AllTheSun

Where in the world are you getting your info? Wait. Doesn’t matter. ONLY read the info directly from the State Department. It is extremely unlikely you don’t meet the qualifications to renew by mail so therefore you cannot renew at the post office. And yes you have to turn in your passport.

Yes I did. Their enthusiasm doesn’t matter. What you are fighting here is HAL IT and they can’t fix it. Maybe something has changed it the last couple months and it’s a no go but it was allowed before. Maybe you already tried my suggestion and need to to give it some time to see if this is a glitch or new thing.

When I did it the phone tree offered two options that sounded like they could be right. The first one I picked couldn’t do it, said it wasn’t allowed. I didn’t push it. Called again and picked the other option, person who answered added it in like 5 mins. Definitely didn’t hold for a supervisor or anything like that.

The deadline to dispute a transaction with your bank can be as soon as 60 days after it appears on your statement. Even if a merchant has promised a refund, if the refund hasn’t shown file a dispute before the window passes otherwise you have no protection if the merchant doesn’t actually refund you aside from small claims court. Personally I would have contacted HAL, given them a couple weeks and then filed the dispute if the refund was not in my bank before my credit card was due. I am not going to float any merchant interest free money of any amount. You do not have to pay charges while they are dispute and will not incur fees with your issuer (obviously you have to pay all other charges on your cc statement)

I’m guessing the HAL computer isn’t actually programmed to identify any aspect of the traveler. I think offers go out because they need to show X number more cabins booked for whatever reason. The recipients are randomly pulled from HAL mailing lists in a matter designed by HAL IT. Because HAL IT is in charge of that the randomization is absolute crap and half the same people keep getting offers over and over.

With how much I spent on air, HIA, hotels on either end & shore excursions for my “free” casino cruise this Fall I understand this fear

No luck on what email address sends these offers? This definitely sounds like the sort of thing that an email provider or client might block so it would be a good idea to put the email address on your do not block list.

What was the senders email? I want to make sure my email isn’t blocking it lol.

On Zuiderdam this Fall our last stop is Port Canaveral on Oct. 9, the day before we disembark in Fort Lauderdale. No shore excursions have been loaded for Port Canaveral. Does HAL not run excursions there or is it something that loads close in? All other ports have their excursions loaded.

You need to call. Their IT is junk. Everyone can get HIA. If they say no hang up and call again because even on their end the IT is junk.

Call again. The phone system is a bit confusing, if the agent says no hang up and call again but select a different department. I remember there were two departments that might work on the phone menu when I helped a fam member. First said not eligible. Called again to the other department, we said nothing about the previous call, they got it booked fine. Online it always said not eligible. It’s just their horrendous IT.

Thank you for the blog and CC thread! I’d never followed one of these before (I stumbled on it because I was looking for inside cabin info on a 10 day Zuiderdam later this fall 🤣 ) it was so interesting to see your adventures in the various ports and the activities aboard. You inspired me to buy a container of Tim Tams a couple weeks ago on a trip to Tahiti- good thing they aren’t available in the US! I’m nowhere near a point in my life where I can do one of these but it’s definitely been put on my radar as a Life Goal 😃

What email do these come from? I got an offer after doing a status match from MGM but my email provider must have snagged it because I only knew about it after they sent me a follow up email asking how their service was with a copy of the original offer. Mine worked a bit different, maybe because I’d never cruised HAL, maybe it was because I received it due to a casino status match or maybe they’re just tweaking their system. I was able to select my exact interior cabin at no charge. “Booking fee” was $100pp and when I called to add HIA ($50pp/day) they said my account showed a $200 credit and they used it towards HIA. As for those wondering what’s the catch- all the other costs lol. Airfare, hotels before/after, gratuities, on board costs (HIA really helped with that for me) & shore excursions.

How was clearing passport checks and customs? Did it take a long time? I’m flying in this fall with my parents but none of us have flown into Canada post-9/11 so no idea what to expect. I did see they offer the ability to fill out your customs declaration Pre-arrival so I plan on us doing that. Especially when traveling with my parents I try to do anything I can to make airport stuff easier 😆

Some people with feet issues like arthritis are too crippled to squeeze their feet into a normal water shoe and they need that little bit of support and padding that comes from a shoe vs ground. Goodness if anyone said anything to my disabled family member about his pool flip flops that are necessary for him to wear in the water- yeah. It would not be pretty. People in there are soaking with remnants of urine, feces, warts, bird poop and heaven knows what else- yet they think something worse is coming in off a croc? I don’t care if it walked the whole ship it ain’t bringing in anything more disgusting than what they’re already swimming in lol.

I did. Online errored out every single time. Had to call in.

Sounds good, thanks for all the replies! I was a bit worried the whole spa would smell like walking into the eucalyptus steam room and it sounds like that's definitely not the case.

So I asked my Mom and she has some Elemis stuff she loves because it has no eucalyptus! Said some of their stuff does and some doesn't. She always travels with her stuff too, best to be on the safe side.

Oh wow. I’m definitely going to let her know. Thanks!

Does anyone know if they have a eucalyptus scent in the hydrotherapy pool or ceramic chair area in the thermal spa on Zuiderdam? Looking at gifting my mom a thermal spa pass for a New England cruise but she has an allergy to eucalyptus (not super serious, just headache like so someone coming from the eucalyptus steam room isn’t going to set her off).

Thank you all! Called and added it today. Paid with gift cards. Was on hold for like 20 mins but once I got an agent the whole thing took less than 5 mins!

Was this a casino booking? I’m on a casino booking later this fall and keep getting an ineligible message & assumed I was ineligible. I got an email for it today and still got the ineligible message. No experience with HAL so I didn’t realize this might just be a glitch! For those that can book it do they take HAL gift cards?