Mary229

When I buy those sheath dresses I always order 2 or 3 sizes up. I don’t like form fitting clothing especially for a cruise when I may not be as trim as normal😉. I have one great dress that I went all the way to XL (usually a M). The shoulders fit perfectly but I have a little swing.

HAL offers testing on some cruises, it does not require testing. We were sent a test by HAL but never used it.

It is always “full”. You can book the day a cruise drops and it is “full”. Put yourself on the waitlist for your preferred dining, time and table size. Since it is 6 months out you will likely get exactly what you want

I guess it depends on the cruise. We had both dining rooms open, one for fixed and one for open seating. I chose fixed - same servers, same table every night makes for a much more pleasant dining experience. When i need flexibility I dine elsewhere. when I sailed I thought it was a bit silly to have both dining rooms open, it just didn’t make logistical sense for the passenger levels. It seemed more people were opting for other dining rather than the MDR. Anyway you can call guest services and request fixed dining, early or late. If you prefer open dining you can make reservations from the app. Finally you can simply talk to the maitre d’ in person

That’s too bad. We used to summer in Ontario and Quebec and once the temperature rose to the highs in early August the bugs would slowly diminish. I was hoping the same for Alaska. We are going just before Labor Day when it should be cold

I have mosquito hat/shirt and DEET. I am hoping that by going late in August I might forego mosquitoes. I am hate mosquitoes. What do you think?

How are the bugs?

@idtr CCL is has the strongest market position and they keep a full tank and pay their fuel bills. HAL has excellent crew who I trust with my safety. If you want to cruise the CCL lines are a good option. As an investment I have no opinion, I own enough to receive my shareholder credit and have owned that for years. I do not take or give investment advice. I was making a comment on interest rates and if you think rates below 5% are the future I respectfully disagree

I understand the i bonds but again I was just commenting on interest rates not making an investment recommendation. The point is 9.5% is not that uncommon now and will soon be very common.

It is as safe as anything except high demand skilled trades. I was just making a comment on the interest rate not the quality of CCL debt. One I own, one I don’t

That is interesting in that the US government is now paying 9.5% on their ultra safe I-bonds

Someone said those dresses are heavy, is that true? I might try one myself if they are light enough to fit my packing criteria

@Janie1229 I like dress up too and contrary to popular advice if I am on a cruise only journey I bring jewelry. Years ago a Dallas Texas socialite told me when all else fails wear a scarf and big earrings, that advice has never failed me

It has been predictable for the last 12 months. I usually only book one cruise at a time. Right now I have a full slate, my idea was to lock in 2020/2021 prices. I locked air prices as soon as they became available too. Currently HAL and American do not have a fuel surcharge except as reflected in the fare. Aside from the frequent flight changes and airport turmoil, both of which I can adapt to I certainly enjoy the lower population density on the ships. Yes, you forego certain amenities and conveniences but as a bit of a crowd-phobic i can tolerate that also.

I was on the N. statendam in one of those cabins, loved it. 8197 and 8188 are smaller than the others. They have one less closet than the others the deck chair scraping is only very early around 6:30 - 7 am. It is only for a moment and not terribly problematic

It is included but it may show as a $44 package fee on you invoice. HAL will require you to talk to your TA about billing issues

. I do think if anyone is expecting a 2019 experience at airports, hotels, cruise ships, etc… will be disappointed. I understand peoples’ disappointment but going forward consider yourself forewarned. I do think the cruise line should refund for excursions that were part of the package deal and if I were in that group I would press HAL for a refund. You can easily look up the cost and demand that payment

See Terry’s post 47 on page 2

Call HAL and get them to buy you a flight. They will pay the additional costs. What stress!

Maybe this is the wrong forum but I find so many great sources here. I am thinking ahead to our Amazon trip. I have found light weight long pants for me but am having difficulty finding them for John. Mine are super lightweight, quick dry and with handy zip up pockets. Most of the athletic wear like Nike and Reebok is too heavy. I am looking for material about the weight of basketball shorts. Does anyone have recommendations? Thank you