sergel02

5 hours ago, kr00t0n said:

I did a similar cruise last year, but in June, so the sunrise/sunset thing was super pronounced.

 

Just wanted to say, never, ever, EVER, expected to see a fellow Honkai Star Rail player on Cruise Critic, let alone the Celebrity board, haha!

Omg I didn’t either, but that’s partly why I mentioned it. Was thinking “maybe there is someone out there.” 
 

haha I admittedly played too much while resting in my cabin but it played really well even with the cruise ship internet. The SpaceX internet is a game changer for cruise ships. 

I just go back from it and made a Thread talking about it. I really enjoyed it, and I liked the mix of cities and towns with scenery.

Flam and Geiranger were the highlights when it comes to scenery though.

Finally home! It’s been a long time getting home, around 24 hours since we left our cabins, and then there was stuff to do at home and some rest needed. We need a vacation from our vacation lol. Sadly I’m not feeling too great so not sure if it’s bad allergies or I’m getting sick.

Day 6 - Bergen

- Really enjoyed this port. For a city of less than 300,000 it has a lot to see and do. There’s the fish market, the aquarium, the city park, and the funicular which is what we did.

- There are transfers to the city center for those with mobility issues. However, since one of our party members doesn’t use a device like a cane, walker, or wheelchair, people kind of assumed there wasn’t any mobility issues and cut in front of us, and we can’t really argue otherwise. There are only 13 seats in the vans. We ended up walking a bit to the hop on hop off bus, though it did take a while, so it worked out fine.

- Took the bus to the funicular (stop 12). The funicular was around $15 USD a person I want to say. They don’t take American Express though fyi.

- It’s mostly standing on the funicular too but there are some seats. Some more walking though Ho steps afterwards. Gorgeous views from up top though and there’s a nice little cafe on the top with good pastries and great soft serve (and ducks who knew we had food lol). There are clean and private washrooms up there too, and more trails to take if you want. The washrooms here are free (since you paid for the ticket) but not every public washroom is in Norway or The Netherlands.

- We then rode past the city center and made it back to the ship. The Viking Venus and some AIDA ship were in town too so it was a little busy at times, but nothing

terrible.

* One unique thing happened that night though. Around 8:30-9:30 PM captain Nikolas spoke on the intercom into the rooms saying there was a medical emergency on board. The Norwegian authorities were going to be bringing a helicopter to airlift the patient, so he said not to be alarmed. The cruise director Shawna also asked everyone to stay off the top deck since they’d have to isolate that area for the team and for privacy concerns. 
 

Have to say the crew did a great job with it. I loved how they explained what was going on (it’s a bit trippy seeing the ship not moving in open water and helicopters hovering) while maintaining patient privacy. As a nurse I can respect that (this also happened on intentional nurses day funnily enough). We were told the next day the patient is in Bergen and doing much better.

Day 7 - Sea Day

- A nice relaxing day. Not much happened, but Shawna did do a talk about ship life and I highly recommend it. She shared stories about how last year they ran low on toilet paper and had to raid the Celebrity Constellation, what it’s like chartering a nude cruise, how there was an SOS rescue of fisherman one day in the pacific they did, and other things like that.

- Did eat at Raw on 5 again which is probably my favorite speciality restaurant in terms of food.

Disembarkation 

- Honestly nothing bad to say personally, it was one of the smoothest disembarkations I’ve had on my 13 cruises along with the Disney Fantasy. They want you out the room by 0730. We had to use a wheelchair, but even without it it would have been smooth. We didn’t have to go through customs which surprised us (edit: though probably since they’re in the Schengen area).The area outside trying to get a ride was a bit of a mess, but we grabbed a taxi van to the airport. It was €70 for 3 adults.

- Do get to Schipol early. They’re efficient but the airport is huge and gets lots of people. 
 

Overall really enjoyed the trip. We booked it last minute because the price was great but we loved it. Having done Alaska and the Northeast if the US and Canada, there are some similarities but sailing through the fjords is gorgeous and breathtaking.

Some tidbits:

- Everyone we met in the Netherlands and Norway was super nice and kind (though I’m still wondering about that one Uber driver who gave me a 1 star rating while everyone else gave 5). 
 

- Sunset at this time was around 10PM/2200, and sunrise around 5. The deeper into summer and further north the more pronounced that will be.

