fatcat04

15 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Never sailed on her, but she looks like a nice 'real' ship [like they don't build anymore].  I'm a big fan of ships that feel like ships, and the longer itineraries and premium price-point [I feel that 'premium' is the sweet spot] are very appealing.  But only sailing out of French ports does limit the itinerary options, and my French isn't good enough to risk being confused constantly on a long cruise!  Still, if the concept succeeds they are talking about getting more ships – and that might force them to give Anglophones equal time [like Ponant does now].

We sailed her twice and would have sailed her many more times. Perfect sized ship. My favorite promenade deck, wide and spacious with REAL deck chairs. Dh and I enjoyed a cocktail and a stroll on her deck every night we could. And her crew were just wonderful. I wish her life with HAL as a larger excursion vessel could have been longer. 

23 hours ago, CafeBruno said:

She told me that the $7 extra appetizer charge is a test, mandated by the suits in Seattle HQ. She said the Westerdam is used to test out potential changes before they are rolled out to the entire fleet, and that the staff sometimes call the Westerdam the Testerdam, because of these experiments. She said the other main Testerdam experiment is the Have It All and More, where those on the Have It All package can order drinks over $11, and only be charged the excess.

So I hope others will let HAL know the 2^nd appetizer charge, on top of the Pinnacle cover charge, really cheapens HAL’s image and should NOT be adopted fleet wide.

 

I love the new Have It All and More change however, and I think this will result in additional revenue (however small) for people like me ordering more expensive drinks that we would not have otherwise ordered.

Show of hands who had not figured that out. (yep, none, I thought so) The suits... who may or may have never even been on a cruise ship.. need to study their market a heck of a lot better. I would sooner the cost of the specialties be raised AND the QUALITY be maintained with the unlimited starter options etc than this nickely dimey stuff. Who likes that? Interesting info about the Westerdam/Testerdam though. I love the "Have It All and More" drink package excess upcharge for drinks over the pkg $$ limit though. I would so do that for wines.  Makes it easier for me to give them more of my money.. which should be the Cardinal rule of all retail and service industry businesses. Thanks for the heads up! I will send them my thoughts. 

Wear your heaviest shoes and outerwear on the plane ride (it can always be removed and stuffed in the overhead or hung up. Get the unlimited laundry once on the ship. Have an outer water proof shell with hood and layer with things that can be reworn without worry for a couple days. Other than undies and socks, we (adults, kids are a whole other ball of wax) can get buy on 3 changes of clothes just about indefinitely as long as laundry is a possibility every couple of days. We have just travelled with those big "carry on" size backpacks before though now we usually take one large roller due to the kiddos. 

We miss the Maasdam and while dh is a pretty good francophone and the offerings sound delightful, I doubt it will be a choice for us as that kind of longer cruising for us is a decade+ away. But I hope the dear Maasdam has many more years of good and faithful service. Loved that little ship. 

24 minutes ago, RRFan said:

Thank you for responding and yes that is the cruise I'm asking about.  I looked on HAL's list and the Nieuw Statendam is NOT on the list:

https://www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/inventory-assets/Health_Sanitation/2022/Enhanced-Protocols-0831.pdf

 

Would you mind giving me the link listing NS please?    And according to this list, the enhanced Canada protocols do require vax +1 booster + testing. 

 

Are you thinking that the "previous" protocols didn't require booster?  I'm so confused!

 

Thanks so much

 

Maybe you misunderstood me. NS nor any other ship presently doing Canada/NE cruises is on the PDF list that I could find. That was my point. NO Canada/NE cruise is listed. Previous protocols under which those cruises are presently sailing and will be sailing did not and have never required boosters nor does entry into Canada or sailing from a cruise ship in Canada. 

4 minutes ago, RRFan said:

Is requiring at least one booster new?  I had read that "fully vaccinated" did not require a booster.  Might be a deal breaker for me.  We are vaccinated but no booster and don't plan to get one with all of the problems being reported lately.  If we test negative, are we ok?

If you are talking about your NS QB-FLL cruise in October, it and NO OTHER Canada/NE itinerary are actually on the PDF list for the "Canada Enhanced Protocols." I take that to mean we are still under the previous Canada/NE cruise testing and vaccine requirements which are the ones specifically mandated by Canada itself for cruise ship passengers leaving Canada. (We are on NS 2 weeks prior to you)

1 hour ago, ldtr said:

they don't on most cruises but ones that visit Panama, France and French Polynesia probably do. At least as of a few weeks ago France still required them.

