richstowe

I was fortunate to sail on the Veendam twice a giant 😉 compared to the Prinsendam. Even so we we experienced the joy of smaller ships when we berthed in downtown Hamilton Bermuda instead of the giant concrete Royal Navy/King's Wharf, which all the other ships were stuck at . Being in the heart of Bermuda made the cruise . So unique ports are unlikely with todays large larger and largest ships .

Well that's 90% of the cruise itineraries . 🤣

Isn't Miami just a half hour more then Tampa or FLL ? What's the difference ?

Agreed but I've spent time at resort hotels and all-inclusive's where the hotel was the vacation . Also took a Mediterranean cruise (NCL) where we felt the ship was a floating hotel . So it depends .

Well this cruise is instead of Florida over New Year's . Way cheaper cruise AND air . YUL fairs are still way up. We did a lovely Princess cruise this summer from FLL to Quebec City . It seemed half the passengers were Floridians and half were eastern Canadians so everyone drove one way and flew the other .

I think you're either overestimating their intelligence or insulting us . 😉 Seriously I believe whoever puts together the itineraries is hamstrung by accounting . The push is towards private islands , shorter distances cruises at slower speeds to save on fuel costs . Add to that ports unable to handle today's larger ships . Finally you have passengers who say they want different but only if the ship leaves from a convenient home port and doesn't go anywhere "scary" plus new cruisers to whom each port is new and exciting not ,Oh God, not Nassau again. This doesn't forgive the same old same old mindset but it does explain it .

Exactly . Add in that my TA is offering 50 + OBC plus $100 shareholder benefit and you are well under that . My point is that it doesn't surprise me that HAL is trying to cheapen the cruise experience as they are willing to drop their pants on prices hoping to make it up once people are on board . This is a mistake but I'll take the cheap deals .

I'm paying the equivalent of $50 US a day for my upcoming balcony cabin in a good location . Nuts I know. At $400 I'd get real fussy .

This sums up this site . 4+ Mariners make up a small portion of cruisers but not here . With a 50% discount I wouldn't sweat this money grab either . Princess, on my summer cruise , still had a "free" bottle PP and charges $15 not $20 for additional bottles . BTW, my next cruise is currently selling balconies for $50 a day . Yes, $350 for the week . Defend the suits all you guys want . I think HAL management are xxxxx's . Oh and congratulations on getting another $40 out of me . Flame away .

I had no idea that Rogerjett had South-East Asian menus . Thanks https://rogerjett-photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Indian-Menu-2021.pdf

Okay . I'm going to contact them next week . Thanks all

How long does it take to receive the $100 OBC for being a CCL stockholder? I sent in my proof 3 weeks ago and wonder when I should follow up with them . My cruise is in 2 months . thanks

Thanks for the info . I wonder if there are those who think, why should I waste my 15 on alcohol-less drinks . Thanks Holland . 🙄

I don't think so . Am I misreading ? From Holland's site The Signature and Elite packages have a daily limit of 15 alcoholic beverages, which includes all alcoholic beverages with a menu price of $15 or less (Elite Beverage Package), or $11 or less (Signature Beverage Package). The Quench Beverage Package includes unlimited non-alcoholic beverages and bottled waters 500ml and under. https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq.shipboard-life.what-are-my-beverage-package-options.html

Maybe I'm reading you wrong but I believe the 15 limit is just for alcoholic beverages .

My mom was a big fan of ginger ale for all sorts of nausea and tummy issues . If you believe something works , it works . Elastic nausea bands anyone . 😉

I found an interesting analysis between various nausea treatments entitled The Pharmacologic Management of Motion Sickness from U.S. Pharmacist What they have to say about ginger is frightening . https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/the-pharmacologic-management-of-motion-sickness

Any reason why it's been discontinued ? DW will not be pleased .

Very reasonable but only to a point . Every cruise must attract various customer streams unless they are willing to sail with many unsold cabins . That may be a good idea (don't tell them) but they all seem wedded to the idea of sailing full , selling cabins at breakeven and then making a profit with on-board spending .

Reading all these comments clearly illustrates the difficulty faced by HAL execs . Some yearn for the accoutrements of the past and may even be willing to pay for them . Others have no desire for these items but demand others. Multiple posters happily boast that they spend as little as possible and have no loyalty whatsoever . Other posters lament that they must go to other cruiselines for a premium experience that they feel Holland once offered and no longer does. For the record I have no brand loyalty . When looking for a cruise the cruise brand is about my seventh or so criteria .

We were just in a cabin directly below the Lido buffet. This was the cabin assigned to us as we booked a balcony guarantee. We were needlessly worried. It was great. This was on the Caribbean Princess but I'm sure it's not so different then on HAL. Food was always just a few steps away.😁

I didn't quite do it this way but the result was the same . Once on board I cancelled my excursion and rebooked it using my OBC . I was fully credited on my CC for the initial booking .

I used this option when I booked 90 days out . Much to my displeasure, the app makes reservations on the nights your desires are available but doesn't notify you that the other nights are left unbooked . I didn't realize this . So I got two out of 13 nights and discovered this a month before sailing . Day after day I went back in to discover acceptable spots which took a week. And as I said above, Not great .

I've got some more bad news. About the MDR reservations anyway . We had to make reservations in all three rooms on the Caribbean Princess at various times from 6:30 to 7:30 . Once on board we discovered these reservations were mere suggestions . A couple of nights the no reservation line was shorter and faster then the line for those with reservations . Obviously no ability to build any familiarity with the staff . Did I mention the MDR's were uncomfortably hot ? On the more positive side, the food was generally okay and the cruise itself was great .

I long ago shed all my tears for the loss of the Montreal Expos . They ain't coming back . As for the Quebec Nordiques , they'll return if the government is interested in throwing away more money to get them back .They already spent a fortune to build an unoccupied 18 thousand seat stadium . So this is sadly a distinct possibility . ALWAYS APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RANT . 😁😥