crystalspin

@rothbear13 Good luck getting off the "newsletters" contact lists. BTW you shouldn't have mentioned WHO they were -- it is the same as posting a brick-and-mortar travel agent and against CC's rules. Just so you know why, if your post disappears. After using a local travel agent (back when cruiselines' websites were even LESS friendly than they are now) and booking through a mail-flyer (AWFUL 'guarantee' cabin location), I turned to booking directly on the HAL website. When I had to cancel two cabins at the last minute (just before final payment and on Friday the 23rd of December) -- only to discover that all the offices including the general phone lines were off for the Christmas holiday! I remembered being assigned a Personal Cruise Consultant WHOM I HAD NOT USED to book -- I both called her direct line and e-mailed her of my wish to cancel. Those time-stamped messages worked and saved me thousands of dollars. No travel agent could have done that, I don't believe. Most of them would also have been out of the office, for one thing! Suffice to say, I exclusively use my PCC on HAL, and yes she has saved me money since then too. I also have a CVP (cruise vacation planner) on Princess, but I have never managed to sail with them. Most HAL ships have verandah (balcony) staterooms now, and the two that don't (Volendam and Zaandam) do have Vista suites that have balconies. To get a loveseat in your cabin on Princess you have to book a mini-suite or above, anyway!

If I see a price drop or other time-controlled opportunity, and my PCC is on a rare vacation -- I let the PCC-phone number's menu go through to the live person and they have always been able to accomplish the deal. As far as the answer being "no", sometimes it is.

I looked up your itinerary -- only three seadays out of eleven! You will need a vacation to recover from your vacation!

Cookies and ice cream in the Lido? I may not be a dessert person.

@Haljo1935 is all set to go on a rather whirlwind tour of Italy and the Adriatic, including one of my favorite cities, Dubrovnik. Also a couple Greek ports, and one Albanian! She's started a LIVE thread, here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2970130-going-live-on-nieuw-statendam-roundtrip-rome-⛲🛵oct-26-nov-9-planes-trains-vespas-ships-wgot/#comment-66306420 She tells us that this is a postponed cruise from pre-pandemic, pushing the celebration to their 33rd anniversary. Hope all goes well this time! Have a look at their itinerary: Nieuw Statendam - 29-Oct-23 - 11-day Mediterranean, Adriatic Dream

The blue is VANKEAN and the dusty pink is KROSER, but they are the same bag other than the outside pockets. I chose the fewer/deeper pockets for dr'spin bc he tends to carry tickets and vouchers, while the greater number of smaller pockets suit me and the multitude of small things I have to organize! They weigh just over 5lb apiece (the same as the discontinued 22" IT rollers!), due to more internal organization than I really need. We're going to try them out on a 10-day driving visit next month! Source is Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C6KMKGQ1/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BRMYWB4B/

Haha on my Google skills! Apparently the Sun Princess and her sister the Star Princess are not booking cove balconies YET, and they are not scheduled to be launched until 2024 and 2025 respectively!

You'll want to be asking your line- and ship-specific questions on the Celebrity board, here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/16-celebrity-cruises/ I was just remembering that Croatia is known as the poor man's Greece! Our Greek-American trust advisor agreed! He said his friends and family "back home" take their holidays in Croatia because Greece is too expensive. It is very beautiful. Congrats on making your decision, especially getting two staterooms (and two bathrooms! maybe dad won't have to shower in the gym this way).

@seagarsmoker is off to do a bit of Caribbean dreaming! Sailing on the BHB Eurodam - 11 day Southern Caribbean Wayfarer Look at these Ports of Call! SEVEN islands in eleven days!!! That's hardly enough time to take a nap! Bon voyage, Seagarsmoker!

Apparently the Princess Sun: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2925757-sun-princess-balcony-differences/ I don't know if Sun Princess has sister ships that would have also.

Cathy -- run don't walk away from this cabin! I googled your topic title and found an old CC on the (retired) sister ship Amsterdam. Read the update in post #8.

Whichever is lighter! Also, do your own measurements as manufacturers just love to give the cargo size as the total size. We have IT-Luggage 2-wheelers that are option1 but have been on many overseas flights as well. Alas, IT has gone to all 4-wheel spinners! which take away packing cubic and increase weight. My latest purchases are 2-wheel underseat bags with dimensions of 12 x 7 x 16 inches. Along with better-organized carry-ons. Can we do it???

We have travelled on an older NCL ship and an older RCCL ship. The Norwegian Star was just awful: shabby cabins, tawdry decor and sullen crew. The Rhapsody of the Seas was tidy, tasteful, and cheerful. A little more attrium activity than we are used to on HAL! but we were quite satisfied with the ship and experience. Just read an article on "worst cruiseships"; MSC tied Costa for the bottom of the bunch, with each line having FOUR worst ships! So my choice of those lines would be Royal Caribbean.

Perhaps it was because we HAD moved, that it was kicked back to me.

Welcome to Cruise Critic! Whopper of a first post question! I went to my line of choice, Holland American Line, and tried unsuccessfully to do what you request. My best suggestion is to get a in-house booking specialist (HAL calls theirs Personal Cruise Consultant; Princess: Cruise Vacation Planner) and let that person search for you -- their software is much more powerful. To get a HAL PCC, call 800-355-3017 or fill out this form: https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/plan-a-cruise/get-ready-for-your-cruise/contact-pcc To obtain a Princess CVP: 800-901-1172. Other lines probably have their own version of specialist to help you, and least the mainstream ones!

Do not black-out/obscure your address. It must be your current address. Ask me how I know.

We bought our 100 shares at the end of 2019... at or near Carnival's all-time high! We had SIX HAL and Princess cruises booked at that time; none of which sailed. Yet, as HAL fan-kids, the investment will eventually pay off in OBC.

We can't share PCCs just like no Travel Agent posting. Safe sailing!

Belated welcome to Cruise Critic! You are seeing us at our best, helping newcomers! Ruth, MGM, and Andy all make good points, but I am voting for northbound on Nieuw Amsterdam, although if it fits your schedule better, I have enjoyed Noordam's sister ship Zuiderdam just fine! My reasoning has to do with Alaska, not the glaciers per se. If you visit Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway (in that order) and then Glacier Bay, you are following our first trip to Alaska. Each port is "more" Alaskan (less Diamonds International glitz). Ending in Non-SE-Alaska (our one-way ended in Seward not Whittier, which means I have never experienced College Fjord).

Thank you Lois! I didn't want to start a new thread begging for gifts (I need nothing!) but wanted to share with this group.

I think a family cruise is the perfect vacation for four people with some different, some similar interests! There is something there for everyone. And I agree that of your short list Celebrity is the one. Both ship and itinerary. ETA: Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Welcome to Cruise critic! We don't always bicker like this, but when we do, it's fun to watch!

My BFF (from college, not counting my DH) was given the golden handshake on his 62nd birthday. He worked in IT, and 62 is REAL OLD in that industry! Today was my 65th. I feel the same as I did yesterday. Have had my Medicare card for about two weeks. Used it to update my vaccinations x3. (I haven't worked for salary since 1995, but spent my "career" after that making my husband's life easier.) My husband retired at 72 from a 34-year busy family practice. Have been a member of CC for almost 12 years and been reading this board that long (before I "qualified")!

Well, through my rose-tinted glasses, I will play. I choose hostess/m'd in the Tamarind. I would encourage my subordinates to chat with the customers (while keeping service top-notch of course), because I know how much the pax enjoy that.

I get Early Booking Bonus, Mariner OBC (where eligible), AARP, and stock owners OBC. And competent help with my bookings, with my PCC who somehow made it through the lockdown.