When we went to France last Fall, vaccine and/or tests were required as well as the vaccine/test passport for eating and museums etc so I understand. France has since lifted ALL restrictions as of August 1st. (I think many EU nations have followed suit now) from: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coming-to-france-your-covid-19-questions-answered/

What are the rules relating to the vaccine pass?

Since 14 March 2022, the “vaccine pass” has been lifted in France in all areas where it was previously required (cultural and leisure venues, commercial catering, professional trade shows, etc.). Similarly, the COVID certificate is no longer required as of 1 August 2022.

What are the current rules applied at national borders?

Since the outset of the crisis, the health check system at borders has protected our healthcare system and delayed the arrival into France of worrying variants. This system was removed on 1 August 2022.

Therefore, the rules previously in place for travellers to France no longer apply:

• Travellers no longer have any formalities to complete before arriving into mainland or overseas France, and the COVID certificate can no longer be required, irrespective of the country or area of origin;
• Proof of a compelling reason for travel can no longer be required;
• Travellers no longer need to present a sworn declaration that they are not infected with COVID-19 and pledge to take an antigen test or biological exam upon arrival in France.
  This also applies to travel between mainland France and each of the overseas territories.

However, in the event of a dangerous variant, a system requiring a negative virological test upon entering France may be reinstated for travellers arriving from countries believed to be at risk.

The government will thus maintain the option to use “emergency brake” measures for a maximum period of two months, following a recommendation from the Haute autorité de santé (French National Authority for Health) in the event of the emergence and circulation of a new COVID-19 variant which can be a serious health risk, or in overseas territories, if the health system is at risk of saturation.

Furthermore, for foreign travel, a vaccination certificate, a negative test certificate or proof of recovery in EU format may be required by the destination country. It is also recommended to store all relevant documents on the TousAntiCovid application or print them out.

For the health rules in force for entering other countries, travellers should visit the “Conseils aux voyageurs” section on the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs website (in French only).

Just now, sea_la_vie said:

I'm definitely confused, because I checked Canada's requirements and it doesn't mention needing a booster dose or timing of the 2nd shot other than having the 2nd shot at least 14 days before sailing. I checked NCL as well, and there is also no mention of updated enhanced requirements.

You are not alone. The Booster requirement from what I am seeing in terms of Canadian cruises has nothing to do with Canada itself. Maybe it is linked to the longer itinerary voyages/collectors voyages clause for those cruises listed on the PDF?

from: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada#determine-fully

Vaccination requirements

To embark on a cruise ship that will start, dock or end in Canada, if you’re 12 years of age or older, you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with very few exceptions.

• Note: many cruise lines require vaccination for children 5 years and older.

Check if you qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller

Check if you qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller

To qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller to Canada, you must:

• have received at least 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine accepted for travel, a mix of 2 accepted vaccines
  • or at least 1 dose of the Janssen Jcovden (Johnson & Johnson, Ad26.COV2.S (JNJ-78436735)) vaccine
• have received your second dose at least 14 calendar days before you enter Canada
  • Example: if your second dose was anytime on Thursday, July 1, then Thursday, July 15 would be the first day that you meet the 14 day condition
  • this timing is only required for your second dose, not for third or fourth doses
• have no signs or symptoms of COVID-19
• have ArriveCAN receipt with letter A, I, or V beside your name by uploading proof of vaccination in ArriveCAN

No mention of boosters anywhere. I guess it is possible some provinces have their own rules but I haven't seen anything yet.  

10 minutes ago, 0106 said:

Did you get your 2nd vaccine more than 5 months ago?  If so, you need a booster according to CANADA ENHANCED PROTOCOLS VACCINATION.  I prefer my information in writing that I can print and carry to the port with me.  
 

This is the current HAL written policy for Canada: All guests 12 years of age and older must be fully vaccinated. A booster dose is required for guests 18 years of age and older whose final dose of an approved/authorized COVID-19 vaccine is older than 5 months to be considered “fully vaccinated.” Only one booster dose is needed to be considered fully vaccinated.

Our cruises are not on the list for "Canada Enhanced Protocols." In fact NO Canada/NE cruises are. 

1 hour ago, Sea42 said:

We'll stick with independent land travel for the foreseeable future.

