RoyalVisit

On 3/20/2019 at 9:28 PM, Qextor said:

On Discovery Channel, Mighty Cruise Ships is back for season 3, and is kicking off with a show about the Koningsdam.

I

It's fun going 'behind the scenes' a little bit, and seeing new ships.

It starts at 8pm Atlantic Time. About 30 minutes from now. We cruised on the Koningsdam in 2016 and loved it! Excited to watch the episode.

From Discovery Canada in Eastern Standard Time.

2 hours ago, iancal said:

I do not understand the confusion.  This is about risk and reward.  If you book prior to final payment you pay a price and get the ship/cabin/ and category of your choice.   If the fare goes down prior to final payment you can get re-fared.  The onus is on you or your TA to keep a sharp lookout for pricing changes.

 

 If  you accept risk book after final payment.   Take a chance on the fares actually increasing, not being able to get your choice of ship/cabin/category, or indeed of not getting a cruise at all.   That is risk we typically assume and we generally get rewarded for it.  But we clearly understand that it might be a bust for us and we revert to plan B as has happened on numerous occasions.

 

These two offerings are very different from each other.  Pick one and move forward.

Who said we were confused? We were discussing a topic with different points of view. 

9 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

So tell me, if the price goes up (which I have seen a number of times) should the person who has the lower price have to pay the higher one?

 

You can’t have it both ways.  

 

FWIW, price has dropped on my upcoming cruise.  I took advantage as did a few others to upgrade to a higher category.  No problem at all 😉 

 

I don’t expect a discount since I did agree to a contract when I booked.  If I had gotten one, fine, but the upgrade/upsell worked fine for me 😉 

Who says you can't have it both ways? 🤣

I did the same - the price dropped on our cruise within 10 days of applying final payment as I stated earlier in the thread. I called, and they swapped us from a VE guarantee to a V assigned.  They didn't offer a refund, but they did please this customer - flexibility was appreciated....we didn't pay anything additional.

The only time I've ever personally heard of any company telling a customer who already purchased a product that they now had to pay more is in relation to new fuel surcharges. 

Upsells are a different discussion topic.  

8 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

The only problem with this is that usually the cruises are “clearance goods” when people have difficulty getting the price drop.  If it’s after final payment and the ship needs to fill cabins, they go on sale or “clearance”.

 

As long as you have a refundable booking you can take advantage of the lower prices until the cancellation period clicks in. 😉 

Every company makes their own policies and those that offer flexibility often have a more loyal customer base. I disagree with the idea that travel can/should be seen as "clearance".   Customers travel when they can - they book in advance or book last minute but it's for their personal reasons - the travel product they buy essentially remains the same unless they are swapping out high thread-count sheets for low-thread count sheets and changing your lobster to a hamburger. 😉  If the travel provider can't sell their product perhaps the starting price was unreasonable or they are not offering a competitive product.  

34 minutes ago, iancal said:

Why only compensation for a price drop after final payment?  What about people who buy inside the final payment window and the price subsequently drops or they discover the price was lower two months go.  No different that someone who makes payment at final payment time in the knowledge that it is non refundable.

 

Is the suggestion that the cruise line should give everyone who asks either the lowest price right, upgrades or some other sort of  compensation  until sailing time no matter when they booked?

 

Does this sound like a reasonable business model?

Depends on what you feel is a good business model.  Even Walmart refunds their customers if the price drops within 30 days of purchasing the product (except clearance goods).  Many retail businesses like BestBuy, Canadian Tire, Old Navy etc., all have policies in effect for this kind of scenario.   Sunwing Vacations in Canada also has a price drop guarantee - whereby a for a small fee you can buy the guarantee and if the price drops after you book, you'll receive a refund for the difference.  I don't care when people actually make a purchase, if the same company offers the same product within a short time span at a lower price, it's only goodwill on the company's behalf to make their customer happy with a price adjustment/refund.

11 hours ago, lynncarol said:

Even though we have diamond/elite status on Celebrity and RCCL, (and would really miss our free drinks) we chose Princess because of the three, Princess is the only one allowed into Glacier Bay National Park. That place is beautiful and I would have hated not to have seen it! 

Our HAL cruise in May takes us into Glacier Bay. I'm not sure which lines are allowed in but it's not exclusive to Princess as far as I know.

1 hour ago, canadarocks said:

Normally we would NEVER book a flight that lands on the same day as our cruise departure day. But in May 2020 we have a cruise that doesn't sail until 7:00pm out of Civitavecchia (Rome) Italy. The next port is Naples Italy and we are docked there the next day from 7:00am until 6:00pm. My intention is to book through HAL's Flight Ease (if the pricing is right) and I will likely book their transfer to the Civitavecchia port as well. I'm quite positive it will be an overnight flight, regardless if I book through Flight Ease or not.  I'm thinking that even if for some reason our flight is delayed by even up to a full day, we could start our cruise from Naples quite easily. We have been to Rome previously, so no desire to visit pre-cruise. If we don't encounter any delays, arriving on the same day as sail away would save us the cost of a hotel, meals, etc. 

