Island Lovers

That is an interesting theory, crystalspin.  We have been fortunate to have wonderful stewards 98% of our time on HAL ships.  When selecting a stateroom, we always check beside, above and below.  What is difficult to know is what is across the hallway, in the middle interior of the ship, that can cause noise and vibration - electrical, mechanical, crew doors, etc.  That is the reason why we asked for input from anyone who is currently on the Noordam to please check the hall area of 6053 or feedback from anyone who has stayed in this cabin.  We're booking over two years in advance and hope to book today, nothing like planning ahead, lol.  Thanks to everyone whose feedback we appreciate!  

Oh, I'm so sorry.  I have too many balls in the air.  I meant stateroom 6053, my error.  Thank you for any feedback on this cabin.  Thank you.  

We understand the category.  It is a VA category - 6083 - adjacent to Signature Suite.  The cabins mentioned on deck 5 are also VA category.  We're trying to sort out what will be quietest.  Thanks.

Please help if you are on the Noordam currently or have stayed in cabin 6083 recently.  Is this stateroom quiet?  Is there any mechanical noise or vibration in this area?  Our other consideration would be cabin 5061 or 5071 area.  We would like 6083 if it is quiet.  I recall on the Zuiderdam that this area seemed to have additional noise from mechanical causes.  We are about to book a very long cruise and would really appreciate your input and advice.  Thank you!

Thank you, will try.  

Please help if you are on the Noordam currently or have stayed in cabin 6083 recently.  Is this stateroom quiet?  Is there any mechanical noise or vibration in this area?  Our other consideration would be cabin 5061 or 5071 area.  We would like 6083 if it is quiet.  I recall on the Zuiderdam that this area seemed to have additional noise from mechanical causes.  We are about to book a very long cruise and would really appreciate your input and advice.  Thank you!

I suggest that you try calling Guest Services on Monday - 1-800-541-1576.  Have a few cabins that you're interested in, and they will give you the sizes.  The "I" cabins should be fairly spacious.  8092 can accommodate three people.  If you're sensitive to noise, think about what is above and below.  For a single traveller, you may want to even consider a "J" on decks 5, 6 or 7.  However, they would be a bit smaller.  Hope this helps.  

Our cruises were paid for in November and were for 48 days cruise commencing February 16, 2020.  So, I'm not talking about cancelling a future cruise.  We were onboard when the world began to shut down early to mid March.  We were deep in the South Pacific at Rarotonga with our itinerary "blown out of the water".  We weren't allowed to refuel or re-provision in French Polynesia.  Two ports in Tonga were cancelled, all four ports in French Polynesia, Christmas Island, etc.  A revamped cruise was organized and would have salvaged some of the time with lots of extra days in Hawaii.  That plan lasted less than a day.  We were told that we would prematurely debark in Hilo.  A few days later, after flights were booked, this was changed to Honolulu.  New flights were booked, and we were at the pier in Honolulu for 12 hours and 12 minutes, bunkered and received basic provisions and sent on our way.  The Governor of Hawaii would not allow our healthy ship to debark passengers even though all passengers had flights booked and cruise line had arranged chartered buses directly to airport.  Only two people in great need of medical care and eventually six to eight Hawaii residents were allowed off the ship.  We then were redirected to sail to San Diego to debark!  New flights again were arranged, all on our credit card.    

My point is that I'm grateful that we were well taken care of and on a healthy ship (Maasdam) with a fantastic complement of Officers and Crew.  We paid for three extra flights each to come home as debarkation port kept changing.  It was stressful, and also our long awaited special cruise was cut short.  Yes, we expect reimbursement, some refund and FCC.  I think it will happen within 90 days.  We left the ship on March 28.  After we arrived home, the Zaandam passengers were next priority, some ill with Covid-19 and transferred to hospital in Fort Lauderdale.  Rotterdam helped with some passengers.  Amsterdam's World Cruise was abbreviated in Fremantle, Australia, some passengers being too elderly and/or frail to fly.  Now, the HAL ships are busy repatriating our wonderful crew members, and the Maasdam is just north of Philippines tonight.  Some of the ships are expected to go into long layup in Malaysia.

