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Dress code question...

Hello everyone, This may have been posted but I was not able to locate the answer. For dinner in MDR are dress collar shirts and slacks for gentleman and summer dresses or capris for women allowed and also, on Formal Nights, is it a MUST dress up at MDR? My husband and I do not like to get too fancy and he normally wears a dress shirt and a jacket with slacks for Formal nights. Is this allowed on HAL? I will be cruising with my parents in December.

Happy Sailings!

HAL no longer has formal nights, but instead has what they call Gala Nights. On those evenings people are encouraged to dress up, and your husband's dress shirt, jacket, and slacks would be fine, as would a summer dress or dressy capris and top for a woman.

 

Every night is a minimum of smart casual dress. Men need long pants and a collared shirt; women a comparable level of dress. That is also the minimal acceptable level of dress on Gala nights.

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HAL no longer has formal nights, but instead has what they call Gala Nights. On those evenings people are encouraged to dress up, and your husband's dress shirt, jacket, and slacks would be fine, as would a summer dress or dressy capris and top for a woman.

 

Every night is a minimum of smart casual dress. Men need long pants and a collared shirt; women a comparable level of dress. That is also the minimal acceptable level of dress on Gala nights.

 

 

Thank you so much!! This is perfect! It is the same with Celebrity they are no longer formal nights but I can't remember their term. My parents are relying on me for guidance for this trip as this is only their 2nd cruise, so I want to make sure I give them the right info and they don't over pack. We are looking forward to the ship and the cruise!

Happy Sailings!!

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Hi everyone! My last cruise on HAL was on the Maasdam in 2002 I believe, lol! I am sure tons of things have changed since then. I am contemplating the Veendam next summer for a Med/Greek Isles cruise. I recall that on the Maasdam we had a Dutch night. Is that still a thing? Also, is Indonesian food still available?

 

Thanks!

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Hi everyone! My last cruise on HAL was on the Maasdam in 2002 I believe, lol! I am sure tons of things have changed since then. I am contemplating the Veendam next summer for a Med/Greek Isles cruise. I recall that on the Maasdam we had a Dutch night. Is that still a thing? Also, is Indonesian food still available?

 

Thanks!

 

You will indeed see some changes ;)

 

The Dutch night has been gone for a number of years.

 

There is an Asian station in the Lido where there are different selections daily.

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Loving the great information. Thanks to those who responded to my last question. Now I have another. I saw a beverage menu from the Pinnacle Grill reportedly from March '18. It did not list one glass of white wine for under $9.75. This seems odd given that the Explore 4 package we have gives us a dinner in the Pinnacle and the Signature Beverage package which caps drink prices at $9. What am I not understanding?

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Loving the great information. Thanks to those who responded to my last question. Now I have another. I saw a beverage menu from the Pinnacle Grill reportedly from March '18. It did not list one glass of white wine for under $9.75. This seems odd given that the Explore 4 package we have gives us a dinner in the Pinnacle and the Signature Beverage package which caps drink prices at $9. What am I not understanding?

 

You're not missing anything. The PG wine list and wines are pricier. But, if you know the wine you like, just tell the wine steward what you want. ;).

 

I haven't ordered wine by the glass in the PG but I have ordered different bottles of wine that they don't offer and it's never been an issue - so IMO, a glass of wine shouldn't be either. They are quite used to the Explore4 ;)

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Loving the great information. Thanks to those who responded to my last question. Now I have another. I saw a beverage menu from the Pinnacle Grill reportedly from March '18. It did not list one glass of white wine for under $9.75. This seems odd given that the Explore 4 package we have gives us a dinner in the Pinnacle and the Signature Beverage package which caps drink prices at $9. What am I not understanding?
You can order MDR wine in the Pinnacle Grill, just make a note of what you like from the dining room list.
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Thank you so much!! This is perfect! It is the same with Celebrity they are no longer formal nights but I can't remember their term. My parents are relying on me for guidance for this trip as this is only their 2nd cruise, so I want to make sure I give them the right info and they don't over pack. We are looking forward to the ship and the cruise!

Happy Sailings!!

 

Celebrity calls it "Evening Chic."

