Jump to content

darstamp

Members
  • Posts

    238
  • Joined

Everything posted by darstamp

  1. I have been unable to get into the Holland America website for several days. Have gone to the login link and submitted my e-mail address and account number with no success. Any suggestions?
  2. Embarkation can be very noisy. I would bring earplugs just in case. There are always people available to help you and answer your questions. I don't recall any instances where leaving the ship was particularly noisy.
  3. I would recommend that you google the various tourist websites in those locations and then lookup the sites you are interested in seeing to find out if they are accessible. For example, in Halifax one of the most popular destinations is Peggy's Cove but I looked up a tour there and it says it is not wheelchair accessible. You could check out The Citadel, it's a National Historic Site so it should be accessible. There is also the Titanic cemetery, and the wonderful 4KM harbour walk.
  4. I had no idea they were so complicated. I had taken a cruise from Vancouver to LA and then it continued on to Mexico and returned to LA. They called it a back to back. I have looked at one that goes from Montreal to Boston and then turns around and goes from Boston to Montreal. I assumed that was a back to back. Thanks for all your comments
  5. I think it would be great to have a listing of back to back cruises that are available. Is there a demand for this?
  6. I take a portable but I rent a full size concentrator from Scootaround to use at night. My next cruise is 18 days so I spent an extra $25 and got two (One for a backup), My Simply Go has not been reliable and is not ideal for using with a walker so I rent an Oxy-go and take that.
  7. I keep looking for the health protocols on the website and get the message that the protocols have not been posted yet for this cruise. I suspect that they are waiting to see what the Covid situation is closer to the cruise. I know that the Canadian government has dropped their requirement for a pre-cruise test but things can change so I will keep checking until I get an answer one way or the other.
  8. We are booked on a 7 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera in November on the Bliss. The selection of excursions is very poor, especially in Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan. Mostly shopping and I don't go on a vacation to go shopping. There is a site called "Shore Excursions" which has a few better ones in a couple of cases. Just wondering if anyone has ever used them.
  9. I tendered in Santa Barbara last fall with my walker. I had no problems except I unknowingly wheeled through some dog poo and didn't realize it till we got back to the ship. Fortunately, my daughter had a pack of wet wipes and we cleaned it up before tracking all over the place. I will be extra diligent about that in the future.
  10. I can't answer your question about the ship but when I'm in Ketchikan I always take the Crab Feast excursion to the George Inlet Lodge. Last time they offered it twice. One version included a boat trip for wildlife watching, the other version included the Lumberjack show. It used to be "all you can eat" but the poor crab return last year and Covid made it necessary to limit it to two servings. It was very expensive but it is so good that it is worth it. Also comes with salad and dessert and (I think) a glass of wine.
  11. I've only been on two HAL cruises and am scheduled for an 18 day to Hawaii in April. The Lincoln Centre Stage was the thing I liked best about HAL. They were always packed with people of various ages so I don't believe it has anything to do with age. If cruise lines are depending on young people for survival I don't think they will make it. However , I don't think cruising is a holiday option for a lot of people under 50. Many are struggling to find work, pay mortgages or raise families. Buying a house, at least in Canada, is out of range for many. Holidays consist of camping and local road trips. I don't have a problem with HAL shaking things up. I went to one of their production shows, mostly dancing, but it was a snooze fest for me. Why get rid of the best thing they have going - beats me.
  12. I love the music on HAL. Especially the Lincoln Centre Stage. I like to have breakfast in the main dining room. We ;like the Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind and Rudi's Sal de Mere was great but too much food. Take my advice and restrain yourself.
  13. I've been reading up on the "free at sea" Beverage Package that I have (and for which I was charged over $200 CAD. The list says that a 20% gratuity and beverage service charge will be added at checkout. Does this mean every time I order a drink for $15 or less I am going to get billed extra? I understand if I order something over $15 I will have to pay the difference but in all my years of cruising, I have never been charged extra for the tip, it has always been included. Please say it isn't so. I am beginning to regret my decision to sail with NCL.
