CaveDiving

Thinking back on our recent cruise to Alaska in August and reading other threads here, I've been wondering if the way to go is to get a good (reduced) price on the cruise itself and then book most/all dinners in a specialty restaurant. The food in the Main dining room of the N.A. was good, sometimes only okay, but I'd like to see if there's a more wow experience to be had.

 

Now that we're retired we can travel on short notice at almost any time so the last minute deals are available to us.

 

Does anyone approach cruise dining this way?

Sometimes I get the impression that I may be the only person that actually enjoys eating in the MDR. We enjoy talking with our tablemates and the food is just fine for us. Based on our Mariner status, we are given multiple dinners in the Pinnacle for each cruise. We do not bother to use most of them. I think if I ate in the Pinnacle every day , I’d come home with a case of gout.

Scott & Karen

In all of our 26 years of cruising we have a situation that we have not encountered previously. I am hoping that some of you have and can share some ideas with us.

 

We booked a 2 week Alaska cruise for next summer. We booked thru a Big Box TA. We have ended up with total OBC in the amount of $1650:

HAL….$500

TA….$900

CCL stock benefit……$250

 

We will have the Explore4 program so will not spend money on beverages, gratuities, or internet minutes. We do not gamble and purchase very little in the shops. The big box TA advised me to use their OBC last as what remains from that can be credited back to a credit card. That would leave us with $750 from HAL & CCL stock. I was told that HAL OBC is use or lose. I don't know about CCL.

 

This situation would be no problem on Princess as you can book shore excursions prior to sailing and have your ship board account billed. HAL does not do it that way and we would hate to lose an opportunity ashore waiting to book shore excursions on board so that we could use our OBC.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Judith

Hi Judith,

Please don’t fret. Your problem(?not really a problem but a situation), is easily resolved. I have faced this case many times. In fact, at the end of 2018, we will be on the Grand Asia, then BTB with the Panama Canal, then BTB with the World. And We will set a personal record for OBC. We will wind up with over $7,000 of OBC. Now obviously, I’m not going to fritter this amount away. There are several ways it can be handled.

By the way, I am not aware that the Explore4 program has anything to do with the internet or with gratuities.

First of all, take all of the OBC that was supplied by the TA and plan on leaving it in your On board account till the end of the cruise. At that time, it will be refunded to you in cash or credited to your credit card. This usually will take care of at least half of the OBC.

Then secondly, for a 3% charge, you can get cash from the front desk (possibly if you like in foreign currency) during the cruise. So in your example, $900 will be returned to you by HAL at the end of the cruise. And if you take three withdrawals of $250, it will cost you a total of $21.50 to clear out all of the OBC. Of course, if during your cruise, you spend any money on the ship, e.g. internet time or Hotel Service Charges then that amount would not need to be withdrawn.

I am not mentioning using the casino, as that is a bit more involved. But all it might save you would be the $21.50.

I hope this assuages your fears of not being able to work with HAL.

Enjoy your cruise,

Scott & Karen

...We would love a South Pacific cruise but flying back and/or forth from Sydney, Australia is a 15 hour ordeal. Same with South America. Lots of 'good deals' cease to be so when we add in the airfare.

 

When we cruised with Cunard 2 years ago out of Southhampton most of the passengers were Brits who could easily drive to the departure point. I envied them!

 

I guess there's no easy solution.

Uhh... I guess I don't understand the problem if you want to cruise in the South Pacific. You are in the South Pacific. Why not take a cruise out of Sydney. It would seem you don't need to fly anywhere. What am I missing here?

Scott & Karen

Or if you have too many Chase sponsored cards (such as the United Airlines and Marriott cards.

 

Having been involved with the credit business I suspect that Chase's scoring process for new applications includes a review of existing credit lines which means one can have a high FICO and credit history with Chase, but has too much available credit availability with too many Chase cards already.

 

Also, there is no doubt that Chase expects to be making money on this card which means they are counting on the $475 being paid year after year with inertia causing automatic annual renewals.

 

All that being said, if you are able to qualify for the card and are very vigilant about the terms of the deal...and are willing to close the account in the future if you cannot use the benefits. this deal seems to be terrific.

Thank you Walt.

This is exactly how I viewed the card, and why I wanted to share it with others on the board.

I read somewhere on this board that next year the Amsterdam will have some upgrades. Does anyone know what these will be?

 

I am particularly interested in the TV's. I will on the Eurodam this summer and they had the large flat screen TV's which you could select movies from. Some of the movies were quite new and we would enjoy watching a movie inbetween activities etc. We also liked the fact that if we did not get to the end of the movie we would go back to it later and it would start where we finished watching the last time.

