oaktreerb

They aren’t offering to send them anymore. They want you to ask for them on your next cruise.

We just disembarked the Koningsdam from a 18 day cruise in a VB stateroom with HIA, Gratuities included, and Club Orange. We are also wondering how points will be calculated. Trying to reach 5 star by June 2024. I’ll let you know when they post on our account. The only expenditures listed on the statement were Spa, shops, and shore excursions.

If you can plan your meals at 5:15 it should be pretty easy to have a designated table reserved in the dining room on deck 2, so you can walk in and be seated without being escorted to your table each evening. The reason 6:00 is a problem is that every table in the “open seating” dining room is filled by 5:15ish and those people will not leave the dining room until 6:30 at the earliest. The ships are full and most people want to eat early, the dining room can’t/shouldn’t leave a table empty until 6:00. It’s probably not going to get better. Talk to the dining room manager asap. If you are not there by 5:15 they will give it to someone else for that evening. We have walked through the crowds outside the dining room on Deck 2 on the Koningsdam, a sister ship. It’s a mess. We either book Club Orange (upsell) private dining room or choose fixed dining when we book the cruise.

We have tiles from our first HAL cruise in 2005. We have been on the Koningsdam 4 times and we have one shared tile from our first Koningsdam cruise after Covid. I think there is a new tile showing all three Pinnacle class ships. I want one!

Koningsdam in San Diego yesterday. Colors were called. Luggage is offloaded by color. If you leave before your color is called you will be hanging out in the terminal waiting for your luggage to be offloaded. Easiest disembarkation ever. Walk off the ship, pick up luggage in color coded area, facial recognition instead of immigration passport check, walk out of the terminal and on our way home.

The tiles are ship specific. I have two tile IOU’s from the Koningsdam. My next cruise is on a different ship. I’ll have to sail on the Koningsdam again to (maybe) receive my Koningsdam IOU tiles unless each ship has an assortment of tiles to fulfill the IOU promises of other ships. @2LoveBikes Some travelers don’t know about or care about the tiles. Most of these promised tiles will be forgotten along with the apology. The paperwork will be lost or discarded. Maybe the days of tiles has passed along with the daily pillow chocolate. Remember the little “passport” booklet for your itinerary “sticker”? Yesterday when we disembarked the K we got the itinerary “sticker” and were told to contact our room steward for the “passport booklet”. Another economy measure that was a poor concept.

I’d be happy with this. We got an IOU notice on the Koningsdam.

No tile on the Koningsdam Hawaii sailing. We got the notice today thanking us for our loyalty and reporting that HAL has halted distribution due to “global supply chain issues” and if we “hold on to this card” they will be more than happy to offer us an extra tile” on our next sailing. I now have two of these notices from the Koningsdam, next cruise will be Westerdam in 2024. Maybe all tiles will be the same from now on? Disappointing. Maybe they could at least bring back the nightly chocolates. 🤔⛴🙏

Club Orange is per person (but I think it includes extra 3&4 person). If a cabin has one person, you would count only one. The only suites included in CO are Neptune and Pinnacle Siites.

plus, but there are fewer Neptune and higher suites on the Pinnacle Class ships than on the other ships.

Yes there is a limit. We re currently on the Koningsdam. When Club Orange opens for breakfast and dinner each day people are standing in line waiting to be seated. We were told there were 99 CO sold and Neptune and Pinnacle Suites are automatically enrolled. HAL cruisers are wise to select fixed dining or Club Orange.

We self booked Pan Pacific with harbor view last cruise season. We only booked for one night. We flew in from San Diego, gathered our luggage and were directed to the taxi line. Easy. We had too much luggage to manage it ourselves on the Metro. It was so easy! The Pan Pacific will arrange to have your luggage transferred to the ship for you if you ask them when you check in. All you have to do is have it ready for pick up in the room. They will tell you where to catch the special elevator that takes you down to the cruise terminal. Be sure to keep your cruise documents and passport with you! Another advantage to self booking is that you don’t have to deal with the HAL transfer process.

They are on the Koningsdam to Hawaii. Jukebox Rogues. Same or different group of the troupe? We also have had Hyperion Knight, a fantastic pianist.

We pack with three bags for the two of us. One suitcase is for the ship and we don’t plan to open it on the land part. HAL sometimes will ask you to label the ship bag “Meet me at the SHIP”. With some tours, like the Yukon tours, that isn’t possible because of airport security. There is the bag that travels with you AND a small bag to keep with you on the bus or train…at tour seat. The other bag will travel separately and will be in your room when you arrive at each destination (Denali, Anchorage, ship) along the way.

Yes. The Koningsdam is a nice ship and should get good berths in port since it is a Holland America ship. I have done Alaska on several Holland ships and you will have a prime location for docking, plenty of viewing areas, and interesting educational speakers. The food and service is good and the ship is sturdy. For a first time cruiser if Glacier Bay is included you will enjoy glacier viewing with park rangers onboard and an open bow for better viewing. From Vancouver you will have smooth and scenic sailing up the inside passage.

With most people onboard these days having the HIA package if there is something you want to do get it booked as soon as you make up your mind. On Hawaii/South Pacific bookings this is especially true as the Islands are limiting tourism and the less expensive, easy tours will sell out early. If your preferred tour is sold out, waitlist and pay for the tour. You can be reimbursed onboard if you want to use HIA to cover it.

You don’t wait outside if you are priority, 4*+. tell them your status and they will let you in.

We are on Koningsdam. We also have a Staples pen. Probably supply chin issue. At least we got a pen and I think it is new.

We also enjoyed this excursion!

Eurodam is best for Alaska. Great viewing areas and probably fewer kids.

The train between Anchorage and Denali is more scenic and more entertaining (narration of guide). The train between Denali and Fairbanks is shorter but not as scenic. I prefer the bus between Denali and Fairbanks. You get there much faster and the highway is more interesting. Before a cruise tour? The train is included on many cruise tours. Fly in to either Fairbanks or Anchorage to begin your tour. We have also flown from Fairbanks to Anchorage as part of a cruise tour. That’s a long train ride between Anchorage and Fairbanks!

Thanks for responding. Yes, things change all the time. That’s why we come to Cruise Critic to see what others have experienced! Enjoy your 2023 Europe cruise.

The cruise lines have transfers to and from the port. Holland America and Princess offer a transfer between Anchorage and the port in Whittier. Princess and HAL have the most itineraries that include Glacier Bay, which is a National Park and prime viewing area for Glaciers. i have not traveled with Celebrity or RCCL but they will offer transfers to their ships in Seward and/or to Anchorage. If this is your first trip you may want to let the cruise lines plan your hotels and transfers. Check out itineraries and times in port, decide what you want to see, check prices and specials for the cruise lines and book your cruise through someone you trust.

iF you go to Haines you should have an objective. Steve Krochel’s wildlife center is fun. You could do a rafting excursion but the eagles in the Eagle Preserve don’t show up until late Fall. It’s still fun. Haines is not a touristy port so a pleasant stop and not crowded. Some tourists have been satisfied with seeing eagles from the ferry. Be careful of your time. The ship will wait for you on a ship tour. If you are on your own on the ferry be careful of your timing. Any delay of the ferry returning to Skagway could be a big problem. Skagway has a lot of Gold Rush history. It is a National Park. There are some great hiking trails there. The bus and train combo has great scenery and the narration will orient you to the area. If you have never been to Skagway and you are interested in Gold Rush history, there is a lot to see and learn. You might consider renting a car and drive up to the Yukon and back since you have a long port stop.

Not unless it shows up on the Navigator App prior to your sailing.