ExpatBride

9 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

 

Anyone know if the crew like these longer cruises on the smaller ships better? I would assume they would, but have heard the crews like the newer ships - the shorter cruise over and over cruises.

 

 

I can't comment on ship-size preferences, but I know someone (socially) who worked on Princess and he said that the crew preferred longer sailings because turnaround days are a lot of extra work for almost everyone onboard, and they dread them.

19 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

@ExpatBride I have personally done the following process on 3 most recent cruises (3 different ships), so I know it works. There are 2 types of OBC (refundable & non-refundable); they're identified at the bottom of the statement (on TV or in Navigator) - be sure you watch the balance of each.

1) Prepay online for excursions you want. Must be done at least 4 days before sail date.

2) Once onboard, immediately go to Excursions Desk and have them move the charges from pre-pay to OBC. It's very important you don't try to do this yourself by canceling and rebooking as you run the risk of missing out on full excursions (exactly what you're trying to prevent by buying early). The Excursions Desk can (and will) rebook you on sold out excursions if all you're doing is changing them from pre-paid to OBC. You cannot do this at Guest Services, it has to be Excursions Desk.

3) Check onboard statement to see the refund. You can use it as you would other OBC or it will be refunded to the credit card you have on file or you can take it in cash. It only goes back to the original CC used to purchase the excursions if that's the same one you have on file for the cruise as the refund goes to the card on file.

4) Enjoy those sold out excursions even more knowing you paid for them w/OBC! 🙃

No hoop jumping or unnecessary spending, IMHO.

Thank you for these detailed instructions! I'll definitely give it a try. 

Thanks everyone. It was actually the last spot on this particular excursion which is why I grabbed it. I'm not willing to jump through crazy hoops for $30. Maybe I'll upgrade my cocktails and take up gambling, that should eat up some of the OBC 😁

I've just booked an excursion that's $30 over the $100 HIA limit. It's not a big deal, but I have a few hundred dollars in non-refundable OBC, which I'll struggle to spend. Does anyone know if it's possible to use the OBC to cover the $30 gap once I'm onboard (i.e., they refund the $30 to my card and debit it from my OBC instead)?

6 hours ago, sallywallygal said:

ExpatBride, Sounds like we're on your cruise! What do you plan to do in Eidfjord??

 

Only 69 more days! 

My SO is going kayaking. I'm staying on the ship. We live in Denmark, so going to Norway isn't a big deal for us. We're mostly cruising for the scenery.

42 minutes ago, 3Shelaghs said:

I stand corrected 🙂 I have art supplies on the brain or home made window de-icing solutions(it's been cold here...ugh). The hospital had great plastic tubs like Clorox containers with good stuff in it, but $$$$. Wipe on let dry, or spray bottles with Virox, same application. Virox just hydrogen peroxide and ?It was the bubbling action that did the job. At beginning of pandemic, I had followed the "strange pneumonia" arising from China, so I loaded the suitcases with everything known to man kind that could prevent or treat whatever... not doing that this time. Will stick to soap and water and cabin sanitizer and take my chances????? famous last words...............

My SO is a physician, and he was more confident that I was about the safety of traveling this summer. He said, "If you decide we shouldn't go, don't let COVID be the reason." 

He's been very informative, level-headed, and on-point throughout the past few years. I think you'll be just fine 🙂

Clark's ballet flats (Couture Bloom style) are my go-to comfy and stylish walking show when traveling. I also love my Doc Marten's Mary Janes (style 8065), but I think you need to be Gen X or have a certain vibe to pull those off 😅

I find this kind of thing cringe-worthy. I'd never participate, but if you're having fun and your family are willing participants, who cares what other people think?

Resist the desire to sleep when you get to Amsterdam. The best way to get over jet lag is to get onto local time ASAP.  Go to sleep at 8 PM if you must and sleep 12 hours, but failing to acclimate to the local time zone ASAP with have a knock-on effect. 

I used to travel between the US and Europe for work at least twice a month, and this advice from my former boss has served me well.

1 hour ago, 3Shelaghs said:

Looks like 99.9% alcohol based. Same as Purel. Only tried and true solutions I know of are .. beach, and Virox.. Wash your hand & use 99% alcohol sanitizer, &use Virox spray or wipes for your cabin & keep your hands out of your mouth.

It actually contains 85% Ethanol. The "99.99%" refers to the percentage of "germs" it supposedly kills. It claims "effectiveness" against Norovirus, so I suspect that the higher-than-average alcohol content (standard is around 70%) and some clever marketing speak are at play here.

