Mary229

So here is the deal. As a 4 star Mariner I often get 3 and 4 free so I could just book someone in those and oops they didn’t show up.

And for those of us who spend many weeks if not months at sea not being able to select might be a deal breaker. 7 days in a noisy cabin is one thing any more than that is unbearable

I was surprised how much we enjoyed Port Stanley. My sister is a real Anglophile and I FaceTimed her as I walked through the grocery😂.

Someone a few lines up posted a change to the terms of contract. I booked my family cabin spring 2023 and was told that I could be bumped but that was standard before this change as the accessible room bump was. When booking those cabins in the past I was always forewarned. I guess the moral of the story is to have a really good TA or PCC who knows the rules. Actually I had not picked the family room but my TA was offered it on the phone for a very small amount of money extra when I was going to try a first floor OV

I think the under 14 day cruises will increase with industry competition, that would be the point. However the grands and legendaries have small perks that I do believe are subsidized by the mass market itineraries. My cost on lengendaries when compared to my costs on standard mass market sailings is hardly a smidge more however the experience is heads and tails above from reports here on cruise critic.

Which ship?

Not really, HAL has always been a bifurcated cruise line but that division is growing. As a business person I understand precisely what they are doing. They are maximizing profits on their most competitive sector - the under 2 week mass market sailing. They are perhaps even subsidizing their classic venture of the long, unique itinerary for the seasoned traveler. The first is easy to figure out - just watch your competition and pick off the most profitable ideas. The second is going after the fuller wallets and maintaining much of the ambiance. HAL does not want to be a luxury line, its higher end clientele want to travel well but don’t want to be smothered with butlers and caviar. This clientele will splurge on long exotic voyages and the take the grandkids on vacation in Alaska. It is a solid target.

Same with entertainment. I grew up in the very tail end of the variety show era with all of the dance routines and production shows. It is not what people watch anymore. I go to our theater a lot and rarely have I seen an equivalent to the cruise line production show. I see traditional, cultural productions and their updated cousins, small troupe plays and comedy, solo artists or small band performances. People also still attend ballet, symphony and the like but large scale performances cannot be accomplished well on a cruise ship just like 5 star dining is not easily replicated in the confines of a ship galley

I want to correct what I said. My negative experiences with the art studio and seeing Park West were on the Koningsdam not the Oosterdam.

PS when you complain on app Seattle receives a direct message also. I was saddened to see Park West back onboard. They were almost sued out of existence but now they are back. Yuck

That is something I would complain about on ship, immediately using the app and dropping a note into the box at guest services. We had a similar issue on the Oosterdam where the art studio was closed except during art presentations. That is stupid. I complained and gave notice that I would be going behind the velvet rope at will

Those little packets of powdered coffee mate in hotels. Not very healthful

That is a different thing they have been doing and I am not really sure what it portends. About 6-8 weeks out they have been “closing” the bookings then reopening them later. This started soon after RCCL had to turn away people at the pier because Royal had overbooked. Perhaps it is a new back office booking software?

There are plenty of agency owners using independent contractors who focus on group cruises and groups can be amazingly small. My TA’s agency is giving me the opportunity to try as I retired last year and am looking for a new retirement career. I just started and so far all of the training is online. There are plenty of such agencies. Perhaps the agency you are currently using has a program in place. Call the owner and ask

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.