Am I concerned about receiving our FCC's and reimbursement?  YES!  But, I'm trying to be patient and understand what others have gone through and are still going through to get home.  There have been a few deaths.  The world has been turned upside down.  Cruising is such a wonderful way to travel, and all cruise lines have been decimated.  There are approximately 23 cruise ships today anchored in the bay at Manila, Philippines.  I am hopeful and have been promised reimbursement and FCC's, but I'm trying to be patient and wait.  We are thankful to be home safely and grateful for the Maasdam's Officers and Crew for their diligence, safety concerns, frequent updates on board, and all care and attention.  

Take good care.  Be kind, be patient and stay safe.         

Suggestions for a quick bite after you disembark in Vancouver - I wouldn't try to take food from the ship other than packaged crackers or small packaged cereal. Usually, breakfast is plentiful on board, so be sure to eat some protein. You can have a cup of coffee or snack at Harbour Air. Also, just on the side of the Convention Centre, there is a Subway (for light sandwiches). Within two or three blocks, there is other fast food. At the Royal Centre, by the Hyatt, there is McDonald's and Tim Horton's.

I've had some experience with Harbour Air, and they are service oriented and accommodating. They will keep your bags if you need to run out for a while to grab something to eat. Just be sure to check in again 35 minutes prior to flight time. Also keep in mind weight restrictions with float planes. But they will be happy to ship your luggage earlier or on a later flight (space permitting) if your plane is full. The Harbour Air terminal is less than a ten minute walk from the Fairmont Empress. Enjoy your cruise and your time on beautiful Vancouver Island!

Thank you Mary Ann and Bill for sharing your World Cruise with us. Your time, writing and experiences shared are all appreciated. We enjoyed the Amsterdam just prior to the 2015 World Cruise and hope to return again to this lovely ship. Best wishes on Disney and a safe trip home in a couple of weeks.

We often stay at the Embassy Suites. However, for our stay in December prior to our cruise, the hotel lobby and atrium were under major renovation. It was a very noisy and dusty environment from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm especially. Everything throughout the main level was ripped up as they were removing the waterway, bridge, some steps, cutting tile, pouring cement, etc. We would not have stayed if we'd known in advance, and we felt that the hotel should have been closed during this major reno. I'm not sure how long the work will continue, but check that it is complete before staying there! I hope this helps. There are several hotels within a mile of the cruise terminal, and the airport is close too! It is a great city.

You should be fine with the time. Don't stress. Enjoy your cruise.

You need to wait until the next cruise, unfortunately. But if you're on a long cruise, i.e. >17 to 21+ days, then it wouldn't hurt to ask at the front desk (even though the answer may likely be no). But the general policy is that your star status is upgraded after the end of the cruise you are on.

I surrender! After many hours of frustration, I cannot obtain pricing, compare cabin costs quickly, categories, etc. I spent 87 minutes on the phone today with HAL (including time on hold) regarding a currently booked cruise and also placing a future cruise deposit on another. The person was very helpful and did admit that the new website has "bugs" which they are working on. Now, I'm trying to access cabin selection online for over a year away and cannot price and compare. Why would there be absolutely no verandah cabins mid ship and only two verandah cabins forward? This is a nightmare. Why should travel planning be so stressful and time and energy consuming? I dare say that HAL is chasing people away for the past two weeks. Meanwhile I'm venturing to other cruise websites in an attempt to gather information. All of this was readily available on HAL's previous website which functioned very well.

If you're considering stricly the cruise to Alaska and not land cruisetours, then I'd seriously consider a ship that travels the Inside Passage northbound. The scenery, seas and weather are far superior between BC's mainland and Vancouver Island rather than cruises that travel outside (to the west and open seas) of Vancouver Island. Outside Vancouver Island, there is more wind, rain and a tendency to rougher seas. There are beautiful views going north between the mainland and Vancouver Island. Most cruise ships travel the Inside Passage southbound, but keep in mind that this is usually at night and the night before disembarkation. So IMHO, I'd try to cruise out of Vancouver and be on a ship that views this spectacular scenery travelling northbound.

I have tried to achieve results and answers with searching the new website over the past two weeks. But I don't have time to do my business this way! Even when researching cruises more than a year in advance, there are very few cabin options displayed. Category isn't shown. It is a very inefficient site, is time consuming and gives less information than the previous HAL program, and it takes much more time. Please bring back the old program until the new system is tested and proved superior. As it is now, I can't use HAL's website for research, very disappointing.

