HALcruiser2

I was on this cruise and Captain O’Driscoll did a great job keeping passengers informed and did what he felt was right for our safety. We were credited for taxes and other fees as well as $50 per “person” (not cabin) for missing HMC. There were really no other impacts. Nieuw Statendam is a gorgeous ship with a great captain at her helm...I wouldn’t hesitate to sail on her again. 

Thank you so much for your updates. We are on the December 4th cruise and I can't wait! Do you by chance know what movie will be playing on the large outdoor screen?

We always book guarantee and have always been assigned wonderful cabins. I'm anxiously awaiting to see where we'll be placed on the Koningsdam for our December cruise (we booked a guaranteed Vista Suite). Enjoy your cruise...hopefully you'll get the cabin you desire!

Looking forward to sailing on her in December! Thanks for the photos!

Hi everyone! We just received our cabin assignment - 4047 on the Eurodam. From my research, it states the balcony is 1.5 feet deeper, which we're excited about. Anyone happen to have stayed in this cabin on a previous cruise? Good, bad, indifferent? Thanks!

1984 - Noordam 7-day to Alaska! I was a young 22-year old and met another girl my age on that cruise. Thirty-one years later and we've remained very good friends, even visiting each others' homes (she's from Canada - I'm from the U.S.). Now we each have a daughter who is the same age we were when we cruised!

Perhaps, but a month to refund $490 seems a bit long. I'll be anxious to see what information my TA obtains.

I recently needed to cancel our November cruise and within two days the deposit and payments I had made were refunded to my credit card. However, I had also paid for a shore excursion. I immediately received an email stating that due to the cancellation of my cruise, the shore excursion was cancelled and funds would be refunded. When I received my credit card statement, there was no refund for my shore excursion. I called Royal direct since I booked the excursion directly through their website, but they stated I needed to go through my travel agent. I immediately called her and she's going to contact them on Monday. I'm just curious if this has happened to anyone else. The deposit and payments were refunded right away, so I'm curious as to why the shore excursion wasn't refunded as quickly. I cancelled the cruise on May 17 so it's been almost a month. Thanks!

Love the review. We're sailing on the Allure in November...can't wait!!

Your pictures were absolutely stunning! I cannot wait for our November cruise on Allure! Thank you for posting these!

I tried to see if these answers were already out there, but thought it would be quicker to just post a new thread:

1. Do passengers who book an Aqua class cabin eat ONLY in Blu or do they also have the opportunity (choice) to eat meals in the MDR?

2. Do transatlantic cruises provide extra activities for the sea days?

3. Does the spa on Celebrity have a hydro-therapy pool (similar to HAL)?

Thanks much!

I've sailed primarily on HAL and will be taking Celebrity next year to celebrate our 25th anniversary. For me the best part about trying a new line is that I feel like a first-time cruiser again. I'm learning all about a different cruise line and a different ship which makes it exciting. I still like HAL, but my husband and I are beyond excited about sailing with Celebrity for the first time. Like one other poster said...the best ship is the one I'm on. :)

Ok, I figured out what I was looking at...when you book a verandah cabin, it offers you the option to upgrade to Concierge Class for a certain dollar amount, which when you do the math, basically brings you to the listed price of a Concierge Class cabin. I thought you could book a less expensive verandah cabin and add the concierge service for a discounted price. I was mistaken. Right now the Concierge Class is $300 more pp than a Verandah cabin. Since this is a special anniversary for us we might spoil ourselves and go for the CC. Took me awhile to figure it all out, but I think I'm getting there! :)

You're welcome. If someday I decide to sail HAL again, I hope some friendly person on that board will help me with cabin selection. I find all their classes of cabins very confusing.

I'm sure the experienced HAL cruisers would be happy to answer your questions...I find fellow cruisers to be some of the friendliest people out there! My opinion of the HAL cabins is that they're pretty spacious with ample storage space; but I already love the fact that Celebrity gives you more options to choose from (such as upgrading to concierge service if you so desire). I'm still a little confused with all of that - the price for a concierge cabin was one price on-line, but if I chose a "regular" balcony cabin, and added concierge service, it wasn't as expensive as booking a concierge cabin from the get go. I guess it does come down to location, location, location.

It also seems like Celebrity has far more dining options to choose from (albeit for an added cost). Not sure that we'll go that route (except for the actual night of our anniversary), but I like having the option available. I'm just tickled to be going on a different cruise line. I might have to change my user name if I end up loving Celebrity as much as I think I will. :)

Lots of good points made by AlanAllyn and others. As noted in the live/blog below, we did the wonderful Med on the Solstice in June 2011 and enjoyed it very much. We got upgraded to Concierge class. Nice and a few benefits. BUT, how much MORE would it be worth? For my wallet, only a little. Not too much more. Check out these postings for more info/background on these nice, Solstice-class ships, their entertainment, food options, design touches, etc. Keep rolling with your good questions. Don't be shy!! The only bad question is the one you don't ask.

