AV8rix

Lenda, I'm hoping that this procedure will completely resolve Steve's possible NPH issues.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq.cruise-preparation.is-there-a-dress-code.html

I really appreciate your comment. I'm about to do my first Delta Business Class this week. Usually just do Delta First Class for domestic. I was really concerned 'cause it's a long flight from SeaTac to Schipol. Your post gives me hope.

Omigosh, neighbor Carolyn! Didn't realize that you were on this one too? Are ALL the Dailyites on except me? Should have booked this one instead. Well, at least on the 150th Anniversary cruise I get to see service dog Joska get her platinum medallion and y'all don't. So there 😉😉😉!

Have a great trip, fellow Dailyites! Will follow this thread by @richwmn. Well, until Thursday anyway when I head to Netherlands. Would have liked to sail with you guys again but I booked the 150th Anniversary when it was first offered, and I "unplug" while aboard.

I just play blackjack (tournament player on land) and only sail on HAL so here's HAL BJ data: All tables hand shuffle $6 min, 6:5 3:2 table min varies with ship and time of day. Sometimes $15 at all times, sometimes $25 at all times, sometimes $15 daytime, $25 evening. As a rule, only 6:5 table is open during day, sometimes even in evening depending on ship. But I've always had luck requesting opening of 3:2 table (except from hosts on Zuiderdam and Eurodam). Of course this is dependent upon host, not particular ship. OP, if you're an experienced BJ player stay away from low min table. This applies on land as well as on ships. Beginners play there.

The casinos on CCL ships are not actually "concessionaires" in the sense that Steiner International is (Greenhouse Spa and Salon). The Ocean Players Club is actually a subsidiary of CCL and operates the casinos on all CCL ships. Jus' sayin'.

Me too. I have uninstalled and reinstalled three times, cleared cache, etc. When I log onto the app, the home screen immediately posts "Your journey starts in 11 days, etc, etc". But when I click on "Boarding Pass" I just get the "Invalid date time" screen. I was able to have my boarding pass and luggage tags emailed from from the HAL site days ago. Have had difficulties with the app on my cruises also. Sometimes have to log in 4-5 times every day when I want to use it on the ships.

Never named a car. To me they are not special, just a necessity to get me from Point A to Point B. However, my motorcycles and airplanes were very special and they had names!

Gerry, I'm out of this thread now. So I left you a message on Facebook. We are not FB friends so you may not be notified. Just check your Facebook messages, OK?

Jack, I'll be on Rotterdam in two weeks for the 150th Anniversary TA, so I am interested. I will not ask you to divulge the name of the person if it is on a personal page where you read it. But if it is on one of the public FB pages would you mind telling me? The only one I follow on FB is "Holland America Line Fans" and it is not there. TIA.

And don't you wish that Jacqui @kazuwere willing to come over to the west coast and join us?

I wasn't going to participate in this thread any more, as I am content with the logical comments offered by many of the participants. However, as my last post I will remark that the reason that you didn't see me at "the second one" was that I'm just a 4*. Pre-covid we were ALWAYS invited to the medallion reception but not now. I resented that but now believe that I understand why. And, apropos of the observations which I highlighted in Lenda's @Quartzsite Cruiser post, I'll refer you to my original post: This issue was being discussed on one of my roll-call threads. The subject actually originated with a comment by a poster who was disgruntled because she was not invited to the medallion reception. That poster is a 5*!!! And here's my last comment directed to some of you who were disparaging those who choose to wear their medallions to the reception: Many, many years ago during a discussion on this HAL board about wearing the medallions, a member whose name I have forgotten posted this very clever comment: "I wear mine because it's the most expensive piece of jewelry that I own". How true that is. OK, I'm outta here. Thanks to all for some very valuable comments.

OK, I guess the change is a social-distancing type of thing. And I suppose it is because there are officers present. The "welcome back" thing that they always have on embarkation day surprised me post-covid because at a couple of them they also admitted the 3*s, which certainly made it more crowded than if they just had the 4*s and 5*s. But, on reflection, there are usually no officers at that one. So I think that all of you that commented recently are correct. It does make sense. And hi to my Daily-ite "sisters", @dfish and @Quartzsite Cruiser . Debbie, your new house is GORGEOUS. Congratulations!! And Lenda, good luck to Steve. Hope these procedures nullify the possibility of NPH. <--I don't like to add to the heavy message load on the daily so I'll say all that here 🙂.

