PescadoAmarillo

He was the BEST entertainer! We still talk about his horse, Chips.

The post has evolved into a discussion about dining times, and I have to admit that I was no fan of DMW from the time we first encountered it on the second post-start-up Majestic cruise to Alaska in 2021. When doing B2B cruises, it shouldn’t take a literal shake down cruise to get the seating we want on subsequent cruises, and it seemed that was too often the case. I have high hopes for the new dining system, and only wonder why it took Princess nearly three years to figure that out. On another note, I’m also not a fan of too-big, overcrowded ships going to overcrowded ports, but it seems that is what mainstream cruising has become. Sadly, recent reviews I’ve read about Oceania and Azamara, whuch I’ve always considered my fall back cruise options, haven’t been very positive. However, saying that, we are considering (and have booked) a long HAL cruise this year. At first glance, it offers exactly what I would like in a cruise: a small ship, remote and less visited ports. But getting into the details, I can’t help but compare it to Princess, and, interestingly, most of the Princess options that I would miss on HAL are relatively recent additions, part of the “new” Princess. All inclusive packages that include tips, high(er) speed WiFi, a dedicated vegan menu. Ocean Now delivery. We cruised for years on Princess without these features, but they sure spoiled me in a minute once we experienced them. It’s obvious there is no one perfect cruise line or cruise experience. Find that one that offers the least opportunities for dissatisfaction and roll with it.

And an answer to the question of Chilula onboard!

First, what a great thread! Nice to have a place to ask questions after exhausting the search function, so thanks in advance for your help. We are not HAL newbies, but have only 5 or 6 cruises with them, most of our cruises being on Princess. We got caught up in the $1 deposit promotion today and, for that price, leaped before we looked, booking the 51-night South Pacific cruise on the Zaandam, because, well, that itinerary (wow!). I’m now doing the too familiar analysis about HIA vs. having none of it. Gratuities not being included doesn’t help me convince myself that we need it, but I am most concerned about the internet. We must be able to check security cams at home and financial accounts with some frequency. What level of internet do we need to check Wyze cams? Because it doesn’t sound like what we get with HIA will do it. And, if anyone has been on the Zaandam recently, I’ve read reports about underperforming WiFi off the coast of Mexico, and can’t imagine it’s going to be better in the South Pacific. Someone offered that additional routers might be added during drydock. When is that scheduled, does anyone know? I desperately want to be on a small ship in those ports, but have already spent months in the South Pacific on a ship with dismal internet and no place to get WiFi in port and that wasn’t fun.

@Btimmer, I’ve just gotten caught up with your blog and enjoyed every word. Thanks for providing the link, and for keeping a live from and blog going simultaneously (no small feat)! Continue to enjoy your cruise.

Several of us have made the trek (or taken an excursion) a couple of miles south of Princess Cays to the southern tip of Eleuthera. It was once our favorite thing to do on a Princess Cays day. We knew that Disney was developing the property; below is a link to their marketing of Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. I’ve also included some pics of how beautiful- and remote- the beaches on both sides of the southern tip of the island used to be. https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/featured/lighthouse-point/

I’m confused. What happens if a medical emergency on board requires medical care over $2000? They cut you off mid-IV? Take back the flowers they sent you? The possibility of medical emergences while traveling is the only reason we don’t fight to get our ridiculously high credit limits reduced. It’s nice to know that we can fund nearly any immediate medical care and seek reimbursement later.

I definitely recommend going west. Much easier on the body to have 25 hour days instead of 23 hour days. Plus, going east, the last several days (at least 5) are all sea days and, in our experience, people are just ready to be off the ship. Going westbound, the excitement of Sydney (or Auckland, etc) awaits, and give you something to look forward to right to the end.

Ok, this hurt a little. I could have been enjoying that Harmony breakfast for a full month! Instead, I was watching a 10K race at midnight in SoCal when the lights went out with a mile to go and am drinking hotel room coffee this morning. Enjoy it for me!

Thank you! I don’t think we’re cruise for months at a time any longer (it’s a lot of work, actually), but I’ll blog when I do cruise again.

In 2017 when we were spending a season cruising out of Sydney, I bought my mom an iPad and put a shortcut to that webcam on the Home Screen. When I replaced her iPad in 2022, I neglected to do that (since we were no longer cruising out of Sydney) and she called me to tell me how much she missed it and that she looked at it every day. I had to correct that ASAP! It is quite entertaining.

This is when I realize how massive these ships are. Is there a better major city in the world to cruise into and be right in the heart of the action? We did Australia cruising a year after Asia cruising and just loved being berthed at Circular Quay.

The harbor looks choppy. I’m glad the Majestic can make it in.

The Solstice is passing the Majestic just outside the harbor now.

Good to know, thanks! They used to (pre-COVID) be in the Royal Botanical Gardens. Of course, we didn’t know that until we heard them from our hotel room. If it had been a major US city, we would have guessed gunfire, but, being in Sydney, we correctly guessed fireworks.