LAFFNVEGAS "LIVE" from the Nieuw Amsterdam, First HAL Ship to Sail!!

[atexsix]

28 minutes ago, zelker said:

So according to what I’ve read here, I’m now going to have to add bar soap and Splenda packets to my packing list.  What’s next? 😏

LoLoL....was just thinking that because Dad uses Splenda.

[cal56girl]

Thank you. We are going towards the end of the season.  
Safe travels home!

[atexsix]

10 hours ago, zelker said:

Thanks for sharing the week with us ... am so looking forward to sailing back up to Alaska 4 weeks from tomorrow.  Safe travels home.

You mean you are going to miss sailing with us by 1 week? 😓

[atexsix]

54 minutes ago, zelker said:

So according to what I’ve read here, I’m now going to have to add bar soap and Splenda packets to my packing list.  What’s next? 😏

And don't let the recycle police hear you say that.😁 🤫 I got ripped for suggesting people bring plastic cups, can't have wasted little sugar packets now.😉

Edited July 31, 2021 by atexsix

[Florida_gal_50]

Lisa I’m sorry if this was covered but I don’t remember seeing it.  Does the new pricing for the pinnacle, tamarind etc include the gratuity or is that added on top?  Thank you.

[AKJonesy]

Good information from this cruise.  I will continue to monitor each cruise now especially that in cruise news the Celebrity is now mandating testing at embarkation.  Juneau and Sitka under emergency orders have now implemented new mask policies and the other SE AK will likely follow.  I don't think we are out of the woods by any means in terms of returning to normal sailing.  So it will be good to follow each successive sailing to see what changes are happening.  

[zelker]

15 minutes ago, atexsix said:

You mean you are going to miss sailing with us by 1 week? 😓

No.  You’re going to miss sailing with ME by one week!  😉

[atexsix]

2 minutes ago, zelker said:

No.  You’re going to miss sailing with ME by one week!  😉

Bummer!!!  Just think, we could have shared forbidden unrecyclable Splenda packets 😭

Edited July 31, 2021 by atexsix

[atexsix]

19 minutes ago, AKJonesy said:

Good information from this cruise.  I will continue to monitor each cruise now especially that in cruise news the Celebrity is now mandating testing at embarkation.  Juneau and Sitka under emergency orders have now implemented new mask policies and the other SE AK will likely follow.  I don't think we are out of the woods by any means in terms of returning to normal sailing.  So it will be good to follow each successive sailing to see what changes are happening.  

I thought that was because Celebrity ships were only requiring 95% vaccinated, always seemed like a disaster waiting to happen to me, might as well open the door for the virus and invite it in.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by atexsix

[Calicokat]

14 minutes ago, AKJonesy said:

Good information from this cruise.  I will continue to monitor each cruise now especially that in cruise news the Celebrity is now mandating testing at embarkation.  Juneau and Sitka under emergency orders have now implemented new mask policies and the other SE AK will likely follow.  I don't think we are out of the woods by any means in terms of returning to normal sailing.  So it will be good to follow each successive sailing to see what changes are happening.  

@ AKJonsey

Would you be so kind to inform us of any news you hear about regarding masking, testing, or any related changes . 

Edited July 31, 2021 by Calicokat
Add name

[Sharon in AZ]

Lisa @LAFFNVEGAS Thank you so much for all your posts and pictures in your Live From report. I have enjoyed reading this thread every day. I hope you have a safe journey home. I’m looking forward to your next Live From. 

[Vict0riann]

Thank you so much for taking us with you on this first cruise, @LAFFNVEGAS!  I really appreciated all the information.  One thing I am wondering is if they will be doing a little tracking afterwards to be sure everyone stays healthy and there was no risk of transmission of Covid on board.   So much is going to depend on these first cruises.  We have European cruises in the Fall and are so hoping everything will go smoothly here and all lessons are learned!

[atexsix]

50 minutes ago, AKJonesy said:

Good information from this cruise.  I will continue to monitor each cruise now especially that in cruise news the Celebrity is now mandating testing at embarkation.  Juneau and Sitka under emergency orders have now implemented new mask policies and the other SE AK will likely follow.  I don't think we are out of the woods by any means in terms of returning to normal sailing.  So it will be good to follow each successive sailing to see what changes are happening.  

I kinda had a feeling this was coming, I'm going to go ahead and plan on it for HAL so we're not scrambling at the last minute, Dear Dad is V.A. and I can't imagine what would be involved in trying to get him an appointment two days before a holiday weekend.

 

V.A. won't work, their website says results won't be available for 3 or 4 days, we'll just have to pay for it ourselves at pharmacy.

Edited July 31, 2021 by atexsix

[lindaler]

2 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

I am actually considering doing another Live from, our next cruise the promotion we are booked under included the Premium WiFi so maybe it’s better lol but doubt it.

It will definitely be interesting to compare any differences.

Please do. I would love to follow. 

[jimgev]

Thanks so much Lisa for the work you put into this blog. It was incredibly informative and so msny of us were living vicariously with you on board.

Safe trip hpme.

Jim

[luvn2cruzzz]

Thanks for taking us along!  It was wonderfully informative and enlightening.  

[LAFFNVEGAS]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Lisa I’m sorry if this was covered but I don’t remember seeing it.  Does the new pricing for the pinnacle, tamarind etc include the gratuity or is that added on top?  Thank you.

