farjar

According to the email we received our May 15-22 Westerdam cruise is now being moved to the Eurodam for May 14-21. Based solely on that email we spent two hours online and on the phone rebooking our independent Seattle flights.  We hesitated waiting up to two weeks until an official revised booking arrived for fear compatible flights might no longer be available.  Hopefully Holland is true to their word. This cruise was already a cancellation of 2020 moved to 2021 moved to 2022 so getting FCC again didn't appeal to us.

On 1/25/2022 at 9:58 AM, claimee said:

Anyone have any info on % full for Panorama? I realize it's different for every date, but just curious as I'm scheduled for the 2/5 sailing.

We just got off the Panorama yesterday (Sat. 29)  There were 2289 passengers with a capacity of over 4000.  The ship did not feel crowded EXCEPT for:

The Limelight Lounge.  It's a small venue where the comedians perform.  We went 8 times to see 4 different comedians and nearly every seat was taken at both the early and late shows.

The Horizon dining room (early fixed seating).  It appeared as if all the smaller 2 and 4 person tables were occupied.  It was hard not to bump elbows with the person seated next to you.

The jacuzzis on sea days would have 8-12 people in them.  On port days we could have them all to ourselves before noon.

The Serenity deck on 12 forward was relaxing on port days but you couldn't get one of those wonderful "clam shell" loungers on sea days.

Most other venues were fine.  We had a great time but it would have been a totally different experience if the ship had been full.

15 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Never heard such an announcement in a boatload of cruises  

Returned yesterday from the Carnival Panorama (Sat.) and we had just gotten aboard at 1:00 when the announcement was made about the cabins being ready.  We were able to go drop off our carryons, grab our room keys, go to our muster station and be at lunch at 1:30.

48 minutes ago, Crismess669 said:

First time on Carnival, so basic status on a balcony. Do they make an announcement or do you just keep going back until you have a key? We arrive at 12:30-1. 

Jan. 11, 2022 we were notified our Norwegian cruise for Jan. 19-28 was cancelled.

Jan. 12, 2022 booked a Carnival Cruise for Jan. 22-29 directly through Carnival.

Jan. 12, 2022 sent an email to Carnival with our shareholders information. 

Jan. 26, 2022 while on the cruise we received a confirming email our $100 OBC had been approved.  We used it to reduce our 7 day $13.99 pp per day gratuities charge from $195.86 to $95.86.

We were VERY surprised to have the OBC approved not only because we requested it so close to the sailing date but also due of the deeply discounted VIFP rate we received. Whether booking directly through Carnival and not a travel agent helped I don't know.  The only suggestion I can offer is ASK.  The worst that can happen is the request gets denied.

We are doing a 16 day cruise in Sept. and are hoping our $250 OBC gets approved then also.

11 hours ago, Joebucks said:

This was my first cruise back since being on the last cruise on the Sunrise before the shutdown in 2020. Here are a few of the thoughts that came to mind.

 

COVID
- Never heard of any cases or anything related to it. (Although, that didn't mean there weren't any)
- Heard varying capacity numbers. Most were in the ballpark of 2000-2600 which is very low for a Vista class ship. The ship felt very empty at times. Mostly, it was very welcome. At times, you missed the liveliness.
- Mask police were in full force. Especially when walking around, clubs, and shows. It was most enforced by the more higher-ranking employees and those stationed at the entrance of the lido buffet. Otherwise, when you are sitting, it was fairly lax.

 

The ship
- This was my first Vista class ship. Overall, I loved the ship. Very modern. Felt new.
- The Atrium is fine. I do like the old style better. However, it still did the job just the same. The funnel is a pretty cool piece of art. 
- Finally got to try the Skyride. It was very fun! We did it on the last sea day, which was a little chilly outside. We rode it twice with a total wait in line under 5 minutes.
- The Limelight Lounge is my least favorite part of the ship. I hate it so much. The problem is whast it is used for. It is way too small for the comedy shows. Twice it was completely full (on a ship at almost half capacity). It has no bar in it?? It is also not a good nightclub. The old style nightclub had such a better feel to it.
- The food was very good. Came in skeptical after many people made it sound like the food was replaced with banquet tv dinners due to COVID. Didn't have a single complaint with the food. Even the MDR did quite well. Sure bacon was guarded, but it was often available.
- I really liked the heroes tribute sports bar. I am glad this was one venue that was made bigger (unlike the comedy club). It also has a great theme.
- Didn't smell an ounce of smoke in the casino.

 

Will probably post some pics and stuff later. All in all, I am so glad we did this cruise. So many people bailed on it because of the fear and panic we continue to buy into. 
 

We will be getting on the Panorama this Sat. 1/22.  It will be out first cruise out of Long Beach.  How did embarkation go?  Anything we should know?  Our boarding time is 1:30-2:00.  Will they take you an hour or so early?  Thanks.

