Traveler 13

Has anyone stayed at HAL"s hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn?  How  was the quality and location?

If they would only learn to make and serve real hollandaise sauce  then the poached eggs would be great.

ATK has ruined what used to be wonderful cooking classes .  Thank you Barbara

That's a round-about way of getting there, but it won't work if (a) you are not yet booked on the cruise for which you want to see possible excursions, or (b) the browser you are using is having problems downloading pdf's from the HAL site.

Then talk to the HAL people directly. It generally works.

I called HAL and found out how to get to the PDF of the shore excursions.

• At the HAL site go to Already Booked.
  
• Click on Personalize Your Cruise
  
• Log in
  
• Click on Buy EXC tours
  
• Click on down load personalized e brochure.
  
• Being an old person I print myself a hard copy.
  

Hope this was helpful.

I did the blue Mountains and the wild life park two years ago. It was a great day. There were no big mountains but there was lovely blue scenery. The animals at the park were very nice and I got as close to a koala as I will ever get.

I have always scanned my documentation and e-mailed it to my PCC at HAL and she take care of it without any problem.

I am flying to Sydney 11/21/17 to pick up the Maasdam 11/22/17. Does anyone know why the hotels are so expensive around that date(s). I cannot find anything on the internet. Thanks.

Just off the Zaandam from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires and the port side is better if you have a verandah.

I am flying into Santiago on the morning of 18Dec16 and going to be boarding the Zaandam on 20Dec16. I am looking for a city tour for the afternoon of 18Dec16. I did make contact with Carola Newbauer and she is not available. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks

Please note beside the two large theaters that are always visible there are three smaller theaters below them that are 300, 400 and 500 seats. The have a variety of venues.

Does anyone know the weather and temperature ranges for this cruise.Does anyone have suggestions for the types of clothing to pack.

I am booked on this cruise next December.

Thanks.

Merino and possum garments are really nice to take home

I agree. They are really warm.

Are there any current internet plans on the Oosterdam?

Thanks

I was on the Oosterdam last November. The plans were very expensive and the connections very, very slow. I felt like I was throwing money away.

I sailed the Oosterdam last November and did both NZ and Fiji. I enjoyed both. The Fiji had lots beach time and the weather was great. I would suggest you do both.

Does anyone have any tips/suggestions for flying out of Singapore on December 21, 2015? I will be arriving on the Volendam on that date at 7 AM. I have looked at flight schedules and planes either leave at 7 AM or 11 PM. I will have already spent two days in Singapore on December 7th and 8th so I have no desire to take a tour. I do not relish spending the day at the airport. I want go back to the west coast preferably to LAX. I am also trying to figure how to cut the total trip time, including transfers, to something less than twenty plus hours.

I was on the Oosterdam last November for twenty eight days to New Zealand and Fiji. The condition of the ship was acceptable and and the staff great other than the tour director. The food in MDR was a mixed bag.

Direct with HAL. Sorry for misspelling.

Yesterday I accepted a great upgrade on the Oosterdam at a very reasonable price. My ship leaves Sidney on 11/21/14 for twenty eight days.

Embassy Suites. Good location and excellent airport/dock service.

Does HAL have reduced prices on their internet packages on the first day or two of the sailing? Thanks.

What is the cost of the 100 and 250 minute package?

If you can afford to splurge go for the helicopter-landing-on-a-galcier excursion!

 

Our first port was Juneau and we did that excursion, on the way back to the ship my partner said to me: "we can go home now, that was worth the whole trip".

 

It really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

 

(We had the same feeling about a helicopter excursion over a vulcano in Hawaii. No, we don't always do expensive excursions!)

Two years ago I took a helicopter trip to a dog sled camp on a glacier. It was a a great experience. It is expensive but to me well worth it.

The two dinning rooms are on the same floor. The smaller room is used for guests with fixed seating. The larger room is for fixed and open seating.

The Prinsendam does not have a thermal suite but it does have separate men's and woman's sauna and steam rooms which are very well maintained. The hot tubs are out on deck. It was lovely to go back to the old world when I sailed her last December.

I traveled on the Westerdam two years ago. I did not bring all the tux stuff. A blue blazer, shirt and tie worked fine in the MDR on formal nights,