RuthC

8 minutes ago, Rubyfisch said:

The lido was quiet as well - I'm not sure how full this sailing is. I was chatting with someone who booked on Wednesday.

Wow. That's close in! I'm surprised. Fewer people on the ship isn't a bad thing, though. Service should be terrific, not to mention seating availability at performances. 

1 minute ago, Rubyfisch said:

Deck four looks mostly empty....

Give it time; it's the first night. Many people are tired from traveling, haven't unpacked, and head to the Lido or eat in the dining room early. 

Your Military credit should not have to be reverified, as once you have been in the military, and left, you have always been in the military and are not likely to have gone back. 

AARP is something else altogether, though, as you have to pay the dues to remain a member. Membership does need to be reverified periodically. 

16 hours ago, Jensue9 said:

Forgive me if this is a silly question but we are sailing on westerdam out of Auckland to Sydney. What currency do I tip in? I don’t mean the normal gratuities I mean things like room service etc. Australian dollars? US dollar? NZ dollars? 

The crew is used to US currency, so if you have that available fairly easily, it would be easier on them if you tip in US$. Otherwise, use what you have, and they will appreciate that, too. 

OBC is used on board, and not in advance. Unfortunately. 

There are some instances, for example Have It All dinners in specialty restaurants, or HIA shore excursions, that the computer does make available before boarding. But use of cash OBC? No. 

An 'aft view' would be a cabin on the stern of the ship. This, as CruiserBruce posted is a cabin that faces directly backwards off the ship. One can see in three directions (port, starboard, and behind the ship) in an 'aft view'/stern cabin. 

I would take a stern cabin over a spa cabin any day of the week. 

I have returned to the airport to catch the HAL shuttle, although I was there only one night, so stayed at a hotel near the airport. 
It worked out well. I took the airport shuttle from the hotel, which let me off at departures (not a surprise). I was able to get a luggage cart, took the elevator to arrivals, and found the HAL rep. They are always holding a HAL sign, so are easy to spot. 

I had listed my flight arrival info as the same flight I took, just a day later. Worked out perfectly. 

10 minutes ago, Jensue9 said:

Firstly please forgive me if this has been answered. I am reading through this thread from page 1 and there’s now hundreds of pages 😱. I have cruise quite a few times but never with HAL. My question is about the muster still using a mobility scooter. We will be sailing on westerdam out of Auckland. I have read on this thread that muster is done standing outside. Due to a back injury I am unable to stand for long periods of time. Am I able to use my mobility scooter at muster? 

In a word 'yes'. 
A longer explanation is in order, however. 

Muster drill isn't the all gather at the same time, stand for the entire presentation, then get dismissed at the same time process it used to be. 
Now, you watch the procedure on the TV in your cabin, then report to your muster station to check in. There is an extended period of time over which this takes place, so fairly speedy and comfortable. 

On the Pinnacle class ships, the muster is inside, so using your scooter is easy. You drive up to your station, park, and stay put until dismissed. 

On the other classes of ships it is outdoors, at the lifeboat. You can ride your scooter all the way out, and sit during the drill. The problem (for me) has always been that there is a lip getting from indoors to outside, and the rented scooter usually has low clearance and gets hung up on that lip. If you can get up, and have someone lift the scooter over (in both directions! leaving is always so crowded) that lip, you are fine. 

I have always found an alternate, indoor muster station. 
There will be someone in charge near the doorway to get outside, and that person can probably complete the check-in without you needing to go to your actual lifeboat. 

38 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

But the OP is on a Pinnacle class ship and club orange may be the source of his confusion 

I'm sorry. I should have just pointed out that it is only those three ships. You are right. 
I apologize. 

I do know there is a lot of confusion about dining when you have CO, both as to which ships have a special room, and whether or not there is a special area on the ships without the separate dining room. 

5 hours ago, Mary229 said:

There is also Club Orange which if purchased has a separate dining room and a few specialty menu items.

The first part of your post, and people are continuing to post that, so others are believing it. It is not accurate! 

It is only the 3 Pinnacle class ships (Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, and Rotterdam) which have the separate dining room. The remaining ships have a separate line for CO passengers, which effectively cuts them to the head of the line---IF they are open seating. 

1 hour ago, cwd79 said:

Thanks for the info. Wouldn't the cabins in 1019/1015 hear the Billboard Onboard music? 

I don't know as I have never stayed that far forward on starboard side. 

Every HAL cruise has an Orange Night. 

Your Navigator will adjust and list two 'dressy' nights closer to the cruise, or when you board. 

I have never seen tables for 11/12. Ask for two tables for 6, next to each other, then mix it up every night! I have done that with various groups of friends several times, and it is a lot more fun that way. With 5/6 at a table, you can actually talk to each other. Changing tables each night allows you to sit and chat with everyone. Being next to each other allows for some chatting back and forth. 

