Woofbite

We ran into the same problem Sea Tac - Vancouver.   HAL was sold out, (although friends who took it said it had lots of empty seats), and we had to take Quick Shuttle service which left a couple of hours before the HAL trip.

That lady driver didn't know where her pickup stops were and we toured most of Seattle while she kept assuring us and a couple on Royal Caribbean that we would get to our ships in plenty of time because she, "had a schedule".  Yeah, maybe she did, but it sure wasn't the same one the company published.  We arrived at the far diagonal end of Canada Place and after clearing Canadian Emigration and U.S. emigration and hiking half a mile to the HAL embarkation desks, they rushed us on board to finish processing the paperwork. (Maybe having a suite helped). They literally were hauling the gangway as we cleared ship Security.

The return trip was on a HAL but which was much better but it also parked at the far distant end of Sea-Tac airport and it was a long hike with luggage to get to airline check in.

Maybe flying to Vancouver is a better way to go.

On 5/21/2022 at 11:54 AM, Laminator said:

  So I let them know that they will be Ben and Jerry. 

Mine give me a business card at our first meeting and I carry it around and try to review it to pronounce their names correctly before meeting them each coming and going.

We certainly had room for you last week.  Waiter said we had 660 passengers and over 800 crew on board.  On a 2000 passenger ship, there was plenty of room everywhere and service was exemplary.

Just got off the Nieuw Amsterdam in Vancouver last Sunday, May 8 and HAL scheduled free covid tests in B B Kings the day before for those who were flying out of Vancouver.  Passengers crossing the border by land, i.e. the shuttle to SEA-TAC didn't need one.

3 hours ago, Ilex said:

I am just devastated!  Our cruise that we have had booked for almost 2 years cancelled due to the refugees using ship.  I commend Holland America for their kindness and our hearts go out to all those of Ukraine (We have donated to the cause ourselves) but I don't understand why they would not use one of the ships they have in Dry Dock?  Or at least a ship that has short cruises that are not so bad and easily picked up if one is cancelled.  We have been booked for almost 2 years on this once in a life time cruise to Egypt and Turkey which is the only area of the World we have not traveled too.  It is very very difficult to find a cruise that goes to both of these places.  We were so excited to find one.  Then it was bumped due to covid and now they take it away completely???  I just do not know why they picked that particular ship.  I am literally sick to my stomach.  I am 70 years old and going downhill so I probably will never get to Egypt and Turkey.  

Agree.  Why don't they return one of the parked ships to service and use it or the Volendam to operate scheduled cruises.  They have screwed us around for three years and cancelled cruise after cruise after cruise all for good reasons but it has really wrecked havoc with any kind of planning and HAL takes forever to refund the money they've had the use of for two years.  We're finished with them for a while.

17 hours ago, Crew News said:

The choices were the mango stuff or pico de gallo.  I think that the ship was caught a bit short by the approval and did not have nacho chips or real salsa onboard.  The ship did their best with pita chips that would not have survived a more liquid salsa.  I hope the real salsa is being loaded aboard as I make this post.  If I had five minutes with the chef to give a few nacho tips, I know the ship could be truly Southwest authentic.

 

The taco meat was good, the cheese was not cheddar, and the red onion was a bit thick for my taste, BUT the ship did their best to reopen the Taco Bar. 

We've been on four or five HAL cruises and except for one day on one cruise when the chef snuck a bottle of Pace's out of the crew mess, there has never been what I call regular salsa. 

The new Rotterdam has evidently done away with the taco bar altogether.  At least there wasn't one on our Caribbean trip a few months ago.

18 hours ago, Crew News said:

Did it just by any slight chance have legitimate Western/Southwestern

style salsa on it or is it still only that mango garbage?

 

 

The Taco Bar reopening after more than two years on hold this cruise. 

 

3 hours ago, richwmn said:

HAL's policy is that all guests on a booking get the benefits of the highest Star Level on the booking

I booked a dinner which I am buying for eight guests and was charged the full amount even though I'm a 3 star.  Any suggestions on how to correct?

2 hours ago, Jsipes said:

Much better for HAL to rent ALL Cabins to Government, than 1/3 cabins sold to tourists. Better for refugees too.  HAL ships are currently staffed with only 2/3 crews....according to room steward on Koningsdam cruise last month, and 2/3 of ships cabins were empty.  I pray HAL will survive      in the competitive world of tourism. THEY ARE a terrific. affordable cruise line.

