3rdGenCunarder

Best ship tote bag EVER! Mini sea bag from the 1990s on QE2. This one is well traveled.

That sounds like a good reason to pamper yourself. Enjoy it, and good luck with the transplant!

I doubt it would. Booked cabins are taken out of inventory. I think the bumping is more likely to happen if someone--passenger or TA--calls HAL and asks for a triple or quad when they can't see what they want online.

I would hope that, if you're bumped, you would get a call and could make a new choice with a live person, and not get the computer's "best guess." A good TA or PCC might be able to get you a decent upgrade, or you could just be talking to someone at a call center. Until we hear from people who have been bumped, we won't know.

I suspect the hahas were directed at your comment about HAL's system being sophisticated enough to find a reasonable new location. I must admit, I didn't know if you were being sarcastic with that remark and almost added my haha, too.

I would be more concerned that they DO make it on the ship and the ship gets more crowded. I'm feeling better and better that my Alaska trip this summer is on Cunard. They do have triples and a few quads, but they don't run the "kids sail free" or "3rd and 4th persons sail free."

Nobody has reported this happening yet, so we don't know what happens to the bumped passengers. I looked at the deck plans and you're right. Except for two Sig suites way forward on 5, all the SS are in the same area and all are quads. I would hope if someone tries to book a triple or quad online, they would see what's available and not be able to grab yours. But if they call, I would hope that HAL would say, Sorry no Signatures, but we do have Vista Suites and Verandahs that will take 3 or 4 people.

Yes, I got savor the journey when I was in a Neptune when CO was new. The steward said something about the new bags hadn't arrived so I would get the regular one. The "regular one" was nice enough and I didn't think about what the CO one would be. The previous year I was in a Neptune and didn't get a special bag. Can't remember what that year's bag was like.

I've had one like that for a few years. I got a new one on my recent cruise. I didn't realize it says Club Orange until after I read your post and checked the new one. I like the one in your picture better. (I hope mentioning that I have two isn't like bragging about how many stars I have)

Cloth with a nylon or polyester lining. Mesh and solid outside pockets. Zip top. I'm sure @POA1 can elaborate on the wonders of it. 😀

That occurred to me, too. If I can be bumped from the cabin I PAID several hundred dollars to select, where are they going to put me? Upgrade? Downgrade? And as much as I hate to see people use the C word, what sort of Compensation do you get if you're bumped? I think the upcharge to select should be refunded, because you've essentially got a guarantee cabin.

I don't see a lot of kids on a long cruise like VOV. But when they do kids sail free promos, it could happen. And remember that HAL does guarantees, so those are people who could be put anywhere depending on what's available. That gives HAL flexibility in booking triples and quads.

I doubt it. They get the full fare from a single anyhow. But a single in a quad might be bumped before a couple, on the idea that fewer people would be affected.

Your post made me curious, so I checked. Westy has a lot of triples and quads, but not most cabins. The OV seem to have a lot of triples, but very few cabins on 7 and 8 are triples and no quads there. But all verandahs on 10 are quads.

I don't think NCL is any more Norwegian than HAL is Dutch (Norwegian's largest stakeholder is Hong Kong company). I doubt the name will get them first shot at a dock. Money might do it, though. Who know how dock assignments are made? Even with two ships, and definitely with three, in Flam I would book something in advance. I wouldn't risk booking the train on the day. BTW, check out the museum about building the railway.

You can find photos submitted by travelers on the HALfacts website. Westerdam is one of 4 ships in the Vista class. Photos from the other Vistas will give you an idea of layout, but not necessarily decor. Also check the date the photos were taken, because older photos will have decor that has been changed. Vista Class | HAL Cruiser Information (halfacts.com) If you have questions, search this board, or just ask. And welcome to HAL!

4155 is a balcony cabin. Over the dining room, which is not a problem. And other cabins above, also not a problem. You can find deck plans on the website. Westerdam Cruise Ship - Best Cruise Ship Award | Holland America Line

I don't expect 2x the cost, but I know there will be some markup. For my Alaska cruise on QE, the bear excursion in Wrangell is $545. It's $373 to book independently, BUT all the jet boat companies are contracted to Cunard. So if I want to go, I have to book through Cunard. I think this is the largest markup I've ever paid for a shorex. OTOH, the hovercraft tour in Ketchikan is $176 through Cunard and $183 direct with the company, which does have availability on its website. The whale watch I'm doing in Juneau has no public availability on its website for my tour. They contract with a variety of cruise companies, and given how many ships call at Juneau, they've always got customers that way. So you have to choose a link to your cruise line. Interestingly, I'm paying $237, but on NCL, it would $299. On HAL it's $245.

I bid on an upgrade to PG on my cruise last fall. Like you, I saw different categories sold out each time I checked. I also checked QG, although I had not been invited to bid on that, thinking if one of them opened up and someone in PG got that, then maybe... My bid was not accepted, but I was happy with my original cabin.

Yes, there are places to sit other than the promenade deck. But most of the renderings I've seen show uncovered spaces, and I prefer to be in the shade. Apparently, if I want to have fresh air and shade, I have to take a class in the wellness studio.

And to make balance the doom and gloom about the promenade deck, the double-deck pool has lots of seating.

IIRC, there are places on K'dam's promenade deck where you can look out to sea. Those were the only pictures I had taken on the promenade deck. Here's a view of the ship in port. You can see places to look out across the stern and the sides near the stern. There's another viewpoint in the bump-out area (between the 2 groups of lifeboats). To be fair, QA will be longer, so perhaps there will be more places to gaze at the sea. But I wouldn't bet on deck chairs. On K'dam, the only seating is lifejacket storage benches.

These photos show parts of the "promenade" deck on Koningsdam. There are no deck chairs anywhere on the promenade deck. Look at the deck plans and QA looks like K'dam.

I've never been told to stay off my balcony because of rough weather, but if it's really bad, the wind takes care of the issue. A few times in rough weather, I have been unable to push the balcony door open more than a crack. And it occurred to me that if I did manage to get out to the balcony, could I get the door open to go back inside?

HAL also inflates prices, especially in small ports where there isn't much to do unless you book a tour. And they contract as many local vendors as possible, so everything is sold out before you can try to book independently. I think the smaller the port, the more they know they can charge.