jules815

Sorry for beating a dead horse. I filled out the special needs request form online a few weeks ago and just received this email:

We have received your Special Needs form for Booking # and are placing the appropriate notes into your booking.  

You should know that we do not keep a supply of distilled water for CPAP machines.  

In order to have what you need when you need it, we recommend that you bring your own distilled water and a standard extension cord. 

Please note the following:
•       Please, never leave any battery to charge unattended, as someone must be present in the cabin.
•       Please hand-carry your medical devices on board and not carry them in your checked luggage.

Thank you for sailing with MSC Cruises.

Best Regards,
Cheryl, MSC Special Needs Desk

Sooooo, what is everyone doing again? Yes, my husband always travels with a long extension cord for his machine, but we've never had to schlep on a gallon of distilled water before. It looks like we may have to though? The last couple of times we sailed our butler or steward brought him a smaller bottle of water that he said he got from medical.

2 hours ago, terrydtx said:

We always book the Signature Suites for the room size our next choice is Vista Suites. With Club Orange you get a private dinning room for Dinner and breakfast plus priority boarding and tendering. For $25pp per day it is worth the cost. We have an aft facing VS Verandah on the 6th deck on the Koingsdam in November with CO added. The K'Dam is the NS's sister Pinaccle class ship.

Are there any Signature Suites with obstructed views? Any decks we should avoid for that reason? Back in the day, one of our favorite rooms was a mid-ship balcony on any of the RC Voyager or Freedom class ships. Usually deck 7 or 8. I was watching a Youtube video of a Signature suite (mid ship) on deck 7 and the balcony view reminded me of those RC cruises we took.  Lately we've been staying on higher decks. Not complaining at all, but kinda miss being closer to the water.

Also, is it true there's an outdoor deck you can walk that goes around the entire ship?? Another thing we've missed.  

55 minutes ago, Nodakboiler said:

On a TA, the aft balconies don't have the wind drafts that the port & starboard balconies get. If you enjoy sitting out on your private balcony to read or relax, these are great.

Good to know! thank you!

1 hour ago, BetsyS. said:

I agree with all the above comments about tipping the laundry staff. They do an excellent job with a quick turnaround . I put the person's name who signed the note on an envelope, add cash, a thank you, and put it in the laundry bag when sending it out. They work very hard.

Agree, and this is something we've never thought to do.  Noted!

52 minutes ago, boatmad said:

Vista suite is not much of an upgrade from veranda cabin.  Signature suite gives you more room, bigger bath and veranda.  If you want something beyond basic veranda that would be my choice.

Thanks for this info. Longer cruises we like a little more room.

So a Signature is larger without being one of the higher ends suites? It wouldn't get the perks that high end suites get...we'd still pay for Club Orange? Maybe like a junior suite on RC?

1 hour ago, Haljo1935 said:

Congrats on retirement and welcome to HAL!!

Haven't done TA, so nothing to contribute specifically to that experience, but happy to provide insight and offer my experience where I can.

We LOVE the true aft cabins as we enjoy the wake views and being able to see both Port and Starboard. On itineraries with a lot of wildlife (like AK), we really live on the balconies and enjoy the deeper balconies that most aft balconies provide vs side locations.

Sunrises and sunsets are even more fabulous with a wake view. IMHO.

We also like being able to just walk up or down the stairs (thus avoiding elevators) to get to dining.

Since true aft is more a destination rather than a passage way, there tends to be less congestion. 

Some people say there is more movement aft; we haven't noticed that to be so, but aren't prone to motion sickness. The sound of the waves seems more noticeable, which we really enjoy; like being at the beach - non-stop.

Thank you!!

What decks are the "true aft" cabins on? Any to avoid?

