hova

14 hours ago, AuDArtiste said:

My understanding is that they can see who is and isn't prepaying the tipping, or at least some can see the list and they make sure the non-tippers are known by all who your tip is shared with. I have heard it called the crew mafia. If you want extras there just won't be any available, but your neighbors will all get them because they are tipping. 

Pretty sure you have incorrect information!  There is no crew mafia.  Nobody is getting or not getting extras based on whether they pay their daily gratuities.  Passengers are treated equally whether you hand an envelope of cash to the crew members or leave auto grats in place.   The staff is more concerned about getting a 10 on the survey, and wouldn’t take a chance on not giving 100% service to passengers and having that disgruntled passenger give them a bad score.   

On 11/12/2023 at 1:25 PM, Happytime22 said:

I have always used a wireless travel Router at Hotels (TP-Link AC750 Travel Router) as I do not like being ‘open’ on wireless connections.

I read somewhere that many ships, even with Starlink, had very poor connectivity in your stateroom? 

I’m will be more aft on the 12^th floor on Symphony and want to make sure that I actually would get connectivity without a problem… as I do most of my on-line work in my cabin and if the connection is bad… would not buy the daily package.

 

Anyone have experiences?

Three months ago during the Symphony TA, I successfully used the TP Link AC 750 in our cabin which coincidentally was on deck 12 Aft.  No issues at all, and we were able to hook multiple devices up to it while in our cabin.  Speed was good, and easy to connect once you configure it to ship wifi.  

We applied for our Nexus renewal in early July, and they were approved at the end of October (4 months).  They mailed the cards, and it took a month for them to make it to our mailbox.  It wasn't a fast process, but they eventually made it.  Just a note, to make sure that you "Activate" your card once you receive it.  

Currently on the SOS in the middle of the Atlantic doing our Trans Atlantic cruise.   WIFI has been excellent.  Plenty of speed and no outages yet.  No issues!

Once the shuttle takes you to the drop-off spot, you can walk to the train station.... it will take about 20 minutes and is a good way to see the downtown and  along the port area.  We walked to and from the train station without issue.  Last November the ticket office at the train station (the one who sells the all day Cinque Terre passes) didn't open until 9am, so you may want to consider that if you need the train passes. 

The cabin assignments are likely an IT function, as the system  could run a program and automatically assign the available cabins to the guarantees (saving the manual labor).   They likely have it set up so assignments are random.  I really don’t think they have personnel looking at C&A status and deciding which cabin to give them!  

On a recent trip to Europe and then cruise in Mediterranean and back to Florida, we bought an esim card through Airalo.  Nothing to install, but some phone settings configuration was necessary.   We had plenty of data for the entire trip for about 15-20 USD.  The data worked in all European countries.  We also had internet on the ship, so we were covered whether we were on land or sea.  Keep in mind, this particular esim card was data only, so if you wanted to make a phone call,  you needed to do it through WhatsApp.  We could pretty much use our phone data package for anything else, including facetime, emails , maps or general surfing.    If making phone calls is essential, I assume there is esim cards available to buy.   By going this route, you don't need to buy a phone, or switch sim cards, but having some technical savvy is helpful.  You can also buy and configure the esim at home, and then activate it once you get to your destination.  Also, if your trip is to the Caribbean, there are cards for that area as well.

Did a recent TA on the Odyssey.  I had surf & stream and it worked great the entire way, except twice when they switched to a different satellite (at least that was my understanding).  When this occurred, we  couldn't connect for 30-60 minutes.  hova

2 hours ago, Macdooger4 said:

Thank you so much for this response, exactly what I was looking for!! We might switch out the cable cars for some of the gaudi houses, but this is excellent info. I love walking, so not worried about that and we don't need to spend a ton of time at each location either. 

Actually the walking isn't too bad.  Google maps has it at 3-4 miles (if you take the metro to the starting point and walk from there).  Reserve your Sagrada tickets in advance to avoid lineups!  Good luck!

On 12/22/2022 at 4:01 PM, Macdooger4 said:

Hi All!  I will arrive in Barcelona sometime (not sure when yet) on the 14th of May and will need to get to cruise port by the 16th of May (say 2ish).  Would like to ride the cable cars, visit la sagrada familia, Parc Guell, walk the ramblas and the gothic quarter, stop for some food along the way and shopping.

