Jhawktraveler

On 7/30/2019 at 2:57 PM, Moriah said:

I am very happy I went with PG to Tahiti, even though I really love HAL.  THe PG only holds about 300 passengers and for me, doing the islands in what amounts to a nice sized yacht, was just wonderful.   The PG just slipped into small bays ... it really is a great experience IMO.  I can't think of a single "con", actually...except perhaps the price, but keep in mind they sell you a package that includes airfare from the States.

Agree with the above comments.  We cruised the PG back in 2011 and really enjoyed the smaller ship experience.  I'm normally hesitant with ships that small due to motion sickness issues but had no issues onboard the PG since it cruises in more sheltered waters.

Just now, SilvertoGold said:

 

How did you like the Westerdam?

We had cruised the Noordam and Zuiderdam previously so the layout was somewhat familiar.  We enjoyed the Westerdam. You can tell there was some good refreshing and updating during the recent drydock, things looked new and modern.

47 minutes ago, Loreto said:

There was an orange party onboard our 7 day Alaska cruise last week on the Oosterdam July21-28.  It was in the daily program.

Karen

Same here for the Westerdam southbound during that same week.  I think it was on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m. in BB Kings.

We just got off the Westerdam on July 28th.  A very light smoke haze on a couple of days in the Anchorage, Denali and Seward areas but hardly noticeable.

Update....we just returned from our trip and ended up renting with Avis instead of the DIY jeeps.  It was definitely less expensive and a car is absolutely adequate, maybe even preferred.  We had a small Subaru SUV since there were 4 of us and it was very comfortable.  I downloaded Murray's Guide which was very helpful to track our progress.

Thanks for the feedback everyone and for the correction Budget Queen.  It looks like I may go with the rental care to save a little money. 

Our group of 4 adults will be in Skagway in late July on a HAL cruise and plan to rent a vehicle to drive the Yukon Highway.  Options appear to by the diy jeep or a regular rental car company like Avis.  The Avis rental for a mid SUV is cheaper than the jeep but I'm wondering if there are benefits to the jeep rental vs. regular rental.  I would appreciate in pros and cons of either from people who have used one or the other (or both).  Thanks in advance.

Thanks

We are on the Westerdam in July on a Southbound 7 night cruise and I'm wondering about the timing of gala nights.  I know there are usually 2 on a 7 night cruise and that they aren't on the last night.  On our itinerary we have a day at sea the first full day transiting the gulf so I'm assuming that will be gala night 1.  The next day we are in glacier bay and after that, Haines, Juneau and Ketchikan consecutively.  Then we have a day at sea/scenic cruising before disembarking in Vancouver.   We leave the earliest from Juneau (6 p.m.) and Ketchikan (7 p.m.), so I'm guessing the 2nd gala will be one of those nights.  Any idea which night would be gala? Thanks in advance for your help.

I can recommend SPB for tours in St. Petersburg.  We used them in 2016 for a 3 day stop in St. Petersburg and took a train to Moscow the 2nd day.  Ours was a small group, 10 people I think.  They also have tours for other Baltic ports and you get a discount if you book multiple trips with SPB.

We took a Baltic cruise on Celebrity Silhouette in early June in 2016 (Amsterdam - Stockholm) and loved it.   The cruise spent 3 days in St. Petersburg and that's what sold it for us since we had time to explore SPB and also a full day to Moscow.  We also had an overnight in Copenhagen.

I can't say enough about my e-bags backpack. I bought it a few years ago for a carryon only trip to Italy. It has a lot of different pockets. Later I bought the matching rolling suitcase.I believe it is called the motherlode. That's a good place to shop, too, and they have good sales and frees shipping. You can also check them out on Amazon.

I second the E-bags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible . I have had one for a couple of years and love it. The pockets are well designed for travel purposes. It can be carried as either a shoulder bag or backpack. They also have a junior version if you like something a bit smaller.

We took a Holland America 10-Day Southern Caribbean a couple of years ago that went to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao (plus a few other stops) but not T&T.

I've used them a number of times both in the US and in Europe and had great luck both with the reservations and customer service. On one occasion when a hotel charged me for a room I had cancelled well within the cancellation period the customer service was excellent and the issue taken care of promptly.

