RuthC

Just so they don't get sick. Or bring germs to others. It's really an easy concept to grasp.

Question 1. Yes. At least in my experience over many years, usually more than once a year. However, I take the longer, more exotic cruises, not the typical 7-day, or Caribbean cruises. Those might be less than a 100% supplement.

If you can figure out a way to pack it so it won't break, you can keep it. I just wash them and leave them to be reused.

I've never had a problem with the door width in a regular cabin. They don't have the extra width of an accessible cabin, but the handlebars do clear, with about an inch on each side. It's what comes next that matters more. Many cabins open to a wall of closets on one side, and the bathroom wall on the other; those cabins don't have room to pass down the entire passage to the more open area. Nor do they have room to turn around, or park inside---even if you could get that far. I have done well in cabins that open to a wall on one side, and an end table on the other, or the end of the couch, which is a short distance. The inside cabins on Main Deck on all the Vista and Signature ships have plenty of room; there are some 'sideways' cabins on the 2 remaining R-class ships. I don't know of any non-accessible cabins on the Pinnacle ships that will accept a scooter.

I understand completely. I search for one that will let me get my scooter inside and park it, leaving me room to walk around it, without being an accessible cabin. I don't want the lower bathroom sink of an accessible cabin, and don't want to take an accessible cabin from someone who needs it more than I do. I can walk inside the cabin, and stand at the bathroom sink. I can even get up the step into the bathroom! Only certain cabins will take the scooter, and they are not always near each other. Then, too, location comes into play next.

Oh, it is. At least by some of us. On any given ship I have some favorite cabins, in a particular order. However, they may not be on the same deck, or even the same section of the ship. It's a nuisance to jump around, going back a few pages to start another search. I much prefer to be able to just enter one cabin number after another until I find one that is suitable. The last time I cabin searched, I was able to do that to some extent. But I never did find the cabin I eventually booked. My TA, on a call to HAL, did that. So, the system still has room for improvement.

Have you asked if that could be done? I don't know if it can, but I know in the dining room you can have entrée size portions of appetizers. Tamarind might be able to do the same. What's the worst that can happen if you ask? They say 'sorry, no'. But! You might get a 'Certainly! Our pleasure!'

The Thermal pool isn't supposed to be hot like a hot tub. It's supposed to be more like body temperature; just warm. Usually the hot tubs have had one that made you feel like a tea bag, and one that wasn't nearly as hot. I don't know how they have been post-covid restart, though.

Buy yourself a watch.

If it's non-refundable you can ask that it be added to the crew gratuity pool. That way it goes to the hard working crew, who have had some people remove their gratuities, and it doesn't go back to corporate.

You can send laundry to be priced three different ways: Per item, per bag, unlimited. Per item is frightfully expensive; I have never heard of anyone asking for laundry to be priced that way. You can send a bag with as much or as little as you want in it. Price is $20 in North/South America, and $30 in Europe. Or you can purchase unlimited laundry, and send out as much or as little as you want, as often as you want, for $7/day in the Americas or $9/day Europe.

All of my trips were in January, making the east coast of South America 3 hours ahead of the east coast of the US; the west coast of SA is 2 hours ahead of US eastern time in January. Going in advance is critical to recover from the long flight, as well as the time difference.

My first question is are you looking at a cruise that includes Antarctica? That is the only thing that makes a difference as far as I'm concerned. I've done the Rio to Santiago cruise once, Buenos Aires to Santiago once, and the Santiago to Buenos Aires once; all included Antarctica. Without Antarctica, I would say the cruises are about equal as far as direction goes. It really doesn't matter. If the itineraries are any different, then choose based on itinerary. If you are looking at including Antarctica, then starting on the east coast you head over and eventually start to see little bergie bits, which get larger and larger as you get closer to the continent. Eventually you see huge icebergs, several stories high, flat on top. Very impressive. After you have spent several days there you sail back across to South America, satiated from the experience. When you get to the glaciers and icebergs in Chile it feels like a real let-down after the impressive sights of the 7th continent. Starting on the west coast of South America you see the Chilean glaciers first, so there is an opportunity to be impressed by them. However, you miss being impressed by the icebergs as you leave Antarctica, as they are getting smaller and smaller as you head to the east coast of South America. As I said at the beginning, if you are doing Antarctica, direction makes a difference, and you have to choose between being impressed by the approach to Antarctica, or the glaciers of Chile. Without Antarctica, it really doesn't make a difference. Except, returning to the United States is one time zone closer to home from the west coast of South America. That can matter, as it's a long ride home.

