PointsNerd

Nope. Just unplug the Chromecast. Everything should go back to normal

I don't have any experience with the Roku but I would imagine it would work just fine ... I would say that if the Roku doesn't automatically switch the input, you might need to bring a programmable universal remote for the TV.

On the Rotterdam currently and it's fantastic... at least compared to Disney ships

RESERVED

Hey guys, I've received a lot of great information from the community in preparing for my first HAL cruise aboard the Rotterdam, which I am currently on, so I thought I would give back. One of the things that I was most curious about was whether or not I could get my ChromeCast set up in the room so I could stream and cast to my TV. Well the answer is that you definitely can. I can't say that you will be able to get yours working but here's what I did to get mine to work. I'll break this into two parts, the Internet, and the ChromeCast Connection. A word of warning - you need a bit of technical chops to pull this off but it's not impossible by any means - if you know how to tether your phone and how to change some settings in your ChromeCast before getting on board, you should be good to go. The Internet First off, you will need the Premium Internet Package (not the Surf). We received the Surf Package as part of the Have It All (HAL) package and used it to connect my phone. I then upgraded the package to the Premium Internet Package, which was priced at a reasonable $50 for the duration of our 12 day cruise. As a sidebar - the speeds I saw on the Surf Package are exactly the same as the Premium Package ... it's just that HAL blocks access to streaming sites unless you upgrade to the Premium. A bit of a cash grab but the pricing is nominal so I'm not too upset. I would HIGHLY recommend that you use your phone to connect to the Premium Internet Package. I use an Android and Android makes it super easy to create a Hotspot with your phone. Once you get your phone connected, use it to create a Hotspot - this is the wifi network your ChromeCast will connect to. The ChromeCast Connection The first thing you should know is that you will have to do a bit of pre-work with the ChromeCast before you get on board the ship. I can't guarantee that this is what is what makes it work but it's a pretty good hypothesis. You will need to enable HDMI-CEC on your ChromeCast which can be toggled on in Settings - Display & Sound - HDMI-CEC (see below). When I plug in the ChromeCast into one of the HDMI ports, it automatically switches the input to the ChromeCast - I believe the HDMI-CEC setting is why that happens. Again, it's an educated guess. Before we get started, turn on the TV in your cabin as it needs to be on so that it can detect the ChromeCast when we eventually get it plugged in. The HDMI port itself is a pain in the rear to get to. When facing the TV, it is on the left hand side about 1/3 of the way down. I have attached a picture of the connections behind the TV for reference. I found that taking a picture with my phone and approximating the location of the plug, helped me blindly try to plug it in. The TV is so tight to the wall, there's no real way to see the port while trying to get to it. I found that reaching behind the TV from the top was the easiest way to do it. The flat side of the HDMI port is towards the wall, so position your plug accordingly as you won't be able to turn it with the limited space once you're back there. Okay, now that you have the ChromeCast plugged in, the next part of the puzzle is getting power to the device. Unfortunately, there's only one plug behind the TV and the TV is plugged into it, so you don't have any option to plug it in from behind the TV. The closest plug in is by the bedside, at least in my room. I ended up plugging in my laptop charger into the bedside plug and getting the laptop as close to the TV as possible with the long laptop plug cord. I then ran a USB-C wire from the laptop to the ChromeCast and basically used the laptop as an extension cord. If I had more information on the layout of the room, I would have just brought my battery pack and run the ChromeCast off of that - that's what I would suggest you do. Once I plugged in the ChromeCast, the TV switched inputs automatically and picked up the ChromeCast! Now all you have to do is connect your ChromeCast to the tethered wifi network you created above. What Services Work I can't say definitively what will work for you but the following things worked for me for streaming: YouTube, Prime Video, CBC Gem, Google TV Live Netflix and DisneyPlus did not work. Based on the diagnostics in the Netflix app, it looks like it's being blocked by HAL, rather than not being possible to stream. I assume the same is true of DisneyPlus. You'll notice that Netflix is clearly absent in the streaming icons in the Premium Package Things to Consider This is our first night aboard so I'll add information in the event that I discover anything new but the first thing I noticed is that during turndown service, the room attendent, took out our key card from the Master Power card reader, so power was not going to the TV or ChromeCast. When I went to turn on the TV, I couldn't get any picture to show but I could see the volume move up and down with the remote. I managed to get the ship's TV channels to show up but they appeared about a quarter of the size and on the right hand side of the screen - it looked really weird. I needed to unplug and re-plug the ChromeCast from the HDMI port so that it recognized the device again. Luckily it switched over fine but just something to watch out for. Also, one other thing to note is that the streaming services we are subscribed to are from the Canadian versions of the services because ... well you guessed it, I'm Canadian. Not sure if that has any bearing on what works or not but just in case it's helpful Good luck - hopefully this opens up a little more entertainment for you. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to respond.

