CaveDiving

This is from a travel website, have no idea if it is really accurate. (Name not posted as it may violate CC rules)

 

Cruise Ship

Baggage Allowance

Azamara Cruises No Set Limit.

Carnival Cruises No Set Limit.

Celebrity Cruises No Set Limit.

Disney Cruise Line Up to 2 bags per person.

Holland America Line Up to 2 bags checked; 1 carry-on overnight or light flight bag which must remain in your custody at all times.

MSC Cruises 2 suitcases and 2 pieces of hand luggage per passenger.

Norwegian Cruise Line Up to 200 lbs. of luggage per passenger

Oceania Cruises May take a reasonable amount of luggage, but no one item may weigh over 70 lbs.

Princess Cruises No Set Limit.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises May take a reasonable amount of luggage, but no one item may weigh over 70 lbs.

Royal Caribbean Cruises No Set Limit.

 

I can guarantee that at least one portion of this information is incorrect. We leave in two days for five months on board the Holland America ms Amsterdam. We are traveling with eight 50 pound bags and will have no problem boarding the ship.

 

Scott & Karen

I don't believe we were offered any in Tbilisi, but maybe they have become more cosmopolitan since 1984. How about South Georgia in the Sandwich Islands...EM

 

Having nothing to do with the subject of this thread, when I think of our visit to South Georgia I am always reminded of one of my favorite trivia questions of "What is the first landfall you encounter when sailing directly East from S. Georgia in the S. Atlantic Sandwich Islands?" The answer is S. Georgia.

 

Scott & Karen

For cruise lines I believe it is under 200 lbs…

 

Most ships have a 200 lb limit...PER PERSON....

 

Most cruise lines state that a checked bag should not exceed 50 lb…

 

IMHO, all of these postings are simply not true. I invite anyone to demonstrate they are valid for other than relatively small ships.

 

Scott & Karen

You really can only make it financially viable if you don't have a home on land.......just not being at home still requires you to pay taxes, heating, power, etc. There have been a couple of people who live year round on cruise ships, but they don't own or rent any property on land (I think two on Crystal, and one on Cunard)...

 

IMHO, this seems to be one of the dumbest comments I have seen on this board. How can the "calliopecruiser" possibly have any idea what financial resources some other cruiser possesses so how much can be afforded easily. Not really a valid comment.

 

...There is a ship of condominiums - The World - but I hear it's fairly exclusive and prices range from $1 million - 10 million or so (plus maintenance fees of 10% or so per year). Crystal is building a new ship that will purportedly have condo apartments on it as well, but it's just a plan at this point and prices are a mystery. I personally believe it won't happen - there's too much, too soon, at too much expense. But that's for a different thread.

 

The idea of buying a condo on a regular cruise ship appeals to me quite highly. The World, which I believe has already gone through bankruptcy, is not practical for us as many regular cruise activities are not present. But an active cruising program on a ship with other passengers, actually is quite attractive.

 

We presently cruise around six months a year (last year 8 months) and could easily up that somewhat. I might well drop a million or two for such a residence. Of course, it would probably cost around, say, $200, 000 a year for a nice permanent room on a HAL or Princess ship and that would include all services, food and entertainment, so the financial considerations (depreciation, possible resale value, etc.) would need to be evaluated.

 

Scott & Karen

[quote name='sckal']Thank you Scott and Karen. Please re read my post, it was not I that indicted that I was told not to bring cash ashore. I did, because of my experiences with over 25 cruises, I always bring cash. It was at least a dozen other people who told the vendors that the ship's crew told them they didn't need to bring cash.[/QUOTE]

Hi sckal,

After rereading your original post, you are correct. I misinterpreted your posting to indicate that you did not get the word that money for tips and the straw market would be needed on Half Moon Cay. I apologize for suggesting that you may not have received the correct information.

Scott & Karen

I cannot access Cruise Critic from my AOL Desktop but it works okay if I just go through internet explorer. Has anyone had an experience like this? Or know what's wrong? Thanks.

 

I understand your frustration but realize I have a Mac and haven't been able to use AOL Desktop for several years now.

 

Scott & Karen

...our cruise was the last before the Eurodam goes into drydock in Freeport. As we got off, we saw a large number of Ukrainian/Russians waiting to get on. We found out there were 1200 contractors boarding the ship to do the work while she's in drydock in Freeport. Importing workers? Are you kidding me? Why not hire American workers to supplement Bahamian workers? Our American $'s make up the majority of their overall reveneue I would suspect.

