Dogstar

13 hours ago, oakridger said:

So 5.6 drinks each day would be break even.

Easy peasy for these two gal pal hooligans. I suspect they’ll meet the first day’s daily quota before the ship even clears the Lions Gate Bridge! 🥳

Hi All,

Any personal experience obtaining the Elite or Signature Drink Paxkage on a short cruise, please? Mrs. Dogstar & her friend are doing the Koningsdam 2-day Pacific Coastal (Vancouver-Seattle-Vancouver) together in a couple of weeks. 
 

Neither drink packages are available to purchase online (but wine packages are), & Ship Services advises they’re unavailable for cruises of 3 days or less. The Have-it-All Package is also not an available or necessary option either. 
 

Thoughts about securing either Drink Package at any particular bar upon embarkation? From the sounds of their planning this’ll be the more economical option for the “Girl’s Trip”. 🤪

Thank you for any insight. 
 

Dogstar.

Hi @kazu,

Change of plans for us … remove from Koningsdam 10-Apr-2022 Hawaii cruise, please. We’re reconsidering other itineraries instead. 
 

Thank you. @Dogstar & Mrs.Dogstar. 

Success here too. 2022 Hawaii (Vancouver). TA added the Black Friday “free wi-fi bonus” to existing ‘Have It All’ promo reservation. No rate change. 

UPDATE. To conclude the saga ...

To retain the reservation our HAL PCC (through Supervisor) initially offered stateroom upgrade equivalent to the price difference offered by the Travel Agency, then alternatively a combination of reduced pricing with OBC, then alternatively a Price Match. If (& very likely) prices went down prior to Final Payment then HAL would adjust the rate again to HAL's "best rate" only.  HAL would possibly match other verified Travel Agency offers but the "60-day" Reservation Transfer option would have expired, necessitating canceling etc. etc. etc. The Agency, however, keeps the discount intact when applying to any future re-fare pricing adjustments.

We elected to proceed with the Reservation Transfer to the Agency instead of keeping the reservation directly with HAL. The end result is we received a substantial base fare discount plus a bonus HAL Signature Dining Package credit ... equates to 14% approx. savings in our pocket ... from the original booked rate with our HAL PCC.

Definitely worth shopping around!

Cheers.  Dogstar.

On 8/21/2020 at 11:01 AM, Dogstar said:

I'm now awaiting further clarification/response from our HAL PCC.

UPDATE. Follow-ups from HAL PCC ...

“This is something that my department specifically (Personal Cruise Consultants) are allowed to request ... I just need to verify that everything else is EXACTLY the same ... I will see what I can do about the $xxx per person discount!“

“My supervisor has asked if you would be interested in an upgrade equal to the amount of the discount per person ... Comp Upgrade to VS with $ 25 per person Onboard Credit ... Or ... Comp Upgrade to V with $ 75 per person Onboard Credit ... We can upgrade you with either of those offers, keeping your same rate paid.”

So it’s true, HAL is (now) making “offers” to retain their direct bookings instead of transferring them to travel agents/agencies.

FWIW, our current reservation is a 'VF' stateroom, 'Have it All' promotion, refundable, etc. Albeit possibly “equal” between the stateroom fare costs *today* HAL’s offer (of VF —> V/VS upgrade/OBC) is just “so so”.  By comparison the Agency’s 11% base fare savings goes straight to my bottom line (aka my wallet) vs. a slightly better Verandah location.  I just don’t see the value/benefit for us to pay HAL more in this instance. 

Note: our HAL PCC didn’t suggest any restrictive small-print stipulations (ie. no future transfer, no future refares, etc.) are tied to their offer.  Nor have I confirmed my decision, yet.

So how would you proceed ... Accept HAL’s offer? Counter-offer for a comp Signature Suite etc. etc. etc.? Direct HAL to complete the reservation transfer to Agency?

Definitely adds a wrinkle to the once-straightforward ‘Reservation Transfer Request’ process. 
 

Dogstar. 

5 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

One wonders if it is a way to collect price policies for other agencies. Or to confirm compliance with theirs.

Crossed my mind too, @TiogaCruiser.

