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@kazu, this is a point well taken,thanks. That is where we are headed this fall..If we buy a bottle in a foreign port , will it be taken from us upon return to the ship? Joan

Well, it would depend...domestically (USA) , yes...in a foreign port city probably not....unless i got to taste it first Before the pandemic, truth be told, we did schlepp

We have been lucky so far...my favorite wine has been available on my last 3 cruises..keeping fingers crossed for our upcoming med /TA 🍷cheers!

I agree . The wine packages on board , in the long run, will run about the same cost...less if one has a mariners discount.

We were in 2536 OV on a Panama Canal cruise. Climate control was excellent. This was a very quiet room until 5 AM. I investigated what was going on on the promenade deck above this cabin...Turns out there is a large storage bench directly above the cabin on the promenade deck. The crew started prepping the deck at 5 AM and each time they opened the storage bench they let the lid drop and it was very loud..I was generally up and about at this time and DH wears ear plugs when sleeping so generally speaking it wasn't too much of an issue except the the times it worked as an alarm clock. I wondered if people walking on the promenade deck above could be heard but we never heard people walking...just the 5AM wake up call .😳

I never considered bringing my "air sucker" pump with me but I may on my upcoming cruise. I only have a glass with dinner and one bottle can last 4 days, and I know they dont suck the air out..I am sure that would be too time consuming but after day 4, you can tell. I may bring mine for my stateroom bottles. Thanks for the tip!

If you purchase online pre board I do not think you can chose til you are on board.

That's interesting. Once you purchase the package it's yours. I don't understand why they would restrict the number. There was no question about that when they delivered mine...and that would have been 4 had I not left one in the MDR. I have a favorite in cellar 2 that I always order . I am always hoping that they have it available!

This is a horrible situation. We will be on the Oosterdam this fall after the dry dock. It will be interesting to hear if there are any plumbing issues after dry dock. I am curious, though, and perhaps I missed it. When they had no cabins available, was this because the ship totally sold out or did they offer you a cabin in another category??

I have been tempted to pre-buy the package but decided against it. You can buy it when on board and have them deliver them all to your stateroom if desired. I did that once and one of the waiters walked to the stateroom with me with my package of 4 chosen bottles in hand.

When you disembark in Montreal there will be a designated lines for cabs. This queue was quite long as people wait for cabs. Just about a block away is the designated Uber pick up point. Any one of the terminal monitors will direct you to the exact location as Uber is not allowed to share the cab pick up point. It is an easy walk and you will get picked up quicker than waiting for a cab with everyone else. At least that's our experience a couple of years ago and my daughter reported the same when she sailed in July of this year.

We were on the Zaandam in February. Yes, the piano bar was there still at that time with a wonderful , fun singer, got the audience involved with singing along. First name escapes me but her last name was Lamb. I sure hope they keep the piano bar on the Zaandam. My favorite ship. Happy Birthday to Blackduck59. Have a wonderful voyage!

Seriously!!!! True struggle 😋 we were on the Noordam a few weeks ago and the Dive In ran out of their crispy naked fries.....it was very disappointing ...had to chose regular boring friench fries!!

Dive-In is open in throughout the afternoon. On our last cruise we had late dinner seating and DH found he needed a snack around 4:30. Dive in was a good option.

We boarded the Noordam in July from Vancouver. Yes, the lines were long and we waited a good 2+ hours to embark. However, our travel companions , one of whom is disabled arrived at Canada Place about 2 hours after we arrived. (we arrived at 9:30 (as directed by HAL) and our companions arrived at 11:30. Our companion was on a scooter when she arrived and when we were finally on board, we were surprised to see that they had already been escorted onboard and in the Lido having lunch...because she was on the scooter. They did not have any "priority boarding" status.

My pet peeve is that, like airlines that charge for seats and I think the price should include the seat, and with HAL, I think the price should include Crew appreciation service charges. Just show me one price that includes the crew appreciation service charge please. Dont make it added on.

100% agree with this.

I finally got confirmation from Holland that my AARP OBC was finally applied to my previously booked sailing. The $50 that was on my mariner account like so many others has since disappeared. Holland would only allow one (aarp or educator) aarp was a better deal.

We also have a VF guarantee on the 2024 Rotterdam TA. We booked the cruise when onboard the Noordam. We had no choice either. Seems pretty far out for that to occur but this itinerary has so many optional legs that I can see why sort of.We generally pick our cabin, unless it is a last minute booking and are doing the Baltic Jewels before the TA. I am okay with the guarantee because it gives me an unobstructed extra "room" and fresh air for a long voyage. I will try to ignore the steel railings if thats what we get. We would have opted for CO but our travel companions are booked on just the Baltic and chose their cabin in cat V. CO wont work for them.

There was a photo just today on another site of the Zaandam in Cornerbrook, Newfoundland. I think Marine Traffic erred.

When we get onboard we just ask our cabin steward for one.

Yes, actually it was my second visit. My September trip focused on Edinburgh and a road trip though the Hebrides, the home of my ancestors. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Thank you, yes, this is a great idea , and prices sometimes are better far out. We always do cancellable reservations. by the way, i noticed you are from Edinburgh, my favorite city. We were there in September.

We would like to keep it to about 300 USD or less, that would be great. I do understand that Amsterdam hotels are pricey . This will be the end of September.

Hello, This is very very early to be planning ahead but I am a planner . In the fall of 2024 we will be flying into Amsterdam and would like to stay for 3 nights before heading to Rotterdam for our cruise departure. We would like to stay in-between the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House..the 2 must do items on our list. We are considering taking the ship transfer on embarkation day from Amsterdam to Rotterdam vs private transfer. Although the train sounds like a good mode of transportation for many, we do not want to schlepp our luggage. What hotels might you recommend in our plan? Have you stayed in Amsterdam and then taken your ships transfer to Rotterdam? Do hotels in Amsterdam have airport shuttles to facilitate getting to the ship transfer at the airport at the end of our stay? Can you recommend a private transfer from Amsterdam to Rotterdam? Thank you