CvilleJane

Just off the Nieuw Statendam last Saturday and we had the Quench Beverage Package. It included cans of soda, premium coffee, juices, mocktails and 12 oz water in a can (sparkling and still) with a 15 drink daily limit -- no beer. Also, it did not include the fountain machine with the souvenir cup, only cans of soda. Have a great cruise!

We were on that sailing and as a parent with a 15-year-old that was onboard, I'm glad to hear that you thought the kids were well-behaved 🙂 We felt the same with your summary -- I just posted one under  the "Nieuw Statendam" thread!

We just got back from the March 4th 7 day Eastern Caribbean on the NS. Overall excellent sailing, clean and beautiful ship with the same excellent service. It was a sold out cruise and was nervous about feeling packed-in or that service would be less than what it has been in the past. Thankfully we didn't find that to be the case. This was our 5th HAL cruise and our first sold out sailing. I will say that I agree with some previous posters about cups and plates lingering a little bit longer around the pools. But that was mostly at the beginning of the sailing when the sea day was the first day. I didn't feel like there wasn't enough crew for the number of people on board -- same excellent service but maybe with less time for a friendly chat. I would say the only exception to this would be the bars. It did take a while to get a drink. They definitely could have used more people behind the bars and servers around the busy pools. 

We have been sailing on HAL with our son since he was 8 and he loves it. We've done one Disney cruise for reference, and he of course loved that too, but interestingly, he likes Holland better. He's pretty athletic and has really enjoyed the pickle ball, ping pong and basketball tournaments (my husband has enjoyed this too). The teen club offered to curate some activities for the teens, but they mostly were at the sports court. I'm sorry to read that on an earlier cruise in February the kids/teens were not behaving. I didn't notice that on our cruise (hopefully no one else did either!). Our son had some great interactions and conversations with some senior ladies and gentlemen which as a parent I appreciate and value that opportunity and experience. 

I don't remember the exact number of guests on board but around 3100 is what I think I heard. There were several kids but we did hear this this current sailing was expecting "a ton" and it sounds like that's the case. I also noticed more young adults, too, on this sailing. Embarkation was definitely the most busy I've ever seen it and I'm wondering if that is because people come ahead of their scheduled time? We were Club Orange so we had priority embarkation and were thankful for it. 

We ate our breakfasts and dinners in the Club Orange space and they were all good to very good with an occasional excellent dish. We only had to wait five minutes for breakfast one morning and 20 minutes for dinner one evening (that was on the night we went earlier to catch a program). We did find the portion sizes to be much smaller but they were happy to let you order more than one appetizer or entree which made my 15 year old happy. Lunch was a Lido pick up and we did one night in Tamarind which was excellent as always.

Not sure if helpful, but I think someone was asking about happy hour. The Daily Program listed it daily from 3-4p in Billboard Onboard and 25% off all listed cocktails, wine by the glass, beers and entry level spirits. It seemed like most people had the Have it All package on our sailing which also explained Pinnacle being mostly booked up each evening. If you have an upcoming sailing and want a reservation at Pinnacle before 8:30 or 9p, I would recommending pre-booking.

Completely agree with one poster who is on the current sailing that the lead male vocalist in BB King's is outstanding. The ensemble was first-rate. We had two comedians, Leonard Chan and Alvin Williams. We didn't see the first but Alvin Williams was very funny. We also watched Unity, a four-person vocal group comprised of theater and broadway vocalists. They were very good. The other show we watched, which I think the Cruise and Travel Director, Gage Griffin (who is excellent), said was being done only for the 3rd time, was A City on the Sea: A Behind the Scenes Look at Life Onboard. From the Captain, to the Head Chef, Hotel Director and other cameos, it was very informative, well done and I would definitely recommend it. The movies by the pool were Black Adam, Devotion, The Fabelmans, and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.

Apologies for my long post -- I wanted to try to summarize our week in case helpful for anyone with an upcoming cruise on NS!

29 minutes ago, habitatnal said:

Grand Turk requires everyone 18 and older to be vaccinated in order to get off the ship at Grand Turk.

