auntmeg

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles/jones-act-and-pvsa-whats-the-difference-and-how-do-they-affect-my-cruise

I embarked in Vancouver on July 2, 2023. I thought that the process was fairly well organized. Yes, we had to wait in line, but my mindset was that some waiting was to be expected. The process took about 1.5 hours from beginning to boarding the ship and that included a delay of about 30 minutes because the ship arrived late into the port and the ship was not ready for us to board. But even with that, I was on the ship at 11:30am.

Why? Why don't you have any choice?

Transportation provided by whom? There are lots of taxis at the Vancouver airport that will take you right to the Pan Pacific. And the Pan Pacific is literally attached to the cruise port. No transportation is needed. You walk down the corridor from the hotel to the port terminal.

In the Explorations Cafe. https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/onboard-experiences/dining/explorations-cafe

The Nauticus museum and USS Wisconsin are directly adjacent to the cruise terminal in Norfolk and are excellent. https://nauticus.org/ Depending upon what time and how long you will be in port, you might check out the American Rover. https://www.americanrover.com/ Or the Victory Rover. https://www.navalbasecruises.com/

It's been discussed here that the Land Dining Plans are, in general, very overpriced. You typically would need to order the most expensive thing at each meal to make them worth the cost. And, no they won't "take care of cruise people first over walk ins". You will be given vouchers to use in the restaurants to pay for your meals. You likely will not have any problems getting served if you do not purchase the dining package and just pay as you go.

Yes. An 18% gratuity is applied when you purchase any drink package.

Not "essential". But definitely very helpful to have a smartphone while on your cruise.

Teacher OBC is non-refundable. https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/cruise-deals/community-appreciation-cruise-offers/teacher-appreciation-offer "Terms & Conditions Onboard Credit offer is based on Promo(s) ZH*. Limit: One (1) onboard spending money credit (“Offer”) per stateroom. Offer is only available for verified teachers, educators, faculty members, or staff ("Educator") at an educational institution in the United States of America. Verification is required to determine eligibility. Offer is valued at US$100 per stateroom. Offer is available only for new bookings. Offer is in USD and is non-refundable, non-transferable, and has no cash value. Eligible voyages include select 2023 and 2024 cruises. The offer expires at the end of the Eligible Cruise and may not be used in the casino or on gratuities or any other specified fees or items. The Offer and/or its terms may be modified or withdrawn without prior notice. Other restrictions and exclusions may apply."

Eurodam. Much better ports.

I used Journi for my Alaska cruise last year. I was VERY pleased with the results. The application will produce maps of the places where your pictures were taken and place those within your photo pages. You can also delete them if you don't want those. You can completely customize the colors and picture layout. It will by default put them in chronological order. My book had 145 pages. And was 12"x8".

So file a class action lawsuit if you believe this to be the case ...

Check out this thread. It has a link to the form you will need.

YES!