- Norway takes Krone not Euros since it’s not part of the EU, but every place we went took card payment.

- Baked goods were wonderful in Norway and worth a try.

- High Speed internet was super fast. Was able to watch Emma Cruises on YouTube, stream Eight Sense, and play Star Rail with few issues.

Anwyay, nice trip, and I’m happy to try to answer any questions anyone has.

Day 5 - Geiranger 

This was a really nice port. Small but great views. 
 

- The sea walk comes out to meet the ship which is neat, though it can still be a long walk.  No tendering. 
 

- There’s a few tours at the pier. There’s a panoramic bus tour that takes you to I believe 4+ stops that’s around 1.5 to 2 hours long. It’s around 400 Krone (~$37 USD) a person. There’s also some kayaking tours offered. 
 

- We did the hop on hop off which was also around 400 Krone also but much shorter. Fantastic views going up the mountain. The bus driver didn’t wait for people very long at the top of the lookout despite saying she’ll wait 10 minutes. More like 5 minutes and luckily we were back in the bus in time. 
 

- We got off at the museum and waterfall (stop 2) and took the walk down. It’s really pretty but about 15-20 minutes and you have to go down around 300 steps fyi. 
 

- Some small grocery stores near the port too to buy some candy or snacks. There’s a camping ground right there so that’s probably why. 
 

- As we sailed out we passed by the 7 Sisters Waterfalls, and Captain Nikolas was nice enough to do a slow 360 degree turn so everyone could see it. 
 

- The show this night was Tree of Life and I loved it! Music was great and the setting for the stage was beautiful. Also liked how the screen shifted. I will say the ending was a bit tame for a production show, I expected more music and dancing but still one of my favorite shows at sea. 

A couple days behind since we’ve been busy, but luckily tomorrow is a sea day (our last one sadly) so I should be able to catch up. 
 

Day 3 - Flam

- It rained the whole day in port. Light rain but constant. 
 

- We booked the train from Flam to Myrdal at the station. It’s a short walk from the ship, and we didn’t book any ship excursions. 
 

- Price for the train was 2000 Norwegian Krone so slightly under $200 for 3 people total. 
 

- In the summer they say there is hiking in Myrdal but it was too cold and snowy for any of that to be open, so we just got round trip tickets. 
 

- One benefit I think of excursion groups is they get to board a different area of the train. The train was PACKED. It holds like 400 people. The right side, leaving Flam, is best, but honestly if you can get a window seat on the let side I’d go with it, as it has nice views too. 
 

- The seats are a bit tight so get comfortable with whoever you’re with. There’s so assigned seating to carriages so we had to run around a find seats. 
 

- Ride is about an hour each way. They stop at a waterfall with a surprise performance sometimes. Very gorgeous ride. 
 

- Usually it stays in Myrdal for a few minutes but we were behind schedule so once people got off it turned back around. 
 

- There’s a cafe in Flam called the Flam bakery which has some great pastries and sandwiches.

- On the ship, they had Jessica Jane the magician ding a show. I liked it overall, though it does require a lot of audience participants.  
 

Anyway, really enjoyed it despite the rain. The train area has a a couple nice shops too. I did think the train could be organized better but it was still gorgeous. 
 

Going to hopefully post about Geiranger and Bergen tomorrow 

Hi all. Usually I do live threads for my cruises but considering there’s only 3 days left it’s kind of late for that. Been busy having a nice trip! 
 

This 7 night cruise on the Apex, leaving from Rotterdam, Netherlands, and terminating in Amsterdam. The itinerary is leaving Rotterdam - Day at Sea - Haugesund - Flam - Gerianger - Bergen - Day at sea - leave the ship in Amsterdam 

Few details:

- In an infinite Balcony

- Was told around 2000 guests and 1900 crew (not sure how accurate that is though)

- Purchased the Streaming internet and it is working super well. They said they’re using Starlink.

- No drink package or excursion purchased. 2 spa treatments between the family though.

- Anytime dining, but ate at Petit Chef and Raw on Five.

Going to try to keep it fast and bullet pointed since I get long winded but I don’t mind any questions!

Amsterdam

- Schipol was easy to get through but did require walking off the plane on stairs, in case mobility is an issue. It’s not common though.Our plane just got lucky I guess.