  14. Thank you all for your responses. I will definitely have to raise my estimates upwards. Ouch.
  15. We will be sailing next fall and bringing my grandchildren who will be 20, 17, 15, and 10. It seems the only drinks packages available to them are the soda packages and that's not that appealing. The older ones especially like to try virgin cocktails and fancy (non alcoholic) coffees, milk shakes, that kind of thing. I'm trying to get a sense of what that will cost per day if they had, say, 5 drinks each. I'm guessing these things would probably be around $5 each but wondering if anyone knows. Thanks.
  16. My daughter and I are scheduled to sail to Hawaii next April on the Koningsdam. It is an 18 day cruise there and back. We were on the Koningsdam in June going to Alaska and found the entertainment lacking. We liked the Lincoln Centre Stage and the Music Walk offerings although we found they got very repetitive. We went to one lightshow/dance offering in the main theatre but that gets old pretty fast. This was made even more evident on our recent cruise with Princess where there were several Quizzes, Music Trivia and audience participation games every day. We loved it and had a great time. My concern is that those 18 days are going to get really long unless the Koningsdam ups their game. I would like to hear from anyone who has sailed on Koningsdam recently as to their entertainment level. Thanks.
  17. My daughter tested positive a week before we were to sail on May 1st with HAL. She immediately made an appointment for a PCR test and subsequently obtained a recovery document which would have allowed her to sail again. Meanwhile, I contacted the line and they moved our trip to another ship a month later. We went for a rapid test the day before boarding and we were both negative so she didn't have to use the recovery documents.
  18. My daughter and I cruised to Alaska on the Koningdam June 4th to 11th. We stored our luggage under the bed. When I got home my battery charger for my Canon Powershot G16, spare battery and 16G memory card were missing from my suitcase. They were together in a plastic bag. I think they must have fallen out of the suitcase and are under the bed in Rm. 10048. Any chance someone found them or can take a look for me. I'd love to get them back.
  19. We are booked on the same cruise. I want to go so badly, it is not being offered by any other line. However, we will have $7,000 tied up if they cancel. What to do? What to do?
  20. Have been reading about the problems with Crown Princess. We are scheduled to sail from Vancouver to California and back in September and our final payment is due June 24th. Should we cancel?
  21. I just got back from a 7 day cruise to Alaska on the Koningsdam. It was wonderful. Masking was recommended and most people wore masks while walking and in elevators but removed them when seated. The food was very good but the appetizers in Rudi's sel du Mer were quite substantial so recommend you only order one. Also recommend if you are going to Alaska that you keep something handy for seasickness while traversing the coast from Ketchikan to the inside passage as it is mostly open ocean and was a bit rough. I use wrist bands but whatever works is good just in case. Embarking and disembarking went very smoothly. I was glad we brought paper copies of everything. There was no evidence of Covid on the ship, and lots of cleaning and disinfecting.
  22. The important issue for flying with oxygen is the airlines require you to have enough battery power not just for the flight but for time before and after so be sure to check with the airline to determine how many battery hours they will require you to have. As for the cruise, again the issue for your portable machine is that you have battery power. I cruised on the Nieuw Amsterdam with oxygen and found that the ship had plug ins in the buffet, and most of the bars and entertainment areas. As I don't require oxygen when I am just sitting, I was able to plug my machine in to charge it most places I went and, of course, I charged it at night when I was in my room. If you are going on excursions it is important to know whether your machine has to be kept dry. I have a Simply Go which rides along on a little cart like carry-on luggage and must be kept dry, but I rented an Inogen last time I travelled because it is smaller and can be worn as a cross body bag. If you hit rain, it would be much easier to tuck the Intogen into your coat. I just don't use my Simply Go in the rain. I hope you find this helpful.
  23. My daughter got a PCR test as soon as she tested positive. It was 7 days before our cruise and we had to cancel. HAL was great and rebooked us on the same cruise 4 weeks later. She did lose her airfare. With the PCR test she was able to obtain a proof of recovery document. It is our understanding that presenting the positive test and the proof of recovery document is what you have to do but I'm not sure if you have enough time.
×
×
  • Create New...