wdw1972

Typically the "late" show is 9:30 - sometimes as early as 9pm or as late as 10pm but lately it seems to be 9:30. You should easily be able to make it to the late show after a 7 or 7:30pm dinner. The late show tends to be less crowded too, so getting their early isn't an issue. Sue/WDW1972

I'm an early riser - typically I'll briskly (and silently) walk both hallways on each passenger deck, then make my cappuccino (powdered - add hot water in the LIdo) and take it to the Crow's Nest to work at the puzzle table for 1-1.5 hours before the Lido opens for breakfast. Therefore, my evenings tend to be "early" as well. After a lovely day spent mostly in the Retreat, once sparkling wine at 3pm has been had it's time for showers & dressing. Pre-dinner cocktail (also love cucumber mojito at Tamarind Bar!) followed by either a specialty dining dinner or something quick/light at Lido or Grand Dutch Cafe. Not a fan of the MDR and haven't been there in 10-15 years. Depending on the time, maybe catch a trivia, despite being lousy at it. If it's a new show I'd probably see that, but at this point I don't bother with Step One, Planet Earth, Origins Story. BB King's early show comes next, and generally I'm heading back to the stateroom following that set. If I'm not in specialty dining that night I might catch a later set by Lincoln Center Stage. Sue/WDW1972

Let's hope! I can't imagine a HAL ship sharing HMC with a Carnival ship! It was horrific enough when I was on a HAL ship when a Carnival ship was in port with us at Grand Turk. Talk about a different demographic - after a brief period on shore I went back to the ship! Sue/WDW1972

Yes, every morning. Sue/WDW1972

And I really can't stand the main dining room. In all my cruises since the restart, neither I nor anyone in my party has caught covid onboard. We did dinners either specialty or Lido, and never masked except in the old days when it was required by HAL. Sue/WDW1972

The hot tub in the Retreat is for people who rent cabanas there only - it's not an area open to the general public. For a 7-night cruise a regular cabana (2 people) is $399, a family cabana (4 people) is $549 and it goes up from there depending on the length of the cruise. The Retreat is open 9-5. Prior to 9 they're getting set up for the day, and by 5 they're shutting down - cabanas are closed off, chair cushions are stowed away, towels put away, etc. I guess you can enter the area after hour but why? There's nothing there - you're better off by the aft pool if chairs are out there. I'm pretty certain the hot tub is covered with a net outside of the 9-5 hours. Sue/WDW1972

I've sailed in solo oceanview 1018 and a friend on the other side in 1011 and neither of us heard any noise from Main Stage. Sue/WDW1972

Oh no - that doesn't sound good at all. Too bad you couldn't have just stayed onboard for the next sailing 😉 Sue/WDW1972

For me, looking out the window/door and having a view of a deck, railing & people passing by as opposed to having an unobstructed view of the ocean is a HUGE negative. I'd book an ocean view or a verandah, but not a lanai. Some people love them - just not me. Sue/WDW1972

For the 4 of you two of the regular cabanas are needed. If you book them together (booked by 1 person) HAL will ensure they're side by side. A 3rd or 4th person isn't allowed - the regular cabanas are for up to 2 people. It's not just seating - it's the service. They're staffed to handle a set # of guests, based on a max of 2 per regular cabana & 4 per family cabana. It's not fair to the stewards or the other guests to bring extra people beyond that. Sue/WDW1972

It's beautiful - but I'd go with the 3/4 sleeve version since it's a fraction of the price! Still beautiful. Enjoy your cruise, vow renewal and cancer-free status! Sue/WDW1972

Differences include the decor/art and Blend on NS is the new Half Moon Bar on Rotterdam. Also Rotterdam has a library - NS does not. I'd call the two ships similar but not the same. Sue/WDW1972

It most likely did change. This itinerary has always included all 3 of the ABC islands - and never Ocho Rios! I'd be very disappointed to get Ocho Rios instead of Bonaire 😞 Sue/WDW1972

December 2022 - Eurodam's Gallery Bar was an extension of the casino, full of slot machines. The furniture that had been in Gallery Bar was all gone - a few of the pictures were on the wall, but not many. It looked like a permanent change (sadly) to us, and there were no slot tournaments or other big casino groups onboard. Sue/WDW1972

Agree - used Park N Go for years, and were always happy with them until the last cruise in December 2022. I had to call them at least 2 times as we stood there waiting for a shuttle. In March I have a 7-night cruise, so the "savings" vs using the port was fairly insignificant. We'll park at the port and see how that goes. For longer cruises I'll probably go back to Park N Go, but not if the price continues to increase. The port price ($15/day) has been the same for many years and there are no additional fees. Park N Go seems to go up every year. Sue/WDW1972

I generally eat at Pinnacle once or twice each cruise, various ships, and have never noticed perfume or cologne on any of the wait staff or anyone else working there. It wouldn't be expected, so I'm assuming I would have noticed it if they were "scented" 😉 Sue/WDW1972

I believe someone posted a photo recently from a pinnacle class ship where the Seaview pool is now clearly adults only. The sign said families with children are welcome to use the lido pool. As for the Retreat, there is nothing for young kids up there. I get one every cruise, twice a year for many years now and only 1 time did I ever see a child up there - a remarkably well behaved & quiet young man perhaps in his early teens who would sit and read a book. My grandson is 6 and I can't imagine bringing him to the Retreat - at that age kids want to DO something, not sit around. My son loved cruising HAL, but he didn't start until he was around 11. With younger kids, especially if they've been cruising Carnival & Royal already, I could definitely see them being bored - or at lease missing all the crazy kid things those cruise lines have. This cruise will be much more geared to the parents vs the kids. Sue/WDW1972

I hope so, but there were no signs to indicate a slot tournament would be going on, and the casino wasn't any busier than usual. On the Rotterdam the previous year they turned Ocean Bar into a room full of slot machines, but that definitely was a big slot tournament cruise and I saw big signs around the ship on that deck. The casino was packed, and with all those smokers it was pretty disgusting throughout much of Music Walk. I'll never book a ship that's having a slot tournament again! Sue/WDW1972

On the Eurodam last month, Gallery Bar is gone. Now it's an extension of the casino (mainly slots). The bar is still there, but all of the comfy seating and a lot of the art on the walls is gone. Very disappointing, as we really enjoyed that spot on Nieuw Amterdam earlier last year. Sue/WDW1972

She's just been confirmed for a 3:45pm departure Sue/WDW1972

On the Eurodam this past December our signature suite had the large tv. A friend sailing in a regular verandah stateroom had the small tv. Not sure about Zuiderdam. Sue/WDW1972

It's basically like any other verandah stateroom but with a few meaningless things added to it - yoga mat, possibly a sound machine. I think a couple bottles of water were provided complimentary, while non-spa staterooms provided them for a fee. Basically the main difference is the location - closer to the spa. I could care less about the spa, but I always book a cabana in the Retreat, so for me it was very convenient being just 1 deck downstairs from the Retreat. I hardly ever used the verandah though, since I had the Retreat cabana. Sue/WDW1972

Get well soon Jacqui - what a terrible ordeal for you to be dealing with 😞 Sue/WDW1972

The menu posted/quoted was from September. At that time they had the 2 different sized filet mignons (old menu). Oct 1 started the new menu - the only filet mignon is 8 ounces. Sue/WDW1972

Omigod - this was our new favorite cocktail ever! I never knew I'd like a mojito, but this one was delicious and refreshing. Tamarind Bar will be our "hang out" spot on future cruises! Sue/WDW1972