aotmc

My wife and I are traveling on Holland's Konigsdam January 14, ten days. We bought a B cat guarantee, and WILL BE QUITE OKAY WITH a B cabin. That being said, we'll be THRILLED, but NOT COUNTING on an upgrade. As we've checked over the last few months, the only availability was B GUAR, A had eight cabins, and AS had GUAR (that was as of about two days ago). When I checked earlier today, there was B GUAR and AS GUAR. As of now, there is no B, no A, no AS availability, even GUAR.

 

Just curious if anyone in the know might guess if this means they're pulling those cabins to make assignments (seems early this far out), or if maybe someone came in and snatched up the eight A cabins.

 

Again, I know it's all top secret, I'm just too inquisitive not to wonder out loud.....

My understanding is that they show all available cabins so to give those wanting a non-guarantee to select their location/specific choice. Once they hit the number of cabins remaining and guarantees booked, then they become unavailable. So for your example, there were probably 7 people with guarantees booked, and 8 cabins showing. Someone booked one cabin, and then there were 7 cabins left of that category and 7 ppl with gaur bookings, so now they are all showing as unavailable.

Im no expert, but that process was explained to me and makes sense. Good luck with a great cabin!

Others have responded about Explore 4, but I wanted to mention that Ready Set Sail is a promo they have done in the springtime. Depending on the cruise and the cabin booked it can be a very attractive offer.

where we receive information that advises us about safety drill details and location. I cant remember if information was in our cabin or what??

Your muster location will be printed on your room key card. The time is typically around 3 or 3:30pm, and as others mentioned, there will be many announcements about when it is happening.

Cabo- nice and clean port shopping area. Lots of souvenirs. A pharmacy or two. Right off the pier that the tender takes you to. Walking into town a bit gets you some tiendas and tourist stores (like diamond international).

Mazatlan- More Cruise center shopping. A whole line of pharmacies. Stores are not as clean or as organized as Cabo. In the city center there’s a bizarre type market with a food section and a clothing area. More artisan type offerings. A bit crazy and some are aggressive; but manageable. A few blocks from that there’s a flower market and a seafood market. Near the cliff divers there was a little hotel district that had nicer jewelry stores, and clothing stores, but clearly geared towards tourists.

Puerto Vallarta- there’s a Walmart across the street. and a shopping mall. I did a boat excursion this day, but PV seemed to be the most urban and developed of the three ports.

Hope this info is helpful.

Got my assignment 10 days prior to sail date.

One thing I discovered when starting to plan cruises is that the costs can vary wildly. There are MANY factors. (That said, real cost breakdowns are a great way to see what people are spending... I will include one at the end of this post.)

There are a few approaches to booking the cruises. One is to book what is the bare-bones fare. Little to no "perks" or "included" at a base price and then you add on what you'd like. This can be beneficial as you aren't paying for what you don't use. This is tricky however if you do add on what many cruisers DO use and do pay for. The other option is to book with a promotion that includes various on-board spending and/or is a reduced fare for multiple people in the same cabin, or a reduced rate for a single occupant cabin.

Example #1 PROMO BREAKDOWN

7 night- Cost for two: 2900 total (mini suite with balcony)

Included in fare:

$500 on board credit (combo of promo credit and big-box warehouse agency credit)

Paid gratuities (the standard $15/day per person service charge)

$100 worth of internet minutes

All taxes

Onboard credit spent as follows:

Spa pass for two for week

1 full day excursion (includes drinks/meal)

Soda Card

Additional Costs:

$200 on food/drinks/souvenirs at ports

$50 in cash tips (room service, porters, taxi)

$50 pics taken by ship photogs

TOTAL: $3200 for two

Example #2- LOWER FARE

7 night cost for 2- 1700 (balcony cabin)

Included: $120 onboard credit

Onboard credit spent on:

Soda Card & a few speciality drinks (maybe 3?)

Souvenirs on ship

Additional Costs:

$175 Ship-auto gratuities

$210 taxes

$250 spa passes

$200 excursion through ship

$100 private excursion

$200 on food/drinks/souvenirs at ports

$50 in cash tips

$50 photos

$75 internet minutes

TOTAL: 3010 for two

Notes:

-We don't drink alcohol

-Travel to/from the cruise not included

-Where you go, which ship, and itinerary will affect the actual numbers

-We aren't gamblers

I’m on the 11/26 sailing on the Eurodam. Had paid for an SY guarantee; got my cabin assignment last night for a SS cabin, deck 6/midship. I’m very pleased and can’t wait!

