rgoldstein86

If you would like to donate to me, I'd be happy to spend your money to keep HAL sitting pretty. Just kidding (....kind of) 😉. I think the intent here was to get ideas on how to save money for those who might not have so much excess pocket change. Not everyone is in a position to be thinking about the the financial health of multi-billion dollar international companies as opposed to themselves. Any way to be able to enjoy amenities at lower cost is a great thing to know about for me, and I think what the OP was hoping to hear about. I'm also interested in any cost-saving options. I've read about happy hours and 2-for-1 deals on drinks but don't know the details. Following.

Drinks on you!

This is my first time with HAL but I can tell you that I called the line out of the blue 29 days before my upcoming cruise and was given multiple offers. I never got an email or anything. If I was more patient maybe I would have, but I decided to just try my chances with the call and it worked out.

I do not know HAL's rules but I think it's fair to assume that anything you do on a cruise which could impact others' ability to enjoy the amenities aboard or pose a safety risk would not be allowed. Looks like a nice float but given the pool sizes aboard these ships I would find it very hard to believe that this would be allowed by HAL staff. Maybe you could sneak it past them if you're truly devoted but I would leave it at home and use that suitcase space to pack some extra sunscreen so you and the sun can play friendly. 🤣 Good luck!!

Not related to HAL but i can't help myself.... Any link you click could initiate a download of malicious software to your computer or mobile device. Cyber criminals could then use that software to lock your device and hold it for ransom, log your keystrokes to gain passwords to your banks, etc. If it's a work computer, your entire company could be put at risk. I'm not saying that this is the case here but I work in IT and see it frequently. My advice to clients is that if you doubt the veracity or the sender, do not click the link no matter what. If it is important, contact the sender via another method (phone) to verify whether the email is real. I did not see this email so I can't comment on whether it was phishing or not but it sure sounds suspicious which would be enough for me to delete/mark as spam immediately. I've seen the horrors of cyber theft firsthand - it can impact individuals up to the largest companies and government institutions. Again, i have no idea if this was phishing or not and am certain HAL would never participate in anything to put you at risk, this very well could have been legitimate. But the criminals are very sneaky and good at what they do so when i see "what could the scam be?" I see all the harm that could come. Anyone who thinks the bad guys have nothing to gain from attacking them is fooling themselves. [End rant 🙂]

maybe, but you'd be really overdressed 🤣

Is there an optimal time to try calling? My cruise departs November 20th. I have an inside cabin but would love an exterior or verandah for the right price. What gives me the best odds timing-wise?

it's gone for me too. following

can someone explain how the library works? Do you "check out" books? buy them? is it open and operated under the honor code? Thanks in advance!

check out travelguard

Do Pinnacle-class ships (I'm specifically interested in the Rotterdam) have steam rooms/saunas other than those in the Thermal Suite (for "general public" use)? In other words, if I want to take a steam, will need to have paid for access to the thermal suite?

@kar1996 I booked a November '22 cruise and a few days after final payment I noticed the price had dropped. After a quick call to HAL they refunded the balance as onboard credit - I kept my stateroom and everything else already arranged. I would rather a full refund to my credit card for the difference in price but onboard credit will do just fine.

I looked up Woodwind and it does seem to be a great trip in Bonaire. I've reached out to them for some details and plan to book it 🙂 We're planning to do beach in Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk & Aruba. Curacao i think will be a walking tour (self-guided) around Willemstead. No plan yet for Amber Cove - I have some safety concerns about traveling outside of a group in the Dominican Republic. It seems like the area right off the dock is included pool, etc. but no beach - is this correct? Does anyone have any HAL excursion recommendations for that port?

Thinking about booking this in a few months - has anyone done this recently? I'm not clear really on how you start snorkeling? Do you go to the beach, walk, then take a boat out again? What do you do with your shoes, etc. when your do that? Thanks!!

Thanks everyone for the input so far. The snorkeling in Bonaire sounds great - does anyone have a specific excursion they enjoyed? It looks like there are a number of options for that port. @EatonDoolittle - I had not seen those boards so thank you. The reason I posted here, though, is that I'm hoping for HAL-specific excursions and not 3rd party options. I'll certainly look through but figured the knowledgeable folks in here might be able to be more direct about what is offered from HAL. It's not going to help me (for these purposes) to know which Celebrity excursions were great since they will likely not (all) be offered on our cruise.

My wife and I will be joining the HAL Rotterdam in November for the Southern Caribbean cruise with stops at Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, Amber Cove, DR, Curacao, Bonaire & Aruba. We are looking for some recommendations for HAL excursions at some of these locations - especially Amber Cove and Bonaire, but are open to anything if it's outstanding. Has anyone done anything really great? Anything really bad which we should avoid? I know we can book via 3rd parties, as well, but for the purpose of this post, I would appreciate keeping recommendations focused on HAL-excursions. A little about us - we are in our 30s and in decent shape to be able to do anything we want but are not super adventurous by nature. We have thought about snorkeling but don't know which locations/options are best. I do no not want to limit our options, though, other than understanding that we're not wired to be jumping off waterfalls or learning to scuba dive. Any recommendations/guidance would be greatly appreciated. We're so excited!!

I'll be cruising the Rotterdam out of Port Everglades/Ft. Lauderdale in November and was wondering how embarkation works. We'll be flying to FLL (Ft. Lauderdale airport) that morning and do not have any transportation set up. Is it easy to get a taxi/uber from the airport to the cruise terminal? Is there a lot of walking expected or places to sit in the terminal? Should we be expecting to be in large crowds? Is there anything special I should know ahead of time on this topic? Thanks in advance for your help and advice!

I have pre-booked a few massages for me and my wife - do these treatments come with access to the Thermal Suite for the day? Is there a separate locker room/shower/sauna for those not using the thermal suite?

Thank you both! It's a shame but I can't make them change the rules - will just roll with it and make the best of this vacation anyway!

My wife and I will be on the Rotterdam over Thanksgiving. I'm a drinker but she hardly ever indulges. I read that if I do a drink package, that both of us would need to sign up. Is this true? Why would HAL require someone who doesn't drink to get a drink package? Is there any way around that rule?