Secondly, in Half Moon Cay there are local women who independently run the straw market inside their "controlled zone" there on a cash only basis. But passengers are told they only need itheir cruise card onshore. I did a little shopping there and heard at least 5 passengers in a 10 minute period say they didn't realize they couldn't pay with their cruise card, so they lost the sale. These people ride a boat 1 and 1/2 hour each way to come to the island and their only income is from these sales. Passengers should be informed. Also, on Half Moon Cay HAL has chosen to only carry 3 beers from the ship. They refuse to purchase from the local brewers any Kalik and/or Sands. I'm in the Bahamas, not Holland, I want local beers.

 

When I read your posting, my first thought was not ”Shame on hal” as was your title, but rather perhaps a reconsideration would have been desirable before posting such a diatribe of personal opinions and attempting to blame HAL for not following your direction. You are of course entitled to your own opinion, but I do not believe it is required or possibly even desirable for this direction necessarily to be followed by anyone else.

 

HAL is a business and as such, takes actions to benefit its profit/loss record. If this were not the case, I would worry about the future of the company. Perhaps at some time in the future, American labor costs may become competitive, but I’m afraid that time is a bit off. Also just possibly, you may not have heard the information given out that tips and the straw market require cash on Half Moon Cay. And blaming HAL (rather than requesting a reassessment for the future) for not selling some local beers, is not, IMHO, a significant criticism. A reasonable suggestion surely but the cause for a major complaint, questionable.

 

Scott & Karen

We are going on Holland World Cruise. We get free laundry but still wondering how much to bring Like socks' date=' under wear, shirts, pants, thanks Marty[/quote']

 

Hi Marty,

 

We’ll be on the cruise with you.

 

I start out with about 5 days worth of short sleeve golf shirts, a couple of long sleeved golf shirts, a polar fleece vest, a polar fleece long sleeved cardigan and a light weight wind proof jacket under which all of the previous can be worn (together if necessary.) I have found that this complement is good for me down to around 20 degrees F and if the temperature is lower than that, I’m staying on the ship with a hot chocolate and a good book.

 

But I like to collect short sleeved golf shirts from exotic locations, so I usually end the cruise with between 10 and 15 shirts (containing logos from places such as Nuku Hiva, Rarotonga, Waitangi, Mooloolaba, Borobudur, Sihanoukville, Hambantota, Salalah, Katakolon, etc.)

 

I also bring about ten days worth of underwear and socks, figuring to send in laundry once a week and allow an extra day if it occasionally gets held up for an extra day or two.

 

In a slightly different vein, may I suggest you post this message on the Holland American Roll Call for the 2016 World Cruise as follows; http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2036117

 

Look forward to seeing you on board the Amsterdam next month.

 

Scott & Karen

My own formula for the sweetening ability of various sweeteners, that I have developed from years worth of personal experience, is

 

2 Pinks = 3 Blues = 5 Yellows.

 

Scott & Karen

Before we leave home we ask Holland for a deviation letter which I give to the front desk when we board.

 

Which is why the OP needs to get a deviation approved by HAL. In all cases we had our plans approved before we left home.

 

What chengkp75 is trying to tell you is that HAL can't approve the deviation if the cabotage laws won't allow the deviation within the same country.

It is not up to HAL.

 

With the exception of India---not China' date=' which the OP is asking about---you did not do that.[/color']

 

Hi Ruth,

 

I think that what both “we’re sailing away” and “Jade13” are saying is that HAL needs to know the cabotage laws of all the countries to which they sail. So if HAL is willing to grant an exception to the cruise itinerary, then they must believe that the requested trip is acceptable.

 

Remember that it is also HAL, not necessarily just the traveler, that is taking the risk of paying a penalty if the trip is not permitted. So HAL will be certain about the acceptability of the requested trip before granting an approval.

 

Scott & Karen

I apologize, it must be the meat coma, because I read the tail end of your scenario as embarking and disembarking at a US port, not a non-US port. You are correct that any voyage that begins and ends in a foreign port has no limitation by the PVSA...

 

Hello chengkp75,

 

Thanks for clearing this up. I was concerned that I might have misunderstood the requirements of the PVSA.

