MajMom96

Sometimes on Celebrity, a few months before a cruise, they will offer a discount on the beverage package. Does Holland ever do that?

Holland America offers a discount of $5 a day if you purchase the drink package pre-cruise.

Prinsendam by a wide margin. Her size enables her to visit very unique ports where larger ships cannot call. Also, because the number of passengers is small you get to know them and the crew much better than larger ships.

I would like to try the Prinsendam some day, it’s just so expensive. I can do two-three cruises for the price of one on the Prinsendam. [emoji12]

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Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam because they have the Tamarind restaurant and a separate Silk Den for cocktails.

 

 

 

Next favorite -- Ryndam -- did quite a cruises on her. Sad when she left the fleet.

I’ll have to agree with KK, Koningsdam first, then the Nieuw Amsterdam because of the Tamarind! That is a very special restaurant. The Koningsdam gets a slight edge over the Nieuw Amsterdam because of the “help yourself” snacks and apps at Billboard Onboard starting in the afternoon.

Have made the flight 5 times, once for a cruise, the rest for land tours. We love Australia and New Zealand. Obviously we think it is worth it. The first 3 times were in coach, the 4th time was in Business, and the 5th in First, for our 30th anniversary.

 

 

 

Only you can decide if it is worth it to you.

I agree it’s all up to me on assessing whether it’s worth it. I was really wondering about what unique sites would make the airplane flight worth it. I’ve snorkeled at the Great Barrier Reef, but I’m not very familiar with what there is to see in New Zealand, other than I know it is beautiful scenery. What are some of your favorite spots in NZ?

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I have flown from the US east coast both to Auckland and to Sydney; the first trip also had a flight back from Singapore to the east coast.

 

Yes, those flights were worth it, at least to me.

 

 

 

Both times going I flew to Los Angeles, stayed over one night, then took the flight down under. Since there are not a great deal of time zones---the distance is north/south rather than east/west---it was not a hard recovery physically. One night pre-cruise was sufficient. IIRC, my first time I went premium coach (or whatever it's called on that airline), and it was much, much better than economy coach. I highly recommend you upgrade at least to premium coach.

 

 

 

I loved New Zealand, especially the south island. The landscape, history, architecture, and especially the people, were grand. My day sailing the three Sounds was spectacular! Everyone should have such a day there as I was blest to have.

 

Australia was much hotter, and got more so the further north the ship went, but the time at the Great Barrier Reef was worth it.

 

 

 

Save your pennies for upgraded seating, take a deep breath, and take the long flights while you still can. The body isn't getting any younger!

Thanks so much for the suggestions!

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We're booked on a transatlantic ending in Amterdam next year. It's too early for flights or Pre/Post hotel bookings to be listed on HALs web site but I am planning on at least two days in Amsterdam.

 

 

 

Can anyone who has booked a post cruise extension package or has a current HAL package booked please provide some information on which hotel HAL uses? Cost? Are any excursions offered? Transportation to the airport afterwards, etc.?

 

 

 

Thanks in advance.

HAL uses the Movenpick, and it is a great hotel that is right next to the cruise terminal, so you can literally walk off the ship (post cruise) and right into the hotel lobby. This would cut down on the time to make transfers, especially since your time is limited. When we did a pre-cruise stay in Amsterdam we booked the Movenpick separately from HAL because we had enough credit card points to cover the cost, but my sister booked it through HAL and all her transfers and the 25 Euro per person breakfast was part of her package. And even though the hotel is not in the city center, it’s not a bad walk to Central Station or the Movenpick runs a free shuttle.

We booked a nice day tour through Viator “Charm of Holland” that took us out to the countryside to see the windmills and some of the quaint villages like Edam and Volendam. The tour took us on a boat to Marken where we had a wonderful traditional Dutch lunch. It was a great tour, and it was nice to see sites outside the city. Although we loved the city too! So much to see and do. But watch out for the bicycles! 🤣🤣

Hello fellow cruisers! We’ve done quite a few cruises on Holland America to Europe, Alaska, Caribbean, and Mexico. For 2020 we’re looking into booking an itinerary for Australia and New Zealand. My concern is the long airplane flight and whether the itinerary justifies 16 hours on an airplane (each way). We’ve been to Australia before and loved it, but the airplane flight was terrible, especially crammed into coach! If you’ve done this itinerary, please let me know what your favorite sites were. We love exploring ports. TIA!

