EeyoreFan1967

I'm currently getting ready for my Alaskan cruise leaving this Saturday from Vancouver on the Nieuw Amsterdam :)

My last Holland America Cruise to Alaska in 2013 I wore cocktail dresses to the Gala nights.

My Dad wore a suit and my brother slacks and a black collared shirt, no tie.

 

I'm going shopping tonight for the cruise and want to find a dressier dress for this time, but don't think I'll get a ball gown or anything, just something I'd wear to a nice wedding.

We will be on the same cruise, but 2 weeks later! Please post reviews and menus and maybe some daily schedules for the new season!

Thank you! Enjoy your cruise.

My DH and I are in our early 50's and will be sailing on NA to Alaska with our 24-year-old daughter and 21-year-old son in the end of May. We chose HAL for the itinerary and price and didn't worry too much about on-board entertainment. We like to go to a live music/entertainment venue after dinner for a cocktail or two while socializing/dancing with each other, and we're not really interested in the mingling or socializing with other passengers on the ship. Some people go on cruises for the nightlife and mingling and meeting people but that is not what we are seeking. If you are looking for a nightclub or disco or many options in those categories, HAL doesn't seem to provide that.

That said, we LOVE live music and our son is a musician and music major so is pretty critical about what he sees and hears. I am really looking forward to experiencing all the entertainment venues on NA with him. His only other cruise and comparison perspective is Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas which had too many entertainment options to enumerate here and pretty much blew us away. We will be sure to post a review when we return and will include thoughts on the young-person perspective from our kids, because I know this is a big concerning topic here. Please look for the review in early June.

So excited! Thanks for sharing!

What is the date of your cruise? We are also sailing on NA to Alaska and I'm interested in the timing of your up-sell offer. Thanks

If you have bottled waters, specialty coffees etc and a bit of a party on a sea day 15 is possible

 

 

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We will give it our best go and get back to you about it!

Good luck! I have my fingers crossed for you! We are sailing on NA in 59 days and are also hoping for the upsell fairy at some point. My TA said he often receives offers from HAL, but now that you're at the 10 day mark, why not give yours a call to ask. I think being proactive can pay off!

We just purchased the SBP for our family of 4 for our late May cruise. I can't imagine going over the 15 drink/day limit because I just don't think we will have enough waking hours in the day to drink that much. Anyway, we are not too concerned about getting our money's worth or breaking even. We are looking forward to the convenience of having what we want, when we want it. Since we are not too selective about wine or liquor brands, we think it will work out great for us!

Look for our review in June!

The only two SZ (6106, 6111) are just like the SY above them (7077, 7078). There's always a chance for a free or paid upgrade to a Neptune.

Thanks for your response! I didn't even realize there were actual cabins with this designation.

My TA explained the category as SZ being really a suite guarantee, where HAL assigns the room, not those specific rooms necessarily. Minimum category is SZ. I was wondering about people's past experience with this category?

Please tell me about your suite guarantee experiences on NA. Considering booking this catergory because the price seems right. Are there any "bad" suites? Always a Signature Suite or chance for free upgrade or upsell?

Thanks!!:D

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

What kind of beverages are available in the Neptune Lounge? I just purchased signature beverages packages for about $340 pp, and I'm thinking with the lounge, this wouldn't be necessary, especially if there is some sort of wine/cocktail service in the evening? We would have to deduct the savings from the package to find the real price difference.

Hello!

We are sailing on the NA in May to Alaska with ,long port days in both Skagway and Juneau. Our tours in each port should finish between 6 and 7 pm. Wondering if we should head straight back to the ship for dinner or try some local eats (dinner or something light before the ship), or just explore the towns until the last minute and see what we kind find late on the ship?

In Skagway, we sail away at 9pm, Juneau is 10pm. Where can we dine on the ship at this time? and/or are there any not-to-miss local restaurants we should try?

Thanks, cruisers! Eeyore

Thank you so much for your review! We can't wait to try HAL in May!

