jeh10641

Hi, Erika, We are near Seattle in the Northwest part of mainland U.S. We are about 1500 miles north of Los Angeles. It is the home of HAL in the U.S. Our next cruise is on Koningsdam in January 2025 round-trip to Hawaii from San Diego. Jim

Hi, Aew0431, We always keep a copy. I do not remember which color. We have never had a problem but I would rather be safe than sorry. We spent a week in Amsterdam a year ago. Loved the city, the people and the food. Where do you live? Jim

Which form are you talking about? Jim

I, too, just put my card in a shirt pocket. I never buy a shirt without a pocket. I spent most of my working years as a sales rep so needed a place for pens, business cards, etc. Even in retirement I still need a pen for writing and sometimes business cards. Jim

Hello, Crew News, Great tips. My wife and I tag team in the Lido Buffet once we find a table. I am not a coffee drinker (even though I live in Starbucks home area) but the Pinnacle Bar sounds intriguing for my wife. We have dined outside near the Lido, weather permitting. Indoor poolside not so much. Too noisy. Except when dining at NY Pizza/Deli (not really NY pizza or deli). Jim

I know if you purchase a meal in Pinnacle or Canaletto, an extra 18% is included for the gratuity. I do not know how it works if you have a complimentary meal. It is possible, you could be charged extra for the gratuity. Jim

As usual, you cut right to the chase with great information. Jim

I have not sailed on HAL since 2021. What I think they mean, no plastic bottles but it is okay to bring water in cans or paper containers. Never a problem for us since I drink Iced Tea on board. I do not bring water. When I do drink water on board, it is water from the ship in their provided glasses. No containers of water used by us.

Hi, jonyboy, The price I mentioned was the cost per day for the unlimited package for our Koningsdam cruise coming in January 2025. Jim

On past HAL cruises (last 12/21), there were servers in the buffet for drink orders as well as self-service options. Jim

The HAL laundry package amounts to about $8.50/day. You can send out stuff every day. We use it. Pack less. Helps at airports with less weight. Jim

Here is more pennies' worth of my thoughts. Never been on Princess so will not offer any comments other than this. I just spoke to a person at HAL viz-a-viz my upcoming cruise. She had worked for 25 years at Princess in Onboard Events for their corporate office in SoCal. The pandemic cost her her job. When cruising restarted, Princess did not take her back saying she did not have enough experience! Really? 25 years? On the other hand, she said HAL is a much better employer in that they are told that "Yes" is more important than "We cannot do that" (Princess philosophy). She sounded happy. On our last cruise on Anthem OTS in October, our boarding time in Southampton (around 11 AM) was less than 10 minutes from baggage drop to on board. Disembarkation in New Jersey took 2 hours with the line extending all around the ship. There was no reason given. My thought it was either a police or a medical issue. We experienced no lines for any activity onboard. There were over 4,000 passengers on board but because there was SO MUCH to do, I did not get to many of the activities I wanted even though we were onboard for 15 nights. Some activities we did more than once because we enjoyed them so much (mainly music shows). Each to his or her or their own. Jim

I looked at Club Orange as an option (suites are way beyond my budget) and the only benefit I see for me is embarkation and tendering priority. Neither of those are worth the fees. For Club Orange dining on Pinnacle Class ships, there is a private dining room with one or two daily specials not available in the MDR. However, we like to add specialty dining venues to our trips as they are "special". That means paying extra for meals twice as often as I care to do. We are not drinkers and my internet needs are simple. HAL offers us the type of cruising we like, quiet with enough entertainment options. We are in our 80s with no grandkids. Our son has grand pets. If the opposite was true and we were younger, perhaps the bells and whistles of larger ships might be attractive to us. The so-called premium lines also might be more attractive to us if our budget could afford them as well. Jim

Thanks. Jim

My pleasure. I enjoy your posts. Jim

Since you posted this, carnival just announced several new ships in the 8,000-passenger range. That is larger than many small cities/towns. Jim

I, too, have heard that ports are trying to cut back on the number of cruisers. However, it seems to me that the number of cruisers versus the number of total tourists shows that the latter is many times more than the former. Jim

I have heard from multiple sources that one of Family/Kid areas on Sun princess hass not opened and is likely to never open. It may have to be re-purposed. Jim

Unless something has changed recently, I believe that Princess was based in California. HAL and Seabourn are in the same Carnival Cruise Line division. Jim

Oh no! Not the tuxedo! Never again for me. Once was enough. Jim

Hi, CNSJ, Once again, a thoughtful discussion. Thanks. We were on a larger ship in October 2023 (Anthem OTS, transatlantic, 15 nights) for a transatlantic. Full ship and then some (no lines that I remember until disembarkation day which was awful). I had plans to try/visit so many things but found myself doing what I really enjoy from prior cruises. Never saw/visited bumper cars, Flow Rider, I-Fly, etc., to my chagrin. HAL ships are more my style and comfort level. The entertainment was top-notch on Anthem. Broadway shows are great but seen once on a cruise is enough. Never cruise less than 10 or 11 nights. HAL's Music Walk has been a favorite as I do not mind HEARING the same music. My style of music runs from Big Band Swing to 50s and 60s rock to classical to country. I cannot get enough of all of those categories. Economics is what drives cruise ship sizes, but the new mega ships might not be able to get into the smaller ports. We are port-goers but not beach/pool sitters. We love to learn about the history, culture and people of a port/country. As a stockholder, I applaud the mega ships. As a cruiser, I do not. I think more Pinnacle sized ships would benefit HAL. Do not get me started on casinos. 90% of Americans do not smoke, yet cruise companies cater to the 10% that do for their casinos. I think on HAL ships, there are way more nonsmokers than on a Carnival Fun Ship. I, for one, would be more willing to visit a nonsmoking casino and spend there. On our Rotterdam cruise, the smoke spilled out to the Music Walk and shops making them almost unusable for us. I am a reformed smoker! Jim

Hi, All, We discovered unlimited laundry for a set price on our first HAL cruise together on Westerdam. We do not cruise on HAL without it. wish that other cruise lines (Royal, for instance) offered that option. On our Koningsdam cruise on January 28, 2025, it came to $8.50/day. What it does is to allow us to PACK LESS. Helps with flights also. On Rotterdam in 2021, we sent out in the morning (before 9 AM) and it was returned the same day. Has that changed? Jim

Thanks for your service. Jim

Hi, "Catlover54", I tried unsuccessfully to answer this on my phone. I am now back on my desktop. When I travel in the U.S., Hampton Inns, Best Westerns, Holiday Inns, et al are just fine for my needs. When I travel in Europe, I look for hotels that have a little history (NO COOKIE CUTTERS!). For instance, in Florence I booked a hotel built by a Russian Prince as a palace 400 years ago, in Vienna, a hotel that has been owned by the same family for over 200 years and in London, a hotel owned by the Duke of Bedford since it was built in the 1780s. We do not travel to Europe in the summer, so A/C is not a problem. A lift/elevator is a plus but not a gamebreaker. Jim