As noted in the post you quoted, it's due to Customs regulations.

As of now, no, you don't. The rules are always subject to change, but domestic flights do not require a covid test.

The last night of a cruise is never a 'formal' night, so don't worry about that. I come in from the evening, change into what I am going to wear home (just to be sure I have everything I need), put my luggage in the passageway, then get into my night clothes. (A little extra work, but I've never had to wear the shower curtain home.) Baggage is usually supposed to be out around midnight, or a little later. I believe Neptune Suites have until much later, but am not positive. I am positive I am long-since sound asleep when the deadline comes.

Two formal/Gala/Dressy nights on a 7-day cruise has been the standard for as far back as I can remember. Several years ago the number of Formal/Gala/Dressy nights was progressively decreased as the length of the cruise increased, though.

StLouisCruisers is correct that main seating is the late fixed seating, and is for 8:00 PM for at least most itineraries. Sometimes I have been at it at 7:45.

Unless I missed something, there haven't been any embarkations from Boston yet this year, so it's impossible to tell exactly how strict keeping to check-in times will be. Come back in about 2 weeks and ask again how it went with the first check-in.

You can also get an entrée size portion of an appetizer, if you want. IIRC you can get an appetizer size portion of an entrée, but I'm not positive about that. If you don't see a potato or vegetable you want, you can ask for mashed potatoes or carrots; IIRC, you can also get green beans. Now, all of this was pre-pandemic, but if you don't ask you don't get. You could also ask to see the next night's menu, and if you don't see anything you like, ask about the 'always available' so it can be prepped for you.

I take a LOT of meds twice a day. I have the cabin steward leave an ice bucket full of ice at morning and evening turndown. It has melted into nice, cold, water by the time I need it. In the morning, there are usually ice chips still in it. This system works fine for me, and there is no paying for water involved.

I never tried that, but believe from everything I have read over the years that you have to purchase for the entire cruise. You're forgetting that the ship itself is outside the US, since it is registered to a foreign country. There is plenty of opportunity to purchase declarable goods on all those sea days. I'm not saying this is definitely a problem, but am saying that HAL is the place to ask the question, since the question is obscure, and posters are not likely to have experience with the details.

You may want to ask your doctor if renting a rollator would be a good idea for the cruise. You can just push it along as you walk, but would have a seat with you should the need to sit happen all of a sudden. If something happened, and there is a person with you, you can even sit and be pushed! It could come in handy if you do need to stand in lines in the Lido.

You must have missed where I said it was bringing your clothes into Kona that could be the Customs problem; not back to the ship. It's US Customs who might get involved. Are you aware that Kona is a tender port, and even on days when you can get ashore, it can be very difficult to board the tender? Adding in a suitcase to deal with just adds to the danger (although the crew might be helpful.) As Jayhawk said, you can get an unlimited laundry package for $7/day times the number of days in the cruise. That means it costs you the same to send laundry every day, with very little in it, as it does to wait until a bag is full. Come in from your day, change for dinner, and send what you want right then. It will likely be back the next afternoon (or sooner). But in the US, the bag at a time price is $20, not the $30 posted (unless it went up since cruising started again, but I haven't read that it did.)

As someone who has actually used a mobility scooter for the last many cruises, I disagree with almost everything you posted here. Since I began using a scooter the stewards in the Lido can't seem to do enough for me. The carry the plate, and accompany me down the line. It is very easy to see what is available from the sitting position. They help find a place to sit if I haven't staked out a spot already, and if there is no convenient place to park the scooter, they drive it away to someplace safe, return with the key, let me know where it is, and fetch it for me when I am finished. If the day ever comes when you can't cruise without a scooter, don't let mobility difficulties stop you from using the Lido if you wish to.