OldBoot

3 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

You are welcome, but my post was only from last February (2022). The 2010 is when I joined Cruise Critic. Enjoy your cruise whatever you decide.

Oh dear! Well good. Looking at September 2023. We will have to make a decision in the next few days. Excited to be thinking about it for sure. Do you have any other thoughts about your experience that you would care to share?

On 2/8/2022 at 10:37 AM, gnome12 said:

I think that you will have difficulty getting an answer to this question, because almost no one has cruised the Mekong with more than one line. SE Asian cruises aren't really the same as European cruises, so the views of the different lines are less helpful here.

 

That said, I have sailed in SE Asia on 2 lines; I sailed the Mekong with Ama and the Irrawaddy with Avalon. First, let me mention that I travel solo, so I am a bit less concerned about space. Ama touts their twin balconies; personally, I found that they split a reasonable size space into 2, so you end up with a little alcove off the room, and a very small balcony, neither of which I found very useful. The food was incredible; I'm not a very adventurous eater, but on the entire cruise I never once ordered the standard options, there was enough choice every day that I found something I was happy with. I did the cruise with extensions from Hanoi to HCMC, we had an overnight on Halong Bay, flew from Hanoi to Siem Reap, then cruised to My Tho Port with a 2 hour bus transfer into HCMC. We had a group that was together from Hanoi; on board the ship there were 2 groups, one just under 50 people and one of 17 people that really didn't seem to want to mix with anyone else. I was not impressed by that. We were divided into 4 groups for touring; they sort of expected that we would stay in the same groups, but I didn't really like our tour leader, so I tried to join different groups when I could. The AmaDara had a small pool which I used once. Next to the pool there was a nice outdoor (covered) lounge area.

 

As I mentioned, I did the Irrawaddy with Avalon. Their ship on the Mekong is the same size, only 18 cabins, 12 on the main deck and 6 on the next deck up. The cabins were slightly larger than the Ama cabins, but felt much roomier, because they are all Avalon panorama cabins, with floor to ceiling windows 14 feet wide, that can be opened 9 feet (and have a screen). The beds face the river. There was a little sitting area with a love seat, small table and a chair or 2; I occasionally sat there when we were sailing and enjoyed the breeze, when I wasn't upstairs in the outdoor or indoor lounge. Because the Avalon ship is smaller, it can sail all the way into HCMC (Saigon) avoiding the bus transfer at the end of the cruise.

Hello. I see this post is from 2010 so I hope you still participate in these boards. This was very helpful as I am considering the AMAWaterways itinerary on the Mekong. Just wanted to thank you for your post.

This thread has me wondering . . . Where do crew members safely store cash while on their long stints at sea?

Looking forward to meeting Her in May 2022 for a float through the fjords!

20 hours ago, Tritiea said:

I sailed with Celebrity Millennium from Vancouver to Japan in September 2019. It was, I think, 14 or 15 days, with only four stops -- Sitka, Hakodate (Sapporo), Hokkaido, and Yokohama (Tokyo). We skirted a cold sea typhoon for much of it, so that was exciting -- a few plates crashing in the buffet, and the floors moving like I'd had five martinis instead of just one. We had lots of lectures to attend, on subjects from crossing the arctic on foot to Marylin Monroe. There was also a few separate lecture series -- Buddhism, marine life, and exploration. It was a great time for me to catch up on reading, write a little, have some great coffee and great martinis, and get rocked to sleep each night by the storm. It gave me a chance to reset, slow down, and discover how big this world truly is. I hope you enjoy your cruise.

 

txflood33, If you enjoy cruising you will enjoy your transpacific crossing. The sea days are leisurely and it offers a chance to enjoy the company of your fellow passengers, if that is something you would be apt to do. Like Tritiea, I too crossed the Pacific from Vancouver to Japan in September 2019 but with Holland America. (*Were you on the ship that lost power just out of the port in Vancouver?) It was our first crossing and I was excited just to have crossed that off my bucket list.  Best wishes to you for a wonderful adventure this September!

2022 May 1

Rotterdam

7 day

Norse Legends

38 minutes ago, AlexCherie said:

May I offer this?

My wife and I were able to make a reservation for mid-September for that itinerary - Boston to Montreal to Boston. I know the Veendam tends to receive some negative remarks here, but that cruise was phenomenal. The ports were great, we took a simple inside and rarely needed an excursion. If you get it just right, you'll be lucky as us ... we were paying $399 per 7 day cruise. 

No, we didn't get a super dooper ship but the Veendam was great; service was just fine and the food was up to what we had received on a Solstice class Celebrity ship. Would have been nice but not necessary to have that balcony. 

Make that trip, especially if you like walking beautiful, historic places. My favorite of all time.

What a great tip! Thank you for sharing.

