HAL First Timer.....possibly dumb questions?

[Lynzchat]

Hi there-
We are 2 weeks away from our first HAL cruise. We've started packing and have some dumb questions:


Are the rooms like hotels, where they provide tiny soaps & shampoos?
Are there robes in all the Oosterdam rooms, we have a basic verandah, NOT a suite?
Should we take cash or traveler's checks?

Thanks so much, we appreciate any advice you can share. It's our honeymoon, and we are hoping for a nice cruising experience.:D

[garydm]

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. All of your onboard charges will go to your shipboard account which most easily is settled by credit card so you will need little cash for that. We generally take a few hundred in cash and use ATMs or charge ashore. Depends on what you plan to spend and do.

Gary

[sheephugs]

Not one of your questions, but it was something I didn't know & could have saved myself some suitcase room...they have hair dryers.:)

[localady]

Lynzchat-

First of all, welcome to the HAL CC board, I hope you become as addicted as I am to cruising the 7 seas! Second, Congratulations on your impending nuptials!! My DH and I had our honeymoon abouard the Amsterdam last year, it was spectacular!!!!!!:D

HAL provides soaps and lotions etc. in the stateroom. I prefer my own shampoo/conditioner and bring a travel sized one. They also provide 2 cotton robes in every cabin, not just in the suites. You will have a minibar in your cabin if you have a veranda with a menu ofthe items for sale.

I would recommend you take some cash, but I find our credit cards and ATM cards are much easier. When you are on board it is a "cashless" society, you will register a CC at the beginning of the trip and then just use your room card. I stopped using travellers checks 5 years ago and found that I had no problem getting money from an ATM, even in South America!!!

Congrats again!! Hope this helps!:cool:

[Globaliser]

Are the rooms like hotels, where they provide tiny soaps & shampoos?Also, if you don't like tiny soaps, bring a full-size bar. It's a small thing to stick into your luggage, and it's cheap enough that you can just leave it on board when you disembark!

[sail7seas]

Welcome to the HAL Board. None of your questions were dumb.

You may wish to bring a little extra cash if you plan to play in the Casino.

Best Wishes on your upcoming marriage and hope you have a great cruise/honeymoon.

[Lynzchat]

Thank you all so much. These boards are fabulous and I love READING them. I have learned so much.

I FORGOT to ask about blowdryers, and I'm SOOO excited that you mentioned that they do have them.

I also find traveler's checks to be a pain, and I'm happy that even in the caribbean, they are fully ATM'd and credit card'd....

Thanks so much again!

[Roadwork]

Be aware that Hal ships do not have ATM's on board. Travelers Checks may be somewhat of a pain to get ahead of time, but I find it much easier to cash Travelers Checks on board than running around looking for and an ATM on shore.
We always take some cash and Travelers Checks in case we need more cash.

[mhshapiro]

I always repeat my mother's advice for first time travelers: take twice as much money and half as many clothes as you think you will need.

In this cashless society that means taking more than one credit card and some travelers checks (easy to cash onboard). I always travel with at least two major credit cards. When leaving the ship I am careful to carry only one of my credit cards (leave the others in your cabin safe). That way if the credit card gets stolen ashore, you only have to cancel the one that was stolen and you still have at least one that can be used.

In addition, make sure to carry an extra copy or two of your passport.

[Cauvet]

Welcome to HAL and the Oosterdam! You will love the ship. We sailed on her in June. Yes, they do provide shampoo and blow dryers but if you prefer your own "products" I would bring them, especially if you use soap like Dove or Caress. Like everyone else said, it is almost a cashless society. You have everything charged to your shipboard account. You need cash for the casino but again you can get cash charged to your shipboard account--I prefer to use my own cash. The staterooms have safes in them so you can put your $$ and valuables in their. They also gave you the option of paying for Bingo by cash or by your shipboard account. You may also charge your tips to your shipboard account.

[Ziggy7]

Also keep in mind most shops require a $50.00 minium purchase to use your credit cards. We used some travlers checks and just cashed them at the pursers desk, they were happy to do it :) Glad we brought them too so I had some cash for small purchases :)

[Roboat]

And, not to start a firestorm about tipping, but IF you choose to tip in addition to the $10 pp/pd, whether it's a buck for a drink or a couple of thousand extra for the guy who runs the muster drill ;) you might want to plan on cash for that. Also, maybe taxi rides on shore excursions.

