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Just got back from the JoCo Cruise*, which currently uses Holland America. We were aboard the Oosterdam, which is one of their smaller ships. This was a chartered cruise, so the setup was slightly different (and the average age trended about 50 years younger than usual- mostly people between 25-45). But the food, service, included amenities, and that sort of thing should apply for anyone. The food was uniformly amazing, and they had 24-hour in-room dining included. Hooray for 2am quesadillas in bed. The menu was expanded a bit for us, both because we're more adventurous eaters than their normal clientele, and to add some extra vegetarian options. It was odd that they didn't charge for juice, iced tea, lemonade, or basic coffee, but they did charge for soda. I guess most cruise lines are going to that model now? Seems weird to include daily, chef-prepared gourmet meals and then nickel-and-dime for a Pepsi. The service was spectacular, although the main dining room tended to get slow at times. Rather than have assigned times and seating (as is the case on normal HAL cruises), JoCo splits into two dinner "teams", each with a 2.5-hour block, and seating is free-for-all. I think this threw off the wait staff a bit, because some nights we'd finish dinner in 45 minutes, and other nights we were just getting dessert nearly two hours in while nearby tables had finished, re-seated, and been served again. I've heard that some cruise lines will include a basic tour at certain ports, but nothing off the boat on HAL is free. The shore excursions seemed overpriced, and several people we talked to said they varied wildly in quality. We skipped them all and explored ourselves. Boat-wise, HAL ships suffer from narrow hallways almost everywhere. I'd heard cruise veterans mention that most cruise ships have one or two nice, wide Promenade areas, but even the main activity decks on the Oosterdam felt cramped. And that appears to be a "feature" even on HAL's larger ships. Still, the staterooms and public spaces were nice, and everything was well maintained. Overall, I'd try Holland America again, even for a non-chartered cruise. Which is good, because I'm already booked for next year's JoCo Cruise aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam. * - Jonathan Coulton cruise, a week of gaming, concerts, cosplay, parties, and panels. I know it's cool around these parts to hate on anything that has been embraced by geek culture, but it truly was an amazing experience, and during the trip I met some of the kindest, smartest, most inclusive people I've ever encountered. It's not a ship full of "Comic Shop Guy" by any stretch. WhiteHowler fucked around with this message at 11:03 on Mar 18, 2019 |
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Mar 18, 2019 11:01
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Zero One posted:Thanks for sharing. Did you meet the McElroy bros? Yeah, the Oosterdam definitely felt small every time we pulled up next to another cruise ship. We docked alongside the Disney Fantasy in Tortola, and the Carnival Breeze in San Juan - both of which can carry at least twice as many passengers. We'll be on the Nieuw Amsterdam next year, which is slightly bigger but not all that different from the Oosterdam (300ish more passengers, an extra feature restaurant and bar, and a pizza window). Even Holland America's biggest ship still has the weirdly narrow promenade decks though. It's not a huge deal, just makes it a little awkward walking past someone when the boat is being boaty. Anyway, I'm happy to answer questions about my trip, whether it's about JoCo Cruise specifically, or the Oosterdam and Holland America's peculiarities.
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Mar 19, 2019 03:37
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Anya posted:I really do love HAL - just wish the piano bar area would do a couple more songs made after 1980. I didn't eat at any of the premium restaurants, though I heard Pinnacle Grill is excellent. They organized a couple of specialty lunches for  each (Thai and Korean), and I did try those. The food ranged from fantastic (Thai) to pretty good (Korean, I've had much better), but service was slooooooooow. Like, even by cruise ship standards. I think they were using us as a test audience, because apparently they don't do these types of focused specialty lunches on normal cruises.I'm wondering how Tamarind is on the Nieuw Amsterdam. It looks like my kind of menu. I'm pretty sure JoCo has ruined normal cruises for me. We got 90% of the standard cruise amenities, plus games and better concerts and a boat full of awesome passengers. I heard the crew absolutely adored us too; their purser already requested vacation for next year so she can go on the cruise with us -- as an attendee.
