CMDE

“As an above poster said,  take the HAL tour on the smaller boat up to Tracy Arm Fjord....absolutely stunning scenery and well worth the money!  I would recommend the Volendam.”

We loved our cruise on the Volendam, and definitely agree with the posters who suggested the smaller boat up to Tracy Arm. It was the best excursion we’ve ever taken on a cruise. 

What a great post! I tend to “lurk” but I really enjoy reading CruiseCritic, especially when I am planning or about to embark on a cruise. I love travelling, especially cruising, but I am also a bit of a nervous traveller, and the people who post on this site really help me travel with a lot more confidence. I appreciate that immensely. Plus I can usually get a laugh or two every time I come on.

For Rotterdam, I assume all the Feb 3 passengers got on? It just looks rather empty. 

We are leaving next Sunday - is there a reliable place to check online to find out about fog at Tampa?

I had booked a Christmas cruise (with cancellation insurance) with a travel agent who was very helpful, but I had to cancel it. I just booked another cruise today online - and I just read on cruisecritic that I can transfer it to a travel agent. Should I do that? Are there any pluses/minuses in doing that?

We always go to the library as soon as we are on-board and get two books each to read for the cruise. This isn’t quite as important now with ebooks, but we still do it anyway.

And I always check out the cafe for my morning espresso, too.

What a good idea, ArtsyCraftsy, I would not have thought of that. I usually bring a tiny portable speaker, but your idea sounds much better - and with better sound. Thanks. 

Does Happy Hour apply only to mixed drinks, usually? Or to wine as well?

Love all these suggestions.

What about Sea Cruise, by Frankie Ford. Great opening.

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I have been on 4 different cruise lines (Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Holland America). I am a bargain hunter and almost always book an inside guarantee but have been in a verandah suite on Holland America, and a Princess mini suite.

If you were going to throw caution to the winds and for one luxurious trip book a real suite, which line would you choose? And what kind of suite?

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Didn't need binoculars for this, but in Skagway we saw a large crowd of young people dancing in complete silence beside the ship for quite a long time, maybe 30 minutes or longer. Square dancing, disco, jive, all in complete silence. It was about 10 p.m. It was quite interesting and odd - I guess like a flash mob.

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The banana split had bacon on it! My husband said it was pretty good - it looked gorgeous. I had the quiche which was just ok.

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Times may have changed in the real world, but cruise ships are different

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Those aren't floppy, should have been allowed under any etiquette rules

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I agree with Margee, if she has gone to the trouble to accessorize her hat with her outfit, it should be allowed. It is the general rule, as I understand it, for women.

As an aside, what if you are wearing a hat at breakfast in the MDR because you have lost your hair for medical reasons? Should you be turned away? I think not.

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Bought this for a family wedding in April in Canada but wondering if I can wear it for formal night on Bermuda cruise in May? Not sure how to accessorize.

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That sounds like a lot of bother. Thanks for the info.

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Thanks, no real bookings yet so will give that a try.

Thank you, might just hold off then.

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I booked a future cruise credit while onboard a cruise in May, 2013, which I had transferred to my travel agent at the time. I would prefer to book on my own going forward or possibly with a different TA. Has anybody had any luck transferring it from a TA back to the cruise line? Or to a different TA? I called RC and they referred me to a form online. I am just not sure I have the paperwork (i.e. the booking number) without asking my old TA and I would prefer not to make any waves. Does anyone have any experience with this?

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Would Morristown also be a good place to stay for 2 nights prior to our cruise in May? We are driving from Toronto, were thinking of staying in Parsippany. But looking at the Hyatt House Morristown. Just as convenient?

Or possibly the Hilton Parsippany.

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Thanks, sounds like Parsipanny is the best choice for us. I will pick up some driving recommendations to the port from other posts as well.

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My husband and I are cruising on the Summit in May. We are driving down the day (or two) before. After reading through a lot of this thread, it seems like one good option is to stay in Parsipanny the night before, with an easy drive to the port in the morning. We like easy!

But I also see that the Hilton EWR has a pretty good price for a cruise package with parking.

We would like to sightsee a bit in New Jersey, (not NYC this trip) and would also like to avoid really busy driving. But the price of the package is pretty good when you factor in parking. So I am a bit undecided.

Would there be enough to see in and around Parsipanny for one full day? Is it too crazy driving around EWR?

Advice?

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I think I probably should have posted this on the Cape Liberty 411 thread, sorry! I have posted it there as well.

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My husband and I are cruising on the Summit in May. We are driving down the day (or two) before. After reading through a lot of this thread, it seems like one good option is to stay in Parsipanny the night before, with an easy drive to the port in the morning. We like easy!

But I also see that the Hilton EWR has a pretty good price for a cruise package with parking.

We would like to sightsee a bit in New Jersey, (not NYC this trip) and would also like to avoid really busy driving. But the price of the package is pretty good when you factor in parking. So I am a bit undecided.

Would there be enough to see in and around Parsipanny for one full day? Is it too crazy driving around EWR?

Advice?

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