Grand Cruise South America Questions

[serendipity1499]

We've never done a cruise longer than 28 days.. We've booked on the Prinsendam a RT Ft. Lauderdale Grand South American-Antarctica-Amazon Cruise next Jan 5, for (68 days) a little less than 10 weeks. I have questions which some might consider to be dumb, but I'm asking for your indulgance..As you can see, I'm a planner, so this is my first set of questions to those who have taken Grand or World Cruises:

1) Should we prepare for 18-20 Formal Nights or would there be only one formal night each week instead of two on a Grand Cruise?

2) In preparing for all those formal nights for DH, I figured a TUX, a Suit & a Blazer with dress shirts/ties & several pairs of slacks would work for both Formal & Smart Casual nights..We normally never eat dinner in the Lido..Do you think that is enough or should he have two suits, a blazer & his TUX?..He now only has one dark suit as we rarely dress in Fla., but if he needs two we'll go shopping..

3) Figure, I should take around 20 complete dinner outfits for both Formal & Smart casual nights..This way each one will be worn only 3-4 times & I can send them out for laundering or dry cleaning in between..We'll be in both cold & hot climates, so will wear layers, rain gear, warm jackets, gloves, scarves & hats during the day..Do you think 20 dinner outfits will be enough?

4) I know that the laundry will be closed the entire time we are in the Amazon, so we'll have to plan accordingly..When sending out dry cleaning, does anyone know how long it takes to come back?

5) One of the amenities is: HAL is paying to ship our luggage to & from the port..They will send us FedEx labels for 2 PC's of luggage per person to be shipped..Question: We live on the West Coast of Fla, does anyone know how far in advance we'll have to ship our luggage?

6) We always give a lagniappe to our Stewards, & that is our choice, so please don't chastise us for that..In the Pinnacle we will tip after each dinner.. But for those who give your DR & Cabin Stewards a little extra do you give it to them weekly, semi-weekly, monthly or at the end of the cruise? We always have asked them if they will be with us the entire time..

 

I know as time goes by, so slowly, ;) we'll have more questions & thank you all for your imput...

Cheers...:) Betty

[Sea42]

I just have to ask...

I thought a lagniappe was something that a seller gives to a customer. Such as a bakers dozen, giving the 13th item for free when someone purchases 12. Or is this a case of the word usage is different in different areas?

Just curious!

[serendipity1499]

I just have to ask...

I thought a lagniappe was something that a seller gives to a customer. Such as a bakers dozen, giving the 13th item for free when someone purchases 12. Or is this a case of the word usage is different in different areas?

Just curious!

 

LOL...Yes, you are correct, that was the original meaning..It's a very southern expression with a French origin, which I picked up from a lovely Southern Lady in our Sailing club..It also has other meanings such as a little something extra such as a gratuity or a tip, or unexpected & added gift...

Cheers...Betty

[RuthC]

Since you asked...

I think you are planning too many evening outfits. For my long cruises---mosting the 30-35 day range---I plan to wear each evening outfit 3-4 times. If I were on a cruise twice the length, I would plan to wear each outfit 7-8 times. That is I would increase the number of wearings, not the number of outfits.

Remember, too, that you will need some heavy clothes for the extreme southern latitudes. They take up a lot of luggage, and cabin closet/drawer, space.

Even though the formal night formula of 2/week would indicate 18-20 formal nights, I would expect fewer. That seems to be the pattern on longer cruises. The formula is reduced to something closer to 1 1/2 formal nights per week. Maybe 15, or so? Even then, I would be repeating outfits.

[Alberta Quilter]

The Amsterdam's World Cruise is shortly coming to an end so I'm sure the CC members on that cruise can answer many of your questions. You may even find some answers on the two threads that have been updated throughout the cruise.

 

Also, you could try to find threads/blogs for last year's South America Grand Voyage. I know I followed one but, unfortunately, I deleted that link. You might try searching for it here as I'm sure that's how I got the link to the blog(s).

 

Good Luck with your planning!

[Alberta Quilter]

http://southamerica.kweenkaren.com/

 

http://aroundthehornin66days.blogspot.ca/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=2

 

Perhaps these will help you with your planning!

