Totally ignorant newbie to HAL - LOTS of questions

[malony33]

Hi, HAL cruisers,

 

I've cruised about 15 times, but once I decide when/where I'm going on HAL, it will be my 1st time cruising with them. To begin, here are my first questions: 

1. I'll sail on one of the three newest ships. If I book a solo cabin -

...ROOM ENOUGH FOR COMFORT?

...ANY WITH A BALCONY?

...ANYTHING MISSING FROM A "REGULAR" CABIN?

2. Is the only difference in Veranda cabins the location?

3. If you stayed in the "least" suite, was it worth the extra $? What extra services/stuff come with it?

 

THANK YOU. I've been reading and researching, but health issues = exhaustion...please don't think I'm lazy! 

I'll be back to ask for your help and opinions again...and again...

 

 

[OlsSalt]

Good place to start - visit HalFacts and see passenger submitted photos and comments for cabins on the Pinnacle  ship you are choosing, several photos of the single/ solo cabins on Deck One - people seem happy with them: 

https://halfacts.com

[OlsSalt]

A couple of ways to make traveling in a solo inside cabin feel more "spacious and gracious"while on a HAL Pinnacle  ship for less costs than a veranda or Neptune suite: consider both adding Club Orange for their special dining room, and a cabana for reserved outdoor space. 

[Roz]

There really aren't any suite benefits unless you book a Neptune or Pinnacle suite. 

[Stateroom_Sailor]

Depends on your budget of course, but I don't think suite is worth it, especially for a solo cruiser.  We only do suites on reposition cruises, where they are only $50-$65 a day per person more than a veranda.

[Blackduck59]

As others have said there are no particular suite "Benefits" other than the Neptune & Pinnacle suites which don't have many things that suite guests have on other lines. The biggest perk if you can call it that is you get double Mariner points, which will come in handy after a few cruises so that you my get to the exulted 4 star level and free laundry (which is excellent by the way).

[crystalspin]

6 hours ago, malony33 said:

1. I'll sail on one of the three newest ships. If I book a solo cabin -

...ROOM ENOUGH FOR COMFORT?

...ANY WITH A BALCONY?

...ANYTHING MISSING FROM A "REGULAR" CABIN?

2. Is the only difference in Veranda cabins the location?

3. If you stayed in the "least" suite, was it worth the extra $? What extra services/stuff come with it?

There seems to be a lot of space. The single-mattress "full" (double) bed is pushed up to the window wall. Missing is a sofa or anywhere to sit other than the bed or desk chair. There are no balcony solo cabins. I suspect the 12 solo OceanViews on the Main Deck sell out quickly!

 

The top 6 entries on this page are of Pinnacle (newest) Class Solo cabins. Most of them have some review notes!

Pinnacle Class | HAL Cruiser Information (halfacts.com)

 

Here are two videos from the Rotterdam's Solo OVs; it happens they are of the smallest and largest cabins in the category.

My FIRST TIME! | SOLO Room Tour | Buffet Lunch | Rotterdam EP01 (youtube.com)

Holland America Line Rotterdam Single Stateroom 1081 (youtube.com)

and one from K'dam, somewhere in the middle size-wise.

From home to Cruise Ship, Koningsdam, Holland America stateroom 1007 tour January 2020 (youtube.com)

 

The Verandahs near the prow of the ship will have solid metal balcony rails. Some may have showers only, normally indicated by an asterisk in the deck plans. Some may be slightly larger or smaller or have balconies larger or smaller; usually you can guess that from the deckplans.

 

We did stay in a Vista Suite on the Koningsdam for a 16-day B2B over New Years 2022-23. We liked it so well we booked the same cabin for next year's Hawaii-Tahiti cruise! (Actually we booked it for the cruise underway currently but had to cancel.) There are no additional services with this level of Suite, and the only "stuff" are locations and double Mariner (loyalty) points up to the number of days of the cruise. Being new to HAL this perk probably is not on your radar!

