Tampa Girl

How do we book that? Considering that the airport is not far from the cruise port, I would hope that the fee would not be "awful." BTW, what is the usual taxi fare for the trip?

Thank you all for your most helpful info. Forewarned is forearmed. A 2:00 flight it will be!

If it helps, we are 5* Mariners so can disembark around 8:00, but what are the chanced that our luggage will be awaiting us at that hour? We don't want to self disembark earlier. We will be coming off the VOV and the prior port is Canada. Does that make any difference with regards to any delay by Immigration or Customs? We will probably be flying Jet Blue.

Can Kinderdijk be done better from Amsterdam or Rotterdam, or doesn't it matter? Now I am thinking that perhaps 3 days in Amsterdam is better and leave Rotterdam for embarkation-day highlights. I am really getting excited now about this trip, which came up unexpectedly.

Kinderdijk?

Yes. Between the two cities, how would you recommend splitting the time if we were going to fly to AMS three or 4 days before sailing

Your answers are immensely helpful and reassuring. I am thinking of spending a couple of days in Amsterdam and the hiring a guide to drive us to Rotterdam. Would a brief car tour of the latter be sufficient just prior to embarkation or does Rotterdam need a couple of days?

We just booked an 18-day cruise from Rotterdam to Boston and have discovered that air service to Rotterdam is very limited. Flight Ease doesn't recognize it. So, I guess we fly into Amsterdam and visit there for a couple of days. My question, however, is whether we dare take a chance, since Rotterdam is about a 1-1/4 hr. drive from Amsterdam, whether we dare wait until the morning of the cruise to drive to drive to the port. Otherwise, it will require two hotel check-in's. Any suggestions welcome. Thanks

I am not sure that this is a casino offer. I just received the same offer for "rare itineraries." I was told by HAL regarding what was a previous casino offer, that HAL also makes similar "free inside cabin" offers, but they have a different suffix after the number. I believe that the current offer is an actual HAL offer, and it was incredible. I jumped on it. Now, I have to figure out how to get a reasonable air fare R/T.

Credit card disputes usually have to be made within 30 days of the bill date. Did the OP get any confirmation that she had returned the item? Nonetheless, HAL's good customer relations should have allowed the credit, even though the shop is an independent business. BTW, I have never seen a gratuity on any of my shop purchases, and being 5*, we have had many cruises.

Thanks for responding. Now I understand. I had completely forgotten that you can usually books the lower fare, non-refundable, or "the better deal" which is with refundable and HIA. We recently signed up, while on board, for a future 51-day cruise. The "better deal" was considerably better, and it was refundable.

If your own insurance is going to pay 100%, why are you concerned that the CPP should pay anything? Our BCBS pays the entire amount of our medical treatment throughout the world, including on ships, so I have never seen the need to submit the bills, pursuant to the HAL's CPP plan. The only reason that we buy a CPP plan is for CFAR. The only other insurance we carry is med-evac because the CPP plan only allow for $50,000. I don't think that amount would get us back from the Caribbean. We don't need medical insurance and don't buy the CPP for that.

It has been my experience that the packages will usually be offered once you aboard ship. However, I do remember that on our Grand Asia, there was one offered pre-cruise for men's haircuts. I don't remember if one was offered for any services for women. Perhaps others have a better memory. Why don't you ask this question on the 2023 World cruise roll calls. The cruise will be ending in a couple of week.

Maybe they are giving away so many free cabins that their software can't keep up. (Only half kidding, BTW.)

The private sales are good only for the person (and companion) whose Mariner no. is shown at the top of the notice. Every time I log into HAL, my husband's account is brought up, but the notice is under my number. Yet HAL doesn't recognize my name and no., so I can't see the price. Our TA can see it, however. I think my problem is that one of HAL's software does not recognize my married name. In short, the special price is directed only to one party. It is not going to show up in both parties' accounts.

CCL closed today at 9.21. It would take only four 14-day cruises to recoup your investment. If you think those are bad odds, I can show you some that truly are bad!

What does it cost today to buy 100 shares?

Thanks for posting these. She looks better now, at least in pictures.

As I said, 'Perhaps." Read Copper's post on 'Just off the Nieuw Amsterdam." Copper is a very knowledgeable and reliable poster.

See Copper 10-8's Post #1 on his Nieuw Amsterdam cruise.

Perhaps they will return. Somewhere I read on this forum that HAL is attempting to renegotiate their contract with LC.

How lovely! Thank you for reminding us that meeting new people is one of the joys of cruising.

The upsells I was offered came in less than a week from boarding. Have your TA call at the appropriate time. However, we were also given an upgrade (complimentary) from a verandah to a NS at the time we checked in. This was on the Zaandam, so there was only one class of verandah and no signature suite.

If that was what HAL intended, the notice did not specify the length of time after booking that it could be applied. There is nothing in the notice about a 7-day requirement. "New booking" is not defined. Hence, there is no rule, arbitrary or otherwise.

I don't recall needing any visa for any of the Indonesian ports, but that was in 2018. As someone else suggested, rather than worrying about it, you should call your TA. That is what they are trained to know.