crystalspin

My PCC does the same, on the phone or in e-mail. I usually have worked it all out, but sometimes she can see details I can't -- like one time I wanted to upgrade from Verandah to Vista Suite and (because it was an upgrade not a lower category) she was able to give me a previous lower fare!

@TorontoTL SeaMates is correct, Mary and I should have mentioned that you will essentially be re-booking (without risk of losing your cabin), and any original promo will be replaced by the current one if any. Always do the math!

As Kirk said, you can pre-book on line. There may be check boxes to indicate each person's credit.

I allow that landing and walking on Mendenhall would be a prime experience, but if you are talking about a tour to the visitor center and a walk to the view point or trek to the waterfall, it is pretty disappointing even in OK weather. This is what you could see in 2016: People for scale: If you are not hiring the helicopter, the day in Juneau is better spent on a whale watch! In my not humble opinion.

She drydocked (is that a verb?) in Feb 2022 so I don't think this year at all.

No, the website is deceptive. Only the J and K category on the Main Deck have that layout. Most are laid out like an oceanview with a fake "window" (a curtain) at the head of the bed(s). Some insides are very small indeed, like this (I category I think) one on sister ship Westerdam: https://halfacts.com/7104-westerdam/

If you have a refundable deposit, yes. This means the HIA (Have-It-All) price, OR the Advantage fare which you do not see on line, but have to call (or have your travel agent call) to find out and book. Advantage deposit is refundable, with no "perks".

They make wheeled luggage that fits UNDER the seat in front of you! https://www.amazon.com/KROSER-Underseat-Multi-functional-Underseater-Lightweight/dp/B0C98J9983/ I also got this travel backpack: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4NR9TBW/ But of course, one of these would have to go overhead...

My husband would be crushed, and I suspect would be after me to find another cruiseline.

Oh, thanks, now I see.

Yes, they have offered lower deposits several times a year recently. Sometimes only on selected cruises (like ones that are coming up/same season etc). Apparently this last one is the company's "birthday" and was for all sailings but Grand Cruises and very short ones. Black Friday/Cyber Week was I think $25 deposits; I forget the terms but I was able to increase my deposit on two of a B2B2B (from $1pp to $25pp!), lower the cost of the cruises significantly, switch from HIA/EBB to regular HIA but still get pre-paid Daily Service Fee! Additionally, I believe there was a low-deposit "event" in early summer (June or July) last year.

Hi Mary! I started this thread after booking a Observation Deck Verandah (on Zuiderdam, where all of Deck 10 Verandahs are quads). Not a "Family" cabin such as on Main Deck. Just a crowded Verandah like this: It was my PCC that used the word "family", but any foursome would be able to bump us. As the Verandahs on that deck were filling up, making us one of the last to book (potentially first to be bumped?), I blinked and took a Navigation double cabin near the forward elevators/stairwell. Her mentioning the potential for being bumped (for an additional $160 pp for guests 3&4! on top of the $1000 pp for guests 1&2 to be on Deck 10) was the NEW thing, and several CC'ers did post to this thread that they had been told the same thing. So far no one has reported having it happen to them. I don't even know how a foursome would know to ask! I don't remember the verbage, but my PCC did imply that HAL was moving toward the policy of ONLY booking the maximum number per cabin like Princess and RCCL -- both lines I have had to put my mom in with us to get the cabin I wanted, even though she might not have been able to sail. That instructing the PCCs to mention bumping was just the first step.

Wow, thank you!

Strictly, before Penalties Accrue. With a non-refundable deposit that is immediately. For most refundable-deposit cruises it is Final Payment Date. For my 35-day SoPacific cruise, it was about a month before Final Payment. Long cruises (do not know the cut-off duration) will have early penalty phase.

All of the "coffee" drinks at Explorations Cafe are espresso drinks (lattes, cappucinos, straight espresso...) available as decaf. I THINK but do not know that GDC has brewed coffee/decaf), and that's why you see officers in line! (But it might be the Dutch snacks!)

I think you are on to it. We had only one longer (16-day) cruise as 3* Mariners, and only one Luncheon invite. We almost didn't wait -- the line was so long. I think it must have been the Indonesian one mentioned above. I don't recall the food, but the servers were all in wonderful tunics like guayabera Mexican wedding shirts but patterned satin-like.

Perhaps they are unsophisticated? I honestly would have jumped at a $100 deposit (times four) which would have given them $400 dollars to play with for 18 months...

We got an e-mail offer, which we accepted, in 2014. None since, but that may be because I have become much more proactive AND started working with a PCC, marking my very carefully selected bookings NO UPGRADE. Supposedly that marking only means no automatic upgrades, but whatever, no offers since then.

Correction! I should have said "You can upgrade just one MEMBER (or subscription?)". You can pass that Premium sign-on to any number of devices, only one at a time and each one much log in as the upgraded "person".

Welcome to Cruise Critic! and, congrats on keeping your leg!!! I just booked a cruise for January 2026! But, be sure to book with a refundable deposit because many things can happen. Then, about 3 months before the cruise sails you will come to the Final Payment Date. Before that happens, you should have researched how (and how much) you want to protect yourself from developments after they have all your money, which is nonrefundable from there out. Keep asking questions here, to help you narrow down your choices.

HAL created the "Spa" category a few years back to charge more for poorly-selling cabins (for the reasons you state). Genius marketing I guess! I actually like the locations even though I am not a spa user, but not the higher tariff. But I do look and compare rates... ETA: We like to be near the Crows Nest!

GeoBlue Trekker is medical insurance for when you travel (I think it kicks in if you are 150 miles from home). It is not CFAR. My memory is that they do not rule out pre-existing conditions. You can insure (for higher rates as you age) up to 95 years old! The Blue in GeoBlue is because they are a division of Blue-Cross-Blue-Shield. Here is Steve's (Trip Insurance Store's) intro page for the two levels of GeoBlue Trekker: https://tripinsurancestore.com/geo-blue-voyager-travel-medical-plans/

Forgot to say, welcome to Cruise Critic! Glad you stopped lurking!

Mine are on page 3, alone.

I may have been too emphatic. I re-read and you are after final payment. But you can surely ask, and I hope you only have to cancel one cabin and keep the other. If you do have to cancel both, your PCC can do it without risking the one you want to keep.