[malony33]

Thank you so much for the info; I know this took up a lot of your time. You are sooo kind. I wouldn't mind a solo cabin, except the idea of no sofa/chair...A few more questions:

 

The Vista Suite on the Rotterdam is lovely, but over $5K for me. I'm thinking about it, though. I thought I saw a few extras mentioned (??).

 

Do you dress for the Gala nights? Cocktail dress, that is. 

 

Is the laundry service worth it to cut down on packing? The cruise I'm looking at is 9 days; I have an injured neck, arm, shoulder, fibromyalgia - packing lighter would be SO great. PAIN!!

 

I usually sail Celebrity; do you think HAL is a good substitute? What makes them so special for you?

 

Again thankful - this is so helpful.

[CruiserBruce]

12 minutes ago, malony33 said:

Thank you so much for the info; I know this took up a lot of your time. You are sooo kind. I wouldn't mind a solo cabin, except the idea of no sofa/chair...A few more questions:

 

The Vista Suite on the Rotterdam is lovely, but over $5K for me. I'm thinking about it, though. I thought I saw a few extras mentioned (??).

 

Do you dress for the Gala nights? Cocktail dress, that is. 

 

Is the laundry service worth it to cut down on packing? The cruise I'm looking at is 9 days; I have an injured neck, arm, shoulder, fibromyalgia - packing lighter would be SO great. PAIN!!

 

I usually sail Celebrity; do you think HAL is a good substitute? What makes them so special for you?

 

Again thankful - this is so helpful.

Some reading around the board would get you tons of info.

 

Laundry is definitely worth it, particularly on cruises longer than 7 days.

 

Cocktail dresses are fine. The "dress code" has eased considerably.

[OlsSalt]

How many times do you think will you need to do laundry during a 9 day cruise?

 

Can depend on the climate where you are traveling, the types of fabrics you like to wear,  as well as the ease of rinsing out a few things on your own in your cabin - there is a clothes line in the bathroom over the tub. Coming from the long ago days of  traveling when rinsing things out in the sink was pretty standard to evolving now to much more travel-wise clothes and easy care fabric choices.

 

I wonder really how much packing space you will save and how much daily laundry you actually contemplate.  A couple sets of underwear, or entire outfits? I hear you about trying to cut down on packing and the ease of handling smaller suitcases. 

 

I once did hot and humid Vietnam and found daily rinsing out a 100% linen travel "uniform" in the sink with easy overnight drying was all I needed. And in colder climates, I always take a set of long silk underwear,  which also gets the overnight sink and dry treatment too. 

[YourWorldWithBill]

20 hours ago, malony33 said:

Hi, HAL cruisers,

1. I'll sail on one of the three newest ships. If I book a solo cabin -

2. Is the only difference in Veranda cabins the location?

3. If you stayed in the "least" suite, was it worth the extra $? What extra services/stuff come with it?

As was mentioned by others you should definitely check into doing Club Orange if you chose a verandah. You can read about the benefits on the HAL site or on some other message boards here, but the most obvious benefit is booking the cheapest cabin in the category (verandah, for example), and then being able to chose the highest priced (or any other) verandah in that category. And since you said you will go on one of the newest ships, those three all have a separate Club Orange dining room. That itself is worth a lot, IMHO.

 

The Neptune suites are nice, especially because you have access to the nice Neptune Lounge and the concierge, who is generally very helpful. We really took advantage of the concierge and the lounge on our last cruise, but chose a regular verandah on our upcoming cruise in May. So, we booked CO on the upcoming cruise, but didn't need it when in a Neptune suite, as you get all the benefits of CO.

[malony33]

WOW! You all have been so helpful. Thanks for sharing so many thoughts, opinions, and pieces of information.I love research on my laptop, especially when it's for a cruise!

 

Between all the nice folks on this site and the HAL website, I've already some semblance of a grip on some of the in's and out's of the line. I still have so many questions for another post soon to come. 

 

For now, thanks to you all, a few decisions:

...no suite this time around

...I'm going to the Caribbean on a 9-nt, so once I get my wardrobe together, I'll decide whether to do the laundry package or not

...packing lighter is the way to go and overpacking is ME - adjustments have to be made; too many injuries and chronic pain to lug too much stuff

 

 

In the meantime, happy cruising, everybody! I'll be back soon.

