Modern_Viking

Here is the Port Everglades schedule for Dec 10, 2017 per their web site, but note that things are always subject to change:

ship - pier

EURODAM - 26

CARIBBEAN PRINCESS - 4

KONINGSDAM - 19

ROYAL PRINCESS - 21

ALLURE OF THE SEAS - 18

REGAL PRINCESS - 2

Greetings. Considering the March 11 2018 cruise from Tampa. Probably want an ocean view cabin. Hints for a good, well located and quiet location? Much appreciate any response

 

 

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Based on past experience, my ranked suggestions would be:

1) Dolphin Deck, just forward of the mid-ship stairs / elevators or just aft of the forward stairs / elevators

2) Main Deck, just forward of the mid-ship stairs / elevators or just aft of the forward stairs / elevators

You might want to look at the deck plans and see if there is someplace you want to visit often. If the gym or spa are frequent destinations, perhaps pick a cabin closer to the forward stairs/elevators. Also, when getting on and off at most ports, the gangway is often accessed via the forward stairs/elevators.

Being mid-ship can be a smoother ride and also puts you closer to the Lido buffet and main dining room.

The engine room and galley (kitchen) are both located between the mid-ship and aft stairs/elevators. While not a lot of noise travels up/down to Dolphin and Main decks, some does, and engine vibration is noticeable (although not severe).

The main deck cabins are beneath the outdoor walking deck (promenade) so you might hear some footsteps from people above you, but it usually isn't that much noise.

The outside cabins on Dolphin and Main decks tend to be a bit bigger and a bit more private than the cabins on Lower Promenade deck. Also some Lower Promenade deck cabins are directly beneath the galley and thus are at a risk of being noisy.

Copper,

I would appreciate knowing who will be the Captain, Hotel Director, and Cruise Director on the Amsterdam during the 2017-2018 holiday cruise from San Diego to Port Everglades.

Thank you!

Why would a stop in Aruba take less time than a stop in Cartagena. It seems to me that ether stop would necessitate a delay in reaching the canal. What am I missing?\

 

Roy

While Aruba would seem to be a perfectly legal distant foreign port on a Panama Canal itinerary, it looks like the total travel distance from Port Everglades to Aruba then to the Panama Canal exceeds the distance from Port Everglades to Cartagena then to the Panama Canal. So, I agree that it doesn't seem like substituting Aruba for Cartagena would save any time.

That said, I am not sure that there is a legal minimum in-port time for such a visit. So, perhaps Maasdam could enter Cartagena harbor, board a local official via pilot boat to clear the ship, disembark the official the same way, then leave the port without letting any passengers ashore. That might still be legal (from a US point of view) and could save a few hours of time to help make the Canal the next morning as scheduled.

I know such technical stops used to be common in Mexico on cruises round trip between California and Mexico, although it also seems like there was a push to extend the stop in Mexico to at least 4-6 hours. In this case, a shorter stop might be allowed.

On a separate note, I see at least 2 cruise ships (one operated by Carnival and one by RCCL) are scheduled in Port Everglades Tuesday 9/12. I'm not sure if those calls will actually happen, but if they do, that bodes well for the Maasdam being there on Wednesday 9/13, when she appears to be one of two cruise ship scheduled in. (The other is the Allure of the Seas.)

While I have never tried shipping something home from a Disney cruise, I did once buy an unframed print on board about a year or so ago and I recall the shops person told me artwork is something that they can arrange to have shipped to you so you don't have to try to take it home (such as by plane in your luggage). I didn't ask about cost.

That was specifically about shipping art bought on board. I am not sure the option to ship things extends to other items purchased.

I did once ship things home that I purchased at WDW resort. That was convenient, although not exactly speedy. That was almost 15 years ago, however, and the once reasonable cost may be much higher.

