Crew News

My favorite HAL Specialty Restaurant is the Tamarind. Their presentation is amazing and their desserts are impressive. http://rogerjett-photography.com/wp-content/gallery/Nieuw-Amsterdam-Dining---Tamrind/IMG_0567-Large.jpg

Menus were verified on my April 2022 Alaska cruise

Your CPAP does not have to fit in your hand carry luggage piece. HAL provides transportation on the bus/train for roller bags containing pre-approved medical equipment. HAL has a medical information form for you to complete to make this possible. Note that no other roller bags are permitted to accompany bus/train passengers. Each person is allowed one handcarry and one luggage piece to be transported to meet you at your daily destination.

You are correct.

Glacier walking tour operators will provide overboots before you board the helicopter. Once on the glacier, you will be given crampon (spiked attachments) and a trekking pole. It does not take more than a few steps to learn not to shuffle your feet. There should be a very thin flow of water over the surface of the glacier so you will be walking on a very slippery icy surface.

Hopefully, you tried the Grand Dutch Cafe almond cookies as well as those those huge chocolate chip cookies. The NY Pizza & Deli above the indoor pool is one of my favorite relaxation spots. As time passes and you read more CC posts, perhaps your HAL Alaska experience will convince you to return to both. Feel free to ask lots of questions in your Panama Canal cruise planning.

Thanks for sharing your view. It would be interesting to see your list of what things you would do differently on your next HAL cruise.

FYI. This will be hanging in your closet with a laundry bag. Make your choices, save the pink copy, and put the other two copies in the filled laundry bag. Leave the filled bag on your bed when you go to breakfast and/or dinner.

I was on the Nieuw Amsterdam in a verandah stateroom and the bathroom outlet worked for both use and charging my electric razor, Waterpik, and toothbrush.

There are two forms of in-room dining. One is ordered by Neptune Suite guests from the Concierge anytime during the day and served course by course by a dedicated waiter. Since this is a course by course delivery, you can order ice cream and it will arrive frozen. Delivery should come with white tablecloth and napkins. The other form is via Room Service order by all stateroom categories during the MDR mealtime and delivered at one time. This is not a course by course delivery. If you order ice cream, it may be melted by the time you finish your dinner. Sometimes comes with salt and pepper.

With the ship capacities hovering around 60%, everything should be less crowded and that includes the demands on Room Service.

There is a US plug in the bathroom for shavers. In Vista Suite staterooms, is one European and one USA plug at the desk as shown below (Not sure what the center plug is): Many newer electronic devices run on voltages from 110 - 240V so the European outlet would be useful with an adapter that converts to US plugs. USB devices can be connected to a multiport adapter plugged into a laptop.

i booked all of my excursions for next May right after I booked the cruise last week. Those excursions involving flights have few seats so early booking is important.

They are probably available on the Navigator app but it is hard tell which days of the cruise they are reporting. I obtain my menus while onboard and then share them. Menus are based on the entire season and then by location. I have not been on a Northern Europe cruise yet this season.

Welcome to CC. Feel free to ask lots of questions to help in your planning. I would choose an aft Neptune Suite for the family hangout and an inside stateroom right across the hallway for the teens. As noted above, two bathrooms are better than one shared by four. The views from an aft Neptune Suite are amazing, the balcony is large enough for outside dining for all four family members, two different internet accounts, and the Neptune Suite large enough for family time (Room Service breakfast together, share Neptune Suite appetizers each afternoon, and use Neptune Suite loungers on the balcony).

I asked this question on the Zuiderdam in April and was told by my MDR waiter that I would receive my 5* Mariner discount on surcharge items. I did not take advantage of it so I cannot confirm the discount. Since this discount is not expressly stated in the Mariner Society FAQs, each ship may be applying it's own interpretation.

Cell service in Alaska ports will be intermittent for the first half hour in port because all of the passengers will be taking their phones off of airplane mode and attempting to connect to the same port cell tower. As passengers move away from the ship, phone service will improve significantly as other cell towers come into play.

A poncho to keep both you and any cameras dry.

I received the change in mask policy the day (Jun 12th) before I had to cancel the cruise. I will be on same ship and itinerary May 7th next year. Maybe all of the mask issues will be resolved by then. FWIW my friend who teaches in Ontario says that masks are required on college campuses with many students preferring to stick with synchronous and asynchronous learning at home.

The aft Neptune suites in Alaska are ideal for entertaining 40 of your friends,. Other perks are the lack of wind while you are enjoying your balcony, amazing panoramic views for photographs that you can enjoy in your pajamas, the soothing sound of the ship's wake, great location to enjoy Glacier Bay without competing with others for railing space on the outer decks, short elevator rides for dining, and the Room Service kitchen is mere minutes away for hot food.

Formal attire on gala nights is one of the items to which I pay special attention and report on my live cruise threads. In two gala nights, I could count the number of tuxedo-clad and long-gown passengers on two hands. Lots of sparkly shawls. Half of the males wore sport jackets and half of those added a tie. The other half of the males went the minimum polo/long-sleeved shirt route for dinner. Except for those who wore their formal attire for the rest of the gala evening, the majority of jacket wearers removed them right after dinner. IMHO "Gala Night" has changed to just "Gala Dinner Night". I must add that the Lido Market attire did not conform to the gala night theme and did include a number of bathrobes. Regular ship attire was dominated by sweatshirts, flannel shirts, sweaters, t-shirts, and jeans. Of course there was a group that spent their time in bathing suits and bathrobes. Of interest, is one Lido Market serving line at the end of the serving window hours was restricted to only crew. That was also the case for the seating area across from the forward beverage station.

Your third statement is incorrect. My roundtrip from Vancouver to Alaska in September requires masking per the email I received last week from HAL.

Here are the daily activities and daily menus: When & Where (daily activities) MDR Dining Menus MDR Lunch Menu (same every day)

Holland America Alaska cruises are booking Yukon train excursions to Lake Bennett out of Skagway for next May. Maybe Princess will as well.