Fouremco

It's the fastest growing sport in North America, in no small part because it appeals to a wide variety of ages, including seniors. I think that HAL made an excellent decision.

Yes, Visa will know that it's a Canadian card, but that has no impact on the transaction. If you owe $100 USD on your onboard account, your TD USD card will be charged $100 USD converted to CAD at the going rate but with no conversion fee. The only thing I'm uncertain of is whether, in the case that you have a USD chequing or savings account with TD sufficient to cover the Visa charge, you can pay off the credit card directly in USD rather than having to pay the converted CAD amount. TD has a new (or at least new to me) Borderless Plan "A premium account designed for frequent U.S. travellers". I've not delved into it, as we seldom go to the US more than a couple of time a year.

Unfortunately, the tender port list has been incomplete for years and the itinerary information provided by HAL is not always accurate. For example, we've tendered in Charlottetown, PEI, and in Trondheim, Norway. Neither port appears on the list and our itinerary for cruises including these ports didn't reflect that a tender was required. For a number of years now, for each cruise visiting new destinations, I check with the local port authority.

Hi, my name is Bert. I'm Fouremco's new home AI Bot. His home is very automated too. Beep...

Yes, I think that we are all aware of the difficult conditions that can challenge ships cruising the inside passage, and that experienced pilots are required. HAL has cruised this route for years and is well aware of the challenges and the requirement for pilots, but failed to secure one for the OP's cruise. This, not the conditions per se, was the cause of the change in route.

Apple Pay does not require the phone to be connected to the internet. A Near Field Communication (NFC) chip in your phone is used to communicate with the credit card terminal at the point of sale. So if you wanted to, you could pick up a used phone (iPhone 6 or newer) for very little, connect to your home wifi to set up Apple Pay, and don't bother getting a cellular package. You could probably be up and running for less than the cost of a single year's subscription for a second card. BTW, I don't have cellular service for my Apple Watch, which I use for Apple Pay all the time as it's quicker and easier than pulling out my iPhone. The watch has the same NFC chip, and I can use it even if I left my phone in the car.

Maybe, although I'm not seeing reports of other cruises that use the inside passage at this time of year being diverted to the west side of Vancouver Island due to sea ice. I still think that the cause was the result of human error or oversight, not Mother Nature.

As HAL and multiple other lines have cruises departing and/or returning to Vancouver at this time of year that use the inner passage, I doubt that the currents are the cause of the Westerdam's changed itinerary.

Other than the potential privacy and security issues, adding my name to a post would contribute nothing to the discussion. BTW, something else that you always seem to do is compose your posts in bold. Any particular reason? Just curious.

But you didn't miss any Alaskan sights, as the portion of your original route that you missed was entirely in Canadian waters.

I would have thought that booking a pilot was like booking a berth in a port, something that was done months in advance by HQ staff. So "they" may not have been a reference to himself or the ship's officers. As for compensation, per the contract you aren't entitled to anything, so a 10% FCC of your cruise is pretty generous IMO.

Indeed. When we plan a cruise with our kids and our grandkids, we look to RCI, but when it's just my DW and me, we book with Holland America. Or Celebrity on occasion. A few years ago we booked a seven-day HAL Alaskan cruise departing Vancouver in mid-September. But there was a teachers' strike that year, and the ship had far more children aboard than I've ever seen on a HAL ship. I wouldn't say that they spoiled the cruise, but there was a very different ambiance aboard.

Not Ottawa, at least not as yet. The only airports with Express currently are Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. This webpage provides a good overview of their varying hours of operation, terminals and other points of interest: https://princeoftravel.com/guides/express-security/

Yes.

Unfortunately, that doesn't apply to all Canadian airports. Here in Ottawa, Nexus members go to the head of the line for security, but are then required to pull laptops, remove shoes, etc., along with all the non-Nexus passengers.

I'm not aware of any other Canadian credit card currently following this practise.

As a general comment, I think that there is some minor confusion with respect to exact reporting requirements today, brought about by the introduction of new programs (e.g. Nexus), new technologies (kiosks), different approaches depending upon means of entry (flight, drive, boat [with variations: pleasure, ferry, cruise], bus, train) and the reduced requirement for completing a Declaration Card. Unfortunately, CBSA has yet to compile a single, comprehensive website that would enable someone to quickly determine what is expected of them given a combination of factors.

Well, the price has dropped about $4 over the last couple of months, so while it isn't COVID-level pricing, it's not too bad.

None on my MacBook running Safari, but I too run an ad blocker.

While we've had umbrellas when booking a Vista suite, I've read a number of posts written by passengers whose umbrella were nowhere to be found. Take rain gear or your own umbrella, just in case.

On my MacBook using Safari, I still can't access Boards in a normal window, but I can access all other parts of CC. By switching to a private window, I can access Boards as well. Very strange, and hopefully CC will come up with a remedy soon.

Although a regular cabin, we sailed in 8080 aboard the Nieuw Statendam. As you can see, it is adjacent to the stairs and elevators, and we were concerned about the possible noise. In making our final selection, however, the balcony size and cabin location outweighed our fear of potential noise. As it turned out, there was absolutely no disruptive noise, and we couldn't have been happier with our decision. Ours was a 14-night cruise with a full passenger load, but still no noise from those waiting for or exiting the elevators or staircase.

From the Canadian AMEX website: If the charge is not in U.S. dollars, the conversion will be made through U.S. dollars, by converting the charge amount into U.S. dollars and then by converting the U.S. dollar amount into Canadian dollars. If the charge is in U.S. dollars, it will be converted directly into Canadian dollars.

Definitely. The ports of call forums are full of posts discussing/mentioning specific tour companies. Ditto roll calls. Go for it!

My preference is always to have passenger cabin on the decks above and below me. As 4166 is located above the Vista Dining Room, I'd not consider it. In the event that it makes a difference to you, this cabin only has a shower, no bath. On the other hand, I enjoy stern cabins, and 7149 would be a good choice IMO. Personally, I wouldn't pay the extra money for 6115. We'd rather maximize the number of cruises within our travel budget and forego the extra space and perks associated with a signature suite.