Can anyone comment on how dark the blackout curtains were for balcony cabins on NA? We're cruising June 23 on the Alaskan roundtrip out of Vancouver, and are curious (terrified?) whether the blackout curtains will support a midday nap for our 1-year-old daughter in our cabin. And also wondering whether blackout curtains will prevent our kiddos (the 1-year-old, and her 7-year-old brother) from rising at 4am with the sun, since they're both accustomed to very dark bedrooms at home.

 

 

 

Has anyone augmented their curtains (or wished they had)? Any suggestions? Thanks!

The curtains block the light very well, but a few clips may help ensure light doesn’t filter through any gaps. I don’t think you’ll have a problem with afternoon naps for your children. Enjoy!

Excellent!!! Thanks MajMom just the info I needed.....I'm confident I'll survive the morning now.

I’m sure you will! It was quite a nice perk, and you’ll have a nice balcony to enjoy your coffee on!

Wow! This is really entertaining! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a topic go so far off the rails! I’m learning a lot about the people who post on this site! Does anyone really take cruises anymore? 🤣🤣[emoji483][emoji483]

MajMom & other posters.....

Thanks for the Neptune Suite info. Not meaning to sound like a coffee snob but by chance do you recall the type of machine (K-cup, drip, espresso, whatnot) & the brand of coffees available?

Sorry for askin' but living in Seattle some things never leave you.

Thanks!

No worries, and I don’t think you’re a coffee snob for asking. Unfortunately, I’m not sure I have this correct, but I’ll do my best. The coffee machine was like a Keurig, with the pods, but I think it was a Dutch brand that uses the sam pod technology. And the coffee pods (regular) was arabica (?). It was actually quite good, it was strong coffee, which I like. The machine had an option for preparing the coffee as espresso or regular. On the first day, we asked the cabin steward to provide extra pods, and that was no issue. He left us extra pods every day so we could enjoy two cups of coffee each morning before we left the cabin. I don’t know the brand of coffee they use in the Neptune Lounge for cappuccino or espresso. But we enjoyed it!

But who really cares? Jeans are just fine in the MDR on non gala nights. Without question.

 

If you want to wear your bathrobe to the pool or spa be our guest. We don't care. But we will not view it as out of the ordinary either. Really, what harm does someone do wearing a bathrobe to the pool and why on earth would someone criticize it or even think about it twice. Only those who live in a very small world or perhaps have absolutely nothing better to do.

 

When someone asks if it is ok to wear jeans in the MDR why not answer correctly? Why answer with some inane comment like would you not feel better in Dockers or jeans are too heavy or my husband only wears jeans to work in the garden? Just answer the question. YES.

I actually don’t think anyone had an issue with wearing a bathrobe at the spa or at the pool. Since I’m the one who brought it up, and I actually brought it up in jest, but got attacked for it, my issue was with wearing it at the Dutch Cafe and in the lobby by guest services. And not just passing through, but lounging and reading the paper. I didn’t have an issue with it however, because if I did, I would have said something to guest services, but I didn’t. I was just commenting that I thought it was odd. And I think most have agreed that non distressed or torn jeans are allowed in the mdr on non-gala nights in accordance with the Holland America dress code. So it sounds like we may be in violent agreement! 🤣🤣🤣

Thank you. We don't book Neptune Suites for any type of bragging rights. Nobody really cares where we're located except us!!

We DO love the extra space (especially on longer cruises) as we do spend a fair amount of time in our cabin on sea days. We enjoy the quiet! We use the Neptune Lounge almost daily and are VERY fond of the concierge service available in there. They have solved some interesting problems for us (with a smile!) And, we especially enjoy having breakfast in the PG. It's a nice, peaceful way to start the days.

 

To each his own. Everyone has different tastes, needs, and things they enjoy. If you can afford it, go for whatever makes your cruise more enjoyable.

We agree! Breakfast in the PG is definitely one of the nicest perks of having a Neptune Suite! And having nice canapés, snacks, and a cappuccino machine close at hand in the Neptune Lounge are things we enjoy. We usually stop by there to make up a plate to take back to our cabin when we change for dinner. I know you can get snacks on the Lido, but it’s nice to have them right down the hall. And now they have coffee machines in the Neptune Suite cabins! Sweet!

Honestly, I don't care what the dress code is as long as it's enforced. It a jacket is required, then I'll wear a jacket, but then don't let others in without one.

