SilvertoGold

Extra charges are upsells. In MDR lobster, surf and turf; in Pinnacle caviar, Delmonico steak, lobster mac and cheese, lobster are examples of the extra charge options

Noordam? From what I am reading and the photos I see even HAL's World Cruise is having a lot of cut backs, small portions, extra charges, etc. That said, I agree we were well-fed in the MDR last year over several cruises on three different ships. LIke you I see no need to stray from the MDR! BTW: I note that the pricing for Canaletto just increased from $19 to $25 + 18%.

The app for a late March cruise notes Canaletto $19 + 18% and then further in it notes $29.50 (which may be $25 + 18%). Pinnacle dinner remains $39 + 18% = $46.02

No, great time to sail and you get too see Johns Hopkins close-up and enjoy the many seals. This happens only after September 1.

OP is "original poster". Sorry about that!

I would suggest the 14 day on the Noordam or N Amsterdam. A better overview of Alaska That or the back-to-back 7+7 day on either ship: this gives you double dockings at the ports so you can you have two chances to see it all.

Not sure what OP means exactly but cruising over Christmas or not, timing and choices for air flights, hotel arrangements would all be a consideration, too. If it were me, with R/T air so far, I would do both and have a very Merry Christmas :)

We plan to, as long as you don't clean out the stores :)

Oh, yes, that is a very good point. Hoping to see all three areas there, so spectacular a day it will be even if it rains. I know just the place on the ship to be outside and covered from any rain. Thanks for the help!.

Hi, Jean Lovely post, very helpful overall. Really hope your weather starts to behave itself, for your tourism and for you long-suffering Kiwis. You have been through so much! Sounds as if Napier is on the port list still and we will be shopping and buying all those cookies there!

No one has asked about HAL but with the cutbacks, extra charges at the Pinnacle for dinner (only one of appetizer/soup/ salad or pay US$7 + 18% for an extra), many upsells and smaller portions the pricing of US$39 + 18% = US$92 per couple with no extra charges or wine is not worth it. Add on the exchange for us = CND$124 and we will be going for lunch only :)

Jean! Any idea about rain? Is this the time of year when we could expect a lot of rain or none? Appreciate all your help, you have been a huge resource in planning for this adventure.

Can we expect much rain/showers/drizzle last week of March and first week of May? Auckland, ports down east coast and over to Australia.

I have always felt that the Suite pax are paying for (1) extra real estate given that their staterooms are more or less double the size of Vs, and (2) for the Neptune Lounge which could be turned into more insides to sell, with saving for HAL with no amenities to add to their costs.

We saw a guy in the MDR order 3 appetizers, 2 entrees and 3 desserts. He did eat it all, amazingly. Should he have been charged? I think it would have been fair to charge for something there because that must be unusual and quite overboard. But ordering 2 of the starters is not outlandish, especially now that HAL's entrees tend to be on the smaller side.

I consider price as well as 5 star perks which do add up to some savings. I see some ridiculously high fares, some so-so and some reasonable. Pax have many choices. HAL has reduced service/nice additions in so many ways (no chocolates, no towel animals, choose one stateroom service per day, etc) the value is beginning to look debatable. All in all HAL is good value and if they tone down the rush to add-on pricing (MDR, Pinnacle) and this nonsense about paying for more than one appetizer/soup/salad in the Pinnacle, plus put an end to the long string of cutbacks, then HAL can remain a good value (for us, at least).

Way back before the Dive-In existed HAL had a burger bar forward of the mid-ship pool. What was that called? Terrace Grill?? That was where we found a few mostly dreep-fried Dutch treats.

Australia and NZ HAL cruises still require Vaccine (Final dose. Booster is encouraged) and Testing (take viral Covid test and attest to negative result). Anyone want to guess what "attest" means? Email says HAL website page may not be updated for a few days, so the FAQs page which spells out the testing criteria (photo proof) may be out of date.

On the Koningsdam last year over 6 weeks of 7 day cruises + one 18 day cruise it was a mixed bag, sometimes yes, sometimes no. Usually if you do have to participate you have between 3 and 6 m to do so. You will be told in writing the day before.

I can understand that HAL is shoehorning Tamarind into the Asia cruises on the Westerdam. This makes sense and is a nice addition!

Thanks very much. Appreciate this info as I now need to buy some N95. Glad you are enjoying the Noordam!

Thank you. Colin is superb!

Are masks still being given out on the ship? If so, are they the good N95 or only the thin surgical (usually blue) ones? If anyone know who the Hotel manager is, I'd appreciate knowing. The Front Desk should have a comment box with his/her name and photo :)

This is good info, but it looks as if some ships/lines are adding to this list. Passengers on the HAL World Cruise were told nothing off the ship but sealed water. Period, Why HAL is going above and beyond is the question. It was interesting because the blog writer mentioning this was standing near a bar guy who was getting ready to sell that "sealed water" when the announcement was made. He also had pop/soda on his cart to sell and he hastily removed it when he heard the announcement.

Thanks so much for the info. So glad things are going well! Do you know who the Hotel Manager is?