crystalspin

There are data caps according to the level of the package. I don't know what they are, but if you have the standard Surf (middle level) that has been included with HIA, you will not be able to download most Kindle books, for example; I was able to DL one "thought for the day" book and that was all. We spent an hour or so on the Flip Day of our B2B in San Diego at a Gelato place that had wifi and got enough books for the second leg.

Welcome to Cruise Critic! There is a "board" (section) devoted to UK cruisers (still can't recommend agents, but can give you perspective on cruiselines that serve your area well. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/544-uk-cruisers/

Have rented fridges for oceanviews on Zaandam and Volendam. There was never any talk of them being stocked. You can ask...

Either could be true. In the past, HAL (along with other lines, I am sure) has played "games" with showing only a limited number of cabins available. You used to be able to put in a specific cabin number and sometimes have it be bookable, even if it didn't show on the deckplan as available! Haven't seen that lately, but then I haven't booked too many cruises since the shut down.

They are not juliet balconies, just a bit shallow. You should have two chairs and a small table on the Verandah, one or both chairs may even have a footstool (that you might have to turn the chair to use). Here is a short video to give you a better idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYpiqZSaNz0&t=5s

Welcome to Cruise Critic! I had a look at the deckplans of Celebrity Edge and there is essentially no difference between Deck 9 or 10. As @mom saysindicated, the view will be the same. Both decks are "sandwiched" between other cabins above and below (a good thing). There will be no difference is motion between the two decks; motion of such a massive ship is going to be pretty minimal and if you feel it, everyone is feeling it! I would choose a more forward cabin within the Aqua Class, just as you said, to be nearer the stairwells which are the hubs. The views will be similar (you aren't looking at actual AFT cabins, which do have the more expansive "wake" view). As far as port or starboard, that might depend on your cruise's route. Here is the Celebrity Board: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/16-celebrity-cruises/ In the top box you can select seeing threads about your particular ship. There is also a pinned or sticky thread (no questions to be asked) about Edge-class cabins. Have fun with your planning!

Yes I think Premium Internet and Elite BP -- that I got for July/August 2024 -- were because it was Early Booking Bonus (along with some OBC). Not across all HIA offerings. That reminds me, I need to update my Signature!

What ship?

The Surf Wifi with HIA is per person. One device, per person, at a time.

Recently off the Koningsdam with HIA (Surf level internet). Despite having calls-over-wifi turned on (T-Mobile phones), neither voice calls nor 'regular' texting worked. In the past (BC), my husband was able to make a conference phone call with the Premium level internet -- so I assumed it was something turned off on Surf but on with Premium. If you are trying to communicate with someone ON the ship, there is a chat feature in the included FREE plan -- but it doesn't ping outloud, so you have to check messages.

@julia's response has been reported to be true fleet-wide recently. (Difference plus 18%.) It was true on K'dam on our B2B over New Years and into January. There should be poster-placards on the bars so indicating.

Oh, don't stay on board! Creek Street in Ketchikan is a short if steep walk above the docks, and all of Skagway-town is on a level from the port. (There may even be little shuttles.) Better to experience something of the towns!

Thanks for your experience. DH will give it another try as it is among his favorites (when it is good).

No. We were on board (K'dam) from 29 Dec - 14 Jan (B2B). Enjoyed food (Lido and Specialty Dining about equally) and classical music including BBC films with live accompaniment. There were fails (halibut in Pinagrill, go figure), but overall quite pleased and have two bookings in 2024.

The Volendam is a fine ship for Alaska. Of our three AK cruises, one was Volendam, another sister ship Zaandam, and the first was the even smaller, since-retired Statendam. Both the Volendam and the Zaandam, we had partially-obstructed cabins on the Lower Promenade -- steps away from the biggest balcony on the ship! ETA: forgot to say, we are booked for a 24-day cruise on the Volendam (to Iceland/Greenland et al) in 2024! We will be on the Lower Promenade again!

