Roz

That is correct. Passengers in this forum were reporting ships at 30/40/50% capacity. The Rotterdam was at 92% (according to the captain) and CCers not on the same sailing disputed that figure.

I've been following menus on the Navigator app and noticed the same - penne, spaghetti, and lasagna. Three Italian/pasta dishes in one night.

It was the Rotterdam. My sister and I had high hopes for a new ship, but HAL definitely didn't put their best foot forward.

Here are a few of the service issues we had in March: No toast at breakfast If we had the good fortune of getting the toast we requested, there was no butter or preserves No salt or pepper in the salt and pepper shakers in the MDR No butter with rolls at dinner No offer of coffee or tea with dessert If coffee was requested, it may or may not arrive No sugar, sweetener, or creamer with coffee service 40 min. wait for a hot dog at the Dive In These issues had nothing to do with my perceptions, personality, background, or opinions. They are statements of fact based on my personal experience.

Says me, based on my personal experience. Maybe it's because I sail solo, but I usually get my assignments a few days to a week beforehand. I was just trying to let people know not to get into panic mode because they don't have an assignment 2 wks. out. If HAL assigns you early, more power to you.

@eroller, thank you for your review. I sailed on the Rotterdam in March and the Noordam in October. There was an improvement in service between the 2 cruises. Don't know if it was difference in crew and ship or service fleetwide. When I reported service and food issues after my March cruise, some here on CC didn't want to hear about it.

2 weeks is still too early for a guarantee assignment.

@Lieutenant Dan, greetings to a fellow Tennessean. As a solo, I've booked many guarantees to save money, including inside guarantees. As @crystalspin stated, the insides on the Main Deck are very nice. The only time I got bit by a guarantee was on the Noordam. I ended up with a 125 sq. ft. cabin that was poorly arranged. You'll love Alaska. I've been on 5 Alaskan cruises and have a 6th booked for next year.

I LOVE Key West. Some of the interesting places I've visited include the Hemingway House, Harry Truman's Little White House, the Audobon House, the buoy marking the southernmost point in the US, and Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park.

Starting in Vienna somewhat limits you as to cruise lines and itineraries. Budapest or Passau (Munich) offer more jumping off points.

On river cruises, dinner typically consists of a starter (appetizer or salad), soup, entree, and dessert. I think only allowing 1 choice among appetizer, salad, and soup is not an upscale experience.

Finding a TA with river cruise experience would be an excellent idea.

@dacf, you can sleep in if you don't want to take the included tour for that morning.

Also, there are lots of informative "stickies" at the top of this forum. They're worth reading, especially for first timers.

@dacf, you will find river cruises have a different pace. There are no sea (river) days, so you'll be up early every morning for the first of what may be two tours that day. There's a lot of walking on most tours. Honestly, most nights after dinner I was happy to sit in the lounge with a drink and listen to some music or watch a performance by a local group of performers. Yes, bussing is always a possibility, and some lines seem to handle things better than others. I've done three river cruises and never had to be bussed, but my last cruise had its itinerary changed due to low water levels. I think river cruising is the best and easiest way to see a number of countries in one trip. Looking forward to my river cruise next month after a 4-yr. hiatus.

@ChinaShrek, I know that feeling of sometimes feeling like I'm dodging land mines when it comes to dinner conversation. An amusing remark someone made to me on my last cruise was "how do you like living in a rural area?". Nashville is a city and the state capital. Moreover, it's one of the fastest growing cities in the US. The image of a toothless hillbilly sittin' on a hay bale and spittin' out watermelon seeds still persists, thanks to shows like Hee Haw. 😁

@cruisemom42, I know that feeling all too well of running around the Lido trying to assemble my breakfast or lunch, all the while hoping one of the waiters doesn't clear my table. I like to go to dinner between 7:30 - 8:00 pm.

Next March I'm taking a 31-day cruise. My longest cruise to date has been 13 days. I've had dinner once in the Lido due to an evening shorex. I'm guessing that on a long cruise there may be a point at which having dinner in the MDR may lose some of its appeal, or maybe I'll just want some alone time at dinner, or ports/shorex may dictate a different schedule.

The app will have more functionality the closer you get to your cruise. When I log in on the HAL website, I've never been able to see my booked cruises on the home page.

HAL is always one of the last cruise lines to post new itineraries so I don't know when 2024 will appear. The hotels for 2023 are the Pan Pacific and Fairmont according to the HAL website. You can book flights using something called Flight Ease. I've never found the flights to be a better deal than I can arrange on my own, even for international flights.

After 11 pm, room service is another option.

I also believe an adult has to BUY the bingo cards.

@Gourmet Gal, that was very helpful.

They're allowed in bars but can't drink alcohol. They can play bingo but if they win, an adult has to be present to claim the prize.

I have a cruise booked with Tauck for this coming December. I booked my flights with them and am flying into 3 days early to Amsterdam. I booked my own hotel. Last week my TA forwarded me a packet of info from Tauck and I was surprised to see the following: Early "Pre-Stay" Arrivals "If you are arriving one or more days early in Amsterdam prior to the beginning of your Tauck cruise, you will receive complimentary transportation from the airport or train station to your hotel. If you are staying at the Tauck-designated "pre-stay" hotel, you will also receive transportation from the Tauck hotel to the riverboat on Day 1 of your Tauck itinerary. If you are NOT staying at the Tauck-designated hotel, you will need to arrange your own transportation from your hotel to your Tauck riverboat on Day 1 of your Tauck itinerary. To do so, please call the riverboat's phone number on the morning of Day 1 of your Tauck cruise itinerary. We'll provide you with instructions and the exact docking location of the riverboat. Our docking locations change frequently and often aren't assigned until the riverboat's arrival." Even though Tauck has my flight info, do you think I need to confirm with them that I want to take them up on their offer of transportation from Schiphol to my hotel? I thought I'd ask here first, and if no one has had experience with this, I'll contact my TA.