RuthC

A CC friend sent me one of those---with the gin still in it!---for which I will always be grateful. Thanks, Gerry.

You can try. I have had some success getting my preferred medium rare on some ships. First, it works if you can stand there watching them closely, so better to go at off hours. Best to tell them how long you want the beef cooked for. Yes, time them! They will cook the burger 15 minutes, which is far too long for rare. When cooked the way I like it, it's a great burger! Oh, you don't have to order based on what is on their menu. You can customize to your heart's desire. I consider the menu a list of possible ingredients to put on my burger, and order precisely what I do---and tell them what I don't---want on it. If you don't tell them you don't want something (like the lettuce, for example), then they will include it.

Have It All. It's a package deal that has inclusions that can vary. It usually includes the Signature Beverage Package; it sometimes includes the Hotel Service Charge (by whatever name it is going by at the time). It likely includes at least one dinner in a specialty restaurant, and more often two dinners in at least two restaurants. Others can probably add an item or two more.

No. HAL used to have something similar, but no longer. What you can do is postpone purchasing a plan until there are few days left in the trans-Atlantic, then you will only have to pay for those few days left. Plenty of time to clear out the emails and confirm arrangements for after your arrival. Not that I have ever seen. But unless you plan to do streaming you should be able to do everything you mentioned on the Surf Plan, and don't need the more expensive Premium. Premium gets you more sites, not faster service.

There is an Internet room on the Nieuw Statendam, but I would never call it a café. It's more like a long closet with three stations (two computers) on one side, one on the other, and one on the end, by the entrance. There is room for someone to sit inside at the empty station, but there is no room for the passenger to stand there. Since most people either have a smart phone with which to connect, or bring a laptop or tablet, there is no need to have a person stationed in that room. On my cruise on the Nieuw Statendam there were so many problems with people unable to connect (the first few days), that a person was stationed in an open area near the Internet room, in part of the atrium. It was a mob scene there.

'Select" cocktails? Not even all of them? Or most of them? Not at all like the other ships. Best ever was a few years ago, when it was still BOGO. If you didn't want two drinks every time, they allowed you to carry over the 'free' drink to the next night. Excellent.

Upgrading to Premium doesn't improve your connection at all, unless you consider the opportunity to try to stream an 'improvement'.

You will need a (preferably waterproof) jacket, possibly with a sweatshirt under it. Pack gloves in the pocket on one side, and a knit hat on the other side. That way you will have them when you need them; no forgetting back in the cabin. You'll be surprised that there are often warm, sunny days in Norway in the summer, too, so have some lighter weight shirts to wear under the jacket. Enjoy Norway! It's one of my favorite destinations.

I'm sorry for this additional upheaval in your life. Your mother is fortunate to have you.

Totally agree that an inside cabin, especially the J- and K-category cabins on Main Deck, would be an excellent choice. However, if you have a cabin on an upper deck with a shower-only, then be assured that the shower has a removable showerhead. The pole that it is attached to allows it to be slid up/down to make it more convenient to use. I believe the cabins with a tub have the same showerhead setup. You can ask for a shower seat, too.

I don't know the number, but it's the one on the north side of town, not the one downtown. I think it is pier 91, but won't swear to it.

Thanks for the good word, Essiemom, but although I am an expert on the inside cabins on lower decks, I am not very familiar with insides on higher decks. I have rarely stayed in one, and never on ships more recent than R-class. I have visited in a few, but don't feel qualified to discuss them.

Oh, the dinner menus that were a work of art by themselves! They had a Dutch theme on the cover, each one different, and at the end of your cruise you were given your menus to take home. That was such a nice touch. I had forgotten about the weather forecast given to you each morning. Yes, it sure was handy in an inside cabin. But it was handy in any case. When I started there was no TV, so no 'view from the bridge'. There were no phones in the cabins, no radio. There was no contact with the outside world very easily! It was such a great way to disconnect from all the responsibilities of everyday life.

More likely it's because there is a difference in the waters. Distilled water, as noted by Turtles06, is pure water. Nothing else is in it except hydrogen and oxygen. Purified water has had all the additional elements in it removed, then the minerals and salts are returned to the water, giving it some flavor. The non-pure elements are done. Spring water can have anything in it that was there when the water came out of the ground. Doesn't make it bad for drinking, but can make it bad for a CPAP machine. When ships ran on steam engines, they used distilled water. The Rotterdam V was one I know of for certain. That ship needed the purest water possible. This was told to me by an engineer who spent a lot of time working that ship.

Oops. Sorry! I forgot to post the link! Thank you Destiny0315 for posting it. That is the one I had copied and forgot to paste!

Try this link. There may be a more recent edition of the list, but I don't remember if March was posted. I believe it was, but couldn't find it easily. The info you are seeking should be the same.

Mine, too! Mine was in June. Wouldn't it be funny if we were on the same cruise! Sailed on Saturday; Sunday dawned bright and beautiful. Then it got 'bumpy'. About half the passengers didn't make it to dinner that night---our first formal night. Margaret Whiting was the entertainer that night. Those were the days when HAL had big-name entertainers on board. It was a great time, and started me on a life of cruise days, for which I am very grateful.

Of course extension cords are allowed. It's surge protectors that aren't allowed. If the extension cord has a plug at one end, and an outlet (or three) on the other, with only a cord in between, there is never a question as to whether or not it has a surge protector---one glance and you know it doesn't.

Buffet, without a doubt. The Lido buffet area is carpeted, cutting down on any possible noise. Under the pool you are likely to hear chairs being moved around early in the morning as the deck is washed and chairs are replaced in position.

I would bring the European adapter, just in case you need to use the Euro plug. Can't hurt to bring it.

You can have your TA put in the request in advance. You can also ask your steward to secure one for you after you board. I just bring my own. I have two extension cords (different lengths) that stay in my carry-on, along with a triple tap, and some adaptors for 220 outlets in other countries.

HAL had horse racing for many years. It was great fun, but wasn't always a derby where you purchased your horse and decorated it (and kept it in your cabin for a few days before the race). Sometimes it was just a race out on deck, with betting. Still remember those times fondly.

For some cruisers, that can be a long time. It's better to use distilled water, and only use the tap water in an emergency. For example, last summer I was on a cruise of 24 days. I ordered distilled water in advance (1 gal.), figuring I could just order another gallon after the second week. The ship onloaded the water on the day I boarded, but did not have time to get it logged in, sorted, and distributed to those who asked for it by late that evening. So, tap water it was, and I received it the next day. Two weeks later I called to request another gallon. They didn't have any on board! I don't know why, but it was back to tap water for the last 10 days of the cruise. I noticed so much more to clean out of the humidifier after the 10 days than the single night. The residue builds up quickly. Next cruise is longer, so 2 gallons were already ordered.

I answered, in a different color, under your questions, embedded in the quote.

When? I don't ever remember a time when I didn't pay for distilled water on HAL.