sailorgirl

Kitty, where is Riviera and where was the bad storm>. Stay safe!

As for the high seas first night out, I'd suggest a Bonine  just prior to sailing.  Should take care of any possible motion sickness and it lasts for about 24 hours.  Doesn't make me drowsy either.  

Neptune, of course!  Sometimes the suites are on the Navigator deck.  Thanks for the info.  We always enjoy breakfast at the Pinnacle - the ones with windows!!

Is it still an amenity for Navigator Suite passengers to be offered breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill?

But Deck 10 means you have to go upstairs to the lounge. Depends upon how often you think you might be needing or enjoying using the lounge. We always stick with Deck 11 for the convenience.

Wow, that was quick! Thanks.

Is the does code more relaxed? Can young men (older teenagers) wear khaki shorts with collared shirt to dinner?

Congrats on getting the Neptune Suite. It and its perks are why we sail on HAL. SA will most likely be mid-ship and very close to the Neptune Lounge. SB will be the same suite either forward or stern. That's my take on it.

So far boarding is delayed. Even suites not allowed on yet and no idea when. Noon here.

from the linked page:

As far as the limitations, when using the ship's cell service it might be available any time the cell service is on, ie "at sea", since the sat link is always connected via the same ground station.

 

for Charles4515 - I believe the plan you are talking about is International Day Pass Plan which does not work with the ship's cell tower.

Yes, it's my understanding the $10 a day plan is for countries - not on the cruise ship.

Is it up to the passenger to keep a running tally of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to ensure (s)he doesn't go over the magic number of 15, or does one get a charge slip indicating how many have been consumed that day?

We had that package once. Never got to the 15! Wouldn't worry about it unless you have a real problem! No charge slips though.

I keep running across posts on other threads about the typical passenger on Holland America cruises. This morning I saw one that referred to HAL ships as "floating nursing homes". DH and I are retired and in our early 70's. We'd rather tour and attend lectures than stay up late for the disco. We're too old to burn the candle at both ends, but we're not escapees from a nursing home.:evilsmile: Would we fit in?

Late 70s. Husband goes to gym. We attend lectures and shows. Daily walk the promenade deck. Go on excursions. But go to bed early so that we can indeed enjoy all those activities the next day.

Will a classic vodka martini (vodka, vermouth with olive) be free under the signature beverage package?

Yes, and we even had doubles. They just considered it two drinks each. It is darn hard to get through 15 drinks day!

Why is dressing for Gala nights a "pain in the neck"? Today's dressier fabrics are very light weight, comfortable and easily packable. Not sure why this would be a problem.

Well, Gala is the replacement word for formal and - if you want to go by their rules - that at least means a suit and tie and dress shoes for men and a long or fancy dress for women which means special shoes and accessories. Suitcase space takers. Such a reason took us over to Oceania for their country club casual dress code and keeps us going back for their exceptional food. Still cruising HAL for the itinerary and wonderful Neptune Suite and lounge. And I do understand that some people love the opportunity to get all dressed up on a cruise. Wonderful for them, not us.

It would make it easier to do that if we didn't have those pain-in-the-neck "Gala" nights to dress for.

I would not consider cruising without a balcony/verandah. I spend a great deal of time enjoying reading, eating, napping and watching the sea go by. Only once or twice in over 20 cruises has a neighbor been a bit disturbing. Another point is that I need to be able to walk outside for fresh air. It might even be a claustrophobic thing. My husband just accepts that the extra fare is part of the deal when we cruise.

Thanks, all. As usual, I got some very good info through Cruise Critic!

Oh phooey! Seems that Zuiderdam hasn't gotten any of the upgrades. Maybe they are doing it alphabetically! LOL

Anyone on Zuiderdam now and do you have dueling pianos?

I've got Luggage Forward and Luggage Concierge now. Both of them do international. I'll check but I'm afraid it'll end up being extremely expensive.

Yes that's a great service HAL is offering but I don't think it pertains to international cities and shipping directly to your home. I know there is some sort of white gloves service that does this.

Specifically, we are arriving in Copenhagen on Zuiderdam and visiting a friend for the weekend before flying home. Would love to be able to ship our two big bags home and just take a couple of carry on bags with us on our visit and return flight. Anyone know of such a service with HAL or an independent company?

We are recently off Eurodam and our favorite entertainment was the dueling pianos on the Music Walk. We're doing a T/A on Zuiderdam in April and wondering if they have that great entertainment as well. Zuiderdam has not had dry dock improvement yet, I know that.

We are recently off Eurodam and our favorite entertainment was the dueling pianos on the Music Walk. We're doing a T/A on Zuiderdam in April and wondering if they have that great entertainment as well. Zuiderdam has not had dry dock improvement yet, I know that.

There was a selection of wines just under $8 every evening in the main dining room. We were able to find something we enjoyed.