Hate to say it but after this upcoming cruise which has over $6000 in FCC invested in it, we will probably cancel the Spring cruise that was part of our larger land trip in Europe and just convert it all to a land trip. I am worn out with navigating all this and this is not helped by the fact that people who booked under one set of rules and then made last payment under another set are now faced with yet another set of rules before their cruise even sails. Land trips are just easier to organize. 

11 hours ago, CATandSQUID said:

HAL has required one booster for almost a year.

 

They didn't and don't for my upcoming cruise. 

Thank you for this confirmation of what we have been told by HAL since we booked this cruise (we board the week after you). This latest "simplification" had unsurprisingly caused us yet more confusion as we had gone over Canada's requirements over and over and had seen no changes there. 

1 hour ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

I don’t know about cruises that just have a stop in Canada, but definitely any cruise that begins in Canada requires a test before embarkation. Given that the Canada cruise season ends next month, they won’t likely change that before the start of next season.

That is our assumption as well and what we have planned for when we sail out of Quebec in less than a month. I'd rather be overprepared than under. 

1 hour ago, Gelerp said:

Thank you all for the replies.  I will look at the Pinnacle Class ships.  We will be sailing in the Caribbean this coming winter.  

 

Rotterdam (10 and 11 day cruises) and Nieuw Statendam (week long cruises) will be in that area of the world at that time. Being Pinnacle ships they have lots of music venues and a larger youth program. 

Pumpkin Ravioli. Dh and I have a habit of ordering our meaty dishes but then ordering a third dish of the vegetarian option in the MDR to share almost like a side when it sounds tasty as often it is very good and FRESH. It was a Thanksgiving cruise many moons ago and Pumpkin Ravioli was on the menu. We love ravioli and pumpkin so what the hay. It came in a delightful creamy sauce I think with a touch of nutmeg. It was the best ravioli I have ever had. Super fresh. Just lovely. If you ever see it, get it. 

Yes. We had three in a row one time, two the next cruise and we had the dividers opened both times. Both on NA. 

What a sweet post. Happy Anniversary to you both and Delightful Journeys!

St Germain Spritz. My absolute favorite warm weather pool side cocktail.

1 1/2 OZ ST‑GERMAIN (elderflower liqueur)

2 OZ PROSECCO

2 OZ SODA WATER

LEMON TWIST

All over ice in a Collins glass. 

Nothing more refreshing. 

Ohh.. all those fantastic pictures of Boston make me wish we had more time there. We have so enjoyed our trips to Boston. Just a lovely walkable city with so much to offer and some mighty fine people too. We have our extra days in Quebec City this trip. Maybe next time. 

Thank you for sharing. 

Happy Anniversary!!

This cruise is so nice, we did it twice on the Maasdam actually. And we are going from Quebec to Boston on N.Statendam in a little over a month. Dh would do this cruise every year tbh. I must say it is magical especially on the small ships. Enjoy.

Oh and I saw the incomparable Hercule Poirot on that TV screen. Simply the best!

10 minutes ago, -The-True-North- said:

Could I ask how much you PCC charged to include it?

$45 pp per day for an 8 day cruise for 1st and 2nd. Our dd who is 5 was a 3rd person fare and hers was $22.50 per day. This was booked back in April of this year. That HIA was the Sig beverage package, one specialty meal, $100 excursion credit per guest (all 3 of us), and the Surf internet package for 1 and 2 only. 

We love the tiles so at least we can expect that. My dh puts all our HAL (and cruising) mementos in his office. Lots of his clients cruise so they get a kick out of it. 

Just now, chefchick said:

I was lucky enough to score one of those “free” casino rate cruises so it of course didn’t include the HIA package…I was able to add it for an additional $350. Seems like a great price to me compared to some other line’s beverage package cost, let alone the additional benefits.

 

YMMV.

Nice! I had wondered about that as we have been getting casino offers for months. 

From what my PCC said when I booked our upcoming cruise, yes. We qualified for a Mariner rate that did not include HIA but she "added" it to that cruise (and she sounded like this was just something they can easily add). We both ran the numbers there on the phone and it was indeed a better deal than the general HIA rate being offered by a couple hundred dollars each.  

Yes.

And I have even been known to have second breakfast if I am passing by the Lido and something scrumptious catches my eye. Maybe I'm a Hobbit.