I would imagine that the ability to select (and rerun) movies, has little to do with "large flat screen TV's" and is only concerned with the electronic system sending the signal to the various cabins. If the signal is present in a cabin, it can typically be shown on whatever TV (flat screen LED or Cathode Ray Tube) is mounted in that cabin.

Scott & Karen

We sailed for the first time in August this year with HAL on the Nieuw Amsterdam and realised that after being on the ship for a few days we had neither heard or seen a Captain. No welcome party .. no photo in the daily news .. nothing. We didn't even know his name.

We had a lot of service issues in the dining room and other public areas and feel this has spilled down through the staff from the indifference of the Captain. They are taking their lead from him .. if he cant be bothered to meet and chat to his paying passengers then why should they show them any respect or do their job with a smile...

I suspect there may be some misunderstanding about the chain of command for the staff on HAL ships. IIRC, the sailors, and others involved in actually running the ship, work for the captain. But all of the hotel staff do not work directly for the captain, they work for the Hotel Director. Staff morale is clearly his responsibility. Of course when at sea, the Captain has the final word in any situation.

My opinion about ship captains is similar to my opinion about surgeons. It’s nice if they have a pleasant personality, but to me it’s far more important that they're good at their jobs.

Some captains are simply more outgoing and some quieter. Fortunately I have never met a HAL captain that I felt wasn’t eminently qualified to do the job.

Scott & Karen

No worries:).We have never needed the pressing. Thankfully he doesn't pack as many jackets as you. I have a hard enough time with suitcase packing as it is ;)

My system for packing is really very simple. I put a sport jacket on a hanger along with a contrasting pair of slacks and a complementary color shirt. I then take three hangers and put them in a garment bag. Then finally I lay my three garment bags flat in a large 36inch rolling duffel. I also toss in a couple of pairs of Jeans and some shoes. This takes care of nine jackets and slacks. The rest of my stuff goes in another rolling duffel.

Your memory has failed I think ;) Unlimited laundry includes pressing for items sent to laundry. A sports jacket cannot be sent to laundry ;)

 

Unlimited does not include "pressing only".

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=50594721&postcount=33

This is entirely possible, As I get older it seems to be happening more often. We have complementary unlimited laundry from our Marriner's level (and I guess [unknown to me] it must include complementary pressing also. I always cruise with at least nine or ten jackets (I wear a jacket to dinner every night) and after unpacking, I always have them pressed at the start of every cruise. I never recall being charged for this service. Sorry, no intention to spread incorrect information.

Scott & Karen

I looked it over on their website and looks like it is even better than you have mentioned. They give an example of four family members missing a $6K each trip for a covered reason with the trip purchased with a single card. They would be reimbursed $20K; $6K each, but the limit is $20K total per trip. Also, the cost appears to be $450. per year, not $475. Medical evacuation includes air ambulance costs up to $100K. They also reimburse up to $300 per year in travel costs: not sure what that is, but looks like baggage fees, etc. I have never checked my FICO score, but assume if we can pay for our cruises on our credit card without ever paying credit card charges that it must be sufficient.

Could you possibility indicate which of the Chase websites it is that had this example. Thanks a lot.

Scott & Karen

We always pay for unlimited laundry for our cruise and I understand all that entails. I will wear a sport coat on the airplane to the ship and it will be in bad shape to wear onboard ship for dinner. Is coat pressing available on board and any idea of cost if it is available. Thanks

IIRC, the unlimited laundry package includes pressing all items that require it.

Scott & Karen

On the contrary, I am actually wondering what we are going to do with our free bottle of wine from making a reservation at the steakhouse on day 1...I kind of don't want to make a fuss by asking for something else (if that's even an option), but I'd also like to have something I will actually be able to use. Maybe I can give it as a gift?

Have you considered bringing it to your table in the MDR for a dinner. I have found most folks are appreciative of being able to share a complementary bottle of wine with dinner.

Scott & Karen

If you insist on doing things like they do it in Australia, then stay in Australia. If you want to travel, you need to accept the customs of the places you visit, including on American run cruise ships. The phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" applies everywhere one travels. It is arrogant to insist that the way things are done in your own country is the only way it should be done world wide.

I cannot agree with these sentiments. Does your posting mean if I travel to a mid-Eastern country I must treat all women as chattel or personal property? Sorry, my own morals (and customs) don't change depending on where I am visiting.

Scott & Karen

The cruise cancellation benefit is $10,000 per person for any relative traveling with you and charged on the card.

And you need a high FICO score to get the card.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Hi Goldenrod,

There is an old Polish saying "From your lips to G-d's ear." I'd like what you say to be the case. But unfortunately, I've gotten several different opinions on this matter. One side says it's $10,000 per cruise as opposed to $10,000 per passenger. This is one of the reasons that both Karen and I each have separate card accounts and different card numbers. This way, as long as we buy separate cruises (different boarding passes), even though they'll be on the same ship and same embarkation date, we should be all right. Thanks for the opinion. I'd love it if you are correct.

