Avery's Gram

We’ve had two cruises in Alaska where we were told the dining room was closed on embarkation day. I HATE the Lido, so we went to check and it was closed. We ended up at the Dive In, which was nice but not what we prefer. on at least two previous cruises we were directed to the Lido, enquired about MDR, were told no but found it open when we checked. So I’d always check, but won’t be surprised either way. Barbara M. In NH

We were on the Viking Venus in January/February 23 when bad weather kept us docked in Tromso for 2 extra days, and our return to Tilbury was delayed first by one day, then by 2 days. Viking Air automatically rebooked us for the first delay, then rebooked us again when an additional day was needed to make our travel safe. we were very grateful not to be rearranging flights ourselves, as many people were dealing with this issue. The computers on board were busy and people were very frustrating. We spent the extra 2 days on board relaxing and enjoying all the best things Viking provides….great enrichment, relaxing places to read, delicious food rather than dealing with airlines. so that’s my reason for booking Viking Air….that was our first Viking Ocean cruise, and we were delighted.

I was on a HAL British Isles last summer. Our ship arrived in mid afternoon so tours were scheduled late and then we stayed for the next day, leaving in late afternoon. If Edinburgh is an overnight port, you might consider just spending the night in Edinburgh. This way, you don’t need to worry about going back to the ship at night and can start your tours very early the next day. Many people on our cruise went to the Edinburgh tattoo, stayed overnight and toured the next day before returning to the ship. If this is a high point for your trip, it might be a good investment. Barbara M. In NH

Your post #10 mentioned Kantishna, which reminded me of our first ever cruise in 2002, on Princess. We figured we might never get back to Alaska so we went for an extended tour and spent 2 or 3 nights at the Kantishna Roadhouse at mile 91 in Denali. It was a mixed group there from several cruise lines, and we were impressed with what the HAL passengers told us about their trip. So our next trip was on HAL, and the rest is history (we’re now 5star) and have done many nights in Alaska and loved them all. The Kantishna experience was something special, though…..a great start to our time as cruisers. Barbara M. In NH

On our last trip, the Pinnacle was only open on sea days. This was true of the Main Dining Room as well…..so on port days, plan on eating at the Lido one Dive-in. Barbara M. In NH

Just off the Noordam, and we stopped by the Pinnacle one day on a whim, asked if they had a table available for lunch, and could we “trade in” our 5 star dinner for a 5 star lunch? Yes, they did, and yes, we could. It was a lovely lunch, and there were plenty of open tables. Barbara M. In NH

I booked my first and last….NEVER AGAIN!!!! Interior cabin on the Nieuw Statendam #10050 last summer. , traveling solo, thought I’d save a little. It was fine for the first week and a half when I could leave the room, although I could not imagine sharing with another adult. There was no chair, only the square box thingy stool that fits under the minuscule desk. Midway through the second week, I got Covid and was quarantined….not sick, fortunately, but trapped in a teeny, dark, dungeon…no natural light or place to sit except on the bed…no place to eat my meals or put the room service tray,.no fresh air at all. So, never again for me! I should add that in 2021 I spent 10 days quarantined in a sheltered balcony cabin on the Queen Mary isolation floor, and the fresh air and chance to see Norway even when I was not allowed to visit it was much better for my mental health. I had a sofa to sit on and a larger desk plus coffee table to use for meal trays. Plus I got to wave to my husband as he went off on shore excursions. He never got Covid and stayed in our original balcony room. so, just in case, and until Covid is completely a thing of the past, no interiors for me! Barbara M. In NH

Just got on the Nieuw Statendam in Copenhagen. I’m 5 star but was assigned 1:20 then bumped back to 1:40. No problem as I preferred to spend my morning enjoying Copenhagen. When we arrived at 2 pm I was immediately taken to the short line because I walk with a cane…..no one ever checked my boarding pass to decide if I had priority or not. And all the lines were very short. no priority marking on my luggage tag, either.

Sorry…I can’t figure out how to rotate this or why it’s upside down, but those are the 9 grandkids just before we left Copenhagen. It was the summer before Covid, so we thought we’d have lots more trips with them……I’m so glad we grabbed the opportunity instead of waiting for that mythical “someday” !

My boarding pass for Aug 9 NS says Ocean Quay….as I recall, there are large signs and the taxi drivers were very good about getting us (17 of us…..grandparents, kids and spouses and 9 grandkids!) to the terminal!

We enjoyed the North Cape, although on our trip we felt our way along the chain link fence because the fog was so thick you couldn’t see more than a foot or two in front of you. I’m envying your view! We did manage to see it from the sea on another trip, but never saw it the way you are.