My goodness! So much disparity between ships (and captains) for something that should...or used to be...a matter of corporate policy. Does anyone here have any objection if I email a link for this thread to The Mariner Society? I don't believe that there is anything in our avatars or signatures that would enable anyone at HAL to identify any individual...well, except for me because I'll be sending the email. Perhaps I'll also add a cc to Gus' office too? Might not do any good but won't cost a nickel to try. Lemme know, OK? If anyone has any VALID objection (I will disregard pure snarkiness) I will abide by that. Thanks.

We were having a discussion about this on the roll call for one of my upcoming cruises. I'm pasting a copy of my comment in response to some of the other posts on the subject. This forum is probably the more proper place for this discussion. Following is the copy of my post: Y'know, I'm due to get another medallion on my Christmas/NYE cruise (my next cruise after this one). I'm planning to tell the Hotel Manager to just stick it where the sun don't shine. There is absolutely NO POINT to continuing the medallions because there is ONLY ONE occasion where they are worn -- or were worn. And that was to the medallion-presentation reception on the last sea day of any cruise. Yeah, seriously. We don't just run around the ship every day wearing our medallions. That was the ONLY occasion that we ever wore them. And now that is apparently gone -- for us ordinary folks anyway. We have lost so much that made HAL unique -- the Yum Yum Man chiming us into dinner, the libraries WITH librarians, the crew show, etc, etc. Actually I wasn't serious about giving the medallion back to the Hotel Manager. What I'm really going to do is to mail it, along with my views on the subject, to either the Mariner Society or to the office of Gus Antorcha -- haven't decided which one yet. On my first cruise after the startup I packed my medallion in my luggage as I have always done, expecting to wear it to the reception. Now, four completed cruises later, I don't bother with it.

Likewise, I haven't had any problems reaching my AWESOME PCC. But I've had the same one for 12 years. I'm one of the lucky ones. Mine wasn't a casualty of the pandemic layoffs like so many of the others.

Hi, neighbor @MarinersBaseballFan (I'm in Everett). Many folks have posted that the only way to get around the Verifly glitch regarding the "negative test required" issue is to just delete the app completely and reinstall it, then re-enter cruise info. Some folks have had luck doing this, others say they still can't get it to work. But won't cost you anything to try it.

Bon voyage! Will join you on the 15th for the 150th anniversary transatlantic.

I have completed four cruises since the restart and will be on the 150th Anniversary cruise in three weeks. For all of them I have used the Abbot BinaxNOW proctored (by emed) antigen test. Have had no trouble uploading the emailed result (from the Navica app) to Verifly. And have boarded IMMEDIATELY -- no wait -- through the dedicated Verifly line at the port for all four cruises. YMMV.

I have manual transmission with 6 forward speeds. Always have had manual. But my Mazda dealer tells me that this will be my last. They are just not manufacturing them any more. I guess that's OK now that I'm over 80 years old. Saw a cute meme -- photo of interior of automobile focused on shift lever and clutch, brake, and accelerator pedals. Title of meme was "Millennial anti-theft device".

That was also my impression on my first voyage on the new ship for Christmas and New Year '21-'22. Anyway, seeya next month for the 150th Anniversary!

I think Pete @The-Inside-Cabin has already instituted something like that. I forget now what he calls it but he's been doing it for quite a while now on his cruises.

Also depends upon the Mariner tier of the OP. If OP is not at least 4*, then OC also allows priority boarding and tendering and a few other bennies. Suggest OP take a look at the Club Orange benefits page on HALs site. Other posters are also correct in that the Signature sisters do not have a dedicated Club Orange dining venue.

Well, actually the casino umbrella for all CCL brands is the Ocean Players Club. "Club 21" is just a HAL thing, haven't seen it referenced anywhere in a very long time. Would suggest that the OP contact OPC. Can't post the actual clickable link on this site but check oceanplayersclub.com.