CNSJ

Must agree that the Pinnacle grill Coffee is superb. I drink my coffee with nothing (yes, just coffee) - so the flavor comes through. At Grand Dutch Cafe or Explorations, I order Americano as they don't normally have a pour over or brewed option. Coffee Matters

Just book a cabin where motion would be less and then hope for the best. TAs are a great way to get to and or from Europe from the US.

Totally with you mrmoviezombie- To those that complain we don't have great entertainment productions in the Main Stage, I say this....After a day climbing the Acropolis in Athens, seeing the sights at Pompeii, or walking the Streets and Rambla of Barcelona, we are ready for a good meal and a shower in my clean and well maintained stateroom. I am not ready to watch a show in the theater. Again, thats just the way we see things, and why we are very happy with HAL.

What is the going price on Club Orange for non-Pinnacle and Pinnacle ships?

We never sailed on Prinsendam, but would have liked to. Today to get that same size/itineraries we would need to sail another cruise line. Luckily there are dozens to pick from. Azamara and Oceania hit that mark, but I am instead looking at niche market cruises for every other year or so, like Paul Gauguin for the South Pacific Islands of French Polynesia. (It is pricey though). That said....Having become a four star on HAL, we appreciate the extra perks and perhaps that keeps us semi-brand loyal.

I'll let those familiar with Oceanviews answer portholes, but I do believe most Ocenaview Cabins on Pinnacle Class have rectangular windows and are all on Deck 1 less a few in the front of the ship on higher decks. You will find great service and IMHO very good food (at times great, and at times perhaps just good). Entertainment is where HAL falls short. Don't expect great shows etc. Some music and events to attend, but I think HAL is about the ports to visit, with a great floating hotel in between. Many places all over the ship to read a book. Trivia (it is like entertainment to watch people get right and wrong answers) is available on most days and you will find some classes and lectures depending on the itinerary. Where and when do you plan to sail. Nieuw Statendam is a great ship.

For Rome, we have flown in the day before, booked a room at the FCO Airport Hilton for the night, then slept in best we could...enjoyed a great breakfast then left for ship with no worries. We booked Rome Cabs which provided great service. A nice gentleman was waiting in lobby for us at 11 am with a sign. Starting a vacation/trip with stress and anxiety is just as bad as rushing off the ship to catch a flight leaving shortly after arrival to find long lines at security and check in....no fun.

It seems my investment in CCL Stock has made up its loss and I have enjoyed several cruises with OBC. A few more planned for the next twelve months will be equally nice. Stock up again today, now over %15 a share. A long cry from pre covid, but up a great deal since last year!

On my last voyage on Westerdam, the only draft beer on ship was found in the Gallery Bar, just aft of the Casino. I do believe that HAL has removed most of the Gallery Bars from Signature and Vista class ships. It would be nice to have some real ales at sea!

Good points Nancy. I find it interesting that people complain about the cost of laundry on HAL, as it's cheaper than most major cruise lines and you don't have a flimsy paper bag to fill. Let's take a 14 day cruise for example, where you buy the unlimited package at $9 a day per stateroom. That's $126 for the cruise. Assuming a $2000 per person cruise fare (yes that probably low) - adding laundry increases cruise cost by about 3%. That 3% makes the cruise much more enjoyable, plus you can pack less. The real deal is a cabin for three or four, as the per stateroom price is the same!

Who wants to do laundry on vacation? I am not angry HAL removed the last of the self service machines years ago. Either buy the unlimited package - send in whatever you like each day if you want, or by the bag. I have stuffed a lot into those cloth bags. Now that we are 4 star, free laundry - its the best perk ever!

Most of us that exchange info/discuss on this board have the resources to enjoy cruising, albeit some more than others. The crew on HAL ships work very hard and provide, in my opinion exceptional service with a smile. The compensation they receive is far less than most if not all of you would accept for work in any job. Throw in months away from family....! That said, the "system" that drives their request you provide them a good review is not their fault, it belongs to HAL management - which pushes this down to the cabin stewards, bartenders and waiters. I think that good reviews by name matter more than extra "in hand" cash gratuity. We tip well and provide great reviews to those who do their job well. On a long cruise, well before it ends. It is rare that we have had any issues with HAL crew. A bad review may be loss of their job. We understand that. I also find that "thank you" with eye contact sincerity is an important interaction with the crew. When I interact with the Captain, Hotel Manager or Food and Beverage Managers, I do let them know how their teams are performing. Comment cards that call out crew members by name for great service also matter. I think those that get in a huff about being asked for a review (by name) are being a bit petty. Put yourself in their shoes. I appreciate the crew and the hard job they have. Just my two cents (probably four cents due to inflation).

