Roz

When I've taken a river cruise out of Amsterdam we've always sailed from the eastern docks. This was on Uniworld and Tauck.

@Ine, thank you for the information. Have you heard anything about the terminal the riverboats use? Is there talk of relocating that terminal also?

@Joanne G., different viewpoint here. I find it VERY stressful to be traveling by myself when things go awry. Earlier this year I almost missed my South American cruise when I missed a connecting flight toBuenos Aires. I had to stay overnight in Houston and then take a flight the next evening to Santiago and then connect to BA. I was alone and afraid, and don't speak Spanish. What if I finally made it to BA and couldn't board? How would I get back home? Navigating the Santiago airport was difficult due to the language barrier and not understanding their procedures. It took me 3 days to get to BA. I arrived exhausted, sweaty, and stinky. Made it onto the ship, barely. The situation the OP described would definitely stress me out and be made worse by being by myself.

Don't know.

I watched a video yesterday by a vlogger that attempted to explain all the changes. My head was spinning. How do they possibly expect passengers to research/know/understand everything? $10 to activate the Medallion, $5 for room service if you phone in the order instead of using the Medallion, free pizza at one place; added charge at another place, etc.

Cruise Suzy is 100% correct.

I wondered the same thing about the towel.

I just received the following email: Congratulations!   We have verified your eligibility on this special offer you requested.     Redeem Offer   Please allow 2 days before booking to receive your AARP member onboard credit offer.   Kind Regards, Holland America Line

I've been a member since 2003. 😁

Did you read the full review? The basic problem was black crap coming out of the vents during the entire cruise. They were in a Neptune suite.

I just applied and I was required to send a copy of my AARP membership card to a company called SheerID. What did I do wrong? I'm waiting on the confirmation email.

Thank you for the uplifting news. 🙄

To clarify, I bought OBC with my gift cards to cover crew gratuities. I wasn't able to prepay the gratuities directly using gift cards.

I wasn't able to use gift cards to purchase transfers or prepay crew gratuities.

It was the Radisson Blu when I did that itinerary. Can't remember the year. Nice hotel in a good location, and a fabulous breakfast buffet.

What is "Secondary Flow for pre-booking"?

How are other lines such as Princess doing with their WCs? Are they experiencing the same challenges and issues as HAL?

Sometimes you're bused to a hotel.

I've always found Rick Steves' guidebooks and videos to be very helpful. If that makes me an unsophisticated traveler, so be it. I use his material to get an overview of the city and/or country I'm visiting, and to get an idea of possible sites to see or activities to participate in. I think he does an excellent job with his city walking tours and art narratives.

Have you joined your roll call? What specifically are you apprehensive about?

My trips to Amsterdam have all been in connection with debarking on a river cruise in the off season (late fall/early winter). I didn't notice any crowding, but I can see where a cruise ship making a port stop in a compact old city, with narrow streets and sidewalks, could overwhelm the locals. I'll be going back to Amsterdam in December for another river cruise. I stay in a hotel for 3 nights, eat in restaurants, use local transportation, visit a museum, take a local tour of some type, and buy gifts for friends and family back home. I feel I contribute to the local economy, but local residents may see things differently. In talking with residents, the most commonly mentioned problem was "foreigners" coming in for bachelor parties and creating an unpleasant atmosphere in and around the Red Light District. I live in a tourist town (Nashville) and when I travel, try to be cognizant of what I do and its effect on local businesses and residents. Right now tourism in Nashville is out of control and people are getting fed up with everything and everyone catering to conventions and tourists.

At every elevator bank there's a map of the ship showing where each venue is located - dining, show lounges, spa, Crow's Nest, etc. Keep in mind, you don't need to know everything single thing before you leave in order to have a fun cruise. Part of it is discovering and learning new things. The buffet has various stations. Just walk up the one you're interested in and tell the attendant what you want and how much. Sometimes there will be a line. After you get your food, just go find your own table. Sometimes you have to get your own drinks, but sometimes there will be servers who will bring you water, juice, coffee, etc.

@newgirlhelpme, if you're going to build your wardrobe around shorts, be aware that churches and mosques require knees and shoulders to be covered. A skirt can be a better alternative and more comfortable, as @albingirl has already suggested. In the Lido, no bathing suits without a cover-up.

How does the smallest mailbox hold all your mail during a 30+ day cruise?

My last 4 trips to Europe have been in late fall/early winter. Much better temps for touring and fewer tourists overall.