[Sea42]

LOL...Yes, you are correct, that was the original meaning..It's a very southern expression with a French origin, which I picked up from a lovely Southern Lady in our Sailing club..It also has other meanings such as a little something extra such as a gratuity or a tip, or unexpected & added gift...

 

Cheers...Betty

It was a word I heard on occasion from my mother in law. Also a Southern Lady. :)

[kazu]

We've never done a cruise longer than 28 days.. We've booked on the Prinsendam a RT Ft. Lauderdale Grand South American-Antarctica-Amazon Cruise next Jan 5, for (68 days) a little less than 10 weeks. I have questions which some might consider to be dumb, but I'm asking for your indulgance..As you can see, I'm a planner, so this is my first set of questions to those who have taken Grand or World Cruises:

 

1) Should we prepare for 18-20 Formal Nights or would there be only one formal night each week instead of two on a Grand Cruise?

 

2) In preparing for all those formal nights for DH, I figured a TUX, a Suit & a Blazer with dress shirts/ties & several pairs of slacks would work for both Formal & Smart Casual nights..We normally never eat dinner in the Lido..Do you think that is enough or should he have two suits, a blazer & his TUX?..He now only has one dark suit as we rarely dress in Fla., but if he needs two we'll go shopping..I think that is plenty for him - i see no need for you to go shopping. A suit is easily changed with a different shirt and tie. I would nearly be tempted to just do the tux and the blazer or the suit and a blazer - but you do get your luggage shipped as part of the deal - so what the heck;)

 

3) Figure, I should take around 20 complete dinner outfits for both Formal & Smart casual nights..This way each one will be worn only 3-4 times & I can send them out for laundering or dry cleaning in between..We'll be in both cold & hot climates, so will wear layers, rain gear, warm jackets, gloves, scarves & hats during the day..Do you think 20 dinner outfits will be enough?I think it's more than enough. I have no problem to repeat outfits for formal night. On our longer cruises I have found the number of formal nights we are told always ends up being less. I think you will find that it is less than 2 formals per 7 days.

 

4) I know that the laundry will be closed the entire time we are in the Amazon, so we'll have to plan accordingly..When sending out dry cleaning, does anyone know how long it takes to come back? Drycleaning is just about as quick as laundry. We use it a lot (but not in the Amazon). it's normally back in 24 hours.

 

5) One of the amenities is: HAL is paying to ship our luggage to & from the port..They will send us FedEx labels for 2 PC's of luggage per person to be shipped..Question: We live on the West Coast of Fla, does anyone know how far in advance we'll have to ship our luggage?

 

6) We always give a lagniappe to our Stewards, & that is our choice, so please don't chastise us for that..In the Pinnacle we will tip after each dinner.. But for those who give your DR & Cabin Stewards a little extra do you give it to them weekly, semi-weekly, monthly or at the end of the cruise? We always have asked them if they will be with us the entire time.. You can tip them at the end as long as they are not leaving or changing positions. That's what I would probably do or tip at the end of each segment/make sure that they will be with you for the entire cruise (as you always do). Things can change - so perhaps double check the a couple nights before? I'm not sure what the correct protocol is for world/grand cruises. The 'experts' will be back soon to advise on that one.

 

I know as time goes by, so slowly, ;) we'll have more questions & thank you all for your imput...

 

Cheers...:) Betty

 

Hi Betty - you must be so thrilled - I put some comments down that may help a bit (I hope) in red after some of the questions. I haven't been on a 'Grand' cruise but on some longer ones and based my replies on that. I agree with Ruth - I don't think you will have as many formal nights as one might think. The world cruisers will be done shortly and it will be interesting to see what they have to say.:D

[surfsidemary]

I was on the 2012 SA voyage. Can't recall how many formal nights but I don't believe it was 18-20 - more like 10 or 12. Whether or not you feel you want a different outfit for each one is a matter of personal style.

 

FedEx luggage shipping. I'm in SC and they picked up my luggage about 6 days before sailing. I would think yours would be less than that. I have learned to use that week as "downtime" - the luggage is gone, I can stop worrying about what to pack and just deal with house matters. Never had a problem with the shipment and it's good to know that if you have more pieces at disembarkation, you can ship them also - at your own expense, of course.

