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We always rent a clamshell, but be aware that not all of you is covered. You still need to cover your lower legs and feet, if you are sun sensitive or staying there for long.

I find it a worthwhile investment for not much money. Yes, you are not right at the waterfront, but it is easy to get to the water when you want. I like to go ashore early and get ours set up, but if you want privacy you can meander farther down the shore.

Thanks for the input. I will have to pack very judiciously to make the self-debarkation possible, but want to spend the whole day taking in Barcelona. We loved our first visit.

I plan to purchase advance tickets for Park Güell, La Pedrera and Casa Batlló, so must get the timing sussed out early. I plan to have the taxi drop us at the top of the park (time permitting) and walk down to the monumental area. I hope 10:30 is early enough to beat the worst of the crowds.

We are arriving in port at 7 AM. We are planning to self disembark in Barcelona, take our luggage by taxi to the hotel (near Passeig de Gracia) and secure our stuff, then get a taxi to Park Güell to start a day of visiting many things Gaudí.

What would be the earliest you would advise me to purchase entry tickets to Park Güell? How long does a visit take? Since I'm also hoping to fit in La Pedrera and Casa Batlló, I want to get a good idea of how to time the tours.

After finishing at Park Güell, we plan to take Bus 24 to La Pedrera and hoof it from there.

While the pins are the main prizes on all ships, on some of the longer, not "Grand" voyages, the CDs have done a few special prizes. On our 45 day Maasdam Mediterranean last fall, the CD split the cruise in 2 (there was a dominant team the first half) and gave the winners for both halves a dinner with him in the Canaletto. He also gave the first team to get a perfect score a round of drinks (took midway through the trip) and the first person to prove him incorrect on an answer a drink. I thought that was all pretty classy.

Gojirart, I can relate about not having pins relative to the cruise. 45 days, Mediterranean, and the CD had no Med pins!

A couple of years back on the VotV, the pub trivia was hard. Towards the end of the cruise a team finally got a perfect score, and the Asst. CD (now called "Show Host" for some reason) gave that team's members a swag bag with insulated mugs, Rubik's cubes, playing cards and some other "ship junk". The total cost if you purchased the items (for those you could purchase) was probably about $20 per bag, but it was a very nice gesture.

Do I play trivia to fill my luggage with prizes that have the HAL or ship's logo on them? No. Did I appreciate some of them? Yes. Were some of little value to me? Sure, but I can trade, decline or give them away. I have to admit I miss the variety of prizes from the past, but it won't ruin my cruise.

I have never had the (mis)fortune of sailing on one of the ships with cabanas. While I understand the appeal to some, I do lament that they seem to inhibit everyone's view of the ocean on the sides where they are located. It also would make things seem cramped, and from entries here, at times their location really is an impediment to being able to freely walk through the ship.

The argument that the cabanas are like the ones on HMC is incorrect in one respect, from what I see in the photos. On HMC, I can still walk between the ocean and the cabanas. If I look ahead and towards the water, I can ignore the cabanas and bars. It appears that the "tents" are along the windows or outside along the ship's edge. If we can't walk behind them (they are roped off?), that denies all passengers the open feeling of being on the deck, or the view from the Lido windows. Ugh.

As I said, I have yet to board a ship with the onboard cabanas. This discussion, with accompanying photos, leads me to lament the day when I will no longer have that choice on HAL. I do think they lessen the "at sea" feel for all aboard, even those who rent them.

Cabana related, if the ship hits a really rough patch of weather, do they remove them from the outside areas?

My main embarkation advice is to get to the port city a day ahead of time, so you can do some sightseeing and not stress about missing the ship.

Print your luggage tags ahead of time for the ship (off HAL site), and affix them either at your hotel in Vancouver or at the terminal, before you surrender them to the ship's porters. Don't put them on before you fly! The hotel will give you a stapler or tape to affix them to your luggage. Surrender everything at the pier but the piece that has your meds, jewelry or electronics. Put that one in your room, put valuables in the safe, and then you are free to explore the ship.

As for embarkation time, as Hank said, it's personal preference. Since this is your first time cruising, I'd recommend getting to the ship no later than 1 PM. Then get some lunch, make reservations at the spa and specialty restaurants, and have a great time checking out the ship. Enjoy!

We also prefer to arrive around 1 PM, and I'm glad we aren't alone. We normally eat breakfast at the hotel, so are far from starving when we arrive at the terminal. I'm not a fan of the brunch in the MDR, it takes too long. Around 1 PM we can stroll aboard without lines, drop our luggage, and still have plenty of time to get our dining and spa reservations in before they close the salad bar.

Since we dine early, a salad is plenty of lunch on embarkation day for us. There's even time (except one cruise) to unpack a fair portion of our luggage before dinner.

The exception to this is if we stay at a hotel that only offers early shuttles to the pier. We always try to book the shuttle for after at least 11 AM, if we can.