My husband and I are new to Holland America, but not to cruising.  We've sailed many times with Royal Caribbean (our go-to when our kids were younger), Celebrity, a few with Carnival, and most recently we've been sailing with MSC in their Yacht Club. My parents used to cruise almost exclusively with HAL and LOVED it. We'll be in Ft. Lauderdale next April for a wedding and decided to add a cruise onto the end. We're currently booked on a transatlantic from Ft. Lauderdale to Barcelona on Celebrity ASCENT. This cruise sails the day after the wedding on April 14th.  My fault jumping the gun and booking. Found out a few days ago that there's been a venue and date change to the weekend before. This left me scrambling to find something sailing on April 7th. My travel agent sent me options (we weren't interested in Caribbean) and the one we're planning to book is on HAL Nieuw Statendam, a 14 day transatlantic with ports that would be new to us (Yay!) ending in Rotterdam. The contract for the new wedding venue is hopefully being signed on Tuesday and that's when I'll make my move to cancel X and then book with HAL.

My husband and I are recently retired (66 and 62) and ready to try some different itineraries. We've done one transatlantic on a RC ship back in 2016 from Barcelona to FLL and loved it. It was the sailing bringing Harmony of the Seas to the US for the first time. Lots of fanfare on that one.

I've been doing a little research online and watching YouTube videos about Nieuw Statendam. I know really nothing about HAL's ship layouts so trying to absorb all that I can. From what I've learned so far, it probably looks like we'd book either a Vista suite or whatever the one level up from that is. We'd probably add Club Orange and a definitely a drink package (I've read about the different packages). 

We don't mind being toward the front of the ship or on a higher deck at all, we actually enjoy a little motion. We've never had an aft cabin before, but the one we have reserved on Celebrity happens to be an aft Sunset Veranda. It was going to be our first one and we were a little excited about it.

Looking for any recommendations of decks or cabins to avoid. Things you love about the ship, HAL, and what we shouldn't miss.

Thanks in advance!

On 5/26/2023 at 8:41 AM, Lesliern1972 said:

*I added in some geocaching for fun!

We've done this on several cruises. Fun!

1 hour ago, alyssamma said:

So, are you in the YC on MSC? If so, I think you'll like it. That being said, we kind of left MSC for Celebrity. We found the food better and dealing with customer service was 10x easier. Basically, MSC screwed us one too many times, so we switched.

 

But..lol, that being said, we are about to sail on the Poesia in July and then again in Sept 2024. Both because they are itineraries we can't find on any other line. We are also doing Seascape in Jan to celebrate a friend's wedding. So somehow we can't quit MSC 😀

 

I completely understand about being burned out on the Caribbean...we are too. We are looking now at more exotic itineraries and that is why we picked HAL and why we are doing the Poesia.

Yes, in the Yacht Club. It's the only way we've ever cruised with MSC. We were on Seaside in early 2019 and then on Meraviglia in 2021 (under 1000 people on that cruise, ship felt empty.) Knock on wood, so far no issues with MSC, but I haven't really had to deal with customer service yet. We love Celebrity, but think their suite pricing has just gone bonkers. I would agree that Luminae food is better than YC dining room, but those prices!

31 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

For those that are bored with the Caribbean you should come up to Canada in January when it’s minus 40 for a couple weeks plus a foot of snow.  Guaranteed you’ll be cured fast 😛🤪.  Give me warmth over Alaska any day and yes I’ve been there a few times.

Trust me, I know! Chicago here! Probably why I really haven't ever been interested in Alaska. I know that sounds silly, because I know it's a beautiful cruise, but just haven't been interested.  

46 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

Lol, we have that cruise booked so will be onboard with you if you take it. With club orange we booked an obstructed balcony and upgraded to an aft balcony.

 

I only have one data point but I'm shocked (in a good way) about the dress code. Even in the specialty restaurants people are wearing jeans and normal shoes. Some are dressed up but most are extremely casual. That being said, everyone is dressed respectfully...no ripped clothes, etc. I've been wearing tennis shoes to dinner and no one has looked twice at me.

 

As for the demographics...yes, most people onboard have children my age...I'm 57. But everyone is really nice and easy going.

This is all good. Yeah, he wouldn't be in ripped jeans. It would be basically what he was wearing to the office before he retired. 

