maggiev

On 4/25/2024 at 3:47 PM, shipgeeks said:

Maggiev, Where do you all live?  I have an inkling you might be in the PA/Ohio/MD area?  If so, or even if not, I would recommend the Royal Caribbean C/NE cruises from Baltimore. Could you swing 9 nights?  The ship is Vision of the Seas, which has a great ship ambience, many adults, excellent crew.

We travel to Baltimore on a Lenzner coach from the Pittsburgh area, but it's a nice drive, with parking right at the port.

@shipgeeksSouthwestern NY so Baltimore would be an option, no further a drive than to Boston.  I’ll look at dates, if 9 nights includes 2 weekends it would be an option.

I’ve sailed Royal & do like them.

Carnival still has not come out with 2025 rates yet 

And where at the airport do you find it.

We are flying in & need to go to a hotel

Does the Skytrain stop at other hotels?
We are staying at the Fairmount (not on the water) & wonder

how to find the closest stop.

thank you

Would an upgrade offer ever go out to a 1st timer Holland Pax? 
Just wondering if I should even think I may relieve an offer?

8 hours ago, kdakda said:

I'm still trying to understand WHICH Customer Service you're looking for.........do you have a TA through an agency or are you speaking about a Holland American PCC?

I have a less than helpful (not only about this but other things) TA.  I was wondering if there was a way I could talk to Holland & try to get a room. Wasn’t sure if they ever tried to get more rooms once their allotment was gone. 

7 hours ago, martincath said:

It sounds like it's a HAL PCC rather than an independent agent to me; but regardless, HAL like other lines prebook blocks of rooms and once those are gone their special rates are gone - the fact that you can book the hotels yourself proves we've talking about one of those deals rather than literally no rooms available.

 

If you are not traveling solo though OP @maggiev you might find that independent booking of the same hotel (at a per room, not per person rate) is actually cheaper; and unless you're familiar with Vancouver cruises already you probably don't realise quite how obscenely overpadded the cruiseline shuttles are here! I've seen folks charged ~$30pp for both an Airport to Hotel, and again Hotel to Pier, when you could travel in your own cab for ~$30 total even if there's 4 people in it on the first leg and the second leg is literally 'walk downstairs or across the road' from the Pan Pacific or Fairmont Waterfront so zero spending required at all independently...

 

The distances involved here are minuscule compared to most US ports - most downtown hotels are less than a mile from the pier and actually quite walkable even with luggage and a <$10 ride by cabuberlyft if you don't think you can move your own bags on foot; there are multiple lovely hotels at virtually all pricepoints (except really cheap, in cruise season anyway!) that will save you buckets compared to HAL 'hotel and transport for $Xpp' packages.

We have always sailed from Florida, once from Galveston but did not pre cruise, so have relied on the cruise line transfers.  I know the hotels & transfers are more but we’ve never ventured doing our own.  I like the “I’m on vacation, I don’t want to think, hold my hand” aspect of doing it all with the cruise line.  Guess it is time to broaden my horizons & try new things.  
Thanks for the info

On 5/1/2024 at 2:40 PM, Sandscout said:

On 5/14/2024 at 10:32 PM, Cruise Suzy said:

 

@Crew News are you on deck 7 by chance? Why did you choose the deck you did?  We will be sailing in an aft deck 7 cabin & I wonder about the balcony. Would there be room to invite friends over for coffee & glacier watching?  I’ve been on Princess and on some you can look over your baloney & into the one below - is this the case on NA?  Are there issues with smoke, noise or anything?

Sorry if these sound silly but I’ve read these are “issues” on some ships. 

@Crew News & @BaileyMJ

Thank You so much for taking a part of your vacation to post. 
I will be sailing on my first “dam” ship in August to Alaska.  Your insight, photos, & reviews have been a great help 

On 5/14/2024 at 1:19 AM, Crew News said:

As promised:

 

Nieuw Amsterdam MDR Table Maps

Do you happen to know what tables are designed for Club Orange?

7 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

 

 

 

You will have dinner in Tamarind. As I posted in #104: That's also on our reservations for Pinnacle Grill and Canaletto when choosing "View My Purchases" on "My Itinerary" (HAL Website). Just means the meals will be provided in the selected venue. Does not mention MDR.

Thank you - I posted before I finished reading the whole post.

Thank you for the info - may have to look into Morimoto also

Thanks for the input. 
I looked at Fairmount on my own & there are rooms so I was hoping Holland could find a room for us.

7 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

I'm not sure how good your relationship is with your TA but this is squarely in their lap. Never let the bird in hand go before the other one is secured. I'm not sure who's customer service you want numbers for. Unless you have booked a pre-cruise and ship's transfer from the cruise line the cruise line isn't going to find you a hotel. If the Fairmont (any of the 3 in Metro Vancouver) and the Pan Pacific are fully booked it really won't matter who you talk to, they aren't going to miraculously find you a room.