 

Which countries and ports are you planning to visit?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 170,107 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

This particular itinerary sails from Rome and heads to Naples; Jerusalem & Haifa, Israel; Ephesus,Turkey; Mykonos & Athens,Greece; & Valetta,Malta. We've always wanted to visit Italy, Israel & Greece so this itinerary couldn't be more perfect! I am so excited...I'm ready to book it now! It'll be a long wait but for me part of the fun is the anticipation leading up to the cruise! Plus, I have so much to learn about a new cruise line! :)

I always used to sail in concierge class. Before my first cruise on an S class (that's what your ship is), I discovered that all the cabins are the same size. There was quite a difference in price. I also discovered that 1A balcony cabins had significantly larger than normal balconies. So that's what I book on S class ships. The 1A cabins are on the slant of the hump. Some face forward and some face aft. I always select one facing aft, so as not to worry about wind. If you start at the hump and work away from it, the first and third cabins will have a balcony about 3X the size of a normal balcony. The second and fourth cabins will have a balcony about 2X the normal size. The other advantage of these cabins is that they are very near the elevators, so no long walks down halls.

 

There are some concierge cabins in the same locations if you don't mind paying more for your cabin. The only advantage in my view is that the concierge cabins come with footstools. I've discovered that the life jackets (stored under the bed) work almost as well.

 

Hope you enjoy your first Celebrity cruise! Ask if you have any more questions.

Thank you Happy Cruiser! I am definitely going to look at the deck plans and take that into consideration as we do like to spend time on the balcony. We're excited about taking a different cruise line - makes me feel like a first-time cruiser again!

Advice please...we are looking at booking a Mediterranean cruise for October 2015 to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary and found an amazing itinerary on the Silhouette. I was wondering if the Concierge class is worth the added cost and thought I'd throw my question out to those of you who have previously sailed on Celebrity.

What have your experiences been?

Thanks for any advice, tips, pointers, etc. you want to give. I plan to peruse the boards and see what else I can find out about this cruise line. We're looking at booking within the next week or so.

Thank You so much for your response,It looks in some pictures the toilet is the same stall as the shower,is this the case?We are taking this trip next February but I will be on this site for a full year.Thanks Again

Since this a handicap cabin, there is a roll-in shower where the toilet is. There is a curtain that divides that area from the rest of the bathroom. We never used that shower - the one in the bathtub was sufficient as we never really needed to shower at the same time.

How did the Explore 4 package work for your daily drinks? Did they add the amount to your account, then credit it daily? Did you receive drink cards for the duration?

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

We each received a green beverage card valued at $50 per card (it was waiting for us in our cabin). The first time you use it you give the beverage card and room key to the bar attendant or server. After that you just give them the card. Your receipt will show the remaining balance after each purchase. Ours was good for everything - alcoholic, non-alcoholic, special coffees, etc. and we used it for pretty much everything. The only place we couldn't use it was Half Moon Cay. We needed to present our room key and those drinks were charged to our room. We really enjoyed having this little perk!

Thank you for your review,would you please describe the bathroom in the HA cabin.What cabin were you in?Thank You

We were in cabin 5001 - the very first cabin in the front. The bathroom was nice and wide, but there was only one sink and not very much counter space (although there was a medicine cabinet that actually held quite a bit). There were also hooks on the door which were helpful. The bathtub had a shower and there was a roll-in shower in the toilet area (which we never used - the shower that is) There was also a curtain that pulled across the toilet and roll-in shower area which was actually nice and separated the bathroom somewhat by providing some privacy. The tub was very high but I'm not sure if that's handicap specific or like that in all of the bathrooms. The only thing I should caution you on is that the bathroom door is very wide and heavy and tended to close very quickly.

Thank you for your review. It sounds like the Zuiderdam continues to be a happy ship! Did you purchase the Thermal Suite prior to boarding or once on board? I'm thinking about it for our cruise in leaving 3/7. If you purchased it on board, what was the cost for the 11 days? Thank you!

 

Rachel

We purchased it soon after we got on board and it was $299 for a couple. I think it was $199 for one person.

I recently returned from an 11-night Panama Canal cruise on the Zuiderdam. As with any cruise, opinions will be all over the place. I tend to live life by the old saying, "Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you react." Below is my review, which was just published. Sorry...I didn't know how to provide the link so I just cut and paste.

Prior to this cruise, I became somewhat concerned due to many of the comments addressing air conditioning and plumbing problems. I am happy to report that I experienced none of these issues. Now on to my review:

We were in Ft. Lauderdale for a family event prior to the cruise and had rented a car. Much to my surprise, I learned that the company with whom we rented offered a complimentary shuttle to Port Everglades. I must have been the only one who did not realize this as many of the passengers on the shuttle were heading to the Zuiderdam. We walked in the doors of the terminal at 12:20 p.m. and after a brief wait to get through security, we were on the ship at 1:10 p.m.

Our first stop was to customer service to confirm that our shipboard credits were accurate (we were receiving a nice amount from our TA and wanted to be sure everything was in order). I am happy to report that all of our credits and other "perks" were 100% accurate. We then headed to our cabin (SY 5001). We had booked a guaranteed SY and two days prior to sailing, finally received our cabin assignment. I was a bit surprised that we were given a handicapped stateroom as neither of us are handicapped. I called my TA to confirm that HAL was aware that we were not handicapped and she told us that if there is availability, HAL will assign these to guarantee passengers. She also told us that these staterooms are much larger. She was not kidding! It was a fantastic cabin and with the exception of not having a second sink and little counter space in the bathroom, we loved this cabin! We especially liked having an additional window that faced forward!

Yes, the Zuiderdam is an older ship, but I found her to be a beautiful ship and easy to navigate! I am directionally challenged but I quickly and easily found my way around! I had no issues with the color scheme and while there was definitely some wear and tear, it certainly had no impact on my cruise. During our 11-night cruise we had our balcony varnished, our stateroom chairs shampooed, and the ship was always being painted while in port. In addition to that, HAL's ships are the most spotless I've ever been on! The crew is constantly wiping down handrails and elevator buttons and when coming back from port they were there to immediately vacuum up the sand!

I thought the food was pretty good! My only complaint was that the first omelet I ordered was way undercooked in the middle, but after that I requested that it be cooked a little longer and they came out great from that point on. We had anytime dining for dinner and always chose a table for four. We met wonderful people and enjoyed the intimacy of a table for four much better than the larger tables we have had on previous cruises. I usually made reservations the night before but on those nights that I didn't, we showed up around 5:30 and were seated immediately. We had one dinner in the Pinnacle Grill (as part of the Explore 4 promotion) and it was amazing! My husband would have preferred his fish to be cooked a little more than it was, but he enjoyed it none the less.

The entertainment was adequate. We enjoyed the singers and dancers but found it odd that they booked two piano players on one cruise. While both players were amazing, we would have preferred a little more variety. It was still an enjoyable hour of entertainment. We did find that seats are more readily available at the 10:00 p.m. show. If you want to attend the earlier show, I would recommend arriving at least 20 minutes early. We liked the B.B. King show, but found it to be very loud in the small venue in which they perform. The one time they performed in the showroom it was perfect, but otherwise it was just too loud for us.

We booked the Thermal Suite for the entire cruise and I booked three other spa treatments. The hydrotherapy pool was fantastic, but the steam rooms and sauna's were not always in working order. This was a bit frustrating, but again, not enough to ruin the cruise. The spa treatments were relaxing and they didn't really push any products once I said I wasn't interested. In fact, I found the photographers to be far pushier than the spa staff. Photos have also gone up in price which was disappointing as I usually like to purchase the photos that are taken. This time I limited my purchases due to the cost.

I will say that the crew is very eager to please and always had smiles on their faces. There was even one time that the ice cream station was closed, but when the crew member came out and saw us and another couple standing there disappointed, she went ahead and served us.

The crowd on this ship was predominately senior and retired, but we met many wonderful people and had a great time. There were times when activities were non-existent, but I used those times to sit outside and either read or listen to music.

All in all we had a wonderful, relaxing cruise and have already booked our next cruise on the Noordam!

I recently returned from an 11-night cruise and it was $70 for unlimited for $20 per bag. I surprised myself by how much I could squeeze into one bag. I usually left it on the bed when we left for the day and it was returned by the next day before noon.

The hair dryer isn't all that powerful, but for me it was sufficient; also, it wasn't screwed into the drawer (as I have read from others) - I was able to take it completely out. In my cabin (5001) the outlet was right by the mirror so it was fine.

I was also on this ship recently - I attended a Q&A session with the Captain and when someone asked him why the rooms were so cold he responded that there had previously been several complaints regarding the air conditioning system and they ended up installing a new one. I was in Cabin 5001 and much to my surprise, I actually found it to be too cold sometimes (I say that because I'm usually hot most of the time).

We were on the same cruise with you and I do remember your daughter - she is quite the cutie!!

Undercooked food seems to be a common theme. The first time I ordered an omelet the entire middle was uncooked. From that point on I asked that it be "well-done" and can happily report that my request was met the next few times I chose that for breakfast. My husband ordered fish at our Pinnacle dinner and even after requesting that it be cooked throughout, the center was barely cooked. It was a huge piece, so he just ate the ends and was more than satisfied. Same thing with my meat - I just left the undercooked center. Everything else was so good and filling, I chose not to say anything.

This was my 5th HAL cruise and I have definitely noticed some cutbacks from earlier cruises - but I would still sail with them. Although the age group was a bit older, we found the majority of passengers to be fun loving and happy. I didn't run into anyone who was outwardly grumpy. However, if we were to sail with our kids, who are all young adults 18-22, we would also probably choose a different line. For me (and my husband), we loved the slow pace and I was able to catch up on the reading I rarely have time for at home.

I'm glad your daughter found Duckie!!