crystalspin

Oh, I forgot to emphasize that angle to @danny1951 -- if the promo/conditions have changed with the new lower fare, you will give up what you originally booked with and get the new. Watch careful of those Limited Time HIA inclusions -- do the math!

Conditionally. If you book with a refundable deposit AND there are still cabins available in your category, AND you are in the US (maybe Canada? @kazu) you can refare if the price goes down before final payment. Think of it as cancelling and rebooking, without risking the cabin you have chosen! Currently there are usually two prices shown on line for any cruise: Best Price which has a non-refundable deposit and Best Value which has a refundable deposit and has various perks grouped under "Have-It-All". Some portions of HIA are limited time (such as included Crew Appreciation aka Gratuities or Hotel Service Charge) and some are so far always included (Signature Beverage Package, Specialty Dining, Surf-level WiFi). Some Mariner Numbers will also have a Private Sale price when logged in, which I have never found to be compelling. What isn't well-publicized is the REFUNDABLE deposit, no-perk price. Your travel agent or PCC can find that out. I've read on CC that that one is called Advantage fare and (obviously?) falls between the other two. Have never looked into it! we like the HIA perks!

This photo of the available beverage packages shows that, at least as of 2021, the ships were stocking Perrier 330ml. https://rogerjett-photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Beverage-Packages-2021.pdf

Yes there is sparkling water. DNK the brand. It may come in cans or metal bottles as all the Carnival brands are moving away from bottles (glass or plastic) to reduce (non-compressible?) waste. All staterooms on Nieuw Statendam have mini-fridges (probably stocked mini-bars, but you can request your steward empty it). It's possible that early fixed-time seating is already booked full, but you (or your travel agent) might see about getting you that or wait-listing you. I understand that open-seating passengers can reserve a time (maybe three days at a time? have never done it myself, we have just gone whenever and let the Md' sit us with others, pre-COVID anyway). Others will give you the specifics! I understand the MDR is always open for breakfast and sometime for lunch. We like to eat both of those in the Lido (buffet), with occasional sea-day Dive-In burgers! No HAL ship has self-laundry. But the ships' laundry does a very good job. You can buy unlimited laundry for $7/day (you will be charged for all seven days, no matter which day you send in your first bag), by the bag (nice sized cloth bag, current price is still I believe $20), or by the piece. There is also "eco" dry-cleaning for prices not much more than shore-side. Not only will they observe written in notes like "warm wash/cool dry", I just found out they will actually AIR DRY garments, you just get them returned a day later. There are other Nieuw Statendam FAQs mid-way down this 'page': https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/cruise-ships/ms-nieuw-statendam/1.html

I hate when people just send other people off to the cruiseline's board, but those questions are very specific to Celebrity (I don't even know what you are talking about! Sunset? Persian? Blu?), so have to suggest you ask all the questions here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/16-celebrity-cruises/

I did not know this! Have flown SW once or twice, but did not know this detail. Thanks for alerting me!

It nearly immaterial, as $200/week is not so hard to spend -- Sommelier Suite here, specialty dining there... even with 3* discount!

Alas, Alaska roll calls tend to be very quiet. But of course if there is one, he should post!

I think there's plenty of room except for the very tall to sit up while swinging legs out to get up. Just reporting what I've read on CC.

This^^^ is me!

There used to be a section in the Ocean Bar's menu of non-alcoholic specialties. I can't recommend what I don't know! haha

@Galesa I forgot to mention "bottled" water. I put that in quotes because new policy is supposed to be fleetwide, water in cans or metal bottles only! You might want to bring a reusable flask or bottle. Also you don't NEED to buy water; the tap water is perfectly safe and tasty (or lack of tasty) -- you can fill your own bottle in the Lido by using a clean glass to transfer from the cold water dispenser to your container.

Here is a photo from Noordam's sister Oosterdam: https://halfacts.com/vista-class/10009-oosterdam/ Pullman is over the "big bed". Some have reversed the pillow-end of the main bed...

Thank you this! We will have $200 for each of our separately-booked B2B cruises, I believe all non-refundable. Must remember to spend it up!

Welcome back to posting on Cruise Critic! This cruise appears to be sold out? or is it a Charter? I can't run a dummy booking on it to have anything to base my answers on! I did bring up the return trip in December. 1) The HIA for 14 days should include for each of you: two Specialty dinners, two Excursions, Surf Wifi, the Signature Beverage Package, and (in the US, for a limited time) Crew Appreciation AKA Hotel Service Charge. This may be rolled into your cruise fare already in Australia? The Signature Beverage Package includes glasses of wine and bottles or cans of beer and probably soft drinks. You can, however, buy one or more beers and canned cokes (a few minutes apart by the rules, but in practice depending on your bartender), and ask that they not be opened, and take them to your cabin to put in the mini-fridge. I agree with @iceman93, you sound like this could be for you! Remember it also includes espresso drinks in the Crows Nest on Observation Deck! Fifteen total beverages per day each under US$11. 2) I believe the Sommelier Suites are your-choice of included "Cellar" wines, so yes on the all of one kind. However, Sommelier wines are to be drunk with meals or in your cabin, not in the bars and lounges, if you didn't notice that. You can empty the mini-bar (or ask your steward to do that) and have all the La Grande Courtage Brut delivered at the start of the cruise, lest they run out!

@Saint Greg posts a lot of pics, maybe he has bar menus? His last travellogue is 86 pages long and I can't wade through it...

Remember to re-check as you get closer.

Under "Report" is a choice: Thread Needs Attention. Then you can write in Duplicate. My report that got hidden I mistakenly chose "This comment is okay, but I want to tell a moderator about it"!

I did that and told chickadee but for whatever reason my message was "moderated" (hidden).

Yes -- my mom sleeps with an approved oxygen concentrator and we would not be separated from it! Better to risk using ship's tap water for a night or two than losing or damaging that very expensive device!

Where is that WOW emoticon when you need it?!!

@Charlene1985 I usually skip the surveys and open-ended vague questions "Why do you cruise?" et al. But yours caused me to draw up my cruise history where I saw that it was TEN YEARS between my first and second HAL cruises and five until my third. After that about one per year until 2019. Interesting to reflect on that!

THIS^^^ We had so much fun with my family on the Zaandam (and Volendam). It was in general very easy to find one another and esp. the last 14-day AK trip on the Z in 2018, due to my vivacious younger sister, it seemed that the entire crew (and half of the passengers) knew us by half-way through the cruise! My favorite class is actually the Vistas and I did try to go to So.Pac on the Oosterdam and then the Zuiderdam (both COVID cancelled) and also the Volendam in a Lanai. My husband liked the Nieuw Amsterdam best; I found it a little big and sterile! But keeping an open mind about the K'dam.

@Hlitner or @Ine may be able to answer your question re: La Palapa.

Yes, and the videos are from YouTube, which can be linked here (unlike the individual photos).