another couple on the same flight, and we got in a van and in no time were at our Sheraton Santiago hotel. There was a HAL desk in the lobby, all arrangements ready for us for our cruise in two days, and we bought some tours from HAL and from a local travel company (both had desks in the lobby). Disembarkation day was just as organized, with all transfers waiting with signs, etc. once you are out of customs with your luggage at the port. I agree with the prior posts and you will be well taken care of!

To all my fellow CC friends in the path of this monster, please stay safe.

I'm in SE Pennsylvania and our forecast is 12-16 plus inches. I just hope it all melts in the next 2 weeks.

 

 

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Hello from northern NH, we still have 2 feet of snow on the ground from the winter, and now the snow has begun today, with about 8-12 inches of new snow expected. Just thinking of my HAL cruise next week to warmer weather! Be safe, all fellow cruisers, and keep thinking warm weather and exotic ports of call!

I did my own dancing when we went around Cape Horn around 6:00 am last fall--I was just so excited to have done that, despite the big waves and high winds! Seriously, there is dancing late in the Crow's Nest and in the Ocean Bar. Have fun!

In case the OP was also wondering, the actual HAL Mariner Society Lunch is now held on one of the subsequent days, and the invitation letter should be sent your room.

Thanks, everyone, for your replies!!!!!:)

It was also down Friday afternoon into Friday evening. I was surprised about the Friday afternoon timing, but glad to know some new itineraries are up!:D

HAL is worried about people slipping too so they always have bath mats, and well-placed grab bars. Hang on if the seas get rough. That is the worst time I worry about, standing in shower with slippery soap, when the ship takes some dips and rolls.

Thanks for your quick reply! Happy cruising!

Well we've finally made it to 4 stars, took 11 cruises over the course of 8 years. It was a nice touch that they gave us our 4-star pins on-board, they left them one night with a thank you note in the mailbox of our cabin.

 

Aside from the obvious best perk ever of free laundry and pressing the rest of our lives what's the other best thing you like about being a 4 star Mariner?

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

Congrats! Now that you have priority boarding, the rest of us working on our stars will sigh as we stand in the lines and watch you board before us! Well done, and I am happy for you! I have a few more cruises yet to get to 4, but I love planning my future cruises!!!!

:):cool::cocktail:(y)

I will be on the Veendam this spring and was wondering if the bathtubs have a plastic bath mat? I am always afraid of slipping in the tub, and if there is none, I will bring my own. Thanks!

I will be eligible for the HAL Mariner Embarkation lunch on my next cruise. For those of you who gave taken advantage of this lunch, what time is it usually? I will have a HAL transfer from the hotel to the cruise ship (don't know the time), and it would be lovely to check in and then head to this lunch! Any advice or suggestions? I will be on the Panama Canal cruise on HAL on March 22. Thanks and I'm so excited about the upcoming cruise!

How do you get tickets to see the shows at night? Is it difficult/usually sold out and is it extra cost or are those always included? Any tips or tricks we should know?

No problem with the shows. No reservations and no extra costs. I would suggest that if you have a favorite place to sit, get there early. Bring a book with you while you wait! The shows are fun and enjoy!

We live in Maryland and are traveling to the Baltic this summer. I don't want a wrinkled mess by the time we arrive on the ship and I would like to wear slacks at least two days so I don't have to pack so much. so, what brands, fabric combos make good travel clothing for summer ? Thanks

Wrap your clothes in tissue paper--works for me and reduces wrinkles. Also, I bring travel size cans of Downy spray that reduces wrinkles. Just picked up 6 bottles at Walmart for my cruise in ten days and for some later trips this year.

Check out the Premier Inn hotels. We have stayed at one of these in Dublin and loved it. Check out their website--you will find these hotels all over London. They are very reasonable (anywhere between $80 US and $150 US, depending on location). They are Scandinavian style, very clean, great beds, wonderful bathrooms, and most offer a restaurant and bar area with really good food and service. The one in Dublin was near the airport and had a shuttle service. Check out what these might offer.

There were laundry facilities available a few months ago when I was on the Zaandam.....wonder what happened?

The previous post says it all, with options on the Zaandam. I was on the Zaandam last fall, and many cruisers were impressed with the quality of the shows offered in the big theater! There were different shows every night with different themes, and the ship also brought in some local talent when near Buenos Aires--great tango show! The trio playing in the Ocean Lounge was very good and some of them participated in the nightly shows. Enjoy!

I was on the Zaandam last October-November, sailing from Santiago to Buenos Aires, around Cape Horn to the Falklands (not Antarctica). Other than one spotty area (and we were warned in advance that there may be weak connection--can't remember where), I was able to connect 99% of the time! I bought the package then did add minutes. I used my cell phone and kept the cell phone on airplane mode and only switched to wifi when I wanted to quickly check my email--kept the cost down. Your mom can also use the computers in the library and her account will be charged for whatever minutes she used. I have an app on my phone where I can see if my home furnace is running and what temp is set and can even lower and raise the heat (Honeywell), since I live in snow country, and I could check this app at Cape Horn and at the Falklands--so I had wifi! Hope your mom has a really fun time!

Hi, there--I am from NH and would highly suggest you consider taking a bus into NYC. I take the C and J line from Portsmouth all the time--direct service, 5 hours, $80 one way, clean bus, excellent driver, and you can park free at the bus terminal in Portsmouth. Bus goes to Port Authority and you can take a taxi from the taxi stand out on the street to the terminal (10 minutes from there). Or, look at Concord Coach bus from Portland--same kind of service, but I think you have to pay to park in Portland. Much easier and leave the driving to someone else. I used to live in NYC and would drive home (7 hours), so now when I go back to the city to visit, I just take the bus. For car service in the city--if you want to hire private car service--use either Carmel or Dial 7. Check out their websites. I used them when I lived in the city. Yellow taxis in NYC would be fine, really, if all you need is to get to the terminal. I use them all the time when I go back to the city. Have fun and good luck!

