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I’m a pescatarian and often order the vegetarian dish. I also like curry, however I took one bite of this in February and pushed my plate away. Of course my wonderful waiter noticed and offered me a different entree. Has anyone else tried it? (My DHs favorite dish is the Peruvian chicken)

@Gawker I have attached our updated itinerary below. As I stated, Punta del Estes has been dropped. We are still visiting Puerto Madryn.

@GawkerI am on the same cruise. It was a PIA to contact and rebook our private excursions. Fortunately the tour companies were able to accommodate us. I know this was not the case for several on our RC. My two HAL excursion still show up but of course they are on the wrong date by one day. I am hopeful that they will be moved to the correct date and that we will hear something before 12/20 (two weeks). @Sea42 We were notified on 12/6 that Punta Del Estes (should have been our 2nd port) was being dropped and Castro, Isla Chiloe (will now be 2nd to last port) was being added.

I was on the Rotterdam last year on Valentine’s Day. There was a special meal in the Pinnacle. It was a fixed menu with higher cost. IMO it was not worth it.

I will reflect on Genocide Prevention today with special thoughts of the innocents in Israel and Gaza. Prickly Pear margaritas are delicious. Not too sweet, not too tart. I always order one when I’m in the Southwest. I am happy to be able share some pictures of the beautiful island of Madeira. Our first stop was the market.Then up the mountain to this church which is also the place where the toboggan run begins.Next we walked over to the aerial tram that would take us down to the botanical gardens. Our evening sailaway.I could happily spend a week on the island!

I appreciate this live thread. I have also been following your blog in preparation for my cruise departing January 29. Last night we received an itinerary change; Punta del Estes has been dropped, Castro Isla Chiloe has been added. In addition to rescheduling 5 private tours, I am now looking for a private tour company for Castro. Who did you use? TYIA

I hope everyone else is having a Joyous Day. I received an itinerary change for my South America cruise last night. 😩 Punta del Estes has been dropped causing all of the following ports to be moved 1 day earlier. I just spent an hour contacting 5 private tour companies asking them to adjust my reserved dates. 😣 Really hope they can accommodate us, 3 of the tours were to see the penguins 🐧 Time to start researching Castro Isla Chile, the new port they added near the end of the cruise. For those of you who have visited the memorial, is this something you can do on your own or should we take a tour? Thank you for the pictures of Kristiansand. We look forward to visiting Norway in August. Positive thoughts to those who need them. Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

The Navigator App won’t be fully functional until you board the ship.

@Toad I had no problems sending iMessages during my transatlantic on the Rotterdam in October. FaceTime worked intermittently. My phone was in airplane mode and I had the Surf package.

@NorbertsNieceI have been following your Roll Call because I will be boarding the Oosterdam on January 29 for my SA and Antarctica cruise. I look forward to your live thread.

@RMLincoln I have been used Park and Fly and the Parking Spot at PHL. The Parking Spot may work best for you because they have a lot north of the airport. Both had efficient 24 hour shuttles. I prefer the private lots to airport parking regardless of the airport. @Nickelpenny Did you book any private excursions while in Hawaii? I enjoy a bit of motion in the ocean too. Here’s the Rotterdam Lifo pool while I was watching the Ravens game on the transatlantic in October. IMG_8443.mov Positive thoughts to those who need them. Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

I have seen the Deep Blue on several cruises. I wish they would develop some new presentations. Did you have a guest speaker? If so, how were their lectures?

We liked the butterfly farm so much we made a purchase in the gift shop! Positive thoughts to those who need them. Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

Thanks for your list! I’d like to add: Unpack once and explore many ports Make new friends One comment on your list, my husband is a survivor of head & neck cancer. Unfortunately, he has lost the ability to salivate normally and frequently needs to cough and clear his throat. Not all who cough have a contagious illness. Eating is difficult for him, we sit at a table for 2 so his challenges swallowing do not bother other guests.

Once again, this was on Royal Caribbean. Never watched La Lido Loco so I went to YouTube to watch the video. I’m not sure if his information is factual; I definitely don’t think it is first hand. On 11/30, he said the RC incident happened in Melbourne. On 12/1, he corrected himself and said it happened in Brisbane.

@retird I’m sorry my post was not clearly worded. I should have said if you are sailing HAL on a “friends & family/interline” fare you are not guaranteed to sail in the cabin you originally booked. My main point is that “friends & family/interline” fares are not the same as someone who has booked a guarantee cabin. Several people seem anxious that they will be unable to sail because they booked a guarantee cabin.

First, what happens on Royal Caribbean and NCL might not be the same as what happens on HAL so I feel stories about experiences on other cruise lines are not relevant. This is the HAL board. Second, it is important to understand that the “friend & family” cruiser mentioned by the OP was an interline fare, not a guarantee fare. All interline reservations are guarantees. (But not all guarantees are interline fares) With an interline fare, your cabin could be downgraded based on what is available after all other passengers (including those with guarantees) have received their cabin or you could be told the cruise is overbooked and be denied boarding. The rules for interline travel on HAL are clear: Interline Eligibility Booking may be subject to cancellation after confirmation based on availability. Cancellation is a possibility up to departure time with Interline fares. Booking may be subject to downgrade at HAL discretion due to availability

I was able to book Hyatt Place for the night of 3/2/2024 this morning. All rates for 2024 (and black out dates) showed on the Value Trips website,

Happy Friday! Wishing everyone the best possible weekend. I’ve been following the blogs from several who are currently on the Grand South America. Since no one has posted pictures of Fortaleza, I thought you might enjoy the photos contained here: https://amazingvoyages2.blogspot.com/2023/11/grand-south-america-south-america.html?m=1

Thanks for your review. These photos are from HMC on October 21, 2023. I was standing in the same spot and took the picture to my right and then to my left. What are the new “picnic banas”?

You will need to log in through the website in order to manage dining and excursions for your June cruise.

@jakers As I stated on your Roll Call, the people who were bumped from the overbooked 12/2 Oosterdam stated they were traveling on a “friends & family” (also known as an interline fare as @RuthCpointed out). There are risks with this type of fare. It is not the same as a guaranteed cabin. The couple in your friend met in the airport were offered compensation twice and declined. It appears to me that the new member of your RC took advantage of the offer and are now able to sail at a reduced price. In addition, they will now get to see Antarctica on a 22 day cruise as opposed to a 14 cruise that doesn’t include Antarctica.

Specialty coffee drinks are included in HIA.

@Nickelpenny Thanks for your photos and commentary. I will be doing the Hawaiian cruise in January of 2025. Did you independently go to the Arizona and Missouri or were you on a tour? Thanks to all who post port pictures. Positive thoughts to all who need them.

@Haljo1935 I have enjoyed both of y threads. Thank you for your honest review and your wonderful pictures. I do not have the patience you have shown. In CO, would have immediately spoken to the manager. Your dinner experience is unacceptable. With regards to your room, have you used the “let us know” feature on the Navigator app. I refuse to stand in line at guest services. There is no record if I make a phone call. But every time I have used the app, not only has the problem been resolved but I received a follow up phone call asking if I was satisfied with the resolutions. Wishing you a wonderful first transatlantic.