- Everyone we met through the whole city was nice and helpful.

- Lots of good Malaysian and Indonesian food

- Canals are a must see.

- Surprisingly warm in the sun despite lower temps. Dress in layers.

- Uber was the best way to get around for us due to health issues, but it’s pricey. A trip from Schipol to the heart of Amsterdam was regularly €40, and during rush hour in a Saturday I got a quote for nearly €100. The Uber from the hotel to Rotterdam was over €100 but you can take the train and it’s cheaper.

- City is a bit dirty and lots of graffiti around, though I haven’t been to any city other than maybe Tokyo and Singapore I’d say is super clean.

- it can get very crowded and busy so plan accordingly. 

- Didn’t get to see the tulip fields but there are lots of tours. Did do a hop on hop off bus, canal cruise, and visited This is Holland for their flight simulator.

Embarkation on 1st Sea Day

- Embarkation was super easy. We needed a wheelchair and the workers made it super easy and helped a lot. I never know if the smoothness of embarkation is more the cruise ship or the port workers, but whoever did a good job.

- I can’t honestly recall anything bad on the first sea day so it went pretty nicely. 

- First production show on day 2 was “Crystalize” and I really loved the violinist, music, and light effects,

Haugesund

- We booked a quick blue trolley ride at the pier that took us around town and some special sites. It was cold and raining a tiny bit, but it was a good price and we got to see a lot. It lets you get off as well.

- We didn’t do much here but there are tours that go further out of the town.

- The ship was plugged into Shore Power which was neat. Let’s it turn off it’s engine and cut emissions but plugging into the local power grid. Apparently Apex is the first cruise ship to do so in this port. I’ll attach a pic below.

We went to Flam today and took the train which I will talk about tomorrow. Tomorrow is Gerianger!

6 hours ago, RICHARD@SEA said:

Any cutbacks..err i mean changes are most likely to be profit driven.

 

I would like to see the bonuses for HAL & CCL Corporate Executives this year.

 

I laugh when a store asks me to contribute to a  cause(whether I believe in that cause or not) when in reality I already purchased goods at the store which earned said store a profit...let the store make a donation out of their profits.

 

Business plans today have no consideration for  their customers...at any cost.  Think the now defunct CRYSTAL CRUISE LINE...

 

I have sailed on HAL since the late 1970's when they were a first class operation,,,now sadly its just turning into a floating HOLIDAY INN.

I do agree overall it’s all profit driven, which is a shame. Obviously that’s the goal but it shouldn’t be the only goal. I am always looking to see what the bonuses for higher ups are. I recall some company struggling during the heart of the pandemic, laid off many staff, and their CEO got a multimillion-dollar bonus. 

That said, comparing HAL currently to a holiday Inns seems a bit silly and ignorant, making me wonder when you last slept at a Holiday Inn. The service on HAL is still better than nearly any hotel I’ve stayed at bar some resorts. 
 

Also it should be noted Holiday Inns in the US are different than ones outside. The ones overseas are much nicer IMO, especially in Asia. 

Food is always an interesting comparison. I loved the fries I had on Holland recently, but they’re my style. Meanwhile Princess gets rave reviews for their pizza but I found it bland, but I also went over 10 years ago on the Sapphire so maybe things changed. Also, even in the same line I noticed food changes. I went on the Millennium and Beyond on Celebrity a couple years apart. Similar MDR menus but I found Beyond a lot better.

In any case, thanks for the review! I’ve been to Alaska once ages ago on Princess and more recently on Celebrity. Yet to try Holland but it would be neat. Convincing my family for a 3rd Alaska cruise would be the tough part 😂

Okay, time for the final trip update. We're home safe, rested, and packing for another trip we had planned last minute before some credit expires. Traveling is tough work lol

Quebec

I don't have much specifically to say (though I'm open to questions) except that it's one of the best cities I visited. It really is like a slice of France and Europe in North America. Everything is in French, but everyone we met spoke some English. Everyone was also kind and helpful too.

We visited the famous Fairmont Le Château Frontenac up on the hill in Old Quebec I think and it was well worth it. We took the hop on hop off which wasn't all that great (should have booked a ship excursion maybe for that port) but there is a funicular nearby which will take you up, though it's a bit of a walk to get there from either port. The hotel has a Starbucks in it and many shops and restaurants nearby. The lobby is the only part open to the public, but there is a museum underground you can visit which was great to see. Plus our trip had a HAL rep to help people out in the lobby. 