 

Laundry - not necessarily shut down the whole time in the Amazon, but you had better plan on it. In 2012, after notice to hold back on laundry, the captain announced the next day that the Chief Engineer had done such a good job of managing the water supply that laundry service would resume.

 

FYI on Antarctica and Southern Chile - I found that a down vest that would go over a sweatshirt and thin thermal undershirt was plenty, along with hat/earmuffs/gloves, of course. I didn't even take a winter coat. It really wasn't all that cold, but it was windy and rainy.

[serendipity1499]

Since you asked...

I think you are planning too many evening outfits. For my long cruises---mosting the 30-35 day range---I plan to wear each evening outfit 3-4 times. If I were on a cruise twice the length, I would plan to wear each outfit 7-8 times. That is I would increase the number of wearings, not the number of outfits.

Good suggestion, Ruth I'll cut those outfits down even though it will kill me..I have so may cruise clothes & we rarely get to dress up in FLA..As my friend said tonight, "You always say you are going to cut back, but you never do"..LOL

 

Remember, too, that you will need some heavy clothes for the extreme southern latitudes. They take up a lot of luggage, and cabin closet/drawer, space.

Yes I have all those clothes from our previous trip around SA & also Alaska..When I pack those I use the special bags where you take the air out of them..They really work well on those things..

 

Even though the formal night formula of 2/week would indicate 18-20 formal nights, I would expect fewer. That seems to be the pattern on longer cruises. The formula is reduced to something closer to 1 1/2 formal nights per week. Maybe 15, or so? Even then, I would be repeating outfits.

 

That's good to know Thanks so much for your suggestions..

 

The Amsterdam's World Cruise is shortly coming to an end so I'm sure the CC members on that cruise can answer many of your questions. You may even find some answers on the two threads that have been updated throughout the cruise.

 

Also, you could try to find threads/blogs for last year's South America Grand Voyage. I know I followed one but, unfortunately, I deleted that link. You might try searching for it here as I'm sure that's how I got the link to the blog(s).

 

Good Luck with your planning!

 

That's good to know Thanks so much for finding them for me & your sugestions....

thanks again..:)Betty

[serendipity1499]

Hi Betty - you must be so thrilled - I put some comments down that may help a bit (I hope) in red after some of the questions. I haven't been on a 'Grand' cruise but on some longer ones and based my replies on that. I agree with Ruth - I don't think you will have as many formal nights as one might think. The world cruisers will be done shortly and it will be interesting to see what they have to say.:D

 

Thanks so much Jacqui...Happy to know there may be less formal nights..On our last 28 day cruise DH when we approached our 8th formal night DH was saying he was tired of them & I agreed with him, but we've always eaten in the MDR on all our cruises, so we try to follow the suggested dress code..I think if he takes both his suit & his TUX he will not get worn out with the Formal nights..He can wear his sports jacket to the ship..Thjanks for your other suggestions..I'm staring to get into the mood as I really did not want to go on this cruise by DH had his heart set on it, so I agreed..I'm really going to miss our cruise buddies, but as she said tonight, they have other things which must come first..

Hopefully the planning will help me get more excited..

Cheers...Betty

[serendipity1499]

I was on the 2012 SA voyage. Can't recall how many formal nights but I don't believe it was 18-20 - more like 10 or 12. Whether or not you feel you want a different outfit for each one is a matter of personal style.

 

Thanks Mary - That's good to know, I'll plan on less formal nights..No don't need a different one for each, but hate to wear the same one 4 times..Will try to get away with 5-6 formal outfits & then I'll be happy..When they tell us our docs are ready to print which I'm assuming will be about a month before then I can plan better..But in the meantime I want to get my list ready & try all my clothes on again..

 

FedEx luggage shipping. I'm in SC and they picked up my luggage about 6 days before sailing. I would think yours would be less than that. I have learned to use that week as "downtime" - the luggage is gone, I can stop worrying about what to pack and just deal with house matters. Never had a problem with the shipment and it's good to know that if you have more pieces at disembarkation, you can ship them also - at your own expense, of course.

 

OK That might be before Dec 31 or just after New Years..I'll give FedEx a call when we get the labels & ask them what the best time would be..And you are right those last few days should be getting the dog settled & things ready to close up the house. etc..

