Poulsbo Cruisers

17 minutes ago, dave.s said:

The beverage package is expensive on all the cruise lines I’ve tried, and HAL is no worse than the others. At least the HAL package includes bottled water — some of the others don’t. 

But, HAL requires that everyone in the cabin buy the package. You won’t find that requirement on many other cruise lines. 

10 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

Given we believe there is no bad stateroom on a HAL ship and given the really low rates I see on many cruises a couple of months from departure, I'm thinking we would be better off to stop booking early and go shopping closer to cruise time.  I used to panic about airfare but for kicks, went to flight ease and I can get across the pond for $352 two months out.  YMMV.

 

I’m considering this strategy also. We are book on the Statendam for next September. It’s the repositioning Iberian Peninsula Cruise. The same cruise this year, one month out, still has plenty of cabins at half the price. It seems that this isn’t a cruise that sells out. If I wasn’t so chicken, I’d cancel now and wait until a couple months before the cruise to book. 

On 8/13/2019 at 10:49 AM, cruisequeen4ever said:

At first glance, the 2021 itineraries weren’t of particular interest to me, but I do need to take a closer look to be sure. Summer Europe is a highlight of the year for me, so I hope there’s something that will be interesting to DH and I, or we may need to move on to Asia that year. 

Yes, we were disappointed in Itineraries. Didn’t see anything new. Same cruises, different ships. We wanted to use up a FCC, but couldn’t find anything new. 

HAL needs to hire IT people from Princess. I find that Princess has the easiest website to navigate. I really like how easy it is to find cruises on Princess and love the ability to get flight quotes without having to do a phony booking.

We loved our river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. It’s not for people who’s primary goal is the ship with its casino, pools, entertainment, all-day food options, etc. But, it’s a fantastic way to see some amazing cities. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Bon voyage. 

5 minutes ago, catl331 said:

The HAL site shows THIS 26 day cruise departing 8/30 which first does a r/t from Amsterdam to St Petersburg, and then leaves Amsterdam on 9/13 for Civi.

Thanks. I see that. I guess the cruise is still there, it just doesn’t show up. 

I’d be surprised if this cruise was sold out 14 months in advance, but I’ll check that out. 

We have a cruise booked on the Nieuw Statendam for September 2020 from Amsterdam to Civitavecchia. When I look for this cruise on the HAL site, it no longer appears. However, my booking for this cruise still shows up on the HAL site. Has this cruise been canceled and I just haven’t been informed yet? The HAL site shows no cruises departing from Amsterdam in September 2020. 

N Statendam  13 Sep 2020 - 12 Night Iberian Peninsula. 30th anniversary cruise. 

Thanks for the video. We booked one of these cabins on the Statendam. Nice to see how big the balcony is. 

40 minutes ago, LuAnn said:

 

Yes it is HAL''s rule...but I have been on other lines that do not require both parties to have a package...LuAnn

I’ve been primarily cruising with Princess. They do not have this requirement. They just say that it can’t be shared. I probably shouldn’t have commented on other cruise lines maybe having this policy. I haven’t sailed with any of them recently so don’t know their policies. 

2 hours ago, pete_coach said:

It says that I must buy a drink package for my Wife if I want one. My Wife does not drink (except for maybe a wine at dinner), why do I need to pay and extra $800+ for her if she is not going to use it? Or, are there options?

It seems perfectly logical why they do this. I’m sure every other cruise line does the same. It would be a simple matter for those gaming the system to just buy one beverage package and then share the drinks. 

21 minutes ago, jane61 said:

Just booked a cruise on the Nieuw Statendam. Signature beverage package is included. I have been searching and searching for an answer on what the heck this includes. From my research I have uncovered the following. (Yes, I feel like Indiana freakin’ Jones because this is quite the internet adventure)

1. It used to be drinks up to $8

2. They raised it to $9

3. It is now for drinks up to $11 (per HAL website)

 

questions:

Anyone have a VERY recent bar menu that shows what it includes? I’m guessing if they raised the dollar amount prices likely raised as well. 

I like wine. What wines by the glass are included?

I can’t trust anything I read because I think it is out of date. 

 

Any help is is much appreciated!! 

We’ve also booked a cruise on the Statendam. We are new to HAL and like you have had trouble finding information on the Signature Beverage package. It’s a good thing we have this forum because trying to navigate the HAL website (for newbies) is a nightmare. 

