wandrr

I have carried a Leatherman tool around the world a couple of times and have used it MANY times. One example: on a shore excursion safari in Africa, the door to the safari vehicle would not open, and the guide could not fix it. Five minutes with my Leatherman tool more-or-less saved the safari because the passengers were on the edge of mutiny. On the other hand, security has tightened up. Both shoreside and shipside security have sometimes detected the knife and objected. On one occasion, I was almost detained by shoreside security on my way to the ship, but shipside security had absolutely no problem with the knife. In fact, they knew me and my Leatherman and told shoreside security to bugger off. Lots of inconsistency between shoreside and shipside security. Bottom line - I no longer carry my Leatherman tool on cruises because the hassles outweigh the significant advantages.

Also be aware that there is at least one crew-only elevator that dings fairly loudly, much more loudly than the very quiet passenger elevators. It is located just forward of the midships stairwell and elevators, on the port side. We currently are in a cabin on Zaandam just across the corridor from that elevator and clearly hear the "ding-ding". Note that that crew elevator is not close to your cabin 1827, but you should always be aware that SOMETHING unexpected might create a bit of a disturbance.

How can I not laugh! Still, running out of the highest selling beer in the USA is inexcusable on a line with ships usually about 75% American. Shows how much attention they really pay to the beer drinkers. The wino's would mutiny if they ran out of Chardonnay. As a suggestion, drink something else! 🤣

I would amend that a bit "All of the world's best lagers, and stouts, and red ales are missing."

Unfortunately, as ever, they have not enhanced the meagre beer offerings. Right now on Zaandam, the ONLY place you can get a Newcastle Brown Ale is on draught at MIX. 200 (at least) different wines, but only ten or so beers.

Priority boarding and priority tendering. Your entire party can be part of the priority that comes from your four-star mariner.

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9156527 shows Zaandam about four miles out as of 0815.

I have used one good technique to convince some service person that you definitely must have email conversations. Simply tell the person (via email or text chat) that you cannot speak or hear. The only option then is email. It is a white lie in my case, but it could well be true. One service person who insisted on telephoning while we were on a textual chat basically went silent when I typed that line. This trick works, and has the added benefit of raising awareness of the plight of disabled people. I echo the points that others have made. Email is pretty much by definition a recorded and deliberate communication medium. Voice calling is for fun and banter and is taken as unofficial.

Just to be sure that the steward does not get any flak from the supervisor, you should send a note to the housekeeping manager (just drop it to the front desk well in advance) to the effect that you do not want any cleaning on turnaround day. The word will roll downhill officially to the stewards and everyone will be happy. You might also take that opportunity to thank your steward in writing to the supervisor. Praise and recognition like that will go farther than tips. We have been on B2B's with about a hundred passengers doing the same B2B. Works great - simply follow the ship instructions.

We did a New Year cruise last year on Volendam. For us and about 40 others, the cruise was a back-to-back with the Grand South America. Of the 40 who did the back-to-back, the universal opinion was that the New Year seven-day cruise was awful. Many children were on board, most of whom were well above the age of majority. Childish behaviour was the norm. The majority were loud, boisterous, rude, demanding louts. The crew interactions that we witnessed made us cringe because of the rudeness and downright nasty behaviour of the passengers. We personally were threatened with physical assault by one of the overage children. The crew intervened and censured the offender and then apologized profusely to us. The perpetrator was completely representative of the majority of the louts. The only saving grace of that New Year cruise was the fact that it was a precursor to a Grand voyage. Note that this is not just our personal opinion. All 40 of the passengers doing the back-to-back agreed with our assessment. Even more telling was the unofficial opinion we heard from many crew members, from senior officers to the lowest ranks. They hated the seven-day New Year cruise. Never again, for us, and we are serious. 🤬

Last winter, shops and casino open. Laundry closed because of what @chengkp75 said. We were also asked to conserve fresh water.

I am pretty sure these changes are only applicable to Grand Voyages, which the Atlantic Adventurer is not. At least they are fixing up the ship!

Yesterday, we received an email containing an announcement by Gus Antorcha, the President of HAL. The changes appear to be a result of complaints by those who have taken a Grand Voyage after the COVID restart, including us. Some changes are pretty trivial (for example, expanded wine packages), but some are more significant (for example, increased variety of World Stage performances). In our experience, having taken several Grand Voyages over the years, this is a welcome announcement, moving HAL back closer to the "good old days" when a Grand Voyage was definitely special. For those who may not have received anything, here is the full text: Dear Valued Guest, When we returned to full service following the industry-wide pause, we vowed to return as the best version of Holland America Line. Many of our Grand Voyage guests have provided us with valuable feedback, and based on those comments, our team has been working diligently to create an elevated and more consistent guest experience for Grand Voyages moving forward. We are constantly evolving the products and services we offer our guests because we are committed to creating an exceptional experience every time you step on board. With that in mind, here are some of the things you can expect on future Grand Voyages. Dining and Entertainment We know how important dining, beverage, and entertainment options are to the overall cruise experience. So, starting with Zuiderdam’s Grand Africa Voyage in October, and on all Grand Voyages thereafter, guests will enjoy: More themed Dining Room dinners and additional decorated themed parties More sailaways with themed food, drinks and music Additional themed dinner menus in the Lido Market Additional pop-up experiences in the specialty restaurants The option to purchase beverage packages (including a non-alcoholic option) – an exciting first for our Grand Voyages Expanded wine packages, with the option to purchase 12- and 24‑bottle packages In addition, we’ll get your cruise started off with a “welcome aboard” gift bag filled with practical items for the voyage ahead. Then, starting with the Grand World Voyage departing this January, and for all of our 2024 Grand Voyages, you can expect even more, including: Appearances by guest chefs cooking regional dishes Additional guest performers to increase the variety of World Stage performances Printed port maps and daily news digests Ballroom dance instructors for the duration of the voyage Many of these changes are based on direct feedback from you, and I hope you agree they will enhance the onboard experience. Upgrades to our Grand Voyage ships On any cruise, the ship on which you sail is your home away from home, and this is particularly true on a Grand Voyage. We are scheduled to use Volendam, Zaandam and Zuiderdam on upcoming Grand Voyages, and we’re committed to making sure these ships remain in top condition, in keeping with the quality you have come to expect from Holland America Line. Major improvements are being made right now to all three ships, with a focus on air and water systems, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning. These improvements are being completed without disruption to current guests. Your feedback is immensely helpful as we continue to enhance the Grand Voyage experience. I plan to visit all four of our Grand Voyages next year to continue to hear from our most loyal guests like yourself, and I hope to see you there. Kind regards, Gus Antorcha President, Holland America Line

Had one on Volendam last winter. Def not useful for us - just got in the way.

Last winter, we had one item lost out of a full bag. Guest Services contacted the laundry supervisor who immediately searched far and wide and was extremely cooperative. Our cabin steward also got involved in the search. After bringing us a couple of items that were similar but not ours, they gave up and turned the case over to Guest Services. In due course, we did get some compensation, only a few dollars since the item was just a tee shirt, albeit a nice one. Should have said it was studded with diamonds rather than just a few sequins! 🤩 Overall, the incident was handled extremely well. For years, we have been extremely pleased with the HAL laundry service.