VMax1700

Presuming you mean the Mariner Early Booking Bonus and not the Have It All Early Booking Bonus then the date of sailing is irrelevant. It depends on when the cruise became available to book. Must be booked within 90 days of new season launch.

Have a great cruise! Don't forget to put on the spf50 if going out at night! 😉

Sorry, forgot to mention the details. We took a tour to Keukenhof gardens and then on to the airport. We were among the first group to disembark as our tour was scheduled to leave at 7.30am however 2 people did not show and there was a delay while it was confirmed that they had been held on board in isolation (no other details!). The disembarkation is mentioned above. Just be aware of the bottleneck at the baggage collection area. There were about 4 different transfers to Amsterdam Schiphol airport, all at different times. Some cruisers used our tour to the gardens and then to Schiphol to get to Amsterdam for an overnight stay. They took the train from the airport into the city centre. There was a line of taxis outside the terminal. If you wish to prebook a car I have used staxi.nl before and they are good.

I had no problem being offered doubles of Remy Martin each evening and could take a double to the room for a night cap!

That is about all that I can think of! If anyone has questions then please ask before the details merge into darkness!

Final Thoughts Part 3 Some random thoughts..... TV sports are shown on Sport 24 channel and the listings are found here https://sport24live.com/schedule We brought water in 1.5l and 500ml plastic bottles onboard at Funchal and Gibraltar. There were no questions and no problems. Security Scanning was carried out on the ship scanners in Funchal, Madeira, Gibraltar, and La Corunna. On shore scanning was carried out in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote. I mention this as a 😉for those who may need to know!

Final Thoughts Part 2 Lido: We mostly ate at the Lido and found the choices good and the quality good. Table clearing was slow sometimes and again some new staff seemed to join the ship during the voyage. Breakfast had good choices, though the selection process was fragmented, needing visit to various stations to harvest the required foods. Our usual cruise format is that I go to Lido and collect the various items for DW's breakfast and bring them back to her in the room. We bring our own tea bags (she prefers tea in the mornings), an insulated pint jug, and a tray. (Yes, I was the guy with the tray!). This makes the process of getting everything back to the room a lot easier. After the delivery, I return to Lido for my own breakfast and to browse the local newspapers and complete wordle, in pleasant solitude. Lunch was very crowded on sea days, but utilizing the tables at either the mid ship or aft pool, we never had a real problem finding somewhere to eat. There were the usual card players 'hogging' tables, but not too many, and there were the usual suspects who sat staring out the windows with an empty table in front of them. Dinner, apart from speciality restaurants, was in Lido. (you see the pattern here?) We usually sat in the two top behind the port side "Quench" bar (is that the right name?) and got to know and be known by Ariani who looked after us very well. Speciality Restaurants. Tamarind (part of HIA) was first up, and here I discovered the new love of my life, the Lychee Martini. Our love flourished during the cruise, and we (truthfully, it was just me!) had double or treble helpings most nights. Oops nearly forgot about the food 🙂. We enjoyed the food, but it has become a bit 'samey'. Shame they don't do a nightly special. Pinnacle Grill (part of HIA) I found it ok, Ellen thought it was good and better than the last couple of Pinnacle dinners we have had. Only complaint that I had, was that I was facing the dazzling reflection of the sun, as it bounced brightly of the sea. I did think of doing my 'Elwood' impersonation, but wearing sunglasses in a restaurant is not my style. Canaletto. We ate here just once, with Tony, Martha, Fred and Mitzi. This was the most enjoyable ship meal of the cruise (we enjoyed our tour lunch in Garachico, Teneriffe, the most). Our server Joan (pronounced Jo Ann! 😉) went to Tamarind to refill our Lychee Martini glasses and then arranged for a couple of 'off menu' main dishes at short notice for us. Food was surprisingly good and service was wonderful.

Now confirmed for 4.30pm!

