iflyrc5

burgers, fish, hot dogs, 2 or 3 types of salads, fruit and brownies. Water, ice tea and lemonade. There is a bar near the BBQ pavilion and 2 bars on the beach. You will also see lots of free range chickens running around the picnic table area.

Bernard is the only way to go. We used him years ago when he was just a one van company. Now he has a fleet of vans - great guy - great people- outstanding value.:D:D

The following is copied from the HAL website. Does anyone have any experience with this system and costs involved? Another family traveling with us wants to stay in touch with other family members at home via texting. A representative at Verizon told them this would be free. That does not sound correct to me so trying to get some first hand experience from our HAL forum. When you go to the link they give it takes you to AT&T and there is nothing about Verizon.

 

Mobile Phone Service

 

Holland America, through an agreement with Wireless Maritime Service, proudly offers an advanced roaming network onboard all Holland America ships allowing you to make and receive calls, send and receive text messages and access emails and surf the web while at sea using your own mobile phone and telephone number.

 

The Wireless Maritime Service system is available for use when the ship is in international waters. When user’s phones pick the shipboard signal, their phone will usually display “cellular at sea”, “Ship Roam”or “901-18”. Depending on the handset and the carrier the user may be required to select “Roam” on the handset.

 

For frequently asked questions about cell phone service on board, please go to http://www.wmsatsea.com.

For questions about your service or about billing, please contact your home network customer service.

Yes - we did it several years ago and took some school supplies. The kids loved it. One person in our group also brought a soccer ball which the kids immediately used and my DW also brought some balloons. We did the tour with Ann and it was great!:D

I have not had trouble with HAL emails but when I try to download the tours listing for a cruise it does not work with IE. You would think HAL would have all the downloads work with IE since that is the most popular browser.:confused:

I recall seeing here on CC that HAL is reducing the number of formal nights. On our up coming cruise to the south pacific on the Statendam which is 30 days the documents state we will have 5 formal nights. We are also on the prior leg which is 15 days and the documents state we will have 3 formal nights.

 

This is fine with me:)

Many of the schools in Indiana have "year round school". It is still 180 days but starts earlier and then has longer (usually 2 week) breaks. Some start school as early as the end of July and then get out for the summer break which is longer in mid May.

That is what happened to us after buying a FCD.We booked another cruise upon returning home and received an email about additional credit after doing the booking.I called my TA and HAL honored the offer.

 

Same thing happened to us this year with the same result:D.

Just remember only 1 bottle per person is free - more than that and you will have to pay the corkage fee.:(

Terri, So happy to see that you and Jim are getting back on a DAM ship. Barb and I and Kathi are starting our adventure on the Statendam on Jan 29th out of Ft. Lauderdale - through the Panama Canal to San Diego (15 days) then on to Hawaii then to the South Pacific and back to San Diego (30 days).

 

We are also booked for the Voyage of the Vikings in Summer of 2015.

 

Enjoy your cruise - I will be following on CC and your Blog.

Has anyone here used Toa Nui Tours in Raiatea? They are offering a half day tour exploring the Faaroa river, visiting the Marae of Taputapuatea and swimming at a Motu with refreshments.

 

Appreciate feedback from anyone that has done this tour in the past.

Our first cruise was in 1996 on the Rotterdam V. My DW is a math teacher (now retired) and a group of teachers from her school were doing an Alaska cruise. We weren't sure if we would like it but would give it a try. I was born and raised in New Jersey and spent the summers at the Jersey shore on a cabin cruiser and my DW spent summers at her grandmother's lake cottage so we both liked the water. As they say - the rest is history. We will be leaving in 5 weeks for our 18th and 19th cruise (45 day B2B on the Statendam) and are booked for the Voyage of the Vikings in 2015. Already looking for what is available in 2016 - yes we have come to love cruising :D

 

Forgot - needed to add that when I was little my grandparent's did several crossing when they did trips to Europe. That was back when they would let visitors come aboard - I have pictures of my Grandmother and me on the deck of the USS United States at the pier in New York City.

Please let us know the times of the shows in the evening. Some HAL ships have been doing 3 shows in the evening. Thanks.

We will be on the Statendam from Jan 29-Mar 15 - would you please tell us who the Captain, HD and CD will be?

Looking forward to following your journey - we are doing this same cruise on the Statendam leaving Feb 13, 2015:D

We have done several Collectors Cruises. For those at embarkation you sign in one time for both "legs" of the cruise and you get one booking number that covers both cruises. This year we are doing a B2B where we have a separate booking number for each leg of the trip. We get on the Statendam in Ft. Lauderdale for 15 days going through the Panama Canal ending in San Diego. We are then staying on board in the same cabin and doing the next cruise on the Statendam which is a 30 day to Hawaii and the south pacific. Just wonder how and when the "embarkation" process is handled for the second leg? Also, since it is really to cruises with 2 booking numbers can we get off in San Diego and get 2 more bottles of wine (one for each of us) and bring it on board without the fee for this second leg?:confused:

Interesting - I was told they only send it out to TAs. I had my TA get one and she then sent it to me about 2 months ago. You would think HAL would mail them out to 4Star Mariners.

We loved the new crew shows on the Noordam in Feb and thought DROOM was super. We were on the Noordam in 2013 and got to see the first ever public performance of DROOM and it was great and loved it again in 2014. Everyone has a different taste in food and entertainment.

This past Feb we did 21 days (B2B) on the Maasdam then walked our bags across the pier at 10am - gave them to the folks taking luggage and got on the Noordam for another 21 days (B2B). There were already others in the waiting area when we arrived. We are sailing out of FLL this coming Jan and plan to arrive at the terminal by 1030. We are 4 Star so can get on board in the first group and like to start enjoying our vacation and get to the MDR for the Mariner lunch.

Do a search for your cruise -

 

when you pick the cruise and date select Details

 

then select continue

 

then input number of guests - select NO for mariner number (I have tried it both with and without and have not noticed a difference in price) - select save and continue

 

then pick your type of cabin and select save and continue

 

then pick the deck for the cabin you want and select save and continue

 

after doing all that you will see some of the cabins that are available and the price and the taxes and fees.

 

You don't need to input your mariner number or name. It is a pain in the rear compared to the old system but really only takes about 90 seconds to get through the menus once you figure out the system.:(

I will be packing 3 Hawaiian shirts for our up coming Hawaii/south pacific cruise on the Statendam. They are light weight and don't wrinkle so great for packing.:)

If there are cabins remaining after the final payment date that is when most of the price drops happen. We just made final payment for our upcoming cruises on Nov 15 and on Nov 18 they each dropped 10%.:( Our TA checked with HAL on the 18th and they did offer us an upgrade but it would not work since we are doing B2B in the same cabin and they could not confirm we could get the same cabin if we did the upgrade which was really not much of an upgrade anyway.

DW always brings her bar of Dove and her own shampoo because of skin issues - The HAL soaps are fine for me except I really don't like the gold translucent hand bar soap they give you - I like the white bar much better.

Some ships have the beach towels at the gangway as you get off and others give them to you in the cabins - we had it both ways on our 2 cruises earlier this year.

We love meeting new people! I'll take ALL of the singles at my MDR table March 7, 2015 on the Westerdam! If anyone has late seating and needs some tablemates my group of 3 would love the company. If you know anything about football even better! We will discuss the Combine a lot since I will be there watching it. My travel mates ( sis and mom ) could care less about this enthralling, wonderful, mega super most excellent sport. :mad:

 

How do you get access to the Combine? I thought it was not open to the public - just the NFL and media. GO COLTS!