 

Laundry - not necessarily shut down the whole time in the Amazon, but you had better plan on it. In 2012, after notice to hold back on laundry, the captain announced the next day that the Chief Engineer had done such a good job of managing the water supply that laundry service would resume.

 

Yes, it would be good if they opened it before but when we were on the Prinsendam in 2006 & another line in 2007, both times they closed the laundry the entire time..I think it would be best if I plan for it not to be open...Although I can wash things in the sink if push comes to shove..

 

FYI on Antarctica and Southern Chile - I found that a down vest that would go over a sweatshirt and thin thermal undershirt was plenty, along with hat/earmuffs/gloves, of course. I didn't even take a winter coat. It really wasn't all that cold, but it was windy and rainy.

 

I have all the clothes from our last cruise to SA & our cruise to Alaska, including long silk underware, so that's not a problem..But, living in FL for over 20 years, we're no longer used to the cold & snow, so I still will take the jacket I took the last time..I had forgotten to take a scarf & ended up buying one..We spend our entire time out on Promenade deck, so hope that they still have the blanket chest there..Did they serve you hot pea soup while you were viewing the glaciers?

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions & hope you enjoyed your trip..Are you going to do a review of it, when you get settled down?

Cheers...:)Betty

[blue whale]

If I remember correctly from the 2011 SA voyage, there were no more than 10 formal nights. On casual nights, dress was very casual for some folks. One gentleman wore his old jeans with a sloppy top pulled over on many occasions. At our table, everyone dressed very stylishly. We prefer stylish casual for informal nights. There were no evenings where a regular jacket was required, other than the formal nights. Of course, in Pinnacle, dress was more sophisticated; more men wore jackets.

 

My husband still wears ties. Few men seem to do that.

 

By the way, we took our winter coats and wool hats and gloves. We were glad we did. I have a photo of me in a ski hat and my hood pulled up over the hat!

 

Dorothy

[serendipity1499]

If I remember correctly from the 2011 SA voyage, there were no more than 10 formal nights. On casual nights, dress was very casual for some folks. One gentleman wore his old jeans with a sloppy top pulled over on many occasions. At our table, everyone dressed very stylishly. We prefer stylish casual for informal nights. There were no evenings where a regular jacket was required, other than the formal nights. Of course, in Pinnacle, dress was more sophisticated; more men wore jackets.

 

My husband still wears ties. Few men seem to do that.

 

By the way, we took our winter coats and wool hats and gloves. We were glad we did. I have a photo of me in a ski hat and my hood pulled up over the hat!

 

Dorothy

 

Thanks Dorothy for the info on the Formal nights..

Will plan on less formal nights then..Dh normally wears a jacket in the Pinnacle, but not necessarily a tie & occasionally wears a jacket on Smart casual nights only because the MDR & the Show room are often cold..He stopped wearing his TUX the last two cruises, but I'm hoping he'll agree to take his Tux & a Suit on this cruise..We'll see..

After a few years of living in Fla I gave most of our winter coats away & only kept one dress coat for me & a dress leather jacket for DH..For our previous SA & Alaska cruises, I was able to get by with an all weather jacket with hood & zip in lining, with layers under it, but also wore my fur hat pulled down over my ears & gloves when out on deck..Only thing I forgot was a scarf- had to purchase one on board..We'll take those with us again & dress in layers as both of us seem to get cold..

Only thing I miss about living up North is Snow at Christmas..;):)

Cheers...:)Betty

[surfsidemary]

FedEx luggage shipping. I'm in SC and they picked up my luggage about 6 days before sailing. I would think yours would be less than that. I have learned to use that week as "downtime" - the luggage is gone, I can stop worrying about what to pack and just deal with house matters. Never had a problem with the shipment and it's good to know that if you have more pieces at disembarkation, you can ship them also - at your own expense, of course.

 

OK That might be before Dec 31 or just after New Years..I'll give FedEx a call when we get the labels & ask them what the best time would be..And you are right those last few days should be getting the dog settled & things ready to close up the house. etc..

 

Betty - about the FedEx schedule - When I contacted HAL's luggage department to make arrangements, they told me what day and time the luggage would be picked up from my house. They have also variously mailed me the tags or the local FedEx person has dropped them off, well in advance of pick up day.

