gxchan

The Hangar or Twisted Fish. Tracy’s gets good reviews (because it is good) but they serve the same King crab you can get in your local grocery store. It’s all frozen and it’s pricey. They do have fresh Dungeness.

 

There’s a new place opening downtown called McGivney’s Sports Bar that may be worth a look. Tracy from the crab shack is part owner.

We go to where the locals go and skip the tourist traps. Go to the Hanger on the Wharf. http://www.hangaronthewharf.com/home Great food, good beer and you can watch the float planes come and go. Tracy's is overpriced and a real tourist trap, I don't of any locals that go there.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have read reviews of both the Hangar and Twisted Fish and they are definitely on my list. I'm leaning toward the Hangar for dinner and maybe Twisted Fish for lunch. How far are they from where the ships dock? On past AK cruises I've seen cabs at/near the dock, so if it is a cab ride away that works.

Tracy's Crab Shack is awesome! :)

Hi Mary, thanks for the suggestion. I saw Tracy's Crab Shack on another site and it sounds great.

BTW, I really like Forks, WA. Great hiking, fishing, etc.

Looking for nice/fun restaurant in Juneau for dinner. Any suggestions?

I'm booking my airfare for a partial Panama cruise on Zuiderdam returning December 11. First time on HAL and first time sailing out of FLL. I'm arriving a few before the cruise but want to know what time I can expect to fly out of FLL.

Thanks,

There are stores and restaurants near Springhill Suites in Dania Beach. That hotel has a free shuttle to/from the airport, and a free shuttle to the cruise terminal.

Just want to check, this is a Marriott property, right?

Thanks!

I'm happy that the CC Hal Forum could give you a jump start on your planning.

 

Take full advantage of your verandah for Room Service Breakfast, especially early on Canal Day.

 

On Canal Day morning, stop by the pastry area across from the Lido Restaurant Beverage Station and pick up some Panama Buns (they are mixed in with the other pastries):

 

 

There should be a cooking demo in the Culinary Arts Center the day before the canal where you can see how the Panama Buns are made and get an advanced sample.

 

Ensure that you keep your stateroom curtains closed as the sun will heat up your furniture and overwhelm the A/C. I also recommend Kool Ties for your neck/wrists to stay cool.

 

A 50-inch round table cloth will fit your verandah table to add a bit of class to dining on the verandah. Don't forget some tablecloth clips.

Oh the Panama buns look delish! Great idea re the table cloth, I'll take one with clips. I do so love dining on the balcony and now will have a real table--no more using the tiny drink table, whoo hoo!

Any excursion suggestions?

Hello everyone. My DH and I just booked the Veendam from Boston to Bermuda for July 4th. We have never sailed this line. We have the anytime dining- do we need to get really dressed up for dinner? My DH wears business casual and I usually have a dress or capris.

Any other helpful info or tips would be highly appreciated! We are so excited but we do not know anything about Holland!:):):)

Thanks to all!

Thanks for posting this, I'm new to HAL, too, sailing 11/30/15 partial Panama cruise, and found the responses very helpful. Enjoy your cruise:)

Welcome to Holland America.

 

You can wear jeans and polo shirts with athletic shoes to dinner in the Main Dining Room on smart casual nights. No shorts.

 

Formal Nights require a jacket and tie for males. Since nobody cares about your feet, wear the same athletic shoes. There are usually jackets on a rack by the MDR door if you forgot to bring one.

 

You may also dress more formally if you wish.

 

You can also order the same meal served in the Main Dining Room on Formal Nights via Room Service and wear your bathing suits while dining on your verandah.

Hi Crew News! I found this thread in my research and am so glad I did! Thanks, as always, for the great info.

Hi All,

Thank you all so much for sharing, special big thanks to Crew News for the pics and menus:) I booked a Signature Suite--I absolutely love the Neptune Suite but since this is my first suite, I want to make sure I still have room to "grow":D I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of the OBC.

I'll be reading the HAL boards to collect more info on the ship and the canal, so I'm sure we will be chatting again.

We stayed in our first Signature Suite on the Zuiderdam in January for the Panama Canal. It was great. We stayed in the same suite last month in the Med. It had been refitted with new carpets and drapes.

here are pics of 6078 from the January cruise.