 

By the way, did you get to see my last post discussing the rational I found to back up your stance for not permitting the use on ships of electrical power distribution strips that contain MOV surge suppressors? It took a little bit of digging but I now completely agree with you.

 

Scott & Karen

I have friends who did that exact thing...In general, that answer does not necessarily hold for any other two ports. For example, you could not do that between two US ports....

 

I'm under the impression that you can do this (leave the ship in one US port and rejoin in another US port), as long as you embarked and plan to finally disembark the ship at ports outside the US...

 

Even though you would be booked on a closed loop cruise, the fact is that the ship would be transporting you from one US port to another, twice, so this would be a violation of the PVSA.

 

Hello chengkp75,

 

I do not understand your assertion that <<the ship would be transporting you from one US port to another, twice, so this would be a violation of the PVSA>>. I also believe the example has nothing to do with being on a closed loop cruise (which in the case I suggested, you would not be), it has only to do with your sailing embarkation and disembarkation locations. A possible example of the situation I am describing might be a passenger embarking in Montreal, leaving the ship in Boston for a day or two, rejoining the ship in New York City and disembarking in Aruba.

 

In the case I gave, the sailing would be considered as two separate voyages, both of which would not be affected by the PVSA. The first would be from a foreign port to a US port and the second would be from a different US port to a foreign port. This does not seem like a violation of the PVSA

 

I am under the impression that the PVSA does not care about how a ticket is written. This is why it is not possible to go from, say, New York City to Montreal and then write a separate ticket on the same ship sailing on the same day from Montreal to, say, Miami and disembark in Miami. The PVSA would treat this as one single trip as it considers only the passenger’s ultimate embarkation and disembarkation locations of travel from a single ship’s voyage, so this would be considered a single trip from New York City to Miami, independent of how the tickets were written.

 

In the example I cited, however, I see no example of a ship permitting a cruiser to embark in one US port and later disembark in another, so I see no violation of the PVSA. I only mention this as it is kind of similar (though of course in different countries) to the OP’s concern about travelling overland between two Chinese cities while the cruise’s embarkation and disembarkation locations are both not in China.

 

Am I misunderstanding something here?

 

Scott & Karen

I have friends who did that exact thing from those two exact ports...In general, that answer does not necessarily hold for any other two ports. For example, you could not do that between two US ports...

 

I'm under the impression that you can do this (leave the ship in one US port and rejoin in another US port), as long as you embarked and plan to finally disembark the ship at ports outside the US.

 

Scott & Karen

Thanks for the information.... another question... Do you know if the soda package includes special coffee like latte Etc.. I don't think they have just a coffee card, or maybe I am wrong...

 

Thanks again...

 

Cruise happy gal:)

 

I'm not familiar with a "soda package".

 

Scott & Karen

May I suggest you repost this message in the "Roll Call" section, under Holland America.

 

Scott & Karen

It's important to remember that emergency situations are now a 3-phase process, and the muster drill follows all three phases (with the exception of putting the lifejacket on, changing clothes, and gathering personal effects).

 

The first phase has an emergency declared, and first responders are called to action. Passengers are told to stay where they are.

The second phase calls for passengers to return to their cabins. They are to gather personal identification, medicines, dress in warm clothing, and stay put.

It's only in the third phase when passengers are directed to leave their cabins and go to the muster station.

 

What I don't know, and recently had the opportunity to be concerned about, is how much time would be allocated between the start of phase 2 and the start of phase 3. Knowing if it is 5 minutes or 30 minutes would make a big difference in my (hopefully) controlled panic under those circumstances.

 

Hi Ruth,

 

I absolutely agree that this is the emergency system announced and supposedly used on HAL ships. I also feel it that in some ways, is absolutely ridiculous and in all probability in no way would I follow it in a real emergency. I will play the game during the drills, but that’s as far as I would go.

 

The steps 1) and the first part of step 2) seem to me to be quite reasonable, but then the problem begins for me. If I am in a cabin on the Dolphin deck, and there was a possibility of a real emergency requiring evacuation of the ship, IMHO, I would need to be an idiot to remain in a cabin which was two decks below any deck with an exit to the outside. To me, this is just plain insane. Ask some of the folks on the Costa Concordia… oh sorry, they’re dead as no one bothered to tell them to get out.

