NCTribeFan

Again, you do not have to remove your card. There's a button on the machine that they push that shows your folio number (not your cabin number - that isn't on your card anyway). On the 14 nights on Spirit a month ago, the servers knew my folio number after a couple of drinks. And my name. Five weeks until I'm on Rotterdam for 26 days (the last 10 days are casino offers). I have HIA for the 16-night TA, so I imagine the casino bar servers will know me fairly early, considering we 2 sea days from Port Everglades to NYC, then have 8 straight sea days on the crossing!

What? No seating on the Promenade deck on Rotterdam? I'll be on her for 26 nights! Well, since we're crossing the Atlantic in early April, chances are it will be too cold to sit out there anyway. Still! 😒

Not sure I qualify as a "HAL regular" since I'm just 3* and have only been on 6 HAL cruises (2 coming up this year). I do have almost 40 on Carnival. I sailed Pride for 32 days B2B2B Rome to Tampa beginning this past October. The Spirit class (of which Pride is one of 4) is definitely my favorite mostly because of the layout. The Spirit class ships were not originally intended for Carnival but for one of the other CCL lines. The layout is most similar to the ships in HAL's Vista class. Yes, the decor is hideous (imho) but many like that over-the-top stuff. I've always said that Joe Farcus designs look like he came up with the ideas while having bad acid flashbacks! 😞 But decor really isn't a deciding factor for me when cruising. I also just did 14 nights on Spirit (the first in that class). The food was better than on Pride as was the service, but Pride wasn't bad, by any means. My "problem" with Carnival (and the main reason I'm moving to HAL and other lines) is that there is simply nowhere on the ship to get away from the noise. There's pop music blasting from speakers in every location at all times. I typically sail in interior cabins and it's really annoying to have to retreat to that cabin just to get a little peace and quiet. My other issue was that there is no seating on the exterior promenade deck. Nothing. That's one of my favorite places to hang out on HAL ships. I tend to like to spend my sea days out there reading, relaxing, and looking at the sea. There's probably more daytime activities on Carnival although that isn't my thing. Music can't compare to BB King's imho. Production shows still have both singing and dancing. I don't go to comedy shows, so can't comment on that. At least the piano bar isn't directly across from the casino, which is where I like to spend my evenings and found myself having to leave the casinos on Eurodam/NA/Zuidy when the Billboard players were performing (if you can call that bellowing din a performance).

I've sailed nearly 40 times on Carnival, almost always in inside cabins. I did this because when I started cruising in 2001, I was sailing with my teenage daughter and the size of their interiors was consistently larger, and the fares less, than on other lines. I just did 32 nights on Carnival Pride last fall, and another 14 nights as couple of weeks ago on her sister, Carnival Spirit. Nice, large interior cabins. I'm "lucky" enough to get casino discounts, even off my "regular" fares on HAL, which Carnival rarely gives me. It's usually in the 30%-off range, which lowers the price enough that I'm booking more and more. Now that I'm semi-retired and have more time to sail, the longer itineraries very much appeal to me. If I don't book a balcony, I prefer an interior. Love it nice and dark while sleeping. I'm often up early enough during the winter that I'm up on Lido when the sun comes up anyway.

This isn't how it's worked for me. It's been the same on HAL as on Carnival and I've taken many, many Carnival sailings where I've had free drinks while gambling. They just look at your card and write down your folio number. If you're at a slot, there's a button on the machine they push that shows your folio number so you never have to remove your card. At the bars, you have to had over your card for them to swipe, but you don't have to do that when you're playing in the casino.

My experience has been that you're limited to the drinks available at the casino bar (the one in the Gallery Bar). Service was fantastic, but I was on the first sailing in the US after she arrived from Europe in November 2021 and we only had about 500 pax. Technically, you DO need to be playing either slots or at a table. Occasionally, you can be standing around and a server will ask for your order, but don't count on it. I don't "bribe" upfront. I add a small tip when the drink is delivered although the regular tip is included in your offer and you don't have to add more.

Did you mean I-7114? Cabin 7112 is an SS on Rotterdam. Not sure what you mean about there being "only one Rotterdam sized ship." The other two in that class have the same cabins, don't they?

Pretty sure the interior cabin on my first RCI cruise was the smallest ever. Like 130 sq ft for me and my teenage DD. Literally had to squeeze between the two twin beds to climb in them. That's the reason that one RCI cruise was my one and only. I'm booked in an I on deck 6 on Rotterdam or 26 nights. I did ask about it before booking. My concern was that it backs up to an elevator and I do not want to hear that noise all night for weeks. I was assured it was a quiet location. I've looked at photos (try cruisedeckplans dot com) and it looks small but not tiny. Of course, my favorite interior cabins on HAL are the Large Inside J cabins on Vista and Signature class ships. Those are fabulous. So spacious.

I'll be on the Rotterdam for almost a month from early April. We call in Oslo. Having never been to Scandinavia, I'm very much looking forward to seeing Oslo and Copenhagen (then on to Scotland). I loved K'dam and Rotterdam looks like a beautiful ship. She isn't too large for my tastes. I think that's just about the right size to have enough amenities yet not feel crowded or too big. Sailing then in November on Volendam to Hawaii. My first HAL cruise was Zaandam to Hawaii, so I'm really looking forward to being on that size ship again as well. I totally understand the backlash against huge hordes of tourists descending on beautiful locations and the environmental impact.

