3rdGenCunarder

Every Uber or taxi driver we've had at FLL has warned us to have passports and boarding pass ready to show. They don't want to hold up the line or waste their time while passengers shuffle through purses/pockets/carry-ons.

I agree that it's risky to pin the whole plan on one element. That said, I've done a few cruises for a specific port, and been lucky that nothing was cancelled. But even so, that would have been just one day. The cabana is for the whole cruise. OP did not say what kind of cabin they booked. I've seen people say they book an inside or OV knowing they will have the cabana as their outdoor space. If that's the situation, losing the cabana really does ruin the cruise. I agree that this issue should be pursued on board.

I love to see families get all dressed up and pose for portraits. These are lovely!

I don't think I even had to click on complimentary. The computer just figured it out. After reading about losing the value of a cancelled excursion, I thought I would book a third one. I had been debating between taxi/resort fee to a beach in Curacao or taking the ship's tour. Price was about equal, so I booked the tour, expecting to pay for it. HIA says two excursions, up to $200. I don't remember if it's $100 each or $200 total. They do say that if you book more than 2 excursions, HIA will cover the most expensive, up to that $200 cap. Well, surprise! My HIA is paying for all 3 of my excursions, which total just under $200. I now have a $0.15 credit left in my excursion account.

(bold is mine) Thank you for this comment! Overamping isn't just in the music walk. Sometimes the sound is cranked up too high in the main showroom. I had to walk out of the showroom one night on Veendam because they had amplified a grand piano so much that it sounded tinny like a kid's toy piano. I didn't think that was possible. I wandered into the Ocean bar and found a band that could play well and control their volume. It is possible.

I agree with the posters who avoid the music walk. I hate how loud it is. I made the mistake of trying to walk through there one night, and it was hell. LOUD, crowd spilling out of the bar to the extent that it would have been a fire code violation in a land venue. I'm a little claustrophobic about being in a crowd, and I nearly had a panic attack. I wanted to scream FIRE! just to see if anyone would even hear me. I learned my lesson. I stay out of there. I know it's popular, and HAL probably makes good money on the drinks. But it isn't for me. Fortunately, the Pinnacle ships also have movies by the pool, which balances things out for me. The other thing I dislike about Music Walk is that putting Lincoln Center into BBKings has forced the LC group into awkward performance times. It had to be done so they wouldn't be overpowered by all the noise, but it devalues their performances. Bring back the Neptunes in the Ocean Bar!!!!!!!!!!

Kathi, have a wonderful time. Zuidy is my favorite HAL ship. I've been following your amazing adventures. You coped very well with covid--if I had been in an OV, I'd have tried to break a window to get some fresh air! One additional medical suggestion that I don't think others have suggested. The spa pool on the larger ships is wonderfully medicinal. I've walked off a bout of sciatica in Zuidy's spa pool. I would go early when it was quiet and just slowly walk in the warm water, not even turning on the jets if I was alone. My husband had Parkinson's and walking in the spa pool was good PT for him. Too bad we couldn't write off the cruise (or the spa pass) on our medical insurance. Oops, make that two suggestions. The rollator is a great help but be careful how you use it. People tend to push it ahead, like a supermarket cart, and that puts a strain on the back. My English cousin called hers a "Zimmer frame." No, I don't know who Zimmer is/was, but my point is to think of it as a frame around you, and you will stand/walk with better posture. Enjoy the warmth and the sea!

So good to hear you're on another cruise! For me, the best thing about Club Orange was the cooked-to order breakfast. Pancakes off the griddle and to your table in 30 seconds! And the mimosas were nice, too. My favorite spot to sit on K'dam, other than the balcony, was one of the curved sofas on the second level of the pool. Very comfy for stretching out and knitting (my niece was pregnant and the clock was ticking on the blanket I'd started). Try the movies on the big screen by the pool. I enjoyed those a lot.

I feel the same way. I love the Vista design, on HAL and on Cunard. It's a comfortable size and has enough space and amenities for me. There is some push-back on the larger ships, as too many guests overcrowd a port. Bar harbor is now limiting the size of ships they'll take.

Yes, there is a charge for everything. "Freebies" are worked into the price. This has been true for longer than many people know. Before the website would show multiple price options (with/without promos, etc), my TA could give me prices with and without whatever promo was going on at the time. I would not have known I could decline a promo and save money if she hadn't told me. As a solo, I never take the promo fares because I'm paying for two promos and getting only one. But when HAL offered me the 50% HIA, it worked out to be a reasonable expenditure. I did not spend the entire excursion budge because I chose inexpensive ones. It would be nice to have the "leftover" money as OBC, but it is what it is.

Definitely the Commodore Club for me. I also love it at night when there's music. I did not like the Gin and Fizz bar. They couldn't make a champagne cocktail. 🙄

Not on Cunard, but on another line, I've seen lots of scooters on board, and some rented by people who weren't lazy, but rented one "just in case" because they were concerned about the distances to be walked on the ship. I saw someone who had never used a scooter before nearly back down a flight of stairs! I think Cunard's requirement of booking only certain cabins is to make sure the mobility device can be parked in the cabin and not in a hallway. It may also be a move to limit the number of people who might need special assistance in case of an emergency.