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Until now, the major cruise lines have followed a quiet policy of not competing with cruise/travel agencies when it comes to price/amenities ... Traditionally, those of us that know how to deal with cruise agencies expect to save 7-10% (or more) on every booking!  

Thanks to your's & other's supportive posts, @Hlitner, I was pleased to discover for myself that the significant savings with Agencies, notwithstanding the Big Box TA's, are very real. It will be interesting to see HAL's follow-up response &/or counter-offer ... I'll share once received.

4 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

My PCC hinted at this type of thing - let them know if you find a better offer and they will try to meet it.

 

Odd that my HAL PCC verbally reconfirmed that they were unable to offer any better pricing/amenities than HAL's "public price" (which our direct booking was fared as) when I queried about other Agency offerings *until* HAL received the Reservation Transfer Form. I wonder, @DaveOKC, if HAL is now using this tactic to save money by reducing Agency commission liabilities?

4 hours ago, richwmn said:

HAL came back and matched it with the provision that it couldn't be transferred later and I couldn't change the price or other terms.

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

The problem with that kind of deal is if the price (or perks) significantly change at a later date.  With my cruise agent I simply send a quick e-mail asking her to please "reprice my cruise" and I will often save hundreds or even thousands of dollars. 

Totally agree with you @Hlitner.  Given pricing/amenities/promotions fluidity I'm not interested in any restrictive "no refare, no transfer, no nada" clauses

Curious @richwmn, are your bookings for near-term voyages or later in 2021/beyond?

Following HAL's sale of the Maasdam, effectively canceling our 13-Feb-2021 19-Day "Papua New Guinea & Philippines Adventurer" voyage , Mrs. Dogstar & I rebooked ourselves on the Koningsdam's 10-Apr-2022 "18-Day Circle Hawaii" voyage (out of our homeport of Vancouver, BC, Canada).  Not our ideal, preferred exotic cruise vessel/destination combination but eliminates the unknown burden of air travel come 2022.

We normally book directly with the Cruise Line via our assigned Personal Cruise Consultant, primarily due to comfort & ease, with (naive) expectation of better service, benefits, etc. for our loyalty.  I've generally been unimpressed when cross-checking advertised prices elsewhere, fearing any potential "hassles" or "lack of help" was not worth the potential savings.  After re-reading your positive posts about booking with an Agency instead (including transferring a reservation booked with HAL), receiving sizable 10%+ savings/credits, additional benefits, etc. I decided to "test the water" by seeking competitive quotations from various sources.

Fast forward ... we compared multiple offers, validated Agencies, asked follow-up questions, etc. ... for a 11% net savings from HAL's best offer !!! We submit to HAL the necessary 'Reservation Transfer Request Form' to have our HAL direct (PCC) booking, which was made within the past 60 days stipulation, moved over to the selected Agency.

Surprise ... our HAL PCC responds "Since you are wishing to transfer based on a difference in price/offer, our policy is that before we can transfer, I need to submit the agency’s offer to my supervisor to see if we can simply just do a price/offer match. Can you please provide in writing what the agency’s offer is? I will find out if we can simply just match the offer. If not, we will complete the transfer from there."

What the ?!?!?! Is this a new policy?  It’s not noted on the Form, nor mentioned in other posts that I can see, etc. It was my understanding, perhaps erroneously, that HAL is unable to price match/beat Agency discounts directly hence our election to validate the market’s offerings. I even verified HAL's "best offer" with our PCC beforehand. I'm now awaiting further clarification/response from our HAL PCC.

Thoughts?

Cheers.  Dogstar.

*** 

Be kind. Be calm. Be safe. 
- Dr. Bonnie HENRY, Provincial Health Officer, Government of British Columbia

Hi @kazu,

22-Apr-2022

Koningsdam

18-day Circle Hawaii

@Dogstar & Mrs. Dogstar

30-yr Anniversary Celebration

* in lieu of the HAL-cancelled voyage

13-Feb-2021

Maasdam

19-day Papua New Guinea & Philippines Adventurer

Thank you. Dogstar. 

