syesmar

I did the Mt. Floyen funicular on our first visit to Bergen and the cable car to Mt. Ulriken on the second. Both were fun experiences and I highly recommend both (we did them independently and had time for other activities later in the day, too). There was just something about the sky, the view and surroundings on Mt. Ulriken (higher elevation than Mt. Floyen) that left me spellbound. https://en.visitbergen.com/things-to-do/ulriken643-ulriken-cable-car-p824813 https://ulriken643.no/en/

Agree!😃

Back in the day, I enjoyed -the Rijsttafel lunch -Indonesian Tea -Royal Dutch High Tea -Dutch Chocolate Extravaganza -complimentary cappuccinos after dinner (I’d always get decaf:>) -Tamarind lunches -Cooking Demos with food samples -Barbecues on the Lido deck Back in the day, all passengers gathered shoulder-to-shoulder on deck for the safety drill (I have a medical condition that has an intolerance for standing still, I nearly fainted more than once:>). I can live with the updated way it’s done now.

Yes! And the flambé desserts! (I must admit, I never could have “just one” of those crispy chocolates😀).

Glad to hear this! Thanks.

@fellswoopThat’s very interesting, thanks for sharing. Did they say if it was because they had no more rooms? I know at one time, when they were marketing the Worry-Free Promise, being able to quarantine / isolate in separate cabins was part of the protocol (I’m not sure when the official end date for that was, though I recall some passengers were irked because certain protocols for their particular sailings when they booked were no longer active when they sailed).

Agree, @Turtles06! I recall a few years ago, there was a December Canary Islands cruise that had multiple booking options (2 or 3 different options for embarkation dates/ports, 2 different options for disembarkation dates/ports). A person who was briefly my PCC called and said they noticed we had been cruise shopping online 😉and asked if I had questions. I told her I had questions about the sailing and she said, "HAL doesn't cruise in Europe in December." 😀 Well, obviously, I had info and she kept contradicting me even though I was looking right at the sailings. It was incredibly frustrating, as I needed information in order to put my airline tickets on hold independently (we ended up going on the cruise, booking through a travel agency, and the sailing was fabulous). I am so grateful for Cruise Critic in situations like this. It helps so much for others to share information. I hope you can get everything worked out to your liking. That part of the world is so enchanting! Wishing you the Best!

This is on the CDC’s website under COVID-19 Maritime Guidance, subsection Discontinuation of Isolation for Travelers (Crew and Passengers), “Although a minimum of 5 days of isolation is recommended for most people with COVID-19 in community settings, cruise ships should consider 10 days of isolation due to their congregate nature and potential for limited access to higher levels of medical care.[6]” https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/maritime/covid-19-ship-guidance.html#quarantine-considerations When CDC’s general isolation guidance was changed to 5 days due to various pressures, though nothing had changed with how long most are contagious, it caused confusion on many fronts. If someone is still testing positive on an antigen test, they should continue isolating (PCR is different). @Balboa1978 best wishes to you and your wife. Hope she tests negative soon and the remainder of your cruise goes well. Agree that protocols should be available for travelers to review prior to booking and boarding.

We like to go to the Crow’s Nest for pre-dinner appetizers (years ago we loved listening to the guitarist up there). Lincoln Center Stage (previously used to go hear Adagio Strings pre-dinner). Dinner (usually Lido). Way back when cappuccinos were complimentary, we’d stop by the MDR to get one (decaf) and take it to the evening Show. After the Show, we’d go to BB Kings. If there was a Game Show, we’d go. Maybe listen to the pianists. Walk around the deck, watch the sunset. (Years ago, we loved relaxing in the Crow’s Nest listening to the music until late evening). Agree that showing a movie in the main stage doesn’t feel like a complete selection of evening entertainment, although on occasion we’d take in an evening movie in the theater or lido pool after the evening show.

What a difference a few years makes! On my 2019 NS sailing, if we didn’t arrive at least 20 minutes early for a show we wouldn’t get a seat in the World Stage Theater! There was definitely a demand then for quality entertainers and shows.

You may want to see if a handheld heated massager might help. I believe they are allowed (but doublecheck). They are fairly small and not much larger than a curling iron. Good luck!

