jabcruiser

I would get on the phone right now if want to make a reservation. Sounds like something is weird with your searches. I just found another cruise in 2025 to book and no problem looking at several cruises with prices and cabin availability, etc. Jane

My Early Booking bonus was also included on our 2025 sailing with $2 deposit. AND price was same as with $1200 down! Jane

Just got off phone with my PCC booking 3 upcoming cruises. All required deposits ranging from $250 to $1200. However he informed me starting tomorrow $2.00 deposits which are non refundable. Oh well. He was able to book for me day early and all of my future cruises qualified. Yay. Jane

I had just read an article this am about MSC and how it might be a good choice for US cruisers. I had never considered them. However, I decided to look at CC boards to get other cruisers opinions. Oops. Now I know. NEVER EVER BOOK A CRUISE ON MSC. Thank you for letting me know about this sleazy outfit. Now I will continue on with my search for a new cruise to book. Probably thru HAL. Jane

Agree with original poster on all accounts. Not nearly as many cruises as they have, but over a dozen on HAL and few on Carnival and one each Celebrity and NCL. Decided to try Celebrity just pre-Covid because of people on CC posting favorable comparisons to HAL and found a great price for 7 day Caribbean cruise. So took the bait. So disappointed in food, service, etc. Yes, the Solarium was nice agree with that. And MDR food was pretty good but buffet was literally inedible in my opinion. Example - "taco" bar had no salsa, no jalapenos, no pico, no nothing spicy. What??? Deserts all fancy and looked fantastic and had absolutely no taste except excess sugary. No I way prefer HAL food. Unable to even get drinks generally. Little if any bar service. Had to go stand in sun 20 minutes for a drink. And bar tables NEVER cleaned and overflowing with trash until I took upon myself to clean. What???? Definitely never greeted or called by name by any of service staff. I have no interest in Celebrity again no matter if new or old ship. Jane

Just on Noordam cruise 5/28 - 6/4 to Alaska. DH got cold like symptoms as disembarking and got worse as day progressed. We were spending 10 days in AK post cruise for a wedding and some sight seeing. He tested positive next day, I tested positive next day. 60 miles from closest pharmacy and medical clinic. Spent all day getting some anti viral didn't work. Not Paxlovid. Not available this part of AK. Contacted HAL - no help at all even though return flight later thru flight ease. DH tested negative after 5 days. I continue get worse and go to small medical clinic now in Seward for wedding(which i missed). Admitted with COVID and Flu. And A-fib and rhythm disorder. Spent 3 days IP tiny clinic not even an ultrasound available see if any clots. Long saga finally made it home and have real doctors visiting today. Miracle I am alive. HALs lack of cleaning, masking appalling. Self service utensils only spread disease obviously. Won't be cruising in foreseeable future. Jane

Thanks so much for the info. Your dad sounds exactly like DH. Sounds like Kingyo could work. We will wander around and find something no doubt. Jane

We do this often, especially on gala nights if don't want to do MDR crowd. Always has been on time and food very fresh. Enjoy. Jane

Have been following and wondering what info you might provide about West End area. Will be at Time Square Suites for two nights before cruise. Don't arrive until late Friday so really just Saturday to explore. Basically just plan on wondering around Stanley Park and around the area. Any suggestions for restaurants in this area. Not looking for fine dining and DH does not do Asian. Saw a mexican place close by but wondering about Mexican in Vancouver?? Assume this area is safe in evening?? Any info appreciated. Thx, Jane

Received check-in time this morning for our May 28 Noordam cruise. 10:40 in group C so assume will begin about 10 for group A. Just hope lines not as bad as everyone talks about. At least on HAL can go straight to cabin and avoid Lido craziness. Our first aft veranda so really looking forward to that. Jane

Well, that won't work for us based on sail away at 4:00. Believe all aboard is 3:30 and sounds like you got aboard about 3:45. We don't have a check in time yet for our May 28 cruise on Noordam -Vancouver to Whittier. But current plan (certainly subject to change) is to get taxi about 10 am to cruise port. Our hotel is little over mile away so not really walkable with luggage for us anyway. Planned to check luggage, check out situation and probably just wander around port area, find restaurant to hang out for awhile and wait for crowd to thin which thought would be 1:30 or so. But based on your experience maybe should just get in line at 10 -10:30 and hope for best. Vancouver sounds like a mess to me. And we thought San Diego was bad last year. Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks, Jane

Wondering this also. We will arrive by taxi May 28 departure on Noordam. Thanks, Jane

My PCC is wonderful. Don't just call customer service. Call your PCC. Ours was very knowledgable about Aft Facing verandas and even booked us on deck 5 where they are apparently larger than decks above this. Don't wait on hold. Call and leave message for PCC. Or email direct. She has always been very responsive. Even during COVID and trying to navigate cancellations and rebooks. Very pleased. Jane

On June 28 we booked HAL Alaska cruise for next June which included Have it All. But over the weekend prices dropped and HIA now includes crew incentive which our original booking did not. Had it repriced and rebooked saving $250 each on fare and about $200 in crew incentive which is now included. Total savings about $750. Same OBC as prior booking. Jane

We have been big fans of the BBKing Blues Bands since they first started. A big draw to HAL for us. However, on our recent 35 day HI-So Pacific cruise on Zuiderdam we were very disappointed and only went twice. Terrible band(especially singers) - no audience interaction, no dancing, bad song mix(no blues, no motown classics, half the songs I didn't even recognize). Singers did not move one inch during entire performance. What a huge disappointment and on a 35 day cruise. Not a fan of Rolling Stone. Found it very amateurish on Konigsdam several years ago . Maybe has improved by now. Anyway, looks like music venues will no longer be a draw for us to cruise HAL. Jane

We were on the Zuiderdam in March for 35 day Hawaii So Pacific cruise. The crew had their show on return leg of voyage in the afternoon. We thought that unusual. But it was great and packed with standing room only. Several passengers commented after the show it was better than the evening shows they had attended with the professional entertainers. Jane