When we were in Papeete a few years ago on the Paul Gauguin there were island tours and day passes to hotels offered through the cruise line on the day of disembarkation. We were staying a couple of extra days so we didn't use the day pass but there were definitely some on the cruise that did at the Radisson (our hotel) and the Intercontinental since the flights don't typically leave until late that night.

You might try craft stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby. I've seen this type of thing in the jewelry making (used to hold beads) and paint sections.

I don't have the link handy but you can find it on the HAL website under indulgences. You can pre order them here or wait until you are onboard.

Sent from my PantechP8010 using Forums mobile app

you can get it at Total Wine

Thanks! I just looked up their website and see they have my favorites, YEAH:)

My husband and I wanted to get Stoli and Seagrams 7 for the room but were afraid the prices might be high ordering through the ship. We were pleasantly surprised at how reasonable they were, especially for the liters. I work in a wine and spirits store here in Kansas part time and the prices are only a little above what we would pay retail without my discount.

Sorry if this is too off topic but I'm hoping I can find some Ginger Beer in Ft. Lauderdale so I can make Moscow Mules (my favorite cocktail). Anyone know if the stores in the harbor shops area on 17th street carry ginger beer? (we especially like Fentimans or Fevertree but can be flexible) I can make due with tonic or cranberry juice for mixers but would love to have a mule before dinner.

Hi Jhawktraveler;

 

We might be on the same ship. Are you going to be on HA Maasdam and be in Curacao on 12/15.

 

We are renting a car in Curacao as well. Did you book a car at the megaport? Do you know which port we will be docking at.

We are on the HAL Noordam and will be in Curacao on 12/12, just a few days ahead of you. We booked the rental car with Avis at the megapier. I don't know what pier we'll be docking at but I don't believe they are very far apart so it should be fine either way. Have a great trip!

See my post here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1946579

 

Definitely recommend it!

Thanks for the information/recommendation, we'll check it out. What type of dress code? I'm assuming much like we would dress for smart casual nights onboard (ie. no shorts, tshirts....)?

Yes, there are still road constructions ongoing.

 

At the moment there are several roads being serviced/ rebuilt. The main road to the Western side will have some delays (nothing major anymore).

 

And the high bridge will only have 1/2 side open for traffic. Delays only during peak office hours and none over 1/2 hour.

 

With your port times, you should be fine.

Thanks for the quick response, sounds like will be good to go in December, now we just have to decide exactly where to go -- so many good choices.

Wow, that's a long day! I'm jealous!

 

We had delays due to construction on the Queen Juliana bridge last week, but probably only about 10 minutes or so at peak times. We were back to our port after sunset with plenty of time to change clothes and go out for dinner at Rif Fort.

Yes it is a full day, the longest I've seen on any cruise except overnight stops. I'm excited to have that much time to explore and experience the island. Thanks for the info on traffic delays. What restaurant did you go to and would you do it again? Trying to decide on a place to eat dinner in town.

We will be in Curacao in early December and plan on renting a car since we will be in port from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.. I have been reading posts and someone indicated that there is road construction that could complicate our plans. Will this still be an issue in December?

I booked a 6 in 1 Zip Line tour with Terry in Samana for our December cruise aboard the Noordam. Looks like a fun excursion and I love zip lining (DH isn't thrilled with zip lining but he's a good sport). I've heard wonderful things about Terry's tours so I'm really looking forward to it, should be fun day of zip lines, waterfalls and the beach.

I have a Fuji FinePix camera that I bought 5 or so years ago that works great. I think I spent less that $150. I am traditionally a Canon camera person but this had the best features at the time for the price. I am always careful to soak it in fresh water after use as instructed and have never had any issues with leakage or damage.

My alma mater is the University of Kansas and they are the Jayhawks. I'm also a native Kansan we are known as Jayhawkers (a term used by militant groups in the area prior to the American Civil War that were affiliated with the free-state/anti-slavery cause). I love to travel whether by cruise or by land. Combine the two and shorten a bit and you get Jhawktraveler.