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Be sea-ing you!
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How is Eurdam
The decor did look a wee bit OTT. Not so much Versailles, but a public loo designed by someone on magic mushrooms.
My sister had a wonderful vegan experience food wise on the Regent.
So glad to hear they’ve expanded the vegan options on board - thanks for letting us know!
I’m soon going on a Regent cruise. My sister loved them.
Fantastic! What ship? Which itinerary?
We've done ten HAL cruises with a 24-day cruise later this summer on the Volendam. We keep coming back, so they must be doing a lot of things right. We have been with several other lines, but feel they are the best fit for us. I like the personalized attention and the quieter environment.
As of now, which ship is your favorite? The more we sail on HAL, the higher it ranks on our list. We’re just hoping they don’t make too many changes that affect their all-around vibe.
@@callingallports I can't say I have ONE favorite ship. My last trip was on the Zaandam, and the next on the Volendam. These are the two smallest ships in the HAL fleet. - I enjoy the enrichment lectures and a quieter atmosphere. On the Koningsdam their "Music walk" was our go to place at night.
We sailed on the Koningsdam last fall, our first HAL cruise. We loved it! The food was top-notch, and we like how they serve you at the buffet. We're vegan, and we always had plenty of options. Chef Eric even promised to make us a vegan cheesecake. We thought it was a nice gesture, but we didn't expect him to personally walk right up and deliver it to our table in the Club Orange dining room! The service was excellent and the crew seemed genuinely happy. A few weeks ago, we sailed on the brand new Sun Princess in the Mediterranean. It was a bit too big for our taste. The food was repetitive but tasty. Good, but not great. Also, the crew seemed stressed and overwhelmed. We're going to try the Majestic Princess for a 5 day Los Angeles to Cabo cruise to burn a Casino comp, and then 10 days later we're sailing on the Niew Statendam, for a 2 week cruise of the Adriatic, Greece and Italy, Athens to Rome. We can't wait!
We have always been impressed with HAL’s vegetarian options, great to know they cater to vegans as well! And we also like the size of HAL’s ships, but have been tempted to try Sun Princess - but based on your comments, it definitely won’t be a priority cruise. With HAL’s excellent service, we’re looking forward to getting on Eurodam in August. We hope you enjoy your next cruises, both great itineraries. Thanks for watching and commenting!
great video! Do you know if there is enough space under the beds to store a "trunk style" luggage? Specifically Rimowa's trunk luggage which is about 15" deep?
Thanks so much! To answer your question, my sister had a similar style/size bag and hers fit just fine.
@@callingallports thank you!
Sailed on the Westerdam last year to Alaska. Did I like it> Well, I'm sailing the same ship back to Alaska again next month for my 75th birthday,😊
Happy early birthday! Enjoy your Alaska cruise next month!
We love HAL and love your reviews. Hope BB Kings stays . We will be on the Statendam in November so we will let you know about the BBs.
We love this comment, thank you! We’re on Eurodam next month and are sad that BBs has changed over to Rolling Stone. But we’ll take HAL entertainment over so many other lines’ offerings!
Very good video; thank you for the detail when filming (ie, not rushing the video - makes it easier to wind back and look). Can you please comment on the space under the bed for storing luggage (or did you store your luggage elsewhere)? Thank you.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment! As for the underbed storage, Andrew had a large duffel-roller so he was fine. I had a larger case that had to go in the closet. If I had packed more lightly, I would’ve been fine.
@@callingallports Thank you. I am sharing your video as we're traveling in Sept on Viking and your video answers so many questions.
@@JohnSmikahl thank you so much, we really appreciate it. We’re a bit delayed, but we will have a few more Viking videos coming out - so please subscribe if you haven’t already. Thanks so much for watching!
When are going to restart your travel videos with your narration/comments? I find your comments very informative.
I assure you they are coming! We were hoping to get one together during our transatlantic crossing, but Cunard wonderfully had our days packed with activities. As soon as we’re back home, we will get to work!