Apologies if my reply confused anyone. I was answering the question if the cruise itself had any vaccination requirements or testing requirements to embark. When I put in our confirmation number, hollandamerica.com says:

Vaccination Requirements

• We highly recommend all guests be up to date on their vaccination status. Vaccinations, however, are not required.

Testing Requirements

• Guests are not required to take a COVID-19 test prior to embarkation.

I agree with your thought -- that to board and stay on the ship, you do not need to be vaccinated or take a pre-cruise test. If you get off the ship, that will be country-specific according to their guidelines and you may need to stay aboard if you are not vaccinated (or you may need to take a covid test to if you want to disembark). 

In March of last year I don't remember showing vaccine card to anyone at any of the ports, including Grand Turk -- but I guess they could have asked any of us to see it.

1 hour ago, FlaMariner said:

 

So you are going to use Verifly if the cruise does not require any Covid documentation?

 

I do not understand the purpose of Verifly if Covid documentation is not required.  Could someone enlighten me as to what I am not understanding?

I hope to have a better understanding if VeriFLy is the way to go after Saturday. Not handing over passports, IDs, boarding passes, etc, since it's all pre-approved in the app is my main incentive for using it this year. From what I remember of last year's experience with it, we got into a separate, shorter line and used a manned kiosk to scan our QR code and went to the next kiosk maybe for a photo and then waited a couple of minutes before our group being called to embark. 

With regard to the number of reservations showing on one device's app -- we have three in our family and once I typed in our reservation number, all three of us appeared and you go through their checklist to check off what's needed to board. Very user-friendly. 

59 minutes ago, habitatnal said:

Does your cruise have any testing or vaccination requirements?

None -- I keep checking, and now daily in case it changes. We stop in Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas, and Half Moon Cay.

We used VeriFly last March for our Caribbean cruise which included documentation of vaccine and pre-cruise test. It made for a super quick and easy check-in process at the terminal. We're planning to use it again this year. The app had us search our cruise by reservation/confirmation number, add a headshot, optional to add vaccine record which we did, and then complete the health assessment which I think we do on hollandamerica.com within 72 hours of sail date which should then sync with our cruise details on the app. Very easy to use and I'll be interested to see if it's a timesaver at the cruise terminal in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday.  

Our son started cruising on HAL at 9 and has always enjoyed the kids club. We go in the beginning of March for spring break and over winter break and there have always been kids on board (not a lot). But it’s such a perfect mix of kids club time and family time. We’ve done Disney and that was his favorite with the non stop entertainment, kids club activities and tons of kids hang out with, but we left that holiday feeling like we needed a vacation from our vacation. It was a great cruise, but exhausting. Agree with another poster that if your children are used to kids clubs on other ships, Club HAL could definitely seem quieter and less exciting. My son is now 15 and hasn’t had much interaction with the teen club, but he still very much enjoys Holland America. Nightlife on the ship is limited, but we enjoy the overall relaxing vibe to the week. 

We just disembarked from our March 6 sailing on the Nieuw Statendam and had the Quench Package. It did include “smoothies”, BUT, it wasn’t a homemade smoothie. It was the daiquiri mix they use. At least that was all we were offered and told was available. 
 

*Forgot to add that the welcome card in our stateroom said unlimited non-alcoholic drinks for our Quench Package. A little confusing as the website said up to 15. We didn’t come close to unlimited let alone 15. 

@iflyrc5 Thank you for your almost live postings. We were on that last cruise with you, Mar 6, and your insight and knowledge were incredibly helpful — from boarding, to COVID test taking, masks, # of passengers, protocols, etc. All super helpful and much appreciated! 

We received the below email from HAL three days before our March 6 cruise. We did use Verifly and there was a separate line that did go faster than the line for guests who did not use Verifly. I will say that there wasn't a huge difference in time for guests without Verifly, BUT, we were at the terminal early, around 11am, for our noon boarding time, and our cruise had about 1500 passengers, so not a full sailing. I would think going forward, Verifly will be a great time saver. Plus you don't have to get all of your documents. 

March 3, 2022
 
Dear Valued Guest,
 
We look forward to welcoming you on board Nieuw Amsterdam for your upcoming cruise (voyage J221).
 
