Cajuntraveler

We just got off N. Statendam yesterday and the laundry was $30 per bag or $63 unlimited for 7 night cruise.  Although the weekly price has increased from $49, we found it was still a good value. The laundry department did an excellent job.  We sent out laundry 3 times and it was always returned within 24 hours.

21 minutes ago, hal lover said:

My DH uses a CPAP machine.  How does this work on HA?  They are allowed, right?  Thanks!

Cpap's are not a problem.  My DH uses one and has not had any problems. We hand carry it on board to avoid damage.  On some ships there is no electrical receptacle near the bed and our room attendant runs an extension cord under the bed. You can order a gallon of distilled water prior to your cruise or request one after boarding.  Enjoy your cruise!

4 hours ago, kazu said:

I have deleted the app and re-downloaded it, logged and and out and it has not made any difference.

I'm on the NS on 11/5 and I have the same issue.  I can print my boarding pass from my computer without the bar code, but the Navigator app shows the same as yours. HAls site says that the bar code will be available after the health questionnaire is completed.  Glad to hear we won't be denied boarding because of a missing bar code.

Infinity

September 2022

Cabin #8069

Deck: 8

Class: Concierge

Area: Mid ship between mid ship and forward elevators. 

Quiet: Yes. Crew door is across hall, but we rarely heard noise from crew.

Balcony view: Clear view to rear and front.  Overhang two floors above somewhat limits sky view, but also keeps rain away from balcony. No obstructions.

Balcony size:  9.5ft X 4.5 ft (approx.)

Wind a Problem: No

Soot a problem: No

Problems/Comments: Room measures approx. 9.5ft X 22ft. Good storage. Small sofa. Small bathroom. Very cold in room at first (64 degrees).  After repairs were made, room stayed around 71 degrees with thermostat set on medium heat. Some issues, but a good cabin.

20 minutes ago, canderson said:

You'll only pay it if you take your bottles to a bar or restaurant.  Then, $25.

Thank you, so much, for the quick response!

Has anyone, who did not have a beverage package, brought wine aboard?  The policy of 2 bottles pp without corkage appears to apply only if you have a beverage package. We are sailing soon with NO beverage package and I can't find on X's web site how much the corkage fee might be per bottle. The wine will be for in room consumption only.

Thank you, so much, for the review!  We will be on the Infinity next week and I'm more excited about the cruise after reading your review.

On 8/10/2022 at 10:37 AM, SraLiz said:

We had a concierge room on deck 7.  I loved the location but I would not choose the concierge level again unless it was a really, really good deal.  (which is what we got with this one LOL). 

We are considering the infinity for a last minute cruise. (Conciege class) Are there electrical outlets near the bed? DH uses a cpap and needs electrical a 120v outlet near bed.  

1 hour ago, pbrady said:

here are so many options out there but the prices are allover the place.  Some have a fee if you are late (no way we can guarantee a time flying across Country.  It almost seems a taxi i

Check the West Coast Departures forum for lots of info on LAX and San Pedro port.  I used the info on that forum to decide to Uber from LAX to the Crowne Plaza in San Pedro for our January 2023 cruise.

Enjoy your cruise.

We were in isolation 1 day on our Alaska cruise last August.  Two weeks after the cruise, I emailed HAL the info about the isolation and requested the FCC for the "missed" day.  It only took a day to receive a response and the FCC was in my account the next day. 

Here is the address I e-mailed: World_Cruise_Reservations@hollandamerica.com

Good luck.

Tha

12 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

We plugged our night light in the wall socket in the bathroom.

Thank you!  Our SS suite on the Rotterdam didn't have a regular plug in the bathroom. We had to leave the bathroom light on all night.  I can't remember if the NS had a night light or a standard plug in the bathroom.

Does anyone know if the N. Statendam has a night light in the bathroom? Our November cruise will be our 2nd time on N. Statendam, but I can't recall if there is a night light in the Signature Suite bathroom.  We were recently on the Rotterdam and there was no bathroom light or a place to plug in our travel night light. 

I am searching, online, for battery operated night lights, but I'm not satisfied with the choices available.    

We have cruised with HAL 4 times since the Covid restart last summer.  Mass times have not been consistent.  Prior to Covid you could count on mass at 8AM on sea days and 5PM on port days.  Now it seems they are most often at 5PM.  Our last cruise in January 2022 there was no priest on board, so a group of passengers met at 8AM daily for prayer and mass readings.  You may want to assume that mass is at 5PM when making dinner reservations. Enjoy your cruise.

