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

[jaxon41]

Nope, not scrolling through 167 pages, but in the beginning of this thread, it said that pop and water could be taken aboard along with a bottle of wine per person, with no corkage fee.  A friend is a HAL cruiser (this will be our first HAL but are diamond on Celebrity/RRCC), and she told me you could not take pop or water on when you embarked, but confirmed the 2 bottles of wine with no corkage fee, even if taken to dinner.   Appreciate an accurate update.  Thanks in advance.     

[ArtsyCraftsy]

6 minutes ago, jaxon41 said:

Nope, not scrolling through 167 pages, but in the beginning of this thread, it said that pop and water could be taken aboard along with a bottle of wine per person, with no corkage fee.  A friend is a HAL cruiser (this will be our first HAL but are diamond on Celebrity/RRCC), and she told me you could not take pop or water on when you embarked, but confirmed the 2 bottles of wine with no corkage fee, even if taken to dinner.   Appreciate an accurate update.  Thanks in advance.     

 

I think your friend may be confused.  One bottle of wine per person to have in your cabin; as much water and/or soda as you can carry onboard (not in checked luggage -- carried on).  

[jaxon41]

wow -- I guess so, and she's sailed HAL lots.  Thanks so much.   

[kazu]

22 minutes ago, ArtsyCraftsy said:

 

I think your friend may be confused.  One bottle of wine per person to have in your cabin; as much water and/or soda as you can carry onboard (not in checked luggage -- carried on).  

 Absolutely agree 100% 🙂 

20 minutes ago, jaxon41 said:

wow -- I guess so, and she's sailed HAL lots.  Thanks so much.   

 

Other lines are not as liberal as HAL so your friend may just have mixed them up 😉 

ArtsyCraftsy is totally correct.  I’ll just add that you can bring water or soda on board in ports as well.  (You can bring on wine but you will have to pay the corkage fee of $18 or have it stored).

 

The ‘free’ bottle allocation is definitely for in your cabin only.  You can take the bottle to public places (ie. the MDR) but it will then be subject to the corkage fee.

[mcgahrec]

Hi Everyone,

I think I read this earlier in the thread or on one of the others but in the MDR or room service you are not limited to how many selections you order ?
I was looking up the Pinnacle and Rudi sel de Mer menu and it says there is an extra $15 charged for each additional entree. Has this been everyone's experience ? 

Thanks

[kazu]

4 hours ago, mcgahrec said:

Hi Everyone,

I think I read this earlier in the thread or on one of the others but in the MDR or room service you are not limited to how many selections you order ?
I was looking up the Pinnacle and Rudi sel de Mer menu and it says there is an extra $15 charged for each additional entree. Has this been everyone's experience ? 

Thanks

 

You can order whatever you like in the MDR or room service.

You can order as many appetizers as you like at the PG or Rudi’s but there is an additional charge there for a second entree (main).

 

Caveat - A few of the ships did charge $10 for an additional entree in the MDR on a trial basis a short while ago but it seems to have vanished. 😉 

[mcgahrec]

13 hours ago, kazu said:

 

You can order whatever you like in the MDR or room service.

Ok great thanks for that clarification :)

[SeagoingMom]

When we were on Oosterdam in March 2019, there was an extra charge ($10 or $15, don’t remember) in the MDR for a second entree on Gala night only. 

[richwmn]

5 minutes ago, SeagoingMom said:

When we were on Oosterdam in March 2019, there was an extra charge ($10 or $15, don’t remember) in the MDR for a second entree on Gala night only. 

That was a test on only 4 ships and the idea so far has been dropped.

[mcgahrec]

2 minutes ago, richwmn said:

That was a test on only 4 ships and the idea so far has been dropped.

Interesting as the menus posted on that rojer jett website with the menus for the Alaska 2019 cruises has that written in small print on each of the pages for the pinnacle 

[richwmn]

3 minutes ago, mcgahrec said:

Interesting as the menus posted on that rojer jett website with the menus for the Alaska 2019 cruises has that written in small print on each of the pages for the pinnacle 

The comment was about the MDR. Pinnacle has always had an extra charge, on all ships, for extra entrees.

