CNSJ

A good report as always. We did a similar trip (Southbound though) last year. Always looking for bargains, I combined my first and only Casino deal (HAL Southbound Alaska to Vancouver) with a 5 Day (4 night) Princess Lodges tour from Fairbanks to Anchorage by train - we added an extra day in Fairbanks at start. As it was a tour, they provided all transfers and coordinated all the train reservations. In a few cases we were the only ones transferring, so they sent a private van. A well run organization. Luggage was moved from hotel to hotel and just showed up at the right place etc. We stayed at Princess Denali Lodge in the Denali park area - just like those on a Princess Cruise Tour. We did self-coordinate our transfer from Anchorage to Whittier, but that was easy and inexpensive. A great trip.

Considering your total experience with HAL, this is good to hear, We join you onboard in October of this year. Thanks again!

Whether is not at all predicable. First trip in early June, we wore jackets in morning, by mid-day we were in shirt sleeves. Another trip in early August, shirt sleeves all day. It's Alaska, bring layers. Hope for the best!

HAL does have transfer service from both Montreal and Quebec City to ship.

I do envy you for having HAL ships sailing from your home town! We have to fly for all our cruises, which adds days to the trips and complicates things. Enjoy the luxury so few of us have!

I have experienced the same thing at the end of my cruise. I hope this stops soon!

Was that through direct comms with Holland (PCC) or your TA?

Thank you for the comparison report. Glad you enjoyed your cruise!

DW and I enjoyed Decaf Cappuccino in the evenings on Noordam last summer. Decaf also wonderful in the Pinnacle Grill, which has the best traditional coffee on the ship IMHO,

In 2024-2025 they are using the Crown Princess, but also Island Princess.

Both of Carnival's Fantasy Class and both Coral and Island Princess. The only saving grace for Princess ships may be the ability to use the original Panama Canal Locks. These ships all need about the same number of deck officers to run as a ship thats twice its size. Same goes for environmental officers, hotel manager etc. Bigger has economies of scale.

Hurricanes usually only impact a ship for a day or so as the storm blows by. The bigger impact can be flight issues impacting those arriving and departing, which (unless you booked flights thru cruise line) are not the cruise lines problem.

Good points and I appreciate your analysis. My comment on on board spending is based on Carnival ships having more bars and shorter cruises. People IMHO drink more per day on a short cruise. New Builds - Retiring ships = New Berths to sell. I think that many older less efficient ships will be retired with an eye toward profitability. I hope you are right and I am wrong. Id love to have lower priced cruises!

A new tile to add to collection. If its the same on all ships, we will have a few when the year is over.

I have poked around on some of the discounts in the weeks prior to crusing. It seems there are very few cabins to select from , so perhaps they are just filling up the remaining few or late cancellations (HAL would love to sell you insurance, keep 10% plus insurance costs, then resell the same cabin). MSC Yacht club looks ok from a distance, but you are still on a mega ship as far as ports and congestion ashore. Plus all the cabins seem to be high up in the bow. Much prefer amidships on deck 6 or so. I too am looking at Oceania and Seabourn. But, cost always seems to be much higher.

That makes sense. The gratuity should be based on the pre-discount amount, much like a restaraunt that has a discount back home.

DO NOT underestimate the value of the tote bag.

In the first few seasons following COVID-19, the cruise industry worked hard to get people back on ship. There were those afraid to sail without masks and those who didn't want to wear one. Somehow we made it through, but the cruise lines kept losing money as we found our way back aboard. Now people want to cruise again! The cruise lines all have big debt loads and need to generate cash. Bottom line: HAL needs to make money to pay its debt and return a dividend to its shareholders. Right now Carnival Corp is boasting very full ships for 2023 and very strong demand in 2024. Demand is up, supply is pretty much steady (less Carnival recycling Costa ships and the crazy MSC buildout) so the simple facts is prices go up. Throw in inflation and other things impacting operating costs....and we will see higher prices. If they reduce the number of ships (get rid of less efficient money makers) - prices have to go up as there is less supply of cabin days. I would be curious to see the revenue models for the CCL Cruise line family. Carnival ships may charge less (than HAL) per passenger day at sea for a comparable cabin (Oceanview to Oceanview / Balcony to Balcony) but they likely have a higher number of average passengers per cabin, and my guess is the non fare revenue (booze/speciality/spa etc.) is higher than on HAL. The most basic formula is revenue minus the cost of goods & services = profit. I imagine that HAL non-fare revenue per adult passenger per day is 50% lower than Carnival fleet wide. Throw in more people and the non-fare revenue per square foot of cabin might be in the 65% lower range. HAL needs to earn a profit. It's a business, and the forecast is up for the cruise industry. Prices will rise on everything. Standby for Higher Cruise Prices. Deals will be fewer and farther than between. Cruise less or spend more. Maybe a bit of both.

Would have met Marty and Gail on Rotterdam next fall in the Baltic and TA back, but just switched to spring TA Eastbound, and a follow on to Norway. Concerned Norway prices will jump due to the pending limits on ships in Fjords after 2025 season.

I guess that makes you Dutch citizens as the ships are registered in NL.

Hmmm 8 B2Bs.....thats a lot of 5 Star Pinnacle Grill Dinners, shareholder credits, other misc affiliation OBCs etc., if played right as I expect you do. Book them while onboard and ....you know the drill. So one AARP bonus a year.....not much. Might as well save it for a $200 benefit. Admire your ability to cruise that long straight. We did 7 +weeks last year straight, which was our longest. Hoping to get a 21-28 day run in each year, plus a spurious 10-14 somewhere else.

Time will tell if this new model also includes deeper discounted cabins in the 90 days prior to cruise. Of course cabin selection is usually poor and the flights cost more.....can't win.....

Both DW and I have the $50 credit. Perhaps it morphs up as you book a longer cruise or a higher category.

Thank you for doing the research for all of us! I am so worried about being on a cruise with the "Knitting Group" - I can imagine skies of yarn everywhere, women armed with knitting needles at the buffets, and the like! Chaos for sure!!!!!

And we shall all enjoy an OBC of up to $200 on the future bookings we make!