cbr663

Your description of the Neptune Lounge as being more like a library is spot on. In our experience the Neptune Lounge is used primarily as an access point to the Concierge and for people quickly grabbing snacks and then leaving. It's a small interior space and it is not very conducive imo for gatherings and conversations. Almost every other public space on board is more advantageous to meeting people.

Your post reminded me of years ago when HAL would provide you with a printed copy of your onboard account we happened upon a gentleman in an elevator who was quietly reading and turning page after page of his onboard account. When the elevator finally stopped he looked up at us and sheepishly said, "looks like someone has been having a great time." 🙂

I don't know what it exactly means. Departure date means something very specific to mean and is completely different from say departure time.

This is my concern also. I don't recall ever seeing this before on any HAL promotion. I'm trying to think about my response of flying into a city and booking hotel rooms only to discover that HAL changed the departure dates without any notice.

HAL always have multiple promotions on its site and it can be easy to fall into the mindset of thinking you understand the promotion without reading the T&Cs. While reviewing the Canada Super Sale promotion, I thought to delve into the T&Cs as it was shockingly noted on another site that fares and deposits are non-refundable and final payment was due at booking. That's typical of sailings that are within the final payment window so I didn't think too much about it, but, being a Canadian, thought I would check it out. I don't recall ever seeing this statement in a T&Cs though: ..."Departure dates may be substituted without prior notice." Wow! I cannot think of any other response at this time. https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/ca/cruise-deals/canada-super-sale

It depends on whether or not HAL is promoting it. My experience is that there isn't any one standard Have It All package. It is simply a bundling of amenities and HAL changes them almost as regularly as it changes its promos. I have seen differences between the HIA packages so I always make sure to read the T&Cs for each. I have had HIA included in my fare in the past and had one fare in which I couldn't purchase it. I have seen HIA with refundable deposits and non-refundable deposits. I think HAL is constantly making changes as time moves on and it sees how its passengers respond to the package. BTW: cruise lines have stated publicly that they have raised their passenger spend on their ships by more than 15% by offering packages. People with the packages like HIA are typically spending more now than they did previously without the packages.

Remember that there are 2 advantages to booking CO and the complimentary upgrade: 1. The upgrade level itself, and 2. Being able to select your actual cabin. At times HAL can charge quite a premium for this option.

Yes, it is still loud. There will always be cabins that are in poor locations on every ship. If you want to make sure that you don't end up with one of these then you really need to consider only sailing on itineraries in which you can book your own cabin and pay the unfortunate premium that HAL demands for you to do so.

Obviously I didn't else I wouldn't have asked the question.

I agree.

How do excursions work if you don't use the app? Can you go to the Excursion desk and ask them to provide you with a hard copy of your excursion ticket?

When I read the T&Cs for the programme even though it stated that you will receive confirmation from HAL approximately 7 days before the cruise departure, I placed more emphasis on the statement, "...is intended for those residing within driving distance from a port." When I think about Standby for planes, for instance, you are typically at the gate waiting to see if you can board the flight. Within driving distance of a port indicates to me that a short notice should be expected. Standby also indicates to me that you should be all ready to go at a moments notice, not wait to get the confirmation and then get ready to go. Seven days prior and almost anyone in the world could get there and I don't think that is the intention. The T&Cs also state that guests who want the option to not sail should opt to go on the cruise waitlist instead.

HAL has been actively promoting its "Kids Sail Free" and I believe that HAL is targeting a different demographic for its ships. That the Cabanas now include kids isn't really a surprise. If you are sailing on HAL, you should be prepared to encounter more kids. Now the Seafood Boil for lunch is a bit of a surprise. If that is the same Seafood Boil advertised in the Lido, iirc, there's an uncharge for that in the lido and I don't believe it is available every day.

I am not certain that the Have It All Option is currently refundable. After pursuing several fares on different journeys I don't see any mention of it being refundable. When I read the T&Cs for the HIA option, there isn't any mention of it being refundable, but it does state this: "Entire Wave Offer has no cash value, is subject to availability, is capacity controlled, may be modified or withdrawn at any time, is available for new bookings only, is not combinable with any other discounts, and is neither transferable nor refundable."

