fastandhappy

Thank you. Good to know. Do you do other tipping?

CO would not work for us as we are travelling with my son, daughter-in-law, grandson and DILs mother. Thanks for the suggestion.

I have some new questions. I just saw something on the Holland American site about prepaying the Crew Appreciation fee. Is there any reason to do so? Exactly what does this cover? I know I have read that a tip is added to bar bills. 18% I think. If you dine at specialty restaurants is a tip added? Expected? I really don't know what is expected on a cruise. I assumed we would leave a tip for the cabin stewards at the end of the cruise and tip if we have room service. What are appropriate amounts? Are we expected to tip in the dining room? Should the stewards be tipped daily? I will bring my own bath products Are there shelves in the shower? Are the dining rooms cold? In photos I see women in sleeveless tops at dinner. What kind of a wrap would be good for someone who doesn't like air conditioning? I plan to wear light weight sweaters in the evening. I found a rain jacket I like but it would not be suitable as a wrap. I really appreciate all the feedback I have been given. While I am an experienced traveler, I am not an experienced cruiser. I like to know what to expect. Joyce

Fortunately, my scent problems do not cause anaphylaxis, just severe headaches for which I have medicine to help. It is amazing to me that scenting everything has become so popular. There are many stores I cannot go into--you can even be bowled over by the smell when you walk by an open door in the mall.

Thank you everyone for the tips. Sallywallygal perhaps we can meet. I don't have a cabin yet which is a concern. My TA recommended doing the "guaranteed" cabin route of VE or better. I am sorry now but too late to change without spending a lot of money. I doubt we will spend a lot of time in the cabin anyway. I always have an insulated water bottle with me. If the tap water is ok I don't have a problem withnusing it. I will look into the Copenhagen ideas. Ciao.

I will check it out. CruzR887 I did have 1 experience with the patch on a 3 day LA to Mexico cruise many years ago where I took it off as soon as I got off the ship and promptly became motion sick! I think I was told I should have waited to take it off for a couple of days. I will be sure to read the directions. Thank you. I really appreciate all the tips.

Thank you for all the information, Reova. What is your National brand? I am definitely looking for the right jacket.

Thank you for the information. I hadn't thought about the crew wearing scented products. I will take a mask in case it becomes a problem and will wait to book a massage until I can check out the spa.

Thanks to a couple of previous responses to my questions on another thread, I only have a few more. I have had motion sickness in cars and don't want to chance it on this trip. I plan to get the "Patch". Should I put it on before the ship leaves Copenhagen or wait to see if I have a problem? I have bought the seabands and will wear them. Spa treatments: I always get massages at home and on vacations. I have looked at the offerings. I am concerned that all involve the use of fragrant products and I am allergic to anything floral or strong scented. I can bring my own products but are the rooms scented also? Has anyone tried them? Is there anyway to actually contact someone at HA for answers? Is there soft lighting in the bathroom for nighttime visits? Internet: Do we need to buy an internet package to just check emails? I think I read somewhere you can bring limited wine and water on board but I cannot find it. Can someone direct me to the appropriate area in HA information? Weather: I am a warm/hot weather person and realize I will not have that on this cruise. I have a rain poncho, gloves, hat and scarf, and I know I am supposed to "layer" tops, but should I have a jacket, and if so, what kind? I hate being cold and plan to wear sweaters most of the time. We will spend 3 days in Stockholm pre-cruise, take the highspeed train to Copenhagen on 7-25, and spend 2 days in Copenhagen post cruise. I doubt we will ever return to these areas and would appreciate tips about best things to see and do, restaurants, etc. Any advice about the train? Should I book the tickets now? I love trains and the hi speed ride may be the highlight of this vacation for me! Looking forward to this trip and maybe to meeting some of you. Thank you for your help. Joyce

Thank you. I will look for that but so far I haven't been able to book anything and my TA is in Thailand so emails not being answered. I guess I have time to figure things out.

I appreciated your review as we are sailing on the 7 day Nordic cruise July 26. We did the Alaska cruise on Princess in 2009, which we enjoyed, but otherwise travel to the tropics or Europe on our own. The only cruise I expect to take in the future would be a European river cruise. This is a last minute cruise with son and family and the price was very reasonable, $2900 for veranda. We are "old" 78 and 81, but active and really do not know what to expect. It took awhile to figure out all the abbreviations (HIA, CO, MDR, etc). The information on the HAL website and other sites seems to be more for experienced cruisers and my questions are not being answered. For example, we like a glass or 2 of wine with dinner but do not drink alcohol during the day and I can't decide whether we need the HIA. We drink lots of water and tea. Do we have to pay for them? I saw orange juice listed on the HIA beverages. Really???? Do I have to pay for orange juice at meals? I use a CPAP machine and need distilled water. I know I can bring it on board in "Checked Baggage" but how am I supposed to get a gallon of distilled water in my suitcase? Is the pool just walk around deep? Is the Lincoln Center venue gone? We are classical music people and that is a main attraction. I could go on with my questions but don't want to bore. I would really appreciate being directed to a more informative site for HAL and this ship, Nieuw Statendam. Many thanks, Joyce