I filed a claim with Allianz a few years back. Cruise from Charleston to Bermuda. Had to turn around on our way home for a medical emergency which made us 12 hours late arriving back in Charleston. I have poor night vision so spent the night at the hotel where my car was parked from my pre-cruise stay. I was reimbursed for the hotel costs within days. Not a big claim, but absolutely no problems with them. Didn't have to submit anything except the hotel charge. I just renewed my plan (it includes Covid coverage) for $280. I'm a 70-year-old female with no major medical issues. I really buy it for the emergency evac coverage.

If you book the flexible, the price isn't locked in until you pay. It's like you have a "hold" on the fare but it can change. I've only used the airline booking once in recent years, through Carnival (same booking engine) for my flight to Rome last October. I booked the flexible fare and, thankfully, it did not increase between booking and making final payment. Fare was less than half the going rate through the airlines. If you book the other, you pay when you book and, obviously, price is locked in at that point. Am I missing something?

I didn't know 3*s were included in a reception. On Zuidy this past June in Alaska, pretty sure I wasn't invited to one. On our upcoming TA in April, I imagine the vast majority of pax will be 4 & 5*. That's what I've found on TAs on other lines - packed with the upper level loyalty folks. But I'll go if invited!

I have added CO after initial booking but before final payment, and had to pay for it when added. I've added CO at the time of booking a casino fare, which had to be paid-in-full when booked, so had to also pay for CO when added. I haven't yet added CO at the time of booking a "regular" fare, but imagine I'll do so before too much longer. And I imagine I'll have to pay for it when I book. I use a PCC so, we'll see.

I've gotten them each time. Gave one to cruise buddy on the 2nd leg on NA Dec 2021. Told the steward I didn't need another one on the 2nd leg of my Alaska B2B this past June on Zuidy. Most definitely do not need three when I take my B2B2B on Rotterdam this coming April! Being white, they get a bit grubby after several times being used to haul my stuff around the ship and in ports.

As Ruth says, it's $200 for the cabin plus taxes and port fees for one when solo, just as it is when you book a "regular" fare as a solo. $200 OBC for spending.

I asked to use "extra" NR OBC as extra gratuities (on Eurodam 11/2021) and was told I could not. I spent it elsewhere.

I've done three of these since November 2021, and I've added 2 more at the end of the upcoming Rotterdam TA in April. I could've stayed on Rotterdam for the entire summer but "free" isn't really free, you know. I'd still be eating, drinking, taking excursions, gambling, etc. 😁 As long as HAL send me these offers, I'll continue to book them!

There is a recent thread where someone linked to a YouTube video. If you just search for Volendam in the thread titles, you should find it. She looks wonderful. I'll be on her in November to Hawaii. My first HAL cruise was on Zaandam to Hawaii in 2010. Loved the ship. The smaller size and fewer venues/amenities isn't a concern for me in the least.

That's good to know. I'm leaning toward keeping 3401. I think I'd rather risk the possibility of "some" movement that far aft than risk having all-night noise above me for 18 nights! I have plenty of time to obsess about whether to change. 😄

I was going to suggest searching for reviews of that "other" 150th Anniversary sailing. I hadn't thought about looking at the original Roll Call. Good idea. Since our sailing is the reverse (FLL-NY-Rotterdam), I'm guessing we'll have some historical presentations about Rotterdam during those sea days. Really looking forward to it!

Enjoying your posts. I'll be on the ship for 26 nights beginning with the Anniversary TA on 4/3. Really looking forward to it. I added Club Orange and am looking forward to being able to eat in that dining room. I sailed Koningsdam and loved the ship. Being in the North Atlantic for 9 sea days in early April I'm pretty sure I won't get to spend time out at the aft pool, so I'll need to be up early and grab a lounger on the deck above the main pool, overlooking the sea.

I enjoy LCS. I'd so much prefer the horrid piano bar go away. I'd love to avoid it but when it's right across from the Roulette wheel (which is typically my evening entertainment), it's hard to do that. For the life of me, I can't understand why people enjoy listening to bad vocals being shouted out while two people are pounding as hard as they possibly can on the keyboards. Ugh. Looking forward to Rotterdam in April for 26 nights. Hope we at least have BB Kings, Rolling Stones, & LCS for those 26 nights. And at least the piano bar isn't immediately next to the casino!

I've only ever added it on after booking and got it for $50/night, which makes it well worth it. I'm not a huge drinker (and when there are lots of port days, getting your "money's worth" is sometimes not easy to do, drink-wise). But I do appreciate the included specialty dining. Don't typically take ship excursions, but I do if there's something I'm interested in and HAL is paying for it! And social wi-fi is all I need. I just like to be able to post pics on FB to show my friends I'm on a cruise in interesting places and they're at home working. LOL. I'm so mean! 😁 But I don't HAVE to have HIA. I tacked on 2 5-night sailings after my upcoming Rotterdam TA in April. It's not available on those short sailings. The good news is I booked casino offers so get drinks while gambling, so I'll just use my 3* Mariner discount and get a wine package at the start of those 10 nights and grab a drink in the casino when I can. I'll pay for the other things I want (hello, Tamarind!).

Their website should have the latest (or current) requirements.

Yes, I'm thinking I should just keep 3401 although I'd prefer more midship. I don't really need the "partially-obstructed" as opposed to the "fully obstructed" since I actually prefer inside cabins (I want it totally dark despite waking fairly early. I don't have the motion sickness issues I had when I first started sailing. I swear Ginger Root cured me. Either that or I sailed enough that my inner ear finally realized that there was nothing to get too worked up about after all. Still, I don't really want to spend all those sea days feeling queasy. Not really sure whether moving forward a bit on the same deck on a ship this size will make that much difference anyway.