waiting2retire

On 9/7/2023 at 9:26 AM, Banditswife said:

I went & looked at our puzzle stash & realized we must have given that one away.  But your photo looked so familiar.

My mother had one too, so I had to find it online to post here 😁

Have you considered cancelling the Nieuw Statendam and booking the Nieuw Amsterdam for January 6?  It goes to Grand Turk. 

We were given beepers and had to wait for up to 30 minutes for a table in Club Orange at dinner on the Nieuw Statendam. Never had to wait for a table in the CO dining room on the Rotterdam. In my opinion, this is due to the better configuration of the dining room on the Rotterdam with many more 2-tops than the ones that were designed originally as Test Kitchens on the Nieuw Statendam and the Konigsdam. 
 

I believe you can purchase a cabana for just one day rather than the whole week. It is quite likely that there will be cabanas available for daily rent on an Alaskan cruise. That would be a good way to check out what it’s like for a mere $55. 

14 hours ago, singleflyer said:

@Analog187 Random question; but are the milkshakes at Dive In an up-charge (or count against your 15 drink limit with Have It All)?  Or are they free for everyone?  

Upcharge of $6.49 but worth every penny!

Did you book your VA room specifically or is it a guarantee?

I personally love the larger balconies on Deck 4. They are “VB” level, but I prefer the larger balcony to the VA balcony locations. I also prefer aft to forward, so if it was me, I would choose cabin 4193 if you decide to purchase Club Orange. 
 

Others have said they received onboard credit instead of a category upgrade if none were available. 
 

Enjoy your cruise, whatever you decide to do!

Looks lovely!  Will definitely add Trondheim as a must do port on my next Norway cruise. Hope your foot does not continue to alter your plans. 

I did change rooms on my recent b2b out of Amsterdam and I did exactly as @kazu stated and packed up everything except clothing on hangars in the closet. I went for breakfast, took my ereader to the Crow’s Nest and had a latte and read for a while. I then stopped by the front desk to pick up my new key card and went to my new room. 
 

Looked like embarkation day with my suitcases waiting for me except that the “hanging up” was already done for me 😁. They even moved the very wilted flowers we had picked up at Keukenhof prior to the first leg of the cruise as well as some leftover water I had forgotten about in the refrigerator. Very efficient process!

I was also surprised we did not have to leave the ship on our recent b2b in Amsterdam and wondered if it was because our ports were all in Schengen countries. 
 

I had a lovely relaxing morning on the ship 😊

I was there on May 4 this year on the Rotterdam and can confirm that the only shuttle was for those with mobility issues. Since we didn’t use it, I cannot say what the criteria were or whether there was a cost. It may be worth the cost of the Hop On Hop Off bus since it came very close to the ship.  I’m not good at judging distances, but maybe 2 or 3 blocks?  Also, the walk through the port area was blocked from traffic and very well marked. The only place traffic crossed was policed by port staff to ensure the traffic stopped for passengers and vice-versa. 
 

I have peripheral neuropathy and walk quite slowly but the city attractions are within a relatively small and mostly flat area. I managed the walk to the Floibanen and Bryggen and back without too much trouble. 

 

OP back to verify we received Mariner cruise day credits at the single rate only for our recent upsell, which is exactly as stated in the upsell offer email. And exactly what I expected 😊

Never changes. 

Sure is!  Going tomorrow. I actually prefer the lunch menu to the dinner menu there. 

I think a lot depends on what activities you are planning on. I was in Ålesund today and a sweatshirt with a lined wind/water resistant hooded jacket was sufficient for just walking around town. If hiking or touring at higher altitudes is on your agenda, you may need more, but I would think wool layers with the puffer vest may be enough. 
 

We did Keukenhof a week ago and I was overcast most of the time we were there, with a downpour about an hour before the end of the tour. The gardens are stunning, even without the sun. Not sure I would have felt the same had it rained the entire time. 
 

If you decide to go, I would definitely suggest an umbrella unless the jacket is actually waterproof. I too chose Keukenhof over Van Gogh and don’t regret it a bit. 
 

Enjoy!

Arrived at Schiphol last Saturday April 22 at 1:35 p.m.  No delays whatsoever, but I should note that it was a flight from Barcelona, so no Immigration check within Schengen countries. 

@spleenstomper  I’m sure you are likely aware, but it may bear repeating since you mentioned using edibles for pain management. It is illegal to cross the border with your legal edibles. They should be readily available for purchase in Canada if you need them, you just can’t take them across the border, either way. 
 

 Hope you continue to improve and have a wonderful, much-needed holiday!

Currently on the NS transatlantic and will complete the cruise in Barcelona tomorrow morning. We have had absolutely no propulsion issues and in fact were doing 21 knots easily one evening. That having been said, there were divers in the water in Cadiz (I think) so something may have needed to be checked. 
 

it has been a wonderful cruise!

Just an update for anyone interested in how it all worked out. We were able to take advantage of the upsell and the cost we had already paid for Club Orange was deducted from the cost of the upgrade. 
 

We sent an email to the PCC we frequently use (but had booked this short cruise directly with HAL) and he very nicely contacted Ship’s Inventory on our behalf. The told him we should deal with the Onboard Cruise Consultant. As so frequently happens, the OCC said he couldn’t make any changes if the cruise was not originally booked while onboard. 
 

We ended up going to Guest Services who allowed us to call Ship’s Inventory from their office once the time change allowed for it. All’s well that ends well. If I remember, I will add a note at the end of the cruise to advise whether or not the credits were doubled in this instance. 
 

thanks to everyone for their quick and informative replies. 
 

We are currently on the Nieuw Statendam and have received an upgrade offer for our cruise next week on the Rotterdam. We booked a veranda cabin and purchased Club Orange for our cruise, both to get the upgrade to a higher category veranda cabin and to have meals in Club Orange, which is better for my limited hearing ability.  
 

I understand that if we upgrade to a Neptune Suite, all amenities, including access to the Club Orange dining room, will be available to us. I also know that we will not get double cruise credits since it is an upsell. 
 

My question is whether the cost of Club Orange, which we have already paid, will be refunded since the amenities are included with the Neptune Suite. I would ask onboard here, but I am not confident in receiving the correct information, and we are unable to call Seattle. Does anyone have experience and/or know the answer to this question?  Might make the cost of the upgrade a bit more attractive. 
 

Thanks. 

Embarked the Nieuw Statendam on the 8th for the transatlantic. The Health Questionnaire was not part of our online check in documentation and there was no health assessment at embarkation in Port Everglades. 
 

I’m sure it will all change again before we blink 😁

Just a quick heads-up on the gift cards. They are sold only in USD.  They will only work for pre-purchases if the cruise was purchased in USD. 

Taken from the Hilton Marina. Nieuw Statendam at berth (waiting for me 😁) with Celebrity Apex just moving in to block her. 

There’s the sound 😊. And gone again…