Ratdoggie

We have an OV on Zaandam's May 7th sailing. I was looking forward to the tub/shower just because I thought it would be roomier...but if the new showers will take up the same footprint that will be awesome!

Thanks for the great information and ideas!

And yes, I did ask about taxis on someone’s Kodiak post but it wasn’t clear to me if there would be any available ones waiting or if we had to prearrange, but now I know. I hadn’t considered renting a car since we will only need it for a couple of hours but I will check it out along with some of these other ideas.

We have decided to explore Homer and a Kodiak on our own for our May HAL cruise. I’m wondering about...

Kodiak - if the weather is decent, we want to take a taxi to Fort Abercrombie. I’ve heard people saw taxis waiting in town, but didn’t know if these were prearranged pick-ups. Can we get a taxi last minute?

Homer - looks like a great place to explore on the spit or in “town”. My question is are there any must-see stores, sites, or points of interest. So far The Salty Dawg and the Seafarers Memorial are on my list.

Thank you fellow cruisers!

I have a follow up MDR question. I understand we can wear jeans in the MDR if it’s not gala night, my question for veteran HAL cruisers is...will I be comfortable in a nice pair of black jeans as far as comparison to how others might be dressed? This is an Alaska cruise if that makes a difference.

Okay, this whole thing is giving me a headache but I think I understand what happened now and some of you hit the nail on the head. There is a non-commissionable portion to the fare that is not applicable to the rebate we get from the big box store. So the invoice took that amount off the base fare and plugged in into the fees/taxes portion, making our base fare look less and the fees/taxes more.

What throws me off is that I thought the base fare looked right, but at the time we knew what we expected for a grand total and we didn't look at the details until later (our bad). I also learned that fares had gone down which could be why things weren't matching up when I did a current comparison. I did ask about this and the travel group called HAL for me, but were told they couldn't refund the difference since final payment had already been made.

So, by this explanation, the taxes/fees are indeed $413 but the actual "base" fare is $400+ more than we thought. I've now had three people at the travel group check on this and all three say it's correct. My husband and I knew what we were willing to pay in total and we will accept that. Lessen learned to ask questions first! We do get a rebate so we will have some savings there anyway.

Thank you for all your suggestions and comments!

Thank you for the responses. I’m convinced that something is wrong. The base stateroom price is exactly the same, the only difference is in the fees. Our confirmation does not show a breakdown of the fees/taxes. My next step is to get that. I’ll keep you posted in case anyone is following for updates!

We booked a 14 day HAL cruise (to Alaska for May) through the travel dept of a large box store. My husband and I were each charged $883 for taxes, fees, etc. Having never sailed on a 14 day itinerary I didn't think to question it much. Last night we were playing around on-line, actually trying to see what the difference in price would be if we upgraded our room. In order to compare, we looked up a room equivalent to what we booked and every time the taxes and fees came out to $413/pp. We tried it both on HAL's website and the travel website we had booked through...both came up with $413 each. We called the travel group twice today to see if the $883/pp was in error. Both times and 2 different people we talked to, they said it's correct and went on about fees and taxes.

I know port fees and taxes can vary between booking and sailing (but by $400/pp?). Does this sound reasonable compared to what others have paid for a 14-day Alaska itinerary? We agreed to pay this amount when we first booked so if that's what it is so be it. I just can't figure out why both websites keep coming up with the same and much lower cost.

I haven’t been to Kodiak but our cruise will be stopping there in May. I thought nearby Ft Abercrombie looked like a great place to hike and explore for the amount of time we will be there. Pictures I have found on line show great views and nice trails. We are hoping to grab a taxi to take us there and pick us up rather than going with a tour. If anyone reading this has been there I would love to hear your thoughts and if taking a taxi out there sounds like a reasonable thing to do.

Thank you HELENPSL...you are correct, we are on deck 2, that was my error! So I guess the laundry room isn't going to be an issue. And thank you Mtn2Sea, maybe the connecting room isn't as much a factor as who your neighbor is. Guess we will stick with the room we have, I like the midship location.

We are booked on Deck 3, mid-ship room C2575. There is an unlabeled white area directly across the hall from our room. Does anyone know if this is the launderette and if noise would be a concern? Also, I have read that the tv can be easily heard from the next room if you have a connecting door. Has anyone else experienced this or could this person have just had a loud neighbor?

I can deal with one or the other I think...but the two added together may be a little much over a 2 week cruise so I'm just wondering if we should consider a cabin change.

Thanks!

Thank you all and thank you for sharing those beautiful pics SuperCrewBear.