When asked what color upholstery I wanted on a new chair, I said “Liza colored.” Liza was an oatmeal colored rescue, much loved, enough to make up for the constant shedding.

Your reindeer pelt looks wonderful, but beware! Do not sit on it wearing black fleece…..or you may spend a lot of time picking reindeer hair out. We were on the Northern Lights trip last year and learned the hard way! Barbara M. In NH

I loved seeing a Hawkeye sweatshirt again! We lived in Iowa City for four years, when my kids were little, before moving to NJ when they were 8, 11, and 15. But if you ask them where they are from, the oldest 2 will tell you they’re from Iowa, (they were born in Rhode Island and Chicago) while the youngest will tell you he lived in Iowa but grew up in NJ. Number one son has not lived in Iowa since 1988 but still enjoys wearing his Hawkeye gear. He says he does it mainly to annoy his coworkers in Ann Arbor! Barbara M. Now in NH

A long time ago, we settled on a plan for photos: take a few of ourselves to prove we were there, and then look for a book of photos by a professional photographer. This leaves us free to enjoy what we see without scrambling for cameras, but we still can look at those wonderful photos taken by the pros at exactly the right moment and remember being there. This saves us a lot of weight in photographic equipment! Barbara M. In NH

I loved the cold fruit soups in the MDR! (But I must admit, I asked for them as my dessert, not appetizer.)

Hospitals have taught employees to use the tissue before touching the door handle for a long time. I retired in 2005, and that was part of our infection control process. We also taught employees to wash for 20 seconds, scrub between fingers, and to take the paper towel before starting to wash and put it under their arm to keep hands uncontaminated. Now of course, there are hands free dispensers so this was definitely in the old days. A funny story…I was washing my hands as described in a restroom on the Jersey Turnpike when the woman washing hers at the next basin turned to me and said “ You work in a hospital. I can tell by your hand washing technique.”

And don’t forget Oprah!

Make that “lunch in Berlin…..”

I have enjoyed reliving one of my favorite cruises wihile reading your posts! We were traveling with a 12 year old granddaughter, and her parents agreed that visiting a concentration camp near Berlin would be a good but intense experience. We chose to plan a private tour for the 3 of us….expensive, yes, but we knew we could judge how well Tess was doing and leave if it was too much for her. We asked for a tour guide who was used to kids and told her to focus her tour on Tess, not on us. it was well worth the extra cash. We were picked up at the ship by a driver who got us smoothly and quickly to Sachsenhausen Camp. The tour was great….we adults learned a lot, but Tess did, too. Our guide asked her questions, made her think out her own answers and never talked down to her or past her to us. Sobering but very informative…. After this part of the tour, we had lunch in Merlin, a quick drive around and stop at the typical tour stops, but again on our own time frame….then another drive back to the ship. We learned how smoothly and fast a good German car can travel on the Autobahn! I don’t expect to go back to Berlin, but I am glad we went once. Barbara M. In NH

Just off the Zaandam in Montreal yesterday. We boarded in Boston last week, and arrived at the port at noon, dropped off luggage and were on the ship at 12:30. (Our boarding group said 2:40, but there was no line and no one even looked at time, just made sure we all 3 had boarding passes.). Staterooms were all ready and luggage was in the cabin in time for us to freshen up before our 5 pm dining time. (We did not choose 5pm, but we liked our table and our servers so stayed with it the entire week.). We had a great trip with our ten year old granddaughter, who often had the entire swimming pool to herself. Highly recommend two tours especially if you are traveling with kids…..Lulu Lobster boat in Bar Harbor was great, and the Bird Islands in Sydney was just amazing…. Barbara M. in NH

Mine came yesterday, offering an up sell for $149 x 2 (solo traveler) for inside to ocean view. Sailing is Saturday. I ignored it…. Barbara M. In NH

Ruth C, which airlines do y,ou see non stop flights from Logan to Vancouver? I thought I looked hard enough but didn’t find any on the airlines I normally check. You give great information….thanks! Barbara M. In NH

I can walk, but not from one end of a big airport to another in a rush to make a connection, so I’ve learned to ask for wheelchair assistance. In Amsterdam, they putt the wheelchair on a loader platform, drove out to the plane and then raised the platform just like they use for loading food/ supplies. They did let me walk from the back door to my seat. So if the plane is likely to be out and using steps, wheelchair assistance in Amsterdam is invaluable! Barbara M. In NH

Thank you both…now I understand the system, I can consider which way makes more sense for us. Barbara