17 hours ago, islander47 said:

Yes, East to West, for sure. Must confess I have been so nervous about our 48 hour Covid test I've been a wreck. First took our scheduled PCR at CVS and were told at least 72 hours for results. Then heard a rumor an Emergent Care place nearby had rapid tests. No one else does here. Zipped over there and handed over $100, but both tested negative. Best $100 we've ever spent. See you at our Mix and Mingle soon!

We found ourselves in a similar situation before our Koningsdam cruise in Oct. Went to a private lab and paid $99 each for our rapid tests.  When we got home I thought "what the heck" and submitted the bill to our insurance company.  They reimbursed us the entire amount.  It's worth a try.  You might be pleasantly surprised as we were. 

On 1/10/2022 at 12:02 PM, SplashOfWater said:

We received the same email for our Jan 30th Encore cruise. No worries here. The ports are not as important to us as just being on the ship.

In Oct. 2005 we did a Texaribbean cruise on the NCL Dream out of Galveston.  It was suppose to include stops in Cozumel, Roatan, Belize and Cancun.  A few weeks before sailing Hurricane Katrina devastated the gulf and all ports were cancelled due to the damage.  NCL hastily put together a stop at Veracruz where school children came down to the pier and sang to us while venders set up make shift tents to sell their wares.  An excursion to some local ruins was also organized.  We were very moved by the warm, friendly reception we received from the people on such short notice.  The rest of the cruise was spent slowly sailing the gulf in a large circle back to Galveston.  Was it ideal? No. Was it the vacation we had planned? No. Was it better than staying at home? Yes. Considering the millions of lives that had been adversely affected by Katrina we felt fortunate to do be able to do what we did. As long as our cruise isn't cancelled or we test positive we are going with or without any scheduled stops. 

When NCL cancelled our upcoming stop in Bonaire the refund for our snorkel excursion went back to the credit card we paid for it with.  I believe if YOU cancel an excursion you get OBC.

5 minutes ago, bookbabe said:

Wear clothes and shoes that can get completely drenched in mud.  Anything you bring will be drenched in mud unless it’s in a waterproof dry bag.  They sell bandannas if you don’t have one.  You have to wear a helmet, so no hat.  Sunglasses might help prevent mud in your eyes, as long as they’re cheap ones.  Put your phone/id/money in a waterproof case like you’d wear when swimming so it doesn’t get covered in mud.  Water might be good to bring, as long as the bottle is disposable or durable and can get covered in mud.

 

Loads of fun, definitely worth it, or at least we thought so.  But wow, there was mud.  

We did something similar 6 years ago in Puerto Vallarta and loved it.  Would have totally forgotten about carrying valuables in a waterproof bag.  Thank you for responding.  We appreciate the information. Fortunately we will have free laundry on the Getaway. 😀

On 1/3/2022 at 7:10 PM, bookbabe said:

We did the OffRoad Buggies and Beach at Puerto Plata.  Buggies were a blast.  You will get MUDDY.  That’s an understatement. Wear clothes/shoes that can get soaked.  The beach is kind of meh, limited space and seating if you’re not going in the water.

We are doing this excursion in two weeks.  What was the temperature? Any mosquitos? Should we wear long sleeves, long pants? Anything you wish you would have brought (bandana for your face, hat, sunglasses, water)?  Thanks.

Consider doing just the quad cabin and putting the money you save toward excursions.  Alaska has so much to offer in the way of scenery and wildlife.  Your daughters are of an age where they will remember the experience forever and everyone will forget any inconveniences getting there. 

We always bring paperbacks and crosswords puzzles.  I'm now going to double up on those plus bring a deck of cards, a cribbage board and Yahtzee dice for our upcoming cruise.

The Koningsdam has a retractable roof that can be closed over the main pool area.  If the weather is bad you can still enjoy the hot tubs, lounge chairs and dining at the outdoor venues like Dive-In and New York Pizza.  Nice for Alaska cruises.

Our first cruise on the Getaway will be coming up in a few weeks and I was curious about the differences between the Tropicana, Taste and Savor MDRs. I realize the menus will be the same but am more interested in the atmosphere in each.  Some NLC MDRs have had high ceilings with lots of windows and tables for 2 along the outside.  Other NCL ships have had MDRs with low ceilings and a darker, more claustrophobic feel to them.  Perhaps some find that more intimate.  Any information or recommendations would be appreciated. 

Another change NCL made was you previously could use the credit to rent equipment such as snorkeling gear, paddle boards, kayaks, etc.  That often meant the first person got theirs free and the second person only had to pay a portion. Now it is only for excursions for the first person.  

