MAVIP

I remember expecially the 6 weeks in 2019 with quite a few tender ports spent on the ms Rotterdam VI.

OK, I agree of course that those "posts" do not appear on the on board statements.

By telephone or in person: yes, but not the last week or so, because everything availiable for booking was fully booked. Walk-in: only once waiting with a pager and other nights just a little waiting time before being seated. They obviously keep quite a few tables available for walkin/open seating purposes. JMO: and are right doing that, because quite a few passengers (we too..) like to be free in their choice.

yes they do. DH has cigarette buying daughter on the phone right now and he will ask her the country of production. $50 per box of 10 packets and 4 boxes for the price of 3. Answer: produced in USA by Philip Morris in Richmond. An tell your DH to quit smoking (we both did in 1986 together and it almost cost our marriage 😉 After 6 months: Healthy and happy and a few kilograms more).

Before Covid HAL had a different meeting place for priority passengers and we asked which room we had to go now. Answer: just show the roomkey with the stars. More efficient too.

Prebooking "in person" or by telephone is the best and still only way we were told.

See #45 if you look very very well you could see that it was open for the Mariners lunch from 12.30 to 13.30. To be honest I looked in my own WHen and Where to check the exact hours. In May it was 12:00 to 13:00 if I remember well.

Maybe good to mention that disembarking at certain ports is restricted because of (lacking of) immigration and customs possibilities.

Was always a problem and the reason that HAL had signs with: "the Line starts here"). I didi not see them anymore on the Rotterdam in May and last few weeks... Many new (cruise-)passengers from seem not to understand a "line system". (And as I noticed: quite a few different nationalities....).

Every cruise our prebooked reservations for dinners and excursions were counted for the "extra days" UP TO the $ 300 per day. (SO: Hiring Private car AND buying a nice handbag or jewel in the evening IMO: 1 day extra).

Thanks! I agree with your observations. Luckily it was only a part of the passengers.

Nespresso espresso coffee or Lungo or ristretto comes in 1 lot of different pods/qualities/coffee mixtures of arabica out of different countries and Robusta. We use them the last 25 years at home. In the morning we drink lungo's (simply said: more water and other pods than used for espresso's). My husband prefers another coffee mixture than I do. Later in the morning or after a meal espresso or ristretto. Special pods for cappuccino. In my opinion more than a few types/tastes should be available on board. If you are interested: https://www.nespresso.com/nl/en

Unused I hope?

I agree.

IMO not much of a difference in price for hiring a bus from AMS or RTM cruise terminal. Kilometers are of less importance than personnel and the bus itself. It is a long time ago, but I hired buses myself a few times. No difference whether we used them the whole day in the neighbourhood or driving to a neighbouring country.

peanuts.

One mistake in your text is enough for me not to look for more. This is text concerning the tax to be paid in Amsterdam: "Sea cruise ship C moors at Passenger Terminal Amsterdam with 3,000 TURNAROUND passengers who disembark the same day and for whom Amsterdam is the end of the cruise. Before the passengers leave for Schiphol Airport, they visit Amsterdam. On the same day, another 3,000 passengers come on board for whom Amsterdam is the start of their cruise. You'll have to file a declaration but do not have to pay Day Tourist Tax. Explanation: This example involves only TURNAROUND passengers. Day Tourist Tax is charged only for TRANSIT passengers. "

No, you donot miss anything. Maybe that it has to be booked a number of days before sailingdate. And HAL asks you to mention the arrival flight. (Maybe someone knows the importance.)

Just because you said this (and no other reason): "They didn’t mention any financial compensation but we don’t expect any. " You already noticed that they did mention a financial compensation. That's all 😉

Did you open the letter of HAL? In that letter they explain why all systems still mention AMS.

Please be kind enough to open that e-mail properly. That letter IS in the e-mail. AND you will receive US$ 50 per persoon OBC too. All of course IF you booked definitely one of the cruises concerned, betweeen now and October 2nd.

ss Randfontein , vessel of VNS, after fusion Nedlloyd. (No Holland Amerika Lijn)

The 3 on the right are ss. Rotterdam, ss Statendam and ss Nieuw Amsterdam. I have them too. I received them as a present from Holland Amerika Lijn Rotterdam between 1962 and 1965.

Always check after a good nights sleep.....

It is quite a long time ago that ours were created, but if I remember well it is created at the 1st booking. I just checked and it was on our first boarding pass of HAL. You must have a booking number now and with that booking number etc you can consult your online HAL account. Mariner numbers of everybody in the same booking are in the HALaccounts.