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We will be aboard the American Empress from Vancouver to Clarkston at the beginning of August.  I was wondering where the boat docks, or how we get ashore, as the cruise ship pier appears to be only for the bigger cruise ships.  There's no listing regarding where the Empress is located.  We will no doubt spend the morning exploring along the riverfront, but I'd like some idea of where our trek will begin.

This makes me sad, as fully half of our over 400 sea days were aboard the MS Maasdam. We always said we wanted to be on her last sailing, and without knowing it, we were.  We disembarked in San Diego on March 27 after crossing the Pacific on her. I will so miss those smaller ships, which were a large part of the reason we are now 5 Star Mariners.  I don't know that we will remain such HAL loyalists in the future. 

I could see us making a switch to less cruising, paying more for our trips, and trying to find a way to still be at sea long enough to make it worth those long flights from Michigan.  We feel robbed of the chance to join with some of our Maasdam cruise mates for a real "final" voyage, though!

 I think it's not viable for cruise lines to go to a lot of sea days on cruises, as many new (or fairly new) cruisers would want to see the Caribbean islands or go into ports in Alaska.  I was to go to Alaska in July with 2 friends who have never been there.  All the ports are old news to me, but they were anxiously looking forward to experiencing Ketchikan (too crowded for me, but I would enjoy showing them around) and the other cities in Alaska.  For me, more than 2-3 sea days in a row is hard to take.

Having just stepped off the Maasdam in San Diego on March 27, I also agree with those that said that HAL would need to offer more day AND evening entertainment if there were more than 2 sea days in a row.  The life aboard is getting pretty darn boring. I miss the live entertainment in most venues (especially on those smaller ships we prefer) during the day as well as evening, more games, the FREE (what a concept) exercise classes in the pool and elsewhere.

We have also done the woodwind excursion twice. I think the number of repeat visitors speaks for itself. The owners are very hospitable, food excellent, and they offer the best snorkel excursion in the Caribbean

Six of us are taking the ferry to Moorea from Papeete on a Sunday in March for a morning tour.  We will finish around 11:30, and plan to catch the ferry back to Tahiti at 2:20. The tour guide is dropping us at the Soffitel until it is time to go catch the ferry.  What are the rules about purchasing liquor/cocktails by the glass on Sunday in Moorea?  I've read that they have some blue laws, but we aren't looking to buy bottles of booze, just have a drink or two while waiting around.

As others have stated, the ship is smaller than the current average size.  It's also currently the oldest ship in the fleet.  That said, we have over half of our days at sea with HAL on the Maasdam, as she seems to go where we want to when we want to. We are about to leave on a long trip (basically 3 legs back-to-back) departing from Sydney mid-February on her.  She is a quiet ship, so if you want a really active evening it probably isn't for you.  The HAL evening entertainment isn't what it used to be, either. 

OTOH, if you want an intimate feel to a ship with excellent staff service, I don't think you can beat her on any other ship in the fleet.  We did the 21-day Alaska on her last summer and had no issues with our room.  I recall a South American cruise where people in the aft portion of our deck had issues with the A/C and it was HOT and humid in the Amazon.  Ships are machines and stuff happens, but it put us off booking aft for good, and we weren't even in the rooms that were so miserable.

We already have planned that if/when the Maasdam is retired from the fleet, we will be on her for the final voyage.  Too many wonderful memories are attached to that ship for us to miss saying goodbye when the time comes.

We are scheduled for a helicopter tour on Kauai for our upcoming cruise (not with Safari). We have done Volcanoes NP with Blue Hawaiian in the past, and they have had tour crashes.  We have done fixed wing tours in Alaska, as well as a helicopter to the glaciers.  LIfe is uncertain, and no company is likely to escape any mishaps.  The issue is that unlike ships, where a mishap normally doesn't result in loss of life, falling out of the sky is pretty certain to be deadly.

Costa still cruises, and Carnival survived that "ordeal" a few years ago in the Caribbean.  If you really want to experience the volcanoes from the air, you can always consider changing companies.  Helicopters, like cars, are machines.  Weather is uncertain (we almost were stranded due to weather on a bear flightseeing trip out of Ketchikan).  The choice is yours, but don't miss the opportunity to take the flight if you really want to see the volcanoes from above.

