richwmn

there seem to be two roll call for the Amsterdam June 3, 2019 cruise. the long one is at

I tried to notify the mods, but I don't know if it was successful

Some cruises are not linked to the drop down menu at the top of the main page. Click on "Meet & Mingle", followed by the Roll Call link. Not every Roll Call is linked yet, but many are.

If you have saved links, aka bookmarks or favorites, they might take you to the roll calls. Three of mine did

The link to the Veendam is broken. No audio

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

If you went to the link provided and did a right click to download, you got a file that gave instructions to the browser to play the audio. the actual link is contained within the text of that file. I just verified the file a few minutes ago.

I'm looking for the form, and if anyone can provide a link, I'd appreciate it. I checked out an old post and the link to the form does not work. Thanks.

You really don't need to complete a form.

 

Simply call the Onboard co-ordinator's number (different co-ordinators are assigned different ships). They will let you know who yours is and assist you with setting it up.

 

The phone number is 1-877-885-4259. If you know who your ship co-ordinator is already, then you can just email them.

 

They'll need your booking number, the date and time you are looking for and the # of people attending. They need the updated numbers at least 30 days before your cruise. You'll get an email once they have confirmed with the ship with all the details so easy to reply to them later.

 

Hope this helps.

There is a form that some of the Co-Ordinators like you to use. Like many things HAL, it is not mandatory.

The form can be found at http://www.wa70.com/hal/MeetGreet.doc

July 30, 2006: Featuring the world’s most extensive shipboard art collection, Holland America debuts self-guided art tours using handheld iPod devices. Available feetwide, tours cover the unique art and antique collections, together valued at tens of millions of dollars. This is the first time a cruise line offers museum-quality self-guided tours to its guests.

Recognizing the interest the tours have to art aficionados as well as on board cruise guests, the art tours became available for download on iTunes as free podcasts in February 2007, another industry first.

The art tours used to be available for download from the HAL site, but I can't find them at the moment. The above quote from the website may still be valid, but I don't have (or want) an iTunes account so I can't check.

Here's how I do it. Find the VOV cruise you want, then click on "View Itinerary". When the next screen appears click on "List View" in the upper left hand corner. Once the next screen comes up, scroll down to past "Day 2" and click on "Read More". The entire day by day Itinerary will be listed.

 

Unfortunately, the cabin pricing doesn't appear to have loaded up yet on some of the itineraries. However, I'm sure they will be soon as HAL just got finished uploading these new itineraries early this morning. However, on other cruises like the Iberian one in Oct 2020 on the Rotterdam, we had no problem finding the prices and putting a hold on the cabin we wanted until we can contact our PCC on Monday.

 

Hope this helps.

Funny, I just tried to find it on the HAL site and couldn't, but the big box website shows it at about the same price as this year's but doesn't show ports.

You have choices:

1. As stated, enable wifi calling on your phone.

2. Use skype or a calling app

Both of these use purchased wifi from Hal or a solid signal ashore where available (terminals, starbucks, etc)

3. Use carrier on board calling, like AT&Ts $60 for the entire cruise. Unlimited calling and text (no data) https://www.att.com/offers/international-plans/passport.html

The last one uses the ship's cell (sea satellite) but there is no charge except for initial one time fee. This ends up being far less expensive than buying the ships wifi.[/quote]

The OP was most concerned when at see, from the link provided:

Passport rates don't apply at sea but will keep you connected on land.

I was on Rotterdam for the Voyage of the Vikings. I had the top tier unlimited internet plan and I was able to use What's App and the Vonage app at times. Sometimes the connection was poor and the call would not go thru. Late at night, early in the morning, or in port were the best times.

Another note is that T-Mobile has inexpensive calling from many countries, as well as unlimited texting and data. I was also able to use T-Mobile data to call using both What's App and the Vonage app with no additional cost.

1. As of right now, it appears that internet is only available for purchase on board. Some have had success by calling ships services but most likely just got a general credit in the amount of the internet package.

2. Most often, cabins are assigned at 10 days out, plus or minus a bit. You might, however, not get an assignment until you get to the ship, or your assignment might be changed at the pier, but that is unusual.

I also had a promotion for a discount on shore excursions. It was very limited as to the time frame you had to book the excursions. I think I had to book the excursions well in advance and the discount ended 6 months or so before the cruise.

I just learned with Royal Caribbean you have to do the transfer within 60 days of initial booking. Don’t know about HAL but just be aware there might be a deadline.

As stated earlier in this thread. With HAL it must be transferred before final payment, and a balance must be owed. Those are the only stipulations. You can book the cruise a year and a half out, and transfer just before final payment and be fine.

Hi AQ,

If this is the case what is the advantage of buying a FCD?

Mary

The Future Cruise Deposit allows you to purchase a cruise with only a low deposit and receive an onboard spending bonus. This is good for 4 years.

