TonyC1952

So you "cut the line", instead of waiting your turn, and you're recommending someone else to do the same?

So, there it is. You just have to ask for them. Rumor debunked.

Much ado over a RUMOR posted by the OP.

Just checked the Flight Ease fine print, and now you can buy a "restricted" fare or a "flexible" fare using Flight Ease; you either pay the lower fare, up front, no refunds, or pay more and get the more flexible fare. This was not an option when I booked my flights, but I still got a fantastic fare!

What I found with Flight Ease was a fare that was hundreds of dollars lower than any commercially available flights at that time. We were looking at $3200 on Orbitz for the same flights that cost us $1300 on Flight Ease. We'll see how it all works out in a few months!

I was under the impression that the fare could go up or down, and that you would be liable for whatever the price is at the time you pay in full. I do not believe that you've "locked in" the price when you first book the flights. Read the fine print when you book your flights- I'm not certain that the advice above is correct.

I'm looking forward to reading your blog again, and this year it'll be extra exciting, as we'll be joining the cruise in Barcelona to do the last two segments with you! Looking forward to meeting you on the Amsterdam!

One of the beauties of a library is your ability to scan the shelves and find something interesting; browsing for books to read is pleasurable, and one of the things I previously enjoyed on HAL ships. We'll chose to avoid the Koningsdam and New Statendam because of their size and priorities. We like smaller ships!

Yes, the excuse about losing $2,000,000 in books is completely bogus. HAL is simply looking to generate more $ in the former library spaces on their ships. For some of us, we'd like to sit in a QUIET space and read a physical book. That experience is available on the Rotterdam and the Amsterdam. Not so much on the Koningsdam-

You cannot consider the bookshelves they have on the Koningsdam a "library". It is pitiful. I've sailed the Amsterdam and Rotterdam with expansive areas of bookshelves and comfortable chairs that is QUIET. Not so on the Koningsdam. If you want to read on the Koningsdam, I'd recommend taking your own books.

I was on the Koningsdam Holiday Cruise, and thought the Step One dance company shows were fantastic! Don't miss the first show, with interactive lights and dancers- it was wonderful! Their second show was very good as well. The BBC show was fun, the comedian good, and the singer was also very good. The music walk area is very popular, and the Rolling Stone Rock Room was especially fun! Look for Raul the waiter, he's great!

Just got off a 7 day holiday cruise on the Koningsdam, and agree with jabcruiser about most of what was said. The dining room is very PLAIN, and central area (seems like you're in a whale's belly) got very loud during dinner. The meals were good there though, and the staff worked hard and was very friendly. Long waits on the first Gala night (long lines, pagers) and all the chairs anywhere near the entrance were filled. It was a true zoo that first Gala night. Later in the cruise it seemed to calm down and became a more genteel experience. The lido was generally very busy, and the stations were open until late afternoon. Food there was good too! Main showroom was awesome, and the dancers were fantastic! Very upscale shows, interactive light show. Too much fun! Rolling Stone Rock Room was excellent, and I thought the band and singers were very good. And we could still converse during the sets. Billboard- ugh. Piano players banging on the keys, screaming out songs. Not my cup of tea. The pianist providing predinner music in the Ocean bar area was also very heavy handed. Lincoln Center musicians were excellent. The ship is beautiful, and in excellent shape. Our room (veranda) was delightful! TV/Movies in our cabin, excellent selection of movies, and the flat panel across from the bed was great! One caveat: this is a FAMILY ship. Tons of kids, Marco Polo and cannonballs in the pools. The lido pool was not a place to kick back and take a nap in the sun- too noisy. When everyone was ashore, what a different experience it was- more like other ships in the HAL fleet. Only one thing seemed missing: America's Test Kitchen- it was nonexistent. They've shut down the demo kitchen and turned it into Club Orange- which seems OK (if you're willing to add $50pp a day to your bill). Appeared half full during our evening meals. All in all, it was a nice cruise. Not my favorite, but man was this ship beautiful!

Just got off a 7 day Holiday cruise on the Koningsdam, and the Rolling Stone Rock Room is a great venue. And I disagree with those that complained about the abilities of the lead singers in the band. They were NOT off pitch, however the keyboard player was not all that dynamic. I didn't like all the songs in the sets, but they were ROCKING! And to those of you who are sound sensitive (as am I), the volume was not so loud that we couldn't converse during the set. It was a wonderful addition to the ship! Billboard dueling pianos were awful, banging on their keyboards, forcing every note, way too loud. Pretty obnoxious. The dancers in the Main showroom were fantastic, the best show I've seen on HAL. NO AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN DEMOS, except on the TV. That was disappointing. The Koningsdam was beautiful, staterooms excellent and the food was excellent. The ship was packed with families, and the average age of the passengers was significantly younger than on other HAL cruises we've been on. Venues were crowded- SRO in many cases. 2650 passengers is a lot of people (compared to the smaller ships). We enjoyed the cruise, and ship. Probably won't sail her again (too many people), but a wonderful cruise experience, nonetheless.

They did the same for our last cruise, Montreal to Tampa; it was amazing, really brought smiles to many faces!

Admitted curmudgeon that I am, I also choose to look at this issue from the 7 year old's viewpoint. They're being asked to sit still and behave for 2 hours in a fancy restaurant. Doesn't sound like a particularly pleasant evening for the child, either.