Woofbite

I was on the Grand African cruise and thought it was okay but waiters were racing around all over the dining room carrying trays and trying to get people and bus dishes. On a just completed Princess cruise in the Gulf of Mexico things seemed smooth and a lot more professional. Their restaurant management was monitoring performance, giving advice, demonstrating techniques, writing notes and weren't also rushing around to refill drinks and assist in routine duties. I think HAL is understaffed.

I think they all already have. We were on Holland America November 1 and I read somewhere that we were the next to last cruise ship through the Suez Canal. There were two Egyptian and Israeli navy ships ahead of us, (transiting, not protecting us), and in the Red Sea there was a fleet of U.S. Navy ships around. A couple of our port calls were cancelled and we visited Oman instead of Jordan.

Had a great cruise on the brand new Countess in 2021. Sorry to see them fail but I'm sure their financials looked bad and with Viking for competition they knew things would only get worse. I wonder if American Cruise Line will acquire some of their boats.

We had friends from England who raved about the wonderful new breakfast place they found in the U.S. Turned out it was IHOP!

That's a lot cheaper than several years ago when the cheapest beer was about $12 a bottle on board.

I don't have a price list but I remember prices being outrageous. At least pick up a bottle or two in the duty free shop in the airport at Oslo when you arrive. You pass through it to exit the secure area.

Happened repeatedly on Zuiderdam a few months ago. A call, (no need to visit - they can reset remotely), fixed the problem until it happened again. Frustrating.

We may have a new complication for future Antarctic cruises: Iran has recently made a surprising announcement, declaring its ownership of Antarctica and directly challenging the international treaty that governs the continent. In a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, Iran’s Foreign Ministry informed him of Tehran’s claim to the territory.

You bet! Those who wanna go will appreciate anything you say as well as those of us who've been who know we didn't see it all and have an excuse to return, (three time visitor headed for four in 2025).

We were on Abercrombie & Kent to Antarctica years ago and there was a British Lord and Lady who dressed to the nines every single night even after the cruise director announced formal nights on expedition ships made anything acceptable from formal wear to a clean t-shirt. After wading around in penguin poop and being wind-blown and water spashed in a rubber boat and for several hours each day, the rest of us were ready to go slightly more casual.

I was there the end of October on Hurtigruten several years ago and it was too early in my opinion. Falklands and South Georgia were fine but Antarctica still had lots of snow so most penguin colonies were still high on the hills where there wasn't as much. We skipped a couple of planned sites due to heavy ice, (although that can happen any time). Having been a couple of times before in late February and early March I thought those trips were much better. Young penguins were still being fed then, some were finishing their molt and there was lots of activity between the colonies and the sea. Also saw more seals, sea lions and whales.

I did the Grand Africa a few months ago and didn't notice much different from any other cruise - some chose to get dolled up, others didn't. I took a suit but could have easily worn just a dress shirt and tie.

Why doesn't anybody schedule longer cruises from those two ports. They keep growing and adding new companies, (but not HAL evidently), and larger ships but they keep doing the same 7 day or slightly longer cruises to the same minor ports around Mexico, Honduras, Belize, Grand Cayman and finally as far as Jamaica. I wonder why somebody, anybody, doesn't test the waters and schedule a few two and three week trips further into the Caribbean and even longer to Central and South America? Seems like a better market than adding to the thousands of trips out of Ft. Lauderdale and Miami.

I got the same message when I inquired. Hope it is corrected before April.

I always wondered if it was because they knew I was booked in a Neptune Suite and hadn't shown up.

I was unable to get space on HAL shuttle last year and took Quick Shuttle. Driver was new, toured Seattle trying to find their stops then made half a dozen stops in Canada promising an increasingly concerned load of passengers they would have no problem making their cruises. Repeated assurance we would arrive on time. We were so late, a HAL rep grabbed a wheel chair for me, rushed through U.S. control, Canada control and at HAL check-in desk was told to get me on board and they would finalize their paperwork there. They were moving the gangway as I entered the ship. I wonder if the other passengers made their cruises. Never "Quick" Shuttle for me again.

We asked for a recipe on Holland America and the chef presented it downsized for home cooking and made a few suggestions for variations.

They wouldn't be the first company to advertize grandiose plans, rake in lots of deposits/purchases and then go belly-up leaving purchasers as unsecured creditors who end up getting nothing back.

Is there some law that says you have to use a Canadian TA? Contact one of the good U.S. ones and ask if they can book you with their standard perks.

I'm not finding any way to request wheelchair assistance getting through long check-in lines and up the gangway. Is that not something available on Princess?

Those seem insane. Are you looking far in advance of your cruise? Airlines don't get serious about pricing until 5-6 months before departure. I'd recommend always asking a legitimate consolidator for a quote. I use a big one in New York and they beat Flight Ease about half the time. Reservations are the regular kind and appear immediately on airline websites with normal services and frequent traveler miles.