Haljo1935

Same - have never seen that on any of the HAL ships we've been on. So I think all the ships that don't have that, have to use the TV.

Hey @mcrcruiser next time I leave from San Diego, I'm staying at your house! You can fill us in on the best places to eat and give tips for our ports!!

Pullman we had one time had a horrible slant to it causing the user to roll toward the edge. After setting up a barrier of pillows to prevent dropping down onto unsuspecting cabin mates from above, she said she felt like a baby in an old school play pen but without the benefit of a bedtime story and refused to go back up. It caused us a good laugh, but her not so much - I think she's still traumatized. That Pullman was over the bed not the sofa and we were very glad her pillows held for the 2 nights she used it.

Hey @MrBill923 welcome to HAL & Alaska!! As others have said - layers and waterproof outerwear are your friends. We cruise AK each May and Sept to open then close the season and find we've never needed any actual heavy winter wear. But definitely scarves and gloves for Glacier Bay and when on deck. The wind can be chilly, even in the sun. We live on our balcony and make great use of the blankets they provide. When packing, don't forget binoculars - they was important as your clothes! Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

Hey @mcrcruiser even if your cabin is not ready, you will be able to drop your stuff in your cabin then head out to eat. We very much enjoy MDR lunch on embarkation day - never crowded, so, as others said, it's a nice calm in a frenzied morning. We've never been kicked out of MDR and just enjoy the view (ask to be at window if they don't put you there) until we're ready to head to the cabin. Last we sailed from San Diego was Dec 2022 - no issues. Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

The Denali pix are beautiful - nice the weather was on your side!!

Hey @Palm Beacher what's your cabin number - I'm on my way!!

Aligned with @Mary229 that spa does offer specials onboard. The thermal pass is usually discounted if you buy additional services, just ask about the discount - they have a flier they can show you with different levels of discounted packages that gets you a discount on the weekly thermal pass price. Other than that, I'm not aware of discounts. I've not seen the laundry be priced lower onboard, it's always been the same price.

I would use that TA again just so they could give me OBC in the amount of the transfers they " bought" for you. Then check to be sure they didn't book any for the new cruise. 😞

I am one who has reported having excessive charges changed from CC to OBC (only once onboard by Exc Desk) as I've done it many times, but have not tried it w/specialty dining or spa, but am going to try it on my next cruise. That is not until Oct 29, so if anyone tries it before then, please report back. 🙂

Same as @crystalspin at different times of day for several days. Tried incognito mode - same.

Thanks @steveknj for sharing - glad to hear you mostly enjoyed your cruise and that things seem to be continuing to improve on the Venezia. We'll be on B2B next week, so the timing of your post is perfect! Question - did there seem to be a bottleneck or delay in the Lido? We've read the buffet is not efficient due to the layout requiring everyone to go through the entire line even if they wanted something from only one section.

Hey @firefly333 you could try shoreex.com or Viator for other excursion options. You may also see some of the ones you were interested in that show sold out through the ship. Lucy's in Aruba has a great key lime dessert that is worth the whole trip! We had a late port there and just walked out to the right when we got off the ship - lots of shopping (didn't go in anywhere as that's not what we were there for) then got to the food places on the right. We sat right at the water watching the sunset. Very local vibe; would feel comfortable doing solo. As for the ostrich farm - it was interesting but for me a "one and done." An ostrich tried to steal my sisters phone, just saying they have no manners, lol.

Just to confirm - if I only want a salad, for example, I can't bypass the people waiting for entrees and walk to the salad section? Or if I only want a roll, I have to wait through the entire line? Going in Sept so trying to prepare...

Happy Anniversary!!

Hey John - looks like you left out TX and CT in your list of states. I see 3 from TX 1 from CT. 🙂

That's what I've done; I didn't know there was a switch to turn it on and off.

Is this a planned 1 day only strike or could it go longer? We arrive Rome Oct 24, cruise out of Civitavecchia Oct 26.

Hey @yhave1neWe're going this year Oct 29 - Nov 9; not sure exactly which day is Corfu as I don’t have itinerary handy. Would you say a long sleeve t-shirt layered w/lightweight rain jacket is adequate? Anything particular we need to be aware of - it's our first time to Corfu. Thank you!

We enjoyed taking the ferry to Granville Island then just go explore. There's a lot to see and do there. In the center near the bakery (a must stop to grab fresh bread snacks) is usually a band to enjoy live music.

Being on HAL, we take the ship shuttle to downtown, eat & listen to live music at Irish Times Pub, grab a Gelato at the shop next to where the return shuttle line queues.

Our port time is typically 4 hours (8pm-12) on HAL itineraries. We take the ship shuttle to downtown to eat dinner & listen to live music at Irish Times Pub and grab a Gelato at the shop next to where the return shuttle line queues. There is a nighttime garden tour, but we've not done it as I don't think a couple hours is enough time to enjoy the gardens.

That is still true - OBC can be used for daily gratuities even though the TOS state they cannot.

Yes - they scan it to know you attended.

Yes!!