willoL

@julie3fan I’m happy to help if I can. Our excursion, booked via HAL, was not in a RIB boat, but rather a small boat with a tiny enclosed cabin. IIRC, one lady couldn’t get her leg up high enough to step aboard that little boat, so our group ended up ~5 people instead of 7. It would’ve been very crowded inside the cabin had that other couple actually made the trip, and probably chilly/damp if sitting on the open deck. While we were at the Hvalsø site, the boatman just dropped us off. It was kind of magical being just a handful of quiet people experiencing the ruins. I loved those first moments best of all. The RIB boat captured in my photo came along later. No other HAL excursion had been listed so that was either a private excursion or another ship’s offering. They were noisier than our group, and one fellow brought a drone with him. The noise from the drone (and the generally more boisterous second group) was the worst thing about the site visit. 😆 To be fair, I hate crowds and prefer nature to tour groups on general. Certainly the excursion was well worth it to me in spite of the other tourists and obnoxious whining drone! I went back to Greenland this August but on a smaller (expedition) ship with a full week in its waters. Hvalsø remains a top site to me, mostly because I have a passion for human history, and I adore seeing the vast range of places where people have chosen to live, exploring how they’ve adapted in each one. Helicopter excursions and landing on the ice sheet were amazing—and great fun!—but crumbling stone walls like that old church speak directly to my heart.

I just got back from my first (hopefully not last) Quark voyage. Admittedly, I'm not the hardest diner to please, but I found plenty of variety on the menu for my tastes. If I had anything negative to say about the dining situation, it is that I dislike buffets, and Quark uses a buffet format for breakfast and lunch. I enjoyed dinner much more, because we ordered off a menu. The breakfast buffet had more than enough choices for me. I would say lunch felt like the least choice, but that's partly because I would rather eat a deli sandwich than some of the more international dishes offered at lunchtime. I also am not the type to go ask for one of the "always available" specialty items; that feels like too much hassle to me, so I make due with whatever is in front of me. The dinner menu had at least one dish I was actively excited to try on all but one night. I got the "always available" chicken breast and baked potato on that night, but, since it happened only once, I never got sick of the basics, either. The chef was very visible outside the kitchen, checking on the service, and I thought the variety was quite marvelous given we were not picking up fresh provisions in the remote fjords of Greenland where we sailed. Soups were also particularly good, and vegetarians in our party seemed to be well fed and happy as well as those of us avoiding other things (I don't eat pork or shellfish, for example, for religious reasons.)

Maybe you want to join us on Oceania's Nautica in August 2024? https://www.oceaniacruises.com/cruise-finder#time_frame=2024-8&ship=NAU&sort=featured:desc&page=1&pageSize=10 My son and I are doing the 28 day voyage Dublin-Boston, but the 18 day Edinburgh to Boston does stop at both Orkey and Faroe Islands. I'm also quite keen to visit the Neolithic sites. I'm a sucker for living history experiences and academically informed recreations/re-enactments. We did a different TATL last summer, and, while I think Iceland is a better land destination, the Greenland ports and those in North Atlantic Canada were pretty great IMHO. I'm thrilled to repeat those ports. Also ditto @Globaliser's suggestion about searching via "an online cruise discount travel agency." There's one I always use to search by particular ports. (I've never used them to book, however.) I was wild to get to St. Pierre et Miquelon, for example, and that's exactly how I found a trip that did it. I've got a Roll Call going, if you do decide Nautica works for you. And I've already booked what I believe is the best tour guide in Kirkwall for our day there. We are open to filling the vehicle and splitting costs if a teen interested in history and Celtic music doesn't worry you. (I recognize that some people can't stand kids of any sort.) If you end up booking some other dates, I can forward the details of the tour guide I chose based on internet referrals. I won't have my own opinion to share until August 2024. 🤣

