JeannyJ

I know that the Dressy Night menu is multi course but don't know anything about it beyond that. We're going on our first cruise, to Alaska (Volendam), in July and are trying to figure out our dining plan and how it will work with excursions. We're planning on having most of our breakfasts in our room, and lunch at the Dive-in or Lido Market, but want to be sure we're ready with dressy clothes, etc for the MDR and specialty dining. Also I'd love to know anything you can tell me about afternoon, and high, tea. I tried to book a time on the website but when I signed in it disappeared and I couldn't find it on my booking page.

We live in Saskatoon but will be flying from Calgary to Vancouver for our cruise in July. Does anyone have any idea how it's going in Van these days? We'll only have 1 checked bag but really don't care to be separated from it flying in early the day we sail.

We're going on our first cruise in July on Holland America, and I needed to get an ambulatory accessable room. They don't have lots of accessable rooms (full or ambulatory) so we needed to book early. We booked in January and there were only 2 ocean view rooms left, all of the lanai and all but 1 suite were booked with several inside rooms left. The room cost the same as a regular but we weren't able to use any of the room discounts/deals. We are on the upgrade list but they can't guarantee another accessable room but we'll cross that bridge if we get the offer. We were told that all their ships are very accessable and take special care of their passengers with special needs/disablities. Unfortunately I haven't found many excursions that are accessable but the ones that are are good ones. I hope you guys find the cruise you're hoping for and have an awesome time!

LOL We would love to go what watching but can't afford it. And we live in Saskatchewan (the heart of the Canadian prairies) so it's all pretty cool for us 🙂

It's the Goldbelt Tram so I think that's the one you're talking about. We're not looking to climb on the glacier just get close enough for some nice pics of the ice and wildlife. I'm glad the bottom is near the cruise port so it'll be easy to get back to the ship.

Hi! We're going on an Alaskan cruise in July (on Holland America) for our 25th anniversary and I'd love to know what you decided to do for your vow renewal. We'll be travelling alone too and can't afford the Vow Renewal package so would love to do something on our own. Our TA is supposed to be letting the cruiseline know about our anniv and our kids will be getting us the Happy Anniversary gift package (flowers, balloons and a $15 photo credit for the special day), and I'm looking for something simple to put on our stateroom door. We'll also be using our specialty dining credit that night but I'd really like to have a renewal of some kind too.

Hubby and I are going on an Alaskan Inside Passage cruise with HAL July 12-19. We will be in Juneau on the 14 (our 25th anniv) and after much debate we've decided that we want to head up to the Glacier over going to the Salmon Bake. There are 2 cruise excursions up to it that we can afford ... Mendenhall Glasier Explorer (a tourbus ride through the city and up to the visitor centre) and Juneau Tram On Your Own. My hubby REALLY wants to do the tram but I'm really afraid of heights and would need to sit on the ride up (esp if the tram swings at all). Soo I need your wisdom and help in choosing! I need to know about the bus on the first excursion and if it's accessible for larger people, and about the tram (how stable is it and how far from the cruise terminal is it, etc) and the ride up and back down. Also how groomed are the trails to where you can see the glacier? I'm really excited about our trip and leaving the prairies behind for a while! 😊

Thanks for the help everyone! I filled out the RSI on the HAL site today and requested assistance at Canada Place for both embark and disembark. I was able to let them know I'll have a cane and will need seats without arms in the dining areas. Hopefully this will be honored and I'll be able to start and end the cruise without the back and hip pain. Now to book some shore excursions!

Thanks! I was going to just look for help when we got there but will be emailing our TA and getting her to arrange for it. I tried to use their Special Needs Request form on the website and it would never send. And it's not so much not wanting to bother LOL as not knowing who to bother and what to ask for. I feel awkward at the thought of a walker and am terrified of not fitting a narrow little wheelchair but I'm beginning to understand the need.

Our cruise is July 12-19 and we're driving from SK on the 11th and will spend the night in AB and flying to Van on the earliest flight out (6:30am) on the 12th. So we'll be getting into Vancouver around 7am local time and we will only have 1 checked bag. We can't afford to fly 4 people from Saskatoon to Calgary (even on the little jumper flight) LOL IF we did find a way to fly to Van on the 11th it won't be until the last flight out, but I'd much rather take the evening to see my parents and make sure everything is ready for the kids' trip before we head out for our own. We're not afraid of crowds (thanks to big airports from other trips) but I think we'll probably get there for the first groups through and take our time on the ship.

Thanks Alberta Quilter and cruiseryyc. Unfortunately we don't have the option to fly to Van the night before as we'll be travelling from Sk that day and will be spending that evening getting our kids ready for a trip they're taking with their cousins while we're gone. I'm a little anxious about flying in the same day but we really have no other choice. The first flights out at at 6 and 6:30 am so we should be ok (knock on wood).

Thanks for the response, there's lots here to keep in mind. The Volendam is scheduled to leave at 4pm and we'll be flying in from Calgary early that morning just in case anything goes wrong at either airport and give time for the cab ride to Canada Place. I'm not sure my anxiety would allow me to try the really late boarding LOL But if we're in the first wave of people going through maybe I'll be ok without assistance. I saw on another site that shows this year's ports and there are only supposed to be 3 ships moored that morning with only 1 leaving when we do (no really big ships), and someone said on the HAL boards that HAL ships typically dock on the west side of the building. I'll keep an eye on the Port Authority webiste!

