MAVIP

And calling might help in case cabins you would prefer are "in hands" of another HAL office/area. 

On 2/28/2023 at 3:59 PM, Swango said:

If one does not use their entire on board credit by the end of the cruise, does the unused balance carried over to one's next cruise, or is it lost?

In addition to the previous answers: if you do not know how to spend those remaining dollars: ask Guest Service to book it to the personnel/crew fund HAL has for special needs of members of the crew. I am so sorry that I donot remember the exact name of that fund. 

7 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

We had what looked like a stacked apple slice pastry at the Dutch Cafe  - Dec/Jan 2023- not quite a pie, not quite a cake, but it was very tall and full of apple slices.  Might have had a crust around it - top or bottom.

This is an example of how a dutch appeltaart looks like  

48 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Certainly do!  OP's deposit is AUD50 for 2, which is about €32 or €16 each.  Never seen an offer like that here.  Would jump on it if it was available.

 

However I am fresh out of FCD's so any further bookings will incur full deposits (normally 15%).  

Trying to persuade Ellen that we need a cruise in May/June to get a few FCD's. 😁

OK, Colin, I understand what you mean (and must admit that I did not realise the value of the AUD). It's like the offers in USA for deposits of even US$ 1. But what's comforting 😅with an FCD we get an OBC 🤑 which is not the case with that US$1 offer (I suppose). 

And we too spent the 2 x 3 FCD's we had and need to buy new ones in April on the NS.  In the meanwhile no new bookings for Joost and 

Lenny

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

In that case just crunch the numbers and go for it.

(Wish we got offered deposits like that!)

Don't you buy FCD's on board with USA conditions?

On 2/22/2023 at 7:18 AM, safarigal said:

Does anyone have a recommendation for a private tour guide for 4 people for the day in Holyhead? We would rather not take a coach tour if possible. Thanks!

www.busybus.co.uk    We booked with Busy Bus a Wales Tour from Holyhead in 2019  7 hours English pound 49 per person. Unfortunately because of very stormy weather we could not dock in H.  Received 100% refund from BB and I did not forget that. So, if ever ....etc.

4 hours ago, FreestyleNovice said:

 

You got the genuine Amsterdam taxi experience! 

Next time try Rotterdam as disembarkation port 😉

Tried to read all replies/discussions. Did I miss the line that you cannot earn more days than 1 per cruiseday?  Our HIA cruises in 2022 : 1 cruiseday +1 expenditure day. Generous, as always.

Bit it will be quite different if you disembark in IJmuiden.

8 hours ago, AJCM said:

Thanks MAVIP - with your info, I’ve just booked 2 9.00am tickets for late May.

 

I probably wouldn’t have bothered looking before late March, so I’m very happy to have an early start and hopefully beat the crowds.

You most probable will beat the crowds. Our chance is not a high as yours as we are on a B2B and I donot know whether we can disembark/transit early enough for a guided tour before 10:45. It will be our 4th visit of the Sagrada. We hope to be able to see the Sagrada finished in the years to come....

1 minute ago, joan&jen said:

Thanks. What I really meant to ask was if cabs from hotel to the airport are the best option?

OK port to hotel is a  different question for sure. I mean I saw somewhere on the website of the Barcelona airport that it is a fixed price for a taxi.  And very reasonable costs for Aerobus from airport to f.e. Plaça de Catalunya are (or were) € 5,90 per person. https://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/airport/transfers/transfers-barcelona-airport.html 

7 hours ago, joan&jen said:

We had previously done cabs which were pricey. Any other ideas?

shuttle to the Columbus monument and from there by metro and or bus. Of course all depending on the actual location of your hotel. If on the Ramblas it might even by: walking. 😉

We reserved a taxi in advance. You will need half a day in total. Perfect. Cab was waiting for us at maybe 5 minutes walk from the exit of the port. He brought us to Ephesus and waited at the outside untill our return hours later.... Price will be higher as it was 2015 and we paid €50.... No tickets etc included of course. .

4 minutes ago, JeffElizabeth said:

Agree. In 25 years of cruising on Holland,  we have only seen a handful of shows. Just not our thing. 

The shows of the Phillipine and Indonesian Crew were the only ones we attended....Lectures: as much as possible.

23 hours ago, MAVIP said:

About 2 months. I cannot book at this very moment a tour for May 6th, so I made a note to try again March 1st.

Quite special: I just looked again and May as well as  June can be booked....

20 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I still recall, a few years ago, waiting for the #82 bus (at Eze Bord/sur Mer) which never came.  We finally walked to a nearby cafe and called for a taxi (which eventually did arrive).  When we asked the taxi driver "what happened to the bus?" he just laughed and said the driver probably took a long lunch break!   As a lifelong independent traveler, we have learned to smile, keep our sense of humor, and always have a "Plan B."

 

Hank

Today"no bus at all if I am right: on strike and the French love that...

17 hours ago, sunlover5 said:

How far in advance is best to buy your tickets????

About 2 months. I cannot book at this very moment a tour for May 6th, so I made a note to try again March 1st.

And our 3 cruises disappeared too. I donot worry, HAL must be busy installing some update or maybe even a new programm....

14 minutes ago, MAVIP said:

 I never arrived at Villefranche by cruiseship (however we will in April next..), but normally Tourist Information will be nearby or present when you arrive.  