Final Thoughts and wrap up! Although the embarkation was a bit chaotic due to a protest at Rotterdam Cruise Terminal, we were disappointed by the chaotic disembarkation at Rotterdam at the end of the cruise. Although it is a huge facility, all the suitcases where being delivered to one small corner of the terminal, where you had to enter, find your bags, then travel against the flow of other cruisers looking for their bags while you made your way to the customs 'inspection'. The inspection was a formality and just added a few extra metres to the already long walk. Outside the terminal there were Shore Ex staff directing cruisers towards the transfer and excursion coaches and the large line of waiting taxis. The entire process was quick, but with a little thought and planning, could be a lot easier on the exiting pax. Overall we enjoyed the cruise. The ship is in great condition and the crew were great. Many of them had just joined the ship on the same day we embarked and it took them a few days to find their sea legs, but they soon settled in to the expect HAL service level. Our room steward Dedi (call me big dedi!) and Cham were excellent. On day one we were told by Dedi that there would be an evening turn down service and if we wanted anything else, just to ask. Well, he was a little taken aback when we told him we only required one room service a day and would prefer it in the evening. We are low maintenance and tidy, so we have no problem with the condition of our room during the day. That is how we like it and he was happy to oblige, although every time we left the room during the day, he sprinted after us, just to check everything was ok. As I mentioned in the report the first laundry was completed overnight and returned before 11 am. The second laundry was the same......collected by the steward between 6pm and 7pm and returned next morning before 11 am. We only used the laundry twice. We did not go to MDR except for afternoon tea, which we did twice. Both times were adequate but not exciting, though the company was good, and we stayed long after the alotted time, just chatting. 1

That is good to hear! Love the band's motto "use your drink package.....the more you drink, the better we sound!" 🙂 Though they sound pretty good even without drink taken.

We took the train at 9.10pm. The train was pretty full and it was easier to stay in door area rather than look for seats, which appeared to be in short supply. To be honest, standing for the 30 minutes was better for me, even after our short flight from Ireland. One of us could have taken a seat if we wished, but we stayed together to keep an eye on the suitcases.

We did this trip 3 weeks ago! 2 large suitcases and 1 carry on (plus my back pack and DW's large handbag). We used standard class train, but ensure you get the Inter City Direct train, as it is non stop to Rotterdam Centraal. We 'tapped in' and 'tapped out' using our debit cards and the cost of €14.50 was showing on our account next day. We are both in our mid 70's and DW has a few health problems so needed help to get on the train. As I lifted the two large suitcases on to the train at least 2 males and 1 female helped me lift them on (the door level is higher than platform level). We did not take seats, although several people asked DW to take their seat! We waited in the door area with our bags for the 30 minutes direct journey. On arrival in Rotterdam Centraal, we were again assisted by commuters to dismount the train. When you arrive to the Main Foyer/Shopping/Food area of the station, keep the platforms to your back, and go to the right side. The Marriott hotel is just across the square - an easy walk.

6 hours later and my android is not showing the menus again! Cleared cache, closed, force stop all does nada.

A few minutes ago I was getting the moap result, but I did a 'Force Stop' on S21 and it now works fine. If I open it again I am asked if I want to download the pdf again. (however if I use the 'back button' I get the moap page until I go back to the main menu page. I tried it on DW's phone by just closing the app (selecting the III button at bottom left, and swiping the offending app upwards to close it)

It is too far in advance to find a wide choice of hotels for June 2025. The only major event scheduled for the weekend of June 20th is a Rugby match between the British & Irish Lions against Argentina. Using a hotel search site there are numerous hotels showing availability with a price of 999 or 1000 euro per night, which, to me, implies that they have not yet set the rates for that period.

Will do!

Yes, two singers and 45 minute sets.

If you have 'signatures' turn on, then there is a link on each of my posts. see attached image. If 'signatures' is turned off, then you will just have to watch for updated posts. Next one will be posted around start of June.

It is a regular HAL charter. Just keep an eye on their website or watch out for my updated charter thread. Then book the right one!

Not last week.

The smallest members of the crew are actually inside the machine with scuba gear and a pair of matching brushes. If you move the paper towels to one side, you can sometimes see their happy little faces as they brush your hands. 😉

We have arrived home safely and laundry has been done. I will update with final thoughts etc in a day or two. Thanks for following.

The guide is John Reid and the company is https://tenerifeprivatetours.com/ He is a very interesting guy and not only does he know the island's geography, history and politics but he can share his knowledge in a warm and interesting way. He is also a published author. https://reidten.blogspot.com/2013/07/pirates-of-canarrean.html

You know you are in trouble when you select Top Ten and you get 11 results! 🙄

https://countrymusiccruise.com/ Their 2025 Charter on Nieuw Amsterdam January 19 - 26 I love their listing of "Activities" 😉 There is a good country song in there somewhere.