Definitely would like to visit again, and I'm happy for the overnight the ship did.

The Cruise Overall

It was a memorable cruise for sure, and probably in my top 3 favorite cruises. It was our first time visiting the New England area and Eastern Canada. I was really thankful, because Hurricane Fiona seemed to cause a lot of damage in many of the ports we visited like Halifax, Sydney, and Prince Edward island. I'm happy I got to see them and try some local places. Also it seems The Canadian Red Cross is taking donations for the Hurricane damage for anyone willing to donate there to help out.

It was our first time going on the same class of ships, but the ship was really nice and we were busy so we didn't mind. I got a veggie burger at Dive In and I still need to go back to try a hot dog. And maybe we'll try a different specialty restaurant. 

Okay the big elephant in the room  for anyone on this cruise that I haven't mentioned...was certainly the embarkation. Been on 12 cruises and this was by far the worst embarkation I've ever had. I've been on HAL before so it makes me think it's more the Boston Port. Not sure how it's been for those getting on in Quebec. If you had VeriFly it was kind of quick. but otherwise you had to wait around 2 hours to fully get in. There were no areas by your boarding group number so everyone was just in 1 line for security and then for check-in. They are aware it was bad but not sure what the problem was.

The 2nd issue were charges onboard. Definitely check your statement! My parents ordered a water package on the first day, yet never received it. I got mine which I ordered the first day too though, so it was weird. We kept calling but it never arrived. They still got charged for it but that was fixed easily by Guest Relations, who said a lot of people were having issues. We ordered the water package every cruise since we don't drink much otherwise, and this was the first time we just didn't get it. Not a huge deal, but it was something we'll remember.

Still though it was a great cruise and I'm happy we went. HAL is becoming one of our favorite lines, which is a bit ironic because a year ago we would have thought HAL was "too old" for us.

Feedback to Holland America

I think HAL's strength is their more classic cruise experience with an emphasis on enrichment like education, music, and ports, at a reasonable price. 

Some things I think they do better than most lines I've been on and areas they can improve:

- The service is great. The staff seem super friendly, and less stressed than on other lines. Our room attendants Hari and Gus were so nice and friendly, and always asked us what we needed.

- The Lido is probably one of the best at sea for us. The variety is the strongest factor. The main dining room food wasn't as good as the Lido, nor as good as the main dining room food on Disney or new Celebrity ships, but better than most other ships I've been on.

- The Crow's Nest was nice overall. A lot of the screens and cool tech weren't actually working so I didn't spend as much time there as I wanted. Apparently on the Rotterdam the area Port side is a game room rather than presentation room which is better for the space I feel. I love observation lounges on ships, and so many ships are getting rid of them so I'm happy HAL and new ships like NCL's Prima have them.

- I like the World Stage as a venue. The screens are a great addition. I think the shows could be better though, and I really missed the BBC Earth video. I'd like to see more of those kinds of videos throughout the day, maybe even 1 or 2 days only if that's all they can do.

- I LOVED the EXC Talks. I love when ships emphasize the ports they are visiting, and help guests learn more about the areas so we are a bit less ignorant of the history and culture. Kind of wish they put them on their official HAL channel on YouTube, it would teach a lot and be good promo for the company. 

- I like the music walk overall and emphasis on music...but I do think the layout of the venues could be better. I think having them right under the casino isn't the best, and since they rarely have Billboard on Board and Rolling Stone Rock room going the same time because they'd just singing over each other due to proximity, maybe combining them into one large venue kind of like how they do with Lincoln Center Stage and BB King's would be good. I do like that LCS and BB King's span 2 decks, so it's nice to pass by and watch a bit if I don't want to sit down. The music usually is not my taste but I do like the musicians having actual venues to play at, and being incorporated in the stage shows.

- Wish there was a Port to Table cooking demonstration.

- Really enjoyed the more modern décor and art. It wasn't as nice as how some Viking ships or the Prima look, but still nice. 

- This is for any future ships they may build, but the layout of public spaces could be better. There was some crowding, and it's weird having to walk through the casino with smoke to get to the theater, or walking past people eating in chairs in the Dutch Café to get to the dining room. The passenger-to-space ratio is lower on this compared to their older ships, and I feel for a premium line, a ratio of 40+ is needed to help feel premium. 