On June 1, 2022,  I booked a January 2023 X cruise (Soltice-sky suite) and noticed yesterday that the price had reduced.  My Big box TA got my price reduced to the current offering and I ended up with $200 additional OBC. (can't figure out why the extra OBC.)  This is the second time I have had the price reduced for this sailing. 

I also had a May 2022 cruise price reduced but since it was after final payment the difference was added to my OBC. 

I would suggest that you call Celebrity to get your price reduced (or have your TA call).  Good luck!

1 hour ago, jcpc said:

I'm not sure if everyone is aware of the change to the Best Price Guarantee program effective April 1st so I thought I would pass it along.  

Form Celebrity's web site:

Our Celebrity Best Price Guarantee ensures that you will enjoy the lowest advertised rate on your cruise fare and your preferred promotional offer. If a lower cruise fare or different promotional offer advertised to the general public is found and your booking meets certain requirements, you may request to have that savings or promotion applied to your booking (savings options vary by whether the request is submitted before or after the final payment due date).

Our first cruise in 2018 was to Alaska in mid-September.  It was overcast, rainy, and cold the whole trip.

We could not use our balcony because of the rain/cold.  The good part was it was not crowded.

In spite of the weather, it was our most memorable cruise.  We slowly cruised through a pod of 30+ whales who were feeding on a school of fish.  If you go, be prepared for poor weather and hope for sunshine.

I never got an e-mail from HAL and I had given up on my stockholder OBC request.  After a month of waiting, I checked my booking with my online TA and found that the OBC had been credited to my booking.  Neither HAL nor Big Box TA notified me.  

14 minutes ago, FlorenceItaly said:

I booked directly with HAL.

Thanks for your response.  I just noticed in our roll call that we are on the same cruise in November. Hope to meet u then.

I checked my reservation on my online TA account and the OBC has been added to my cruise.  Quick response from HAL.  

2 hours ago, FlorenceItaly said:

Thank you!  I submitted for my dh this morning, and just received an email confirmation as well as an updated Booking Confirmation showing the credited OBC.  

I, too, submitted the form this morning and haven't had a response.  Did you book through a TA or directly with HAL? (I've been waiting a month for a response to my CCL stockholders OBC request.)

Equinox has Cafe al bacio.  I believe it was on deck 4 or 5. 

8 minutes ago, garden girl said:

For some reason it appeared that several people were using them or one of the other bring your own test kits.

I hope someone will post here if they have successfully used one of the "bring your own" sites. 

With a cruise so close, I would probably order one of the tests offered through HAL's web site.  Good luck and enjoy your cruise. If you decide to use the bring your own site, please report back here if you have any trouble boarding.  Thanks!

5 hours ago, garden girl said:

does Onpoint test give a QR code?

And, anyone know if 2 of us can do it at the same time?

I was considering using one of the "bring your own" test companies using my free government supplied home test kits, but just saw this on HAL's Faq page:

• The testing procedure must include a telehealth service affiliated with the manufacturer of the test that provides real-time supervision remotely through an audio and video connection. Some FDA-authorized self-tests that include a telehealth service may require a prescription. 

I understand that this means the test must be from the same company that provides the supervision.

16 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

Would you consider the wines available in the package "good enough" that it would be a waste of money and effort to bring your own onboard?  I'm only asking for your opinion.

Prior to cruising with "Have it all" I have always carried my wine on board. (Mostly HAL cruises) On our last X cruise in May, I didn't bring a bottle on board and was able to enjoy the selections offered in the Classic package.   All but one of the wines I tried were fine.  I enjoyed trying different wines.  If I had brought my own, I wouldn't have experimented with other wines.   As someone else noted - the package also includes other beverages. 

Enjoy your cruise.

We recently booked a Sky Suite on the Soltice.  This is our 2nd X cruise and 1st in a suite.  The info on X's web site indicates one of the retreat benefits is $150 OBC for shore excursions.  We each received $300 OBC and I can't determine if $150 of that credit can only be used for shore excursions.  The OBC shows as one amount on my account.

We probably won't do any shore excursions on this trip and are hoping that the entire $300PP can be used as we want.  Can anyone answer my question and save me hours waiting on the telephone for my TA or X to answer my question?

We have sailed on HAL 10 times and have had a priest on board every cruise except last January. We were told that HAL could not get a priest for the January cruise due to COVID concerns.  HAL helped organize a daily gathering of passengers to pray together and read the daily mass.

You can contact the Apostleship of the Sea Organization (aos-usa.org) to find out if a priest has been assigned to your cruise.  

Enjoy your cruise.

I emailed a request for shareholder OBC on 6/3/22.  When I didn't get a response, I resent the request on 6/14/22.  I still have not received any response.  On previous requests, HAL was prompt with granting the credit.  Other people on this site have reported recent quick turnaround.