[serendipity1499]

Betty - about the FedEx schedule - When I contacted HAL's luggage department to make arrangements, they told me what day and time the luggage would be picked up from my house. They have also variously mailed me the tags or the local FedEx person has dropped them off, well in advance of pick up day.

 

Thanks Mary..That;s good to know..

Cheers..:)Betty

[Fred321]

We were also on the 2011 voyage and blue whale is right that there were only around 10 formal nights. Seems to me that the early formal nights were much more "formal" than the later ones at least for the men. We were at a table with a number of veterans of the round the world cruise and the tux's came out early but not as much at the end when everyone seemed to think of the ship more as home than a resort. May not be to everyone's liking but it does reflect well on how comfortable the Prinsendam crew will make you feel.

 

I think your husband will be fine with a dark suit and a blazer and some shirts and ties that he can mix and match.

[0bnxshs]

LOL...Yes, you are correct, that was the original meaning..It's a very southern expression with a French origin, which I picked up from a lovely Southern Lady in our Sailing club..It also has other meanings such as a little something extra such as a gratuity or a tip, or unexpected & added gift...

Cheers...Betty

 

Just to belabor a point for a moment, lagniappe is actually Spanish in origin, especially to the Louisiana area where the French adopted the word. It's really Andean in origin, from the Quechua dialect. I remember when I was quite young my grandmother, a proper Southern lady I'm sure much like your sailing club friend, would use it when shopping at farmer's markets and at grocers and butchers stands, almost as if she were referring to a third person: What about Lanny Yapp?" she would ask. I can even remember wondering who that was at the time and it wasn't until long later that I learned. I never heard her use it in the context you have, but that's the cool thing about our living language: things change! :)

 

Sounds like a wonderful cruise... and I'm sure you'll figure out your needs.

[HamburgAvonLady]

Hi: We did a 46 day repo cruise on RCCL's Mariner of the Seas in Jan. '09. Left out of FLA. and ended in CAL. with a full transit down to Rio, Buenos Aires and Ushuaia and Cape Horn and back up the west coast of SA and Mexico. We had about 2 formal nights per week --- I took 3 dressy long outfits and didn't worry about whether anyone thought they had seen them before. Lets face it --- you are traveling for a long time with luggage and laundry limitations (our ship had no self-serve laundry) so you will be wearing the same outfits more often --- just like everyone else !

 

DH took two suits --- one black that with a formal shirt and bow tie looked just like a Tux. A couple of dress pants/ties that he could mix/match with the jackets. Worked out fine as we dined in the MD 99 % for dinner.

 

As far as warmer clothes for Cape Horn and Antartica --- I took a raincoat with a zip out liner (which I wore on the plane down as we live in Western NY along with my heavier slacks and it was already winter here) -- a couple of turtlenecks, long silk underwear, gloves (MUST !) and a scarf. Needless to say, the day we docked at Ushuaia -- the temps were in the 50's, flowers blooming and beautiful blue, sunny skies, I was TOOOOOOOOOOOO warm !!

 

The seas were like glass going through the straits and even our captain apologized for the extremely calm seas.

 

I took about 10 casual outfits suitable for warm weather as we had more of that then cool

and just mixed up the tops and bottoms. Kept my shoes to a minimum, as well.

 

This was a wonderful trip ---- I would repeat it again in a heartbeat !!!!!

[serendipity1499]

Hi: We did a 46 day repo cruise on RCCL's Mariner of the Seas in Jan. '09. Left out of FLA. and ended in CAL. with a full transit down to Rio, Buenos Aires and Ushuaia and Cape Horn and back up the west coast of SA and Mexico. We had about 2 formal nights per week --- I took 3 dressy long outfits and didn't worry about whether anyone thought they had seen them before. Lets face it --- you are traveling for a long time with luggage and laundry limitations (our ship had no self-serve laundry) so you will be wearing the same outfits more often --- just like everyone else !

 

DH took two suits --- one black that with a formal shirt and bow tie looked just like a Tux. A couple of dress pants/ties that he could mix/match with the jackets. Worked out fine as we dined in the MD 99 % for dinner.

