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

[Fouremco]

16 minutes ago, Katie52 said:

Does HAL provide toiletries in inside cabins?

Yes, you will have soap/body wash, shampoo and conditioner. We find it to be adequate, although some posters abhor HAL's products.

[Katie52]

Thank you. 

[Katie52]

Does anyone have a photo of cabin L6015 on the Westerdam please?  This is our assigned cabin for our upcoming cruise.

[Despegue]

I believe that HAL is using Elemis toiletries.

they are good quality and also found in the better hotels.

 

[Katie52]

Thank you. I do like Elemis products.

[jonyboy]

On 5/16/2019 at 1:09 PM, Katie52 said:

Does anyone have a photo of cabin L6015 on the Westerdam please?  This is our assigned cabin for our upcoming cruise.

You can find stock photos online, but it's a small inside room

[Katie52]

I have just seen a photo on icruise dot com, thank you for the tip. It looks OK to me. 

[Nattyg1723]

On 5/16/2019 at 10:09 AM, Katie52 said:

Does anyone have a photo of cabin L6015 on the Westerdam please?  This is our assigned cabin for our upcoming cruise.

Halfacts.com 😁

[sfarrlee]

We are cruising from Alaska on the HAL Westerdam in mid-June, traveling with our teenage children and my parents.  If we each have balcony rooms, can anyone tell me if it's necessary to rent a cabana?  How hard is it to find seats with a view during the days at sea?  First time cruising so very much appreciate this thread and any tips.  Thanks!

[Crew News]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.  I will be on the Westerdam the first week of June on my way to Denali.

 

I would not rent a cabana in Alaska unless you just want to hang around the indoor pool.  You can watch for whale much better from your balcony (bring binoculars).  There should be no problem finding seats on the aft Lido Deck or around the pool on the sea days

 

Here is my photo review of the ship from 2017:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/photo-reviews/ms-westerdam-2

 

Here are the Main Dining Room menus for the cruise so you can plan your dining options:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/photo-reviews/ms-westerdam-2

 

Make sure you join your Roll Call and feel free to ask lots of questions to be very informed before you board. 

[regnig]

And, if those balcony rooms are next to each other have your room steward unlock the door between the balconies. That will give you a balcony twice in length and makes it easier to mingle with each other.  

[sfarrlee]

14 hours ago, Crew News said:

Welcome to Cruise Critic.  I will be on the Westerdam the first week of June on my way to Denali.

 

I would not rent a cabana in Alaska unless you just want to hang around the indoor pool.  You can watch for whale much better from your balcony (bring binoculars).  There should be no problem finding seats on the aft Lido Deck or around the pool on the sea days

 

Here is my photo review of the ship from 2017:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/photo-reviews/ms-westerdam-2

 

Here are the Main Dining Room menus for the cruise so you can plan your dining options:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/photo-reviews/ms-westerdam-2

 

Make sure you join your Roll Call and feel free to ask lots of questions to be very informed before you board. 

 

7 hours ago, regnig said:

And, if those balcony rooms are next to each other have your room steward unlock the door between the balconies. That will give you a balcony twice in length and makes it easier to mingle with each other.  

 

7 hours ago, regnig said:

 

 

Thanks so much for these tips and the photo reviews - they are so helpful!  Have a great trip!

 

[Crew News]

Just now, sfarrlee said:

 

Thanks so much for these tips and the photo reviews - they are so helpful!  Have a great trip!

 

 

I plan on having a "live" thread on the Westerdam in two weeks on the HAL Forum and you can ask me questions while I am onboard.  I will find the answers for you.

 

Take advantage of the ship laundry every day ($49) covers all 7 days for as much as you want to submit.  I pack for only three days and let the laundry keep my clothes clean.  There is no need to dress to impress your fellow passengers that you will never see again.  Dress conformtably and pack for layers that you can remove when the temps rise.

 

Enjoy your cruise planning.

[jonyboy]

We did that cruise last June, it was wonderful

[T8NCruise]

On 5/19/2019 at 6:22 PM, sfarrlee said:

We are cruising from Alaska on the HAL Westerdam in mid-June, traveling with our teenage children and my parents.  If we each have balcony rooms, can anyone tell me if it's necessary to rent a cabana?  How hard is it to find seats with a view during the days at sea?  First time cruising so very much appreciate this thread and any tips.  Thanks!

 

I wouldn't rent a cabana for Alaska, but don't make the mistake of staying on your balcony during scenic cruising and Glacier Bay.  The scenery in Alaska and the Inside Passage is splendid, and you need to view from all sides.  Move about the ship; the aft lido deck is a favorite spot for me as well as the promenade deck, both sides.  If you stay on your balcony you will miss everything on the other side of the ship, and likely will not hear the narration given by the rangers who board for Glacier Bay. Have a great cruise!

