Cajuntraveler

We just returned from a western carribean cruise on HAL Oosterdam.  We paid $49 for unlimited laundry for 7 days(per cabin).  We sent laundry every other day and it was returned, cleaned and pressed within 24 hours.   I don't know if the other ships offer the same deal.  I agree, the small bag for $20 is expensive.  The only problem we had with the laundry was my sensitive skin, so I avoided sending my undergarments.  

This was our second cruise and our first on HAL and we really enjoyed the trip.  Afraid we're now hooked on cruising!

7 hours ago, Princeandstella said:

Hi we are elite on Princess but are doing our first Hal cruise on the Noordam in a few weeks and I have some questions.

 

How much is the daily charge for laundry on a South Pacific cruise and is it a per cabin or per person rate?

 

Is there a daily happy hour and is it permissible to buy extras unopened to take back to your cabin?  I will probably only drink two or three nights during the 14 night cruise so a drinks package won't be good value for me. 

 

We are travelling with our very well behaved 12 year old daughter and understand that the aft pool is adults only but is the area also adults only or can she sit in a deck chair around the pool?

 

Do any of you feel ok about receiving room service without giving the delivery person "extra" money each time they come?  We are not accustomed to tipping here in Australia and actually feel uncomfortable about it but will make a special effort to get some american currency in small denominations to hand out each time if this is the must do thing?  Or is the daily hotel charge sufficient?  Alternatively is there a place to write an extra tip amount like on the Princess delivery form?  

hooked on cruising!

Thank you Atwell and Cruisin 07!  The info you provided is much appreciated and will be very helpful in planning our cruise.

We are taking our third cruise in April 2019 aboard the Summit.(1st time on Celebrity) Does anyone have info about laundry services?  We just sailed on HAL(Oosterdam) and enjoyed the unlimited laundry service ($49 for 7 days).  Also, I can't find info on Celebrity's web site about how long we should allow between docking at San Juan and our flight home.  I need to book flights and don't know how early I can book my return flight to MSY.  Any info on San Juan hotels and transfers to the port would also be appreciated.

Thanks for your reply.!  I booked with Alamo at FLL with return to the port location.  Good to hear from someone who has used Alamo at the cruise port. 

We are arriving at FLL the night before our cruise on Oosterdam.  Our hotel provides shuttle from the airport, but we would like to have a car to make some overnight and morning stops before going to the cruise terminal.  It appears that you can rent a car (we are looking at Alamo) at the airport and return it to the cruise port.  I phoned Alamo at port everglades and was told that they provide a shuttle to the cruise ship after we drop the car off, but I'd feel better hearing from someone who has actually rented at the airport and returned to the cruise terminal.  

Has anyone rented a car at FLL and returned it to the cruise terminal?  We are looking at renting from Alamo when we arrive the night before our cruise and returning the car to the cruise terminal location.  I phoned Alamo at port everglades and was told they provide a shuttle to the cruise ship, but I'd feel better hearing from someone who has actually returned a car to the port.  Our hotel provides transportation from the airport, but we have a couple of other things we want to do the night before the cruise and having a car would be much easier than using taxis.

Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences with the ship's laundry and for providing info on daily mass! Good info!

We are sailing next month  to the Caribbean on the Oosterdam.  Our first time on HAL - 1 previous, cruise on Princess.  I have two questions - has anyone used the laundry service on the Oosterdam and if so, what is the cost and were any garments damaged? ( Packing will be easier if I know the laundry service is reliable and reasonably priced.)

Second question:  The HAL brochure says that each ship has a daily Catholic Mass.  Does anyone have info on whether there is actually daily mass on the Oosterdam and when and where the service is held.  

Thank you, in advance, for any assistance with these questions.

Thank you all for your advice. We were going to stay at the Comfort Suites South (Dania Beach) because of the shuttle service, but your advice on using a taxi gives us a greater choice of hotels. I've never used Uber, but if the cabs are reliable, we will probably try them. Thank you all!

We are sailing on the Oosterdam out of port everglades in Dec. 2018. First time on HAL and 1st cruise out of FLL. I would like info on shuttle services available from area hotels to the cruise port. We will be arriving the night before the cruise and will need transportation from the hotel to the ship on cruise day. Some hotels show that they have a third party shuttle for a fee, but no info on when the shuttle leaves the hotel. We prefer to arrive at the terminal early afternoon, after the morning/noon rush. Thanks for any info.

I received a phone call from Princess customer service this morning in response to my e-mail concerning the increase in the bottled water price. The caller advised me that the price had been restored to $6.90 and apologized for the incident. I asked if the price increase was a mistake or if Princess reduced the price in response to the many e-mails it received. The response was "We didn't get the whole story, but it appears there was a price discrepancy." (Huh?) Anyway - glad the price is now reasonable again and that Princess promptly responded to my e-mail.

I just went on line to order water for my upcoming cruise on Caribbean Princess and couldn't believe the increase in price. I will also complain about the increase in bottled water. I checked Princess's list of prohibited items and can't find bottled water on the list. Has anyone actually brought water on board? Did you put it in your carry on or in a separate cooler?

On our last (and first) cruise out of Seattle, we were able to obtain our return air boarding passes on the ship (Emerald Princess). Princess also transferred our luggage directly to the airport. We will be sailing on Carribean Princess out of Port Everglades soon and have been trying to find out if luggage transfer and advance boarding pass service is available. Two of us are flying home on Southwest Airlines at 3:30 PM, so are hoping to not have to take our two suitcases to the airport after leaving the ship. In Seattle the service was free. If the service is available in FLL, is there a charge? Any info will be appreciated.