sansterre

After the sparklers, for a few years the parade was done with vegetables and kitchen bowls, spatulas etc. I remember some waiters and cooks juggling red and green peppers.

Apparently the parade in the dining rooms will occur at each segment of the Grand World ends. I enjoyed seeing the waiters and kitchen staff the other night. However, I don't understand the waving of napkins. With Covid still around, IMO best to simply clap to show appreciation.

I noticed that the Zuiderdam has been sailing a course of 269, just about true West since leaving Puerto Vallarta.

My single cruising friend has emergency plans written down, complete with Funeral arrangements to be made. Upon arriving at her cabin, she puts the papers in a prominent place in her cabin and notifies her room stewards. Then she will tell others she meets on the ship that the stewards no where everything is in case of her illness or death. I admire her thinking and wanted to share with other single cruisers.

I must have missed something. What are Pop up Dinners?

The Silver Moon appears to be at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Was Jeddah on their original itinerary? I see the ship is to end in Aqaba on January 6 - a one way Athens to Aqaba

Best tour in San Juan, PR leaves from near where the ship dock. It's on Segways. Found it on Google and did it two different times. Instructors and guides were excellent. Must be under 65 as I recall.

DH and I are on the HAL WC. One agent recently offered a great price on the first two segments of the HAL world cruise. At the time I wondered if the reason for not including the third segment was the ongoing war and unknown itinerary. Interesting discussion on this thread. We were looking forward to seeing both Israel and Turkey too. And it would be nice to get to UAE and Oman, but if rerouted around Africa we are ok with that too. We saw some interesting ports (Zanzibar, Maputo, Madagascar, to Luderitz and Walvis Bay) on Grand Africa. And there are some island nations out in the Indian Ocean like the Seychelles. However, on this Christmas Day, I am wishing for Peace on Earth.

We will be in Hong Kong for two days, staying on the cruise ship overnight. DH would like to get some shirts made while we are there. Any recommendations for a good tailor? Preferably we would like one near the cruise port - within walking distance, or a short taxi ride would be great.

Westerdam is a great ship. However, we found when the ship is moving the sound of the engine/propeller (?not sure what causes the noise) is quite loud in the Dining Room, especially in the aft section on the lower dining room floor. Hopefully it has been fixed by now. There will be some activities for solo travelers. Be sure to check them out and ENJOY!

On our recent Grand Africa cruise, we wore our Platinum Medallions to the ceremony and lunch. After the meal as we waited at the elevators with others who had just received their awards. One couple stepped on quickly as the woman stated "Gold before Silver." We smiled, then my husband said dryly "ours were not Silver, they are most desired Platinum". We all had a good laugh and she apologized for her wrong assumption 🙂 (Silver and Platinum look similar, but there is a difference when seen together and the ribbon is white as I recall.)

Is there a Morimoto discount for five star cruisers?

Bringing this to the top as need to know if Taxi's (and Uber or Stroll) are available at Cruise Port. Also, what are the top places to visit in Guam and Saipan.

Thinking of the Grand World cruise scheduled to be in that area in April 2024. Three ports in Israel planned: Eliat, Ashdod, and Haifa. Hopeful the war ends and peace returns to the area. Ports can change, but The Red Sea is a necessary route. Overall, my heart is with all those injured, missing, or held hostage.

IMO the sign, if there is one used, should be for 5 star and Club Orange. We have been 5 star and there is absolutely no reason for us to get Club Orange. And why do they combine advantages to both 4 and 5 star now for tender usage etc. I can understand if there are only a few 4 and 5 star passengers. But when half the ship is 4 and 5 stars, 5 star she get sole preference.

It shouldn't be a problem as long as they appear to be from a market and not some picked in the woods. Throughout the years, I have taken flowers on board HAL ships in many ports - Hawaii, Peru, Funchal, to name a few. However, last Fall we purchased a lovely mix of cut flowers at the flower market in Funchal. As we came on board, security took them from my husband and whisked them away saying "no live plant material permitted". We tried to explain that they were cut stems but they didn't care. Perhaps it was just this cruise, as we were going to ports around Africa or perhaps a mistake by security.

retired teachers are eligible for OBC?

One grandchild is with family reunion of adults (30-75) in a cruise to Tortola (and also St. Thomas). We think the Baths would be too difficult and unsure how he would do on a sailboat or motorboat on the open water. Is there a good beach, maybe one that is less known than Cane Garden Bay where it can get a bit too rowdy/ Anything else on Tortola that we would all enjoy?

Everyone is different. And some surgeries have better results than others. For example, I had a great doctor and was pretty fit, but did NOT have a great result with my full knee replacement. Therefore, I recommend if your surgery is within a couple months of your first cruise, do I of these 2 things: 1. purchase trip insurance because you may not have any interest in going anywhere 2. get a scooter to get around the ship while you continue to do daily exercises on the knee.

Without the small ships, sadly HAL won't be able to dock in town. They will be in competition with the mega ships for the out-of-town docks.

Yes, HAL stock has been on the rise, finally! Well worth having IMO for benefits if nothing else.

Glad you are taking this tour. You must report with photos! What port does this go out of? I'll add it to my bucket list.

We did a HAL tour to Givenchy, Monet's home. It was enjoyable and included a nice French lunch.

We enjoyed meeting Sail Seven Seas on a cruise many years ago. Since then I enjoyed all the posts she wrote on Cruise Critic and hope she will post again.

I hope you do not have to move. We had a similar situation with a back to back to back. We thought we were going to have to move until the day before when somehow we were able to stay in our cabin. Expect the worst and hope for the best.