Thanks so much for the pictures. I'm really torn between the SS and the NS. Since I'm solo there is more than enough room in the SS but the perks that come with an NS are really attractive.

I love the SS suites , they are very similar to the Neptune suites just slightly smaller, loads of room and a great balcony and bathroom

This will be my first cruise with a bathtub! I can't wait, whatever cabin I book. How did you find the phone line to the concierge? I'm fairly low-key but sometimes a little extra help is much appreciated.

We did the same cruise last November on the Z and had a great time.

 

I know you are booking a Signature Suite, but if you can swing it, look into an Aft-Wrap Neptune suite, especially cabins 5190 or 5191 (both are still available for your cruise). Yes, it will cost you about $1000 pp more, but the experience of being in one of these two suites for the canal is fantastic! The veranda is HUGE - could hold 40 people! Plus, you can see the canal operations from the side as well as the aft.

 

Plus, the Neptune suites have more "perks" than the Signature suites - Neptune Lounge access, free laundry, priority boarding/tenders/disembarkation, VIP cocktail parties and daily breakfasts in the Pinnacle Grill.

 

Trust me, you will not regret spending the extra money on this.

Hi Dave, OMG, you made me look, LOL! I just looked at pics of cabin 5190 and it is incredible! I'm not certain I could ever "go back" after a cabin like that:D. Since I started cruising I've always gotten the largest balcony but have resisted going to a suite, mostly because I'm a solo cruiser and it just felt a little conspicuous. I'm getting over that, LOL Thanks for the excellent info.

Hi All,

I'm a longtime Royal Caribbean cruiser who is looking for a change of pace. I'm looking to book the 11/30/15 Caribbean/Panama cruise on Zuiderdam. Since it is my first Holland cruise and first partial canal, I've decided to go the Signature Suite. Actually, I'm just excited to be cruising again and want to splurge:) Any info on the ship, signature suite or the canal would be greatly appreciated. I know on Royal you get perks with a suite, anything similar on Holland.

Thanks in advance for your help.

There was a totally different area for Ds and above does that still exist.

There is a baggage check in for Ds and above and suite passengers and then there are two lines for check in, one for D and above and suite passengers, the second for everyone else. The lines are right next to each other and merge just before entering security. At least that is how it has been handled the last two years.

We are cruising next Saturday fro Puerto Rico on Adventure. Can anyone tell us what time boarding begging there since we don't sail till late. Also are the aft balconys really bad? We have one, and looking at available rooms on the ship still left ,most are aft. Is there a problem? Will our first aft balcony experience be a cruddy one?

Hi, I'm on the same cruise:) Only 5 days to go. I've sailed Adventure out of SJ the last couple of years and people start lining up to board as early as 9:30-10 am and boarding starts around 11 am. But the problem has been getting people off the ship, imagine that:) Two years ago I was on a B2B and there were still close to a thousand people still on board at 11 a.m. The ship kept making announcements that people had to leave but they didn't. Finally, security rounded them up and check in/boarding started around 12:30 It was much smoother last year but still people didn't start boarding until almost noon. Just a tip, the check in lines can be quite long and you will be standing outside, so bring water.

Don't know about today but I did a Med out of Barcelona a few years ago and it was probably 70% (I'm guessing that figure based on the people I met) Europeans. A lot were French but I met passengers from many European countries. It was great fun.

Thank you so much for replying its been so helpful and you've given me a great tip there about buying my package before i think ill wait until im on-board now :D I had joined CC and the more i red the worse i got i found i had to Google things like OBC lol so you really have made it much easier

You are welcome. The coolest part of being a first time cruiser, at least it was for me, was the excitement of something completely new and not really knowing what to expect. Were there a few surprises both good and not so good? Yes, far more good than not, but as in everything in life, live and learn.

Don't get bogged down, everything will work out just fine. Just bring a current passport and have a great time.

Having cruised on RCI for quite some time we have never heard of or met an assistant cabin attendant. On turn around day other Housekeeping staff as well as other ship employees who sign up for the detail do cabin cleaning chores along with the cabin stewards. I have not seen or heard of any cutback in that group.

 

Cabin Steward contracts have been 8 months for as long as I can remember.

 

I have had good luck in dealing with the immediate Supervisor of any steward who needed additional training. Once I did that the problem never reoccurred. Also have given Kudos to the same level supervisor as well as the Hotel Director when outstanding work and demeanor were observed.