What do you mean the paper straws aren't individually wrapped?  Did you experience this on a ship?  I've received paper straws at restaurants around here lately, and they are coming wrapped. I like the idea of the paper straws, as I also think anything we can do to reduce ocean plastic helps.  Yes, we are on a fuel guzzling behemoth, but I quit using straws at home or eating out. I get frustrated when the water arrives with a straw already in place.  Then it's my turn to say "do it a different way if you want my business". 

As another poster mentioned, the junk paper handouts were almost absent when we did our 21 day Alaska last summer. I noticed and noted how we appreciated that.  I don't go on the ship to buy art, jewelry or perfume, so it was fine by us.  I do miss the delivery of the daily news blurb, though I really don't mind picking it up at the Lido or the front desk.

Congrats on making 5 star, Dave!  As mentioned before, you can book the Pinnacle dinner in advance and just mention the fact you are 5 star on board.  I like to pre-book for events ( like Bill's birthday on our upcoming cruise) and they will credit that one free dinner.  Do check to be sure. 

I'm another vote for OBC.  I only got one free class before they discontinued the ATK, and do like the apron. I was a tad disappointed that there was no ATK class offered on the Maasdam 21 day Alaska last year, but they had several cooking demos as part of the EXC cruise.  I still have not tried to make my own fry bread.  Ooh, I just saw leerathje's post.  We're on the Maasdam from Sydney-San Diego in February, so I hope we get some of those "Port to Table" classes!

I'm glad to read the suggestions about the internet deals, as we will probably use the credits to purchase a couple of days on the upcoming trip.  As for the spa pass, it depends on the ship and itinerary. 

Getting a free day in the hot tub that is the "spa" on the smaller ships doesn't thrill me.  It's nice to have on the Vista or newer classes of ships.  I feel that on the R and S class ships they should offer a different perk (maybe a bit of OBC?) for us 5 stars instead.  It's just not the same experience.

We went to Nuku Hiva several years ago on HAL, and did a tour similar to the one listed by LocoLoco1, but a few caveats...

The dock (unless they have a new one) is a tad hard to deal with.  When we tendered in, there was a huge jump from the side of the tender to the pier.  Although they discouraged those with mobility issues from attempting it, there were quite a few folks who still came across and it caused a major delay in getting from the ship to land.  Not good for those of us who booked independent tours.  My group didn't all get ashore until about 2 hours past our supposed start time.  

We cancelled the lunch at Yvonne's so we could explore the island.  It is truly a gorgeous place, and we are glad we just toured instead.  We went to a copra production farm, several ruins, and we did stop at the beach in front of Yvonne's.  Get out of the port if you can, but it isn't that easy as guides there are at a premium. I actually blew my knee out on the island, but that just meant a first class ticket home from San Diego, courtesy of my travel insurance.

We are cruising in March with a stop at Kiritimati (the Christmas Island that is part of Kiribati). On other cruises (to Fanning Island and to Boca da Valeria in Brazil), there was the opportunity to donate to the local school.  From what I see, there is no high school on the island, but there is an elementary.  Does anyone know if we come ashore near the school, and if so, was there an opportunity to give items or monetary donations there? 

Once you use the beach towels, leave them on the floor of your stateroom and they will be replaced with clean ones.  If you don't return the towels at the end of the cruise (not found in your room), you will be charged somewhere around $30 per towel.

My husband applied for GE renewal on Oct. 12.  We are still waiting and he finally got through to a live person yesterday.  He was told renewal can take up to 6 months, and the backlog is such that they are honoring expired cards for up to a YEAR. His card expires in March, and we will be sailing at that time, completing a multi-country voyage.  I hope they don't give him any grief on our return.

I guess I should file my renewal right after the holidays, since my GE expires in August.  Maybe they need to budget a few more people for the renewal program office.

We just received notice that our July HAL cruise is stopping at Icy Strait from 6-10 pm after a day of cruising Glacier Bay. I had a great whale watch before at ISP, but that was a daytime stop.  I'm wondering what we can do with just 4 hours besides perhaps walking down to the fish restaurant and hanging out at the cannery.  Any ideas?

