Aruba

You obviously have not embarked Vancouver for Alaska in the last few years. You clear US Customs & Border Protection prior to embarking. From both governments perspectives you have left Canada and entered the USA.

 

 

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I misunderstood. I thought the comment had referred to going through US Customs and Immigration when RETURNING to Vancouver, not departing from Vancouver.

Does HAL still have classical music aboard? If so, do they amplify that, too?

The music is not amplified when the string/piano duo ("Adagio") perform in Explorations Lounge.

Adagio IS amplified when performing in the show lounge, which they may do during a segment of a show one night.

I'm pretty sure that US Customs and Immigration has a station in Canada place and you "enter" the US when you meet them there and step onto the ship. I know that's the way that works in Canadian airports and I'm pretty sure that's the way it works as well for a cruise out of Vancouver. Once you get to the first port, you have already met with US immigration and do not need to do it again.

 

Roy

Respectfully, I do not believe that there is a US Customs and Immigration station in Canada Place where the cruise ships return. Passengers are exiting a ship onto Canadian soil -- why would they go through US Customs and Immigration? :confused:

You can go straight to your room. The cabin steward may still be finishing things up (delivering tickets, flowers, etc) but you can drop off your carry-on bags, stow valuables in the safe, or take a nap before the emergency drill. :)

You might have better luck if you call HAL (206-281-3535) rather than email them.

As I read the "Future Cruise Deposit" letter (I have one too), the OBC is clearly expressed in terms of days: 7-10 or 11+.

If your cruise+land tour is 11 days, it seems to me that you fall into the second category and are eligible for the higher OBC. Good luck.

A side question but relevant I think:

On Princess, the on-board currency for Australia-based cruises is (or was...not certain about this year) Australian dollar. Is the on-board currency for HAL's Australia circumnavigation the US dollar or the Australian dollar?

To hijack this thread for a moment. I have a question. How do you pay your home expenses if you are gone 77 or more days? I'm looking at a 28 day cruise and am having problems figuring out how to pay the bills when I'm gone.

I get most of my bills via email so I pay them electronically from the ship. For recurring payments, I set them up in advance through my bank's web-pay feature. Never had a problem.

I don't know if HAL makes money on the Grand Voyages but I suspect not. We were on the Holiday Cruise in December before the World and one of the dining room managers told us that there were 1014 on the 1st leg between Florida and Australia. Amsterdam capacity is 1380 so I wouldn't think there was much profit there.

While I've never (yet) done a world cruise, I have noticed on longer sailings (such as Atlantic Adventurer and Voyage of the Vikings) that there were far fewer people buying cocktails in Mix or Ocean Bar, or ordering wine bottles at dinner, or paying the surcharge for Pinnacle or Canaletto than on a typical 7-night cruise. That's got to hurt revenue also.

I debated and debated for my Westerdam July 26 cruise, but finally made the jump to a balcony and I cannot wait!!

Good choice -- hope you enjoy it. :)

I paid $571 per day for my cruise on the westy. That is not a low rate in my mind.

Was that for an Owners Suite?:eek:

On our helicopter excursion that landed on a glacier the pilot chipped of pieces of glacial ice - it tasted very minerally.

I used to think it would be nice to try it (glacial ice chips I mean) in a shaken martini...but maybe not. :eek:

So Hal likes me now.

You've just had a Sally Field moment. ;)

Now, if it was real roast turkey and real ham, not deli ham, then I might be impressed.

At the (relatively) low rates that HAL and other mass-market cruise lines charge for most staterooms and itineraries, we're not likely to see "real roast turkey and real ham" at sea on any of them.

I can't find any HAL cruise that goes from London to NYC in Sept 2015. What ship and which itinerary are you talking about? :confused:

"It never hurts to ask" is right. Congratulations ;)

Yes I did...but it was on Oceania in Norway. I haven't personally experienced that on a HAL cruise.

It's offered on the Eurodam sailing 11/9/14.

Thanks. I thought it was only offered on Rotterdam. Didn't realize it was offered on Eurodam also.

Now I am intrigued.... :D

Apparently it's <duh LEE-bry-yerr>. I was saying something like <luh-BRY-gee>. :D

Thank you. It sounds NOTHING like how I was pronouncing it. Good thing it's only offered on Rotterdam. :rolleyes:

Can anyone spell out phonetically for me the pronunciation of De Librije?

I love scanning these lists occasionally...and daydreaming. :)

IMHO if you have to cut back on your shore excursion budget in Alaska in order to afford a balcony, the balcony is not "worth it". If, however, you can still do everything you want on shore and can afford the balcony in addition to your shore excursions, go for it.

I agree completely. Excursions -- getting off the ship and seeing nature as opposed to the make-believe cruise ship ports -- are the reason for going to Alaska. If you have to cut back, personally I would skip the balcony and spend the money on a floatplane or helicopter adventure instead. But if you can afford the excursions AND a balcony stateroom, then IMO it is definitely worth it.

Can Hal compete?

Only you can answer that by contacting HAL or your TA and getting a price quote.

Alaska is the one itinerary where IMO a verandah is a have-to-have rather than just a nice-to-have. :)

Very interesting...

I never noticed this is the past but am going to keep my eyes open for price differences like this in the future. Nothing I could do about it anyway since I only speak English -- doubt there will be any shore excursions offered in Latin:roll eyes: -- but I am curious about the reason.