I'll join in the guessing game:

Disney Adventure and Disney Imagination (and if "Imagination" is picked, I hope Figment is on the stern).

runner up: Disney Discovery

When I received my copper medallion, I had boarded that cruise with 99 days of HAL cruising previously completed, and disembarked with 113 days completed.

I believe the medallions were distributed during a reception in the showroom at sea prior to the brunch.

One subsequent cruises, I have not been invited to any pre-brunch receptions. Although, I also have not reached any additional medallion levels either.

I'm not aware of any published rules for the medallions, so things could always change. The rules for the star levels (1-5) seem to be better documented and firm. (And in that case, one isn't rewarded with the next star level until the cruise following the one when you complete the specified number of days. Except, evidently, for grand voyages, when things happen sooner.)

This is a perfectly reasonable question.

I have been on several HAL cruises, with the most recent ending in January 2017. On all of the trips, regardless of embarkation and disembarkation port, my on-board charges have shown up on my credit card bill as being made in Seattle, WA. That is the location of the HAL corporate offices. The listed merchant name is the ship name, however. So, after a cruise on the Rotterdam, I had a charge from the merchant named "Rotterdam" located in "Seattle, WA." A bit confusing at first, but no foreign transaction fee. And I like getting cash back for purchases, too!

So, someone using a USA based credit card will not have to pay a foreign transaction fee.

While I have not sailed on Oceania Cruises, I have read that (at least in the past) they used a bank outside the USA. Thus, US passengers, sailing round-trip from US ports, using a US credit card, paying a bill in "US dollars" have been charged foreign transaction fees because the charge was processed outside the USA. It sounds like you are trying to avoid such a situation, which sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

The Prinsendam was visiting Port Everglades between grad voyages on March 11. She had just finished the Grand South America voyage and then embarked on the Grand Mediterranean voyage.

Departure times for grand voyages seem to me to typically be late (between 10pm and midnight local time). So this late departure didn't seem odd to me.

I would suggest getting to the Pier between 11am and 2pm. You need to have dropped off your luggage and checked in before 3pm. Then there is the muster drill on board.

I'm not sure of Seattle traffic, but based on another post in this thread it seems like leaving the market area by 1:30 would be good.

It seems like you could check out of your hotel and leave your bags at the front desk (unless perhaps you could get a 1pm late check out), go to the mark for flowers and breakfast, return to your hotel for your bags, then leave around 1 or 1:30 for the pier and arrive around 2pm.

While Pier 91 has room for two ships, according to the Port of Seattle web site the Amsterdam will be the only ship docked there on Mondays in July in August, so that should help cut down on traffic.

I hope you enjoy your trip!

P.S. A bit of trivia, but if you follow the waterfront north from the Market to Pier 91, you will drive right past the Holland America HQ building at 300 Elliot Avenue. At one point there was a large ship's anchor out in front of the building, but I don't know if it is still there or not.

Thank you for your review. I agree with all your points. I loved my December cruise on the K-Dam but agree with you that the MDR seating arrangements need to be dealt with. Any time diners should not be seated on the same level, or at least in the same section, as traditional diners. I really disliked the constant disruption of people wandering around the tables while diners were trying to have a conversation with their tablemates. I spoke to a senior person in the MDR about this and he admitted that no one seemed to be happy this new set up, especially the waiters who got all the complaints. Hopefully, HAL will see the light if they get enough complaints from the passengers. I have booked traditional dining (8:30 pm) for my March K-Dam cruise. I am hoping that by that hour, things will be quieter in the MDR. Otherwise, I absolutely love the ship.

I have not sailed on K-dam, but on other HAL ships in recent years, I know that tables assigned to fixed seating diners who book a specialty restaurant dinner or don't arrive within the 15 minute arrival window are made available to anytime diners. So how much different in what is being done on K-dam?

I do agree that the efficient procedures normally followed by the fix seating stewards is disrupted by late or early arriving anytime diners. It means extra trips to the galley, for example. It seems the new normal, however, and as long as people want the anytime dining, those of us who prefer fixed dining seem to be losing out at least somewhat.

is it limited to only one room?