We’re excited to pilot a program on select sailings, including your voyage, using VeriFLY, a new tool to help speed your check-in process at the terminal. VeriFLY is a secure, free, digital health “wallet” application that helps vaccinated guests easily and securely submit their negative COVID-19 test results, vaccination records, and required pre-cruise health survey. Completing these tasks before you arrive at the port will make your embarkation a faster and more seamless experience.
 
How to Use VeriFLY
Visit our website for information or follow these steps to get ready for embarkation: 

1.      Download the VeriFLY app at
Apple App Store
Google Play

2.      Create Your Account
Enter your first and last names as they appear on your booking
Provide your email address
Take and upload a picture of your face

3.      Add Holland America Line to Your Trip
Tap the search icon and look for Holland America Line

 Add us to your trip
Provide the six-character booking number and the corresponding last name for each booking you want to manage

4.      Upload and Answer
Upload your proof of COVID-19 vaccination
Upload negative COVID-19 test results by 11:59 PM the night before embarkation
Complete health assessment within 72 hours before sailing after submitting proof of COVID-19 vaccination and COVID-19 test results
Once all tasks are completed and required documents are approved you will see “ready to sail” or “checklist complete” and you’re ready for expedited check-in at the terminal!
 
As a reminder, if you completed the VeiFLY process you must have your VeriFLY pass with you and look for the VeriFLY signs upon entering the terminal at your scheduled check-in time (found on your Holland America boarding pass). We will have a special expedited path for you to follow. Please note that all guests in your party must have completed the VeriFLY process to use this line.
 
All guests, including those that have completed the VeriFLY process, must bring their travel documents, original proof of vaccination, and physical or digital copy of COVID-19 test results to cruise check-in.
 
Please note that you must still complete the mandatory items on the Navigator app or  Online Check-In, such as the the Cruise Contract, COVID-19 Risk Acceptance, and COVID-19 Vaccination Attestation in order to obtain your boarding pass. If you do not complete the VeriFLY process, you must also complete the Health Questionnaire at least 24 hours in advance of embarkation.
 
Thank you so much for choosing us for your cruise vacation, and we can’t wait to see you.
 
Warm Regards,

Holland America Line

We’re cruising with Holland America in the beginning of March and have signed up for a four hour sportfishing (for yellow fin tuna and wahoo) excursion aboard Lucky 7, a 46 ft cruiser in Kralendijk, Bonaire. Just wondering if anyone has done this excursion before? I’m not seeing any reviews, and with a price of $240 pp, I’m hoping it lives up to the expense. My husband and I have done a half day fishing trip in Bermuda and enjoyed it. My 14 year old son likes to fish, but we’re all novices. Many thanks for any feedback and information you may have. 

On 2/11/2022 at 5:45 PM, tennisbeforewine said:

In answer to a question about pickle ball and wind, John said that it depends on the location of the court.  Since this court is a bit sheltered, he said today was the first time they noticed any wind problem.  On the (old) Amsterdam, the court was right at the top of the ship, so wind was almost always a problem.  It also depends on the location of the ship, since mid-ocean can be pretty windy.  Hope that helps.

Definitely helpful! Many thanks for your kind reply!

May I ask, is the wind a factor when playing pickleball? We're on the NS in March and love to play. It's on the sports deck, right? I'm enjoying reading along and many thanks!  

We’re a family of three with a 6th grader, have done 3 HAL cruises (about to do our 4th) and one Disney. Couldn’t agree more with everything you said! After one week on Disney, I felt like I needed a vacation from my “vacation”. HAL allows us to spend better time together as a family, our son LOVES Club HAL, and at the end of the week, we walk off the ship relaxed and renewed. Thanks for sharing your great review!

I'm wondering why HAL, Princess and Carnival haven't added South Korea, N. Italy and Iran on their list of places traveled from or through like Celebrity and Royal Caribbean? I head out the 8th on Zuiderdam and haven't seen anything yet. Thanks for sharing! 

I didn't think that I would be someone who would wear a lanyard. But I took everyone's advice and have used them on our past two cruises, and plan to wear it on our upcoming cruise in March. My husband, son and I all wear them and find them to be incredibly convenient. Everything is tied to your room card, so I have that along with my driver's license (so we can get back on the ship) and a credit card (if we're going into port). It's been especially great for my 10 year old to have a lanyard -- the room card is with him at all times and no chance of it getting lost. I do use a small clutch for nicer dinners and leave the lanyard in the room in the evenings, but otherwise you'll see us with them on. For reference, I wear a Vera Bradley lanyard with matching ID Case. My husband uses a super plain black 'leather' one, and my son is just old enough where he's aged out of the fun Star Wars or Ninja Turtles ones, so I've gotten him one similar to my husband's, but in blue.

Link to Vera Bradley Lanyard (similar style to mine): https://smile.amazon.com/Vera-Bradley-Lanyard-Tutti-Frutti/dp/B00FPC1V42/ref=pd_sim_309_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00FPC1V42&pd_rd_r=B8KV2SYDPXXNG45VJWYH&pd_rd_w=GLj9F&pd_rd_wg=NnQ3K&psc=1&refRID=B8KV2SYDPXXNG45VJWYH

Link to my husband's lanyard: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B015PAYR1C/ref=sxr_rr_xsim_4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3008523062&pd_rd_wg=lWN3I&pf_rd_r=1QC3011WA3R75B9Y0ZG9&pf_rd_s=desktop-rhs-carousels&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B015PAYR1C&pd_rd_w=Shzjz&pf_rd_i=black+lanyard+with+id+holder&pd_rd_r=b3c9ea81-f3ca-4263-b123-3251a0e9c2c7&ie=UTF8&qid=1515971107&sr=4

Link to my son's lanyard: https://smile.amazon.com/Bird-Fiy-Vertical-Leather-Lanyard/dp/B01CGQA852/ref=sr_1_4?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1515971107&sr=1-4&keywords=black%2Blanyard%2Bwith%2Bid%2Bholder&th=1

We're going on the Nieuw Amsterdam in March to the Caribbean and I've been using Carnival's web site to do my shore excursion research. Carnival has a ton a reviews and pictures so I can MUCH better determine if this is an excursion that my family will enjoy and if it will be worth the money. Then I switch back over to HAL to book, if needed. I find the EXC Tours info to be less informative, less user friendly and less visually appealing.

We've only been to Half Moon Cay once and to Disney's Castaway Cay once, and I think that Half Moon is quieter, more relaxing and more beautiful. For reference, we're a family of three with one child who was 8 at the time. We tendered off the ship around 9:30-10a-ish (no line) and went directly to the beach. We didn't do an excursion, but we did rent ONE clamshell (a tent like cover over TWO beach chairs) and we were so glad we did. It wasn't the heat so much, as it was early April, but the island did get one of those afternoon showers that quickly blew over. It was AWESOME to have the clamshell for the three of us to stay dry along with our belongings! If I'm remembering correctly, there were plenty of chairs, but no umbrellas. You would need to rent the clamshell for shade, etc. There were definitely restrooms and they also provided a buffet lunch, which was included, that was quick and easy. It's such a beautiful beach, and my son loves the ocean so I can't imagine staying on the ship, but there were definitely those who had been to Half Moon several times and chose to stay onboard.

We are a family of three and getting ready to go on our 3rd cruise in March. I used packing cubes on both of our previous cruises and would definitely recommend them. I got ours at Land's End during one of their 40% off sales -- 2 sets for each of us (sm, med, lg) in different colors (black, blue, purple). Once we got to our cabin, they went directly from the suitcase to the shelf (we each have our own shelf) in the closet, stowed the luggage under the bed and in no time we were off exploring the ship. With so little drawer space, the cubes were invaluable in helping to keep our clothes stay organized throughout the week. I also have Eagle Creek Packing cubes and would recommend those as well.

Land's End packing cube link: www.landsend.com/products/everyday-packing-cubes/id_302717?sku_0=::63R

Eagle Creek packing cube link: https://shop.eaglecreek.com/packing-organizers-view-all/l/330