dcsam

Lindblad looks amazing, but may be just a wee bit too challenging for my disabled husband. He can walk with some assistance, but his balance is impaired. Are there other adventure/educational cruise lines out there that would be a bit 'easier' for our needs?

Thank you.

One more thing: once you arrive in Vancouver, you can either fly out of their (but I've heard it can be spendy), or take HAL's bus to SeaTac.

I'd suggest flying into Anchorage. Bus or train to Seward; catch the ship and end the cruise in Vancouver. We've done Seattle to Seattle, but one misses cruising the true inside passage on that route. Also, if you can swing it, a night spent in Seward would allow you to do the 7 1/2 or 9 hour boat trip with Major Marine or Saltwater lodge. Kenai Fjords does a good job too, but WoW! They really cram the people on their boats. This is a spendy tour, but worth it. For the rest of the ports, there's plenty of great DIY tours/trips you can do and save oodles of $$$$. I do think Holland America does Alaska best. And during those times, your son just might find a few others his own age.

Caroline

Wow! The stern area was originally built that way? Ouch!

As far as entertainment being repeated... That's fine with us as we don't attend the shows - at least very seldom.

We've never had the opportunity to dine at Tamarind, so that's a plus for NA.

The decision is becoming clearer. Thank you for the feedback.

How do the aft pools compare? Actually, the more I keep staring at the 2 itineraries, the more I'm leaning towards the Nieuw Amsterdam. It seems 'easier' on those with disabilities like my hubby has. Two chances to visit both Grand Turk (never been there) and Half Moon Cay is appealing. Our dream was to get back to Bonaire to experience the phenomenal snorkeling, so I think I got caught up in that moment. Things change. So looking for itineraries that are more about R&R than itineraries that involve touring is most important.

Did the Nieuw Amsterdam have more cabins installed on the stern area? The stern area is quite ugly. The lack of upward tiering loses that classic ship design. The fact that HAL is reducing their space/passenger ratio is concerning.

Having a difficult time deciding between the Oosterdam (either Jan. 29 or Feb. 19) or Nieuw Amsterdam (a back to back). Should we expect more kids on the B2B (it would be the 2/21/16 cruise)? With more people on the NA, does it 'feel' that much more crowded? I love the fact that we'd get 2 opportunities to spend the day at Half Moon Cay (with the NA), but the Oosterdam does the 'ABC' islands. Tough call. Just wondering if there are other factors to consider.

Thank you.

And I agree, that HAL is no more formal than Princess.

We're long-time cruisers of both. But we much prefer HAL. We're booked for a 14 day Alaska cruise beginning this Sunday aboard the Oosterdam. Just hoping we won't find it as crowded as we experienced on our most recent cruise with Princess (Star). However, we enjoy the small Princess ships (i.e., Pacific, Ocean). And we love HAL's Statendam. Perfect size; much more intimate than the new mega ships out there.

I was also wondering if this is simply a HAL 'secret'. I've cruised with HAL many times, but never read anything about this. Ive only read about it on Cruise Critic.

We've driven to Vancouver on prior cruises. It's a 5-6 hour drive. We've spent the night there, but I prefer not to do this, as it's a real pain unloading, loading luggage. Taking HAL's transfers will cost about the same when all is said and done (fuel, hotel, extra night for dog sitter, meals). Just less hassle. I can kick back and let someone else worry about the driving. But the biggest plus is it allows us to be with our two furry critters one more night. :-)

We'll be in a Signature Suite (for the first time), and thought it might be nice to dine on our balcony an evening or two (weather permitting). Can we order room service from the posted mdr dinner menu? Is there a charge for this?

Thank you.

The bus to Vancouver (from Seattle airport) leaves at 10:30. According to HAL, we need to check in between 8 and 9:30. For those who've recently taken this transfer, what time did you arrive and how did it work for you?

Thank you.

For Mendenhall, I suggest taking the local bus to and from. Reasonably priced and you're not on somebody else's schedule.

I agree... You might just enjoy having the outside. I know you booked a specific cabin, but personally, I'd be thrilled with that upgrade. Regardless - as others have said, be kind with the people at checkin and at the front desk, and don't 'raise hell'. There is very little they can do, and I just hate it when people take their frustrations out on them. On an Azamara cruise, we kindly asked the front desk about the possibility of a paid upgrade to a balcony (we booked an outside). We had to wait until the ship was underway, but there was a 'no-show', and we gladly paid the difference.

