YXU AC*SE

Sometimes 19. But it is currently scheduled for 25. Scott.

it's there ... Scott.

Hard to miss ... 🙂. Scott.

Last five cruises have been on PInnacle classes -- all pre-Covid -- and mainly TAs where no one is getting off the ship. Lido can get busy at lunch time, and finding a table around the midship pool was sometimes a challenge, and that's really the only time I personally noticed that there were 2600+ ppl on board. Not a big sit down lunch person -- so the grab-and-go / takeaway options they have suit me perfectly. Add the dining venue and entertainment / Music Walk options, I personally would find it hard to go back to a smaller ship (and I have 188 days combined on them). YMMV. Scott.

Your current day menus should be viewable from the Navigator app for both the MDR and Lido. Scott.

Confirmed ... 🙂. Thanks ! (And thank you all for the tips / tricks for this virgin voyageur -- I have cruised with HAL for 300+ days, and don't give an itin w/ them a second thought b/c it's old hat. We very much appreciate the help.). Scott.

Hey -- slightly off topic -- any experienced Virgin voyageurs / voyageuses care to speculate what this means -- it seems to have appeared on my account sometime around confirmation of my status match? First it was intiially in USD, then CAD showed up ydy? Is it simply a Sea Rover IT flag to trigger DBE? Scott.

also it pays to check in which currency it makes sense to pre-order in ? $AU (or in my case $CA) versus $US. VV has a fixed rate of exchange for your 'home' currency, which depending on the day's exchange rate, may be arbitrage-able. I was able to game for about 45$ upside. Scott.

I'm a mere status match ... 😞

Any intel on a sweetened buy $300 get $50, becomes buy $300 get $100? TIA Scott.

How does DBE work for boarding? We have a 14h30 slot, but should be to POM by 13h30 -- we're coming in from FLL via Brightline. Should we look to lay-up somewhere for an hour, or ... TIA Scott.

I looked for the HMC Environmental Impact Assessment as well, and couldn't find it -- lots of references, but no actual source doucment. To your original point I read his remarks as applying to both ... HAL pax are a bit of a different beast, in the sense that a lot of us cruise for the itineraries ... versus 'I don't care where we go as long as it's sunny and warm I just want to get off the boat somewhere.' For the latter, I complete agree w/ your 7-day proposed itin -- with the shoreside captured revs allowing for even lower per diems to entice pax. Scott.

And quite honestly, the revenue captyre / upside from having exclusive control of a port destination so close to POM / PEV makes the discounted payback period of any investment pretty attractive. Mr. Weinstein, from the same analysts' call transcript: "We’re talking about being able to put another incredibly attractive destination in a very short distance from South Florida, the East Coast of the United States, which helps us tremendously on the cost side, on the carbon footprint side." Scott.

I personally pre-purchased my tickets from NS.nl and travelled w/ printed copies -- sounds low tech but the turnstiles to the train platforms read QR codes for tix BUT also have NFC transponders that allow you to use Google Pay / Apple Pay to swipe in/out of the platform. Small problem I encountered was when I had the ticket QR code on my phone ready to scan, the NFC reader took precedence and the turnstile would not open (as my Google Pay was not set up). If you're travelling second class w/o a seat assignment, as long as you have a same-day ticket regardless of when you clear Schiphol you can hop on the train to your destination. You can download the app here: https://www.ns.nl/en/travel-information/ns-app. Scott.

DIfferent talent recruitment pools between the two brands? With HAL biased toward Filipino and Indonesian staff, the specific labour market conditions (and available substitutes) there might be a driver compared with Carnival's more global talent pool. Further, I think HAL's training regime is recognized throughout the hospitality industry, so if you've been skilled up, and have language proficiency, you can write your own ticket so to speak? The plural of anecdote should never be confused for data, but I was (late-)checking into an Ottawa, ON hotel, and the night manager recognized me from a previous sailing on Koningsdam where we worked to track down some mis-applied OBC. The COVID shutdown of the industry forced him to seek alternate employment to support his family. Scott.

yeah, I just checked ... it's in the add-ons section. Mine just posted some time in the last couple of hours. Scott.

how does one's profile look (ie change) if one has been 'elevated' ? Scott.

Did your internet experience vary at all with time of day? I'm doing a Rotterdam TA this fall, and I am unf probably going to need to bring my laptop with me -- given the six-or-so hours in hand w/ the time difference and me being very much a morning person, 05h10 in the Lido having a coffee isn't out of the question for me. Scott.

source: https://www.firstmates.com/fmdc/s/offers (VV's TA-facing site) Scott.

Thanks for the intel. Good news. We're booked on the Valiant Lady TA in April, so missed the 31 March cut-off by 22 days. Scott.

Do you know if the status match window also extended ? TIA. Scott.

Personally, I say yes -- Rotterdam's post-ww2 reconstruction architecture is pretty interesting (post-war / mid-century modernism) -- and it is also a good spot to jump-off for day trips? Hoek van Holland; Keukenhof; Kinderdijk; Gouda are all easily (and cheaply) accessible by transit / train. Last summer's restrictions lock passage were lifted eventually (21 September 2022). https://myport.portofamsterdam.com/nl/update/schutregime. Scott.

It's 1750 feet from Amsterdam Central to the Movenpick which is 50 feet from the cruise terminal. You'll likely do more walking navigating King's Cross / St. Pancras boarding the Eurostar. 🙂 Scott.

Yes. It can be requested w/ your fixed dining reservation when you book -- or accommodated through 'As you wish' / anytime dining option. Scott.

@Tom-n-Cheryl --> likely most helpful to read here: https://thepointsguy.com/news/cruise-line-removes-music-venues/. Scott.