Perhaps I have not been cruising on Royal as long as you, only since 2007, but there has regularly been, up until this year, a second person helping the cabin attendant who cleaned my cabin, taking out the trash while one vacuumed, cleaning the bathroom while one changed the bed. It may be that they are being helped by another cabin attendant and I assumed the other was an assistant. Even on last year's B2B on Adventure there was a second person helping Hekong John with cleaning my cabin most days.

As for the length of contract, I was accepting what another poster said about the contracts being extended.

Until my last cruise, I haven't felt the need to complain about bad/lack of service in a dozen cruises on Royal. In fact, I've been quite pleased with the service. But there were definitely more passengers saying their cabin attendant wasn't providing the service, as had been done in the past, as well as my unfortunate personal experience.

As I said, it was resolved and I didn't/won't dwell on it. I'm looking forward to returning to Adventure at the end of the year again.

HI So myself and my boyfriend are going on our first cruise in sept and im thinking of adding a drink package .I saw on the royal Caribbean site a new premium package that gives you beer wine cocktails and soft drinks eg coke ,orange etc it comes to €500 + for both of us for a week , i know we will probably have a drink every night but some more than others depending on activities the following day so i wonder is it good value or should we just pay as we drink lol.Does anybody know can this be payed before we go ? What do people normally do ? And if we didnt get the package what can we expect to pay per drink him mostly beer and spirits and me cocktails/spirits. I have also noticed you can pre book your table for dinner but on holiday we normally dont have a set time to eat is it a big deal to just go to dinner when you feel like it. And should you tip your barman/waiter everytime? Also how do we pay for drinks or special food i saw something abut an on board account ?Sorry for so many questions thers so much we are a bit lost on:o

Let me try and answer the easy questions first. You don't have to do traditional dining, set times, you can do My Time Dining, which allows you to arrange your own dining time in advance or walk up (there may or may not be a bit of a wait if you walk up).

Now for the harder ones:)

Tipping: There is a 15% "tip" on all beverages added to the bill. Some people tip at the end of the cruise, some during, some not at all. I put $1-2 (sometimes more depending on the total) on top of the 15% and tip my fav bartenders cash at the end of the cruise. Each day your seapass account will show $12 billed for tips for your cabin attendant, MDR waiters and others but bartenders/servers aren't listed as being part of that group. Again, some people tip their cabin attendants more, some don't. I don't have an opinion on what other people do, it is their business.

All payments (charges) on the ship will be billed to your seapass card, so no need for cash on the ship unless you prefer to tip extra in cash. You should check your seapass account on the tv to (a) make sure you are in budget and (b) for any charges that may not be yours.

Drink Packages: Much harder to answer. On my last cruise my fav bartender was saying the drink package break point could be met if you have a couple bottles of water during the day, juices, a few beers and other drinks. I think the total count was 10 drinks per day. I always have a healthy bar bill at the end of a cruise and while I may save some money buying a drink package, it doesn't include the champagne I like (which drives my bar bill up), so at the end of the day I may pay more but I get exactly what I want. I also don't drink fruity drinks but if I did, the package may be worth it just so I could try different ones.

Yes, you can pre-order the drink package before you board or buy it the first or second day of the cruise. You will be billed for each day of the cruise even if you buy it on the second day, meaning you'll have paid for the first day without any benefit.

You can also pre-book your excursions through the ship, if you wish.

I would highly suggest you join the CC roll call for your cruise. There will probably be a lot of veteran cruisers who can answer questions about cruising, Royal Caribbean and the ports you will be visiting. It is also a great way to meet people you will be cruising with, join group activities, including independent tours, etc.

Have a great cruise.

On Adventure last Nov/Dec was the first time that I ever complained about any kind of service I have received. Usually, if things go a bit wrong, I just move on or find a work around like with the less than clean bathroom—Clorox wipes. But the first day on Adventure I dropped my carry-on off at the cabin and didn’t return until shortly before muster. My cabin attendant scolded me for not getting there earlier saying he had been waiting for me, which I thought was odd.

