tkwbear

Thanks for the fleet report. Why is Zaandam heading to Funchal?

I've been thinking of booking a cruise on that ship. Is the Tamarind open? Depending on which ad I see for HAL, it IS or it isn't.

I'll be sailing out of Copenhagen next week. Has anyone recently sailed from Europe using the emed test? They have worked fine in the US and Canada.

On my 2 cruises I got a cap and the foldable backpack. As a Diamond member I got several bottles of prosecco and some macaroons. Have these been discontinued? I'll be sailing the Poesia next month.

That's good to know. I was on the Enchanted in April and was very disappointed in the steakhouse. The filet was more like roast beef. Others had similar complaints. Also disappointing on the Enchanted was the internet; it was so bad they refunded everyone's money. How do you find it on the Island? Also, while in port, are you having any issues with your cell phone working (including data)? My carrier gave me roaming rates for every country in the Baltic, but then my phone did not work in any of those countries! So I will be switching carriers before my cruise on the Island. May I ask what carrier you use for your cell phones?

You traded up! I love Haines, while I can't stand either Skagway or ISP. When there were ships stopping regularly in Haines, you could take some great tours. One goes into Canada which has a great up-close view of the mountains. A couple of others take you to a lake where grizzlies are munching on salmon in several different spots. You can take a canoe trip on the lake or just chill. Steve Kroshel has an animal farm there that's great, I've done that 3 times. He's an amazing host. He and his partner Mario are former National Geographic photographers. Diamonds International? No. https://www.kroschelfilms.com/ You may be able to dock there, their dock was expanded to be able to handle a HAL Vista-class ship, then HAL pulled out.

Thanks. I was really surprised I could only find sushi as the alternate dining. I will get my Diamond dinner plus the 2 nights I bought for $29. I enjoyed the sushi on the Meraviglia. They did have the fixed menu but it was fine. I have a premium balcony.

Have any of you personally sailed the Poesia? I booked a very nice itinerary out of Copenhagen because I love the ports. It was somewhat higher than expected for a balcony, but still reasonable. During booking I was offered a 2 specialty restaurant package for $29. A great deal until I discovered there is no steakhouse. Are there any other specialty restaurants on board besides sushi? Beyond the specialty restaurant issue, what did you think of the ship overall? I've only been on the Meraviglia, and I know the Poesia is much older and will be totally different. It's my first MSC European sailing so I expect the announcements will be long and in multiple languages. I enjoyed the older Holland America ships, so I am hoping this experience will be similar.

A few years ago I considered sailing the Island Princess in Alaska, but people on this board told me it was a below average ship. I took their word for it and booked something else. However, there is a European itinerary that really sounds nice. I would appreciate hearing your opinions of this ship, if you have sailed it in the last year. Good and bad comments are both appreciated.