*Miss G*

Cette roche a besoin d'arbres! (That rock needs some trees.) 😂 It looks like a painting! Loving your photos.

Has anyone tried the Tamarind Bento Boxes? @Crew News, I see you have the menu on YOUR SITE. It’s a bit confusing so I am wondering if you choose only Earth, Water, or Fire or if you pick one item from each of the elements?

I am not a dessert person but I absolutely love the no-sugar-added Black Forest Cake. I also loved the raspberry cheesecake from the Pinnacle Grill but it’s off the menu now. Maybe just as well. 😂

Segments of a World Cruise, for example, are only sold as guarantees. At some point closer to the sailing date they will send an offer to upgrade or assign a cabin. Sometimes guarantees are the only cabins available for purchase. For example, for my October cruise I could take an assigned cabin in a lower category or I could take a guarantee in a higher category. (This cruise is not segmented.) Guess what I chose?

Oh, sorry! That’s the US price.

Laundry! I forgot about the included laundry, pressing, & dry cleaning! Here is a complete list of amenities from HAL’s Suites Page.

I love that you are excited. Congratulations! Off the top of my head (and apologies if somebody already mentions some of these before I finish my post): >> You can check in anytime you like. If the terminal staff don’t recognize you are a suite passenger, point it out so you can be directed to the proper line and embarkation room. You will be among the first to board. Snacks will be available. >> There will be bottled water and champagne in your room. The water will be replaced when empty. >> Attend the suite reception in the lounge on the first evening. It is a good opportunity to meet your concierges and fellow passengers. Feel free to ask any questions you like. All are helpful. >> Your Neptune Lounge Concierges are worth their weight in gold. If you run into a road block, they are the ones who can remove it. >> You can request afternoon tea or hors d’oeuvres to your room. I know there are many things I have missed but others will be along to add more. Enjoy your cruise! Are you telling your Mom or will it be a surprise? (I vote surprise.)

@Crew News has a good site to see an example of the When & Where’s for a similar itinerary but a different class ship. It will give you an idea of what to expect with regard to entertainment: CARIBBEAN DAILY ACTIVITIES

There are a few members who like to come on the HAL board to post derogatory comments, thinking they are hilarious. The only useful information they provide is about themselves. Look for LIVE threads with a similar itinerary and timeframe. Short cruises (especially during the holidays) are very different from HAL’s longer port-intensive itineraries. HAL is a high-quality line with a happy and hard-working crew. As mentioned, you won’t get broadway production shows but you will always get value for money.

I bring a water resistant jacket with hood. Rain goes right through shells and waterproof doesn’t breathe. The ships provide umbrellas if I really need one. (I don’t.) These were my best investment. They fit perfectly over my shoes and have a good tread. I only pack one pair of runners and it’s hard to get them dried out in time for the next port. They store flat in the included storage bag.

European cruises are always dressier than North American.

They do not use fragrances in their laundry products.

I am very sensitive to fragrances and have never once been bothered by any scents on bedding, towels, or laundry. There is no laundromat on the ship so they’re not going to give you laundry detergent.

Before the excursions desk took over the Explorations Cafe space, not only could you get coffee and pastries, you could also get sandwiches, crudités, shrimp, etc. Combining the coffee bar with the drinks bar not only destroyed a great venue, it practically made it disappear. I would love for them to bring that back.

Pay per view? I have never seen pay per view on a HAL ship. Can anyone else confirm this? (Last HAL cruise was December; next is in two weeks.)

Yes, they do love to blast their movies and music.

My sentiments mirror Aquahound’s exactly. I will only add that the outward-focused space on Princess’ Royal-class ships is very limited; even less indoors. HAL has exponentially more outward viewing space, both indoors and out. Positively for Princess, the mini suites on the royal class are perfect for a family of four, but I wouldn’t do it in one of their balcony cabins.

I thought mine HAD left HAL but I was still getting mailers with his name on them! 😂

Yes. Pics are on HALfacts. Size and sound are exactly as Princess but with a retractable roof for inclement weather.

Princess’ MUTS is limited in that the weather will impact availability since there is no retractable roof like they have on HAL’s Pinnacle-class ships.

I have only researched the countries I am visiting in the next two months so here is what I have, alphabetically: Canada - fully vaccinated proof required (booster not required) Germany - proof of vaccination not required Greece - proof of vaccination not required Italy - proof of vaccination not required Montenegro - proof of vaccination not required Netherlands - booster required if primary vaccines are beyond 270 days Spain - booster required if primary vaccines are beyond 270 days Turkey - proof of vaccination not required United Kingdom - proof of vaccination not required I would like to qualify the above by saying that: - All cruise lines demand pre-embarkation covid testing for Greece but I cannot find evidence of that on the government or other websites. - Canada does require pre-embarkation covid testing. I found the information pretty quickly through Sherpa’s Travel Tool. Unfortunately, there is not an option to choose “Cruising” as mode of entry so the information is limited in that respect. Returned results were specific to my vaccination status, travel dates, and passport country of issue.

Princess has a clear definition of “Fully Vaccinated” vs “Up to Date”.

Yes. For two weeks I left a number of voice and emails with my PCC. I needed to cancel one cruise and book two others. Time was ticking so I gave him one last call before hanging up and dialing the regular reservations line. Waited on hold for about 10 mins before I spoke with an actual person. Guess who called during that time? At that point I wish I’d hung up with the new person and taken my assigned PCC but I’d waited so long and, frankly, I was done. I say I wish I’d hung up because the new person was a little dense and I wasted a lot of time correcting mistakes then calling back to correct more mistakes. I used to have a great PCC pre-pandemic, but he left and I was assigned to a new one who was more responsive until cruising resumed. They need to hire and properly train new people.

Which is why I said “… on the Pinnacle-class ships”.

That’s weird. Maybe they’re super hungry. 😂 We always ask when the best time to dine is so we can avoid the rush. Never once had to wait.