vicd1969

Isn't it possible for the OP to see the Northern Lights in her hometown of Saskatoon (or at least in Saskatchewan)?

I was part of the ill-fated group of passengers who had their Atlas cruise cancelled at the last minute in January 2022. But I was able to rebook with Atlas still paying for airfare to this January 2023 sailing, with two extra days as a bonus. Still, I had a sense of dread that somehow my cruise wasn't going to happen, until the moment I got my room key this time. From that point on, it was a magical trip of of a lifetime. Would highly recommend Atlas for Antarctica. For more details, read below: Embarkation - Surprisingly very easy, despite the late boarding time. We checked in at Terminal C at EZE and it was seamless from there to being onboard. After arriving at Ushuaia and getting luggage, we were bused directly to the ship. Atlas had agents guiding us at both airports. The actual ship check-in was in the ship lounge after boarding, where I presented my passport while sipping on a glass of sparkling wine. Very civilized. The only hiccup for some would be that the charter flight is not exactly luxury and I was assigned the dead last row. But everyone had to wait for their luggage at the carousel, so being in the last row didn't matter. Then, the safety drill - more involved than your typical cruise ship drill. They actually made you wear your life vest and assemble at the muster stations. Drake Passage - Going to Antarctica, we had like 3-4 meter waves. The return had 4-6 meter waves on the first day but was a bit calmer on the second day. I didn't get seasick and even didn't take any medication, but the rest of my group did get hit with the Drake Shake. A couple of my friends were out almost the entire first two days. The helpful hint is to apply your patch and take your medicine before going to bed when you leave Ushuaia. Definitely got the feeling it was an expedition, not a cruise when your dishware and cutlery start sliding off the dining table, and when you see waves go over the deck 7 viewing platform. One expedition guide joked that getting seasick is just a tax payment from Poseidon to see the wonders of Antarctica. Cabin - I originally was to room with two other friends but the Deluxe Balcony room turned out too tight for us three. The front desk offered me an additional room for only $300, which I gladly took. I guess they were able to do so because we only had 116 passengers onboard, so there were a few extra rooms. I ended up in a Horizon Deluxe one with plenty of closet space and the wonderful window that can be lowered - better than a balcony for Antarctic conditions in my opinion. However, the standard non-suite cabins didn't have as much storage space. I don't recommend bringing more than one check-in luggage per person. The amenities were awesome - love the L'Occitane soaps and the bathroom was spacious. Shower was something to look forward to! Drinks were amply furnished and the huge glass water bottles were refilled each day. There was an Nespresso machine but I didn't use, since the coffee at Paula's Pantry was so good. TV had lots of movies and streamed the main auditorium, along with the bow and stern cameras. I also used it a lot to view the upcoming restaurant menus for lunch and dinner. Which brings me too... Food - Atlas did a few things really well but had room for improvement with some areas in the food and beverage department. Given that one is on a small 10,000 ton ship, it's a bit unfair to compare the food to that on a big cruise ship. I liked the breakfast offerings, but the offerings tended to change little. The best part was the raw juice bar where you can custom order a freshly pressed juice. The lunch buffet dishes included one carving station and a freshly-made stir-fry/cooking station. They usually had good stuff going on there. Also there were two choices of soups each day. I don't think I had a bad lunch onboard, but I don't mind going the buffet route. Dinner was a sit-down affair except for the first night and for the Indian-themed night. The presentation was usually beautiful, but the fish dishes didn't live up to their looks (didn't taste fresh) and the desserts were often too sweet for me. Meat dishes were usually tasty, however. The theme nights that I enjoyed were the two Gala dinners, the French night, the Brazilian night, and the Arabian night. The Indian night was actually good but I understand some aren't into that type of cuisine. Of course, Atlas did save a bit by scheduling the first Gala dinner on the first night of Drake (half the passengers were too sick to eat) and on the last evening when quite a few were doing their own thing in Ushuaia (more on that later). Can't say enough good things about the Paula's Pantry and the afternoon teas at the Deck 7. I'm not a big alcohol drinker, but the ship house wines didn't wow me and the cocktails tended to be too sweet. But nothing worth rejecting. Ship Crew - Super nice, on par with the excellent service I usually get on Holland America. While sometimes our dinner orders got mixed up, the restaurant staff were always willing to bring out additional menu items we would request. The various waiters also learned to serve our preferred lunch and dinner drinks. They also brought to the table our soups and juices during breakfast and lunch. Where they really stepped up was delivering to my seasick friends in the cabins whatever my friends or I asked, from plain bread and crackers or two bowls of soup to the lobster dinner of the gala night. Bar and Paula Pantry Staff were equally nice. With a small ship and since I had to run between cabins helping out my sick companions in the first few days, a lot of the cabin attendants got to know me and greeted me by name whenever I ran into them. My cabin attendant Agung was excellent without being intrusive. Atlas trained them very well. Expedition Crew - Top-Notch. A few of them really made my trip a memorable one with their friendliness and expertise. Their different backgrounds complemented each other and they seemed to genuinely love what they are doing. Fernando and Marco were great ambassadors with the passengers. Chris was a terrific presenter on the history of the Continent, really loved his presentation on Scott and Amundsen. Yes, he also gave a very thorough presentation on Shackleton as well. Laura was always approachable after we got to know her as our very first zodiac guide, and gave great presentations on whales. Our expedition leader Jonathan was not as outgoing, but he was a true professional who had safety as the top priority for the passengers. We had four amazing days in Antarctica thanks to his planning. Unfortunately, it was too windy to do a landing on the fifth day at the South Shetland Islands, though the expedition team gave an honest attempt at taking out the zodiacs to see if the wind conditions were acceptable. We ended up leaving a day early to avoid high winds and poor weather, which to me ended up as the right decision since the Drake return passage would have been a lot worse. Plus, we got a full sunny day in Ushuaia, where Atlas stepped up and arranged a bus tour of the Tierra Del Fuego National Park for us. One piece of warning about the expedition aspect - there was a mandatory in-person session on day 1 regarding safety and environmental rules. It was a struggle for some to attend because of their nausea so you may want to ask for extra seasick bags. Activities - Our cruise director Nathalie was super friendly, and has a really wonderful voice. We had a real treat listening to her sing on two occasions. The piano player Paul played very well, but didn't have the vocal chops. But given that he also pulls mud room duty to help passengers suited up for the landings/zodiac cruises, he's an important member of the team as well. The presentations by the various expedition team members were all very informative, even though sometimes the energy in the room wasn't there because most were viewing via streaming instead of being in person. Everyone also got a nice tour of the bridge on the last day at sea. My favorite part of the trip activities was the crew talent show - some of the crew had amazing singing voices and we had a very lively auction conducted by Chris to help out the crew fund. Debarkation - While we were assigned in 4 groups, it doesn't really matter. Most of us are taking the same charter flight back. You do leave your check-ins out the night before, and Atlas handles them through to Buenos Aires where you pick them from the luggage carousel. Only negative was that our charter flight was around the same time as an Aerolinas Argentina flight so there was a bottleneck in the security line. Hope this gives you a flavor on what to expect. I won't spoil the experience for you with my favorite photos, but rest assured the scenery and wildlife you will encounter were amazing. But here is a link to some photos I took of the ship itself. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjApBHs

I think the ban on non-zero emission ships, if enacted, won't be official until 2026. The ban may not be applicable to some of the fjords that aren't UNESCO world heritage sites. In any case, it may be too soon to know for sure how the ban is going to be implemented. You should be safe booking in 2023 or 2024.

I took an inside on main deck as a solo cruiser on sister ship Nieuw Statendam. It was fine for me, and decently located near a stairway. Ample storage space for a solo. But I also got the thermal suite package to avoid feeling cooped up inside.

Maybe HAL is discovering its differentiating niche in the highly competitive Caribbean market - be the cruise line of choice for gamblers (they're probably one of the few lines still offering smoking in the casinos).

Did they remove the "Art Gallery" for the new non-smoking room? Looking at current deck plans, I don't know what other room HAL was able to use. No great loss if it was indeed the art gallery.

Best coffee is at the Grand Dutch Cafe on deck 3 and the Explorations Cafe on deck 12. Don't get coffee at the bars in the lido - you have to pay as well but the quality isn't as good. (I'm not referring to the free coffee in the dispensers). Given the $18.50 per day, you're ahead if you get 2 cappuccinos and 2 mocktails each day.

The appetizers may pose a dilemma for his wife as well.

Agree completely - HAL's competitive strength is not its 7-day Caribbean sailings (hence the discount to entice passengers).

The Lido big screen TV does play a movie at night, when it's not playing football games. During my November sailing, I remember Top Gun Maverick and Where the Crawdads Sing were featured. However, there is no movie or music video played during daytime. The Club Hal center on the Nieuw Statendam has two air hockey tables and about 5 video game stations. Unfortunately, adults can't use them with their kids after the first night.

The Shrimp Tempura was a hit at our table - we ordered a second one. The duck and steak main courses all got the thumbs up. The lobster was good, but not sure worth the upcharge since the portion wasn't that big. If you can handle spicy food, make sure you order the dishes at spice level above "medium". My "medium" to me was more like "mild".

