Tananda

I was on the Eurodam in a Signature Suite in May. I have very thick, very curly hair. The dryer worked with my diffuser and had my hair dry in the normal time. I didn't miss my own dryer at all.

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We took this tour on the Eurodam in May. I believe it was on the day we visited Victoria as it was a late port. We asked when we boarded, but they did not know if it would happen. Asked again a couple of days later and were able to sign up. I believe there were 8 or 10 total on the tour. Very informative and lots of fun. I would suggest doing it once to really see how these amazing ships work.

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Thank you all! DH really liked Tamarind...we are there twice on our Alaska cruise. However, he is not joining me this time. Mom is traveling with me and is not a specialty restaurant fan. So I guess it is safe to assume that we will have another fabulous cruise. Thanks, again!

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I have cruised twice on the NA and once on the Eurodam. Really enjoyed both ships, but they are not cruising from the east coast next spring when we want to travel and don't want to fly to California. Thus we booked the tropical Caribbean on the Oosterdam. We booked a cabana as we are spoiled by that experience now. How does Oosterdam compare to the other ships we sailed?

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We stayed at the Sheraton a couple years ago and used the HAL transfer from airport to hotel and then hotel to port the next day. There was a desk for the HAL cruisers that we checked in with and they instructed us to meet in a certain area before a certain time. I don't recall the time but it was a Saturday morning and we had plenty of time for walking around the downtown area before. I recall that there were quite a few people that were taking the same cruise. When the bus arrived we were marched out to the bus and that was that.

 

Have a safe trip and enjoy the cruise!

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DH and I booked a pre cruise package with transfers from our Seattle hotel to the ship. I just left a message for our consultant, but can anyone clue me in on the process? Just want to be sure we know what to expect. Thanks a million!

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Hi Tananda,

 

We are on the same cruise as you. I looked into Buchart Gardens and it looked like they closed early, did you book thru the ship? We really wanted to make it an excursion.

 

Thanks in advance.

Karen

After seeing your post, I decided to reach out to the gardens. Below is the response that I received.

Thank you for your interest in The Butchart Gardens. There are several dates in May and June when the Gardens extends our hours to accommodate late arriving cruise ships. These are unadvertised openings and we will only remain open later if the cruise ships dock as scheduled; if they are delayed or cannot dock due to bad weather, we will close at our regular time of 5pm. One of these dates is Friday, May 25. On this date if the evening cruise ships dock as scheduled, the Admission Gate will be open until 9:30pm and visitors can view the Gardens until 11pm. If the evening cruise ships are unable to dock for any reason (high winds, schedule delays), the Admission Gate will close at the regular time of 5pm, and visitors can view the Gardens until 6pm. Our Night Illuminations will be on at dusk on May 25.

Kind regards,

Anna Randall – Administrative Assistant

Hi Tananda,

 

We are on the same cruise as you. I looked into Buchart Gardens and it looked like they closed early, did you book thru the ship? We really wanted to make it an excursion.

 

Thanks in advance.

Karen

Hi Karen!

Yes, with the short amount of time in port, I figured I would be most comfortable booking through the cruise line. You are correct regarding their hours. I see on their website that they close at 5pm, before we arrive. I sure hope we don't have any issues seeing the gardens, though DH might prefer an alternative. ;p;p;p;p:-)

Yes and they can make it with Baileys

 

 

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IIRC there's packets of powder next to the tea bags in the Lido.

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Leaving for Alaska soon. I know we can get coffee, tea, water and lemonade on the lido. I see hot chocolate on the breakfast card. Do you know if we can get hot chocolate on lido as well? Just thinking about those cooler days cruising.

Thanks so much!

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Not passing judgment at all on jeans, but you might want to reconsider them for Alaska. With all the rain, wet jeans are a miserable experience.

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So excited, especially since we are already hitting 90 degrees in Atlanta!

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The only menus I see online do not have prices. We have a reservation and paid for that, but where can I see the most up to date menu including prices? We will be on Eurodam in a couple of weeks.

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How crowded does the bow get when sailing into Glacier Bay? I have a phobia of crowds, but I was okay on the bow when we sailed into San Juan.

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Thanks, everyone! We will visit the front desk before heading to our rooms.

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Will be on the Eurodam in 3 weeks cruising Alaska. DH asked today about tours of the ship. He would especially like to see the mechanical areas. Is this something that is offered?

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I have been on the NA both before and after the dry dock. Maybe it is because I have no other experience on Holland America, but I didn't see the changes to the Crow's Nest being such a big thing. The EXC area is where the cafe and computers were. The cafe is now integrated with the bar. Biscotti were the only food there. I was able to get a nice coffee and a mixed drink there with no problem. The seating was a bit different but still comfortable. What I didn't like was EXC Central where they held port talks and some trivia. The seating was not comfortable at all, and the classroom setting was just not appealing to me. I will be on the Eurodam next moth for our Alaska cruise, and I am looking forward to at least a little time watching the world pass by from the Crow's Nest.

Thank you all for your responses! I was concerned that dinner would not start on Lido in time. Plan A will be eating an early dinner on the Lido. Plan B will be having something inside the gardens. Plan C if the ship is too late for the tour will be a nice walk around town and dinner somewhere on shore. I saw pictures of the gardens from someone who traveled in May last year, and I am anxious to see all those tulips! Thank you again!

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We are cruising next month, and I am a major planner. I have Burchart Garden tour booked that looks to last the full time in port 6pm to 1130pm. With that schedule, how do you usually handle dinner? Can we grab something early from the lido as we are on our way into Victoria? Is anything open late when we get back? Appreciate any info!

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These lucky CC members are escaping this dismal winter (whether the calendar says it is Spring or not). We hope they enjoy all the sunshine and lovely weather and bring some back for the rest of us and, of course, we wish them safe travels, fair winds and smooth seas.

 

Bon Voyage to Nieuw Amsterdam - 7 day Eastern Caribbean:

Tananda - enjoy your 2nd cruise on the NA with your Mom

 

 

Bon Voyage to Nieuw Amsterdam - 14 day Eastern/Western Caribbean:

saturn93

ttpilot

 

 

Bon Voyage everyone!!!!!

Have a great cruise and a WONDERFUL time!!!!

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So excited in sunny FL and had a great day of sunshine! We landed 3 hours later but we made it... so happy to sail tomorrow [emoji1][emoji1][emoji1]Thanks to everyone letting me vent my anxiety!!! It was not looking good especially after our 2nd delay and no crew yesterday.

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Thank you all for the information and advice! I will look for Pearl Lady and bring a bit more cash than normal though I am hesitant to walk around with too much on hand.

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Lots of shops are open. Did you have any specific ones in mind?

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We did a Kenai Fjords tour in August a couple of years ago. On that trip we saw one humpback whale and a super pod of orca who had come together. Three years previously, we did the same trip and didn't see either. If whales are a must see, then I would recommend doing both.