 

So, how much of this can we fit into a single day and how much for the second (shorter day)?

 

Are all these things close by to each other? 

 

Any tips in planning for the above? 

On our last trip to Barcelona,  one morning we took the metro to Park Guell, and from there walked to the Sagrada, and then continued the walk through Gothic and ended up on Ramblas where our hotel was.  We toured everything at a leisurely pace, and it was very easy to do in a day, but its lots of walking, so I would recommend the Cable Car for the second shorter day.    hova

On our recent Odyssey TA, our waiter actually hung out at our table for extended periods of time.  We have always enjoyed getting to know our dining staff, but this became overbearing.  I don’t think he had enough tables to keep him busy (we had several empty tables in our dining room area), so he would come over to our table and talk to my wife for several minutes each night.  He would go on about his separation from his wife, custody of the children, payments to his wife, and why they separated in the first place.   It was all very personal information that we felt uncomfortable hearing.  It got to be so much, that I traded chairs with my wife so that she would be tucked in the corner, and he couldn’t get around the table to stand beside her.  This plan sort of worked, as then he would try to engage me in long conversations.  I would only answer him in yes/no statements, and try not to engage him too much.  After a couple days, he moved on and became best buddies with some people at a nearby table.  I did give him a good rating on the survey, as the actual dining service was excellent.   I  think it’s important for the waiter to ensure he is providing good service, but he should keep the chit/chat at a professional level. 

22 hours ago, ballarinamom said:

But really, these people that try to set the record for how many lobsters they can eat are ridiculous. DO you really need more than 2 plus the appetizers, sides and dessert? Especially on the heals of cancellation of Alaskan crab season due to overfishing. If you can find them it will be expensive. 

Pretty sure that cancelling the crab season in Alaska won’t impact the lobster on RCL.  But I do agree that 2 lobster is likely enough.  

I just checked my online booking for October 23, 2023 and they updated my ship from the Euriba to the Fantasia.  It would have been nice if they had emailed me and let me know!  There is no increase on my OBC, so not sure if I will get one or not.  I will likely end up cancelling anyways, and rebooking with a ship of my choosing.  I am starting to understand why there are so many comments about the MSC customer service.

On 8/30/2022 at 8:04 AM, mscdivina2016 said:

 

I have 5 booked thru them for the next 8 months and 3 have issues including one in Saudi Arabia.

The food is better on the other lines except the pizza .

 

I don't know your history with MSC, but I don't get your logic.    If I didn't like the customer service or food, I would pick a different line for my upcoming cruises.  Could you explain why you keep going back to MSC?  On a side note, I have cruised with most lines, except for MSC, but recently booked a Mediterrean (Euriba) and Trans Atlantic (Seashore) for 2023, so I am genuinely interested in your response.    hova

On the Koningsdam May 14. - 21, we had 1188 passengers (double capacity is 2600) and 900 crew.  Best service ever!  We won’t expect those low numbers for our next cruise.

2 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

We were on the K in late April for a California cruise.  Less than 50% occupancy, so service was great!  The only negative I expereinced was that the second (top) floor of the main dining room was closed for dinner, thus the lower floor was a bit crowded.

 

The second floor dining room was also closed on our cruise, but their always seemed to be room on the main floor and I never seen any lineups of people waiting.  The cruise that left on Saturday was supposed to have 1900 passengers, so they were going to open up the top dining room for this cruise.

Just returned from Alaska (via Koningsdam) yesterday.  There were 1188 passengers on board and 900 crew (less than 50% capacity).  

All facilities were open and there were no lineups for anything.  The service was the best we have every had on any cruise!  All ports were visited on schedule.  It was a great cruise, and would repeat it without any hestiation.

We heard of one case of Covid on board, but there could have been more, but it something that isn't discussed much.  Most people wore masks at the start of the cruise, but by the end, the majority were maskless.  

Overall, one of the best cruises we have been on, and recommend you go before it gets busy over the summer!

Just off the Koningsdam (Vancouver roundtrip),  I completed my ArriveCan once, and that was a couple days before I got on the ship.  Keep the QR code they send you, and you will be good.

26 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

18.9K posts in 6363 days (30 posts a day!) can't be wrong...

3 posts a day would be more accurate, but still likely not wrong!

I noticed that on the MDR menus that you posted, that there is always a "Club Orange Daily Special" on it.  Are these menu items available in the MDR, or are they only available at the Club Orange DR?