My husband and I are going on our first cruise in July. We'll be sailing round trip from Vancouver and I was wondering if anyone could answer some questions. I have back issues and can't stand for long periods of time, or walk great distances, so I was wondering how long the process of checking in/embarkation, and disembarkation, takes and if it's a big walk from where we wait in port authority to where we actually get on the ship (is there a long gangway or lots of ramps?). I know I should be able to get assistance from the cruiseline (HA) like I do in the airport but if it's not too bad, with places to rest, I should be ok with a cane and camping stool. Also do Canadian travellers need to use the ArriveCan app for when we come back through customs at the end of the trip or will our passports and customs declaration card be enough?

Some unique ideas! We were already planning on the magnetic hooks of different sizes, colored post it notes, folding baskets or bags to keep things confined in and a clip for the curtains. But I love the bungie cords too as they can come in handy with a suitcase that won't close too. And the packing tape for the vents, I also saw a suggestion somewhere to tape a towel over vents to help with noise control. I'm learning a lot here!

Thanks for the links and book suggestions! I love to research the places we travel to so this will keep me busy and possibly help with finding affordable things to do. I know that we're planning on staying onboard on either the Skagway or Ketchikan days but even a half day on land would be cool 😊

160 days until my first cruise!! 😎

I'm looking forward to having the smaller and less energetic (not sure about quiet due to where our room is ... earplugs are on the list!) for our first cruise, and passengers more our age than being surrounded by the constant go of kids and young adults/teens. This way when I get lost on the ship (should happen at least once .. I'm awful with directions LOL) I won't get teased too much 😀 Our door will be very simple and not overwhelming like some doors I've seen. I'm thinking icebergs with our names and on the day a really simple white board with our wedding date and anniversary on it. The fuss will be in the cabin where only we can see it. Thank you for sharing your experience on Volendam it really isn't getting much love on the boards. I love looking at pics of it and daydreaming about hanging out in the Crow's Nest and on the Lido Deck, and eating in the beautiful MDR. We're on the Lower Promenade so I'm hoping to catch a sunset or sunrise on the deck outside our room.

Thanks for the tip on the flowers, I will for sure get those ordered to be there when we embark. If they are still nice would I be able to take a bloom or 2 with us when we leave or should I just leave them? I've never seen whales in person but the ones listed in the excursions are too expensive for us. So hopefully I can find a local one that's more affordable or they will be active on our days at sea.

We have to leave the city lights behind but can usually get a good light show in the winter (usually on the colder nights). The farther north you go the better the chances. I was hoping they'd be visible in the summer up in Alaska too but that's ok. Really long days are a novelty so we'll enjoy those for sure!

Thank you! I am starting to relax more about these ?? and will stop obsessing about the trip (that'll make my hubby happy LOL). It can be really hard to find the answers you need on these boards and you've helped a lot!

Thanks! And I will try to follow the theme of "don't worry" 😊 This is our first trip alone since our teenagers were born so if we can't find a way to do the renewal without the package we'll do it at home with the kids present. I am just looking forward to all that adult time! LOL

Hi! Hubby and I are newbie cruisers and will be going to Alaska on the Volendam in July. We will be celebrating our 25th anniversary while onboard and are nervous but excited. I have mobility issues and we were able to get ambulatory accessible stateroom EE3391, an ocean view, near the aft elevators. Our itinerary is round trip from Vancouver ... 12 - leave Van at 4pm, 13 - at sea on the inside passage, 14 (our anniversary) - Tracy Arm Inlet in am and then Juneau, 15 - Skagway, 16 - Glacier Bay, 17 - Ketchikan, 18 - inside passage, 19 - arrive Van. From reading posts I think I've figured out when the dressy nights will be (13 and 16), and that Volendam isn't talked about much. We got the HIA when we booked and I have the Navigator app and I think I've figured out how to find things there and on the site. However there are still things I can't figure out .... 1. our drink, and wifi, packages show on our booking confirmation but not in my account on the site or the app. DO I need our TA to fix this or will they just be there when we embark? 2. We've told our TA about our anniv and when it is but can't tell if she actually registered it with HAL. Is there something we can do now to let them know or should we just wait until we get there and tell our waiter in the MDR and our room steward? Also can we decorate our stateroom door? I've found some nice magnets and white boards and I'd like to put our names on the door and something special on our big day. 3. We're on the list for a free upgrade (came with our HIA deal) but the lanai rooms are "sold out". What does this mean for a potential upgrade? Would they upgrade us to a suite or just a different/normal ocean view? 4. This isn't anything major but I've been looking at lanyards for our key cards and have found some with really nice card holders. Will it be better to just clip the card to the lanyard (if it has a hole) for easy use or would it work with a cardholder too? I really wanted to renew our vows during our cruise but we couldn't afford the package, but I'm pretty sure we'll be able to make it just as special without it. If they don't do anything on the ship we'll look for some place in Juneau to eat and enjoy the amazing scenery (it's a late departure), maybe order some flowers or something for the room from the gifts (or get our kids to send us some). I can't wait to see the northern lights, some whales and escape the heat we'll be getting here at that point in July 😎 Sorry this got a little lengthy and for any tips and help you can give.

I'm glad this post was made. We're travelling on the Volendam in July and have stateroom EE3391. On the deck plan there's a white square in what I thought was our room, now I'm not so sure. I know we'll have an outside door beside our room and the elevators/stairs nearby but I'm worried about the box. Can anyone risk a guess? I'm not sure if we'll be able to change rooms as this is an abulatory accessible room and there were only 2 with ocean view available (the other one's on the other side of the ship with the same box).

If you get one of these bags for shopping in port, and on board (?), do you get to keep it or is it an extra charge? I'm a cruising newbie and don't want to take off with anything that I can't keep, but don't want to miss out on any freebies either.

My DH and I got our 25th anniversary cruise booked with this deal. We're going to Alaska on the Volendam in July and can't wait! We're new to cruising and are really excited 😀