richwmn

I tried a couple of bookings with and without my Mariner number and they all had the same prices, no discount. I have been on eight HAL cruises and gambled on all of them. I guess I did not gamble enough.

Did you do slots or table games. If table game you would have to register by presenting you cabin card otherwise they won't know who you are!

A general question - how do you connect to past passengers on HAL? My family and I were on the Konningsdam sail date 9th July 2017 and would like to see the photo taken in the meet and mingle and get in touch with those newly found friends.

I would post a note to the Roll Call thread giving your contact info and ask about the picture along with an invitation to contact you.

Boarding in Civitavecchia was not bad. They are building a new terminal, so we were in what seemed like a temp structure. We took the ship transfer from Rome, which was not really convenient. In hindsight, I would do a Rome Cabs transfer. We stayed at the Marriott Grand Flora on the Via Veneto. The ship transfer was from an NH Hotel out past the Vatican. Ridiculous location and not central at all. Plus, the bus was an hour late for the pickup.

 

Once at the terminal, the usual line were present. Took about 30 minutes from entrance to getting on the ship. Fairly long walk to the ship. Outside, over to it, then half the length of the ship walk.

 

Lifeboat drill was at 4:45. Sailed at 6:00. Took about 15 min. No life jackets required!

 

I'm on late seating and it is at 8:15. Early, I think is at 5:45. I'll double check. Currently, on a train from Cannes back to the ship in St. Raphael.

 

I will also say the Lido times are not great and this should change on late nights in ports. In Monoco last night until 11PM. Got back at 9:00. Lido closed at 8:30. Only thing available was pizza and some pasta or room service. They opened it again at 10:30 for the late night food. Just keep the darn thing open on these types of nights. Most other lines do. That was annoying.

Thanks, a big help for me for September.

A couple of quick questions for planning purposes (Sep 8th)

1. How did boarding go in Civitavecchia?

2. What time was the lifeboat drill?

3. What were dinner times that evening?

Thanks in advance.

There is a specific forum for Roll Calls, for the Rotterdam it is: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=326

I don't see one started for this cruise so you might click on the triangle on the top right of your post and have this thread moved.

Am I right in assuming that Hal will release the hold on the Charge card before sending the charges you make on the cruise ship to the charge card company?? If not what happens if the limit on your card will not accept the charges??

yes, you are right. The cards only have the hold in place until the charge goes through. Holds are released automatically when the charge goes through. No worries ;)

Actually, this is partially right. The company issuing the hold does nothing to release the hold. If the resulting charge is for the same amount as the hold it drops off automatically. If the amount is different, the hold may stay on for a period of time determined by the card issuer. If you are on a longer cruise, the hold might drop off long before the cruise is over.

My problem is that, if there is anything left at the end of the cruise - some hope !!!!, I do not want cash but I do not want a $60 hold on my card either.

If you want the remainder to go to a card, i believe they gave me that option. I just use that money as spending money on my way home.

Maybe if you register the card on the last day, they might just hold $60.

How would you pre-purchase OBC from HAL without a credit card? If you call to order, I'm sure they require a c.c. and the same for online purchases. I could be wrong and I'm sure someone could clarify this.

Yes, you would have to use a Credit or Debit card to purchase the OBC. However, there are distinct advantages to doing it. One mentioned for other than US citizens is to have a little more say in the exchange rate.

I am considering buying OBC in advance of my Veendam cruise in December. I have never done this before on any of my HAL cruises.

 

The advantage to me is that I can choose a time when the exchange rate is favourable. It is also easier than bringing cash for the casino - I always used to bring travellers cheques for this.

 

I have a few questions

 

1. If I buy enough OBC in advance will they still put the $60 pp hold on our credit cards?

 

2. Can I use the OBC in the casino? Do they charge for this?

 

3. I assume that HAL refund any unused OBC at the end of the cruise. How do they refund this - is it cash or will it go back onto my card?

Carol I do this for my cruises - for the very reasons you outlined.

 

I believe they still place the hold, (not 100% sure) but I know they will remove it upon request if you want as they will see the OBC you have. Another roll call member did this.

 

You can certainly use the OBC in the casino. I use the slots and there is no charge. You can simply cash out later. (You can also do this if you want cash for your left over OBC)

 

The OBC is refundable. Any unused portion is credited back to your credit card. HAL is very fast to do this.

 

Hope this helps.

 

oops, I forgot to say that HAL will still cash travellers cheques at no charge as well.

From a different perspective than Jacqui. I have done this for years.

1. If you purchase in advance enough OBC (along with any given OBC) to cover the $60/p/d you do not have to register a credit card, therefore there is no card to put a hold on. During the cruise if you come close to what you have on hand, you will be requested to visit the Front Office.

2. I have used the OBC in the Casino in the same way as Jacqui. However, if you know in advance that you are going to use some that way, maybe purchase Casino Credit. I am doing this for the first time on my next cruise. It has been posted here that you get vouchers that are redeemed for cash at the Cashiers Window. Casino Cash is in $10 increments.