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Hi to all "you experts"! I put my questions just on the Holland Site, but after reading this link, I think I might be best to ask here seeing I am also a "newbie" for Holland. Questions:

 

1. On Koningsdam: key or card swipe for safe?

 

2. Is there a "welcome aboard drink" with "souvenir glass and how much?

 

3. Is there "unlimited" photo package and the cost if so. Also, the present cost of small and large photos?

 

4. Is the promotion for Explore 4 Sig.Package listed on cabin card or is there a separate card?

 

5. Anyone know the cost of taxi from Hilton Marina, Ft. L to the pier?

 

Thank you so much for those that can answer these questions and to all the others that have been so kind to answer on the "general Holland board". This is truly a helpful site!

 

C/BB

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Hi to all "you experts"! I put my questions just on the Holland Site, but after reading this link, I think I might be best to ask here seeing I am also a "newbie" for Holland. Questions:

 

5. Anyone know the cost of taxi from Hilton Marina, Ft. L to the pier?

 

Thank you so much for those that can answer these questions and to all the others that have been so kind to answer on the "general Holland board". This is truly a helpful site!

 

C/BB

 

5. The hotel has a shuttle bus pickup service that charges $6 for the six-minute ride to the cruise terminal. See the Bell Captain for pickup times. There is a CVS pharmacy about two blocks from the Hotlel entrance for last-minute purchases.

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Thank you so much!! This is perfect! It is the same with Celebrity they are no longer formal nights but I can't remember their term. My parents are relying on me for guidance for this trip as this is only their 2nd cruise, so I want to make sure I give them the right info and they don't over pack. We are looking forward to the ship and the cruise!

Happy Sailings!!

 

Only collared shirts and slacks are required for Gala Nights, which means that polo shirts are fine and you can leave your jacket at home. Of course you may dress as formal as you wish if you have some extra room in your luggage for what that entails.

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Only collared shirts and slacks are required for Gala Nights, which means that polo shirts are fine and you can leave your jacket at home. Of course you may dress as formal as you wish if you have some extra room in your luggage for what that entails.

 

 

Thank you! this will really help as my dad doesn't want to wear a jacket. :-). I will give him the good news! :)

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Hello Everyone,

 

I have read that HAL allows you to bring your soft drinks on board, my dad is the only person who drinks sodas, mom and I stick with water or tea and NONE of us drink alocholic drinks... we may order a bottler of champagne one night just to toast we are cruising together but that is about it. Anyway, my question is can my dad bring a six pack or 12 pack of soda on board for his consumption? If he runs out he can buy at a port and bring on board. I have also ready somewhere that there is a soda card that you pay $25 for $50 worth of soft drinks (hope I understood properly). If that card does exist can we buy non alcoholic drinks with that or is it strictly sodas?

 

On prior cruises I normally do not worry about this when I cruise with my husband as I mentioned, neither one drinks sodas. My husband just buys wine at dinner (pay as we go), and I normally get a non-alcoholic foo-foo drink at dinner and stick with water. We just do not buy enough alcoholic drinks to warrant buying drink packages. But want to make sure I get the best deal and correct info for my dad.

 

Thank you so much,

Happy Sailing.

Olivia

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Bottles and cans of soda can be brought aboard at initial embarkation, and at all the ports during the cruise.

The $25 for $50 soda card is for soda only; you cannot purchase coffees, mocktails, or any other beverages with it.

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Bottles and cans of soda can be brought aboard at initial embarkation, and at all the ports during the cruise.

The $25 for $50 soda card is for soda only; you cannot purchase coffees, mocktails, or any other beverages with it.

 

 

Thank you! I think we will bring his soft drinks on board and mom and I will purchase or foo-foo non alcoholic drinks during the cruise! :-) .

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Hello Everyone,

 

I have read that HAL allows you to bring your soft drinks on board, my dad is the only person who drinks sodas, mom and I stick with water or tea and NONE of us drink alocholic drinks... we may order a bottler of champagne one night just to toast we are cruising together but that is about it. Anyway, my question is can my dad bring a six pack or 12 pack of soda on board for his consumption? If he runs out he can buy at a port and bring on board. I have also ready somewhere that there is a soda card that you pay $25 for $50 worth of soft drinks (hope I understood properly). If that card does exist can we buy non alcoholic drinks with that or is it strictly sodas?