Hope your assignment comes quick!

Same for me only on Eurodam. I have never waited so long for a guarantee, hope it bodes well

I don’t think Oasis class can dock in Havensight. It always in CB.

 

When your ship is scheduled to dock in Havensight will there be another Holland ship which scheduled to dock in CB?

Apologies, you’re correct, the oasis class is in CB. In the day I’m in port we appear to be the only ship at either dock. This is the schedule I’m lookinh at:

Wednesday - 29th

Allure of the Seas - 5,408

Crown Bay

Divina - 3,502

West Indian Co.

Nieuw Amsterdam - 2,106

Crown Bay

Norwegian Gem - 2,394

West Indian Co.

Regal Princess - 3,560

West Indian Co.

Thursday - 30th

Eurodam - 2,104

West Indian Co.

Do we know for sure that HAL is now docking at Havensight? I expect to meet up with someone on another cruise ship in St thomas near the end of Nov. Its either there or I cab it to Crown Bay.

From what I saw, HAL will be using both piers through the end of the year. For example, my ship is scheduled for the 30th on Eurodam at Havensight. The day before there will be 5 ships in ports- the schedule shows Nieuw Amsterdam docking at Crown Bay (presumingly to allow the larger ships like Allure of the Seas to use Havensight).

:evilsmile::preally enjoyed the salad bar in the lido. Great variety of all fresh produce. Also enjoyed the lido eggs bennidicts in the morning with the muesli that is in the lido and offered for room service.

The Dive In also impressed with the fries and dip/sauce and the shroom burger (sandwich really).

In the MDR the eggplant rolls (not sure of official name) were superb. As were the desserts. Another fave is the fruit/cheese in puff pastry appetizer.

Didn’t care for the Mexican food in MDR or lido.

My mom who eats far less sugar than myself really liked some of the SF desserts. While I can’t say I agree. :evilsmile:

I wear one (pouch style); I can’t imagine caring what anyone else thought about what I was wearing. I find them practical & useful.

As an aside, I live and work in the DC area where visible badges are required for many jobs/workplaces. Men and women wear them as lanyards with professional dress. It just makes sense.

HAL has them for sale in the shops.

I plan to book the thermal suites again, and maybe check for a day cabana rental --- what are other on board things to book once I get on the ship (not in advance online)?

I don’t tip them. Everyone without an education expects tips because their employer pays them very little. Here’s a tip...get an education and you won’t need to rely on tips.

This is ridiculous. To assume all those with education have non-service jobs is inaccurate. Also, to assume all should get a formal education is misguided. I'd also like to point out that a shuttle driver is in the work force, doing what s/he can to earn an income. Tips are a part of U.S. socioeconomic culture. They are typically awarded to those in the service industry. Not in all low paying industries. When was the last time you tipped a fast food worker, or saw it happen? Probably rare. There are many other low paying workers that don't expect tips. Those who directly provide a personal service to you, such as handling your luggage, opening your door, and driving you are not necessarily expecting a tip, but it is a common,nominal gesture of showing appreciation.

To answer the OP's question: If I receive acceptable service, I tip about a dollar a bag. If service is below standard I adjust. If they do not open my door, or handle my luggage, or drop me off close to destination, I have been known to offer nothing (very rare).

Looking forward to a 17 day Cruise on the Westerdam from Vancouver to Hawaii and back. By the last week I will probably looking forward to a Sauna after walking round the Promenade deck. How do I find the public Sauna, how crowded is it and how does it compare to the Pay Sauna?

The public sauna is near the doorway/hallway from the open air lido deck to the inside spa area, it's door is outside. It is small and if I recall correctly, a wood style.

The "pay saunas" are a totally different ball game. As far as I know, the only way to access is through the purchase of a thermal suite pass (limited, sold by week or if available, by the day pro rated). It includes unlimited access to the hydropool (a large jetted spa, shared, mineral water), the heated tile loungers, and three or four aroma therapy style wet saunas. They also have a couple showers with scrub in the sauna/loungers room, and that room features huge wide windows to watch the sea go by.