Hi @kazu,

I hope this post finds you well, despite the odd times that is COVID-19 presently. I’ve been off the CC Forum for far too long, busy chasing life since vacay’ing on the K’dam in Dec-2018. Alas it’s time to savour the future & begin planning another cruise adventure to some exotic locales ...

• 13-Feb-2021
• Maasdam
• 19-day Papua New Guinea & Philippines Adventurer
• Dogstar & Mrs. Dogstar
• 30-year Anniversary Celebration

Cheers. @Dogstar.

@POA1,

Jumping in briefly here to wish you, the Mrs., DFIL & Poohby a super Holiday. Just home ourselves from the K'dam so looking forward to settling in, catching up & following along with your adventure now. 

Cheers. Dogstar. 

Bon voyage !!! 🛳☀️

On 12/12/2018 at 2:13 PM, canadianbear said:

Please take photos of your cabin-the cruise with my friend in January is in a balcony-hoping us ladies get along, lol.  

Will do @canadianbear. I'll take more specific shots but here's a teaser in the meantime ...

On 12/14/2018 at 12:31 PM, VMax1700 said:

Can't wait to feel the bass line vibrate my ribcage!   

 

Rest assured you will feel the bass! 🤘🏻

On 12/14/2018 at 6:23 PM, POA1 said:

I took some photos as you went out of Port Everglades. You may even be in them. Email me when you get home and I'll send them to you. We're back from our cruise on the 26th. 

Thanks @POA1, much appreciated. Enjoy your cruise. Catch you on the flipside!

On 12/14/2018 at 9:55 PM, aliaschief said:

Lester Lanin and Guy Lombardo Orchestras are out it’s time for Boomers Rock and Roll.

Rock on !!! 🤘🏻

On 12/15/2018 at 2:00 AM, msmoxie said:

Which music venues (if any) are appropriate for a 4-5 year old?

You can't go wrong with the BB Kings Blues Club & Rolling Stone Rock Room. A few young'uns having a go groovin' on the RSRR dance floor ... everybody's having a great time encouraging them to join in the fun. Cute to watch.  👍🏻

1 hour ago, iflyrc5 said:

Would someone currently on the Kdam please let us know if the are offering 2 or 3 shows on the main stage each night.  I am wondering that since they have added the Rolling Stone venue it they cut it to 2 shows a night.

Currently two Main Stage shows nightly right now on our K'dam 11-night cruise. 7pm & 9pm. 

Bon voyage !!! 🛳☀️

Bon voyage !!! 🛳☀️

***

Posting from Anse Mitan (Martinique) so beachside wifi is slow. Here's a few pics to go along with my earlier comments ... more to follow as time & wifi permits.

***

[ Tue 11-Dec-2018 ]

One word:  F A N T A S T I C

Wow. Incredible. Awesome. Dynamic. Fun. 

The band rocked the room, the crowd rocked the ship!

Do you like to watch, listen, sit, stand, clap, shake, bounce &/or dance? In the immortal words of Nike, just do it!

Congratulations to HAL, they hit it out of the park with this one. A Grand Slam home run!

For this entertainment venue alone Mrs. Dogstar & I would definitely return to the K'dam, & her sister Nieuw Statendam, again & again. Roll it out across the HAL fleet asap, please. 

R O C K   O N   ! ! !   🤘🏻😎🤘🏻

***

Posting this from beachside bar in Anse Mitan (Martinique) so wifi is slow. Will share more photos & video later. For now it's back to the beach, ocean & bevvies!

***

*** posting from Siint Maarten beachfront bat WiFi so no photos today ~ slow! Will share pics later ***

[ @0bnxshs ]

• Drydock (re)construction ~ completed; no visible evidence of debris, contractors, etc.

