viajante74

Thanks for this report! Following with interest since I just booked a similar itinerary for April 2025. 

Was just going to ask about this but a previous poster has allayed my fears. My HAL boarding pass only has my first and last name (as per my passport) so I'm guessing there should be no issues at embarkation this Saturday!

Ok, thanks for the clarification, Ruth. That's what I thought, I just couldn't remember how it worked.

I'm going on my 3rd HAL cruise next month and it's been awhile. I am going on a 7 day, port-intensive cruise and so getting the Signature Beverage Package doesn't seem worth it to me. So I just plan on doing what I have always done and buy a beverage card. What I can't remember is do I have access to any top shelf brands if I have the card, or do I need one of the beverage packages for that?

40 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

Air France is responsible for getting you to your destination as soon as possible if you misconnect.

 

Are you arriving at CDG on AF357 at 1235, and continuing on AF1226 at 1525? If so, I really wouldn't stress about this. 2:50 is heaps of time (I think that the official Minimum Connection Time for your connection is 1:00), and almost every day there are two more CDG-VCE flights after 1525, let alone the ones early the next morning that should still comfortably get you to your cruise.

Thanks for the replies. @Globaliser as a matter of fact, those are my exact flights. Yes, I believe there are around 6 flights per day from CDG to VCE so even if the worst case scenario happened there would be plenty of other options to get to the cruise port in time. What I wasn't sure about was if Air France would assist me in that regard if I didn't book directly with them, which you both have assured me they will.

I am going on a HAL cruise next month and found what I thought to be a decent business class fare on Flight Ease so I booked it. I fly on Air France from YYZ-CDG-VCE (cruise departing from Trieste). Currently, I would be arriving in VCE 24 hours before my cruise departs. 

My connection time at CDG is 2h50m and originally, I didn't think much of it. But I have heard too many horror stories about connecting there and now I'm wishing I'd given myself more time. If anything were to go wrong, such as a flight delay in YYZ, there is a good chance I might not make it.

My question is, since I booked with Flight Ease, would they be solely responsible for arranging another flight if I missed my connection, or would Air France put me on the next available flight despite me not booking directly with them? Also, does anyone know if there is a fast track option thru security checkpoints for connecting biz class passengers? Also one more question: does anyone know what gate (K, L, or M) at terminal 2E AF flights generally arrive at from NA? 

18 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Does anybody know the status of the 2 ships with regard to fuel?

 

Roy

The Zaandam was refueled in Valparaiso on the 20th with enough fuel and provisions to last 3 weeks. The Rotterdam was refueled yesterday before the transfer of passengers began.

Well, I was wrong, but i was going with the information i had at the time. Some passengers without symptoms will indeed be transferring to the Rotterdam today. There have been 2 cases testing positive for Covid onboard. All i am going to say for now.

3 minutes ago, old mike said:

 

Thank you  for being a voice of reason, the speculation on this thread is beyond reason and I would think it is embarassing to the vast majority of members here. I hope you stay well and have a safe journey home, via whatever transpires over the next few days. Stay safe. best wishes.

 

 

Thanks to everyone who have offered their well-wishes. It has been 5 days now since we've been confined to our rooms (with the one exception of 30 min fresh air break on the deck yesterday, which in itself wasn't an easy decision for the powers that be to come to). But I think the continued uncertainty of what will happen or where we'll end up is starting to grate on some people.

Yeah, lots of speculation on this thread. I am ON the Zaandam. There will be NO transfer of passengers to the Rotterdam. The Rotterdam is delivering medical supplies (masks, testing kits, etc) and much needed medical staff. 

That is all.

I am on the Zaandam. We were supposed to disembark on the 16th in Punta Arenas. It looked like we'd be allowed to do so. People were arranging their flights. Then Chile did a U-turn and denied us entry (despite everyone on board passing the health screening at the time). Not much we could do.