I was on the Westerdam and had a pass for a week. We paid $249 for two people for the week. On the first day they were doing tours of the facility.

One striking difference is the limited evening hours of the Lido compared to Princess and to all of the other mass market cruise lines that we have enjoyed. We find that room service pales in comparison to being able to go to a buffet when dining later in the evening.

in addition to this being a difference of options, it also causes a bit more crowding in the Lido during dinner hours in my experience. On cruises with the buffet being 'always open' it helped spread out the congestion of everyone heading to the Lido at the same time.

I think you will enjoy the Anytime Dining option. I met a variety of very interesting people this way (and avoided be assigned nightly to some no-so-desirable table mates).

A heads up, we when we chose a larger table, often the partial table would be seated and they fill it as people come, yet more often than not they started serving immediately. It seemed the waitstaff would try to get everyone in sync - so that meant sometimes a lag between courses for some and a rush between for others.

The only times we had to wait for a table was when we asked for a 2-top. Our wait was under 1/2 hour each time, except for one gala night they said it would be about an hour and we changed to any size table and were seated immediately.

*Keep in mind, ship size and how full the ship is will affect a lot of this info :)

We are I category on deck 7 cabin 7049. Is there a dining room used for anytime dining, which one? Are the pastries/snacks in the cafe free of charge? Does the pool have a retractable roof? Lots of ???'s

Jumping in here: the lido pool does have a retractable roof -- the aft pool is open air.

I was on deck 7 on the westerdam and really enjoyed that location. Not too far from lido deck or crows nest (10).

Last year anytime dining was the lower level of the MDR, while set dining was all the floor above.

The snacks in the cafe are free of charge. Drinks are for sale. Trivia was up near the cafe and twice I grabbed a little something with out ordering any coffee or drinks, never felt weird doing so.

One thing I did find unique, if you are using the forward elevator bays, you go through the spa front desk/waiting/reception to get to the pool and buffet. At first I felt like I was intruding to walk thru, but it was the only way. After about a day, everyone else was doing it too and it just was the path to the pool.

Hope this info helps u prepare!

Wondering when the contract cycles for on board employees generally are?

Do they stagger or will they turn over all at once? For example will a ship have a fresh group for the Caribbean season?

I sail on the Eurodam on Nov. 26 and our previous revised itenerary has been updated. Originally they replaced St. Maarten with St. Croix; now they have replaced St. Croix with St. Thomas.

Others with plans in the Caribbean may want to check the new list.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/pageByName/Resp.action?requestPage=Hurricane_Impact&showHeader=true&showFooter=true&legacy=true

I am a little surprised since up until yesterday I could book excursions in st Croix with HAL. Though, I understand the complexity of the recovery of the region and am trusting that they are doing what is needed.

I just read through this thread and it seems there is a consistency issue. I've only sailed HAL once. Dec 2016 on the Westerdam. So, not even a year ago. Some findings:

- "Yum Yum Man" I had to google, but I think it was him. Each night after dinner there was a man dressed like a bell hop with a cart offering ginger and mints outside the MDR. I had open seating even.

- Room service was almost all included. There were only a few breakfast items that had an extra charge, and I know one of which included a cooked to order steak. Everything else was brought to my room no charge. I even wrote in items I wanted ala cart that were not a part of their new menu cards.

- I watched an excellent crew show on the Main Stage.

- I attended a very interesting and informative educational lecture about the culture of Mexico.

- I was behind a gentleman who was professsionally and tactfully asked to come back to the MDR with different attire to comply with the dress code.

- Pleanty of wooden loungers and chairs on the promenade.

Now, are you all sitting down? I'm a... MILLENNIAL! :eek: Born in 1981.

I appreciate all of the things that HAL tradition seems to be keeping. I wanted to share my perspective here, since I think some of these changes are to market to cruisers like me. I really *don't* care about a lot of the things HAL seems to be getting rid of that really do add to the costs.

I don't care about cruise logs, or having special exclusive parties/events for the suite guests (my next cruise is in a suite, still don't care for anything like that).

That said, I'm sure there are things I care about that many HAL cruisers don't care about.

I have read on here that some people are paying the same fares they were paying 20 years ago. That is so HAL doesn't out price themselves. They are competive with their costs of cruising against other lines and for a little bit more money you get a lot more service and product and luxury than you do on other major lines.