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Mar 22, 2019 23:36
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I think it depends on the location, and you need to do some research beforehand. Half Moon Cay - Private island owned by Holland America, expressly for the purpose of selling you overpriced trinkets and manufactured "experiences". However the beaches are free and absolutely beautiful, and there's basically no crime (because nobody lives on the island, everyone there works for the cruise line). So we hung out on the beach and went Geocaching and didn't pay a dime on the island. Tortola (Road Town) - There's a super touristy area at the port with overpriced food and shopping. Beyond that, it's a run-down town that's still rebuilding from hurricane damage. We couldn't get cell or internet signal (despite T-Mobile supposedly having international coverage in the BVI), and we weren't sure where it would be fun, interesting, or safe to go. Pre-cruise research hadn't been very helpful outside of canned "excursions", so we walked around for a few minutes and then got back on the ship. Puerto Rico (Old San Juan) - Touristy right near the port, but once you get a few blocks away, it's just a city. There were police everywhere - a lot of Puerto Rico is still trying to recover from the hurricane, so the last thing they want is a reputation for being dangerous to tourists. San Juan proper is more like a regular city anywhere else, mostly fine but with a few areas to avoid. Next year is the same private island, then Grand Turk and Santo Domingo. How much we do there will depend a lot on research and availability of cell service. But hey, the boat is always fun.
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Mar 24, 2019 15:44
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Braksgirl posted:For the record, Carnival goes to Half Moon Cay as well, since Carnival owns Holland America.
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Mar 24, 2019 16:09
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Cockmaster posted:I've recently gotten curious about cruises. Others mentioned JoCo, but I've presonally noticed GACUCon, which seems to be slightly closer to my particular interests (they mention virtual reality): JoCo actually did have a few virtual reality rigs this year -- among other stuff, there was a lot of Beat Saber, some Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, and a "relaxation chamber" area with VR meditation software available.
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Apr 5, 2019 00:34
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Braksgirl posted:Yes, the nickel and dimeing seems to be pretty standard on RCCL and Norwegian, though I can't speak to it from personal experience on Norwegian as I haven't sailed with them. Carnival does have some pay for restaurants, but I never noticed anyone really pushing them like they did on RCCL. quote:That is one thing I love about Disney cruising, sodas are included in the cost. It's dumb, but I hate having to pay for soda on a cruise. And for whoever asked, I can vouch for Braksgirl's travel agent skills. She planned a wonderful Disney World vacation for me and my wife. She found us some great discounts and stayed in communication throughout the entire process, letting us know about dates and deadlines and new promotions as they appeared (we totally would have missed the free dining plan if not for her!).
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May 14, 2019 14:00
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tinytort posted:Yeah, the JoCo cruise used to be about 10 days, but Head Office cut it down to about a week because consensus was that longer than 7 or 8 days was just too much time on a boat.
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Jan 21, 2020 06:12
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slidebite posted:What is JoCo? Nerds on a boat. It's a lot of fun. Seven days of concerts, gaming, and panels. Most of the folks who go are smart, accepting, awesome people. There actually aren't very many "Comic Book Guy" types, though you'll spot one occasionally. For the most part, it's just fairly normal people who like nerdy things and want to share them with others.
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Jan 21, 2020 17:14
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tinytort posted:To be fair, the testing was done back before we had the whole boat to ourselves, when it was a smaller group. Also, They Might Be Giants doing a show might have contributed a bit to the intensity last year. It's more the nonstop fierce enthusiasm about whatever geekery everyone's into. It's nice that the boat is such an open and accepting environment, but after a few days I started getting tired of "TRAVIS MCELROY SAID HELLO TO ME AT THE TACO BAR!" or "SOMEONE MENTIONED DR. WHO AAAAAAAAAAA!". But it doesn't mean I don't want to go back. 
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Jan 24, 2020 00:23
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coronavirus posted:Anyone ever gone on a theme cruise? I want to hear the horror stories about being stuck on a ship with 4000 trekkies, or 3000 metal-heads. I went on the JoCo Cruise (Jonathan Coulton) last year - a music, gaming, and general geekdom-themed chartered cruise. It was a lot of fun, and while in any gathering of nerds you get a wide sampling of personality types, for the most part they were smart, friendly, open, accepting, and generally awesome. Sorry, no horror stories. One of my good friends is going on a Coheed and Cambria cruise later this year, so maybe I'll get some fun stories from her. WhiteHowler fucked around with this message at 06:02 on Feb 29, 2020 |
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Feb 28, 2020 21:47
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Whoops. You on the Nieuw Amsterdam?
