Haljo1935

I thought one of the perks of CO is priority boarding.

Not a lot of difference, but where in there does CO board?

The Venezia does not have self serve laundry. I'm not looking to send dresses or anything like that, but getting back a t-shirt all sacred up and too wrinkled to wear would not be ideal - I really don't want look homeless while walking around... Nor do I want my clothes, including undies, shrunk so they don't fit...

No, but it was at least 6 months, possibly even more than a year. Did not apply for the HAL card because it was also Barclays.

Policy mentions being paid in full, I THINK, based on Final Payment Due Date. How does it work if you paid in full prior to the final payment due date?

4134 is completely blocked - you get a little glimpse here/there, but the natural light is still there. Agree w/ @yerdua about checking on availability of Club Orange - it will be less than the $500 upgrade and allow you to select any balcony class cabin. Personally, I would not save the $200 by going down to an inside cabin as the windows are still large so there is plenty of natural light. Safe travels, enjoy your cruise!

Similar thing happens to us with Barclays Princess card - I believe Barclays periodically does a "sweep" of accounts. A notice to use rewards by XX date would be in order, IMHO.

I believe we avoided some of those issues when we did this at a different port (per my previous post) by contacting HAL ahead of time and getting the required approvals. If none are needed, great, but being a long distance from home at a foreign port is not, IMHO, the place to figure it out. It took no time for us to submit the request to HAL and receive the approval.

This is my experience for current booking. 2 one way tickets would be much less expensive than a multi city, based on preferred airline website. Went into the booking and booked one leg through FE. Went back to book the other leg, but there is no option to do it. Took 2 calls to FE to get it done. Hopefully the systems will catch up soon, as of now only shows one flight but the cost for both legs. Tried to do it through the airline and just cancel FE, but it won't let me saying I have another booking that conflicts w/the one I'm trying to book. I'm sure it will work out, just a hard lesson to learn. FE should have a simple note that flights can only be booked one time.

See, that's my fear. Even though I've been warned, It's likely going to cause me anxiety and I'm likely to still complain to myself and cabinmate for the entire 2 weeks. Is it bad enough that I should pack more and send out only basics?

I registered but have not submitted a card. I get emails weekly with offers that it says are blocked until I submit my card.

YES!!

Hey Cherie - I do what I would tell others NOT to do - I use bubble wrap (1 layer) then wrap in my clothes; I don't use special packaging. I do make sure there's something at the bottom and all the way around, so the wine is in the middle of the suitcase. For AK cruises, I do the bubble wrap only (no clothes) then insert into my boots, which then get wrapped in clothes. I would tell anyone else to protect their valuables with special packing (do as I say, not as I do, lol), but I have not ever had an issue. This is for checked luggage on a plane. Then it has to be transferred to your carry on for boarding, but at that point I just move the clothes bundles into my carry on. Carryon gets scanned in the terminal. Back when we drove to ports, it was easier

And if you don't have a TA on the booking, you can enter the gift cards directly on Carnivals site using the steps @weezal showed. Did it yesterday and it worked perfectly. Congrats on saving 10%!

I'll be visiting a bar for water and the photo desk for my other swag in Sept. Thanks for posting.

No, don't say it, take it back!! Lol We are really hoping to make the stop in the Azores, not so much for breaking up the sea days, but because we hear it's beautiful and really want to visit.

That's exactly what we do. Have never had an issue and no worries about our selection being out of stock.

Absolutely agree about level of HALs laundry service. I thought the person was joking when they posted a picture of the CPB (borrowing your term but adjusted to pass Mr Google auto correct), then when they posted another one showing the clean bag delivered, I was saddened. I suppose that's why it's $15/bag (5 for $50) on that line. I'd spend the money for better service if they'd let me.😪

I have not had issues making calls when at port. We have Sprint/T-Mobile and Verizon. On the ship it's a no go, but honestly have never tried to make WiFi calls on my phone using their internet package; I only make cell calls from land. I have made Teams calls on my computer using their internet package; they've been spotty, as I would expect relying on internet in open water.

You've got me already heading for a corner in which to curl into the fetal position and shake uncontrollably at the mention of the "crappy paper bag." I'm on Carnival 2 weeks in Sept and understand they use those CPBs 😪- I miss HAL already!!

We did something similar out of Quebec - embark was one day w/an overnight then departure the next day. We wanted to check in on day 2 and skip spending the night at port. We reached out to HAL and were sent an approval to board late. Our itinerary was updated to reflect the cruise start date of the 2nd day, so I'm assuming we lost 1 day toward Mariner status and days sailed. It isn't an issue, but if you don't make them aware ahead of time, you risk being considered a No Show. As each port is different & subject to local regulations the process might vary a bit.

You are correct. And on any given morning or evening, you'll see my DH out there enjoying a cigar w/his coffee & Bailey's - tell him I said "hi" and I'm hungry...

Hey @sseibert3 are you looking for credits you have as a part of the HIA package or things you've already booked? I'll do a couple screenshots if you'll let me know which it is. OBC you won't see anywhere on the website - you will only see it once you're onboard. Until then, you can confirm the amount of OBC by requesting an invoice from HAL if you booked direct or your TA if you used one.

Hey @waterbabyfish we have an Oct 29 2023 sail date - final payment is tomorrow July 31. So I would think a sail date a week earlier would already be past final payment. As others have said, if it's a deeply discounted rate, payment is usually due in full at time of booking. Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

Welcome to HAL!! AK is very special and HAL does it very well - congrats on your itinerary. I would not consider the pools suitable for lap swimming, but have not been on the Noordam since the restart. Perhaps someone who has been on more recently can provide more insight. It can be cool outside when overcast, but generally we have found light layers to be adequate for being on the deck. We haven't been to AK in Aug - we go in Sept at end of season, so you should have a bit warmer temps than we do.