SuzWillCruise

How far in advance can one purchase unlimited laundry? I think we’ll need it for our 14 day Norway sailing in summer 2024.

Questions about B2B:

We’re booked on a 14-day sailing on the Rotterdam May/June 2024. We didn’t realize at time of booking, but this is actually a B2B.

What can we expect on the turnover day?

1. Will there be shore excursions we can sign up for in the port? (The port is Rotterdam.)

2. How will this impact dining? We signed up for Club Orange, if that makes a difference. We’re not in a suite, and I’m guessing we will still be one-star mariners.
3. If we leave the ship on our own, will we have to join the throngs of new cruisers to get back onboard? Will I need to get my passport out of the safe?
4. Will areas of the ship be off-limits or non-operational during times in the day? I.E., the spa, the cafe, the gym, the buffet? Will we find ourselves unable to get back to our room?
 

Any other weird quirks I haven’t thought of?
 

Thanks!

Not trying to raise a ruckus, but why is washing dirty clothes in the sink causing such heebie jeebies?  I guess if one uses it as a wash basin with the stopper closed, then knowing there had been dirty socks in there would understandably be off-putting.  Does anyone do that though? But then I have to wonder where people are spitting out the germs in their mouths while brushing their teeth?
 

On the few occasions when I washed clothes in my cabin, it’s been in a bag in the sink, because I didn’t want to risk gross toothpaste or soap bits on my clothes!

6 hours ago, DRedmond said:

The gym also has new carpeting and lighting. It is well used. Lots of nice machines and a free weight area. Yes they have mats but they are extremely thin… basically just so you are laying on the mat not the floor people have been stepping on. If you are looking for those foam mats then no they don’t have those 

Thanks for the information. That’s what I thought might be the case.  Hopefully I can get my knee to where the PTs aren’t needed.

DRedmond, or anyone with a Eurodam cruise soon, could you let me know if there are gym mats in the gym?

I’m doing some physical therapy exercises on my knee that involve laying down on the floor (well, on my IKEA gym mat that came from the kid’s area), but I don’t plan on flying that to Seattle in June!  Hopefully my knee will be much better by my cruise in June, but it would be great to know if I can still do the exercises.

Thank you,

Suzanna

If the quench package doesn’t work out for you, you could maybe bring some pre-ground coffee and an Aeropress. Have hot water and cream/ half & half delivered to your cabin in the mornings, and access it from the Lido deck the rest of the day.

We haven’t sailed with HAL yet, and I’m contemplating bringing my Aeropress even though we have the beverage package through Have It All. I’m worried about lines for the fancy coffee - I need coffee in my system to have patience for lines!

 I’m just not sure if it’s a bad idea to take ground coffee in my checked luggage - would that be flagged as something suspicious that would get opened?

Carnival used to have shore excursions to Egypt on Mediterranean cruises. My SO was on a cruise when the Arab Spring uprising in Egypt happened and I was frantic because I was at home and couldn’t remember what stops were what day. They were probably on the LAST shore excursion to the pyramids that went smoothly. That was what, 2011?

We’ve used the chat feature on two cruises now, and sometimes it’s fast, but definitely not always. I started typing a time stamp with my messages to help avoid confusion.

A few questions as we compare past Carnival sailings to our planned cruise on the Eurodam next summer:
 

 1 - On Carnival, if you dine in their steakhouse on the first night, you get a free bottle of house wine, or half off something nicer.  Does HAL have a similar offer?

2- we have signed up for the chef’s table on Carnival cruises multiple times. Does HAL have a similar special dining event?
 

3- our planned Eurodam cruise will be in Juneau from1:00 pm to 10:30pm, but right now all of the shore excursions start by 2:30, eliminating the ability to do more than one shore excursion. Is this something that typically broadens closer to sailing?

4- are you able to specify water temp when you pay for a bag of laundry? We got free laundry on Carnival, but still paid to use the machines for items that needed cool or cold water. It seems that self use machines are not available, so I’m wondering if we can make choose temperature by the bag. (I’d rather not do much in the sink if possible, but I don’t want my clothes ruined either.)

5- does HAL have gala nights/ formal nights? When are they typically?
 