What dates are you doing the New England cruise? I’m going in sept on the 16th
We just got off Volendam only a few weeks ago. Should be a lovely sailing in September.
Great video.
Thanks!
I was on the Eurodam 27th Dec 2023 to 13th Jan 2024 and it changed half way through from BB King to Rolling Stone and the new band were horrible apparently they had only met when getting onboard the ship, I am going on a Japan cruise in October on Noordam, so am hoping the band is better, but there was no Lincoln Center at all on that cruise, I think there was some classical music in the main theatre but am unsure as not my jam.
Changed the venue mid-cruise?! Although we enjoy a good Rolling Stone band, BBs is top notch and would not sit well with us if they switched it out in the middle of our voyage. Hopefully the band will be better when we’re on Eurodam in August. Think Lincoln Center is long gone though, which is a shame. We’re not huge classical fans, but a lot of people enjoyed it. Sad to see the Music Walk venues disappearing.
@@callingallports we did 2 cruises back to back, which is another reason I like sailing with HAL, as they don’t just go to the same ports each cruise so you can do 2 back to back, my Japan cruise is 2 cruises and even though is not until October is already sold out
Enjoy your cruise. I will be on her oct 25 but reviews have not been good lately. Hopefully they improve food
The food has been up and down quality and taste-wise, but the buffet has been surprisingly good. And the Golden Lion at lunch has very tasty offerings. Everything else has been fantastic though.
Nicely done. I truly enjoyed the calm and thorough manner in which you guided us through. There are many who could take instruction from you. Thank you.
Thank you so much, we really appreciate your kind words.
Nov 2022 booked a 2024 Mediterranean cruise. Strictly speaking about "Cabin living" we enjoyed Celebrities Silhouette in '14 and Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas in '22. Both were Veranda rooms. Due to Oct 7th the ENTIRE itinerary carefully selected in 2022 was changed…not just the Israel component! After comparing your video with "Trips for Travellers" another channel i trust, i am so THANKFUL we cancelled that trip. I heard somewhere this class of ships is really Oceania's first time creating ships as the others in fleet were inherited by a cruise line that went out of business??? Bathroom is fine, BUT did we give up precious space for this bathroom? Why make the beds so close to the floor as to NOT allow large bags to fit underneath? Why not place cabinets above the bed like numerous other cruise lines? Why make a small vanity/desk area ONLY to place a small table in the center of the room impeding walking space onto the balcony? Why is the sofa so small? Why is the phone not on one of the tables next to the beds? Why is the balcony so small, IF the cabin size is what they say it is? Throw in the poor sound proofing, and i'm left wondering about this cruise line…is something more sinister at play? By the way, if we did not like the MAJOR itinerary change we could loose our VERY early booking savings and excursion purchases made back in 2022 and switch to another cruise!
Going on our first cruise- Regatta in July- can’t wait- thanks for the tips🚢
Have a fantastic time!! We’re on Regatta on May - can’t wait to sail on a new for us ship.
Love Love that non suite bathroom 🤗
The bathroom is pretty stellar.
i will be doing koningsdam in sept of next year and i cant wait
Hope your cruise is a great one! We ❤️ Koningsdam!
Thanks for the video! It’s awesome 🎉 how long is the duration? May I know when u go for this tour? I will go in sept , don’t know if I can see this beautiful scene.
Thank you so much! We were on the train for a few hours, had time to wander around the town before heading back to our ship. We were on in mid-May. Hopefully you’ll have an even more beautiful journey in September!
Have tried Morimoto in Tokyo, Disney and Napa. I have lived close to these areas so it was easy to book and visit.
How was Morimoto in Tokyo? Worth a visit?