 

[kazu]

15 minutes ago, mcgahrec said:

Interesting as the menus posted on that rojer jett website with the menus for the Alaska 2019 cruises has that written in small print on each of the pages for the pinnacle 

 

You need to remember that his menus are only for a cruise or two - a minute in time.

the additional cost was a trial and has been discontinued from all reports.

And, it was only on a few ships on a trial basis - not the entire fleet.  We sailed on the Prinsendam in the same time period and there was no charge for and extra entree on the menu at any time.

 

edited to say - I am referencing the MDR.

 

there has always been an additional charge for additional entrees in the specialty dining Pinnacle Grill (I don’t know anyone who could eat two 😉 ).  Additional appetizers are at no charge.

 

 

[mcgahrec]

9 minutes ago, richwmn said:

The comment was about the MDR. Pinnacle has always had an extra charge, on all ships, for extra entrees.

 

Ah yes so it was, thanks 

[shudie]

On 5/25/2019 at 11:18 AM, dcruisers said:

I think I read somewhere that if you have sailed Carnival and than sail Holland America- the cruise credits count.  Is this true?  We haven’t sailed Holland America but out of 31 cruises we have sailed Carnival about 8 times.

thanks

 

I just got our 1* Mariner for two adults 2 kids, we all sailed on Carnival twice. I just called HAL and the guy did it over the phone. 

[scotslizzy]

Dining package question ;

 

Do you have to go to each restaurant suggested or can you double book for example Tamarind ?

 

Still undecided about whether to pre purchase the package or just decide when we get on the Ship Nieuw Statendam .

 

Scotslizzy 

[terrydtx]

2 hours ago, scotslizzy said:

Dining package question ;

 

Do you have to go to each restaurant suggested or can you double book for example Tamarind ?

 

Still undecided about whether to pre purchase the package or just decide when we get on the Ship Nieuw Statendam .

 

Scotslizzy 

You can dine as many times as you want at any of the specialty restaurants, provided you can get a reservation. I highly suggest that you pre book the nights and times you want before you sail. If you wait until you board most of the popular times (6:30-8:00) may be sold out. On our last cruise on the  N. Amsterdam, we had to wait until the last night to get a reservation at the Tamarind and it was late at 8:30. BTW I think the Tamarind is the best specialty restaurant of any cruise we have been on, I would book it more than once on any ship it is available. Try the Wasabi Crusted Tenderloin, it was better than the steaks we wasted our money on in the PG. If you are thinking of buying the Specialty dining package, I think you can not pre book the days and times, they are assigned by HAL, I remember seeing that in another CC thread.

 

Enjoy your cruise!!

[oceanmom]

8 hours ago, scotslizzy said:

Dining package question ;

 

Do you have to go to each restaurant suggested or can you double book for example Tamarind ?

 

Still undecided about whether to pre purchase the package or just decide when we get on the Ship Nieuw Statendam .

 

Scotslizzy 

 

If you have purchased the Signature Dining package, which varies from ship-to-ship depending on what specialty restaurants are on that ship, you are buying the specialty restaurant reservations at a slight discount. Since each specialty restaurant has a different price, it is unlikely you could substitute a second Tamarind or PG for a Canaletto, for example. The description of the package is specific. Sample package:

 

Signature Dining Package

Save on dining when purchasing the Signature Dining Package. Enjoy one dinner in the Pinnacle Grill and one dinner at Canaletto. Package price is per person. Purchase online, make reservations once onboard *Special event dining (ie. Rudi's Sel de Mer, De Librije, Sommelier Dinner) in Specialty Restaurants are excluded.

 

 

[Btimmer]

15 hours ago, scotslizzy said:

Dining package question ;

 

Do you have to go to each restaurant suggested or can you double book for example Tamarind ?

 

Still undecided about whether to pre purchase the package or just decide when we get on the Ship Nieuw Statendam .

 

Scotslizzy 

Just don't miss the Tamarind.  It's our favorite dining venue on the NS, Kdam, Edam, and NA.

