SnowshoeCat

 Thanks for posting. I'm booked for August and I'm glad to read your positive words.

I love the promenade (another selling point) and I can sit and enjoy for hours.

My concern with the MDR was being solo. Maybe HAL is different, but another line I was on didn't offer to seat me with anyone else, except at lunch. Dinner was awkward.

I've done plenty of research and I appreciate hearing people's personal experiences.

I'm undecided. Due to its good reputation, I'd like to visit Alaska on HAL. I'd also like to try one of their smaller, more traditional ships. I have a courtesy hold on the Volendam and would like any input you all may have. I enjoy outdoor activities and beautiful scenery, so the itinerary fits the bill. I don't have any interest in mega ships, at least not for the Inside Passage. But is the Volendam big enough? I'm a solo traveler and don't often eat in the dining room. Is the buffet the only other option? Will there be lectures or other enrichment activities? I'm not into shopping talks. 

Even though the Volendam is small-ish, we will be sharing Juneau with the Quantum, and other ports will have multiple ships. Thank you for any thoughts.

22 hours ago, Happily@Sea said:

I see Quantum otS is going to block out Volendam's docking. I wonder if she was a late addition to the port schedule? Boo! Hiss!

I'm booked on the Volendam in August. Both of the dates that I considered showed the Quantum in Juneau on the same days as the Volendam. The other ports will be shared with multiple ships. Should I be concerned about the crowds? 

The lifeboats hang down along the promenade. While it's walkable, the view is obstructed in many areas. 

I'm unfamiliar with the area so can't recommend anything specific, but many restaurants offer a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. That might be a fun thing to do if you've never had an American one. Many require reservations, so you'll need to plan ahead. Enjoy!

Lisa - thank you so much! They look so good, and now I can order at the bar with a little more confidence, and a lot less hesitancy!

I don't drink much alcohol, but I did want to go to the martini bar a few times for a little "education". Now I'm thinking I should get the beverage package. It certainly looks convenient.

16 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

I'll be on Jewel next week.  I'm also on deck 7 unless my RoyalUp comes through.  I'm not above the Schooner Bar but pretty close. Will let you know. 

Thank you - that's very kind. I might be booked by then, but with my procrastination, who knows?  

15 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Had one cruise that I could hear some cheering till late into the evening.  Figured out our cabin was  above the craps table! 
 

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I'm a morning person and this is what I was concerned about. At least it was happy noise!

Oh thank you! I imagined the Schooner Bar would have been quieter. Good to know.

I'm about to book a cruise on the Jewel. There are several cabins available on deck 7, closest to midship (my preferred location) but they are above the casino and I'm wondering how much noise I could expect? There are also a few around the Centrum, but I'd be concerned about noise drifting up from there, also. Otherwise, I'll just move further aft and be above the Schooner Bar.

Thank you for any information and experiences.

2 hours ago, publicpersona said:

 

Worth mentioning again .. the eMed website apparently doesn't like Chrome on iOS devices, so you may need to use Safari.

I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing. 

23 minutes ago, GTO-Girl said:

 

 

So…..we start by logging onto www.Emed.com first….which takes us to where we log onto NAVICA and we continue from there.  Not sure why that works better but it does…

 

 

Now that you mention it, I accessed the test through eMed, as well, and the app simply stored my results for when I needed to show it.

There's no appointment. When they first started, apparently there were long waits. I did two tests in September, so hopefully my info is still valid. I did mine at about 9 am Eastern Time. No wait, got right "in".

I used my iPad and set it up on the table so the proctor can see me and the table. The test kit stays in view of the camera. First, the site will test your device for sound and picture, and will ask you to verify some things. Then the proctor comes on and talks you through it step by step, plus the instructions will be on the screen. The hardest part for me was holding the QR code up to the back camera because it's kind of small.

It takes about 10 minutes, then you sit for 15 minutes while the chemicals do their thing. They actually let me get up and do stuff, as long as the kit stayed on camera. There is a counter, then after 15 minutes, it will ask if you're there, and click to continue. It was very smooth.

On 1/10/2020 at 12:56 PM, MildredK said:

 

 Early on there was at least one other warning bell we ignored - a customer service rep strongly insisted our cruise was leaving from a different port than it is and it was only when we got to different person we were reassured that indeed we were leaving from where we thought we were.   

