crystalspin

You can check the year in My Cruise History when logged into your Mariner-number account on the HAL website. I have to check mine frequently!

No, there is a charge for all coffees at GDC. They make each one individually. I frequently saw officers standing in line for the coffee!

The rule is you must be a member and verified (a process that takes a few days) before making the booking. But that is not to say some haven't reported receiving OBC when not following the rule! Here is the splash page. https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/cruise-deals/community-appreciation-cruise-offers/aarp-member-benefit-offer

After a corporate meeting (all-PCC meeting) in about January, PCCs have been warning clients who want to book a triple or quad room for just one or two people, that HAL can and will 'bump' them if a "family" wants the room. And that the choice of standard (two-person) cabins may not be too good at that time... effectively steering a couple to book a double cabin leaving the larger capacity rooms open for groups. It is not yet clear what difference that will make on comfort-level or passenger-density on ships.

Oh my, Lois, I hope I am not the Carry-On Police! (Carry-On Cheerleader I can accept.) My aunt (who is closer in age to me than to my mom) has travelled all over Europe and to South America, with several higher-end river and ocean trips. She travels with a (checked) 24" suitcase and some-sort of tote. She has a system that works for her, as you do for yourself. She knows where everything she has, is, and she can handle her own luggage in most situations, such as disembarking. Enjoy your cruise!

Here is a video of your very cabin! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNWIWUmIY-I

Hi Cliff! I missed the recent discussion myself... So the answers are Yes, January 2026, the Zaandam. And the answer to a question you didn't ask: 93 days!!! or about three times the length of time I would consider being away at this time in my life.

If it doesn't say, it is docked. Grand Caymon (Georgetown) is a tender port per the itinerary on the website. Cartagena (I have been there) and apparently Puerto Limon are docks. There is no port for "Panama Canal" -- you sail up the Atlantic locks, turn around in Gatun Lake, and back down the locks. If you have a ship's excursion in PC, you will be transferred to a boat in Gatun Lake and meet the ship back in Colon (which is also apparently a docked port).

No of course not. If I send in one shirt or outfit, I am not expecting them to run one large industrial machine just for my garment(s). That it what soap (detergent) and water are for.

Welcome to Cruise Critic! You might repost here https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/689-viking-ocean/ and here https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/ I have ridden the Skagway rail a couple times and want to say it was your average step (pretty tall) to get on the traincar... but do not know if they have a way for "handicapped" to get on. OTOH, my mom did it with the last time being when she was 80!

Bingo!

So you reported your poor waiter to his boss? Classy.

Prohibited on many if not all lines. I don't know about "advance permission". They are pretty expensive to forfeit (also do not know about the ship holding them to end of voyage).

You have won the Internet for today!!! ETA: Did they really say 1K (1000) for dinner? Whether $ or €, I can cook for a table-full for that!

As @SbbquilterUT said, anything not replaceable (or expensive, inconvenient to replace). For us, in addition to documents, valuables, & medications, this would be electronics as well as toiletries. In other words, we keep our "personal item" with us, and leave our suitcases (which are carry-on sized, but who wants to tote or wheel them all around the ship?) with the porters.