crystalspin

Three including what is on my feet. If flying, even with the luggage restrictions, I do not wear the heaviest, but rather the easiest off-on for security, and most comfortable. A lace-up "sneaker" (SAS) for shore trips. Kalso clogs for easy slip on around the ship. Black Kalso thong sandals that I have kept nice and blacked-out the logo. My mom jokes that these are "Dress Flip-Flops"! My husband will take a slip-on "boat" shoe and a pair of broken in Oxfords for any excursion with walking. If we ever get to take our much-cancelled So.Pacific cruise (!), I do have water shoes for both of us. We will be driving to port, though.

Speaking for HAL and not for Scandinavian cruises in particular: The "dressy" (new name for Gala) nights require only the same standards as other dinner in MDR: a collared shirt and long pants for men and basically anything your partner would want to wear (long as no ragged jeans or short-shorts or swimwear!). My husband does take a guayabera which he changes to, but only with dark colored cargos that he wore all day. On non-dressy nights he will generally wear what he had on for the day: note: he does not wear t-shirts, always a long sleeved button/collared shirt. With a granpa-cardigan in lieu of a jacket.

As others said, there are no "free" bottles that you bring on. Unless you can drink very cheap wine or prefer significantly expensive wine, it's probably not worth it to tote your own with the corkage of $20@. Any bottle you buy on board can be brought to your stateroom. If you buy a Sommelier Suite (see @Crew Newsrecent flyer here: https://rogerjett-photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Sommelier-Suite-2022.pdf ) the bottles can be delivered to your cabin or held for you in the dining room -- any mix thereof. I like your style!

On Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam, the insides marked with little circle (for being triples) have a long sofa (that 'flips' to make the third bed) that is very close to the long side of the main bed(s). The cabin numbers are 4104 4115 5108 5129 6112 6127 7104 7095 8092 8109. Same thing on the Rotterdam, only numbers are 4102 4113 5108 5129 6112 6127 7104 7095 8092 8111. Here are some pics from our @Vict0riann: https://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/5108-koningsdam/

I have found (but cannot share) photos of Noordam 4119 made up as a triple. The sofa (or rather loveseat) bed is a "fold out" and rather fills the room. Here are a couple photos of the same room, NOT made up, with comments on how crowded the room will be: https://halfacts.com/4119-noordam/ For what's worth, the sideways-flipping sofa beds are quite comfortable as both sofa and bed. But you don't get to choose, the cabin either had a sofa (flip lengthwise) or a loveseat (pull-out like a "home" sofabed).

I have not, but others report using one for extra ice (ice bucket is small and may only be filled once a day OR even only on request if you see your cabin steward. You would want one that didn't link for use as an extra-size ice bucket!

I have heard (read) quite recently that this was accomplished by seeing a bartender (not server) BEFORE you have used your included Signature package for ANYTHING (so don't be accepting the Sailaway drinks until you've done it). I believe the cost was $10 plus 18% ($11.80) PER DAY (per person, both must upgrade). But in light of the fact that you pay full price plus 18% for any beverage over the $11 limit of the SBP, that cost amounts to less that one "better" glass of wine pppd!

You book the unlimited laundry when you send in (leave on bed with form) your first items. You will be charged $7/day ($9/day in Europe) for each night of your cruise, no matter what day you start leaving laundry, so don't wait!

I keep a browser window open just for cruises/cruise-critic, with tabs for CruiseDeckPlans.com and halfacts always there, as well as HollandAmerica and my current roll calls, and a calendar app!

Well, there is a way -- if you are the planner for additional rooms -- you can sign in with their Mariner number and password! I have also lined up excursions through my PCC (or possibly with the excursion desk? she may have put me through to them).

If you blow up the attached, it says: Express Service -- Items received by 9am will be returned the same day. Add a 50% surcharge. Regular Service -- Items received by 9am will be returned the next day. I'm not sure about specifying Express for Unlimited -- is that 50% of the day ($3.50) or 50% of the items' price, which could exceed $3.50 if more than one piece!

