HermmyGranger

On 3/6/2023 at 11:33 AM, Destiny0315 said:

Just be happy the casinos close during the middle of the night on ships or you might be like Albert Brooks finding out his wife Julie Hagerty has blown their 'Nest Egg' on the number 22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZumS81KSw8

You're not even allowed to say "Nest Egg" anymore.

Just a thought for those that use the ginger. It has to have "real" ginger in it. I recently read an article regarding the sodas. If you're having Schweppes or Canada Dry, they aren't made with real ginger, just flavorings, so they will not be as effective for nausea. I'm assuming this would also be the case with candies, so be sure to get something that has real ginger in it, not just flavorings.

My son, 19, slept in it and never complained at all. I read from forums you could request a topper, but he said he didn't need one.

We were on the Zuiderdam.

I traveled with my teen son last summer and after doing the math, it really made sense to go ahead and add the HIA for him as well. He used all the benefits (specialty dining and excursions) and used his non-alcoholic beverage package a lot. You just have to do the math and figure out what works out best. Honestly, if it comes out close, it's more convenient to not have all the individual charges on the statement.

Now I'm confused. If you only have the Surf package, you won't be able to text externally? If you can't text, what is the point of the surf package in the first place? What else can you do with it? I don't ever make calls, but I do send lots of photos by text back to my husband so he can live vicariously through me while I'm traveling.

12 minutes ago, oakridger said:

That surprises me that yours would be so much.  My recent cruises have always been approximately $100 but depending on area selected it went up some from there to select my cabin.  Check this random booking I just tried:

 

This is what I was quoted to select our room. It's $780 each. That's seriously crazy town.

1 hour ago, Scorp1112 said:

I did the same thing and wasn't happy to have that out of my control, but it was almost $1000 more to pick???? That was crazy! 

Exactly, it was $700 per person to pick our room. I hate not knowing, but I'm not paying that much.

28 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

As frequently discussed here, anywhere from 30 days out, to at the pier. Average seems to be at about 8-10 days prior. We are 15 days out today, waiting for our assignment.

Thanks. I know we've had people discuss this before, but I did a search and couldn't find anything. Apparently I didn't use the right prompts. 😄

This is our first cruise where we have opted to allow HAL to assign our room instead of choosing our own (the price difference was ridiculous.) How are in advance do they generally notify you of your room assignment? Is it the same week or two weeks out or does it just depend? Not that it matters because we get what we get, but I was just curious when we might know.

Does this mean that the only option for getting food at lunch on embarkation day is the Lido?

I'm looking at my itinerary for my upcoming Iceland cruise and trying to figure out which ports are tender ports, but don't really see anything. For some reason it was in my mind that at least two of them were tender. Anyone know how to tell?

So looking at the Morimoto Drink Menu there is one glass of wine and two sake options that would be included in the HIA package.

Sorry. Not trying to be cagey. Now looking at the itin, I was wrong about the at sea days. 🙂

Reykjavik

Heimaey, Iceland  8:00 - 4:00

Djupivogur, Iceland  8:00 - 5:00

At Sea

Kirkwall, Scotland  8:00 - 5:00

Invergordon (Inverness), Scotland  8:00 - 5:00

At Sea

Copenhagen

Just can't figure out when would be the best day to book a salon treatment. I'd like it the afternoon of the second dressy night.

Our days at sea are Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday. Wednesday and Thursday are in port 8am to 5pm. I Tuesday seems to early and Friday too late. Anyone have thoughts?

I'm trying to figure pit which day is the second "dressy" night on a 7-day cruise. I'm thinking Wednesday or Thursday, but honestly can't remember. Wanting to set up a salon visit in advance.

We had the premium package on our most recent trip and it was hit and miss all the time.

The movies available are okay, but not great and there are really no tv options at all. HGTV and the Food Channel. Don't count on the in-room entertainment for a quiet evening in.

How long is the walk from the ship to the Flam Railroad? I'm traveling with my mother who is somewhat mobility impaired. She's fine with walking short distances, but if it gets too long, she gets too tired. I know they're sort of close, but is there an alternative transport to the railroad? (We have not booked the ships excursion, but booked online directly because it was significantly cheaper.)

Our upcoming cruise package includes prepaid gratuities. Do we really not have to tip additionally or are there instances where it's still expected? If anyone has had prepaid gratuities and still tipped additionally, did you wait until the end of the cruise or tip at the time of better service?

I know they offer "deals" if you book a cruise while you're on a cruise. Are they really any better than just booking at any time?

I know the specialty restaurants appear to have the same menus regardless of sailing, but I've found MDR menus for both Alaska and the Caribbean, but I haven't seen it for any of the European cruises. Are they the same as either of these two or are they different?

24 minutes ago, vicd1969 said:

Second vote from me about the Dive in fries - at least the ones on NA sailings. The ones I had on my Norway cruise were Dutch-style fries and not addictive at all.

What are Dutch-style fries? How are they different?

The last time I travelled internationally out of Amsterdam, you didn't go through security until you were basically at your gate. This meant you could not purchase any liquid (water) to take on a long-haul flight because there was nothing after security except getting on the plane. Can anyone who has travelled recently tell me if this is still the case. I usually take at least one bottle of water with me so I won't be reliant on the flight attendants.

I am set to cruise a 7-day Rotterdam out of Amsterdam in September to Norway. I have two questions.

1. Do people on European cruises dress up more than cruises in Alaska (my only cruising experience).

2. Can you get iced tea? This may sound like an odd question, but I spent six weeks in London with nary an iced tea to be found. It's really my primary beverage.

If you haven't already procured a container, we used a salt urn for my father. He was in the Coast Guard for 26 years so we had our local CG spread his ashes off the Oregon coast. The urn was actually quite beautiful (it was shaped like a vase and looked like Himalayan pink salt) and completely biodegradable.