[jima53]

Not wanting to start a tipping thread but I made sure I had some one dollar bills for the room service delivery. I also left a dollar or two on the tray for when they came back. The HAL room service person was so grateful for the couple of dollars. We also took cash to the casino and helped with cash control in gambling.

Jim

[the2ofus]

Haven't been on a Vista class ship yet so this may not be relevant. Depending on the type of safe in your cabin, you might need another card with a magnetic strip, like a membership card from the YMCA or AAA.

On the Maasdam and Statendam you used that card to lock and unlock your safe. We preferred not to use our credit card for that purpose, as we locked the credit card in the safe until we needed it.

Hmm...does this make sense to anyone? Maybe I'm just confusing folks who have never cruised on HAL.

[Sierrachik]

Haven't been on a Vista class ship yet so this may not be relevant. Depending on the type of safe in your cabin, you might need another card with a magnetic strip, like a membership card from the YMCA or AAA.
The Zuiderdam was just a number pad, you did not need another card to open it. I would expect all Vista Class ships to be the same, perhaps someone else that's been on the other 2 Vista Class can tell us for sure.

[peaches from georgia]

Oosterdam- number pad. I would be very surprised if the Westerdam was not the same and if eventually all the ships do not have their safes replaced to this system. It's great.

[Stevesan]

Hi there-
We are 2 weeks away from our first HAL cruise. We've started packing and have some dumb questions:

Are the rooms like hotels, where they provide tiny soaps & shampoos?
Are there robes in all the Oosterdam rooms, we have a basic verandah, NOT a suite?
Should we take cash or traveler's checks?
Thanks so much, we appreciate any advice you can share. It's our honeymoon, and we are hoping for a nice cruising experience.:D

As previously mentioned, on board charges are applied to your credit card. Be aware that when you register your card, just as in a hotel, a hold will be taken. I've forgotten the amount, but it's based on the number of days. Your TA can advise you. Just be sure that you have enough available balance to cover the ship's hold plus any charges you may make on shore.

[dukie91]

Yes they do have hairdryers, but they aren't worth a darn. I am glad that I brought mine with me...IMO. Have a great cruise, we just did. Home eight days and ready to get back on the ship.

[elmorejj]

The credit card hold is $60 per person, per day....jean :cool:

[Lynzchat]

Is that charged automatically to your credit card? Or is it just a typically hold? So basically for a 7 day cruise, it's $420 a person?

[RuthC]

Lyn, it's a "hold". The charge is what your bill amounts to at the end of your cruise. If you book shore excursions on-line/don't book HAL excursions, don't donate in the Casino, no pictures, drinks, salon visits, etc, the only charge could be the $10 per person, per day service charge.

(And even that could be removed.)

[Bones]

No ATM's on board the HAL ships? even in the casino?
Is it then possible to get a cash advance from the casino cashier charged to your shipboard account? As on other cruise ships, the casino is only open when the ship is cruising?
Agree that taking lots of dollar bills is prudent. They are appreciated by the crew along with phone cards and other little gifts.
Can you rent formal attire prior to your cruise on HAL? Is drycleaning available? Is there clothing you brought along on a HAL Alaska cruise that you did not wear? I'm cruising Alaska in Sept 2005 and want to pack as light as possible but still want to hike on the glaciers and do the cold water snorkel I hope. Thanks in advance for all of your helpful answers.

[dakrewser]

No ATM's on board the HAL ships? No.

even in the casino? Nope.

Is it then possible to get a cash advance from the casino cashier charged to your shipboard account? Yep

As on other cruise ships, the casino is only open when the ship is cruising? Correct

Can you rent formal attire prior to your cruise on HAL? Yes

Is drycleaning available? Yes

Is there clothing you brought along on a HAL Alaska cruise that you did not wear? Always. :)

I'm cruising Alaska in Sept 2005 and want to pack as light as possible but still want to hike on the glaciers and do the cold water snorkel I hope. Thanks in advance for all of your helpful answers.-dave