I am currently on the Zaandam. Last night, everyone seemed to be in good spirits as we finally departed Chile and were set to continue to Fort Lauderdale. However today around 2 pm, we were instructed to return to our staterooms and remain there, possibly for the next few days as a precautionary measure. Seems that a number of passengers and staff have been complaining of "flu-like symptoms". 

I have a question regarding fixed vs open dining. I booked via the HAL website a couple of months ago, and don't ever recall being asked which dining option I preferred. I noticed on my confirmation email that I was assigned open dining (which frankly, I'm OK with as I would have chosen that anyway). Just curious why I wasn't given the choice. Is it because open dining is the default option, or is it because the fixed dining option was already fully booked? 

Yes, I am seeing all the pertinent info now (guess I never noticed the pdf attachment at first - 🤦‍♂️). Thanks!

I just noticed that on the payment schedule under "Make a Payment", my stateroom type is listed as being confirmed. 

I just booked a cruise and chose my own stateroom. Yet the stateroom # never appeared anywhere in the confirmation email, and doesn't seem to show up anywhere in "Manage my Booking" on the HAL website. Anyone know where this information appears as I just want to confirm my stateroom is the one I booked!

I have tickets to Burj Khalifa for next Monday, March 13. If I am scheduled to go at 9 am, would I be correct in assuming I should be prepared to line up at 8 am or earlier?

Hello,

I am thinking about taking an Arabian Gulf cruise next spring, beginning and ending in Dubai. As a Canadian passport holder, I know I am eligible to a visa on arrival that is valid for 30 days. I understand that people that take cruises in the region can obtain multiple-entry visas to the UAE, as the ship departs UAE then returns later. The way this works, as I understand it, is that everything is looked after at passport control at the cruiseport upon returning to the UAE, so I am not so worried about that aspect of it. My question is, is it an actual multiple-entry visa cruisers receive, or is it just another single-entry visa that is valid for the remainder of the cruise?

I am asking this because I would be planning a short side-trip to another country after the cruise. If indeed the visa we receive is multiple entry, then there seemingly wouldn't be any issues transiting through DXB to catch my return flight home. If it is only a single-entry visa received, that could be problematic.

I am just wondering if anyone that might have some experience with this issue can clarify for me. Much appreciated.

We went in March & there were very few children on board. Majority of passengers were from Europe (UK, France & Germany mostly) with only 150 North Americans. Overall a very well traveled, well mannered group.

Do it, you won't regret it!

Thanks for your reply! Yeah, the only thing I'm really hung up about would be the single supplement (I'd be travelling solo). I could probably do a very similar itinerary travelling independently for cheaper. But when you factor in a separate return flight from Muscat-Khasab, and likely having to stay overnight in Khasab if I were doing it on my own, it makes the single supplement less of an issue. Plus, a cruise would just be something different from what I normally do. So I'll definitely be considering it. :)

I am considering a 7 night cruise on the Vision in March. I am just wondering what the demographics are like on this itinerary - are there a lot of families with children generally? Not that it's a dealbreaker necessarily if there are, just curious. ;)

If there are any cruise lines without photogs, let me know, we'll give them a try. Photogs are nothing but annoying.

Agreed. I'm going on my first cruise in a little more than a week, and I'm somewhat dismayed to hear that Holland America isn't exempt from the numerous photo ops - something I always tended to associate with places like Disneyland, but I guess cruises are big for that as well. Even I don't take very many photos when travelling, so I'm not exactly enthused about this aspect of it.

I have a friend that always tips a dollar everytime she orders a drink.

That's pretty much my M.O. every time I go out for drinks. So in theory, the 15% service charge should suffice for me. However, I fully intend on tipping extra for excellent service.

Thanks - got it now!

Thanks for the reply! So the 15% service charge won't be deducted from the beverage card, but will be added to the on-board account? Or more likely, I suppose upon the purchase of a beverage card for whatever amount, the 15% is added on?

Apologies in advance, as I know there must be a gazillion threads already on this subject, but as a first time cruiser who will be sailing on the Eurodam next month, how does tipping work for bartenders? Do most people pay tips in cash each time they visit, or do they just pay a little extra at the end of the cruise?