 

While I prefer more casual dress and actual like that Holland America has relaxed their dress code, I'll still follow it to the letter and that's all that should be expected of passengers. If they want to exceed the dress code, great; if they meet the dress code, great, but there shouldn't be an expectation for more.

Well said. Just follow the dress code, expect Holland America to enforce it fairly for everyone, and then we should all be able to get along. So in response to the OP, jeans are allowed in the MDR on smart casual nights as long as they are not torn or distressed.

Does she have the proper ID for this travel? It's not closed loop so she will need passport, especially if you are flying into Vancouver. If you fly to Seattle and cross by car/bus/train a passport card would do. EM

Excellent point concerning the need for a passport!

We’ve done Signature suites on other ships and they are a great value! More space and a nice veranda with chairs (not loungers) that have reclining backs and footstools. And a small table. We booked a Signature suite on the Oosterdam for a Mediterranean cruise in August. We found it to be a great deal because the Signature Experience (two night hotel stay in Venice, canal cruise and Venetian evening, and all transfers) was included if you booked a suite. Since we were planning on a few extra days in Venice anyway, it made sense for us. Plus suites get some other perks onboard like priority boarding and hosted cocktail parties.

The post you found so derogatory by Strat was merely an affirmation in response to iancal. You cannot separate the two.

I can, and I did. [emoji848]

That is great however given the choice between a boring HAL cruise with a priest on board and an RCI cruise more attuned to younger folks and more things to keep them busy I strongly suspect that most pre teens would select the RCI cruise in a New York minute. Mine certainly would have, and did.

I don’t think HAL cruises are boring! And I certainly don’t need the gimmicks of an RCI Cruise to have a fantastic time! And why would you mock the fact that someone appreciates having a priest on board? If that’s what they appreciate, who are you to judge?

Not sure what you would find 'intolerant' or 'hypocritical' about iancal's post.

 

Not iancal. That’s just their opinion. My comment was concerning Strat.

Which is interesting considering that in many cases boarding doesn't officially begin until 1 PM

That is true, but it is a fact. They like to clear the dining room from lunch service to prepare for dinner, especially on embarkation day since it’s a little hectic the first night getting new cruisers seated for first seating. But in most cases, HAL will start boarding at noon, so if you want to eat in the MDR, I’d recommend checking in early.

I’ve cruised both RCI and Holland America, and Holland is still my favorite for all the reasons noted by previous responses to your post. But one of the main differences I found is that RCI has a lot of upcharges on the menu in the MDR. Holland America doesn’t do that. High quality, good variety, incredible food is still served in the MDR as part of your cruise fare. Holland saves the upcharging for the specialty restaurants. HAL ships are also mid-sized, so even on a full ship, it never feels crowded and you don’t have to reserve seats for entertainment. Also since HAL isn’t known for families, your children will have plenty of room in the pools depending on time of year and itinerary.

I really don’t care what others wear either, and nothing that anyone else wears impacts my enjoyment of my cruise. But I’m also happy that Holland America still has a dress code and for the most part they enforce it. So as long as everyone reads the dress code, they can wear whatever they want within the parameters of the dress code. And even though it has gotten quite a bit more relaxed in recent years, it’s still better than the “free style” on other cruise lines. And finally, I’ve seen very few (I mean VERY few) people on a Holland America cruise who don’t dress acceptably for the main dining room. Those who don’t, usually get stopped by the matre’d before they enter the MDR. [emoji483]

New to Hal just wondering if I can have lunch in dining room on embarkation day. Thanks for any info

Yes you can, but they usually stop seating in the dining room at 1:00.

I believe the OP is talking about the "Like" feature (for posts) which is turned off on Cruise Critic.

My mistake.

Regarding the bathrobe, I haven’t seen a post mentioning HAL guidelines for such. There seems to be support for the bathrobe, or tolerance of it in terms of international open-mindedness, it’s association with five star resorts, and perhaps the aforementioned MYOB outlook.

 

 

 

Personally, I wouldn’t mind bathrobes appearing in various parts of the ship. I might find it amusing, as I think MajMom may have to some degree (I think subsequent replies put a different spin on her post).

 

 

 

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I have a bathrobe. Flannel. Plaid. It’s old, but I think it looks fine. It is not “distressed”.

 

 

 

I don’t pack a bathrobe. But I am curious, if I did, would it be okay to wear mine about the public areas of the ship?

🤣🤣🤣you’re right, my initial post was because I found it humorous.