HMSDingy

Just now, terrydtx said:

IMHO the Tamarind is the best specialty restaurant of any cruise line and better Asian cuisine than most land restaurants. . Don't waste your money on the Canaletto, it is no better than Olive Garden. 

Definitely going to book Tamarind.  Although I must admit, the sample menu on the HAL website for the Canaletto looks appetizing. Wife and I are both Italian and we know our cuisine.  If you say it's no better than Olive Garden, then Tamarind it is.  Thanks for the feedback.

1 minute ago, catl331 said:

I presume you mean pre-cruise. Yes, you can cancel on-board.  

Yes pre cruise, typed too fast!

1 minute ago, catl331 said:

Yes. Much better than the Canaletto IMO. Check out this menu: http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Tamarind.pdf  I highly recommend the Wasabi&Soy tenderloin, and if you really don't like wasabi you can ask for it on the side or omitted entirely.

If I book Tamarind online post cruise, can I cancel it if I change my mind while on the cruise?

6 minutes ago, catl331 said:

Possibly, but on the K'dam I would book the Tamarind.  

Correction, I booked the Pinnacle for the first sea day but I wanted to book Canaletto for the second.  Tamarind is available for the second sea day but we would have preferred Canaletto.  Is the Tamarind that good?

I've noticed that the gala nights on our Greek Island cruise this June are on the 2 sea days.  I'm trying to book specialty restaurants for these two days but have almost reached a dead end.  There seems to be no availabilities on the second sea day for the Pinnacle Grill at any time.  Would I stand a chance booking while on the ship?

3 minutes ago, taxmantoo said:

Per person.

Thanks. 

On 3/18/2019 at 1:25 PM, SeaCBear said:

 

I think this may be regional difference in Quebec. 

 

I've lived in Ontario, Alberta and B.C. and in my experience an entree always refers to the main course, not the appetizer or starter. 

Actually it's not only Quebec.  It was the same when we were in Paris last year as it is in Italy.  Well at least my part of Italy.😎

On 3/17/2019 at 10:27 AM, RuthC said:

You may bring as many bottles of wine on board as you want; you are not limited to bringing only one bottle with you. You may even bring more bottles on board from ports.
One bottle from initial embarkation will be corkage free, and will remain corkage free so long as you drink it in your cabin. The remaining bottles have the fee regardless of whether you drink it in your cabin or take it to public areas.
If you take a HAL winery tour, you may also bring aboard a bottle from that tour corkage free, again, so long as it's consumed in your cabin.

You mentioned that one bottle is corkage free.  Would that be one bottle per person or per cabin?

Unless I'm mistaken, I read somewhere that we are allowed to bring one bottle per passenger and pay the corkage fee.  What if I want to keep the bottles in my cabin and consume them there?  Do I still have to pay the corkage fee? I will bering my own corkscrew.

7 hours ago, may1021 said:

3 Star Mariner and love HAL. Did a January 11 day cruise.   This is my 2nd time on this ship. Lovely ship with terrific ambiance.  HAL does have a nice feel to it for me.

We had done an RCCL cruise before this one to Cuba.  Absolutely bare bones, small  ship but one of the few choices for Cuba in January.  Have been on RCCL before.  Was not expecting much. We were very surprised that we liked the food on RCCL better than HAL this year.

I know food is subjective.  We liked the menu better on RCCL.  Did eat in Tamarind one night which is wonderful.   Also did the buffet one night to see if this would make us happier.  Service there was awful.  We had to clear our own table when it came time for dessert.  Waiter was there but skirted around us and never came near us.   Who knows.  Absolutely shocked that we preferred RCCL food to HAL because I sing HAL praises to all my friends who cruise.

 

Was surprised to see HAL is beginning to charge for a 2nd entrée.   We saw many people eating 2 entrees in January but don't think the charge had started then.    On RCCL they kept asking us if we wanted another entrée/no charge.  We didn't because we couldn't finish what we had.

 

Also not a fan of the Orange Club concept.  Probably jealousy on my part but I was not willing to pay an extra $100 a day for small dining room with expanded services.

 

Still a fan of HAL and will cruise with them again.

We will be sailing on the Koningsdam June 1st for a Greek Island cruise.  This will be our first with HAL, being a Platinum member with Princess & having sailed on two cruises with RCCL.  I do agree that meals on a cruise are subjective and I hope that we're not disappointed. 

