Snooksi

Staying at Hilton Marina FLL and noticed we can select our room online day before check in. We do have a tower room reserved, but does anyone know what rooms (or what side of the building) would give us a good view of Allure at the port? Thanks in advance...

I've stayed there before but never knew we could select our room the day before. THANK YOU for the heads up as I'll be staying in a tower room again this December!! Had a great stay there back in 2013, so looking forward to another great stay in December.

We spent the day at Chankanaab Park and swam with the sea lions. Then we went scuba diving (my first time) with the dolphins and it was an absolutely incredible experience and one I will treasure forever.

Yes this is the powerboat Joe uses to get to places people want to go in the short time they have in port - The Baths, Willie T, Pirate's Bight, Jost,etc. If you read JaneDoe's report in your thread it's a great day and definitely one of the best options for a visit to the Baths. I think this a unique opportunity to take advantage of a trip to the Baths and Cooper Island on a small powerboat with fewer people. Joe is very experienced with sailing the islands and is very safety conscious.

 

Once you make up your mind between this excursion and the snorkel excursion you can look forward to the experience you chose. Unfortunately you just don't have time to see all of the highlights while in port, and I'd suggest returning for a longer visit so you have that opportunity as the islands of the BVI are gorgeous! ;)

Exactly!! It sounds like in order to do everything I want, we'll need to find another cruise which returns to Tortola!! I'll ask my kids which excursion they would rather do...The Baths OR Snorkeling off Peter/Salt/Cooper Islands to see the shipwreck and sea turtles. Whichever they decide will be fine with me and we'll just have to return in order to do the other!!

Hi! I have also looked into those options and I believe that Patouche charters is able to do both because it is not a sailing catamaran, it is a motorized catamaran.

 

Have a great cruise!

:)

Yes, he wrote back to me yesterday and it will be a power boat. It doesn't even look like a catamaran (pic link posted below) and I was a bit disappointed. DeBlonde took the same excursion (a few posts down) and was really disappointed and said she would be writing a review but I couldn't find it, so I just asked her if she ever wrote it. I would really like to see what the disappointments were.

I haven't decided what to do yet. The Artistocrat Charter sounds wonderful and we would snorkel and see Salt, Peter and Cooper Islands which would allow us to see sea turtles, fish/reefs and the shipwreck with lunch onboard a real catamaran. But, I just can't see visiting Tortola without getting to see the Baths. The snorkeling was actually an afterthought when I first started planning our time in Tortola.

Lots of thinking to do. :confused:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g147354-d646316-i107613613-Patouche_Charters-Tortola_British_Virgin_Islands.html

I need more time to write a complete review... but I would suggest to all those booking an excursion with Patouche to be very careful. We received the Bait and Switch and it was blamed on the fact we were only in port from 7am-3pm. This was a known factor upon our request for a quote and upon our booking. We did not get the sailing catamaran for the Baths tour that is discussed on the website and the quote/literature sent to me by Joe. Rather, he picked us up in a power catamaran for a full day excursion (without a restroom). There are other significant factors to which I will elaborate on in my full review, but I wanted to get the message out as soon as possible for any of those who are already booked or thinking of booking to 'buyer beware'.

Did you ever write a full review? I would love to read it as I was considering this trip when we cruise there in December.

We wanted to do the Catamaran excursion to the Baths/Virgin Gorda and Cooper Island. However, when I emailed Patouche our information and told him we would be in port from 8-4, he already told me we would be taking the Maverick, the power catamaran that looks nothing like a catamaran. This was very disappointing so I contacted Aristocrat Charters. They don't even offer the Baths excursion because of our port time.

Now, I don't know what to do. We had our hearts set on a catamaran excursion to the Baths and the snorkeling was a great bonus!! Our other option is to go with Aristocrat on a real catamaran and see Salt, Peter and Cooper Islands which would only be snorkeling, but we'd get to see sea turtles and the shipwreck and would be given lunch on board for $5 less p/p than Patouche. However, I just can't imagine visiting Tortola and not being able to see the Baths. What to do...what to do???

I like that Shore Excursioner is just Orient and Maho beach. We did Bernard's on our first trip to St. Maarten - and it's great for a first visit. This time, we don't care to go to the Oyster Pond or Marigot.

