Dobby36

I like the grapefruit cosmo from the Billboard menu. But I’m more often found having a top shelf bourbon on the rocks. From the other lines I’ve been on, I’m always impressed with their American bourbon selection (and for now, remaining within the drink package limits!)

thank you for this note! I’m over six feet (and not skinny either) so I always felt the standard robes felt teeny on me….but never occurred to me to ask if they had larger ones! Mind blown. Haha! Thanks much.

I was able to do the same through my PCC with HAL. Resulted in less over $ for the same cabin I already had/liked, and the same benefits etc plus club orange. The one asterisk would be if you had valuable early booking or onboard benefits or some combo of things they weren’t longer available, you’d be likely to need to move to whatever promotions are current. Still worth a call to see if you come out ahead in your circumstance.

For years I never got notifications, but my last cruise in Sept, I was actually able to enable push notifications! (I mean, I think they were already enabled, but they actually came through!) this was on an iPhone 13mini, and my travel companions newer iPhone did the same.

Thank you @princeton123211 ! Very helpful.

Hi there, other than many references to Uber Black (of which I am familiar) I can’t find any threads on black car service to LAX. I’ve sifted through a few google searches and think I’ve found some general thoughts (Blacklane=good, but pricey, PrimeTime= cheap, but unreliable) but it’s difficult to sort through the real reviews vs the sponsored content. hoping for any personal thoughts and experience here: We are leaving our car (and dogs) with family in Corona, CA on a Monday in November. Will want to get to LAX in early afternoon, and prefer a private vehicle I’m willing to spend more to not sit in the back of someone’s Corolla for 2 hours (I am over 6feet, and this is the start of our honeymoon) Again, I am familiar with Uber Black, but if the price is surging it could be well over $200/way, so I’d rather set a time certain with a reliable company. Could be a large sedan, or a SUV. Thoughts? thx!

I believe you are also on the same celebrity Millenium cruise with us, ending in Singapore. Looking forward to sharing the journey!

If you have online brokerage account access, an easy way to do it is to screenshot (or download) a statement and attach it to an email. You can black out things electronically if you prefer. I too bought some for less than $10/share in 2020 and have gotten more in OBC in the past few years than my initial investment. (And it’s almost doubled in value, to boot!) I really hope they keep renewing the benefit annually. That’s the one caveat, it can only be applied to cruises as far into the future as the CCL board(?) approves it. I believe he current date is something like 7/31/24

I’ve been on more than half a dozen HAL cruises, all while in my 30s, and I have never been bored or felt out of place. The fellow passengers are great company and usually friendly, interesting and kind folks. What i feel is the most “old” on the ships are the comedians constant joking about aging passengers 😉 But honestly, The only time I have to tell myself to be gracious is when I’m stuck behind a group of folks who can’t move as fast as I’d like. But at 6 foot 6, I’m almost always walking faster than folks on land so I’m used to it! 😄

One more thing: take a moment to stroll Guidecca itself,if you can. I found it to be much less touristy than the central area of Venice, and we easily found interesting markets, a nice place for dinner on the sidewalk where we could people watch the locals during their commute home (for half of the price to eat across the canal!) and other quiet beauty that was more difficult to experience among the hustle elsewhere.

if you do end up transferring to the airport, then making your own way to the Hilton from there, I’d second the Alilaguna suggestion. We did this after a brutal fright to Venice last year, and even though we were tired, it was so nice to go “around” Venice on the way to Guidecca, where the Stucky is. You took a while, but the journey was pleasant and we got the lay of the land on the way, even a stop in Murano. If you aren’t strapped for time (even with drive from Trieste, it may be early to check in) I would not count out this option. Once you get to Guidecca where the Hilton is, there are fewer bridges and the Hilton has its own shuttle boat to get back to Saint marks square (and I think one other stop) for free. We were very pleased with our stay there!

we used them in March as well (for a tour, but they do transfers and I can vouch for the drivers and vehicles ) we also did Uber around Santiago and found it easy and affordable, but if it was me I’d prefer a hired operator with a time certain for a longer journey to port, although I had read that their Ubers often will accept trips all the way out to San Antonio.

same here, in sept 2023

I just noticed that this week as well! Glad I wasn’t the only one scratching my head.

yes, ive booked directly and have received offers to upgrade. Also, if you can in to ask about upgrades too early (30+days prior to sailing, or so) you may be told you can be put on a waitlist for specific room categories of upgrades that may open up. I’ve done that, but haven’t yet gotten a call, as sailings remained full. But yes, I’ve got regular upgrade offers booking directly.