 

During an emergency, I understand it is important to not interfere with the crew doing their jobs, but I and my family certainly would be somewhere inside on the Promenade deck, not obstructing the crew’s actions but within sight of an exit door.

 

Scott & Karen

I definitely agree that your father would benefit from going to the roll call for the 2016 World Cruise and skimming over all of the messages that have been posted. Reading them all may not be practical as there have been over 1,000 messages, but most can be skimmed and only the interesting ones read.

 

We will also be on the cruise and would like to invite your father to the Cruise Critic Meet & Greet on the first sea day, Jan. 6 at 10:30 AM in the Crow’s on the Sports deck forward. There he can meet lots of other folks.

 

I also suggest he go to EasyETA.com to get an Australian visa for USD $9.95 instead of the USD $35 the ship charges to get one.

 

Scott & Karen

Hi,

 

I'm booked for my 8th HAL cruise. My hearing has gotten quite poor over the last few years. I understand HAL has hearing assistance devices on board their ships. What has been your experience with the various devices they provide?

 

Al

 

I’m afraid I need to confess my ignorance here. I have a great deal of experience on Holland American ships and I wear hearing aids, yet I know nothing about any available hearing assistance devices.

 

Could you please tell where you heard of these being available?

 

Thanks a lot,

 

Scott & Karen

I don't know why you wouldn't want to carry your prescriptions in their original containers. Surely they won't take up that much extra room ...

 

This may be true for you but it certainly isn't true for us. I (Scott) take 20 pills daily and Karen takes 12. Our cruising last winter was for 223 days continuous. Do you have any idea of how large a bundle of medicines this represents in the original containers? It simply is not practical for us.

 

Scott and Karen

I think I read HAL no longer prints or distributes the Who's Aboard End of Cruise sheet they always gave us with Officers' Names, nautical miles traveled, weather reports and CREW numbers? Is that true? Why did they eliminate that? I have saved everyone we received from every cruise and it the best reminder of a specific cruise, where we went and who was aboard/how many crew members.

 

This is not something that we find particularly desirable as a keepsake.

 

Scott & Karen

Are we the only ones who enjoy dining in he MDR? We are always in fixed seating at a table for 8 and like the conversation and the leisurely dining. We have many times passed up complementary dinners in the Pinnacle because we look forward to the time spent with our new friends.

 

Last winter we were each given something like 70 Pinnacle dinners, of which we only used around 15. And 8 of them were when we invited the entire table to join us for a birthday party for one very nice lady.

 

Scott & Karen

We are not smokers but really don't give a hoot whether smoking is permitted or not. We consider the smell of smoke in the same vein as many perfumes and antiperspirants.

 

Scott & Karen

Just out of curiosity, what's the longest cruise or consecutive cruises you've been on? We are currently on B2B cruises on Allure and kinda loving 2 weeks on the ship. This is our longest time spent on a cruise.

 

Last winter we spent 223 days on the Holland American Prinsendam on 6 B2B cruises. We boarded on Nov 20, 2014 in Ft. Lauderdale and disembarked on July 1, 2015 in Amsterdam.

 

Scott & Karen

...IMO, the mistake HAL made some years ago is when they 'took' from suite some amenities and gave them to Star Mariners. Priority Embarkation, Priority Tendering, included laundry and other features became redundant. Suites guests are paying for those things yet if they are Four or Five Star they are getting them 'free'. :rolleyes:

 

Now when some people think HLAL should be providing more benefits to high level Mariners they don't know where to 'take' them from....

 

Hello Sail,

 

I know you have expressed this opinion previously in various posts. I need to disagree with you strongly.

 

IMHO, nothing has been "taken" from suite cruisers when high level mariners are given certain perks. The suite cruisers have lost nothing. They still have all of the same perks that they ever did. Nothing has been taken away from them.

 

So I don't understand why you continually complain of things being "Taken away" from suite passengers.

 

Scott & Karen

...a solo traveler. She was at a table for dinner with other travelers (apparently not solo travelers though), and after dinner, once everyone had finished eating, the others just got up and left and didn't invite her to do anything, like have a drink or see the show....The OP never said it was rude, just expressed disappointment....What do the wise people of Cruise Critic think?...

 

I do not understand why there should be any anticipation that there would be any continuing relationship after dinner. If the folks all really got along then it would be nice but IMHO, it certainly should not be expected.

 

Scott & Karen