Vantage runs some great trips, once you're on your way and not dealing with their office anymore. I agree with CPT. The office is somewhat difficult.  I've been on two trips and my friends have been on several more. A few months before my first trip, they called and asked if we could change our departure date. The reason they gave didn't make sense, but we were flexible. We had booked our own airfare and Vantage not only covered the change fees and difference in fare, they also gave a us a 25% refund. I thought that was very generous. But it took forever to get the refund. I sent in the receipt from the airline as soon as we made the changes and waited. In the meantime I went on the trip, returned and booked another trip. When I called to ask about my refund, they tried to sell me excursions on the upcoming trip. I said not until I get my refund, which is why I'm calling. The next day I got an email from the air person, apologizing that my email got misplaced, and I got the refund within days. 

As for the part I quoted, since we went a day early, we needed a hotel. They kept changing the meeting point and since we were meeting early in the morning, I wanted to be nearby.  Phone calls, emails, nobody seemed to know. A few days before the departure, we got an email from the tour guide, welcoming us to her country, and looking forward to meeting everyone. I was then able to reply to her directly and find out where we were meeting.

4 minutes ago, catl331 said:

No, that's Pinnacle class. See post #3 for a Vista pic.

Thanks, I mistyped and tried to edit.  I still got it wrong. 

On the Nieuw Statendam (is that Signature?) we were occasionally allowed on the bow for "scenic cruising".  It was a Norway cruise and they would make announcements when it would be open, for example sail-away from Amsterdam and in the fjords. We were only allowed on the semi-circular portion which was accessed from deck 5. The lower pointy portion that sticks out the furthest forward was a crew deck.

ETA: I had the wrong class, but maybe my experience is similar to others.

I've called HAL and asked them to do a 24 hour courtesy hold on a cabin. I even tell them that I want to check flights on my own. You'll get a booking number and then you can access the Flight Ease site. 

45 minutes ago, jm485 said:

These items were all available on the Nieuw Statendam earlier this month.

 

I can attest to the deliciousness of the Jack Knife, but didn't try the other new items.

 

Me too! On NS last month, returning to the ship for a late lunch, I told my friend that I just wanted a curry wurst and salad. It worked perfectly. While they prepared the wurst, I went through the buffet and collected a nice salad (I think my friend had the chicken - also good). I think I did that at least twice during the cruise.

Thanks - that's what I'm leaning towards. I just found Avis on Seaport Lane, right at the terminal. Is that it? Thank you! That didn't show up in my earlier search.

The cruise ends in Boston. 

I'd like to know if I can park my car at the Boston cruise terminal before flying out of Logan for a one-way cruise back to Boston. Then when I get off the ship, I can just jump in my car and go. I've checked the parking website and it doesn't mention one-way cruises. It seems the garage is open, but I would pay full price (not a "cruise" price). But I'm not sure I got that right.  Does anybody know how this works, and has anybody here actually done this? I will probably call anyway, but I like to hear first hand experiences. 

My other option is a one-way car rental home, which is surprisingly affordable, just more hassle.

Thank you all for the reassuring and encouraging replies. I usually only travel for 7-10 days at a time, so two weeks seems long. I figure I'll either be anxious to get home, or after a week or so I'll get into a rhythm and really enjoy it. 

Hi kazu (New Brunswick is on my list of places to visit). It's a trans-Atlantic. I've always wanted to try a TA. As far as interests, they're diverse. I enjoy lectures, trivia, exercise (in the gym or just walking the promenade), reading, and although I'm not much of a wine drinker, I like learning about it. Maybe I'm wondering what kind of unexpected things there might be. 

I've been considering a cruise on the Veendam which includes more sea days than I'm used to and I'm concerned about going a little stir crazy. I know the Veendam is a smaller ship with fewer bells and whistles, and that's actually fine. I'm usually pretty good about keeping myself busy or occupied, but I can only spend so much time reading or hanging out in the gym. Can you give me some ideas of what to expect, then I can hopefully decide if it will be right for me?  I really love the itinerary and I'd like to make it work. 

Thank you for the replies. On the first day I may not have time to explore, so it's nice to know where I'm going. What deck is the bow access? Again, it's hard to tell from diagrams.

We just booked a last minute trip on NS for this weekend. (My first on HAL!)  Despite having a balcony (another first!) I'd like to be on deck for sailaway and watch the Dutch countryside slip away before we head out to sea, and then enjoy the fjords later in the week.  I can't tell from looking at the deck plans. Are there any front-facing decks? Do they open the bow? There's always the gym, I suppose.  Share your secrets.