crzr

1994.  Old Noordam in Alaska

17 hours ago, occruiselady said:

What hotel did you stay at by the airport? We are staying at the Hilton by the airport after our cruise in August before our flight the next day. How did you and your luggage get to your hotel after being dropped off by the airport? 

Hilton hotel at the airport.

We walked to the hotel with our luggage.   Once we learned how to get there, it was an easy five-minute stroll without traffic.

We ended our cruise in Amsterdam two months ago and stayed the night in a hotel near the airport.  Of course, we had to take the time for another Covid test (the rules have changed since then) and we spent time with an old friend who lives there.  Nonetheless, we needed three hours the next morning to go through the airport terminal to reach our gate.  If we had not been premium flight members, it would have been at least four hours. Schipol is a total mess, just as many people have said, for a variety of reasons.

We would never have made a morning flight the same day as disembarkation.

Another lesson learned - I highly recommend taking the HAL transfer bus to the airport like we did.  The taxi line was ridiculously long at the cruise terminal (maybe 150 poor souls waiting in line). We heard from one passenger later that their driver got lost going to the airport, yet charged 70 euros to flounder around the city streets.

25 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

That is great news 👍 

We’ve had Hector and completely agree - he is definitely a keeper 🙂 

We had Hector once in the Neptune Lounge.  Very personable and right on top of things.  Glad to hear he will be doing this full time.  He is awesome !!!

We just received an e-mail late yesterday from HAL cancelling our mid-April transatlantic on the Westie. We have been reassigned to the Nieuw Statendam which parallels the Westie's path. We have to wait another two weeks for a booking number and to see what they have done with our room selection.

Nothing was said about our next two legs on Westie, which visit the Middle East and end in Barcelona. Since none of these European cruises are now for sale, one would assume that they will also be cancelled.  But no official news yet from Seattle.

When I called the Mariner Society (our TA knows nothing about this development), he asked around and said that Westie has been taken out of service for "operational issues".  Hmmmm...

Meanwhile, nobody I talked to with access to HAL's computer system has any information about Oosterdam picking up the European agenda. The reservation pages list only Nieuw Statendam as being available in the Med next spring.

It appears that HAL has some work to resolve all this confusion and incomplete information. I look forward to further developments.

My wife and I are creatures of habit.  We always get there early to be among the first groups on board.  Being Five-Star Mariners helps assure this of course.  Also, there is something refreshing about the lack of crowds onboard when we go into the Lido and find that they have begun serving. 

Moreover, the early approach really paid off one time years ago when we drove the whole family to the pier, parked and unloaded the car, and then realized we had left one suitcase at home!  We had enough time to get some replacement clothing on land and return to the ship in plenty of time.

Hi chefestelle. Both of our boys sailed extensively on HAL ships in their teen years, earning their copper medallions along the way. So permit me to provide some feedback to your question.

Club HAL divides their program along age ranges, so the 13-17 year olds are scheduled for activities befitting their age group. Videos, social events, ice cream bashes, basketball pickup games, card nights, and so forth. You will get an event planner at your door every day listing the evening activities. On sea days, they have activities during the day as well. And when anchored at Half Moon Cay, they will have some activities on shore (probably beach volleyball).

The most important event is the first night - a mixer when all teens meet 'n greet. All teens will network with each other after they get to meet each other that night, at least by trading room numbers. Even if they don't chose to participate in any scheduled event, they will find a way to connect with each other and make their own fun.

Hope this helps.

Uillean,

Just got off the Eurodam a couple weeks ago in the Med. I had a flareup in my knee and took four treatments with the ship acupuncture specialist. He works in the Steiner Spa.

He was very knowledgeable and creative. He uses the thin needles to minimize the point of entry. He also made adjustments throughout the week as my pain moved around a bit, and eventually subsided.

The price as I recall is $150 for the first treatment and $100 for each additional one. They may give a discount for more treatments on longer cruises.

Though I have never used one before this incident, I can now see why so many people love the pain relief that acupuncture can bring.

Good chain going here. Thanks for starting it, John.

My first cruise was 1988 in Australia for a cruise line that is long since vanished.

My first cruise with a mainstream line was in Alaska in 1994 aboard the "old" ms Noordam. Hooked ever since.:D

Our children grew up in Club HAL and have very fond memories of their times there.

I agree with the other posters - there will be perhaps 300 children on board. They are broken into age groups based on their age distribution. Such as 5-8 year-olds, 9-12s, and teens.

There will be one or two adults working with each group leading activities which are age-appropriate. Examples are creating arts and crafts, splash party, ice cream bash, and movie night.

I rarely see any discipline problems, other than the occasional run down the hallway.

From what I see, the children have fun, the parents are relieved, and the other passengers are grateful.

Hope this helps to answer your question.

You can stop in the Explorer's Lounge after dinner. They have a rolling cart with exquisite chocolate treats, which you can enjoy while listening to the Strings trio.