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Mar 11, 2020 00:46
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I'm staying on Deck 5, fellow Sea Monkey.
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Mar 11, 2020 01:07
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I just got off the Nieuw Amsterdam as well. Honestly, it was probably one of the cleanest places on the planet. The crew was constantly washing and sanitizing everything, and there were a lot of extra precautions in place (no self-service at all on the buffet, etc.). I'm actually more nervous now that I'm back home. That said, I do understand shutting down operations. If one person on a ship brings something on board, it's much more likely they'll pass it along.
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Mar 14, 2020 16:58
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No amount of health screening, short of multiple COVID tests taken days apart, would be enough to get me on a boat anytime soon -- probably until there's a widely available and administered vaccine. Even if I weren't particularly worried about catching it myself, as soon as there's a suspected case on board, at best you're missing the rest of the ports on your itinerary, and very possibly become unable to return home for weeks or months. I just cancelled my March 2021 cruise on Holland America (fortunately, fully refundable). I hated to do it, but... yeah.
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Jun 12, 2020 15:24
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Two of the most popular nerd cruises, Star Trek and JoCoCruise have both had their early 2021 dates cancelled. Don't blame them at all. There's no way I'm getting on a boat next March if there's not a widely-administered vaccine by then, which seems unlikely.
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Jul 24, 2020 15:19
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tinytort posted:Yep, JoCo head office sent out an email the other day, saying the 2021 cruise is being moved to 2022. Everyone who was already booked for 2021 gets to keep their booking or turn it into a credit for the 2023 cruise. And the next deposit isn't due until March 2021 now, which gives everyone way more time to pay for their bookings. Oh well, other things are a lot more important.
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Jul 24, 2020 18:27
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Great idea. We'll shut down all cruises when the U.S. has ~3000 daily infections, and start 'em back up when the daily rate is up to 78,000.
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Oct 31, 2020 03:00
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Hoping for JoCo Cruise in March 2022, but I guess we'll see!
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Nov 30, 2020 07:02
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Braksgirl posted:no buffets
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Feb 2, 2021 18:15
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Zero One posted:I have bad news about the future of crusing (at least until Covid is long gone). I was on one of the last cruise ships to return when the pandemic started, and the staff made a lot of on-the-fly changes to how they handled food service. They basically turned the buffet into a cafeteria-style buffet. No direct access for the guests; you just pointed at what you wanted and they plated it for you. It was a much better (and cleaner) system all around, so I'd love to see cruise lines keep it. While I prefer the prepared meals in the dining room, sometimes you want to cruise your rear end by the buffet at some odd hour and grab some fried rice, a pork rib, and a scoop of ice cream. Because you're an adult, dammit. WhiteHowler fucked around with this message at 19:40 on Feb 2, 2021 |
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Feb 2, 2021 19:35
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Fame Douglas posted:The US not allowing "cruises to nowhere" is still weird to me, does anybody really benefit from that law? At least the freight version means Puerto Rico, Hawaii and other US islands get owned with high freight costs. 2000 people go onto a boat, one person brings COVID, the boat gets back with 500+ people with COVID, those 500+ people spread it around dozens of communities around the country when they get back home.
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Apr 9, 2021 17:42
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Booked a cruise for Spring 2022. I don't know what the world will look like, but I figure if it's not safe(-ish) by then, it probably never will be, so... gently caress it. I'm about to be fully vaccinated, and I can't imagine cruise lines will let people sail without proof of vaccination anytime soon.
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Apr 15, 2021 13:37
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Chin Strap posted:So has Florida gone back on the whole not allowing vax requirements thing? hahahahahahaha No. A dozen other states are doing the same thing now. I'll leave you to guess which ones those may be, but you can probably figure it out. I can't imagine this won't end up in court.
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May 28, 2021 16:39
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Chin Strap posted:So these ships launching out of Florida with vax requirements are just doing honor policy then? I'm not sure. The way I've seen the law described is that no Florida state/county/city government entity can issue a vaccination "passport", and no business can demand such documentation. Whether or not that covers a business asking to see your CDC card (which was not issued by a Florida government entity, and I'm not even sure counts as "official government documentation"), who knows? I'd imagine a court will figure it out whenever a cruise line or airline decides to sue over it.
