waiting2retire

Thank you so much Colin! Your precise directions will make our transfer from Amsterdam to our hotel so much less stressful 😊

I will be following your thread with great anticipation @VMax1700 as I board the ship on the voyage after yours. We will also be staying at the Hilton for a day pre-cruise and wondering how long it took to walk from the train station. It looks pretty close on the map but I have not been to Rotterdam and distances on maps can be misleading. I expect we will Uber from the hotel to the ship. Have a wonderful cruise!

I’m confused. Does Nexus expedite return to Canada from a country other than the U.S.?

Great. Sounds like it’s going to work! Thanks so much.

If we purchase the multiple device package, we should both be able to use our devices at the same time though, right? And have you done this with someone occupying a different cabin?

I will be cruising with a friend but have separate cabins. Is there any reason I can’t sign up for the multi device wifi package and have my friend log in under my navigator account to use the wifi? I do realize she wouldn’t be able to monitor her onboard account or use any other Navigator app functions while logged into my account. In the long run, it would save us each about $200, so I just want to know whether it can be done before we decide if it’s worth the hassle. Thanks.

Last year there was no HAL transport, nor was there in 2017 when I was there. The local bus (99?) is inexpensive and easy to take. The bus stops about a 10 or 15 minute walk to the Royal Mile. I recall there is a more specific thread on the port-specific board. I have also taken a cab from the tender landing right to the castle. Obviously more expensive, but also more convenient!

THIS. I have been on cruises that had many delightful, well-behaved children whose parents supervised and were fully engaged with them. It’s not the kids that are the problem, it’s their entitled parents.

We did a Norwegian Fjords cruise last year within a few days of yours. We had great weather, mostly sunny and about 10 to 15 degrees. Only in Geirangerfjord was I glad I had brought a headband and light gloves. One disappointment was that the waterfalls (eg. Seven Sisters) were just starting to thaw, so not as spectacular as they would have been during the summer months. As for clothing, I was fine all other days with a sweater/sweatshirt and lightweight water/wind proof outer layer. Enjoy your trip!

I just did this on a sailing with a friend I wanted to treat without her knowledge. The pre-paid gratuities show up as a credit for each person at the beginning of the statement, then each day the appropriate gratuity is debited. The prepaid internet does not show, nor are any shore excursions that were purchased prior to departure. I also checked in online for both of us, used my credit card number for both of us and told her we would settle up later. My friend is not ver good with technology, so she never really explored the Navigator app and did not come across the statement. I think @dfish suggestion to say the prepaid grats were part of a promotion is a great idea! Of course my friend knows me quite well and ended up e-transfering me lump sum shortly after the cruise anyway. Still managed to save her some money.

I always make the final payment online, regardless of whether I booked directly or through my PCC. In fact, last time I booked through my PCC (via email) within final payment and since I was out of the country, he created the booking so I could make payment online instead of incurring the expense of a phone call.

On my recent Rotterdam cruise, they were in the Navigator app only.

I just attended the “Splash of Orange” dinner in the MDR on the Rotterdam tonight. The Lido menu boasted a Dutch themed dinner but I didn’t think the MDR menu was particularly Dutch. There was, however, an admirable effort by many diners to sport at least one article of orange clothing 😊

Quick question re Mariner’s Lunch. I am 4 star but my travel companion is not. Can she attend with me or is the invitation restricted to me? I have never attended, but this menu really appeals to me.

So sorry you’re not feeling well. Certainly puts a damper on the cruise. Hope you get rid of the headache and can continue with your wonderful trip report!

Quick question. Are you beyond final payment date? If not, my understanding is that the Club Orange fees will be refunded. Can’t say for sure about the FCD but what the HAL rep told you today doesn’t make sense to me.

Thank you for your report @friendswithdave There are lots of reasons people may not fully enjoy their cruise (or any vacation) and many have nothing to do with the ship or efforts of the crew, as you have acknowledged. You can likely still count yourself pretty fortunate that this was your “worst”. My daughter was on the Rotterdam the cruise before yours and also came down with Covid which put her in quarantine for 4 days. Still not her worst, since she was disembarked on a transatlantic cruise in 2022 with a gallbladder attack. This has not deterred me and in fact I board the Rotterdam myself on January 4 😁. I love Club Orange on the Pinnacle class ships and the extended balconies on deck 4 are my favourites!! Hope your next cruise is uneventful.

I love that service animals allow their humans to continue to travel and live their best lives and I love that cruise ships welcome them onboard. I DO NOT think non-service animals should be allowed to impact another passenger’s enjoyment of their cruise experience. I don’t have a lot of experience with service animals, but why are there two of them? And I thought they were trained to not bark at strange noises. I give you credit @Haljo1935 for waiting a couple of days to see if they settle down. I think I would be contacting guest services sooner than that.

I did book one of the free interior special offers from HAL (not casino) and was able to choose my cabin when I added Club Orange.

Thanks @Haljo1935 Then it will have to be a hard pass for me!

Thanks for your review! I will be spending a month on the Nieuw Statendam next May and am curious about your cabin. I didn’t realize any of the interior cabins had a couch on the Pinnacle class ships. Do you mind sharing your cabin number? Was it maybe a handicapped cabin?

Crab & artichoke dip to start, followed by Glazed filet with shrimp Newberg, finishing up with the Dutch apple pie and a cappuccino. Please tell me the banana is not in the flourless chocolate cake so I can request it without the banana in the future.

I’m on this cruise in January so will be following along 😊. Have a great cruise!

If your goal is to see spectacular Norwegian fjords, I would go with the first cruise. Last spring we did a cruise that included Geiranger and Eidfjord and they were both amazing. we have just booked a North Cape cruise similar to the second one you mentioned for next spring, knowing full well it doesn’t go into the deep fjords, but will have its own highlights and interesting ports. if you can, do both 😁😁

must be a shortcut