My guess is a whole lot of the people on board are using cruise credits from other trips cancelled the last two and a half years so HAL has little actual new cash coming in.  My group has about given up sailing and shifted to land tours where we have a little more control over things.  So far, I'm about $6,000 in the hole from various airline penalties, expired credits, refused refunds, etc.  Still waiting to hear from various supposed insurance coverages.

18 minutes ago, Sgwscruiser said:

We’ve found this is SOP when playing trivia on every cruise line.  These games have a time limit so this keeps someone from arguing with the emcee. When we cruise we play trivia for fun and we do win sometimes.  However, we have played against several excellent teams, that have won every time they played. It would get so annoying the way the acted when they won that we stopped going because it was no longer fun.

Maybe it's the loss of those exquisite, highly desirable, collectable HAL

pins awarded to winners that has Linguist208 upset.🙂

On 3/23/2022 at 8:55 PM, MisterMatthew said:

Okay, that's good to know.  I know when I'm having a meal.. I often would like a tall drink nearby & ready!  I won't even obtain food unless a drink is on my table.  And, I'm not talking about some 5 ounce cup of soda!  And..  (oh gosh, sorry, did not mean to tangent there, lol)

 

---Matthew

Glasses are small.  I always order two at a time.  In short order, the staff recognizes me and automatically doubles everything.  It pays off for them in the end.

Looking at my reservation it appears the only restaurant available for complimentary dining is the Canaletto.  Does that seem reasonable that that would be the only one?

17 hours ago, richwmn said:

I was told the same thing so I booked my next flights directly with Delta. I still have credits left but Delta extended them to the end of next year.

Delta did.  American in their typical arrogance has refused to follow their lead.

I've had various cruises and trips canceled and am stuck with an American Airlines flight voucher that expires April 15, 2022.

Has anybody had any luck with HAL applying one of those things to their FlightEase air booking as payment?
 

One of the best I've seen recently was on Viking, a man named Russell Lee.  The Queen Mary 2 had Sir Richard Dearlove Former Head of MI6 and years ago Abercrombie & Kent had a half dozen incredible naturalists on an Antarctic trip from such places as the Smithsonian, Scripps, Woods Hole, Toronto University, Texas A & M and their people ate at passenger tables and accompanied groups and pointed out things on shore visits.  All far surpassed anything we've experienced on HAL and certainly better than cruise director presentations.

12 hours ago, jeh10641 said:

I grew up in New York City and its suburbs. This photo reminds me of the Horn and Hardart Automat restaurants. Sadly, they are no more but you could get a whole meal 24 hours a day for much less than US$5.00.

I still remember, (and miss), the huckleberry pie.  Cost 25 cents.

Thanks.  We'll get it together one way or another incorporating some of the above

suggestions.   Probably later than embarking day.

Maybe it means HAL is in the process of jacking up the prices yet again.

Seeking suggestions for arranging for a small group embarkation party in a Neptune suite consisting of seven 

or eight Neptune and  non-Neptune guests with better hors d’oeuvres/canapes than those provided in

the routine "collector gifts" section of the HAL website.  Those are always the same and not particularly

good in my opinion.  Don't need a bartender but is Is it also possible to have a larger mini-bar and more ice

set up in advance for the occasion?
 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/princess-cruises-names-chef-rudi-173000756.html

3 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

I believe this is what I was referring to that HAL states they will accept:

 

COVID-19 Test for Travel - Abbott BinaxNOW™ Ag At-Home Kit 2 Pack | Optum Store

 

 

I bought that same kit through American Airlines.  (Same price).

If you are traveling with non-suite friends and want to join them for meals, can you get the Club Orange dining benefits eating with them in the main dining room? 

11 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

It was really weird on our cruise.  The only “newspapers” available on Navigator were from non-English speaking countries.  🤨

We had four or five from India and only one I can't recall from the U.S. on the Rotterdam a couple of months ago,

I also like the ability to book into or out of any port served by HAL within 30 days before or after a cruise so you can combine a ground tour with a cruise.

1 hour ago, StLouisCruisers said:

It must depend on the airline whether or not you can choose seats on their website, whether "paid for" or not.  Delta allows me in to pick seats instantly after booking with Flight Ease or Princess's EZAir.

American let me do it on flights booked through Flight Ease through HAL as well.

Some carriers such as British don't even allow business class to book specific seats

without paying extra until within 24 hours of the flight.  Bah, humbug.