bartexas

We always have a bottle of Veuve chilled for celebrations. I use prosecco for spritzes and like cava for every day.

Examples of celebrations - our team won the World Series, unexpected raise, guy we were in a lawsuit with got arrested by the feds...

We also exchanged the Wycliff for a bottle of wine. 

I have a variety of wristlets (to match my outfits) that hold my phone, key card, and lipstick. It would be easy enough to have a mini pen in there, too (if I cared). Personally, I would feel guilty if a server had to spend time listening to my convoluted explanation of not signing vs. moving on to serve the next customer who is likely thirsty.

For those people saying they don't have pockets, wondering what they do with phones/key cards. Personally, the idea of wearing a card on a lanyard is far more grotesque than using a pen and following it with some hand sanitizer. If you are carrying your phone and setting it down on various surfaces, it's made as much contact with others as a shared pen. There are also plenty of phone cases that hold a small pen.

Seems like a cry for attention when the problem is so easily resolved. I guess some people need to feel special.

We love HAL's unlimited. We send laundry out daily. We usually have 2-3 outfits each per day (workout/excursion/dinner). All of our clothes have come back in great condition. It's so nice to leave the ship with mostly clean clothes for the next stage of the vacation. It's included with a Neptune Suite, but we budget it into our OBC when we're in a Signature. To us, it's part of the splurge of going on a nice vacation.

We loved this hotel in 2019. Got a great upgrade with two balconies that looked at the pier. If you have Marriott status, their lounge was pretty solid. We were there several days pre cruise and watched the big NCL ships come in early each morning. Our cruise was at the other port, but the hotel offered a shuttle for something like $15/person, which was really convenient. The hotel is right by the elevator that takes you from the pier level to the upper streets where Pike Place Market is. 

When I booked with my TA, I can log into the HAL site and the booking is there. I can add dining, excursions etc. The payment info is on the invoices I receive from the TA. I keep them all in a Google folder with the invoice date as part of the file name so I can easily access the most recent. If you can find your confirmation number on something from the TA, you should be able to add it to your HAL account. That said, the TA should have linked you to your Mariner account for pricing purposes.

I have a Platinum AMEX, so if I use one of their authorized TAs, I get a couple hundred bucks of OBC. I love our TA, and she's gone to bat for us when there have been issues.

We took our 2nd HAL cruise in May, since then, I’ve been offered “Free” cruises at least 6 times with a long list of available cruises. I’ve reached out to my TA on a couple to find out the price to upgrade to a Neptune. A couple have been good deals, a couple haven’t had that upgrade available. Haven’t been able to make the dates work.

My guess is that, because we spend $ on board - wine tastings, some casino play, at least one Specialty beyond what is included with HIA, probably lunch in the Pinnacle a couple of times, maybe an excursion or two, they’d rather give us a “free” cruise than the people we’ve met on board who brag about their free cruise and how they don’t spend any money. However, I have no idea and maybe they’ll just keep on until I pull the trigger once and they’ll dry up.

We loved having the Neptune concierge work on our reservations. It’s super convenient to wander down the hall for a snack and glass of wine to bring back to the room - we were on an Alaska cruise, so spent sea days on the balcony. You get some hot food on the room service breakfast and room service mimosas are included. We also like breakfast in the Pinnacle.

We added it on our 7 night Alaska last May for $238 for both of us. I messaged my TA asking what it would cost to add, and that’s what she came back with. She let us know it was a great price. Ship was far from full, fwiw.

This is for a limited group, but, if you have a Platinum Amex, pay for your cruise with it. Through the Cruise Privileges program, we had a $300 OBC on our 7 day in a Neptune. Benefits are lower depending on cabin.

On 11/2/2022 at 2:19 PM, Mary229 said:

Instead of shipping things back I bring clothing and shoes to throw away.  Being an avid hiker and ex-runner I change out shoes often and I bring the pair next designated to throw away and leave them at my last stop.  I also review my clothing before packing up from a long journey and donate it or throw it away if I won’t wear it again.  Travel hack for cold climates - buy it at the thrift store then re-donate it when leaving  (I am talking about outdoorsy hiking clothing, if you stained or tore something just leave it in the trash).  Once with my mother I bought her a light weight travel wheelchair to tour Greece, we left it at  church at the last port where they could provide an elderly person with a chair.  

I do this with books and figure that the things I buy swap out for the weight of the books. Just leave them around the ship. I still like reading a physical book more than on my iPad.

We did a champagne tasting once. Super fun. Had Tattinger, Veuve, Moët and Dom. Tried it with chocolate, eggs, potato chips, and some other things. Can’t recall the price, but after the tasting, they came around to refill you with your choice until they ran out.

We’ve been getting a lot of these offers lately. When I contact my TA, the price to go from “free” to Neptune (can’t do inside, would consider Signature, if Neptune not available) on these offers has been between $659-$1759/person. Haven’t been able to take one yet due to dates.

We’ve taken two 7 day Alaska cruises, one in 2019, and one in 2022. Both times, we’ve taken upsell offers, purchased drink packages, specialty dining, an excursion or 2. I play bingo, and we both played a little in the casino. I think our net is maybe -$100. On the second cruise, we took a spa offer for a side by side pedicure. Because of suite credits and onboard spend, we hit 2 star in 2 cruises. We also submit lots of “kudos” and name specific crew members’ names while onboard - at least 2 per day.

