djhsolara

I'm doing a Panama Canal cruise on the NA leaving from Vancouver in 3 weeks and 1 day! I've just embarked from Vancouver once and can't remember how we get from being dropped off to dropping off the luggage. We've decided that my friend that is travelling with me will be using a walker. That means a little more difficulty with getting both our luggage to where ever we can get it so it's going to the ship. How far in are we in the station before getting in a line to get on the ship or go through all the boarding process? Just a reminder of how things work in Vancouver. Thanks

We're on the same sailing as you, but only for the first five nights to San Diego. Best wishes!!

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We were in one of these once that we got via a guarantee. They have a few "spa" amenities, but nothing of note to make it worth any extra cost for us. Unlike spa staterooms on some other lines, these staterooms are called spa because of their location near the spa. There are no free passes to the thalassotherapy pool, thermal suite, etc.

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Glad to see this post. I never knew this was an option. I always thought they had to be ordered prior to boarding.

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Refunded to our on board account and then back to the credit card at the end of the cruise, assuming that there is a credit balance on our account. If you want to use OBC for your dining reservation, you can always wait until you are on the ship. We prefer to plan everything out before we leave which is why we book the way we do.

 

I was only half kidding about the OBC. From an accounting perspective, the OBC gets placed on your account when you board. You can can see it on your folio. If you were a no show for your cruise, the OBC would not show up on your account. I realize that Celebrity may have recently changed the way they handle OBC, but they seem to be the exception.

We prefer to pre-plan as well. Thanks for the info.

If we were a no-show, our OBC will be sitting there waiting for us for the next cruise.

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You might have to wait until you get onboard, but I am pretty sure that with the numbers that get off (I'm just using our cruises as an example) in San Diego, that there should be openings at the thermal spa and maybe even cabanas.

 

 

 

I understand your issues - but you do need to look at this from a business point of view. Those sailings are sold dirt cheap and a great vacation. Bargains sometimes carry some conditions.

 

 

 

While it would be nice if HAL announced the non availability until you get on board - only a very small percentage of cruisers want the spa, thermal suite or cabana, etc.

We're sailing from Vancouver to San Diego, so not really concerned about how many get off in San Diego to make things available.

Bottom line...we'll have a great trip no matter what. We're going to be on our favorite HAL ship and will enjoy it completely. We'll see what actually happens regarding the spa, etc because this may determine if we'll ever do a segment cruise again.

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The OBC does not "exist" until you get on, at which time it's applied to your account. We have always pre booked specialty dining with a credit card and gotten it refunded to our account. It makes sense from an accounting perspective. If you pre book with a credit card and then cancel, you get a refund.

 

That would not work with the OBC. They would try to refund the money to a non existent place. A hole would open in the space time continuum. It's basically the same reason the Ghostbusters couldn't cross the streams.

If the OBC does not exist, how is it that they can give it to us prior to boarding? This is not OBC associated with this specific reservation, it is OBC that was given to us as compensation for mistakes from a previous cruise...so yes, it is hanging somewhere out there in our profiles waiting for us to use it.

Question though...you say you reserve via credit card and then have it refunded back to your account. Do they refund back to the credit card or refund to your onboard account?

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I had the same issue with the cabana when I did the Eurodam Spring repo from San Diego to Vancouver. I had to write/call numerous times, escalating as I went. "none left", "only priced for 7 days", not offered" were all excuses. I finally got an email back that said there was ONE cabana left and did I want it.

Trust me...we are escalators. [emoji2]

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I really think it is not about "not being permitted" to purchase a cabana or Thermal Suite Pass.

 

 

 

HAL doesn't have the pricing set up for the duration you will be on the ship for. Of course, they also want to sell to the pax who will be on for the extended cruise and thereby ensure that those, who will be paying more, get first dibs on both.

 

 

 

This makes sense for a business perspective.

 

 

 

I am wondering if you also had to take a GUAR. This is quite common, too for the short cruise pax.

Yes, we had to do a guarantee, but honestly that's how we ALWAYS start a cruise reservation.

I get what you're saying about the business perspective, however, they are selling a 5-night product. I should be able to do the same things that I would do on a 7-night, 10-night, etc. If they are selling the product, they should be set up at accommodate it at every level. This makes me want to never book something that is part of a larger voyage. As I said, it truly makes me feel like I'm a second-class passenger that doesn't matter to them...I'm just revenue that they couldn't sell for the longer voyage.

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I understand what you're saying regarding the OBC being for onboard, but we're trying to use it to pay for something that we are going to do onboard...that's what I can't wrap my head around.

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Just a bit of a rant:

We are booked on a 5-night Pacific Coastal on NA. Obviously this is just one part of a longer journey. I have to say that I feel like I'm being treated as a second-class passenger because we're not on the entire journey.