On another note, I've noticed that people on Cruise Critic refer to the main course as an entrée. In Canada and most of Europe an entrée is what one would call an appetizer or starter.  It's usually the first course of a meal.  The second course is called the main or plat principal in French.  I believe this practice is only used in the US.  

No sympathy for them whatsoever,  Do they think the ship will reverse itself for them??

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

There are usually no one-way drop charges for rentals within Italy, if you carefully shop around :).  You would generally not pay extra if you rent from companies like Hertz or Europcar for a pickup at Civitavecchia and a drop at FCO.  When renting for 3 or more days we suggest looking at a decent rental car "consolidator" (like a discounter) such as Autoeurope or Kemwel.  These are sister companies (located in the US) that usually have decent contracts with both Hertz and Europcar and others.  They also have a toll free number and their folks are experts on European rentals or leases.

 

As to getting from port to a Civitavecchia agency, it is always (for me) a fun challenge.  Our strategy would depend on which agency we use.  Some are within a few blocks of the shuttle bus (from the port) drop point and others (such as Hertz) are a good 15 min walk.  Normally I would take the port shuttle to the drop location (which is at Largo della Pace....outside the port).  I would then leave DW at the bus stop with our luggage why I walk to the rental car agency to pick up the car.  While this is a bit of a pain it sure beats paying 80+ Euros to get a transfer to FCO.  And depending on your transfer you might find that its a very long walk to get to your rental car agency (at FCO) which are normally housed deep inside one of the parking garages.  This is especially true if you use the cruise line airport transfer buses which somehow manage to find a drop place that is furthest from everyone's airport destination :).

 

Hank

Thanks.  The rental is with Europecar but through another broker and that broker charges the drop off fee.  If I rent with Europecar directly, I'd be spending more on the initial rental.  It all evens out because the higher cost of the rental through Europecar would equal the extra amount for the driver to FCO.  I will have the driver take us directly to the rental kiosk.

I'm able to book a specialty dining package for my June 1st cruise, but I can't put in a specific date.  It only allows me for the the first night of sailing.  The package is for 3 restaurants. Can I reserve while onboard?

16 minutes ago, Been There, Planning That said:

 

Strange, though I must admit we've only prepaid for excursions on line and in the past when we were planning for our family of 16,  I found it easier to call but again paid immediately in USD.

 

Maybe your TA could help or I'm sure someone helpful on CC would offer an appropriate number to call direct.

 

Ruth

 

Sorry about the misinformation.  I should of just made a dry run to purchase the package on the website.  It does charge me in US. It was the HAL rep that gave me the wrong information.

3 minutes ago, Been There, Planning That said:

 

We book thru' a  Cdn. TA and pay fare in Canadian dollars based upon web site.  Everything else is in USD and paid with our US Visa.  This includes excursions, wine etc.

 

HAL does adjust their exchange rate from time to time and when we booked next week's cruise our dollar was  at a much better exchange rate.

 

Ruth

I too booked through a Canadian TA but the website won't allow me to prepay my wine package in US. Therein lies the problem.  I might as well buy the package after I've checked in and registered my US card.

I booked my first HAL cruise through a TA, therefore I can't complain about the booking part.  My complaint is that because I access the website from Canada, I am quoted everything in Canadian funds.  But because the prices are based on the US dollar, the Canadian version gets to be quite expensive given the exchange rates.  If I book excursions and/or wine packages, I pay in Canadian even though I prefer to pay in US.  I assume this will change when I check in and I can use my US credit card. Right?

On 1/26/2019 at 7:15 PM, Moerin78 said:

I wouldn’t be so quick to cancel anytime dining, we choose it all the time and never have had a problem.   For us it gives us a lot more flexibility to dine when we are ready!   

The OP states that they could only get anytime dinning at 7:45.  Were you able to get  an earlier time?

First time with HAL and we are being picked up post cruise to be driven to Rome to meet family.  If we self disembark is 9 AM too early to book the pick up?

