0106

Sky West is a regional airline partner of United.  Look for the flight on their site.

There is no harm in booking a flexible fare.  You do not need to pay for it until you pay for your cruise.  You can easily cancel up until that point.  
 

Another thought..,Are the flights on partner airlines?  That might be why you can’t see the flight number.

2 hours ago, Liao said:

also have seen a number of videos with the music walk, really looks like a great area and I think I'd enjoy this a lot.

There is no music walk on the Oosterdam.  There is Billboard Onboard, a piano bar and The Rolling Stones lounge, music from the Beatles to serious rock and roll.  I do not go to the theater in the evening so cannot comment.  On a TA there have been some excellent speakers in the theater during the day and other activities I have enjoyed such as cooking demonstrations.

2 hours ago, Liao said:

Also, the service on Celebrity is always very high caliber.  Any feedback on this?

The service on HAL  ships is extraordinary.  Honestly, I give them my highest rating.

The Oosterdam is my favorite ship but it is older and doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of some of the newer ships.  I sailed on her twice last year in a verandah cabin for a total of 37 days.

Some smiles for Mother’s Day beginning with a limerick.

A mama, worn out by her brood,
Said, “This pampering’s understood!
No chores nor alarms,
Just calming hot balms,
A day for pure peace and self-good!”

Thank you to all the regular posters.  Positive thoughts for those experiencing difficulties.  Cheers to all who have a reason to celebrate.

Thank you Leanne and camera operators.  See you in the Fall!

Sorry about missing the Northern Lights.  I’ve seen some wonderful pictures from the lower 48.  I hope you can tender to Valdez.

Any sightings of the Northern Lights?

46 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

In Hawaii, we even got the license plate number.

You always get the license plate, make/model of car, driver’s name and their picture the app. These are the basic safety features.  There are many other safety features that I suggest you turn on within the app.  For more information go to Uber.com: Protect your safety while riding with Uber.

@StLouisCruisers I agree it is very easy to set up an Uber account.  I use them all the time. In Buenos Aires we paid less than $3 for a ride to the port.  Those who took cabs from the same area paid between $30 & $60. Bon voyage!

1 hour ago, SeaMatesNYC said:

That’s a good theory. And in fact one can do so. One can also put one larger tip on a check near the voyage end.

Agreed, the servers certainly deserve it.

1 hour ago, SeaMatesNYC said:

Another theory is that the accountants want it.

Ok, but then why aren’t they presented every time?

1 hour ago, SeaMatesNYC said:

A third is to provide proof when someone reaches 15 drinks.

? The number of drinks served is not on the receipt.

1 hour ago, SeaMatesNYC said:

fourth is that there is no function on POS terminal to omit the printed receipt and bartenders/servers are just in the habit of presenting the check.

I wonder if this is true.

1 hour ago, SeaMatesNYC said:

I’ve seen many people waste their breath and vacation time arguing with staff about why they need not sign.

I would never argue with the hardworking HAL servers.

On 5/8/2024 at 7:29 PM, DShier1a said:

Sometimes, but not always, we are asked to sign for drinks. Anyone know why the inconsistency?

But back to the OP’s original question…why the inconsistency?

Wish I was cruising and could ask the Food & Beverage department for the answer.

Dia De La Madre, Mexican Mother’s Day is celebrated on May 10, a date that never changes from year to year. El Salvador and Guatemala also honor El Día de Las Madres on the same day as the Mexican Mother’s Day format spreads across Latin America. 
 

I am lucky enough to still have both of my parents.  I will celebrate my Mom  on Sunday by grilling lunch for her.  Cheers to all the mothers on the Daily and to those celebrating and cruising.

2 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Sign the chit.

Nope.
 

How does my unsigned slip prove the charge?  Over the past two years, I have cruised 80 days on 5 different HAL cruises. Twice, I had an incorrect charge on my drink bill.  Since I had the HIA package, I should not have been charged.  Both times, I used the “let it know” feature on the Navigator app stating I should not have been charged.  In less than 8 hours, the charge was removed from my bill.  (I check my bill every morning.) 

1 hour ago, Crew News said:

My Kenai Fjords National Park excursion

 Thank you for your tour review of Seward. I assume this was a HAL tour.  Do you always do HAL excursions?  Would there be better options for those who prefer private tours?

Thank you for the pictures of Flam.  Made me very excited for our Best of Norway cruise on the Rotterdam in August.  We will be using part of our HIA credit to take a 6 hour tour that begins with scenic bus ride up to Voss where we will board the Bergen railway and finally transfer to the Flam railway.