 

Has anyone taken the Shore Excursioner tour? If so - how was it?

Exactly the same for us. Went to St Maarten in 2013 and did Bernard's, which was a GREAT tour. But for a second visit in December, we only want to go to Orient and Maho beaches to enjoy the sun, jet skis and planes landing so close. I also booked Shore Excursioneer's Orient/Maho Beach Bum tour, so I also look forward to hearing from anyone who has already been on it.

We will be in Tortola on Christmas Eve from 8-4 on the Nieuw Amsterdam. To me, this port time is a typical duration of most cruise lines.

I contacted Aristocrat Charter and Patouche Charter about a day sail. After reading all of the info I found online, I thought it would be cool to go to the Baths (can't imagine visiting Tortola and not seeing the Baths) and snorkel off of Salt Island to see the shipwreck. I liked the fact that Aristocrat serves lunch on board and is included in their (great) price.

I heard back from both. Patouche will take us to the Baths and Cooper Island. We would have to get lunch (on our own) on Cooper Island. His price is $5 more p/p without lunch than Aristocrat.

Aristocrat said since our port stay is shorter than most cruises (8-4, say what?), we can't see the Baths at all and can only go to Salt Island where we can snorkel and see the shipwreck and then two other islands, one having sea turtles.

For us, the must see is the Baths and the snorkeling is just an added bonus. I don't want to take an excursion to the Baths by bus and thought a catamaran w/snorkeling would be much more fun. Seeing a real live shipwreck would have been incredible and seeing a sea turtle in its natural habitat....no words.

That being said, neither offers what I really want. :( Has anyone been to Tortola and can help or offer what other options there are based on what we want to do? Thanks for any help!!

What about horseback riding in the ocean? They advertise as young as 6 and you don't need riding experience. The 3 yr old might be able to ride in the same saddle just in front of you or your hubby but you would have to email them to ask.

We have it booked for our cruise in December but we have done it in Jamaica and had an absolute ball!! It was so much fun riding along the trail and then the beach and the highlight....taking them into the ocean to swim/ride.

I was able to find a picture of the grey cabana with number 11 on it, so I did get the cabana I want. The problem is the maps have colors on the cabanas but they don't correspond exactly with the colors that HAL calls the cabanas. Mystery solved!

I also chose this cabana for our Nieuw Amsterdam cruise in December. Everyone said it is far enough away from the crowds and I liked that it has a few trees and the hammock for relaxation!! I found a thread from someone who said there is now a new beach villa in between 12 and 13 so they had to cut down all the trees. Someone else said the crew hangs out right past 15 and they tend to get loud and rambunctious, so I thought 11, Gray should be PERFECT!!

Yes, it is confusing.

 

Just book it in your name. Don't worry about wait listing your children, or even listing them. Don't worry about the .5 hour business. The way the computer looks at is....you are booking it just for you. Once you book it for you alone, you may have 3 guests, but you don't have to list them. This has been a confusing issue for awhile.

 

The .5 hour thing is a place filler. All other excursions have fixed start times, end times, and durations. For a cabana, you may go ashore when you want, stay as long as you want,,and return when you want. No fixed times or durations, except the length of the ship's stay.

THANK YOU so much, Bruce. I did what you said and when I just checked the reservation in my name only, it went through and I am excited to say, I now have the reservation for a cabana!! We are so excited!! We are new to HAL, so I'm still learning the ropes and I see they have IT issues just as all the other lines do.

Thanks so much for your help. These boards are awesome and I always learn so much and get all of my questions answered because of such helpful fellow cruisers!! :)

Hi!! We will be in Half Moon Cay on December 26th on the Nieuw Amsterdam. When I went to book a cabana, it says there is only room for one person (me) and my guests (my two kids) would have to be on a waiting list. Say what?? It also told me I can change times but the time listed is 0.5 hrs and you can't change times on the website. The rental is for the entire day. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong and how I can go about booking a cabana before there aren't any more available?

