VMax1700

1 hour ago, Torquer said:

They were using one shore-based tender in addition to the Nieuw Statendam tenders.  It did not help.  The problem was the long time it took to get one tender loaded at a time.

Yes we had a problem with loading tenders and shore based tender when the tide was running fast.  

Could you disembark the ship in Naples?  

11 hours ago, Torquer said:

Be prepared for a very long wait to get back to the ship.  Last year we waited 1 1/2 hours in the line to get back on the tender at South Queensferry, which was the longest we waited on any  cruise.  The problem was they were only loading one tender of passengers at a time from the dock, while there were three tenders waiting in the water to pull up to the dock.  And it is a very long dock with plenty of room for multiple tenders at a time.  We were very unhappy with HAL's handling of this situation.

Were they not using the shore based ferries as tenders?  They can take up to 200 passengers each time.

10 hours ago, USN59-79 said:

We have docked at Cobh and taken the train to Cork.  However, I didn't really understand how to pronounce Cobh.  I know about ch and dh and sh and th and wh but never knew of a word with bh as part of it.  Was wondering if Cobh was actually pronounced Cork, but realized that they are two different cities, but close together.  Finally took the time to research it and found that Cobh, for non Irish people is pronounced the same as Cove.  Am I right @VMax1700?

Ray

Correct.

Similar to the pronounciation of the girl's name Niamh! Yes, mh and bh have the same 'soft v' sound.

Cobh is not an Irish word, but an Irish version of the town's original name.  It was originally called 'Cove' and then changed to 'Queenstown' in 1849 to commemorate the visit of Queen Victoria to Ireland.  In 1921 it was changed back to an Irish version of its original name, so Cove became Cobh.  (and Victoria became known as the Famine Queen, but that is another story!)

With apologies for thread drift.

3 hours ago, julia said:

Great info here, thx so much.

We will be doing the opposite direction, (arriving Rotterdam on the Rotterdam) and heading to Schipol.  How close/far is the port to the train?

There is a metro station near the cruise terminal.  Maybe 5 minutes walk.

The metro goes to Rotterdam Centraal Station and take the train to Schiphol from there.  Or take a tram.  You can pay by debit or credit card, but each person needs their own card.  

4 hours ago, new_cruiser_22 said:

Information only here for a possibility. We booked a transfer from Katakolon to Olympia with Viator, haven't used them yet. Price is US$24/pp, 5 hours, cancellable up to 24 hours before the departure time. 

Viator are an intermediary.  They do not run the transfer.  It will be booked with a local supplier and you will be able to book it cheaper with the local supplier too.

Glad you enjoyed Cork, Midleton and Cobh.  Sorry that the 'sprinklers' turned on a little earlier than expected 😉

Just for information you are referring to the 'Common Travel Area' which permits unhindered travel between Ireland and UK, even though UK is not in EU.  

Cobh is a great town on a nice day, and you had a nice day.  

Hope you come back again! 👋

19 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

 

 Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral from JFK Park on the waterfront

 

 

Thanks for spelling it correctly, but unfortunately it is the incorrect name!  It is St Colman's Cathedral that you can see in Cobh, but if you go to Cork City you can see St Fin Barre's Cathedral.  St Colman's is Roman Catholic and St Fin Barre's is Church of Ireland. 

1 hour ago, REOVA said:

They have their own songs and set list and usually (although I have seen it) don't cover other people's songs.

Well, the exception which proves the rule, was Bruce on Thursday night. It was a typical Irish spring evening with misty rain between the downpours.  So he opened with John Forerty's "Have you ever seen the rain/who will stop the rain" and ended with The Pogues' "Rainy Night in Soho".  In the middle he covered "Nightshift" by the Commodores and "Twist and Shout" made famous by the Beatles.   He also performed Patti Smith's "Because the Night" but then he was co writer!

Still a great night even with the 'covers' 😉 😁

13 hours ago, REOVA said:

it gets a bit redundant if the RR band plays the same songs each night,

I went to Bruce Springsteen gig last week and had been to one a few years ago.  Even he played a lot of the same songs each night.  It is the nature of the beast.  Going to Van Morrison at the end of the month and he just better be singing the same songs as last time 😉

7 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Nowhere does it say unlimited non-alcoholic drinks.

It does state unlimited non-alcoholic drinks on this page!

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/eu/onboard-packages/beverage-packages

There are buses at the dock gates that do tours to Olympia.  Just walk up and they go when full. The price in 2022 was €15 per person.  30 minutes drive to Olympia, 2 hours free time and then 30 minutes back to Katakalo.