Enjoy the cruise.

I see there are no cabins below the promenade deck. So is jogging allowed?

Thank you.

Yes, grocery carts work great - just not so much on cruise ships ;-)

As far as the Hugo getting 'trashed' in the cargo hold of a plane: We've used it countless times the past 5-6 years and no problem! It does come with foot rests (for use as a wheelchair). I do secure those inside the seat, because one time they came up missing. Thank goodness we checked right when we picked it up, and the plane crew went right back and found them.

And we do take it while tendering. The crew sets it to the side of the tender, and loads it last.

My mother and I did a lot of traveling together. As she got older, walking distances became difficult. So I bought the Hugo walker/wheelchair. She could use it as a walker, but then when she became too tired, it turned into a wheelchair, and we were able to continue on, allowing us to do much more sightseeing. I pushed her. Now my husband uses it.

I usually push him through the airports; early boarding; leave it at the bottom of the ramp (gate check); they load into plane, and we pick it up as we step off the plane. Sometimes we go through security ahead of the lines, but we don't mind waiting either. Being that he is in the 'wheelchair', he probably could go straight through.

We'll take it with us on our upcoming cruise. And we'll use it while off the ship to tour around town - mainly in 'wheelchair' mode. If we didn't have it, I doubt we'd do much (if any touring) since his balance is so poor, and it takes him a long time to walk short distances. He won't use it while on the ship. He uses walking poles around the ship.

It doesn't go over cobblestone roads very well.

It does have hand-breaks, so going up and down the gangways is doable. We've found the crew very helpful if needed.

All the legs collapse, making it quite compact. But it's a bit of a pain to do this, so we just leave it as is. We don't need a handicap room just for this device. We need it for the safety features in the bathroom.

Any other questions just ask.

Caroline

Canned soda is also available for 'Happy Hour'?

Is it possible to bring Happy Hour drinks back to our cabin? We'd like to enjoy them on our balcony. I like wine, and will have no problem finishing 2 glasses. But hubby can barely get through 1 beer (NA). - let alone 2. Will the bartender leave one bottle of beer unopened, so he can enjoy it the next day?

Thanks much!

Wow! Great information. Thank goodness my husband isn't wheelchair-bound. And like I mentioned, his isn't a regular sized wheelchair. It's called a Hugo, and I used it to keep my mom traveling. She couldn't have continued to travel without it because she also couldn't walk long distances, and pushing her allowed us to continue on our way. She also used it as a walker around ship. Now, my husband uses it, but very seldom. We've cruised quite a bit with the larger-sized cruise ships. After experiencing a mega-ship cruise aboard the Star Princess, I swore, "Never again!" We enjoy Azamara and HALs smaller ships. River cruising seems like something we'd enjoy. Thanks again for all your feedback. I have some researching to do!

Caroline

Thank you. It will be great to get other suggestions too. My husband can walk. But for longer distances, he sits in a wheelchair/walker, and I push him. Works great for long airport walks. But typically, the wheelchair just sits once we get to our destination or board a ship.

Thanks again!

Caroline

There are so many river cruises out there, and it's overwhelming where to even begin. My husband is slightly disabled, so a cruise that includes excursions is out. Most of our time would be spent onboard rather than touring around. We're not into large cities, but prefer smaller village type settings. My husband does enjoy swimming, so finding a ship that has a pool would be great. We also enjoy open and airy spaces. A balcony or windows that open are a must. He doesn't drink, but I enjoy wine. Casual dress is much preferred over dressy. I'd like to find a river cruise for the latter part of August or September. Any suggestions what itinerary and cruise line I should check into?

Thanks so much!

Caroline

WA state

Just to let you know:

I called the TA and they called HAL. I could have received an upgrade to an assigned Signature Suite. We're currently booked in a SZ guarantee. OR, I could receive shipboard credit - $600 more. We chose the shipboard credit since we're at least guaranteed a really nice cabin, and location doesn't matter. So, all in all, I'm pleased. They could have done nothing, but HAL came through. Still... makes me reconsider booking even closer to the time of sailing - like a month or less - to get the best deals. Especially when all we need to do is drive to the port. Thank you all.

Caroline

Thank you. I'll be calling in a couple hours. When I booked, full payment was due since the cruise is just around the corner... in June. And it's non-refundable.