6. how is the coffee? I’m picky and prefer light roasts. Since there’s 24 hour room service, I guess I can order hot water and bring the aero press and some ground coffee.

7. Is it difficult to get reservations for specialty dining on the boat? If yes, how early should we try to nail things down?
 

8. How quickly do excursions sell out on Alaska cruises?

9. Does housekeeping service the rooms twice daily, or just once?
 

10. Has anyone used the luggage direct to cabin service, and then from cabin to home airport? Did everything go smoothly? (I’m not asking about the home pickup/delivery … sounded nice but then I priced it out.)

Thank you! We’ll probably come up with more questions later.

4 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

I get it.  Nothing lasts forever.  I have an NCL cruise in a few days....and judging by the uptick in prices I won't be the only one on the ship this time.

 

The reason I'm asking about Carnival is that the cruise I'm booked for was booked quite a while ago and the price was very good.  When you factor in the OBC (casino money!) the price is uber good.  But, Carnival is not my #1 cruiseline (didn't say I don't like it...just like others better)....and if I cancel now all I lose the $100 deposit.  I just wanted to make sure, as of now, the mask police won't be all over me and there's no "rules I don't know about".

The rules could easily change between now and your cruise, though. I’m not sure what your options will be re refund if you pay in full and then decide not to go?

Here’s my decision matrix when there’s a big X factor that won’t be resolved prior to my decision deadline: which potential negative consequence of my choice would annoy me the least?
 

So for you, (1)cancel now because of your concerns re possible mask mandates for your sailing = lose 100 dollar deposit plus good price.  Or (2)keep sailing, but (2a) potentially have to wear a mask, or (2b) be stuck with whatever refund or future cruise credit option that might be available if you cancel after full pay.

Which above undesired outcome above would irritate you the least?

It might be worthwhile to also get a collapsible cane for use in the airports.
 

I used one several years ago after spraining my foot and ankle a few days before a trip to China. I was able to keep it with me on the flight to NY, but all of the Chinese crew took it from me, usually at the door to the plane. I’m not sure if your wife could keep it on domestic flights - my experience dates back to 2013.

Even if she can’t use it on the plane, it might help in the airport. They fold up fairly small and quickly, aren’t super heavy, and I don’t remember it costing that much.

Here’s a pic from the Legend going through a lock in the canal.

I’m prone to motion sickness. Most of our cruises have been 7 day cruises in the Caribbean, out of either Tampa or Port Canaveral. Usually, my only bad moments are the 1st night and the last night. I think it’s because those are the nights we’re cruising with speed.

We aim for lower deck, midship if we can. I just accept that night one and night seven might not be awesome. Dramamine doesn’t work for me, but I had a chewable something that I got at CVS for one cruise when I knew the weather was going to be rough the first night. (I almost stumbled while waiting in line for guest services - the swells were strong!) It tasted gross, but I didn’t actually toss my cookies, so I call that a win. Usually I tough it out and don’t take anything, but I was really glad I was prepared that time.

Crystalized ginger is usually enough to get me through.

On 2/12/2022 at 12:04 PM, urcnpam said:

This is a huge problem for us. We are booked on the Freedom in an accessible cabin for 3. There is literally only 1 accessible cabin that can accommodate 3 on all of the Spirit class ships, and it’s a suite. 

The Splendor is the ship replacing the Freedom; hopefully it has cabins that meet your needs.

We’re also booked on the Freedom/soon to be Splendor, but we’re hoping to move to the Spirit. We like the Spirit class (my first cruise was on the Legend), and our original cruise was going to be the Legend, too. (The Alaska cruise is the 4th reiteration of a cruise that was going to go to Norway, then Russia, then Iceland. Some changes were cancellations by Carnival, and some were based upon our comfort level with travel these days.)

Usually when we book a cruise , that’s it - we take that exact cruise. By the time we’re done, I think it will be the 6th itinerary, 5th change!

We’ve been reading this thread recently for ideas since it’s been awhile since our last cruise, and there are so many great tips.

 Thanks to the posters who mentioned the battery powered fans.  I went ahead and bought one even though our cruise isn’t until December.  I’m so glad I did - I just started experiencing my own personal summers and having a fan that fits in my purse is great.