[sfarrlee]

12 hours ago, T8NCruise said:

 

I wouldn't rent a cabana for Alaska, but don't make the mistake of staying on your balcony during scenic cruising and Glacier Bay.  The scenery in Alaska and the Inside Passage is splendid, and you need to view from all sides.  Move about the ship; the aft lido deck is a favorite spot for me as well as the promenade deck, both sides.  If you stay on your balcony you will miss everything on the other side of the ship, and likely will not hear the narration given by the rangers who board for Glacier Bay. Have a great cruise!

Thanks so much for the tip - we will definitely check out those spots!

[CTOM]

5 minutes ago, sfarrlee said:

Thanks so much for the tip - we will definitely check out those spots!

 

We were on the Noordham for an Alaska cruise in 2018, and the cabana areas had no cabanas at all.   It was just some chairs set up, free and open to any passenger.   We loved it up there.   On a recent Zuiderdam cruise, however, that area was closed to passengers and only cabana renters could go up there to the "Retreat" they called it.

 

I'm not sure of HAL's policies about this, but it seems to me like sometimes they charge you for that deck, and other times they just open it up for anyone.   

[jonyboy]

12 hours ago, T8NCruise said:

 

I wouldn't rent a cabana for Alaska, but don't make the mistake of staying on your balcony during scenic cruising and Glacier Bay.  The scenery in Alaska and the Inside Passage is splendid, and you need to view from all sides.  Move about the ship; the aft lido deck is a favorite spot for me as well as the promenade deck, both sides.  If you stay on your balcony you will miss everything on the other side of the ship, and likely will not hear the narration given by the rangers who board for Glacier Bay. Have a great cruise!

We went on deck at the bow while in Glacier Bay.  Great view from there and the bonus was that was where the park ranger was and she added a lot of interesting information

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

I haven’t sailed on HAL in many years. We have booked a cruise on the Statendam for September 2020 through a big box TA. Flights are not yet available for this cruise through Flight Ease. When they become available will I be able to use the HAL website to find them since I have a TA? If so, can I just book online or will I need to call the TA?

[Cajuntraveler]

10 minutes ago, Poulsbo Cruisers said:

I haven’t sailed on HAL in many years. We have booked a cruise on the Statendam for September 2020 through a big box TA. Flights are not yet available for this cruise through Flight Ease. When they become available will I be able to use the HAL website to find them since I have a TA? If so, can I just book online or will I need to call the TA?

I booked my flights for an upcoming cruise directly  through the HAL web site and then called my big box TA and told them that I had added flights to my cruise.  They updated my itinerary and sent me an updated confirmation e-mail. This is my first time using flight ease.

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

26 minutes ago, Cajuntraveler said:

I booked my flights for an upcoming cruise directly  through the HAL web site and then called my big box TA and told them that I had added flights to my cruise.  They updated my itinerary and sent me an updated confirmation e-mail. This is my first time using flight ease.

Thanks. That helps. 

[terrydtx]

14 hours ago, Cajuntraveler said:

I booked my flights for an upcoming cruise directly  through the HAL web site and then called my big box TA and told them that I had added flights to my cruise.  They updated my itinerary and sent me an updated confirmation e-mail. This is my first time using flight ease.

That's exactly what we did for our Alaska cruise this July and we saved over $300pp. No problems at all.

[ghstudio]

Is there any reciprocity between Princess Captain's Circle and HAL's mariner society? (loyalty program)?  We've taken a few cruises on Princess and now booking our very first HAL cruise.  

[kazu]

22 minutes ago, ghstudio said:

Is there any reciprocity between Princess Captain's Circle and HAL's mariner society? (loyalty program)?  We've taken a few cruises on Princess and now booking our very first HAL cruise.  

 

No - other than you will receive 1 * Mariner status and be invited to the Mariner’s luncheon and receive the tile.  

[sfarrlee]

I have a few more questions about our cruise on the Westerdam from Seward, Alaska to Vancouver in late June. My apologies for the number of questions and my sincere thanks for the people who are sharing their expertise!!

1. Our boarding pass says embarkation is at 1 p.m., with the ship leaving port at 8 p.m.  Any tips for the best time to board? 

2. For beverages, do you have to get a beverage card to order non-alcoholic drinks at mealtimes?  Is it a better value?  I'm assuming you forfeit any funds leftover on the card at the end of the cruise?

3. If we bring wine on board, does HA let you take it to your room and then charge you a corking fee if you bring it to dinner?  

4. Is it possible to figure out which nights are the gala nights prior to the cruise (my boarding pass says there will be two gala nights)?

5. I saw in older posts that HA lets you go straight to your cabin at the time of boarding?  Is this still true?

6. Do they serve lunch and dinner on embarkation days?

Thank you!!