Bentleg

Pago Pago is better than Apia in our opinion (having been to both). They have also changed from Apia to Pago Pago on the Noordam Pacific crossing next Sept/Oct (and we will be on it).

Yes there must be an issue with Apia we have not been told about.

I find the rack spa massage prices in another world as I can do so much better on shore. Sometimes they put on a special, then I might be tempted. 15% SC is enough unless the service was exceptional.

Nope. I'm American and a 4* and I never get any emails or snail mail savings announcements.:( Some people DO seem to get them, though; there is a rumor that if you have a cruise booked, you won't get any marketing materials.

How about upsell offers a few weeks before cruise date, do you get those?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

If only I would ( get them, I mean!) I have NEVER got an e-mail even though I allowed e-mails as advertisements and have signed up for specials countless times. Must be a European thing? And of course no Mariner fares, either. I must admit though that the itineraries we're interested in are almost always the ones that sell well! So specials are rare, anyway - sometimes we're lucky in snagging a last-minute deal.

As per my earlier post, not only is it a European thing it is an Australian thing too. It seems you need to be American or Canadian for this stuff to happen, although HAL deny it.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

You have posted this question twice. I have answered it in your other thread.

We are five star and have never been offered a better price because we are a mariner.

We are also Australian and that should not, but probably does, make a difference. We never get upsells also. HAL says our location does not make any difference, but we have seen it proven several times - end of rant!

I think aft cabins are ok, you might get a it of noise when the crew stack the deck chairs. Its handy if you like to swim as you can duck up the back stairs very easily. Having said all that I'd probably take the guarantee as you may finish up nearer the middle of the ship.

We are very lucky! We will be the only ship in port that day. I am assuming the nearest (or only!) taxi stand in Fira is at the main square by the bus station? Debating now about the nine minute walk from the cable car to catch a cab, or just doing the 30 min walk into Imerovigli! :)

Have you sorted out where the ship will land you from the tenders? It may not be at the foot of the cable car (see my post).

Its nice to dream about but it would only work while your health is good, and if you do not care too much about regular contact with family ties.

The big drawback to doing it is the moment you get a significant health issue they will offload you at the next port (and where will that be?)

It might be a substitute for the retirement village for a while (which I don't want to do, I'll stay in my house thanks) but it will not work when you need assistance with daily care or nursing home care.

re queues for the cable car. When the tours come back they drop passengers and tell them how to get to the cable car for the descent to the tenders. Again long queues develop. Much better to find a café or bar overlooking the ocean and come down on the cable car when the queue has dissipated.

There are no taxis at the top of the cablecar.

Some ships (I've been there three times with Holland America) land people for tours and transfers to the main town some distance south from the cable car (at a point where minibuses and coaches can get down to where the tenders drop off). There may be taxis at the landing point, I could not guarantee it. The cablecar is not accessible from the landing point. The ship then relocates during the day and everyone comes back down via the cablecar, pathway or the donkeys.

My advice would be to take the ships transfer and then if you like walking, walk back down the pathway by the cablecar. There are heaps of photo opportunities once up in the town and on the walk down. You could wait for the ship to relocate and then go ashore and up the cablecar but a big part of the day will be gone.

On the HAL world cruise there many eligible for priority tendering. What they did is declare that fact, then dedicate a tender for all the priority people. We all understood the issue/ challenge, it worked well.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Why would I ask to pay more? If you pay in your local currency and have the merchant's bank do the conversion, instead of your credit card doing the conversion, you will pay more.

We are getting tongue tied on the term "local" currency.

I think we agree we should NOT let the merchants bank do the conversion. My last post was misleading. Sorry.

Have you spoken to your PCC or HAL corporate about this? You may be surprised what happens if you ruffle a few feathers. They want to keep you happy.

Tried that and just got brushed off, told us our agent would receive any offers. When I protested further they just passed the query to the Oz office who said all these offers come from Seattle and they had no control over it. I might try a letter to the CEO next......

