KJ1978

@missgailly - we are going to be on that cruise too!  First time sailing with HAL but I've been doing tons of research.  You can bring on water and soda, so you might not need the soda card depending on how much you think you will drink.  We got collapsible reusable water bottles to take as well. Just think, two weeks from right now we will be on a tropical beach instead of the cold (I'm in WI and it is snowing like crazy!). 

This might be a silly question, but do the prices on those menus include gratuity or not?  I thought I read somewhere that the price included gratuity and there was not even a line for tip on your receipt but I'm not sure if that was for another cruise line!  TIA.

@pacruise804 - Thank you, those are all great suggestions.  "Progress not perfection" is such a good saying for me to try to remember.  I am so all or nothing that if it isn't perfect I get frustrated and derail myself.

Hi all
 

I'm going to jump in on these boards and hopefully lose some weight with you all!  My name is Katie.  I am 41 years old.  I have struggled with my weight my entire life.  I am currently at my heaviest weight and truthfully am having a hard time motivating myself.  My family is going on a cruise at the end of February and I am attempting to use that as my motivation to get started.  I have the same challenges as I'm sure many of you do - work full time at a demanding job, young children at home, no time to meal plan, shop, cook, exercise etc.  In addition to this I have a 6 month old baby that I am currently nursing.  I know many women are able to drop weight very easily while nursing but I am not one of them.  I am also concerned about losing my milk supply if I diet too aggressively (sorry if that is TMI).  I have the Weight Watchers app on my phone.  I know if I follow it, it will work.  

16 minutes ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

Don't take this the wrong way....but I really question if you will enjoy this cruise.  YEs...I get it  you are traveling with your family,  but  obviously a 3 yr old and an 11 month  year old will need  constant attention. You and your husband will be  having to constantly hold hands with the 3 year old  and I assume a  stroller for the 11 month old? I  think a  bigger concern is the  3 year old getting away from you....running, falling down  and getting a  boo-boo.  Multiple times.  I do not think there is any plexiglass on the railings of the promenade deck  so be careful there.

 

I  think  you will need a vacation after the vacation cuz you already seem  stressed out.   bring toys,  games that the 3  year old likes to occupy  him.  He will want to use the pool  so spend time there with him.  Good luck.

Thanks. We actually travel extensively with the kids (even took the older one to Oktoberfest in Munich when she was 10 months!) but for some reason this fear of the railings has gotten in my head. I know people cruise with little ones all the time without incident. There was a thread about this fear on the cruising with families board and people posted a lot of pictures of the plexiglass instead of railings so I thought I’d check with the HAL experts to see if that was the case on their ships. 

Hi all - I have not cruised in 10 years and never on Holland. I have a possibly silly question, but one that is weighing on me. We are cruising on the Nieuw Amsterdam with our kids who will be 3 and 11 months at the time of sailing. I have suddenly become terribly afraid that they will be able to slip through the railings on the public decks. Can anyone who has sailed on this ship recently advise if they have plexiglass behind or instead of railings?  The pictures I saw of the promenade deck looked like just railings that a small child could easily slide between. Thanks in advance for (hopefully) easing this crazy momma’s mind!