In the summer of 2019 aboard the Nieuw Statendam, we did have a naturalist onboard. I can’t remember if the narration was on the stateroom tvs (I assume so), but it definitely was on decks outside. Earlier in the day, and even the day before, they or the captain made announcements for approximate times we would pass by various places during the sailing. Just know that some of the times won’t be exact, the time predicted may be slightly later than the actual time, or slightly earlier (as was our case a few times). So if there’s something you have your heart set on seeing, write down the approximate expected time, but be prepared that you might pass a little before or after it. It was an absolutely fabulous cruise!!!

@fellswoop Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences! These details are very helpful as I try to decide on the right time for me to sail again. As far as testing negative, then positive, I have read from testing experts that this is common as the load begins to wane. For some it just takes more time to clear completely. FDA even recommended 2 negatives 48 hours apart to end isolation or quarantine rather than a once-size-fits-all number of days. I understand with their updated protocols you weren’t required to quarantine or go to a separate cabin, but did HAL offer you any FCC, or only him? (I would imagine their new guidelines in this regard are related to cost-saving measures. Their statement under “What if a guest tests positive?” could be interpreted in a couple of different ways https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/worry-free-promise/travel-well/frequently-asked-questions.html#boarding ) Prayers for your husband and also that you continue to stay healthy. All the Best!

He received the food survey. I received the entertainment survey yesterday.

One Mediterranean sailing, Sirio and Egidiana Maccioni of Le Cirque were on board. They did a special talk and some cooking shows. She made fresh ravioli in one and it was such fun. Good times!

My husband received this one today. I haven’t received one yet.

I recall my travel agency offering a "teacher rate," but I believe this is different, correct? My question is: "If you book through a travel agency, is a passenger still able to use the verification form for this OBC, or does that need to go through the TA?"

@Mom39 On one claim I had in 2019 for a cancelled flight, AA didn’t reimburse the total amount of our hotel room because it exceeded their daily allowance. However, we were not given a limit or a voucher or any guidance, just told by the agent in AMS to get an airport hotel until our flight (now the following day) and AA would reimburse us (I had even asked if there was a limit and was told “no”.) We returned to the same airport hotel (Hilton) that we had stayed upon arrival. At 10am, there was only 1 type of room available for immediate check-in, and of course at the last minute it was considerably higher than our previous pre-paid rate. While AA was being unreasonable, I went ahead and filed with my regular travel insurance for the difference and they paid it. Perhaps your travel insurance can kick in the difference if SAS continues to refuse. Do you happen to have a screen shot or documentation of the BA flight that was the same price as the business one you took? It has always worked in my favor when I have screenshots to send to back up that I haven’t been excessive. As we know, last-minute fares are sometimes exponentially higher. Since you were told SAS would not be available to help you, you had to take matters into your own hands. Hope everything works out for you!

@melsparIt’s so unfortunate you are having issues getting through. This Thread from a while back has some numbers and email addresses that may help: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2864907-hal-contact-info/ Good luck!

@DDDallasAlthough I have made it pre-pandemic, I cannot recommend it. There are too many factors that could cause a great amount of stress. Although certainly not on every sailing, the times our ship has arrived behind schedule were all in Amsterdam. In the past, it was either take the flight or don’t go; I had numerous backups in place + flew Business Class with expedited check-in. While it worked out for me, I would never recommend it. On a subsequent trip in 2019, AA at AMS didn’t even use a priority check-in lane, LONG story. Tip: always take your Airline’s local numbers in case of cancellations or delays (it would’ve been helpful in 2019 when the USA numbers were down due to a storm). In this day and age, there’s too many things that could go wrong to chance it.

@kazu Hope you have a wonderful cruise! Thanks for sharing.

@Gray Ladyglad you got the shore excursions expenses back; hopefully your other funds will come in soon. It’s so unfortunate that customers have to follow up repeatedly just to get reimbursement. Wishing you the best!

I’m curious about current indoor air quality, too. Among those who mask but still got it onboard, removing a mask for public dining seems to be a factor. I know there have been changes to mask policies among crew fleet-wide. Do they wear masks when cleaning staterooms? When I resume cruising I would need to let in fresh air anytime someone else had been in the room.

@birdie16How long have you been waiting to hear back? One would think the process would be more efficient, yet repeatedly hearing such similar stories among travelers sounds like without the customer following up, things might not get taken care of, unfortunately. I hope everything works out for you soon. All the Best!

I’m traveling at the moment so don’t have access to old documents, but I do recall pre-pandemic letters being sent to our stateroom. This was when there was significant Norovirus onboard and the color level was elevated. The letter conveyed that those with symptoms should report their condition to medical and if sick, would receive their fare back for days missed due to isolation.