Mary229

1 hour ago, Himself said:

I have Verizon and if I am in Juneau I  don't get roaming rates for phone calls.  Other wise I keep my phone on Airplane mode do I can take pictures and set my alarm at night. 

Definitely keep the phone on airplane mode while on a cruise to avoid nasty surprises.  In port I turn my back on as I have international coverage

At&t has a cruise package.  You have to buy it.  Consider instead a wifi calling app or using google voice for texting.

I think you need to actually book to see flight ease.  You can call to get flight ease rates even after f you haven’t booked 

All HAL ships I have been on have the credit card style key.  

Sign up for their deals. They publish new deal cruises, the top 10, every Thursday   They have been discounting that cruise strongly lately. It is one of my favorites.  I almost booked one for end of June last week what out me off was the airfare was more than the cruise.  Be sure to look at google flights.If you have time to spend a few extra days on either side you might save enough money on the flights to afford the extra hotels. Both Boston and Montreal are great places to spend extra time.  (I could not afford the extra time right now or I would be cruising with you!)

I was offered an upsell recently on Holland America’s Koningsdam for a family room. It has 1.5 bathrooms.  Only one shower with sink and toilet and a separate sink and toilet.  I was tempted.  koningsdam  is in the med during the summer.  It was more affordable than two singles and only slightly more than our inside cabin. 

3 hours ago, Moriah said:

 

Hmmm. Was afraid that might be the case.... Well, I do adore Amsterdam, so will try to focus on her positives and figure out a way to be a little more internet-free than I usually am! As said I'm going to post in a few weeks to see if we can get some first hand reports on Amsterdam's wifi in Alaska. Thanks!

I have never had trouble getting internet in the ports while on an Alaskan cruise.  

5 minutes ago, FrugalSunseeker said:

Legally a Canadian does not need health insurance to visit the United States.  However that would be foolish in my opinion. We are looking for options. My uncle said his friend was denied health insurance but went on his planned trip anyway. Luckily he did not get sick and returned back to Canada with no problem. This would not be a risk I would take.

I think as close to home as you are going to be any emergency could be handled easily. 

Maybe I missed something, what are you going to do about the insurance?

Hands down - Voyage of the Vikings.  Such a great itinerary.  I would love to go again 

I use ship internet only for entertainment.   I have TMobile and have onshore data in all but the most remote areas of the world - think Greenland.  I would never expose myself to a keylogger on public WiFi for my financial  accounts.   I guess since I also sell on the road and process other people’s credit cards I am particularly sensitive to this issue. I assure you the cruise line does not use the public WiFi to take Payments.  The OP is talking about doing financial and business transactions online - I would not do that on public WiFi.  Skype, sure. 

State Department 

Yellow Fever Travelers Guide State department

CDC

CDC Yellow Fever Travelers Guide

i suggest you read these.  There is a major yellow fever outbreak currently 

I don’t know which cruise you are going on. Mine is visiting Devil’s Island on the way and it is a requirement for that location.   The CDC covers this topic in full as does the state department website.  

For business and financial transactions I would never use public cruise ship internet.  If it means money it means investing in a private satellite service.   There are many temporary services designed for travelers who need security and reliability 

if you wouldn’t do it on McDonald’s public WiFi don’t do it on HAL’s

51 minutes ago, thinfool said:

There is no credit given between lines under the Carnival umbrella.

Many would like this, but as it is, there are often so many upper status passengers on a cruise that they have to have the cocktail meetings more than once.  And the status-given laundry service is backed up for days.

 

That is what I have always been told but I was curious as someone said they should tell HAL they had sailed with Princess.  Those questions are generally asked when you book along with age and state of residency.  It would be great because thinking about this I also remember sailing quite a few times with Carnival when I lived in New Orleans.  

9 hours ago, joekerstef said:

You will be a 1* Mariner but that doesn't get you much besides an invite to the Mariner luncheon towards the end of your cruise.

Just make sure to alert HAL that you've sailed with Carnival.

Have you gotten credit for your sailing days with other CCL ships.  I have sailed quite a bit with Princess and never thought to have those credited to HAL

41 minutes ago, dcruisers said:

Thank you !!

Sorry to read that the  casino isn’t smoke free.

Will we be newbies or will our Carnival cruise credits be combined with Holland?

We sail mainly with Celebrity but our RCL cruise credits are added to Celebrity since they are under the same company.

Unfortunately not.  I do wish they would. 

Have you tried searching for Canadian travel insurance.  I notice Allianz offers it and I have always found their rates affordable and their service reliable

I was on one rather lengthy cruise (40+ days) and the management finally felt a need to speak up on this topic in the daily newsletter.  The rule given was you may save a single chair for one other person and you must be present to reserve chairs.  No putting markers allowed.  This was for theater and poolside.  As to buffet seating it was acceptable to put the napkin on your chosen seat while you gathered your food from the buffet, but only on your seat.  

Sign up for the lines emails and mailings.  They often offer discounted rates.  I agree I find them a little pricey.  You could do the drive and cruise.  Riverboats, even some from the same companies, are available for daily cruises along the way and that might be more than enough river cruising.  

I have showed up earlier than the cabin was ready but I was able to stow my carry on and left for the few minutes it took for the crew to finish preparations.

1 hour ago, Tampa Girl said:

DH and I used them  7 times on our recent 89-day Grand Asia.  1)  It is definitely not like a super cuts salon. 2) I found it quite expensive.  Pedicures were $75; hair cut and color was around $200; and add another $50 for conditioning treatment which I had not o.k.'d. The hair stylist was good, albeit full of himself and rather patronizing; but I was pleased with the cut and color.  DH was pleased with his hair cuts.

 

In summary, because it was a long cruise, I would have followed some of our fellow passengers' decisions to have cuts and color done in the major ports.  I did, in fact, have the last pedicure in a port city.  If it is a short cruise or ports are not feasible, what choice do you have except to subject yourself to the cruise salon.  If I sound negative, and I do, it is solely because of the stylist, whose personality needed some adjustment.  The high prices I expected, but $250 for cut, color conditioning was over the top.  In retrospect, I should have objected to paying it.

I regularly pay $200 or more for a full appointment.  I guess it is all relative to what you are used to paying.  But I don't let anyone except my regular person color my hair - it takes too long to get it back to the right tones.

PS it was surprisingly affordable also.  

I once found myself and in a similar spot on a long cruise. I did not let them color my hair but I got a decent style-cut.  I also have done the deep conditioning treatments because the water on the ships is very drying to my hair.  If I recall there is a tip included but I usually give something anyway, but I am a tipper 

33 minutes ago, MrMan said:

Y'all should not cruise out of Philadelphia, as they say on Broad St, "Snitches get Stitches"

No kidding plus people get weird away from home.  My dad owned a resort campground and he would say "People check their brains at the gate on their way in and they don't put them back in until they are ready to go home". I wouldn't confront a stranger on a ship, you just don't know where it will go.  I met one real creep on a ship, not HAL.  He ended up in the brig not for what he did in my presence but what he did immediately afterwards.  Don't push it.