dawnvip

Agree whale watching in Juneau is awesome - pretty much guarantee sightings. Doubt you will see any salmon though. We found it hard to get a private tour operator (most are tied to the cruise lines) but check the Alaska port of call board for more info. 

Ketchican is easily done on your own. There is a bus stop right beside the port that does a loop around town for $1. If its raining, one of the bus stops is right at the Native totem pole museum (about an hour to see everything). Also stops at the old time boardwalk, great for shopping, seeing what it was like back in the day. Then wander back towards the port and you have a nice easy day!

1 hour ago, 00649 said:

Was the tour to Valparaiso a private tour and if so with what company.

The underlined words "tour guide" in the first paragraph is a link to the company 

1 hour ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

I guess staff are trying to supplement their income, most plastic bottle and cans come with a deposit in The Netherlands!!
 

Same with Canada. Most plastic is recyclable, including that used to make water bottles, and is converted into all sorts of things.

https://recyclebc.ca/what-can-i-recycle-2/#1576187830689-9a446819-0c25

Some Canadian cities have banned single use plastic bags (like grocery store bags), and a recent trip to Kenya was an eye opener for us as the whole country has banned plastic bags. Even the duty free plastic bags were confiscated at the airport customs desk.

Hi Jo,

Greatly enjoying your blog, as I will be on the Oosterdam in a few weeks for a similar (but much shorter!!) itinerary. You're giving great info for us in preparation and its appreciated!

I do have a few questions though - do you keep small bills of local currency for all of these ports, or stick to USD and hope for decent exchange rates? Also, I have heard different opinions about Lima private excursions, especially as the port area is considered unsafe. How did you find the Haku tour in terms of arranging pick-up drop off from Callao / security?

thanks!

Dawn

Barcelona is one of the cities that have decided to limit number of cruise ships, as well as prohibit cruise ships to dock in their downtown port (next to Barcelonetta), so all cruise lines will be located at the industrial port about 20-30 min from the centre of town. 

The last time we cruised into Barcelona, we had to arrange a private shuttle with 10 other cruisers thru the roll call, although it was not with HAL. YEMV

Hmm, my Amex doesn't have any offer for HAL but a new offer for Oceania cruises, and the details say that I have to book directly with Oceania, not through a TA! 

This is concerning as we're only a few weeks away from embarkation and I have'nt heard anything about it. Just googling it, looks like a copper mining dispute .

Thanks Terry! DH and I have exactly 36 hrs in Santiago post-cruise so this is perfect!

On 10/23/2023 at 6:56 PM, GeorgeCharlie said:

Callao is the port for Lima and the areas around it, including overnight tours to Machu Picchu.

 

We were there last fall, also on the Oosterdam. You can see our comments on the area, starting at post #52 of the review we did of that cruise.

 

 

Hi @GeorgeCharlie do you think its a good idea to get some Peruvian Sol currency, or are we OK with USD?

Dawn

Great report, thanks! Glad you enjoyed Vancouver. Met hotel and Diva at the Met are one of my favorites!

IIRC, not a space that passengers can access.

1 hour ago, TheHawk1 said:

Surprised that some people would agree to pay for this kind of treatment.  There are other airline choices.  It's supposed to a leisure flight, not army basic training. 

I for one won't be flying those other airlines full of self-important, disrespectful, rule-breakers. Not very Canadian at all.

If you have the Navigator app, you can download the room service menu by selecting Dining & Drinks/Casual Dining/view more.

The items from Dive in on page 1 (as Torquer mentions) are $5 surcharge, but scroll down to pages 4/5/6 for the rest of the room service items. The menu also indicates times available.

Why HAL has to include the drink packages as page 3 is beyond me, since drinks ordered as room service are NOT covered in the beverage packages!

I was invited by a friend to join her on a HAL carribean charter leaving next month. Not sure who the charter was arranged by, but it was a very good deal! Too bad I'm already booked for SA leaving Nov.15th on the Oosterdam! 😊

Agree with em-sk that the max is "special" LOL. Not my favorite aircraft by a long shot!

I think it really depends on the gate staff. Check-in staff are too busy to measure carry-ons so it becomes the gate crew's issue. I was recently on an AC flight from Calgary to Vancouver, and watched the gate agent who was firm and awesome at her job. She not only pointed out bags that were too large, too many per person, but also called out/moved aside anyone who was lining up for boarding even thought their zone had not been called. 

We used Coki Beach Dive shop when in St Thomas for the kids Discover Scuba. Very well run shop that I recommend. Their beach is beautiful and easy to dive, with lots to see. I'm fairly certain they will do boat dives too, but need to contact them to arrange. 

Not sure if the excursion price includes rental, but I am sure the price directly through the scuba shop will be less than that. Bring your mask and snorkel, fins too if they are small enough/warm water style.

Odd, I wonder if it has to do with USD/pound conversion?

Mmmmm, grapefruit cosmo for the win!

Check for visa requirements on HAL's partner site: https://cibtvisas.com/hollandamericaline

Note that the world is changing quickly, and visa requirements may change before your actual cruise embarkation, so check again when you are about 6 weeks out. 

11 hours ago, crusinthrough said:

Thank you!  Amtrak should have points of interest maps for each route.  This way you what time to look out the window and what you are seeing.  

I haven't tried Amtrak, but many European train services offer live "maps" similar to Google maps that indicate where you are along the way. I appreciate knowing what I'm looking at too!

10 hours ago, crusinthrough said:

Somewhere between Vancouver and WA. 

Looks like the Alex Fraser bridge, so somewhere is Delta, BC

20 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Whatever method you ultimately use, you can also purchase a fast track for getting through the security line at FCO that might help give you a little cushion.

https://www.romeairports.com/fiumicino_en/fast-track.html

Off topic - but that "purchase" is ridiculous! I fear the slippery slope where international airports model their service after Disneyland.

Thank you for this review. Living in Vancouver, DH and I have considered this overnight to/from Seattle but have never taken the plunge!

That looks like some very tasty lamb!

You may want to ask this question on the Europe ports of call board.