CherryG

On the Holland America site, it is found on the excursions page online under your itinerary for your cruise. I would think Carnival would be similar. If not, just phone.

Follow up to my last post on this hotel. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit there. Very clean and comfortable and the food was excellent. Would definitely do again. If you like a quieter beach/pool day, versus crazy crowds, this is the place. It's an easy 10 minute walk from the port.

I've had massages, but for me, I love the leg treatment. I forget what they call it, rejuvenation, or something like that, but the first time I had it, I had been standing for a very long time and I get leg cramps. I think it's about an hour or a little longer. I called down to the spa to see if I could get a massage, and the lady told me about this treatment if it was just my legs I wanted worked on. I limped into the spa, and I swear I could have skipped out. It was that good. That was two years ago, but when we were on the NA in Nov., I booked it and found it to be excellent.

We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam Nov. 11 - 18 this year. We did eat at Rudi's and my husband said the lobster was excellent. I don't eat seafood, but my steak was very good. I would add that the soufflé for dessert was to die for.

Sailed 4 times on HAL, and can confirm the toilets are very clean. I've used many of the public ones on the ship (as I have a bladder problem), and never have I ever seen a dirty one. There are individual facecloth size towels for you to use, and there is a paper towel dispenser right beside the door that has a note saying use the paper towel to open the door. No worries about using the public ones.

We've been on Half Moon 4 times, the last time was less than a week ago. We always rent a clamshell before we even board. You find them in the excursion section for your cruise. About $40 and worth it if you have to have shade. It does only hold two loungers though. They have changed the way you claim your shell once you are on the island. Used to be you found find a person in a yellow shirt and give them your HA ticket. NOW you have to line up and someone in the booth writes out the same information as on your ticket, and hands you a paper copy. You then take THAT to the yellow shirt person and she sets up your clamshell and puts the paper portion into a plastic type of envelope that is attached to the front of the shell. I don't know why they don't just take the original HA ticket and put that in the same pouch, but they don't. It is now a pain.

We just got back from our cruise a few days ago on the NAmsterdam. We had a guarantee Neptune Suite and we got the cabin number about a week out. Our first HA cruise we did a guarantee balcony and got our cabin a few weeks out, but we also got upsells which we ended up taking, again ending with a Neptune.

I booked direct with HAL, but then I book all our travel myself. Although I'm retired, when I was working, booking everything from travel, conferences, and trade shows was a large part of my job, so it's not a problem for me. If you're not comfortable doing on your own, use a TA.

Yes. You can do on line through the excursions for your cruise.

I think it's $39 and you need to reserve ahead if you want.

Last Wednesday we were on the N Amsterdam and had dinner at Rudi's. My husband left a tip on the table as the service (and food) were outstanding. If it's deserved, we will tip. If not, no

Last week it seemed to go quicker than other times. They scanned the cabin keys instead of writing down your room, and we didn't have to wait for anyone, so it was maybe 20 minutes tops.

We were on the NA last week and it was our 3rd time on this ship, 4th HA cruise. Honestly, I'm a picky eater, as I don't eat seafood of any kind, and I've always found the food to be good. We ate in Rudi's one night (I had steak as it's seafood), and the soufflé for desert was out of this world, good. Food is good in my opinion, but we're all different so....

The clamshell only holds two loungers, so I don't imagine restricting till your party is there is going to happen. We found on Friday we didn't use it, while we always have. My husband likes the shade, and this time he sat outside of it most of the time we were there. I will add that we found the buffet to be pretty good, even better than we'd had before. I don't know if we were extra hungry, or what, but we really enjoyed it and thought there was more selection than we'd seen before. Enjoy your day there.

We just got off the NAmsterdam yesterday. It was our 3rd time sailing on her, and this time, everyone complained about the casino. It was take, take, take. Usually we at least win a little, play it and loose it. This time nothing but loses. Didn't hear anyone else winning. We weren't the exception. I know ship casinos are tight, but this time I couldn't believe how bad it was. Normally we go down a few times per day, but not this time. Didn't even go down the last day at all.

It has changed slightly. We were there on November 17 (this past Friday). You have to take your ticket that says you've purchased a clam shell, to the booth where the lady there will right up another form for you, and that's the form you give to the ladies in the yellow shirt who set up the clam shell for you. They then take that piece of paper and put it in the plastic envelope at the top of the clamshell. It seems an extra step and there was a little line up. This was our 4th stop here and the first that I've seen them do this.

When we were there, we just got off the ship and there were dozens of white vans and for $10 each, we had one of the best tours and drivers we've ever had. The van held about maybe 10 people and the tour was a few hours long, with stops at various places.

Very sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, HAL did nothing wrong. That's why there's insurance. I know it's like getting kicked when you're already down, but it is what it is without insurance. Here's another example of no insurance - my sister and her husband bought cheap tickets to Scotland. Two days before she didn't feel well and dr sent her to Emergency at the hospital. Thank God they did, as they discovered she had two lung clots. If she had flown, she probably wouldn't be here today. They lost the cost of their airline ticket, the train tickets they had booked, some of the hotels they had book, as well as flights within the UK that they had booked. An expensive lesson, but the airline did nothing wrong either. Good luck to you.

We're not big gamblers, and we get the casino discount. We're off this Saturday in a Neptune Suite and the price online was over $2800 for our room, but we got for $799. It would have been cheaper, but we're in Canada so there's the $ difference. The email for this one has free inside cabins, $249 balconies, etc., but we love the Neptune so grabbed it. This particular email flyer had a lot of sailings.

We'll be in one come Saturday. It'll be our second Neptune. We've also had a Signature suite. Can't wait.

Earlier this year when we cruised, the boards were full of people complaining about HA inviting them to a private meeting and pushing some kind of card that you prepaid or something, that got you cruise points. We got the invite and ignored, and I can't remember exactly what it was, but people were not impressed with being solicited on vacation. We're off next week and I haven't seen any comments about this and wondered if it was still something they were trying to get you to subscribe to. I may not b e describing it well, as it's over 7 months and the memory is fading.;)

Did this route earlier this year and Half Moon Cay is the only tender and its a very short ride. The others you just walk off. Enjoy! Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao are my fav islands.

Got an upsell to a Neptune Suite on our first HA cruise a few years ago. I had booked online directly on HA's website and the upsell came in an email. The next cruise we didn't get an upsell offer, the one after that, I ended up calling 3 days before the cruise and was told I had been email an upsell that morning. It never came. Anyway, we did end up taking a Signature Suite on that upsell. This cruise we're on in a week we weren't planning on even doing, but the email deal was too good to pass up for all levels on the ship, and we took the Neptune again.

We've been 3 times here and will be here again in Nov. I don't ever remember seeing a waterpark, but I've read comments about it. I can't really find anything on it. Is there a pool there, or what? Anyone see it and is there an extra cost?

Early this morning I got the notification I was waiting for regarding our cabin assignment. Wouldn't you know, couldn't get in. When I called, even the customer service rep couldn't access files and said it was being worked on. Computer problems certainly aren't unique to Holland America. It happens in every line of business. (And I do have my cabin number now).