mr. godfredo

You should use a trusted travel agent and have them do the work. When I find a cruise I want, I always call my agent and he will get me the best possible deal and explain to me specifically what each offer is all about. Holland America offers a few versions of the have it all plans, so it is important to understand the package you purchase.

Great work! HAL should pay you for this footage and use it in their media campaigns!

Please add Ross and Mona- 13-Day Far East Discovery Holiday- December 22, 2024

Excited that we got really good casino deals for upcoming cruises! We booked an Asia cruise RT Singapore for 13 nights on Noordam for the holidays! Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam here we come! Looking forward to this cruise as we have never been to any of these places.

8 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

You know you will have a window in your Inside cabin? If you want a second chair, ask your stewards (we had three in 10021 on Zuidy!). There are only the two nightstand drawers in the whole cabin (if you don't count the large drawers under the end of the beds). We packed collapsible closet-organizing boxes and used them as drawers on the closet shelves.

 

ETA: it is the left-right opposite of this cabin:

https://halfacts.com/vista-class/10024-oosterdam/

 

PS, the window looks over the roof of the pool, but you get light and can check the weather!

 

It was because of your previous post that I knew about this hidden gem of a cabin! The window is great but the added bonus of having the crows nest right next to use is an added bonus! Thank you for the info!!!

I had my TA call and I got moved to 10021

Anyone have any information on the front to back facing inside cabins on Oosterdam? We have cabin 4158 and was curious about the layout and space. It says it is a large inside, but I have seen conflicting information about actual cabin size. If anyone has insight on these type or category of cabins I would greatly appreciate it.

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

The 21 day Med and Adriatic cruise, departing Athens on 23 June and arriving in Rome/Civitavecchia on 14 July is a collector cruise made up of a 12 day Med Empires arriving in Trieste on 5 July and departing the same day towards Rome on a 9 day Adriatic and Italian 'Splendors' cruise.  So, there will probably be a good bit of repetition on the second cruise.  There will probably be 4 dressy nights.

Thanks for the tip on that.

We will be on a 21 day Med and Adriatic cruise on Oosterdam this summer from Athens to Rome. We have three nights of specialty dining, and I want to schedule strategically. Any insight on how often the menus repeat in the MDR? I can't imagine 21 unique menus. Any insights would be appreciated.

9 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Yep, safest and most efficient.  If you don't use them, just save them.

Thanks!!! Makes good sense!

3 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

I use them every cruise.  The most fool proof way is to put a credit card on your sail and sign, then apply gift cards once I make charges.  No dealing with refunds and gift cards are good forever.  Cruise cash is unrefundable.  

So just settle on the ship is what I am hearing. Thanks for the tip!

I recently purchased a discounted Carnival gift card through AARP, my wondering is should I apply it to purchasing cruise cash (online) prior to sailing or redeem it on the ship. Not sure of any pitfalls either way.

6 hours ago, AnnaP said:

So I did the barcode trick that people have talked about to find out our room numbers

Please enlighten me about the "barcode" trick???

Yup, we did 14 nights in Europe (14 night Voyage of the Midnight Sun) this past summer on this type of deal. If you want to go...jump on it as it is capacity controlled!

Glad to hear that Allure is doing well! We will be sailing on her in April! 

April 2nd Allure OTS- Western Carib R/T Galveston

Oosterdam- June 24, 2024-21-Day Mediterranean, Adriatic & Italian Splendor- Ross and Mona just celebrating life!

Please keep in mind the drink price limits for the HIA as it is the signature package capped at $11.00 per drink. If you drink scotch and your wife enjoys sparkling wines, the package may not cover the brands you like. In that case you would need to upgrade the package. I am a bourbon drinker and found that I needed to upgrade my package for the brands I like as they were over the $11.00 price tag. 

Your husband will be fine without a tie. Many gentlemen go without wearing a tie...me included. I stopped bringing a sports jacket now as it is not necessary and bulky to pack. I often change back to my regular clothes after dinner, but most do not.Our experience with HAL cruises to the Caribbean, is two Gala nights per 7 day cruise. 

Is a noon flight from Hobby too early? I will be on Allure in April RT Galveston.

We just sailed RT from Amsterdam. We flew in the day before the cruise and stayed at a hotel right at the central train station. for 5 Euros each the train was a great option. from our hotel it cost us about 10 Euros to get to the ship. As far as leaving, we carried off our luggage, caught a cab to the airport (80 Euros) and joined the chaos that is AMS. The airport is always a zoo as it is a major hub. We waited 1.5 hours to drop our bags and then about 45-50 minutes to clear security. Passport control took 5 minutes and we were off to our gate. If you can, it might be a good idea to spend a day or so in Amsterdam after the cruise and enjoy the offerings of Amsterdam. 

I would take it in a heartbeat. We just got off Rotterdam (sister ship) and had an obstructed balcony cabin and it was great. Views are fine other than straight down. 

On 6/20/2022 at 2:34 AM, kazu said:

Our CC friends are both headed to Northern scenery and sights.  No matter which itinerary they have chosen, we hope they enjoy all the wondrous sights offered & have a great time in ports and on board their Blue Hulled Beauties.  And, of course we wish them fair winds and smooth seas.

 

Bon Voyage to Rotterdam - 14 day Voyage of the Midnight Sun:

faerievert

mr. godfredo

 

 

 

Bon Voyage to Noordam - 14 day Double Denali:

jimgev

 

 

 

Bon Voyage everyone !!!!!!

Have a great cruise and a WONDERFUL time !!!!!!

We had a grand time! Rotterdam did not disappoint and we had beautiful, clear, and sunny weather for most of the voyage. It was certainly a trip to remember and we can't wait to get back on a HAL ship soon!

On 6/26/2022 at 2:21 PM, dobiemom said:

Bon Voyage! 🙂 

(Sorry I’m a day late @faerievert and @mr. godfredo.) 

 

Thanks! We had a great rip! Wonderful clear and warm weather. Rotterdam did not disappoint

6 minutes ago, ArchieCruise said:

I just got off the Spirit this last week.  For anything that uses a large amount of data such as video I would recommend the higher package.  With that said the internet speed on the ship was horrible at best.  We had the premium package and could not do any web browsing for 3 straight days and even when it did work it was slow and not very good.  You should have cell coverage in Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Victoria.  

Thanks for the prompt response!