ladybird1956

Thanks.  I hope that's the case.

Does anyone know if HAL is still offering Sabbath Services on Fridays?  We sail on the Volendam on Wednesday, and I was checking the schedules, and couldn't find any Sabbath Services.  I am devastated.

Thanks, that was exactly what I was looking for!

We just booked our first Princess cruise: 10 day Pacific Coastal in October. We are 4 star mariners with Holland America. (I asked if we could transfer any of our status, seeing as how both cruise lines are with the Carnival Corporation. They said no. Absolutely not. Never. No way. ) My question is this: what differences should we expect between the two lines? What is the library like on the Star Princess? Any other tidbits? Thanks, everyone.

Best. Thread. Ever.

We did a tour with Mario, on Moorea. He was great - funny and knowledgable. I would mention, though, that it's a wild and bumpy ride, and probably not a great idea for people with back problems. We had a terrific time with him.

As a side note, I have always wondered why there are beautiful orchids in the Lido, and rather ho-hum Mums (or something similar) in the MDR. I've noticed this on every single cruise.

We just got back from a wonderful cruise on the Zuiderdam, from Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver. I had asked about Gus and wanted to report our experience in Guatemala. I did, indeed, get in touch with Gus, and he sent the information that we needed. We booked him and prepaid for his Humanitarian Tour. Well, it didn't work out so well. We never did find either Gus or the tour guide, and THEY LEFT WITHOUT US. Another tour guide saw our dismay, and came to our rescue. She called Gus, who admitted that we had paid him, and that he had forgotten us. She then volunteered to get together a group of eight people and give us a tour to Antigua. She did a fabulous job. She was knowledgeable, kind, interesting, and interested in what we wanted to see. Her name is Rita de Ponce and she is the general manager of VIAJES de GUATEMALA (aka The Blue Team). She and her son were manning the tour desk. I can't say enough about her and what she did for us. For anyone interested, the website is: http://www.viajesdeguatemala.com

Wow! Thank you all for your prompt and thorough replies. They were all very helpful. I think we could be very comfortable on this ship.

My husband and I are considering our first cruise on a Princess ship, after many Holland America cruises. We have a couple of questions that you might be able to help us with. 1. Outside seating areas: is there much in the way of quiet, smoke-free seating outside? Pool areas are often noisy, and we like to find quiet corners where we can read and enjoy the sun. 2. Inside seating areas: what about quiet areas inside for reading during the day? On Holland America ships we often spend time in the Crow's Nest or in the Library, and there doesn't seem to be equivalent areas on this ship. Or I've just missed them. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Carol

If you don't mind me asking, how did you get in touch with him? I've had a problem, despite trying several email addresses and a phone number. I'm wondering if he is just filled up on the day we are interested, and isn't bothering to answer. Hmmm...

Also, Mark's Work Wearhouse has had them in the past. Or is that Warehouse? I can never remember.

I have been trying to connect with Gus for a while now. We will be in Guatemala for ten hours (!) on April 29, on a Holland America Panama Canal cruise. We'd love to do the Humanitarian Tour, but I can't seem to connect with Gus. I've tried all the email addresses that I could find, as well as his website. Any other ideas? Alternatively, any other suggestions for that sort of tour? Any and all suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Carol

I tend to think of HAL's sushi as 'deli rice rolls'. They aren't bad, but they aren't sushi.:p

[quote name='peaches from georgia']I thought doing this in your cabin was a great big no-no. Did your steward not say anything about it?[/QUOTE]
Well, I don't use anything to heat the water in my room, and no one has ever complained about the use of the thermos. I never make a mess, as the used grounds get folded up in the filter paper and disposed of neatly.

I like my coffee hot, black, and strong. I usually bring a pound of my own coffee and a thermos with me on cruises, as well as a small pot and filter. That way I can grab a thermos of hot water from the Lido, take it back to our room and make a small pot of great coffee. We've had Neptune suites twice. Once the coffee was great, the second time they used any old coffee beans in the machine, rather than espresso beans, and that coffee was nasty. I don't enjoy the coffee anywhere else on the ship. That being said, I'd rather have a cruise without great coffee than great coffee without a cruise!
Carol

PS. I don't like the coffee in the Explorer's Lounge much, either. There's just no pleasing some people!

Once again, thanks everybody, for the input. It helps a lot.:)

Thank you for all your thoughtful replies. I really appreciate it. Now to sit down and decide if we want to travel over Passover. But that is another story. You've all given me some interesting information and peace of mind.

Thanks,

Carol

*What is the itinerary of the Pacific Princess cruise? sounds interesting.

 

I have done both princess and holland america cruises. I enjoyed both. Princess has more a variety of entertainment I think(from my experience) if you are searching for something to do later at night,Princess is good. Holland can be a very relaxing experience. Cabin stewards have always been very good on Holland.

I would consider Holland a more traditional cruise.

 

Best wishes for a great cruise.

 

Very briefly, it is two back to back cruises. The first is 8 or 9 day round trip Papeete, and the second is Papeete to Vancouver, via Hawaii. Sounds like heaven!

[I do not like MUTS, so HAL not having that isn't an issue with us. Not sure if the Pacific has an IC-International Café- but those are great places. HAL doesn't have those.

 

...sorry for being so ignorant, and I know I'm going to kick myself when I find out, but...MUTS?

I do not like MUTS, so HAL not having that isn't an issue with us. Not sure if the Pacific has an IC-International Café- but those are great places. HAL doesn't have those.

 

...sorry for being so ignorant, and I know I'm going to kick myself when I find out, but...MUTS?

You are right about ship size being important. We love HAL's smaller ships (although we've never been on the smallest, Prinsendam), so that's why the Pacific Pricess (capacity 680 or so passengers) looked so appealing. And this will be a longer cruise (Tahiti to Vancouver), so I expect the passenger profile to be similar. I guess I'm asking what makes each line different/similar. It would be easier to imagine if we had a variety of cruise experiences, but we've been sort of stuck on HAL (and enjoyed every minute of it).

My husband and I are looking into a wonderful looking cruise on the Pacific Princess, which looks like a delightful little ship. However, we've only ever cruised on Holland America (apart from one cruise on NCL - but we won't talk about that!). So, my question is this: What differences will we find between Holland America and the Pacific Princess?

Fabulous trip. Fabulous review. And fabulous pictures. I'm wondering if you have photographic/art training, or just a natural born ability. Just one quick question: what kind of camera do you use?

Marie, Your dresses are lovely! And you fill them out so nicely, too!

 

Carol