RuthC

Happy for you that you like the Pinnacle class of HAL ships. Others of us find them too large to get around, far too large to meet the same people often, no feeling of intimacy. I much prefer the smaller R-class ships remaining in the fleet, and am glad I had the opportunity to cruise so much while smaller ships like that were readily available.

Yes. On the three ships that have a separate dining room for Club Orange, that room is merely an alternative to the main dining room.

I had what was offered as 'fresh' Arctic Char in Rudi's, on the Nieuw Statendam once. It was delicious! The ship was heading to Greenland and Iceland, via Canadian Maritimes, from Boston. I didn't see any fishing rods off the stern, but the fish sure tasted 'fresh'.

There are times that the entrances to the glacier areas are so blocked by ice that the ship can't safely enter. Also, there are days where the fog is so thick that the ship either shouldn't enter, or you can't see a thing if the ship does. There was a time, several decades ago, where the entrance to Yakutat Bay was so clogged with ice that there were whales stranded in the bay, and were in danger of dying. Fortunately, the ice dam broke in time for them to escape. My first time at College Fjord, I really couldn't see a thing, due to the fog. On one visit to Sawyer Glacier up Tracy Arm, we couldn't even get close to the glacier. Nice enough day, but so much ice that the glacier was around a corner, and there was no sighting. You can see plenty of ice and snow in Alaska, but it doesn't necessarily have to be in glacier form.

Well, it's been a nice ride. Thanks for all the posts about the many, many places you have gone to. It's got to be the trip of a lifetime.

Can you say 'tiny'?

sorry. duplicate.

As far as I know, yes. This isn't like any of the beverage packages where one person in the cabin commits everyone in the cabin to the same purchase. IIRC, I have had the pass when I have shared a cabin, but my roomie didn't. But then we weren't on the same booking number either.

Experience. HAL's IT has been awful for years.

Perhaps it was correct info at the time it was posted? You bumped up a very old thread, you know.

If your wife wants to go, she needs her own pass. No sharing of cabin keys to get a spa pass.

If your wife won't go, you can go without her. Suggestions? Best burger I have ever had was in a Pinnacle Grill. You can order it without the bun, if you don't want the carbs from that.

As you disembark to go ashore, HAL will have a board listing the 'all aboard' time; it is clearly marked for what it is. Many people who tour privately plan to return with at least an hour to spare. Remember, too, that HAL normally ALWAYS changes time on the clock as the ship changes time zones. There is no 'ship's time' vs. 'clock time'. There will be a note on your pillow the night before, as well as a notice in the Daily Program. And a mention at the show the night before.

That's exactly how they are treated in Europe, in my experience. Just another port day. The only time I can recall having an 'in-transit card' was in Sidney, Australia. In Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Rotterdam---more ports than I can count, it was just like any other port stop.

Although I haven't been on the Noordam in several years, I have been on late fixed dining on many other ships in that time. I know that late fixed was never at 8:30, except for a brief period many years ago (as in 20, or so, years), when it went to four fixed seatings. Since that short experiment HAL has gone to a mix of fixed and open seating, at earlier and earlier hours. Last I knew, late seating was at 7:30 pretty much across the fleet, while early seating moved, in increments, from 6:00 PM to 5:30 (I think sometimes even earlier).

A confused woman is wandering around, stark naked, and hallucinating, and your word for that is 'amusing'?

Seriously? I would kill right now for that exact Pinnacle dinner, along with a veggie. Oh, and dessert, too, of course. Can't wait until my next cruise for that exact meal. Add the clothesline bacon as an appetizer, please. Can't get a meal anywhere near that fine in my own home!

It is. I have never done a 'turn around' procedure in any European port, where I have done several turn arounds, in several ports. The only place I have ever had to do a turn around procedure, that was not the US, was in Japan.

I had to drive to Logan Airport on a Monday morning, back in (I think) 1976. It was four lanes of solid traffic, bumper to bumper, all doing about 65 MPH. I picked up my sister at the airport, got out of town, and vowed I would never drive in Boston again. I have been back many times, but never driven there since. I can't believe the traffic, or the drivers have gotten any better in the intervening years.

As far as I know, it's still 330 days. If the flight is open for booking on the airline's site, then it should be open for booking on Flight Ease.

She may be my favorite all time ship (neck and neck with Rotterdam V for the title). I wish HAL had her back. Thanks for the pic.

Always sad when something like that happens. Happy there was no significant damage to either the pier or the ship. Loved that ship as the Ryndam. Spent a lot of very fun nights on her. Thanks for the link.

You are looking at the smallest vs the largest class of ships in the fleet. For Alaska, I would pick the smaller of the two. The Zaandam can fit into the docks, especially the docks closer in to the towns visited. There is plenty of viewing area along the Lower Promenade Deck, with comfortable seating available. This deck is somewhat covered by the lifeboats overhead, which can be important in inclement weather. The passenger load doesn't overwhelm the small towns, either, like the Koningsdam would.

I've been to Glacier Bay many times over the years, and was only rained off an open outside deck once. Not that there wasn't poor weather other times, but not bad enough to stop me. Even had one day I was comfortable in a sundress, and got sunburn on my face! You will have plenty of time before Glacier Bay day to walk around the ship and determine what outdoor and indoor places will be good. Find several, and be ready to move around when the big day comes. On THE DAY, bundle up as needed, and head outdoors. Except for the Pinnacle class ships, I highly recommend the promenade deck (by whatever name is used on your particular ship) as there are places to sit, and there is some coverage from the lifeboats overhead.

I agree. Restaurant and lounge service was poor, at best. I have great difficulty, and pain, walking (and did when I sailed Oceania). When returning to the ship, I scraped my hand, tore the skin off, and was bleeding profusely. I headed straight to the Front Desk, which was on the same deck as the gangway, to ask for a bandage. This has been a frequent request on HAL, who has always helped, so was the first thing I thought to do. They refused to help, trying to send me to the Medical Office, on another deck, to get the bandage. As I said, walking wasn't easy, and I didn't want to be dripping blood while panicking on a long, painful, walk. I did finally get them to help, but they should have done it willingly! Needless to say, though, I am not a fan of the 'service' on board Oceania.