international

on paper it does look like you can get to the North End and then to Logan for your flight. Traffic is very congested during morning rush hour, so there is a good chance it would take longer than expected to get from the ship to the North End, even though it's not very far away. It's pretty quick from the NE to Logan, so if you don't mind taking your chances, don't let us dissuade you...I'd just feel really annoyed being stuck with so many commuters going to work in Boston just for a nice pastry and coffee before the flight. We were able to disembark at 9am, which made for a more relaxed early morning. good luck!

not sure if this is too late...we just got back and I posted this to the reviews page but it hasn't shown up yet:

The library on board is massive, and we signed out some books right away. I’ve never seen so many passengers reading on other ships, and we like books, so that was nice.

The hot tubs close at 9pm. Um, what? As a previous review mentioned, the hallways were empty at night, and perhaps the majority of passengers don’t want to sit in a hot tub at night, but for us, that seemed bizarre.

You can’t get any eggs for breakfast after 10am, as they are “setting up for lunch.” Uhh, hello? Another passenger heard my surprised comment, and suggested if you are going to the gym in the morning, order room service the night before, with a yogurt and an egg to have on hand in your stateroom (to have after the gym, in case it’s post 10am by the time you shower). Also, after the first night’s show, there was no food to be had at 10pm. They were “getting ready” for snacks at 10:30pm. Really? I guess that’s not an issue if you had dinner at 7:45 pm, but if you ate earlier, why wait half an hour between the show and a snack anywhere on board?

The entertainment was mixed. We enjoyed the jazz trio and the violinist, but the showroom productions leave everything to be desired. Half-hour evening shows are insufficient. At least movies shown included recent releases. The crew show was the best by far. We enjoyed the comedians on the Cruise. The corporate culture of Holland American feels that they are trying to save money and reduce product. From everything from cast talent shows to an open night show of poor American Idol group singing, it was about saving money (unless they paid the crew the same as the other entertainers!).

We felt the activities schedule could be bolstered. For example, some classes were only offered while the ship was docked, preventing people who go into town from participating. I wish there had not been a ship-wide activities announcement at 9am on our day at sea. The announcement could be clearly heard in the staterooms, along with every passenger saying “good morning” to each other way before 9am. The ship had three activity staff instead of five that I have witnessed on other lines. Waiters were asked to support more tables than less. The staff is doing the best that they can, but corporate Holland America is definitely cutting back. Like Fenway Park in Boston, people come no matter if they are winning or losing. We boarded thinking of the “white glove experience” that Holland American was historically acclaimed. We left seeing a line that has cut back from its historic image and focused on a 75+ age market that is happy with a historical mystique that was found in yesterday’s cruising. We so want Holland America to be the elegant line. We thank them for low-keyed sales pitches and commitment to not oversell the casino and diamond products. All we wish was a corporate commitment to a better product that is more elegant. We met and enjoyed the Cruise Director and Program Director and believe they were really working this Cruise, but the labor and programming cuts are showing. You can only cut so much before your product suffers. It is noticeable on this ship.

Finally, thank you to the fellow Cruise Critics that we met on this Cruise. We felt immediately welcomed. We learned a lot from you and look forward seeing you on the seas somewhere in the world. If you do not think that Cruise Critic works, attend a get together during the week. You will be thankful.

Regular cabin walls permit the sound of neighbor’s TV and drawers closing to be heard. Please, add some soundproofing! I don’t remember hearing the neighbors on other cruise lines. The stateroom attendant was great, and we loved the towel animals. Be aware if you are a light sleeper that cabins on deck 5 are under the walking area on deck 6. This is not a problem at all times, but if someone is wearing shoes with hard soles or dragging a suitcase, you can hear it very clearly.

We got cash from an ATM in the Montreal Airport, anticipating that we'd get some souvenirs in Quebec. Our cabbie shocked us by telling us before we got into the cab that he expected $50 even though the fare was $35 because the previous customer gave a generous tip and the drivers allegedly get only a small fraction of the fare. I had $40 in hand and said that's how much I was prepared to pay. He offered to let us use the credit card to pay, and I made it clear that $40 cash was what we would pay. I'm open to feedback from locals or other travelers, if a $15 tip is customary? I've never experienced that before, and we didn't have excess baggage or any other unusual situation to warrant a huge tip.