silvercruiser

Huge improvement on RYNDAM. In Dec. I was able to access it from my cabin at all times, whereas a year ago I had to go to the internet room and it was awful, slow, kept cutting out. I assumed that there was a new system and was happy to hear it was going to be fleetwide. I'll be on the Amsterdam for 34 days starting late in April and sure hope it's all fine by then.

Having been quarantined for just 3 days out of 762 days of cruising, I'd say that it's not a big worry.

Capt. Bos was on our Voyage of the Vikings cruise last summer and did a wonderful job of informing us every step of the way. He reported every effort to get into one port in Greenland and he just seemed to try so hard at every turn. I'd say he was about the best capt. I've ever had and that's on almost 800 days of cruising n 39 ships.

If you use the Beverage Card in Explorations Cafe you don't get the discount that's given to 3 and 4* cruisers. As a 4* cruiser I get a 50% discount, so didn't use my Beverage Card there at all. I just got the card to see if I liked the way it worked and frankly, I thought it was a nuisance to have to carry around an extra card.

Whether you get internet minutes free or pay for them, you seem to always get extra minutes if you sign up the first day of the cruise. The Princess free minutes are per person and the Platinum level begins after only 5 cruises or 50 days, whichever comes first.

100 minutes becomes 110 minutes

250 minutes becomes 270

500 minutes becomes 530

 

HAL..............................PRINCESS (Platinum level or higher)

$50 buys 100 minutes..........150 FREE minutes on cruise 7 days or less

$100 buys 250 minutes...........FREE on cruise 8-20 days

$175 buys 500 minutes...........FREE on cruise 21 days or more

 

There's a 1000 minute package on HAL

and I think it's $250, but not sure.

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Many of the passengers on Oceania's REGATTA cruise to Bermuda last spring were there because it was the only cruise of any line that was round trip from Florida. That meant lots of first time Oceania cruisers. By the end of the 12 days people were starting to compare notes and it seems as if the general opinion was that it didn't offer any more than HAL and not worth the extra cost.

For an Inside or Oceanview it's usually an extra 60%, but once you get up to balcony or higher it's 100%. Princess is the same. On rare occasions I've gotten 40%. And if you accept an upsell the cost of the upsell is 100%.

 

748 days at sea....38 ships.....7 continents

I'm glad to learn that it's open when I want to get my bedtime hot chocolate there!

Thanks, I was just curious about the hours for buying coffee drinks. As a soon-to-be 4* I'll get 50% discounts there. I love the library, but bring my own Kindle, loaded with books for a cruise. And either bring my iPad or mini iPad for internet use.

I guess I never paid enough attention to just when they're open, so if anyone knows, please tell me. Are they the same on all HAL ships? Thanks.

Ah, the good old days when all the ships we were on docked right in town.;)

There's been a lot of discussion about this and it led me to check price drops. I had Explore4 on two cruises, a 20-day and a 14-day and the price drops totalled about $1000. I said goodbye to Explore4 and took the discount, because there's no way, as a solo cruiser, that I could use up enough of the benefits. Being 4star makes so many things cheaper too.

Are the hours that Explorations Cafe are open the same on all HAL ships? And what are they? I've never noticed, but since I have 90 days booked on various HAL cruises I'd like to know.

Just remember that an UPSELL to a suite does not count for double days. You have to have paid the 'real' rate for it to count.

This sounds morbid, but practical. My policy with National Cremation Society includes service anywhere in the world. I keep the membership card in with my medical information.

I wonder what the rate is for sudden deaths in a town with the same number of inhabitants as you'd find on a cruise ship.

Traveling now as a solo, I put all my medical information, including my DNR, in a clear plastic envelope with a picture of myself on the outside, along with my name, and I tape it to the mirror in my cabin. Then I assure my cabin attendant that I'm very healthy and don't expect any medical problems, but the information is there in case it's needed.

And yes, I'm one of the "doddering old people" you hear mentioned on these message boards who travel with HAL. :)

Boy, if it weren't for CruiseCritic I'd be so in the dark about the Explore4 cost. I contacted my TA and got new lower prices on two cruises, a savings of $384 on one and $500 on the other. As a solo traveller I'm always looking for ways to keep costs down. And as a 4star Mariner I'll get 50% off on so many things that I sure know I'm way ahead by giving up the Explore4 for the lower price. I don't drink much, so there's no way I could have used up $50/day.

[CENTER]748 days at sea....38 ships.....7 continents

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On Dec. 9 Ryndam is scheduled for ***** and a Disney ship at Port B. Don't know why no one is at M. Most of the other days, also Mondays, that Ryndam is scheduled for Key West they're docking at M.

I got my Vista Suite on VOV by taking the upsell offer, so I didn't get double days, just a note from the capt. welcoming me to 4star status, which HAL said no to. I guess you have to book it to begin with.

2013

Ryndam, 14 days, Caribbean, r.t. Tampa, Dec. 8 - 22

 

2014

Amsterdam, 21 days, Apr. 28-May 18, Panama Canal, FLL to Seattle

Amsterdam, 14 days, May 18-Jun 1, Alaska, r.t. Seattle

Maasdam, 42 days, r.t.. FLL, Oct. 31-Dec. 11

One of my best cruises ever was on Caribbean Princess. We booked a balcony cabin, but a couple of days before we boarded were offered a trade. If we'd give up our balcony cabin for an inside on Lido Deck they'd refund ALL OUR MONEY. I was told to come down to the pursers desk on the last day and they'd give me a check. Well, when I got there the woman started peeling off $100 bills....30 of them! I don't remember one single thing about that cruise except for the fact that we smiled the whole time.:)

 

I did VOV this past summer and it was one of the best cruises ever! Yes, the weather was cold some places, but the only really bad day was in Reykjavik, where the temperature was about 50 I think, with 40mph winds (even stronger gusts)and it was raining very hard. Most places were sunny and pleasant, even when it was chilly.

The Veendam is a good ship and our Captain Peter Bos was one of the best captains I've sailed with. He shared information so freely. The passengers were a very well traveled, well educated, interesting group of people.

Airlines do the same thing. I always check in asap when the 24-hr. window opens and have snagged upsells to first class for very little money. They'd all be gone if I waited til later in the day to check in.

Thanks for mentioning the tour of Eleuthera that you took. I don't recall it being offered on past Princess cruises that stopped at Princess Cay. Friends used to vacation there many years ago and I always wanted to see the whole island. Since you liked it I've already booked it for my Jan. cruise on Royal.

You two really made the most of what the Royal has to offer. Congratulations on such a happy start to your marriage. After reading your mini-blogs I think there are a lot of people who'd love to cruise with you guys. Your enthusiasm is catching.