CNSJ

Your photos and commentary is simply superb.  Thank you so much.  I am booking this trip for Jan 2026 and hope to see it all unperson then.

I have read many people's comments for this trip (South America/Antarctica) as well as Alaska that its too cold to bother with getting a balcony.  Based on your photos and weather report, I think with a coat, hat and gloves, the balcony will get quite a bit of use! 

1 hour ago, ExArkie said:

we booked a transpacific with only four (or five? I’d have to check) port days.

Great Point! That is a variable I neglected to address.  Many sea days pushes me toward HIA w/EBB.  If I am on the ship I consume more.  Port intensive itineraries in Caribbean or Mediteraean . I will usually pass as I enjoy the local beers/drinks. 

There is no set answer.  On a typical day I might have a speciality coffee, a  beer, two sodas and a glass or two of wine with dinner.   I calculate "if its worth it" as follows:

Determine net difference between fare without HIA (w/Early Booking Bonus-EBB) and fare with HIA (w/EBB) - Note:  net includes difference in OBC.

Then I add up the following:

1.  Gratuities are a given. $XX per day 

2.  Value to me as a 4 Star mariner for the Specialty Restaurants included (after my discounts)

3.  The Shorex Credit:  Assuming the itinerary supports using it. ($100-$300) 

4.  Value of lowest Wifi Package (1 device) - use 50% of this as I can share it with my wife

Once I have the Net HIA cost, and the Value of 1-4 above, I have the cruise "Drink Package Cost," which I divide by number of days in cruise.  Often the result I get is $14-20 per day.  

In these cases I often take the HIA w/EBB. Two drinks pays for it plus. 

This math changes radically when you don't have gratuities included (non EBB HIA)

You get the most bang for the buck on cruise that just push you into the higher benefits the HIA table, like 10 or 11 day cruises and 21-22 day cruises.  I just ran numbers for a 22 day SouthAmerica/Antartica run and it worked out to about $16 a day for the "Elite" drinks package.  No brainer to me. 

Just how I look at things. 

One more thing.  When you have HIA, you earn a ton of shipboard spending points which help you get to 4 Star and free laundry quicker!

We will see you onboard in a few weeks.

Profound.  Never really thought about it that way.  Good thinking.

1.  We get set in our ways and may miss things.  The awe of the first cruise.

2.  Never know if a cruise will be our last.  Sometimes we don't choose not to cruise, circumstances change things for us. Health, Pandemics, War...

It all comes down to bathrooms.  You get two with connecting Balconies.

Because we had my one and only casino deal (they must have figured out I wasn't a player), we booked the land portion through Princess Tours/Lodged which included all the transfers, trains, and hotels. It also included the Wilderness Tour, and had options for other tours.   The only thing that wasn't included was transfer from Anchorage to Whittier at the end.  Arranged that through local transfer bus.  

A great trip.

Although I can't say it's the reason for sure, but I think they use school buses because they are much lighter than traditional tour buses.  We were plenty comfortable for the trip.  

Take the Denali Wilderness tour! Go for an early departure, we were able to watch sunrise in park which was wonderful.

3 minutes ago, cccole said:

I just finished this excellent book about the Belgica’s voyage.  They over wintered in the ice 17 years before Shackleton on the Endurance.

I guess Shackleton didn't read this book before he set off in Endurance.

As much as I like pizza (although I am not a pizza expert), I try not to eat so much on ship.  Prefer other options.  Now hamburgers from Dive In.....are great.  I am a hamburger expert, so I can weigh in here.  BYW:  Hamburgers on a recent Celebrity sailing were horrible!  Never again.

I am quite sure that HAL has a plan that avoids the entire Middle East for WC 2024 and those that speculate 2024 will look like the end of the current 2025 WC are probably spot on.  No way HAL will sail a ship through the Red Sea in the next four months, nor will any other cruise line.  Enjoy Cape Town, and perhaps the Cape Verde Islands on the way home. 

