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I got the "your cruise has departed" msg this morning for my sailing tomorrow. I'm really getting tired of the issues with HAL's website. I have never seen a cruise line website this bad before. (I don't use any other carnival lines so I don't know if they are as bad). NCL, Celebrity, Royal, even MSC have been better than HAL by a wide margin.

thanks everyone. I'll look into a few of these.

Is there anything to do, see that is in walking distance from the port?

1 hour ago, happytotravel said:

HAL has sent me an email stating lots of construction in the area. I would keep that in mind depending on what you have planned.

For myself, I plan on staying on board to Montreal.

Safe travelling. Happytotravel 

Yeah, I got that as well. I really wish they weren't leaving so early. Don't really want to stay on board in Boston since that is the only day there and we have 2 days everywhere else on the B2b, but I might. I don't know if there is anything to see within walking distance to the ship.

13 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

I don't know the answer to your question, but all aboard for the new pax is 90 minutes ahead of sailing, not 2 hours.

Thanks for that info. I know on some other lines it's 2 hrs. I like to get on early so I never worried about it, but since this is like a port stop for us with an early sail away I was hoping for a bit more time.

13 hours ago, POA1 said:

What are you planning that runs up against the departure deadline? (If it's a crime and you are using the slowest getaway vehicle known to man, please don't post it here.)

Actually, just want to go to lunch in little Italy. Worried about traffic getting back to the ship if we have to be on for 1.

12 hours ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

I would check that day ..

That makes it hard to plan anything in advance. I will check on the ship but I would like to have some idea before the cruise.

59 minutes ago, Cruising Is Bliss said:

I have a newly completed dental implant and my dentist strongly recommends a Waterpik. Do the bathrooms on Westerdam have an electrical outlet that will power a Waterpik?  I know sometimes there's a low power outlet meant just for an electric razor.but this thing needs to plug into a real outlet. It's not something that's rechargeable. Has anyone actually used a plug-in Waterpik in a Westerdam bathroom? If it makes a difference we'll be in a vista veranda cabin.

 

 

 

I've not been on the Westerdam but mine didn't fit in the bathroom outlet on the Zaandam and the Neiuw Amsterdam, my plug was polarized, the socket was not. I have since got a rechargable waterpik for travel.

 When on a B2B, on turn around day, do you have to be on ship at the same time as those newly embarking passengers, ie 2 hr before sailing, or is it 30 min as on a port stop day?

I've been on B2B's before but have stayed on the ship on turn around days so never looked into this. This time is in Boston and sail away is at 3 pm. 

On 5/17/2024 at 8:57 AM, CDNPolar said:

 

We don't travel from home with snacks - other than what we might want on the plane - but will pick up local snacks to try that are unique to the country.

 

If you are ever in Tokyo, don't miss the Kit Kat Chocolatory store.  The Japanese and Kit Kat have a love affair and the flavours and specialty Kit Kat chocolate bars are amazing and not found in many other places in the world.  Be aware however that you may spend some serious cash on Kit Kat.

True Story!! My daughter lived in Japan for 3 years and she would send us kit kats quite often. The matcha and the caramel macchiato were delicious, the mashed potato and the corn on the cob, not so much!

On 2/22/2024 at 1:11 PM, suefrankw said:

Hi

was there last September...walkable downtown...some fun Pubs within walking distance (Governors....Old Triangle)... Could do a partial Cabot Trail tour or rental car... last time we used Blackwood Tours....we booked Sydney Taxi for this coming Oct for Baddeck & ST Anns tour with Edison museum stop . reasonable prices, good reviews and they will work with you on itinerary/stops... they found me gluten free eats in the area...

You probably mean the Alexander Graham Bell Museum.

Not a renewal, new application. I applied in June 2023, got approved in April. Did my interview at a land boarder May 2nd and got my card today.

Lois

41 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I have gotten port fees returned on NCL several times, but it's not a blanket policy. Depends on the port. Same thing on RCL. There have been times I have gotten port fees returned and times received nothing. 

I have gotten port fees back pre covid but it seems that they are not refunding them anymore. Some friends were on a Panama Canal cruise in the fall, they missed 2 port and didn't get a refund either.

1 hour ago, CGinMTL said:

In Halifax 

Just took the ferry 

Senior $2 return

Reg. 3.75 one way

Which ferry? To Dartmouth? 

Do they have a daily Happy Hour? I will not be getting the HIA for my sailing on June 1st.

