rkacruiser

Was Sambal mixed in with your food or did you add it? There are different levels of "heat" for Sambal. Thanks for your very good report and pictures. I enjoy seeing that the Library area looks the same as when I last saw it in 2020. I wonder if any of the books that I left are still sailing. The views downriver from Montreal are interesting as your pictures show.

That has been my experience as well. The Pinnacle and Sel de Mer menus also seem set. A pop-up Sel de Mer night in the Pinnacle might offer something different. And, it may be not as varied as a Sel de Mer menu on one of the Pinnacle Class vessels.

😀 My traveling companion and I enjoyed one of her SS staterooms on a Holiday Cruise, 16-19 days, don't recall the length for certain. That was exactly our experience. Neither of us used the sofa. There were sufficient comfortable chairs in which to sit. Trying to use the sofa would have required moving the multitude of small decorative pillows. That was my hangout on the Prinsendam as well. If I was not in a deck chair on the deck aft of the MDR or on the open deck on the same deck as the Main Lounge, I'd be in the Crow's Nest. Nadine preferred our veranda. We enjoyed some pleasant breakfasts there.

Or, what's leaking? In Post #15, you said "Found the YC enclave more like a refuge...." without the need to go beyond the castle unless I chose to do so. That was the feeling that I had. I did choose to lower the "drawbridge and cross the moat" to join the common folk on frequent occasions and I was always glad that I did. The plentiful entertainment options, the freshly made pizza, and bartenders who made a better Bloody Mary and were more personable than the YC bartenders were the reasons. But, then, trying to lower the drawbridge to re-enter the castle, sometimes my "magic watch" was not always willing to cooperate with the request on my first, second, etc. request. HAL, Princess, and Carnival are the lines. By whom? It's the Filipino crew members who are most likely to address me that way. I had a Thai Cabin Stewardess on Coral Princess in 2019 who also addressed me that way sometimes. This post refers to the one below. (CC is acting weird and I can't get it below the quote.) Maybe my experience was just my cruise? The Butlers working? (I did experience a Butler whom the Concierge instructed her to escort me to the Cirque du Soleil theater and seat me. She resisted; she was told to do her job. Which she did. I witnessed this interaction between the two of them, so it is not my imagination.)

Having booked a few HAL Signature Suites and one Neptune Suite, I prefer the Signature Suite for the length of most HAL cruises. For the Neptune Suite, the amount of storage space available would be most appropriate for a long cruise. My opinion of Club Orange: much ado about little except it's a revenue generator for HAL. A member of one of my cruises Roll Calls had booked a Pinnacle Suite and joined our Cabin Crawl. Visited it; lovely; but, does one really need such accommodations for a short cruise?

Will the OP have Butler service for his stateroom?

No accountant by any stretch of the imagination, but, your reasoning makes sense to me. Maybe a new accounting line item for the bonus FCC?

Certainly agree that the ship is the common denominator for the start of those friendships. As the friendships become less superficial, other interests and shared concerns begin to appear and may help to deepen those ties. Discussing religion and politics is a "no no" on a ship as you know. But, I have found that those guests who are not Americans sometimes have as much interest in our politics and issues as I have in theirs. This is particularly true with some Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders. Food, wine, places were we have both been, and cruises on the same ships or cruise lines have been topics that helped me to create some of the friendships that I have.

But, didn't feel the same due to the difference in the heat and humidity.

I have read that and found what I read interesting.

