510picker

4 hours ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

Has anyone with the offer actually clicked on Log in to Redeem button?  Does it do anything other than log you into HAL?  I am with a TA and want to make sure I know the process to redeem the offer.

Clicking on the “Redeem” button did exactly as you said….took me to the log in page. After logging in there was no place to “Redeem” the offer. Typical HAL website technology. 

I am a full-time wheelchair user due to a spinal cord injury. I have not sailed on the Rotterdam, but I have sailed on the two other ships in the same class, the Nieuw Statendam and the Koningsdam, and they do not have automatic door openers on the accessible cabins. 
 

I suggest you email the Holland America Access and Compliance department to find out a definite answer. The email address is HAL_Access_&_Compliance@HollandAmerica.com.

Anyone have experience getting an accessible taxi in Boston from the airport to cruise port/cruise port to airport? 

Great review! I think you will enjoy the Rotterdam. The BB King setup is much nicer on the Pinnacle Class ship, as well as the addition of the Rolling Stone Rock lounge.

Trenton, the male singer/piano player at Billboard Onboard on the Nieuw Amsterdam, is from my hometown and I know him well. I'm glad to see him with this opportunity. He has such a great voice!

I’m interested in Bar Harbor accessibility too. We just book a July Holland America cruise out of Boston and I am a full-time wheelchair user. Bar Harbor is the only tender port and I’m wondering if it’s going to be possible. 

25 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

Thanks again.  She uses Karman S-ERGO 305.  24" wide, so you are likely right about needing it to fold.

What wheelchair do you use, it looks nice, does it have arms too?

 

By then I should have a really light byAcre rollator.

You will be fine with the mobility equipment you have. I’ve been in a wheelchair since 1995 due to a motorcycle accident. Since I am in a wheelchair full-time, my needs are likely different from your wifes. My wheelchair is made by a company called Motion Composites. They make lightweight, custom wheelchairs for everyday use. My wheelchair does not have armrests, but they were an option when I ordered mine. 

I don’t have any experience with the suite you have booked, but from your description of your wife’s physical abilities, I think this suite will work fine for you, assuming you are bringing a wheelchair that folds. If the wheelchair doesn’t fold, then it likely won’t fit through the door. 
 

I watch the video linked above and it appears to me that the shower head does detach and become a hand held shower head. If there is not a bench already in the shower, I do believe the accessibility department can provide one. 
 

The Pinnacle Class ships are much more accessible than the other classes, which make sense because they are the newest ships. There are more automatic doors throughout the ship with lower thresholds, making it easier to access outside decks. 
 

Have a great cruise!

13 minutes ago, bdd123 said:

@Seasick Sailor @510picker

Does anyone know what wheelchair access limited means?  My wife can do wheelchair, rollator, etc, but stairs takes a minimum of me assisting and limited to "a few".  We usually do wheelchair if she has to be mobile for more than a couple hours (more comfortable to sit on).

The tenders to Half Moon Cay are wheelchair accessible. The tenders have an upper and lower level. You load from the ship onto the tenders to the upper level and there is a ramp to get to the lower level, which is where you unload onto the island. There is a large ramp that folds down on the front of the tender that allows a wheelchair to roll off the tender to the island. The staff have always been very helpful getting on/off the tenders. Hope this helps. 

We were on the cruise with you and I would have to agree with everything you said. This was our third “post-Covid” cruise on HAL with our last being on the Nieuw Statendam in April of this year. That cruise was at less than half capacity. 
 

We definitely noticed cutbacks on this cruise compared to our previous HAL cruises. They were all little things, but it is those little things that has always made HAL standout from the others. We are easily pleased, had a great time on this cruise, and will cruise with HAL again. Hopefully things will return to “normal” in time. 

We were on the cruise with you. The internet was hit and miss throughout the cruise. One thing that was consistent was our warm cabin. We reported the issue to the front desk early on. Someone was working on it the next day. Nothing changed and the front desk never followed up. With that being said, we had a great time! We were on the NS in April of this year at less than 50% capacity. We enjoyed the reduced capacity, but we’re pleased to see a full ship. People are finally cruising in full-force again, which is great for the future of cruising. 