Re flowers: The bowl or vase is not included in the price (although it should be!), whether 'live' blooms can be taken ashore depends on the port... it may be forbidden. I remember reading that HAL had to destroy the orchid plants from the dining areas when they were depleted, because of agricultural laws. I suggest finding the money for the whale watching excursion. Call it an anniversary celebration. Skagway and Ketchikan are actually quite good to do on foot. You can look into private boat trips in Juneau, but all of Alaska is faced with making a year's salary in a few summer months...

Welcome to Cruise Critic, Roy! On HAL, the Navigator app works with or without an internet subscription. Ask about RCI's policy (almost sure it will be similar; they WANT you to use it!) here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/51-royal-caribbean-international/

Juneau is the place to book a whale-watching excursion; there is a resident "pod" that reliably put on a show! Never saw the northern lights on (any of our three) AK cruises, in summer months, but the best ones I ever did see were on the Fourth of July in the Adirondacks, so anything could happen! Recommend choosing the flowers ahead of time on the website and having them delivered (or waiting for you) on your first day. The kids can repay you! They will last your whole cruise (parts of our arrangement lasted the full 16-day recent B2B over our anniversary). Just remember to top up the water.

10043 I think? That is the equivalent of our 10021 on Zuidy, except you are one deck down from the Crows Nest and one deck up from the Lido. Best location for the ship! Enjoy!

Are you sailing on the Oosterdam? We had 10021 on the Zuiderdam and LOVED being just behind the Crows Nest!

Not all B2B cruises are "published" (eligible) as Collectors. For example my recent B2B -- new years including the Sea of Cortez, plus 7-day Mexican Riviera -- was not. However, people on the 7-day could book as one cruise if they continued on to Hawaii. Sometimes the savings with a Collectors is worth it (my PCC checked for me but no). When you have stockholder OBC, it can go either way -- we got $100 each for the 9-day and the 7-day, but a 16-day would have been $250. However, our two bookings were linked in the Navigator, and some people have gotten the combined Stock Holder benefit even with two booking numbers!

Welcome to Cruise Critic! Do come on over to the board Bruce linked. Check your confirmation email header for a Personal Cruise Consultant (name and extension number), or call 1-800-355-3017 and stay on to the final "Speak with a person" choice and ask to be assigned a PCC. Assuming that traditional (early or late) is available may not be valid! As a firm HAL fan, I have to say that dining-room seating on Holland America is a zoo. Ask to be wait-listed for the time you want if it is full.

Yes, this one is too specific for the open board! https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/133-carnival-cruise-lines/

HAL cruiser here. We like to get room service breakfast on shore excursion days, and tip the runner a couple dollars for a full tray. Have the money ready; they do not linger with their hand out! I used to bring a stack of $5 bills to slip one each to my favorite servers on the last day, but figured out by adding a dollar to every-other-or-so paper slip that HAL still gives you to sign even if you have a drink package, that kept me from having to engage in that former ritual (and risk not being able to find every individual). It is customary to tip shoreX guides and drivers (less for the driver) some hard-to-figure amount. We had two really good SXs on our recent back-to-back cruises and I was chagrinned I did not have enough spare dollars to really reward the first one! (It was perhaps the best shore-X or any vacation-added tour I could remember!) ETA: Like @Longford We also added to the automatic gratuities for our room stewards. We had open dining, and ate in various venues so didn't feel the need to tip dining/Lido servers (this trip). Finally, since on HAL you do have those annoying slips, we didn't actually "carry cash" but left it in the safe until needed, including fetching ahead of time when expecting room service. ETA,Again: On HAL, you will have a survey after your cruise, with a chance to report crew members that made your cruise better. Keep a list! These mentions mean probably more to them than a few dollars. I used Google Keep on my phone to get the names and spellings right (also mentioned where the server commonly worked, in case of duplicate names, "Alice in the Exploration Cafe", etc). More edit! Hey, welcome to Cruise Critic!

https://halfacts.com/