crystalspin

If you want to use the balcony you have paid for, in the canal, you want the port side. The starboard is toward the south/southwest and the unrelenting sun. Ask me how I know.

Is this P&O-UK or P&O-Australia? We have "boards" for each of those lines: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/22-po-cruises-uk/ or https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/332-pampo-cruises-australia/ Also boards for chatting with other cruisers from your area: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/544-uk-cruisers/ or https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/564-australia-new-zealand-cruisers/ Hope you find your answers!

Cheerleader here. I use a Personal Cruise Consultant (HAL employee assigned to me). I have to watch the promos and run dummy bookings every so often as Hank described above, though, then give her a call or email to set up a call. Aspects I haven't seen mentioned here. (1) You MUST have a refundable deposit to refare. There are two fares with refundable deposits: Advantage Fare, which you must call and ask about. I guess that would be true every time you want to check for drops. This is a bare-bones fare with a refundable deposit. The other is the "Best Value" Have-It-All fare you can see on the website. (2) There must be available cabins in your category (and I believe sub-category) to refare your own cabin. This is because refaring is actually cancellation/rebooking without putting your cabin in danger of loss. So about your second question, if you book the top category suite, it is more likely that it will sell out! There are more standard verandahs, oceanviews, and insides obviously, with Vista Suites in the middle. But I have seen Vista Suites sell out! (sub-category Aft Vista Suites always sell out) To contact your PCC (or get one) call 1-800-355-3017 and stay on until it gives you the opportunity to talk to a person (have your mariner number handy). Or enter their extension if you can find it on most emails! I have no experience with Guarantees or Club Orange and re-fares.

In fact, mocktails are included in the Quench non-alcoholic package at $18pppd (plus 18% on the daily not drink-cost value). If you are buying a la carte. If HIA, then yes, just use your SBP to have your mocktails.

We flew on the same day as sailing three times. Two (Vancouver and Fort Lauderdale) transfered by taxi, all was fine. The third was LAX to Santiago Chile with LONG transfer to Valparaiso (where cruises ported then) and our transfer was arranged with HAL. The flight was delayed about 5 hours! We barely caught the last HAL bus. I vowed that was the last time to fly in on the same day (BUT, I was glad it was a HAL transfer for what that's worth). Even if I had not made that vow, post-COVID I would never fly in on the same day. Flights are such a crapshoot. If the cruise is so cheap you don't mind missing the ship, that's your choice. If you canNOT miss work, at least take a redeye where you might be moved (if there were a seat) to a later plane. In Florida I would use taxi/Uber/van-share, OR stay over in a hotel with a shuttle!

Welcome to Cruise Critic. It is a great place to learn about cruising. Google is another: "Cruise ships fly flags of the countries they are registered in." ETA: Holland is not synonymous with The Netherlands.

The V balcony appears the same size as the standard (not handicap and not the most forward slanty ones) obstructed VH cabins. Two chairs with slide-away footrests and a tiny table. Here is a video with the balcony coverage starting as the 10-minute mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsi3U1RQDdo ETA: but the view is surely better!

Deanna at the TripInsuranceStore (Steve Dasseos writes the Q&A answers on the CC Insurance Board) sent me the link to GeoBlue's annual Trekker policies (two levels are available). We are comfortable with GeoBlue (the "Blue" is from Blue-Cross-Blue-Shield). The cost is the same to the customer using their link. TripInsuranceStore does not broker Allianz so you will have to go somewhere else if you want to comparison shop.

These don't look like very many would fit in a quart zippy bag? I travel carryon only and use GoToobs and GoTubbs and have not had any leaks that I can think of... I can get surprising number in my 3-1-1 bag.

There will be a Gala night (now called "dressy"). The Orange Party is at the Captain's discretion or perhaps whim.

Mum2Mercury said: "Really? I've never heard that before, and I'm surprised." I was thinking -- the cruisers with the cabin I'm waiting for and playing dummy-book to check daily -- need to be more fickle! Oh well, I have six months or so to watch and wait. @Mum2Mercury That is an interesting and credible theory about getting a midships guarantee!