When I travel I require a medical refrigerator for medications and had requested one for this cruise and the cabin attendant told me there were none on the ship, which I knew to be untrue. He insisted there were no medical refrigerators on the ship at all and he would take my medicines and return them to me as necessary, a completely unacceptable solution. Finally, he agreed to check the linen supply area. When I exited my cabin less than two minutes later he at the next cabin but said he had checked the linen supply area and that there were no medical refrigerators on the ship. After muster I went to Guest Services and asked for the medical refrigerator which was delivered. When I returned after dinner, the cabin attendant told me he setup the med refrig. It was in the middle of the cabin on the glass coffee table with the electric cord stretching across the walk space to the plug, as opposed to putting it under the knee-hole in the vanity, as has been done on every other cruise. Rather than ask him to move it and have yet another unpleasant exchange, I moved it myself.

Day two I didn’t need my cabin cleaned or additional supplies and put the do not disturb sign out. I asked the cabin attendant to leave any notes/daily planner in the clip above my cabin number, he agreed. That night there was a note from the ship but no daily planner. The next morning when I asked him about it he told me to check inside my cabin because he was sure I took it in there and “put it down somewhere.” I was shocked and asked him to repeat what he said and he said the same thing. There was cart in the hallway with a stack of daily planners, he could have easily just given me one but instead he was saying he had left one the night before and I should go look for it!

Off to Guest Relations I went and by coincidence the Executive Housekeeper walked up at the same time. I explained to her what had been happening and she said, “He is arguing with you!” She was very kind and apologized and had him switch my cabin with another cabin attendant so the other cabin attendant would clean my cabin, who by the way was excellent.

I want to make it clear that the crew and officers on Adventure are the best, always helpful, pleasant, fun/funny and professional. It is why I’m booked for my third B2B on Adventure at the end of this year. BTW, last year on Adventure I had the absolute best cabin attendant ever! Big thanks to Hekong John!

I wouldn't let one incident taint my cruise or feelings about Adventure or its crew. But others on the cruises also had complaints about their cabin attendants so I wonder about Royal's decision to remove assistant cabin attendants, extend the length of cabin attendant contracts, etc., as it does seem to have a negative impact on both their own employees and their customers. Doesn't sound like good business to me.

:):)Sailing March 9-16 out of San Juan.

 

Can anyone tell me the times of the ice show ,so I can arrange a time for dinner ????/and.... can it be done on line ??

 

THanks ::)

I don't think ice show tickets can be reserved in advance of sailing except if you are in a suite. At least that is my understanding. As for show times, we didn't dine in the MDR except a couple of times in two weeks and I don't keep the daily sheets.

I was on Adventure B2B Nov/Dec 2013. The crew setup three tables across from the Promenade Cafe around 9 a.m. on the second day of each cruise and people lined up to get tickets for the dates/times they wanted. There were also tickets available after that at Guest Relations, no need to stand in line, they were sitting off to the side. Finally, many people just showed up without tickets and weren't refused admission.

As another poster noted, going to the ice shows later in the week is better b/c everyone rushed to see the first shows and Studio B was packed but not so much later in the week.

I LOVE Adventure, it is a great ship, great itineraries and the most amazing crew. Have a wonderful time.

I love being mid-ship for the convenience, hump cabin or not. But when possible, I book a hump cabin. I like being able to see forward or aft but mostly I book a hump (on Voyager class ships) for that little bit of extra space. I need a medical refrigerator when cruising and it is installed under the vanity where the chair goes, so the chair has to be moved somewhere else in the cabin or removed completed. With the hump cabin I can put the chair in the extra space and move it out to the balcony for an extra seat when I have friends over. And, yes, with three chairs on the balcony it can be a little crowded:rolleyes: Below is the pic of the the extra space from my hump cabin on Mariner.

I think a lot has to do with the LA on a particular ship. In 2012 on a B2B on Adventure I accumulated enough points three days into the first cruise to become Diamond and talked to the LA about the changing level for the second week. I didn't expect and she confirmed that levels could not be officially changed during a cruise but she offered to give me a sticker changing my card identification level to Diamond but no other perks would be given for the first week. I passed on the sticker. She took all my info and the following week my new card had Diamond on it and I was given all the perks. She had also contacted C&A re the difference in balcony discount and they credited the difference back to my credit card.

Thanks to the OP for opening up this discussion and big thanks to Jake the Great and all others who have provided such valuable info. I always buy med/evac insurance and hoped for the best. Now I have a better understanding of what potential costs might be, how it works, etc.