24 days on HAL with our 14 and 18 year old teens. But, that was meant to be a 2020 cruise delayed by the pandemic, so I had no qualms about taking 12 & 16 year olds on a transatlantic voyage of that length. My kids could have done a long trip even as elementary school aged kids, I think, though the youngest might've gotten homesick earlier, like toddler/preschool/early elementary. We've never had a hard time finding enough physical activity on a ship to meet those needs, and mine always liked the extra freedoms of cruising. (Selecting their own meals, availability of kid clubs away from me, etc.) 10 days to Alaska when they were grade/middle school aged left them begging for more time at sea, not bored. We had a wonderful time on both of the above trips, but booking two separate staterooms (or having some kind of privacy division) is vital for my introverted family on almost any trip beyond a few days. Three of the four of us really require alone time to recharge our emotional batteries! With two unexpected years to save up for the HAL voyage, we upgraded from Inside + Verandah to Inside + Corner-aft-Neptune-Suite, and that made life REALLY nice. 😄

We also color coded the lanyards we put our cruise card/door key cards on. Perhaps match these to each kid's packing cubes? This helped my teens grab the correct key, not his brother's, including the extra "room key only" card we asked for so they could access our cabin even if we were out. A tiny LED light per kid might also be good, possibly the keychain type on each lanyard. No need to wake up everyone with the room lights for a late night toilet visit, or if one likes to read in bed.

@KasperGutman Thanks for following up with your experience. Just remember that the next embarkation port might be different, or having an off day. Bring whatever you need to for future travel so you can explore the world safely and in comfort. 🙂 If you don't mind my adding this additional thought, I also hope you feel justified using any assistive device that helps you. As a person with waxing/waning mobility challenges (still only in her 40's!), I spent several years resisting doing things that would have made my life easier, and I gave up some experiences I should have been able to enjoy with my family. What helps me is seeing it this way: by *always* telling airlines I require wheelchair assistance at the airport, I'm helping everyone who comes later by increasing visibility that people like us are out there and wanting to travel. More requests for assistance means more staffing will be maintained. It's better to request service and then not need it than to regret not setting up assistance that would've made the travel experience better. Sometimes I carry my folding cane out, really visibly, in crowds, instead of in my bag until I need it, more as a marker for others to notice that my hidden disability even exists. Being bumped into can be really problematic for me, and being pre-boarded on a flight can make me feel super conspicuous if I'm having a good day and not yet limping. I would never judge someone else by the standards I held myself up to. But when the answer to my kids' requests to do something became, "Sorry, Mommy can't stop for [x] today..." (because parking was blocks away and I was exhausted and in pain), I realized that it was actually selfish not to talk to my doctor about a disabled parking placard. Would I ever have asked just for myself? Probably not.🙄 I wish I didn't sometimes feel ashamed of my body's weaknesses, but I certainly don't want others ever to judge themselves so harshly, and thinking of them makes it easier for me to accept help. --willo

My (big, mass market) ship experience last year was that waterproof sneaker-style hiking shoes were sufficient, even taking small boats to visit sort of remote spots. I've posted on CC about what I wore in Greenland, and I have a blog you are welcome to visit for a Greenland port review off a HAL voyage. http://reallywonderfulthings.me/2022/09/26/cruise-report-port-of-qaqortoq-greenland/ The ground at the Hvalso site, for example, was uneven and grassy, but more rocky than boggy. I'm attaching one of my photos so you can see what that was like. (Further north, things may be very different; we only stopped there and Nanortalik in 2022.) If you don't want to search or follow my link, my general wardrobe advice is concise: LAYERS! 😀 In August, sometimes I wore up to four or five thin layers, but I brought no bulky, thick clothing and stayed comfortable. My warmest one item was a cashmere sweater vest, but I'd wear that over long johns and under another cardigan and then a jacket on the chilliest excursions. This summer, my spouse and I are returning for a Quark expedition cruise to Greenland, and I will probably bring the same waterproof shoes that worked well for me last year. (Of course, we will be provided the serious boots for wet landings on Quark, so that helps.) If I bring my boots instead, it will be for ankle support, not protection from wetness. I'm one who *always* brings waterproof trousers to visit Iceland, even on a mass market or land trip, and even in the summer. I've been to Iceland four times, and Greenland just once. Many fellow travelers on our big HAL ship last year didn't think those were necessary. For an expedition, though, of course they will be a must! I think a thin, water- and wind-proof layer for all of your body matters more than any other technical item or gear, but I really hate spending a day damp and chilled. An insect head net is perhaps an exception, and worth it (IMO) for $10 or so and a little space in a coat pocket to stow it. You may never need it, but, if you do, it'll be a life saver. Someone who's already done an expedition may chime in, but these boards don't get the kind of traffic those for the mainstream lines do, so I wanted to give you what little advice I could. --willo

