waiting2retire

Sure is! Going tomorrow. I actually prefer the lunch menu to the dinner menu there.

I think a lot depends on what activities you are planning on. I was in Ålesund today and a sweatshirt with a lined wind/water resistant hooded jacket was sufficient for just walking around town. If hiking or touring at higher altitudes is on your agenda, you may need more, but I would think wool layers with the puffer vest may be enough.

We did Keukenhof a week ago and I was overcast most of the time we were there, with a downpour about an hour before the end of the tour. The gardens are stunning, even without the sun. Not sure I would have felt the same had it rained the entire time. If you decide to go, I would definitely suggest an umbrella unless the jacket is actually waterproof. I too chose Keukenhof over Van Gogh and don’t regret it a bit. Enjoy!

Arrived at Schiphol last Saturday April 22 at 1:35 p.m. No delays whatsoever, but I should note that it was a flight from Barcelona, so no Immigration check within Schengen countries.

@spleenstomper I’m sure you are likely aware, but it may bear repeating since you mentioned using edibles for pain management. It is illegal to cross the border with your legal edibles. They should be readily available for purchase in Canada if you need them, you just can’t take them across the border, either way. Hope you continue to improve and have a wonderful, much-needed holiday!

Currently on the NS transatlantic and will complete the cruise in Barcelona tomorrow morning. We have had absolutely no propulsion issues and in fact were doing 21 knots easily one evening. That having been said, there were divers in the water in Cadiz (I think) so something may have needed to be checked. it has been a wonderful cruise!

Just an update for anyone interested in how it all worked out. We were able to take advantage of the upsell and the cost we had already paid for Club Orange was deducted from the cost of the upgrade. We sent an email to the PCC we frequently use (but had booked this short cruise directly with HAL) and he very nicely contacted Ship’s Inventory on our behalf. The told him we should deal with the Onboard Cruise Consultant. As so frequently happens, the OCC said he couldn’t make any changes if the cruise was not originally booked while onboard. We ended up going to Guest Services who allowed us to call Ship’s Inventory from their office once the time change allowed for it. All’s well that ends well. If I remember, I will add a note at the end of the cruise to advise whether or not the credits were doubled in this instance. thanks to everyone for their quick and informative replies.

We are currently on the Nieuw Statendam and have received an upgrade offer for our cruise next week on the Rotterdam. We booked a veranda cabin and purchased Club Orange for our cruise, both to get the upgrade to a higher category veranda cabin and to have meals in Club Orange, which is better for my limited hearing ability. I understand that if we upgrade to a Neptune Suite, all amenities, including access to the Club Orange dining room, will be available to us. I also know that we will not get double cruise credits since it is an upsell. My question is whether the cost of Club Orange, which we have already paid, will be refunded since the amenities are included with the Neptune Suite. I would ask onboard here, but I am not confident in receiving the correct information, and we are unable to call Seattle. Does anyone have experience and/or know the answer to this question? Might make the cost of the upgrade a bit more attractive. Thanks.

Embarked the Nieuw Statendam on the 8th for the transatlantic. The Health Questionnaire was not part of our online check in documentation and there was no health assessment at embarkation in Port Everglades. I’m sure it will all change again before we blink 😁

Just a quick heads-up on the gift cards. They are sold only in USD. They will only work for pre-purchases if the cruise was purchased in USD.

Taken from the Hilton Marina. Nieuw Statendam at berth (waiting for me 😁) with Celebrity Apex just moving in to block her.

There’s the sound 😊. And gone again…

I am also 3 star and my boarding pass on the Navigator App clearly states Priority boarding, which comes with the Club Orange benefits.

I honestly don’t know. I am on the Nieuw Statendam departing April 8 and just saw this because I was curious when you asked, so I don’t know if/when changes were made. However, we also have two shorter cruises on the Rotterdam later in April and those luggage tags do not have the orange stripe at this time. We have CO on all three cruises. Maybe it is ship specific? You might be correct about not having a specific Club Orange menu on the zuiderdam since it does not have a dedicated dining area. Hopefully more experienced (or more observant) cruisers will weigh in.

The Navigator App shows “priority boarding” on the boarding pass and shows the Club Orange menu under Dining Options. Not sure if non-CO members display the CO menu or not. Also, the luggage tag has an orange strip across it to denote CO. Enjoy!

I agree with you. Several years ago, I got turned around in Buffalo and ended up on a toll road by mistake. I didn’t even have enough US coins to pay the toll and when I offered Canadian quarters to make up the difference, was told to go ahead without paying rather than take the Canadian currency.

Since the pandemic, I rarely carry or use cash. Pretty much everything you are likely to purchase can be paid for with a debit or credit card. The exception I can think of would be if you wanted to give a tip after a prepaid tour. If you know this in advance, I would suggest, as others have, picking up a small amount of Canadian $ at your local bank for the best exchange rate. Most places will not accept USD, the same as I have yet to encounter an establishment in the US that will accept the pretty Canadian currency 😊.

I absolutely adore the heated ceramic loungers and I would sleep in them if allowed! But I must be missing something with the hydropool. I just can’t get comfortable on the metal seating rods. If I relax, I start to float and have to grip the seating to stay anchored and not let my head go under. What am I doing wrong??

I book with a HAL cruise consultant. For my past 3 bookings on a pinnacle ship, I went online to identify a cabin I would like to book (Usually aft-facing or extended balcony on deck 4 aft). I then did the cost differential between that cabin and the lowest obstructed balcony. It has always come out that I am saving money by booking CO as opposed to booking my desired balcony cabin outright. I then contact my HAL CC and tell him specifically to book any cabin the lowest obstructed balcony category, then add CO and upgrade to the specific cabin number I saw as available online. He puts me on hold while contacts CO to confirm availability then finalizes the booking. I tend to book well in advance of my cruise date and CO has been available so far. I honestly don’t know what I would decide to do if it wasn’t available as the CO dining room makes it so much easier to cope with my hearing issues. Such a cacophony in the MDR.

I am beginning to think we may have shot ourselves in the foot here and should have kept Club Orange under wraps. There is limited availability after all! 🥺

@Nodakboiler There is no box to check for gift cards. As @rodndonna says, it’s likely because we are Canadian.

Thank you so much for your response. I will leave a message for him.

I have an upcoming cruise which was booked in USD so I decided to purchase gift cards when the 10% bonus promo was on to pay the balance. Final payment is due in 4 days and when I go online to make it, I can’t see where I can use the gift cards. There is a statement that credit cards or gift cards can be used, but the information can only be input as credit card number with expiry date, CVV number, etc. What am I missing? Do I need to call my PCC? Can the chat feature help me in the morning? Thanks for any help or suggestions.

Thanks so much for sharing your bag’s adventures here. Your post has prompted me to purchase AirTags for next year’s travels in Europe on multiple transportation modes. Seems like a small price to pay for the potential benefits. Enjoy your continued reprieve from laundry!