$66.08 is $8/day everyday times + 18% service charge. So yes it is an available option. Purchase on board (can use OBC) or before boarding (cannot use OBC).

Plenty of tender ports on the itinerary I'm seeing for the 35-day Hawaii/Tahiti Feb'23 cruise. But I don't know if that reflects a change or it just always was...

Elizabeth here, filling in for Jacqui (who is in Barcelona, lucky duck!). @rafinmd and @zgscl will sail from Fort Lauderdale on the 9th, clockwise around the Caribbean on the 11-day Panama Canal Sunfarer, including Curaçao, Aruba, and a partial transit of the Canal. On the 20th, Roy will leave the ship back in FLL, but @zgscl will clear the ship and then return for the counter-clockwise 10-Day Panama Canal Sunfarer. (Together they are known as the Caribbean Sunfarer.) This itinerary skips Cartagena (hence the day shorter) and visits Curaçao and Aruba in the same order despite coming at them from the other direction -- probably "for operational reasons", haha. Wishing you both lovely cruises, without any drama from s****s I am reading about on Accuweather!!!

We did a fun one on the Zuiderdam: Around the World in Wines (or similar title). Pouring stations were set up in Billboard Onboard and each one had one or more wines from a different continent. I think there was a handout with the names and countries... Don't remember the cost, though.

Go to https://www.aarp.org/ -- click the AARP Rewards on top banner -- "sign up for free" -- scroll to "See all rewards". scroll down to find the Blue-Hulled Beauty. You don't have to be a member for HAL and maybe Princess, but you do for several of the other lines.

Unlimited laundry is $7/day ($9/day in Europe). It is charged for the number of days (i.e. nights) of your cruise, no matter when you send it your first item(s). If you mean the fee on the airline, that probably is not equal across the industry.

Here is 4102 (a sideways cabin at the front of the ship) on Eurodam's sister Nieuw Amsterdam: https://halfacts.com/signature-class/4012-nieuw-amsterdam/ It looks like they had both a chair with a back and the back-less storage stool. Here is 5168 on the N.Amsterdam. This cabin is in the same position as yours up a deck. https://halfacts.com/signature-class/5168-nieuw-amsterdam/ I see only the chair, no second seat. Here are two Eurodam sideways cabins on Deck 6: https://halfacts.com/signature-class/6016-eurodam/ https://halfacts.com/signature-class/6028-eurodam/ One has the stool, one a chair. These are not the smallest inside cabins ever, but not the largest. I think being near your family is probably most important! Maybe the family in 4166 will let you visit their double-size balcony some times!

There are four (1111, 1115, 1124, 1128). They have more empty space but that is all: according to these photos https://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/1111-nieuw-statendam/ nowhere to sit but a single backless storage stool for the desk/vanity -- or the bed.

I have a sad.

Just to make sure you know there are no more "free" bottles that you bring on board: all bottles have a $20@ corkage charge (even if you drink them in your cabin). This can save you money if you like either very cheap or very expensive wines, but for middle of the range wines I find it a wash.

Be aware that the wine in Sommelier Suites is for consumption in dining room(s) or your cabin, not in bars/lounges/theatre. That might affect how many bottles in the package you choose!

The fridge rental is (or was in 2018) quite affordable. There is a little "problem" with where to put it! My vote was the knee-bay of the desk.

This is a specialized question that should be moved to the HAL forum, but here are your answers: 4104 4115 5108 5129 6112 6127 7104 7095 8092 8109 are triples with a sofa that flips to be the third bed. Sofa is very tight to the main bed, with *maybe* a foot for your knees as a sofa. There is a back-less storage stool at the desk/vanity. There are also two larger handicap cabins on most or all of those decks... but they probably have no extra storage or seating, just room to move a mobility device and an accessible bathroom. On Main Deck, 1111, 1115, 1124, 1128 are larger, not triple or HC, but with no additional seating: just the one backless stool! and the bed(s) of course.

Welcome to Cruise Critic and your first cruise planning! This was an appropriate general question for this "board", but here is the HAL forum for more line- or ship-specific questions: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/103-holland-america-line/ Again, WELCOME!