- I hope they add a garden to their ships. There were more plants, but an actual garden would be cool. My mom specifically looks at ships with greenery to choose to go on. Luckily more ships are adding them.

- The space aft on the ship, above the outside pool. Sunset Bar I think? It was so empty it makes me wonder what the purpose of it is.

- Speaking of pools I love that the main pool is covered.

- I enjoyed their approach to health and safety. They are big on it still, and recommend masks, but I liked that they made everyone feel welcome and nobody felt out of place to mask or not.

- Internet could be better. Hope that improves, and it will with tech.

- I know it's not a family-focused line, but I do wish there were more activities for families to do. My family travels together, but the music of the music walk isn't our style so there's not as much to do at night outside of watching a show/movie or playing on my Switch. Like, I don't think HAL is ever going to add a Galaxy Pavilion but having a few more family-friendly activities would be cool. You'd think something like a golf simulator would appeal to many people going on HAL too. They don't need rock climbing walls, or go karts, but an area that has activities indoors other than the Crow's Nest would be nice.

- Not sure if it's something about who HAL attracts but we met so many friendly people on the ship! Lots of great conversations.

HAL had some stereotypes we believed before we sailed with them last December, and there might be some truth to some of those. But HAL is honestly a great line for anyone of any age who wants maybe a little more subdued experience but still wants great food, service, enrichment, and nice ports. It's perfect for introverts like me, and there is a market out there for people who want a more classic but still fun and enriching cruise.

I'm not sure when my next cruise will be, or when I'll go on Holland again, but I'll be following news about HAL closely. For anyone who read all this, thanks for following along!

So about the bread pudding. I knew it was on the breadboard side because that’s where it was on the Koningsdam. It’s just I swear they had it during dinner sometimes on that cruise but this one they only had it during lunch, but also we only had lunch like twice at the lido. Not a huge deal, just something I noticed. 

23 hours ago, mfanderso said:

Don't even get me started on that.  I like to have salads and went to the salad station.  They had a list of salads you could order or you could go down the line and tell them what you wanted on your salad.  I decided to order one off the list -- easy enough.  No, not really.  I ordered a Chop Chop and NOT ONE person knew what it was or how to make it.  I finally refused to go through it again and sent my husband and he went through the same thing.  One night while dining, Pedro, I don't know his title but he was over all the dining on the ship, stopped to talk to us.  We told him the story about the salad.  I told him if they didn't know how to make them to take the list down.  He said he would rather train them.  Seemed pretty late by then.  It was towards the end of our 24 day cruise.  He said that people were having to work in areas they weren't familiar with and he would talk to them.  I have no idea if I was on the ship today and ordered a Chop Chop salad if they would know what I was talking about.

This happened to me with an Asian Salad, though a bit different. I ordered off the menu and the sever had to ask his partner, and she knew while preparing her salad. He did end up adding oranges which wasn’t on the menu but I took it. The ingredients are on the guest side but maybe having it on the crew side would help too. 
 

That said, I do agree with Pedro in that is better to train and educate crew who didn’t know about the dishes more and how to prepare them rather than just taking it off the menu completely, especially for a salad. 

Day 7 - Quebec
 

Quebec is a very beautiful city. We were at pier 30 I think, the more industrial port, and the NCL Pearl was docked much closer to the city center. We’re getting off tomorrow but some are staying on, and the ship will be overnighted again on the return voyage so the new guests get to enjoy the city at night as well. I do love the overnights and late stays. 
 

Since tomorrow is going to be a day of nearly 24 hours of traveling, waiting, flying, and driving, I’ll have to finish the update on how I liked Quebec, how I felt about the cruise specifically, and pros and cons of Holland when I get back home with better WiFi and a keyboard. 
 

I will say though, if you take the Hop on Hop Off bus with Unitours, know that the wait can be an hour or longer on day ships are in town. We waited at stop 3 near the NCL Pearl terminal for over an hour for a bus that wasn’t full. I guess lots got on stop 2 since stop 1 is the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac.