Fortunately, we have worked carefully to maintain a high enough FICO score that that requirement was not an important consideration for us.

Thanks for the good thought,

Scott & Karen

I am writing this posting to share about what I consider to be the best credit card offer I have heard. The card is the brand new Chase Sapphire Reserve card,(not to be confused with other available Chase Sapphire cards). First the bad news… the card charges a fee of $475 a year. But now the good news, particularly for anyone who’s cruising. Since many cruises cost at least several thousand dollars, this would appear to be applicable. If $4,000 is spent on the card within 3 months of card activation there is a cash Rebate of $1,000. Yes, that’s a thousand dollars. This surely swamps out the $475 activation fee. And as well as the one time $1,000 cash rebate, ($1,500 rebate if you choose to use their travel website [which I had omitted in a previous post]) The card also rebates 3 percent of everything spent for travel.

So to summarize, if someone were to get the card and then charge a, say $10,000 cruise, the total cash rebate would come to ($1,000 (one-time rebate) + $300 (for the 3% rebate) or a total of $1300 for the $10,000 cruise purchase. This is the best (non-business) rebate program of which I have heard. And the $475 charge for the card kind of gets lost in the numbers.

Oh, and an added benefit of the card is that for cruises of 5 to 60 days, it insures against the cost of possible medically-required helicopter evacuation, up to $100,000. This benefit is free.

Oh, and with certain restrictions, it also insures against medically being able to not make the cruise, up to $10,000 per cruise. This benefit is also free.

Oh, and there are no foreign transaction fees.

IIRC, all of the card benefits pay only after any other insurance the cruiser may have.

I have nothing to do with Chase and am only posting this information to share what I have learned recently in the hope it may help others. Of course, YMMV.

Karen and I (Scott) have each gotten one of these cards recently to each take advantage of the one time rebate. It’ll be great if the thing actually works out the way we planned.

Scott & Karen

I will move on to Princess if Holland does not bring Dance Hosts back. Won't do Cunard' date=' also owned by Carnival Corporation, since that would be rewarding the parent company of Holland. [/quote']

 

Can't say I understand the logic of these statements.

 

Scott & Karen

For the past 30 years we have been cruising - all with HAL (other than a Baltic cruise with Oceania). For many reasons we have an affinity with HAL, not the least being the superb service provided by the Indonesian and Filipino crew. We miss the Formal nights as we both like to dress up for these occasions. My question. We are travelling on the Koningsdam (Oct 24 to Nov 3rd, 2016). Would a Tuxedo on a Gala Night look completely out of place?. Thanks for your feedback

Unfortunately, I cannot agree with the majority of other responses to your question. We have sailed a reasonable number of days on HAL ships and I’m afraid, the tux is an endangered species. Last winter, on the World cruise, one evening I noticed a total of two other tuxes in the MDR, and on another evening I saw only one other. I have always cruised with several tuxes, but lately on Gala nights, I have felt so overdressed that I have taken to wearing a dark sport jacket with a tie. I’m afraid the formal dinner in the MDR is a thing of the past. Sorry ‘bout that.

Scott & Karen

One word of caution about redeeming points -

 

The fine print seems to say that you will forfeit any redeemed points if you cancel a booking.

Personally, I cannot think of a single reason to use the Barclay’s HAL card. Chase Bank offers a card in conjunction with AARP that pays a simple 3 percent back on all travel expenses (including cruises.) No time limits, doesn’t matter what the rebate is used for.

Scott & Karen

We have stayed many, many times in the Penthouse -- no invites

We have over 1000 days on HAL -- no invites.

HAL caters to those who are mainly Dutch.

So being in the Penthouse and having high number of days does not guarantee that you will be invited.

We were actually invited more times when we sailed on Princess.

We also have sailed a great deal with Holland American Line (HAL,) (not in Penthouses, but rather in inside cabins.). We have attended at least a dozen formal dinners with the ships’ captains and HAL executives. We are not Dutch. Even though the “special” dinners in the Main Dining Room are now called “Gala Evenings” rather than “Formal” and no longer is formal attire the most common. The dinners with the Ships’ captains were held in an alternative dining venue and certainly were formal in every sense of the word. All of the gentlemen were in tuxes. One waitperson for each two guests, with all meals being served simultaneously and a unique menu by a senior chef, for each of the dinners. We have really enjoyed these dinners and the opportunity to speak informally with the senior leadership of HAL and of the ship on which we were sailing.

Scott & Karen

... I do make certain that we do not have a lot of salt at home and we watch everything we eat on the ship. Even in the Pinnacle Grill we ask for no salt and pepper on our steaks.

Another item besides soups with a lot of sodium -- sauces. So we order everything with the sauces.

