Haljo1935

lunch is 11- 1. Many options beyond burgers, including veggies. The bbq alone is worth the stop.

Definitely u usual - I'd recommend calling the HAL excursion number well in advance rather than waiting until you're onboard. There should be horseback riding, stingrays, glass bottom boat, jet skis, nature walk, clamshells, tram ride... Even when something is sold out, it's usually still posted so you can waitlist. Just returned 3 days ago from 2 B2B and there were options both weeks. Same for last month and Dec, as well.

Just got off Nieuw Amsterdam 3 days ago and, yes, there was an issue.

You would need to buy a Thermal Pass. They go quickly, so sign up early. Usually $149/week or $50 single visit. If you add another service, it could reduce the weekly price to $110. I have considered this for a while and finally did it for both weeks on my last cruise - it was fabulous!!

HAL is not charging $30/bag on all cruises/ships. Just got off Nieuw Amsterdam 3 days ago completing 14 days (7 day B2B), Koningsdam last month (also 14 day B2B) and Nieuw Statendam in Dec (also 14 day B2B) - all of them were $20/bag or $49/week unlimited. I believe the cost depends on the itinerary and length of cruise. We pack less, save on luggage fees and enjoy unpacking clean laundry when we return home, so the laundry service is a must for us. Be sure to remember them when you're handing out end of cruise tips - they do a great job and will fulfill special requests.

Yes, there will be a person w/a clipboard at a clearly marked podium. Give them your name and they'll give you a card to get on the shuttle, then wait... Wait time depends on how early your plane lands and how many people are expected on the shuttle. I almost always take the HAL shuttle, but Uber or taxi at FLL is easy and cheaper, I would still do the shuttle for Miami flights.

Supply issues are still impacting the ships. Last cruise (Dec-Jan) there was a shortage of key items - Splenda, Diet Coke and other such popular things - it was bad. So bad, that even after getting provisions there was still a shortage. The cruise I just got back from we had plenty of Splenda but there were no eggs, almonds or croutons on the salad bar on day 2!! Supply chain issues continue in the stores and on the ships...

So green (with envy) - just got off Nieuw Amsterdam and did NOT get the 150 year tile. 😞

Exact experience on Nieuw Amsterdam - just returned 3 days ago from 14 day (7 day B2B) where I got the card on first leg and red's tiles on 2nd leg.

Just got off HAL Nieuw Amsterdam 3 days ago - unfortunately due to improperly operating a/c we needed a fan the 2nd week. They brought us a full size box fan; it was adequate, a desk fan would never have been nearly strong enough. With that said, we were needing cool air, which a fan does not provide, but if you only want to move air around, a desk fan may due. To prevent possible confiscation, you might want to check with HAL first to see if a fan is allowed. As for the laundry, they have done a great job of fulfilling requests to not put items in the dryer.

Cruise tours can be structured in many different ways, so you'll need to consider there may be differences from your itinerary as you read through the responses on this thread. There could be bus, train or planes involved. We did: Noordam May 2022. Itinerary: cruise first; land after Land stops (in order): 1st stop Denali by train McKinley Explorer 2nd stop Talkeetna by bus 3rd stop Annchorage by bus Travel Food: Train to Denali (which was scheduled to be 6-7 hours took almost double that due to engine failure & medical evac) was BEAUTIFUL, lunch, drinks, snacks were at our expense. Dinner was not provided or offered since it wasn't planned for us to be on it. Nothing provided on buses and nothing available but you can take your own. Meal package - offered but not recommended, options are limited (you don't get to select from full menu) and tend to be only the higher priced items, we did the math and it was just not worth it. There are different meal packages such as breakfast only, dinner only, etc, none are worth the crazy high price. Hotels/food: Denali - McKinley Chalet, lovely with many food options, restaurants also available within walking distance Talkeetna - don't remember the name but it was nice, only food option was at the hotel, food was good, breakfast was buffet with good choices Anchorage - Captain Cook, very nice, restaurants were good, reservations required for the top floor restaurant, others did not need reservations. There were a few options available w/in walking distance but we only found 1 that was open. This was the only place during the entire cruise (including the ship) where we could get crab - it was expensive but husband had to have it and said it was great). Breakfast menu was great - many options with HUGE omelettes Land excursions: Denali - arrival night ATV excursion was canceled due to train delay (never received the refund HAL said was issued), very limited options 2nd day due to departure for Talkeetna. We took shuttle to the park and hiked for a couple hours - many places still frozen but it was awesome Talkeetna - only shuttle to town day of arrival had already made last run, it's a couple miles but we didn't want to walk so nothing to do. Next day no excursions offered - we took shuttle to town, walked around, went to Ranger Station and saw a hiker briefing in process. Anchorage - very limited excursions offered, the one we were able to get was canceled because the lake was still frozen. We took a cab to the zoo then spent the rest of the day (8 hours) sitting in the hotel lobby with many other people waiting for the shuttle to the airport. All land excursions except the first night in Denali (the ATV that was canceled) were arranged through the hotels or independently- none were offered through HAL and all hotels didn't offer them. It was confusing and not explained in advance, we kept asking before the cruise and while on the ship when we would select excursions but never received anything on them. TA said we would get a packet with all that info and that we would have a guide join us when we transferred from ship to train who would be with us for the duration of the land portion but that didn't happen either. So maybe we didn't get any excursion options because the guide was the one who had them? Most of the limited offerings are not feasible due to our arrival/departure times. Because there were no excursions offered in advance and our flight home was 9pm, we had arranged for a rent car in Anchorage planning to just go to the airport after hotel check out, pick up the car and spend the day exploring. But when there was no transportation to the airport we canceled the rental. After what we spent getting to/from the zoo, we should have kept the car and paid taxi fare to airport to pick it up. But when we canceled, we didn't know there wouldn't be anything available. Ugh... Luggage: Very small carry on allowed on the train and bus, you'll receive luggage tags for your big luggage that will meet you at your final hotel (for us that was Anchorage). You get 1 luggage tag for 1 large luggage that will meet you at each of the other hotels along the way. The process was not explained very well in any of the materials but we did finally get an excursion person on the ship that was able to explain it. It does require some advance planning and shuffling of suitcase items so you can have what you need in the land stops. Our 1 large bag was not located until the end of the trip so I had to improvise. This was our first Land Cruise - it got canceled twice due to Covid, so maybe if the world was "normal" we would have had a different experience, but we'll never know. We were very excited looking forward to this for so long, but we have canceled the other 2 we had booked and will do cruise only from now on. The cost was almost double a cruise-only fare, such a disappointment to know we could have taken another Alaskan cruise (which we LOVE) for what we paid to sit in a hotel lobby... I'm sure your experience will be vastly different and hope your camera fills up with pictures!!

