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Hi @CruiseMark. Try asking your questions on the Cruise Critic photography forum. You should get a lot of responses over there. Photo & Camera Discussions - Cruise Critic Community Have fun in Norway!! ~Nancy

As an ocean cruise lover I was going to chime in about why I chose the coastal voyage this time but @Flyinby nicely summed up what I was going to write! I also have two grandparents that came to the US from Norway in the late 1800s so I am interested in the history and culture of Norway for that reason. I will also be traveling by train, inland ferry and maybe by rental car while I'm there so the Havila part of it is the anchor for more exploration. I'm happy that Norway has introduced some competition for Hurtigruten which can only improve the passenger experience on both lines. I loved my Hurtigruten bare bones trip in 2005 and am so looking forward to a "fancied up" version on Havila next year! ~Nancy

Those pictures are so gorgeous @GottaKnowWhen! It looks like you had lots of good and sunny weather. Thanks for posting them. It sounds like Hurtigruten took good care of everyone when they had mechanical problems on your voyage. Thanks for letting us know about what they are doing to either refund or give future credits to people. ~Nancy

Interesting to read the article and motivation of the protesters.......sound familiar???? ~Nancy

Mushrooms have been an included side dish on all my Pinnacle Grill visits. That charge should have been removed from their bill. Unfortunately, they said they have already disembarked and it's a hassle to get it removed at this point. ~Nancy

@Vict0riannI had not really thought about those sideways balcony cabins before but another aspect of it is the very nice second big window! I'm excited following along with you and will especially be interested in the trans-Atlantic leg. I just decided to book my first west to east (time changes!! 😲) TA from Ft. Lauderdale to IJmuiden (Amsterdam) in May 2024 on Zuiderdam. It was only a little higher price than a business class flight from SFO to AMS so why not? Much more comfortable to sleep and better food! Thank you for posting your experience for us land locked CCers!! ~Nancy

I certainly hope that cruise lines stop visiting Gambia if they continue to fleece the visitors with exorbitant visa fees! Did HAL give a reason that they chose it as a port call? I hope you are able to have and interesting visit to the town anyway! ~Nancy

Yes I agree @Mary229. People always have to weigh all the aspects of their jobs when they decide to stay or move on. I stayed at most of my jobs because I liked them until the time came when the companies just couldn't match the pay of the competition for what ever reason. HAL has many crew who have been with the company for many, many years so they must like working there. Even before Covid, I would imagine that there were a lot of job openings with other lines for ship positions. ~Nancy

Glad to hear people finding a better situation for themselves. It's good to have competition among employers so people get raises that weren't provided by their previous job. Happens in most industries. The only way to get decent raises when I was still working was to switch jobs. Sad really. ~Nancy

Some ships are having live music in the Ocean Bar nearly every night. The current World Cruise on Zuiderdam has music each evening per @richwmn's postings. My Nieuw Amsterdam October 2022 cruise had a very good band in Ocean Bar. They generally played three sets per night. Those "Dam" bar receipts were discussed for a while last fall when they were first re implemented. It was my pet peeve and I let the Rotterdam know what I thought within an hour of boarding!! By the end of that 21 day cruise the receipts were also sporadically given. I was told on day one by a waiter that I didn't have to sign if I didn't want to, so I didn't. It bogles my mind to try and figure out why they think it's a good idea!!?? I'm enjoying your reports and I hope you enjoy the cruise! ~Nancy

Have you had recent experience with alcohol being complimentary in the Neptune Lounge? From what I have seen posted here, the complimentary alcohol is/was only on a trial basis on one ship. Has it been implemented on all ships? Anyone on board now know? Cruise Ship Rooms - Suites & Staterooms | Holland America Thanks! `Nancy

Price right now on HAL website: Water $2.95 DISTILLED WATER ONE GALLON $2.95 $2.95 Buy Now

I love costume museums! I hope you will be visiting it. ~Nancy

I get many ideas from TripAdvisor website. TripAdvisor and Cruise Critic are both part of the same company umbrella. TripAdvisor Acquires Cruise Critic, Leading Cruise Community - May 23, 2007 (mediaroom.com) THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Norway - 2023 (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

Thanks again! I'm glad you had a good time and now you have "something to look forward to"!!! ~Nancy

@tymike HIA, Neptune perks and Club Orange have their individual sets of included items. They do overlap with priority boarding and tendering which also comes with a Neptune Suite. Depending on what ship you are on the dining room would be different for CO dinners and possibly breakfast. Please look on the HAL website for the perks of all listed and read the numerous other recent threads discussing them. Frequently Asked Questions | Holland America Cruise Ship Rooms - Suites & Staterooms | Holland America Club Orange Program Benefits | Holland America Line Have It All Early Booking Bonus | Holland America Line Have a great trip! ~Nancy

That's great news! When the dance floor is full then the band must know they are doing something right! ~Nancy

Thanks Pete! That explains the altitude on iPhone inaccuracy. I just "figured" the GPS on it would be more accurate. I enjoy reading the blogs every evening.

Thanks @Flyinby again. After reading this, on second thought I doubt I'll go in winter after all!! 😁 The new wardrobe required would surpass the cost of the voyage fare! I will take your advice to bring a scarf for my June itinerary as well as the layers and rain jacket I already have planned. It does actually get HOT on rare occasions in Norway in the summer. Like here in San Francisco some/most lodging doesn't have air conditioning since it's not usually needed but when it hits 80°F (27°C) you wish they had it. ~Nancy

@CruiseMark As you mention, I think it's probably because Havila is new and trying to drum up business! As time goes by, I expect the pricing to level out between the two. I would happily travel on Hurtigruten again, but Havila was a lot less expensive for the booking I made so I am going on Havila! Have a great trip! ~Nancy

@NHDOC if you see the cruise director, maybe you could ask what is happening with the BB King group. Something sounds amiss there and if it affects their performance then the ship management should correct the issue. I hope they aren't all sick! ~Nancy

That sounds fun! The captain was very nice to line it all up for everyone! Does anyone know why the cell phone shot listed the elevation as 120 ft? On my last cruise I was on the Rotterdam deck 5 and my phone listed elevations all over the place....from minus 40 ft to over 100 ft.! And, no, it wasn't in high wave conditions. I suppose I can google the question but wondered if anyone else noticed that? ~Nancy

I suppose it greatly depends on how much time you have. If you only have two weeks available for travel then I would agree with @hallasm to only go one direction and spend the other week of time in other areas of Norway (Oslo, Bergen, etc.). If you have unlimited travel time available than go for the round trip!! That's what I decided anyway. 🙂 ~Nancy

Because the large boats are used there isn't any need for priority because people can usually just go to the tender deck and get on without a wait.

I'm so glad to have you "back"! It's so fortunate you have such a dedicated and trustworthy house sitter to ease some of the stress. Stay well and enjoy the rest of the cruise! ~Nancy