Mary229

They have everything on sale now - dishes, robes, coffee, salt. I am waiting for a hardtack sale

They should definitely do something to enhance that property but I agree a single night of ugly is not going to ruin my trip. If it had been unhygienic, something like bed bugs or fleas then I would seek compensation

I can and I will but many people on CC have much more experience than the agent answering the phone. I appreciate the forum’s experience and wisdom and that is why I come here

Sign up for the waitlist, you will be notified if it reopens. Note if another section opens at a different time you will not be notified so keep checking. That far in advance it is usually a matter of getting commitments though some very popular limited excursions do indeed sell out. Join your roll call as more eyes are watching for new excursions to drop and will notify the group.

Bruce, they could easily watch a YouTube video instead they sound as if they have only heard the song on the elevator. I heard McArthur park at least 5 times on my last cruise🙄. on a side note a crew member did an outrageous Tom Jones tribute . I am still smiling about that one.

Last month I had a last day excursion canceled and was able to cash out my onboard account that evening with all credits accounted for. The experience seems to vary by shore excursions manager. I had Debbie as shore ex manager and she runs an efficient operation.

The playlist is stale and most of the singers sound as if they never heard the music by the original artists. They likely would be better if they had a nominal knowledge of the music.

That is what I have seen this year

No. Usually on ships without BB Kings they offer performances in the theater for long cruises. I was surprised they did not.

Calm is good and that is why we started sailing HAL in our 40s.

On your manage my cruise page, check in there is a spot to include your flight details. That is all you need do. Be sure if your flight changes you enter that change. You get no star bonus for pre and post cruise travel

It has been this way a long time.

Yeah, but no Ole Faithful on the ship. You can go off season and the prices drop by half. Just checked Old Faithful Inn for May $252 per night and that is the premium location

My last cruise in August had no BB Kings and didn’t have BB Kings AllStars in the theater either. I think the relationship no longer exists

Have you sailed the N. Statendam? It overcame many of the flaws that exist on the Koningsdam. I sail the Rotterdam this month and I am hoping it is even further improved. The new Queen Anne on Cunard is built on the same platform and reports indicate it is even better.

Cruising overall is changing. It can be clearly seen that those who want a resort at sea are winning and the traveler/explorer is being left behind by the mass-premium market. HAL has a few products that still attract us and we will continue to book those sailings. I think the absolute worst trend for travelers is the over abundance of sea days being built into the new itineraries. Some of the Grand Voyages where they charge more than double their standard rate are now over 50% sea days. As to the ship amenities and entertainment, I have noted the changes but they truly don’t concern me. Someone earlier did an historical analysis of HAL’s builds and according to that detailed report we should expect a new announcement by 2026(?). When that person did that analysis I was taken aback but his facts were correct

I appreciate that you are posting to social media but….Did you send them an email? Did you send comments on the Navigator app? Did you complete the post cruise survey?

It has been for a long time. I was there for my first cruise in 1988 and vagrancy was an issue then. I agree that some of the restaurants are very good. @maggiev I enjoy the NPS museums and presentations and some of the hikes available in town or close by. The Westmark is a dump but they do have breakfast and the HAL office is difficult to find but usually manned in the afternoons. Anchorage is the best hop on spot for a train to Denali or flights beyond. The HAL tours are excellent. If I were to do them again I would likely just find my own hotel.

@CDNPolar thank you for the detail would anyone happen to know how far the embarkation date a pax can use the air? My first cruise is 30 days so I am doubtful I would be able to use the Viking air for the first flight. I assume I can choose to use Viking for one way?

those are definitely allowed. Did you happen to ask about the straight to the airport transfer?

Viking fits my plan and so what if I was being nosy? The forum’s primary purpose is information.

Some sell out quickly only to have plenty of openings later. TAs buy up blocks early and if they can’t fill them they are later released. Also after final payment date quite a few rooms may come available. This is the downside to small, refundable deposits

No. That charge is if you order Dive In through room service

Ok, that helps a lot. I will just watch for a non promoted sale. I have plenty of time.

My plan is to take a Viking river cruise after a rather lengthy ocean cruise with another line: Reading about Viking it says air is included in all fares, is this correct? I read you can customize your air for a fee, how customizable is this? Can I pick dates other than their prescribed dates? Do they tell you which flights you are assigned so you can make a reasonable decision whether to customize? If you choose not to use their air is there any compensation? thanks for your input