galipemi

This is a fascinating exercise.

I took my first HAL cruise in 2008 at the age of 26.

Made ⭐⭐  in 2010 at 28yo actually during my birthday that year

Made ⭐⭐⭐  in 2011 at 29yo just after my birthday

On track for ⭐⭐⭐⭐ in early 2023 at 41yo  (unless I can somehow manage 38 points on my 7 day cruise this year!)

Hmmmm... she looks like the Volendam to me?

5 minutes ago, sambamama said:

I was also on this cruise and still am on the 4 day cruise after. The Lido staff on this cruise was amazing-the best I've ever seen. Really friendly and always offering to get juice or coffee, etc. The Lincoln Center Stage Group-superb! It's a shame they can't keep them as a group since they connect so well together. They all are amazing musicians in their own right and all have a sense of humor. Ive had wonderful food in the MDR as well as great service! I love my cabin stewards, too. But the ship didn't handle the azipod situation well in two ways. They didn't keep us informed soon enough, and there was inadequate compensation. The 20 day cruisers got the same compensation as the 16 day cruisers despite losing another port and spending another whole day docked at Port. As I write, we are still docked at Port. We were supposed to leave at 12. We have spent 5 extra hours in San Diego the first day, 3 extra hours in Kona, 2 hours in Ensenada we could not get off, and we've been docked in San Diego since 6:30pm on the 28th.

I am also on the full 20 day sailing and would have to agree that the Lido staff have been incredible. 

I understand and share the disappointment at missing Nawiliwili but fully understand the potential dangers of high winds, small ports and a large ship.  While the communication appears to have been less than perfect along the way, I understand customer service doesn’t always dictate full honesty (whether it should or shouldn’t is another discussion entirely).  However there have also been several instances of mixed information and downright misinformation among the passengers on board and the posters here on CC.  My understanding is that passengers on the 16 day sailing were offered $50 for missing Ensenada.  Passengers from San Diego to Vancouver were offered $50 for missing Victoria.  And passengers on the full sailing were offered $100 for missing both.  

Overall this his has been a wonderful cruise with a lovely staff onboard.  I was warm and dry, didn’t have to cook, didn’t have to do the dishes and had no beds to make. I’m a happy sailor and I hope looking back that most of my fellow passengers can say the same. (Asking for all to feel that way is an exercise in futility)

I've been cruising HAL since I was in my mid 20's and have always found the passengers to be welcoming.  Even when I had pink streaks or full purple hair.  I also know that I do it for me and don't really care what others think - it's my hair not yours so I don't much care if you don't like it!  If your son is an artist with ink and piercings dating a "kooky" girl with pink hair I would think he's been judged before and has managed it just fine without having to give up his style (trust me, it's happened).

I would be more concerned about what his vacation "style" is.  I like HAL because I'm a lazy bones at heart.  I like to wander the ship, read a book, maybe take a nap and I'm quite happy to skip the party/dance/loud lines.  If your son is a more active, club/bar get out and dance, keep busy all the time kind of guy, then HAL might not be the right choice for him.  I'd be much more worried about that. If he and the girlfriend are happy to kick back and relax, then they should be just fine.

On 3/12/2019 at 11:09 AM, OlsSalt said:

The cruise ticket price typically includes the following:

Accommodations

Most meals, including snacks at numerous venues

Access to amenities such as swimming pools, water slides, water parks, whirlpools, a health club and

sun decks

Supervised youth programs

Entertainment, such as theatrical and comedy shows, live music and nightclubs

Visits to multiple destinations

I'm thinking that the wording about "most" meals has to do with the Pinnacle Grill/Tamarind/Sel de Mer/Canaletto being upcharge restaurants and therefore not (fully) covered by the actual cruise fare.  Note the wording is about what's included in the ticket price rather than what that price actually pays for in terms of costs to HAL.   This looks more like website wording to sell cruises versus what a specific revenue stream actually pays for.

Pretty sure I'm also on that cruise. Got an offer today from a VB to either Signature Suite or Neptune Suite.  Prices were too high for me so I'm hoping they come down over the coming weeks.  However, I wouldn't bother going to the Signature suites, only the Neptunes.

Sounds like Kainoa.  He's been doing the Hawaiian cruises for a few years now.

Thank you for keeping us updated along the way faerievert!  I'll be sailing on April 13 so definitely following along for planning purposes.

Thanks so much everyone!  I knew the price would be on the ridiculous side, but that's ok.  

I'm hoping some discerningly caffeinated posters might be able to help me out.  I don't drink coffee.  Never have.  I know Kona coffee is reputed to be some of the best in the world.  I'm planning to bring some back from my step-mother who has a super fancy machine.  The only direction I got was  - no oily beans.  She tends to drink it with a splash of milk but not really any fancy drinks.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to find a "non-oily" whole bean product to bring home?  

16 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Wake up people and take twenty seconds out of your life to make that phone call to have those trays picked up from inside your room. Once again, common sense

C-om-m-o-n sense??  I've never heard this word before.  How does it work?  /s

I've missed your wealth of knowledge Copper!  That'll teach me to stay away from CC for so long.

Good chance it's too early but - any idea who's slated to be the CD on the Eurodam for the April 13 sailing to Hawaii?

That's my dream dinner right there!!

She's looking sharp!

Thanks everyone! I was just worried that they had restricted all the beverage cards to fountain soda so this is actually a relief. I think I will pre purchase one just to make double checking the full bill faster/easier.

It has been a long while since I cruised with HAL but I'll be leaving on the Nieuw A this weekend and have a couple of questions.

What is the advantage of the Beverage card vs just paying with your room card? Other than not having to track all your receipts, which I'm too lazy to do anyways.

Also - if I buy a Beverage Card will it allow me to purchase cans of Coke or only fountain? I know there's a fountain soda card and I'd rather pay outright for the can. Fountain just isn't the same.

Thanks in advance!

Thanks for posting this, but I think CLIA may be off base with a lawsuit (without knowing what they think they know , of course.) Juneau's port facilities are very guest friendly in my experience with benches, good signage, clean, and well maintained. In fact, I have yet to experience an Alaskan port whose guest facilities are unsatisfactory.

I read it to mean that CLIA thinks they are charging too much per passenger and is concerned that the monies collected are not being used exclusively for passenger ammenities/services as intended. Not that the facilities are in any way substandard.

I think they are accusing Juneau of pocketing $8 per pax per ship and directing it into non-cruise related projects. Where taking (arbitrary number here) would be more in line with other ports and should be reserved for port facilities, services and staff. It doesn't sound unreasonable. If the charge is supposed to be directed to those items then that's where it should go.

That's how I read the article anyways. Obviously I haven't read the lawsuit

If you have a chance (and the internet available to do so) would you mind posting a picture of the internet packages available? I'm trying to sort out which one will work best for me and what to budget for it.

Very excited to follow along as I'll be sailing on July 14! Have a great time bUU :)

Am very sad to hear about the difficulties with the wifi :(

My first cruise was on the Zaandam in 2006. We were heading for Alaska out of Vancouver for the last cruise of the season. It was my first time on anything larger than a speedboat (which I hated) and I was going to be sailing as crew. I was excited and terrified all at once, I was petrified that I'd hate it just as much as I hate small boats.

After a small bout of sea sickness heading up to Alaska (we were not taking the inside passage;)), I found my sea legs and continued to work onboard various HAL ships for the next two years. And what did I do on "vacation"? Sailed the Ryndam, NCL's Spirit, the Veendam and now I'm planning on visiting the Eurodam for a week. Yep, guess you could say I'm hooked.:p