Positive thought to those who need them.  Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

Any comments about time spent in your first port?  What did you do when you went ashore? 

Menus are back on my iPhone! No need to clear storage/cache or log out.  

8 minutes ago, cccole said:

The HAL staff, including the bar staff, are always happy to accommodate passengers' preferences. It is amazing how wonderful they are

Regardless of the inconsistencies, I agree that the staff on HAL is the best!

PS: Thanks for your suggestion but I will not be carrying a one time use plastic glove in my pocket…just washing my hands frequently with soap and water.

44 minutes ago, ellieanne said:

Or you could just bring your own pen, like we do.

I carry a pen in my purse but I don’t carry my purse on the ship. It was never a problem when I said I preferred not to sign.  Not using a common pen isn’t the only reason I prefer not to sign, it was just the quickest and easiest thing to tell the server.
 

HAL states, “Our efforts to significantly reduce non-essential single-use items, including plastics, on our ships is key to our environmental compliance program, Operation Oceans Alive. We are committed to reducing these items by 50%. It is our shared responsibility to limit our environmental footprint. The more we learn, the more we must be willing to move in the direction of zero-impact. We are committed to reducing, reusing, recycling, as well as to properly dispose of the waste we generate.
 

For me, the slips are a waste of paper. Typical thermal receipt paper contain high levels of BPA and phenol chemicals and cannot be recycled.  Only receipts printed on phenol-free paper can be recycled.  Unfortunately, I saw a receipt accidentally fly overboard at the Seaview pool while in Antarctica.  I made these comments on my post cruise survey.

I do not sign for drinks because I don’t like to use a commonly shared pen. I frequent the same bars and try to develop a relationship with the servers so after the first time, they don’t even offer a slip.  If offered by a new server, I look at the check, explain why I’m not signing and return it.  

2 minutes ago, ricka47 said:

So, are both rock and blues in the new Rolling Stones lounge?

My experience with the Rolling Stones lounge was a set list posted outside the venue of the type of music that would be featured during the 3 sets. I’ve seen Beatles, 80s, Disco, R&B.  Unfortunately, it is difficult for one band to play such a diverse set list.  BB Kings was always my favorite because of the horn section.  It only remains on the Pinnacle class ships (NS, Koningsdam, Rotterdam)

It’s important to be prepared for disasters and everyday should be cruelty free but today I will celebrate “no sock day”. Generally my socks go away in spring and do not reappear until fall.  Perhaps I am following the “sock burning” tradition that originated in Annapolis.

After a particularly snowy winter in 1978, Annapolitan Bob Tuner was anxious to shed his socks with the arrival of spring. He invited his colleagues to celebrate the end of winter by burning their socks after work, a symbolic goodbye to winter as the group of boat builders, sailors, and watermen intended to forgo wearing socks until the cold weather returned; and so a tradition was born. 
 

The tradition has come to be celebrated every year on the Vernal Equinox, the day signaling the beginning of Spring and, more importantly in Annapolis, boating season. The Eastport Yacht Club and the Annapolis Maritime Museum continue to observe this tradition and, with the assistance of social media, sock burning has caught fire across the country — it is now celebrated from Pacific Northwest to New England and even in land-locked areas of Pennsylvania. These days,  the annual Sock Burning event has become quite popular and includes an oyster roast, food vendors, activities, and exhibits highlighting maritime heritage.

Positive thoughts to those who need them.  Cheers to those on the celebration list.

7 hours ago, talpostal said:

From reading it sounds like people do the piano bar and BB King's in the evening and then the late option is the casino bar?

Unfortunately, there is no BB Kings on the Nieuw Amsterdam.  There is a Rolling Stones lounge that will probably do three different sets of three different types of music.  I do not think of the casino bar as a place to hang out but you can get a drink there.  Play hard during the day and get up early to watch the sunrise.  Enjoy Alaska!

@ElleG01  Here’s your Roll Call of fellow cruisers

I suggest you look at some of the recent LIVE threads.  Here is one from a Panama Canal cruise.

As a former teacher, I appreciate the work of teachers every day.

Healing thoughts to all who are in pain, be it physical or emotional.  Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

5 minutes ago, USN59-79 said:

I have a question about the acronyms we use here on CC.  Is there a listing of them somewhere and are they specific to CC or are they in general use?  For example, what exactly is BFF?  Is DS Dear Sister or Dear Son or do you have to guess?

Ray

Most of the acronyms used here are in general use, frequently when texting.  BFF is best friend forever.  I usually think of DS as dear son but you may have to guess from context clues.  YMMV (your mileage may vary)😊