Rare VMax1700 Posted July 25 #1 Share Posted July 25 (edited) Looks as if HAL is rolled out the Standby Program for sailings from Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The prices are €69/day for inside and €99/day for verandah (note that these are euros!). For some of the listed sailings it would almost make more sense to book a GTY stateroom rather than risk the standby pricing. For example: 15 day Transatlatic on Rotterdam sailing 12th October is currently available for an Obstructed Verandah for €1794. The standby price would be €1485. For a difference of €309 per person I believe I would rather have the certainty of a GTY booking, specially as the return airfare could be problematic. I hope some Dutch locals can benefit. https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/eu/cruise-deals/standby-program?ICID=INTHWEB20240605ZIJSNDRMOV Edited July 25 by VMax1700 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotjeknor Posted July 25 #2 Share Posted July 25 They started offering the standby program about 6 weeks ago. I noticed it on the HAL website when looking for something else, came across by chance. Got an email last week about the program. Made a standby booking for a 7 day Norway when I noticed the program . Hope I’m lucky. Besides sailings from Rotterdam and amsterdam, IJmuiden is included as well. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Alphen Posted July 26 #3 Share Posted July 26 12 hours ago, rotjeknor said: They started offering the standby program about 6 weeks ago. I noticed it on the HAL website when looking for something else, came across by chance. Got an email last week about the program. Made a standby booking for a 7 day Norway when I noticed the program . Hope I’m lucky. Besides sailings from Rotterdam and amsterdam, IJmuiden is included as well. Hello Jaap, would be interested in if and how you succeed and also what cabin you end up in, which would be a lotery naturely. Follow up would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MobyandDick Posted July 26 #4 Share Posted July 26 (edited) By phoning the HAL reservation team in The Netherlands they offer in addition for € 65 per person per day the "Have it All-package", which is optional to book. Pre payment is necessary to confirm your registration, of course reimbursement will follow if there is no space but once paid, the registered cruise passenger(s) can not cancel (unless you take the appropiate insurance). If you prefer the flexibility to accept or decline a last minute cruise, you can be put on the regular waitlist booking, than you also can select the cabin type (if there is space to select). However: most cruises show "sold out" status online, so the chance of getting on, is maybe very small? I do not know if this also offered on other cruises leaving from other continents? Edited July 26 by MobyandDick Added sentence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotjeknor Posted July 26 #5 Share Posted July 26 12 hours ago, Alphen said: Hello Jaap, would be interested in if and how you succeed and also what cabin you end up in, which would be a lotery naturely. Follow up would be appreciated. I will let you know in time , Jeroen ! Still about 60 days away….🤞 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geer55 Posted July 26 #6 Share Posted July 26 I live in Rotterdam and I am currently on the waitinglist for a cruise departing from Rotterdam september 21. Will follow this thread and let you know if I get to join the cruise in september. Would love to hear about other people experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infi Posted July 27 #7 Share Posted July 27 (edited) As someone who received the "Extend your Vacation" offer on Rotterdam last month (offering to stay onboard for the next cruise at an extra $49/day), I'd love to know how HAL allocates available inventory between the standby and extend programs. Upfront pricing differences aside, is it better to keep someone on the ship, or have a brand new passenger board? Essentially, I wonder which option makes the most money for HAL, and if they'd offer both for the same room, just to see who takes the offer first. Edited July 27 by Infi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAVIP Posted July 27 #8 Share Posted July 27 1 hour ago, Infi said: As someone who received the "Extend your Vacation" offer on Rotterdam last month (offering to stay onboard for the next cruise at an extra $49/day), I'd love to know how HAL allocates available inventory between the standby and extend programs. Upfront pricing differences aside, is it better to keep someone on the ship, or have a brand new passenger board? Essentially, I wonder which option makes the most money for HAL, and if they'd offer both for the same room, just to see who takes the offer first. If I understand your question well, I just have to warn you that in the standby programm it is not a question of "taking the offer". You loose your per day payment if you decide not to travel..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infi Posted July 27 #9 Share Posted July 27 58 minutes ago, MAVIP said: If I understand your question well, I just have to warn you that in the standby programm it is not a question of "taking the offer". You loose your per day payment if you decide not to travel..... Yes, perhaps I should have phrased it better. Is it better for HAL to allocate that cabin for standby, knowing higher rate they will get if it is offered to a standby guest, or offer it to someone onboard, who pays less but is already onboard and likely requires less logistics on their part? I wonder what passenger type spends more onboard, as this is the whole inspiration for these programs: to offload unsold cabins at a discount in hopes of securing more onboard spending. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAVIP Posted July 27 #10 Share Posted July 27 4 hours ago, Infi said: Yes, perhaps I should have phrased it better. Is it better for HAL to allocate that cabin for standby, knowing higher rate they will get if it is offered to a standby guest, or offer it to someone onboard, who pays less but is already onboard and likely requires less logistics on their part? I wonder what passenger type spends more onboard, as this is the whole inspiration for these programs: to offload unsold cabins at a discount in hopes of securing more onboard spending. OK, thank you very much for your explanation. If it is offered from a port in Europe: the price over here is € 69 (inside outside) or € 99 (Verandah), so that is more than US$ 49 or US$ ?? (I read that price somewhere; it's the age 🤔). Pity I cannot help you with correct information about our european "nickle and diming" as compared to passengers from the other side of the Atlantic.😉 Just from what I hear and read: most of them almost one of a kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy6299 Posted August 17 #11 Share Posted August 17 A family member is on the Standby list for the August 24 sailing from Rotterdam. Will post here with updates regarding if they're sailing or not. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy6299 Posted August 24 #12 Share Posted August 24 Update: Members of my family are now on the Rotterdam! They signed up for Standby as soon as the date they wanted was added to the list (early July I think). Then they waited. Tuesday, August 20, late in the afternoon, they received the email that they have a guarantee inside stateroom. On Thursday, they got the actual stateroom number (deck 1). The only issue they had is that the website (and app, and every browser they tried) would not let them check-in. They called, but customer service couldn't help. Today they arrived at the port at noon, and were able to check in there, no problems at all, and didn't take very long. They're very happy with the process and will do it again in the future. 5 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicou Posted August 28 #13 Share Posted August 28 Good for them 👍 Did any one on the stand-by list for the departure on 31st of Augustus from Rotterdam got an OK cabin ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjb22 Posted August 28 #14 Share Posted August 28 18 minutes ago, Nicou said: Good for them 👍 Did any one on the stand-by list for the departure on 31st of Augustus from Rotterdam got an OK cabin ? I highly doubt it. I'm booked on that cruise and just received an offer to downgrade to an inside cabin or cancel this morning/overnight! Seems they oversold that cruise. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicou Posted August 28 #15 Share Posted August 28 1 hour ago, msjb22 said: I highly doubt it. I'm booked on that cruise and just received an offer to downgrade to an inside cabin or cancel this morning/overnight! Seems they oversold that cruise. Thank you very much for your comment. If you have refused their « offer » I wish you a beautiful cruise 🚢 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjb22 Posted August 28 #16 Share Posted August 28 Just now, Nicou said: Thank you very much for your comment. If you have refused their « offer » I wish you a beautiful cruise 🚢 Thank you. 🫶 I have indeed refused, as this will be my first ever cruise and I definitely want to keep my balcony cabin for it. I just hope they won't move me after all due to not enough cancellations, given some of the stories I have read here recently on the board. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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