Jump to content

rajkr74

Members
  • Posts

    3,068
  • Joined

About Me

  • Location
    Oregon
  • Interests
    Gardening,traveling, sports
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Holland America
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Alaska and South Pacific

Recent Profile Visitors

1,799 profile views

rajkr74's Achievements

Cool Cruiser

Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. Did you watch the whole Muster Drill from start to finish? Our experience was if you watched the whole video then it would never show up again when you turned the TV on later.
  2. We just got off the Zuiderdam July 22, 2023 and had a conversation with the Cruise Director the day before and were informed that a Clasical Music group, put together by HAL, was coming on board the 22nd for the Voyage of The Vikings. It probaby won't be using the Lincoln Center name. This group would then get off the Zuiderdam and go to the Zaandam to play, date unknown. This s probably happening to work out the "kinks" before implementing this venue to all ships. There was no time table as to when all ships will get classical music back.
  3. We held a M&G on the Zuiderdam in 2015 just after ir came out of drydock with numerous items un completed. A couple CC members decided that was the time to jump the captain about thinhs not working in their cabin even after I said the M&G was not the place to do that. They did it did anyhow. Shortly there after I read on this HAL board officers were no longer permitted to attend. We've done a numerous M&Gs and have had no officers attend even though we delivered invitations on occasion. We've had great cooperation with the ships event coordinator on our last 2 cruises. We've held our M&Gs on our last 2 cruises in the BB King lounge and Rolling Stones lounge with good results. The Crows Nest can't be controlled with non CC members coming in and sitting in the lounge chairs. Can't close it off due to the Explorers coffee bar being there. Also, talking about private excursions at a M&G is a absolute NO NO. That's the first rule that I open up with when I moderate a M&G. Over all we have had good results at our M&Gs on the Zuiderdam starting with the May 12, 2023 cruise, but have one more to go on the July segment. We had 205 cruisers sign up for the may 13th M&G with about 190 showing up. Our largest group ever that we've been involved with. It went smoothly even though we couldn't go around the room and have everyone introduce themselves. Rick
  4. Am on the Zuiderdam now. The delay seemed to be more from trying to load all the food, luggage, equipment, and other items than from the protesters. Looked like items and pallets were left on the dock as we pulled away. Could be wrong since I was looking out the back MDR window as we left. Protesters were still there. We still got to Dover on time the next morning. In addition the protesters had plastic water bottles and food items in plastic clamshell containers in sacks all around the dock.....what? They had litte effect on our cruise other than an entertainment interlude.
  5. On the Zuiderdam now and were told HAL is revamping the Lincoln Center group, going to the World Stage and increasing the players to 5. When....not known yet. Cantrell was also on board for 3-4 shows and is headed to the Osterdam. Will be back on the Zuiderdam on 6-12-23. We enjoyed them, good singers.
  6. Getting reimbursed for Covid related expenses can be slow and fustrating both from HAL and a travel ins. We had a 24 day Panama Canal cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Vancouver BC in April 2022. The day before Vanvouver we had to test in Victoria in order to fly back to the USA. I tested positive and was quarantined for one night and taken, along with 8 other cruisers, to a hotel near the airport for a Canadian manditory 10 day quarantine stay. My wife did not have Covid and she went home. At the hotel I knew I would have to pay for the food ordered from the on site restaurant. After the cruise I submitted the food expenses to our travel ins. and was paid in a month. At check out from the hotel I asked if HAL was picking up the cost of the room since they gave me no bill for that cost. The hotel told me yes. Two months later our credit card had a charge of $3,000 on it from the hotel for the room. I had failed to fully read the fine print from HAL that required I submit my expenses to our travel ins before I submitted to HAL for any balance that the ins did not cover. So I did that in July 2022 but did not get paid until the end of Nov. 2022 for only $2,500. Found out my ins. only covered $250 per night at the hotel as per the policy. I then, sent by mail, all the information along with the HAL out of pocket expense form for the balance of $500 to HAL. A month later, late Dec. 2022 I called HAL Guest Relations and after sitting on hold for 1 hr 30 mins and got a nice gentleman in a call center in the Phillipines who could not access the mailed docements. So I took pics of all the docs and sent 5 emails to him while he stayed on the phone to confirm that he had been received them. So, at the end of Jan 2023 I called HAL