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I understand that, but if it's a goal to achieve why worry about why or how anyone else has it? Just enjoy it. If it's a casino cruise and HAL is benefiting somehow from this and makes your cruise price more reasonable, who cares. Let them lose money in the casino and benefit everyone else. As has been said on this thread numerous times... casino freebees are not really free for most. As has also been said, why would you know how much someone pays for their cabin? Cherie. p.s. I agree that free laundry is HUGE.

I just read this interesting thread. There was also a recent thread about passengers who were not invited to join the President's Club because their days were not fully paid HAL days. Apparently casino and other discount fares did not qualify. I also thought the casinos were another company, like the spa and art store, and all money spent there does not go to HAL. VMax1700 There are also slot tournaments that are organized by passengers and are not $25,000. Yikes, that's serious $. mcrcruiser I have two coffee mugs from the Sands Hotel that my parents brought home when I was a child. Las Vegas was really a glamorous place. I don't really care what someone pays for their cabin and I think we overpay because we want specific cabins. But we also get the same benefits of those with 5 star status without 5 star status. Who cares who is a 2, 3,4, or 5 star? JMO. Cherie

Thank you 0106. Love your great photos and personal report. I think we all would expect fresh fish to be resting on ice. I had scallops one night in the Pinnacle so they may offer other fish, but others may be considered shell fish. I really should have tried more fresh fish options. Cherie

RuthC, If you do not get a pass for the entire cruise can just one in the cabin purchase a day pass? I understand if you do not know the answer. Thank you, Cherie

Is this case if they do not cancel, just don't show. I assume no notice given to HAL prior to the cruise. I have no idea. Cherie

The only time I noticed a long line for the MDR was on port days where everyone came back from a fun day, changed for dinner, and showed up for later dining. Early fixed diners who had missed their dining time were now in this line. If you are on a port intensive cruise I think that early dining may become a problem. We never had a problem with anytime dining getting a nice table, but we did not go to the dining room before 7:15. Doesn't anytime dining mean that you do not want to commit to a certain time for the entire cruise? But some want to confirm dining reservations for whenever they choose for the entire cruise? I never thought of choosing Anytime dining and asking the dining room to give me a table for my entire cruise for the time I want. Awesome. Cherie

You are welcome! You'll love the Oosterdam if you enjoy a smaller ship, we did. You might check out amazingvoyages2.blogspot.com. Jeff's photos and port reviews are amazing. They are on the Oosterdam and have recently been in the Med, Cherie

Oh, sorry. Yes it would make a difference to me that it is not an aft cabin and I would consider it. But I will say that we loved Deck 8. Great views from our balcony, it's an easy walk up to the Lido to grab a quick bite to eat or bring back to the cabin, and also the aft pool bar was wonderful. On your Med cruise you might be enjoying the pool which we did not use but I loved the location. Cherie

We were in an 8th deck aft wrap on the Oosterdam and I was worried about noise from the pool area but the only thing we heard occasionally was chairs. Noise from other passengers is the same as cabin neighbors. Friends of ours had one of the other deck 8 afts and chose the cruise because of it. They had previously been on the Oosterdam and he had gone down to the same aft on deck 4 and asked the occupants if they liked it. They said "never again" and showed him the view of the window washing machines that were always there. I think I recently saw an aft photo of the Oosterdam on Jeff Farschman's blog and the window washing machines are there. I would not choose deck 4 and we have another deck 8 aft wrap booked for 2026. I will however keep my eye open for a deck 6 or 7 if one becomes available. Hope this helps, Cherie

You are getting so many questions towards the end of your cruise. Please do not respond to this until you are happily home. Is it possible that HAL can give a best price guarantee because no other tour can guarantee that the ship will wait for you? This would be an easy out for them. I use your tour recommendations and thank you for such detailed posting. Enjoy every nano second of the sunset of this cruise, Cherie

Hooray!!! Have a great cruise. Cherie

We were in an aft wrap on the Oosterdam and it appeared larger than the others, not because of windows. It was amazing. We have an aft wrap on the Noordam booked for 2026. The outside space is amazing, but I thought the inside space was also larger after having a standard Neptune suite on the Zuiderdam. Not much experience, but always happy. Cherie

I think this is an aft wrap balcony which is fabulous. Not all Neptune suites on the Noordam will look like this.

I absolutely love your attitude. Sounds like you'll enjoy yourselves either way but I hope you "watch sailaway from the ship." Cherie

Our concierge on the Oosterdam in January did this for us and made sure there was a credit to our cc. I assume other concierges will do it. Cherie