Haljo1935

Margerie Glacier from Crows Nest

Yes - currently on Eurodam - prebooked at $149 and have not been double charged. If that happens, the soa will very quickly adjust it if you show it to them; they can't see that has happened, so won't know to adjust unless you show it to them. As for discounts, Thermal Spa is not discounted for prebooing like other services are. But if book additional services, yhey will adjust the price for it down to $100. Not all services qualify, so be sure to ask.

We have only stayed in Neptune suites, do I'm unable to answer based on personal experience. Sounds fabulous - congrats on both securing the PS and the 40 years!!

Had late lunch/early dinner at The Hangar yesterday- lovely view of the ships, watched sea planes come & go. Entered Glacier Bay about an hour ago. Water very smooth. Have seen lots of birds and a couple otters. They swim faster than I can take pictures, lol.

So cool - I've never watched myself come into port!! It's chilly out here on the balcony, but only overcast, no rain, so best place to be as we come in. This will be you in just a few short weeks!!

We're getting into about 2 hours early - beginning to see buildings on the beach.

Entering Stephens Passage, anticipating great wildlife spotting - according to the Daily Program.

After a foggy, rolling (no rocking) day yesterday, today is starting off very nice - cloudy but no rain. About 5 hours from Juneau; the beautiful AK scenery is abundant. I love how the fog sits low so you see the water below and mountain peaks above. Had whales spouting last night during dinner - no pictures (I don't take my phone to dinner) but very lovely - it was dinner and a show!!

Update - although everyone but us, including an approx 10yo boy, were dressed in suites/ties, satin dresses (not gowns) or basically "After 5" there was no hesitation from the Maitre'D to let us in. And sure note, the food was excellent!!

Boarding was a snap - our flight was almost 30 minutes early and I was not looking forward to sitting 4.5 hours at the cruise terminal waiting for our group to be called. We didn't have to - we did have to wait a bit while all debarking passengers got off before we were allowed to even enter the cruise terminal. That wait was longer than the wait inside!! Went through check in very quickly - only showed boarding pass & passport twice. Our cabin wasn't ready but we were allowed to drop our carry-on in it then head to lunch. We had finished Mariners Lunch in MDR and taken a picture from our balcony before our 1:20 boarding time!! Yay - we're starting off well. Beautiful weather, clear blue sky for waiting outside the terminal. We were too close to get the entire ship, but the clear blue sky is visible 🙂 Balcony is too big to get in a single shot (I know - high class problem :) ) but the view from it is stunning (2nd picture). Today has been very foggy, so no pictures; sun is now starting to poke out, so maybe later. First stop is tomorrow - Juneau - where I hope to get nice pictures from atop Mt Roberts. So excited for you and your group!!

Thanks for replying - he didn't bring any shorts so for sure will be in pants 🥸 I will likely forgo the dress and wear pants as well so if either of us is underdressed, we're both underdressed.

I know this is older thread, but stumbled on it during an internet search for the very question - is casual acceptable in the Canaletto (located on Lido) on dressy nights on the Eurodam and seems there still is no definitive answer to be found. We're currently on the Eurodam to Alaska and will be dining in the Canaletto for the first time tonight. As we decided to pack lighter and forgo dining rooms on dressy nights, DH only has came cargo pants and a button down collared ss shirt to wear - will he be comfortable in the Canaletto tonight? I'll update after dinner...

No charge except for sodas, etc just as on the ship; lemonade, punch, water are free. Usually served 11-1. Also, you use your state room card for all purchase (including drinks) everywhere except the couple of "local" vendors that are under the thatch roofs; those are cash, not sure if they takes cards as I've never tried.

My experience has been you can't look up flights unless you're booked. We don't always book through HAL, we usually book directly with the airline and only through HAL if it's less expensive. We do have an issue with Flightease late at night/wee hours, so if you do search try it earlier, well before midnight.

The hydro pool is not really a giant hot tub, it's more like a warm bubbly bath as it's not hot. Bubbles are on a timer, separate from the sprayers; either can be on or off. The bars in the pool are great for stretching. And yes, you can use the chairs in the relaxation room if there's any available.

Even if you don't want to go to the beach, they do a nice buffet which is a nice break from the ship. It's a beautiful view.

Welcome to HAL!! It's an awesome way to experience AK. We will be getting off when you get on as we leave this Sat April 29.

I'm with you, Slidergirl - we board Sat April 29 for AK!!

You also have the option to give cash in lieu of a CC and can select that instead of entering your CC. Any amount left at the end will be refunded back to you - just go down the night before and ask to cash out or you can go very early in the morning before you leave the ship. The hold placed on your card will be equal to $60/day for each day of the trip for each passenger. So, if you're on a 7 day cruise, they'll do a hold of $420 per person. The process works as Crew News described above with one exception. Look at the very end of your statement - if the OBC is broken into 2 sections, 1 will be identified as "non refundable," the other will not. You will want to spend all of the nonrefundable as that won't get credited, but if you have any of the other OBC left, it will be refunded to your CC. Or you can cash it out. An additional hold will not be put on your card unless you spend more, including OBC, than their original hold. So, OBC is used before yourcCC. If you're concerned about spending and want to control it a bit more through OBC, you can buy OBC for yoyrself. It is fully refundable to your CC or in cash if you don't use it all. Enjoy your cruise!!

You can also ask your TA to fill it out and send to you to sign and submit. Mine does that. 🙂

Getting OBC is a nice perk; it's honestly why I bought CCL stock. With that said, you're right 00649, that high debt and interest payments are concerning. There's a difference between sailing with full ships and increasing revenue and making a profit. I believe CCL offered so many free cruises so they could report better fill rates across their brands. That paints 1 picture. Increasing prices (fares, tips, extra dining surchages, etc) is both a reaction to increased supply chain prices and an attempt to offset free cruises and demonstrate an increase in revenue. So, absolutely no, full ships don't necessarily equate to a healthy balance sheet.

Nieuw Amsterdam had Aha water in Feb. You only pay difference if you have the $11 package and go over on all the ships I've been on last year and this year. Will be on Eurodam in 2 days, so I'll know soon about it. No problems asking them to not open the drinks - and no issues taking them to your cabin.

VPN has not worked for me on any HAL ship. As I cannot access work sites or send/receive work emails that have attachments, I am not able to work onboard HAL ships.

The street tacos are surprisingly good; I don't eat seafood, so I can't comment on the shrimp, but the beef and chicken are good. With that said, they've always been served in double soft tortillas (as they should be) except for Feb on Nieuw Amsterdam where they came in hard crispy shells. Maybe they were out of tortillas and that's all they could get, didn't ask, but it was strange.

Congrats on snagging an aft cabin - they're by far our favorite for AK. As mentioned, you can see both sides and we always get a whale (and sometimes dolphin) show while on our balcony. One of the best memories (and stories) was watching a mama bear with her 3 cubs walking/playing the beach. They stayed in sight for more than 30 min - it was fabulous!! Make sure you have binoculars and don't let the drizzle, fog, wind or even rain keep you inside - the amazing views are best enjoyed fom your balcony. And the glacier cruising is great - no crowds to block your view. We will be getting off when you get on - we leave this Sat April 29 on Eurodam. First time to not be in an aft cabin - a bit jealous. 🙂