I keep prescriptions in original containers and put supplements into a compartmentalized plastic container, all labelled. I've never had a problem (so far). I think that when flying it is most important to keep your prescriptions separate and in original pharmacy bottles, perhaps a bit less strict when embarking a ship. We tend to be on longer cruises and flying to ports, so it is a challenge, and I handle it as above. I keep all of the above essentials in a carryon bag, never in checked luggage.

Now I'm into the site by going through Google Chrome. However, the web site is sad, OMG. The decks aren't numbered, just named. The very few cabins available do not show the category they are in (i.e. J, D, C, VA). It looks like the cruise I'm considering (more than a year out) has low inventory. There was great inventory two days ago, lots of options. If this is a new game, it isn't working for me. Unfortunately, I was about to reserve, but now the phone lines will be jammed for probably a few weeks, so going that route isn't desirable. The previous web site worked very well and was clear in decks, cabin category and location, pricing, etc. Why would they launch a new program without being sure it was an improvement and free of glitches?

Very frustrating! I could look up anything and everything yesterday. Today I can't even bring up the information on a cruise. The itinerary comes up and then is followed by a mostly blank page which shows "book your cruise" and a few blank lines. And I was considering options for 2015! I wonder if this new program was tested thoroughly enough before launching (please excuse the pun).

You could experience some fog, mist and rain in September but I wouldn't expect it to be very cold. There will be shorter daylight hours though. Regarding your Mom's ankle, I hope it heals well and fast. But, if the healing is slower or she is in pain with walking, try not to let the mobility issues restrict you. I would suggest renting a small scooter in advance if she may need it. That way, you can explore the ports without her overdoing it. A scooter or walker with seat may be a possible answer. Enjoy your cruise. The scenery out of Vancouver and the Inside Passage is so spectacular. We see the ships going north as we're on Vancouver Island.

I agree with all above. The cause of a CVA (stroke) must be diagnosed by CT scan before TPA can be administered. It is a "clot buster" drug. If the drug is given in a case where the stroke is caused by a brain hemorrhage (rather than a clot), then the likely result would be death, medical malpractice, etc.

I had a great conversation with a nurse on board a tender in the South Pacific about 20 months ago about what medical situations were most difficult to deal with on board (especially with remote locations and many sea days). She said CVA and GI bleeds! There isn't the CT scanner on board to diagnose source and cause of bleed, etc. She said it is a risk of travel and something passengers should be aware of and consider. I don't believe many people are aware of the medical facilities' limitations on board and also the inability to medevac from remote locations in the Pacific.

Although anything can happen to anyone at any age, it amazes me how some people aren't cognisant of this. We waited almost 24 hours off of Christmas Island (Fanning Island doesn't have an air strip) for a medevac plane to come from Honolulu to pick up an ill passenger. That is over 1300 miles one way! Needless to say, the ship's schedule was blown and next port was missed. But we hope it gave the person a chance.

Thanks very much for posting. I had not seen many of these photos before. It is very interesting to see the interior shots, some areas that were unsubmerged appearing almost normal. What a sad demise for the Concordia, but I'm glad that after 2 1/2 years it is finally removed from the Island of Giglio.

We will miss these ships too as they're the perfect size. We enjoyed three long cruises on the Statendam, the last being this past December/January to Hawaii, Tahiti and numerous South Pacific stops. It was a great cruise!

I always do our flights and hotels independently of HAL. I need to ensure that the flights are as direct as possible and, if a connection is necessary, that it is as short as possible. I search for the shortest duration flights, and I don't trust this to the cruiseline. If you have lots of time, good health, etc., then you could price it out both ways. Regarding hotels, there are several websites that I think you'll find offer better hotel pricing than Holland America. There are several good hotels within a mile of Canada Place. I enjoy doing the research.

Back on topic - I apologize if this has come up before, but I'm wondering about the policy on longer cruises, say for example 30 days. If each passenger is permitted to bring on one bottle of wine, that seems fair for a 4 to 7 day cruise. However, on long cruises or world cruises, perhaps HAL would consider one bottle of wine per person per week. Does that seem fair? I question whether a 4 day coastal cruise should be treated the same as a 30 or 50 day cruise. I'll put this out there for your kind comments. It is "food for thought".