Ryten

Not sure if it has made it to the Konigsdam. but on the N. Statendam there is a small bar right outside the Club orange called the half Moon Bar. Only six seats at the bar and one lowered areal for a scooter as well. their claim to fame are specialty cocktails. Usually friendly bartender and assistant makes it a great stop.

We have tipped at the end of the cruise as well. however. We have also discovered that a bag or two of Doritos from any port, makes the stewards extremely happy. particularly when they can't go ashore.

And just to throw a wrinkle into the conversation, On the last T/A of the Prinsendam, the clock was changed 1/2 hour each evening for the six day crossing to Madeira. we were told that it was for the benefit of the crew who work at varied hours. We enjoyed the small time increases and since we were on Sip time anyway, there was no real downside.

Yes. We have usually upgraded on board in order to give the Bartender/waiter the sale which goes towards his internal review or required number of sales, although I'm not sure this is still in effect. Be certain however that you upgrade before you order your first drink or it may case problems with subsequent orders. One caveat however, on our last November cruise the conversion created a ridiculous mess on your billing statement and you really had to keep an eye out that you were getting the proper discount particularly when ordered a drink in one of the specialty restaurants.

We unfortunately have had the experience of being bumped from a Family Cabana, which I had booked over a year out from the cruise. About 30 prior to sailing, I received a call from our PCC apologizing for having to bump us to a regular cabana because someone (very important) with a lot of time with HAL (read lots of money over the years) demanded it. My reaction was disappointment as we were traveling with friends and the larger cabana would have been convenient. In the grand scheme of things however it had little impact on our cruise. All four of us were permitted to use the cabana and we had access to all the perks afforded, especially the amazing stewards. I'm not sure there was any substantial compensation, possibly some OBC. The experience left me with the knowledge that notwithstanding our 26 cruises with HAL, our value to them is less than those of others. I refuse to stress over that and merely take it into account as part of my cruising experience. We love the cabanas and will continue to take advantage of them. As to the original post, you truly have my sympathy because you should not have been treated in that manner. I hope you receive acceptable answers and compensation, and are able to enjoy your cruise. We really have so little time to enjoy ourselves these days. Best of luck.

We had been waitlisted for tour a month ago and received notice of a opening 3 days before the cruise. Per HAL policy all tour reservations closed 4 days prior to the cruise and I wasn't allowed to confirm the reservation online. I called ship services and advised of the problem and was told they would take care of it onboard. On the first day onboard I went to reserve the tour ( a 5 hour cooking extravaganza limited to 12 people) and was advised that they did not have any record of our reservation. I produced the reservation email form documenting the offer and was immediately placed on the priority waiting list. We heard nothing until 7:45 AM, the morning of the tour, when we were told there was an opening if we could make it by 8:30. Have asleep, we agreed and had the best tour we have ever had sponsored by HAL. I guess my point is, if you really want to go, miracles happen.

Of course. I believe it was five years ago. I guess my point is that HAL actually does try to help and I was a lucky beneficiary of that assistance. Has HAL's service changed. maybe, but i am likely to give them the benefit of the doubt given my experience.

Here is my experience missing the ship on a repositioning cruise from Sydney to Honolulu. We originally booked flight ease arriving in Sydney 3 days early. For some reason Flight Ease canceled our reservation at the last minute and then rebooked us on a flight that would get us to the ship the same day. A storm on the East Coast delayed our initial flight so we couldn't make the connecting flight to get to the ship on time for departure. We were on a flight the following day (not business class we had originally booked) but got us to Sydney a half day late. We were put up in a very nice hotel by HAL while they tried to figure out how to get us to the next port. The problem however was that a typhoon had developed in the Pacific and the Noordam was sailing around it and the scheduled NEXT port was cancelled. For two days HAL paid for our Sydney Holiday and contacted us to be ready to fly next day to Vanuatu on AIR VANUATU. We are not the rookies cruising but I had no idea what or where Vanuatu was and we had visions of helping the airplane by flapping our wings to get to some remote island. We arrived and flew the next day on a two month old Airbus 320 that was gorgeous and arrived an hour early in Vanuatu. We were taken to the local Holiday Inn the was incredibly beautiful on a lagoon with all amenities paid by HAL. It is still one of the most spectacular evenings of our lives with the full moon rising between two palm trees framing a raised veranda while the Southern Cross rose in the sky. A courtesy van picked us up in the morning and drove us to the ship where a Hal representative escorted us to our room and chilled bottle of Champagne, while apologizing for our troubles. I digress. MY POINT IS HAL WILL GET YOU THERE, and if you are really lucky you will also get an adventure that you will remember for the rest of your life.

There is a supposed press release scheduled for September 6, announcing the details of the purchase and the now renamed Rennaisance.

Welcome to HAL. We started cruising with them when we in our thirties and are now well into our third decade. I believe you find HAL to be lower key than most of the other lines. With your HIA package you should familiarize your self with the different specialty restaurants and use your freebie at this time to schedule it on a day that suits your needs. Many people try the Pinnacle Grill since it is the most expensive. As to trying the others, you may want to wait until you board to make a reservation because you will be required to pay in advance if schedule before boarding. There is usually a special desk set up outside the Pinnacle Grill on embarkation day to schedule dinner reservation at all the specialty restaurants. I'm not sure if it is being offered at this time but for a time there was a discount of 25% offered for the Pinnacle Grill on the first night. You should also be aware that the Gala nights or whatever they are now being called will likely be on the second and next to last evening of the cruise. As previously indicate, WiFi is hit or miss but if you are only checking in, the service should be more than adequate. As to excursions, just do your homework on the trips offered and make your reservation early since availability will likely be limited due to most people having credit to use for the excursions. Good luck and happy sailing.

We have not run into this problem with HAL but are dealing with it now on a River cruise leaving form Amsterdam the first week of July. The River cruise test daily. My wife contracted COVID two weeks ago and as you indicated you can get a positive finding for up to 90 days after infection. The River cruises are permitting the use of a "Letter of Recovery" attested to by a medical care facility/doctor. There are a ton of form Letters if you Google it. The Letter essentially says you have contracted COVID but are medically cleared and are in good health otherwise and the positive findings are the result of the lingering infection. I looked at HAL's COVID policy but do not see whether the accept a Letter of Recovery although monetarily it would make sense for them to do so. I guess you need to contact HAL directly for clarification and obtain written confirmation as to their policy. Good luck and hope you will be able cruise.