jtl513

Can I request a 2 top in the MDR my daughter really complains if she sits with people she does not know (part of autism).

Definitely. If you want it in Fixed/Traditional seating just let your TA or PCC know her need.

 

If you choose Open seating and eat at off-peak times (5:15 to 6:00 or 7:15 to 8:00) you should have no trouble getting seated fairly quickly. If you find a table you like you can reserve it for 3 days at a time. Look at http://halfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ZADM.pdf and make a list of the 2-tops you see on the lower level. On embarkation day go to a reservations podium that is usually near the Canaletto with the list in hand and keep going down the list until you find one open. They will usually say that it's "not guaranteed" but we've always gotten what we asked for.

IMO a balcony is not essential in AK, as there are plenty of public viewing areas on every ship, and often AK weather prevents you from getting much use of it. We've cruised AK twice without a balcony either time. On one of the cruises a friend had a balcony and she wasn't on it more than about 2 hours total for the whole trip. I would take the 14-day.

AK attracts a lot of families, and at "pushing 60" you could be above the average age.

If you could up your price range to an HH or H on the Lower Promenade deck you could have easy access to outside when there's an announcement of something outside worth seeing! I suggest one back by the stern - 3415/3418 or higher.

Curling irons are not on this PROHIBITED ITEMS LIST but I found one (three year old) report of them being taken when in carry-on bags: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2005272

It's funny how different people have different opinions on the same ship.

 

We sailed on the Koningsdam earlier this month and decided within a couple of days that this will be our last cruise on it.

Ditto. I liked the new features (Sel de Mer, Grand Dutch Cafe, World Stage, Lincoln Center, Gelato) but with no brass, no nautical paintings, no antiques, no respectable promenade or library, and too much white/gray/black/chrome it just wasn't HAL to me. My fav is still the Nieuw A.

:eek::') I don't if you remember this one or not but..."I can't believe you ate the whole thing ". ;p

I think I said that a dozen times the night I ate the steak! :')

... and that monstrous 2 pound steak although I still cannot fathom one person eating that ;)

I did once! :D I kinda waddled rather than walked for a while afterward. :o

Are all the balconies smaller on Deck 5? Please let me know. (First time on HA)

We booked 5160 (aft) and I can still change it - we love sitting on the balcony.

Thank you

No. All the mid-ship deck 5 balconies (which the OP was asking about) are 4.5 ft deep. 5160 has the standard 6 ft deep balcony. Enjoy my favorite ship! :)

Are restaurants open on embarkation day (Seattle - Eurodam) before leaving port?

The Canaletto is never open for lunch and the PG is not on embarkation day. Both are open for dinner. The PG has extra cost items but it does not matter if you got the meal on a promotion or are paying for it yourself. No extra cost items in the Canaletto ... at least not the last time I was in one.

 

The Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind will not be.

I think you meant to say Canaletto, as that was what OP asked, but I'll add that the Tamarind is never open for lunch any more.

It looks like the glass goes all the way to the top.

Here's another pic of yours that shows it better ... but note the gap at the bottom that could be used.

 

Not sure why you're getting "invalid thread", I found your roll call here 17 Day Circle Hawaii from Vancouver 12 April 2018. It appears to be quite active. :)

Your link works fine, but if you go the route of "Find Your Roll Call" and then "View Discussion" or "View Roll Call & View More" it says Invalid Thread Specified. It also says "5 Members" when there actually are 12. Looks like a bug.

 

OP: just use the link that Cruising-Along gave you.

Are you sure that you are logged in?

They couldn't post if they weren't.

You should have been sent to a table right after you went through security --

Last Nov when we boarded the K-dam at FLL there was no table set up.

I know the rules, I'm just saying that they are not applying on my next cruise - it's NOT 75 days and it's not any of the above -

Isn't it in the middle group?

All Holiday; Australia; New Zealand; South Pacific; Asia; Prinsendam Europe; South America and Antarctica sailings

When we were in Lahaina the Tender Boats had quite a show from them. Whales were everywhere and some came up out of the water and breached! Pretty amazing sight to see to have a Whale breach right next to the boat while Tendering! :cool:

And did the tender stop? Federal regulations require that if a whale gets within 100 yards of your boat you must stop and wait until it decides to go away. Once on a whale watch boat out of Lahaina we sat still for about 20 minutes. They call it a "mugging"! :D

I understand about the rules for the bringing on of alcohol onto the HAL ships. We intend to bring one each in Vancouver, but when we dock in San Diego, are we able to bring another bottle each to continue our voyage to South America? What about the other ports on the way?

You can bring on as much as you like at every port, but it is all subject to the $18 corkage ... unless (a) you are buying it to bring home, and just have the ship hold it until debarkation, or (b) you purchased it at a winery on a HAL tour. In case (b) you get one more fee-free bottle per adult for consumption in your room.

It would be much better to dock in Kahului than tendering in Lahaina.

Yes, but we don't get a choice! :)

Excellent point ... especially knowing how infallible the info posted on CC is!!! :rolleyes:

Of course, if you had read my entire comment, you would've seen that (1) I did not say or imply that HAL HQ should be the sole source of information (see reference to concierges), and (2) I did not say that CC Posts should not be considered as an additional source of information.

Who said anything about CC posts? Calling HAL HQ would give you information that is at best redundant and at worst incorrect, and is therefore just a waste of time. The concierges on board should be your source.

... (since the perks can vary by ship and can change from time-to-time), ... contact HAL Headquarters before your cruise ...

Why bother to call HQ since the info they would give you could be wrong?

This then begs the question, if EXC goes to the Crow's Nest on Noordie, will it appear there by itself, leaving her present Oak Room in place, and/or is the Explorations Cafe going up there also? ;)

I would bet that the deck 3 ExCafe and the Oak Room are both goners.

Have cruise lines cancelled trips in order to put a ship in dry dock?

I only know of that being done for emergency repairs, on relatively short notice.

So I assume the ship is going into drydock sometime in May, 2018.

That was the original plan. The present schedule shows no dry dock in May.

6 > 12 May round trip Vancouver

12 > 20 May round trip Vancouver

20 > 27 May Vancouver to Seward

27 May > 3 Jun Seward to Vancouver

3 > 10 Jun Vancouver to Seward

10 > 17 Jun Seward to Vancouver

 

Don't expect to see anything new when you board Jun 10 unless they cancel some cruises.

I went on the HAL website looking to book on the Noordam for Dec. 2018. There are two PDF's, one after May 2018 for the Deck Plans. Wouldn't this indicate a dry dock and some changes?

As mentioned in post #8, that was the original plan, but if you look at the the 2018 schedule now there are no gaps.

I have the book. It is a treasure and graces my coffee table.

There's one on ebay now for $137.50!

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USED-VG-Holland-America-Line-The-Spotless-Fleet-by-Stephen-J-Card-/222187696073?epid=107770584&hash=item33bb6b2fc9:g:U3UAAOSwKY9XiQR4

The only thing we questioned was why traditional and anytime dining shared the dining rooms.

It probably gives them more flexibility when there aren't exactly the right number of traditional for upstairs. If there were too many wanting Fixed they used to have to deny some, and put them in Open. Conversely if there weren't enough Fixed they sometimes put Open people upstairs. It happened to us a couple of times. Now many people make reservations in Open anyway.

I wonder how many of the faithful here will get that one? :D One would have to have a little tenure here to appreciate the nuance

:D:D I've got the tenure! :D

I understand that drinks on beverage package do not include mini bar, but what is HMC?

Half Moon Cay, the private Bahamian island for HAL and Carnival. You won't be going there. :)