Mary229

7 minutes ago, Archipelago said:

Thank You all ! I only want one night in Santiago and 2 or 3 nights in Buenos Aires...on the other end .Thank You ! 

Buenos Aires is another great town.  Get a private driver, your hotel concierge can set that up. Street taxis can be iffy so check with your hotels for their recommendations. It is surprisingly inexpensive and they can take you everywhere you want.   

5 minutes ago, Archipelago said:

This was years ago . I was just going to get a hotel independent...the package was a long time ago.

Ok, I misread. If you look at your booking confirmation or your itinerary it will give you sail away time.  HAL lately has been assigning everyone noon embarkation.  You can get there with no worries at 11.  

7 minutes ago, Archipelago said:

I just looked it is a Friday that the ship departs .I would probably just get the private transfer ...do you get an embarkation time on your booking ? I got the HAL package before so don't remember when we went. 

Which HAL package?  If you are staying at the hotel the shuttle is included in your package.  If you are staying at the HAL hotel stop at the HAL desk in the lobby and arrange your shuttle time there. 

Bon Voyage

2 hours ago, Kay S said:

Post-covid cruising has been a mixed bag for us.  Depending on the ship, HAL has been the least disappointing.  Princess the worst, on each ship we tried (three, in total, had lots of FCC to use up.)  Two domestic river cruises were pretty much awful.  In my opinion, the lines are making a mistake by running off the older, more traditional cruisers in order to attract the young money.  Yes, I know they need to make up the shortfall, but isn't there a happy medium in there?  We're trying Oceania ourselves to see if it's any better.  Covid really caused problems.

Good luck with Oceania.  I had high hopes for them and was sorely disappointed.  Let us know what you think.  My two biggest disappointments were the crew was downright surly and unpleasant and the “included excursions “ were 2-3 hour cattle drives.  This was in the Med late 2018.  2022 and early 2023 were the worst for cruising with lots of cutbacks and rookie crews. Since the 2nd half of 2023 I have seen vast improvement on HAL.  The crew is getting into the groove, old timer crew are coming back and new entertainment and dining options are being put in place.  Sure many older features are gone but to many of those features I  say good riddance. 

5 minutes ago, Archipelago said:

Okay let me see ...What time is embarkation on Hal ? I would want to get there early . Arrange the driver in plenty of time to allow for any delays or something unexpected . 

Another thing to check is if it is a Sunday departure then the wineries will be closed and most everything else so if that is the case simply get a private transfer without tour 

The lodge is not on NPS lands so to enter you will need to pay or show your pass.  The tours of course do include the entrance fee. Review the NPS site for a complete rundown. https://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm

There are some evening excursions offered and they are enjoyable. Some include a large meal.  Check the listings.  As a group leader you should be able to arrange excursions with HAL exclusively for your group. 

Just now, Archipelago said:

Oops..it IS San Antonio ..is that Santiago or close to Santiago ???

You want to stay in Santiago, not terribly close but close enough that you can take a private transfer with a wine tour if you choose or go with HAL transfer.  San Antonio is a working port town, Santiago is a better option IMHO. I have stayed in Santiago a number of times and i always can find something to do. 

I always book HAL hotels way in advance, they seem to sell out quickly - many, many months in advance.  But stay waitlisted as some will choose to drop the HAL hotel as final payment clears.  But do in the meantime find a suitable substitute and book a refundable room.  
 

heads up - if you book one night in the Santiago hotel your room is ready when you arrive very early in the morning and you can have a complimentary full breakfast both mornings. You get two nights for the price of one - well sort of 😉. It is in a very walkable safe neighborhood with plenty to do. 

On most of my recent cruises I ordered decaf in the MDR every evening as it was a delicious nespresso brew, no charge.  Unfortunately on my recent Koningsdam cruise they walked around with a carafe and I am pretty certain some evenings the pour was not decaf. 

So I haven’t followed along with this thread except when it first launched.  Has anyone posted any verified information from HAL regarding this or is this thread carrying on 14 pages o only one PCCs word.   It has always been the policy for family rooms.  I have a family room booked and we were surprised they allowed us to do so but the sailing historically does not draw families or groups.  We were warned when we book that we could be asked to move - this was booked well over a year ago. 