One more thing--car service in NYC. I've used either Dial 7 or Carmel. Both excellent private car services. Check out their websites for prices.

I agree--take the Greyhound bus or the train from Boston and save your air miles for another trip. You can book early on the bus and get great deals--sometimes under $20 for a trip. Once you get to Port Authority, just go outside to the taxi stand and get a taxi--10 minute ride to the terminal. Train would cost more. If you fly to LGA and then get a taxi to the city, you will be paying around $40-50 to the terminal--much more from JFK. Going to JFK from the city is a flat rate with the yellow taxis and to LGA would be about $40. I've taken the bus from Boston many times and no problems. Depending on where you live in Boston or the suburbs, C and J Bus (out of Portsmouth) stops in Tewksbury and heads right to Port Authority. I take the NYC bus with C and J from Portsmouth NH and it costs $80 one way, 5 hours direct, and excellent service with clean buses. Good luck!

One more suggestion--museums! Near Central Park is the American Museum of Natural History, the Met Museum of Art, and the NY Historical Society. All are great places to visit, have handicapped entrances if needed, and are only a taxi ride away. Check out their websites. It is easy to hail a taxi from the street--I do it all the time when I go back to visit and when I lived there. Also, each museum has good cafes and restaurants. You are also near a lot of restaurants near Central Park--just ask your hotel concierge for suggestions. You are close to Times Square as well. Another really favorite museum for me is the Rubin Museum, the only museum of Himalayan Art in the West. It is on 17th Street between 6th and 7th, in the Chelsea area of the city--very safe area and I used to live a couple of blocks from there. It is a small museum, has a great gift shop and a wonderful cafe, and is very elegant and well presented. I used to go there a lot. It would be about a 15 minute taxi ride going south in Manhattan. Again, lots of taxis in the area would get you back to your hotel. Good luck and have fun!!!!!!!!!

When I lived in NYC I used Carmel limo often for getting to and from the airport. Good drivers and I always had prompt pickups, no matter what the hour. Uber is good, as well as the yellow city taxis, to get around NYC, if walking is a problem. The Hop On/Hop Off buses are fun and will let you do a great overview of the city--downtown tour and uptown tour (includes Harlem), but it depends on how easily your friend can do these. Perhaps your hotel concierge can also arrange private transportation for a tour. The suggestion of the boats like Circle Line is great--easy on and off, and there is also a dinner cruise. You would just have to get a taxi to the piers, and then one back to the hotel. NYC is a great place to visit so enjoy every moment--I loved living there!

You've got some great suggestions in the other posts. I'm going to offer two fun places (among so many in NYC!). If you are there on a Friday night, the Met Museum of Art often has during the summer months drinks on top of the roof. It is a great venue, wonderful sights, and a nice way to begin a Friday evening (and take in a little culture, too!). Also, for dessert, Ferrara's Bakery in Little Italy (195 Grand Street) is a WONDERFUL place for all kinds of Italian pastries! It is right in the middle of Little Italy. There are some terrific restaurants in that area as well. So many places! These two places were a few of our many fun favorites when I lived in the city. Enjoy!

Just did this cruise on HAL (not Antarctica, though) from Santiago to BA and it was a FABULOUS trip! The ship and its service, as well as the food, was great and I was very pleased with every minute of this once-in-a-lifetime experience! The ship went through many channels, and Glacier Alley was fabulous! The ship cruised where it was the safest, of course, but we went through many fjords and channels, with lots of narration whenever possible. We had good weather for most of the trip--did Cape Horn and the Falklands--and I am planning to do this same cruise again in the next two years. I splurged and went for a balcony room for this cruise, on the port side, and had a great time with my new camera! I often went out on the decks and sometimes in the Crow's Nest. How lucky I was to do this cruise and will always consider it one of the best trips I've ever done!!!!!

Thank you mtngrl :). Your car trip w camping sounds awesome. Can you tell me a bit more about it? Roads easy? Reservations at campgrounds required? Thank you very much!

 

 

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Norway was one of the best road trips I've ever taken, about 15 years ago (so do note and look online for updated travel info!). I was living in Copenhagen at the time, so took the car ferry to Malmo and then the overnight car ferry to Oslo. From there we drove north and had no problems. Roads were fine (not interstate but good roads) and lots of options to venture into smaller communities. We did not make any reservations (we were traveling beginning of July) and liked to check out first where we were going to stay. We had a small tent and used that, but also rented cabins at campgrounds, or if rainy, found lovely small hotels. Some of the highlights were camping above the fjords (can't remember the exact location, but check out maps), Tromso--great city and at the time, wonderful street markets where we bought beautiful Norwegian sweaters, and Alta and the museum there. Also the visitor center at the Arctic Circle in Norway and the cruise out to North Cape. We drove south through Sweden back to Denmark on the way back and had a magnificent time there as well! Total trip was two weeks and well worth it!

Hi, my cruise ship next month (March) will be docking at Puerto Caldera (Puntarenas), Costa Rica for the day. I am looking at two coffee plantation tours, one at Doka Estate and the other at Espiritu Santo. Which one would you suggest? How is the walking on each tour (hilly, etc.)? Many thanks!