AKJonesy

We just disembarked Thurs in San on Eurodam. We took shuttle which was $10 each. The shuttle vans were right before you get to the taxi stand.

We just got off in San Diego on EURODAM. It was nice to see the newish library and hope the libraries will return on all of the ships. The only gripe I have is that this library is one of the new styles in a much smaller room than what we all remember when the libraries were big, had tables and even a library assistant! The gripe is people coming in and talk talk talking and because it's a small library, the voices overwhelm the small area. Still...I love the libraries coming back on the ships. We did see deck loungers being replaced on ED and that was nice. As much as I love the old deck chairs on the big promenade decks, the cushions are kind of creepy after years of wear. But, one can use a deck blanket or big towel to cover them up. They were also replacing all of the deck furniture in the balcony cabins. On the daily program, there was a help hour (time) for the Navigator app. You would think that HAL would just make a better app. It's a hit and miss app that sometimes work, sometimes doesn't. But, it was evident people appreciated the app.

Two things. Go here: https://www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/inventory-assets/ships/pdf-files/HAL-RN-deckplan-all-decks.pdf and download that pdf. Then scroll through the various decks and look for staterooms that have other staterooms above, below and next door. Rooms that have noise will be in areas such as below the Lido Dining, near the World Stage and near the Music Walk (BB Kings, etc). The second thing to do as mentioned is look through halfacts.com for Rotterdam which is a Pinnacle ship. However, I'd look at the pdf document first then go to halfacts and see if there are any RECENT posts. But, sometimes on halfacts, people just post pictures but don't necessarily say anything about the cruise.

How does that work for Canadian Customs then?

@acctgtogo Quick Shuttle both from Seattle to Vancouver and return with several different departure places.

I cannot comment on the shareholder info. I don't see anything wrong with 4104 even though it's up against the elevator, there is a wall there. It's in a good place in terms of below it and above it.

Is there any specialty dining on Oosterdam other than Canaletto and Pinnacle?

@FlaMariner I mean...I hear you. We have 2 trips that we are checked in for and HAL asks to check the box for initial CV shot and 1 booster. But, like you ours were in 2022; like January. It's more of a mental thing for me and reminder of the GREAT unpleasantness (btw, I love that!) Do whatever you want. I was sicker with NORO than anything in my life on a cruise. After that unpleasantness, I became very aware of the importance of hand washing and not touching my face. That's my plan and I'm sticking to it. 🙂.

I am checked in for two sailings this month. There are no requirements.

@WetterWashington Interesting you mention this because we are going to be on a 31 day and was thinking the movies might get stale or I won't like too many of them. At home I sometimes cast or mirror but usually I source the tv to hdmi 3 when I want to game or watch something else that I have on my laptop. I am considering dragging my laptop and hdmi. I think mirroring or casting wouldn't work because I think that needs wifi.

I doubt we'll make it to 5 star but we move up to 4 star end of this month. I'm looking forward to bringing less clothing on our 31 day trip and getting the laundry benefit. Congrats.

It's weird bc I was on a HAL cruise when they were still going to Key West. I hurt my back and went to the CVS there for a heating pad and some Ibuprofin. The one I bought had an auto shut off. But, I agree, I can see how they could be a fire hazard. I like the Therma Care pad idea.

I also read they are limiting the number of ships regardless of their draft. But, IDK if this is even the issue addressing the OP's post. I just remember reading someone else said their PC cruise had changed, but I can't find it now. HAL pays considerable fees and has "reservation time" for the PC which is a priority over sailing ships that have no reservation. That is my understanding.

I did read in a thread from a HAL poster their itinerary was changed due to the severe low water levels in the PC. Limits on daily traffic will continue through 2024. IDK if this is the issue or not. Do a search for Panama Canal low water levels.

Moleskin. Imask protocol supplements for covid. Ibuprofen in case I overdo it. Pure vit C. Pedialyte in single serving pkgs.

Nami Sushi is reasonable and probably my fave. Call and see what might be offered for a paid upgrade. I've done that and it worked out great. But, do not do a guarantee. You can end up in a stateroom in a bad place like under the Lido or near the World Stage. A guarantee can really end up being a bad deal. If you do a paid upgrade, pick your stateroom. Download the Rotterdam pdf from HAL and try to get a stateroom between other staterooms...above and below.

I can understand how those on the east coast might like to sail out of NY. I think that your transportation options might guide your decision. We used to sail out of Tampa quite a bit, but then my in-laws lived there so they dropped us off, so it was extremely convenient. I still like FLL and SAN because the airports are a hop skip from the ports and I like knowing that when I disembark, I don't face a lot of hassle just getting to the airport. I've been to NY/NJ many times so I personally have no desire to cruise out of there. Of course, I have to travel far enough to get just about anywhere so the idea of an eastern port city would not interest me.

Here is some information: https://frontiersuites.com/get-around-juneau/ Also check out the trip advisor Alaska Juneau forum and do a search on taxi, uber, etc. There is some information there that I just read, but you may also want to post a question specifically in the Juneau Forum.

I recently watched a documentary about a cruise ship with the latest and greatest environmental protection engineering systems. The $ was massive but I think the cruise industry will have to adapt to much more stringent requirements going forward. I was thinking how cool it would be to go on a tour on this ship to see this technology and what they are doing to mitigate their environmental impact. I do worry for the cruise industry because I do believe that no matter what mitigation efforts they may take, there will always be the naysayers that will criticize the industry. IMHO.

I would agree in most cases. But, when we were on a cruise, we had the biggest earthquake in recent AK history. We had significant damage to our home.

I haven't seen any reports of this problem since January. If you are concerned you might want to cancel or rebook, but there have been many cruise ships port in NZ since. Hopefully, these cruise ships are following the protocol that went into effect in 2022 and demonstrating they are mitigating for any potential problem.

There was another post I read recently and not able to find it now, but talked about how they didn't like the land portion and specifically the very very long transportation days and the early show up. As a few others said, do the land portion on your own. I recommend another land option and that would be to rent an RV here which is extremely popular. That way you have the accommodation and the vehicle in one. I had a big Class A and never had a problem parking. You can find parking; maybe a block or so away from your intended shopping area or restaurant; big deal. Anyway, it does take a bit more effort to plan the land portion yourself and that is why so many just choose it as part of the cruise pkg and let the cruise line handle all of the arrangements. But, one of the biggest reasons I prefer the RV is that you don't have to focus on the accommodations; where to stay, when to stay, etc. Also, when you have to arrange accommodations, then you are locked into that date. In an RV, if the weather is bad here, you can swap your plans around and go there. This is what we have done when we had many guests visit us. For example, if it was raining down in Seward, we'd go over to Homer instead then pop back to Seward, etc. Just giving you some more to think about.

The Shorebird Festival in Homer is a few weeks later, but the migration will already have begun before that so you might see some spectacular birds. You can go to Homer Shorebird Festival website and on you tube and see what people have captured for photos in years past. As mentioned, go to the Visitor's Center and there is a boardwalk there and bring your binocs as well. The Visitor's Center is very nice.

This article is pretty old.

@MrBill923 You are absolutely right about The Westmark. Oh, there is so much more I could say about that place but I'd probably get my post taken down, so I'll leave it at that. When people come here, I tell them to dumb down their expectations when it comes to hotel accommodations. Like you said...think Motel 6. On top of it, the unpleasant virus has made everything worse and prices sky high. @oakridger I agree with your comment about doing land portion on your own. You can control the schedule, price and more. If you need help, a few of us on here are also on trip advisor forums for Alaska where you can go to find and ask anything about your land based trip.