oakridger

I was very disappointed when there was no disembarkation room service breakfast last fall on the Nieuw Amsterdam and Rotterdam. It is one of the amenities that had distinguished HAL from other mainstream cruise lines. Gone. ~Nancy

Can you clarify what you are asking? ~Nancy

On a warm Vancouver departure day I have seen the cover open and people in both the Lido and aft pools. Occasionally it gets above 80°F (27°C) in Alaska so I'll bet the Lido dome is open then too! ~Nancy

Also, look at any current "Live From" posts/blogs. Many of those post the menus and some pictures of food. Each cruise will probably be slightly different, but you will get the general idea of what is served. Many dishes are served on all the ships. ~Nancy

As others have mentioned, the small boat excursion into Tracy Arm from the HAL ship was the best excursion I have taken! ~Nancy

That meal actually does sound really good! That was a fun idea to present that! ~Nancy

Thank you Mary Ann. I'll bet everyone was happy to see the fresh vegetables and fruit! Why in the heck would the government block the tv channels for the ship? Doesn't make sense to me!! ~Nancy

Food tour looks interesting. I'll be watching for your pictures! ~Nancy

Please let us know what it is like now. I've thought about staying there many times. ~Nancy

I can only address #1. Chocolate surprise is only once per 7 night cruise as far as I know. I wouldn't change my preferred dining time for it. It's really just more chocolate desserts. Lots of other desserts on board all day. Music walk has more than one set per evening show. Finish dinner then head to Music Walk. Game shows may or may not even be on any particular cruise and possibly at different times of the day. So basically, all this to say that none of those activities would make me switch from my preferred late dining times. If you really are not wanting to miss anything than you could have "As You Wish" Dining instead and just eat dinner whenever you want. ~Nancy

I do know that Holland America Line does not charge double for their "Have it All" package for a solo. At least there's that. Cabins with verandas and up have always been double for me on HAL. 🙁 ~Nancy

@patrice1 I suspect you will enjoy your May cruise too! This was an amusing story also to me because something similar happened to my daughter when she flew to Maui last year with her husband's ashes in a metal urn. (They spread them in the sea) She had it in her carryon and the TSA pulled her aside at security when they saw it on the x-ray. The agent asked her what it was and my daughter said, "My husband". The agent stepped back quickly and called her supervisor. First thing the supervisor told the agent was "DON'T open it!!!" They all got a chuckle out of that and did let her on the plane with "Robert". Best wishes for your cruise, ~Nancy

Thank you @irvington. My next trip to Europe will be a mix of transportation modes. (cruise, plane, train, ferry and car!!) I'm just now looking into the train possibilities. That website will be helpful! ~Nancy

It doesn't make sense to me to talk to the Cruise Director about meeting people other than solo meet ups that any particular line already has on their program. ~Nancy

See also the generic solo forum here on CC. Click below. Solo Cruises: Ask a Question - Cruise Critic Message Board Forums

This was not the case on my cruises last fall. The wording online looked like what you describe but I was able to book several lower priced excursions and still have the credit difference to use on other excursions. Example: $200 in credits so booked a $50 plus a $125 plus a $25 and was even. Total cost was able to be used up to the credit amount. This is a good way to have it ~Nancy

Yes, the HIA Signature or Elite Beverage Packages do include the 18% beverage gratuities. ~Nancy

That was a beautiful view from your cabin today. Beautiful weather! Hoping you and your cheery pink toes have a nice dinner this evening! ~Nancy

Hello @rafinmd. I'm very happy to see you posting regularly again! Next step will be a cruise blog from you. Any plans to sail soon? Take care, ~Nancy

There were very few days I didn't see my steward somewhere in the hall or around my cabin. I like to hand them extra tips in person so I can thank them for any specific extras they provided during the cruise. It's positive feedback to encourage them to do those special things for future cruisers too! ~Nancy

Such pretty orchids! ~Nancy

Regarding the MDR waiters asking for your dessert order at the same time as ordering the main meal, I always just nicely say that I will decide after I finish eating. I have never gotten any pushback on doing that and my dessert was always delivered promptly after I ordered. I wonder whose idea it was to ask for the dessert orders at the beginning of the meal. It started before the shutdown. I have never been in any restaurant in all my travels that wanted that pre order unless you were getting a specialty item such as a souffle that takes longer to prepare. I think it's tacky!! ~Nancy

Those staffing levels sure sound lower than when I was on Nieuw Amsterdam last September and October!! I was in the Ocean Bar quite a bit and there were usually three bartenders at Happy Hour plus around three waiters going around the tables. Evenings there were usually two of each if I recall correctly. Lido had very attentive service for drinks and table busing. My two-man steward team was wonderful! HAL hasn't had live music at the pools in many years...even before the shutdown. What the heck happened in a couple of months? Where did all the staff go? ~Nancy

The dressy night menu was in French. Did everyone get that version? Just curious. 🙂 Thanks, ~Nancy

We just had this discussion two weeks ago on another HAL thread.