Cost of Tips and Other OB Spend on Hal

[tring]

We mainly travel with the British based cruise lines which have lower (or no) tips expected and reasonable bar costs.  Thinking of booking a HAL cruise so could anyone tell me what tip levels are expected and also how the on board prices compare?  I would envisage looking at cruise excursions as well (as we are looking at a long haul cruise) and I think they will be much more expensive with HAL - but how much so I wonder?

 

Also, do you get water supplied when eating in the restaurants, can you bring non alcoholic drinks on board to drink in the cabin and do they have tea/coffee making facilities in the cabins?  We are not big alcohol drinkers, but drink a lot fluid.

Edited August 27, 2019 by tring

[RuthC]

IIRC, the daily Hotel Service Charge is now $15.50 per day, per person; slightly higher in suite cabins. Most cocktails are $11 + 15% service charge each. I know my cocktail of choice was around $9, and with the service charge was $10.06. 

Tap water has no charge anywhere. It is readily served in all the restaurants, and is what the ice cubes are made from. It tastes delicious. You can buy bottled water, or bring it on yourself. You can also bring aboard as much non-alcoholic beverages as you can carry, both at initial embarkation and all ports. 

Neptune Suites have a coffer maker in the cabin, but they are the only ones who do. Everyone can order coffee, tea, and other drinks from room service; they are also available 24/7 in the Lido. 

Shore Excursions can run a gamut of prices, depending on how long the tour lasts, and what it consists of. Obviously, flight-seeing will cost a lot more than a brief city tour on a bus. You can get an idea of the prices by reviewing the HAL site (assuming you can get into the HAL site!) and looking at the excursions for the destination you are interested in.   

[tring]

34 minutes ago, RuthC said:

IIRC, the daily Hotel Service Charge is now $15.50 per day, per person; slightly higher in suite cabins. Most cocktails are $11 + 15% service charge each. I know my cocktail of choice was around $9, and with the service charge was $10.06. 

Tap water has no charge anywhere. It is readily served in all the restaurants, and is what the ice cubes are made from. It tastes delicious. You can buy bottled water, or bring it on yourself. You can also bring aboard as much non-alcoholic beverages as you can carry, both at initial embarkation and all ports. 

Neptune Suites have a coffer maker in the cabin, but they are the only ones who do. Everyone can order coffee, tea, and other drinks from room service; they are also available 24/7 in the Lido. 

Shore Excursions can run a gamut of prices, depending on how long the tour lasts, and what it consists of. Obviously, flight-seeing will cost a lot more than a brief city tour on a bus. You can get an idea of the prices by reviewing the HAL site (assuming you can get into the HAL site!) and looking at the excursions for the destination you are interested in.   

 

Thanks for the reply RuthC, much appreciated.  That is certainly way over what we are used to and not helped by our plummeting £, but the cruises are well priced with a selection of decent itineraries.  If we can easily get water or bring non alc drinks on board that makes a big difference too.  Will search their website  regards trips which I did not realise you would be able to see if not booked on a cruise, which is the only time we can see the trip prices with the UK based cruise lines.

Edited August 27, 2019 by tring

[RuthC]

When you don't have a cruise booked the prices will be indicated by "$, $$, $$$, $$$$, $$$$$" indicators. There is a range for what the number of dollar signs mean. Better to predict at the higher end of the range. 

[kwb101]

On HAL's home page, click The Experience > Shore Excursions.

Scroll n down to Find Shore Excursions and click Search.

Click Sail To and pick your region,  then click Ports of Call (Excursions) and choose your port.

You'll get a list of _all_ excursions for that port (there will probably be more excursions than will be available on any given itinerary). Prices are shown as "starting at" in real numbers. Happy searching! 

[tring]

Thanks for the other info, regards searching for shore tour prices.

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, tring said:

We mainly travel with the British based cruise lines which have lower (or no) tips expected and reasonable bar costs.  Thinking of booking a HAL cruise so could anyone tell me what tip levels are expected and also how the on board prices compare?  I would envisage looking at cruise excursions as well (as we are looking at a long haul cruise) and I think they will be much more expensive with HAL - but how much so I wonder?

 

Also, do you get water supplied when eating in the restaurants, can you bring non alcoholic drinks on board to drink in the cabin and do they have tea/coffee making facilities in the cabins?  We are not big alcohol drinkers, but drink a lot fluid.

 

You can bring on as much water and soft drinks as you wish in your carry on baggage.  You can also replenish water and soft drinks at ports of call.

In the Lido there is constant tea (PG tips usually) coffee and water.  At lunch and dinner you are offered water or 'lemonade' at the table also in the speciality restaurants.

You can bring onboard 1 bottle (750 ml) of wine each for consumption in your stateroom.  If you take it to a bar or main dining room they can charge corkage of €18  (I thinks that is the current price!).  You can also bring onboard as much wine as you like (again as a carry on) and pay corkage on all bottles (after your 1 bottle per person allowance).  The bottles which have had corkage charged on them may be drank anywhere on the ship including restaurants.