I support the thoughts of others on your questions. Not much can be done about pitching and the stabilizers certainly assist with rolling. Others have suggested possible seasickness preventers. I have used none of these. I have my own experiences and opinions that I will contribute. #1: Keep a full stomach. Why is it, other than it's lunch time when most guests embark, plentiful food is available up to Muster Drill and again soon after? #2: Too much alcohol + ocean in motion = possible mal de mer #3: It's psychological on the part of the guest. I become very suspicious if this is not the cause when I have observed a few become nauseous while the ship is dropping lines or moving away from the pier. #4: For whatever reason, some people are prone to mal de mer for no obvious reason. The anti-seasickness remedies may assist them. Ginger is helpful for some. My traveling companion fits my 4th point. In the stretch of water between Norway and Iceland, the ship did experience high winds and rough seas (no memory of wave heights, but they did exceed 3 meters at times). Usually a good sailor, Nadine was "under the weather" for about a half-day. I got Green Apples and saltines from the Front Desk for her; that helped. Chicken Noodle Soup from Room Service was also helped. She sucked on some solid Ginger at times and that may also have helped. And, she used the "patch behind the ear" which caused her to nap a good bit of the time she was feeling unwell.

I agree with others that have posted concerning the importance of the Executive Chef and the others of the Galley staff. I think at times the quality of food that comes from the "same supplier" may vary. Particularly in these times of supply chain issues. There have been instances when the Executive Chef upon inspecting the supplies before boarding them have rejected a certain item and the supplier either had to replace the item or, if not possible, that item may not be available for that sailing.

I enjoy chopped liver, but, I'd prefer something other than saltines. Melba toast or small pieces of Brioche is what I would try to use.

An interesting post and the above quote does reflect some experiences that I have had in a spa with the very slow running of water in the relaxation/thermal suite area. The sound, and if coupled with appropriate background music, is very soothing and relaxing, indeed. (Time for a nap.) Just being a YC guest did not provide that same kind of feeling. I did not experience this. I never saw anyone else who did as well. I have been addressed as Sir rkacruiser on many cruises on many different cruise lines. This is not a YC exclusive. It may be medically unwise for my "ion state" to be messed with too much. Unintentional consequences possible with my medicines? 😀

The differences between the Princess Royal Class ships and HAL's Vista Class and newer may be important to some. Being in the bowels of the ship on Princess and being on an upper deck makes a difference in ambiance, in my opinion. When I was on Royal Princess, there were some different amenities that HAL does not have, i.e. water beds, more showers at different temperatures. The same type of spa facilities on MSC Meraviglia had even more variety. But, it's enclosed with no natural light.

I think you will be disappointed in this amenity in comparison to what you have had on NCL. I would not pre-book. See for yourself once you are onboard. I love the Thermal Suite and Hydrothermal Pool on the Vista, Signature, and Pinnacle Class ships. This amenity on the Volendam and Zaandam is a waste of money. I have experienced it. The "pool" is nothing more than a hot tub that is "free" outside the Greenhouse Spa.

Nieuw Statendam cannot sail to Montreal because of the bridges upriver from Quebec. She doesn't fit under them. Not visiting Montreal is a negative on those itineraries that end/start in Quebec, in my opinion. Sea conditions? My crystal ball has been in the shop since March, 2020. (Parts can't be obtained; supply chain issues, you know. 😀) There is no way of predicting what the seas will be like. You pay your money and you accept what King Neptune and the weather gods give you. Fog likely? Yes, I would expect that. I enjoy hearing the sound of the fog horn while sitting in a deck chair wrapped in a blanket with fog around my ship.

Other than the difference in the the dining options, either ship would be a good choice.

I boarded the Amsterdam for the last segment of a world cruise in Civitavecchia. I had a HAL transfer from my hotel in Rome to the ship. There were only a few of us boarding. No check-in until we got on the ship and were directed to the Front Office for the check-in routines. A few crew members lined the gangway to welcome us aboard. It was a different and very pleasant experience. But, that was then. Now....?

I have not thought of Chicken Livers as being a particular Southern food. I like Chicken Livers, too. Don't prepare them for myself, but, sometimes my Kroger will have some already prepared in their deli-Chicken department. Fried Liver Mush? Never heard of that. Is this Mush with bits of Chicken Livers mixed into the batter? Mum2Mercury, I notice you are a new CC member. Welcome to our Community. 60 posts already! You are off to a good start!