We were on Koningsdam Nov 26-Dec 10. First week the entire hall from beginning to end of the lifeboats on 4 Port side (where the doors can close off the hallways - basically forward elevator to aft elevator) were quarantined; don't know about Starboard side as we never went that way. Not saying they were all occupied, but they were blocked off. The doors were locked so you had to go around to get from end to the other. The second week the doors were open and the signs were down; the cabins were being utilized by "regular passengers." There were signs scattered on doors throughout the ship notifying that particular cabin was off limits. So I think they were isolated in their own cabin.

Yep - reason for using LW in my post. 🙂 clearly VT is more attuned than LW. Thank you!!

Visited the Turks website - plan that we will need to show our cards, so even though we've done VeriFLY we are taking our cards. May need them in Cayman as well. I did not check Jamaica, but will be prepared.

Depends on the ship. We boarded 2 days after Thanksgiving Nov 26 2022 - there were no decorations when we got on, but they started on the 27th and each day more were added. We were on for 2 weeks and I would say by the time we got off on Dec 10 the ship was fully decorated. Every port both weeks were decorated - if you're going post Thanksgiving, you should definitely see decorations. Don't forget your cabin door - you can be a little festive, too. We did a couple things on our door and even the cabin stewards smiled!!

We completed VeriFLY. No separate line for it, but when we showed the Ready to Sail screen with the green checkmark at the first stop (where they scanned our boarding pass) we were sent past other lines straight to the end, so it did save us time. It's not required, but HAL does continue to send emails reminding us to complete it. This was Dec in San Diego. Will know about FLL in 2 days 🙂 didid it just in case. I'm all for anything that reduces the wait time.

Unfortunately the per bag price and per day price do vary. As recently as May 2022 Alaska, Oct 2022 Canada and Dec 2022 Mexican Riviera, I paid $20/bag (Alaska) and $49 unlimited (Canada & Mexican Riviera). Leave in 2 days B2B Caribbean and have prepaid unlimited at $49. All of these were under 22 days that shows on the price list posted earlier. You can specify fold or hang - we do a combination depending on the items and they always get it right. We have asked for certain items to not be dried and those came back fine. If you roll the items and stuff well, you can fit an amazing amount of laundry in a single bag, making the $20/$30 bags a bargain. Having clean dry clothes in rainy Alaska and sweaty free clothes in humid Jamaica, plus a lighter suitcase at baggage check is money well spent. IMHO. I send everything out 2 days before end of cruise so I have no laundry to do when I arrive home - love taking clothes from suitcase to closet. The laundry team does a great job, they take a lot of pride in their work and leave a personal note with each delivery. I highly recommend remembering them when you distribute your end of cruise tipping supplements. 🙂

Hi - who is your PCC, if I may ask? Mine (initials LW) is not helpful at all, EVER, with anything; I'd I do better searching site and either booking on my own then calling to have it adjusted or calling in to book. I also call and have Pricing Specialist make adjustments when rates drop - PCC has not helped. Not the way it should work or my experience w/PCC on Princess. Thanks!

Hi, BIN - I'm more than a little ticked off at CCL for the way the ship swap was handled. We booked B2B (PIF on both) in Dec2021, so a ways out by the time the swap occurred and new assignments were made. We were downgraded on both weeks and put in 2 cabins when we had booked same one for both weeks. Multiple calls and emails got me nowhere. Told I could cancel and gets refund if done soon. So, I'd be interested know if you had problems other than the dinner reservations.

Hi, TVLady3 - are you on the Venezia Sept 16-23 to Canada New England then Sept 23-29? My sister and I are doing that as B2B.

I do not have experience w/cruise mate but have heard of it. Hope it will benefit you.

Hi - were the original bookings transferred by CCL to this ship due to the change from Magic to Venezia? I ask because I was also on B2B on Magic paid in full on both and when they were transferred to Genesis the cabins were downgraded with no compensation. Also, had booked same cabin both weeks, but could put in 2 different cabins on 2 different decks on 2 different sides of the shio. Not happy. I have made multiple calls and sent multiple emails all without success. Any recommendations on how you were able to get satisfactory resolution is appreciated.

Hope you're feeling better and were able to enjoy your birthday.

Hey, John - been watching your countdown. Are you logging an entry every day until we cruise? Just curious 🙂 My sister (Lynne) and I (Elizabeth) will be a party of 2 from TX doing B2B; husband will be at home working. Like you, my sister is retired, but my husband and I are not, so we go when we can. This does look to be a beautiful ship, which I hope I am able to let go of my frustration at Carnival for the cabin disaster enough to enjoy. We are on B2B so it must be nice!!

Moved from the Magic to Venezia Sept 23-29 2023 for Canada New England. Looks to be a pretty ship with some "personality."