We dined at Americas Test Kitchen once on the Koningsdam. We loved it and were disappointed they did away with it. 

We got off the Nieuw Statendam this past Saturday and had a 10 AM flight. There were issues connecting the gangway to the ship. We did not get off until 8:10 AM. I am in a wheelchair so we had to wait for an accessible taxi. We made it to our gate at 9 AM. It was stressful, but I would probably do it again. 

1 hour ago, MVPinBoynton said:

That is the same sheet I have. Since the Lido ones weren’t listed as NS, I assumed they didn’t have them. I can easily correct. Thanks so much. 

I apologize for the confusion. The NS does not have Lido Cabanas. The only thing I was pointing out is that there are two types of Retreat Cabanas, two family cabanas and the others are regular cabanas. Your review only listed pricing for the family cabanas.

My wife and I were near the front of the line to disembark. We were told at 6:50 am it would be another 10 minutes. At 7:15 we were told they were having trouble with the gangway. After that, they avoided eye contact at all times. Finally they took us to the elevators, down to A Deck, to a ramp that led us to the pier in between the ship and the terminal, only to have port authorities yell at us to stop because the ship hadn’t been cleared. What a mess!

13 minutes ago, MVPinBoynton said:

Thank you for pointing that out. The only pricing they gave me was what was included.  The less expensive Lido cabanas were only on the NA and Eurodam.  I am glad to know that there are more reasonable options on the NS.  I wish they had given me the price list.

The link below is to older information, but the pricing shown is still current. 
 

https://rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/HAL-Cabanas.pdf

Great review of the Nieuw Statendam! We have cruised on her three times and have loved them all. One thing I would like to point out is the pricing you show for the Retreat Cabanas. You only show pricing for the family cabanas, of which there are only two available. For a seven day cruise, a regular cabana could be rented for $399. 
 

We have loved the Retreat Cabanas since we first had one on the Eurodam in 2009. I am a full-time wheelchair user so we typically don’t do excursions due to accessibility. We spend our money on the Retreat.  It’s nice knowing we always have a lounger, in both the shade or sun. The cabana attendants take great care of us. Unfortunately HAL has caught on to how popular the Retreat Cabanas are and on the Pinnacle Class ships made them smaller so they could fit more of them in the area. They are still delightful, regardless of the size. 
 
Thank you for the wonderful review!

We disembarked the NS today. We had a 10 AM flight (I know it’s too early, don’t scold me) and were third in line at 6:30 AM to carry our luggage off. At 6:50 we were told it would be another 10 minutes. At 7:30 we were told the gangway was stuck and they couldn’t connect it to the ship. Finally at 8:10 they started using the elevators to take passengers to A Deck to use a ramp. We made it to our gate at 9 AM, but it sure added some stressful moments. 

Worked just now for me on the website.

Same issue here. HAL's quality website strikes again :) I'm sure it will clear up later.

16 hours ago, Winky7650 said:

We flew Southwest last month and it was 50lbs limit 

Thank you for the helpful reply!

Can anyone that has flown Southwest recently confirm the checked bag weight limit is still 50lbs? I have someone telling me it is now 40lbs. Southwest’s website still says 50lbs, but would like to hear it from someone that traveled recently. Thanks!

@crystalspin and @puppycanducruise We did the "Around the World" wine tasting as well. This was an all you can drink in one hour tasting. A large setting of crackers, cheese, and meats to go along with it. We asked about this tasting on our last cruise and said it hasn't been brought back since the restart. This tasting was so much fun!

Great review and I agree with much of it. One big disagreement is the Retreat Cabanas. We absolutely love these! We are both below the average HAL age, though I am a full-time wheelchair user. Because of the wheelchair, excursions are mostly a no-go, so we spend our excursion money on the cabana. They simply work for our needs.

Thanks again for sharing your experience!

My I emailed my PCC this morning and they replied this is only for new bookings and could not apply it to my existing booking even though it is on the list. Didn't hurt to ask, I suppose. 

My wife is a nurse and we have a November cruise alreayd booked that is on the list. I filled out the "Healthcare Verification" information. What else needs to be done to get it applied to an existing booking?