We called today and were told that we cannot book a cabana because we're not onboard for the minimum of 7 nights. We also asked about booking the Thermal Suite package. Once again, because we're not onboard for the minimum of 7 nights, we were not permitted to book.

We did make dinner reservations, however they did not want to allow us to use our OBC to book the reservations. They told us we could pay via credit card and then once onboard they could refund the credit card and use the OBC to pay. This makes no sense whatsoever.

I just needed to get that out of my system. I know that because we're on the smaller part of this journey, those on the entire time must be given first choices, but as I said, I just don't like being made to feel like we can't do anything because we're not onboard for 7 nights.

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On the Quench package does it include the freestyle Coca Cola. It says it does and then goes on to say it is excluded. I'm confused. Also is the freestyle cola self serve?

Freestyle is self-serve. There is a chip in the bottom of the cup.

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We had the Freestyle on Koningsdam. It's a good system but they need to keep up with it. It was out of some of the cartridges part of a day or two in the middle of the cruise. If they are going to have it, they need to keep a regular check on it to ensure that all options are available.

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I can try to answer any specific question you may have.

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We've done Lido Cabanas on Eurodam and NA. We've always had great service (actually better service at the Lido Cabanas than we had in the Retreat Cabanas on Koningsdam). They will get you lunch from Dive In or the buffet and are very attentive.

The only issue with the Lido Cabanas is that there is no privacy whatsoever. This isn't an issue for us, but I know it is for some. Once we came to our cabana and someone was sitting in it (even though it was roped off). We politely told them that this was our cabana and they needed to go.

There was one day on NA that the wind was very bad and they took back the curtains between the Cabanas. It felt a little strange, but we chatted pleasantly with our neighbors and had a nice time.

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I just know that ships smaller than Vista do not have a Thalassotherapy pool...and that is something that we need.

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We just got a new cruise flyer. Does anybody know why all the Cuba cruises are on Veendam? We'd love to go to Cuba but I really have no desire to travel on Veendam.

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We did cash on our first cruise but have since used credit cards.

As a banker, I'm telling you that I would never use a debit card as the hold mechanism unless you open a separate account from your main account with the excess monies needed. The cruise line debit card holds can hold funds until well after the end of your cruise.

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no, Mariner's discount does not apply to this type of package.

 

 

 

We prefer to book, get our discount and choose the day and time we want rather than be subject to either a) an assigned time with this package or b) needing to book on board/try to get the time changed.

Thanks for the advice. It will be better for us to book everything separately...the Mariner Discount will outweigh the package discount...plus we'll pick our own nights and times.

Thanks again!!

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I just checked per everyone's advice and it looks like no special nights in Pinnacle.

They do have the Distinctive Dining package for $65 that gives one night each in Canaletto, Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind (savings of $10). Since this package is already discounted, would we get our Mariner discount on top of that?

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I just checked per everyone's advice and it looks like no special nights in Pinnacle.

They do have the Distinctive Dining package for $65 that gives one night each in Canaletto, Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind (savings of $10). Since this package is already discounted, would we get our Mariner discount on top of that?

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The violinists that we saw at LCS on Koningsdam were awesome and played to a packed room every evening.

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We're doing a 5-night Pacific Coastal on NA that is part of a longer sailing. Is there any way to find out if any of the special dining offerings will occur while we're onboard (Sel de Mer, etc)?

Thank you!!

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We're excited to see the changes. We're on her in the beginning of October and again in February, so it will be nice to see the changes.

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That depends 100% on how the work that will be done on her progresses once she is in one of the dry-docks at Grand Bahama shipyard, Carol. If everything goes to plan during those fourteen days, you should encounter no or very little disruption once she arrives back at Port Everglades on 20 Dec

She's due for Lincoln Center Stage in the forward part of the Explorers Lounge; “Billboard Onboard” incl.“Dueling pianos”instead of the Casino Bar and part of the Casino; the Casino Bar moved forward in place of the Piano Bar; the Gallery (Arts) Bar instead of the Northern Lights nightclub; the full “Market Place” concept in the Lido Restaurant with new furnishings and carpet; “Explorations Central” with ‘the Hub’, ‘Destinations Display’,‘Virtual Bridge’ and ‘Theater EXC’ in addition to the ‘Explorations Café’ in the Crow’s Nest; Suite upgrades and improvements, incl. interactive TVs, new furniture, modern fixtures and new carpeting; standard stateroom upgrade with wall-mounted flat TVs; and a Spa upgrade

What is the Spa upgrade?

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We had an aft-wrap for the Panama Canal and loved it. There was something incredible about watching the locks open and close right behind you.

That being said, if it wasn't the Panama Canal, I'd tell you to jump at the SS.

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