I had uploaded vaccine info a couple weeks ago. Uploaded test results from this morning, and they were approved a couple of hours later. Then got a system error message every time I tried to do the health assessment.

Deleted the app. Reinstalled. Did the whole account recovery thing. Had to take new pictures and upload vaccination and test results again, but the health assessment was already showing the green check. Hopefully, within a couple of hours, they will have reapproved our vaccine and test info and we'll be set.

I bought 300 shares each of CCL and NCLH in 2020. When they recovered to the point that I could sell 200 shares and recoup  my entire investment, I sold. Now, I'm sitting on 100 shares of each at no cost and get OBC.

3 hours ago, five. said:

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/deals/have-it-all/have-it-all-upgrade.html

 

For others that have not received any emails or anything on it. Our cruise leaves in two weeks and I've already paid for my various excursions and meals. I wonder if it's possible for us to get this.

When I logged in, I had a button in the same place you buy excursions, dining, etc. that said add Have It All for $50/day. We leave Sunday. We already added HIA for $325/pp a couple of weeks ago.

I said it was an easy walk, which to me is anything under 2 miles depending on weather without luggage… planning to drop the bags at the hotel, then walk to the convention center…

I hate riding on buses, and generally try to avoid them at all costs, and that was Pre-COVID… Hoping we can drop the bags at the ECC and just walk to the train. Even better would be skipping the whole ECC problem and just going straight to the train.

That’s all just stuff that’s adding to my aggravation. My real issue is that it took so much work on my part and my TA’s part to get this information. I thought I was “caving” and booking the easy way rather than hassle with finding and booking a private driver who might cancel last minute… regretting that decision now.

Has anyone submitted their proctored tests for insurance reimbursement? We keep a supply of the rapid tests at home, and, so far, the only issue I’ve had getting reimbursed was the time delay. The wording says any FDA approved test, and up to 8 per month, but I don’t see any exclusion regarding the ones where you have to be on video. I submitted them, so fingers crossed.

My TA spent a lot of time yesterday trying to verify this. In her words, "No one there can answer a simple question."

We are supposed to go to the HAL hospitality desk at the Egan Convention Center. They suggest we check in by 11 to ride the bus to the train at 11:45. This seems crazy since the Depot is a quarter of a mile from the ECC.

We get in Saturday and the ECC is an easy walk from our hotel. Think maybe we'll try to go find this hospitality desk the day before and see what they say.

Definitely the last time I purchase pre-cruise travel via HAL.

We booked in January as 2 one-ways (on a Southbound cruise vs. RT). We paid $1500/person for first class AUS-SEA-ANC, and YVR-SFO-AUS. Originally, it was supposed to be YVR-IAH-AUS, but the IAH flight was discontinued. Air Canada is starting direct YVR-AUS in June, but our cruise in in May... almost made me rebook the cruise.

On our 2019 Alaska Cruise, the flights were about $1000/pp. 

This was our "consolation trip" after we canceled our Baltic cruise - overnight in St. Petersburg was supposed to be the highlight. We're still spending thousands less than we would have on that cruise not to mention Europe flights, so we were good with it even if it was more than we wanted to pay.

Our cruise disembarks on Sunday morning in Vancouver, and we have a 7 AM flight on Monday morning. Do we need to be at YVR at 4:00? If so, is anything open then? It looks like none of the lounges are.

We're flying United First Class, is there a priority security line for this? I haven't flown Internationally since 12/2019, so I'm drawing a blank on international departures. We have TSA Precheck, Global Entry, and CLEAR, so I haven't had to think about it since we've only traveled domestically.

I just called HAL.

They told me it departs at 1:00 from the Alaska Railroad Depot, arrives in Whittier 3:50. My boarding time is 4:00, so that makes sense. It's not on the Alaska Railroad site, but if the train is only for those who booked through the cruise line, that also makes sense.

Seriously annoying that they don't provide this info.

I’m confused as to why this is an issue.

Maybe put it the hold on a card you don’t really use any more, and then switch at checkout to your “real” card - or whatever is earning the best reward.  

I ordered a proctored Radeus test yesterday after I got the notice. Arrived today.

We purchased the Cruise Train from Anchorage to Whittier before our Southbound cruise on May 15th. It has not shown up anywhere on our itinerary. I double checked and made sure I have the receipt - I did pay for it. I went to it like I was going to book it, and it noted that we had already purchased it. Today, it showed up on the itinerary from my TA that came with the notice that we're on our own for testing in Vancouver, but it's still not on my online itinerary or in the app.

At this point, I have no idea where to go to get on the train or what time to go there.

Does anyone know this info? Is this something they will be sending?

I got that email this morning. We leave a week from tomorrow for our trip - I had my pre-cruise testing all set. We were planning on a leisurely day after disembarking in Vancouver and have a 7 AM flight the next morning. I just ordered both tests in the letter, hoping that the 5-7 day shipping isn't business days. I really don't want to spend my leisure time trying to schedule a test.

As others have said, it's the late notice that's super frustrating. I'm a planner.