jhannah

The seafood boil sounds great to me! I recently attended one on Princess, and it was amazing!

As it should be. May you know peace.

@atexsix, How special you could hold his hand while he passed. May you enjoy peace! I hope you will enjoy this lovely song.

I'm between a rock and a hard place. I bought my stock when things were booming and the stock price was rising. That didn't last long! I'd now like to also downsize my holdings, but I'm hoping some day the price will climb back up a bit so I'll not lose as much.

Great news! Thanks for the post.

I recommend going with an independent travel agent. You'll get a better deal, with a lower price and/or some onboard credit. Try to find a TA who specializes in Holland America cruises. I believe you'll be glad you did.

I certainly hope that's not their new standard. I'm not buying the HIA, so I will look forward to the regular portions in the Pinnacle Grille.

We have been on 18 HAL cruises, and find the food and service to be excellent. Entertainment has dwindled in the past year or so. Enrichment can be hit or miss, but they do have some presentations. The top draw for us is their crew. They work hard to make your cruise experience as good as possible.

I guess that's progress ... always causing some service interruption.

Very unfortunate. I can imagine this is hard on the other crew members, especially those who work in the engineering department.

In the past we've always docked just below Akershus Fortress. It's interesting to go through, and it's just up the hill from where you disembark.

Bummer! I'd hoped the updates/dry docks would have seen it added. Thanks for the info.

I have searched but cannot find the answer. Your help would be appreciated. We really enjoyed the Club Orange dining on Koningsdam and hopw to have it on Noordam.

Wasn't it Glen Campbell who sang "Galveston?" It is really a neat place.

Yes, @Radio. Thank you so much for this most educational and entertaining thread.

Thank you so much, @Radio, for this thread. We'll board in Galveston in February and your info will continue to be very helpful.

I also use the plastic tag holders. They're just great! I also print a "follow me" bag tag when I fly, so if something happens to the luggage after we've dropped it off with the airline there is the information needed to have it delivered to me.

The U.S. Congress temporarily suspended the Passenger Vessel Services Act during the pandemic when Canada refused to open its borders. I believe it's way past time to eliminate this Act entirely. The "foreign port" business is a waste.

I concur with the onboard credit suggestion. That will cover specialty dining, souvenirs, pictures, whatever they want. Y'all are great to do this for your parents.

The Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour out of Ketchikan is unique and lots of fun. It's on the Aleutian Ballad, a fishing vessel that was featured on "Deadliest Catch." The boat has been modified with good seating and heaters (if needed.) Yes, it's pricey, but it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience IMO.

Thank you so very much for this very helpful review.

That's a bummer! Did you book directly with Princess? If so, their customer service is lacking. OTOH, if you used a travel agent/website you need to contact them, as it's their job to work things out with Princess. Good luck!

Gadzooks! How awful. That's a mighty big wrench to toss into the mix.Yes, @Cruise Raider it will be interesting to see how the cruise and airline companies cope. There doesn't appear to be any cruise ships in port today (Thursday.)

In looking at the Ruby Princess cruises for September and October, the only ones that show up are 9/4-9/14 Alaska out of San Francisio and a Panama Canal cruise on 10/22 out of San Francisco. Might this mean she will be in a drydock or refurbishment between those times?

We like to go to our stateroom and unpack our carry-ons. Then it's off to grab a bite. After that, it's back to the cabin to avoid the boarding day hall traffic and watch the goings-on down on the pier (if we're on that side.) If we go out again before sailaway, we stroll around the ship and try to get a lay of the land. Most of all, we're just grateful to be on a ship and able to take advantage of its many ways to relax!