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When I booked the Alaska cruise, the deal sound like HIA was included. As I went through the booking process, I discovered that it is an added offer. I have known people who have click on to it and paid it. Thinking they got something for nothing, they don't use it. They sit there in the MDR and have the free orange juice and coffee. They make it sound like not everybody can get HIA. When we got on board we even got a flyer in the cabin saying it's not too late to get HIA. I have been checking deals lately. A lot of them implied that HIA is included when it fact it is an option you have to pay for. You have to read the deals very carefully.

Thanks. When I am on vacation, I turn off WIFI. For our next trip, I'll am open for various scenarios. I am not restricted to HAL. Sometimes, a special deal may pop up for a short period of time. I am not counting on it but am open to it. I will be talking to a TA. In the past, we have been on land tours and touring on our own. Been on trains, buses, cars and ferries. Been all over Europe and parts of Asia.

Thanks. I'll have to review all angles. Certainly will have a look at advantage fares. I understand advantage fares are not advertised. Seems like pricing is all over the map depending on whether you are dealing with HAL online or in person on the phone or through TA. HIA is not a whole lot of use for us. I may have one drink a day and my wife none at all. We may each have 2 coffee and an orange juice a day. Makes no sense to have a BP. Better to pay as we go.

Thanks. Need to check all options and priorities. I am more of a land person than a cruiser.

I'll check into the Advantage Fare.

Regardless of cruise lines, we all have the freedom to chose. What is a good deal for someone, may not necessarily be for another.

A week before our cruise to Alaska, I checked to see what the last minute deals are for our itinerary. The price had gone up but it includes the Have It All drinks package. The price went up by $50 a day. Basically, you are forced to buy the HIA package if you booked then. After the cruise, I checked the cruises to the Mediterranean a year from now. HAL doesn’t travel that route much but Princess and Celebrity do. They are all part of the Carnival Group. On some itinerary, the drinks package is included. Same with some Far East itineraries. When you are on shore more than on board, you would not want to buy a drinks package. By including the drinks package in the price, they are forcing you to buy the drinks package. They are not in the business of giving you something for nothing. My question is, has anyone been able to remove the drinks package for a lower price? By how much?

On the Konningsdam at the beginning of Sept, you can barely heard the announcements in the public areas. At the Lido Market I had to stand under a speaker to hear. There were no sound under a lot of speakers. They were either not working or turned off. The speaker with sound was not very loud. I wanted to hear the announcement as it was informing us what deck to get ashore. We had 2 cabins side by side. I used the phone to call the other cabin. A lot of times the phone in the other cabin do not ring. It did ring once. On the first night, our phone ring while we were asleep. Seems like a crew member called to see if we had called them. We were asleep. Seems to me, their electronic systems need to be upgraded or fixed.

Everything should be based on the price you booked at. That is what you signed up for; not what is the current price. You probably haven't paid in full yet. Your TA should get a statement from HAL as to what you now owe. Then you know for sure. As for the OBC, they should honor it as a goodwill gesture for inconveniencing you. But they can not give it to you if they want. There is a number of trends I see happening that is turning me off on cruising. I won't go into details here.

Go to the MDR on boarding day at lunch time and see the maitre'd to make changes.

Having afternoon tea in London [England], Hong Kong [China] or Victoria [Canada] at a fancy hotel can be very expensive. We were not expressed with the afternoon tea at the Konningsdam MDR. You are served tea [not very hot] from a big pot. You don't get a choice of tea and your own tea pot on the table. The snacks look and taste like they have been sitting around for hours if not overnight. We didn't go the 2nd time.

The maps for Konningsdam on the halfacts and rogerjett sites are the same. I was on the Konningsdam on Sept 2 - 9, 2023. The table numbers were completely different on the ship. On our cruise the complete deck 3 was for set seating only. On your cruise a complete deck or certain sections are for set seating. If you select a table for open seating, you will not get it for set seating. If you want a table by the window, say so. I find some people at Guest Services are not well informed. If you ask 3 people the same questions, you might get 3 completely different answers. That might apply the same on the phone line.

We were on the Konningsdam to Alaska on Sept 2 to 9, 2023. The table layout appears similar to the maps you may find online but the table numbers are all different. According to the maps, the table numbers starts on deck 2 and continue up to deck 3. On our sailing, set seating was on deck 3 only and open seating was on deck 2 only. Early seating was 5:00pm and late seating was 7:30pm. You cannot select a particular table ahead of time for set seating. That is done by the maitre'd on the ship. If you don't like the table assignment, you can talk to the maitre'd on the first night. On our cruise, there were a lot of empty tables for early seating.

We were on the Konningsdam to Alaska on Sept 2 to 9, 2023. The table layout appears similar to the maps you may find online but the table numbers are all different. According to the maps, the table numbers starts on deck 2 and continue up to deck 3. On our sailing, set seating was on deck 3 only and open seating was on deck 2 only. Early seating was 5:00pm and late seating was 7:30pm. You cannot select a particular table ahead of time for set seating. That is done by the maitre'd on the ship. If you don't like the table assignment, you can talk to the maitre'd on the first night. On our cruise, there were a lot of empty tables for early seating.

I don't know what the group ordered. I hear they ordered 3 large albums and a number of prints to fill the albums. I don't know the total cost. We are already off the ship. The offer you got may be for small prints.