On 10/13/2019 at 10:19 AM, USN59-79 said:

Looks like Tokyo/Yokohama has been experiencing their worst typhoon in 60 years.  I wonder if the Westerdam is actually there as scheduled.

Just back from that sailing on the Westerdam. We indeed, were not there as scheduled. The Captain re-routed our itinerary from a sail down the east coast of Japan to a sail down the west coast. Our port stop in Hakkodate was cancelled and we made our way south from Kushiro via the Sea of Japan. This entailed adding an extra sea day to our itinerary. We also sailed through the Kanmon Strait, which I gather is highly unusual. Then we slowly made our way north to Yokohama giving Hagibis time to blow itself out of our way. We arrived early to the port on October 14, one day later than expected on smooth seas.

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/&share_sfid=33&share_fid=24703&share_type=sf

Try here.

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https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/&share_sfid=33&share_fid=24703&share_type=sf

Try here.

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We’ve done the Vancouver - Japan route twice. Once each way, spring and autumn. It was fun, and we LOVED all the sea days. The weather was pretty stormy on the last one, September 2017, but we like the motion of the ocean and didn’t mind. One of our trivia mates didn’t listen to the Captain’s instructions to keep their balcony door closed, opened it, and had it blow off the tracks! He had to call the front desk for a repair and confess that he’d disobeyed instructions. It’s not a cruise where you will be able to use the pool much, or top up your tan. The scenery was pretty amazing though, with lots of little volcanic islands.
 
The thing that caused us the biggest problem (which was still very mild as problems go) was the time change. There will be seven 25 hour days going west, or seven 23 hour days going east in a short space of time. By the end of the changes, we were getting up at the crack of dawn going west or missing breakfast every day and nearly missing lunch going east. You will also gain or lose a day as you cross the International Date Line. We had two Friday the 13ths on the east-bound cruise, which caused a few minor problems booking appointments. “Do you want the first Friday the 13th or the second?”
 
Because it’s a repositioning cruise, the price is generally good, and I’d recommend this itinerary. We look forward to doing it again one day.

One of the most common questions we get on these boards, particularly from new members, is about the different "classes" of HAL ships - the Vista-class, S-class, and so on. Naturally, everyone wants to know which ships are in each class, and what the differences are.
 
With that in mind, I decided to post this "sticky" post explaining the different "classes". I hope this clarifies the situation.
 
Now, let's meet the different HAL ships, starting with the smallest and oldest:
PRINSENDAM
 
PRINSENDAM - Built 1988 - 37,983 Gross Tons - 793 passengers
 
The smallest and oldest HAL ship, she is in a class by herself. She generally does the longest and most expensive cruises. She is the only HAL ship not built for the line, she was built in 1988 as the ROYAL VIKING SUN, became SEABOURN SUN in 2000 and then PRINSENDAM in 2002. Among things that separate her from the rest of the HAL ships - she does not have a two-deck dining room or main lounge, an indoor/outdoor pool, or dedicated children's facilities. Her smaller, more intimate size and off-the-beaten path itineraries are appreciated by her increasingly loyal following.
 
S-class
 
STATENDAM - 1993 - 55,810 GT - 1,251 pax
MAASDAM - 1993 - 55,451 GT - 1,251 pax
RYNDAM - 1994 - 55,819 GT - 1,251 pax
VEENDAM - 1996 - 55,451 GT - 1,251 pax
 
These four ships are the "backbone" of the HAL fleet. They are virtually identical except for color schemes and artwork. They were the first new HAL cruise ships to have features like the atrium, the two-deck high dining room and main lounge, and the indoor/outdoor Lido pool. These very versatile ships have done everything from 7-day Caribbean and Alaska cruises to full World Cruises. Recently they have been upgraded with features like the Pinnacle Grill alternative restaurant and the Neptune Lounge concierge lounge (for suite passengers).
 
R-class
 
ROTTERDAM - 1997 - 59,652 GT - 1,316 pax
VOLENDAM - 1998 - 60,906 GT - 1,440 pax
ZAANDAM - 1999 - 61,396 GT - 1,440 pax
AMSTERDAM - 2000 - 61,484 GT - 1,380 pax
 
The R-class ships are very similar to the S-class, but a bit longer and wider. Unlike the S-class, they are not all identical. The first of the four was ROTTERDAM. Specially designed for longer cruises, she is the fastest ship in the fleet. She also introduced new features like an alternative restaurant, concierge lounge, and Internet Cafe (all since retrofitted to the older ships as well). VOLENDAM and ZAANDAM followed; they are similar to ROTTERDAM but slower (the same speed as the S-class ships) and are a bit larger because the aft pool was moved up one deck, creating more indoor space on the deck below. Unlike ROTTERDAM, they were designed for yeoman duty in the Caribbean and Alaska though they also are suitable for longer cruises. Like the S-class ships, only decor separates these twins. The final R-class ship, like AMSTERDAM, like a hybrid of ROTTERDAM and VOLENDAM/ZAANDAM. She is faster than VOLENDAM or ZAANDAM but not as fast as ROTTERDAM. Like ROTTERDAM, she was built specially for longer voyages. ROTTERDAM and AMSTERDAM, together, are considered HAL's "flagships" and along with PRINSENDAM they usually do the longest and most prestigious cruises - the World Cruise along with the various Grand Voyages.
 