3. I have always received Cash back at the end of the cruise, then again they didn't have a card to credit it to. The only time this was questioned was the Koningsdam in February. When I went to cash out, they asked if I wanted to return it to the card on file. I just told them no card was on file and they gave me cash. No Problem

What do you do if you do not have a credit card when you go on a cruise? We have debit card so how much do we need in the account or do we need to bring cash to give them when we board?

I find that buying On Board Credit from Ships Services works well. If the total you have between purchased OBC, Travel Agent Gifts (if any), and HAL OBC exceeds the $60 / person / day that is required you will not have to register a card. You may be able to have a bit less than the recommended amount but in either case if you account runs close you will be asked to go to Guest Services and make arrangements for the remaining amount. Any excess will be refunded at the end of the cruise in cash starting late in the evening of the last day of the cruise.

Having trouble saving a cruise route map to my computer and trying to open it afterwards. Problem only occurs with pictures from Holland America site and only recently. Funny thing is that pictures of older routes I saved earlier are still fine, new ones not, does not matter which cruise or which viewer I use on my PC??

 

Anyone else have this problem?

I did a quick check of one image and had no problem. What OS are you using (Windows, Mac, Linux)? And what version? Could be a clue there.

So there is free Wifi on the ship, in certain places? We are sailing on the Eurodam next weekend. This is my second cruise on HAL but the first one was 7 years ago and it was so expensive to use the internet onboard back then that I just found an internet cafe in Aruba and used it to check email. But I'd love to be able to upload pictures daily, in case something were to happen to our phones or camera.

Connection to the internet is still the same price as it was 7 years ago, with some exceptions here and there. There is NO free internet. You can connect to the ships wifi signal to use local services, such as the new online planner, check your account, make dining reservations and so forth. In addition, there are apps for smart phones that will communicate over a local network such as the ship provides.

Unless the Amsterdam has been upgraded to the new TV system, the films available on DVD should be at least the same as on the Eurodam. If the system has been upgraded, you will be limited to the selections of the new system. I kind of doubt that they have purchased many new movies in the past 6 months (or more) since all ships are moving to the new system.

Quick question re: providing proof of ownership of stock --

 

I just got my quarterly brokerage statement, which according to the "Shareholder Benefit" page is one of the acceptable documents to prove ownership. This is my first time doing this, so I could use some guidance.

 

How much of the statement do they need? My statement is 70 pages long, and I was thinking of faxing the statement's cover page, plus the page that shows CCL stock -- page 7 of the 70 pages -- OR just the first 7 pages, along with the required booking info for my cruise. I can fax the whole thing but that seems like overkill.

 

Thanks!

Lana in Bellingham, WA

In most cases each page of the document contains the name of the broker and the account number, along with a logo. I have always just included the page that shows the CCL stock, with all personal information blacked out other than the CCL stock and the last couple of digits of the account number.

Sign in

Reservation

Book spa, shore,dining

Then on bar at top click travel planning and options for pre or post travel or flights populates

 

The thing that alerted me to a difference in the website was when I clicked book spa, shore etc, a logo of the ship slowly filling appeared. Maybe not the best time filler for a cruise but I digress.

 

Yes, it is absolutely available to me.

Nope, still doesn't work for me. When I click on Travel Planning, I get Check In and Essential Documentation buttons. Hopefully, those within the airline booking time frame can see it.

 

I have seen the logo of the ship slowly filling, though. I think that's just HAL's version of a spinning rainbow wheel, or the dots in the circle spinning about.

I just tried again and get the same as Alberta Quilter. I do see the ship logo filling, but only Check In and Essential Documentation. This is for a cruise 60 days out, booked with a PCC, no air travel selected on Check In Documents

here is the info posted on the other thread.

Well, I tried to attach photos of my steps per TAD2005 request, but the images were too large and I can't figure out how to make them smaller, so I will again try to describe the steps: 1. Log In

2. In My Account, go to My Reservations

3.When you get to your booking, go to PURCHASE (Shorex,Indulgences, etc.)

4.Click on PURCHASE

5.You will see the WELCOME (your name) page . The first item is BOOK FLIGHTS AND TRAVEL . Select that one.

6. You should see PRE & POST-CRUISE TRAVEL. On the right side of the page are 3 boxes. Check FLIGHTS. Choose BEGIN.

7. You should see the FLIGHT EASE PAGE.

 

If this doesn't work, I guess "something is amiss" as mentioned in post #51 above. I think if they added "Flights and Hotels" to the PURCHASE list in step 3 it would end a lot of confusion.

Sigh....I have already described how to get to HAL's Flight Ease site on the thread in this Forum called "Flight Ease-worked for me" by doubleduty. You cannot access Flight Ease on the HAL web site if you have booked with a TA. For those who have booked directly with HAL, see post #52 in the thread above for directions. Sorry I don't know how to link that thread here. It is currently on page 2 of the HAL Forum. Not sure if the Flight Ease page is available from Canada, but don't know why it wouldn't be, but of course, we all know about the HAL website and it's problems....