26 minutes ago, Cajuntraveler said:

I booked my flights for an upcoming cruise directly  through the HAL web site and then called my big box TA and told them that I had added flights to my cruise.  They updated my itinerary and sent me an updated confirmation e-mail. This is my first time using flight ease.

Thanks. That helps. 

I haven’t sailed on HAL in many years. We have booked a cruise on the Statendam for September 2020 through a big box TA. Flights are not yet available for this cruise through Flight Ease. When they become available will I be able to use the HAL website to find them since I have a TA? If so, can I just book online or will I need to call the TA?

I’m planning on transferring my booking to a big box store to get the OBC. The cruise is still more than a year away and flights on flight ease are not yet available. Will I be able to use the HAL website to find flights and book them if I have transferred my booking?

21 minutes ago, Roz said:

I've found that info on my confirmation statement, but not on the HAL website.

 

Roz

Thanks. I just thought I was missing something or some secret link. 

My DW and I have a cruise booked on Holland America for next year. We haven’t sailed with HA in many years. I’m trying to find information on the website concerning my booking, but I’m having no luck. I have no problem finding my booking, but I can’t remember what perks this booking included such as OBC or prepaid gratuities. I can’t seem to find this information on the website. I’m sure I’m missing something simple. Any help would be appreciated. 

1 hour ago, KroozNut said:

 

Have you heard of turkey bacon? 🤔 Been on the breakfast menus for some time now, but tastes awful.. 😕

I was trying to be sarcastic. If I’m eating bacon, which I do regularly, it would never be made from anything but pigs. 

I’m looking for healthy bacon. 😂

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

Aft balconies are partly covered. Yes, there is a loveseat. Yes, you may bring on soda.

 

I don't think a veranda gets a fridge, but you might be able to rent one. Call ships services and ask.

 

I love a view of the wake, but for a transatlantic I'd go for midships. Better ride if it gets rough.

We are also long time Princess cruisers who have decided to try HAL. The information regarding refrigerators is a little troublesome. I’m used to having a refrigerator in veranda cabins with Princess. 

We are also long time Princess cruisers who will be trying HAL. We primarily cruise in Europe. We are switching to HAL because we have run out of new itineraries with Princess. We are looking forward to trying something new. I think the only thing we will miss with Princess are our free internet minutes and their superior website. We aren’t party people so HAL seems like it will fill the bill for us. 

On 1/31/2019 at 6:58 AM, rbslos18 said:

We have been on 33 cruises, virtually all on Princess. We are very happy with Princess particularly their Club Class product. We are working on booking a group on the Niew Amsterdam. Princess just doesn’t have an option for us in Western Europe that is more than 7 days on a ship which has a traditional Promenade Deck (a must for DW and our marriage. Nothing else matters to her!). The new Princess ships are large, beautiful but the Promenade walking deck has been eliminated. 

 

The HA website is simply overwhelming. It is (very) difficult to navigate and to find information. (I am actually savvy with the internet and computers.) It just is not user-friendly. We are  hoping it isn’t a reflection of the product. It certainly doesn’t make a good initial impression.  The people who post here on CC seem lovely and the reviews suggest HA is similar to Princess. I really don’t mean to sound negative, but I am just a tad concerned.

 Two questions:

1) Does HA offer cruise airfare like Princess’ EZair? I couldn’t find it or the prices on the website.

2) Does HA offer a product similar to Club Class?

 

Thanks for your patience and I do not mean to offend HA lovers. I actually hope to join you!

RB

 

We are also new to HAL. We have a cruise booked on the Nieuw Statendam for Europe in 2020. Like you we have been primarily cruising with Princess, but wanted a new European itinerary. HAL has an itinerary we really like and we are looking forward to this new experience. Also like you we were shocked how bad the HAL website is. Why doesn’t Carnival have universal websites for all the cruise lines? The Princess site is very easy to navigate. It’s easy to look at the price for any cabin and check out flight prices while in the planning stages. A website is one of the first experiences one has with a cruise line. The HAL website is a total turnoff. 

I believe if you are going to advertise a $1.00 deposit day, it should be for all cruises. I tried to book an April 2021 Panama Canal cruise and it didn’t apply. 

We also used SPB Tours. Unbelievable experience. Highly recommend this company.