I can book the Fairmount on my own but at a higher cost & then have no transfers.  We’re not huge travelers so wanted our everything done through Holland. 

I am having issues with my travel agent & my Fairmount Hotel reservation. She cancelled the Fairmount to book the Pan Pacific, however it was sold out so had to reinstate the Fairmount but that sold out in the time she was doing it, now we have nothing.  I did an on line chat to no avail.  I was hoping I could call customer service for some help, luckily the other people were traveling with did not get their room canceled.  
Does anyone have a customer service number that gets to someone higher than an entry level call center employee?  Not that they are bad, I just feel this may require a supervisor. 
Thank you

On 5/10/2024 at 11:58 AM, Cruising on a Sunday afte said:

Has Morimoto’s taken over Tamarind?  I made a reservation for Tamarind a few weeks ago for our August cruise. Now I see they have noted “delivered to dining room” on my reservation details. That will not be nearly as fun.

I also have Tamarind reservations in August, guess I better check my itinerary.  I want a speciality dinning experience, not an upgrade to the dining room menus experience.

On 5/1/2024 at 2:40 PM, Sandscout said:

That’s me in the yellow jacket!

Thanks for posting this picture. 
What a great souvenir. 

How awesome is this 

I’ll have to wear a distinct outfit in August incase I’m on camera 

13 hours ago, SeaMatesNYC said:

From the Alaska-Tour-Tips 2024 pdf (revision 04/20/24) with respect to seating on the McKinley Explorer, on page 7 it states:

 

 

"All rail cars have assigned seats according to tour itinerary and number of traveling companions."

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/articles-and-videos 

 

Do some tour itineraries have open seating?  Not saying it doesn't happen, as some reported above, but the written guidance from HAL (and my 1 experience) was assigned car and seat for each passenger on the tour.

Thank you @SeaMatesNYC I thought I had read that information carefully, guess not. 
I realize we will receive packets of information, but I’m the curious type & want to know what to expect. 

We are traveling via train from Whittier to Anchorage, with an overnight, then on to Denali on a cruisetour.

Are the trains open seating or are we assigned seats?

The is very little information on how things flow on the tour portion

thank you

4 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

The idea would be to fly into Fairbanks, bus to Denali, train to Anchorage, train or bus to Whittier to join the ship.  Yes, it would be too far for someone who starts their itinerary in Anchorage as it would require backtracking and a waste of travel rime.

Or cruise north to Whittier, train to Anchorage, train to Denali, motorcoach to Fairbanks.  Is it a busy 4 days yes, but is it worth it, Absolutely 

You did not say what month you are thinking of.  September in Fairbanks could mean seeing The Northern Lights.  Don’t discard Fairbanks so quickly.  Holland tour D5c 

The downside to DYI is someone has to drive on unfamiliar roads, will that person really enjoy the scenery if they are focused on the roads?

4 friends are starting the process of booking a 7 night Canada New England cruise in October 2025.

We are 71-58, 1 non drinker, & 3 casual. We are active but not stay up all night @ the dance club girls. We like being active but also love hanging out playing games & cards.  Our previous weekends included Flight 93 Memorial, Ohio Amish Country, Laurel Caverns, craft shows & wineries. 
Due to some still working  7 night, round trip is required.  
Any thoughts on which line does it right, on a good ship?

We have all sailed but no one is tied to a certain ship/line

Insight from those who have been would be appreciated.  

@df5250 who did you book your Denali ATV tour with?

We are looking to do one but want longer than 2.5 hour tour - only gives you 1.5 hors on the ATV

What is a Pinnacle ship? Please use ship names - not all of us know ship classes 

We want to stay at the Fairmount and our Travel agent says it is on a waitlist.  Today when I was looking at flights I also looked at pre hotels and I could book the Fairmount. I called my TA & she insists it is still waitlisted.  
Does anyone know the difference, if there is one, of me booking 2 nights on line - looks like it is a “package” so I have to pay now, and adding to my booking with my TA?

Looks to be the same hotel she has us waitlisted for & the same rate.

Am I missing something?

thanks 

@BeachTunes by the sound of it, you are not doing the tour with Celebrity? How are you booking?  We will be in Juneau the end of August with Holland & would appreciate your input. This seems like an exceptional excursion 

53 minutes ago, Petronillus said:

On our most recent cruise one of my fellow pax said that if he had it to do over he would have booked one of the cruisetours including 3 days in Denali. I didn't press him for details but he said that 2 days just wasn't a long enough time. It made enough of an impression on me that I resolved to choose an itinerary giving us 3 days (when the time came).

Looking at things now, I wish we had booked a tour with 3 nights.  We arrive at 5pm, after an 8 hour train trip.  I’m not sure we’ll want to do too much touring that evening. The next day is the 6 hour Tundra Wilderness Tour until 2’ish I’m guessing, then the remainder of the day free.  We depart at 10am on the 3rd day.  Not a lot of time to explore on our own, only time seems to be after the bus tour.