allinthesameboat

Anyone out there booked on this cruise sailing August, 2024?

Hi there!

Thanks for the review of Rotterdam. I'm booked for the 2/2/25 12 day Panama Canal cruise and wonder if there were any detailed port  talks? I find those are the most educational and helpful rather than having the cruise director tell us where to shop. I'm looking for  more interesting offerings on the daily schedule and wonder if anyone knows if one can find that on the Rotterdam.

Cheers!

How disappointing to hear that the Eurodam is looking shabby. I thought she had been in dry dock last February and had a face lift. We sail on her in January.

we booked this cruise a long time ago. Mid January is a very popular time to cruise the Caribbean so it doesn't surprise me that it's sold out especially sice it's a few weeks after the holidays. If you have a TA or, even if not, get on a wait list. There are always last minute cancellations.

There is a wonderful website :www.whatsinport.com that gives extensive details about thousands of ports around the world. A treasure trove for cruisers.

I am not impressed with the itineraries and NO CASINO.

I would like to see some reviews of sailings before I have anything to do with the resurrected Crystal. I loved cruising with Crystal and I am very sad about what happened but I have been taking a fair amount of cruises in 2022-23 and the new iteration would have to offer something comparable.

There was talk about the release of some money to those with claims filed with the law firm handling the bankruptcy. I know AK has nothing to do with that but they did offer the "Exceptional Initiative"  which doesn't seem all that exceptional.

Just show me the MONEY!

Amen, Claudia! Great points made re single cabins and ho-hum itineraries.

I think it's a good idea to wait and see if Crystal comes up with some more exciting itineraries. I, too, was not impressed so far. I did file a claim hoping to recover the $8,000 Crystal owes me. I found it curious that the letter Keith posted included Moecker & Assoc.mentioning that they would likely be ready to to reimburse those passengers with claims sometime this summer. It may be a good idea to wait before applying for a credit with Crystal as per their Exceptional Initiative. I would rather have the cash in my pocket.

I heard that Windstar also got rid of casinos. What's up with that!

I loved cruising with Crystal but I'm in a wait-and-see mind set. I want to get more of a sense of what folks are saying post cruise. And, I will depend on my wonderful TA to weigh in. We should expect many changes-especially higher prices.

They now offer single cabins and that is a very good idea as I know many people who complain about high supplemental rates for single cruisers. I am not aware of other cruise lines that feature that.

yes, no casino is a bummer. It was an enjoyable, friendly and fun atmosphere.I think they could have kept it on the Serenity, which is the larger of the two. I do like the idea of fewer passengers.

Where did you hear the Eurodam is discontinuing the Lincoln Center live quartets? That would surprise me since it's such a favorite and has been a great success.

First time QM2 cruiser...How dressy do the women get on gala night? What if you show up to DR  in what I would call "smart casual" (slacks, top and jacket)?

Received email from HAL claiming using the VeriFly app can expedite embarkation. Has anyone used it? My TA did not seem to know much about it as it seems to be pretty new. I called HAL customer service and the agent was clueless! If they are going to roll out something new they should at least be able to train their reps to have some knowledge about the app.

I agree with those of you who have expressed ambivalence about handing over a $500 open booking deposit. Show me what you got before you get my money. I trust that A&K  are not ripping people off but we really don't know when any Crystal cruises will be ready for booking.

Gee, thanks for the lecture.

My TA and I agree that we should not give them a die until they show some solid itineraries.

I just posted a question about the free cabin casino promo. Please enlighten me. How did you get the verandah? How soon after you received the offer on 4/12 did you reply and book the cruise? Is the offer per person? I do know it doesn't include taxes, port charges and air.

Thank you!

Anybody out there ever been offered a free cabin on select cruises? I go to the casino every night I am on a cruise so I have been given casino discounts added to my cruise fare but now, for the first time, I received an offer for a free cabin. Has anyone ever taken advantage of this? I had my TA look into 2 of the cruises offered and learned there were no more cabins available on either for that casino promo but HAL offered other cabins at a discount...not free. Does one have to act immediately to actually score the free cabin?

This is new territory for me so I would appreciate any advice.

I have cruised with HAL a lot and I know they are famous for nickeling and diming so when I see the word "free" I take it with a grain of sea salt.

On 3/15/2022 at 11:32 PM, The-Inside-Cabin said:

 

Good point! I stand corrected. Thank you!

The part I did not appreciate is the inappropriate scolding!

On 3/15/2022 at 11:32 PM, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Gratuities. 

Gratuities are included in the cruise fare @ $15.50 per day. The term HAL uses is crew appreciation. I don't see the need to add any tips unless the service is beyond the general expectations. If you are really impressed with a crew member the best thing you can do for them is to name them in the HAL survey. They can get promotions or other perks if they receive many good reviews.

I'm interested in finding out what it is like to be in the Visa suite on the Rotterdam or Niew Statendam for a Caribbean cruise. We usually choose the Verandah mid-ship because it's convenient to elevators and it's pretty stable in rough seas. I would appreciate any feedback.

Does anyone have first hand experience with Club Orange? Is it worth paying extra?

Has anyone taken the excursion: Cacao & Women's Chocolate Cooperative? We will be on Zuiderdam 1/18-2/1

Many thanks. Any evidence of cabin refurbishment?

Have a great cruise.

Would appreciate some thoughts about verandah cabins and overall services. Saw post about long wait to embark and no AC in 20 cabins. I expect a lot better service from HAL. Seems they may have rushed the dry dock refurb to avoid loss of income.

Does anyone have any info about the degree to which  the French side of St Martin has recovered from the devastating hurricane?