I can't think of any possible positive reason why anyone would choose to do this. It would be inappropriate and unprofessional for Rene to discuss any private matters regarding current or previously sailing guests with other guests. All that would be achieved is to place Rene in an awkward position of reiterating HAL's commitment to "...providing safe, easy, and accessible accommodations for all persons with disabilities..." https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/ca/about/our-company/accessibility

It's great to see working dogs. As I've mentioned in a previous post, I am a dog lover and I always have so much trouble not going up to the dog and saying hello and petting it. I know I shouldn't as they are working dogs. Last month on our land trip to Quebec we stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac and we encountered a large golden lab working dog at the hotel's coffee shop one morning. His human was turned back on and the dog was so excited to see people and yes, I admit, I said hello and petted him. His human didn't seem to mind. Later that morning while at the crowded restaurant for breakfast we also saw him lying peacefully under the table in the restaurant completely ignoring everyone. 🙂

I haven't. I have though been asked, when booking cruises onboard, if we prefer a certain table in the MDR so I assume from that comment that it is possible. I am hoping others will comment that it is as we have discussed possibly availing of fixed dining on any future cruises.

As usual, HAL is consistently inconsistent. Here's a snapshot of my final statement from our November cruise on the Koningsdam where it shows the pre-paid crew appreciation and the daily charge to the account.

I would definitely consider it as poor advice for you, great for HAL. HAL actively promotes its non-refundable deposit. So much so that I consider that HAL isn't very transparent with its different fare structures. You need to understand that with HAL, its non-refundable deposit is just that - non-refundable. There have been other posters on CC stating that other cruise lines have more flexibility with non-refundable deposits, but HAL does not. Like every other business, HAL's business practices are to do what's in HAL's best interests. A non-refundable deposit generally ties the passenger to a booking making the booking much more secure for HAL. As many of HAL's passengers are price sensitive, HAL has decided to actively promote non-refundable deposits as the lowest fare and to generally only offer refundable for those who call in. Always remember that the PCC you are talking with when you call has one job to do - to sell a cruise. A PCC is a salesperson plain and simple. A PCC works for HAL, not you. And as a salesperson, PCC's have been trained to overcome objections. An easy way to overcome the objection to a non-refundable deposit is to upsell the Cruise Cancellation Plans, especially emphasizing the "cancel for any reason" mantra. So what you experienced was a sales pitch, and yes, you are correct, there are costs associated with the cruise cancellation plans, (the comment that you would not lose any money isn't true) including the cost of the actual plan and the co-pay portion. It's technically a work around to a non-refundable deposit, but not a very good one for the passenger when a more obvious workaround exists - just purchase a refundable deposit. BTW - depending on the cruise, the fare with a refundable deposit isn't much more than the fare for a non-refundable deposit. Certainly much, much less than the cost of the Cruise cancellation plans.

Everyone can make a reservation online prior to the cruise. You just have to pay for it when you make the reservation. If you'd rather wait until onboard to book, CO allows you to bypass any lineups when you first board and you can pick up the phone in your cabin and make the reservations. That's what we did right after we entered our cabin - I called and made the reservations.

With all the major cruise companies reporting increased bookings, capacity at greater than 100%, increased fares and increased spending onboard it doesn't seem like the cruise line has reached the point of any passenger push back due to $$ yet. But, this may be foreshadowing an increase in the HIA+ package is on the near horizon as it typically includes crew gratuities.

Cabin reviews on Youtube can often uncover issues like these.

I think the way you save money is by not making any mistakes when booking online. And it can be difficult as in many cases us passengers know more about HAL policies than many of the PCCs do. The challenge with booking yourself is being able to get exactly what you want. HAL has an inefficiency built into its booking system in that generally, if you want a refundable fare, you must call in. HAL rarely allows refundable fares to be booked online. Sometimes it will allow a refundable fare when bundled with the Have It All promo, but selecting just the refundable fare only is rarely an option online. This typically means when wanting a refundable fare, you have to go online and go through all the steps to view cabins and fare types and get all the way in the booking process to find the cabin you want and then call to actually book it. It's madness, but it obviously works in HAL's favour else they would change it. The current booking process is cumbersome and I have found inexperienced PCCs are easily identified by the ease in which they handle the call and the terms that they are using. Last year I had a PCC referring to my Future Cruise Deposit as a Future Cruise Credit and these are 2 very different things. Newbie. And I have been quoted incorrect fares by PCCs in the past and I have learned you really need to know the process and fares when adding Club Orange to your booking as I have had to explain to one PCC the benefits of Club Orange and to not fare me for the highest category cabin even though I was requesting that cabin. (BTW - if you want to add CO to a booking you must call).

I am not surprised. During our November cruise on the Koningsdam our lunch in the PG was so poor that we cancelled our future reservations. My wife's pavlova was so dry that when she tried to break into it it nearly flew off the plate across the dining room. Luckily she caught it. My entree was served cold and it was impossible to get our waiter's attention to have the issues corrected.

I have never found the steaks served in the PG to taste great. My go-to order is the pork chop.