New to Holland America? This is for you...AKA "HAL For Dummies"

We are on the Nieuw Amsterdam leaving Sept 1. Venice to Barcelona.

Hi Tango

That was interesting to hear. We would love to fit in another cruise and hearing your experience makes us a bit bolder to try the O/V.

Its not being snobbish to wonder about no balcony. Just a matter of the

"rapport qualite prix" as the French say.

Thanks again for your help.

deeko

I consider an Ocean View to be most advantageous when a cruise is port intensive.

Once again you have said something very important.

The cruise we are thinking of is as you say port intensive. I can see your logic perfectly well.

The logic continues........if not much time to be spent in cabin then there is no point in paying more than necessary. Its dark anyway in Europe from around 8pm and we'd be elsewhere!!!

Thanks again

deeko

We are new to HAL. Some questions on our recent booking. We have a guarantee for Neptune suite on NA cruise in Jan 2016 - when can we expect cabin assignment? We got explore 4 but where do I find the benefits - bev package and OBC in the reservation? How long do I have to transfer to a TA? Is there military OBC and if do can I automatically transfer from Princess or do we need to resubmit? Just some early questions and I am sure I will have more. Looking forward to our first HAL cruise.

We are new to HAL. Some questions on our recent booking. We have a guarantee for Neptune suite on NA cruise in Jan 2016 - when can we expect cabin assignment? We got explore 4 but where do I find the benefits - bev package and OBC in the reservation? How long do I have to transfer to a TA? Is there military OBC and if do can I automatically transfer from Princess or do we need to resubmit? Just some early questions and I am sure I will have more. Looking forward to our first HAL cruise.

I will do my best here from what I know myself....

You can transfer your booking at any time, I believe up until final payment.

Assignments usually happen in the couple of weeks prior to sailing, sometimes as much as month before, sometimes right up until sail date.

I have the Explore4 on my next cruise - the Signature Beverage package is 15 drinks a day pp to a value of $8/drink (just been increased) I believe. That includes coffee, water etc. Plus a Pinnacle Grill dinner and a Canaletto dinner.

If you print your booking confirmation, the perks show under Value-Added Items on the 2nd page.

HAL does not do military OBC as far as I am aware.

Hope that helps! Others will chime in, I am sure.:)

What are the hours in the Fitness Center on the Westerdam?

What is the benefit to transferring to a TA?

What is the benefit to transferring to a TA?

It's possible to find a TA who is selling the same cruise at a lower price; perhaps the agency has group space, so the price per cabin is lower.

They could also be giving on board credits, sometimes in substantial amounts (depending on the length of the cruise, of course), or rebate a portion of their commission, effectively lowering your bottom line.

As in airfares, not everyone pays the same price for the same category cabin.

Hello! This is my first CC post. I'd really appreciate an understanding of what would be going on each day/night for the Nieuw Amsterdam departing Venice on 25 September thanks.

It's possible to find a TA who is selling the same cruise at a lower price; perhaps the agency has group space, so the price per cabin is lower.

 

They could also be giving on board credits, sometimes in substantial amounts (depending on the length of the cruise, of course), or rebate a portion of their commission, effectively lowering your bottom line.

 

As in airfares, not everyone pays the same price for the same category cabin.

Ah. I haven't heard of mass travel agencies besides the obvious that can't be named and I can't imagine you can transfer to them!

Hello! This is my first CC post. I'd really appreciate an understanding of what would be going on each day/night for the Nieuw Amsterdam departing Venice on 25 September thanks.

Are you on the Venice round-trip or the longer Venice-to-Barcelona?

The HAL web site's "Know Before You Go" document can fill in quite a bit of on-board life.

How experienced a cruiser/traveler are you?

Are you looking for specifics of THAT cruise, general "life aboard" info or are there specific areas you want to know about...

Ah. I haven't heard of mass travel agencies besides the obvious that can't be named and I can't imagine you can transfer to them!

I don't know what a mass travel agent is, but I do know you can transfer to any travel agent prior to final payment - I did it for my last cruise. The TA gave me a very generous OBC, and HAL was very helpful in transferring.