 

As far as warmer clothes for Cape Horn and Antartica --- I took a raincoat with a zip out liner (which I wore on the plane down as we live in Western NY along with my heavier slacks and it was already winter here) -- a couple of turtlenecks, long silk underwear, gloves (MUST !) and a scarf. Needless to say, the day we docked at Ushuaia -- the temps were in the 50's, flowers blooming and beautiful blue, sunny skies, I was TOOOOOOOOOOOO warm !!

 

The seas were like glass going through the straits and even our captain apologized for the extremely calm seas.

 

I took about 10 casual outfits suitable for warm weather as we had more of that then cool

and just mixed up the tops and bottoms. Kept my shoes to a minimum, as well.

 

This was a wonderful trip ---- I would repeat it again in a heartbeat !!!!!

 

Thanks Avon Lady..We've been to South America before..I'm not in the least bit worried about our coats, hats, & silk under ware, etc as have used all those on our previous South Amer & Alaska cruises... We spend our days out on Promenade deck & are nice & cozy in our winter togs..By the way after living in Fla for 23 years, 50 degrees is cold for us..:) I'm also hoping that we'll have a little bit of weather rounding Cape Horn..DH & our Friends DH were disappointed that it was smooth as glass..We're all sailors & the men especially enjoy a little bit of excitement..

I'm also retired from the airline industry & know about limiting clothes & am cognizant of baggage weights for travel, but I no longer wish to limit myself as we rarely get to dress here in FLA..And as much as I try, I'll still pack 6-8 pairs of shoes when we cruise...:o

We had many occasions to dress when we worked in NY, but only get to dress at Christmas & New Year's in FLa..I miss dressing up & will pack as many different outfits which I can squeeze into our 4 suitcases & two carry=ons.. ;)

The beauty of cruising out of Ft. Lauderdale for us, is that we drive to the port, so I don't have to limit myself any more...Also for this cruise, HAL is paying FedEx to ship our 4 pcs of luggage to & from Home..:)Thank goodness as DH constantly complains that I pack too much..LOL

I'm actually more concerned about how many formal nights we'll have on the Prinsendam.. Normally on HAL, there are two a week which would mean approx 18 to 20 in 68 days..However those who were on the 2011 & 2012 Grand SA cruise said there were only 10 to 12..I'll plan accordingly..

We've been through the canal 5 times,,once around the Horn & this will be our third time in & out of the Amazon..The new part for us will be Antarctica & the coast of Brazil from RIO on up to the Amazon..We've never done a 68 day before, so I'm in the process of planning my clothes for formal nights...Have plenty of Smart Casual clothes & don't mind wearing clothes again but why limit myself if I don't have to especially if we are not flying...Guess I'm just spoiled.. ;)

Thanks so much for your suggestions..

cheers...:)Betty

[RuthC]

We've been to South America before..I'm not in the least bit worried about our coats, hats, & silk under ware, etc as have used all those on our previous South Amer & Alaska cruises... We spend our days out on Promenade deck & are nice & cozy in our winter togs..

The Antarctica portion of your cruise can be so much colder than far South America or Alaska, though.

On both of my cruises there, there has been one day with bitter cold and fierce wind, making the wind-chill factor almost unbearable. I was wearing my heaviest winter coat, with a heavy sweatshirt underneath, and my hood up, and could only stay outside, on the lee side of the ship, behind the superstructure, for a few minutes at a time.

Other portions of the time there were more pleasant---almost balmy!---but it's better to be prepared.

[kazu]

Betty - just a thank you for starting this thread -this is going to be a great resource for those considering a grand voyage in the future:)

[serendipity1499]

The Antarctica portion of your cruise can be so much colder than far South America or Alaska, though.

 

On both of my cruises there, there has been one day with bitter cold and fierce wind, making the wind-chill factor almost unbearable. I was wearing my heaviest winter coat, with a heavy sweatshirt underneath, and my hood up, and could only stay outside, on the lee side of the ship, behind the superstructure, for a few minutes at a time.

Other portions of the time there were more pleasant---almost balmy!---but it's better to be prepared.

