3rdGenCunarder

Thank you for posting! That one sheet of paper has more information than everything I've received from AQV thus far. It sounds like keeping your reservation at the Westin turned out to be a good decision. Beautiful pictures, especially those strawberries. Food tours are so much fun! BON VOYAGE!!!

Portland's airport is small and easy to navigate. There will be taxis, which is how I got from the airport to downtown. Uber is another option, slightly less expensive. What hotel do they have you at?

There are more flight options to Vancouver from Canadian cities than US. I certainly have more choice of direct flights between Newark and Seattle. Going home from Vancouver, I had a choice of one direct flight, Air Canada.

I remember Saran Wrap around the stations back when HAL did "code orange" at the start of a cruise to break the potential cycle of infection in case anyone brought it on board at embarkation. It was funny to watch passengers who didn't know about "code orange" try to figure out how to get their breakfast when they couldn't reach for food. For a long time, the Lido had sugar, salt, and pepper in little packets to avoid things that multiple people touch. On my cruise last winter, I noticed that they were using sugar dispensers and salt and pepper shakers in order to reduce waste from all those empty packets in the trash. Have the packets come back as part of the Noro response?

Only Volendam has lanai cabins. Zaandam does not. Veendam and maybe one other had them, but those ships have left the fleet. I remember that they were sort of scattered on Veendam, but on Volendam they're all together, so it's easy to know which chairs are not reserved. Plus, look for the slider door instead of a window.

Welcome to cruising (and Cruise Critic)! Be warned, cruising can be addictive. Your screen name is one of my favorite plants!

HAL's Lido is mostly served, thank goodness. Here's a tip for areas that are not served. Get a paper napkin and use it like a potholder any time you have to use utensils. I saw a woman do that on Queen Elizabeth (I was surprised at how much of that buffet was self-serve), and thought it was brilliant.

I didn't say I wouldn't be THINKING it!!! 😜

I waited about an hour last June. There was some Humongous of the Seas also disembarking passengers and the queue was very long. First time I was sorry I didn't do the cruise line bus. Fortunately, I was staying an extra day, so I wasn't in danger of missing a flight.

I have taken an "up" elevator to go down a few times. But I prefer to shrug apologetically rather than yell at people. I've had the angry "Elevator is full" yelled at me too many times, so I can't bring myself to do it to others. I hate that system. Depending on where the check-in desk is, that can be a long drag. And IIRC, it was over a carpeted area, much harder to roll luggage than on a smooth floor.

Ohh, Stavanger. It's so lovely. We wandered the town and also went to the sardine museum--one of the best museum guides I've ever met. And Flam! another great port. If you have time, visit the museum about the building of the railway. It has excellent insights into the work that went into it. And I recall really good souvenirs, too. I hope the seas aren't too strong tonight. Are the grandkids impressed with where you're going?

From the way it appears to dissipate, I'd say it's steam. Sure hope so!

I like the Vista class. I've been on 3 of HAL's 4, plus Cunard's QE (my current favorite ship), and I'm trying QV this fall. I love the spa hydropool on the Vistas. That's the only amenity I find lacking on the R class ships.

Orange night is just a party. They encourage people to wear orange. It was in BB King's on my Jan Eurodam cruise. I didn't go because it's always crowded and very noisy in there. People at my table reported the next night that there were supposed to be some special treats but they didn't get any.

That's what I did. The only NS flight for me was impossibly early, maybe 8 AM, so I had no choice. I stayed at the airport hotel for convenience, but I could have stayed for much less a short cab ride away. I took a taxi to the hotel--this was a Cunard cruise, so I had an extra bag for the "posh frocks," no way I could manage on skytrain. I checked in at the hotel, and then went exploring two lovely botanical gardens, all easy to do by public transportation. I agree with @Copper10-8 that the clearance for the US CBP was easy. It was nice to land at Newark and not have to go through it there.

That's what I do. The Pan Pacific is a splurge (there are less expensive hotels not too far away from the port), but I love having my luggage taken from my hotel room direct to the ship.

I don't need those loud, silly bells and whistles, either. My last cruise to Bermuda was more than 10 years ago, when Veendam was sailing out of NYC. It was my fourth or fifth to Bermuda, always docking on Front Street, and sometimes also in St Georges. I have no wish to be docked way out of town with the megas.

No, just the previous Eurodam one, which I'm pleased to have because it's more like the others I have. I'm not sure the 150th ones were on any of the ships in January.

I am so glad to hear that! When a cruise starts off as badly as yours did, it makes you more likely to react and be annoyed by little things that would otherwise shrug off with "ship happens." So enjoy YOUR cabin!!!! and the rest of your cruise.

It might be the stewards. I was in an aft veranda and I got chocolates most nights, and a towel animal on dressy nights. I always tip cabin stewards. When he found a Eurodam tile for me after the ship sent out the letter that said tiles were suspended, his tip got bigger.

I was on Eurodam in January, and I agree, happy ship. The cabin stewards worked long days, but always had a smile and "Good morning/evening. How are you?" I've never had smoke smell blow down onto an aft balcony, but I agree about the Lido Market. There are two doors between the Seaview bar area and the Lido market. That creates a sort of air lock to block the smoke. But one set of doors was usually propped open, and when the other doors opened, the smoke smell blew in.

I haven't tried the Mariner Cocktail because I think it's criminal to dilute champagne or any sparkling wine with sparkling water. Hard liquor, sure, but fizz should not be "stretched" with water. Rum punch is my usual starter. I don't think it's Pusser's rum, but it's a good start to a cruise. Sometimes a daiquiri is my first drink. Are any of the Tamarind drinks were available in other bars? The cucumber mojito was divine.

The Susan B Anthony dollar coin was perceived as a design failure. It looked way too close to a quarter. That said, my elderly grandmother could pick out the Susan B from a bunch of quarters, just by feel. The trick to having fewer coins in your pocket is to remember to spend them, not just drop them into purse or pocket. I'm inclined to toss coins into my purse, and eventually dump them out. I'm always delighted when I dump out the change when I'm in Canada or the UK and discover that much of the pile is 1 or 2 dollar/pound coins.

Or 5 other people could be watching your choice of entertainment.

1. Did she say what the abuse was? That sounds strange. 2. It isn't a hassle. It's one call to HAL. My TA did it quickly and easily. I bet he didn't know what it is or how to get it.