[crystalspin]

7 hours ago, malony33 said:

Thank you so much for the info; I know this took up a lot of your time. You are sooo kind.

I wouldn't mind a solo cabin, except the idea of no sofa/chair...A few more questions:

The Vista Suite on the Rotterdam is lovely, but over $5K for me. I'm thinking about it, though. I thought I saw a few extras mentioned (??).

Do you dress for the Gala nights? Cocktail dress, that is. 

Is the laundry service worth it to cut down on packing?

Retired researcher here, looking things up is fun! And I do aspire to kindness...

 

We did a transAtlantic in an "inside with a window" that only had two padded desk chairs, and it was fine. Chairs were comfortable for computer time before bed. We spent most of our sitting time in the Crows Nest! to which the Solos are elevator-close.

 

No real amenities for the Vista or Signature Suites. No priority benefits, and the "features" are true of Verandahs as well: things like "floor to ceiling windows", etc. But they are about 4' deeper than corresponding Verandahs, and on Rotterdam have the better locations (mid-ship or aft-facing).

 

As far as Gala (now, Dressy) nights, I do like to observe them just to break up the cruise. I wear shiny leggings and a sequin top, black sandals that I wear for other things too; I get DH to put on a guayabera (Mexican wedding shirt) with dark cargos that I lay out for him in the morning. Same outfit for all Dressy nights of the cruise so minimal extra packing. But Dressy is more a suggestion, enforcement is pretty liberal. 

 

HAL's laundry is the best at sea (at least in mass-market lines); they will even air-dry! Before being convinced of this, we did a transAtlantic and I did all the washing out in the sink! not a good use of time and definitely no fun with Fibro! Since that cruise, we have gone with the by-the-bag option, but for that to be economical, you must pack about a week's worth of clothes (and that is for two in a cabin). We recently achieved free unlimited laundry, and I am obsessed with packing even lighter than previously -- and we were already "carry-on-only" travellers! If your goal is to pack light, I would definitely consider unlimited laundry. 

 

Edited February 29 by crystalspin

[malony33]

Crystalspin, I decided to book the largest OV. I've cruised the Caribbean and can forego the verandah. DO YOU KNOW: is there a glass door on the shower? I saw a cabin pic near mine (on the Rotterdam) and the SHOWER CURTAIN jumped out at me. Maybe it's an accessible room??? A shower curtain = a different cabin!

 

I love the sound of your Dressy night outfit: dressy and classy and comfortable all at the same time. With only 2 such dinners on my cruise (9 days), packing 1 dressy outfit will be enough. Slightly lighter luggage...a good start.

 

Thanks for all the info - it's so appreciated.

[WriterOnDeck]

I've never sailed in a single cabin, but have heard that even with the single upcharge, a regular cabin can be cheaper, plus a lot more inventory to choose from (thus more competitive pricing).

[Navybikermom]

13 minutes ago, WriterOnDeck said:

I've never sailed in a single cabin, but have heard that even with the single upcharge, a regular cabin can be cheaper, plus a lot more inventory to choose from (thus more competitive pricing).

I tried to get a single cabin on the Rotterdam but it was cheaper to get a regular inside and pay double the fare. That’s the one beef I have with cruise lines - their solo price “penalty”. 

[WriterOnDeck]

11 minutes ago, Navybikermom said:

I tried to get a single cabin on the Rotterdam but it was cheaper to get a regular inside and pay double the fare. That’s the one beef I have with cruise lines - their solo price “penalty”. 

As a single, I agree. But as a Carnival shareholder and retired corporate type, I understand the rationale. As a single I pay double the "per person" price doubles pay for hotel rooms. And yes, food is included on the ship. But HAL loses the opportunity cost of that second person's spending on shore excursions, drinks, specialty restaurants, casino gambling, on board shop sales, spa services, etc. As long as singles pony up the money, it won't likely change.