 

So am I crazy to consider doing this? 

We did a similar scenario last March. Halifax to Montreal to Rome (arrived in Rome around 9am) and then with the cruise line transfer over to the port. It was pretty seemless for us but there is always the chance of a delay.  We overnighted on the way home so we had a little time to check out Rome.

36 minutes ago, Kosh III said:

 

What made MSC so bad?  We're booked for MSC next year, first time. Usually do Royal and Celebrity.

We were on the older MSC Orchestra in the Mediterranean so if you're on one of the new ships the experience may be quite different.  The itinerary was great but we were really disappointed by almost everything on the ship except maybe the entertainment but even that was a hit/miss.  The food was the worst we have experienced at sea....no flavor, limited selection and repetitive.  The dining room service was slow, atrocious, the staff were either aggressive/confrontational or just ignored you. The ship was quite full so the public areas including the buffet were often so crowded we had to wait to be seated for breakfast and lunch. The reception staff were no better.  We ask for very little when we travel but courteous service we expect. The smell of the cigarette smoke was throughout the ship.   The stateroom was never cleaned properly - always felt like you were living in someone else's hotel room.  The poor cabin stewards never seemed to have enough time, always rushing about which likely meant they had too many cabins to look after.  

A friend of mine took an MSC cruise out of Miami and had a similar experience but she didn't have anything to compare it too (her first cruise) so that may have spoiled it for us.  She also commented on the service, tiresome food and unhelpful staff.  Be prepared for announcements in multiple languages (which we actually thought was fun until you are bombarded with them when you are trying to relax) and the international clientele can also totally change your experience - some nationalities were much louder and pushier than others and although we have traveled extensively, North Americans were in the minority on our cruise, probably 5% or less.  

We tried very hard to keep an open mind but by the 5th day of the 11 nights onboard, we were ready to get off.  We stuck it out for the amazing ports (Rome, Florence, Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona, Valetta, Olympia (couldn't dock due to rough seas), Corfu, Crete and Athens. 

I hope your experience is much better than ours was.  We had read extensively about how the experience would be different than the other lines we were used too but it was still an eye-opener.  I'm still glad we tried MSC but definitely not for us.

Of the ones we have tried so far I'd rank them this way...I'm 40, and hubby is 44.

HAL (peaceful, relaxing and great service - suits us well)

Celebrity (similar to HAL in service standard but ships have more bells and whistles if you actually use them which we don't generally!)

RCL (good value, no complaints)

Crystal (my first cruise - no complaints but at that time it was more formal that we would prefer now)

Carnival (good value for the experience/pricing but generally too "loud" for us)

MSC (terrible - will never book again)

On 3/16/2019 at 11:29 PM, moonandflowers said:

My girlfriend and I are looking to go on a cruise in the near future, but she is trans and still has her deadname on her passport. Does anyone know how any cruise lines handle this? I know for legal purposes she’ll be addressed by her dead name by TSA/etc., but as far as on-board, any lines that handle it better than others?

I don't have any first-hand experience with this situation but you might like to start with Celebrity Cruises.  They are vocal in their support and appreciation for the LGBT community.  As far as being called by name, it's unlikely the crew members would address you by name except for your cabin steward, dining room waiters and front desk staff if you have an issue or need assistance.  The waiters normally ask your name so that's easy to respond too as will the cabin steward (the stewards have a pax list for the staterooms they are responsible for) but will address you however you wish.)  The staff on the reception desk will also not normally address you by name unless they are reading it from the computer screen. They normally ask for your stateroom number.   Some of the crew may be more formal in how they speak with you such as Ms. Smith rather than first name but you can always ask them to address you as you would like to be called.  Hope this helps!

42 minutes ago, Roz said:

Canaletto, like most Italian restaurants, offers more than one possibility for vegetarians.

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Canaletto.pdf

 

Roz

Thank you Roz!

Apologies if this is a redundant question but I'm not having much luck with the search function.

Does Canaletto offer at least one vegetarian main option daily? 

8 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We had some friends who did a MSC cruise and they had about the same view of the experience as you. One other thing they mentioned was that the ship was mostly Europeans and the ship had so many smoking areas that they could hardly walk through the main promenade of the ship without chocking.  

It was truly awful! If it wasn't for the great itinerary (9 ports in 12 days but we couldn't dock at one port...Mediterranean) the whole experience would have been a bust.  The staff we encountered were frankly the rudest people we have ever death with in all the cruises we have been on. Poor service, dirty and stinky ship.  