I was just pricing a southern Caribbean itinerary on Koningsdam for March 2019 and it wanted to make me pay in full or allow a "courtesy hold." I was pretty disgusted so didn't check how long the hold was for. I didn't think the pricing was dirt cheap at all. In fact, it seemed a little pricey, but it was for 11 days, which we have never done before.

We are sailing on NA in a few months (first time HAL), and I have been so worried about the Crow's Nest but honestly, it looks absolutely gorgeous to me (not having any point of comparison). Thanks for the photos, just can't wait!!

Eeyore

Hello friends!

Trying to finalize our itinerary in Vancouver before/after the cruise and one of our priorities is availing of the chance to taste some fresh Alaskan King Crab!! Don't know if we should commit to a traditional "Crab Feast" as we are only a party of 4 (though we do have big appetites and wouldn't hesitate to order a 3 course meal under most circumstances). Also, one member of our party has Celiac Disease and cannot eat any gluten or experience cross-contamination, so we are really wary about doing a family meal thing with her safety in mind, especially at an Asian restaurant, unless they are expressly Celiac-friendly. We have 3 nights, 2 before the cruise and one after. We plan to do first dinner on Granville Island (thinking about either Edible Canada or the Sand Bar - could we do crab at either of these)? I was considering doing a fine dining experience one night, maybe Five Sails or Blue Ocean? Other recommendations will gladly be considered!! We are staying in downtown hotels and prefer to walk everywhere, but would be willing to take a cab for an outstanding experience.

For those who have experienced the Crab Feast, what are the best 3 places to experience this (with a gluten problem considered)? And are there other ways to experience the king crab without the feast? Where would you recommend doing so? Could we kill multiple birds with one stone, for example, order king crab at Blue Ocean or the Sand Bar?

Thank you so much in advance for clarifying my fogginess about the King Crab!

According to the deck plans on my TA website, rooms 11001-11010 have viewing balconies that do not have room for chairs. Under VQ category on HAL website, room includes verandah or viewing balcony. The observation deck balconies appear way too narrow for chairs. On deck 10, panorama, the verandahs appear double the depth. Anyone sail in one of these cabins on deck 11 recently who can clarify?

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the VQ cabins are significantly larger than other Vx categories. As for location, it seems like there may have been a plan to offer some kind of spa suite like some other lines do? More private with better access to spa?

I've been watching prices for my sailing on NA in 3 months. Inside cabins are sold out and virtually every balcony except for VQ are sold out and the price for OV is pretty high! So now with the view and verandah sale you can get an upgrade to a V guarantee for the same price as OV because V guarantee is all that is left for verandah (not suites). I know this because I tried to upgrade from VD to VB before my final payment and couldn't because both categories are sold out. I could only get V guarantee. My understanding is this V&V promo is available one more day. Looking forward to watching what happens to inventory and pricing on March 1.

Wonder if OP is on my same sailing or just a similar situation?

I have no experience but I would say book Sel de Mer so you have it as an option, and cancel if you want to once you get closer to sailing. You will have time to watch the reviews once Alaska sailings have started. I'm thinking the menu between the Caribbean and Alaska will vary. My family of 4 will be giving SdM a try in late May. We will report. If the reviews are overwhelmingly negative, you can always cancel!

Hi!

We have never cruised on either HAL or Viking, but chose HAL for our family vacation to Alaska in May of this year. We are bringing along our 21 and 23 year-olds, who have only ever cruised on Royal Caribbean. They know they won't experience the same type of entertainment they had on RC, but they can't wait to travel to Alaska and spend time together as a family.

We have also been looking into Viking Ocean for our 2019 vacation (son's graduation trip). These ships look gorgeous and we wouldn't hesitate to bring the kids along if we could afford it, but I certainly wouldn't imagine that they would feel MORE comfortable on Viking than HAL. Seems to me (again, not from experience, just research) that they'd be more likely to find peers and entertainment to their liking on HAL than Viking. But then, my kids want to spend time with us and aren't looking to make friends with people in their age group when we are on a family vacation. But they have each other, too.

