OlsSalt

We recently did this, and were given a printed sheet of instructions the day before. Not quite to the letter, but others have described it pretty close to what happens. Different formats: (1) do you intend to leave the ship that morning and not come back until later, or (2) do you intend to stay on the ship that day and go through the necessary in house clearance and immediately return to the ship? Personally, it is easier if you just leave the ship in the morning and come back later. But you need to let them know this upfront the day before. Otherwise you are in a "hurry up and wait" setting to gather onboard at a designated spot, wait for everyone to get checked off the list, then walk off the ship to a waiting area, go through whatever document/immigration formalities are required in an area that may or may not have seating or even heating. Then get back in line to return to the ship to get checked back on board with your new room key card. Your decision to stay on board is not a permanent choice for the entire day since once you get through the in-house clearance procedures, you are free later to leave the ship on your own with your new room key card. At some point in either situation, you will be given a "transit" card that allows you back on the ship and you will not need to go through the embarkation check in lines. We ended up in two cabins because we added an extension cruise months later after we booked the first leg, and our cabin was no longer available when we signed up for the second leg. Moving our stuff that morning was the easiest part - just put all the loose ends in your suitcases and the stewards do move all the hanging items as others have described. We did the "hurry up and wait" second option and everything was in place by the time we re-entered the ship again. But we did have to wait in the secured area off the ship - in San Diego. Other times in FLL a few years ago, we waited for the in-house clearance confined in the show lounge. A little more comfortable. But in San Diego we had to actually get off the ship.

Princess Sky Princess is quite a bit larger, than the Nieuw Amsterdam. We personally choose the smaller ships when given a choice. NA is a very nice ship, but as big as we would ever choose now among the HAL fleet. We like them even smaller. Might want to also look at who will be in port with you on the same days if the itineraries are similar - do you share that port with other cruise ship, or more on your own. Also with larger ships, sometimes you might not get preferred docking location. Those are the drill down details to consider when making a choice between what may appear to be superficial similarities. Where are you going and how long is the cruise? If you like both products, it just may not matter that much particularly if it is a shorter cruise. I am reminded of the former Carnival Cruise Line CEO describing the various cruise line personalities within the CCL family. CEO Arnold Donald commented Princess was more a California vibe, and HAL was "midwestern". That was the official public statement from the CEO about the differences between these two cruise lines. Whatever that ultimately means, but I think I agree. HAL - quieter and more low key; Princess trendier and more social.

What are the inherent acoustics built into the Main Stage. Can they be tweaked for live chamber music performances? Or will they be miked, muddied and and lost in this large deadened space designed only for electronically enhanced performances? Theaters can be fine tuned for speaking performances and/or musical performances. Was this a consideration when the Main State was designed. Maybe they could use drop down baffles and enclose a performance space on the main stage itself.

We use our cruise time to get caught up on reading - I often listen to audio books, and there is now new Library on some of the HAL ships- I believe the Konigsdam is one of them. That can still work for evening "entertainment". Curling up with a good book?

On the Veendam inaugural cruise to Cuba a few years back, a fellow passenger was Orlando Ashford - then CEO of the HAL group. Amiable and easy to spot as the tallest man onboard, but apparently he intended to travel as passenger only on his first HAL cruise. When he was officially introduced at the Mariners Luncheon, he thanked everyone for recognizing this indeed was his vacation time, and giving him some appreciated privacy. Then there was a pause. ......... "well, almost all of you....... to the knowing laughter of the Mariners gathering.

How long is the cruise - virtually anything can be survived on a short cruise, or new routines and exceptions adapted to on longer ones after exploring what is new and different on another' brand's offerings. My sister would always ask for "fried garlic" every night on a HAL cruise because she liked to add this to every dish (not quite escargot, but honestly are the little bits of snails not just a good excuse to enjoy savory garlic and butter?) They were happy to accommodate her. One thing a lot of us like about HAL ships is the very accommodating nature of the main dining room staff to those small preferences. Plus they also have full menu Indian items available too, by request if you want more menu variety. Hope you try fixed dining so your dining stewards can get to know your dining preferences best. Nieuw Amsterdam has a very nice range of dining options.

Might want to stick with Celebrity - they deliver what you expect and want. Why switch?

Best thing is to remind yourself where you are - in the absolute middle of nowhere, yet this small community thrives and goes about their daily lives. And the fact this tiny island was "found" in the vast Pacific Ocean during the amazing Polynesian migration - originally coming from Asia, setting off in simple craft but with deep knowledge of minds and sea currents to somehow bump into these widely scattered bits of land, removed from everything except what nature provided - hundreds of years ago. Yes, life is very simple here and they are now in the flotsam and jetsam of a more modern world (including cruise ship stops and electronic communications, as well as floating ocean debris), but the few moments you spend on this welcoming little island will stay with you long after the cruise is over. Just knowing there are these small islands out there with long histories - now caught between two worlds. And you had the privilege of experiencing it.

