dakrewser

PS to the above laundry review. In 18 days, I never saw a laundry special or bag price. Could be that since I had unlimited laundry I did not get a notice but nothing at all in the daily sheets or in the "junk mail" delivery with spa, art etc.

There are no laundry specials on HAL (you may be thinking of Princess) and the bag price is always available (it's on the laundry list, I believe).

I am not certain that applies any longer. I am sailing with a friend who has the Explore 4 package which is quite expensive. I checked with my PCC before making my decision to cruise with her and he said it was not required any longer for me to purchase the package.

If one passenger has it as a promo, then others in the cabin are not required to purchase. Only if one purchases are other adults required to.

Interestingly, the cost for one bag of laundry varies between the ships. We just got off the Prinsendam, where it was $20 per bag. Last fall we were on the Zuiderdam, where I believe it was $30 per bag. Not sure why the difference. But it is a good deal at either price.

No difference between ships, but there are differences based on itinerary (cheaper in Alaska and Caribbean, for example).

I had no idea you could purchase a prepaid laundry service. Where do you purchase it, at Guest Relations?

 

You can call Ships' Services and pre-order, but you don't need to. If you wanted the unlimited service, just tick that box on the laundry form the first time you send clothes out to be cleaned.

Voting for federal offices and state and/or local offices is different. FVAP.GOV may be able to give you information about both federal and local voting but they have no control over the rules that each state has for non-federal voting. In fact, some states I believe have succeeded in getting more restrictive voting laws for their state offices.

 

Just wanted to make the difference clear.

 

DON

There's no such thing as a "federal election" in the US; all voting is state, county, city and precinct. We don't vote for a president and vice-president, but for electors who will cast that vote. The electors are elected either state-wide or by congressional district (depending on the state you are registered in). U.S. Senators are elected at the state level, while congresspersons are elected by districts within the states.

Kansas, after losing a court challenge, is trying to institute rules that are different for local and state offices, as opposed to national offices, (re: voter identification), but that is also being challenged in court.

Who knew surge protectors were a problem . I'm sure lots of people here know why , I don't .

 

My doctor says distilled water only .

 

I carry my CPAP bag over my shoulder outside my carry on bag , the airlines allow it as a medical device and don't count it . Plus it has to be on its own to go through security .

I don't think that method is any problem boarding the ship .

 

Now about those surge protectors ?

4 hours before you posted, in the message immediately preceding yours, I placed link to another post which goes into exhaustive detail about the reason surge protectors are banned.

As to the distilled water - does your doctor cruise with a CPAP? I and many others here do, and have no problems with the snip's water.

I like the idea of expanded Canadian itineraries, although I'd prefer that it be from a Baltimore based ship.

 

Roy

We'd jump at that in a heartbeat...

See the long discussion in another thread (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=48102515&postcount=10) which explains the problem in exhaustive detail.

The person you spoke to was wrong, as is often the case with the so-called "customer service" people in Seattle (or wherever they happen to be) who are, evidently, encouraged to give a "positive" (i.e., one the caller would like to hear) answer even when they don't actually know the answer.

You can use $$ in Mexico, but you'll pay more because of the exchange rate merchants use. Better to stop by an ATM in port and get some pesos for your smaller purchases.

I would describe it as a lounge. During the day we found the CN to very quiet and peaceful, much like being in a library. We have found this on other cruises also.

I've not found that when doing scenic cruising - Alaska glaciers, Norwegian fjords, Stockholm archipelago, etc. It's usually packed and noisy. Ocean bar, on the other hand, can be a quiet oasis most days...

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. We arrive late afternoon and are in port until 11pm. I'm enquiring about dinner.

Last seating in the PG will probably be 8:30 or 9:00.

We did the two week Alaska Maasdam cruise in June….loved it so much that we are booked for the same cruise next year on the Amsterdam. The square dance group would seriously bother us. We love the CN and spend time there reading, I do needlework, and watch the scenery. Fortunately, prior to booking , I looked at the roll calls for all the dates that would be acceptable to us and immediately ruled out the square dance cruise after one member commented about looking for their SD group in the Crow’s Nest. Spin it anyway you want, that noise is not for us!

The Crow's Nest is a bar! I usually expect it will be somewhat noisy.

Canaletto is never open for lunch; PG is sometimes open for lunch on port days but there's no way to know ahead of time.

It's very quick.

A rather sensationalized account of something that pops up here on a weekly basis. No new information, and - of course - lots of digs at the cruise industry (as that site is noted for).

There many 'NO' zones in cities all over Europe where police cannot go in like in Paris, Marseille, Lyon etc..

You do realize that the "no go" zones were a fabrication of Mr. Murdoch's tabloids, don't you?

Apologies for posting twice but the edit function is not working for us today ... Disregard previous in favor of this one. Thanks.

Sorry to hear about your problems. In our over 200 nights on HAL I've only had a laundry problem once (and we always book unlimited laundry) - a shirt and pair of trousers were washed with something which turned them pink (probably a lipstick, I'd imagine). I was called to the front desk, advised what had happened, answered some questions about the original cost and length of ownership and immediately got a credit for the agreed amount in my account. Better track record than many land-side cleaners I've used.

As to turnaround, not sure where you got the impression it was "same day service"; it could be, of course, but rarely is, no matter your cabin or status.

Are there any special "theme" nights that a new HAL cruiser should know about?

Not per se, but you should be aware of the so-called "gala" nights (2 per 7-day cruise) on which those who like to "dress up" are encouraged to do so.

It's not just HAL (we've seen the same nonsense on Princess & Celebrity), and it's not just cruise ships - look at the boarding gates in airplane terminals!

NOT TRUE. 100% of all the votes are ALWAYS counted even if the race is totally not close. Where did you get such an stupid idiotic idea that absentee votes are only race is close.

 

DON

To be fair, the only time the media seems to mention absentee ballots is when they're still left to be counted in a relatively close race. You know, "Jones is only ahead by 5000 votes and there are still 5200 absentee ballots to be counted!" Anything to sell papers...

Hullo from Downunder. Could you vote in Hawaii? Or at the US Embassy in Sydney when you arrive? Might be worth checking.

 

fe

No, you need to vote in your home state (or using your home state's provided absentee ballot). Some ex-pats (not sure of the qualifications, but it would vary depending on the state they were registered in) can deliver their ballots to a US embassy for transport, though.

Call your congressman's office. They MAY be able to assist with this dilemma.

Voting is a state, not a federal, issue. Your state representative would be a better choice to call, or your county election commissioner.

VOTING MATTERS. It's true that absentee votes aren't counted unless there's a tight race. But you don't know how tight the race will be until election day (or the next day) so it's worth doing if voting matters to you.

Um, ALL absentee ballots are counted. Typically this is done after election day, and usually it doesn't change the outcome, simply making the race closer or more one-sided. But they are all counted.

Can you tell me if you liked it? I have heard excellent things on Tamarind and the Pinnacle Grill but I think a night of Italian tapas for the 5 of us sounds great! Any favorite dishes/desserts?

Canaletto is Olive Garden with better service (and better views). If you like OG, you'll like Canaletto.

It's included.