 

Thanks ruth, Thats good to know..Only have heavy black dress coat & was not planning to take that, but will plan on taking very heavy sweatsshirts.. Will also take my heavy vest ..My silk long underware should help, but will also pack DH's longjohns..f it's to cold, we'll just have to watch from indoors..This is DH's dream trip..

 

Betty - just a thank you for starting this thread -this is going to be a great resource for those considering a grand voyage in the future:)

 

Thanks Jacqui..

 

cheers...Betty:)

[blue whale]

When we did the SA with HAL in 2011, one of the "pillow gifts" was a pouch that contained a heavy scarf, gloves, and a cap that pulled down over the ears. The gloves were "cool." There were no fingers in them, but rather a flap to pull over the fingers. This was an aid to picture taking.

 

And remember the gift we always seem to get on grand cruises—the duffel bag to carry stuff home. Each person gets one, so a couple gets two. That is a great help when packing to come home.

 

On a different topic—another gift is the stuffed animal—again one per person. In 2011 we got a toucan that is neat. I really had hoped for a penguin, so this past year 2012, when we went with Regent, I bought my stuffed penguin in one of the ports for 10 dollars. I can guess that this year in 2013, we will get penguins!

 

There is nothing like the luggage pick-up service. That is why we have booked Grand Voyages for 2013. At first, we planned on doing the Rotterdam 88-night trip out of Southampton in Jan, but it was not called a Grand Voyage, and ergo, no luggage pickup. We could not manage handling the amount of luggage required for 88-nights, so cancelled that trip and decided on the SA again.

 

One year, I decided to cut back on the clothes and shoes I took. I got bored with myself. So now we take plenty of changes. We have cut back on the carry-on bags we take—too hard to handle on the planes.

 

Dorothy

[serendipity1499]

When we did the SA with HAL in 2011, one of the "pillow gifts" was a pouch that contained a heavy scarf, gloves, and a cap that pulled down over the ears. The gloves were "cool." There were no fingers in them, but rather a flap to pull over the fingers. This was an aid to picture taking.

 

And remember the gift we always seem to get on grand cruises—the duffel bag to carry stuff home. Each person gets one, so a couple gets two. That is a great help when packing to come home.

 

On a different topic—another gift is the stuffed animal—again one per person. In 2011 we got a toucan that is neat. I really had hoped for a penguin, so this past year 2012, when we went with Regent, I bought my stuffed penguin in one of the ports for 10 dollars. I can guess that this year in 2013, we will get penguins!

 

There is nothing like the luggage pick-up service. That is why we have booked Grand Voyages for 2013. At first, we planned on doing the Rotterdam 88-night trip out of Southampton in Jan, but it was not called a Grand Voyage, and ergo, no luggage pickup. We could not manage handling the amount of luggage required for 88-nights, so cancelled that trip and decided on the SA again.

 

One year, I decided to cut back on the clothes and shoes I took. I got bored with myself. So now we take plenty of changes. We have cut back on the carry-on bags we take—too hard to handle on the planes.

 

Dorothy

 

Thanks Dorothy...Wasn't aware that the pillow gifts were so elaborate..Figured just a few more tiles, plates or key chains to add to our collection..LOL..We've never taken a grand cruise, so didn't know about the duffle either..

Yes, we Love the fact that HAL is giving as an amenity luggage pickup service..And like you, I'm afraid that I too will get bored if I cut back too much on clothes & shoes..I did that when I worked in the airline industry for 28 years & was tired of it..

I'm no longer willing to worry about the weight of bags if I can help it..Only thing I'm doing is cutting back on the size of our luggage..Ditched our 29 inch bag when we moved only because it was too heavy for DH to handle..Now only taking max 26 inches each..If I have to ship & pay shipping for a fifth bag, so be it..

I'm now in the process of looking at insurance coverage..Will have a basic Travel ex policy, but looking into a supplimental which might help to cover an emergency evacuation to the hospital of our choice in the U.S if necessary..

On one our our Amazon cruises, we had a CC poster who's Mom became ill & was evacuated into a Hospital in Manaus..i will never forget her story..Amexco Insurance would not cover her evac. back into the U.S...So she borrowed $50,000 from her bank to get her Mom evac. back to the U.S...Unfortunately her Mom passed away two weeks later..

 

 

Betty