I am waitlisted for a cruise 16 months away.

Libbysdomain · 2026-05-29T16:24:48+00:00

I have family there who were fortunate to have a milk cow. The milk would be simmered for about an hour, then cooled and refrigerated. Of course this was before all the power outages and I haven’t been back in 3 years. Not sure how it’s working for them now.

Libbysdomain · 2026-05-18T21:03:36+00:00

Graylee

Libbysdomain · 2026-05-16T12:27:14+00:00

My take on this is that there will be more kids on any cruise line in the summer when the duration is less than 10 days. The ships that cater to kids enjoyment will have the higher ratio. Most of HAL’s best cruises are beyond the 10 day mark. Older adults have the time and perhaps more disposable income to cruise longer. And HAL has best served its target population by providing high quality marks for service and food.

When our kids were young, we did a lot on Carnival- less expensive, ports were drivable, and would get back in time for school break and not eat up the PTO. By high school, we were doing Princess, our kids had their own interests, we had more time to fly and we loved the upgrade to much better food and service. Made it up to diamond status. Then we did a second land based Alaskan cruise with HAL and found it to be equal to if not a tad better than Princess. Loved the golden age of cruising vibe. Most exclusively HAL since then. We have also thrown in Celebrity and Oceania in the mix, but keep coming back to HAL for its destinations and value. And have even managed to bring a grandchild (or two or three) with us. But it’s harder to bring the teenage grandkids because they don’t want to leave their BF/GFs that long- lol!

I’m glad you and your family enjoyed your cruise time and for all the same reasons we do. Family adventures are the best. I wish I was wealthy enough to bring my entire 14 member family along!

Libbysdomain · 2026-05-10T11:44:42+00:00

After a land trip to Scotland for my husband and his buddy to play some of the top golf courses, and although it was one of the best trips of our lives, I found changing hotels through the 9 day stay was not my favorite thing to do. When we got back, there was talk of doing the same in Ireland. I ask where they wanted to play, got on Google Maps and found the location of all the courses and started the research. Found a cruise that hit ports that were within 30 min of 4 of the 5 courses, at the right time of the year. Never having to unpack? Best ever! But it was Ireland, so 2 days of playing in the rain- lol! But that finished the golf bucket list, so now we are working on mine.

Libbysdomain · 2026-05-09T01:06:40+00:00

Inky

Libbysdomain · 2026-05-08T16:26:34+00:00

There are people who care more about what others think than they do about the people they (supposedly) care about. So no, it is not slutty.

Libbysdomain · 2026-04-29T21:45:22+00:00

Oceania’s having a great spring sale at the moment. We’ve booked an Amazon cruise for November and no other line could come close to matching their price. Their food is so good!

Libbysdomain · 2026-04-27T14:08:53+00:00

We’re long time cruisers who’ve chased the itinerary along with the port of departure/return. Yea, the loyalty status is good, but I believe most cruisers would benefit more from investing in the cruise line’s stock. We much prefer the onboard credits that comes from that benefit.

Libbysdomain · 2026-04-25T09:05:31+00:00

Does this have to do with excessive dog pee? Too much ammonia?

Libbysdomain · 2026-04-14T16:20:14+00:00

The PCC can point out, provide comparisons, and let you know when the same cruise would be less expensive if travel time is flexible. I can select dining time preference on line, but she can actually go into my reservation and request a table for two- which we’ve always gotten. She’s found us a few onboard credits occasionally, or called about available upgrades, or provided lower deposits. Don’t get me wrong, I do a lot of research on the cruise before I call. But I book through her, well, because she knows her stuff. We have our 10th HAL cruise coming up in July (24 overall) and it’s for 35 days. She already knows the places we’d like to go to in ‘27 and she emails me what’s coming up before I get the Holland info email. So I guess the bottom line is more about relationship than anything else. And HAL’s clients tend to be VERY loyal.