I just count down the days. However, the cruise comes one day sooner because I count until we leave for the airport the day before. I have a vacation countdown on my desktop and it allows you to post a picture of the ship, so every time I'm at my computer I get to see how many days until we leave. I also have a view of the ocean from a ship's balcony as my desktop background. Just some fun stuff to keep me excited while impatiently waiting! 86 days and counting!!! :)

I can't speak for any of the suites except the CLS L1 and we absolutely loved it!! To me, it felt bigger because of the two floors and having the two bathrooms was especially nice when all of us were trying to get ready. The balcony is smaller than the other suites but having the two story window overlooking the ocean was just incredible. Also, the balcony was big enough for two loungers and we had them bring us a third chair. I also enjoyed how contemporary it was and it was so quiet being on the 17th floor.

I have booked another one next May and to me, it was well worth the extra money. How often can anyone say they were in a two story room (with that incredible two story window for the view) on a SHIP? The suite perks were great as well and everyone went out of their way to ensure we had the most fantastic vacation!!

I have always booked my own to have more control over my reservation. We always stay at the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina. Nice, clean hotel with gorgeous views of the waterway from the balconies, great restaurants and bars and we have always had great service and stays. We're staying there again this December before our Nieuw Amsterdam cruise. I loved waking up in the morning and being able to see the ship...just brought about even more excitement!!

I have also known a lot of fellow cruisers to stay at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 or the Embassy Suites (free breakfast and happy hour but no balconies). I have heard rave reviews from all three of these hotels and they are all within a couple of miles from the port; Embassy being the furthest but still really close.

Thanks everyone. Must be a glitch with HAL because it still doesn't show when I click the indulgences on their website. Every other liquor is available and the alcohol cards and regular beverage cards, just nothing for a Signature Package Card. I'll call them so I can get them ordered.

I'll also just buy OBC now that I know I'll get whatever is left back that I don't use. THANK YOU for telling me that. I don't want a massive bill when my vacation is over and feel more comfortable paying for everything in advance. Then all I have to pay for are the little incidentals from the actual vacation.

I appreciate the help so much and it's great just being able to come here knowing my questions will be answered. THANK YOU EVERYONE!!

Hi Everyone,

Some questions I couldn't find on the HAL for Dummies thread.

I want to purchase two Signature Beverage Packages for our December cruise. However, I can't find where to do so on the HAL website. I found the link, but it takes me to Excursions, Gifts and Dining. There aren't any SBP available under Gifts/Beverages. It only lists Alcohol Beverage Cards for $100 or $250, which is not what I want. What am I doing wrong? Do they only allow purchases a certain amount of days before the cruise? I can buy excursions/gifts and reserve specialty dining right now.

Also, can you pay the cruise gratuities upfront/online anywhere? Can I purchase WIFI in advance? I like to purchase as many things as possible pre-cruise, so I don't have a huge bill once the cruise is over.

Thanks for any help!

Question for those of you who took your own tree, how on earth did you get it to the ship? Did you put it in your luggage or carry it on? I would think it would take up too much space in luggage and carrying it on....well, what a pain. Just curious how you got it there and what type of shape it was in when you arrived.

I think I'll probably just buy one, since the picture the earlier poster posted was just incredible. It is sooooooooo much nicer than the tree they offered for sale on RCCL in 2013 and I posted that one below.

Thank you for starting this thread and thanks to the person who posted the pics. I think the tree is beautiful and much nicer than the tree we ordered on RCCL. I can't imagine a bigger size as this one looks perfect for a small table!

Please read my review from last year on the Amsterrdam. I don't want you to go with over the top expectations like I did. Good luck and I hope you have a great cruise.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=522501

Wow, I read your review and it sounded like a horrible vacation/holiday. I'm so sorry to hear that and I definitely hope our cruise is better. I have never been disappointed with any of my cruises (knock on wood) and I hope this one coming up is as wonderful as my others.

Kids don't bother me (I'm bringing two well-behaved teenagers) but we don't use the pool and I'm sure that's where loud, rambunctious kids are going to be. We specifically chose this cruise, so we could just veg out on our balcony and relax. I certainly hope the food is better than on your cruise and luckily, we're at sea on Christmas day.

Thank you for your review. I was just sorry to hear your holiday didn't meet your expectations. My expectations are pretty high regarding Christmas decorations and I hope the Nieuw Amsterdam doesn't let me down.

