Jilltoons

I will try for aft 6 balcony. I truly appreciate the feedback.

Hi! We are a couple in our 50's and not traveling with kids. We can get a Family Cove balcony on deck 2 or a regular balcony on deck 6 for the same price. What would you pick? Thanks for your feedback!

Every time I eat in the Steakhouse I order 2 appetizers and eat all the bread they give me, and then I get so full I can barely eat any dessert.  I'm just saying be careful - it's a lot of food!

Thank you so very much for all your kind and informative replies. Based on all of your replies I did find an 11 day cruise out of Sydney in May. It seems weather would be perfectly that time. I truly appreciate the post that pointed out that the port locations can be more primitive than what a cruiser might imagine. We are so up for this. I am very excited to learn more about cultures and would look forward to _at least for one day) immersing ourselves in things we haven't experienced before. My only cruises in the past are one Caribbean, 1 Alaska, 2 Mexican Riviera. I am up for this 100%. Thank you again for all the suggestions. I know where I am coming in the year and a half to come. G'day!!!!!

I am looking at 2 cruises in 2022. Because I am not very familiar with the ports I am looking for advice. They are both Carnival cruises the first is out of Sydney: Start: Sydney, ports: Noumea, Mare, Mystery Island, Lifou Isle, Isle of Pines. (10 day cruise in April 2022) The second is cruise is an out of Brisbane and the ports are: Santo, Port Vila, Port Denarau, Dravuni Island and Noumea. (11 day Cruise in February 2022) Thank you for your help!

So confused. Requested our refund on 8/5 for a cruise on 10/31 (which I had moved to this date from my cancelled cruise on 4/4) we received about 1/3 back 3 days later. Nothing since then. Not even sure where they came up with the amount they refunded. I will try getting hold of them tomorrow.

I had the $500 on board credit. I cancelled that cruise and moved it to a Premier cruise Oct. 31..now it's $500 free play. But we also got all sorts of perks. Also we now have a balcony cabin and still got $150 credit back. I was on hold 2 hours yesterday morning but I feel good. Though I will miss Mexico in 3 weeks 😞

2 hours hold this morning but changed my reservation and got a better deal for a later date.

I called this morning to cancel our April 4th Panarama cruise and change it to the Panarama Oct. 31st Premier cruise I just got an email about. Ended up getting a balcony (had a ocean view on my April cruise). And even got a credit for $150.00 and got all the amazing benefits of a Premier cruise. Sure it's a long wait but I am excited. By the way I was on hold for almost two hours!!!

I am very excited! Going on the Panarama in April. I have been on the Valor and the Legend...both had the huge atrium with the glass elevators. But last ship I was on was the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam...much simpler and smaller atrium. I have loved them all.  

290 days! So far away, but happy I have it planned. April.2020 Panarama

11 hours ago, hugger said:

We sail on the 7th too

so maybe cabin will be assigned today. 

We got our assignment today. We are on deck 4 starboard not far from aft elevators. Looks perfect to me.

5 hours ago, Snowesha said:

I sail on April 6th and got my assignment this morning exactly 10 days out! Happy with my cabin too!

Oh I hope I get mine tomorrow. I sail out April 7.

Thank you everyone. Sounds pretty much a crap shoot. I'm ok with that..was curious of others experiences. 

I have tried to search for the topic. First time on Holland America. My cruise is in 2 weeks. What has been your experience to when your room number is assigned. We have a gtd verandah on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Thank you so much for your help.

Thank you so much for this subject.  I also have had the same problem - and using Edge.  Now using Chrome was able to print. 🙂

Thank you for clarifying the menu.  I got a little excited LOL.  

I actually think I might have realized something else.  Was this a special Culinary Council dinner? Are there separate menus in the main dining room?  Thank you for your help to this newbie Holland America cruiser.

I see now that there are Culinary Council dinners.  I have so much to learn.  So maybe it's just on those dinners.  Who gets that menu?

Another cruiser who is on the NA right now attached a copy of the dining room menu - and yes indeed it says $10.00 extra charge if you order a Second entrée.  Here is the attachment of the menu.

Feb24dinner (3).pdf

So the dinner menu will probably be the same for the Mexico cruise in April?  That Halibut is calling my name.

Thank you for the suggestion.  You are right that would be helpful for people who have anytime dining.  We will do that for the two nights that we have made reservations in the specialty restaurants.  

I have never been on a Holland America ship either.  We will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam this April.  I saw the Specialty Restaurants and thought it would be fun to do two of them - (Tamarind and Canaletto).  We felt that since these particular restaurants had their own international specialties that we enjoy, it would be fun.  We decided to not do the Pinnacle grill because we have enjoyed the Steakhouse on Carnival, but we didn't have these other specialty restaurant choices.  So we will eat in the Main dining room OR the buffet on the other nights.  We have signed up for the 8:00pm dining, also we want to eat with groups of people.  We enjoy the fun and conversation of eating with large groups.  I know this doesn't give you an idea of how the food will be, but we are like you, going on Holland America the first time.  I know for me - no matter what - I get to have an amazing vacation and never have to cook all week - how can that be bad 🙂

Thank you everyone.  

22 hours ago, just_cruising_along said:

You should have a great time.  Do you have specific questions about the ship itself or any of the ports?  

I am curious - have you been to the extra charge restaurants?  I am so excited about all the variety of the restaurants.  I am looking forward to Mazatlan.  We are doing a best friend's girl's trip for this one....neither one of us has been to Mazatlan.  Have you been there before?  Thank you for your help.  I can't wait until April!