No such thing as Luggage Direct from BA, and the airport is far from the city. Perhaps you can find a hotel to hold your bags for a fee. The HAL post-cruise tours are your best bet. If none of the HAL offerings post-cruise are of interest, I can't really offer another option.

Sail, funny you mentioned the dover sole. On that first ever cruise in 2003, I ordered it and was just so impressed to have the fish deboned in front of me. That was the only time it was offered to us on HAL, and is one item I would dearly love to see returned. Even if it was in the Pinnacle, that was such a nice touch...

Since you are on from Amsterdam to Athens, you should join both the Sept. 16 and Sept. 28 roll calls and post the tour offer on each one. Some folks will be either arriving in Barcelona in the days before the Prinsendam leaves, or staying over after disembarking on the morning of the 28th, and might be interested in joining if the tour fits their schedule.

Here's the link for the Sept. 28th roll call http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2066358

Our first ever cruise was on the Zaandam in 2003. It was the first, and only, Dutch night we experienced. We had a lot of fun with our tablemates, messing with the Dutch hats/caps.

So it has been gone a LONG time. It was replaced by the "Master Chef's Dinner". Consider yourself lucky that you missed the time when they asked the servers to parade through the dining room juggling food and acting silly. I thought that was in poor taste, and it certainly didn't enhance the dining experience.

Now the "International Dinner" offers food from various regions of the globe. You can mix selections, not just stick with all one section (ie. all Asian) for all courses. They still offer staff recognition and a "parade", but it isn't as weird as the napkin waving circus that was introduced before. I prefer this, along with the farewell song in the MDR.

But that's just me :)

I agree that the CD involved makes a difference. Our last cruise we had a CD who seemed to be forcefully cheerful, and he didn't know how to just make the announcements and get off the mike. He also sounded too much like a huckster for the bingo games and sales in the shops.

We've had others who did a good job of imparting information and going away. They are deeply appreciated by us.

I'm not wanting to eliminate the CD position, but would like to hear them less and have them be in charge of more staff. I miss the free classes like tai chi, sit and be fit, or water exercise. It seems there isn't much active left unless you pay an exorbitant amount for a class in the gym led by someone who doesn't understand the guests are mostly way past headstands and heavy weights.

We do love to hear the "Voice from the Bridge" announcements. HAL better keep those forever.

We did the VotV in an outside cabin and were perfectly happy. As you said, much of the time the weather was not conducive to hanging around outdoors for long. There are plenty of open areas for taking photos, watching wildlife, etc.

When we did the VotV aboard the Maasdam, the bow area was opened for the fjords in Norway, Prince Christian Sound in Greenland and some other ports as well. It's a wonderful cruise, but if you can live without a verandah, I'd save the cash.

Being female, I'm a fan of dressy palazzo pants with a sheer overlay for formal night, coupled with a dressy top. I don't have to worry about the state of a skirt while sitting, or if my legs are a bit hirsute that day, and it is easy to walk around in the get-up.

We still rent a tux for DH. He's a yo-yo weight person, so investing in a tux or travel suit might not be a great option. Besides, it saves room in the luggage. I admit it isn't the cheapest solution, but works for us. Since we prefer long cruises, we still think we get our money's worth.

That being said, as HAL is decreasing the number of formal nights, we may reconsider our approach to the male side of the equation.

My understanding was that the Vista class ships don't have the elevator day of the week mats, but the R and S (and apparently the Pinnacle) do. Maybe they are adding them to the Vista class ships now due to the guests not being happy that they were excluded at first. I absolutely love them!

HAL offers yoga classes at $12 a pop. The instructor the last time I attended was a young buck who was more flexible than the people who showed up, and most of us weren't able to do the positions he favored. Headstands for most over 50 years old aren't a great idea!

The organized classes are usually not offered if fewer than 4 people sign up for them or show up for them. Unless there is a good response on the sign up sheet in the gym, you may not be able to count on the class even if you indicate interest.

If you are an early riser, there is a "morning stretch" class around 7 AM. Not true yoga, but a good limber up for the day. And it is free!

There is a nice hardwood area with yoga mats available for free, where you can do your own thing anytime there is no class going on.

Lanyards are indeed a personal choice, but my spouse and I have ongoing discussions on this topic. He loves a lanyard. I hate to wear it around my neck, but have some pants with no pockets or tiny ones, and don't want to bother carrying a purse on the ship. So...

My card is on a lanyard, but the lanyard is looped around a belt loop on the pants if available. I did have issues with the card slipping out of tiny front pockets, and it saved me aggravation with those slacks. If no belt loop or pockets, either the spouse carries my card in his pocket or I slip the lanyard under my shirt.

I'm always asking my spouse to put his lanyard under his shirt when we are off the ship, as to me it makes it REALLY obvious we are not just tourists, but on a cruise. I've kind of given up when aboard a ship, and blame his unique fashion sense, right up there with his sandals and white socks:eek:

I love to use 3 season coats (hip length) for cruises that go to various climates. Living in Michigan, we often fly out/return to cold, so need that fleece liner on either end of a winter (or this spring, even now:)) trip. The shell is great for rain or wind in warmer locales.

