iowacruiser

16 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

We are looking at sailing the Oosterdam for the first time. In looking up cabin sizes the balcony cabins have a wide range in size. How does one go about finding the larger?  216 sq ft would feel pretty tight, but the larger end of the range is attractive?  In trying to find this information, I came across two options that caught my attention. Cabin 7149 aft….and 4166 with the extended balcony. We tend to use our balcony quite a bit, so both have their distinct advantages. Does anyone have experience and thoughts on these locations as well as interior space?

We also looked a Signature suite 6115. Not sure if these are worth the extra cost?  
thank you in advance

We have stayed in an aft corner NS on Oosterdam and the balconies are so large you could have a small party on them. They are also less affected by the wind.

We have also stayed in an SS on Amsterdam and Eurodam-both cabins on the bump out. You basically get two balconies in these suites. One facing out and other facing forward. If you love your balconies either would be a good choice.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts..

We are venturing to Europe for a cruise in September and have never purchased travel insurance for past cruises.

Is the HAL platinum plan good insurance or is finding a private insurance policy a better idea? Your thoughts?

15 hours ago, colbe said:

 

We stayed in 7093  (SS suite) on the Rotterdam last week. Noise was never an issue.

On 4/11/2024 at 11:17 AM, Moriah said:

On the last day of my recent cruise, I received an offer (paper card/letter) in my cabin stating that if I book another cruise within 30 days of disembarking that one, I would get some free play in the casino, and I believe free drinks in the casino - to be honest I didn't pay much attention because at the time I was "sure" I would not be booking another cruise in the coming month, but... actually I did - and of course, I didn't save that card with the offer.  Does anyone know how I can find out the info to give to my PCC?  He says I need some kind of offer number for the offer for him to add it to my booking.  I have tried emailing the Players Club and so far no response (it's only been 24 hours), but thought I'd come here to see if anyone's had a similar predicament or has an idea how I can redeem that offer having thrown away the paper trail (it wasn't an email, as said, it was something I received in my cabin on the last day of sailing, presumably because I'd spent a bit of time in the casino on that cruise!).  Thanks in advance if anyone has any idea.

Interesting... We just got off the Rotterdam. We booked two future cruises on board and both times the Cruise consultant said I qualified for casino rates. I was surprised because all I played was $100 at the craps table..,,We got a decent discount so not complaining.

We board on the second leg with friends/neighbors who are getting married on the ship.

On 3/16/2024 at 2:42 AM, LAX said:

I think I have narrowed my choices down to Eurodam to Alaska. I am trying to figure out the best stateroom within my budget that is also still available to book. I want a stateroom with a verandah. Is picking a forward stateroom on Deck 4 (Upper Promenade) that is directly above the World Stage a bad idea in terms of noise? How late do events run on the World Stage? Would being on a lower deck somewhat mitigate the risk of motion sickness in a forward cabin vs midship? Part of my challenge is trying to book 3 staterooms that are near (preferably next to) each other.

 

LAX

 

We took your cruise last August. The only rough water we ran into was Icey Point to Sitka. The captain deployed the stabilizers that night and you could barely feel the motion. We were on Deck 7 midship..

55 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Yes, you can book directly with HAL then transfer to a TA. There is a time limit (60 or 90 days, don't remember which) from the time you book and it can't be w/in final payment. You can get the form from HAL or the TA can give it to you.

If you do this, you shouldn't use a HAL PCC to book as that's a lost booking against them; just use a general reservation agent that answers the phone. 

If you have questions that you really want to ask directly to HAL, you can do a 3-way call w/them and your TA - they will talk with you that way.

60 Days.. Our friends tried to transfer their booking to a TA for our September Med cruise. They were told transfers arent allowed 60 days after initial booking.

1 hour ago, Vallesan said:

Marina is going into dry dock for refurbishment at the end of April. The PH cabins are being completely refurbished with new bathrooms etc. The lower cabins are due to have new ‘soft furnishings’ but the bathrooms will NOT be refurbished.

Thanks..

Reading a number of reviews about the need to refurbish Veranda cabins.

Have the PH cabins been refurbished

20 hours ago, JohnCoffield said:

I've always said that size isn't everything...this picture really does confirm that we won't be moving from HAL anytime soon.

Agreed... Dealing with a mass of humanity isn't my idea of a relaxing vacation.

A friend just returned from the Seashore  and said it took more then an hour to dock at Ocean Cay. She said it was windy and it took the crew multiple attempts to dock but they finally made it. As noted in a previous post, ships must navigate a narrow channel that's almost a half mile long. In order for the ship to dock on the starboard side they have to back the ship down the channel. Wind would certainly be a factor.

8 hours ago, IAcruising said:

 

Fellow Iowan. We have a UK trip out of Rotterdam in August (flying to Amsterdam out of Des Moines). Flight Ease isn't even remotely close to what we can find directly. 

 

We live in Florida now and FlightEase is way cheaper for business class to Athens.

8 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Flight ease should quit selling flights day of embarkation that are over 5 hours.  It presents a false sense of security which does not truly exist.  On a recent cruise we were forced to stay in a lousy port overnight and miss our next  desirable port to wait until an international flight arrived.  That was not a reasonable excuse for us not to sail and if flight ease had not sold such an ill timed flight we would not have been forced to miss our port 

Appreciate the advice. We are flying to Athens two days ahead of sailing. Would never fly International arriving the day of departure..

I have read several posts about Flight Ease-the pros and cons. I understand the difference between flex and restrictive fairs.

Curious if anyone booked a flex fare and then had their flights and or seats changed after final payment for the cruise. Cruising on the Oosterdam out of Athens in September and the best fares are on Air Canada. Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

On 1/27/2024 at 5:39 AM, Bizziecruzer said:

Hi all. We will be cruising on the Rotterdam, our first time with HA.