Vista-class
 
ZUIDERDAM - 2002 - 81,769 GT - 1,848 pax
OOSTERDAM - 2003 - 81,769 GT - 1,848 pax
WESTERDAM - 2004 - 81,811 GT - 1,848 pax
NOORDAM - 2006 - 82,318 GT - 1,918 pax
 
These are the biggest and newest HAL ships currently in service. They were designed mainly for shorter (less than two weeks) cruises in the Caribbean, Alaska, and Europe. Like the S-class, they represented a departure from previous HAL ships in size and design. While bigger than HAL's other ships, they are still much smaller than some competitors' ships which are now sometimes bigger than 150,000 GT and can carry over 3,500 passengers (Royal Caribbean have now ordered a ship that will be 220,000 GT and carry over 5,000 passengers). These ships are notable because of the exceptionally high number of private balconies - over two-thirds of cabins have them. They are called the Vista-class because they are named after the points of the compass in Dutch - Zuid (South), Oost (East), West, and Noord (North). The first three are identical; NOORDAM incorporates a few design changes which make her larger and have a slightly higher passenger capacity.
 
Signature-class
 
This will be two (or more) ships which will be larger, improved versions of the Vista-class, much as the R-class can be considered improved versions of the S-class. Right now there are few details but they will probably be about 90,000 GT with a passenger capacity of about 2,000.

I thought I heard something about Canadians being advised not to travel to China at the moment. I'm not seeing it posted on official government websites. Has anyone heard anything about this?

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On 6/27/2019 at 7:20 AM, Primus said:

You won't be docked in the Bund but HAL does provide free and frequent shuttle buses that go right there.  Our 28-day China, South Korea, & Japan Collector cruise in February 2019 on the Westerdam was fantastic.  One of our best cruises ever.  HAL even provided free shuttles in most ports.  One word of caution: a number of the port terminals are really large and require lots of walking to and from the ship.  More than a mile in some cases.  On shore wheelchairs after the gangways are the responsibility of the port and some ports only provided a few.  Keep this in mind when deciding on shore excursions.  Some passengers were disappointed and cancelled shore excursions.

Bumping this thread, apologies to the OP. I am wondering if Primus has a trip review of this cruise? If yes, can you post a link? My travel bug has bitten.

we are ending a cruise in BA and flying to Iguazu Falls the same day from the domestic airport (AEP). We fly back the very next day because of strict time pressure. Our flight back to the states the following day is out of EZE airport. We are trying to figure out if it makes sense to drop our bigger suitcase at a hotel in BA on the way to the AEP airport since we won't need much for the very short visit. Are there any nice hotels in a convenient location for this little plan? Or should we just lug the bags along?

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We were happy with it. I would recommend you take a look at the reviews on Trip Advisor for a more comprehensive description. The location is nice, we felt safe there. There is a large shopping mall across the street but it isn't obtrusive.

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It could be The Brick Sofitel. We did a pre cruise excursion with HAL in Buenos Aires and that is where we stayed this past November.

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Who did you book with?

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Dress for the climate. It is very windy in this part of the world. We just returned and did an excursion on the train to the end of the world. It is an audio historical ride that tells about the history of the prison camp in that area as it chugs along through the park.

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NCL has moved this year's port of call for Santiago, Chile from Valparaiso to San Antonio.

 

I understand this is new for NCL--does anyone have experience with San Antonio from sailings on other lines?

Specifically, how and where guides pick up pax, including pax with luggage (we disembark here).

 

It reads like a very industrial port. (I'm envisioning Livorno or Piraeus in my mind.)

 

Our guide is coming from Valparaiso to meet us (hurrah!), but he doesn't have familiarity with San Antonio either.

 

Thanks.

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You have gone to a lot of trouble. Thank you for finding this and sharing.

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Aw. We just arrived here today. I guess we missed out on the savings. Good for you though!

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On cruisedeckplan, 6104 is the accessible cabin.

 

https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/Zaandam

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My guarantee booking has resulted in Cabin 6108 on the Zaandam. I've been reading that it may be an Accessible style stateroom. Just wondered if anyone who has stayed in that room could give me some information?

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What a terrible experience! I do hope the rest of your trip went more smoothly, but how disappointing.

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