 

On prior cruises I normally do not worry about this when I cruise with my husband as I mentioned, neither one drinks sodas. My husband just buys wine at dinner (pay as we go), and I normally get a non-alcoholic foo-foo drink at dinner and stick with water. We just do not buy enough alcoholic drinks to warrant buying drink packages. But want to make sure I get the best deal and correct info for my dad.

 

Thank you so much,

Happy Sailing.

Olivia

 

HAL has no objection to pax bringing on soft drinks. Last cruise, I had three 2-liter bottles in

a plastic grocery store bag, slapped on a luggage tag, and it made it fine to our cabin. (YMMV

depending on how thirsty the longshoremen are)

 

Aboard, there is a soft-drink card, but I've never used it because all HAL carries is Coke

products and after drinking Pepsi for a while they taste weird.

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Hello Everyone,

 

I have read that HAL allows you to bring your soft drinks on board, my dad is the only person who drinks sodas, mom and I stick with water or tea and NONE of us drink alocholic drinks... we may order a bottler of champagne one night just to toast we are cruising together but that is about it. Anyway, my question is can my dad bring a six pack or 12 pack of soda on board for his consumption? If he runs out he can buy at a port and bring on board. I have also ready somewhere that there is a soda card that you pay $25 for $50 worth of soft drinks (hope I understood properly). If that card does exist can we buy non alcoholic drinks with that or is it strictly sodas?

 

On prior cruises I normally do not worry about this when I cruise with my husband as I mentioned, neither one drinks sodas. My husband just buys wine at dinner (pay as we go), and I normally get a non-alcoholic foo-foo drink at dinner and stick with water. We just do not buy enough alcoholic drinks to warrant buying drink packages. But want to make sure I get the best deal and correct info for my dad.

 

Thank you so much,

Happy Sailing.

Olivia

 

You can also bring sodas for your father in your carry-on luggage as well. If you are flying to the port, I recommend bringing an empty collapsible duffel bag with you and fill it with sodas before you head to the port. There is no limit as to how many carry-on bags you bring aboard but make sure the soda-filled duffel bag can ride on top of a roller bag so you don't have to lug it.

 

The $25 soda card is limited to what is available in a bar's soda gun and that is very limited.

 

When you meet your Room Steward on Embarkation Day, ask them to remove everything from your minibar and you can then move your sodas to the "chilled" minibar.

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You can also bring sodas for your father in our carry-on luggage as well. Bring an empty group collapsible duffel bag with you if you are flying to the port and fill it with sodas before you head to the port. There is no limit as to how many carry-on bags you aboard bring but make sure the duffel bag can ride on top of a roller bag so you don't have to lug it.

 

The $25 soda card is limited to what is available in a bar's soda gun and that is very limited.

 

When you meet your Room Steward on Embarkation Day, ask them to remove everything from your minibar and you can then move your sodas to the "chilled" minibar.

 

 

Thank you so much! I greatly appreciate all of the information received. We live in So. Cal and my husband will be dropping us off at the San Diego port. We will make sure we have sodas with us for him and can always purchase at the port if needed. This will save me some money to spend on something else. This cruise is my parents Christmas gift from my husband and I; my parents do not travel long distances by themselves anymore so I am tagging along for the ride :) Hubby and I normally cruise with Celebrity but they have limited sailings from So. Cal. My parents' friends took this cruise last year and loved it so we figured it was a good choice. My first time cruising with HAL and looking forward to it. WE love to cruise!!

Happy Sailings!!

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Thank you so much! I greatly appreciate all of the information received. We live in So. Cal and my husband will be dropping us off at the San Diego port. We will make sure we have sodas with us for him and can always purchase at the port if needed. This will save me some money to spend on something else. This cruise is my parents Christmas gift from my husband and I; my parents do not travel long distances by themselves anymore so I am tagging along for the ride :) Hubby and I normally cruise with Celebrity but they have limited sailings from So. Cal. My parents' friends took this cruise last year and loved it so we figured it was a good choice. My first time cruising with HAL and looking forward to it. WE love to cruise!!

Happy Sailings!!