Thanks

We're Platinum with Princess and this will be our first time sailing with HAL as we like the itinerary and found nothing similar with Princess and family suggested we go with HAL.  With Princess we always choose anytime dining preferably for a seating at 7:00 PM.  If we are to be seated at 7:45, we might as well opt for the regular seatings.  For the gala nights we'll try and reserve the specialty venues.  You mentioned that the embarkation was flawless but underwhelming because no one greeted you in  a pleasant manner.  I would take flawless without smiles over hectic with smiles any day.  What was the itinerary for your cruise?  

Sorry but I meant to say we're staying in Italy post cruise.  We will be driving to my home town in the Province of Isernia about 200 km away almost a 2 hour drive.  The reason I'd like to pick up a car at the airport is that the rental agencies charge for a different pickup/drop off. It would be easier for us at FCO.  Romecab has given me quote for a car & driver at the port to take us to FCO at 130 euros.  More expensive than the transfer but I can book it at a specific time.  Booking a rental at Civitavecchia has other drawbacks that the agency is about 2 km from the port.  I've been told, on this forum, that cabs will not take us the short distance and its too far to walk with luggage in tow.  The only alternative would be if the agency offers to pick us up like its done here in Canada by most, if not all, rental companies.

We're staying in Rome post cruise for one week.   I'm looking to pick up a rental at Fiumicino and since we're in no hurry to catch a flight, we can also take the ship transfer.  Does anybody what time the transfer usually leaves?  We are sailing with HAL.

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Ok. so you are collecting the car at FCO and returning to FCO?  It's just you mention a transfer to Rome, which posters consider the 'City' not the 'Airport'! 

 

I have debarked twice recently in Civitavecchia and both times from Koningsdam!

1/ Self debarking was called at 7.15 am.  There was a bit of chaos in the elevators as a lot of pax had not read (or understood) the debarkation instructions.  There were a lot of pax with their luggage trying to get down to deck 2 and from looking at the tags on their luggage they should have left it outside the cabin the previous night.  This was probably because there was a lot of different nationalities on this cruise and English would not have been their first or even second language.  However we were ashore by 7.45 am and into our car by 7.50 am (it was booked for 8.00 am and driver was early - Stefano's Rome Cabs). We were at FCO airport at 8.40 am. It was a Sunday morning.

 

2/ We took a leisurely breakfast in the cabin and  wandered ashore at 9.30a.m.  Our car was booked for 10 am and we were at the airport by 10.40am.  This was not Self Debarking as we put our bags out the last night. There are no customs or immigration formalities in Civitavecchia, so it is just a matter of claiming your bags and going to the private transfer waiting area.

 

My preference would be #2.  Maybe get a car for 9.00 am and look for normal debarking from the ship (when filling out the debark form mention a flight at 11.00 am?) You will miss all the rushing and chaos and the morning rush hour traffic.

 

#2 seems to be the best bet as we've booked a car to pick us up at 9 AM.

15 hours ago, cruising cockroach said:

Try a different rental company.  I've rented in Italy several times through Hertz and Europcar (+AutoEurope broker) and not had to pay drop off fees or higher one-way rates.

 

Be aware that Rome has ZTL (limited access zones) which will incur a hefty charge for vehicles that are not authorised, and getting out of the Rome Termini rental garage is devilishly difficult (among the tightest turns I've ever seen in a parking garage - we were involuntarily UG'd from a Fiat 500 to a 500 XL (think small SUV) and the immediate area is surrounded by ZTLs.

Actually the quote I got was from AutoEurope for a car from Europecar.  for the size of car we're looking at, the other agencies are charging for  GPS whereas with Europecar its included with the Audi 3.  The rep at AutoEurope confirmed the drop off fee iF we picked up in Civitavecchia & dropped off at FCO.

Sorry about the confusion. By rental, I mean a car. The reason I'm not picking up in Civitavecchia is that for the short distance to the car rental, not many cabs will take us and it seems too far to hoof it with baggage in tow.  We would also have to pay an extra fee if we drop off the car at a different location. The best price I got for the car is from Europcar and they have a kiosk in the airport.  I would be driving to my relatives in Abbruzzo from Rome and then returning the car at the airport prior to our flight home.

First time with HAL and we are taking a cruise onboard the Koningsdam next June and plan to stay in Italy post cruise.  I want to book a private transfer from the port to Rome where I'll be picking up a rental.  What would be a good time to have the driver pick us up if we choose to disembark on our own?

Thanks in advance