Also in the navigator app you can choose your options for service. I believe it’s under “order now” or “service now” and you can request things for one time (extra hangers, pillows, etc) or to be done daily (AM ice, turndown, etc) i used that option last month on zuiderdam as I didn’t see the attendants during the first 24 hours (rare- I usually run into them and introduce myself etc on first day) and it worked perfectly. anither nifty feature of this section of the app allows you to request things be retrieved. (Dirty room service tray, laundry, etc) this is handy if you miss the AM service but want to send laundry out or whatnot.

I haven’t gone solo, but I’ve gone on HAL with both family and with my partner sometimes. They always have at least a couple LGBT meetups per week, usually one on the first night. Never seems to be more than a handful of gays that attend, usually male couples in their 50s/60s. But they’ve always been friendly and nice to keep seeing familiar faces for the rest of the cruise at the casino or in the lounges. i like the koningsdam. I hope you will too!

The Zuiderdam was on the new menu as of this month. I had the scallops and loved them. (And thank goodness the veal and sage meatballs didn’t get cut! My favvvv)

We saw bald eagles outside of Halifax, and river otters or seals (there was debate on this!) also. a pair of binoculars would have been nice, but there wasn’t (on our cruise) a naturalist pointing out “look at whale off port side” etc, as they usually do on Alaska cruises, so you’d maybe be on your own to know when and where to look….

+1 this fear of having a credit card leave your side is overblown. To me, one of the huge advantages of using one over a debit card is there isn’t a risk of someone stealing your money. I would worry much more about my debit card. Sure, skimming and double charging can happen. But it’s so rare and easily corrected by a text or app chat - I don’t even recall ever actually picking up a phone to resolve such an issue.

We’re we’re on an overnight from pier 30 last month. (On HAL) they offered a free shuttle bus from the terminal to the edge of town, continuously. It would have been otherwise a 5-10 min walk on flat sidewalks to get to the first retail/Commerical buildings and out of the industrial/port area. there were also taxis waiting outside the terminal. We used one, after calling an Uber and finding it would be a 20 min wait for a Uber on a sat AM. The price quoted by the taxi was only a dollar or two more to go fully into town, and other than having to use cash it couldn’t have been simpler! I also agree that the cobblestones in old town aren’t an issue. It’s not like some cities where they are EVERYWHERE. They are mainly in the few busiest pedestrian alleys, and still there are often traditional sidewalks alongside them. The hills, however…those might be troublesome for some!

they did the same on zuiderdam earleir this month, but they used one side of what is usually the salad station (or omelet station in the AM!) they tasted great, as far as I was concerned!

Ive had some of these offers, but more frequently have traveled with a drink package. it shouldn’t be more trouble than it’s worth to get a drink at the casino when you are on your way somewhere else if you are OK to sit down for 5 mins and plays some penny slots. However, if it’s a crowded evening that 5 mins could turn to 15. in all restaurants/bars on the ship, you hand over your keycard to get a drink, regárdless of having a package. The exception is in the casino, where your card will be in the slot machine or sometimes with a dealer if you have just joined a table. Therefore, the severs in the casino (who are stationed at the adjacent bar where you can also walk up to order drinks) are used to taking down your cabin number and name instead of using your card. In my experience they get to remembering you quite quickly, even if you aren’t a high roller or spending all day in there. But I stick out from the typical HAL cruiser demographic. I’ve always mentioned that I have free casino drinks and it’s worked out fine for me. I usually stay for a while but nobody seems to notice or mind if you wander elsewhere with a drink. can’t answer the craps question, I just play slots and roulette and blackjack. Sorry.

+1, my thoughts exactly. Putting emphasis and effort in an area that should pan out well

puertosanantoniotours.com we used in reverse to do ship to hotel, but also included a day of winery touring and a lunch. I believe they do simple transfers also, and I think highly of our experience. Fun guide, clean and comfy van, and easy to book.