Dogstar

Yes, we got it. [emoji106]🏻

caribophile, a Canadian tourist is issued a B-2 Visa upon USA entry, without application if I recall correctly for less-than-90-day visits, so you/we should be okay to use the MPC app with our Canadian passports ...

https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visitor.html

At least I'm hoping this works. Any bit of time saved expediting through line(s) will be helpful.

Thanks all. Non-adjoining SS on Deck 6 it is!

Hi all,

Thanks everyone for the replies & suggestions. The consensus is to definitely upgrade to Signature Suite, upsell offer price is good, select Category SS on Deck 6 'Upper Verandah', & accept it now before inventory disappears. So we did!

If it was your choice, given availability options of an 'adjoining room' suite (ie. around 6093 grouping) or 'non-adjoining' (ie. near 6056 grouping) which would you recommend? Apparently the 'adjoining' rooms have one less closet so I'm more prone, given that we're 3 adults, to keep my more-forward-than-mid 'non-adjoining' suite selection.

Thanks. Dogstar.

Hi all,

Offered upsell today on Nieuw Amsterdam (2016-12-04; Eastern Caribbean) from our Verandah Stateroom (Category VD, Deck 7 'Rotterdam') to Signature Suite ($324 CDN pp.) or Neptune Suite ($649 pp CDN). A quick search of the HAL forum shows this upsell pricing being offered previously for other NA sailings. With 3 adults in cabin the additional space would be nice, plus it's no extra cost for the 3rd person. When we booked last year, & even after one price drop since, the Signature Suite pricing was definitely cost prohibitive. As much as we'd really like a Neptune Suite we still can not justify the extra-extra $$$ to our budget ... but are considering the Signature Suite upgrade.

So, having laid out the background, what's your thoughts on this current Signature Suite upsell offer @ T-4 weeks before departure? Should I counter-offer &/or await better offer(s)? If counter/wait, what price would you suggest?

Also, given current Signature Suite cabin availability, would you recommend:

1. Deck 6 'Upper Verandah' ~ Category SS or SZ ? ; or
   
2. Deck 5 'Verandah' ~ Category SS ?
   

Thanks all for your considered replies.

Cheers. Dogstar.

Vacation air travel = Lululemon casual/training/jogging/yoga pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt, athletic shoes. Light jacket ready in carry-on if needed.

Nieuw Amsterdam, 2016-12-04, 8 day Eastern Caribbean

We are likely to have an Alamo car hire ending up at Fort Lauderdale but they do not seem to have an office at the port. What are our options for dropping at the airport and getting to the cruise port.

JAF1, Alamo runs a courtesy shuttle service between FLL airport & Port Everglades piers.

We will be traveling with our DS (6) and DD (4) ... The cruise we are interested in will be going to Nassau and CocoCay, aboard the Majesty of the Seas ... Are we able to just get off the boat and enjoy the beach without booking an excursion

You are certainly welcome to explore on your own &/or book excursions. For Nassau with your young children I recommend taking a cab over to the Atlantis Resort ... enjoy the pools, water park, beach, activities, etc. Great fun!

http://www.atlantisbahamas.com/thingstodo/waterpark

Cheers. Dogstar.

We have cruised a couple of times with NCL and found there to be a wide range of ages aboard but can anyone confirm if this is the case for all the other cruise companies ... I have this opinion stuck in my mind that all the other companies except NCL/RC/Carnival are for the more mature ... We are late 20s/early 30s and enjoy the nicer things in life, we are are not interested in clubbing and drinking.

As others have said the longer itineraries generally skew the on-board crowd age "older", & physical activity laden ships toward the party/younger crowd. We, like yourselves, were often the "younger" ones aboard not overly interested in clubbing, climbing rock walls or partaking in alcohol-fueled pool games, etc. instead enjoying the relaxation of traditional cruising niceties, lounging by the pools, casually exploring lounges, etc. Over the years our "taste" progressed through Carnival/NCL to Princess/HAL, matching the itinerary/ship/line accordingly.

Sounds like you'd enjoy Princess & HAL too.

Cheers. Dogstar.

We are cruising out of Fort Lauderdale, then heading to Orlando afterwards. Current plan is to drive, but I'm considering one-way flights on SWA. Party is 4 adults, luggage for 2 weeks. We are doing laundry mid-trip, so that will help keep luggage in control ... I'd welcome any helpful thoughts or experiences!

gzmtlock, we are doing similar post-cruise FLL-MCO in mid-December. Our plan is transfer from pier to FLL on Alamo/Enterprise courtesy shuttle bus. Alamo Car Rental ($50'ish for SUV rental; one day; one-way) from FLL to Walt Disney World. Alamo includes toll highway service without expensive service charge fees. Staying at onsite Disney property so will check in @ hotel then drop off vehicle at Disney Car Care Centre (Alamo). Using courtesy Disney transportation to shuttle around WDW, & courtesy Disney Magic Express shuttle transfer from hotel to MCO.

Cheers. Dogstar.

Thank you HAL for boldly implementing this revised policy. I'm sorry this further limits the available smoking space for those who desire/require it but I welcome the reduced intrusion of these toxins &/or fumes in (shared)public & (semi)private spaces.

Who knows, maybe one day HAL may further restrict e-cigarettes same as tobacco smoking? We're already seeing this type of legislated change here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016HLTH0049-001002.

"Under the new act, e-cigarettes cannot be sold in public buildings and their use is banned on public and private school grounds, in indoor public spaces and workplaces."

... i suspect more than a few on here is the seemingly constant pressure placed upon the paying customer to tip for everything.

I agree with you that the auto-gratuity policy, now the norm, is unfair. Similarly, I dislike the auto-DSC policy, also now the norm. For the most part, anything beyond the basic dining options & standard entertainment are surcharged. I have always tipped fairly for services rendered on our cruises. I, like you, just don't like having it hidden in everything automatically, disguised in one form or another.

I prefer the good ol' days of cruising when you tipped separately for services rendered. Auto-gratuity & auto-DSC'ing have, in my opinion, diluted the level of service delivery by staff since there is no immediate, direct incentive. In essence lousy service is rewarded with an auto-tip, unfair to the recipient (us) & to those staff that otherwise earn a fair gratuity.

And yes, auto-tipping a bartender 15% to open bottle or pour a beverage, ordered directly by the customer at the bar, is high-seas robbery. :mad: