New to Holland America? This is for you...AKA "HAL For Dummies"

[KroozNut]

6 hours ago, loveandpeas said:

Well hubby called... apparently we can expect the stateroom assignment tomorrow, day before Boarding! Seems weird they'd wait so long on a sold out cruise. 🤷‍♀️

One of the MANY reasons we don' do guarantees..

[loveandpeas]

1 hour ago, KroozNut said:

One of the MANY reasons we don' do guarantees..

Yes, well my cruise was $0 sooooo... I took it! We have our assignment and were upgraded (?) to a G Category, so I think that gets us a porthole. 😅

[terrydtx]

7 hours ago, loveandpeas said:

Well hubby called... apparently we can expect the stateroom assignment tomorrow, day before Boarding! Seems weird they'd wait so long on a sold out cruise. 🤷‍♀️

HAL is probably still moving people around on this sold out cruise, causing your delay.

[shipshape sam]

19 hours ago, loveandpeas said:

Yes, well my cruise was $0 sooooo... I took it! We have our assignment and were upgraded (?) to a G Category, so I think that gets us a porthole. 😅

Good for you.   I like free in any cabin.   Have a great cruise!

Edited July 4, 2023 by shipshape sam

[Haljo1935]

On 7/3/2023 at 8:30 PM, loveandpeas said:

Yes, well my cruise was $0 sooooo... I took it! We have our assignment and were upgraded (?) to a G Category, so I think that gets us a porthole. 😅

Congrats - some things are worth waiting for!

Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

[SSBrickNJ]

On 6/21/2023 at 10:19 AM, Cruise Suzy said:

 

The gratuities will be posted daily. As long as you have OBC remaining, they will be deducted from that amount.

I'd like to follow up on the discussion of gratuities.

For our upcoming 7 day cruise, I'm told that our "Crew Appreciation/Gratuity" TOTAL amount would be $112 for me...and $112 for my wife. $224 as a couple for the Out The Door Cruise Total.

That $224 Crew Appreciation gratuity will simply be added to our final check out bill?

Edited July 7, 2023 by SSBrickNJ

[RuthC]

2 minutes ago, SSBrickNJ said:

That $224 Crew Appreciation gratuity will simply be added to our final check out bill?

Yes, on the added to the bill portion of your post; I didn't double check the figures. 
The Crew gratuity is added daily, so if you check your bill at any time, you will see the amount posted. 

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, SSBrickNJ said:

I'd like to follow up on the discussion of gratuities.

For our upcoming 7 day cruise, I'm told that our "Crew Appreciation/Gratuity" TOTAL amount would be $112 for me...and $112 for my wife. $224 as a couple for the Out The Door Cruise Total.

That $224 Crew Appreciation gratuity will simply be added to our final check out bill?

You will have a daily charge on your onboard account. You can make various arrangements to pay that bill such as bringing cash, gift cards or letting it settle on your credit card on file. 

[SSBrickNJ]

Just now, Mary229 said:

You will have a daily charge on your onboard account. You can make various arrangements to pay that bill such as bringing cash, gift cards or letting it settle on your credit card on file. 

Yes I'd like to let it settle on my credit card on file.

.......yet............do people who have done that often give some smaller amount in cash as well?

What is most commonly done?

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, SSBrickNJ said:

Yes I'd like to let it settle on my credit card on file.

.......yet............do people who have done that often give some smaller amount in cash as well?

What is most commonly done?

I buy the AARP gift cards which give a 10% discount and I go down and pay my bill with that.  I never wait until the last day though to avoid lines.  I let any small remainder go to my credit card. 

[0106]

19 minutes ago, SSBrickNJ said:

do people who have done that often give some smaller amount in cash as well?

What is most commonly done?

I give additional cash tips based on level of service to the following staff at the end of the cruise.  We have fixed seating MDR, I tip my waiter and assistant.  I tip my cabin stewards.  
 

I also give cash tips to the servers in the bars I commonly frequent occasionally throughout the cruise.

[islandwoman]

I don't think that it is expected to tip extra, since the gratuities added to our bills are supposed to be sufficient.  But if a crew gives me more service than expected, then I will give him/her more gratuity than expected, in the form of some cash at the end of the voyage.

[jonyboy]

7 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

I don't think that it is expected to tip extra, since the gratuities added to our bills are supposed to be sufficient.  But if a crew gives me more service than expected, then I will give him/her more gratuity than expected, in the form of some cash at the end of the voyage.

I also tip during the cruise for good service.  Tipping a bartender usually will guaranty better service, especially when the bar is busy

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, SSBrickNJ said:

.do people who have done that often give some smaller amount in cash as well?

When I have a cabin steward who consistently sees me approaching my cabin on a scooter, and he dashes ahead to open the door for me so I don't have to get off the scooter, open and prop the door, then get back on and drive in, he gets a good additional tip at the end of the cruise. 
He deserves it. 