Too funny about the passengers having children your age. We've been on Celebrity cruises where we've met older passengers on board who were really interesting. So that's all good too. Maybe on this cruise I'll feel young!

Anxiously awaiting the confirmation about the wedding date change. Now we're both really excited about trying a new line. I see you mentioned you sail on MSC in the Yacht Club. We have a b2b coming up in September on Seascape. My husband's referring to it as our "Caribbean Swan Song."  We've done the Caribbean so many times we're pretty burned out on the ports, so this one will mostly be about the ship. Now that we're both retired and have the time, we're looking at different itineraries. 

Thanks for posting. My husband and I have never sailed with HAL, but there's a very good chance we'll be booking the April 7, 2024, Ft. Lauderdale to Rotterdam transatlantic very soon.  We have a wedding in Ft. Lauderdale that was supposed to take place on April 13, so we're currently booked on a TA on Celebrity Ascent. Just got word that there's been a venue and date change to April 6th, so now we're looking at HAL, and tbh, we prefer this itinerary, which would be all new ports of us, including Bermuda.

I'll be all over this forum in the next couple of days because I literally know nothing about HAL, other than it skews older, which is fine with us. (66 and 62).

Question about Club Orange. Dress code for men? My husband isn't against dressing up a little, but for packing purposes, would a nice pair of jeans and a button down or polo work for dinners?

4 hours ago, lissie said:

That's what I'm worried about - it has to be boiling! 

Tea drinker here as well and completely understand the "boiling" thing. Unfortunately when they bring the water for tea via room service, it's not as hot as it is coming out of the very hot water at coffee stations. And while that water isn't boiling, it's probably the best you're going to get on board.

2 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Nor would I be showing them my card but I'd have some very choice words for them. Reminds me of the people who post on this site who spend their time watching what others are doing when they go to guest services. People need to mind their own business.

Maybe a few choice words after I laughed at them.  😆

On 5/23/2023 at 11:17 PM, ShazM said:

Reminds me of a Pinnacle on Explorer a few years ago, he was European. Sitting in the suite seats at the pool in his Speedo's and t-shirt with his nametag on it. The only problem I had with him was when myself and the husband unhooked the rope to go in he wanted to see our sea passes and kept saying "Suites and Pinnacles only" so I pulled out my seapass and showed him it was gold and then he shut up. Pain in the butt.🙄

We sail in suites with RC and if another passenger was asking to see my card like they were security or something, there's absolutely NO WAY I'd show them my card.

5 hours ago, JAGR said:

In order to assure that you get the upgrade solicitations, you do have to click on your approval of being alerted to offers from MSC and others on your booking check-in process.

Oh thanks!  I'll have to make sure I've done this. 

2 hours ago, Jersey42 said:

Buying a comprehensive annual travel policy does not offer the same coverage as buying a policy for each trip, but it is almost always a lot cheaper.  All of the comprehensive annual travel plans have "holes".  I don't think they are a good choice for many people.  But they can be an excellent value if the "holes" have minimal impact for your personal situation.  Personal situation includes:

• How does your existing medical insurance work outside of the US?  If you need the annual policy to cover gaps such as deductibles and co-pays, you are fine.  If the annual policy is your only coverage, be careful.
• What types of trips do you usually take?  If it is several relatively inexpensive trips each year, an annual policy can work well.  If you take longer and/or more expensive trips, be sure to understand the terms and conditions. Most plans limit trips to 45 days or less.  The annual cancelation/interruption benefit is usually fairly small. Allianz offers the most coverage that I have seen for a couple at $10K per person.  If you use up the benefit early in the policy period, you can not buy more coverage and it is sometimes too late to purchase a trip specific plan.
• What is your risk tolerance?  Are you willing to "self insure" losses above the policy limits? What are the chances of a large medical bill?  What are the real chances of cancelling or interrupting more than one trip in a year?

 

We have limited foreign emergency medical coverage, so we always purchase an annual GeoBlue Trekker policy.  Good coverage (especially under 70) at a good price. We then deal with each trip on a case by case basis.  Credit card coverage, buy a policy, self insure. It all depends on the situation.

