Mary229

I want to correct what I said.  My negative experiences with the art studio and seeing Park West were on the Koningsdam not the Oosterdam. 

Just now, Mary229 said:

That is something I would complain about on ship, immediately using the app and dropping a note into the box at guest services.  We had a similar issue on the  Oosterdam where the art studio was closed except during art presentations.  That is stupid. I complained and gave notice that I would be going behind the velvet rope at will

PS when you complain on app Seattle receives a direct message also.  I was saddened to see Park West back onboard.  They were almost sued out of existence but now they are back. Yuck

That is something I would complain about on ship, immediately using the app and dropping a note into the box at guest services.  We had a similar issue on the  Oosterdam where the art studio was closed except during art presentations.  That is stupid. I complained and gave notice that I would be going behind the velvet rope at will

45 minutes ago, highscar said:

@wetterthanwater  sorry, would you please explain your reference to coffee mate.   We have used it for many years.  I don’t know the make in hotels. Possible several.  

Those little packets of powdered coffee mate in hotels.  Not very healthful

7 hours ago, Boatdrill said:

I don't know if this "counts", but on April 18 I checked HAL's travel agent booking portal for availability on two 7 day Alaska cruises on the Eurodam this summer. The itineraries were the same. One cruise was in mid June, the other in early September. All rooms/categories, on both cruises, were available by guarantee only.  For the September cruise, this was not the case just a few months ago. On both cruises, I entered specific room numbers - triples, quads, double, single occ. - to test the system, and as a attempt to find a room to assign. Not one was available. All suites on the June cruise were waitlisted. Everything else, top to bottom, was guarantee only. It didn't matter if it was with or without Have It  All, group fares, or any promotion; 
HAL was not going to show me their hand, not even for a cruise 5 months from now.    

That is a different thing they have been doing and I am not really sure what it portends.  About 6-8 weeks out they have been “closing” the bookings then reopening them later.  This started soon after RCCL had to turn away people at the pier because Royal had overbooked.   Perhaps it is a new back office booking software?  

There are plenty of agency owners using independent contractors who focus on group cruises and groups can be amazingly small.  My TA’s agency is giving me the opportunity to try as I retired last year and am looking for a new retirement career.  I just started and so far all of the training is online.   
 

There are plenty of such agencies. Perhaps the agency you are currently using has a program in place.  Call the owner and ask

7 minutes ago, Archipelago said:

Thank You all ! I only want one night in Santiago and 2 or 3 nights in Buenos Aires...on the other end .Thank You ! 

Buenos Aires is another great town.  Get a private driver, your hotel concierge can set that up. Street taxis can be iffy so check with your hotels for their recommendations. It is surprisingly inexpensive and they can take you everywhere you want.   

5 minutes ago, Archipelago said:

This was years ago . I was just going to get a hotel independent...the package was a long time ago.

Ok, I misread. If you look at your booking confirmation or your itinerary it will give you sail away time.  HAL lately has been assigning everyone noon embarkation.  You can get there with no worries at 11.  

7 minutes ago, Archipelago said:

I just looked it is a Friday that the ship departs .I would probably just get the private transfer ...do you get an embarkation time on your booking ? I got the HAL package before so don't remember when we went. 

Which HAL package?  If you are staying at the hotel the shuttle is included in your package.  If you are staying at the HAL hotel stop at the HAL desk in the lobby and arrange your shuttle time there. 

Bon Voyage

2 hours ago, Kay S said:

Post-covid cruising has been a mixed bag for us.  Depending on the ship, HAL has been the least disappointing.  Princess the worst, on each ship we tried (three, in total, had lots of FCC to use up.)  Two domestic river cruises were pretty much awful.  In my opinion, the lines are making a mistake by running off the older, more traditional cruisers in order to attract the young money.  Yes, I know they need to make up the shortfall, but isn't there a happy medium in there?  We're trying Oceania ourselves to see if it's any better.  Covid really caused problems.