@lissie, my family of four did a similar HAL itinerary RT Boston in August 2022. My advice is to consider how you personally respond to bad weather on other vacations. For me, if I have a limited time somewhere, I will put on all the rain gear and take a walk, do a tour, etc., even if it is wet weather. Then again, I'm from Oregon where waiting for a dry day would mean staying home all winter. ☔ I recall specifically that I wore my waterproof trousers several times on our August 2022 cruise, including one day that I walked around on shore (Seyðisfjörður, Iceland) alone while DH and the teens stayed dry on the ship. That was a drizzy, miserable day of weather, but I still enjoyed time there because I was dressed for the conditions. I definitely appreciated them in Qaqortoq, Greenland, as well, as I visited the Hvalsey Church ruins (round trip from the port by small boat.) We had exceptionally good weather compared to the rest of the summer of 2022, too. Locals commented on our luck with good weather in multiple ports. Waterproof trousers offer a way to increase the warmth of the legs without having to change an entire outfit. I also bring thin silk thermal underwear on trips, but I have to find a large-ish public restroom to remove the leggings at midday since I'm not an exhibitionist. For me, layering options are very valuable. I have arthritis which feels worse when my joints get cold. On another shore excursion that required a small boat to get from the cruise ship to the location (Ísafjörður, Iceland to the abandoned village of Hesteyri), only because I had a full set of rain gear was I *tolerably* comfortable staying out on deck for that 45 minute trip. (I still got quite cold, and there was tons of spray off the sea.) I appreciated those beautiful views, but was chilly; some people stayed inside the cabin of the small boat with fogged up, spray-covered windows. Those people missed seeing some whales en route that we could see from outside. Many people on our cruise did not need waterproofs. I could have enjoyed my trip without mine, but not as much as I did having them. I carried them in my daypack virtually all the time, and I used them pretty often, and they made me more comfortable. So, if you really hate wearing your over-trousers, maybe you could try thermal underwear instead? But I would hesitate to suggest visiting these ports without layers to add/remove during the day, and, for me, I would have been *miserable* without an option for a little more warmth on the legs, not just the torso and extremities. I hope that helps! 🙂