Another item I purchased in anticipation of our cruise is the magnetic hooks. Does anyone know if the stateroom walls on the Legend are magnetic? I’ll find a use for the hooks around the house regardless, but I don’t want to pack something we won’t be able to use.

Thanks!

Suz, thanks for your posts. We are signed up for the kayak excursion and now I'm a little worried. We are a lot older than you are but pretty fit but this sounds like it might overextend us. Do you know anything about the biking? We are signed up for that also. We like the active excursions but maybe we are too optimistic.

My mom is 75 and would have been just fine, but she kayaks regularly. (She broke her wrist a few months ago, so wasn’t able to do that tour.). If you do upper body workouts you’ll probably be okay. I sit at a desk all day and take the occasional walk, but that’s about it.

We didn’t take any breaks (the guide offered but we all opted to keep rowing, which was a mistake now that I think about it!). I also didn’t do any sort of warm up or stretching, and I did a lot of extra rowing trying to turn around to locate my spouse, back up, etc.

We did a biking tour but not in Amsterdam. We didn’t feel confident about biking in a city, and if you don’t regularly bike in really congested conditions I would be cautious about biking there. I think that the guides for the Amsterdam bike tour had the guests ride a bit for them first before setting out just to make sure people could really ride.

Re the kayaking; if you do upper body workouts, or can start doing some now, I think you’ll be fine. I would completely sign up for this tour again; I would just prep a little first.

Day 2, Amsterdam, Monday July 9, part 2

In the afternoon, you could stay on the boat, wander about Amsterdam, or sign up for an Optional tour. (Note, when Avalon calls an excursion “optional “, that’s their designation for “costs money”.)

Optional tour choices were:

-Biking through Dutch countryside

- Amsterdam kayaking trip

- Muiderslot Castle

We decided to do the kayak tour. Oh boy. It was a little harder and a little longer than I expected, and my arms really hurt for about 2 days afterwards, but we had fun. There were only six people plus the guide: the two of us (in our 40’s, late 40’s for me), two sisters from New Zealand (early 20’s), and two Avalon employees. One of them, Claudia, was basically doing almost ALL of the active excursions, and the other was training as the cruise director and was the cruise director the week after we sailed.

Claudia had been on the canal cruise in the morning, and apparently we paddled for a similar distance! Seeing Amsterdam from the water, especially from a kayak, was pretty neat, but if you’re like me and do little to zero upper body workouts, well, you’re going to be in pain. I’m normally a side sleeper and my attempt to sleep on my side that first night had me sobbing. I made use of the hot tub the next night, but it took a couple days before I was pain free. I might sign up for a kayak trip on a future cruise, but only if I know I can put in some practice at home 1st!

Day 2, Amsterdam, Monday July 9, part 1

The included tours were in the morning. Choices were:

- (Active) a jogging tour

- (Discovery) a painting class

- (Discovery) a culinary walk

-(Classic) a canal ride.

We chose the painting class (our moms did the canal tour). We mostly liked the painting class. There were multiple choices of what to paint, and the instructor was nice and seemed knowledgeable.

What kept the tour from being perfect - the nasty smelly smock. Seriously. I realize that not everyone around the world is as devoted to deodorant as folks in the US, but the smock I got smelled like someone had gone on a multi day bender, crashed in a flophouse, and then wore the smock with nothing underneath for several days. I smelled so bad that I started stressing out about having enough time to change before lunch and our afternoon tour. That stress made me cranky with the local guide (not th same person as the artist lady), who didn’t seem remotely concerned with staying on schedule. I probably would have been less stressed if I hadn’t wanted to change clothes so badly! We were pretty close to the boat so we ended up leaving before the rest of the group so we would have enough time to eat before our afternoon excursion.

On a positive note, we got a fantastic apple tart during the class. I’m not normally a fan of baked fruit and I don’t even like apple pie, but this dessert was scrumptious.

Other plus: we got to keep our painting as a souvenir! They provided a box, and we ended up putting both paintings in one box later.

I’m a horrible typist but I’ll give it a try!

Embarkation day, Sunday July 8th

We arrived in Amsterdam the day before on Saturday. Because of the distance, we opted not to spend the money for a taxi from the airport to our hotel. Instead we managed to use the train and then changed to a tram and the worst part of the travel was we originally went the wrong direction when we left the tram stop!

