islandwoman

What perks?

How long does Holland America offer an "Early Booking Bonus Have It All" package for a cruise booking? I'm thinking about upgrading from a Vista Suite to a Neptune Suite for a cruise sailing in September 2025, but I'd like to wait a few more months until I have a chance to sail on HAL and hopefully get to see and compare the Vista and Neptune Suites because the price difference would be substantial. I like the "Early Booking Bonus Have It All" package and wouldn't want to lose the opportunity to purchase it by changing cabins too late.

I am booked on the Volendam 42 day Ultimate Mediterranean and Atlantic Passage beginning November 9, 2024. I certainly hope that the dry dock has been completed by then and that it included plumbing and heating repairs.

Has the Volendam been in dry dock since last June? Has anyone sailed her since then who could tell us whether these plumbing and heating issues have been fixed?

In other words, "no".

Can I change travel agents after a cruise has been booked and deposited, but before final payment? If so, how would I do that? I don't want to discuss the reason I want to change travel agents on a public forum, but I will say that it is not because I have found a better deal with a different agent. Rather, it is because I no longer trust my current agent to handle my bookings.

If I were intent on a particular port, I would book a flight and hotel.

I like the older ships, so that wouldn't be a problem for me. But as for "a lot of issues", that might be. Could you specify? LOL. I don't know why HAL calls the balcony cabins "Vista Suites" . From the looks of them on you tube, they are not suites at all. and as far as I can see they have no suite benefits. IMHO, it is misleading to call them "suites".

I went to Antarctica in 2019 on a cruise that also didn't have permission to "step" on Antarctica. To me, it was worth the entire cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Santiago just to see the continent and the ice bergs from the deck. IMHO, it was amazing.

What's the problem with the Volendam?

How about cargo pants for women? How about dress shirt and tie, but no jacket for men (shirts and ties take up less room in luggage than sport jackets).

Done. Nothing. But then the 2026 Grand World Voyage is not on hollandamerica.com yet, even though it has been announced.

Are there enough refrigerators available for everyone who wants to rent one? I would like to sail in a Lanai cabin, but need a refrigerator. Could I reserve a refrigerator in advance?

HAL's Grand World 2026 has been announced. Has anyone heard anything about other Grand Voyages for 2026? Maybe Grand Africa? or something else?

I hope not. All of my travel pants are cargo pants, not the ones with the big baggy pockets, but those with flattish zipper pockets on the legs.

I understand that HAL will not be taking bookings until May. I have asked our TA to waitlist us for it. Does anyone know whether HAL is taking waitlists?

My favorite reusable water bottles are Yeti. They are well insulated. I take two on cruises, fill them with tap water and keep them in the cabin frig. Before a shore excursion, I add ice and put the bottles into the outside pockets of my day pack. Yeti are sold by Ace Hardware stores and online.

How can we do that? I bought some on Friday (Feb 23) and the drop down menu only went to 5.

I have used AARP HAL gift cards for two different cruises. Two different TA's have accepted them in payment for the cruises and for payment for cruise deposits. With Princess, it is possible to book a cruise onboard and then transfer the booking to your TA. Perhaps you could transfer your HAL booking to your TA. It wouldn't hurt to ask, although it might be a bit confusing..

When "choose a room" comes up blank on hollandamerica.com, does it mean that the category is sold out or is it a glitch on the website? I have tried searching cruises with two different browsers for the past few days and on all my searches except one I got through "Choose Your Stateroom Type", "Choose a ship section", and "Choose a deck". But when I got to "Choose a room", there is no deck plan and no room choices.

Right.😟 I suppose that I could "plan" to lug along (and pay the airline for) another suitcase to hold five more days of clothing, while my main suitcase is relegated to carrying dirty clothes home.

Nope. We have a land stay after.

Does HAL cut off laundry service a day or two before the end of a cruise? I ask because I have a 5 day land stay after my next cruise of 22 days and I would not like to do it in dirty clothes.

Princess cruises has passenger laundromats on every ship with ironing boards and irons. The washers and dryers require tokens. Irons are not allowed in passenger cabins because of fire hazards. Azamara has laundromats at no cost.

Celebrity sent me the email requesting questions, but not one about the webinar going live. Are there PUPs for watching? If yes, please post the URL to the webinar.