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


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Hal and Kazu  thank you so much your responses have helped immensely. I will be booking in the morning.
I have my NCL TA in April that is also going to Le Harve and have Normandy lined up on that one, this one, I know it’s long, but I’ll go to Paris
Be careful, the NCL boss said that the company may go bankrupt.
If that happens I don't think they will refund the amount paid
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17 hours ago, drsel said:

Be careful, the NCL boss said that the company may go bankrupt.
If that happens I don't think they will refund the amount paid

It's not just NCL that is in serious trouble . Which company is least likely to go bankrupt may be the question. The brands may survive after chapter 20 but not the FCC's .

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On 6/20/2020 at 1:49 PM, drsel said:

Be careful, the NCL boss said that the company may go bankrupt.
If that happens I don't think they will refund the amount paid

I don't recall the boss ever saying that. 

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He did at the beginning of May. You can google it. The headlines are easy to find. Shortly after he also said that the company had raised enough money to keep them going for another year.

We seriously intend to take the TA on the Ryndam in October 2021 and want to visit Amsterdam. We were on the  New Statendam TA last October and really enjoyed it. But I am not ready to put a deposit with all the uncertainties facing the cruise companies and will not cruise if there is no vaccins available or if I have to wear a mask on a cruise ship. I follow the guidelines of my province and wear a mask in public always but will not cruise if I have to do so on a ship.

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
4 hours ago, drsel said:

With so many HAL ships being sold, do you think the reduced capacity will push up the prices of future cruises on HAL.?

Or will the reduced demand compensate for lower capacity?

 

Are you looking for a crystal ball?  I don’t have one.

 

My best guess is that based on the restaurants here and my hair dresser that are at lower capacity is that the prices will go up.  

 

Perhaps not right away to lure people on but shortly thereafter, if the ships are at lower capacity that is what they are going to have to do IMO or make sure they have people on board who spend 😉 

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I would think that the greater burden of helping to prevent the spread COVID-19 that it will only increase prices. They are still going to have to reduce capacity on the remaining ships to accommodate any possible outbreaks. And if the US adopts the same criteria as the EU they will also have to cover the costs of quarantining passengers who have possibly been exposed once they have been put ashore. 
I believe that all of theses factors will certainly drive prices up, but by how much is anyone’s guess. 
As Kazoo said, maybe not at first, but definitely in the near future.

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  • 4 months later...

My suggestion for newbies to HAL is book a Neptune or higher for priority boarding, tenders, disembarking and other perks.  If you are not able to purchase a Neptune Suite or higher, opt for Club Orange which offers some of the same amenities in a standard stateroom.  file:///C:/Users/HP/Downloads/Club_Orange_Benefits%20(1).pdf 

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On 11/20/2020 at 11:23 AM, ScottC4746 said:

My suggestion for newbies to HAL is book a Neptune or higher for priority boarding, tenders, disembarking and other perks.  If you are not able to purchase a Neptune Suite or higher, opt for Club Orange which offers some of the same amenities in a standard stateroom.  file:///C:/Users/HP/Downloads/Club_Orange_Benefits%20(1).pdf 

Completely disagree . Would your first hotel visit be the penthouse ? Or a top of the line Mercedes   car or a 5 star restaurant drinking $500 bottles of wine ? 

Why suggest top of the line as your first cruise experience . I wouldn't suggest a inside cabin but besides that , enjoy whatever you can afford . My advice for first timers is a 6 - 7 day cruise on a bigger ship . See what options you enjoy . Only with experience will you recognize what floats your boat . The excitement of waiting to board on our first few cruises was a wonderful memory . My experience is great joy discovering the world of cruising . Only later did we become more particular . 

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2 minutes ago, richstowe said:

Completely disagree . Would your first hotel visit be the penthouse ? Or a top of the line Mercedes   car or a 5 star restaurant drinking $500 bottles of wine ? 

Why suggest top of the line as your first cruise experience . I wouldn't suggest a inside cabin but besides that , enjoy whatever you can afford . My advice for first timers is a 6 - 7 day cruise on a bigger ship . See what options you enjoy . Only with experience will you recognize what floats your boat . The excitement of waiting to board on our first few cruises was a wonderful memory . My experience is great joy discovering the world of cruising . Only later did we become more particular . 

I agree.  Our first two were veranda cabins, then we went a little higher class

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On 11/26/2020 at 1:52 PM, richstowe said:

Completely disagree . Would your first hotel visit be the penthouse ? Or a top of the line Mercedes   car or a 5 star restaurant drinking $500 bottles of wine ? 

Why suggest top of the line as your first cruise experience . I wouldn't suggest a inside cabin but besides that , enjoy whatever you can afford . My advice for first timers is a 6 - 7 day cruise on a bigger ship . See what options you enjoy . Only with experience will you recognize what floats your boat . The excitement of waiting to board on our first few cruises was a wonderful memory . My experience is great joy discovering the world of cruising . Only later did we become more particular . 

+1. Completely agree.

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  • 3 weeks later...

My DH and I are contemplating a 14-day NZ cruise.  We have never been on a cruise ship before, and he is concerned he will not like it.  He feels that there will be people and lineups everywhere you go, and there will be no quiet spaces; he doesn't want to feel 'trapped'. (I used to feel the same way, but have come around lol). I'm curious as to whether other people feel, or have felt, this way when cruising. 

BTW - we do have an Alaska cruise booked for next year, but i would like to book NZ while the V & V promo is available.

Thank you.

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34 minutes ago, 13momo said:

My DH and I are contemplating a 14-day NZ cruise.  We have never been on a cruise ship before, and he is concerned he will not like it.  He feels that there will be people and lineups everywhere you go, and there will be no quiet spaces; he doesn't want to feel 'trapped'. (I used to feel the same way, but have come around lol). I'm curious as to whether other people feel, or have felt, this way when cruising. 

BTW - we do have an Alaska cruise booked for next year, but i would like to book NZ while the V & V promo is available.

Thank you.

My husband and I have never felt “trapped” on a HAL cruise and have been able to find quiet spaces on each ship. Our favorite ships are those with libraries and promenade decks where you can walk outside or simply relax in a chair. I would suggest at least having a stateroom with a view as there are many beautiful views in New Zealand. Our 2018 NZ cruise lasted 18 days as we embarked in Sydney, Australia and debarked in Auckland, NZ. The cruise also spent three days in Tasmania. We’ve loved every cruise we’ve taken and this one was one of our favorites! Enjoy!!

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28 minutes ago, Darjeeling said:

My husband and I have never felt “trapped” on a HAL cruise and have been able to find quiet spaces on each ship. Our favorite ships are those with libraries and promenade decks where you can walk outside or simply relax in a chair. I would suggest at least having a stateroom with a view as there are many beautiful views in New Zealand. Our 2018 NZ cruise lasted 18 days as we embarked in Sydney, Australia and debarked in Auckland, NZ. The cruise also spent three days in Tasmania. We’ve loved every cruise we’ve taken and this one was one of our favorites! Enjoy!!

My wife and I have never felt trapped on an HAL either.  There are many quiet spots if that's what you seek.  We've also always stayed in a cabin with a balcony which can be a great and quiet place to watch the world go by

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2 hours ago, 13momo said:

My DH and I are contemplating a 14-day NZ cruise.  We have never been on a cruise ship before, and he is concerned he will not like it.  He feels that there will be people and lineups everywhere you go, and there will be no quiet spaces; he doesn't want to feel 'trapped'. (I used to feel the same way, but have come around lol). I'm curious as to whether other people feel, or have felt, this way when cruising. 

BTW - we do have an Alaska cruise booked for next year, but i would like to book NZ while the V & V promo is available.

Thank you.

In all of my cruises and with a few exceptions, I have never felt crowded on a HAL ship.  One of those exceptions is on the initial passenger rush to leave the ship when it docks in a port.  I learned my lesson and just waited 10 minutes before heading to the gangway in each port. 

 

Lineups can be avoided with just a few minutes arrival delay in the opening time of a venue or avoiding the peak times for the buffets.  You can avoid the buffet by just ordering from the free 24/7 Room Service.

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21 minutes ago, Crew News said:

In all of my cruises and with a few exceptions, I have never felt crowded on a HAL ship.  One of those exceptions is on the initial passenger rush to leave the ship when it docks in a port.  I learned my lesson and just waited 10 minutes before heading to the gangway in each port. 

 

Lineups can be avoided with just a few minutes arrival delay in the opening time of a venue or avoiding the peak times for the buffets.  You can avoid the buffet by just ordering from the free 24/7 Room Service.

They are usually very good when leaving the ship.  If we have an early flight they schedule us to leave early.  Otherwise we have breakfast and relax until the mad rush is over.

 

Lunch at the dive in can be a good choice if you don't like the buffet lines at noon.  Just order and take the pager with you, relax until it's ready.  It's easy to avoid crowds if that's your desire

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I've always been able to find a quiet place to sit and enjoy a book, or just watch the sea from a deck chair. Those have been the best days. 
Don't try to be the first to anything, especially meals, and the crowds will be smaller. 

If the New Zealand cruise is after the Alaska cruise, why not book it now on a refundable fare? If the Alaska cruise sails, your DH can decide on a 7-day cruise if it is a good match for him, or not. If not, you can cancel with no loss of $$$---assuming it isn't after final payment date. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Question regarding Mariner Cruise Days Credit. I understand you get one day's credit for every $300 you spend. My question is, do you get credit when you spend $300 in OBC? If so, does all OBC count. (Refundable vs. non-refundable for example.)

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1 hour ago, dropframe said:

My question is, do you get credit when you spend $300 in OBC? If so, does all OBC count. (Refundable vs. non-refundable for example.)

 

It doesn't matter whether you use OBC or credit card or cash to pay for your charges. Doesn't matter which type of OBC it is. And items purchased before the cruise (shore excursions, specialty dining, beverage package, etc) also count towards the amount used to calculate your Mariner status. Gifts from others are also counted towards your amount spent.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/17/2020 at 1:48 PM, 13momo said:

My DH and I are contemplating a 14-day NZ cruise.  We have never been on a cruise ship before, and he is concerned he will not like it.  He feels that there will be people and lineups everywhere you go, and there will be no quiet spaces; he doesn't want to feel 'trapped'. (I used to feel the same way, but have come around lol). I'm curious as to whether other people feel, or have felt, this way when cruising. 

BTW - we do have an Alaska cruise booked for next year, but i would like to book NZ while the V & V promo is available.

Thank you.

My husband felt the same way ... until we took our first cruise, 7-day Alaska.  By day 3, he was ready to book the next one!  We now find that 7 day cruises are too short for us.  Our last one was 40 days, Sydney, New Zealand, Sydney, Pacific Islands, Hawaii, Seattle.  Unbelievable!!!

 

We’ve always had balconies, most often a Signature/Vista suite.   You’ll want at least a veranda for New Zealand.  Go for it!

 

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2 hours ago, dropframe said:

I need to change my email address at Holland America.  I don't see any place to do this on their website. 

 

On the homepage, log in. Choose "My Account" (upper right). This brings up your Profile Information. Click on "Edit" just below your street address. 

Edited by Cruise Suzy
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