First cruise on this line 35th anniversary ….Mediterranean… wish we would’ve found your site sooner thank you valuable information🎉
So glad we could help! Thanks for watching and thanks for commenting. Hope you have a wonderful cruise (Happy Anniversary!)! (We'll have some more Oceania videos coming out this summer, too. 😉)
Food looked scrumptious and you certainly looked like you enjoyed it. Great to see your Calling All Ports videos are back!!!
It was a great meal, wish all HAL ships had a permanent Morimoto restaurant. You may see some more travel immersion videos on our channel in the upcoming weeks, but we're working on a Oceania Sirena video as I write!
Excellent. Looking forward to seeing your video!
Concordo com tudo que disseram. A minha companhia favorita.
Thank you so much for watching our video and your comment - we appreciate it!
Really interesting review - placing the restaurant/pop up in the larger context of HAL's sustainability goals. How did the execution of the dishes at sea compare to on land?
Thanks for watching Lesley! The execution of dishes at Morimoto at Sea was, overall, better than what we had at his more casual eatery in Boston, but did not quite match the fine dining experience in Philadelphia. But we were still very impressed! Very promising addition to the speciality dining landscape.
Thank you for this. We will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam in the Fall and will look forward to going to this restaurant.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting. We're very curious about the permanent restaurant on Nieuw Amsterdam. Hope you enjoy it!
HAL is my favorite line. Music walk is the main reason I sail HAL.
Love, love, love the music walk. We are hoping they don’t make any more changes that take away from the offerings- losing BBs on Nieuw Amsterdam was too much!
So glad you mentioned Gluten Free, just off the Celebrity. As a vegetarian Coeliac, i found the dining to be extremely difficult. Azamara have been excellent, so hopeful that my upcoming Vista cruise will be a better experience.
Thanks for your comment! We have vegan, gluten free family members, so we try to watch out for dietary accommodations. Aquamar Kitchen will likely be your favorite spot for breakfast and lunch! Have a fantastic cruise on Vista!
Holland is awful. Choose someone else. Food awful. Entertainment awful. Service bad.
Have you been to the Panama canal with Holland?
We've been to the Panama Canal, but not with Holland America. We have talked about going back and sailing with HAL as they allow people on the bow. Thanks for your comment!
Is there an app? How is the customer service?
There is an app (Navigator) that we quite enjoy. And our customer service experiences have been lovely.
What happend to the oceania videos?
Brief pivot (life events) - but they’ll be back soon!
Excellent!
Thank you!
I do enjoy Holland America as well. Another aspect that I really love is the Afternoon tea. HAL serves the delicacies in a beautiful tiered display which was totally missing from the Majestic Princess’ afternoon tea. I love the barista made specialty coffees in the explorations cafe as you mention in your video. As well as the evening movies by the pool. HAL is my favorite cruise line as compared to Royal Carribean; carnival; Princess and NCL which I have also sailed. Thank you for your channel!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment and the insight you provided. Although our Volendam afternoon tea left us wanting more, we're looking forward to experiencing it on Eurodam in August. And your comment makes us want to watch an evening movie in Alaska, too! Thanks for all that great info!
Great video! Love the tracking shots and the photo of the disused bridge. Looks like you had the perfect weather too - when did you go? And how comfortable or not is the ride?😊
Thanks, Lesley! The weather was absolutely perfect when we were there last May, mid-70s Fahrenheit. And the ride was comfortable- although we spent most of our time outside taking in all the views!
Yes, it looks better equipped with viewing platforms than the Indian Pacific, for instance
great review: they say that Tipping is included!!!!! is that really the case or do you feel a sense of obligation to be giving tips?
Usually, we do not tip extra. But when we were on our Panama Canal cruise we tipped our waiter, because he had to deal with all 10 of us. If were just the two of us traveling, we probably would not have extra-tipped. Thanks for watching and commenting, we really appreciate it!
Enjoyed your video, thank you! We are considering taking a cruise on Sirena next year. We may select a cabin that is right above Baristas. Just wondering if you think that we will hear the noise from Baristas just below us. Did you hear any noise coming from below your cabin? Are the cabins well soundproofed. Unfortunately, I am a very light sleeper. Any information would be appreciated.
