JeffElizabeth

I get up early every morning, (blasted internal clock) and never find it crowded. Most passengers are sleeping in. And many like my wife prefer room service. 

We got to take a tour on the old Rotterdam during our Panama Canal cruise during the pandemic in March and it was fascinating. The biggest soup tureen I have ever seen! And a machine to fold sheets.  Really interesting to watch the bridge crew at work even when we were tied off in port. Constantly monitoring the wind and tidal conditions to prevent damage to the ship. 

Just now, CruiserBruce said:

True. Well documented on the Panama Canal board. And most would say the old locks are more interesting. The history and feat of engineering is fantastic. 

Yes. Love to check out the locks on our cruises, both ocean and river. My hometown in Ohio was on the Miami and Erie canals and many of those locks were still in place. 

On 6/10/2023 at 9:53 AM, cbr663 said:

I think HAL has certainly lost its ability to visit smaller ports with its increasing ship sizes.  Your recent experience on the Westerdam with docking in industrial ports and having to incur charges to shuttle out of them illustrates for me that while HAL is trying to find a work around, it isn't always a great one.

 

We've recently returned from an Alaska cruise on the Koningsdam and faced head on the impact of many larger ships in port at the same time.  We last sailed to Alaska in 2014 on the Volendam at the beginning of the season mid-week.  We were the only ship in port and the ship wasn't at capacity.  It was a wonderful cruise.

 

This past May the Koningsdam sailed the traditional weekend route.  The ship was at full capacity and in every port we tied up beside 3 - 4 other large ships from Princess, HAL and X.  It was a marketably different port experience and the whole experience has me now reevaluating how we will cruise moving forward.  DW and I have had lots of discussion on it since returning.  We haven't come to a consensus yet, but we have agreed that the cruise we booked onboard for Norway next year on another Pinnacle Class ship will be cancelled.

Great points! We thought about going on luxury lines with fewer passengers so we would see the more intimate ports alas, those ships are still huge. One of our last cruises on the Prinsendam was to these small ports in Cornwall and other British Isles spots. It was awesome.  The townsfolk and mayors would come out to greet us, and we didn't feel like we were overwhelming the communities. 

Cheaper to use the old locks I presume.  We used the old ones on the last sailing of the old Rotterdam during the pandemic in March. 

Next time we take the extended family on a cruise there we will definitely look into one of those. They are big beach people while we are fine just sitting in the shade sipping drinks. 

16 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

I'll take more pasta and less lamb if it keep prices down. We don't cruise to eat - just get reasonably fed. One can dine well, and still dine economically.  

 

Long cruise often devolve into simple eating anyway, after the initial novelty wears off. 

The thread of "losing customers" if they don't continue to incur more debt to keep them pretending everything is the way that it was pre March 2020, is compared to losing customers entirely had they not incurred  the debt to simply tread water and sail another day.

 

We have to cut this industry some slack, is what I think. 

I agree. The three cruises we took last year all were disappointing in their own way, but new customers who haven't been cruising since 1997 might think differently.  I am hoping that interest rates will start to decline and some of their debt can get refinanced for less.

A mild recession currently going on in Germany might help. 

It will hopefully lower costs for the lines, they will need fewer employees at headquarters.  But on the downside,  fewer actual humans to answer questions. So many of the chatbots I am forced to use these days don't seem to understand my requests.  

21 hours ago, MarkCruises said:

We were on Viking Sea in March 2023 (in the Amazon) and on the first night we had one of the best cruise ship steaks ever the first night in The Restaurant.  The cuisine was very good the entire trip, as was the crew and entertainment.

Great news! I hope things will be back to normal next Autumn when we visit Canada to see the colors on Viking. 

On 5/30/2023 at 9:43 AM, CCWineLover said:

Yes you are very correct.

In the pre-COVID days the Manfredi's stead was a good steak in the first place.

I have to believe they are now not getting or not choosing to buy the good cut of beef.  I've noticed the distinct difference between 2019 and 2022-23

I really believe pre-Covid was the Golden Age of cruising. Do not like the changes being made. If the food back home at chains is just as good, why buy a ticket? 

2 hours ago, formernuke said:

I would definitely not miss Dubrovnik! We were very surprised how much we liked it and are definitely planning to go back. For us, Corfu was beautiful but boring. Others I'm sure will have different opinions.

Loved Dubrovnik,  took a Game of Thrones tour and also walked the city walls. But beware, it can be very crowded! 35 tourists for every resident I read this week. I liked Corfu, we did a tour but I wonder if you could just walk around on your own. Ever watch the series, "The Durrels"? About a expatriate British family. We loved it so we had to see the island. 

Supposedly the Saudis know the oil will eventually run out so they are trying to diversify and buy into other industries like golf. I was really disappointed by our last Holland America cruise to Hawaii, but we are giving them another chance with the Voyage of the Vikings this Summer. Fingers crossed. 

27 minutes ago, albingirl said:

I remember one girl who brought cheese curls onboard. They aren't available on the ship I  guess. 

It can be fun to see what snacks the crews will bring back on board.  Even saw a Phillipine grocery store on one of our cruises. My wife brings granola bars on our excursions.  

Irony? If you give a bad review, your favorite bartender will not get shore leave and will be available to mix your perfect Bloody Mary when you stay on board that morning. (Totally kidding!) 

I do hate the demands for a "10" every time. I only give a 10 for super duper service. 

Princess has curtains when you get a suite. Holland America should include them too. Especially when your wife is a night owl.

I don't mind the crew asking for good grades, but they have only been gentle reminders not pushy requests.  

We got to sail with him on the last voyage of both the Prinsendam and the earlier Rotterdam.  Such a wonderful man with so many cool anecdotes and stories. Loved his presentation on the Atlantic passenger ship races. 

On 5/24/2023 at 1:15 PM, Frankie11 said:

Are these the plant based patches or those prescribed by a doctor?

These are prescribed by a doctor. Warning, some people will have a bad reaction to the scoplamine. Temporarily reduces your eye power. Might want to test it before your cruise. 

10 hours ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

My wife is very prone to motion sickness. She uses the patch behind the ear and, knock on wood  it works great.

I wouldn't take cruises without the seasick patches. 

On 5/18/2023 at 11:36 AM, duquephart said:

 

I have "strong feelings" about any entity that is not upfront in it's pricing. How many first time Viking customers are surprised/distressed to find out that they have not yet paid all that they are expected to pay? Viking would do well to asterisk their published fares.

Agree totally! So tired of resort fees, service charges, and luggage payments.  Just give me the total up front. We have our first Viking cruise next year and one of the reasons we picked Viking was no nickel and dimeing.  

It can be quite nice having a leisurely morning with all the pandemonium around you. 

Wish we had bought our shares now when they are so cheap! 

On 5/17/2023 at 3:25 PM, azalice said:

My husband will have on a shirt with a collar and a decent pair of slacks. I will wear a nicer than usual top with black slacks. That is all we do anymore, no matter where the cruise is going. I am personally very happy not to have to pack or wear “formal wear” any longer.

Agree. With baggage restrictions on airlines these days, I like not having to bring formal wear anymore.

The formal nights are much more casual these days. Men can get by with a suit coat and khakis and often with just a polo shirt and dress pants. 

I am going to bring my tuxedo for our next cruise but simply because I feel like dressing up for Gala nights. 

On 5/9/2023 at 4:41 AM, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

I would wait do a late check out from your hotel.

Great advice! Everyone normally wants to get on board as fast as possible, we prefer a leisurely breakfast on land, and love the way the Pan Pacific takes care of our luggage. Checking in an hour after the rush can save you so many lines.