Alberta Quilter

We arrived in Boston last night and traffic from the airport was a cluster! We got in our Uber at 7 pm and finally arrived at our Seaport hotel at 8 pm. After taking about 15/20 minutes to travel the equivalent of one city block, the driver turned right instead of left, and drove way out of the way, via East Boston, to get us to our hotel. He said the traffic is the worst he’s ever seen. But the tunnel is supposed to be reopened on Aug 5th so should be better by the 20th! Although I will say, after seeing what I saw last night, it will take at least a week for the traffic jams to clear!

Yes. I did this too about five or six months prior to the cruise. I’ll know on Saturday if I was successful even though I did receive a confirmation. I also have CO on a non Pinnacle ship so was originally booked for open dining. However, my sister prefers fixed dining so I asked for a specific table in fixed dining.

I hope to be in Qaqortog on Aug 2nd and through PCS on Aug 3rd. I'll try to remember to report back to this thread. Thank you, @Mr. Click for starting it!

Assuming your ports are the usual Juneau, Skagway & Ketchikan, I recommend whale watching in Juneau, the train ride in Skagway, and the Bering crab fishermans tour in Ketchikan. Some of these you can book on your own for less money so you should read up on the Alaska ports of call forum for more information. Some also recommend a flight seeing tour. Especially if this is the only time you think you'll be going to Alaska. I'll warn you now, though, you might get hooked like so many of us have. Oh, just saw that you'll have a long train ride. I assume that's to or from Denali. If so, I still recommend the Skagway train; it's lovely and an engineering marvel. It's only a three hour trip, round trip.

Oh, that's cool. I didn't know about that function in Navigator (but it's been a while since my last cruise!).

That's interesting. I ordered distilled water for my cruise coming up in about a week, also on the Volendam. I did not receive such an email. I also contacted Ship Services a couple of weeks ago to request an extension cord for my cruise. I guess we'll see if I actually get one...

Yes, I believe you should book it as soon as you know you want one. I understand they "sell out". I will say I booked mine about six months ago, only because I happened to be calling Ship Services for something else and just booked it at the same time. The number for Ship Services is 1-800-541-1576. Have your booking number ready.

It's $2/day. I can confirm in about a week!

But the lower star mariner sharing the cabin with a 4 Star Mariner gets the same perks as the 4 Star, don't they? Or has that changed since Covid?

Thanks everyone! I suspected it would depend on the ship/crew.

I haven’t cruise for quite a while. I’m about to go on a cruise with many tender ports. Can one of you advise if those of us with tender priority (4/5 star mariner, Neptune Suites and Club Orange guests) can include others who don’t have any priority, with them as part of their group, so all get on an earlier tender? This would be to ensure the private tour group all gets shoreside in time for our tours. If yes, it can be done, is there a limit to how many we can include as our “party”? If it can’t be done, that’s okay. We just need to know what the rules are. Thank you!

In addition to what FlorenceItaly says, you should have received an email confirmation from HAL when you placed your order.

Order it pre-cruise; it costs more onboard.

Log in to your account (via the website) and go to your booking. Under Food & Beverages,click on Water and the distilled water comes up for me as the first item to purchase.

The Tasermiut excursion is held at the Qaqortoq community hall according to their website. I’ll try to remember to report back in a few weeks, when I go.

My sister booked a cruise for the two of us while she was onboard and I was not. This was in Feb/23. I do know that you cannot book FCDs for someone not onboard but I believe you can book cruises for others not onboard. (Doesn't make sense that one can be done and the other can't but I don't make the rules!)

Yes, Westerdam has fridges in all cabins. It is only the R class ships (Volendam & Zaandam) that do not have fridges in the inside/OV rooms.

Thanks for sharing!

Would you please report back on your timing and the process? I'm boarding on July 27th and have a similar question. I've boarded in Boston once before; we were lucky and got seats within the terminal but others waited outside for quite some time.

I have no personal experience with this (yet) but have read reports here on CC about others who have done it. Mostly with shorex but it also works with dining reservations. Just make sure to do the dining at Guest Services and shorex at the shorex counter.

I would book now for all four of you, using your HIA credits for two. Pay for the two additional meals. That way you are ensured of getting a table for four. My fear, if you book two now and then add two more onboard, is that you may not be able to get a table for four, or the time you prefer. Then, once onboard, go to the Front Desk and ask them to credit the prepaid meals to your folio and use the OBC to pay for the two meals.

That is one expensive fish, at US$440, including the cost of the excursion!!! I hope you savour every morsel. But you did have an experience, gain a story to tell and a fish to eat later. Hope Susan's fish was good. I think I would have the chefs prepare it, too, if I took this excursion.

What is the cost of freezing/shipping the fish home? Thanks very much for your reports! They're most enjoyable!

Huh, I'll have to try again. I was speaking with someone in Reservations yesterday and after all attempts failed, she told me to have my TA fill out the form. I knew they were closed yesterday for the holiday so didn't bother. Haven't had a chance to call yet. But maybe I'll try HAL again.

Thank you! Now I have to figure out how to get/use a VPN. I’ll talk to the IT people at the office this week…