MAVIP

Before sending your question, did you ever think about the route/means of transportation of your own suitcases to the ship?

That was/is a fact on ms Konngsdam and ms Rotterdam, so it seems to mee it will be the same on ms.s. Nieuw Statendam.

We booked NS April 29th. 2023. So, low season will be over by then 😉 Whatever I try, no possibility to book a shared transportation from the FCO. As you suggest, I will ask them.

Hello Ine, Can you tell me where the drivers meet passengers for the shared service? RFT only offers shared service from Fiumicino town (to Civi town or port). As we arrive at FCO in the morning we plan to go straight to a hotel in Civitavecchia and stay there the 2 nights before the cruise. Thank you!

Depending upon port? Not in Rotterdam anyway. We were immediately directed to the (what they named) the Presidents Club entrance . After that: just normal priority/Verifly LOL 🤣

Certification of health of imported and exported plants and flowers (vegetables, fruit etc) etc is usual in f.e. USA, Canada, EUrope, Japan, Australia and many other countries. The flowers and plants on board will undoubtedly have such Certificates. And...everything brought on board will leave the ship too in one way or another, like the flowers you and I bought on markets or flowershops "anywhere".

We absolutely did. Pity it takes another 6 months till next one.....

Or visit the Night Zoo. Quite special.

Colin, I have to tell you that it worked out perfectly. We now have enough US$ pocketmoney for our next HAL cruise and nor our bank nor the ECB profits this time 🤫. Thanks again, Lenny

We leave tomorrow.....and you remind me now that I always pack only one electric part of the toothbrushes. OK, pack another tube of toothpaste and another "electric appliance", Thanks for reminding me.

That's the fun of it: you donot have to. You just show the Verifly app in your mobile phone. (And before or after you show your passport).

Maybe the same as with many other companies: it seems that a lack of personnel is the reason everywhere. Fired and have other jobs amd I donot blame them (nor the companies that tried to survive.)

In the end of our cruise earlier this month, it seemed that not all advanced crew appreciation was used for that purpose and HAL refunded on our CC. If we have such result next weeks, I will ask for a cash refund on the last day; saves a trip to the city and bankcosts getting US dollars for next voyage..

September 10th I visited Guest Service o/b ms Rotterdam (I seldom do) to ask whether they could book the refundable $$ on both our statements to their next cruise October 2nd. They had no possibility to do that. And I never thought about a cash refund in dollars to be used at a future cruise to USA etc. Saves travelling to my favourite Amsterdam company for $$ plus %% for all "in betweens" and work for HAL too. I will remember your advise. Thank you very much!

That's clever, no exchange rates for the refundable amount. Pity I didnot realise this, Colin.

Just ask at a counter of the Rotterdam Centraal railway station about a returnticket for the whole family to Amsterdam. You do not mention how many of you (and which ages) wish to go to Amsterdam, otherwise I could have mentioned the total price. And.....Rotterdam is a very nice town....

You better ask a new layout on board. I forgot to ask for an actual layout during our cruise (till last Sunday). I will ask for it in October next as the actual layout (at least of the lower level) on this jpg has quite a few differences. And the layout differs too much from the NS or K. It seems to me that describing your Veendam situation will work out better than using those table numbers. Good luck!

In April/May 22 ms Rotterdam7 in three class V balcony cabins: no slippers. And we never had. And in September/October: no HAL bag either (but we have more than enough of those bags, but it would have been handy for carrying books etc around)

My reaction was based on @DaveOKC 's "people thinking they could take them home!". And of course I agree with your DH, I already used 5 Nespresso cups this morning and DH must have had at least the same 😉

I cannot believe a suite passenger is in need of a few pods/Nespresso cups, can you?

So next time you have to bring the smallest of the small Nespresso machines, the Essenza Mini; if HAL allows using them of course. 😉

Do you see on the photo in the middle the white hotel (Hotel from the movie "The Wave")? If you like chocolates etc you could enjoy a nice hot chocolate and buy delicious homemade "bonbons" in a little shop/café. Just walk from the pier to the exit between the 2 grey buildings and walk into a small street in the direction of that hotel. The chocolaterie is at your right hand site. 😋

Of course no problem at all; everybody was busy finding their taxidrivers. To my astonishment ours was driving with a private car plate and you can imagine what "officialdom" did. The driver told me by telephone we had to walk to his car. DH walking with 2 crutches and I with 3 suitcases and a trolly.....No dice. Never again this company. And: maybe we will meet again on another cruise. Greeting to you and Ellen from Joost and of course from Lenny

My experience in Geiranger: 1st: HAL tour to both sides of Geiranger, 2nd time: Geirangerfjord.no tour to both sides in small bus (12? seats), but they do not use that anymore, This year in May: the Panorama- exclusive bus. Good trustworthy company situated very close to the pier. and: the port is not a tender port for the 1st cruise ship of the day that pays for the Seawalk. The Seawalk is a perfect way to walk ashore from the ship to the pier. This is the situation that day for m.s. Rotterdam: M/S ROTTERDAM 29.09.2022 07:00 29.09.2022 17:00 Pos. 4B/SW and SW stands for Sea Walk. So, you will walk from the ship via the SeaWalk to the pier and drive from the pier to the SkyWalk with the Panoramic-exclusive bus. 😉

And the Frans Hals museum..... 😉