Some of the PVSA rules confuse me. I did a pre-Covid Celebrity cruise that started in San Juan and ended in Bayonne NJ. The only non US stops were in St Maarten and Bermuda.

RCL, NCL, and especially MSC are continuing to order new builds. Time will tell if CCL’s retrenchment with respect to new ships is a prudent strategy or another factor to a downward spiral.

If your group is okay going to dinner around the same time each night, you can let the CO host know your preferred dining time and they may hold a table for you - less likely to wait. As always, doesn't hurt to let the host know your preferences on the first day, also builds a relationship with them. My nephew considered CO as one of the highlights of his cruise, your kids will enjoy it too I'm sure.

On the Nieuw Statendam, I think I got this cocktail when I used the card on my last night, at the Tamarind. I only remember it had an orange peel and mint leaf and that it was great tasting. (your mileage may vary depending on how much alcohol you prefer in drinks) But back in June, on the Rotterdam, I didn't get a card. I did however get a tile so more than a fair trade.

I sailed in November with a similar itinerary leaving on Saturday, though Curacao and Aruba were switched in order. After checking with my daily programs, the dressy nights were Monday, Day 3 (Sea day after HMC) and Thursday, Day 6 (first sea day on way back).

As mentioned, the August 2 sailing on the Nieuw Statendam is a decent alternative, it goes to Flaam instead of Geiranger but you'll still have a wonderful time. Ship layout is very similar to the Rotterdam so my previous cabin recommendations should still hold. Other alternative cruises around same price point, outside of Holland America would be: August 6 Cunard Queen Victoria (goes to both Flaam AND Geiranger!), though you'll have to bring your dressy clothes if you want access to a lot of places every other night. You leave from Southampton August 4/5 Costa Firenze (also goes to both Flaam and Geiranger), though it's may be like an Italian version of Carnival onboard. You can either embark at Kiel or Copenhagen August 5 MSC Euriba (goes to Flaam). Kinda like Italian NCL, may not have a refined experience if you're not spending big bucks on Yacht Club. Leaves from Kiel.

Can you sail June or September? There are sailings on those months as well.

Great review of your cruise. Very informative for those who are considering or have booked the Volendam or Zaandam. Highlights the service-related positives of sailing on the smaller ship - especially on the dining front. Also the drawbacks of sailing on an older ship (A/C problems, fewer restaurant options).

Cabin 1090 is directly below the BB King - I'd definitely recommend moving if you want to avoid noise in the evening. A few options, in order of my personal preference: Ask your travel agent if you can purchase Club Orange and get the free upgrade to a family oceanview. The family oceanviews are towards the back of the ship and are much more quiet (except maybe in the morning when chairs are rearranged in the Club Orange restaurant). Club Orange dining on the Rotterdam was fantastic for me. It comes with Club Orange and so worth it. Move to cabins 1127, 1129, 1131, 1133, or 1135 - Those are the ones below the atrium Get an inside on Deck 7: J7055, 7057, 7062, 7064, 7059, 7065, 7072, 7074, 7078. What's nice about these inside is that you have passenger decks above and below. The best part, however, is your cabin attendants are the same ones servicing the Neptune Suites so in theory they are the highest-rated or most experienced cabin attendants on the ship.

I think there may be an online form you'll have to fill out to enter the EU in 2023. https://www.etias.info/ But it says the ETIA will start in November 2023. In the meantime, you don't need a visa as an American.

Here is my review of the Norse Legends cruise I took this past June

I'd be interested to see the price of unlimited laundry for the world cruise (if it's offered)

So do more passengers board when they return to Fort Lauderdale the first time or is it closed just to folks already on board ? -Yes, so there will be turnover of more than half of the passengers When you return to Fort Lauderdale the first time do you have to disembark and go through customs ? Others will chime in on whether or not you have to leave the ship, but I am pretty you won't need to go through customs. If you're used to sailing Celebrity in the Caribbean, not sure why you would want to do a B2B of 2 x 7-day trips on HAL. HAL's 7 day Caribbean sailings aren't as competitive as Celebrity. The HAL 10 or 11 day itineraries may offer more bang for your buck than a 14-day B2B. Where HAL shines are its Alaska and Europe itineraries.

HAL's 7 day Caribbean itineraries are pretty basic. And yet, corporate seems to be satisfied with passenger yields if they haven't changed them in such a long time. You may want to look into HAL's 10/11 day ones, which either go to the Panama Canal or the southern Caribbean islands, for a more interesting/varied itinerary. In any case, judging by pricing comparisons, HAL isn't as competitive in the Caribbean space. Their notable profitable margins I would think come from the Alaska and European cruises.