McDeb2119

14 hours ago, Navybikermom said:

@POA1 - BINGO! I went to the Crow’s Nest and mentioned how awful they were from the Lido and he made me one that was spectacular! He said his name was Pom Pom but I think his name tag said Soemkoek. 
 

Mission complete. 🤗

Will look for him next month. I love a Pain Killer. 

Cookie hardness is real!

I book the pass on the cooler weather cruises. I booked on the Norway and my upcoming Iceland cruises.  We leave port fairly early most days so it is nice to come back after being outside in cooler temps and relax before dinner. Most times I’ll shower and dry my hair in the spa. This also gives me some alone time where both of us aren’t trying to get ready at the same time. 

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Good evening from the 10th floor of the Rotterdam Hilton.  It is cold, wet and windy here this evening.

Our flight from Cork was 25 minutes late departing but only 15 minutes late on Amsterdam arrival.  We had no delays at passport control and collected our bags quickly and then headed down to platform 5 to board the 9.10pm Inter City Direct train to Rotterdam.  It was only 35 minutes from Schiphol to Rotterdam Centraal. Remembering to 'Tap out' of the train journey it was only a short walk to the hotel.

Now it is time to catch up one the 'Sprint Qualifying' for the F1 and then to bed.

Good night from Rotterdam.

Ahh. Forgot this was a sprint race this weekend. Interesting itinerary. Had a stop in Gibraltar last year and really enjoyed it. Watch out though because those monkeys know how to open zippers on bags and backpacks!!

3 hours ago, 1of4 said:

Well I got sidetracked in a major way when I fell after the safety briefing. So our trip no longer includes a trip to Vienna 😔 but we have rented a wheelchair so I can still go to Keukenhof Gardens on Tuesday. I’ll spare you the details but I am being well cared for and we can stay onboard for the week.

 

so I missed the lovely town of Veere yesterday and today we are docked in downtown Antwerp. DH has gone into Ghent in Belgium with explicit instructions to being back chocolate 🍫 😝 

 

Back to comparisons, let’s talk laundry. Back in 2019 one bag of laundry was included and boy did I stuff that bag! We were told by our butler on the first day that it is 1 kg of laundry which is generally half a bag. 
 

Because we are in a junior suite we also get 2 items pressed daily. In the top suite(s) it is unlimited laundry and pressing. 

Oh no!  I hope you get well soon.  Can you speak about how you are finding getting around the ship in a wheelchair for those who have mobility issues.  It did not seem possible on our Avalon ship to get around in a chair as the design of the boat was split level where the cabins are, the lobby was sort of in the middle between this 2 decks.   IIRCC, there was a small lift that only went to the cabin decks but not the main deck or dining area.  Thanks. 

Let us how it worked for you and the steps you had to take. I have an existing booking as well that I was unsure if the AARP OBC could be added.  I am also on a casino rate so I figured it was unlikely. 

Is this for EU/UK residents or for cruises departing EU/UK?  The word “guest” could apply to either. 

9 hours ago, 1of4 said:

We are in a city view room which, to us is worth it. The other side of the hallway has no view to speak of. Originally I booked us into a deluxe king (I think) without breakfast because my Scottish blood runs thick and the cost I felt was too high. 
 

We received an email on April 1, one week before arrival, with a number of upgrades available. They wouldn’t guarantee any until digital checkin but when I did that April 6 I saw that the room upgrade was granted and I could choose which king corner suite I wanted. I was informed at checkin that the breakfast was denied because the king corner suite comes with free breakfast. 
 

The hotel itself is good. Location for transportation is amazing. And you can walk everywhere if you don’t have mobility issues like me. Of course it is European so the bathroom could use a bit more space but for 3 nights it’s just fine. 
 

I am a Hilton Honours member but not high in points so I don’t know why received the email but it was a nice surprise as was breakfast this morning. It is extensive with variety of choice and quantity of items. 

Thank you. Very helpful!!

13 hours ago, 1of4 said:

Greetings from Amsterdam!  We arrived just before noon on Sunday and were greeted by above average temperatures and sunshine!  Not expected but very welcome. 
 

One of the big differences between booking a Scenic River cruise and a HAL cruise, is that if you opt to fly in early and stay in Scenic’s choice of hotel (even if you book it yourself and provide them with your confirmation number) all transfers are included. 
 

In this case it means staying at the Hilton Doubletree Centraal Station. By booking myself, I used my Hilton Honors cash & points and got a king room for 3 nights for half the cost of Scenic’s rate for 2 nights in a basic queen room. Then a week before arrival I requested an upgrade to a king corner room for €25/night which includes breakfast that would have cost €21/person per night. 
 

DH heard the concierge tell someone that the cost for a taxi to the airport would be €115. Instead of paying that twice, we were met in the airport and brought to the hotel and on Wednesday will be brought to the boat. The following Wednesday we will be returned to the airport to fly on to Austria. 

More photos are on my life thread on the River Cruising board. 

 

How are you finding the Doubletree?  We are staying there post cruise in July also on points.   Can’t beat the location between the cruise docks and the Train station.  Also note you can take the train from Schipol to Centraal station.  Do you have Hilton status?  Is that how you requested the upgrade?