On 4/18/2022 at 7:20 PM, GTJ said:

I cannot think of a major international airport that is otherwise. And certainly true in Vancouver. But I will stick my head out far enough to say that, somewhere in the world, perhaps at some very small international airports, it could possibly be otherwise. It would not surprise if, for example, Aéroport des Îles-de-la-Madeleine, on one of Québec's remote island and which receives international flights operated by Air Saint-Pierre, does things differently. My sense is that the procedure is done as it is out of custom and convenience, differing from place-to-place based on mode of arrival and the specific facilities and environment at the port of entry. I would certainly like to know about any such confirmed counter-examples or any statutes or regulations on the point.

Regina (YQR) airport is one of these.  We flew in twice this year from international destinations (Cuba and Mexico), and upon arrival one officer checks both your immigration and Customs form (and gives you a home testing kit if you are selected).  You then leave that area and wait for your baggage.  Upon leaving the secured baggage area, you must hand in your stamped customs form to another officer who is at the door to the outside area.

2 hours ago, Fouremco said:

HAL has now updated their FAQ's to 2 days instead of 48 hours:

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/worry-free-promise/travel-well/frequently-asked-questions/faq-for-cruises-from-usa.html

 

The related PDF is still showing 48 hours but will also be updated in due course.

Good news!  The PDF has been updated!  Now everything states two days for the antigen test.

Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test Guests who are up to date with their vaccines or fully vaccinated may take their COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours prior to sailing or a medically observed antigen test within 2 days before sailing. Canadian guests will need to complete ArriveCAN within 72 hours of embarkation

Based on Mike and Zen's update on Princess, I checked HAL's guidelines this morning and noticed they have been updated as well.  As below:

CRUISES ORIGINATING IN CANADIAN PORTS: Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test Guests who are up to date with their vaccines or fully vaccinated may take their COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours prior to sailing or a medically observed antigen test within 48 hours before sailing.

Interesting that the antigen test is 48 hours and not 2 days, but it is still  a big help for my HAL sailing in May.   

Hova

I was going through some old folders and found some interesting photos and information on our first cruise (Southern Caribbean from San Juan) aboard the Carnival Festivale in 1986.  We were young (as were most of the people on the ship), had a small inside room on the bottom deck, but thought we were in heaven! 

Our impressions back then were that this ship was “HUGE”.   This excerpt is from its history: When Carnival Cruise Line's 35,000 gt FESTIVALE was introduced in Caribbean cruise service from Miami in 1978, she was by far the largest passenger ship based in Florida and one of the largest cruise ships in the world.   Now days, the ship would be considered small by industry standards, but back then…..

The cost of the cruise and flights (3500 CDN - which was a lot in 1986!) is more than we paid for a similar cruise from San Juan in 2018.   By the looks of the boarding pass, there were “Prepaid Gratuities” back then, but I remember that we and most of the cruisers simply handed an envelope of cash to our servers and room attendant.  Another observation is the number of flights that we were placed on (booked by cruise line).  Four flights to get to San Juan and four to return home. Thankfully, we can now do this in two flights each way!

We remember that the food was awesome and plentiful. We dressed up for dining and would also go to the mid-night buffet.   There were lots of large ice carvings every night, and one night featured a large chocolate buffet (much larger than the ones now days). 

The entertainment options weren’t near as good as they are now and mostly consisted of the entertainment team doing events during the day (fastest beer drinking and pillow fights were popular)  and in the evening, there would be bands playing in the lounges as well as the odd comedian show and other shows put on by the entertainment staff.

The ship itself wasn’t as grand as they are now, and certainly not as stable (no stabilizers etc).  I remember the ship rocking a lot, and that we actually had to walk a little different so we didn’t tip over!  Many people had patches behind their ears, to keep from getting sick.  When we went into port, I remember that we had to adjust the way we walked.

Well, many years later, I may be in the minority, but I am happy with the way the cruising has transitioned.  Bigger ships mean more options for dining, cabin types, entertainment options and the price is much less.  If we want, we could still go on the smaller exclusive ships, but prefer the newer Holland America ships.

Mike & Zen and all the rest of you great people, thank you for the information, it is really appreciated.  I now have the information that I need, and most of all, will continue to read these forums for changes that are sure to happen over the next month.    Looking forward to cruising after a two year absence!

hova