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May 28, 2021 16:50
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What's with the shortened itineraries? Is it just that most ports of call aren't letting cruise ships in yet, so there's nowhere for them to go?
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Oct 4, 2021 18:51
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Doronin posted:I'm sure there are myriad reasons for it, but I'm sure there is some financial calculus going on about fewer nights = more sailings = more guest fares. That would be my guess. My only currently scheduled cruise is chartered, so even if the ports are closed, I'd imagine we'll just hang out at sea the full time and do nerd stuff.
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Oct 13, 2021 02:02
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Chin Strap posted:Less exposure = less risk of quarantine too maybe? Yeah. If they're back home before symptoms tend to show up for someone exposed during the cruise, they're a lot less likely to make headlines/bad press for the cruise line. couldcareless posted:February Key West/Castaway Cay disney cruise from nola just got modified for us. Dropped both destinations, replaced with Cozumel and Costa Maya.
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Oct 13, 2021 15:16
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couldcareless posted:So what you're saying is I should stash beer in my cabin and bring some empty containers and order liquor straight to save for later The cruise line doesn't check your bags coming off the boat, is all I'm sayin'. US Customs might, but all they seem to care about is that you're not bringing back produce, drugs, or $1000 of counterfeit Prada bags.
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Oct 13, 2021 15:34
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B33rChiller posted:Curious, what is it about burning tonnes of residual fuel oil every day, in order to bring an entire mega hotel with you on holidays that strikes you as sustainable in any way? Sustainable in terms of money, not in terms of not wrecking the planet (I think the ship has sailed on that, pun intended). My understanding is that cruise companies have generally been profitable for decades, and only COVID has really thrown a wrench in the works. I guess the potential looming energy crisis might change that, but customers are generally willing to pay a (big) premium for a nice vacation. But right now people are already gun-shy about getting on a boat during a pandemic, so making your product look worse than it used to be doesn't seem great for business.
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Oct 13, 2021 16:08
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I just got back from a chartered cruise on Holland America. We had extra COVID precautions that aren't part of HAL's normal policy anymore (a second negative COVID test conducted at the port, and masking in all indoor spaces except while eating or drinking). It felt very safe, and so far I have not heard of any cases aboard. Other than that, cruising felt like cruising, and I really missed it. Edit: One known case aboard, which isolated and didn't even give it to their partner. According to the CDC, we had fewer than eight reported cases, which is as granular as they get -- it's either zero, or "some but fewer than eight". WhiteHowler fucked around with this message at 16:17 on Mar 28, 2022 |
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Mar 12, 2022 23:48
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Annath posted:I'm sailing with Allure of the Seas/Royal Caribbean in Sept. We're going to the Western Caribbean mostly because I wanted a day trip to some ruins. I've never sailed on Royal Caribbean, so I'm sure there are some tips and tricks unique to that line. But in general... Do: - Bring motion-sickness meds unless you're absolutely sure you don't get seasick. The motion on a cruise ship is not the same as on a smaller boat, and I know people who can ride in a motorboat on a lake all day with no problems, but get sick on a cruise. - Tip your stateroom stewards. And anyone else you get good service from. Some cruise rates are still "tips included", but the crew doesn't make great money by Western standards, and tips go a long way. I usually leave a decent tip out for my stewards the first night, and then a larger one at the end of the cruise. - Research your destinations before you leave. You don't have to make complicated (or any) plans, but you want to know things like: how safe it is to walk around, how far from the port the things you want to do are, what the taxi/rideshare situation is like -- and how to avoid sketchy ones. Also know whether you'll need local currency. The US dollar is accepted, and generally preferred, almost everywhere in the Caribbean, but there are a few exceptions. - Bring some comfy sandals or aquashoes for beach and pool visits. And maybe an extra pair of regular shoes, too. Ask me about the time San Juan unexpectedly delivered its monsoon season in a single evening. - Bring stuff to do. I don't know what your interests are, but most cruise lines cater toward the geriatric set. I pretty much only go on chartered cruises featuring programming/concerts that match my interests, and I wonder how bored I'd be on a "normal" cruise. Don't: - Don't pay a ton for official excursions unless there's something unique that you absolutely, 100% have to do. If you just want to snorkel or jet-ski or whatever, don't pay $150+ for the cruise line to take you; do your research before the cruise and you can find a safe, legit company doing it for a third of the cost. - Don't be late getting