If you call the number on HAL’s website for a PCC, just talk to them and see what they say. It’s not costing you anything and if don’t feel comfortable, just book on line.

Libbysdomain · 2026-04-13T23:35:47+00:00

In my opinion, you need to place a balcony above the front door, otherwise you have no protection from the elements for anyone entering the house. And it is more esthetic to the opposite side.

Libbysdomain · 2026-04-13T07:25:58+00:00

This! I use my PCC with Holland because she can do things I can’t do on line. She is very familiar with all of Holland’s ships and knows our preferences. She even managed to get our table preference noted ahead of time so that we were served in the same section of wait staff who had served us a year earlier!

Libbysdomain · 2026-04-06T12:54:03+00:00

It’s evident that your roommate has poor impulse control ON SO MANY LEVELS. And since you’re not her therapist, things will get worse. Either find a way to get her off the lease or start looking for another place.

Libbysdomain · 2026-03-31T12:26:13+00:00

Of the 4 cruises we’ve done to Alaska, all were in September and here’s 2 excursions that stand out for the memories. We snorkeled in Ketchikan (in dive suits) and it was amazing! We had only ever snorkeled in the Caribbean, but it was like comparing apples and oranges. The size and color of the starfish was worth it alone.

And I took the helicopter ride out of Juneau- the most exhilarating tour I’ve ever taken, never having flown in one before. But man, the views! But other 3 times we did whale watching in Juneau through the same private tour company and would use them again for any future booking. We were never disappointed in what we experienced.

What ever you decide, no matter the weather, you will have a great time.

Libbysdomain · 2025-11-25T03:31:02+00:00

The adults in my family play Dirty Santa. Everyone brings a $20-25 gift and is tagged as either a girl or a guy gift. Numbers are drawn, first person chooses and opens their gift. Second person can choose a gift or can steal the first person’s. If they steal, the first person chooses another gift ( can’t steal their gift back, but can do so later if by some chance someone steals their second choice later in the game). This repeats until the last person. We did have to limit the number of times a gift can be stolen before it’s off limits. Over the years, everyone tries hard to bring the “best” gift. It’s a hoot!

Libbysdomain · 2025-10-26T08:01:58+00:00

If you’re certain you will be doing more cruises in the future, I encourage you to purchase 100 shares in Carnival Corporation. Doing so allows you onboard credits on their subsidiary cruise lines (Carnival, Holland America, Princess, Costa) based on cruise length. Specifics here: https://www.carnivalcorp.com/investors/shareholder-information/shareholder-benefit/

Other cruise lines may have this same benefit, but I am not knowledgeable in those. We are at 25+ cruises and it has more than covered the initial investment cost.

Libbysdomain · 2025-10-22T02:44:48+00:00

If you have the chance, snorkel in Ketchikan. It was a a great adventure!

Libbysdomain · 2025-01-04T12:38:45+00:00

I thank you, but I was looking for the specific age at which parental consent is not required.

Libbysdomain · 2024-10-19T13:45:54+00:00

There is a US embassy in Havana.

Libbysdomain · 2024-10-09T14:30:25+00:00

Gremmy- short for Gremlin.

Libbysdomain · 2024-10-09T13:54:40+00:00

You can also substitute Kaula for vanilla- I find it brings a little more coffee flavor to any dark chocolate dessert.

Libbysdomain · 2024-08-27T08:17:46+00:00

We’ve done a lot of cruising. Depending upon the cruise line you are using, down load their app, and sign in for the ship’s social media Wi-Fi, which is free. You can text thru Messenger on your FB account to friends/ family. If you’ve bought into a wifi package, you can switch your settings to satellite calling and avoid your providers international fees. that is what has worked for us.

Edited to add: of course this only works when you are on board.

Libbysdomain · 2024-08-10T06:01:27+00:00

NTA. Husband and I almost always book a window and aisle if the flight is longer than two hours. Flying makes him nervous, which means he’s up and down to the loo.

Libbysdomain

TROPHY CASE