I like HAL. I will continue to sail with HAL.

People complaining seem to think HAL is just taking in the money by depriving customers of what used to be. Most ppl seem to be shareholders for the OBC, is thier stock skyrocketing? Do the CEOs make much more than the CEOs from the past? I am not being cheeky here, it would be interesting to compare last profit margins and see if they are making more or if they are trying to adapt to a new market?

*** I do not think everyone is complaining here. Mentioning what you miss is not what I'm referring to. Most posts are filled with great memories and nostalgia. There are some in this thread and some who regularly post who do seem upset and bitter about changes.

Hi there,We are also going on this trip & were of course disappointed by the changes they have had to make but it is understandable.My husband is from N.S. & neither of us can take being on a beach for too long ,so would like to find out about other options available. (e.g.) Tours ,shopping ,Forestry trips etc.

Not sure were to find this out. Hopefully we will meet onboard.

I've been looking into excursions here (never been) and a few private tours and possibly a HAL tour goes to a place called Altos De Chavon, which seems to be in the hills and near a river. It's a replica Mediterranean village built in the 70s. To me it looks charming. Might be of interest to you.

Here is what could cost extra, depending on any package you may have that may include some of the "extras".

Daily Service Charge - flat rate, automatically added to your bill unless you adjust either up or down. This is the "tip" for several workers.

Drinks - the only ones on my HAL 2016 that were no cost were lido lemonade, breakfast juices, water, and teas/hot chocolate/iced tea. All others were paid. You can bring on non-alcoholic drinks at the start and at each port. I did this with soda. Glasses and ice provided in my stateroom.

Salon, spa, thermal suite (saunas)- some ships have a free dry small Diana near the lido pool. The thermal suites cost and have a few aroma therapy wet saunas.

Photos (they will take them for free, to buy them costs). They also offer pro photo sessions and that costs too to have them taken.

Casino play and bingo

Excursions

Some room service items. Most are included. They upcharge now for some hot breakfast items unless you are in a Neptune or higher. They also have some cost for items from the specialty restaurants. All other room service food (24 hrs a day, changing menu based off time of day) is included.

There are some "behind the scene" ship tours that are included and some that have a cost. It will say if they charge and usually have a minimum number of ppl who have to sign up for those.

Entertainment is all included.

Internet - price varries depending on minutes.

Specialty dining- ships usually offer the main dining room, the lido buffet and a few extra counter type places like the dive in burger place, a pizza place, or taco bar. Food/snacks at exploration cafe is no charge.

Cabanas are extra- some ships have shaded tents with perks and furniture that are near the pools that require a reservation and as of now you can't book online, only through ship services or on board.

I think that's it from memory. Just ask if you have any follow up questions!

Please feel free to point me to a wiki. Just wondering what costs extra, how can I learn about any drink packages on Holland America. My TA gave me a quote but it says nothing about optional packages we can pre-pay for.

 

EDIT: I did a google search and did find some information about some of the beverage packages. Newest one is something like $55/day per person. Doesn't that seem crazy? Wouldn't it be cheaper to pay as you go?

Check your updated itinerary. Ours says Cap Cana (Punta Cana). Hope this helps. One thing that hasn't appeared yet are tours. Have to give them some time as I'm sure they are working on it.

I chatted a HAL customer service rep online today about excursions and he said they should be loaded online before we all sail, but could not give a timeline. He suggested calling Exc phone number and said they might be able to book now, but I'd rather wait personally to see all my options first.

What ship are you on and how did you get notified about the substitution for San Juan?

I logged into my HAL account on their website and it was listed under my itenerary. I haven't gotten an official email yet, that came a few days later for my other port change direct from HAL. I booked through a big box store TA. Who sent an email Days after HAL did last port change. As others noted this is the Eurodam. :cool:

I'm on a November 26 out of Ft. Lauderdale sailing the Eastern Caribbean. Our San Juan call is now Cap Cana, DR. (Other change is St. Croix replaced St. Maarten). I'm still cautious that there may be even further changes... the good news is I'll be happy no matter where we land as I haven't been to much of the Caribbean.

Thought I'd share and see if anyone has travelled to the area before? I have not and it seems through searches that this is a newer cruise stop.