@GeezerCouple I'm headed to Greenland with Quark this July (first time doing an expedition cruise.) Their 15-day Essential Greenland itinerary (for 23/24 and 24/25 seasons) gets as far north as Disko Bay, and Ultramarine is supposed to be quite luxurious for an expedition vessel. I won't be able to say anything from personal experience until later this summer. https://www.quarkexpeditions.com/expeditions/essential-greenland-southern-coasts-and-disko-bay My booked Quark itinerary has us fly to/from Greenland on a charter flight from Iceland. To get as far north as Disko Bay, I doubt you will find many trips that also spend significant time around Iceland, though. Expedition ships are geared toward letting the passengers off the ship to go ashore more often, so maybe Quark isn't what you seek? The big cruise ships are certainly visiting Greenland more often, but down at the southern tip. Last August, we stopped in Qaqortoq and Nanortalik on a HAL ship after doing a complete circumnavigation of Iceland. It was definitely a good way to see MANY more parts of Iceland, however, than the usual tourist hot spots close to the capital and the major international airport. Are you wanting to see something in particular that far north (Disko Bay), or just want to see some icebergs? Because, for me, I felt an instant need to return to Greenland because of even the ice I could see even at Qaqortoq and Nanortalik in the south! I woke up, saw ice through the gap in the curtains, and ran out in my robe the first day there. 😀 And, that was in August, so probably least ice of the year? I can say, regarding connectivity, that my T-mobile phone provided some coverage--but not perfect--in both ports in Greenland when I was ashore. (Not every text went through immediately, but I could contact my teens.) In Iceland, cell phone data is no problem (anywhere I've been on several visits.) On our entire multi-week HAL voyage, round-trip from Boston, really the only weak internet area (again, with HAL offering their own onboard service) was cruising Prins Christian Sund. It was memorable as my eldest was required to enroll in college classes that day during a specific window of time! Mildly frustrating, but the student did complete the process on that sea day. My husband worked every day, though not in a "constantly online" way. I also hope to reach Disko Bay someday because of a wonderful non-fiction book I read about a geology expedition there, so I get the impulse. But, from your initial question, it seems like *maybe* you would enjoy a trip that stayed further south and focused on Iceland? There are many more of those, I think, and they are somewhat less expensive. The book is A Wilder Time by William E. Glassley, by the way. (His website: https://weglassley.com/) My plan, at this point, is to take a land journey to Greenland someday to reach all the places I'm now keen about from my research for this upcoming trip. It's a compelling destination. --willo

@Mission33 I did manage to keep up my study streak on the HAL voyage, though I also opted to upgrade to the paid version of Duolingo before we sailed. I think I got extra streak freezes by default by paying for the subscription, and decided it was worth it. Thinking back, I believe there were a couple of days where I couldn't connect the first time I tried, but none where WiFi (or cell coverage) didn't make up for that later that same day. Usually, Duolingo worked about as well as at home. Overall, my husband was able to keep in touch with his work obligations well in spite of our location in remote northern waters, and I'm sure he did at least a some work every day. The only specific internet hassle I recall was my college student attempting to select courses for university for the first time (i.e., learning how to use a new system) during a narrow, assigned block of time. My kid just happened to get a low lottery number, so was choosing late (meaning many classes were filled and substitutions needed to be found)... all late in the day while we were also sailing Prins Christian Sund and nowhere near a port. That was incredibly beautiful--scenic highlight of the trip!--but also the worst connection day I believe we had at a very inconvenient time for my eldest. But don't worry; the kid did successfully register and had a great first semester. 😁

Phew, it took me a few minutes to read this entire thread! 😅 Having had the great pleasure of a couple of Crystal Cruises--and meeting the illustrious and seemingly always so even-handed Keith in person 👋--I was actually quite delighted to get the email inviting me to make a $500 deposit toward Crystal's speculative return. On the other hand, as a person who cruises more rarely than many on these boards, I haven't made such a deposit, though the reminder email that the program ends soon is what brought me to CC today. I simply had to learn more! My family had a really delightful HAL cruise this August--a "last hurrah" before my eldest left for college and flew my full-time-nest--but there's no doubt DH and I were almost constantly wishing we were back on Serenity with 1/4 the total passenger volume. (He and I are trying out a Quark expedition this summer, and I've got a British Isles/TA booked on a small Oceania ship for just my youngest and me in 2024 already, so I'm not likely to book any additional cruise until 2025.) IMHO, it's not wrong to be cautious here, nor is it wrong to take a fairly average financial risk and put down a small deposit toward the re-launch, by a new entity, of a product many of us found best in class. Scientific studies of human minds find we are awful at accurately assessing statistical risk with our guts, and the failure of Genting/Crystal is really, completely unrelated to the financial footing of A&K/Crystal. That said, optics and public opinion obviously matter, and I'd be communicating like crazy if I owned this new company. Optimists like me are inclined to be hopeful about its prospects, but I'd like a bit more information than they're currently offering to commit my personal funds. It cheered me to receive an email from Crystal Cruises, that's for sure. I'll have my eye on their future offerings, and won't hold the old management's mistakes against the new owner. I can't wait to hear if the product holds up to expectations! --willo

