Despegue

These 3 countries are scheduled to join Schengen on 01/01/2024.

The Hotel Director has some influence on the running of the hospitality side of your cruise. mr. Dsouza onboard Koningsdam is one of the very best on the High Seas. ( his brother is also one of my Senior crew and another brother works for Princess. They are a true Cruise Family).

No issue that I can see .

Well in this case, I would personally be on the cautious side as I have no idea how the waiting times will be at the start of this new procedure...Is your disembarkation port your first port within Schengen?

No there will not. 😏 it is high time for a system like this. Quid pro quo.

This will not be an issue at all as you will probably not leave the Schengen area during your cruise, and therefore you do not pass immigration at the end of your cruise. Only NON-Schengen to Schengen destinations are affected, the rest is domestic. AMS-BCN is intra-schengen so “domestic”.

Unfortunately, it are not only bagage handlers who steal, but also fellow guests. You probably left your luggage outside your cabin on the last night of your cruise right? Anyone is free to access your bags...once again: always lock your bags. The advise given to you to keep the bags unlocked is simply false.

Always always lock your luggage, and buy luggage with clasps and NOT one with zippers.

One should stick to the bloody menu available, and if you require a change or substitution, KINDLY ask if that is possible. And yes, that is also valid in a Coffee bar or any restaurant! It is basic etiquette.

Years ago, the last “formal “ ( yes, then it was still a more elegant affair) of the cruise had Sweetbreads as a starter in the MDR.

Make that : NO Casino. Complete Waste of space 😉 One of the best designed vessels of the Carnival group are the AidaPrima and AidaPerla. Both measure 127.000gwt and were designed and constructed by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki. They are absolutely gorgeous, stunning with a nice Lanai deck, very manoeuvrable and they ride the waves well. It would be a perfect size for HAL, and although needing quite some design adaptations, the basic hull design would suit HAL very very well.

Bossche Bol they are called, and they are the reason why I am no longer allowed to go anywhere near Dutch Cafe by my wife. 🤪

Of course that is correct Heidi, however, the MSM is significantly lower than a normal cruise ship crew complement, so much that normal service in all departments would be impossible. Service issues onboard all cruise vessels are at the moment caused by a slightly undercrewed situation, but also a lack of experience onboard and the training of new Crewmembers.

The MDR is most popular around 19:00h. And waiting times can indeed be a little higher. When my family is onboard, we mostly dine around 20.00h. Getting new crew hired, properly trained and induced onboard takes time, and Covid caused the need for a lot of new crew. also, getting a US Crew Visa takes weeks, if not Months at the moment, especially when applying for the first time, which requires a personal interview. I am currently myself waiting for my new C1/D visa... best regards from Jakarta.

If they were genuinely scared, try and get into contact with Capt. Kevin who, if he has a moment of availability from his duties, will for sure try and make your kids at ease. 😉

If they are toddlers, why not change them at waterworks itself?

Please do use the correct name : Belgian Fries😜

Yep, nothing beats the actual Ocean conditions. at Maritime Academy, we once “volunteered” to spend 24h. On a liferaft in February on the North Sea. I sincerely hope that I will never have to experience that again 😉 especially as my nickname was “puke” 😱🙃

We are now doing the wet drills in a wave pool, making it 200 % more realistic and 1000% more challenging,

FYI, in my opinion, the Royal Class vessels lack manoeuvrability for destinations like Iceland .

That is NOT Western Europe but the Mediterranean ( Western Med. For Spain).

What do you expect from a cruiseline which has deteriorated so much that now the food onboard Carnival is superiour to the X MDR. Celebrity does not give a rat’s a$$ about their steerage guests, creating a 2 or even 3 class system like in the early 20’th century, where the lower class experience has nothing to do anymore compared to 15 years ago, while raising their prices anyhow. X is all pretend annd puts more emphasis on instagramming master personnel instead on focusing on the main responsibility: offering all guests an upscale and SAFE ( I have some stories about that also, but this forum is not suitable for these issues) cruise where all feel welcome and valued equally.

We are also HAL fans, and used to cruise with them often ( 4 stars) for the relaxed, quiet and slightly refined atmosphere, and not many kids haha, but now we are a family, our World has changed 180 degrees! 🤪

Thanks, we might have to do just that . The thing is, and this sounds maybe stupid, but since I was a kid, I always wanted to sail onboard a Carnival ship. I was, as a 7 year old, obsessed with the Joe Farcus interiours, the fun atmosphere and now I am in my 40’s with small children, the time is finally ripe to sail my Carnival 😎 (as a couple, we preferred the adult oriented lines)

We looked at Disney, but they close down most of the lounges and bars after 21:00h for -18’s, which we do not agree with, as our 3 year old loves to “party” till at lest 22:30 on holidays ( yes, we currently live in Spain where this is normal). 1 or 2nlounges fine, but making half of the ship off-limit on a Family vessel is simply ridiculous