Thank you so much for watching and your comment! We don't think you'll have any issue with Baristas being below your likely cabin, the hours are relatively limited. As for the cabin itself - I (Diana) am a heavy sleeper, Andrew a very light sleeper - the two of us slept extremely well the entire cruise. We hope you enjoy Sirena!
Thank you for your prompt response. Happy travels!
Some of those services people, especially the hosts in the restaurants, are surprisingly ignorant. That's a deal breaker.
We hope our experiences were isolated to our cruise and the size of our party. But yes, service can make or break any cruise!
We were recently on this ship and loved it. We fall into the 'make your own fun' category and look for elegance, good food, great service and quiet spaces to relax and enjoy. Big production entertainment isn't a high priority and we tend to enjoy the atrium and lounge shows that feature a soloist or instrumental performer. I completely agree that music should exit the 50's and focus more on 70's and beyond. Regent's demographic is older, but not ancient! We are going on Silver Sea in July and can't wait to compare. Thanks for this review.
I wish a number of cruise lines would rethink music selections - so many have antiquated notions of what older cruisers would like. We've been on a nice variety of cruise lines, but no matter the ship, the crowd gets excited when 70s and 80s music is played. Would love to know your thoughts of Silversea - it's on our cruise wish list! Thanks for watching and commenting!
So far in our cruise "life" we choose by itinerary & really found HAL to be great in Alaska, so we will be going on our third HAL cruise to AK in July.
Agreed! We’re talking our third Alaska cruise this August, our second with HAL. We love how they do Alaska cruising - they’re the best there.
Thanks for the video. We're going Skagway next year. This was a nice preview. 😀🛳
Thanks so much! It truly is a wonderful ride.
Enjoyed the train ride when we were on a Princess Alaska cruise out of Vancouver a couple of years ago. Missing your videos with your commentaries.
Don’t worry, we have more narrated videos coming out this summer! We had some extra footage of the train ride and wanted to play around with a new narrative/production style. Thanks for watching!
Great!!
I just loved it-so glad I rode it. Nice filming!
Thanks, Cheri! It is such a great excursion, hope to do it again one day.
Love this!! Thanks for sharing. I am really enjoying y’all’s videos 😊
Thanks so much, we really appreciate it!
Kind of amazing they didn’t test the soundproofing much earlier in the design process.
Will be interesting to see if they try to remedy the issues with Allura.
HAL is my only line now. Love the Neptune suite!
We almost upgraded to a Neptune for our last cruise. Why do you love it?
@@callingallports the room is huge. Veranda has two lounge chairs and a table with 4 chairs so can eat outside. Have a lounge just for Neptune folks with a concierge, snacks, coffee, juices. Can eat in one of the paid restaurants( forgot the name) for breakfast every morning free. Free laundry.
Good to “see” you on Gary’s live
Lots of outdated information. Lincoln Center Stage was discontinued on ALL Holland ships last year. BB King's was removed from all ships except the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam. World Stage entertainment is VERY slowly changing, but on 3 of my last 4 HAL cruises in 2024, the entertainment was pretty much the exact same shows. We loved HAL too, but paying passengers expect more than just repeat mainstage shows, bad Billboard Onboard dueling pianos, and Rolling Stone Lounge bands who excel in playing, but hindered by horrible vocalists.
Agreed. We make these very same points in the video, that these are things that we’ve loved about HAL, though in this case (entertainment and the Music Walk, in particular) the line is making changes that are actually pulling away from what we - and many our loyal HAL cruisers like yourself - have most enjoyed. Some of these changes like Lincoln Center were “unofficial” at the time this video was produced, though there have been some public announcements in just the past few weeks that have confirmed HAL’s future direction. We may actually make another video soon to update all the recent changes.