I want to divide my answer to the question into two parts: pre-retirement and post-retirement. Pre-retirement, there usually was much exchanging of addresses and phone numbers among some of the guests whom I met. Particularly, tablemates if it was an above average table. Most of the time, maybe with an exchange of Christmas greetings for a year or two after a cruise, that was the end of the relationship. (I'd call it more of an acquaintance than a friendship.) Three times, however, a friendship did develop. 1984, a couple from San Jose who were tablemates with my Mother and me on the Nordic Prince became friends during the cruise. I do not recall the reason why we seemed to "bond", but it happened. The four of us were on a couple shore excursions together plus having dinner each evening for 7 nights. Afterwards, there were several letters exchanged between my Mother and the other couple along with holiday greetings. The woman's husband passed away and the contacts continued. When my Mother was no longer able to continue the communication, I picked it up and it continued until the woman passed away a very few years ago. Royal Viking Sky, 1980, a trans-Atlantic crossing as part of a North Cape Cruise. My traveling companion and I was seated with an older couple: the woman was a retired UNC professor and very much the Southern lady with her German husband. Quite a contrast between them and us. They were well traveled; we were neophytes in comparison. But, our love for travel and our educational backgrounds provided for a friendship that continued after the cruise for many years with, at least, yearly contact until both of them passed. I have pleasant memories of them. Veendam, 1998, a 4th of July cruise, I was seated at a table for six, two of which were two sisters close to my age. From the first night, we were comfortable with each other and the others at the table offered some support for them because most of their luggage was not delivered to their cabin. For 4 nights, they apologetically came to dinner dressed as they had been on embarkation night. On the 5th night, they arrived newly attired. Their luggage had been found. It had been delivered to another stateroom. It took that long for the occupants of that cabin to figure out that the luggage was not theirs. (Glad I never met those bozos.) After the cruise, I kept in touch with both of them during the holidays. After a few years, one of the sisters stopped responding, but, with the other woman, we remain in yearly contact. Post-retirement: These have been the years when many more people with whom I have cruised became much more than just an acquaintance. It began in 2002 with the Volendam's Asian Pacific Cruise. There were several with whom I kept in touch with after that cruise, but there are 11 of those with whom I remain in frequent touch, 9 of whom I have sailed with at least once more, and 4 of whom I have visited them at their home more than once. Each long cruise afterwards, I have added to my cruise friendships. While some of these were fleeting friendships after the cruise, looking at my Address Book, I have become aware that there are close to 30, at least, with whom I keep in touch. Some of these people, I have sailed with again. There have been some with whom I kept in contact who have passed, some who after many years have trimmed their contact list I think, a small number who have disappeared. (They intrigue me because their e-mail addresses appear to be active, but, no response after repeated attempts.) These are people whom I truly value because of their impact on my cruises and on me. These are people who have made my cruises special. I appreciate them so very much!

My guess is the Egan Center in downtown Anchorage. It is the site where Holland America has used for years. I would expect all of the CCL branded companies would use the same site. I suggest you post your question on the Princess Message Board. You ought to be able to get a more definite answer than I can provide.

Juneau, there is flightseeing excursion that takes guests to Taku Lodge for a delicious grilled salmon dinner. The flights to and from the Lodge allow one to see 5 different glaciers. It's an excellent excursion. In Juneau, my favorite is the Alaska Fish & Chips Company located in the green building at the head of the cruise ship docks. There outside and inside seating that provides a great view of the harbor and the float plane activity. Their Halibut & Chips are the best I have eaten.

Maybe once upon a time, but, the quality and preparation I think will now differ depending upon the restaurant. That's been my recent experiences. Neither do I. Those were pre-Cruise Critic days for the most part. Indeed! There is a historic standard to be met.

How many newly minted Ph.Ds will be created in the next decade or more by researching all of the multitude of issues that have been created since the arrival of Covid-19? Oh, the opportunities the members of the Class of 2022 have!