Bostonjetset

I’d love a round trip Greenland cruise from Boston that isn’t over two weeks. Maybe a round trip to the Azores from Boston or NYC as well. They have circle Hawaii cruises so why not circle Azores cruises? Also, if the Zaandam or Volendam can fit, I’d love a return of the Bermuda cruises that dock in Hamilton.

That seems to be just the White Pass Summit trip for that price. Not the trip to Carcross YT which is what we want.

If I remember correctly we arranged with the taxi to come back and pick us up at the Fortress of the Bear after a set time (an hour or two I can’t remember) and bring us to the Raptor Center. Repeated same to go back to the ship. Sort of like hiring a car but without holding him for the day so he could take other fares in between.

Great to know. Thanks! I’m leaning towards the water excursion. Part of my apprehension was that it’s less expensive so was wondering why it costs less if it’s better haha.

I’m trying to decide between these for April. HAL offers both. The Loch Ness cruise is about $50 cheaper and is the only one that is actually on the water. Would you recommend one over the other or are both good options? Is going in the castle worth missing a chance to experience the Loch from the water?

We did not book in advance. I don’t remember having a problem finding one at the port. Of course that was 6.5 years ago but I can’t imagine it being too much of an issue.

Holland America Line is a leader in Alaska (along with Princess) so they would be my first choice. Also, Koningsdam goes to Glacier Bay which is a must IMO especially for a first trip. Norwegian goes there on some itineraries but Celebrity and Royal do not. That said, Bliss and Quantum will have the most “bells and whistles” such as rock climbing walls, bumper cars, and pool slides if such things matter to you.

It’s made worse by the fact that both ports are not really close to the sights so excursions are pretty important. We often DIY cruise ports but these ports seem like that’a not an easy task. Especially as I want to go to Loch Ness; who knows when I’ll be back in Scotland. I just hope this isn’t an omen that things are going to change with the itinerary. I DID check the port schedules for both ports and Rotterdam is listed so at least that’s a good sign.

I’m on this sailing as well and admit I’m just as frustrated about this. I’ve called the excursion department and my personal cruise consultant. Neither can give me any insight as to what is happening.

Hopefully sends her to dry dock for a “reimagining” of her tired decor. True. However “technically” Signatures and Neptunes aren't truly suites either as they only consist of one room. A real “suite” has multiple rooms. In that sense, a Vista is just as much a suite. I stayed in a Vista on Rotterdam and it’s definitely bigger than a verandah cabin even if only marginally.

Both Princess and HAL are considered leaders in Alaska cruising so you can’t really go wrong with either. Royal Princess is considerably larger than Eurodam and as such I would give the edge to Eurodam. Smaller ships are a plus in Alaska. Also, HAL ships have a full promenade deck so more sheltered outdoor space. Royal Princess lacks this. Demographics onboard should be similar. Food is similar between the two lines. Princess has a slight edge in evening entertainment but that’s not usually a priority on an Alaska cruise.

I’m not strictly loyal to any line but HAL has been a favorite recently as I find value on them. Only one sailing since covid (Rotterdam) and we loved it. Three of the four upcoming cruises I have on the books are with HAL. We have a short NCL cruise this October because I had to use up a credit. BTW, if one really wants to talk about cutbacks, look at the NCL board. Or any non luxury line’s board for that matter. We sail mostly for itinerary, time frame, and price. We don’t sail in suites (except for our one stint in a Vista suite on Rotterdam that we enjoyed but it’s not a priority for us) so comparing HAL’s lack of competitiveness in that category doesn’t matter to me. I could care less that Celebrity offers better suite perks or that people love The Haven on NCL. In lower category staterooms HAL remains competitive and even excels IMO. An inside stateroom on HAL provides a better cruise experience for me than an inside on NCL (by far). No one (including myself) likes excessive cutbacks but that’s across the industry right now. Saying HAL cruisers should look at Azamara or Viking, as some have mentioned on here, is not realistic as they are in a different league with much higher prices at the entry level staterooms.

Bumping this as we are interested as well. More so for autumn (Sept/Oct) of 2024 but I assume they should be released at the same time. Anyone know what time those cruises normally get announced?

Stuff like this sucks. However, if the plane was changed to one with no PE then it wouldn’t matter if you paid in full early so don’t get hung up on that piece. You’d still be in a normal seat. This is more an airline issue it seems rather than a flight ease issue.

Both options are offered on my cruise (HAL, not NCL) and also am torn between the two. Any recommendations as to which is better will be greatly appreciated. The cost is similar between them. Some reviews I’ve read prefer Totem Bight as it’s a state park and less of tourist “show” as opposed to Saxman but others loved Saxman.

Food is so subjective but I’ve always found something I’ve enjoyed on every HAL ship I’ve sailed. It’s not haute cuisine but it’s hardly boarding house slop either haha. I wouldn’t compare to any line 11 years ago though. A lot has changed in that timeframe and most lines have cut back on some stuff since 2012. Also, iceberg lettuce is indeed a vegetable that is green. I’m a little biased but I enjoy it and get annoyed when I CAN’T find it places for a salad. I don’t want weeds like dandelion greens. Iceberg works perfectly for me lol.

Amen. I just turned 40 last month and I’ve loved HAL since my first cruise with them aged 32. Of course I enjoy Cunard as well where I was the youngest on board by decades lol.

Any recent info on the glacier shuttle pricing from the port? We may book the salmon bake with our cruise line but their combo excursion has the bake in the evening as we are in Juneau until 10pm. I’d rather do the bake for lunch at 1.30 (which we can do through the cruise line as a stand-alone) and then go to Mendenhall after which is only an option if we do the glacier on our own.

Holland America Line has numerous round trip sailings from Vancouver.

Welcome to HAL!! As was stated, the biggest difference is the ship decor. I see you are sailing on Rotterdam which is a beautiful ship and feels contemporary whilst still classic. Feels lighter and brighter inside than older ships. I’ve never had a bad cruise but Carnival ships I’ve sailed on felt like living inside a pinball machine. Still had a good time but the decor was too loud for my tastes. Their newest ships seem nicer and toned down but I’ve not experience them. The crew on HAL has always been wonderful I’m my experience. There are more things still included on HAL in non-suite staterooms that have been moved to an up charge (room service) or eliminated (twice daily housekeeping) on CCL and NCL

Thanks for the reply! My mom has basically decided for us that it’ll be the train this time. Apparently numerous colleagues of hers have done it and all recommended. It’s not cheap but it’s cheaper than renting a car and like you said I don’t want to be the driver who misses everything haha.

HMC is beautiful but as you noticed there is very little shade. I too am averse to roasting in the sun so rented a clam shell. Last Jan when I was there they cost $39.99. Not sure if that increased or not. Other than lack of shade, it truly is a wonderful port stop. One of the nicer private Bahamian islands I’ve been to for sure.

Booked a Cali Coastal for 2024 for the $1 deposit. Not much to lose. Usually forego the HIA as I’m not a big drinker but in this case it was only $300pp more so seemed worth it with the $100pp shorex credit, free specialty dinner, WiFi, and $150pp OBC. Having the drink package on top of that was basically free.

In Sitka, we went to Fortress of the Bear and the Raptor Center on our own via taxi. Both were great. There are also some things to see in the downtown area (St Michael’s for example) that are easy to DIY.

Canaletto shows on my HAL account as being available to purchase on my April and August cruises at $22.40 whilst Tamarind is $34.20 so I assume the 18% is already included. That would make Canaletto $19 before the gratuities.