True the US Navy and our allies can and will protect "shipping" through the Red Sea.  But they may only be able to stop 99% of things fired at ships, and the things fired each way often go off target.  Loss of life on a commercial ship that takes a missile hit will be few (crew size 20-35) compared to a passenger ship with 4,000+  passengers/crew. 

Pirates are of minimal concern.  They are in boats and can be fended off with water cannons and small arms.  Risk to people is minimal.  Missiles and drones are harder to stop. 

The Vista class ships (Noordam, Westerdam, Oosterdam and Zioderdam serve pizza from Lido as FlaMariner has stated.  On Nueiw Amsterdam and Eurodam (Signature Class) , NY Pizza is at Sea View Pool.  Pinnacle class has NY Pizza and Deli on Deck 10 overlooking the inside pool. 

The Pizza on Signature and Pinnacle class seems better to me. 

4 hours ago, NorbertsNiece said:

This simply isn't on. We're just ½ way through the cruise and we get disembarking info. 😊😉

 

 

Getting the disembark instructions on any cruise is depressing!

I was not sure if the whales, orcas, seals, and penguins were told to line up on port or starboard side.  Speaking of coffee, it would be nice if HAL put Nespresso machines in ALL the staterooms.  Having one in the one time I sailed in a Neptune was nice.

Perhaps the most comprehensive Blog and Photo report I have seen.  

I am about to book the same trip for a future season.  For this Buenos Aires to Santiago direct Antartica cruise, has being in a port or starboard cabin made any difference?  Both are available now, so I need to pick a side of the ship.  As this is more of a North south run than east west (like a Transpacific or Transatlantic), I wasn't sure if side mattered?  

Norberts Niece or others, please feel free to give me any tips and rationale.

On 4/1/2023 at 2:06 PM, BermudaBound2014 said:

i found an old artist rendering

Looks like a Lego rendering.

15 hours ago, JohnCoffield said:

First thing I pack is spare glasses

I use the "last pair" system.  Keep the last pair as my back up as its closest to current prescription.  Another option is to get on one those super cheap online glasses (like two pairs for $99) - They are for an emergency, so fashion, super thin, and progressives etc.....are no longer an issue.  

6 hours ago, oldbluff said:

we would return to Key West anytime.

It's the one Cruise Port you can drive to. 

HAL - If you are monitoring this forum, please stop this practice of raising a price to then give a "free upgrade."   Savvy CC followers know better, but it's really deceptive IMHO.

HAL's site still shows the itinerary with Panama Canal, sometimes it takes a few days after a change to update.  The 21 and 35 day offerings from Boston seem to be with HAL trend toward longer trips and from more ports.  That said, removing the best part of these voyages is sad to see.  I am not sure if HAL is starting to make moves to eliminate these "partial transits" early on.  Cutting PC trips for cruise ships may be needed to allow for more commercial traffic to use canal.  

Be glad HAL did this 10 months out....you have time to cancel or rebook something.  They have been cancelling PC partials with little notice.

Hope OP finds a good replacement or just enjoys the trip. 

6 hours ago, Bill B said:

For both the Signature and Elite Beverage Packages HAL lists the exclusions as -

 

"Excludes Mini Bar, Juices at Gelato, Room Service, beverages on Half Moon Cay, Freestyle Coca-Cola and any self-service draft beer."

 

Where does fresh squeezed OJ fit into that? Is it from 'Gelato'?

Which means milkshakes are still included!  

Using the apparent HAL Approach, they could offer free upgrade from INTERIOR to NEPTUNE Suite, just price the interior the same as the regular Neptune!  Isn't that like having a sale price that is never the actual price and illegal in the US?

Issue with adding HIA after is that it won't turn my Obstructed Oceanview into a Verandah......

2 hours ago, rodndonna said:

Sometimes  HAL pricing is wonky and not consistent through the process.

 

Have you tried continuing through the mock booking to see if those prices stay the same?

Yes, Prices held.  

2 hours ago, rodndonna said:

Sometimes  HAL pricing is wonky and not consistent through the process.

 

Have you tried continuing through the mock booking to see if those prices stay the same?

Yes, Prices held.