HALrunner

Just wondering if you can tell us who the Captain & Hotel Director will be for the TA crossing on the Eurodam, departing 3/30? And for an added bonus, how about the cruise director?!?

Thanks:)

This thread has been so fun to read- I talked DH into booking our first suite! We will toast to you at sail away from our SA on the Eurodam:)

We were in 1062 on the Noordam in February. It is directly under the Queens Lounge and the noise is ridiculous. They played 3 sets (8:45, 9:45, 10:45) every five out of seven nights in the Queens Lounge. Structurally, the Queens Lounge is not designed for a 6 piece amplified band, so you hear every note and every beat as if you were actually at the show. If you plan to do anything (read, converse, sleep) in your cabin between 8:45-11:30 this is not the cabin for you!!

We have stayed in various other Main Deck J cabins on Signature and Vista ships and have never had a problem with noise. We have been under Northern Lights, the Casino and even the Queens Lounge (pre BB King) before and have not heard a peep. If BB King is here to stay HAL needs to start selling these cabins with a discount and disclaimer- much like they do obstructed ocean views.

As someone mentioned previously, more sea days = less time walking in ports to burn off all of those delicious meals! We stick to the rule of no desserts until you have walked X laps on the promenade or been to the gym each day. Although not an option for everyone, we avoid the elevators and take the stairs 90% of the time.

 

A small travel alarm clock is also nice as you will likely have six time changes on the crossing. Don't get me wrong, bring it for the clock feature more than the alarm!

 

Also, be sure to bring lots of small bills for tipping porters, room service etc. We always seem to run out of singles and on our last cruise the front desk would only exchange $10 at at time.

 

As a comedian on our last sailing joked, you get to the point where sea days are so relaxing that you start dreading port days because they feel like work! "What? I have to set my alarm?!?"

Thank you brave and noble researchers! With all the hard work you will be suffering through, I am sure this entire trip should be a tax write off!

We are boarding the Noordam this afternoon. I'll try to snap pictures of the lists and post them for you. :thumbup:

 

What a funny coincidence! I originally had typed "I wish I would have snapped a picture of the list while on the Noordam earlier this month!"

 

I am sure you will have a great cruise- Mario the cruise director is a lot of fun and Mark Pells is the Hotel Director. Happy travels!

Thanks to the disabled search option, I am going to hijack your thread;)

 

Does anyone have the current wine lists for the packages? I would like to set up a little at home wine tasting before we board next month.

 

Thanks!

We just were on the 10 day Noordam ABC itinerary and thought it was great. If you enjoy snorkeling or diving Bonaire is AMAZING! Also the ABC's have the very Dutch flair going. The islands were desert like (as in dry, rocky, cacti, etc). I think the other itinerary has more mountainous/lush type islands. Maybe consider what types of landscape you prefer?

 

I asked a Club HAL counselor which itinerary she preferred. When her parents were trying to decide between the two, she recommended the 10 day ABC itinerary.

 

Obviously, you can't make a "bad" decision when it comes to these two itineraries!

On our Noordam cruise earlier this month they did not even have the late night (10 or 11pm) poolside dessert extravaganza. However, there were a lot more people than usual out after dark thanks to Guitar Under the Stars and BB King.

Just off the Noordam and had a main deck J (interior). I was pleasantly surprised at how powerful the blow dryer was in the cabin. It uses the European 220 outlet.

Thank you!!

We were on the Ryndam spring TA last year and stopped in the Azores- it was fantastic!! Although the scenery reminded me of Hawaii it was waaaayyyy too chilly and foggy/cloudy to imagine getting in the water. We went to the thermal spring and, due to the air temp,s that even felt like a polar plunge!

Enjoy those first few sea days poolside as you swing around Florida, the rest of your sea days will likely be a bit cooler and fly by!

Yes. The machine makes coffee, decaf, espresso and cappuccino - leaded & unleaded. Latte as well.

 

That just tipped the scales for me:) Thanks!

Thanks Kazu! Is the coffee espresso by any chance?

What are the hours for the NL? What are some of the benefits of the concierge? We are considering our first HAL suite and hubby could use a few more selling points!;)

Hubby and I are having a debate and I would love your input!

Should we tip the staff of the kid's clubs onboard? All thoughts welcome!

