วีดีโอ

I hope they are liking it! 👍🏻

Glad it was helpful!

Glad it was helpful!

Yes, their ships are in that sweet spot - not too big too be overwhelming but large enough to have lots going on.

I hope you have a great time! The music really is very enjoyable, just wished for the variety, but I also understand they are going to cater to their primary demographic. Happy cruising and thanks for watching the video!

Glad it was helpful! I hope you have a great visit to Southampton.

Thank you! Cheers! Appreciate your kind words as always 😊

It’s definitely not for the claustrophobic, but it’s a beautiful dive. Short too, you can get in and out of the cavern quite quickly.

Amazing! How was it?

@@daradventuresit was awesome the views were just beautiful

Glad you enjoyed the video and had a great experience with the Rotterdam too! She is a beautiful ship, and I really do appreciate all the history that HAL has behind it. And agreed, age is indeed just a number 😊. HAL is for specific type of cruiser, but I do believe that if you like what the line offers than go for it regardless of your age!

Yes, it makes sense that they would start trying to appeal to the Gen X demographic. We did consider upgrading the beverage package, just to eliminate the annoyance of all the tiny charges, but in the end it wasn’t anywhere near worth it for us, as we don’t order enough drinks per day to make up the cost difference. It is good to note that this is an option though! Curious how your millennial aged daughter will enjoy the experience - I hope your family has a lovely vacation!

The Rotterdam is lovely, you’ll have a nice experience. Yeah I’m curious to experience the line outside of school holiday time. I didn’t feel out of place on our sailing, but I’m curious of my opinion would change we had sailed at a different time of year.

exciting! I hope you have a great first sailing - what ship are you on? I think you’ll enjoy the music regardless, it may not skew much into the more recent decades but the musicians truly are top notch.

Calm, comfortable and pleasant. That’s exactly it. That’s why I liked it. I want to have fun on vacation of course, but I do like my fun a bit more calmer these days. 😊

Glad you enjoyed it! I love the Cloisters, it’s such an unexpected place to find in Manhattan.

I can see how it might be a little scary when you’re a kid… it’s kind of an intimidating building!

Yes, I learned that recently - good to know! I made an incorrect assumption on their strategy.

Why is that then?!

It was my first time attempting something like this - I’m aware it wasn’t perfect 🙃. Always room to improve 😃. Thanks for the comment!

You did great!​@@daradventures

@@claudiaapplin3698 thank you! I’m happy with the video for a first attempt, but can definitely improve going forward 😃

Thank you! I hope your next trip is wonderful. Anything new for the next itinerary? I have a second trip in mind to do within the next couple of years… there were a ton of things I had to cut while I was in my original planning phase just for lack of time. I probably need another 3 weeks there to get to everything 😎

Ah interesting… wonder why they made the change. Must have had a reason for it. The lifeboats obviously obstruct the view, which stinks, but on the flip side I did like being able to see them up close.

Small world! I too very much like the aesthetic of the Holland America ships…feels a bit like a step back in time. I haven’t tried Princess yet, they do sail out of my home port so hoping to give them a try at some point soon! Thanks for watching the video and glad you enjoyed!

Thank you 🙌

Oh didn’t know that about the glass, thanks for the info! Since this was my first sailing I just made the assumption that the glass was pandemic related. Glad you liked the video! Yea I love the quieter vibe… sometimes the pool music on other lines is too loud for me to concentrate on my books. I love reading by the pool and Holland America actually makes that possible!

Well thanks for the compliments! Glad to hear I came off as reasonably intelligent sounding in this one 🙂

You're welcome 😊

Oh that sounds frustrating. Unfortunately longer sailings tend to be on the older ships, which of course come with more problems. Surprised to hear the entertainment and food was subpar, would have thought that was something they’d keep consistent across the line. Glad to hear you’ve had mostly positive experiences though!

Interesting! You never know…

I’m so glad you enjoyed the video!!

Most welcome 😊

Glad you enjoyed the video!

That’s awesome! It’s so nice finding a cruise line that works for you. Like having an old friend always waiting on standby whenever you’re ready for some fun time at sea.

I’m so looking forward to experiencing the Queen Mary 2 one day. I’m glad the video was useful to you! Have an amazing time on your own Titanic trail journey and I hope you have a lovely sailing across the Atlantic.

Glad you enjoyed it!

it’s funny how something as small as having one drink too many can have such a big impact on the course of one’s life, and on those who follow. Thanks for sharing your connection! So many people have shared their own personal ties to the tragedy, it’s been so interesting to hear everyone’s stories.

For restaurants and cafes, I’d say 10-15% of your bill is good and just whatever loose change you have is fine if you’re grabbing food from a street vendor. For drivers and tour guides, approx 50 Egyptian pounds per day for the driver and maybe 80-100 for the guide. Taxi drivers you can round up the fare - I’d give like 20% on my Uber rides (because they were so cheap to begin with) and the drivers were always super grateful. Also, If I was just grabbing a local guide at a site to show me around, I’d give maybe 20 pounds, depending on how long they stayed with me and how helpful/knowledgeable they actually were.

I was alone for this trip. Thailand has a great tourist infrastructure, so it was pretty easy to navigate the country on my own. It was a lovely experience!

Glad it was helpful!

Thank you 😁

I’m so glad you enjoyed the video! And I hope you have an amazing trip, enjoy Southampton!!! Safe travels.

Thank you!

What was different about your experience?

@@daradventures The buffet food was fresh but meant for a 70+ demographip. Lots of chicken or tuna salad sandwiches. Aside from breakfast, the food consisted of ramen noodles and bad sushi. Sliced pork, beef or lamb with cold sauce. The Lido buffet had a problem with keeping food hot or cold. The only good meal I had on this ship was the Pinnacle Grill. I also did not appreciate being served like a high school student.

@@denniscostabile4264 sorry to hear your experience with the food was disappointing! Pinnacle Grill was a very good meal indeed, I also think that was our best culinary experience onboard.

@@daradventures Loved your video. This was my 15th cruise and 1st on Holland America. I think my expectations were too high. As a solo traveler, I paid a premium price on a premium cruise line and was just unimpressed. Not angry or sending letters to the CEO, just don't see the value for the money.

@@denniscostabile4264 Thanks for the compliment on the video. And I hear you - if you spend a lot, especially as a solo traveler, and you don't have a good first experience, then you're not likely to return. Curious if you've ever tried one of the solo cabins on NCL? I enjoy traveling by myself, and have always been curious about those!

This is such a tough question :-) With only 5 days (and assuming that this may be your only opportunity to visit Egypt), I'd spend at least a day in Cairo, you'll obviously want to visit Giza, plus the Egyptian Museum and the Khan el-Khalili market - you could do that in a day, although it would be a long one. You could fly down to Aswan and see the sites in that area - Philae is a must! It's a long day trip, and eats up the whole day, but I can't imagine visiting Egypt and not seeing Abu Simbel. You could do a Nile cruise from Aswan up to Luxor, and then use your remaining time in Luxor - the Valley of the Kings and the temple of Hatshepsut are must sees! 5 days is tight, and they'd be long days, but you can definitely get in the highlights!