Sometimes a space is "successful"....... when it is not full of people. A spot onboard that one can go to when they do want a quiet experience, away from the general fray of onboard and revenue producing activities. At least just one, which is the role the old Explorer's Lounge often played. It added a touch of calm and graciousness to the ship. Just to know it was there, if needed.

I believe that was the Explorer's Lounge, that suffered the transition from a soft and welcoming space to a brittle multi-function space

I taught an Introduction to Puccini class for Elderhostel for five years, and was often asked what is the difference between opera and broadway type musicals. (How does a "musical" like Porgy and Bess transition now into the opera repetoire? My own response (made up on the fly) was you can for the most part quickly sing Broadway tunes in the shower, but opera reveals itself more and more with each listening. Opera become the development musical themes, which undergird the telling of the story and the evolution of the characters. Often not easy to take in on the first listenings, but can still exert emotional power that one does not yet fully understand. Same for other forms of classical music - familiarity does not breed "contempt", but the repetition provides anticipation for and the unveiling of musical moments rare, fleeting and ephemeral. Sometimes even one note -- Eg. the moment Mimi sings about greeting the morning light in La Boheme. (Chills - right brain and left brain fully engaged.)

Let' not give up on classical music offerings just yet. This has been a long tradition on HAL ships, but the Lincoln Center branding for this offering is only recent. So losing this LC franchise does not necessarily mean there will never be classical music ever again, since it remains popular with a significant number of passengers. We just need to let them know this, just like they are bringing back the ship libraries and other victims of recent reorganization and cost cutting necessities. The prior classical offerings, from quartets to duos were often a mixed bag and I can assume by bringing in the LC brand, this allowed more uniformity to these offerings across the fleet. But at a cost that perhaps did not earn its own way. Let's hope at least they go back to having some form of classical offerings - two to four performers like the good old days, but also with a little more assurance of uniform quality. It was almost sad/funny to see some of the interactions when an obvious couple was brought on board on some of our past cruises as the experience was obviously stressful to at least on of the partners. One was a poor young woman who always looked on the verge of tears whenever we saw her around the ship. Another was the pianist wife who would always play over her violinist husband and stomp off after the last note was played. There must have been some other tension going on between those two. But at least we still got classical music.......

A little more background on the semolina flour we we assume HAL used to make their specialty fresh pasta, from Bob's Red Mill: (NB: this is high gluten flour.) ....."Semolina is actually just a type of flour made from durum wheat. You are, of course, familiar with flour, but there are a lot of different types of flour, which is actually just a generic term used to refer to ground up . . . well, ground up anything, really. Your general baking flours are made from what is known as common wheat, which makes up around 80% or more of the entire world’s wheat harvest. Semolina, on the other hand, is made from a species of wheat called “durum” wheat, which also has a few other names, including pasta wheat and macaroni wheat. Durum wheat grows predominantly in the middle east and makes up about 5-8% of the entire world’s cultivated wheat population. You will probably be able to find semolina in your regular grocery store, right next to the all purpose flour. The main difference you may be able to see is that semolina is a good bit coarser than traditional flour, and may be darker and more golden in color (but this will depend on the specific varieties). Semolina can have a more earthy aroma than common wheat flours as well, but you likely will not notice that until after you get home! What Is Semolina Used for and What Are Common Semolina Recipes? With such a unique name, it may not surprise you that semolina is most commonly used in Italy. This is why people refer to it as pasta or macaroni wheat, because semolina’s number one use is in the making of pasta or couscous. The main reason people prefer semolina for pasta-making is that it is extremely high in gluten, which helps keep the shape of pasta during cooking. This is how pasta can come in all different shapes and sizes without risk of falling apart or becoming a giant blob while it is boiling. Semolina is a staple food in Nigeria, where it is mixed with water and boiled to eat with soups or stews. Couscous, made with semolina, is a common food in other parts of Africa as well as the rest of the world. In European countries, semolina is also used for sweet puddings and it can form a type of porridge when boiled. However, the number one use for semolina is in pasta, so it follows that it is most common in Italy and surrounding areas. If you have ever asked yourself why pasta is typically yellow, that is because semolina is typically more golden than all purpose flour. You may see semolina in other recipes, however, such as cakes, breads, or pies--we hear it helps make a tasty crust for bread! With its high gluten and protein content, it is a good candidate for certain desired textures, so check out all of our favorite semolina recipes and let us know which ones you loved!............"

Freshly made pasta, which they are now featuring, can feel "heavier and chewier". Sounds good to me. Real al dente. Matter of taste, so looking forward to trying it.

Assume you mean the net bags the **robes** came in. What a clever suggestion. Thanks. We got our net head gear for a cruise into the Russian White Sea - again black fly country. Will be taking them along on this trip, but will pass your tip on to others who might not have them. Never forget my first trip to Alaska and seeing teeshirts showing their infamous mosquitos landing on aircraft carriers.

You can always cancel the cruise, now that you know the in-house parameters. A chief engineer (ChengKP), who from time to time offers his very knowledgable experience in these matters, reported a while back the ship's water production system "is not too salty", but in fact just the opposite since they take out too many naturally occurring "electrolytes". (Sodium, calcium etc) According to Chief Engineer it is the lack of the "electrolytes" in the purified ship drinking water that causes the changes in body homeostasis, including swelling. Maybe a search of this forum can dig up his explanation. This is the best that I remember on this topic. Ordering bottled mineral water puts a more normal amount of "electrolytes" into one's daily drinking water. Or one could add packets of "electrolytes" to the ship's drinking water, and see how that works out.

Agree, both towns you can walk around on your own. Sorry, I do get them mixed up now but one does charge a small fee to walk around a small inlet with very interesting buildings and little museum - great photo ops - the locals reasonably want to earn some income for us to wander around their very picturesque spots. And yes, the head gear mosquito net was a must, when walking around the lake. One of the towns was the jumping off spot for a boat trip out to the ancient Greenlander church ruins which played a role in the final chapter of the tour de force bood on this country, aptly named "The Greenlanders". A very haunting spot with the ghosts of those prior residents who had resided in the area for over 500 years are still whispering in the winds and the vistas across the bay. Both towns are not developed for tourism, so you will get a sense of what life is like and how they go about their daily lives, support local businesses and shopping just by wandering around. Hope your trip includes passage across the Prince Christian Sound - one of the grand highlights of cruising, with only a sail by visit of a very small and remote fishing village - but they do come out in their very nice boats and greet the ship slowly passing by.

A very nice cake is provided and the dining staff sings an Indonesian recognition song to greet the event. You can special order flowers and balloons for the room for a fee. Talk to the head of the dining room, once onboard. There will be a desk on embarkation day or at the entrance to the dining room to see what arrangements you can make. And remind them when you check in, if you are choosing a specialty restaurant for that day - cake, but no singing. Welcome to HAL - birthdays over 80 are not a really big deal, since many of us will already have had them! Your father will be in good company. 🎊🥂🎂

Please tell us what a "Balcony Breakfast" is and we can maybe help. Certainly you can order a full hot breakfast through no-cost room service to have a breakfast on you own balcony. Is this more of an event on Princess ships, or just the meal itself? (Never been on a Princess cruise - but did sail the old Island Princess, after it changed hands and name.)

Neptunes - twice the real estate of veranda, but fewer of them than other cabin categories Willing buyers meet willing sellers. “The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.” ― Thomas Sowell, Is Reality Optional?: And Other Essays (Hoover Institution Press Publication)

I just had a two-day experience with the FlightEast website - terrible two days ago, and even worse when I called and got an unintelligible Indian Call Center run-around. But the website finally worked as presented yesterday. Wonder if these prior problems were mainly website "glitches", now fixed? Thanks for the warnings. I will pay attention to see what is coming up next for our air reservations.,

About paper water bottles - made from bamboo and sugar cane - a search online shows various purveyors: https://paperwaterbottle.com In the past we always ordered in-cabin water from the bar staff, and it was delivered to the room. Or we ordered it ahead of time: __________________ 6 Bottle Acqua Panna Water Package Price $29.50 BUY NOW 6 BOTTLE ACQUA PANNA WATER PACKAGE 6 - 1 Liter glass bottles of Acqua Panna, premium natural spring water delivered to your stateroom.

Recent call yesterday to HAL contact number, because the website was totally screwed up yesterday, ended up in an Indian Call Center - I was trying to cancel a FlightEase flight - answers were all over the place. Beware. I recommend calling several times with the same question, if you don't like what you first get.

With luck, the leader of the National Geo Naples maritime tour will treat you to a few verses of Santa Lucia, Naples famous fisherman's song about his little boat - Santa Lucia and the fisherman's wharf area in the heart of the city also called Santa Lucia. Pavarotti lets you know how this is supposed to be sung, but I think it still comes readily from the lips of any true Neapolitan. We even got our public bus driver to sing it once, when we were stuck in traffic.

A couple of times ...don't remember any issues. Mainly because these were very long cruises so the few days difference in boarding were ultimately insignificant for what was ahead. However, there are reports of some initial discomfort when coming in for only a sole segment on a World Cruise, since informal traditions might have already formed among the long-term passengers.