bajae

Per a Facebook post from someone on the ship. They are replacing a stern thruster that takes 30 hours to replace, thus an overnight stay.

That is my plan as well for my Hawaiian cruise. Three or four days early and if all is well, I'll enjoy San Diego for these days. If not, I have time to drive there if needed.

I have a few pairs of Rothy’s and I love them. I haven’t taken them on a cruise yet but I plan to on my next one. They say you can add an insole if you need more support but I haven’t tried. I have walked quite the distance wearing them but I do try to avoid that if possible since they aren’t that comfortable for that long of a walk. However, they are the most comfortable pair of flats I have owned. I also love that they are washable. My black pair has probably gone through the washer 20+ times and they still look great. My daughter has wide feet and she finds they don’t work for her.

I read that it was possible to get one star status if you had another cruise under another of the Carnival lines. I thought I would share that I was able to do this. I emailed the Mariner’s society. I provided both our Mariner’s numbers, and the information about our cruise (Carnival Conquest, Western Caribbean, and dates sailed). I heard back in minutes and we had one star status. Obviously no days but at least I should get a tile, fingers crossed.

I found this interesting. Looking at the cabins on the lower promenade, deck 3, of the Zaandam (looks like it is the same with the Volendam). The deck plan provided by HAL has a different ordering of cabin numbers for the interior rooms verses the numbers for actually booking your room. So when looking to book a cabin, the cabins are listed in numerical order: 3340, 3343, 3344, 3347, 3352, 3355, 3356. But the deck plan has them in this order: 3340, 3344, 3343, 3347, 3352, 3356, 3355 I am assuming the deck plan is the correct numbering since the direction the cabin doors open follows the usual numbering that cabins on starboard side are odd numbered and cabins on port side are even. But this should mean that the person who books cabin 3356 thinking it only shares one wall with another cabin will be surprised when they show up and find they are actually nestled between two cabins. One would think this error should have been noticed by now and corrected.

To expand on this, one per type of bonus. I have both the education and military bonuses on my booking.

We will also be on a Christmas cruise and I am concerned about bringing decor that I leave behind. It just seems like a lot of waste for the crew to take care of or is it really not that big of a deal? I think I’ll get one of the pretty Christmas flower arrangements that you can pre order instead of a tree. Use some battery powered lights to add festive color to the room. I like the idea of bringing stockings.

You can use them both on the same cruise but it will only apply to the first cruise with the b2b. Also, just know you may not get them with the casino rate.

If you pay the monthly premium for Spotify, you can download playlists to your phone. My main playlist of about 250 songs is download so I always have access to it and can play songs offline. This is the main reason I pay for Spotify, listening to music while on public transportation can be spotty at times if streaming. (No pun intended)

From what I have heard, the crew do not have a lot of storage space in their living quarters so gifts that take up space are really not wanted. Food may be a different story but I think cash is the way to go plus a note of appreciation.

Is it possible to reserve a time in advance with anytime dinning? For example, have a two top reserved at 5:30 each night?

This is very sad. The loss of life, property, and history will impact this area and the people forever. Since I have a future cruise that had planned to stop here, I have spent time researching the area. I think having just that small glimpse of the area online helps me understand the loss a bit more than otherwise. Of course nowhere near the emotional impact felt by others who live there or who have visited. My condolences to all.

If you want 15 alcoholic drinks plus unlimited non-alcoholic get the elite package. The signature package works better for some people and is a small cost savings over the elite package. To me, HAL is being more accommodating by having a variety of drink packages.

Does anyone know if the pass is less expensive on the Zaandam since it doesn’t have the thermal pool?

Is the traffic due to construction or just usual heavy traffic? My current plan for this stop in Lahaina is to take the bus to the Ocean Center. We will be there on Christmas Day (2024) so I think we may be more limited on what we can do but I know both the buses run and the Ocean Center is open. I hope this is a viable plan.

I would love a 14 day r/t to the Azores.

Do you make the reservations at PG or can you use the navigator app once your are on the ship? Oops, just saw that Crew News answered my question before I asked it. I assume the spa area would be the place on all ships? Zaandam for me. Thanks.

When I booked, I selected I wouldn’t accept an upgrade. I was worried they would just assign a cabin. I want the option to say yay or nay. We have probably one of the least desirable cabins in HAL’s opinion but there are many others I would not want. I’ve debated about calling to say we are okay with an upgrade, but then I need to remind myself I’m okay with our current location.

Because they are working hard to make my vacation enjoyable. I appreciate that. I also rarely tip less than 20% at restaurants.

Yes, gratuities are included with drink packages. However if you order a drink that costs more than the limit, then you pay the difference plus the gratuity on the difference. I have the elite drink package which includes drinks up to $15, so if I order a $16 drink, I will need to pay an extra $1 plus $.18 for the gratuity. However, I plan to add into my cruise budget money for extra tips so I can add an extra dollar or so tip when I get a drink.

I have limited experience having only been on one previous cruise but it was an OV on deck one. I loved the view out the window. The water was so close. I’ve booked my next cruise on deck one since I did like the quiet location. Both cabins (past and future) are aft but any engine noise is mainly white noise unless arriving in port. It never bothered me. In fact my BIL, who was in the very last cabin towards the rear, thought we had the premium cabins, not what is considered the least desirable by many.

I haven’t had the clothesline bacon yet but I expect that I will like it. I always loved when my bacon got some of my pancake maple syrup on it. However, in the pictures it looks like it is served with a lemon wedge. Do people squeeze lemon juice on it? Put me down as one who loves pineapple on my pizza. I was introduced to it by a friend from Australia in the late 1970s. But I believe it was originally from Canada.

Thank you, that is helpful to know.

In this case, since it is so far out before my scheduled cruise, Dec. 2024, I can cancel now and rebook for the same. If I can’t get the the same cabin, the one next to it is available still. However, I’m still having a personal issue paying hundreds for something that I can cancel now for zero out of pocket. Plus, I don’t know my dates of travel yet, nor how much money I expect the trip to cost. I may reach out and talk to some insurance companies. I’m just cringing at the thought of the waiting on hold times and trying to explain my questions to a call center staffer who answers from a pre written script.

Thanks for the info. It does seem silly to pay hundreds in insurance now for a trip in which I can cancel with a full refund for another 14 months. I guess I will wait until closer to cruise time and just get coverage for unexpected travel related issues. Timing wise, my husband should be having another set of follow up scans not long before my final payment date so hopefully I’ll know if I need to cancel in time.