 

Kudos for assisting your parents on a cruise that's convenient for them. Our first two cruises were with my wife's parents (one on Carnival out of Long Beach and the other on HAL to Alaska) and it got us started enjoying cruising.

 

 

When in ports, one of the things we like to do is walk through local supermarkets or convenience stores. Quite often, soda can be purchased relatively cheap overseas especially soda water which we both enjoy. As has been stated above, you can bring on all you like.

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My wife and I have never sailed on HAL. We are going to take a Panama Canal cruise on the Volendam this November (2018) and have a few questions:

1) Do the cabins have a small refrigerator?

2) We assume HAL does not permit small steamer devices?

3) We are on the third deck "Lower Promenade" deck and is there a laundry on this deck? Or has it been removed after the ship was refurbished?

4) We have been in the Celebrity Reflection on a Mediterranean cruise and felt that the pools were always very crowded, and it was hard to find a lawn chair. Is that a problem on the Volendam ?

 

Any feedback is appreciated...

 

Thanks in advance, Patrick

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My wife and I have never sailed on HAL. We are going to take a Panama Canal cruise on the Volendam this November (2018) and have a few questions:

...

 

Any feedback is appreciated...

 

Thanks in advance, Patrick

1.) Inside and outside cabins do not have a fridge; you are in one of those cabins. You can rent a fridge for $2/day; where to put it without taking up too much space can be a problem.

2.) You assume correctly---no irons or steamers allowed. You can send garments out for pressing and pay "by the piece", or purchase a pressing-only package good for the length of the cruise.

3.) There was a self-service laundry on Lower Promenade, just aft of the atrium. I don't know if it's still there, though.

4.) Deck chairs can be found right outside on Lower Promenade! Some of the best seats and views on the ship. But there are usually plenty around the pools, too.

 

Enjoy your first HAL cruise!

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1.) Inside and outside cabins do not have a fridge; you are in one of those cabins. You can rent a fridge for $2/day; where to put it without taking up too much space can be a problem.

2.) You assume correctly---no irons or steamers allowed. You can send garments out for pressing and pay "by the piece", or purchase a pressing-only package good for the length of the cruise.

3.) There was a self-service laundry on Lower Promenade, just aft of the atrium. I don't know if it's still there, though.

4.) Deck chairs can be found right outside on Lower Promenade! Some of the best seats and views on the ship. But there are usually plenty around the pools, too.

 

Enjoy your first HAL cruise!

 

Thanks for the quick reply Ruth... We are excited and can't wait for the cruise. I made a similar cruise with my father a few years ago and really enjoyed the ports. So I am excited to share the same experience with my wife. All the best, Patrick & Beckie

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Thank you to all that have the patience in answering probably the same questions over and over. I was wondering if anyone could "resubmit" to these questions:

 

1. On Koningsdam: key or card swipe for safe?

 

2. Is there a "welcome aboard drink" with "souvenir glass and how much?

 

3. Is there "unlimited" photo package and the cost if so. Also, the present cost of small and large photos?

 

4. Is the promotion for Explore 4 Sig.Package listed on cabin card or is there a separate card?

 

5. I understand that the hotel has shuttle service (which does seem inexpensive), however, if we decide to go at a different time, does anyone know the cost of taxi from Hilton Marina, Ft. L to the pier?

 

I really do appreciate all the insights on this thread!

C/BB

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Thank you to all that have the patience in answering probably the same questions over and over. I was wondering if anyone could "resubmit" to these questions:

 

1. On Koningsdam: key or card swipe for safe?

 

2. Is there a "welcome aboard drink" with "souvenir glass and how much?

 

3. Is there "unlimited" photo package and the cost if so. Also, the present cost of small and large photos?

 

4. Is the promotion for Explore 4 Sig.Package listed on cabin card or is there a separate card?

 

5. I understand that the hotel has shuttle service (which does seem inexpensive), however, if we decide to go at a different time, does anyone know the cost of taxi from Hilton Marina, Ft. L to the pier?

 

I really do appreciate all the insights on this thread!

C/BB

 

1. Safe is a code you set.

 

3. There is a photo package, but I don't know the current price.

 

4. Tied to your room card.

 

5. Taxi should be less than $12. You're right outside the port entrance.

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