dmwnc1959

On 4/17/2022 at 7:31 PM, RuthC said:

I have been in many of those cabins, on all the Vista and Signature class ships. They are my favorite cabins on those ships, and my first choice every time. 

My apologies for digging up an old thread, but wanted to ask you about these specific cabin types and HAL’s newer ‘policy’ that leans towards favoring triples/quads as an excuse/reason to bump (single-occupancy) passengers.
 

I’m booked on the April 19, 2026 Noordam doing the “Great Bear Rainforest” sailing r/t from Seattle. It’s off-season (2 weeks after Easter), very early ‘Alaska’ season, and mostly all British Columbia, Canada ports and scenic cruising. It only has one stop actually in Alaska. 

There’s a very high probability that I’ll book the following voyage and make this a B2B. 
 

At this point in time, do you feel that it’s safe - based on the above observations - that I won’t get bumped, or should I go ahead and move my cabin now and save myself some grief? 
 

1 hour ago, dpavid said:

We arrive on the Encore in May 2024. How often does the shuttle run, and how many are running simultaneously? Will there be a long line and queue where we must wait over an hour to get to and from the ship? Any insight would be terrific.

You may already know this, but on some days Ward Cove hosts two ships, which may make it more interesting when using the shuttle services. It appears on the day you’re their Norwegian Encore has Ward Cove all to herself…

https://claalaska.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/KTN-Ketchikan-2024.pdf
 

12 minutes ago, IAcruising said:

 

Their is a rumor that a $5 bill will get you a 1/2 price laundry cert anytime you want it.
Heard it from a friend

You have my attention…🤔 👍 😁

21 minutes ago, boltnut55 said:

$5 more but larger?  OK, that's better than places that are charging more and reducing things.  Thanks for the notice.  It's good to know ahead of time.  We'll be using it so that we can bring half our clothes.

Somehow I missed that! Thanks for making me go back and re-read Page 1. 👍

4 hours ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 

If we only sailed 7 days or less then I would not have laundry done but we never cruise less than 21 days at a time so hard to pack (especially the way I pack) for 21 days.

3 hours ago, hallux said:

Until my last cruise I packed the same way.  My choices were two airline check-in sized suitcases for one person or have laundry done.  I chose to have laundry done.  Now I know how it works (and can get it free) I plan to pack lighter and just have laundry done while also taking longer trips.

As I’ve posted, I am cruising for 32-nights with wildly different weather expeditions between Panama, Central America, California, and 2-weeks in Alaska. It’ll be fun packing for this. 😳
 

At $34 I’ll still use the ‘Bag of Laundry’ day. That will help. Plus halfway thru the cruise I’ll have a laundry day shoreside. That helps a LOT too. 

And Southwest gives you two checked bags for free. That’s a huge plus! 😉 

All of the pictures I took from the Grenville Channel were by 35mm and long put away into storage. Here are a few pictures from a southbound transit at the upper part of the Johnstone Strait heading down to Vancouver.

8 minutes ago, toad455 said:

 

I'd bet a later departure time from Norfolk and (maybe) a modified itinerary.

They could easily drop Port Canaveral, spend a little extra time at sea getting to the Bahamas. 
 

Just now, KmomChicago said:

Right, call everyone who was working previously and then fill in by bussing down Baltimore workers for the rest.

Whatever it takes. Carnival and their employees know that there are no other options at this point.

5 minutes ago, toad455 said:

Hopefully, both Carnival & RCCL can accommodate guests' flights into Baltimore. Maybe some will be lucky to change their flights. Either way, Carnival now has to bus guests from Baltimore to Norfolk until the harbor reopens. Assuming the Vision uses Bayonne, they have the same situation.

I think the one BIG thing on their side is getting people from Baltimore to the ship in Norfolk in the same amount of time that it would’ve taken a ship to transit the entire Chesapeake Bay down towards the bridge-tunnel. 

33 minutes ago, toad455 said:

The lone issue with going to Norfolk is getting staff there. Norfolk hasn't been used since last summer.

I’m sure they are mustering an army at this point. They have four days.

1 hour ago, Kristelle said:

Like lots of things, if you don't want to do it, don't - but it isnt that hard to understand that other people can enjoy something even if you don't.

More often than not it’s hard to miss. 🎊 And from the pictures I’ve seen, it’s never just a little refrigerator magnet, more akin to the graffiti that someone eluded to earlier. 😳

So, first time back on Holland-America in a good number of years, booked the April 2026 Noordam ‘Great Bear Rainforest’. It’s off-season (2 weeks after Easter), very early ‘Alaska’ season, and mostly all British Columbia, Canada ports and scenic cruising. It only has one stop actually in Alaska. 
 

I cruise solo and snagged an inside Deck 1 large interior that’s a quad. I’m also looking at booking the following cruise as a B2B and want to grab the same cabin. 
 

Hoping that they’ll leave me alone and keep the cabin without booting me out last minute. There are most likely going to be several newer and bigger HAL ships that families may book other than Noordam? 

1 minute ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 That's about a 4 hour ride. Good thing there's never any traffic on I-95 between DC and Richmond.

Definitely not the best outcome for a lot of people, but better than canceling the Cruises outright. 

