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Grandmaanne7

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Everything posted by Grandmaanne7

  1. 11 of us will be ending our cruise in Boston. Our flights don't leave until 3:30 and 4:00. The ship's excursion is expensive and doesn't sound overly exciting. Are there any recommendations for a reliable, reasonably priced service that could handle 11 people and their luggage and provide an interesting 3 to 4 hour tour with airport drop off? We are a multi generation group with a variety of interests so hopefully not hard to please.
  2. Thanks for this. Yes, we have the HIA package. I've been told that, on the Volendam, they are available at the Dive In and are included. I will have some very happy granddaughters!
  3. I understand that, however, since we only have one sea day on our upcoming cruise, will it be then or not at all?
  4. If there is only one sea day on a 7-day cruise, will cake day likely be on that day or skipped altogether?
  5. Thanks for the suggestion. We already have the HIA package. Hoping it will serve us well. It sounds like it will.
  6. Thank you for offering to answer specific questions about Volendam. Are you aware if the milkshakes from the DIVE IN are included in the HIA package?
  7. Thank you so much! Obviously my TA doesn't deal with HAL very often. P.S. I love your signature! 😊
  8. HAL newbie here. I have read that children eat free in specialty restaurants yet my TA informed me that we will have to pay $54 for my 12 year old granddaughter when we dine at Pinnacle Grill because she is the 3rd person in a cabin with the HIA promo. She will most likely choose the chicken strips off the children's menu so $54 seems a little excessive to me. Can anyone clarify for me? TIA
  9. That's a good plan B. It's unfortunate, though, that for the amount paid for HIA, one has to go to these lengths when milkshakes are right there. I assume, from your suggestion, that there is self serve soft ice cream. The grand-kids will love that!
  10. Yes, they certainly love their virgin Pina Coladas and chocolate monkeys. We'll make do, I suppose, but I did promise one especially all the milkshakes she wanted. They'll be delighted if they can get them.
  11. Can milkshakes be purchased/ordered anywhere else onboard, specifically Volendam?
  12. My apologies. I did not mean to blame you. I'm just in shock! I had promised my granddaughter all the milkshakes she wants on our next cruise. I'm flabbergasted and less impressed with HAL by the day!
  13. Am I reading this correctly? A child with the HIA promo cannot get a milkshake? What's the purpose of having HIA?
  14. Not the answer I was hoping for but thanks for responding. Hopefully, they're worth it.
  15. This is our first HAL cruise and I am wondering if HAL ever discounts or offers sales on shore excursions like Celebrity does. Thanks in advance.
  16. We're very new to HAL. I have checked the last several pages of this thread and was unable to find the answer to my question. What time is the entertainment on board? If we were to dine at 8:00, would we be able to see the show prior to or after dinner? Thanks in advance.
  17. Debbie, I'm so sorry you missed the excursion and the runaround you experienced. It seems very unfair. I would have been very upset if that had happened to us, too. I hope the rest of the cruise was far more enjoyable. Anne
  18. I definitely fully enjoyed our cruise, however, the cutbacks are certainly evident. The worst thing to me was watching the crew. They are completely overworked and exhausted! They do their best to smile and let on that they are fine but there are days that are harder on them than others. Our cruise had 8 sea days, which wore them out completely! Some of them stay on longer just to train the new staff, and there are plenty of new staff so, obviously, Celebrity is trying to remedy the situation but our cruise was oversold so there were incredibly cranky passengers to begin with and these poor new trainees were thrown to the wolves. Add to that, fewer dining options on the menu including eliminating prime rib on our 14 day cruise, less items included in the Classic beverage package (we overheard several passengers arguing with the staff that such and such should/used to be included), incredibly useless internet access (on Infinity which was blamed on the outdated infrastructure not the location), downgraded bathroom products, charges for room service and you absolutely feel less and less of the luxury experience that Celebrity is trying to sell. We hummed and hawed whether to book a future cruise but when we priced out 2 cruises that were of interest to us and they were over double, almost triple, what we would be willing to pay, we chose not to. I went back a second time, just to be sure that no error had been made and that they had included all the current promotions. I will not be booking anything at those prices! If I see a last minute real deal that appeals to us, I would probably go for it because, as I said, we definitely enjoyed our cruise. I just don't want to pay 3 times what it's worth. If cruising becomes too expensive, I have no problem doing land vacations.
  19. CABIN #: Infinity 7084 DECK #:7 CLASS: Deluxe Veranda AREA: Forward Starboard BED NEAR: Bathroom QUIET?: Very BALCONY VIEW: Forward blocked by protruding balcony 2 over, Aft decent view, below somewhat blocked by lifeboats, outward magnificent view, after all you are on the ocean! BALCONY SIZE: regular, room for 2 chairs and a small table WIND A PROBLEM?: no SOOT A PROBLEM?: no PROBLEMS/COMMENTS: No real complaints. Will be interesting to see what improvements are made in drydock. Would like to see shower doors rather than curtains and a leg shaving bar added. Additional plugs, especially usb ports would be helpful.
  20. I did this excursion and would definitely recommend it even though my experience wasn't the best. I will try to explain. The office is a lovely 40 minute walk from the pier along the beach. They are in Bajada 5. The staff are incredibly great! They very patiently get each participant into their wetsuits and explain things fully. The seals are a short boat ride from the office. We saw dozens of seals, several of which decided to come swim around us. It was lovely being so close to these wild animals that were so graceful in the water. There were also penguins, which I am told are sometimes, but not always there. The water is cold upon entry but not enough to take away from the experience. I was not even aware of the temperature of the water until after it was almost over and realized that I was not cold at all. Unfortunately, I had my first ever panic attack in the water. The guide was excellent and talked me through it but I was unable to relax in the water. I could not manouver or make my body go where I wanted it to go so I just clung to the life saver ring that the guide towed around and enjoyed the experience as best as I could. I am really glad I did it and everyone else seemed to have no issues at all so it must have been me although my husband, who did not get in the water but stayed in the boat, said that as soon as I entered the water, my wetsuit ballooned out much more than anyone else's in the water and perhaps that was why I had no control and couldn't propel myself. I am not complaining. I am an experienced snorkeler and am usually very comfortable in water. I'm attributing the diminished experience to a mouth full of water when I entered which sparked the attack. I was extremely pleased with how well it was handled and the care I received.
  21. Thanks David! I remember seeing these pictures years ago, perhaps before our cruise together.
  22. I had to go back and look at your photo because of the lobster tail on the menu. When I had originally viewed the photo, I mistook it for a shrimp. It looks rather small. Was it tasty at least? Would you recommend the Seafood lunch? I am really enjoying your review and thank you very much for taking us along.
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