If you purchase the cruise within 60 days of being on a cruise, you also get the welcome home bonus, which is the same amount as the FCD bonus.

Holland found that many people were buying FCDs and using them immediately after leaving the cruise, using the services of the Future Cruise Consultant without them getting credit for the sale, so they added the Welcome Home bonus to cruises booked on board.

One other note, if your buy the $100 FCD which is good for a cruise up to 14 days, and wish to book a longer cruise, you will be able to "top off" the FCD so that your deposit is the same as if you had purchased the larger FCD on board.

Just a WAG but I bet you didn't get that in writing ... :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Good guess. In my case, I knew that they had refunded part of my payment, they just couldn't tell me why.

I paid, they refunded, I had to pay again.

They didn’t know either.

Same answer I got!

Today I was reviewing my credit card charges and noticed two $86 refunds from HAL in mid-September. That amount to me seems like port fees but our last HAL cruise was a S Caribbean trip on the Koningsdam in December 2016, so a ways back.

 

Anyone else get a refund?

I had a random credit from HAL about a year ago. Turns out they credited back part of a partial payment for a cruise. No one could explain why, but the amount I owed increased by the amount of the credit.

Last I heard (a couple of years ago) is that the onboard systems didn't (yet) track restrictions or

types, so all OBC became unrestricted and refundable once aboard.

 

YMMV YMMV YMMV

The last two cruises I was on the top entry on my bill was Promo Credit, with the amount of HAL/CCL credit. The next line was purchased TA/Self credit. On one cruise a supervisor was called to check and make sure that my spending exceeded the promo credit amount.

If I have OBC from 3 different sources (TA, CCL stock and self bought) in what order will this be applied to our purchases?

When I have asked, I have always been told that the non refundable OBC is used first (ie CCL stock).

 

I can't recall if TA OBC is refunable or not. I think it is, but I don't want to lead you astray.

 

Self bought OBC is totally refundable and will be the last one applied.

 

I had a bit left over last cruise (not much but a bit) and it was refunded. I had CCL, HAL OBC (both which are non refundable) and self bought OBC, so obviously my self bought was applied last.

TA credit could fall into either category. Some TA credit is a "pass thru" from HAL, like group amenities, and some is purchased. That which the TA purchased would be refundable, "pass thru" would not be.

Also tried to get Flight Ease from the HAL site. It is 320 days to departure, so it seems to be within the time frame. However, whenever I indicate the departure city, ( I could use several), it just goes to the screen which says I have no items in my cart.

You have to be within 330 days of the end of the cruise, so if your cruise is 14 days, you have 4 more days to wait.

You know what I wonder about: When port charges are refunded, for whatever reason, the credit goes on your shipboard account essentially reducing what you have spent. A reduction for something that never was counted to begin with? I don’t really know, but just curious.

Spending is totaled without regard to where the money to pay for it came from. The port credits are just that, credits against your final bill - they do not decrease the total of your spending.

Squals out on the Gulf Stream, big storm a coming soon ---

https://www.sunny.org/webcam/

look also at the port webcams.

Hope everyone is safe and your cruises and ships are ok!

An optimist will tell you the glass is half-full; the pessimist, half-empty; and the engineer will tell you the glass is twice the size it needs to be ;)

And a Sailor will add a shot of rum and some ice and yell CHEERS!

This is why I prefer to use a Personal TA that we can go and talk to or call whenever we want to.

We have booked quite a few Collector Cruises -- months in advance just so that we get the cabin we want.

Just stay where you are.

It really doesn't matter if you use a PCC, a personal TA, or a big agency. What matters is that the person you are dealing with knows the system and is willing to spend the time and effort to give you what you want.

Many of the people you could deal with would do so, while others want to put forth the least amount of effort possible in order to get the credit or commission, which is ultimately what they want.

As far as going to or calling "whenever we want", however you book the entity you book with has business hours that they can be contacted during.

Mexico is in North America and is a foreign port. I've been on many Holland America Blues Cruises out of San Diego and the only place they went was Mexico.

As far as the B2B, This year we are doing a B2B on the Oosterdam, Venice to Ft. Lauderdale with Barcelona being the middle port. We wanted to get the thermal suite for the Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale leg. I call HAL and they said that since we booked it as one cruise we couldn't purchase the thermal suites for half the cruise.

That is fine as long as the cruise starts and ends in San Diego. It would not be allowed if your cruise ended in a US city other than San Diego

When ordering a $40.00 bottle of liquor what is the added tax amount for delivery in a U.S. departure port?

It will depend on the State, County and sometimes other sales taxes for the port.

Example:

Fort Lauderdale, 7% pr $2.80

Miami, 6% or $2,40

Seattle, 10.1% or $4.04

If you request the bottle be delivered "at sea" these taxes will not be due, but the bottle will normally be in your cabin when you arrive.