Don’t know if this has already been posted, on how Carnival Cruise Line is going to handle this
 

https://www.facebook.com/100064505177528/posts/pfbid0FFBBMpSHQv66qpKJNaTAKp6pyes5hANgfWWycTtn17dGNSmudsZJLoEcvvo83ZCXl/

Don’t know if this has already been reported on Carnival Cruise Lines decision on how to handle this…

https://www.facebook.com/100064505177528/posts/pfbid0FFBBMpSHQv66qpKJNaTAKp6pyes5hANgfWWycTtn17dGNSmudsZJLoEcvvo83ZCXl/

13 minutes ago, mgtravelsalot said:

 You could go into  the site and put in Noordam april 2025 and see where she is going.  I know My oct one she heads to Asia  after

Actually did that, and also looked at what other ships were leaving in April 2025 out of Vancouver. There’s a good chance the cruise following the April 2025 sailing from Seattle to Vancouver will be a round-trip Alaska. 

On 3/17/2024 at 8:20 PM, Bimmer09 said:

We're all different. We couldn't do 36 days on any ship going anywhere-because we have cats at home and to date our longest trip has been 16 days. If no cats then we could be more flexible- but one of us has a company to run.

 

My partner runs a company that writes financial reports on many businesses and Carnival is one such and it was she who found out about this new itinerary in a press release. My mail found out from HAL a couple of days after I had booked our sailing at her urging

 

Norris

  
I’m currently booked on Norwegian Jade doing a 32-night B2B that includes a 25-night repositioning from Tampa through the Panama Canal to Whittier followed by the 7-night SB to Vancouver. It’ll be my longest cruise ever. I’m fortunate to have some dear friends that will take care of my little fur-baby while I’m gone. Don’t think he’ll even miss

me. 😉

Many moons ago, I think it was on the Celebrity Galaxy from LA, transited the Grenville Channel heading southbound and have to say it was one of the most impressive Inside Passage experiences I have ever had. Even now I remember the hard turn to starboard and the zig zag we did at Bella Bella and around Denny Island. It’s a remarkable experience. 

On 3/15/2024 at 2:25 PM, Bimmer09 said:

I got an email this morning offering up some new Pacific Coast/Mexico HAL cruises and was instructed to book one pronto. Neither DeckChairQueen nor I have sailed HAL before and yet now I find we have 3 bookings. The cruises show on the HAL website so I didn't bother getting in touch with our PCC. Snagged an aft-wrap Neptune with HIA and booked online.

Ketchikan and Victoria are the only ports we are familiar with from our Princess sailings.

Anyone else get the email and book? We are on the 7 day Noordam April 19 2026. She also has a sailing in October 2025.

 

Norris

Any thoughts on what the cruise immediately following this one from Vancouver will be? Would love to do this as a B2B with another Alaska cruise. 

On 3/25/2024 at 9:37 AM, 1bighund said:

On our last cruise - NCL Prima Dec. 2023 - there was one cabin with a door decoration  and people kept moving it to different doors !

THIS IS HILARIOUS!!! 🤣🤣🤣

18 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Here's some food for thought. 

 

What makes you think that the outer surface of your cabin door is "yours"?  

 

I would consider it as part of a common area, just like the doors and hallways in condominiums. In my condo, we are not free to "decorate" the outer surface of our doors or leave any kind of mat outside or anything else that would distinguish one unit from another (other than the standard door number). 

 

Would you leave something that belongs to you in a common area and expect that it's going to be there when you get back? 

 

If you feel the need to decorate, perhaps better to do it inside your cabin where YOU can appreciate it, and no one will take it.

 

If the goal is only to make your cabin distinguishable from others, I've never understood why a huge display is needed.

 

Also: people are waaaay too quick to resort to fisticuffs. If you're going to get that passionate about it, leave it at home.

THIS ^ ^ ^!

23 minutes ago, westerdam said:

That is all one can do I suppose.  I am sure there is someplace the can dock the ship in the Baltimore area even if they have to set up temporary facilities with tents and whatnot. 

6 minutes ago, robmtx said:

We have deep water... We don't have a bridge to clear. 

All we'd need is a shoreside setup with tents or something to help accommodate the operations. If Royal and Carnival teamed up, I think they could have this ready by the weekend when Carnival is due back.

Sparrows Point is another temporary option that has surfaced. The news this morning said it would take a month just to clear the bridge. 

A few screengrabs this morning from Google Maps traffic and Marine Traffic 

Google Maps traffic 

Marine Traffic 

8 minutes ago, SRF said:

Was told one report mentioned using Beth Steel port for interim

Is that Sparrows Point? 

A few current screenshots from Google Maps traffic and Marine Traffic zooming in on the bridge area …

Google Maps traffic 

Marine Traffic 

24 minutes ago, Noledad77 said:

It's pretty low-class to steal anything, but to steal, break or ruin someone else's stuff because you might not like it? That's below deck stuff (to use a cruising term). Hopefully that doesn't happen, but I'll be sure to post a story here if it does.

And I totally agree. It’s always best to be mentally prepared for any outcome other than all ‘rainbows and roses’. It is a thing with people playing pranks and stealing stuff, and I imagine cruises with lots of kids and/or adults with nothing better to do than to wreck someone’s fun would be prime-time for those type of unsavory activities.