Please let my mistake help explain this. After having a flight cancelled and getting to our destination delayed by 24 hours and exhausted, I answered the question wrong. I thought I said Euros, the local currency, but discovered when the credit card bill came in that I had said USD. It took a bit of sleuthing and a chat with my bank who issued the card to discover my mistake. The cost was 6% on top of my charge after the charge was converted at the going rate. 6% on top. That might vary by the merchant. But when you have worked hard to get the best card with no foreign transaction fee and no currency conversion charge, an ATM card that doesn't charge foreign penalties or any ATM fees and then you pull an exhausted bone head move, that 6% seems pretty steep. Next time I travel abroad I will add to my phrases to memorize: along with "excuse me, I'm sorry, do you speak English, I don't speak your language, where is the bathroom, thank you and my new phrase, "please charge my transaction in your local currency, please."

It is the view in this thread that if you pay in the local currency, not your home currency, you will pay more. Your experience seems to be the other way around?

I suggest your phrase should be "I don't want to pay in your currency thank you".

Princess is good. We prefer HAL. Why?

Passenger density is higher on Princess. More difficult to get a seat when and where you want it on Princess.

Balcony cabins are smaller on Princess.

Tiered balconies on Princess. We paid for a better balcony cabin, it was bigger, but it was not undercover and was overlooked by many levels of balconies above.

Room service is complimentary on HAL and you can choose from the full menu.

Food everywhere is better on HAL.

Shopping on the ship not value on Princess, can do better on land at department stores.

Drinks are dearer on Princess

Someone asked about compensation for stuff ups with HAL.

We had a problem with our toilet for a couple days, we got an on-board credit as compensation.

A tour got delayed when a HAL member on the tour had incorrect documentation. We got a 50% refund, we had not complained.

We love HAL. We will go with Princess when the itinerary suits us, as the items mentioned are not show stoppers.

With HAL it seems you need to be American or Canadian for this to happen.

We are five star HAL and Aussie. We always book a balcony, yet we have never been visited by the upsell fairy. We have seen accompanying American travellers of lesser status receive offers, and for us - nothing.

Having said that we are committed HAL cruisers.......

I think you mean to make the transaction in local currency so your credit card company will convert it, not the merchant. True?

 

Also, my credit card gives 2% cash back and charges 1% conversion, so I'm still ahead..

Yes so the credit card company converts it. That's the view I was supporting..

"Local" to me means in the immediate vicinity, so "local currency" to me means the currency in the country where you are making the transaction.

Therefore make the transaction in your home currency. If you are US, then USD. If you are Aussie then AUD etc.

Yes the MasterCard or Visa rate will always beat the rate you are offered in store. So I agree always make the transaction in your home currency. You will still pay a foreign transaction fee even when the conversion has been done at the point of sale.

And yes, better still get a card which does not charge a foreign currency fee, even if it means forgoing points on overseas transactions.

On Holland America line, the daily service charge is divided amongst the crew.

Tipping is a vexed issue. Americans expect to tip. You can see that right through this thread. The aim of the daily service charge is to save you the trouble of tipping for every service. Conversely some other countries, Australia for example, expect all services to be included in the fare price and will only tip for exceptional service. In Australian waters many passengers cancel the daily service charge. Some cruise lines have abolished the daily service charge in these waters and built it into the fare, (and I believe upped the crew remuneration slightly to compensate) which seems a reasonable approach. The cruise company dilemma is if this was done in US waters passengers might start tipping for every individual service.

There is no simple answer. Tip as you consider appropriate, but as already said the daily service charge does find its way to the crew on HAL at least, and some of it goes to behind the scenes staff who you never see and do not benefit from personal tipping.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thanks. So would I get this offer from HAL or Expedia?

If if you book through an agent (Expedia) that's where the offer will come from. Whether Expedia would bother to pass it on to you is another matter.

The upsell thing happens but you need to be American or Canadian to get it. We are five star HAL and Aussie. We have seen American travel companions of lesser status get the upsell offer time and time again. Sucks!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Same price and rightly so in an upmarket restaurant

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Tie and jacket is the majority on a formal night. If you don't want to do that, eat in the Lido, the menu is the same.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Hope it all works out for you don't know how you will go trying to board late at night.

Not much help in your current situation but I always aim to arrive in the port the day before departure so if there are transit delays you can arrive next day and still make the ship. I have seen quite a few people come unstuck when they try to arrive same day and the airline or weather lets them down.

You might be lucky as the ship sails so late in the night. I hope so.

Sent from my iPad using Forums