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, SSBrickNJ said:

do people who have done that often give some smaller amount in cash as well?

We have recently and will on our next cruise, stay in a Vista Suite and hence pay the slightly higher HSC of $17.50pppd (I thought it had gone up, but just copied that from the website). We tip each cabin steward ~$20/week above that. 

 

Our last B2B cruise they were still having us sign for drinks even thought we had HIA. I took up adding a dollar tip to every third or fourth slip. It was so much easier than waiting until the last day and trying to find people who had served us. We do not have fixed seating so do not develop a "relationship" with wait people. But I may carry a few $5s for very special treatment in the Lido or specialty restaurants.

 

As you can see from the sampling of a few in this thread, there is no "What is most commonly done?" answer!

[crystalspin]

On 7/3/2023 at 7:30 PM, loveandpeas said:

Yes, well my cruise was $0 sooooo... I took it! We have our assignment and were upgraded (?) to a G Category, so I think that gets us a porthole. 😅

I think you sailed today but here is a possible lay-out (although probably not made up as a triple)!

https://halfacts.com/1815-volendam/

[crystalspin]

12 hours ago, SSBrickNJ said:

Yes I'd like to let it settle on my credit card on file.

.......yet............do people who have done that often give some smaller amount in cash as well?

What is most commonly done?

Roger, our @Crew News, has refreshed my memory as to the breakdown of where the Crew Appreciation goes. As of six years ago, the percentage allotment was:

30% Room Steward(s)

30% Waiters

40% Those who work behind the scenes supporting the passengers (laundry, cooks,

cleaning crews, etc.)  Non-passenger support crew (lifeboat drivers, engine folks, etc.).

 

The amounts have changed once or twice, but I would guess that the proportions are the same. So in an inside, OV, or verandah, your steward(s) get $5.33 pp, pd. In a suite, $5.83pp. If there are two pax and two stewards, that is the amount per steward. In my example above, $20 per steward per week amounts to an additional $2.85pd each, about half-again. 

 

As far as waiters, they do know where you ate, at least dinner. As far as the behind the scenes crew, I am happy to learn the lifeboat drivers and engine crew do get a cut! As well as laundry, et al. Remember if you never send out laundry of your own, they are still washing your sheets and towels!

[Haljo1935]

3 hours ago, crystalspin said:

Roger, our @Crew News, has refreshed my memory as to the breakdown of where the Crew Appreciation goes. As of six years ago, the percentage allotment was:

30% Room Steward(s)

30% Waiters

40% Those who work behind the scenes supporting the passengers (laundry, cooks,

cleaning crews, etc.)  Non-passenger support crew (lifeboat drivers, engine folks, etc.)...

As far as waiters, they do know where you ate, at least dinner. As far as the behind the scenes crew, I am happy to learn the lifeboat drivers and engine crew do get a cut! As well as laundry, et al. Remember if you never send out laundry of your own, they are still washing your sheets and towels!

They also wash the napkins you use every day in all dining venues!

Thanks for posting the breakout.

[mi-oh-tx]

On 6/17/2023 at 5:37 PM, 0106 said:

Your Hal statement should indicate a confirmed table for two. There is an early 5ish depending on the ship and late seating.  There is not 6 o’clock seating.   We will only eat at a table for 2 and it has never been a problem.  This is what I see on my statement.

We requested early dining and table for 2, but our print out says open seating table for 6.  I was just on the phone with HAL yesterday and they said to wait and change it on board.  This is our first time with HAL

[crystalspin]

1 minute ago, mi-oh-tx said:

We requested early dining and table for 2, but our print out says open seating table for 6.  I was just on the phone with HAL yesterday and they said to wait and change it on board.  This is our first time with HAL

I would call again -- do you have a TA or PCC? Early fills up and may already be full (hence your not showing it). 

[crusin'k]

We do not have a beverage package.  We just get 1-2 drinks per night during happy hour.  Do you need to tip the bar waiter or is the tip included in the price of the drink?

[jonyboy]

1 minute ago, crusin'k said:

We do not have a beverage package.  We just get 1-2 drinks per night during happy hour.  Do you need to tip the bar waiter or is the tip included in the price of the drink?

You will have a daily tip part of that will go to the bartenders, however, I usually tip at the bar also

[islandwoman]

If you're paying for each drink, is the tip added on top of the price?

[GoHawks-43-8]

19 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

If you're paying for each drink, is the tip added on top of the price?

 

Yes, 18%

A $10 drink really costs $11.80

[terrydtx]

14 hours ago, jonyboy said:

You will have a daily tip part of that will go to the bartenders, however, I usually tip at the bar also

With no drink package 18% tip is added to each drink bought.