@washiotter, my kids this summer were similar in age to what yours will be next year, and we sailed on Nieuw Statendam last month. 🙂 I'm a blogger and have finally started posting about that trip if you'd like to read what I wrote about travel with teens: http://reallywonderfulthings.me/2022/09/20/cruise-report-hal-nieuw-statendam-transatlantic-with-teens/ My husband doesn't do formal wear and prefers room service; same with my eldest. My youngest is the party animal of our family, and I like to dress up and enjoy a little evening entertainment when I travel. My high schooler joined me *many* times (trying most of the bars) during the evenings. We explored the ship's nightlife together. He tried every mocktail on the ship, I think, and no one looked twice when we listened to music shows together. We were often the most dressed up "couple" in a venue and had a lot of fun doing something very different from our daily life. My youngest checked out one teen event early in our trip, but saw only one other kid (leaving as he arrived at the welcome party.) He didn't really look for teens the rest of the trip (though there were some that I noticed around); we hung out as a family. It might've been nice if the 18 year old could have played video games with the younger sibling since no one was using Club HAL most of the time, but the liability thing makes sense. My kids have plenty of their own handheld video games they enjoy together. Since the teens we did see weren't hanging out in Club HAL, I think your 18 year old will be able to find the other young people without any problem. As an aside, if, like us, it's your "last family trip" before the eldest leaves for college... I hope you have as great a time as we did! It was a perfect final hurrah with my now-adult child. We spent 24 days in the North Atlantic and it was lovely. The cruise environment lets teens have lots of freedom while even an anxious parent can feel pretty relaxed about their safety. --willo

FYI: We're going for it! I booked this cruise in the Owner's Suite today, and we have two sets of friends who may be joining us. Thanks again for sharing your personal experience of Quark. It was invaluable in convincing me to go ahead with the voyage.

Since I'm researching two of those same ports for a cruise I plan to take in 2024, I don't think you're looking early at all. 😆 And, in all seriousness, the travel industry was in such disarray this summer (August 2022 cruise), many passengers on our HAL voyage found themselves unable to book any guided tours for some small ports. Everything was sold out. For that reason, being early is quite wise. I've only done a land journey to Ireland (Dublin & Wexford) before, so no personal experience with this tour company, but I'm looking at them for Waterford in 2024. https://boruadventuresireland.ie/tours/private-adventure-tours/full-day-private-tour-from-waterford-city/ I first found them on TripAdvisor, and they seem to have good reviews there, but I had to look up various locations to see more than a couple about any one excursion. Hope that helps! --willoL

To be honest, my husband would rather I handle all practical details, which I did (as the NS passenger.) The great news is, it never really affected him that he didn't have personal access to the Neptune Concierge. The wonderful employees working in the Neptune Lounge were able to solve all my issues on behalf of both myself and the inside cabin dwellers in our party of four. If your husband is a relaxed type like mine, just take care of the details on his behalf. Only if he is very involved in the day-to-day process of your vacation do you need to change his status.

Your blog was fantastic for describing some of the day-to-day details I was curious about. Thanks for all the work you put into that. What a treasure for other curious potential Quark passengers! I'm sending my husband (and the friends we're trying to convince to join us) to read both that and the footprint post for a taste of what the expedition journey would be like. I do write a blog, but it isn't exclusively travel focused, and I don't have the organization (motivation?) to do record such detailed trip reports as you presented in 2013. (I haven't even got the first post up yet from my August 2022 cruise on HAL's Nieuw Statendam.) When I say I'm into slow travel, that includes the pace at which I report back. 😆 Mine is: https://reallywonderfulthings.me/ (Travel posts will be tagged as such. It's chock full of my opinions on other topics, though. I do strive to be positive and moderate in my approach, but I write about whatever I find fascinating.)