 

that is, if i'm in one stateroom on the current cruise am i limited to only one stateroom for the future cruise discount, or am i allowed additional rooms?

It is my understanding that each current passenger can book two rooms on the same future cruise. The passenger making the booking must be booked into one of those cabins, but the other cabin can be occupied by someone who was not on that cruise with you.

It is not possible to book more than one future cruise (i.e. only one sailing date) at the discounted price. It is possible to book multiple future cruises at full price.

I've sailed on two Prinsendam cruises while Capt. Roberts was serving as master. On one, in the Explorer's Lounge one evening, he expressed his fondness of previously working on board Windstar ships. The Windstar brand was of course once owned by HAL, but is no longer. So it seems to have joint HAL from a linked company, and now has moved over to another linked company (within the HAL group).

One thing that I have wondered about is the possible future British exit from the EU. I know the referendum was to encourage that to happen, but the Brexit hasn't actually been scheduled, to my knowledge. Also, since HAL ships are flagged in the EU, the master must be a citizen of the EU (as I understand things). An allowance seems to be made for citizens of the English Commonwealth, as they seem to be accepted as long as the UK is part of the EU.

In the past, HAL had a mix of Dutch and Bahamian flagged ships, with the British captains only on the Bahamian flagged ships. HAL only re-flagged all their ships under the Dutch flag once the EU passed a rule that member countries could not have rules favoring their own citizens over other EU citizens. Once that was true, Brits could command Dutch flagged ships.

In the future, if the Brexit actually happens, HAL will either need to re-flag some ships outside the EU once again or recruit more EU citizens as captains and send their current English Commonwealth captains to other lines with ships flagged outside the EU.

I see Seabourn ships are flagged in the Bahamas. So Tim Roberts would be welcome there. Perhaps more British/Canadian/New Zealand officers now at HAL will move to Seabourn and Norwegian (or EU officers) might move to HAL.

This is all just a theory. I have no idea how much longer English Commonwealth citizens will be able to serve on EU ships, and it might be indefinitely. But if we see more senior deck department officer swaps between HAL and Seabourn, that might hint as to what the executives of the HAL Group are thinking.

Are there any other smaller ships on other lines going out of service that could replace her? Or is the era of purpose-built smaller ships over for mass market cruise lines.

The only two ships of roughly the same size that come to mind are the Pacific Princess and the ship operating as Fathom. I'm not sure the Carnival Group is too keen on keeping them over the long term, but if HAL sells Prinsendam, I suppose they might possibly be willing to take over one of those ships if Carnival hasn't sold them as well.

Just idle speculation on my part.

In my experience, HAL has guidelines for what menus are served on which nights on cruises, but not usually firm rules. One can often make an educated guess about dinner menus, but things are always subject to change.

I have even been on HAL cruises where they provide a published schedule listing the (former) formal nights, (now gala nights), in the cabin on embarkation day, but then change that schedule later in the cruise.

From what you have said, it looks like you are sailing the Nieuw Amsterdam Dec. 18 - 27, 2016. Based on some past experience, and looking at your itinerary, I can offer up the following educated guesses:

Dec 18: Prime Rib is indeed often served on the first night in the main dining room. No promises, but in years past this has often been the case. But a NY Strip entree might be substituted for Prime Rib.

Dec 19: Being both the 2nd night overall, and the first sea day, this is highly likely to be a Gala Night. Lobster tails are normally served on a gala night, but in the past not during the first gala (but instead usually the last gala night of the cruise). Being a holiday cruise, I suppose this might conceivably be lobster night.

12/22: Since there is an 8pm scheduled departure from San Juan, PR, this night seems like a good candidate for a deck BBQ dinner, in addition to a standard casual night in the main dining room. Unless the chance of a Lido deck dinner is strongly appealing, this might be a good night for the Pinnacle Grill.

