ExArkie

I made it two votes at "Strongly Agree"

If one has not specifically told the company not to do so, it is legal in the US for them to sell your mail address. Refer to the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.

My wife’s first TA was the SS United States in the late 1950s when her father was transiting between duty stations in Germany and the US. She was three years old, so doesn’t remember it.

As I recall, walking from the Mayflower Terminal into the city is not allowed, so shuttles would be necessary.

Thank you. I went back to try again and, when I moved the slider, there was definitely a minimum amount it would accept. Most were much more than I would consider appropriate for the cabin, but that’s probably a personal preference.

I have never bid on an upgrade; having booked a cabin we really want (aft penthouse on Jade, where the Haven isn’t much of an upgrade), I don’t plan to do so this time. However, I did look at the offers. Based on the format and description in post #3 above, all of the dollar values shown above the slider on our bidding page are $0. Does this mean the minimum bid is $0? Plying with it, some dollar value has to be entered to get an assessment (poor, good, etc.), so I assume one has to bid something above $0. It is tempting to bid $3 to see what happens.

Not if you're on a transatlantic... Sorry, that's where my mind went. We generally only get on ships to cross oceans, and don't do many that have more than one port, so that was the first thing I thought of.

Recommend the Web site Rome2Rio .com - it will give you pretty much all of the available means for travel between any two locations. I've used them numerous times to evaluate my options, then went to investigate further on the Web site for the applicable company (train, plane, whatever). Depending on where in Paris you want to go, the options may vary. Into the city itself, the train will go to Paris Gare de Lyon from Marseilles. From there, you can get pretty much anywhere else in the area by metro, train, taxi, bus, etc. If you need to go to the airport, might be easier to fly from Marseilles to Orly or CDG, as the train journey would be a bit involved. Still doable, but it will require some navigation skills. My personal experience was a train from Marseille Saint-Charles to Paris Gare de Lyon. Direct trains are about every hour and a half or so and take around 3 and a half hours station to station.

Ours is a 15-day sailing (well, technically it is 16 days, but HAL evidently has a problem accounting for crossing the International Date Line). The reservation system is showing $299 for a length-of-cruise spa pass. By the way, to all HAL experts contributing on this thread: thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. My wife and I are infrequent cruise customers, doing occasional ocean crossings and only a few of the “classic” routes (Norway, Panama Canal, and Alaska), with only one HAL trip about a decade ago. This thread has been very useful in learning what to expect.

There are several places that take passport photos: Staples, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, some Post Offices, AAA as already mentioned, UPS Store, etc. Do an Internet search for “passport photos near me” and you should see what options exist. I doubt if any will be free, aside from AAA for members.

Define "useable." We have always been out on the balcony for some period of time in all seasons. One may have to bundle up more in the winter, though. The saying from Norway translated something like “There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” Sheltered balconies are a good idea for winter.

One generally assumes that music played in a lounge or bar-type setting is generally considered background to the social atmosphere, unless it is specifically billed as a concert (e.g., many years ago, I heard Woody Herman play in a bar. Everyone assumed it was a concert.). Unfortunately, many places now seem to think that all music must be played at top volume, regardless of venue. Just how many amplifiers are needed for a room that is hardly larger than our living room?

Eastbound, the starboard side cabins would face south for the entire crossing, where they would receive some sunshine pretty much throughout the daylight hours. Port side cabins would face north and receive very little, if any, direct sun. The Statue of Liberty should also be on the starboard side heading out of New York harbor, if that matters to you.

I was not disputing what you said. However, what I said was correct. I was told (twice) by HAL representatives over the telephone that my TA had to make the call, not me. Obviously, it worked differently for you, but they were consistent with what they told me. How many times would you suggest is necessary to call before finding someone who will add it to an existing booking?

I was told by HAL on the phone that our TA had to make the request.

Possibly MORE answers than people, since I have difficulty choosing just one favorite.

One thing I forgot to add yesterday: I checked to see if what we booked is still available (Early Booking HIA) for our trip. It was, so we could theoretically cancel the existing booking, rebook exactly the same thing - the Signature Suite next door to the one we reserved is available - and qualify for the AARP OBC. Seems like that could be a criterion for HAL to decide when to apply it to existing bookings. For us, it is more trouble than it is worth. With Early Booking and a limited number of options for shore excursions (four port days in a 16-day transpacific), there is little else we would need OBC for. We already have a reasonable amount from Mariner status and from our TA, plus we will apply for the shareholder credit once we get within the time frame. I just found it interesting that HAL would not consider the option to cancel and rebook as justification to apply the credit to an existing booking.

I called HAL and was told our TA had to ask, since we booked online, then transferred to a TA. Our TA called HAL and was told that there were two criteria that must be met to get the AARP OBC on an existing booking: 1. The link between AARP and Mariner numbers had to be done before they updated the T&C to specifically state it is for new cruises only. 2. The booking had to have been made no more than 30 days before the program was announced, which would be June 24, 2023. I know that some on this board report having it applied to cruises booked earlier, but this is their policy today. We met the first criterion, not the second (booked in March), so no OBC for us.

In Panama, or nearby, if I recall correctly. Not exactly the most turbulent portion of the ocean

I didn’t see them on a list of prohibited items…

I’m not totally familiar with all the areas surrounding Halifax, but on my trips there I have never seen any part identified as either one of those two names.

That is what I understood, but I think the key word is "usually." We booked an April 2025 transpacific on March 24, 2023 (having had two Japan trips cancelled for obvious reasons during the last few years, we figured starting planning two years ahead might work). It did include the Early Booking HIA with gratuities, upgraded WiFi and beverage package, etc. At the time we booked on HAL's Web site, this particular trip was not being shown on the various OTA sites I checked at the time, so it was pretty newly released. Being curious about the offer's timing, I checked this morning. This particular voyage is still offered with the HIA Early Booking offer, 136 days after we booked. So, sometimes it appears that the offer does hang around longer, but I don't have enough data to determine how they decide which trips get to keep it longer. Perhaps related to the rate at which the cabins are being sold? Our Signature Suite was still listed at the same price we booked, by the way...

Last December, we had boatloads (sorry, couldn’t resist) of OBC and spent some of it on the spa pass. I don’t seem to have recorded the cost, but I do recall that we booked it by going to the spa on embarkation day. The offer on that day was a combination of one massage and a full-transit pass that was priced only a bit more than the pass alone.

Thank you. I had assumed that to be the case from reading these boards, but appreciate the verification. You know, HAL could do a bit better job explaining things themselves.

Generally, we book the thermal suite on ocean crossings provided we have adequate OBC to cover it and have no other plans for said OBC. This is on the high end of the price ranges, but having the Early Booking package and a limited number of port days (i.e., fewer excursions) means there is little else we would require the OBC to pay for. Between the Mariner credit, our travel agency credit, and (eventually) the CCL shareholder credit, we should have enough OBC to cover the cost with a bit left over. If we could just get that AARP credit added, it would definitely be adequate for any extras...