BillderBo

Compared to years ago, I find our PCC has less patience, tends to forget what he/she last told me and is more likely to encourage me to find information from other sources. To quote my namesake, Bilbo Baggins, today's PCCs seem "stretched...like butter scraped over too much bread." I regret not seeking a good TA for my current booking. And I hope HAL can recover a better level of customer service,

I agree. Alaska and The Baltics are both fantastic. If they are going to pay your airfare, then I’d definitely do Baltics. I’ve not been to Panama Canal, simply because it does not seem that interesting to me. But that is just me.

How many pounds and/or kilos should I expect to gain in 21 days.

There is a time limit (in my experience). I don’t think you are close to it yet. I would ask the travel agent for a bonus of some sort for moving the reservation. I was offered that recently.

Does anyone know if you can do screen mirroring (from phone or pad) to the cabin TV? This method requires no physical connection. Just Bluetooth.

Someone said Dutch Cafe food is free. I just heard a vlogger say it is free only with drink purchase. Anyone know? I wonder if “drink purchase.” Anyone know how it works?

Thank you, all. You’ve given me good information. The little thank-you button is not working tonight, so this stands in its place.

It would be best for me if milkshakes are not free…if you know what I mean. 😄

In which venues are Have It All drinks free? In which places are they not free? Reading various topics, I get some clues, but I still don't have the comprehensive view. And most of the discussions cover alcoholic drinks more than non. Where are HIA drinks available?: LIdo? Dining room and Club Orange? Special dining? Bars? Room service? Explorations? Theater and music venues? Dutch Cafe? Elsewhere? Doesn't include mini-bar, if I understand correctly...right? Which drinks? I know the limit is $11 and 15/day. but... ALL specialty coffees? Soft drinks? Juice? (important to us due to dietary issues) Are there other drinks within the $11 limit that are not included? Gratuities for drinks? Someone said you don't pay these for Have It All. Can someone confirm? Is there a document/source that clearly spells out all of the ifs, ands and buts? Additional drink questions: -Do the ships (Rotterdam in our case) offer chai tea? -How about smoothies?

The HAL cruise rep did the math and determined that booking separately was our best price in this case. We came out ahead on HIA perks because we got excursion and dining credits twice.

You’ve all turned our big stress into something to look forward to. Thanks!

That sounds great! We had visions of roaming the streets of Fort Lauderdale for hours, me pushing wife in wheelchair. There is one twist in our situation. We will be changing cabins, so we will have to wait until the new cabin is cleaned. Hope that doesn’t bump us out onto the streets, so to speak.

How much time must we stay off the ship between cruises? Our first cruise ends in Fort Lauderdale, and the second departs the same day on the same ship (Rotterdam). Most people want to know how long they have for an excursion. We just want to know how soon we can get back on the ship. Trying to be the last off and first back on is an obvious strategy, although I don't have the optimal logistics and timing of that figured out yet. Still, I have no idea how long the time gap might be. Does anyone have insight on this?

Does anyone know...are passengers expected to show up with a stock of their favorite mask, just in case it is needed? Or does HAL supply the masks, when needed? And are they N95 or some cheapo variety?

Regarding airfares through HAL...Some airlines will let you change to a lower fare later if/when it becomes available. But if you book "restricted air" through HAL, then you cannot take advantage of lower fares that typically become available six to eight weeks or so before departure. HAL air bookings have some advantages, but you might end up spending much less booking on your own.

Just about any cheap or free upgrade is good 🙂. You might have some noise above from the Lido Deck. My experience on a deck under Lido is that my state of mind makes all the difference whether it is annoying or just blends in with the other sounds. You will enjoy. Sorry about the Cnd/US$ exchange rate. Hope it gets better for you before final payment.

Thank you, Mary. Good point. I reacted without considering the context of the broader discussion.

I said that, due to certain disabilities, I was looking for information about how HAL handles catching up with a cruise—no demands or expectations, just information—so I can make an informed decision about my booking. Some replies here are helpful (thank you). Some are less so. For example: “Let’s be clear, that is how the entire world works. Once you leave your neighborhood your support system is left behind also. The expectations of someone there to tend to your every need are not reality based.” I appreciate those who encourage me to do my homework. That is why I posted...to gather information. Not to demand hand-holding. Yes, I am disappointed in HAL’s level of response. But I’m moving on from that. May you always find help when you need it.

I now have answer to my question…from the company. “Unfortunately, Luggage Direct is (still) only available for Southwest flights departing no later than 6:00PM.”

Does anyone know if the Southwest 6:00pm departure restriction is still in effect? I can’t find a web site with current policy.

When you say “pushing you off by 9:30,” do you mean they begin disembarkation then? Or do you mean they try to clear the entire ship of passengers by 9:30?

I am interested, too, in this question of how late can you stay on the ship on last day. But VMax17’s comment about room service is a jaw-dropper, if still true. Is room service not available at all, or just on the last day?

True, I could just never cruise again. But with a little information from HAL, I could make an informed decision. We all have limitations of some sort. If HAL could tell me how they normally handle catching up with the ship on this route, then I can decide for myself. Some of you cruise often, and missing one is not a big deal. This cruise is a big deal for my wife and me. It should not be so hard for HAL to tell me whether the normal mode of transportation is, as you say, "a 2-3 hour plane ride (in coach), a bus or taxi ride, or a brief walk."

I asked HAL what arrangements have been typical in the past on this route. That should not be too hard a question.

Seems this post has taken on a life of its own. My original posting concerned HAL's unwillingness to reveal to people with disabilities what they might need to go through to catch up with the cruise. But that is okay, because we've heard some interesting comments and information here. Thanks, all, for that. Despite HAL's seeming indifference to our needs, we went ahead with the booking. I guess just getting up in the morning is a risk. So we plan to arrive at the port a day early. And, if winter weather or other craziness still makes us miss our ship, and HAL's secret catch-up-with-ship plans won't work for our health limitations...then we will deal with it when it happens. Related...I get the impression HAL cruise consultants are so slammed right now that they don't have time for anything but the easy questions and taking our money. And I have always found them to be very by-the-book on communication (could be that way with all cruise lines). It is like talking to your insurance company. All you get is a recitation of the official insurance documents.