1 hour ago, tpwolfe said:

Your right.  MSC is nothing like Holland America.  It’s better.  Even with the MSC ships being larger the have a lot more common areas so to me the ship felt less crowded then HAL.  We are 3 star on HAL and on the the Eurodam right now and we were talking today at breakfast that if HAL gets rid of their itineraries HAL wouldn’t have anything more to offer us.  We now just look at HAL as transportion to where we want to go.  Here is an some images of one of MSC production shows.  Then are from when we were on the MSC Seaside May 2018.

MSC's new ships may have more bells and whistles but their service is awful and their food mediocre. We tried MSC and won't go back. HAL, Celebrity and RCL offer a positive overall experience whereas MSC left us with a poor experience and we will definitely not give them a second chance regardless of whether HAL changes the entertainment.

I'm curious now to see what entertainment will be available on our Alaska cruise in a few weeks. I always enjoyed the production shows but were disappointed or bored by the comedians and magicians.  Keeping an open mind.

Looks like you're having a great time and beautiful weather! Thanks for sharing your experience with us.  the photos are reminding me of when my husband and I were on the Koningsdam in 2016.  Totally agree with you on how they serve the food, it does take a tad longer but good hygiene/food safety is worth the wait.  This is all getting me more excited for our cruise to Alaska in May 

$5000 charge for pier runners who are late back to the ship

$100 charge for people who reserve deck chairs with towels

$100 charge for people who need to ask for directions to find their way around the ship

$100 charge for people who wear too much cologne or perfume

$100 charge for people who leave stuff in their cabin when the cruise is over

$10,000 charge for people who don't wash their hands 

15 hours ago, Peckishpixie said:

I pretty much only cruise Holland now because it is exactly my speed. I am taking my son an his new partner on a cruise this spring and I really want to choose Holland but I am second guessing myself. He is a 28 year old artist with tattoos and piercing and she has fantastic pink hair and a kooky style. I have pink hair and body piercings, but I am also 49 and don't mind when people look at me. Am I setting them up to have a bad time? Do you think people will judge them? 

I did raise a magnificent child and he has impeccable manners, fantastic style and even owns his own tux so I know he will love Holland. I am worried Holland won't love him.

I think your question is perfectly reasonable. I'm 40 and enjoy HAL very much. While I wouldn't describe my style as funky I am not scared of being bold. I think your son and his partner will enjoy HAL if they focus on what's important - their experience.  HAL is not a Vegas style cruise line so if they are looking for something similar a different line may suit them better but HAL suits all ages if you want a relaxed pace, good service and quieter atmosphere.  If other passengers judge them so be it but I highly doubt anyone would make a comment to them directly or snicker - most people just get on with their own lives. If another guest displays intolerance or aggression because someone looks different than they do, they probably shouldn't travel outside their front door.  Frankly some of the most colorful outfits I've seen were actually on HAL, sparkles, bold prints and track suits in bright colours are not uncommon! (relax commentators, just teasing!)  If they don't try HAL, they won't know what their experience might have been so I say go for it - there is plenty of time for another cruise on another line.

On 7/31/2018 at 10:07 PM, Cruisepucks said:

Greetings,

 

We had booked a cruise on board a HAL ship a few months ago and have just made final payment. The day after final payment, the price dropped by almost $400 per pax.

 

This hasn't happened to us on HAL for a while. In the past, (when priced dropped after final) we have been given OBC's, and more recently, a credit for a future cruise, but that was a couple years ago.

 

Can anyone tell us what the HAL current practice is for providing any compensation for price drops after final payment?

 

These drops really discourage folks from booking ahead and I'm sure the cruise line would rather keep people booking months ahead, but given the downturn in the cruise industry as recently reported, they should be doing something to take care of their returning passengers when the price drops after final.

 

Thanks for any recent information anyone can provide on HAL's current practices.

 

Cheers

 

Cruisepucks:cool:

We booked an Alaskan cruise for this coming May.  When we booked the deposit date was only a week earlier than the final payment date so we paid in full when we booked.  Within 10 days, the price drop significantly (around $180 pp) so I called HAL and our online travel agency and they upgraded us from a VE category guarantee to a confirmed V category stateroom.  They would not offer a refund as the final payment date had past.  I would have rather had an OBC but we're happy with the location of the confirmed cabin.

7 minutes ago, RoyalVisit said:

We cruised on the Koningsdam in Jan 2017 and had stateroom 4022 on Deck 4 (category VB) which had a massive balcony but it is about half overlooked by the staterooms above. We loved it! 

On 2/18/2019 at 3:04 PM, Jareds_mommytoo said:

What are the prices right now. We leave in a month. 

I called HAL yesterday to inquire...they quoted for our 7 day cruise to Alaska on Nieuw Amsterdam in May: $69.99 for Social Media Package, $99.99 for Surf Package and $139.99 for Premium Package... all unlimited.