lastlook

17 hours ago, sevenseasnomad said:

Yes, thank you for the menus.  We'll be on the O in 19 days.  We have a family cabana too.

You're most welcome - I took those photos just in case anyone asked for that type of information - glad to help.  Have a great cruise!

18 hours ago, forevercruising1 said:

Thank you for the additional information, BethID!  It sounds like we will enjoy the NA as much as you and your husband did! 

lastlook -- THANK YOU for uploading the menus!  That was exactly what I was looking for!  I appreciate your help!  🙂

You're most welcome.  Those photos were taken on the Oosterdam in January, so are very recent.  The Lido menu changes somewhat each day.  Have a great cruise!

Another option is to go directly to the front desk (Guest Services) as they can also help you.  I've found that the Beverage Manager is the one to see at the Retreat, and he is often otherwise occupied on embarkation day.  We usually book a retreat cabana for the entire cruise, but the very first time that we were interested in one, we were on a port intensive Mediterranean cruise and only wanted to book the two sea days.  After boarding,  I went directly to Guest Services (there was no line), and I was able to book the two days that I wanted then and there.

Following along - have a wonderful trip/cruise and safe travels.

Have used it several times with no problems.  Most recently this past March, and there were 6 of us.  All of our luggage arrived as expected on the carousel at our home airport when we went to retrieve it.  Plan to use it again next month.  Well worth the fee.

Sorry - Brian replied as I was typing my comment about the Dive In hotdogs!!  OK - now I am craving one - and the fries (all to myself!)

Yes - those hotdogs are from the Dive-In (named "The Dog Paddle" on the Dive In menu) and they are quite good!

Bon Voyage & Merry Christmas to you and yours.  Thanks for taking us along and providing entertainment as well!🌲🚢🍸🍷🍹

Thanks for posting the pic of the Captain - fun to see who was responsible for the enthusiastic tooting!!!!!

I burst out laughing when I saw the blanket over his head - how could he breathe?  Of course, who would want that blanket back after that??  Thank you for regaling us with the funny for us, but not so funny for you, tales of your flight!  Hard to imagine anyone lighting up a pipe (or anything else!) on a plane and then think that no one will notice.  Jaw dropping!

Wishing you & Miss G a fabulous cruise!

Bon Voyage and thank you again for taking us along!!

Following along and thank you for the great photos!  I'm disappointed that HAL did not include a dining height table and chairs within the Retreat Cabanas, as in the original RC's on the Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, etc.  A major disappointment on the Koningsdam, and I was hoping that MAYBE they might revert back to the original layout so that you can have lunch within your RC, but not at knee level!  Drat.

Many thanks for your review on the Oosterdam - looking forward to our January cruise even more now.  Counting down the weeks!!  Great to know that the Explorations Cafe opens at 6:30 a.m. - yay!

You’re most welcome - wishing you a wonderful cruise on the Prinsendam.

Yes - outside at your lifeboat station.

Another vote for Geiranger, which was my favorite during a two week cruise.  Looks like there are some 7 day HAL cruises that go there in 2020.  Ine's advice not to go too early in the season is important if you want to take the Mt. Dalsnibba excursion.  We were there in June, and it was worth the trip for the fabulous views but the month of May might be too early since the road could still be closed then.

If your kids enjoy vacationing with their kids, I think that is a draw in itself for them - sharing fun times together doing unusual things (whale watches, etc.) is something they'll always remember.

We've always had fixed Main seating on HAL, and have run into this a couple of times but I cannot be sure which ports were involved. However, I do recall that it was when the ship was in port late (11 p.m. or so) and I think part of it had to do with the possibility that a number of passengers might choose to dine in port and not on the ship.

My memory is vague on this but I'm thinking that maybe San Juan and Curacao were the two ports where we experienced this happening? We were still able to dine in the MDR but as others have stated, it was an open seating arrangement within a set time frame - there were certain sections of the MDR open and we were seated at a table that was different than our assigned table and we did not have our usual waitstaff.

Definitely two verandah cabins (and two bathrooms) for the privacy and comfort of all concerned. If desired, you could also book the two cabins with a connecting interior door. For shared time on your balconies, you could ask your cabin steward to unlock the balcony divider.

Similar question. We are sailing from Rome at 6:00 pm in October. Will the MDR be open & serving dinner that evening?

Yes.

One of the couples on this first cruise is blogging their experience. I found the link over on the roll call. They seem very pleased.

 

Edit: I found it.

Thanks very much for the link.

I am currently on Exc in depth voyage on Massdam. Today, at San Blas Islands, they took out one of the Two zodiacs on board. The other ones will be added in Lima. No excursions for passengers until after French Polynesia. The ship has new carpeting, some engine work and new decor in Crows nest during dry dock. The ship was a little “rough” when boarded. Still have workers on board and crew trying to get everything cleaned up and in working order. One of the life boats is out of commission. Some reports of plumbing problems. Lectures and onboard entertainment has been good so far.

Thank you for this information. Would love to hear more if you have time during the remainder of your cruise.

My wife and I did the deluxe tour in 2015 and also thought it was fabulous. It is quite expensive, but it was a once in a lifetime experience for us and well worth it. If you are interested in the details you can check out my blog pages from our trip.

 

Day 1:

http://daveandvalstravels.blogspot.com/2015/04/inca-emprie-cruise-day-15-lima-to-cusco.html

Day 2:

http://daveandvalstravels.blogspot.com/2015/04/inca-emprie-cruise-day-16-cusco-to.html

Day 3:

http://daveandvalstravels.blogspot.com/2015/04/inca-emprie-cruise-day-17-cusco-to-lima.html

 

 

Dave

I really enjoyed reading about your experience and viewing those fabulous photos! Great information in case I'm ever able to cross this one off my bucket list. Thank you.

Travel irons are not allowed. I can't help with the sewing machine question.