We stayed Saturday night at the Hampton Inn (Centre East, I think, can verify if anyone is interested.)

On Sunday morning, we let the hotel know that we needed a taxi. The taxi guy was there before I even sat down after leaving the counter which was great. The taxi driver had a very sweet ride – some sort of Mercedes van – and was helpful with our luggage. The ride to the dock was rather short and I think we spent somewhere between 10 and €15. Since the tram ride would’ve cost us more than three euros per person, and there were three of us, we felt that this was a great spend to avoid the hassle of carrying our own luggage on the tram.

Once we were curbside, Avalon was right there to take our luggage; we didn’t even have to roll it the the boat. We walked to the boat, and met up with my mom. They had some food options available on the boat in the lounge, so we ate that as lunch. Then we walked around and came upon a little festival. I spent 4 Euro for a glass and then three Euro for each ticket. You could exchange the tickets for beverages, alcoholic or soft, or food items. We tried a few beers and some ginger beer, but didn’t partake in the food since we had just eaten.

I’m a little hazy on parts of the day, but I think Sunday was the day we went searching for excedrin migraine. We found some at the train station (short walk from where the boat was docked), and then perused the mall. There was a cheese store in that mall. We came home with cheese and we might be ordering more when it runs out! (The cheese keeps for 4 weeks unrefridgerated or 4 months in fridge. Since we bought it at the beginning of a two week trip, we figure we have two months to eat it)

The hair dryer was stored in the bathroom on our cruise earlier this month (different Avalon ship), but I think I read that only electric razors can be used in the bathroom, and everything else should be plugged in in the cabin. So, your plan to use the dryer at the vanity is perfect!

I don’t remember exactly where the atm’s were, but there were some. I think there may have been an ING window? ATM? Not sure what it was but I remember seythr ING logo.

Regarding bathrooms, there were several on our way to baggage claim. I recommend finding one shortly after you exit your plane, because once you start approaching baggage claim you might encounter lines. We had a line to wait for the escalator (monitored by airport staff as a traffic congestion/safety issue), and then a long line for passport control. After that another walk to get to baggage claim. Then go through customs, and you end up in the area past security which we then wandered through to find the train station part.

Tedly, thanks for the information about laundry, especially the timing of when you got it back. Same day service is great, and maybe that will help me pack lighter. (But the price for socks seems way high, so I need to pack lots of those!)

Well, we’re two days from our flight, so I guess I can post some details about the Active Discovery cruises on Avalon myself. 🙂

We’re off to a good start already- our cabin was upgraded from aquarium class to the next deck up. (I’m happy about the upgrade but I think I might miss that ledge under the windows that we had on our 1st cruise.)

I can’t remember which excursions we signed up for, except the art class in Amsterdam. My other half signed up for a running excursion that I will certainly skip! I’m hoping to have a nice balance of hiking, culinary, and other excursions, without completely overwhelming myself. (I used to get sick after vacations because I tried to do EVERYTHING and wore myself out.)

Happy planning, everyone.

Does anyone know the current laundry prices on Avalon?

I’m a chronic over-packer who is trying to be better this trip. But, I also don’t want to be washing clothes in the sink every night, and I really prefer wearing clean clothes as opposed to clean enough clothes. Trying to find the balance between saving money (we need some electrical work done) vs my desire not to haul an overly heavy suitcase on the train. (We’ll be going to Salzburg after our Active Discovery Cruise on the Rhine.) We’re traveling for two weeks so I can’t just wing it.

Thanks!

We have cellular service through AT&T. I was told I need to purchase a cruise plan if I'm on a river cruise. I need to be in touch with those at home, but don't want to spend a fortune to do so. Are there any suggestions? Thank you.

 

 

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We're on Verizon and we weren't thrilled with the options available when we sailed on the Creativity last year. We ended up downloading the "What's App" app to stay in touch with people back home. We were only trying to keep in touch with a handful of people, though.

I was able to send my sister videos of some Avalon crew members saying "Happy Birthday" in their native languages. She loved it, and sent a video back to me. I was pretty pleased with our experience!