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RAS4331

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About Me

  • Location
    Ohio
  • Interests
    travel, reading
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Holland America
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Caribbean

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Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. Ok, sorry if I confused the issue. I didnā€™t realize the embarkation lunch and the other Marinerā€™s lunch were two different things.
  2. We are currently on the Koningsdam. We boarded on Tuesday, and a day or two later we received an invitation to a Marinerā€™s Lunch on Friday, so ours was not held on embarkation day.
  3. Just sharing our experience (we are on this cruise). Our assigned time was 10:40, but then we got an email from HAL saying that the shipā€™s departure would be delayed to 5 pm, and we could arrive ā€œat our leisure, anytime between 12:00 and 3:30 pm.ā€ That was the first time in 4 cruises that Iā€™ve ever seen an open-ended time like that. The Uber ride from our hotel was quicker than we anticipated, so we were there around 11:30. There was a gaggle of people outside but our luggage was taken immediately, and we got in a fairly fast-moving line. We were inside the building within five minutes. There was indeed a long snaking line but it moved continuously. Everyone, both the officials and those sailing, was very polite, and we were happily on board in about a half hour. I had read horror stories about the San Diego port, but we found the embarking process to be pretty painless. Just make sure you have your passport! A couple in line near us left them in their suitcases. Iā€™m not sure what happened when they got to security - i hope they were able to board without too much hassle.
  4. If we're going on a tour that leaves at 10:00 AM, what time do you recommend getting our Arizona memorial tickets? I was thinking 10:45 - or does it take longer than that to get from the ship to Pearl Harbor? Our tour is called Pearl Harbor History and Honolulu Highlights and does not include the Missouri. I assume we'll go to Pearl Harbor first and then do the Honolulu tour. I know chances are probably slim that we would time it just right but I think I will take the chance. If we can't use our tickets I'll give them to someone who is waiting in line for tickets.
  5. Thatā€™s us, too. Weā€™re not antisocial by any means, but we donā€™t take a cruise to make new friends. I donā€™t want to have to make the same conversation over and overā€¦ā€so where are you from? etc.ā€ I know many people are absolutely opposite, and consider meeting new people the best part of a cruise, but for the most part, we prefer ā€œjust us.ā€
  6. I will be taking an 18 day cruise from San Diego to Hawaii. Can anyone who has sailed to Hawaii give me any info on whether Iā€™ll be able to text my family, or to receive calls or texts while at sea? My children are grown, so I donā€™t need constant access, but it would be nice to be able to check in once or twice during the multiple sea days. I have T-Mobile. Iā€™ll have the internet package as part of the have-it-all. Thank you for any advice to this not-so-tech-savvy lady! šŸ˜Š
  7. re: the bossche bollen, in my head I was thinking bocce ball because itā€™s the size of one - but I guess that would be Italian, not Dutch. It is something you MUST try at the Dutch cafe. (no charge). Itā€™s really good! I would suggest splitting it because even though I have a huge sweet tooth, it was too much for me (ok, I did force myself to finish it, though). šŸ˜
  8. My husband uses a cpap, and on first meeting our cabin steward, he requests an extension cord if needed and one is brought promptly. (I say ā€œif neededā€ because on some of our cruises there was a plug close enough that he didnā€™t need one). P.S. When typing cpap, it wants to auto correct to ā€œcrap.ā€ CPap users might get a laugh out of that. šŸ˜
  9. Because their choice of books are ones that they think will be popular to many readers. If one person takes the only copy of the current best seller and then keeps it for the entire cruise, no one else would get a chance to read it. (and people would complain "why doesn't the library have any good books?")
  10. Peopleā€™s opinions here run the gamut from ā€œthe library is a waste of spaceā€ to ā€œitā€™s not much of a library - there is hardly any selection of books.ā€. I actually think HAL has somewhat of a happy medium. The library on the Rotterdam, for example, doesnā€™t really take up much space. It is tucked away (and is actually rather hard to find), and the room is compact. The way the books are displayed (like a bookstore) makes browsing easy, because itā€™s true that itā€™s not a ā€œrealā€ library with a card catalog and extensive shelves of books. I thought it was perfect for looking for something fun or interesting to read while on vacation. If you have an interest in something extremely specific or scholarly, you wonā€™t find it, but if youā€™d like to sample a best seller, mystery, biography, or even a classic, I think you could find something to enjoy. I think the library fills a need for those who enjoy having a book to relax with on vacation but may not have brought their own or downloaded books in advance. Itā€™s just one of those things like bingo, the casino, trivia, crafts, or classical music - none of those are everyoneā€™s cup of tea, but itā€™s nice for the ship to offer as many options for enjoyment as they can. It is not going to meet everyoneā€™s expectations, but I think itā€™s something many passengers appreciate having on the ship.
  11. Even if you could somehow work out sleeping arrangements, you would have to get dressed in shifts because itā€™s crowded for even two people to get ready at the same time. Best of luck - I hope youā€™ll be able to work it out so you can all travel comfortably.
  12. My husband is also a big guy and uses a C-pap. At home we sleep in a king size. On our three cruises we slept in the queen size, and it was just fine. It honestly didnā€™t seem that different from the king. We were in verandah staterooms each time if that makes a difference. I personally think youā€™d be more comfortable in the same bed rather than messing with the fold-out, which doesnā€™t sound comfortable at all. We just make sure heā€™s on the side of the bed closest to the outlet where the extension cord for his c-pap goes. The ships we were on were Zuiderdam, Eurodam, and Rotterdam.
  13. I found the portions on our recent Eurodam cruise rather small, but I actually thought they were just right. At home we donā€™t eat a meal with an appetizer, bread and butter, and dessert every night. Iā€™m a ā€œclean my plateā€ kind of person, so if the portions were large I definitely would have over eaten. My husband is a big guy, and he sometimes ordered two portions of the main dish, and they were happily served to him. I enjoyed every bite (not a single meal was disappointing), did not deny myself anything, and didnā€™t gain a single pound so to me the portions were spot-on, especially since you can ask for more.
  14. We have an upcoming cruise on Koningsdam, and we've been watching You Tube videos to familiarize ourselves with the ship. 1) It looks as though there is a nice lounging area on the deck above the Lido pool (overlooking the pool). Are these private Lido cabanas or are they open to anyone? If private, I assume it is like on other ships and you have to reserve them once on board, not in advance. 2) What exactly is the spa hydropool? In pictures it looks like it's just a big hot tub, with the addition of the two shower heads. I wondered if there was something more to it that made it special. Or is the appeal mainly in the fact that it is more private than the poolside hot tubs? Thanks, fellow cruisers!
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