Maybe I'm missing something, but the logic of the latter statement escapes me.

Scott & Karen

I would not call the visa services a "nominal" fee. Maybe more like a $1000 dollars for two, including visa, processing fees, shots and new visa photos.

 

We looked into just getting the Brazil visa recently ourselves with a two month lag time and gave up and canceled our Oct Prinsendam Amazon cruise - using the Los Angeles office.

 

Plus coordinating the confused protocol about Yellow Fever vaccinations "requirements". At least in the process I found my old Yellow Fever vaccination certificate from 1977 now that FDA says they are good for a life time.

 

I assume you already went to Brazil visa and China visa pages. We found the documentation requirements onerous.

 

Brazil gives you expected turn around times on their visa page for various consulates which varied widely. They were also getting ready for the Rio Olympics which may have overwhelmed them at the time too - allowing a visa free pass for that time period as a result.

 

Once getting our last China visa we had everything in order and went down for their one day expedited turn-around, only to be rebuffed at the desk because the clerk just could not understand we were coming to China on a cruise ship and did not have arrival and departure information she was used to seeing for plane tickets. This required coming back the next day with new documents from HAL.

 

Good luck. We decided we would give ourselves a lot more time if we try to undertake this again and not have the stress or costs added to this one country's unique demands. (Brazil).

I believe the above poster has had some difficulties which we have never experienced. We always use a visa service and I believe their fee is indeed nominal. For example, this year we used "Passports And Visas.com." for 10 year Chinese visas. Their charge was $89 plus what the Chinese consulate charges (IIRC it was $180 per visa.) We presently have a total of two (10 year) Brazilian visas and five Chinese visas (until this year China would issue only six month visas. Also, I believe the requirement for an Argentinean permission slip has been discontinued.

We haven't cruised Holland yet - we have cruised Princess Carnival Norweigan and Royal Caribbean- but HMC is definitely our favorite private island! [emoji267][emoji321][emoji217]

I guess I don't understand your posting. How can HMC be your favorite island if you have never been there?

Scott & Karen

Although my wife and I have cruised on HAL nine or ten times, we've never been on a ship that had a B.B. King's Blues Club. But in 2017 we'll be sailing on the Zuiderdam, which has one. My question is: when is the Club normally open? Before dinner? After dinner? Late night? Every night, or just a few times each sailing? Any and all info would be appreciated. Thanks!

I've been on HAL ships for many, many days but unfortunately, have never been on one that had a B.B. King band. I'd really like to hear it. I'll keep looking forward to the experience.

Scott & Karen

Im curious as to how many of you use internet on a cruise and for what or watch TV? I have been reading different threads and I'm very surprised by the number of people who use the internet. Many people do not seem happy with the speed and cost. To me it doesn't seem worth it. I've also read about many people already unhappy about the TV placement in the suits on the Koningsdam.

 

I've never used internet as I take it as a vacation from normal life. I understand some people need it for work, as my mom does however she only ever connects in port and has never bought internet time. I also will only watch TV if i cannot sleep at night. On a ship I would rather be watching the world go by out a window than watching TV in my room.

 

From what I've read it seems I'm one of few who is not concerned with either service.

We always watch 10 or 15 minutes of FOX news while lying in bed before retiring and upon getting up in the morning. When we had a cabin on the Prinsendam that did not permit watching TV while lying in bed, one of the first things I did was insist that the TV be relocated so we could. We also use the internet to keep in touch with family. For us, a short cruise is three months and longer ones go seven or eight months.

Scott & Karen

That doesn't explain the Westerdam's unlimited internet package availability on the "Pearls of the Pacific" cruises although it may explain the lack of internet access on much of the 2016 cruise.

Somehow, I don't seem to remember a lack of internet access on "much of the 2016 cruise." Slow, yes, lack of service, occasional, but lack of service on "much of the cruise" doesn't seem to ring a bell.

Scott & Karen

Another thread made me think of this. I thought it would be fun to share experiences.

 

I always get a haircut onboard. It seems like everywhere we travel internationally, the ladies are better "coifed," so I trust the training of the stylists onboard, who have been trained around the world. I've had many haircuts and have always been very pleased with the results.

 

Do any of you have any onboard hairstyling experiences you'd like to share?

 

:confused::eek::)

I know that for me, I wish HAL would have a men's barber on board. I don't want a shampoo, a hair styling, or a blow dry. I want a simple, plain haircut.

I don't appreciate sitting for almost an hour while a stylist snips a scissors six times in open air before cutting, perhaps, a few hairs with a snip. All I really want is a hair cut, which can be done almost entirely with an electric clipper, and then just some final trimming with a scissors. I'm used to haircuts taking no more than 15 minutes. In general, I have not been satisfied with any haircuts I have received on HAL ships.

Scott & Karen