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

[0106]

@L11 you will receive your boarding time about 2 weeks before your cruise.  The port will determine how strictly boarding times are adhered to; there are many recent threads addressing this issue.

[terrydtx]

2 hours ago, L11 said:

Also a new HAL cruiser. I tried searching for this info but no luck. How and when are boarding times assigned? Does HAL strictly adhere to the assigned boarding times?

 

Thanks for your help! I warn you in advance - I may have more question in the weeks to come.

 

Linda

We cruised last year on the Oosterdam and cruised from Trieste Italy. We had a boarding time of 1pm but showed up at 11am and boarded with no problems. It all depends on the departure port.

[MaisonRose]

On 11/9/2022 at 5:03 PM, Clay Clayton said:

As Miss G stated, credit card type. On Koningsdam the card (or perhaps one from a previous cruise 🤔) had to go in a slot inside the door to power up the room.
 

I saw someone somewhere punching holes in a guest’s card so they could hang it on a lanyard.   I would find the wrist bracket that Miss G mentioned unwieldy and like her don’t like wearing a lanyard but to each his own.  For me, simply slipping the card in my pants pocket works. 

Guest services will punch the card. Note to females: my favorite carry Place is in my bra but for some reason it desensitizes the keycard (requiring a walk to guest services. My advice: don’t do it.)

🤪🤪🤪

[boeckli]

52 minutes ago, MaisonRose said:

Guest services will punch the card. Note to females: my favorite carry Place is in my bra but for some reason it desensitizes the keycard (requiring a walk to guest services. My advice: don’t do it.)

🤪🤪🤪

 

I use one of these retractable key holders. Some come with a clip at the back to attach to waistband or such.

 

 

[HALcruiser2001]

On 3/24/2022 at 11:01 AM, thepoint said:

Is it permissible to have a heating pad?  I know you can not have an iron, but you can have a hair curling iron.  How about a heating pad?   Thank you. 

I did not see this until I did a search.

I wonder if you can have these two items and/or use them.

[thepoint]

bdd123

 

 

I did bring a heating pad and put it on the very top of my clothes in the suitcase.  It went through security with no problem.  I did use it and left it out (unplugged of course 😁) where the room attendant would see it.  There were no  issues with my having a heating pad in the room.   We were on the ship for 3 weeks, so there was plenty of time for the room attendant to confiscate it, if it were an issue. I have a travel size pad.  It is about 12” by 12” I bought on Amazon.  The iron is definitely not allowed.  I don’t use a curling iron, but I believe they are allowed.    Happy cruising.  

[Crew News]

22 hours ago, L11 said:

Also a new HAL cruiser. I tried searching for this info but no luck. How and when are boarding times assigned? Does HAL strictly adhere to the assigned boarding times?

 

Thanks for your help! I warn you in advance - I may have more question in the weeks to come.

 

Linda

Every HAL cruiser would like to know how boarding times, actually terminal check-in times, are assigned.

 

With very few exceptions, HAL check-in times are not strictly enforced.  In prior years, terminal check-in times in Fort Lauderdale were all 1:00 PM with experienced passengers disregarding that time and trying to find the perfect window to appear at the terminal.

[L11]

Thank you, Crew News!

 

Linda

[KroozNut]

1 hour ago, Crew News said:

With very few exceptions, HAL check-in times are not strictly enforced.

I would go further and say that they're never enforced.

[richstowe]

14 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

I would go further and say that they're never enforced.

Well perhaps if we all advertise this enough they will be .

This reminds me of alcohol smuggling advice .  

[Euby]

@bdd123
 

Another option is to pack some Thermacare heat wraps (or something similar) that do not require a outlet.  Plus, as you use them, they create more space in your luggage to take home souvenirs 😉

[KroozNut]

13 hours ago, richstowe said:

Well perhaps if we all advertise this enough they will be .

 

 

I'm not too worried about that happening.. 😉

[Nanner]

A quick question or two from someone who hasn't sailed since being on the Maasdam ( miss her!) for that final COVID voyage.

 

Do they still do the Orange Party thing?  Wondering if we should pack something for that or not.

Are people getting at all dressed up in the Caribbean for the Gala (or whatever it is called now) Nights? How many dressy nights on a 10 day cruise?

 

That is all.  We are SO ready to get on a Dam ship again in less than 2 weeks!

 

[Clay Clayton]

59 minutes ago, Nanner said:

A quick question or two from someone who hasn't sailed since being on the Maasdam ( miss her!) for that final COVID voyage.

 

Do they still do the Orange Party thing?  Wondering if we should pack something for that or not.

Are people getting at all dressed up in the Caribbean for the Gala (or whatever it is called now) Nights? How many dressy nights on a 10 day cruise?

 

That is all.  We are SO ready to get on a Dam ship again in less than 2 weeks!

 

They did on both legs of our b2b Alaska and Hawaii cruises in October 2022.  I will say that neither was well attended. They were held in BB Kings which may have been part of the issue.  Would have been more fun on deck. 

[robotpony]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

I will say that neither was well attended. They were held in BB Kings which may have been part of the issue.  Would have been more fun on deck. 

 

On our last two trips the Orange parties were very crowded, so much so that we didn't stay for long. Many guests wore fantastic costumes, putting my orange-ish Hawaiian shirt to shame 😆

[FLCruiser97]

18 hours ago, robotpony said:

 

On our last two trips the Orange parties were very crowded, so much so that we didn't stay for long. Many guests wore fantastic costumes, putting my orange-ish Hawaiian shirt to shame 😆

Do all sailings on HAL have an "orange" party and what exactly is it?

[0106]

2 hours ago, FLCruiser97 said:

Do all sailings on HAL have an "orange" party and what exactly is it?

From the HAL website:  Celebrated one night on each cruise, we give a nod to our Dutch heritage, a la King’s Day, during the Holland America Orange Party.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/onboard-activities/cruise-activities/orange-party.html

[cwd79]

Hi, anyone have any experience or knowledge on cabin J1031 or J1063 on Nieuw Amsterdam? I think J1031 might be under Billboard Onboard but J1063 is connecting room... Looking at an Alaskan cruise and haven't been in any of the J cabins on the Signature ships and not many left... We prefer to be midship and both of the cabins fit that... Thanks for any guidance. 

[StLouisCruisers]

1 hour ago, cwd79 said:

Hi, anyone have any experience or knowledge on cabin J1031 or J1063 on Nieuw Amsterdam? I think J1031 might be under Billboard Onboard but J1063 is connecting room... Looking at an Alaskan cruise and haven't been in any of the J cabins on the Signature ships and not many left... We prefer to be midship and both of the cabins fit that... Thanks for any guidance. 

 

I have no experience with Nieuw Amsterdam but I like to use the deck drag feature of cruisedeckplans.com.  Here is a link to that page.

 

https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/dragdeck.php?ship=Nieuw-Amsterdam&zoom=1

 

Just click on the cabin in question, slowly drag that deck to the deck above it and line up the stairs or elevators to make sure you are locating it properly.  Looks like J1031 is right near the Billboard pianos like you said.  The J1063 is under Queens Lounge and Culinary Arts Center as well as being connecting.  I have no idea what they use that area for nowadays.  Hopefully someone else has some ideas for you.  Good luck!

[FLCruiser97]

On 1/18/2023 at 2:11 PM, 0106 said:

From the HAL website:  Celebrated one night on each cruise, we give a nod to our Dutch heritage, a la King’s Day, during the Holland America Orange Party.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/onboard-activities/cruise-activities/orange-party.html

Thank You.

[RuthC]

7 hours ago, cwd79 said:

Hi, anyone have any experience or knowledge on cabin J1031 or J1063 on Nieuw Amsterdam? I think J1031 might be under Billboard Onboard but J1063 is connecting room... Looking at an Alaskan cruise and haven't been in any of the J cabins on the Signature ships and not many left... We prefer to be midship and both of the cabins fit that... Thanks for any guidance. 

I've been in most of the J-category cabins along the starboard side of Main Deck on all of the Vista and Signature ships, many times. 
Starboard is safe from the noise coming down from the Rolling Stone Rock Room, which is a lot more intense than any sound from Billboard Onboard. Port side, on the other hand, is not safe from that. 

I've been in connecting rooms along there a few times, and the only time there was any sound was when the woman in the next room was having a meltdown and yelling at the top of her lungs. But, you could also hear her in the passageway, and likely would have heard her from inside the cabin across the way. 
Personally, however, I would rather be in 1063 than 1031, merely because it is closer to mid-ship. 

[Benh]

Anyone have any thoughts on the Holland America credit card? It includes travel insurance. Is the insurance good enough that you don't need to get the Holland America insurance? Thanks in advance.

 

 

[Mary229]

34 minutes ago, Benh said:

Anyone have any thoughts on the Holland America credit card? It includes travel insurance. Is the insurance good enough that you don't need to get the Holland America insurance? Thanks in advance.

 

 

I wasn’t aware it had travel insurance, I will give it a look. Can you provide a link.  The link I found did not show travel insurance 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Mary229

[Benh]

If you go to the main Hollandamerica.com page, and then scroll all the way down the end, you'll find this on the lower right....

 

https://cards.barclaycardus.com/banking/credit-card/holland/visa-signature/banner/30b02193-1c11-4979-b179-9ce170f9d6c8/?reffererid=PTRBAFOOTER122

[CruiserN1]

2 hours ago, Benh said:

Anyone have any thoughts on the Holland America credit card? It includes travel insurance. Is the insurance good enough that you don't need to get the Holland America insurance? Thanks in advance

Typically credit card travel insurance is more limited in coverage than what you can buy. I doubt it's the HAL plan with CFAR benefits. Given that they say they won't give you the details until you sign up for the card, I'd suspect it has more limited coverage.