Welcome Back!

Welcome to Cruise Critic! "Trip insurance" means different things to different people. Depending on the credit card, the coverage will be different (you need to read the benefits file for yours). We use Chase Sapphire Reserve, which is a pricy card with well-thought-of coverage, and we still will be buying a MEDICAL travel plan from GeoBlue (that is probably similar to your Allianz, but again, check the fine print). We use the Reserve card for ALL payments, as it pays back in proportion to how much of the total that was charged. This includes NOT paying any percent that was paid by 10% off AARP or other gift cards, even if the gift cards were paid for with the card! FWIW, I also bought Holland America's Cancel For Any Reason plan for our upcoming cruise, because the most likely reason for a cancellation is the brittle health of my family members, and I wasn't sure enough about the Reserve card's coverage in the case of changing pre-existing conditions for family. (New conditions are a covered reason to cancel.) Losing your cruise fare will not bankrupt you, medical can.

I think Early Booking Bonus is different from Black Friday? EBB applies to cruises in the first weeks or maybe months after launch of that sailing. Maybe 90 days? BF was supposed to be a sale on 800 cruises (I could not find any markdowns), plus crew incentive. EBB/HIA is an upgrade to the HIA (Elite Beverage and Premium Wifi) plus crew incentive, sometimes other things. Hard to beat. I have not had CO but there have been at least two recent threads about it not being refundable OR transferable.

Pandemic FCCs were a little different, as they did keep being pushed off, allowing more time, as the unpleasantness dragged on. But we were informed of this, too. And finally booked for two days before final expiry!

They are smaller than some other VX (where X is a letter from A to H), but they are "regular" size not Juliet balconies or anything. The V have the best location mid-ish on Deck 5, with a scattering of Vs on other decks. The ones on other decks seem to have either larger odd-shaped balconies or slanted balconies that might seem either larger or smaller! (have never experienced one). Here is a video of a standard V verandah room on the Nieuw Statendam (sister ship to Rotterdam) with the views of the balcony starting about 11minutes in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwznthu4hVQ

What about the luggage trackers (AirTags?) that half the travellers seem to be using?

A few people on board posted the HAL menu for TG. The vegetarian feature of mushroom ravioli with sage sounded really good to me (I am not vegetarian)! There was also roasted pumpkin soup and in the Lido several fancier-than-normal salads. In the MDR (just checked) also the coveted chilled soup: Spiced Apple and Carrot.

Before the change, when a single glass of $15 wine cost the passenger $17.70, it made some sense to hunt down the upgrade before ordering any drink on your plan. When the policy went to paying the difference (plus 18%), every passenger in the cabin needs to order 2.5 drinks at $15 per average day to make it worth the switch. Maybe that works for @SAB017 -- if they foresee better wines and scotches on their ticket!

Welcome to Cruise Critic! CC has boards for Singles https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/85-singles-cruises/ and Solos https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/279-solo-cruisers/ There seem to be some overlap in the "coverage", but plenty on board to browse. Hoping you find some hints that don't break the CC rules!

And all adults in the room must upgrade.

I saw the subject title and thought "Mary did that" and of course, she was already answering! OP as long as you have a refundable deposit and are before final payment, this will be possible. If some perks or bennies have changed, they will also change on your booking, but I'm sure the $3000 will make up for them! The Vistas on Zaandam are very nice, very spacious. We had 3 adults and there were three banks of drawers & three doors of closet, and more privacy than you would think (partial wall with a curtain between the bed and the sofa/bed, etc). Have a great cruise!

Did you find it? https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/456-caribbean/ with sub-boards for most of the islands/ports. Good luck and have a great cruise!

Last newyears. Before that April 2019. In February 2020 we had SIX cruises booked: 4 HAL, 2 Princess. That never happened.

While I do not play, I have noticed on threads on this Board and articles elsewhere, that HAL seems to be carving out the position of PickleBall of the Seas! Letting others answer the dance questions.