1 hour ago, Petronillus said:

Assuming that's a photo of you under your moniker, I surmise that your 50th birthday was 15-20 years in the future when you did the Avalon cruise. 

I'd appreciate it if you cleared a point of confusion for me (another one!): if you're using the same Buick standard I do, did Avalon exceed it? If so, was it closer to the BMW or the Buick? Do you think your experience with Avalon matched OP's with Scenic, as more fully amplified in her/his later posts?

OP had me hooked at complimentary Pringles.

Has. You are too kind. That photo was actually taken on that trip, so about 5 yrs ago.  In my research I came across quite a few lines and most I would group into 4 categories. Budget, tourist, luxury and ultra luxury.  I would say Avalon is Luxury and Scenic, Tauck, Crystal would be ultra luxury. For the price, I couldn’t justify free pringles for the extra cost. lol. Honestly, I wanted to make sure I had one of the cabins with a balcony, etc and none of it mattered because I was never in the room except to sleep and shower.  There was plenty of food available at all times. Even though drinks were only included at lunch and dinner, my bar bill for 7 days was less than $100.  The food and staff were amazing. The tours were excellent.  I just can’t see paying more for just the boat portion. That’s just me though. Now, if the extra cost gets you a better room on the land portion (often cruises longer than 7 days, there is a land portion included on River Cruises), it may be worth it.  Avalon suited me just fine, exceeded the Buick standard.  Next year we are going with AMA but only because we liked the itinerary better. 

3 hours ago, Petronillus said:

Thank you for your response. I appreciate that my personal frame of reference and standard of comparison (namely, David Dunbar Buick's eponymous automobile) might not work outside the US market. The standard you've described sounds higher than a Cadillac (top of the General Motors lines) and more like a Mercedes Maybach, which I can't afford and, blessedly, don't aspire to.

I haven't started checking prices, but I'm bracing for "Too rich for my blood . . ." But for me it's the same for Neptune suites.

I’ve only been on one river cruise with Avalon. However, before choosing I did a ton of research. Like you, I wanted a Buick. Not a Focus or a BMW. I also wanted something a little more active as it was for

my 50th birthday and we had a small group ranging in ages from 40-70. Avalon fit the bill and so did AMA so it came down to itinerary as all the ships were very similar. Although now I might consider AMA for their newish ship the AMA Maga.  Drinks are included with lunch and dinner. There are many different tours offered and most are included. 2 tours per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  My group and I would go to the lounge for a nightcap and then off to bed as the breakfast was not to be missed before the morning tour.  We have another planned for 2025 and can’t wait.  

Sounds like a great cruise!

1992 was my first. 

There really is no comparison. River cruise ships have around 160 passengers. There isn’t a lot to do onboard as the focus is on the small towns and villages visited along the river.  I found the food to be much better and enjoyed every minute of the slower pace.  

24 minutes ago, Nodakboiler said:

This isn't Princess- you'll get a keycard outside your cabin.

It is an actual medallion that HAL gives out for sailing X amount of days. Bronze = 100 / silver = 300 / gold = 500

In 2017 I brought back bulbs from Amsterdam.  When at the floating flower market I suspected they were asked often if they can be brought to the US. They put a special agricultural sticker on them. I declared them when entering the US. It took like 10 minutes for Customs to look it up but ultimately they let me have them.  

HAL may not prohibit fishing equipment but you will need to check with the Norwegian government. My boyfriend used to go fishing in Iceland and his equipment needs to be sterilized and have documentation. Just something you might want to look into. 

6 minutes ago, pschweig said:

July 10 ten day cruise from Reykjavik to Amsterdam?

Yes!  

I think we might be on the same sailing. I was just researching this topic myself. I found several posts that said they run all night but reduced frequency later on and mostly crew on later tenders.  However, I am thinking about booking a hotel so we can stay in town and go to pubs and have a dinner out. 

I take my own pillow everywhere. I have one of this compression bags that don’t require a vacuum and it gets pretty flat. But I have a feather pillow so it could be bulkier if foam. 

There is no reservation system but I’ve never had to wait long. I just pop into one of the saunas or showers.  

We took the train from Rome Termini to Civitavecchia. It was fine. We then took a port shuttle bus to the port area.  I think it was 4€ per person. It’s not far so a taxi might be better.  We’ve also arranged private transport with a larger group. Can be done via Viator.  We do a mix of HAL excursions and doing our own thing. But in the Med we usually like to do beach days in Greece, walk around the towns. In Naples, we chartered a boat that took us up the Amalfi coast and over to Capri. They picked us up at the port in Naples. 

Now that you earn credits on number of nights as well as spend I don’t see the reason for the complaint.  However this person earned 4*, they earned it. If they didn’t spend a dime they would only get credit for the number of nights and that would take forever.  

I’ve seen Affligem on draft on prior sailings. 

I think in HAL terms it is anytime dining for which you cannot book in advance. You have the choice of early late dining in advance. For anytime dining, you simply show up and wait to be seated. Usually on the upper floor of the dining room IIRC.