A new HAL Blog! (Yes, I'm a HAL employee!)

[cruzisme]

thanks for the info; from cruisers just off the ship, they said 9:30 for the Lido. I will find out soon enough!:o

[RuthC]

thanks for the info; from cruisers just off the ship, they said 9:30 for the Lido. I will find out soon enough!:o

If the Lido closes at 9:30, that would have to be a very recent change. I tend to arrive about 5 minutes before it closes (sometimes later :(), and I'm used to getting there at 10:25.

Usually, one side closes down 1/2 hour before the other.

[Copper10-8]

Copper,

Do you have information about the crew for the 11/23 Zuiderdam sailing? Out of ignorance, how often do the crew change out? Do the captains usually command the same ship each time, or do they rotate among various ships?

 

You're talking four months from now so be aware that things can change!

Scheduled are:

Capt. Chris Turner

HM Cees van Santen

CD and others are still too far away

Captains and Hotel managers usually work 3 months on/3 months off; when one is on vacation, the other is on the ship. Each of the fourteen ships generally has two captains assigned to it but that rotation can/will change at various times where a captain will switch ships, i.e. Capt, Schoonderbeek replacing Capt. Turner on Prinsendam earlier this year and/or chief officers getting promoted to captains when there are openings due to retirement, etc. Two HM's are also generally assigned to a ship but they seem to change/rotate more often than the captains do.

[PirateShark]

Thank you DBA for providing comment and insight into HAL - it is much appreciated!

 

I have a question for your or the group: Do the Balcony or Suite cabins have either a CD player or MP3/iPod? I like music at times and would like to know if I should bring some tunes.

 

Thanks! :)

[DutchByAssociation]

Have you heard anything about the Carribean for next fall. Any new ports. With the Niew Amsterdam added. What ship will we lose. Would be nice to see a second ship out of Tampa

 

I believe I've heard that Fall Caribbean should be out in the next few weeks.

[DutchByAssociation]

Can you confirm the hours for the casual dining area (Lido?) for breakfast?

I heard they close down at 9:30 (a bit early for me)

 

is this happening on all the HAL ships or just the Rotterdam?

 

thanks for any info.

 

Ship Services might have specifics. I want to say it's more like 10 or 10:30, but contact Ship Services to make sure.

[DutchByAssociation]

Hi Dutch - once again the question has come up whether the $20 PG surcharge includes a tip. Can you give us a definitive answer on this? Thanks.

 

I've never heard anything that says that it does, and have always personally tipped a few dollars extra.

[DutchByAssociation]

Thank you DBA for providing comment and insight into HAL - it is much appreciated!

 

I have a question for your or the group: Do the Balcony or Suite cabins have either a CD player or MP3/iPod? I like music at times and would like to know if I should bring some tunes.

 

Thanks! :)

 

The DVD players in all rooms ought to be able to play music CD's. Anything designated as a "spa" room will have a Bose iPod station.

[honey-bunny]

Hu Dutch can you please let me know on the last day of the disembarkation of the cruise I have a very late flights after 9 PM at the airport what is the latest hour that I can stay on ship the morning disembarkation can I stay at Lido until 11 am or 11 30 am or do I have to disembark before　? do people with late flights can request to be the last one to disembark the ship :confused:please let me know as soon as you can

thank you for your assistance

[skankycat]

I've seen conflicting information here, if we tip our room steward in cash at the end of our trip, does it go into the tip pool or can he keep it?

 

If it goes into the pool, would a prepaid phone card be of any value to him?

[DutchByAssociation]

Hu Dutch can you please let me know on the last day of the disembarkation of the cruise I have a very late flights after 9 PM at the airport what is the latest hour that I can stay on ship the morning disembarkation can I stay at Lido until 11 am or 11 30 am or do I have to disembark before　? do people with late flights can request to be the last one to disembark the ship :confused:please let me know as soon as you can

thank you for your assistance

 

Assuming there are no port or weather delayes, all guests will likely be off the ship between 9-9:30am. Boarding usually starts around 11-11:30 for the new guests.

[DutchByAssociation]

I've seen conflicting information here, if we tip our room steward in cash at the end of our trip, does it go into the tip pool or can he keep it?

 

If it goes into the pool, would a prepaid phone card be of any value to him?

 

Individual tips must go into a tip pool and then are split in the same ratio that the $11 per person per day would be. I'm not sure of the policy on specific gifts (like a phone card for instance) but that's a nice idea. You may wish to ask the Front Office when you board in a couple weeks for those sorts of specifics.

[DizzyDallasDi]

Individual tips must go into a tip pool and then are split in the same ratio that the $11 per person per day would be. I'm not sure of the policy on specific gifts (like a phone card for instance) but that's a nice idea. You may wish to ask the Front Office when you board in a couple weeks for those sorts of specifics.

