racnwdow

I have heard HAL has shampoo, conditioner and body soap in the rooms.  Is this a dispenser in the shower/bath or are they individual bottles to share with roommate (like hotels)?

I have ordered the pop package and someone said it comes with a cup.  Does the cup only come on ships with the self serve pop or does every ship have the cups?  We are on the Rotterdam if this make a difference.  And does anyone know the color of the cup or the lid?  I tend to misplace things and wanted to write my room number on the cup or lid.  Didn't know if I needed a black or silver permanent marker.

TIA.

I completed the purchase and received confirmation email for one pop package under my name only.  My roommate hasn't received an email about it all.  

I had always heard if I wanted to book a pop package (or any beverage package) both people in the cabin have to do so.  I just went in and booked the pop package for just me.  It allowed me to click only me and not my roommate.  It is in my cart and I only have to hit "Complete Transaction".  If I complete the transaction, will I find out that my roommate is charged?   She doesn't drink anything but water.  Not even coffee.  Just want to make sure no unpleasant surprises where she has to pay  and/or no refund on mine.  

Could someone please explain how to go about checking this for  our cruise?  No clue how to start.  TIA

Can we use USA postage stamps for post cards mailed in other places besides the states?  Or do we need to buy local stamps?  Greece/Italy/Cypress/Italy.  How about if I drop them in the ship postal slot?  Rotterdam out of Italy.

Do you think with age and cruise experience the need for many shoes diminishes.  I don't feel the need to have so many any more.  Bare necessities works for me.

I am curious how many pairs of shoes you bring on a cruise.  No judgment against those who bring a closet full please.  Also, add if you are male or female.  It will be interesting to see the difference.  

I am wearing my croc clogs on the plane.  I can walk for miles in them and are easy to slip on and off.

Chaco sandals.  I spend 9 months wearing mostly these sandals and can walk miles in them also.

Gray Merrill sandals.  Can walk long distances and in a pinch could work for informal dinner nights with casual dress pants.

Sass low heeled dress sandals for all dinners.

4 counting the one's I will wear (Female).  I used to bring several dress shoes but have decided to go with super comfy over stylish matching the outfits. I also know I can walk forever in the Chaco's and Crocs.  So decided no tennis shoes this trip. I won't do the gym, but will walk laps on the deck.  We will be in Italy/Greece/Israel in October.

We will be in Italy on the Rotterdam for Halloween.  Do you know if the ship has any activities for the holiday?  Do we need a costume?

Packing and planning packing is part of my trip anticipation.  I probably start months in advance.  First with the lists and then trying things on and hanging on my garment rack months ahead of time.  I have been adding items to my suitcase since February and we don't leave until October.  
Since we are going to Italy and not the Caribbean I have found I can't prepack clothes.  They are the clothes I wear everyday.  We usually do Caribbean in the winter so it is easy to pack summer clothes early. 

I will admit I am a spread sheet dork and love the process of fine tuning the spread sheet to each particular cruise.

7 hours ago, MogeyMan said:

I may be confused and confess to not reading this entire thread, but I thought you mailed in your passport to get the passport  card. Can you have both in your possession?? Do they mail back the passport??

I have both a passport card and a passport.  

A friend read (she doesn't remember where) there was an orange party during each cruise on HAL.  Everyone was encouraged to wear orange.  Does anyone know anything about this?  We will be on the Rotterdam (if it makes a difference). TIA.

I had heard RCI used nightgowns occasionally.  So I purposely left mine out and it was used to make something cute.

Would there be anywhere to pick up a 6 pack of diet coke?

We will be getting to the cruise port relatively early (approximately 11:30am) in Civitavcchia/Rome.  Is there anything to do near the port (walking distance) or are we better off just staying on the ship?

1 hour ago, Cheekyrn1 said:

We have decided to disembark in Naples the night before...this allows us to catch a 9am flight and be home same day...there were no flight options out of FCO to get us home same day to West Texas

 If you have a TA have then get permission to leave the ship a day early.  Otherwise contact HAL to get this permission.  We are also getting off early (one day) for the same reason you are (but to Omaha).

So what is in a wang, wang?

2 minutes ago, TomBeckCruise said:

Do the two of you use different credit cards? If not your gratuities alone will be about $30/day.

Regardless, as Roz said,  your card is  not charged until the end of the cruise . All HAL charges accumulate until then.   There is not an additional hold for daily charges,

I am traveling with a friend this time, so we will be using separate credit cards.

I decided to go straight to the source.  At least the credit card source, AmEx.  They said, generally the hold is on your account for 5 days and then drops off.  But during the 5 days that amount is not available for use.  And that is a generality.  Sometimes it may take longer for the amount to drop off. 

I know I over think things, but...  

I understand a $60 a day/per person hold is put on your credit card.  Then I get unsure.  Our cruise is 14 days so the hold would be $840.  Is that amount on the credit card unusable after that point?  If I spend $30 a day on drinks and the gratuities, does that amount get taken off the card like regular purchases?  So in essence I would have an $840 hold and additional charge for $420 for drinks and $203 for tips?

I know we have to have so much available on our credit card when we check in ($60 a day/pp person).  And our tips can be put on the card.  Does anyone know if the $60 stays the same, even if we prepaid our tips? 

We are getting off in Naples the morning before and taking the train to Rome.  We wanted to take a 6:00am flight to get home on the same day, instead of a flight that go us home the next day.  You do need permission from HAL to disembark at a different port.

Thanks.  I guess I blew off the per person/per day wording.  Duh.  

Is the $60 per day credit card hold, per person/per day?  Per cabin/per day?  Or per credit card used in the room/per day.  I wonder if it is different if my DH and I traveled together and used one credit card for hold or if I travel with a friend and we each use our own credit card?

Also, the other couple traveling with us is a mother/daughter couple with different last names.  If they use one credit card for both of them is it $60 or $120 per day?

For our 14 day cruise it will be $840.  I only have one credit card and very rarely use it.  But I only have 2,000 available.  I have never wanted the amount upped since we do not use the card.  But.....  if I do want to use it on the cruise (not on the ship, but on land), is that $840 not available because of the hold?  Other than laundry I probably won't spend while on the ship, other than tips.  

We had originally booked our cruise to accompany some friends who are very familiar with Any Time Dining (ATD).  They have since cancelled.  I have only the vaguest idea how ATD works. On all other cruises we have always booked late dining.  Any suggestions, tips and information would be greatly appreciated.  Can we make arrangements when we board for the whole  week?  Or do we arrange dining times each day?  Do we have to be a table for 4 or can we be added to a bigger table to get to know others?  We will be on a 14 day Greece/Holy Land/Italy cruise on the Rotterdam (if that makes a difference).  TIA