 

I was encouraged to hear HAL president Gus Antorcha comment on the world voyage this week that it might be worth looking into awarding double Mariner points for those who pay double the rate under the single policy (it's not always double, though). Similar to the double points for suites. I would have loved that when I was working on higher Mariner stars. But now it doesn't matter for me, as nothing to achieve with more Mariner points.

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, WriterOnDeck said:

I was encouraged to hear HAL president Gus Antorcha comment on the world voyage this week that it might be worth looking into awarding double Mariner points for those who pay double the rate under the single policy (it's not always double, though). Similar to the double points for suites. I would have loved that when I was working on higher Mariner stars. But now it doesn't matter for me, as nothing to achieve with more Mariner points.

You never know, though. Remember, the 'star' program started with a limit of 4 *, and increased to 5* after a few years. It could be increased again. Sky's the limit! 

You probably have a lot of cruising years ahead of you. If you can start adding double days based on paying solo rates now, that could add up to more goodies when the time comes. 
No reason not to gather extra days if you can. 

[oakridger]

4 hours ago, malony33 said:

I saw a cabin pic near mine (on the Rotterdam) and the SHOWER CURTAIN jumped out at me. Maybe it's an accessible room??? A shower curtain = a different cabin!

 

On Rotterdam all the regular Oceanview cabins have great showers with a door (the family Oceanview has a tub with shower curtain)!

[Haljo1935]

Welcome to HAL!! We always paid for laundry before receiving it as a 4* benefit and have never regretted it. We quite enjoy toting lighter and smaller luggage 🧳 

There are several threads on the fabulous HAL laundry service  - enjoy!!

[malony33]

Many thanks for the answer regarding the shower door - a shower curtain is a dealbreaker!

 

EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!

[crystalspin]

7 hours ago, malony33 said:

is there a glass door on the shower? I saw a cabin pic near mine (on the Rotterdam) and the SHOWER CURTAIN jumped out at me. Maybe it's an accessible room???

Accessible cabins will have a curtain around a large area without a threshold. The family OVs have two bathing options -- a low tub with a shower curtain and a glass-door shower.

 

If you want to give me your cabin number, I will work my research wonders on it. If you don't want to post it here, you can send to my CC name at that yodel sound (.com).

[OlsSalt]

12 hours ago, malony33 said:

Many thanks for the answer regarding the shower door - a shower curtain is a dealbreaker!

 

EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!

 

Why is a shower curtain a "deal breaker"? 

[Roz]

@WriterOnDeck, Princess charges solos double fare most of the time, but awards double points. 

 

As for onboard spending, as a solo I spend a fair amount.  I'm more likely to book the ship's excursions for safety and security reasons, plus I play bingo, buy a drink or two per day, and book a treatment or two in the spa.

 

At the same time, I know couples who only drink included beverages, never go to the spa, don't buy anything in the shops, and only book independent excursions.  

[AFNavigator]

On 2/29/2024 at 12:28 PM, OlsSalt said:

How many times do you think will you need to do laundry during a 9 day cruise?

 

Can depend on the climate where you are traveling, the types of fabrics you like to wear,  as well as the ease of rinsing out a few things on your own in your cabin - there is a clothes line in the bathroom over the tub. Coming from the long ago days of  traveling when rinsing things out in the sink was pretty standard to evolving now to much more travel-wise clothes and easy care fabric choices.

 

I wonder really how much packing space you will save and how much daily laundry you actually contemplate.  A couple sets of underwear, or entire outfits? I hear you about trying to cut down on packing and the ease of handling smaller suitcases. 

 

I once did hot and humid Vietnam and found daily rinsing out a 100% linen travel "uniform" in the sink with easy overnight drying was all I needed. And in colder climates, I always take a set of long silk underwear,  which also gets the overnight sink and dry treatment too. 

A big factor on how much laundry you need to do over a 9 day cruise is whether or not a person uses the fitness facilities often (or not).  If yes, daily, or at least every other day, laundry is great and saves a lot of sink-wash time that you might otherwise be doing something else.   It's also nice to go home with nearly all clean clothes rather than getting home with a load of soiled clothing.