Bill B

On cruisedeckplans.com there a 3 pics of 10012 (Nieuw Statendam) which should be similar. P.S. Even though it's an Inside, 10053 might have a window. Statendam Cabin: 10012atendam Cabin: 10012

Why?

I was considering buying a laundry package but I get free laundry in my sink and shower (think treading grapes), and with the package it would cost me $500 to replace the clothes worn out due to excessive laundering. As a bonus, it all smells like Elemis products!

You have conjured a picture in my mind of a stern platform and the laundry crew on it with washboards. 🤣

Thanks!

Are reservations absolutely necessary for Specialty Dining venues? Or, can you 'take a chance', show up and perhaps be seated?

On the HAL website make a mock booking for your cruise, look at all the Verandah rooms available and compare the prices for them to the price you paid for your VH guarantee. I wouldn't necessarily pick a VA room because I would want to be extreme aft on Navigation Deck (Noordam) i.e. a stern balcony, and those are VBs (the VAs are on lower decks. The cool thing is - you can pick any room within the meta category.

Wow! They should introduce a fitness requirement (I know it'll never happen).

Stairs on the ship? Was it taking so long to load the tenders they couldn't get everyone ashore and only took the HAL-booked people?

I found my own answer - you have to be booked on an excursion to go ashore. The excursion doesn't have to be HAL-booked. Apparently, if I'm not on an excursion I might do something stupid and get eaten by a dragon. 😧

My cruise is also in Jan. '25 (out of Singapore) so I'll check often for shore excursions; and not expect dining reservations until next August/ September. Thanks everyone.

Yes. 😏😈

Is it true you can't go ashore on Komodo island unless you are on a HAL-booked excursion?

I've booked a cruise more than a year away (so Excursions and Specialty Dining reservations cannot yet be made on the HAL website). I am wondering - how far in advance of the cruise will they be available to book?

FWIW I booked a B2B on HAL through my TA with HIA EBB and AARP OBC using my CC to make the deposit (no FCCs). The HIA EBB give me $300 SEC, 2 PG dinners and 1 Canaletto. Can I use my AARP OBC & SEC to book PG dining and excursions pre-cruise, then go to the SED and GS, cancel them and get a refund to my CC, or am I SOL? 🤪

Perhaps a name change to - HIAE (Have It All Except). 😉

They didn't have to honor the the AARP OBC but they did. Doin so makes sense though because I could have cancelled, got by deposit refunded and rebooked with the same, HAVE IT ALL - EARLY BOOKING BONUS promo and got the AARP OBC.

I'll remember that if I ever consider CO.

Thanks! I was under the mistaken impression there were four meta categories: Inside, Outside, Veranda and Suites. It makes sense the suites have their own meta categories because there is such a huge price difference between some of them.

I'm using Windows 11 (with Chrome) and have no issues whatsoever with the website.

I emailed HAL to request AARP OBC be added to a booking made before I joined AARP (along with room and dining changes). I just received a new booking confirmation showing all three changes... pretty good service!

I don't understand. With CO you get a free upgrade to the best available room within your meta category - so, DaveOKC should not have had to pay anything to go from a Signature Suite to a Neptune Suite. Was the upsell cost less than the $500 you paid for CO? Did you retain your CO benefits after taking the upsell offer? friendswithdave's situation makes more sense - paying to go from a Veranda to a Suite. Did you retain your CO benefits after taking the upsell?

PETV Report them to PETV.

Thanks for clarifying that.

They could give us a 100% discount and not lose anything. 😉