 

Does the tip you give your room service steward go into the pool as well?

[bcd2010]

Individual tips must go into a tip pool and then are split in the same ratio that the $11 per person per day would be.

 

I have read many times in many threads that individual tips are kept by the person receiving them as long as the passenger did not remove the HSC/autotip. If the passenger removes/reduces the HSC/autotip, then individual tips are pooled. It sounds like you're saying that's not true -- that ALL HSC/autotips, additional tips for room service, stewards, etc. are pooled. Please clarify and verify -- if what you're saying is correct then a lot of people are under the wrong impression.

 

Thx

[pms4104]

I have read many times in many threads that individual tips are kept by the person receiving them as long as the passenger did not remove the HSC/autotip. If the passenger removes/reduces the HSC/autotip, then individual tips are pooled. It sounds like you're saying that's not true -- that ALL HSC/autotips, additional tips for room service, stewards, etc. are pooled. Please clarify and verify -- if what you're saying is correct then a lot of people are under the wrong impression.

 

Thx

I also would appreciate clarification/verification as we'd been told by an onboard staff member (who did not reap the benefit of the tip pool) that cash tips over and above the mandated daily amount could be kept in total by the persons to whom they are given.

[sail7seas]

I have read many times in many threads that individual tips are kept by the person receiving them as long as the passenger did not remove the HSC/autotip. If the passenger removes/reduces the HSC/autotip, then individual tips are pooled. It sounds like you're saying that's not true -- that ALL HSC/autotips, additional tips for room service, stewards, etc. are pooled. Please clarify and verify -- if what you're saying is correct then a lot of people are under the wrong impression.

 

Thx

 

That is my impression as well. We have always been told this.

[sail7seas]

Hu Dutch can you please let me know on the last day of the disembarkation of the cruise I have a very late flights after 9 PM at the airport what is the latest hour that I can stay on ship the morning disembarkation can I stay at Lido until 11 am or 11 30 am or do I have to disembark before　? do people with late flights can request to be the last one to disembark the ship :confused:please let me know as soon as you can

thank you for your assistance

 

 

In FLL, Boston and I'm sure many other U.S. ports, NO ONE can board the ship until the ship zero's down from the last cruise.

 

HAL cannot let you stay late as even returning crew cannot board until all who are leaving the ship, have left. That is controlled by CBP - local authorities in port, not by HAL.

 

At the end of your cruise when you should be leaving the ship, remember how excited and eager you were to board. The folks waiting for you to leave the ship so they can board will be just as eager.

 

Try to book an excursion; take a day room at a hotel and use their pool, rent a car and enjoy your disembarkation city. You'll need to find something to do.

[DutchByAssociation]

My recommendation for those with concerns would be to ask either Ship Services or the Front Office once onboard and they can go into more specific details.

 

What I have offered as advice is what I have heard from my previous HAL cruises, (and lord knows there's been more than a few of those) as a paying guest :) ... just like you all.

[DutchByAssociation]

I haven't melted!

 

Been avoiding the back room with the computer because it gets so warm and haven't updated for a couple days... Sorry!

 

Promise to make up for it with some great pictures of the Westerdam when I wander around for the afternoon on Sunday!

[Kween Karen]

I haven't melted!

!

 

I am glad you haven't melted............I almost did!! Sure am glad these were record breaking days because I wouldn't want to have it this hot very often!! I need to be cruising.........to keep from melting!!!

[DutchByAssociation]

• Photos of the Maasdam on the Voyage of the Vikings
  
• One of the best bitterballen recipes I've seen.
  

[Copper10-8]

........................

• One of the best bitterballen recipes I've seen.
  

 

Bitterballen!:)

[Duck Duck Cruise]

Dutch,

 

Do you think that HAL might someday have an itinerary to Hawaii and back from the left coast using a Vista class ship?

 

We would be all over it if they did.

[DutchByAssociation]

Dutch,

 

Do you think that HAL might someday have an itinerary to Hawaii and back from the left coast using a Vista class ship?

 

We would be all over it if they did.

 

It's always possible... Feedback such as that is great to send to HAL. If they get enough of it in the right departments in CAN influence planning. AT this time though, I'm not aware of any Vistas set to do this.

[vino100]

Dutch, Thank you so much for all the info you provide. Maybe you can answer my question? I'm sailing on Sept., 6th 2009. The ship is sold out but my guarantee SS room # is still not posted on my online check-in. I was hoping that HAL would assign rooms sooner if the ship was sold out but so far nothing! I guess I'm just anxious.Any ideas when they assign rooms?