Mary229

What device and browser are you using. I tried again and could not select. Thank you

Ummm. I tried on a variety of devices and a variety of fare options and could not. I will look again but then again I will be better served by waiting until next week

It also seems you cannot pick your room during the sale. I have a cruise to book but I will wait until I am aboard next week and pay $300 per person . I will get to pick my room and get a larger OBC

I guess that might prevent a wave of final payment date cancellations after which it is harder to fill a ship at full price

Additionally if you miss a port they are not as motivated to reimburse you.

It is my intention next year to redo and self drive. It is very easy and not at all expensive. The first time we did Yukon and there I did appreciate the guide service as the distances were large but next time will be independent

I am talking about self driving TO Denali. A walk up person can also pay to be on a NPS school bus tour. That is not exclusive to cruise passengers. If the OP did this he could spend more days instead of being tied to HAL’s schedule. I spoke extensively about park regulations twice

I have taken the Denali Yukon tour. We arrived after lunch the first day. There won’t be substitutions but there will be excursions. In other words you will not get a refund to apply to another trip and since there is an expectation that you would be on the NPS tour (about 4 hours) there will be no excursions during that time. Of course you could find a guide yourself. You can book an evening excursion though. Mine started around 7:30pm and we got back around 11pm. Be aware the hikes are right at the visitor center and environs. There is no off-road hiking in the park, none! at least without a permit which must be gotten in advance . . Denali is a very restrictive as to hiking. Having visited and hiked many national parks I was rather taken aback at how restrictive it is. Personally I would not skip the tour in anticipation of the hikes near the center . I agree with the idea of doing a self drive instead of the tour. You can stay at the lodge but do your own driving.

But you can bring a different card to the guest services desk to pay. I often do this , I secure the cruise with one card as to not have a large deposit held on my active travel card, once the trip is over I go to guest services to charge my close to final bill. I just don’t ever recall seeing a device that reads either phones or touch cards. The technology may use cellular service that not is available at sea. 🤷‍♀️

One thing to note is the days are very long. On our first full day we had time to take the NP bus tour, hike 8 miles, then hike to the kennels watch the dog show, shuttle back, wander about the hotel before going for an evening trail ride. Due to the long days we did not feel tired.

If you look at your HAL confirmation, scroll down you should find a detail like this picture. It will give timing precisely. You do not have to go on the Denali tour provided but I would recommend it. There won’t be any substitutions . If you don’t you can take a free shuttle from the hotel to the Denali visitor center. You can hike from there and take the NPS shuttle to the kennels or a few other locations.

Besides what Julia said if there is a fine/cost to the cruise line for you disappearing from the cruise you will be billed. So be sure to get permission in writing. Someone recently asked this question, I do not recall the answer but I do remember there was a wrinkle

I think those altercations are mainly on short weekend booze cruises. If HAL offered those type of cheap cruises it would occur there too. It is the product not the cruise line.

Yes, it is steak night on every cruise. Have it free of charge in the MDR or free of charge in the lido. Steaks are available every night in the MDR, free of charge. The tenderloin in the MDR offered a few times during the cruise is very good. The steaks in the extra cost Pinnacle Grill are one grade above what is offered in the lido or MDR

Pre pandemic HAL had their own institutes in Indonesia and I think also in the Philippines to train personnel. I don’t know if that is still the case. It did make a major difference, a difference I have not noticed in the new recruits.

If you worry about jet lag come in a few days early and do independent. Many of the ship excursions can be hired privately. I am glad I chose land first because the schedule is hectic - worth it but hectic. We are going back next year and doing a cruise first then doing an independent land trip at our own pace.

I would think to escape criminal prosecution (In Response to the question as to why someone would sign the banning document )

One of the biggest pluses about cruising for me is the traveling is done at night. After years land traveling it is so refreshing not to be bogged down with the moving to the next location.

My TA gave me a foldable lightweight day pack that is surprisingly durable and folds into a 4x4 inch square and tidily zips. It weighs hardly anything. It also has a handy compass for my perennially turned around state. It is something like this but perhaps even more compact. https://trvlmorestore.com/products/travelmore-jetpack-the-best-travel-daypack

Thanks. We managed that one free cruise and have been offered others. It is our own schedule that has prevented us from going. We have now cleared our calendar the best we can and look forward to offers. We don’t do cruises less than 14 days so may be limited how often we can sail on the offers. One thing about you and @DaveOKC clueing me into this is that we now can feel unfettered to gamble. We have gotten our spending paid back in the discounts and offers. We appreciate the advice.

Thank you so much. Due to family emergencies and an injury that resulted in hospitalization we missed our deadline to book our Come Back and Sail offer this spring. We have two upcoming cruises and I am trying to wrap my head around all of the rules. one more question. We are visiting a land based casino next week. Is there a way to link that membership with my HAL players club. Is it worth signing up for their membership. We rarely visit this casino.

This sounds like the best solution

I have been told that Cunard will serve tea on the promenade .

I think how people spend their money is not really a mark of refinement. I once remarked to my young niece how wealthy someone appeared and she said “they are good at going to the bank to asking for loans”. That always sticks in my mind. Anyway I have met some truly exceptional people on HAL. Everyone has their own criteria of what they want in a cruise. I have met people who struggle to go on HAL and I have met those who could buy the entire upper floor of cabins.

What I meant is if I play my free play my points go way down, should I not play the free play to keep the points in the bank. Another thing I was thinking about - does your status roll over to the next cruise or do you start from zero every time? Thank you