53 minutes ago, cwd79 said:

Hi. Anyone have any insight on the J Cabins on Zuiderdam on Main deck? Specifically 1019/1015/1018. Those are considered Mid Ship even though they are closer to the outside elevators and super close to the Main Stage. Main concern is the noise from the Main Stage and the Casino above. Thanks for any insight. There will be three of us in the room. 

I've been in many of those cabins, on all of the Vista and Signature ships, many times. I was on port side, probably under the Casino once; all the other times I was on starboard. Most of the time I try to book closer to the mid-ship elevators. All the cabins you mentioned are well aft of the exits to the showroom; shouldn't be any noise from there. 

I have never had any problem with noise, although friends on port side, under what is now the Rolling Stone Lounge, heard noise a great deal until that bar closed. There are about 5 cabins, on port side, that hear that reverberating Boom-Boom-Boom; starboard is fine. 

I've stayed in J-1043 several times on the variety of ships, and love it there. I wouldn't want to go much further forward than the next cabin (J-1037). 

10 minutes ago, Gunther1 said:

I don’t mind quiet  music…..as long as I have the option of not hearing it.  As far as I know, there is no public space on any damn ship where that option exists :(. It’s everywhere.

I detest coming up to the Lido for breakfast, not a drop of coffee yet in me, and listening to that awful 'music' coming out of the speakers. 
Can't they let me regain consciousness in peace??? 

I realize the crew likes to hear the music, and it is great for their morale, but the passengers should come first. 

25 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

My next cruise is the 28 day Alaska on the Westerdam.  June 7th.

Me, too! 

1 hour ago, dopey1200 said:

Were you ever bothered by sounds from the stairs or elevators? 

Never. But then I sleep like the dead. 

The bed's headboard is against the cross passageway. The desk and a closet are on the stair side of the cabin. The bathroom and the other closets are against the crew passageway. 
On the Rotterdam there was even an extra outlet on the long passageway wall! But the other three R-class ships didn't have that feature. 

54 minutes ago, dopey1200 said:

My cabin is one deck directly above 1877, so I'm excited to have a slightly bigger cabin. I kind of thought those lengthwise cabins were a little larger, but my cruise consultant would not admit to that. I'd rather have a slightly bigger cabin than a remodeled bathroom!

Then you must be in cabin 2619---my favorite cabin on all the R-class ships ever in the fleet. Stayed in them many, many times. 
Yes, it is larger than the other insides by a decent amount. The distance between the couch and the desk is large enough for dancing. 

Personally, I wouldn't care if the bathroom had been remodeled or not, so long as all the features in it work. That cabin always had a large enough shower, a vanity much larger than the outside and higher classes of cabins, with a longer shelf for storage. 

5 hours ago, dchip said:

It’s hard to play music that will appeal to everyone. 

Impossible, actually, so HAL shouldn't even try. Let those of us who want peace & quiet have that, while those who want music use earbuds. 
Other than my cabin, the only place I have been able to find the sounds of silence is sitting on a deck chair on the promenade. The Pinnacle class ships doesn't even offer that. 😒

14 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

I think there would have been a very big problem if the Victoria port call was missed, being that it is required for the PVSA.

Not on this cruise, as the PVSA didn't apply. The cruise originated in Japan, not the US. Even if it had originated in the US, at a different port than the disembarkation port, the ship/passengers would have met the 'distant foreign port' rule by stopping in Japan. 

Welcome back to dry land that won't get sea splashed overnight! Have a safe flight home. 

Thank you both so much for letting us ride along with you. Your adventures are fun to join in on, as you get a lot out of your travels. 
I'm looking forward to reading all about your next cruise! 

19 minutes ago, wdw1972 said:

Since most people travel with a laptop, tablet or other device (or all 3) there's really no need for a computer lab any longer.

'Most' isn't all. There are passengers who still 'need' access to a computer on a ship. I have never been on a ship that didn't have at least some, including a Pinnacle class ship. 

I haven't been on the Noordam in quite a few years, but I understand the library was never removed from this ship. The computers used to be in the library. 
On the other Vista ships, last I knew, there were some computers on Deck one, across the atrium from the Front Desk. 

8 hours ago, terrydtx said:

On the Noordam in July 2019 we had one of those small TVs sitting on the desk in our Signature Suite.

Entirely different class of ships. Also an entirely different class of cabins. 
Not at all the same. 

16 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

I agree, but much better than the 19" TVs on a desk or shelf pre covid.

The Volendam inside and outside cabins never had the TVs on the desk. They were always on the shelf above the desk, leaving plenty of useable space below. 
The great thing about leaving them there is that they can still be seen from the couch, unlike the cabins where the couch is below the TV, which is opposite the bed! 

11 minutes ago, DETECTIVE MAR said:

What is featured on the map next to the elevators? Looking at room 3364. I'm thinking perhaps it is the stairs and wondering if it would be noisy.

I've been in 2619, one deck down and starboard, instead of port side, many times on all the R-class ships. It, too, backs up to the staircase. 
Never heard any noise coming from it, or from the elevator access area.