Some pics

45 minutes ago, Kruising Kathy said:

We did NS April 17 FLL to Barcelona.  Rooms were only cleaned one time per day.  Window washing, live flowers, Microsoft and America's Test Kitchen were gone.  Bread pudding was only available at lunch time in Lido.  I also missed the BBC earth programs that used to be on room TV.  We like cabin 5108 interior behind the mid-ship elevator (Koningsdam 42 days crossing and NS this year).  HAL was unable to Covid test us when we disembarked in Barcelona May 1st.

2012 we did Eurodam in storm from Rhode Island to FLL,.  Had thought about doing this cruise, but glad we did not sign up.

Kathy

That is our experience as well. I can’t say for sure what are HAL changes, and what are Statendam-specific changes.

- Microsoft studio was was opened as a normal studio, they did a paint class today in it.

- We still have live flowers and plants. I got a bouquet for my birthday actually.

- No idea about window washing.

- Cabins only cleaned once a day, though you can easily request it for nighttime if you want. I don’t see many people putting out signs in the afternoon or evening though. It’s a non issue for us since it’s still optional, but would be sad it the option goes away.

- The bread pudding is only at lunchtime in the lido as well, like yours. They have cobblers and pies and such during dinner, and some pudding during breakfast. Bread pudding isn’t exactly expensive so I wonder if they’re just trialing different options. It did suck a bit for us because we ate lunch in port a lot of days so we end up missing the pudding.
 

- No Test kitchen, which is sad for me because Koningsdam didn’t have it either and I was hoping this one would.
 

- No BBC earth videos and this makes me the saddest. Not sure if the 4th and 5th screens are broken or what, but I wish they would tell us why they didn’t since Koningsdam did and they still have BBC in Concert. It’s something we really loved.

Not sure if these changes are just cost-saving or something else. 

1 hour ago, cbr663 said:

Is your cruise going to be affected by Hurricane Fiona?

Our captain has said no, though our flight may be. I know Emma Cruises is doing this itinerary in Carnival and is right behind us and is getting lots of rain.

12 hours ago, Maisyboo said:

Totally understand. If you are AFT and when you feel comfortable. Would you share thoughts on cabin location please . Especially vibration and noise . 😀

We are more mid ship and hear noise from decks above, but it’s not too bad. I can say that I ate in the back of the dining room on this and Koningsdam and on NS we felt much less vibrations. It wasn’t too noticeable, whereas on the Koningsdam I felt like i was shaking a bit.

We had a nice day onboard, but it’s getting late so I’ll have to post pics tomorrow. Some points:

- We have to sail slowly, 10 knots. This is to protect the endangered Northern Atlantic Bright Whales in the area. Because of this we will get to Quebec a little later, around 0930 - 1000.

- It was fog last night when I heard the horns. Also, since it was so foggy and the ship was lit up a bunch of birds were following the ship, hundreds it seemed the captain said. A lot of people found little sparrows and such resting on their balconies in the morning.

- There were 3 nice talks today: EXC about Canada and its symbols like the Maple Lead, Mounties, and Winnie the Pooh, Captain talk, and another EXC about fishing in New England. I attended all 3 and they were great. Kim is our cruise director and she is a fantastic presenter. The captain talk was great too, but I do wish HAL offered backstage tours like Celebrity does. I’d gladly pay for them.

- WE MADE IT TO TEA TIME! The tea and food were okay though, I’d like more clotted cream please. Not even sure if it was clotted cream because it didn’t taste like it. We did meet a very nice Canadian couple from Alberta next to us though. It was really fun chatting with them and their cruise journey. They’ve been on the ship for 2 sailings and got to see the journey from Quebec to Boston, but said some of those ports were sadly canceled.

- Show tonight was “In Tandem” which I saw on the Koningsdam. The highlight was definitely their dance to Alicia Key’s “Falling” which was a cover. I do think HAL’s productions shows aren’t bad…but they’re a bit boring compared to ones on other lines. I think there needs to be more dancers to pull off more interesting formations if they’re going to have such a dance focus. For a line known for music, they should probably have a bigger emphasis on music and singing in their shows.

- It was Gold Gala night. Dressier attire, but sadly no lobster. Lobster seems to be a $12.50 up charge available most nights. I don’t like lobster so it’s not a huge deal to me, but my parents love it but don’t really want to pay extra when there are other options. I wish lobster tail was complimentary on at least 1 of the formal nights though.

Off to bed now for me.

