curtdesilets

13 hours ago, BruhnSisters said:

Thanks very much for your reply!  Please tell me more about the spa pass.  Do they have changing rooms and lockers?  Do you turn in your room key when you check in?  I have booked it for my upcoming 5 night cruise.

Yes.  It was $149 for the week.  Well worth it!  The spa is amazing, and the thalassotherapy pool has a very powerful jet waterfall to soothe your aching muscles.  You turn in your key  to the spa welcome desk in exchange for 2 keys: 1 for the electronic lockers and one to open the door to the spa.  slippers and robe are provided. There is also a public hot sauna no one seems to know about, near the entrance to the private spa.  I think it is $199 for 2 people but my wife was not interested.  Her loss.  I booked on the 1st day on board and it seemed liked there was plenty of availability even though we were a sold our sailing.  Good luck! And Enjoy!!  -  Curtis

We were on Koningsdam in Early November for her one and only California Coastal Cruise. 

Loved the Pea Soup. I think they were between Cruise Directors as we were never made aware of whom that was. The Indian Food in the Buffet was excellent if you wanted to skip the wait for the Dining Room. The Thalassotherapy Pool was amazing! 

Feel free to ask me more - Curtis

Good to hear.  We will be boarding Koningsdam in January for sa similar cruise.  Had a great time on the Pacific Coastal in November. Sure some glitches, overbooked for dinners, etc but still a great time!! 

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

A few years ago, we recall being on a cruise (not sure if it was HAL or Celebrity) where they did park some of the chairs/scooters in an alcove at the end of the corridor (completely out of the way of any foot traffic).  But if you were able to get your cabin steward/stewardess to take the chair away, you might find it difficult to get it delivered when you need it (the staff on ships are a bit thin/overworked and not always on-call).   We are in a new era when some cruise lines do not even service cabins twice a day!   Like most cruisers/travelers this all means one has to assess the situation once you get aboard and find the best solution for that particular ship/cruise.   I know this sounds so darn obvious, but it we have long been amazed at how many folks are unwilling or unable to adapt to current situations.   Just came off a cruise where we heard a guy "whining" that the bacon was not like the bacon he used to get on that same line (I think it was actually better).  The man actually "demanded" the "old kind of bacon."

 

Hank

Hank: We have been on several cruises as well and accept the changes. We got sort of stuck on this teeny weeny cabin since the cruise was almost sold out when we were able to confirm our availability.  It will be an adventure, but we always always enjoy our cruises, accepting the fact that the golden age of cruising is long gone.  -Curt. 

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

This is not even an issue for debate.  There are international safety rules (SOLAS) that dictate much of what must be done (at a minimum) to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.  One requirement is that items such as wheelchairs/scooters cannot be stored in the corridors since they are a constant hazard to the fast egress of folks in an emergency and an even bigger obstacle if, God forbid, there is a corridor with smoke obscuring the view (crawl along the floor and follow the floor-level emergency lighting).

 

Bottom line is that folks who have equipment need to make sure they book a cabin of sufficient size to handle their chair or scooter!  It is their responsibility since the cruise line cannot know the individual requirements of each soul aboard!  

 

One other thought.  Ships do sometimes have real emergencies when folks need to change locations in a hurry!  While every ship has procedures to help folks with mobility limitations, the best plans can easily fail in a real emergency!  Folks need to be prepared to help themselves!  If I were relying on a chair or scooter, I would certainly want it in a location where I have immediate access.... which means inside my cabin/suite! 

 

Hank

Thanks Hank. OP here.  I was thinking more along the lines of storing it with the front desk and utilizing it while necessary. Wife is partially disabled and uses the chair occasionally . Oceania did the same recently for some cruisers, but it was a much smaller ship (Regatta). I think we have it figured out.  

We are travelling on Koningsdam Nov 5-12.  Assuming that the Padres will not be playing game 6 and 7 of the World Series @ home,  Nov 4 and 5, any suggestions for parking? (Padres post-season has seriously affected parking rates & availability apparently).  More importantly, can we drop off luggage and our wives to attend to luggage while the boys find the parking and hike back to the port? Kind of a weird request, but that's the game plan.  

OP here. Thanks for all the advice.  We can manage. Our disability is rather new so practice makes perfect.  The chair is quite advanced and will separate into parts.  Under the bed makes the best sense so we will not trip over it. Again, she only uses it sparingly.  I wholeheartedly agree that their should be no obstructions in the public aisleways!  - Curt

My wife and I are on an upcoming Koningsdam California Coastal Cruise, but we have a very very tiny inside cabin (perhaps the 143 sf one!) 

She has limited mobility and we use a folding wheelchair about half of the time when needed.

Looks like there really is nowhere to stow the wheelchair, the room is so small. Aisleways are inches wide! 

Will there be space outside the cabin?  Any ideas will be appreciated.  Thanks! 

On 4/28/2022 at 7:10 PM, Mura said:

I am late to the game here, but you are asking people what THEIR favorites are ... and they may not be what YOUR favorites are.

 

My favorites are the big prime rib in Polo, also the shrimp cocktail, several favorites in Jacques ... Or just go to Terrace (or the GDR) and take a daily favorite.

 

We have not been disappointed over the years.

 

Mura

Mura:  You are correct.  We just got back from our 9 day sojourn.  There was NO BAD FOOD! 

