joannelj

No, I have 2 friends booking a separate cabin. But the availability of the large and small cabins isn’t in the same location. So either I talk them into a big cabin, or we don’t worry about being near each other, or I suck it up in a small cabin.

I'm booking a cabin on HAL for the first time, and I was wondering if there was a way to tell if the price I'm getting has price protection - I know on CCL if you book certain promotions, you give up the opportunity to get a price match later. I think what I'm booking is a decent price, and I can't tell that there's any amazing promotion going on right now, but I also know black friday and wave season deals are coming up soon, so I want to make sure I can snag a better deal if they offer one. I'm booking direct with Holland, using my AARP membership to get a bit of OBC. And the promotion right now just seems to be a reduced deposit. Do I need to call them to verify this? I hate phones. :0

Horizon Chaser - thank you for that easy to understand answer! It looks like a large interior is definitely what I really want. Now I just need to see if my traveling companions are game to spend a little extra. Thanks everyone for all the input - I've learned a lot today!

Okay, this info about the L cabins is what I was looking for - I was hoping to get a cabin with a sofa, to have a little extra sitting room. I've been looking for info on which category rooms have what, but I guess it's not that straightforward. Are all the regular insides an L or N? Do you have to go with the Large Inside to get the sofa?

Why are the L and N cabins bad? I think I was looking at an L as a possibility, but I can't get the website to load right now.

So, it sounds like some people prefer the sideways cabins, and other people prefer the regular ones. Is there really much difference, other than everything being turned sideways?

We haven't actually booked yet, trying to make the best choice.

I should have mentioned the ship - it's nieuw amsterdam

First time on HAL, and as I was booking I found the room types confusing. I'm okay with interior - I'm not worried about a view. But the prices on the large and OV rooms was not a lot more than the interior, and I thought some extra space would be nice. And that's when I got confused. A basic interior is listed as Approximately 141-284 sq. ft. The large interior is listed the same, 114-284. The OV is Approximately 169-267 sq. ft. So... is there really that wide a range in the basic interior? How much bigger is the large interior? The OV is both larger and smaller than the interior, depending on which side of the range you look at. So, in reality is it bigger than the Large interior? I'm sorry if this has been asked before, I tried to search but was using my mobile, and really didn't find anything. I've sailed RCCL, NCL, and CCL, and I'm looking forward to the upgrade to HAL! Thanks, JoAnne

Thank you for that link

I forgot to mention - which cruise line, if it matters? I'm not picky, I've been looking for a reason to try something new/different!

I've read a few threads here about allergies, and they were quite helpful, and make me believe I will be able to take my sister on a cruise. But I'm hoping for something a little more specific... My sister is allergic to sulfites. They are added to lots of prepackaged items, dry mixes, dried fruit, etc. (like gravy mixes, or onion soup mix, or dried peppers or dried fruit.) They are listed in ingredients, so she's usually able to keep it in control, when she is cooking for herself, or at most restaurants. (Yay restaurant nutrition websites!) Now this is not life or death, she won't die - but she will be violently ill, and in the room for the next 6-12 hours puking - so definitely would like to avoid this. So the question - do they have a list of all the different allergens the food might contain? Most places list the common ones, but don't mention sulphites. One of the few places that does is chipotle (https://chipotle.com/allergens) which I appreciate.

I've never sailed Oceania, but I saw an ad for the 20th Anniversary sale and was very interested - 2 for 1 cruise fares, plus free airfare? Yet when I look at the available cruises, they list a fare of $1299 per guest (which I assume is half of the price for 2 people, and the total would be $2598 for 2 people) , and then as I go through the booking process, that $1299 turns into $2049 (which is the price with airfare included - thought it was free?) So where is the sale? Am I missing something? I feel like it's a bait and switch.

Wow, thanks for all the replies! I forgot to turn on notifications, and then my feeble brain forgot that I'd posted for a few days - I would like to thank everyone for all the different options you've thrown out. It'll take me a bit of research to check them out. Honestly, I really love the idea of the silent disco - that sounds like a blast. I will dig some, and I will even look at the theme cruises. Thanks again!

I’ve cruised on Carnival, NCL, and RCCL. I’ve enjoyed them all - they all have different pros and cons. I love to dance. But as I get older, I’m finding most of these ships are geared towards the younger generations- understandably so. I’m looking to branch out into other cruise lines - maybe Celebrity, Princess, Holland America - and wondering which one might have dance options more aligned with my age. I’m most interested in music from the 70s, 80s, and some 90s. I guess now that is considered “oldies”. (Although to me, oldies will always be the 50s.). On a Carnival cruise, they had an 80s dance party, and it was packed. It only lasted 30 minutes, and then they switched the music to something much more current. Within 5 minutes, the place was empty, and every time I walked by that evening, it continued to be empty. It seems to me that lots of people enjoy 80s music - not just those of us that actually grew up then. I’d love to find a cruise line that targets, at least a little, my age group. I know there are theme cruises, but that’s not what I’m after. I want a cruise line that I can be loyal to, knowing that I will probably be able to find some music I enjoy.