10 hours ago, Maisyboo said:

Thanks for posting  time & Taking us along . Just curious what cabin or general location are you staying on NS ?. Asking d/t we are booked AS 4194 . Have a great cruise . 

I usually don’t say specifically only due to privacy (though maybe when the cruise is over), but will say we’re a couple decks higher in adjoining balcony cabins. Having the balcony doors open between us pretty nice!

Day 5 - Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada - 0800 to 1600

- Gotta say after 4 nights I do not find the beds comfortable. My back hurts waking up every morning. I think they’re just too hard for me, but I know others who love it. 
 

- It rained this morning and we had a late start, so we didn’t go on any tours ourselves, but there were some nice options for city tours by bus at a reasonable price in port. 
 

- Our ship was the only ship in port (a common factor outside of Halifax I think), and the port area has some nice shops and eateries. I ended up getting a nice cat mug, spoon, sushi burrito, and a donut.

- There is a little eatery place called The Food Hall Market which has a lot of nice places to try local food. I went to Hojo’s Sushi Burrito and the food was so good, but more importantly the guy was so friendly and kind. Definitely would recommend. 
 

- We missed tea time again at 3PM and according to our planner this might be the last one 😮

- Went to Nami and the food was wonderful. It’s a surprise since we went to Tamarind on Koningsdam and thought it was okay. The red curry was great. 
 

- Got some dessert at the lido but there’s been a Surprising lack of bread pudding this cruise sadly. 
 

- There was an Orange Party tonight. I honestly can’t tell you what that is though (and many around us not sure either) but lots of people wearing orange. 
 

- We event to the theater to see the “Seven Worlds One Planet in Concert” by BBC Earth. It was a great show with great live music. The documentary does end on discussing about climate change and what we can do, which I admit is a bit ironic for a cruise ship but it’s still a good message. 
 

- I do still miss the Planet Earth Special that used all the screens and no idea why it wasn’t on this sailing. Maybe too many ports? Not sure but it was super immersive. 
 

- Also as I type this at 11:48PM the Captain is blasting the horn for some reason. Dog maybe?

Anyway, clocks go back an hour tonight and it’s our first and only sea day tomorrow. 
 

Here’s some pics from today:

12 hours ago, fatcat04 said:

Thanks for the thread. We are on her next week and can't wait. 

 

Question: "Dressy night" is on which port day? 

For our sailing there are 2: the 2nd night in Bar Harbor, and the 6th night tomorrow which is a sea day. 

Will say that while optional but recommended for guests all staff are masking. 
 

Another change, but they only do turn-down service and clean your room once a day. You can put the sign outside your door for any extra cleaning though. Not sure if it’s health reasons or staffing issues. Our steward was super helpful.
 

Day 4 - Sydney - 1100 - 1800

- We got to see the Giant Fiddle!

- The excursions were booked but they have taxi tours where you get a private tour with the cab driver. We did the city tour for $125 and it was 1.5 hours and really nice. 
 

- We at at The Governor’s Pub nearby. It was okay, not really worth the price IMO, but I do recommend trying some of the local places out since there are so many near the port. 
 

Day 3 - Halifax 0930 - 1800

- No issues here at this port. Very nice weather and very pretty city.  Some things were closed though for the Queen’s funeral today though. 
 

- We took a hop on hop off tour. Wasn’t bad, and they explained about the maritime ship explosion in 1917. Maybe not the best thing to hear before boarding the ship lol

- A lot of places will take US Dollars but will give you back Canadian currency just fyi.

- It doesn’t seem to have any BBC earth video (though they have the BBC in concert) which is a bit disappointing. 
 

- Ended up getting a shave and facial yesterday that was wonderful. The staff member didn’t try to upsell me much so I was thankful for that (and gave him an extra tip lol).

- We had a small issue of never receiving a water package we ordered day 1. It’s disappointing and we called many times but still nothing. 
 

- Tip for any future cruisers, book your excursions beforehand if you have an idea of what you want to do or activity level. All the excursions that are moderate or lower have sold out so we have to try some at the piers. 
 

- Oh something I forgot to mention but they do recommend masks while on the ship. About half the passengers seem to be wearing them. 
 

Well as live as it can be with this internet. 
 