Good luck with Oceania.  I had high hopes for them and was sorely disappointed.  Let us know what you think.  My two biggest disappointments were the crew was downright surly and unpleasant and the “included excursions “ were 2-3 hour cattle drives.  This was in the Med late 2018.  2022 and early 2023 were the worst for cruising with lots of cutbacks and rookie crews. Since the 2nd half of 2023 I have seen vast improvement on HAL.  The crew is getting into the groove, old timer crew are coming back and new entertainment and dining options are being put in place.  Sure many older features are gone but to many of those features I  say good riddance. 

5 minutes ago, Archipelago said:

Okay let me see ...What time is embarkation on Hal ? I would want to get there early . Arrange the driver in plenty of time to allow for any delays or something unexpected . 

Another thing to check is if it is a Sunday departure then the wineries will be closed and most everything else so if that is the case simply get a private transfer without tour 

The lodge is not on NPS lands so to enter you will need to pay or show your pass.  The tours of course do include the entrance fee. Review the NPS site for a complete rundown. https://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm

There are some evening excursions offered and they are enjoyable. Some include a large meal.  Check the listings.  As a group leader you should be able to arrange excursions with HAL exclusively for your group. 

Just now, Archipelago said:

Oops..it IS San Antonio ..is that Santiago or close to Santiago ???

You want to stay in Santiago, not terribly close but close enough that you can take a private transfer with a wine tour if you choose or go with HAL transfer.  San Antonio is a working port town, Santiago is a better option IMHO. I have stayed in Santiago a number of times and i always can find something to do. 

I always book HAL hotels way in advance, they seem to sell out quickly - many, many months in advance.  But stay waitlisted as some will choose to drop the HAL hotel as final payment clears.  But do in the meantime find a suitable substitute and book a refundable room.  
 

heads up - if you book one night in the Santiago hotel your room is ready when you arrive very early in the morning and you can have a complimentary full breakfast both mornings. You get two nights for the price of one - well sort of 😉. It is in a very walkable safe neighborhood with plenty to do. 

On most of my recent cruises I ordered decaf in the MDR every evening as it was a delicious nespresso brew, no charge.  Unfortunately on my recent Koningsdam cruise they walked around with a carafe and I am pretty certain some evenings the pour was not decaf. 

So I haven’t followed along with this thread except when it first launched.  Has anyone posted any verified information from HAL regarding this or is this thread carrying on 14 pages o only one PCCs word.   It has always been the policy for family rooms.  I have a family room booked and we were surprised they allowed us to do so but the sailing historically does not draw families or groups.  We were warned when we book that we could be asked to move - this was booked well over a year ago. 

45 minutes ago, secondtime said:

Upon doing the online checkin for an upcoming cruise, I see that the language has been changed in the contract to reflect that HAL can move anyone to another stateroom.  The date on the bottom of the contract is March 2024.

I don’t have an old contract to compare with but they have always reserved the right to move you.  That was generally done when they needed an accessible room and the person who had originally booked did not need the room.  

If it is like Holland America, Princess's sister company, yes but there will be glitches.  I would recommend doing as you have already done but periodically reviewing the onboard account to be sure it is charging correctly and even going to the guest services desk and paying your onboard account with card in hand.  My sister and I travel together often and as I said occasionally there are glitches and this is how we handle them. (She gambles a lot more than I do)

As @POA1 indicated with a refundable deposit you don't need to pay for insurance until you get to the first required payment which is usually on final payment day (3 to 4 months before the cruise).   But yes, once you buy the insurance that is not refundable

Remember the feedback button on the left margin.  I use it frequently.  This morning I was sure to tell them they could simply get a GoDaddy website and do better😆

Bon Voyage! 
 

I look forward to your reports.  

No.  

2 minutes ago, clo said:

You used lockdowns twice. 'Scuse my ignorance, I have not idea what that is.

The time between 2020 and 2022 when people were not allowed to travel freely 

12 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Yes, they are good bets for Glacier Bay however there are other lines that sail Glacier Bay now.  Do an advanced search on Cruise Critic and put in Glacier bay under ports 

@Christina2067  here is the NPS list of cruise lines

https://www.nps.gov/glba/getinvolved/concession-contracts.htm