We very rarely do ships excursions and instead use the Roll Calls threads to join up with others on the same cruise and share costs.

[RevNeal]

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

IIRC, the daily Hotel Service Charge is now $15.50 per day, per person; slightly higher in suite cabins.

 

Thanks, Ruth, for the "heads up" on that increased price. For some reason I hadn't yet checked that detail on HAL's website.  I would have gotten around to that before the cruise, but knowing sooner helps keeps the sticker-shock to a minimum.

[57redbird]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

 

You can bring on as much water and soft drinks as you wish in your carry on baggage.  You can also replenish water and soft drinks at ports of call.

In the Lido there is constant tea (PG tips usually) coffee and water.  At lunch and dinner you are offered water or 'lemonade' at the table also in the speciality restaurants.

You can bring onboard 1 bottle (750 ml) of wine each for consumption in your stateroom.  If you take it to a bar or main dining room they can charge corkage of €18  (I thinks that is the current price!).  You can also bring onboard as much wine as you like (again as a carry on) and pay corkage on all bottles (after your 1 bottle per person allowance).  The bottles which have had corkage charged on them may be drank anywhere on the ship including restaurants.

We very rarely do ships excursions and instead use the Roll Calls threads to join up with others on the same cruise and share costs.

You can also go on Trip Advisor to look for excursions in the ports you'll be visiting...we've done some tours with companies we've found on there.

[*Miss G*]

The HSC is $14.50/day for non-suites.  $16/day for suites.

 

[tring]

One other question that I cannot find an easy answer to on the HAL website.  Is there an option of open of what may be called open or freedom dining or are the MDR meals on a first or second seating with a set dining table for the whole cruise?  Also what would be the chance of a table for two in the MDR?

 

We are probably looking at the Noordam, but may have an interest in the Masdam.

[kazu]

10 minutes ago, tring said:

One other question that I cannot find an easy answer to on the HAL website.  Is there an option of open of what may be called open or freedom dining or are the MDR meals on a first or second seating with a set dining table for the whole cruise?  Also what would be the chance of a table for two in the MDR?

 

We are probably looking at the Noordam, but may have an interest in the Masdam.

 

You have your choice of either.  You can do anytime dining (go to the dining room, lower level normally) anytime the dining room is open for dinner.

 

Tables for 2 are certainly available - you might have a short wait but they give you a buzzer so you can go to a bar or elsewhere to wait and return when the table is ready.

 

There is also fixed dining  (first or second seating) where you can request a table for two.

[tring]

1 minute ago, kazu said:

 

You have your choice of either.  You can do anytime dining (go to the dining room, lower level normally) anytime the dining room is open for dinner.

 

Tables for 2 are certainly available - you might have a short wait but they give you a buzzer so you can go to a bar or elsewhere to wait and return when the table is ready.

 

There is also fixed dining  (first or second seating) where you can request a table for two.

 Thanks for that.  It is useful information.

[Crew News]

43 minutes ago, tring said:

One other question that I cannot find an easy answer to on the HAL website.  Is there an option of open of what may be called open or freedom dining or are the MDR meals on a first or second seating with a set dining table for the whole cruise?  Also what would be the chance of a table for two in the MDR?

 

We are probably looking at the Noordam, but may have an interest in the Masdam.

 

Unlike many cruise lines, HAL has free (with a few exceptions) 24/7 Room Service (current):

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Room-Service-and-Breakfast-Card.pdf

 

Most passengers tip the Room Service delivery person $1-2 dollars.

 

Here are the daily activities onboard the Noordam in Alaska to give you an idea of what to expect:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/on-locations-specific-cruises/alaska-2017-noordam-when-where-daily-activities

 

The Lido Market on Deck 9 is open 24/7 for free tea, coffee, hot chocolate, water, hot water, and ice.  Some passengers bring their own tea bags and order Room Service hot water.

 

Feel free to ask lots of questions so that you are aware of all that HAL has to offer.

Edited August 27, 2019 by Crew News

[MAVIP]

1 hour ago, RevNeal said:

 

Thanks, Ruth, for the "heads up" on that increased price. For some reason I hadn't yet checked that detail on HAL's website.  I would have gotten around to that before the cruise, but knowing sooner helps keeps the sticker-shock to a minimum.

We paid $ 14,50 this month (ms Rotterdam) and in March/April (ms Maasdam).

[TiogaCruiser]

2 hours ago, MAVIP said:

We paid $ 14,50 this month (ms Rotterdam) and in March/April (ms Maasdam).

We paid $14.50, pp, per day on Prinsendam in June, for a OV cabin.

[tring]

Thanks for the other comments.  I feel well placed to look further and make a decision now.