Bureau de Tourisme Nice etc.

Jardin François Binon - 06230 Villefranche-sur-Mer

04 93 01 73 68

www.explorenicecotedazur.com

info.villefranchesurmer@nicecotedazurtourisme.com

On 2/12/2023 at 10:27 PM, susannecw said:

We are thinking of doing the same, how did you get to Eze..I am trying to figure out how to get there..bus or cab??

Little problem is that you will arrive at Villefranche sur Mer and that Eze sur Mer is at sea level too. But Eze village is to be visited from the Moyenne Corniche (quite high up...).  See here https://www.lignesdazur.com/  choose the english language and look for the interactive map. Place of departure will be JMO (if tendering) Quai de l'Amiral Ponchardier. and place of arrival: Eze Village.  Including walking between bus stops, it will take at least 75 minutes. I believe bus #80 plus #82 will give the best connection from sealevel to the busstop at the Moyenne Corniche where you can wait for bus #82 to Eze Village.  At least you will see from the interactive map the winding roads uphill.....   I never arrived at Villefranche by cruiseship (however we will in April next..), but normally Tourist Information will be nearby or present when you arrive.  

4 hours ago, gbits said:

What company did you use if you recall?

No, I donot know, because the tours and that cruise itself were organised by our quality newspaper 😉 with the help of a dutch touroperator specialised in cultural voyages. 

I try to translate an excerpt of the tour:

from the border of Montenegro by small boat through the Street of Verige entering the Bay of Kotor. The small island in front of Perast is the 1st stop with a visit of the OLV (literally Our Dear Lady of the Rock) church from 1630. To Morinj for lunch in een beautiful restaurant in an old watermill. By bus a tour around the bay from Perast to Kotor. On foot through Perast (old palaces). In Kotor we walked through the walled center, visited the cathedral and a few squares. If you had enough energy left: up the stairs to the fortress (I did, but DH decided not to climb those stairs).   8 hrs excursion, incl transportation by bus and boat, entry tickets, lunch and a very good guide. in 2018 € 62 per person.....

Enjoy your cruise and excursions!

50 minutes ago, RTR 21-0 said:

1st time to Kotor in May and found a company that offers the following tours.  Which would you recommend for a 1st visit? 
 

1.  Perast & Kotor Shore - visit highlights of Boka Bay, Kotor old town and Perast with Our Lady of the Rocks Island. 

Thanks in advance. 

DH and I did (in 2018) a tour of the Bay of Kotor - Perast, Morinj & Kotor including the island with the church dating from 1630 of the Lady of  the Rocks. A tour of about 8 hrs.  We had a very interesting day in beautiful surroundings. Kotor is World Heritage, but without any doubt you know that.

On 2/10/2023 at 12:02 AM, gina2edu said:

Hello

sailing Sky Princess in August with stops in Haugesund, Skjolden/Sognefjord, Olden and Bergen. 

I have contacted several tour companies I found online for these ports and only one company has returned my emails.

any one have any luck with tour companies here? Any recommendations? thank you

Skjolden: I remember looking for excursions there (Tour to Jostedalbreen Jotunsheimen, Urnes Church, Feigumfossen) and we tried to contact a touroperator (turidvisitskjolden@gmail.com) by email and telephone. Finally we got the first answer from a business partner of the touroperator after 4 or 5 weeks.. Reason for not anwering: they have other jobs in wintertime and most (of the few!) inhabitants have a very bad/irregular internet connection or are on holidays themselves. 

Covid was the reason we would not cruise at all and we had to cancel the tour (cancelling caused no problems at all). If we will visit Skjolden during another cruise, I will not hesitate to contact them again.... 

On 1/30/2023 at 5:17 AM, irvington said:

Just thought I'd pick up on this rather than starting a duplicative thread. I will be there this summer with my sons who are in their 20s. We like art, history, walking around. ........ I noted the day trips by train mentioned above

Some more obscure requests: 

- one is interested in fashion, the other likes clothes resale shops. Neither has a ton of money to spend. Ideas?

- both of them like more contemporary art

- both enjoy going to parts of town that are a bit more geared to people ....

 

Thoughts welcome. Thanks in advance.

1. Pastoorstraat 18, Arnhem and  Derde Walstraat 83, Nijmegen, Fandm.nl   or
2. Wolvenstraat 7, Amsterdam, Lauradols.nl    or
3. Bilderdijkstraat 194, Amsterdam,  and Haarlemmerdijk 143, Amsterdam,   and  Grote Houtstraat 160, Haarlem, Jutkaenriska.com
4. IJsclubstraat 13, Rotterdam, and Moskesweg 2, Breda, Fleursdepot.nl   or
5. Nijverheidsweg-Noord 74, Amersfoort, Vintamersfoort.nl

I did not visit them myself, but I found the addresses in a newsletter of a respected dutch company (dutch railways: Nederlandse Spoorwegen). Maybe.....

23 hours ago, Gingerhdh said:

Hi. Can anyone confirm where the P&O shuttle drops you off in these 3 ports?  Many thanks 

If I understand your question well, you would like to know where the shuttle from the cruise terminal to town drops the passengers?  My answer for Rotterdam would be: cruise terminal in Rotterdam is so close to the town center that I cannot imagine a shuttle will be offered.