45 minutes ago, secondtime said:

Upon doing the online checkin for an upcoming cruise, I see that the language has been changed in the contract to reflect that HAL can move anyone to another stateroom.  The date on the bottom of the contract is March 2024.

I don’t have an old contract to compare with but they have always reserved the right to move you.  That was generally done when they needed an accessible room and the person who had originally booked did not need the room.  

If it is like Holland America, Princess's sister company, yes but there will be glitches.  I would recommend doing as you have already done but periodically reviewing the onboard account to be sure it is charging correctly and even going to the guest services desk and paying your onboard account with card in hand.  My sister and I travel together often and as I said occasionally there are glitches and this is how we handle them. (She gambles a lot more than I do)

As @POA1 indicated with a refundable deposit you don't need to pay for insurance until you get to the first required payment which is usually on final payment day (3 to 4 months before the cruise).   But yes, once you buy the insurance that is not refundable

Remember the feedback button on the left margin.  I use it frequently.  This morning I was sure to tell them they could simply get a GoDaddy website and do better😆

Bon Voyage! 
 

I look forward to your reports.  

No.  

2 minutes ago, clo said:

You used lockdowns twice. 'Scuse my ignorance, I have not idea what that is.

The time between 2020 and 2022 when people were not allowed to travel freely 

12 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Yes, they are good bets for Glacier Bay however there are other lines that sail Glacier Bay now.  Do an advanced search on Cruise Critic and put in Glacier bay under ports 

@Christina2067  here is the NPS list of cruise lines

https://www.nps.gov/glba/getinvolved/concession-contracts.htm

2 minutes ago, Christina2067 said:

The only reason was that wanted the Glacier Bay passage if possible in Alaska and only Princess and Holland America have the permission for that port.  I also have cruised Princess as well.  Holland and Princess were neither my favorite lines of the many that I have been on.   

Yes, they are good bets for Glacier Bay however there are other lines that sail Glacier Bay now.  Do an advanced search on Cruise Critic and put in Glacier bay under ports 

I like 30 day+ cruises so yes there is the occasional missed port especially in the North Atlantic and far southern South America where weather fluctuates wildly. Besides those when cruises started up after the lockdown there were still ports unexpectedly turning away cruise ships. 

Besides weather and lockdowns I have missed ports because of medical evacuations once on Oceania and once on Holland America.

1 hour ago, Christina2067 said:

I know some people have commented on location is worth the price but “spa” category without spa access is not for me.  I did not put in my original post that I have been on Holland America years ago and it was ok but it was not my favorite line.  That is my opinion.

I am truly curious. Why were you looking at HAL again?  I will never consider Oceania again after my experience with them no matter how wonderful the itinerary.

We always carry our own trail mix except to countries that ban nut import.  Costco and Sam’s both have nice sized bags that will last the week and granola/energy bars travel well from home to tour.  (Bring ziploc bags to package to single serving)  Remember in Alaska groceries are expensive but interestingly I didn’t find restaurants that expensive. At Denali there are other restaurants besides the lodge fare.  We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food and the huge size of portions at HAL’s restaurant, we shared entrees a time or two. 

Just now, Ninato8 said:

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I have had atrial fib for about 15 years. Started off with 3 ablations over 3 years and then controlled by meds. No episodes for at least five years so these two episodes were a great surprise. I am trying to get a consult with my cardiologist but not an easy thing to do. 
 

so hard to decide…

You don’t need to decide, let the physician decide.  I use mychart to communicate with my doctor. That might be easier than an in person consult.  If that is not available try speaking with their assistant by phone. Start with this easiest option then move up to an in person appointment 

41 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

HAL created the "Spa" category a few years back to charge more for poorly-selling cabins (for the reasons you state). Genius marketing I guess! I actually like the locations even though I am not a spa user, but not the higher tariff. But I do look and compare rates...

 

ETA: We like to be near the Crows Nest!

 

Some of us like high, proximity to certain features and the quiet.  Well worth the extra price.  I haven’t bought a spa cabin but I have paid more for comparably situated cabins in my preferred category.  Right now I am regretting a cabin I have booked in the lower regions, hopefully it will work out and maybe I will become a convert.  If one has no motion sickness one can not worry about position plus I find modern ships so stable to the point of being boring