Thanks for the links, @2552phxcrzr! I'd seen your footprint post, but somehow couldn't access the entire journey before. (That site is new to me.) This link let me finish the story, and my husband may really enjoy reading the older blog. The desire for a suite has more to do with our marital dynamics and the rarity of DH taking a vacation than anything else. Suffice to say, one of us only feels "on vacation" when flinging items everywhere, living out of an open suitcase on the floor, and eschewing all chores... whereas the other doesn't relax until everything is picked up and tidy. Having both sitting and bedroom areas means everyone can feel fully in holiday mode by assigning one space to each style! 😆 Also, DH has often lets vacation time expire through using so little during his career. He works incredibly hard, is a world-class leader in his scientific field (his discoveries may literally save the lives or limbs of people reading this in the future), yet he has no instinct to "put himself first." (Or he suppresses the urge because he always puts his family first!) Therefore, on the rare occasion DH actually expresses a wish to do something for himself, I tend to splurge. A private tour at the Grand Canyon or cruising with Crystal to Alaska are examples. Traveling alone or with my kids, I use public transit and typically book an Oceanview stateroom or efficiency hotel with kitchenette. If I upgrade myself, it is for efficiency (direct flights) or comfort (i.e., I'll pay extra when need to sleep on a plane.) For DH, taxis or car service and accommodations offering room service make travel less stressful. He wants to get to his destination--loves being in nature, kayaking, hiking, and photography--but hates the inconveniences of getting there. That's one of the reasons we first tried a cruise! Then again, I travel at least a few times per year for pleasure, including solo international trips, while our big family vacations number only three or four across our 20+ year marriage. Most years, we visit family or go car camping within a few hours drive instead, sometimes only a long weekend. Like many, a major lesson we learned from the pandemic is to take advantage of opportunities while you have them. Why wait to return to Greenland when he loved it? And, now you know my life story! 😀

After our first brush with Greenland courtesy of HAL's Nieuw Statendam in August 2022, my husband is smitten. He wants to book on a Quark expedition ship for Greenland next summer, July 2023. There's a real shortage of real world reviews of Quark's accommodations on the Ultramarine. Given DH's preference for a suite, I would love to hear from anyone who has experienced this ship in real life before I make a 20% deposit that exceeds the cost of my teen's orthodontic work. @2552phxcrzr Do you have commentary? I've seen a few Quark posts from you. 🙂 As an aside, my usual cruise agent doesn't work with Quark. Any commentary about EXPEDITION specific cruise travel agents, or booking direct? In most areas, I'm a book direct gal. Only for cruises have I relied on an agent as I seem to get perks...

Oops! August 2022. (Almost made it 2200 this time and sadly I'm too late to edit my original response. Maybe I need to get to bed...)

This month, HAL had Canadian dollars on board and could exchange my US$ when I forgot to visit an ATM before a "first thing in the morning" small group excursion for which I needed to pay cash directly to the driver. It turned out the Neptune Lounge concierge can do currency exchange as well as Guest Services, if you're booked in a suite. We had six Canadian port visits, though, so not a rare currency at all.

On Nieuw Statendam in August 2024, my first choice venue for a before dinner drink was the Grand Dutch Cafe, actually, but that's because I adored the staff there who made my daytime espressos. My teen likes mocktails, so we visited the Ocean Bar for those. It seemed like only in the Ocean Bar was I asked if I wanted a double. Perhaps it is the bar for bigger drinkers? After the Thermal Spa, I would often get a glass of evening wine at the Lido pool bar as I walked back to my stateroom. So, like @iceman93 said, I never settled on a particular favorite, aside from the Grand Dutch, but rather went to the convenient place based upon my other activities.

One of my kids suffers pretty badly when consuming too much lactose, so I keep an eye out for what is available even though that "child" is now a college student who can manage dietary issues. I know at the Grand Dutch Cafe this month (August 2024), a woman asked for oat milk, but they only had soy available. (I had the impression they may have previously had the oat milk, but just run out, but I'm not 100% certain of that.) I saw cartons of non-dairy "milk replacement" beverages at the Lido, too. I think that may have been near the gluten free assortment of items. (My lactose intolerant teen was disappointed that the gelato place didn't offer any sorbets or non-dairy alternatives as his younger brother ate gelato every day of our voyage, but the sit down restaurants all seemed to have a sorbet option available for dessert, though sometimes not listed on the menu.)

I can't answer your whole question either, but we did realize only well into our recent voyage that, once the Dining Room opened, we could order anything off the Dining Room menu to be sent by room service during those meal hours. (We were not quarantined at the time.) We simply never tried that at lunch, so I'm afraid I can't be more help than that. Frankly, the Dining Room lunch menu was less appealing to me than the breakfast or dinner ones were. On Nieuw Statendam, the veal brootje sandwich from Grand Dutch Cafe was my favorite lunch, but I walked down one deck and got it myself unless we were in our Deck 12 cabana, when the wonderful attendant would do so on my behalf. If you are taking COVID precautions, as we were, a useful trick is to pre-order from Dive In or New York Pizza/Deli via the Navigator app and go pick up the food yourself. No charge done this way, but you can carry the lightweight tray wherever you'd like to eat, including in the room or on the balcony. (We did that a lot; hungry teens!) By the time we walked from Deck 4 aft to Deck 9/10, food was ready to go. Of course, that helps if your reason to take room service is that you are avoiding dining indoors around strangers, as we were, vs. having a mobility issue or some other reason to remain physically in your room. We did call for breakfast multiple times and it often arrived quickly in spite of not doing a card the night before. We were on Deck 4 aft, so quite near the Dining Room, but I don't know if that's a factor in speed. Sometimes quick, sometimes slow, even just for a carafe of tea. Room service toast was still usually cold, so I took to saving the small dish with a pat of butter from the day before to always have some at spreadable temperature. 🧈

Also a Nieuw Statendam experience, so maybe that ship is exceptional (because I'm agreeing with @roxybear135), but, this month, the Club Orange specials were some of the favorite dinner entrees we had. We never paid for any of the up-charge items like lobster, either. The veal chop over mushroom risotto on our final evening was simply fantastic. My son also felt the hot chocolate in C.O. was the best on the ship. I think we can safely assume he tried every version of hot chocolate available, from Lido packets to steamed milk at the Grand Dutch Cafe... ☕ 😁 Room service toast was cold all but once, but you got warm toast (with spreadable butter) in Club Orange. Service there was also excellent; better than my one paid dinner each at the Pinnacle Grill or Canaletto and equal to Tamarind. I liked having the same waiter most of the time in C.O., like the dining room, but in a more intimate setting. (Yet I still felt there was more space between tables than in the Dining Room, because I remain COVID cautious.)

If I hadn't been on Cruise Critic so much before our trip, I wouldn't have even known this was possible and to ask, but: Another thing the Neptune Concierge did for me was to make a spare keycard for each of our rooms since we were a family of four traveling in two separate staterooms. This gave my husband--officially an Inside cabin dweller!--access to the room where he and I actually slept, and gave the child (officially assigned to the N.S.) access to the Interior room where he slept. I believe the front desk (Guest Services) would be able do the same for those without access to the Neptune Lounge concierge. It just might take waiting in line to get that assistance. It's helpful--if you pack lanyards to wear your keycard around your neck--to have a pack with multiple colors so you don't mix up the key only cards with the useful ones that let you buy drinks and leave the vessel! I had this $8 pack of 5 from Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KSRS1YL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1