We have not sailed Oceania in almost 3 years.  Any suggestions for not to be missed food selections.

We are sailing today on Regatta,  9 day California Coastal. 

16 hours ago, whiteowl uk said:

Very sorry to hear that Terri.  I am sure it must have ruined your cruise.

 

However, Oceania hiding behind non existent EU rules is not acceptable when it is clearly an Oceania specific issue at present.  I understand there were many cases on Marina and Riviera transatlantic crossings as well.

I agree with you whiteowl UK.  We are sailing today on Regatta and I too am unclear on the policy.  In fact the 48 hour testing requirements were not fully revealed to us until just days before our sailing.  I understand the need to sell cruise cabins, but sugarcoating or hiding policy is deceitful. 

5 hours ago, Clutj said:

I will add something I piped up about on an early day, the singer/pianist in Martini’s is Kelly and she is a marvel.  Great voice, wonderful playing, very deep catalog, will chat with anyone who wants to between sets.  The early ones are full of socializers, but a bunch of us at the late sets were there just to listen to her.  A highlight of the trip, and that’s saying a lot given where we went!  I think she’s staying on for a few months, well into the Alaska legs and maybe all the way through.  Curtis and Jancruz and others… enjoy!

We will DEFINITELY check her out.  Thanks for the tip.  Curtis

18 hours ago, jondfk said:

Temp on deck this morning has a real bite, we’re definitely sailing in cooler waters.  Deck servers started wearing sweaters yesterday, probably jackets tomorrow.  The morning Bloody Mary is a bit less appealing though I soldier on!  Talk has turned to travel home, most, but not all are ready if not eager to start their onward journey.  Dinner last evening in GDR was again exceptional, my simple sounding spaghetti with pancetta and tomato sauce was more tomato than pancetta but excellent just the same.

 

The string quartet didn’t actually return last evening and they are not in the current today, looks like their isolation has been extended.  Pity.

 

Todays excitement for us is deciding whether to do a load of washing to lighten the load at home, or not, we will leave it to the winds of fate, if a washer is available….

Thanks for all the info.  We sail Regatta this coming Sunday from Los Angeles.  Looking Forward to it! I love the string quartet from previous cruises.  They did some non-traditional songs like the Scorpions "No One Like You" to a classical arrangement.  Amazing!   - Curtis

4 minutes ago, Brentt_M said:

No, we are still docked here.

Someone said they detected a signal.  With good luck, let's hope they are found, safe and sound. Big bummer! 

Did your ship leave Ketchikan yet?   This is bad news!   https://www.yahoo.com/news/coast-guard-searching-plane-6-224632468.html   Prayers for your fellow passengers!  Note:  It was not a HAL excursion,  it was privately booked.  

On 7/25/2021 at 12:49 PM, mightycruisequeen said:

Yes!  While cruising, the cell phones sit in the safe.  I want no part of phones or ipads or laptops while decompressing at sea.

me Too!  That's why I am almost insisting on not doing the HAL Navigator App, although everyone seems to say I need to.  I want full immersion in Alaska, not immersion in my phone! 

Were the Forest Rangers on the ship during Glacier Bay?  They were a wealth of information last time we went. Also, any PEA SOUP?   

Just now, Brentt_M said:

So far it has seemed pretty much the same as any other cruise I have taken, except the staff and a very small minority of the passengers in masks.

That's no big deal.  What is a big deal is you are on just the 2nd HAL cruise in like a year and a half.  Congrats on that! 

7 minutes ago, Brentt_M said:

So we are just taking it easy and lounging in the room a bit this morning.  We will probably get up and about in a couple hours.

How is the cruise so far?  We are going to be on this ship next week. 

6 minutes ago, Brentt_M said:

No testing at this time.

Excellent.  I heard it was a nightmare for some other cruise lines.  Hopefully that no testing required stays put at least another week.  If it is a fully vaccinated cruise, I see no reason. 

Just now, Lido deck main said:

Nice to start the cruise off with a sit down meal in MDR.  That’s nice so many other children onboard.  The picture from the balcony got cut off. 

So a smooth embarkation?  We are following you next week BTW. 

4 minutes ago, Brentt_M said:

View from our balcony.

 

You are upside down. 

3 hours ago, Brentt_M said:

On our shuttle now... should be there in 20 mins or so!

Let us know how embarkation goes.  Are they requiring COVID testing?  

3 hours ago, zgscl said:

I would suggest downloading even if you don’t plan to use it much or at all. The ability to order on your phone for NG Pizza or Dive in is a huge benefit over waiting in line to order. Additionally it is free to download on shore but would require paid internet to download on the ship. Once on your phone you can use it or not depending on your preference. 

That's what my TA said and recommended, so we will go ahead and download the App from home.   But seriously,  we keep our phones off for the majority of tine on the cruise as we are on vacation...from everything! 

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

The Navigator app has been around for quite a while and been upgraded.

It’s not a covid tracker but a means to check your on board account, make reservations, see what’s going on, etc.

 

Pre-cruise it can be used for boarding passes, etc.

 

There is no cost to use it on board.  Part of the ship’s internet system so you don’t need to buy internet.

 

It’s recommended but not mandatory.

Thanks for the info.   I sort of like to disconnect on my cruises.  Dunno if anyone else here does.  Too much info, noise, etc during my work weeks.