[ @VMax1700, @diamondj, @flygirl2 ]

• Smoking area ~ designated permission restricted to (i) Casino (Deck 3, Promenade), (ii) Sun Bar (Deck 11, Sun), & (iii) Sea View Pool 'starboard side' adjacent to Bar, contrary to HAL FAQ's 'port side' notation (Deck 9, Lido). Sorry, as non-smokers we vote 'Fail'. 👎🏻

• E-cigarettes ~ designated permission same as Smoking, plus  staterooms; mildly noticeable periodically in stateroom corridor. Sorry, as non-smokers we vote 'Epic Fail'. 👎🏻👎🏻

[ @aliaschief ]

• Rolling Stone Rock Room ~ new venue, replaced Lincoln Center Stage location across from Billboatf Onboard (Deck 2, Plaza); Fantastic! 💃🏼🕺🏼

[ @aliaschief ]

• Lincoln Center Stage ~ relocated to Queen’s Lounge; shared with BB King’s Blues Club (Decks 2 & 3, Plaza & Promenade). 🎶

[ @rothbury ]

• Billboard Onboard ~ yes, appies buffet during 1600-1700h cocktail hour (Deck 2, Plaza). 🍻

[ @aliaschief ]

• Club Orange ~ new VIP program, dining venue replaced Culinary Arts Center space (Deck 2, Plaza). 🍊

[ @rothbury ]

• Notes, Blend ~ both survived makeover (Deck 2, Plaza). 🍷

[ @*Miss G* ]

• Wine Steward ~ interactive, knowledgable & attentive 'human' service, not a self-serve 'tablet', in Main Dining Room; we purchased the Somelier Suite 'Cellar No. 1' 6-bottles package in MDR (Early seating, table for 2, starboard window; Deck 3, Promenade). 🍾🍷

• HAL Connect ~ Internet data packages are (i) Social Plan ($14.99 USD per day, or $84.99 USD for 10 days*), (ii) Surf Plan ($24.99; $129.99*), Premium Plan ($29.99; $179.99*); *note ~ unknown if there was a 11-day option to match our cruise length since I only checked on Day 2. 📱💻

Other observations ...

• Stateroom throne ~ angled design unchanged, at least in our 'VA' Verandah; while a snug fit (I'm 6'3" tall) it's functional for the intended purpose. 🚽

• Hot tubs ~ operating hours are when? Time is not posted anywhere adjacent to the pools/tubs, in the daily hardcopy 'When & Where' or the online 'Navigator'; For us early'ish risers they were unavailable at 0700h, 0800h, 0900h; Attendant eventually opened Lido Pool tubs at 0920h on Day 2 morning, at least. Remaining days/times TBD. 🛀

• Digital Photo Package ~ we paid $99 USD in advance; offered onboard, with prints, for $299.99 USD; digital service not functional upon embarkation; Photo Centre (Deck 3, Promenade) is placing our hardcopy prints into a folio while awaiting system access in the next day or so of this voyage; Results TBD, but in the interim since it's unlimited we're having a ton of fun having photos taken at every opportunity instead of avoiding the ship photographers like we usually do. 📸

Bye everyone !!!

* photo grab courtesy of my IT guys watching us from work. 😉

Horn blast. We're away !!! 🎉

Munster Drill 🤪 completed. Gangway pulled away. Lines are dropped. Sail Away has started. 🎉

***

[ @VMax1700 ] Stairwell still in casino between Decks 2 & 3. 

[ @mytleturtle] Retreat ~ Family Cabana appears to have 2 x loungers, 1 x sofa, 2 x small tables. 

***

Lots more of The Mission to complete. But first it's time for another research beverage. 🤣

Happy Monday !!! 🎉

We're now in the Port Everglades Pier 26 Holding Pen awaiting our turn (aka Group 9) to board the Koningsdam, her inaugural post-first drydock shakedown cruise. The Mission put before us by you kind folks for the better good (aka HAL CC Community) is to seek & report back, with the help of fellow cruisers (aka Addicts), is the following:

Thanks @Scrapnana for these reminders. I usually miss the actual Sal-Away festivities due to weekend chores or weekday work. Hopefully today I won't ... we're sailing away on the K'dam this afternoon. 🎉

🙋🏼‍♂️ Favour from y'all, please ... kindly grab a webcam screengrab or two for our e-scrapbook.

You may even catch a glimpse of a rare @Dogstar & Mrs. Dogstar appearance in FLL/PE along the topside railing, port side, mid-ship. Flying the 🇨🇦 & balancing 🍹's. 

Happy Monday!!!