Haljo1935

He got all but 1 vote, so everybody with a dog in the hunt wanted him to have $$.

That's pre-paid; I was talking about onboard. So we're likely talking different scenarios.

Safe travels to all of you - anxiously awaiting your first Alaskan posts!!

Don't think that's why - 5* also receive some internet and dinners, yet both internet & specialty dining are part of HIA pkg.

Steakhouse does incur the additional 18% - it shows on the receipt.

5184 and 5185 have the largest balconies due to the curve of the ship, but really any of those aft VBs are awesome. If you want a Neptune wraparound, go down to deck 4 as the side deck will be wider; we prefer Portside so SB4180 is our choice there. We tend to live on the balcony to maximize AK views, so every inch matters to us. 😎

HAL no longer has "Gala" nights, instead attire is "Dressy" or "Casual" plus one night designated for The Orange Party (7-day itinerary). While not referred to as "Gala," one really can wear (with some exceptions for beach wear, shorts, etc.) whatever makes them comfortable and allows them to have their best experience. You do you - there's room for everyone! And I agree that cruiselines have been responsive to change - I think publishing programs with "dressy" instead of "gala" while still providing an environment appropriate for more formal photography sessions is a great example. I love that HAL welcomes us all. 🤗

Love those true aft cabins, especially the ones with the extra deep balconies like deck 5 Oosterdam.

LOVE their laundry service!! Am aligned on wishing it would be offered in HIA; suspect it isn't because it represents actual hard cost expense for HAL (labor doing the laundry, resources for water/fuel/soap/etc) vs potential profit from overinflated prices of drinks/drinks not used on drink packages...see where I'm going here?

Laundry is not discounted so you can buy pre cruise or onboard at same price.

@icft Respectfully, the "gratuities" (your quotes) are not required and there is no fight involved in getting them removed or adjusted - a trip to Guest Services to fill out a very simple form handles it. If you want to retain the option to have them removed or adjusted, don't prepay them, as those cannot be adjusted.

Next maybe they'll start giving out the "catch ya next time" cards like they do for tiles. 🙃

Soooo close!! What's the weather supposed to be when you land in AK?

Although not my first time seeing the Lovely Lady, sailing away with the Statue of Liberty in the background literally gave me goosebumps when we did Canada on Princess a couple years ago. It turned out to be our last cruise before the Covid shutdown. Ugh... With that memory, we purposely booked an aft wraparound for this Sept just so we could thoroughly enjoy that unique NY departure. I may bring a red/white/blue shirt just for the occasion. 😊🥳

Day 1 we ask for an extra ice bucket and to have them both filled 2x/day. Lately that's gotten us the regular small bucket and a larger one that is meant for champagne (cover w/towel). That just about works out. We use that ice to fill our water bottles on port days, too, since plastic bottles are mostly non-existent, plus it stays cold. The big bucket is great for chilling the drinks we do want cold - definitely gets them colder than the fridge does. So the fridge really just becomes a place to keep drinks out of the way. Pre-covid for ports we drove to, we brought a small ice chest that lived on the balcony - steward filled it daily - that was the best!!

Following along as we join Venezia in Sept B2B Canada; impatiently awaiting pictures 🙂 Will take you up on offer to be our "scout" for answers and pictures; don't want to bombard you w/the obvious, but don’t want to ask for everything at the end cuz that just becomes work running around checking off someone else's list, lol.

@broadwaybaby123Do you have a ballpark estimate on dates for this fall Leaf Peeping? I haven't been able to find a good color map w/dates.

Experience on Carnival, Princess and HAL is they look like mini-fridge, but don’t actually get anything cold - they take the warmth off and will cool what you put in. My sister uses it for her meds, but I read somewhere on Carnival site that they shouldn't be used for meds and passengers should arrange w/medical for storage.

N Hi, no - I'm asking if there are 2 of us when we book the new cabin upgrade with CO, if that cabin will hold 3 or 4, can we then add a 3rd or 4th person?

If the newly selected CO cabin holds it, can another person be added to a CO booking?

Delay sounds like you may hitting that bar after all.

When using a TA, can they do a 3-way when adding CO call so you can get the cabin you want? Otherwise, what assurance is there of getting what you want?

We considered booking Azamara pre-Covid but did not do it due to a work conflict. We have very recently (this week) begun looking at specific cruises due to very attractive offers and are browsing threads here on CC to educate ourselves on Azamara since the sale in hopes of making an educated decision. We do not have unlimited funds available - this is a splurge for us and we want to be sure we're acting responsibly as well as getting the best value for our investment. This conversation gives me pause. Thoughts, suggestions, recommendations? What would you do if you had an opportunity for a do over? I feel for everyone on this thread who has not received proper treatment from Azamara and am not looking to be the next in line, but don't want to miss out on a great experience if that could be my outcome.

I don't believe she can board w/just a birth certificate. Even though she doesn't have a DL, she should be able to get a state issued ID which she could take. You definitely should call HAL and get confirmation of what's required for a minor.

Nice to learn you got the cabin and even had a choice between 2 - hope you immediately bought a lottery ticket, lol. On Oosterdam deck 5 you will have the deepest balcony - yet another win! We love those true aft cabins due to having both Port & Starboard views. Also enjoy the extra sealife (we seem to always have whales or dolphins joining us in port) especially on AK itineraries. If you're prone to feel the movement, you may notice it a bit more back there. We have not experienced extra noise or soot as some write about. Congrats and enjoy!!