crystalspin

Pouting now. We had a 9-day and a 7-day back-to-back (not available as one cruise) and only got $100 per leg. Of course that is all I was expecting so I didn't try for the extra $50. As it was we had to WORK at spending the OBC, on top of the HIA benefits!

Do you mean Navigator of the Seas? As Bruce said, go here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/51-royal-caribbean-international/

Welcome to Cruise Critic, JA! More than $100 a day seems high. We find value in Holland America's package, at $45pp/day bought pre-sailing. Have decided not to buy Carnival's Cheers plan at $60pp/day! But to try to behave as though we did have all-inclusive and see how it does add up. There are websites that help you calculate whether it will "pay for itself". And many many threads on CC; they are most useful to read about the package(s) on the line you will be sailing as they vary so much. It looks like you are considering Celebrity? Browse this board: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/16-celebrity-cruises/ ETA: your last two questions: yes, port-intensive cruises eat away at the value of a beverage package. And, at least on HAL, I believe the package ends at midnight the night before disembarcation... but final mornings are so hectic, I can't swear I've ever tried to get a latte...

Got home from Mexico/California and those FCD's were just burning a hole in my wallet! Then HAL published the New England cruises for summer/fall 2024. This is another itinerary we had in 2020, cancelled of course: July 27, 2024 -- Volendam 24-day Canada, New England & Iceland crystalspin

You might browse and/or post your question here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/456-caribbean/

Our next cruise (first Carnival cruise) is for five people in two cabins, for fourteen days. $4200 to buy Cheers ahead of time! My idea is to tell our guests, as well as my husband, that we are trying to reach that number (!) just to see for next time. Just off HAL on a B2B. LOVE the little slips of paper; added a dollar every-other slip and didn't have to carry currency or run around on the last day looking for favorite servers to give larger sums to.

On our recent B2B, we would order two drinks together (his and hers), on one card. Alternating who bought who a drink, to keep from possibly hitting the 15/day mark! The bartenders appreciate only having to swipe once, and it is just handier for all. If on the way to some other venue, I would get the drinks at the bar, just a tad quicker, but do not stand in the servers' access spot! well, unless there really are no servers visible... ETA: the limit per card swipe was two drinks on the K'dam this month. If we wanted a nightcap each and two cans of water for the room, they would ask for both cards.

Be sure to download *plenty* of books ahead of time. Even if you have shipboard internet, your data-cap may prevent getting any but the smallest book!

Looks like! No tub, glass shower enclosure, here: https://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/8157-rotterdam/

Cruise Deck Plans shows glass-door showers with a separate tub for SA7115, SA7086, SA7082, SA7060 and here is a video with bathroom footage at about the 4minute mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr8CVDer4u4

I found this on HAL website some time ago, and saved it! "IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION: This is to advise guests who've booked Ocean-view staterooms on board Zaandam that during the April 2018 dry dock, the bathrooms in the below staterooms will be updated to a shower-only configuration: Lower Promenade Deck: D3331 - D3370 Main Deck: C2564 - C2647 Please note, this change does not affect all Oceanview staterooms, only the specific staterooms noted above."

I've noted that the Rotterdam has a few added inside cabins in the forward area of some of the decks, causing the numbers assigned to all cabins aft of that, to not agree with those of K'dam or NS. Have only sailed on K'dam among the Pinnacle class, so can't speak to public areas of the other two.

Hi Nora! As @VMax1700 said, you can make those reservations any time now: look for a check box, I think in the left column, to use the HIA credits.

Just off a B2B on the K'dam. Food in Lido was fine. Could not get into MDR before 8 at a shared table so did not partake. Ate in specialty restaurants about 50% of time; all was fine except oddly the halibut in Pinnagrill was meh. (We are not lobster fans and did not pay the upcharge for anything.) These "cutbacks" may be in some people's heads.

I believe if there is a waiting list, you would go to the end ot the list, if you cancelled. However, as someone implied above, if you could confirm there was NOT a waiting list, this would work. If there was a waiting list AND they would tell you this, you might maintain your reservation (paid by credit card) and have the OBC to spend somewhere else.

Isn't that funny the deckplan of the Volendam do not show that and I only knew that 3365 had an upgraded shower-only from @Vict0riann's pics on Halfacts.

Welcome to Cruise Critic! There is so much help here that it can be hard to find the right place to ask. Suggest you might get a quicker and more accurate answer on the Viking Ocean board, here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/689-viking-ocean/

Cruise Deck Plans!

I gave my mom an airplane/biplane made from Coors Lite can(s); its propeller even turned in the wind! Do not know if it's out there in the snow, now, or if she brought it in... Hey I am glad to see you on here! Wasn't sure if this (the Daily) was the place to be posting (it didn't seem I should start a thread as I have no questions)... but we have a new booking! We purchased $300 (x2) FCDs on our recent B2B, only to have them "launch" 2024 New England before we were even settled it. We are going on the 24-day Canada, New England & Iceland sailing July 27 2024, and the reason I tagged you is -- we will have 3365 on the Volendam! The cabin your photos are up on CDP and HalFacts! We get OBC for using the FCDs, for being just back from a cruise, and for it being "early booking"! Later we will add Stock Owners' OBC! Also our points came through, and we are now Four Star Mariners! I may have to lay down I am so giddy.

You beat me by three minutes!

Not familiar with AMA, but commonly (to other lines) the As and Bs simply reflect location! as you noted.They usually have the same floorplans and amenities.

My background is nine cruises on HAL, one on RCI, several cancellations on Princess. We found RCI more like HAL than different! Excellent service. Only had breakfast in the buffet, it was fine. MDR food and service were very good! (This was before the shut-down so reading more recent reports on the RCCL board would be a thing to do.) I would definitely favor Liberty OTS: both for the two additional days and for seating in your cabin other than the bed and one desk/vanity chair. You have to upgrade to at least a mini-suite on Princess to get sofa or loveseat! People say "Never in cabin but to shower and sleep"; Princess makes sure that is so.

I think they meant for the private tour "advertised" in the first post...

This was our experience on K'dam, 16-day B2B. Viewing the menu on Navigator, on last night -- saw Lamb Shank in MDR and called before noon for a reservation, to be told only opening was 8pm at a shared table. Passed on that, we had gotten in the habit of eating earlier as that was the common times that specialty restaurants had (either very early or very late). DH loves lamb shank and likes to be waited on, but we did not eat at all in the MDR. Instead we spend all of our OBC on specialties and Lido the other eight nights.

Not that we cruise all that often, but we are quite recently back from our B2B on the K'dam AND have a booking for the 35-day Hawaii-Tahiti on same ship in 2024, so we said to several crew members, "See you next year!" and to a one they replied, "We don't know what ship we'll be on then." Just for a different answer! This is a nice thread, my first Saturday Daily (I followed a link to catch up on @kazu's status).