I was on the Canada cruise, Britannia early seating. Our waiters were terrible. They would give us menus and disappear. One night, we sat with our menus for 25 minutes, waiting to give our orders. Because the waiter station was far away, we couldn't even wave to a waiter to get his attention. Some nights, the only way to get to the show was to skip dessert. We spoke to the Maitre d' and things moved along better, but there still were mistakes in orders, waiters not sure what sauce to offer--I was offered gravy (meant for the beef) when I had lamb chops. I got the feeling they were still understaffed and had many new/poorly trained servers. On the way out of the dining room, I always saw a queue of people waiting to be seated. Often just a few people, but one night, the queue stretched back to the middle of the elevator area.

Thanks for taking us along with you, Roy! I'll be on Eurodam this winter, my return to HAL after my last pre-covid cruise in early 2020. I'm enjoying all of your pictures, but what got me most excited was seeing the day of the week carpets. Love those!! I agree with you about the dance programs. I find the electronic backdrops annoyingly bright. I sat with my eyes closed for a minute, and then it struck me that there was NO point in staying if I couldn't keep my eyes open to watch the dancers! As with many cruise ship shows, I think the talents of the performers were above what they were given to do.

Thank you for the review, sfred. I'm glad that it was mostly good, and you didn't catch any respiratory illness. I had to laugh at your comments about Cunard's IT system. We all seem to have low expectations regarding embarkation and it's lovely when things work better than expected. I agree about the new wifi plan. I could get through 10 days, sometimes more, on my diamond minutes. I don't need to be online all the time, so the unlimited plan feels like poor value for money, even if I'm not paying for all of it. Wishing you safe and smooth travels home.

Sounds like you have a good attitude about the guarantee. Alaska excursions tend to be expensive, so spend your money on those instead of a balcony. Go whale watching!!

I cut down your post because I want to comment on just these two points. I have been cruising for a long time and I have seen the changes you talk about all too often. For example, I was in St Kitts on a cruise in 2006 or so, and then again 10 years later. I got off the ship and NOTHING was familiar. It wasn't until I walked past Diamonds International, Del Sol, etc that I recognized the place I had been to before. In any port, I make an effort to get past the chain stores and enjoy a good wander, look for a local market, stop for coffee or a beer. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who does try to see something local. So many cruisers WANT Diamonds International and Del Sol and all the rest of that. I remember being on a HAL cruise to the Caribbean and going to the shore info desk to get a local map. The woman ahead of me was worried her tour wouldn't get back soon enough for her to go to Diamonds International. Like there wouldn't be one in the next port... As for ship size, I go to whatsinport to see what other ships will be in port with my ship to get a sense of how the day will go. St Maarten can take so many ships that sometimes I just make it a stay-aboard day. I remember before the megadock and shopping development, only one ship would be there, at anchor and tendering into Phillipsburg. It will be interesting to see what happens if more ports limit visitor counts. The cruise lines with Behemoth of the Ocean Edge tout the ship as the destination. It's a floating resort with 15 restaurants, shopping mall, bumper cars, a 4-deck high water slide! Who needs ports, anyway...

Thanks. That's an awfully short day, but at least I'll definitely get to see sunrise! 4-5C is brisk, but not so cold I need the thermal undies.

How lovely--both your picture and that they held a Remembrance Day service. It's Veterans Day in the US, and it doesn't get the attention I've seen in the UK. I'm enjoying the posts from this cruise. I just booked it for next year. I have a few questions. How short are the days? Geographic karma says if you've got "midnight sun" in summer, you're going to have short days heading into winter. And how cold is it? Fall jacket? Winter coat?

I've compared the QA deck plans to HAL's K'dam. except for the arrangement of public spaces--theater, Queens Room, etc--they're the same. I don't see how they can widen the "promenade deck," as it's called on the K. The narrow space and the many turns make this deck barely suitable for a promenade, and impossible for running. In fact, the K has a sign that says "no jogging." The only place to sit on this deck on the K are a few lifejacket locker benches.

Our first Cunard crossing was 1988, and a dark suit was included as a formal night option. The ratio of tux to suit was higher in the grills and Caronoia restaurant than in steerage (can't remember what the main dining room was called back then). Our rule was tux/gown for formal, suit/cocktail dress or LBD for semi- formal and dress slacks and sportcoat/dressy pants and top for the very few nights that were casual. And often, we wore our semi-formal attire for the casual nights. By the time we cruised around Australia in 2012, they had lowered the dress code to make a tie optional for semi-formal (or whatever they called the second level then). I recall our first semi-formal night on that cruise, DH wore suit and tie, and the Australian gentleman at our table did the same. He said, "Ah, I see you think a suit deserves a tie, too."

Oh, I've seen the "I don't wanna, you can't make me" posts. I have to keep my hands off the keyboard for those! The thing I love about Cunard's formal/gala nights is that (almost) everyone participates in the dress code. Other lines say that you may dress up as much as you like, but it isn't the same when you're dressed to the nines and surrounded by those dressed to the fours. So dress up and have a great time!

That's harsh. If a poster said "I intend to wear such-and-such on formal night and I don't care what anyone thinks" THAT would sound like being above the rules. OP simply asked what actually happens on board. It's a reasonable question, given the variation in dress code from one line to another. For years HAL pretended to have formal nights, but I saw very few tuxes and gowns. If I had packed for HAL what I typically pack for Cunard, I'd have been overdressed.

I haven't received anything beyond the first email. Is there a link to take you to the special sale?

I haven't heard anything today. The original email said it starts at 4 PM eastern (US) time.