Ann, glad to see you and Pat are still cruising!  I have no idea about the daily planner, but the happy hour change is most welcome. I hope we see that on the Maasdam in February. Bill and I definitely don't have the same taste in cocktails.

Have a great cruise!

Our memory of Capt. Turner is from 2010 on the Zuiderdam in the Caribbean.  We were just getting into cruising, and were considering a transatlantic on that tiny ship, the Prinsendam.  Capt. Turner sang her praises, saying she was much more seaworthy for that type of voyage than the larger ships, and that he had sailed her as captain, too.  We signed up for that voyage while on the Zuiderdam, and never looked back.

We have Capt. Turner to thank/blame for 2 voyages on the Prinsendam and our status now as HAL 5 star Mariners.  He was everywhere on the Zuiderdam and one of the friendliest captains we've met in the fleet.  I'm sad we won't get the chance to sail with him again, as our paths never crossed after that first, indelible impression.

You can look at Tours by Locals.  Very reputable, I've used them all over the world with good results.  Not the cheapest option, but you can find a guide with a vehicle that can handle your luggage as well.  I've booked a half day with them during our in transit day in Auckland. 

Thanks for the response, but I really meant to ask about Oban (Half Moon Bay).  I've had one or two other independent tours where they did not offer a refund if you didn't make it.  It's not unheard of, especially in some of the smaller ports.

Sorry folks, I put the wrong header on the last post.  I will try to get it removed.  My question is really regarding Oban, NZ. I am hating that I can't edit/ delete after less than half an hour since I posted the erroneous message. 

As I stated, we will be arriving in OBAN at the end of February.  Along with another couple, we are looking to hire a charter tour.  The issue is that the company will offer a full refund only if you cancel 48 hours or more prior to the tour.  So if the captain says we don't stop, we would be outta luck.  I'm not asking for opinions on whether that's okay, what I want to know is the experience of those who have sailed to Oban before.  Is this a port that ships usually make, or one often missed?  Thanks for any experience/input.

We will be arriving in Akaroa in late February.  I have contacted a charter boat company, and they do not offer a refund if you cancel with less than 48 hours notice.  SO that leaves me to ask if that port is often missed, or do most ships make it in?  I realize there is no guarantee, but would like to have some idea of the odds before booking .  Thanks!

We are stopping in Oban, NZ on our upcoming cruise.  It is a tender port, and we arrive in Half Moon Bay.  Most boat tours seem to go out of Golden Bay, which is about a 20 minute walk. 

Does anyone know if HAL offers a shuttle from the one bay to the other?  Or if the town perhaps offers a shuttle?  One tour company offers a shuttle service for $12 NZ pp round trip.  Not outrageous, but just wondering if anyone knows the shuttle situation there.

We will be in Port Chalmers on the Maasdam in February, and I am planning on taking the Taieri Gorge train independently.  Does HAL offer a shuttle into Dunedin, or are there taxis at the port?  If HAL does a shuttle, does anyone recall if there was a charge, and perhaps the cost? 

I have a tendency to sort my items by cold or warm wash bags (the joy of 5 star free laundry!), and low dry or warm dry.  I write it in BIG letters and have had no issues.  As for lost items, we had one shirt that wasn't ours show up in our laundry, but it found it's way home.  One of Bill's shirts disappeared, but was found within 24 hours.  I am not sure how they do it, but they are very good at ferreting out misplaced items.

They are also honest.  Once Bill left a sizeable amount of cash in his pants pocket, and it was returned.  We sent a "thank you" reward to the laundry, and heard from our room steward that the person in the laundry who discovered and returned the cash was very grateful for the "tip". 

Thanks for the preview of our June departure on the Maasdam.  It will be our first time sailing out of/in to San Francisco. That's one of the reasons we booked, along with 4 new ports in Alaska and our first ever visit to Oregon.

We have done as Krazy Kruisers suggests.  For our upcoming cruise, I have paid for our anniversary night.  Usually there is no issue with asking the Pinnacle manager to use one of our freebies for a reservation night and getting it refunded.  The only problem is if there is a special event in the Pinnacle, such as a pop up of Sel de Mer or a special dinner (Cellar Master/Master Chef, etc.)  on the night you really wish to attend.  Whether or not you book in advance, that can be an issue.