12/25: This seems highly likely to be a Gala night, but again, there are no rules stating it must be. There are three things strongly in favor of this being a gala night, however: it is Christmas, the last sea day, and the next to last night of the cruise. If this were not a Christmas cruise, I would very strongly suspect that this would be lobster tail night. But, in this case, there might be a special Christmas themed dinner instead.

12/24: This might be the night for the typical gala menu with lobster tail, or this might end up being the Christmas themed dinner. Hard to tell. Basically, I'm thinking the dinner this night will be whatever the Executive Chef / Cruise Director decide not to use on 12/25.

12/26: The final night of the cruise, so highly unlikely to be a gala night or have lobster tails on the menu. I would think this would be another good night to choose the Pinnacle Grill if you are afraid of missing out on a special menu in the main dining room. In the past, there was a baked Alaska parade on the last night, but that seems to have fallen out of favor. And if you really like eating baked Alaska, I believe you can get it in the Pinnacle Grill anyway.

So, I am not sure I told you anything that you didn't already know or surmise. But, if I had to pick a night for the Pinnacle Grill I'd summarize my thoughts as follows:

top choices: 12/22, 12/26

reasonable choices: 12/20, 12/21, 12/23

least suggested given your stated preferences: 12/18, 12/19, 12/24, 12/25

Well, in the USA it seems like people (or at least adults) instinctively walk on the right side of a sidewalk, hallway, path, or the like, by default. On a ship, if you keep to the right while walking, and want to be by the rail and have an ocean view, you will end up walking counter-clockwise.

Walking clockwise while keeping to the right results in walking on the inboard side of the promenade, which is less scenic.

So, maybe the default behavior by passengers has something to do with a "drive/walk on the right side of the road" tendency coupled with a desire for an ocean view.

By the way, on some HAL ships, I seem to remember that the small signs that tell passengers how many laps to a mile also (at least sometimes) ask for people to walk counter-clockwise. The signs are small, and easy to miss.

I can give you advice based on my personal preferences, but yours might be different.

The southern Caribbean itinerary only has one sea day. To me, that is not enough. Part of the fun of a Disney cruise is all of the activities planned on board during sea days. So, I think I would be missing out taking such a port intensive cruise.

The eastern Caribbean itinerary has 3 days, which works well for me.

That said, many people prefer the smaller size of the Magic vs. the Fantasy. Others prefer the larger size of the Fantasy. You'll need to decide on that.

You'd have to fly to San Juan for the southern itinerary, but perhaps could drive to Pt. Canaveral for the eastern itinerary. Still, fares on the Fantasy are often higher than those on the Magic, so adding in plane tickets might not actually result in higher cost.

Do you want to see some of the same shows on the Magic again (they can be good)? Go you want to see the new bars / lounges or eat at Remy on the Fantasy?

To me, the shipboard experience is what is more important and would largely drive decision (although final cost would also be a factor).

You mentioned the islands being a draw for you, so if itinerary is what matters most to you, and is what sparks your interest, and seeing those specific islands is what you want, then I think you have your decision and the southern Caribbean itinerary on the Magic is for you.

Recently posted on the HAL web site:

13-DAY AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND HOLIDAY (2017):

http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetails.action?tourId=&webItineraryIdForAudit=P7H13H&fromSearchVacation=true&guestsCount=undefined&voyageCode=M767&

15-DAY PACIFIC TREASURES HOLIDAY (2017):

http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetails.action?tourId=&webItineraryIdForAudit=P7A15H&fromSearchVacation=true&guestsCount=undefined&voyageCode=N774&

In September of 2013, I visited Bordeaux on Prinsendam. The arrival and departure times were much as previously advertised. Each trip could be different, of course.

There seem to be possibly 3 challenges in this port:

1) the current is strong during parts of the day

2) having enough water under the keel

3) having the water level low enough to fit under a bridge located just outside the city of Bordeaux.