 

If you end up buying a comprehensive annual travel policy, can you share with us which one and why.  Good luck.

Thank you for all of this information!  Now I need to look at the GeoBlue Trekker policy. Still haven't made a decision yet.

7 hours ago, ljones said:

Do NOT count on Chase Preferred for "Travel Accident Insurance".

Yeah, I wasn't planning on it. If I'm doing my research correctly, it looks like the best plan for us now at this stage in our lives (newly retired and planning on traveling more) is an annual travel policy. More economical (not cheap) and will cover all of our travel for a year. 

On 4/17/2023 at 4:18 PM, klfrodo said:

Thats one of the reasons why I use a broker such as Steve at TripInsuranceStore.com

This is exactly the name of the company I came here looking for.  

Goal today: Purchase travel insurance for our 2 upcoming trips.

23 hours ago, klfrodo said:

These medical evacuations are typically going to be free or no charge to the patient. There are no private companies equipped to safely perform these evacuations. They are always done by a Govt entity like Navy or Coast Guard.

There are many international treaties to include the Geneva Convention, Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS), International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR), et al, that covers this.

Interesting. 

1 hour ago, ljones said:

Thanks.  I've always purchased actual travel insurance through an insurance company previously.

 

I was more wondering if anyone had made a claim on their Chase card insurance.  And also how they felt it was handled, did the documentation go to Chase, did you call Chase with questions and were there any issues...I do have the Guide to Benefits...massive & can easily be used right before bed to get to sleep!

Interesting posts. My husband and I (66 and 62, good health) have a 2 week cruise (B2B eastern/western Caribbean) coming up in September. Not sure how it happened, but this is the first time I haven't purchased trip insurance thru the cruise line while booking. Starting to think I should, however, have been looking at benefits provided with our Chase Sapphire Preferred card and wondering if that may be enough. We have another trip next year, a transatlantic on Ascent with some time at the end in Europe, and I definitely plan on getting additional insurance for that one.

Also, a while ago, I think it was someone here, posted a link to a travel insurance provider that sold a policy specifically for air evacuations. I seem to have not saved that link. If anyone knows what I'm talking about and can post it, that would be great. thanks!

2 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

 

I don’t get the obsession with soft serve I’ve cream on ships. Lol I’ve maybe had it a handful of times between all our cruises. 
 

 

Same!  I’m a pepperoni and sausage lover and my husband likes mushrooms, anchovies (gross!!!) and other stuff on his. 

I don’t get the obsession with soft serve I’ve cream on ships. Lol I’ve maybe had it a handful of times between all our cruises. 

SAME!! 😃

On 5/18/2023 at 8:26 AM, NCteacherlovescruising said:

I thought this would be the case, just wanted to make sure.  I like to arrive early so we will most likely get there between 10-10:30.  Thanks!

I don't recall which ship you were sailing on. Our last YC cruise we were on Meraviglia out of Miami. If you're at a hotel near the port, our rule of thumb has always been to be getting into our Uber or Taxi around 10:30.  If you're in the YC you really don't have to pay attention to those assigned boarding times.

I've never used any of the spa/salon services on board MSC. Is it possible to get a no-chip manicure?  (I'm aware it will probably cost more than one on land.)

On 5/12/2023 at 9:07 PM, Georgia_Peaches said:

Msc has the suite experience beat hands down compared to Celebrity. The YC is one of my most favorite experiences in suite class. On the flip side, Celebrity comes in first in mainstream cruising experience for nonsuite class. So much so that we have a standard veranda stateroom booked on Celebrity coming up and I have no doubt about the experience we will receive. I cannot say the same for MSC as I would not sail with them outside of YC. 

This 100%.  

Our next cruise is a B2B in September on MSC Seascape in the Yacht Club. This will be our third time sailing with them and loved our other YC cruises. Our next cruise with Celebrity is a transatlantic on ASCENT (I think that's the name of their new ship), April 2024. Retreat prices were insane, but we know being outside of suite class we're still going to have a very nice cruise experience.