Ultimately it will boil down to what is your 22-year-old looking for in a vacation? As others have said, you know her best! Congratulations on her commencement and enjoy whatever you decide!

I think the suggestion that everyone who does or is interested in booking a suite (at much additional cost to them) to obtain a little extra service and pampering is "elitist" is dangerous stereotyping. Just because someone wants a quiet cocktail and dinner and maybe an extra large balcony for some romance doesn't mean they're sitting there gloating with some "nyah nyah you can't come in" attitude. Are there some elitists in the world? Sure. But don't judge people you don't even know.

A few days ago I started a thread, you may have seen it, inquiring whether there are exclusive pools or decks for suite passengers, and I was assailed for having disdain for "the masses." Are you kidding me?! Do you know me?! Do you know how I live my life every day or how hard I work or what I do for "the masses?" Or that I'm one of the masses myself? Believe me when I tell you, nobody who knows me would ever dream of calling me elitist or accuse me of having disdain for the masses. If I told them this happened to me, they would laugh out loud. I want a little luxury on my vacation and I'm willing to pay for it, if I can swing it. I don't feel entitled to it, but I've earned some money and I have a right to spend it how I choose, without apology or judgment.

That said, I can get how people would be upset if their favorite ship was carved up and previously public areas were now off limits to non-suite guests. If I had a favorite lounge on a ship and I could no longer use it, that would rub me the wrong way. But I wouldn't blame the passengers who chose to pay for access to that area. Maybe there are some elitist snobs amongst them, but mostly I assume they're hard-working people like myself who want, and fortunately can afford, a different kind of vacation.

Eeyore

I would suggest you also consider Viking Ocean cruises. The minimum age allowed on their ships is 18. Each ship holds about 950 passengers at capacity and all have been built within the last five years. While prices are high, even if you choose the lowest priced cabin (every cabin has a balcony), all the facilities of the ship are open to everyone and are included in the cost of the cabin. A refined atmosphere prevails and the spa area is ultra luxurious. Service is impeccable. They understand that silence is a luxury that is often hard to find at any price so there are no loud distractions and there is no casino. They seem to have successfully filled a niche by catering to the upscale retired cruise passenger who is looking for a quiet, less hectic cruise. I still enjoy Celebrity but Viking Ocean has joined my short list of preferred cruise lines.

This is a great suggestion thank you! I would love to sail on Viking and I think it would be a great fit for us. The price is comparable on some sailings to the other ones we're looking at and even sometimes includes air. There is a gorgeous southern Caribbean itinerary I'm longing for but...i cannot find any voyages shorter that 10 days. Not sure we can spend that much time (almost 2 weeks once you add in the travel time). We are empty nesters but not yet retirees! Someone has to work to pay for the trip!;)

But I will keep the thought on the back burner for another year...

Aurea suites differ in size and facilities, depending on the ship you sail. However, they all come with Aurea benefits (as do Aurea balcony cabins).

 

YC1 cabins generally aren't much bigger than Fantastica or Aurea ones, but the fittings and bedlinens are of a better quality. Plus, of course, you get to enjoy the private lounge, deck area and restaurant, as well as all the other fantastic benefits that being in YC bring.

 

The following link explains the benefits you get with Bella, Fantastica, Aurea and YC:

 

http://www.msccruises.ie/en-ie/Cruise-Deals/Our-Fares.aspx

 

... and this one gives you the information on the range of cabins, and which "Experiences" are available in each:

 

http://www.msccruises.ie/en-ie/Discover-MSC/On-Board/Cabins-Suites.aspx

Thank you for this! Very helpful!

Can you please explain aurea suite to me, and also how does this compare to Yacht Club Suite?

Thanks!

Thank you so much to all who have offered sincere support and help in my search!! I have already done some research at your useful suggestions and have totally eliminated NCL. We are now considering X, MSC Yacht Club and Princess.

For those who made snarky comments, YOU'RE the disdainful ones. Reflect on that for today. Maybe you will feel happier tomorrow.

Peace out!