We can choose cabin 5096 (has larger balcony) or cabin 6152 (angled balcony, larger cabin). Which would be your preferred cabin. We are cruising to Norway. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Have not sailed on Rotterdam but on NA and Eurodam we have booked SS suites with the angled balcony. More room and better viewing.

14 hours ago, Tiki_Man said:

Quick question about Muster Drill. What time and did you still have to go down to Deck 6 to personally check in but only at a specific time?  We are on board on 1/28 and have only sailed with MSC once before. Thanks for any insight 

Cheers 

Tiki

The muster drill was the only negative on our Seashore cruise in December. Having the entire ship working their way to deck 6 using the stairwells was a cluster. We felt bad for older passengers who have difficulty negotiating stairs. A lot of pushing and shoving. HAL's procedure is much better-watch a video in your room and at some point make your way to the muster station. A ship wide cattle call makes it much more difficult. 

6 hours ago, Langoustine said:

It's NOT possible. They have to get married either before or after the cruise.

Thanks for the info..

We are booked on the Rotterdam for a cruise in April. We are traveling with another couple who are considering getting married on the ship. 

Is it possible and what is the process?

39 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

Yet it is at least some preparation for what the reality would be like, unlike many of the other versions of the drill...

 

Was it really '5,000' at the same time though?

 

My recollection of the drill on Divina was that decks were called in sequence to spread the load...

Not sure if the exact number was 5000 but the ship was full and yes everyone was called to deck 7 at the same time.

Just returned from a quick 3 day cruise to the Bahamas for our anniversary. 

After reading some of the recent reviews we were both a little apprehensive but ended up being pleasantly surprised.

First of all, Yacht Club was well worth the cost. In fact we wouldn't sail MSC again without it.

We have 25+ cruises under our belt, with most of the recent voyages on Holland America. We like the smaller, midsize ships and an a little older crowd (we are both 65)

Seashore is the biggest ship we have ever sailed and the crowds were a little overwhelming at time. The Yacht Club provides a nice sanctuary and on our sailing the Top Sail Lounge, Dining room, and the private pool on deck 20 never felt crowded.

The ship itself is very nice with a lot of "bling". The elevators take a little time to get use too (kept reaching to push a button to pick a floor) MSC seems to focus more on shopping on board then other cruise lines.

The muster drill was the worse part of the trip. Forcing 5000 passengers to all funnel down the stairwells to deck 7. We saw several seniors struggling to navigate all the stairs with the mob behind them pushing them along. With everyone crammed like sardines onto one deck, if anyone picked up a virus it was probably there. Other cruise lines have managed to streamline the muster drills and MSC should do the same.  

FOOD

We ate in the Yacht Club dining room twice and the food and service were quite good. We both had prime rib and while the servings were pretty thin it was tender and flavorful. It was nice being able to sit in the Top Sail Lounge for a drink and have someone from the staff come and escort you to your table.

We ate there the last night as well. My wife ordered lambchops and raved about it. (she's a picky eater)

The second night we ate in Ocean Cay-the seafood specialty dining venue. The food was mediocre and the service was the worst of the cruise. They offer a 3 course pre-fix meal for $60 and several items for a 50% upcharge.. We opted to order ala carte and both ordered lobster tail for $47. It was actually just 3 chunks of lobster over a bed of wilted spinach. We also ordered king crab as an appetizer. It came to the table late and the drawn butter dish was actually pushed down in the bed of ice so it was more like cream cheese than melted butter. Disappointing at best.

The poolside buffet on deck 20 was popular and the food was always hot and appetizing. We ate breakfast there the first morning and had eggs to order and omelets. Very good and not very crowded.

The Yacht Club staff is top notch from the waiters and bar staff to the Butler and cabin stewards. They all wear multiple hats. Our Butler Angelo also served drinks at the pool and on Ocean Cay. I think if you are assigned to Yacht Club you must stay with Yacht Club guests on and off the ship. Unlike other ships where wait staff hounds you to buy more drinks,  at times we felt like we needed to hunt down a waiter to order something.

OCEAN CAY

We always thought Holland America's Half Moon Cay was the best private island in the Bahamas. MSC's  Ocean Cay Marine Reserve is just as nice if not better. It has paved roads, nice landscaping, plenty of beaches and water sport activities. The Ocean House (Yacht Club) was an easy walk from the pier but there were shuttles running back and forth all day. The Lighthouse-Lightshow as the ship pulled out was very cool. 

Overall we enjoyed the cruise, the crew and the food but would only sail MSC again if we booked the Yacht Club.

Sorry you arrived with the latest cold front.. which tend to be weekly this time of year. Hopefully it will warm up by the time we board tomorrow..

My wife and I are also on this 3 day cruise for our 39th anniversary. Our first on MSC. We live just down the beach from Port Canaveral so it's easy in and out.. The Seashore is the only ship boarding at the Port that day so traffic should not be an issue. 

We have a Yacht Club suite and are anxious to compare it to suites on Holland America which is our favorite cruise line. This ship has almost double capacity of the HAL ships so will be interested to see how crowded it feels.

On our NA cruise last December they had football games on in the casino bar. That's the only place I saw sports on TV

We booked the weeklong thermal suite pkg on the Eurodam last month. In our view it wasn't worth the price. Eurodam only had 5-6 of the loungers and they were almost always full.

The hydro pool was only luke warm and the steam rooms were not very hot either.

The hot tubs at the aft pool were much better and were always empty. It's obviously a little chilly getting in and out of them (It's Alaska) but we spent a couple of hours in them during the cruise through Glacier Bay Natl Park.