First HAL cruise questions

[Cathy in Boston]

Hi all,

 

We’ve been on two cruises, both on Celebrity, and we will be booking a Pacific Coast Cruise this week.  We have registered on the HAL website, and rather than going through a TA, we will talk to someone from HAL.  I know we want to book a Signature Suite, I’ve tried to look through the HAL for Dummies thread, but it is massive.  Just wondering is there anything I should know while booking, such as differences between the Signature Suite categories, things I want to ask, and so on.  Thanks!

[Stratheden]

We like Signature Suites also.  We usually choose around mid-ship on Deck 6. 

[kazu]

Really the only differences in the Signature Suite categories is location and some of the SY's (which are cheaper) can be a great location depending on your ship you are sailing on.

 

Take a good look at the deck plans - above and below and have some cabins in mind (or some cabins you don't want) before you make your call or book on line.

 

 

[Tom O.]

You will find that many TAs have lower prices than buying directly from HAL.

And if you think the people who work for HAL know their ships better than a TA, you are mistaken. If you choose a TA that specializes in cruises, they usually have a wide experience in cruising, much more experience than HAL's employees.

[Krazy Kruizers]

22 minutes ago, Tom O. said:

You will find that many TAs have lower prices than buying directly from HAL.

And if you think the people who work for HAL know their ships better than a TA, you are mistaken. If you choose a TA that specializes in cruises, they usually have a wide experience in cruising, much more experience than HAL's employees.

 

Agree!!

 

That is why we use a TA -- love the extra perks.

[avian777]

20 hours ago, Stratheden said:

We like Signature Suites also.  We usually choose around mid-ship on Deck 6. 

 

Ditto here - on both counts!!! Hope you enjoy your HAL cruise, CiB.  🥂

[boulders]

I've never found lower prices with a TA, including a big box TA. I sometimes get "private fares"  on the HAL website which are very good deals. On my last HAL cruise, I let my PCC know that I was looking for an upsell and was able to upgrade to a Neptune suite for about 1/5 the going rate a couple of weeks out. Count me as a HAL PCC loyalist. 

[Tom O.]

I have never been in a suite, we are perfectly happy as long as we have a veranda. But we are very fussy about location. Our favorite location is on the very back of the ship (aft facing verandah). There are a lot of suites back there too.

The aft facing cabins are not for everybody, but we love them. Most of these cabins have larger verandas than the ones on the sides. And if you are doing some scenic cruising you can see scenery that passes on both starboard and port sides. Also there is less wind while under way.

Some people complain about the noise of the wake. But we find it soothing, reminds me of a mountain cabin we rented once near a rapidly running creek.

[Tom O.]

6 minutes ago, boulders said:

I've never found lower prices with a TA, including a big box TA. I sometimes get "private fares"  on the HAL website which are very good deals. On my last HAL cruise, I let my PCC know that I was looking for an upsell and was able to upgrade to a Neptune suite for about 1/5 the going rate a couple of weeks out. Count me as a HAL PCC loyalist. 

 

I just booked an Alaska land /sea tour. The best price I could get direct form HAL was $3089. I booked it with a TA for $2813. Same room, same packages. When you book with a TA you get all the freebies and specials that you get by going directly with HAL.

But you have to check around, I have found that small independent TAs, that specialize in cruises, have better deals than big box agencies.

[Cruise_More_Often]

21 hours ago, Cathy in Boston said:

Hi all,

 

We’ve been on two cruises, both on Celebrity, and we will be booking a Pacific Coast Cruise this week.  We have registered on the HAL website, and rather than going through a TA, we will talk to someone from HAL.  I know we want to book a Signature Suite, I’ve tried to look through the HAL for Dummies thread, but it is massive.  Just wondering is there anything I should know while booking, such as differences between the Signature Suite categories, things I want to ask, and so on.  Thanks!

 

Cathy, most of HAL's Pacific Coastal cruises are a part of longer cruises, and HAL will only let you book guarantee cabins.

[LRLLSL]

I agree about aft cabins.  Late last year we cruised Australia and New Zealand on the Celebrity Solstice in an aft cabin.  Great views!  Looking forward to our cruise in 2019 on HAL's Alaska land and sea cruise.   Attached pics all taken from our aft cabin. 

[thinfool]

HAL's upcoming Pacific Coastal sailings (spring '19) begin in San Diego and end in Vancouver.  These are stand alone itineraries, meaning that you cannot book a following sailing unless it returns to Vancouver.

These are repositioning cruises as HAL prepares for the Alaska cruise season.

Any available cabin may be booked as can a guarantee.

[canadianbear]

26 minutes ago, Cruise_More_Often said:

 

Cathy, most of HAL's Pacific Coastal cruises are a part of longer cruises, and HAL will only let you book guarantee cabins.

 

The one we have booked is the 6 day Coastal and we picked our Neptune suite months & months ago.  We actually stopped booking the shorter Coastals because I don’t like guarantees even for a Neptune.  It was nice to see the longer one and we jumped on it when we could pick our cabin!

 

OP-the Signature suites are lovely, we’ve enjoyed several.  Lots of room in the cabin and storage.  Do lots of research before you book like others have said.

 

Forgot to mention, if you end of booking an aft cabin, some of the Coastal cruises can be very rough.  My husband doesn’t allow me to book aft cabins any more although I loved the rocking seas!! 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2018 by canadianbear

[Cruise_More_Often]

59 minutes ago, canadianbear said:

 

The one we have booked is the 6 day Coastal and we picked our Neptune suite months & months ago.  We actually stopped booking the shorter Coastals because I don’t like guarantees even for a Neptune.  It was nice to see the longer one and we jumped on it when we could pick our cabin!

 

 

This is good to hear. We have given up on HAL's Pacific Coastals because we don't like guarantees, either.