back to your ship at a port-of-call. They will leave without you. - Don't forget to put your phone in Airplane Mode and/or turn off cell data/roaming when you depart. A lot of cell providers have a deal with cruise lines to provide cell service, but it's ridiculously expensive: we're talking like $15 per megabyte. If your phone is set up to automatically choose a provider, it may connect to this service without you knowing. It's MUCH cheaper to just buy the cruise line's ship-board Internet. - Don't buy the cruise line's ship-board Internet. The speeds are atrocious, and a lot of sites will be blocked. If you need to connect with the real world (you don't), most cell providers will sell you an "international data pass" for 7-10 days so you can connect on port days. Depending on where you're going, you may have slow data speeds included in your plan for some/all of your ports of call. Cruising is fun, and port days are the best. Where all are you visiting? WhiteHowler fucked around with this message at 16:52 on Mar 28, 2022 |
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Mar 28, 2022 16:48
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Annath posted:I have to get the full itinerary from my step-dad, but I definitely want to do one of the excursions to some Mayan ruins. Oh, Western Caribbean. Then you're almost definitely going to Cozumel and Puerto Costa Maya. Depending on the length, I think RCI usually hits their private island in the Bahamas, too.
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Mar 28, 2022 17:21
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BHB posted:e: you might be doing a similar itinerary to us as well. If you hit CocoCay, RC's private island, do that. the waterpark was cool and the island ended up being the highlight of the trip. It's just... a beach. I mean, it's a really nice beach -- one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. There's an oceanside bar, and a little pavilion for food, and some very touristy souvenir shops near the docks. But when I look at Royal Caribbean's CocoCay photos I'm a little jealous.
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Mar 28, 2022 17:48
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Annath posted:Ah, I didn't realize the drinks thing was $60 per DAY. Be sure to check which food your booking covers before you pay a bunch extra. On Holland America, it covers everything other than a few "signature restaurants" on the boat. Main dining room, all-day buffet, burger window, pizza window, and 24-hour room service -- all included. I usually splurge for one extra-nice meal at a premium restaurant, but generally they feed you REALLY well, and you have unlimited food available without paying extra. I'd imagine RCI is similar, though I think they don't do the free room service anymore.
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Mar 28, 2022 21:18
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Nottherealaborn posted:If I remember my last Royal Caribbean cruise (4 years ago), room service for basic morning breakfast is included, but all other room service incurs an additional charge. Free 24-hour room service is one of my favorite parts of Holland America cruises. We tend to stay up pretty late, and then retire to our cabin to watch any concerts we missed that day on the closed-circuit TV and order quesadillas and fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.
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Mar 28, 2022 22:34
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Annath posted:I'm honestly surprised she expressed interest, because she is much more the "stay inside and read" than the "sun and beach and drinks" type. One of my favorite parts of a cruise is grabbing an early breakfast, then going back to my stateroom balcony to read or do puzzles while the air is still nice and cool. But, uh, is she inviting herself? Because that's kind of... not cool.
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Mar 31, 2022 00:18
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Braksgirl posted:Princess ships are Heaven’s waiting room OMG. Holland America's general age range is "old as gently caress" to "fresh corpse".
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Apr 2, 2022 01:18
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Zero One posted:The old spicy funnel What's up there that could be that flammable? I thought the funnel was basically just an exhaust chimney.
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May 26, 2022 16:42
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slidebite posted:For on board expenses, other than mandatory service charges/tips (whatever they force on you), you should be able to keep the daily expenses pretty minimal if you have a bit of discipline. They are constantly having to deal with the shittiest people imaginable, and they're away from their families for 5-6 month rotations, sometimes back-to-back. Give 'em a decent tip at the beginning and then a bigger one at the end. Aside from being a good thing to do, you may get more attentive service throughout the cruise. I know a couple of people who work/have worked on cruise ships, and there's something you can do that's even better than a big tip (but do that too). Reward good service by physically going to on-board Guest Services and letting them know about your experience. Most cruise lines have a simple review/feedback card you can fill out. Guest feedback helps a TON and can be a direct catalyst for bonuses and promotions. Even one or two feedback cards can go a long way.
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Jan 4, 2023 21:36
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