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And Now for Something Completely Different...

NCTribeFan

By NCTribeFan,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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NCTribeFan

NCTribeFan

Posted
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OK, so it probably won't be completely different, but...

 

I've been Platinum for two whole cruises. If you read my reviews, I try to be thorough and objective.

 

I loved my one RCI cruise but have sailed with Carnival simply because I've been paying for myself and DD from Day One, and Carnival has provided the best vacation value for us.

 

So, I took a great cruise in May as a solo. I booked Glory to Bermuda the day the bookings opened and got a porthole 1A at 150%.

 

But when I started hunting for my usual pre-holiday cruise, I realized I really didn't want to pay the price for a solo on Carnival again. Not at 200%.

 

And I couldn't get anyone to commit to sail with me. Since DD no longer is sailing with me, I wasn't tied to her school schedule and was looking at cruises anywhere between mid-October and mid-December.

 

I simply wasn't finding anything that seemed affordable AND interesting.

 

Then, while up in the mountains a couple of weeks ago, I had lunch with some female cousins who I hadn't seen in a few years. We started talking about cruising, and I mentioned that I couldn't find anyone to sail with me this fall.

 

So one goes and brings me a Holland America brochure and shows me the 14-day round-trip to Hawaii from San Diego cruise that she was planning and said she had one companion going but really wanted two more since her offer was FREE 3rd & 4th occupants!

 

Well, I just started my job on 6/1 and wouldn't have very many vacation days accrued, so there was NO WAY I could go, even if the price was great. But I asked the partners anyway. And we figured that with the two days off at Thanksgiving, by then I'd have almost exactly enough time to cover the entire 2 weeks and they'd have no problem if I took an unpaid day or two!

 

So, I'm going to sail HAL for the first time in a couple of months TO HAWAII!!!!

 

I can't believe this is happening!

 

Zaandam is a smaller ship, but you know what? I absolutely LOVED both Jubilee and RCI's Empress. They were both only about 45,000 tons, while Zaandam is 61,000, so she isn't much smaller than the Fantasy class. But she only carries 1,800 pax.

 

Know what I think I'm going to most enjoy about this ship? She has an outdoor promenade deck that circles the entire ship! I've whined about Carnival's ships NOT having this ever since I realized that none of them do!

 

One of my favorite things about Empress was the wide promenade. There was plenty of room for loungers and still plenty of room for walkers. You could sit in the shade or drag your chair over to the rail and get some sun. And this ship has one. And it has loungers - with pads! - where you can sit away from the pools and just relax and read.

 

Anyway, it turns out there are 3 of us going, in an inside, and by the time we booked, the free 3rd was gone, but it was still only $199. So we got an large inside cabin for under $1100 each and I've found roundtrip air from Raleigh/Durham to San Diego for $300. My room at the Holiday Inn across from the pier is $125.

 

Yes, I expect my onboard account to be more, but given that I can carry on AS MUCH WINE AS I WANT, that should certainly help in that regard! Plus, they offer a wine card for $77 that gives you 20 glasses of their house wine. That's <$4/glass. A bucket of 6 Buds is $21. :D

 

Oh, and my CCL shareholder OBC will be $250 thanks to the length of the cruise.

 

Anyway, I was due for a change. You know when you're tired of the dinner menu that maybe you need something different.

 

I expect the demographics to be very different on this cruise, given the length.

 

But I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to seeing Hawaii. I spent all day yesterday reading on the Hawaii port-of-call board and reading HAL's descriptions of excursions.

 

I may go crazy with all the sea days, but I fear that I may miss the first couple, as I've read it can be really rough those first two days out into the Pacific. But I'm looking forward to there being something to do on sea days other than bingo and trivia (like their culinary classes and computer/technology classes).

 

I hear their beddings is as good as, if not even better, than Carnival's. That will be nice!

 

I've been told that HAL would be way too old and sedate for me (I do like to spend time in the lounge after dinner listening to the band and dancing and will miss the "Music xxxxx" band), but there are shows and a casino.

 

And I'll have plenty of time to read. I may actually take Michner's Hawaii and give it a go (I may need to start soon if I'm going to work my way through it all before I get home!).

 

Anyway, it will be interesting to see the differences. I love Carnival and will probably sail next spring after tax season if I can find someone to share the cost. If not, I'll just have to wait until next October and Bermuda.