We found these coats, along with layers, to work fine for Antarctica, Patagonia, Norway and Iceland. As previously mentioned, a fleece cap and water-resistant mittens are great, too.

Don't forget to bring some good waterproof hiking shoes (not bulky boots) for excursions, if you want to visit the penguins, parks and mountains. Fitness shoes are not a great choice for those days.

Someone else (sorry, forgot who) mentioned my trick of purchasing toiletries on the afternoon we arrive in port. It saves a lot of weight in luggage for the flight.

For arranging M&Gs, I find it easier to just call onboard events at 877-885-4259 with dates and details. You need to have your booking number handy.

I have also noticed that when you schedule two M&Gs due to back to back or collector's sailings, the second one at times gets lost, so be sure to check with the events manager on the ship after boarding.

There should be NO problem if you carry all your own luggage. You cannot use Luggage Direct with flights earlier than 11:30 out of FLL. Barring anything really unforeseen, you will have plenty of time to get off the ship and to the airport in time for your flight.

We used Luggage Direct with a flight out right at 11:30 on April 7 and had no issue at all making the flight. There was a line at customs, but it wasn't as if we had to worry about missing our plane.

While sometimes the solo guitarists and piano bar players haven't been extremely good, there have been several times we've really enjoyed them. On our recent Maasdam cruise (just disembarked on April 7), we really enjoyed Kevin, the guitarist in the Mix. It would be a shame to lose the solo player where you can converse, or hum/sing along depending on the music.

I've also enjoyed the piano bar more often than not.

We've sailed HAL long enough to miss the Adagio quartet. We enjoy the occasional quiet time listening to the violin and piano. If they lose classical music entirely, HAL just continues to slide towards being another mass market line with little to set it apart.

We also heard during our cruise that there will be a change in the company that hires the show cast, and that some Cirque-style shows will be making their way to the smaller ships now. The cast composition will be changed, with more dancers and canned music.

The musicians of the HAL Cats that accompany guest entertainers have always impressed me. It will be a sad day if all the singers and musicians who appear bring along canned accompaniment, rather than have the back up band.

What I won't miss is the singer for the band, as the quality of her voice can be really hard to listen to by the pool. I enjoy steel drums, and thought the solo player on our Maasdam cruise was talented, but listening to Junior play so often for 25 days was too much.

Susan, you and I can compare our scars and war stories while we ride the recumbents on the Maasdam. They have a couple, but they are popular and some times of the day are hard to find open.

See you in the gym!

I recall one roll call where, as Rachel and Lizzie mentioned, there were some folks who were posting entirely too much chatter for my taste. I don't mind people noting that they sailed together in the past, but when it becomes a private, ongoing conversation it can feel unwelcoming. It felt like I was reading private emails or posts on a social networking site on that roll call.

The roll call's purpose, IMO, is for introducing yourself, asking and answering pertinent questions about the cruise, and planning what to do in ports. A bit of off topic banter is okay, but too much interpersonal stuff between several posters means I stop looking at that roll call as often.

Linda, we're booked on the 25 day collector's cruise just before April 7. The first portion (14 days) has 55 on the roll call. The second portion (11 days) only has 25. The first roll call picked up after final payment (price drops), but the second half has not.

Your cruise appears to be following the course of our second portion. At least HAL doesn't require a minimum to hold a Meet and Greet.

I sincerely think that Caribbean cruises in general have less active roll calls. Also, these shorter cruises have many people who have "been there, done that" numerous times before and may choose not to participate in M&Gs.

I really enjoy it when the roll call has at least 30 participants, so you can find some familiar faces after the Meet and Greet. It also makes it easier to try and get a private excursion going, if you don't wish to go as just a couple.

Does the "Sip and Savor" cost more than a regular cruise of that length? I wonder if the TAs out there are steering folks away from HAL a lot, especially on the "old" ships. Who really understands the vagaries of roll call participation, anyway?

Count me in as one who doesn't like the spreadsheet idea much. I don't want to put all my planned activities, cabin number, surname, etc. out there. Keeping a spreadsheet adds to the workload, and if I'm the roll call keeper, I figure the list and name tags are enough. I feel CC name, first name and location (if shared on CC) is enough info for the roll call and name tags.

If someone brings up holding a cabin crawl, gift exchange, or group meal, I encourage them to take on organizing it. Like I said, I'm on vacation, and while I enjoy organizing roll calls, I'm not here to do all the work for everyone else.

I organize a fair number of private excursions, and always ask those who would care to join me to email offlist. I do then ask for surnames and cabin numbers, as I may need to reach them (or they need to reach me) in case of onboard accident or illness that changes plans, time changes, etc. I never put my email on the roll call without spelling it out. If someone can't figure out how to reach me when I specify "____ at ____ dot com", I wonder how they could even get on CC :rolleyes: