OlsSalt

When we get a Neptune suite we often rarely leave the cabin because we love the larger, private space. So it is nice having the Neptune Lounge available, when the room stewards need to make up the cabin. Best part for me, is it keeps me away from the Lido for breakfast and lunch so I eat a lot less -smaller bites and small tempting goodies are now close at hand, instead of that whole piece of peanut butter pie that knows to call me out by name when I pass it in the Lido.

Let me put my pitch in for those who became "solo" after a divorce too. Many of the same challenges for solo travel, but carrying a different prior personal history. My own adventure into solo traveling started in the 1970's, but as a newly divorced person. Ironically, I had to fantasize I was "widowed" and that is why I was traveling alone, because of the stigma and fault burden that came from being divorced at that time. But over a one year period of time, I did move from not be able to sleep from worry and anxiety the night before my first day trip venture alone, into traveling solo around the world on my first "cruise ship" a year and half later. After that, nothing held me back and I embarked on my world travel adventures solo for years. My goal was to be a member of the Travel Century Club - 100 countries visited. That became my travel focus and it was on a cruise ship that I finally reached 100 - Mauritius island. Later in life, I did enter a new relationship and we have cruised constantly, and now have well exceeded my original 100 Country goal. But after our first cruise together and still doing independent port travel, we got robbed in the Caribbean so now in our later decades, and in a very changed world since the 1970's (more drugs and crime), we now do put personal safety and organized tour travel ahead of our prior flings with only independent travel.

Went to one Afternoon Tea on the Konigsdam over the holidays and indeed they offered brewed tea, it was delicious, so I guess you are right, they might still using PG Tips.

One consideration when starting the traveling alone experience is to pick countries that are known to be safe, clean, well-signed and often have good access to English language/alphabet signage. Scandinavian cruises come to mind first. Or Alaska. This way one is not totally tied to shore excursions but can more safely venture out on one's own from time to time too. Also more themed, but longer, cruises seem to generate more passenger interaction like Voyage of the Vikings (excellent, safe, clean accessible ports) or Antarctica. Or Solar Eclipse cruises.

There has been a no-host bar service set up in the afternoon - self serve and self report. Neptunes do offer a welcoming cocktail party, and other events (in the past) where one can meet their fellow Neptune passengers. But mainly it is a small casual drop in space for small bites and continental breakfast offerings where one can also meet other fellow passengers. Have not attended their "cocktail time" so I don't know how popular, or not, that offering became. Mostly grumbling that is was not an included benefit, so I wonder it it ever got utilized as s social gathering event.

...........Man Overboard ......Man Overboard ..........😬 (Moi) Cost of operations balanced by ROI. Small can still work. Let's see how Fred Olson deploying the old Rotterdam and Amsterdam pencils out - plus they do carry higher maintenance costs as older ships.

Since HAL daily creates interesting Pan-Asian cuisine for its multi-national crew, seems like it would be an easy extension to offer more of this dining variety to the upstairs passengers. Either as a special dining room or section, or part of a regular MDR menu (not as it is now, as a special menu request).

IMHO: R-Class is the best sweet spot for HAL ships, traditions, itineraries and ambiance. 1200-1400 passengers, and full libraries. Transition the Pinnacle "steak restaurant" into more of a pan Asian hybrid since the Dutch Empire once touched many Southern Asia lands. Be a travelers ship; not a hotel/entertainment ship. Don't compete with "luxury" brands, many still want just good basics with fewer frills that won't require extra space for additional staff and crew. (R Class) Zaandam, Volendam, former Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

Thank you for opening up this topic - many of us now also know .... there but for the grace of God go I ...someday too. Best wishes and love getting the positive posts already on this sensitive topic.

Everyone responds to different things. Every time I see a "dated" HAL ship, I thank management for keeping our cruising prices lower, and not spending our money chasing the latest, superficial decor trends. I for one had no problem with the "dated pink tile" bathrooms on these ships. I have loved all my "dates" on the older HA ships - they provide me with nice cabins, good food, comfortable ship layouts, excellent port access, plenty of open views and the feeling of being at sea while sleeping well at night before we adventure to someplace new. Yes, I am a cheap date.

We visited Pitcairn on the first Maasdam InDepth cruise a few years, except we could not land (social restrictions about past islander criminal activity) but we got close enough to see the port docking area and town buildings, some young waving people from the hills, and did slowly circle the entire island. You can see the original rudder from the Bounty in the Suva Museum in Fiji and the home of the author of Mutiny on the Bounty (part of his trilogy) outside of Papeete, Tahiti.

Check with ships services- accommodations. They seem to be very well versed in handling CPAP requirements.

Yes, that house brand Darjeeling was lovely. Wonder why they stopped offering it. But my real favorite at the afternoon tea was Sumatra Coffee when they did the Indonesian Teas. Coffee at 3pm Tea? It was a delicious treat.

Every "world cruise" out there offers various versions of port choices. And what they miss on one version, they often pick up on the next season's offering. Time of year, seasons and weather/ocean patters also are part of these final route choices. This is a particularly good one due to its deep penetration into the South Pacific --Easter Island; Pitcairn Island....

Yes, by the main pool too and tables also on the upper decks around the pool in Pinnacle class ships too where other food options are also available. No restrictions these outdoor tables are reserved only for the other food service customers located near by- Dive in, NY Deli, Lido Bar......

I believe the "verandahs" are obstructed view verandahs, of various degrees, but are the same cabin layout as what they now call Vista Suites -which are the more standard full view verandahs. But well below the Neptune suites in size and amenities. An old timer trick on this class ship was to get an ocean view cabin towards the very aft because the open aft decks on these two lower decks had loungers and operated "almost" as your own verandah cabin, but a few steps away.

Can't confirm, but assume Neptunes gets the improvements first before they work their way down to other cabin levels.

The Konigsdam had a wall of various one-brand teas at the Lido, but did not see the beloved box of PG Tips. So maybe you might want to pack in your own just to be on the safe side.

Zaandam, in a heart beat.

Nothing like selling off a beloved HAL classic, and now having to compete directly with her.

No fan of the larger, newer ships being an Old Curmudgeon myself, but one extra complaint about our recent Konigsdam cruise was it was fundamentally ...........too quiet. No ship noise, vibrations or any sense one was even moving and not in a land based hotel. How is that for a "complaint"? (Excluding Music Walk of course, and the piped-in music - grumble, grumble, grumble)

My guess is there would not be an extraordinary noise being above the Dutch Cafe on Deck 4 - it is a quiet venue. But think about how much closer you will be to get a quick snack. You are correct, the best cabin choices for "quiet" as often recommended are those between two floors of other cabins, but for the most part all our cabins in lots of different places on various ships have been decently quiet. Some chair scraping when under the Lido, but minor. Not as noisy as anticipated at all. Only once where we did we get a cabin was right over the Ocean Bar on an older ship, the Madam - and that was very loud until closing time. However, we were lucky to get moved to a much quieter floor after the first day. However, I now do pay close attention to other reports and learned even being under the ping-pong table made one Neptune Suite an unhappy experience. HalFacts website offers candid passenger cabin reports, and is always good to search before making a choice. Additionally, being close to the elevators has never caused noise problems either. Cabin design puts the bathroom and the closet as a buffer between any corridor or elevator noise. Cabins directly under the main galley area seem to get the most complaints, or near food service clean up areas and crew stairwells (inside cabins) - esp early in the morning but not sure the newer ships have this issue any longer. And those over/under the main stage area. Actually, I found the often coveted aft verandah cabins the noisiest when going outside on the verandah -the sound of the wake can be very intense and constant. Some find it soothing, other find it a bit overwhelming. The views do make up for the constant wake noise. We were recently on the 4th Deck - Konigsdam and were happy to find our cabin had a very nicely extended balcony space - not totally private since it could be viewed partially from some of the higher decks, but very spacious and highly usable.

Watered down orange juice at the Lido problem is solved by taking one of the many available fresh oranges, and peeling it. A daily ritual for us - and an in-room snack we always keep on hand. More fiber and fresher nutrients are the additional benefits of this easy substitution. Plenty of online tutorials about the best and least messy way to efficiently peel an orange.

I am remembering a a USB outlet on the base of the beside table lamp on a 2020 Zaandam cruise -newly refurbished cabins at the time? Yes, ships services work with CPAP and other essential medical equipment accommodations. Contact them ahead of time..

Lots of variety, great breakfasts and lunch choices, and dinner menu is often the same as served in the main dining room. Boredom will depend on the length of your cruise, because most cruise food has to be banquet type food in the big picture - unless one is going way premium in costs. We often did 40-50 day HAL cruises, found our favorites and were always happy with the Lido choices. Some we did not like and later avoided them (sushi has been improving, but is not a standout) but there are plenty others that make up for that. Plus there are other offerings around the ship to break up the variety - pizza and salads, Dive in burgers fries and hot dogs. HAL's stand out are their fresh baked bread, which makes even a very simple ham-butter sandwich on a slim baguette a welcome lunch time treat.