Unfortunately, those instructions don't work for me, at least on the cruise that would qualify (booked with a PCC and within airline booking time frame). I tried on Firefox and Internet Explorer - no go - no mention of Flight Ease. I even went into Online Check In and checked that I don't have my flights yet - no difference.

Maybe this feature is being tested for "some" users?

Funny, because I remember seeing a Tweet referencing the Maasdam using the renovated port. Searching I found this:

While thousands of tourists are in the city for Grand Prix festivities this weekend, Montreal welcomed its first cruise ship since the Old Port got a $78-million update.

The Maasdam arrived from Boston with 1,700 passengers and cruise ship employees early Saturday morning at the newly renovated Alexandra Pier.

The new $78-million ferry terminal at the Port of Montreal welcomed its first ship Saturday morning.

The Maasdam of Boston docked with more than 1,700 passengers and crew.

I believe that the renovation has been completed and the regular port in Montreal is being used again. Montreal Port Schedule is available here and shows the Veendam at Berth H3 for the rest of the season.

Interesting points.

 

My take - when you buy shares I can't recall where it is ever recorded your age or if you are a minor or not.

 

As long as the daughter is on the booking it should be a non issue IMO.

 

Best thing is to get the letter and proof of ownership sent off to the World Cruises fax and once confirmation is in hand, all should be good.

 

Lots of people who are on cruises use one credit card to pay for the bill for both. The other may own the CCL shares - never been a problem.

 

Of course, I could be in error but from a financial point of view I suspect that CCL has too many shares to keep a record of this stuff and when the transfer comes it is just put on the account for the STATEROOM, not the person who owns it. (ie., CCL stock is in my name but if I spend nothing, the credit still whittles away with whatever DH spends and/or HSC ;) - of course, I do spend too ;) ).

At least in the good ole US of A, minors are not permitted to own stocks. They may be held in a custodial account titled something like "Jane Doe as custodian for Mary Doe, a minor under the laws of the state (commonwealth) of USState". Any time after obtaining the age of majority, the person can submit their birth certificate and other paperwork and have the account title changed.

If you pre-purchase any amount of OBC, it's yours to use any way you want, including casino. If you want chips for the tables, you can go to the cage and purchase against your OBC. There will be no 3%, if you have OBC. For the slots, just use your key card and top up the machine. If you want to purchase OBC, don't use the website. I think the highest amount you can purchase in one transaction is $100. When we want to pre-fill our OBC prior to a cruise, we call Ship's Services, and they will sell you whatever amount you want in a single transaction.

If you purchase from the website, go to on board credit and you have several choices, the highest was $100. When you click purchase you have the opportunity to chose from 1 to at least 20 certificates - so you can purchase at lease $2000 in one transaction. I didn't try to go any higher

I wouldn't think you would. Where on the HAL site did you find them?

bb

In the past it was available to purchase under "Indulgences", but it is currently not listed.

I found this pdf of available gifts - https://www.hollandamerica.com/assets/cruise-vacation-onboard/Onboard_Gifts.pdf and if you look almost at the bottom of variety it lists casino credit in $10 increments. Call ships services and purchase all you want.

I just had an email conversation with Global Casino Services and they said you still get charged the fee if you buy OBC, so I was wrong in recommending that plan.Michael suggested a line of credit, wire them the money in advance, or send them a check in advance. Click on Contact Us at www.oceanplayersclub.com

I better not get charged any fees having purchased CASINO CREDIT via the HAL website.

We are gamblers.....and I would like to purchase $1,000 in shipboard credit so we can use this as our gambling funds while on board our 16 day cruise.

I wanted to make sure I can withdraw against this without paying the 3% service charge. We would be purchasing the Shipboard Credit prior to departure and use it as a bank account sort of speak. Is this possible?

I believe if I was to withdraw money that went on my cc then I would be subject to the 3%, but if I purchased Shipboard credits then it is really my money and shouldn't be subject to a fee.....am I understanding this correctly?

I purchase casino credit.

I just purchased casino credit for an upcoming cruise. It is listed on the organizer as X units of $10 credit each to total the amount I purchased.

Question for all you private tour fans; Does the small group/private tour "organizer" receive any kind of discount from the tour operator for organizing said tour, i.e, filling up said van? Gracias! :D

I will answer for myself only, Any such discount I might have or will receive would be split between all participants.

The others have explained well the benefits of private tours I think.

 

Flexibility, better quality with smaller groups.

 

Another advantage not yet mentioned. When you are touring with fellow roll call members you are touring with people you "know", people who have agreed upon the tour objectives, etc.

 

I am confused by your "bus" term though. It sounds like you are going on a larger tour which has a fixed itinerary. So, it will be smaller than most ship excursions, but if I have understood you correctly, it will not have the flexibility that the smaller private tours do.

Jacqui - I think the "bus" term has to do with the tours many places that place a price on the tour no matter how many people are involved up to the limit of the vehicle. I have scheduled many tours that are, for example, $200 for the tour, but if I share it with others it could go down to as little as $25 if the vehicle can hold 8 paying passengers.