Hi Folks, I tried a search but didn't find anything that covers off the questions I had with transfers to the HAL Cruise Terminal. We will be into Fort Lauderdale a little early to make sure we don't miss our cruise so we will be getting a rental car from the airport. We will be returning the rental car the day of embarkation back to the FLL airport. My question is how easy is it to get an Uber from FLL to the HAL Cruise Terminal and how much is it? I ask because I use Uber a lot and I have seen a trend where Ubers are refusing short or low far rides but given that the airport is so close to the terminal, and Fort Lauderdale is a cruise port ... maybe this isn't an issue. If it is an issue, would you suggest any alternative?

Is there ever any compensation for these changes? OBC, discount, refund, or anything of substance?

Has anyone heard anything about changes to the December 3rd Panama Canal Sunfarer itinerary? The site shows that the original ports of call are the same. Would they announce to booked guests via email or would they just update the website?

Well, I was booked on a free cruise offer through a casino status match ... so sounds like I'm out of luck on an upgrade offer?

Has anyone received these upgrade offers without using a TA? I booked directly and was looking forward to some offers ...

That's great information! What is a TA? Travel Agent? I'm also trying to understand what the cellular connection is like. I use Google Fi and I'm trying to understand if I can use the data from my phone instead of paying for WiFi.

For the Signature Beverage Package, with sodas and bottles of Perrier, can you ask for them not to be opened so you can store them in the fridge?

Perhaps someone could shed some light. The Coca Cola Package includes unlimited soda from the Coca Cola Freestyle Fountain Soda Machine. Does the HIA include access to the Freestyle Fountain Soda? If not, does that mean that you are limited to 15 drinks per day and if you want to use part of that allocation, you are getting cans of soda?

Wow! Such great information! Thank you all for sharing and I can't wait to get aboard. One question that I can't find a lot of talk about is drinks. We aren't big into alcohol but like the occassional drink. Drink packages never really work out economically for us but I'm not sure how HAL handles soft drinks. I'm actually more interested in soda water (flavored or not) ... is that included as part of the free aspect of the cruise or do we need to get into some kind of drink package? I understand that HAL is doesn't allow for drinks to be brought on board? Or maybe that was another cruise line I was researching?

Hi folks, I'm a first time HAL cruiser and we are booked on the 12-Day Panama Canal Sunfarer on December 3, 2023 on the Rotterdam. We've booked an Inside Cabin on the aft of the ship and it seems to be pretty small (156 sq ft). Wondering if you folks might be able to provide a bit of advice and tips for a first timer. Does HAL offer cheaper upgrades closer in to the sail date? And if so, how does it work? I've seen mention of email offers but as a seasoned cruiser of Disney Cruise Lines, I'm more used to having to inquire about upgrades at embarkation day - does that happen at HAL as well? Also, any recommendations on worthwhile premium restaurants to book aboard the Rotterdam? For excursion, we've always rolled our own due to the expense on DCL but is it worthwhile doing it through HAL? TIA!