I don't know what a mass travel agent is, but I do know you can transfer to any travel agent prior to final payment - I did it for my last cruise. The TA gave me a very generous OBC, and HAL was very helpful in transferring.

I use a TA in a small agency so I can't imagine they would be able to offer OBC etc. but I'm going to check!

What are the hours in the Fitness Center on the Westerdam?

My On Locations for the Westerdam show 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM

My On Locations for the Westerdam show 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Thank YOU so much!

Hello: We are new to HAL but not new to cruising. I have taken advantage of price reductions before on Azamara and RCI. My question is, we are booked on a cruise tour with HAL July 2016 but I can't seem to find a way to price this out on my own without making a rebooking each time. Also, would HAL honour other companies (such as Expedia,Travelocity, etc) who offer a cheaper price?

I would appreciate any help with this.

Cheers,

QG

Hello: We are new to HAL but not new to cruising. I have taken advantage of price reductions before on Azamara and RCI. My question is, we are booked on a cruise tour with HAL July 2016 but I can't seem to find a way to price this out on my own without making a rebooking each time. Also, would HAL honour other companies (such as Expedia,Travelocity, etc) who offer a cheaper price?

I would appreciate any help with this.

Cheers,

QG

you have to watch expedia and travelocity they dont quote you prices with taxes and fees until the very end they are usually higher than a TA and the cruise lines

Hello: We are new to HAL but not new to cruising. I have taken advantage of price reductions before on Azamara and RCI. My question is, we are booked on a cruise tour with HAL July 2016 but I can't seem to find a way to price this out on my own without making a rebooking each time. Also, would HAL honour other companies (such as Expedia,Travelocity, etc) who offer a cheaper price?

I would appreciate any help with this.

Cheers,

QG

Do you have a Travel Agent (and if not, why not? They can save you a bunch). HAL will allow you to transfer the booking to a TA who can then watch prices for you. HAL won't meet anyone's price, but a TA could help you with that.

The major internet booking sites rarely, if ever, have better prices.

Always have a TA

Hi:

I do have a TA. In the past, I have been the who has found the discounted price for our cruise, on 2 occasions (2 different travel agents). I actually found out about the second one (a Baltic cruise on RCI last June) via cruise critic Roll Call!

I just wondered if there was a special trick to following for price reductions for HAL.

Thank you for your replies.

QG

Hi:

I do have a TA. In the past, I have been the who has found the discounted price for our cruise, on 2 occasions (2 different travel agents). I actually found out about the second one (a Baltic cruise on RCI last June) via cruise critic Roll Call!

I just wondered if there was a special trick to following for price reductions for HAL.

Thank you for your replies.

QG

Just doing a dummy booking is the only way I know, also have used that system for RCI cruises. I check every now and then to keep track of pricing.

The past two years I have had and used a Travel Agent and bought my travel insurance policy from said Travel Agent.

This year I called HAL about room availability and long story short ended up with a suite for about the same price as a good but plain balcony room the travel agent quoted. Travel agent also made it sound like there were only two handicapped rooms left. This might be true or according to the info at hand... but when I called HAL they had several options.

This year the travel agents price for trip an insurance would have been a lot more. I don't get any special pricing. Just how it happened.

You need a new TA .a TA should never be higher than the cruise line

Hi:

I do have a TA. In the past, I have been the who has found the discounted price for our cruise, on 2 occasions (2 different travel agents). I actually found out about the second one (a Baltic cruise on RCI last June) via cruise critic Roll Call!

I just wondered if there was a special trick to following for price reductions for HAL.

Thank you for your replies.

QG

There is a page or link here at cruise critic I thought but do not see it. It was a tool you put info like cruise ship and trip date and it listed price drops. It's also possible it was else where.

Hopefully a more veteran cruiser knows where it is. I have wondered myself... then do I physically have to look each day? I bought from HAL so need to know when HAL drops a price. My cruise is next March 2016 a 21 day Panama Canal. I'm getting excited.