Montythecat - nice to read a positive review of a HAL ship! Glad I am not the only ne that is overall happy with recent cruises.

I suggest keeping your HAL booking, and would recommend keeping a first Celebrity booking if you had this situation backwards. Trying new cruise lines helps you to either appreciate your favorite line more, or potentially find a new favorite. We have cruised Royal caribbean (smaller ships only - no waterslides!), and Celebrity (not the new Apex ships though) and find HAL to be our sweet spot. that said, if entertainment is your thing, you may find Hal not your cup of tea. We cruise HAL for clean, safe, well maintained ships with the best crew/service. I think you will enjoy the Rotterdam (we have sailed her twice)

Looks like you need another postcard to get caught up. Rotterdam a very nice ship!

We won one during a trivia contest as part of a flower arranging class during a transatlantic.

Value or lack of value for Have it All (HIA) depends on a few things. First of all understand that Have it All Plus is a much better deal than Have it All (no plus), as it includes a better Wifi Package, a high tier drinks package, and gratuities. That said, the value curve has a few "knees" in the curve. Since they calculate HIA cost based on number of days in the cruise, I find the 10 and 11 day cruises a value as you get the $200 shores credit and two dinners. A 9 day, gets you much less perks for a few dollars less. Let's assume two persons in cabin, $50 a day for HIA. A 9 day cruise is $900 a cabin, while a 10 day cruise is only $1000 a cabin. The shore alone is 100 a person ($200 a cabin) more, so the math makes more sense. There is another sweet spot at the 21 day mark, because three dinners and a $300 Shorex credit kicks in there. On a recent Japan booking (albeit for 2025) a 14 day trip, with HIA Plus, I calculated (even with 4 star mariner dining discount) that I was getting the Elite Beverage Package for about $20 a day. A beer, one specialty coffee, a soda and a water costs more than that. I can order what I like, when I want, no surprises. Again, do the math, sometimes it makes sense. As others have posted, transoceanic voyages are good as you can enjoy a few drinks on deck. Also, you are locking in these prices up to two years in advance including gratuities for HIA Plus, which are bound to go up. Good to have these discussions! Note: Never felt the need to "drink to make it worth my money" - but speciality dinning - I will eat to get my money's worth!

Future Cruise Deposits are great to have - we buy a few each cruise to have in our back pocket. Reduces outlay for deposits and has a small OBC attached. Of course lower deposits means you book more cruises.....🤔

One thing I have found that makes elevator waits longer on the Pinnacle ships is that here are fewer of them! Vista and Signature have 4 forward, 6 amidships and 4 aft, Pinnacles have two fewer in the amidships area.

PNG is a bit out of the way for most Westbound and Eastbound Transpacific (US to/from Australia), so its not on many cruise itineraries. Westerdam stopped in Alotau and then the conflict islands (two days there!) during our trip in Oct/Nov 2022. Conflict Islands was best cruise stop in more than a decade.....simply perfect.

Are you sailing Eastbound or Westbound in 2024? As a note: We sailed Westerdam transpac (westbound) in Oct/Nov 2022 and had a great trip. If you sail westbound, a port side cabin will get you more balcony sun for first part of voyage. BTW it was a great cruise.

Agree with you Trivia Addict, but its not just cruises.... Hotels, Airlines, etc. ALL have had slips in service. Part of its labor issues, part of its cost. We have hyper inflation and the industry (travel) has been gut punched. I have more patience than most I am afraid.....

Only issue depending on ship is that folks can look down on your balcony from the aft pool. So don't go out naked, unless you don't care!

Hopefully our Naval Architects out there will weigh in, but it is possible that the ratios assume all berths are full. On Carnival and Celebrity, they tend to have more people per cabin. HAL will sell cabins from day one that have 4 berths to someone sailing as a couple. I find the Vista Class best for Passenger to space, then the Signature class, and then Pinnacles. As for the quoted ratios: it is possible they don't count the Lido retractable pool area as indoor space, but the solarium on a RCI ship or Celebrity would count.

Totally agree. List the physical requirements in reasonable detail.