[scotslizzy]

Thank you all for your comments. I guess the speciality package is not for us then . Better get booking then !

 

Scotslizzy

[scotslizzy]

One more question on dining .Is there any way of finding out what nights are gala nights on the ship plus any other we should avoid booking a speciality restaurant?.   

We have along tour on one day so will avoid that night but I keep reading about some Orange party night and wondered if this is another night to avoid booking ?

 

Thanks

 

Scotslizzy

[kazu]

3 hours ago, scotslizzy said:

One more question on dining .Is there any way of finding out what nights are gala nights on the ship plus any other we should avoid booking a speciality restaurant?.   

We have along tour on one day so will avoid that night but I keep reading about some Orange party night and wondered if this is another night to avoid booking ?

 

Thanks

 

Scotslizzy

When you board the ship you will find a Voyage Planner that lists the itinerary and other things including the Gala nights.

 

Prior to the cruise, you can usually do a "best guess". Often the first full day is a day at sea and, if this is the case, it is Gala night.  On a 7 day cruise, the other one is near the end (never the last night).  - usually the 2nd last night if it is a sea day.

[fatbob66]

New HAL cruiser and wondering if there is any advantage to have an assigned "cruise consultant" when booking with HAL?

Also is there a standard time frame that upgrades to a Signature Suite or Neptune Suite are offered or is it best to purchase when picking a cruise ?

 

Thanks for any help

[LRLLSL]

We booked a HAL Alaska Land Cruise last summer and sailed this May, 2019.  I called HAL directly and made the reservation with a HAL rep for a veranda cabin.  There was no mention of a "cruise consultant".  About 17 days before our cruise I received an email from HAL offering an upgrade to a Signature Suite.  It was priced very nicely compared to how much a SS would have been if we had booked it earlier.  Then a week before the cruise we received another upgrade offer email with a  nice price to upgrade to a Neptune Suite. The Neptune Suite on the Westerdam was great, especially access to the Neptune Lounge and concierge.   I suggest asking your HAL rep how their upgrade policy works. 

[kruisinkris]

On 7/3/2019 at 9:29 AM, jaxon41 said:

Nope, not scrolling through 167 pages, but in the beginning of this thread, it said that pop and water could be taken aboard along with a bottle of wine per person, with no corkage fee.  A friend is a HAL cruiser (this will be our first HAL but are diamond on Celebrity/RRCC), and she told me you could not take pop or water on when you embarked, but confirmed the 2 bottles of wine with no corkage fee, even if taken to dinner.   Appreciate an accurate update.  Thanks in advance.     

 

On 7/3/2019 at 9:38 AM, ArtsyCraftsy said:

 

I think your friend may be confused.  One bottle of wine per person to have in your cabin; as much water and/or soda as you can carry onboard (not in checked luggage -- carried on).  

 

On 7/3/2019 at 10:03 AM, kazu said:

 Absolutely agree 100% 🙂 

 

Other lines are not as liberal as HAL so your friend may just have mixed them up 😉 

ArtsyCraftsy is totally correct.  I’ll just add that you can bring water or soda on board in ports as well.  (You can bring on wine but you will have to pay the corkage fee of $18 or have it stored).

 

The ‘free’ bottle allocation is definitely for in your cabin only.  You can take the bottle to public places (ie. the MDR) but it will then be subject to the corkage fee.

VERY happy to read this since this is only our 2nd Holland America cruise. We have been cruising Carnival a lot lately & soda in bottles or water in bottles isn't allowed to be brought onboard. So we've suffered with cans of soda & ordered their bottled water package. We took our first HAL cruise a few months ago, and in doing my research I thought I read that bottled soda was allowed, but the cruise was in the Med & the only soda available to buy before the cruise was in cans.

So, again, it was VERY NICE to read this! 😁

[white_bear]

We are also new to HAL, expect to be on the Maasdam in the New Year.  Would appreciate advice on self-service launderette - ie costs and whether we have to provide our own detergent.  Thanks in advance.