FLCruiser97

Are they there for use on the ship only or can you take them. First HAL cruise in a while.

10 hours ago, 00649 said:

Sailed back to Miami on NCL from San Antonia , thats a one and done Im afraid .i will do a report on that cruise later.

I believe you did a "live" review on your sailing which I followed. I look forward to reading about this NCL sailing back to Miami. 

Wonderful. Finally a "LIVE FROM" on the Oosterdam heading to Ft. Lauderdale. We are getting on when you get off in Port Everglades and taking her to Greece on the Trans-Atlantic. I have been following the "LIVE FROM" on a few previous sailings. Thanks for posting. 

1 hour ago, BlueCO102 said:

In researching hotels for a post-cruise stay in Rome this fall, I've noticed many of the booking websites allow for booking in various currencies. Is there any advantage to booking in EUR and letting my credit card convert to USD vs booking directly in USD?

 

The only potential difference I am seeing is difference in exchange rate. For informational purposes the card would use has no foreign transaction fees.

 

Thanks for sharing the wisdom of experience!

My experience with this is to book in EUR. I did this with airline tickets from ATH-MAD and it came out cheaper in EUR. 

Not sure but I believe they open up the books about a year in advance.

29 minutes ago, guihong02 said:

Hello, have never cruised and am very interested in HA to the British Isles in May 2026 (as a kind of reward after a major goal reached).  

• How early is way too early to book the cruise?  And do most of you use a travel agent, especially in something with so many moving parts with  going overseas?
• Has anyone done the 15 night cruse around Scotland and Ireland?  I especially wanted Belfast and Loch Ness, but of course it's all good.
• Can you add on pre-or post trip stays, like a few days in London?

 

Thank you so much for your time!  I'm sure I'll be around many times in the two years until the cruise.

WOW. You are a brand newbie. Welcome to Cruise Critic. I'm sure you will find everything you are looking for right here. We are really a friendly bunch of folks. I can't answer your question about the British Isles sailing but someone here most certainly can. Welcome!

Don't get me wrong. I will pay the corkage fee if asked. But in all my years of sailing, and on multiple cruise lines, I have never been asked to pay corkage. It is what it is! 

5 minutes ago, CNSJ said:

I saw today pricing for mid-Jan 2025 on ICON of the SEAs for balcony cabins on a 7 day cruise in/out of Miami, with stops in St. Maarten, St. Thomas and there CoCo Cay island.  Cheapest balcony over $3,200 a person.  Thats  $1000+ a day after taxes, fees, and gratuities - before drinks and other options.   

 

Pick your own term:  C R A Z Y , N U T S, ???

 

 

That's just too much for RCCL ships. Now, maybe on an upscale cruise line, maybe but not RCCL.

1 hour ago, RedIguana said:

I just wish they would waive the corkage fee if you have a beverage package. 

That makes more sense. We have the HIA package with Bonus but are taking 2 bottles of wine for cabin consumption. I will pay the corkage if asked but it just doesn't make sense.

26 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

The Crew Appreciation is commonly referred to as "tips" or "gratuities" currently $17 or $19/day pp depending on cabin type. It is pooled and distributed to cabin stewards, dining servers and other crew. It is completely different than the 18% drink and spa service (tip) charge.

@Haljo1935, I know you have been on the Oosterdam recently. Can't remember if it was before or after the crew appreciation was increased. We have pre paid tips with our HIA some time ago. Were you charged the difference onboard?

So sad to hear this about Celebrity. At one point, this was my favorite cruise line. Back in the day, the Milly had the best specialty restaurant on the sea. The Olympic dining room was truly special. I have not sailed X since 2022 but, I do know that from friends that have sailed recently on X the service/food has deteriorated somewhat. I am sailing on HAL next month. I haven't sailed HAL for many, many years but am looking forward to something new. 

Nice pics. I bought a 9-day pass for our sailing and am looking forward to using it.

 I sure would like to know if they exist. Kinda like talking M&Ms.

How many dressy nights would you say are on a 25-day sailing?

5 minutes ago, Beach Basket said:

I just found out about this site.  

You're welcome!

17 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Here is a pic of the outlets by the desk.  There is also a USB port over the nightstands on each side of the bed.

 

Thank you @*Miss G*. That's what I needed.

I posted this question on my roll call also. Does anyone know what the electrical outlets look like on the Oosterdam? I am wanting to bring a multi outlet plug but don't know if it will fit.

Oh Boy. @FlaMarineryou are full of surprises!  LOL.

3 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Those pictures would have been from K'dam, taken Dec '23 - Jan '24. NS looked pretty much identical Nov '23 - Dec '23.

I may have some from Eurodam April '23 - May '23 if you want me to look.

Thanks for the info @Haljo1935. I forgot to mention that the ship will be the Oosterdam. I was following your "Live" on the Oosterdam in SA/Anactica a few months ago. Do you by chance have any photos on that ship in the spa?

6 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Yes @FLCruiser97 I think it sets a great relaxing vibe for the day.

   I have an opportunity to cash in some of my HAL credit card points for 10 days in the Thermal spa. I was contemplating whether I should go for it or not. I have been doing research on the Thermal spa to see if it's worth it. I have a 25-day TA so would have plenty of time to use it. Any thoughts?

BON VOYAGE to all! Enjoy the warm sun.

12 minutes ago, TMJplus1 said:

 After a luxurious 45 minutes or so enjoying the thermal suite, I shower, dress for the day, and return to the cabin just in time for room service to arrive with our coffee. I have never had a net thrown over me for wearing my robe. Though I *do* use the forward elevators and try to avoid being seen as much as possible. 😇

What a great start to the day. Robe wearing in this scenario I would think would be acceptable.

I believe that a Disabled American Veteran (DAV) plate still lets you park for free. At least it did 3 months ago.

4 hours ago, bajae said:

It may depend on the cruise, but the shore excursions were available with my Hawaiian cruise a year out. 

Yes, that is true. Every sailing is different.

2 hours ago, puppycanducruise said:

Use the shorex credit as soon as you see a shore excursion you want.  Some excursions are sold out long before the cruise so you don't want to miss out.

We too have this HIA on our TA in April. However, our shore excursions were not available to book until about 90 days out as well as the specialty restaurant credit.