17 hours ago, cccole said:

I am looking at a cruise in December 2022 and am unable to view which staterooms are available?  I have been on the HAL website but must be doing something wrong.  Is there a way to view available staterooms?  Thank you,  Cherie

Go to the Big Box Store that begins with "C" and do a mock booking there.  You don't have to be a member to look at the cabins that are available.  It is the easiest site I've found to see what's available in each cabin category at once. Some sites break the ship up into forward, mid and aft.  Here you can see the entire deck. It is also easy to click on the deck above and below for any noise issues.

19 hours ago, iflyrc5 said:

Copper - following you reports and have a question.  You mentioned the "48 hour" pre-embark Covid test requirement - isn't it actually "2 day" pre-embark?  From what I am reading on the HAL site it is "2 days".  We are flying out the morning on a Monday and boarding on Wednesday to FLL and were planning on doing the HAL recommended monitored self test before heading to the airport which would be the 2 days prior but more like 54 hours before boarding.

 

Looking forward to following your reporting.

When we were on the Koningsdam in late October it was 2 days (not necessarily 48 hours).  The health personnel at the pier checked the date not the time.

1 hour ago, gmkgks said:

11700 on the Joy. 

Here is a quote from the thread "Our Joy Experience Dec. 18-23 posted by jeremybe currently on page #2 of these reviews.  Sounds as if others are experiencing similar issues.

THE STRONG NEGATIVE: VIBRATION IN AFT OF SHIP - I had a Haven Aft balcony cabin -  After leaving Miami on the first night we were woken up to the most intense vibration I have ever felt in my life  - The room was unusable - Between the vibration, the noise from everything rattling etc it was the worst cruise experience of my life (I've been on 30 or more cruises) - 3:30 in the morning I was at Guest Services were I was given a second "sleeping room" - On day 2 we complained to the Concierge about the tiny room we were given and we were then moved to a Haven Balcony room to sleep in - SO we had two rooms for the cruise - Unfortunately the 2 bathroom 1 1/2 Bedroom suite we paid for was unusable - Speaking to our Cabin Steward, she told us that most passengers in the aft of the ship had moved out of the aft - She also mentioned that this had been going on with ALL cruises since the Joy entered service. In addition, she said that in all of her years of cruising she has never felt anything like this.

At this point in time, if you are booking a cruise on the JOY - I would avoid at least the last 10 aft cabins on the ship on all decks - Also know that if you plan on going to the specialty restaurants in the aft of the ship it will potentially be uncomfortable due to vibration

53 minutes ago, exgman said:

I’ve been tested 3 times in the last 2 months. Two from Kaiser and one from CVS. All 3 results came back within 24 hours. I’m sure there are exceptions, but from what I’ve found out, it’s the norm for my area. 

FYI Since Kaiser administers PCR tests we were afraid my husband might get a false positive because he had had a breakthrough case but was fully recovered.  Got a rapid test elsewhere, submitted the invoice to Kaiser and were reimbursed the entire cost within 3 weeks.  

I forgot to mention in my above post WeTestU.com provided an invoice for their services. We submitted the $99 per person invoice to our insurance company and were reimbursed the entire cost within three weeks.

On 12/19/2021 at 9:14 AM, Gary4304 said:

We want to schedule a rapid covid test 12/31or 1/1 for sailing 1/2 on Koningsdam.

CVS isn’t showing those dates yet and it’s within the13 days to schedule, any recommendations as to other sites in San Diego?

We used WeTestU.com for our Koningsdam cruise in October and found them to be excellent.  They have a 5* Google rating and will come to you for a single upcharge starting at $39 (not per person) 

WeTestU.com

I did a pretend booking on the Big Box store site for the Jan 19, 2022 Getaway cruise and of the approximately 2000 cabins I counted the following as still available: 

74 Inside (This includes 12 side by side directly across from the medical center)

44 Ocean View

68 Balcony

81 Suites & above

Total 267

I don't know what that equates to as far as actual passengers and some of the "not available" cabins may be being held for additional Covid quarantining.  I have a feeling there are going to be more cancellations than new booking between now and Jan. 19th. considering the current situation and the cancellation of Bonaire.

We are on the Jan. 19-28, 2022 Getaway cruise to the southern Caribbean.  Kralendijk, Bonaire has now been dropped from the itinerary.  Instead we have an extra sea day and  more time in Aruba.  I doubt we will ever have the opportunity to visit there in the future. ☹️  It will be interesting to see what other changes occur over the next month.

As platinum members we will be eating one of our free meals in Cagney's.  Looking at the starter menu section it shows a "$5 Dining Package Supplement" for the Crab Cake or the Tiger Shrimp.  Does that mean we, using our platinum member benefit, are not subject to this upcharge if we opt for one of them as our appetizer?  Thank you.

2 hours ago, ggTexasGal said:

Did you get a Dining Confirmation (email) with all of your selections listed?

Yes.  It arrived shortly after placing our reservation.  So looking forward to sailing!