I’m on this cruise to celebrate my 30th birthday with my family (HAL might be an odd choice but the price and itinerary were great) so I figured I would do another live thread like I did with the Koningsdam last year. 
 

Itinerary: Boston - Bar Harbor - Halifax - Sydney - Prince Edward Island - Sea Day - Overnight in Quebec
 

- We had to have a negative test and showed vaccine proof, along with the doing AriveCAN

- We didn’t do VeriFLY but do recommend it because the embarkation was like 2 hours of waiting without it. 

- Purchased the premium internet. It’s not as good as Royal or Celebrity’s though. 

- Embarkation on Day 1 was kind of a mess, but not sure if it was HAL or Port because the San Diego sailing was fine. 
 

- Around 2100 people on this sailing I believe. 

- The port times are somewhat limited due to noise regulations in order to protect endangered whales in the area (I believe the North Atlantic Whale)

- There’s more but we’re about to leave Bar Harbor so my LTE is about to falloff. Bar Harbor is a tender port of around 15 minutes. Pretty town, long line for the tender though. 

Well as live as it can be with this internet. 
 

I’m on this cruise to celebrate my 30th birthday with my family (HAL might be an odd choice but the price and itinerary were great) so I figured I would do another live thread like I did with the Koningsdam last year. 
 

Itinerary: Bar Harbor - Halifax - Sydney - Prince Edward Island - Sea Day - Overnight in Quebec
 

- We had to have a negative test and showed vaccine proof, along wi the doing AriveCAN

- We didn’t do VeriFLY but do recommend it because the embarkation was like 2 hours of waiting.

- Purchased the premium internet. It’s not as good as Royal or Celebrity’s though. 

- Embarkation on Day 1 was kind of a mess, but not sure if it was HAL or Port because the San Diego sailing was fine. 
 

- Around 2100 people on this sailing I believe. 

- The port times are somewhat limited due to noise regulations in order to protect endangered whales in the area (I believe the North Atlantic Whale)

- There’s more but we’re about to leave Bar Harbor so my LTE is about to fall off. 

2 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

In the next few days I will pop back in here with things I want to add. One thing many have asked about number of Passengers. Our sailing on July 10th was the highest for Europe at about 2450 they consider it to be at 100% . With that being said I will say the ship felt extremely crowded. No matter what time of day if food was being served in the Lido it was packed. Most days was difficult to find a place to eat. 
the Main Show Lounge was totally under utilized and the other lounges way over packed. The Dutch Cafe was another totally packed place with always a long line. It seemed like everything you wanted on the ship there was a line. My feeling is this ship does not have enough space for the people they are packing on board. There is far more space on Signature and Vista Class ships.

That’s unfortunate though can’t say I’m surprised. Even at 2450, the passenger space ratio (Gross tonnage divided  by the passenger capacity) is around 40 GT, which is less than the other class of ships. The other classes I’d their ships are around 41 - 42. 

Thanks for the report. My family is thinking of taking a similar cruise on the same ship next May so we’re interested in hearing stories of the sailing.

2 hours ago, travelers07 said:

Captain just announced 27 new cases of Covid today. Says more cleaning protocols and mask wearing. I appreciate that he is keeping us informed but it is just so contagious! 

It’s nice they’re being transparent about it. I know some don’t like it but I personally like being informed. I’ve known people on cruises captains kept it hidden (they never heard any announcements) and the likelihood no one got sick seems a bit rare. 

The concept is intriguing, though I do wonder what ships could add it due to the height and the sight lines. 

4 hours ago, tinaincc said:

How long was your cruise?  Interested because we have a 12 day planned and want to do carryon only so the laundry situation is important.

It was 9 days. 
Admittedly it was cheaper to go with the per item cost than the full bag the 2nd time. 

6 hours ago, aroy11462 said:

Does Celebrity still do a special on ‘ all you can fill laundry bag “ on a 10 day cruise.  If so around what day would it be done?  I want to work out most days, but would like to limit amount of clothes I bring.  Thanks advance.

Got off the Beyond a couple weeks ago (has it been that long already?) and we got the bag option twice during the cruise.

One item did come back with a hole in it so yeah, nothing too delicate or anything you’re too worried about.

4 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

No reason to be confused. The proof will be if it happens. 

That could said for any cruise, that’s why I’m confused why you’re saying “that cruise will never see the light of day.” if the ship is back in regular service.