Don't miss the opportunity to visit the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology in Katakalo (it is near the 'train terminus'). It is very interesting.

1 hour ago, KKB said:

We did not find cabs at all in the port area, so therefore took the train.

(It does appear they might have been further from the pier, but did not see where that would be)

The nearest taxi stand is located on Marine Road, just across from the train station and 150 yards up the road straight in front (towards shopping centre).  However, I would prefer to use the train to get into Dublin centre quickly.  Better use of time and money.

Just so you will know for next time 😉

Wow!  10.15pm last night "Summer of Love" in Rolling Stone Lounge.  That could have been a great playlist.........did you go to the happening and hear some great music?

On 4/13/2024 at 1:38 PM, Tony UK said:

We will need flights to Florida one way and then back to the UK from Barcelona

I have done this with Aer Lingus.  Very good prices.  Also, you do US Preclearance in Dublin so you do not need to wait in the horrendous immigration line in Miami. EI are offering flights from MAN to MIA.

One caveat is that Dub- MIA is seasonal, so check dates.

Use the Multi City option

https://www.aerlingus.com/app/plan/multi-city

You will probably have to purchase a one way ticket from Dub to BCN as EI does not fly BCN-MAN.

Your routing would be MAN-MIA and then BCN-DUB + DUB-MAN or LPL

Check the prices and consider that PreClearance is a great boost to the trip when you arrive in USA

Best?

DART is the train service.  Station located adjacent to the tender docking area.  Machines in station for tickets or pre purchase a day ticket for use on Dublin Buses (not HOHO).

https://about.leapcard.ie/leap-visitor-card

I understand your position, but as you only had 3 hours available, the driver took you to (probably) the furthest place available within that time frame.  Obviously he could have done a 'drive by' of various places, but to my mind he utilized the available time for the best experience, specially as you had booked a tour to the 'countryside'.  

Anyway, did you send a copy of your cancellation email to Butlers?

I have nothing to do with Butlers, but their T&C are quite clear.

https://www.ecoach.ie/refund-cancellation.php

Did you email them prior to 12 hours before the tour?

If you did, then I would suggest you send a copy of that email to Butlers.  

You do not state the date of the tour or what was planned. Kinsale is a normal small Irish town.  Stores etc will close at the usual time, but many places in Kinsale are open in the evenings.

Another point of view would be that many cruisers would prefer a shortened tour rather than no tour, as this may be their only chance to visit Cork/Cobh.

I would also say that the naming of persons does seem a bit vindictive and does nothing to promote your point of view.

Sorry you were disappointed in Butlers, but many cruisers have been happy with them.  

Probably allocating Guarantee staterooms, but it could be sold out too!

If you want to book, then perhaps phone them?

8 minutes ago, 0106 said:

@carnivaljunkieAccording to the HAL website,  January 9 and 31, 2026 cruises to South American and Antarctica both include the Early Booking bonus.

The Early Booking Bonus is not the same as the Mariner Early Booking Bonus!

Early Booking Bonus gives upgrade to Elite Beverage pack and Premium Wifi.  The Mariner Early Booking Bonus is an OBC of various amounts and is only available to bookings made within 90 days of the launch date.

As 2025/2026 Antartica/S America went on sale around mid November 2023 it is unlikely that the Mariner OBC is still available. 

12 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I was wondering if HAL was proposing to build  a Starship Rotterdam 😉

To boldly go where no cruise ship has gone before! 

I would be inclined to direct them towards their own website:

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/eu/cruise-deals/mariner-early-booking-bonus?ICID=INTHWEB20240502VV6Y1AQANP

This is the EU page, but it should open the page for your geographic area.

1 hour ago, Jotravels said:

Thank you, thats helpful. We are a group of 4 trying to decide if it’s better to just go to Olympia and do an in depth tour rather then pay for a tour that takes you to the wineries, honey farm etc… seems hard to find so we though perhaps a taxi and a DIY tour might make sense.

 

There are busses waiting at the port gates that do the return journey.  It is quite inexpensive, maybe €15 per person.

53 minutes ago, itsanita said:

Trying to get some iformation on Tangier, but when I did a search of this board nothing came up.

Anyone with any suggestions on this port?

I will go ahead and google, but would love some input from those who have already visited.

 

Thanks 

There are a few posts if you look on the correct board.  Tangier is neither in Spain & Portugal nor is it in Europe.  It is in Africa. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/19-africa-amp-middle-east/