WriterOnDeck

In 2023 on the Zuiderdam I marked "folded" clothes twice (I was on for 200 days so no comments about number of laundry orders, please). I always keep the pink carbon, and they send the original form back with the clothes. The second time the original showed someone marked out folded and circled hanging -- not reflected on my pink copy. I showed it to my stateroom attendant and it didn't happen again. I normally would not care that much, but I was getting a suitcase ready for shipping home and preferred folded.

Also keep in mind that if you book online, you can only choose from non-refundable deposit or Have It All. If you book with a PCC or a travel agent, you can request a fare with a refundable deposit but no HIA (not offered for online booking). You also can ask the PCC or TA questions like these.

HAL calls them coolers (not fridges) for a reason. You cannot count on a steady temperature for medications. I travel with a fridge thermometer, and the temps can be all over the place. I suggest anyone with meds take them to the medical center, where they will keep them at a proper temperature. Just stop in during the open hours and get what you need. Or at the least take a fridge thermometer and track the temps, so you can use the medical center as a backup. I've seen temps in the same room cooler vary from 35-degree F to 50-degree F. If it's to keep soda and beer cold, the room cooler is sufficient.

I spent 90 days on the Zaandam last fall and never heard complaints about the AC -- even though we were on the Amazon (near equator) for a week.

I'm guessing the "14/20" refers to this package being for cruises between 14 and 20 days. But for both your questions, I suggest you call HAL for clarification.

I've always found that when I go to the HAL site to pre-book, it shows the HIA shorex credit as the payment method. If the excursion costs more than the credit, you use a credit card to just pay the difference. You are smart to book in advance -- shorex frequently sell out.

I agree that to each his own. I saved $10,000 by moving from an OV to an obstructed OV on a world cruise.

Majestic Japan -- a 53-day Legendary cruise RT from Seattle, starting Sept. 1. I hardly know what to do with 7 weeks on land! (see doctors, dentist, hairdresser, etc.)

I wasn't clear. You can book all online before you start the first cruise. But once you start that cruise, with your single booking number, you cannot go to the HAL website and book anything on the second segment (as you've already started the cruise). Yet on board the shorex team cannot book anything beyond the current single cruise. Which means they cannot book the second segment.

Just got off a Legendary cruise (Alaska 28-day). We had theme nights (masquerade, costume, ball -- each a bit different), some daytime events around the Lido pool, we got nice heavy canvas bags that say Legendary cruise. Official bridge instructors. I'm sure others will chime in with other things.

This isn't really new news (even though apparently a new press release went out). HAL did this on the 2023 and 2024 world cruises.

Related ... Note that when you have one booking number for what is essentially two cruises, you will not be able to book shore excursions on the second cruise during the first cruise (even though for you they are one cruise). It's a quirk of the HAL shorex booking system. Meanwhile, people who booked your second cruise (but not your first), are able to book and may fill up the excursions. So book them before you go!

This is the kind of thing a good travel agent can help with.

Might I suggest you and others also send them to the halfacts doc com website? Rich (who posts frequent live-from threads here) does a good job of making that a fast crowd-sourced reference. It's much easier to search than this site, which is designed for a different purpose. Halfact works because people like you who take photos take the time to submit them.

I don't know. Last fall I boarded the Zaandam in Montreal, but shipped a suitcase with LF to Fort Lauderdale, where I was continuing on. I carried it myself from the Zaandam to the Zuiderdam a few months later and then shipped it home at the end of the world cruise. So I know you can book one-ways to/from various ships.

Luggage Forward offers the service on all Holland America ships. It has a special website for HAL: https://app.luggageforward.com/cobrands/GMYHNE9MV7K2?cpn=HC2MYDWECE6X&utm_campaign=holland-america-line%2Fz7743f26tpnmmcey&utm_id=HC2MYDWECE6X&utm_medium=strategic_partner&utm_source=holland_america_line You pick your cruise from drop-down menus, and put your luggage out the night before like always. However, your bag(s) are shipped, not delivered to the airport to go on your flight. Just FYI.

I got $2,500 back in cash. It was when the 2020 world cruise ended abruptly in Perth due to covid. I thought it prudent to have some cash given the uncertainty of the time. Who knew how much toilet paper might cost?

It's not the real USA Today, but called USA News -- similar to NY Times of the past. We had it on the grand world but I haven't seen it on this Legendary Alaska cruise.

I just learned that as of May 1, you cannot book flights through Flight Ease on American Airlines. HAL says it is because American changed its rules and wouldn't allow miles to be earned on Flight Ease bookings, so HAL made the decision to drop the major airline. Apparently HAL never announced (even to travel agents) this seemingly major change. My research shows that American Air rescinded this rule change in May due to unfavorable press and confusion. So maybe HAL will catch up some day. I have never used Flight Ease, preferring to book myself and generally using miles. But for my 2025 World Cruise, I have a $500 flight credit benefit and thought I would give Flight Ease a try. American Airlines is the only airline serving my gateway city, so I would have to pay myself to fly somewhere else first. Not worth it. HAL says if you can't use the benefit, you lose it. Sigh. Has anyone else had success in booking an American Air flight recently through Flight Ease?

I'll communicate it to my contacts in Seattle, especially in connection with the Sept. stop in Dutch Harbor on our Majestic Japan cruise.

Book HAL while on the ship and deposits are $50.

As it turned out, it was $50 for a "hop on-hop off" van. They may several stops in town. Sometimes we saw a dozen or so people waiting for the van. What we didn't know until we got there was that several taxi/vans were picking people up just outside the gate and taking them to the Safeway or hotel (almost 2 miles per my watch app) one-way. Someone said that if you wanted to go a couple of miles further to the church it might be another $5. After our exploration in town and excellent lunch/beer at the Norwegian Rat Tavern (you can't make this stuff up), we flagged down one of the taxis for the $5 ride back to town. The advance communication about the port options was lacking imho.

I'm thinking the OP might have made a typo with the "5" instead of the "$". Agree $2 doesn't make any sense....

I've had one every night so far on this Ultimate Alaska Legendary Cruise -- perhaps a differentiator for the "legendary."

Typically if you have any kind of priority tender boarding you will get a letter early in the cruise in your cabin with the procedure. On the VoV, there are usually many 4* and 5*, and in those cases they might not even offer priority. (On world cruises sometimes yes, sometimes no. If 85% have priority, it's really not priority....) I suggest getting to your tender ticket pickup spot an hour before docking. On our current 28-day Alaska cruise, at least one 5* couple waited almost 2 hours to tender off in Sitka.