The level of English in Northern Europe (and Europe in general) particularly in tourist areas is very good. People here also have food allergies that restaurants are used to accommodating. It's not a region-specific condition 🤷‍♀️

Have a great trip, I look forward to reading your updates! I'm sailing on NS in July/August.

6 minutes ago, rodndonna said:

 

I gotta say - I am pretty sure Gordon's was there because that was my parents brand from my childhood - and now I've never see anyone drink it (not sure why) .

 

I always order "Tanqueray" because it sounds classy 🙄

Gordon's was my grandparents' brand and they bought it in plastic jugs (1.5 litre?). It's forever tainted 😅 

In Denmark, it's a cheap gin... 89 DKK for 70cl on special offer, which is well below Bombay/Tanqueray, which are 119- 129 DKK on offer. Beefeater can be found for 99 DKK and it's definitely an acceptable (budget) classic.  Gordon's is what I'd expect if I ordered a G&T at a dive bar here. I don't consider it a call brand.

6 hours ago, rodndonna said:

 

Hubby seems to think Hendrick's was there, but only in the premium package or for an "upcharge" .

 

Seem to recall Bombay, Gordon's, Tanqueray being available at the Ocean bar.

Gordon's 😝 I hope your hubby is right 🙏

14 hours ago, lissie said:

Looking at the menus published here and elsewhere - I haven't even seen any Hendricks - the gin collection seems very,very limited - to basically Bombay 

Nooooo!!!! 😩 This is definitely a change for the worse. Hendrick's was in good supply the last time I sailed HAL (admittedly, it was in 2016  😬)

13 minutes ago, kernow said:

they had no bagels or cream cheese so substituted with English muffin and goats cheese🤔.

 

 That's an interesting approach 😳

3 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

20% off is a significant amount off plus they are slightly cheaper and not 100% identical considering the exchange rate. Either way, LV bags are pretty trashy and not luxury.

IF you're taking it out of the EU the VAT refund is somewhat significant, but the exchange rate alone doesn't add up to purchasing one for "not much money" (comparatively speaking).

I'd argue that most people looking at, for example, an Alma in Epi leather wouldn't know that they're looking at an LV. Not all LV is trashy, though I agree that it's not a luxury brand.

On 5/4/2023 at 4:57 AM, Fly and Sail said:

 

LV can be purchased for not much money in Europe

What??? LV prices are standardised throughout the world. It's possible to save money with the VAT refund for people shopping in Europe but living elsewhere. I have several LV bags that I've bought in Europe while living in Europe, and I definitely didn't purchase them "for not much money." 

Does anyone know if it's possible to get a Pimm's Cup on HAL? That would be my first choice followed by a good old Hendrik's & tonic. 

4 hours ago, Meander Ingwa said:

What brand of ginger pills are used?   I love ginger and eat and drink it regularly , pills would be most practical.  I assume there will be lemon ginger tea in the buffet and drink services on Viking

I swear by ginger. The only sailing I haven't been seasick on was an HAL sailing that still had the yum-yum man handing out candied ginger after dinner. That was also my first time using ginger pills. I just buy whatever is cheapest.

The martini bar used to have something called a "Lavender Patch Martini" (I think that's what it was called). I remember it fondly and it's one of the things I miss since moving on from NCL.

On 5/10/2023 at 12:25 AM, dani negreanu said:

 

Agree. Geiranger is a must in every Fjords itinerary.

 
I also agree. I'm taking my 4th fjords cruise this summer and Geiranger is a major reason that I sail similar itineraries over and over. I'm going to be seriously disappointed when the cruise ship ban comes into effect, but I understand why they're doing it.

6 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

Why miss anything?  Everything listed is included in your fare, so just try it all and see what you like...

I'm a tiny lady, it would take me months to try everything 😅

And I don't subscribe to the "I've paid for it, so it's my perorogative to waste it" school of thought.

1 minute ago, rodndonna said:

 

There is an Indian menu available as well, and it typically has vegetarian options as well.

I've had a look at that one, and it's definitely piqued my interest! Food is one of my favorite parts of cruising because I cook almost 100% of everything I eat, so it's nice to hand off that responsibility to someone else for a bit.

8 minutes ago, rodndonna said:

 

 

We sail in 3 weeks - I'll ask about the mezze plate if you don;'t get a response before then. Seems odd they would remove that one and maybe it is just now an "always available" item.

Please do report back 😊 I'm not sailing until the end of July.