Mary229

Generally the account for the room is combined so all expenditures and OBC are merged. You can change that to separated expenditures and separate OBC, I do this when I sail with a sister.

I was there too and didn’t notice a heat wave but after a summer in Texas everything north of hell feels pretty good 😊

I agree. So many people travel oblivious to the fact that they may need to make a snap decision to remove themselves from a bad situation. I guess my many years of wilderness hiking and underground recreational mining make me realize you are “on your own” always. Of all the evacuations I have had I have have watched adults in sheer panic. That panic was simply a lack of consideration and preparedness not skill or strength. a phone allows options - get one even if you only turn it on in an emergency situation. You can program your phone to only sound a call if it is from specific source such as the ship

I will be calling my agent a Monday to see if I can get the air promo added to my booking. Will report back when I get a response . If fares are equal she usually can get some form of compensation equivalency.

True but I know Apple stands by their products. Anyway because of this thread I recently was onboard and lo and behold there was this product. The store clerk quietly warned me away from buying it - I was just inspecting the signage to be sure it was clear it was not apple.

It might be sales tax if you ordered a beverage while in port. I would send them an email to get clarification, I am like you - I don’t like little stray charges

I do recall them saying they were soon going to mothball the Grand South America for a while. Perhaps that will allow for more varied shorter cruises

I just sailed from Vancouver to San Diego so it does work the OP clearly is not enjoying the experience. Why try to convince him to stay? He seems to know what he likes and dislikes so he needs to find the best method to bail out. This reminds me of a thread where the first cruise was transatlantic and after one day they discovered they hated being on a ship - that could drive someone crazy. Better to end it as soon as possible

The multi device is now 4 devices. We used it for an iPhone and iPad each.

Valparaiso is still used even though they list it as Santiago.

Usually yes but there can be exceptions. I call HAL for clarification.

I have left tours before. It is from that experience that I always have the expectation that my best laid plans may be thwarted. I find it is best to leave it behind and get on with life. Returning home from Mexico will save you at least 10 days

See above.

Another option is to meet the HAL shuttle at the Movenpick in Amsterdam. It is only $29 a person. That is a deal. You may need to call HAL for availability

I 100% agree. I assumed the ship was heading to dry dock after our journey and was surprised to hear it was next going transoceanic. Good news - we saw Sunday what looked like Starlink installation

You cannot use OBC prior to cruising. What I have done is book with credit card then once on ship go to shore excursions desk and have them change it. YMMV

My recommendation is use the hotel shuttle to ship if available. I have had one too many bad taxi and Uber experiences in FLL

Then he will have to wait until Mexico and recross. If you are miserable you do what you need to do. Been there, done that

Where did he embark?

Good move. You should receive port fees returned for ports you aren’t going on. Be sure to clear your departure with the front desk. My view is that cruise lines can never offer the same experience as land based food or entertainment. HAL cruisers are sailing to travel primarily. The other services are secondary. Let’s examine this - cruise lines collect provisions by mass order at specific ports therefore they don’t have access to daily fresh markets required for the finest dining experience. Entertainers don’t have access to their entire production facilities so it is going to be a lesser product (I have actually seen some of these same entertainers on land and they are far better when they are fully accompanied by their own stage crew and musicians. ) simply, HAL cruise fares (port fees are non negotiable) range from $80 to $140 a day per person. One could not buy a decent hotel much less a fine meal anywhere in the US or Canada for that price. Now add in entertainment and activities such as gym and pool. One must adjust their expectations in line with the economies.

Have fun. We look over the menu beforehand then order the entree we want and pick from the various vegetables available that evening in the dining room.

The onboard accounting system seems to be a mess.

Since you paid nothing and it is unbearable make arrangements to disembark. I would never stay in a situation that would be so unbearable.

Your HAL invoice should include a penalty schedule and those dates include all payments including the deposit. I cannot answer your insurance question.