I didn’t think it was very likely to see bears in May but wanted to compare notes. Sounds like it would a good idea to base our excursions on other things, and if we happen to see a bear then so be it. Otherwise, Fortress of the Bear in Sitka looks like a great option!

Happy Cruising!

We are going on a 14-day HAL cruise in May 2018. We will hit the big 3 (Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway) and also the smaller ports of Homer, Kodiak and Sitka. I know that mid to late summer is the best time to see bears and that some bear viewing excursions don't even start until June or July. I'm wondering if it's even worth it to book a bear excursion (if available) in May, or should we base our excursions on other desires. Thanks!

I will try that. Thank you for the info! :)

Hi all,

We just booked a C category Oceanview cabin on Main deck of Zaandam. On Holland's site, I have the impression that we will have an actual window. However, when I look at the cabin info on Cruise Critic it appears to be a porthole. And when I look at a picture of the ship, it's hard to be sure what deck I'm looking at, but it appears to be a porthole as well.

Can anyone tell me from their experience? I'd love to have a regular window and will be willing to upgrade if I need to.

Thanks!

Thank you all for your help. Through your tips I have found that there are more cabins available than the HAL website initially shows and we were able to get the cabin location we want! This is why I love Cruise Critic!

Thank you Crystalspin. I think your understanding about blocks of rooms being put on hold sounds totally legitimate. I'll contact HAL or a PCC and find out if there is more available. I'll come back and post my findings for anyone who is curious. Thanks for the tips!

Thank you for your help. I guess we were only looking at the main deck level and not the other two! So there are more available than I thought, but they still seem to be going fast.

Maybe I'm having a brain freeze, so I want to see if this sounds right. We are looking at a 14 day Alaska cruise on Zaandam for May 2018. It looks like NO MID-SHIP oceanview rooms are available. We can settle for aft but could I be missing something in looking at the website? Or should we book now before the rest are sold out? :confused:Thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

Thank you, that is very helpful!

Is there a specific section of the port where the Carnival Miracle (or Carnival in general) uses to dock the tenders in Cabo?

We are meeting family on our day there (Jan 31st) and they have asked if the tender will come in by the Marina or the Mall. I'm not really sure what this means as they are familiar with the area and I am not, but we are trying to establish a meeting place.

Or if anyone can suggest a nearby landmark, store, or other feature that would be easy to find from the tenders, as a meeting place, that would be great!

Thank you :)

Thank you for the great review. Do you remember where the tender docked in Cabo, or any landmark or specific stores that were nearby? We are meeting family who are staying in Cabo on the day we will be there (Jan 31, off the Miracle). They have asked me if the tenders will be coming in by the marina or the mall. I have no idea what this means, but it would help us in finding each other.

Thank you!

Thank you for the responses, they are all in line with what I was thinking. Too bad contracts can't be written in simple layman terms, but then what would lawyers do! I will of course be carrying my camera/phone, cash and documents. If we can't easily replace it, it won't go into my checked bags!

One of my cruise mates is questioning this wording in the ticket contract for our upcoming cruise:

"(b) No tools of trade, household goods, presents and/or property of others, jewelry, money, cameras, documents, valuables of any description including but not limited to such articles as are described in Title 46 of the United States Code section 30503 shall be carried except under and subject to the terms of a special written contract or Bill of Lading entered into with Carnival prior to embarkation upon application of the Guest. The Guest warrants that no such articles are contained in any receptacle or container presented by him as baggage hereunder, and if any such articles are shipped in the Guest’s baggage in breach of this warranty, no liability for negligence, gross or ordinary, shall attach to Carnival for any loss or damage thereto."

So...no jewelry, money, cameras or documents? I'm hoping this just means that Carnival won't be liable if we pack these in our baggage and they are lost or stolen. Surely we can bring these things on our person at least. I mean, how do you not bring money or a camera on vacation! Any thoughts?

I'm sailing on the Miracle on January 29th. I checked yesterday and FTTF was available! There were 27 passes left, but I kinda wonder if another window will open later on when they know how many other priority cruisers there are. Anyway, I jumped on it, haven't done it before so I'm excited.

So, if you are sailing in February I would start keeping an eye on it everyday starting now. I imagine it's different for every cruise though.

I just purchased FTTF for the first time. I'm curious how other people take advantage of this early boarding. Do you hit the buffet before it's overrun by first day all-you-can-eaters? Do you change into your swimsuit and grab a lounge chair? Or do you explore the ship so you know where everything is?

Would love to hear your advice. BTW, I'll be on the Miracle sailing out of Long Beach CA in January. Thanks!