hobgoblin

Thanks for that Vmax all very helpful. I see there's only real whisky on there! Enjoy the rest of your cruise .

Thanks Vmax ,any information would be great. Have you got/had a Yamaha Vmax by any chance? Sorry about the whisky but Im from Scotland ,we have the real stuff !

Could you post how much a Beer,Gin & Tonic and a Malt Whisky is (costing individually) please ? Wont be having a drinks package on my next trip so just curious! Guessing it will be in US Dollars Sorry Im in Uk!

Can I ask how you got there? Local transport or tour guide .

Yes ,might be seriously dischuffed but will wait and see and hope it all turns out good! Thanks folks for your input .

Just wondered how you stand when your cruise choice was based on certain locations and if you are likely to be able to change cruises if these ports are then removed? I have a cruise with HAL stopping in Alexandria and Istanbul in September and its a 14 day cruise so these stops were the main reason for going . Given troubles in eastern Mediterranean Im wondering if we will still be going ! Has anyone any experience with this type of scenario?

Good to know about the water bottles on Hal,will have to keep that in mind .

Can I ask another couple of questions! Is there a self service laundry on Niew Statendam ? Can you access your bill on the cabin TV like I could on the Celebrity ships?

Thanks everyone for your information, looking forward to my first Hal cruise .

Will also be a first time HAL cruiser in September. Can anyone say if its ok to fill your water bottles in the buffet area for taking to your room ? Is there a burger/hotdog/Grill for included snacks on the sundeck like on Celebrity ships?

Has anyone done a cruise that incorporates The Golden Triangle stopping to tour india?

Thanks everyone for your advice . ,will probably not get my husband to take a tux!

Going to be a newbie with Hal in September on Niew Statendam ,normally a Celebrity cruiser so looking forward to comparisons . Not sure what the deal is for Gala nights, is it smart casual or proper dinner attire ? Guessing its not full formal wear but like to check . Can anyone comment on if we get free drinking water in our cabin?

Has anyone been on this particular cruise and could comment on the quality of this added tour? Im interested in this trip for the future and perhaps a big birthday . What were the hotels like? Nothing seems to say where you will stay or what the transfers are like . Any information too about the rest of the ships itinerary much appreciated .

Has anyone been on this particular cruise and could comment on the quality of this added tour? Im interested in this trip for the future and perhaps a big birthday . What were the hotels like? Nothing seems to say where you will stay or what the transfers are like . Any information too about the rest of the ships itinerary much appreciated .

Thanks so much for your response . I already enquired on my initial post on the HAL forum about El Alamein but doesn't look like anyone has been on this tour .

Just discovered there's no trips left for Olympia on my ships excursion. A few questions for anyone travelling /travelled before with Hal . Is it easy to get there DIY ? If not ,what else is there to see ? Is HAL likely to put on extra trips if there's a big waiting list (there seems to be a list now)Ive not travelled with this cruise line before .

Thanks you so much for all your information ,Im going to look at the ports of call section as you advised ,hopefully there will be more tips I can read there . You are obviously well travelled and informed about these places and I cant thank you enough for taking the time to reply ,its much appreciated .

Thats great all sounds very interesting! Did you by chance go to Olympia on the Katakolon stop? Are there taxis from the harbour can take you there? unfortunately it looks like all the ship trips are booked up for Olympia . I could ask so many questions about this cruise !

Thanks so much for your kind reply. The tour Im looking for feed back on is called Best Of Alexandria . It visits the following places Catatcombs ,Pompeys Pillar,Roman Amphitheatre,National Museum ,Library and the Fort of Quait Bay . There is no reviews I can see on the HAL website .

Has anyone been on this trip and could you comment on how it was and if it was worthwhile given the time it takes from the port ?

Going on the Ancient mysteries cruise stopping in Egypt in September on New Statendam . Having never sailed with HAL before Im wondering if anyone has previously taken the ships excursions to El Alamein or Alexandria ? Im curious about the Best Of Alexandria trip as the reviews on the HAL webpage were very old and didn't give a very good impression all ! . My husband was keen on the El Alamein tour but there were no reviews for that trip available on the excursions page . Would be most helpful to hear of anyones experience of these tours . We have already done Cairo before so these excursions were the two most interesting for us .

Many thanks to everyone ,I will check the roll calls ,never thought to look there . Much appreciated .

Have only ever cruised Celebrity so thought I would try a different ship this year as Im becoming a bit disappointed in Celebrity overall . Can anyone give some feed back about the Itinerary going to Turkey,Egypt and Greece in September this year(Ancient mysteries) What places were walkable off the ship? Did you go on the Cairo trip or to see the war museum ,how about Izmir? Any feed back about comparisons with Celebrity would be great too.

Having never been on a HAL ship can I ask a few questions ? Is there a free sauna on New Statendam too? Do you pay for drinking water in your stateroom? Are there pillow choices in the verandah rooms, could I swap pillows too hard?