oakridger

I'm so glad to have you "back"! It's so fortunate you have such a dedicated and trustworthy house sitter to ease some of the stress. Stay well and enjoy the rest of the cruise! ~Nancy

Norway harvests king crab. I'm planning on having some next year. No, it still won't be cheap!! ~Nancy

No included water in Signature Suites except what comes from the tap. I drank it every day! ~Nancy

@Flyinby your pictures are just beautiful! I may rethink my aversion to going to Norway in the winter! ~Nancy

Good to know @LinnieRed! It's interesting that I just tried the visitflam.com website and came up with $65 per person round trip for June 7th. I generally try to book with the provider's direct website if possible (unless I have bought a whole trip package) to get the best prices. Your example shows why it's really important to do some comparison shopping before booking anything! I appreciate the example you showed to remind us of that! I'm going to Norway in 2024 on a non-cruise land/ferry trip so am starting my investigations anew after my aborted 2020 trip. Tussen takk, ~Nancy

When I bought colossal king crab legs in November, they were about $85 per pound! I'm not too surprised they took them off the menu.

Ha ha!! I love those chairs because I stop and rest my sore knee before continuing on my wanderings! They didn't have elevator lobby chairs on Rotterdam so I had to sit on the edge of some planters and art pedestals!! 😲 I missed those chairs!! ~Nancy

When I changed dates on mine last October I cancelled the reservation and the HIA dining credit was immediately restored on the home page of your booking. The same worked for excursion credits. I then could reserve the new dining date.  PROMOTIONAL CREDIT Nancy XXXX Complimentary Dining: 2 Credits Available Shore Excursions*: $200.00 Available *Shore excursions credit will automatically be applied in the cart to the highest valued shore excursions.

I was told onboard that the BB King sponsored bands had 3 month contracts. However, things are changing with the way bands are contracted. Don't know if the new procedure has started yet though. Word is, onboard bands will not have business ties with the BB King Club, Rolling Stone (magazine?) or Lincoln Center. I hope we will know more specifics soon! ~Nancy

@eroller thanks for those Rotterdam Hotel pictures! I love all the murals. Now you have given me the idea to stay there if I'm ever in Rotterdam. ~Nancy

I know they have Diet Coke and Coke Zero. I've not checked the other "flavors". ~Nancy

It's there on my booking right now. Go to your booking then click on "Pre-Pay Gratuities" in the Before you Leave column. BEFORE YOU LEAVE 365 Days Until Departure Check In Make Final Payment Buy Shore Excursions Best Price Guarantee Book Dining Book Spa Purchase Packages & Gifts Purchase Beverages Purchase Cruise Protection Plan Pre-Pay Crew Appreciation Essential Documentation View Deck Plan

Yes, that's how I read it too. I think the point is that they don't want people to purchase one package and then share with their cabin mate. If you only want sodas then the "Coca Cola" package looks like a good price! $8 per day each! If you want specialty coffee and non soda drinks, then "Quench Package" seems like a good choice. ~Nancy

Welcome to Cruise Critic @Christie Malry! Depending on time of year Hurtigruten offers some cruises with no single supplement. I believe those are usually during the colder season sailings. Unfortunately all the June ones I've checked lately are all double price for solos. If you have been researching, you realize that the coastal voyages are not actual "cruises" like P&O and the others offer. No shows, bingo, comedians, etc.. I went on Vesteralan in June 2005 in an outside window double before she was refurbished and had a wonderful time! The public lounges were where I was most of the time reading, watching scenery, occasionally talking to other passengers and having a few Norwegian beers. I spent no time other than sleeping and showering in my cabin. On actual "cruises" I tend to spend some time in the cabin but didn't want to miss anything on the coast! The ships have all been refurbished (I call it "fancied up"!) since then and the dining has been upgraded from what it looks like to me. Check also on the new Coastal ship company, Havila. They run the same schedule and itineraries and have new ships of similar size and capacity as Hurtigruten. I have reservations on Havila Castor for June 2024. ~Nancy

The Riverside Hotel robot was serving breakfast on October 25, 2022. Very cute! They did have a human waiter too and he was also very cute!! 😁

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Also, you can't pre book with OBC. You can pre book when they are available but must pay the full price by credit card.

As people have recommended in the past, decide now what cost you are willing to pay for the upgrade and which cabins/locations you would take. Be ready to say yes when you get that call. If it's a good deal, there are plenty of people ready to accept it if you wait too long to decide. Good luck! ~Nancy

From HAL website FAQ (highlighting is mine): Frequently Asked Questions | Holland America "QUENCH PACKAGE (NON-ALCOHOLIC) Only $17.95 per guest/per day* Quench your thirst with our nonalcoholic package which includes an unlimited variety of premium coffees such as espresso and cappuccino, juices, Coca-Cola™ products, our signature mocktails, Red Bull, and bottled waters 500ml and under. COCA-COLA™ PACKAGE Only $8.00 per guest/per day* The Coca-Cola™ Package includes unlimited fountain sodas for $8.00 per person, per day. On the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam this package also includes the Coca-Cola™ Freestyle program with more than 100 unique Coca-Cola™ flavors available. * Prices are per person per day. Please see your server or bartender for a full list of items included in each package. An 18% Service Charge is automatically applied to all Beverage Purchases, Bar Retail Items, Specialty Restaurant Cover Charges and all For Purchase A La Carte Menu Items. Local Sales Taxes Applied where required. All adults of legal drinking age for the respective itinerary that are booked in the same stateroom must also purchase the package."

I agree with @lyndarra about the ship tap water. That's what I always drink! Free! Tastes fine! Soft drinks by the can in 2023 are now $2.75. They have gone up in the last month. This is the updated list from the blog from Professor Cruise: Holland America Releasing NEW Bar Menus for 2023: See them HERE! · Prof. Cruise (profcruise.com)

Thank you again for giving us all this information on Havila. I'm waiting anxiously to hear some good news that the Polaris and Pollux are finally sailing where they belong......along the Norwegian coast! Can you tell us about your experience in the evenings after dinner onboard please. Was the bar up on the top deck lounge open later in the evenings? Since I'll be onboard in June, there will be lots more scenery viewing opportunities with the midnight sun out basically all night. I'm guessing the lounge bar will be open late. ~Nancy

My Rotterdam room steward was fantastic! The first leg of 11 days he had a helper and on the second 10 day segment he was alone (veranda cabin). The first day they mentioned once per day service and I didn't really respond. They came in for one major cleaning and one evening tidy up every day anyway. Evenings they put down next day's schedule, straightened the bed linens, emptied trash, replaced ice and towels, cleaned the bathroom and put away balcony cushions. Not much else to do really! He was great! ~Nancy

In the USA February is winter/President's Day and pretty much most of March and April are different school's spring breaks. Since Easter and Passover change dates yearly, it fluctuates. You may not have many kids, or you might! Have a good time and enjoy being on the sea! ~Nancy

Konningsdam Signature Suite from halfacts.com Kindly contributed by Cruise Critic member ‘Canadianbear’. Photos taken in December 2017.

Nieuw Statendam Neptune from halfacts.com Thoughtfully provided by Cruise Critic member ‘I Like Vacation’. Photos taken in January 2022.