As far as I can tell if you purchase on line it includes the gratuity but if it is reserved on board they tack on the gratuity calling it a service charge but the amounts are crazy as we left the ship we still did not get charges from Pinnacle Grill lunch resolved. I will need to take it up with HAL guest relations. For lunch which is $15.00 but we are 4 star I was charged $17.70 and Tom was charged $16.80. They claim they already gave us loyalty discount but part of the charge was Pinnacle Bar. I had two $9.00 wines part of Signature Beverage package and Tom had a beer. BTW when they ring up Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling  it states $9.00 on board. This morning we discovered Pinnacle charged Tom $38.70 there was also another charge for $7.40 which was for the upgrade to the lobster. They do give you the 50% on that plus a gratuity but we have no idea on the $38.70 they did remove that charge when we went to the desk this morning then told we they have corrected the other but it was not. 
Basically watch your statement daily. We did hear others stating the same problem.

[NextOne]

6 hours ago, kazu said:

 

That’s what I meant when I said DH will have to read on electronics whether he likes it or not 😉. He liked to read the paper version 😉 

How about the daily crossword puzzle? Hard to do that online!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

55 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

Thank you so much for taking us with you on this first cruise, @LAFFNVEGAS!  I really appreciated all the information.  One thing I am wondering is if they will be doing a little tracking afterwards to be sure everyone stays healthy and there was no risk of transmission of Covid on board.   So much is going to depend on these first cruises.  We have European cruises in the Fall and are so hoping everything will go smoothly here and all lessons are learned!

I don’t think they are but it would be a good idea but once people have traveled home it will be harder to get people to respond possibly.

[woodworker&knitter]

1 hour ago, atexsix said:

LoLoL....was just thinking that because Dad uses Splenda.

There is no need to bring your own . HAL stopped with single use items. Splenda is available at coffee stations or just ask your server for it.

[kazu]

10 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

As far as I can tell if you purchase on line it includes the gratuity but if it is reserved on board they tack on the gratuity calling it a service charge but the amounts are crazy as we left the ship we still did not get charges from Pinnacle Grill lunch resolved. I will need to take it up with HAL guest relations. For lunch which is $15.00 but we are 4 star I was charged $17.70 and Tom was charged $16.80. They claim they already gave us loyalty discount but part of the charge was Pinnacle Bar. I had two $9.00 wines part of Signature Beverage package and Tom had a beer. BTW when they ring up Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling  it states $9.00 on board. This morning we discovered Pinnacle charged Tom $38.70 there was also another charge for $7.40 which was for the upgrade to the lobster. They do give you the 50% on that plus a gratuity but we have no idea on the $38.70 they did remove that charge when we went to the desk this morning then told we they have corrected the other but it was not. 
Basically watch your statement daily. We did hear others stating the same problem.

Yikes, Lisa 😱 what a mess!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Follow up to Port Valet. 
First we did have transfers from Hal, with Luggage Direct you are not given colored letter luggage tags but rather white sticky luggage tags and your luggage is sent directly to the airport. You get a transfer ticket that states AAAA or BBBB or CCCC or DDDD. Hal Cruise Director does not announce for these groups to announce you just have to disembark at your time. You also do not have a set bus to go to. Our time slot said 8:00 with attempting to get our statement corrected it was 8:09 and I realize they were not calling any of the Luggage Direct letter. So we went to the gangway. They said no you just go at the time assigned or even afterwards. 
There are numerous busses and they are all going to to the airport.

we arrived at SeaTac about 9:15 and walked right through security. 

[Dismomx5]

Thank you Lisa for taking us along on your voyage. It was fun to read your posts and follow along.

I, too, hope that you do another LIVE post in a few weeks, and will look forward to any changes that have occurred as HAL gets its rudders in the right direction.

 

I do have one small question...how big are the stickers/is the journal. Maybe I will go back and get my former trips in the right size to add to the journal....that is, if they continue to give them out at the end of a cruise.

 

Safe travels to you and Tom. And thanks again!

[atexsix]

1 minute ago, kazu said:

Yikes, Lisa 😱 what a mess!

It's a mess anytime HAL tries to reconcile advance purchase packages of any kind, one reason we rarely do it, their computer systems aren't sophisticated enough, as we all know just from trying to book shore excursions and print boarding passes.  In other words, the more complicated the transaction, the more likely it'll get screwed up.

[Florida_gal_50]

22 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

As far as I can tell if you purchase on line it includes the gratuity but if it is reserved on board they tack on the gratuity calling it a service charge but the amounts are crazy as we left the ship we still did not get charges from Pinnacle Grill lunch resolved. I will need to take it up with HAL guest relations. For lunch which is $15.00 but we are 4 star I was charged $17.70 and Tom was charged $16.80. They claim they already gave us loyalty discount but part of the charge was Pinnacle Bar. I had two $9.00 wines part of Signature Beverage package and Tom had a beer. BTW when they ring up Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling  it states $9.00 on board. This morning we discovered Pinnacle charged Tom $38.70 there was also another charge for $7.40 which was for the upgrade to the lobster. They do give you the 50% on that plus a gratuity but we have no idea on the $38.70 they did remove that charge when we went to the desk this morning then told we they have corrected the other but it was not. 
Basically watch your statement daily. We did hear others stating the same problem.

Thank you.  Wow that is crazy!