Guest Relations. Again was on hold for 1 hr 30 mins before I talked to a person in the call center in the Phillipines. He confirmed the request for the $500 had been recieved and approved and was waiting to be paid....when that was going to happen he could not tell me. On Feb 15, 2023 I received a check for the $500 issued from an outside company contracted by HAL. Took for ever but got paid. The one day of quarantine on the ship was applied to my HAL account as a FCC. Make sure you read all the info from HAL and be prepared to followup on submissions. Also be prepared to be on hold with followup calls. Keep notes of dates of submissions when you made calls. Be patient and be nice to the people that you have contact with. It will take time but we did get paid...finally.
  7. We did a Land/Sea tour with HAL a few yrs ago (2016) and enjoyed it. This link is for the review we did after the tour and even though its a few yrs old there is info that we hope might be useful to you. We did the review since we did not see any reviews done by CC cruisers before and after our cruise. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2295567-alaska-sea-land-cruise-6-29-16-review—y2c/
  8. We were on the Rotterdam in Sept. and Oct 2022 in an inside cabin 5071. It is smaller than similar Vista class cabins with not having a love seat on the cabin. We thought we’d not like it however it was a nice cabin. It was located midship and we felt no excess motion including the one night of heavy seas in the north Atlantic sailing to NY. It has all the same features as most cabins as it applies to closet space, room under the bed and bathroom. The shower was a highlight with ample room. Interactive TV at the end of the bed was nice. Overall we were nicely surprised and happy with it.
  9. Oh thanks for the GOOD news I think....LOL Some may say this is BS but as others have said it's happening across many companies. Due to a missunderstanding on my part I thought HAL was covering the quarantine hotel room in Vancouver. Once I figured out that was not the case I submitted documents to our travel ins. co. Then after months and numerous phone calls I finally received a partial payment. The difference was my ins. only covered $250/night and the hotel charged $300/night. I should have known this info and would have negociated a lower price at check in (the room was not a $300/night room). It'a not worth getting upset about and I'll patiently wait for a check. My request is only a middle 3 figure amount so it's not causing a cash flow problem with us.
  10. Called Guest Services today on a Covid Quarantine expense from our April 2022 cruise. After submitting our expenses to our travel insurance the insurance company, who did not cover a medium 3 figure balance, I submitted, by mail, receipts for that amount to HAL back on Nov. 24th for reimbursement. Called on Dec. 28th to phone number 1-877-932-4259. Pressed #6 (Guest Relations) when prompted then waited on hold for 1 hr 45 mins to get a rep. He did not have access to my mailed in request from Nov. 24th. So he stayed on the phone while I took pics of all docs and emailed them to him. The call today to the same number had me waiting on hold for 1 hr. 32 mins. to find out the staus. Got a nice HAL rep who verified my claim, after waiting on hold for another 5 mins, that the claim had finally been approved and was pending in the Reimbursement Dept along with many many other claims waiting to have a check produced. Maybe another 2 weeks (?) to get a check if lucky. Conclusion? When calling, be prepared to be on hold from 1 to 2 hrs to talk to anyone. Then be nice even if you feel like pulling your hair out and screaming at a glass shattering level. Patience, patience.
  11. The Key cards now come with a small rectanguler hole at the top of the card. At least my card on the Rotterdam in Oct. did.
  12. Below is a CC link to a review we did back in 2016 for a HAL cruise-tour that left Seattle from Sea-Tac airport. Since this a few years old not everything may be pertenant to cruise in 2023 but there are enough things that you will see on your cruise-tour that are in this review. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2295567-alaska-sea-land-cruise-6-29-16-review—y2c/
  13. We were on the Rotterdam in Sept-Oct and there was a hair dryer in our cabin and should be in every cabin on the ship. It's in the cabinet below the shelf where the ice bucket is located, not in the bathroom.
  14. We carry a hand held luggage scale that has been pretty accurate. But thought I'd check the HAL scales in the mid-ship elevator bay on the Rotterdam on Oct 29th 2022. On the 5th deck the HAL scale was 5-6 lbs over the 49.5 lbs registered on my hand held scale. So went up to the 6th deck, were it was closer but off a pound or so. So tried the 4th deck. Came up with a different number but not over the 5-6 lbs registered on the 5th deck. Went back to my scale and used it since the seas were calm and did not give me bad readings. Did not have the time to inquire why HALs scales were off. Got to the airport and was fine with the readings off my scale...as always. Buyer beware!
×
×
  • Create New...