Thanks

Lois

49 minutes ago, peajay said:

We have just returned home from the Westerdam transpacific cruise from Tokyo via Alaska to Seattle. A very nice enjoyable cruise despite some rough seas and mediocre weather. However after  visiting three Alaskan ports and on the way to Victoria, the itinerary was to cruise through the inner passage. This was widely advertised as one of the cruise highlights and the best opportunity to see marine wildlife, we bought two souvenir mugs that were special for the cruise showing the cruise map and ports visited and  quoting the inside passage specifically

Unfortunately the crew  made an error and sailed west of Vancouver island, so no inner passage cruise for us. The captain announced that they made a mistake and tried to get a pilot at the last minute but none were available. He told us we would get a letter delivered to our cabin detailing the compensation. We did not get the letter and after persisting, guest services reluctantly gave us one. The offer is 10 % of the cruise cost given as FCC. Many people were really frustrated and angry and several that we talked to were very unhappy with the offer, for them, like us, they did not receive one of the highlights of the cruise. This is the first HA cruise we have taken, so I am interested to see opinions. For me this isn't compensation, because we get nothing if we don't buy another cruise, so this is basically a marketing inducement to buy another cruise. On other lines where ports have been missed that were no fault of the cruise line (unlike this one) we received OBC as immediate compensation. We travelled from Europe and at our time of life, we are unlikely to ever cruise Alaska again.  People that had done the inner passage previously, sadly told us that we missed the most picturesque part.

 

Just did a TA on NCL the was suppose to stop at Gibraltar and Alicate and then finish in Rome.

Because of an engine issue, we travelled too slow that last 24 hours before Gibraltar so the stop was canceled, which meant the cruise only had 1 port stop in the 12 day crossing. 

We didn't even get the port fees refunded let alone any compensation.

I thing 10% FCC is pretty generous.

Lois

Thought I'd bump this up for those doing Alaska this year who may be interested in this program.

Lois

On 5/8/2024 at 9:16 AM, CGinMTL said:

Greetings everyone. We are currently on the volendam. We are here may 4 th to 18 th

Thought I can start a thread to gather tips on the ship and the ports to help others 

I'll be on June 1st. Can you tell me how the entertainment is? Especially the piano bar?

Thanks

Lois

I was also on this cruise. I agree about the mess that was embarcation. 

It is hard to follow their arrival times when they give different times to people in the same cabin. My DH and I had time that were 2 hours apart. We showed up for my time. There is no way we were going to go the the port separately.

They also did not have priority check in for platinum and above. When I (finally) made it into the terminal I asked where the priority line was and was told only those who paid for it got priority.

I did find the ship quite crowded, hard to find a seat in the public areas. 

The line up for the Caveran club was ridiculous. I don't know who thought putting a venue that holds 120 people on a ship that holds over 4000 was a good idea.

I agree with the poster who said that having music in Maltings and Shakers at the same time didn't work. The venues are too open to one another and the two entertains drowned each other out creating an unpleasant noise.

I did have a great time but it make me realize that I am better suited to smaller ships.

My next cruise is on a HAL ship that has less than 2000 pax. Can't wait!

Lois

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

If the taxes per passenger were to increase (too few passengers), the line generally eats the increase.  If they go down (more passengers), there is an adjustment to the onboard account rebating the difference.  

I doubt that NCL is rebating any difference. They are no longer retuning any port taxes when a port is missed.

7 hours ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

I think some people are complainers, regardless of what it is, to cold to hot, 😀 and some would be happier if they stayed home. 

I heard guest complain that the temperature out side was to hot, the vender's wouldn't except U.S. Dollars.

Why aren't there berries every day at Lido. And more and more.

Adult - Children.

My Mom had a saying about people like that. "they're not happy unless they're miserable."

Depending on what day of the week you are there, you can do a mine tour at the Glace Bay Miners Museum. It should be open Wed to Sun in June. If the restaurant is open, have lunch there as well. Have the pan fried halibut.

12 minutes ago, destar said:

On embarkation day, we found a yellow envelope marked "For Your Eyes Only" with a folder, patch, challenge coin and pin inside, on a separate an invitation to attend gathering. You have to be registered with NCL for Military Appreciation Program.

Unfortunately, the Military Appreciation Program is not available to Canadian military.

are these events invitation only?

11 minutes ago, kfarist said:

Leaving in a week on a cruise. New to HAL, but cruised many times. We booked fairly last minute in a cheap interior room and still do not have an assigned room. I have got many paid upgrade offers over the last month for different rooms (obstructed OV, OV, verandah) but this week the email only had verandah and the upgrade was $149 pp. Is this worth it? I thought if I got another email offering $99 I would pounce, but I know there is a possibility of getting upgraded even without paying as it seems the ship may be quite full. 

 

Thank you. Looking forward to experiencing HAL. 

I would take that offer in a New York minute!