Well hello there, fellow roll call mates! SO sorry to hear about your outhouse, TravlGirl:( I love that despite your stinky luck you have not given up on HAL- hopefully you will get a better response from guest relations.

 

We did not have any toilet issues in our cabin, but the hall midship starboard side on deck three was nearly impassible for several days due to the stench. (Area you would pass through from midship stairs to get to the signature shops). There was a handicap unisex bathroom there that had an "out of order" sign for several of those stinky days. Can't imagine if that is what your cabin turned into.

 

Sheila- we also had a very noisy cabin! If anyone loves BB King, be sure to book 1062! It is DIRECTLY under the band and you can hear every note, every beat, every toe tap of all three sets nearly every night. Several guests around us complained and got bumped up to much better cabins (interior to verandah!). They ran out of extra cabins by the time we complained loud enough so our 4 & 6 year old got to stay up till 11:15 and "enjoy" the lullaby.

 

Despite all of this, we had a fantastic vacation and hope to run into you all again on another dam ship soon where all the toilets work and we all have quite cabins!

 

We were on the same cruise as you, TravlGrl and didn't have toilet issues in our stateroom. However, DH found the mens room near the upper dining level out of order one evening...and one of the ladies bathrooms on the Lido Deck was out one day.

 

We were in a very noisy cabin and complained to the front desk three or four times and nothing was done about it. Actually, the people in the stateroom next to us were moved after a few days because of the noise. I don't think I ever complain loudly enough! I finally gave up and put in ear plugs.

 

Sounded like they were throwing around furniture...day and night...and I mean 3 AM at times...waking me from a sound sleep...DH is very HOH and even he heard the noise. The Galley was above us. It was an upsell from an inside to outside and unfortunately I jumped too quickly without looking at the deck plans before accepting the cabin!

I could be wrong, but I think the Eurodam will be in the middle of a transatlantic during spring break time (march 30-april 13). Usually there are only a handful of kids on a transatlantic. Of course this means they get a lot of one on one care in Club HAL, which is an nice perk:)

Wow, great tips! Glad I asked!

 

So, after purchasing the FCD's onboard, my TA can use the promo codes and FCD/OBC to book the fall cruise? Essentially saving time and earning additional OBC?!?! I feel foolish for not figuring this out a few cruises ago!

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you every knowledgable CC friends!

We are ready to book a fall cruise and will be on the Noordam next week (hooray!). Should we wait till next week and book it while on board? Are there other advantages besides the OBC?

This is rather insignificant, but if you book while on board, does the deposit get charged to your on board account or as a separate transaction through Seattle? Just asking because onboard spending can somehow get turned into bonus days towards mariner status, right?

Thanks for helping me over think this issue:)

Thanks for the detailed review! Do you recall any of the Club HAL staff names?

Hello from your roll call mate:)

I am not a vegetarian, but on HAL cruises the vegetarian options on the MDR menu are so appealing that I order more meatless than meat! They have a few different AMAZING lentil soups and a black bean burger at lunch that really stand out. I think you will find plenty of delicious lunch and dinners to enjoy!

Disclaimer: Our last HAL sailing was April 2013, so things may have changed in the last 9 months. There were always a couple vegetarian entrees on the standard menu. It appears they have put together entire vegetarian/vegan menus now. However it is presented, it seems HAL is really interested in developing vegetarian options, not just as an after thought:)

Hey HALrunner - thinking you might be on our Feb 7th cruise? We'll watch for you on the paths!

 

W8ing2Cruz- We will have to connect at the m&g! Are you planning any other port runs?

Chiming in here, but would you recommend Porto Marie beach for young children? Any other beaches that are not crowded and nice for little ones? thanks!

The so-called ABC Islands simply refer to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. The ABC term has been used for many years by travelers to this part of the Caribbean/Atlantic.

 

Hank

 

We are going to the ABC islands for the first time in two weeks on the Noordam. I am very much looking forward to escaping the polar vortex, but nothing is jumping out at me for excursions in ABC. Not that I mind a lot of beach time, but that is all we have "planned" so far.

For all the ABC lovers, I would love to hear your advice on why you prefer ABC to other Caribbean ports. Are the beaches less crowded? Is there something I am missing about Curacao, given a port time of 7am-11pm? Thanks!