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PROCRUISE

PROCRUISE

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We found HAL to be an enjoyable change from CCL. You'll find some very enjoyable fellow passengers and the charm of HAL is the actual cruise itself as opposed to having to be entertained, on going. The cabins are very nice, excellent bedding, food is equal to CCL, service is outstanding. Enjoy Hawaii!

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EmmasNana

EmmasNana

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You will have a wonderful time! My first cruise was with NCL doing the 7 day Hawaii, no sea days. I loved, loved it.

I got the "blue book" (can't remember who writes those guide books) from Amazon and then sold them back on Amazon when I got back for almost what I paid for them.

We had such a wonderful time in Hawaii. I'd like to do it again some day or a land trip. I'm not a fan of many sea days, so don't know about that.

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firefly333

firefly333

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I lived in Hawaii for 11 years, if you have questions about specific excursions and what to do ..though a local viewpoint is different than what a tourist might think. For instance I wouldnt do PCC unless it was FREE, but tourists love it. I know its run by the Mormon church, not to me authenic, just whichever tongans and samoans said they would be Mormons are in it.

 

I personally think if you see Hawaii, see the countryside, and things like waterfalls.

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travelntreats

travelntreats

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You are in for a HUGE step UP regarding cruising with HAL vs. CCL......and the Zaandam is a gorgeous and elegant ship. Cruising with HAL is more of old style cruising of the past.....I find the staff to be much more pleasurable/helpful and actually love their jobs compared to other cruiselines.

 

Though the level of high energy and entertainment is far below that of CCL..... the itinerary you will be enjoying on this ship will by far dominate what you may be missing on CCL.

 

Have a GREAT CRUISE and we look forward to hearing about your HAL cruise experience.

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NCTribeFan

NCTribeFan

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If we had been able to book quickly, while the 3rd & 4th were FREE, AND her other friend hadn't backed out, it would've been less than $600 each!

 

That's just mind-boggling to me! Two weeks roundtrip to Hawaii for $600? Are you kidding me?!? And I still think we did well at just over $1K each.

 

And I never expected to find $300 airfare, either, especially considering that I'm flying out at the start of a holiday week.

 

Yeah, it's all just too good to pass up.

 

I expect I'll love this ship. Besides the fantastic wraparound promenade deck, the best part of those first two cruises of mine on those smaller, older ships, was the fact that you kept running into the same passengers and crew members. It was much more intimate and much less herd-o-cattle'ish. I've looked at photos and she looks lovely. I also love that her theme is Music and she has this fantastic-looking, working pipe organ in the atrium!

 

Not sure how I'm going to manage packing for 2 weeks that include 4 FORMAL nights, plus the fact that I'm told it can be quite cool those first and last couple of sea days.

 

Age range? Guess I have to stop saying "mid-50s" and realize that I'm definitely on the downward slop toward 60. Sigh. Still, I'll probably be one of the younger crowd on this cruise. I'm totally OK with with that since it will make me feel like the proverbial Spring Chicken! :D

 

Bread pudding at lunch in the Lido? Uh oh. I'm in trouble! :p

 

Part of me almost hopes my stomach isn't so good those 1st and last couple of days. Maybe it will help keep me from eating so much that I find I have to spend the last few days in my cabin, in my bathrobe, because none of my clothes fit!

 

Guess I could always buy a mumu or two in Hawaii! ;)

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CWcruisers

CWcruisers

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I cannot believe you are coming to SD and we are missing each other by a day! Send me a FB message with your flight info, maybe we can get together before I take off.

 

As you know, I did my first TA in April and did not get bored on the sea days because you have to change clocks in order to get on the new time zone. So you will have the 3 hour time difference working against you already from NC to CA, then a six hour time difference between CA and HI, (or is it 5 that time of year?). Your challenge will be staying awake at night! My challenge going from Miami to Rome was getting out of bed in the morning. There were two days that the Captain's Noon report was our alarm clock.:eek:

 

Packing for two weeks means wearing the same thing over and over again, and guess what, no one cares because they are all doing the same.:) Save room for some new cruise wear in Hawaii!

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jessemon

jessemon

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HAL is a great line and as you can see in my siggy have a few cruises with them. As someone mentioned earlier the crew really like their jobs. Two cruises ago with them the cabin steward received a beautiful ring for 30 years of service. He was very proud of that ring. My favorite bartender on that cruise had over 25 years of service. It is not uncommon to find crew with over 20 years of service...

I love cruising them and I think you will too....;)

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