So, it isn't easy to visit, but I've seen it work well at least once!

Also, there needed to be a shore provided gangway of significant length, and due to the large tidal swings, it had to be re-positioned between different decks every few hours. There wasn't any fixed infrastructure (to mar the waterfront when no ship is in town) so that had to be trucked in. To some it was an annoyance since it delayed disembarkation upon first arrival. To others, it was a great show watching all the scurrying along the quai. We were there for something like 33 hours, so I thought we had plenty of time ashore.

It looks like I can't post a URL for the ship schedule I normally use at VI now.

Anyway, I have seen HAL ships at WICA sometimes since there is only room for two ships at Crown Bay and one of those slips is reserved for any extra large ship (QM2, Celebrity Solstice class, Royal Princess, Oasis OTS, etc.) in town. In three visits to St. Thomas on HAL (Maasdam and Amsterdam) I have always been at Crown Bay.

Here is ocean bar

That looks like the Ocean Bar. The shape of the chairs is the same as summer 2013, but the fabrics (color and pattern) are completely different.

Thanks for posting the photos, KirkNC.

Many of the differences between HAL and Celebrity are style. A truthful statement I once heard was Celebrity is all about the "chrome and glass" while HAL is about the "wood and brass."

The style on Celebrity ships is bright, light, large rooms, not much color, modern.

The style on HAL is smaller more intimate rooms, darker colors, more variety of colors, more old-school deluxe.

The one time I tried Celebrity, the food at the buffet, especially at lunch was mostly terrible. Otherwise, food quality on HAL and Celebrity might have evened out (both with hits and misses).

Main theater entertainment isn't very strong on either line, but I guess I had better luck with Celebrity.

On average, I would say HAL had the friendlier, nicer, more polite crew.

Since this is an Alaska cruise, I would strongly suggest an itinerary that includes either Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier. I think HAL will give you more options that include that scenic cruising.

Celebrity seemed to have a bit more focus on selling current passengers on extra cost items. HAL does that too, but it seemed a bit less intense.

If you like spending time in a pool or hot tub, HAL ships in Alaska have a covered pool area mid-ships which is kept warm. Many HAL ships also have a movie theater.

In general, I prefer HAL. Your best choice is likely to be based on your own personal preferences.

You may carry on suitcases at the start of the cruise. All such bags are fed through scanners that are similar to those used at airports for carry on bags. Thus, you are limited to items small enough to fit in the x-ray scanners.

Thus, anything small enough to count as a carry on bag for a USA based airline can be brought on the ship. There is no restriction on liquids in cruise ship carry ons, so toiletries, water bottles, etc. are OK (as long as you aren't violating the HAL alcohol policy).

HAL seems to allow carry ons bigger than what USA based airlines do, but I am not sure how much bigger.

HAL does equip all their cabins with safes, so you can lock valuables in there. I don't think that most laptops will fit in the in-cabin safe, however.

I can't think of any restriction on locking your checked bags turned in at the pier. Bags are normally x-rayed and may be checked by sniffer dogs. I suppose it is possible that something will trigger the shore agents to want to open your bag to check something odd or remove something (like bottles of alcohol). In such a case, I guess they would need to cut any lock.

Announced this morning in Rotterdam, the next HAL ship, scheduled for delivery in 2018, will be the ms Nieuw Statendam.

$7 daily fee bumped up to $9 would a 33% VAT. $20 per-bag fee bumped up to $30 is about a 46% VAT. The EU VAT rates vary, depending on the country and item or service from 10% up to 23%.

FYI: I checked your math. A $2 tax on a $7 purchase is about 28.5% tax and not 33%.

That being said, I have no idea if the HAL laundry price difference is due to VAT (or any other tax) or some other reason (like people seem more willing to pay extra in Europe vs. more price sensitive people elsewhere, longer average cruise length in Europe that drives up demand, a larger percentage of HAL ships with no self-service laundry in Europe, etc.).