Thanks for all of the great info, everyone. I'll make reservations for the last night, so we don't miss the really good meals in the MDR.

Tamarind's menu doesn't look appeasing to us. Our favorite restaurant, here at home, is a Japanese grill and we've never found another Asian restaurant on a ship (or anywhere else) who can top it. We aren't sushi eaters either, but thanks for the suggestion. We love steak and seafood so the sample menu at Pinnacle Grill looked very appetizing to us.

This board has been so helpful and I'm so glad it's here and I have appreciated everyone's information/experiences/suggestions. I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions between now and December. Thanks everyone!!

We are sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam this Christmas. Is there anywhere I can go to find menus for the main dining room for the 9 days we sail? I want to make reservations at the Pinnacle Grill for one night, but would like to choose a night the menu wouldn't be to our liking. I'd hate to go to specialty dining one night, only to find out they had something really good in the MDR that same night. I know on RCCL, they always save lobster night for the night everyone dresses up. Is that how it works on HAL as well? How do I find out which nights are the Gala nights? I thought I read somewhere that HAL has prime rib on the night of embarkation. Is this true? I know I don't want to book the PG on Christmas eve or Christmas night but that's about all I know.

I know RCCL always rotates the same menus (so you can look them up online before leaving) but their ships alternate the same itineraries each month. I noticed HAL has so many different itineraries for each ship and offer so many longer cruise dates, which would make rotating a menu much harder.

Thanks for any help or direction.

Thanks again everyone for the information. Believe me, we will see/do every Christmas activity offered and I'm glad we'll be at sea on Christmas day. We will also be sure to eat in the MDR on Christmas eve!

rkacruiser..thanks for the heads up about the tree eventually coming. I always buy sparkling wine, goodies, choc strawberries for our bon voyages. One time, the items weren't waiting for us when we arrived to our suite and I was really upset, but I always bring all of my receipts each trip, so I knew we would get what we ordered. They just hadn't arrived yet and came within 15 min of us getting to the suite. I quickly learned to just give them some time. I can't imagine completely turning a cruise ship around in 4 hours between cruises and due to excitement, we tend to get to the ship rather early.

We're looking forward to a very magical and memorable Christmas this year thanks to HAL.

Thanks everyone. That's exactly what I was hoping to hear and I thank you for sharing your experiences.

I just told my 16 y/o that she will even receive a gift from Santa and you should have seen her eyes light up!! It sounds like this cruise is going to be INCREDIBLE and I am so excited and just counting down the days!!

It will be nice to attend the midnight Christmas service and I'm so glad they offer one.

Thank you, rkacruiser about the info regarding the little trees. I will definitely call Ship Services before we sail so we will have a little Christmas tree waiting for us in our cabin!

Only 105 days to go!!

I haven't been on for Christmas but would love to.

 

I have seen a ton of pics though and read threads avidly.

 

the decorations are absolutely gorgeous - everything from Christmas trees to gingerbread houses and it is my understanding that Santa even comes :)

 

It seems to be a very special time indeed.

 

I don't know if they have trees to sell, but I wouldn't be surprised.

 

No matter what, I think you are in for a treat :)

 

If it weren't for worry about storms, we would be there in a moment.

 

Lucky you :)

Thanks, Kazu. We sailed on RCCL's Allure of the Seas the week before Christmas and the decorations, were indeed, incredible. They sold little artificial decorated trees in their gift/floral selections, which were very festive and just perfect for the cabin. I hope HAL offers something similar for us to enjoy and I will bring the kids' stuffed stockings to surprise them Christmas morning.

I've read information about holiday cruises, in general, but haven't found anything from anyone who actually experienced the holiday on a HAL ship. I just hope there are some special things to do/watch for my two teenagers (ages 16 and 18) so they are as excited as I am about sailing during the holiday.

We will be sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam this Christmas and it will be our first Christmas at sea and our first cruise with HAL. What special things are done on ships for Christmas besides the decorations? Is Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve or Christmas day? Will they have a special Christmas show? Will they sell table size Christmas trees as a floral gift so we can buy one for our cabin? My kids are teenagers but will there be anything special for their age?

Thanks for sharing your experiences!