erdufylla

It might be if you’re comparing the lowest base fare to the HIA Early Booking package, but the lowest base fare is the non-refundable rate, and the HIA package includes the refundable deposit. They don’t list the refundable deposit cruise-only fare on the website, but on the few I’ve priced out, if having that refundable deposit is important to you, it can actually be more expensive to book that and add the $50/person/day standard HIA package after, even for a solo traveler. On some, it was more expensive even before you added in the gratuity expense. If you want a refundable rate and definitely don’t care about anything included in the HIA package, then that rate is probably the best value. But if you want to book a refundable rate and plan on taking any excursions, or want to add a drink package or the internet package, it often quickly becomes more cost-effective to just book the HIA package rate.

According to their Terms & Conditions, it looks like that’s correct.

Beer pong competitions to replace pickle ball? Or maybe we could elevate it to single malt whiskey pong?

I’ve never attended a Meet & Mingle or other similar type event, so I can’t speak to whether I’d miss officers being there or not. But one thing I did miss on my last cruise (which may still have happened for others, and I just wasn’t at the right place at the right time) was officer/staff mingling at dinner. On several previous HAL cruises, our table at dinner was joined by an officer or staff member, and sometimes their partner if they were traveling with them, and it was always a really fascinating meal, getting to know them and hear about their life on the ship. I don’t know if that’s something they still regularly do now or not.

I think a lot probably depends on how far out you are from the cruise, and what kind of availability they still have. If it’s after the final payment date, or if you already have a top-level room reserved that you don’t want to risk releasing before downgrading, adding CO, and upgrading back to that same cabin, I can see where OBC would be a decent trade. On my future cruise, which isn’t until next June, I had my PCC downgrade my premium verandah to the lowest class, added CO, and then selected a premium verandah stateroom. No OBC, but my total due next spring has been reduced more than the $210 I paid this week to add CO. So lots of different options and outcomes depending on timing and availability.

Ooh, I’d be very interested in that answer, too. I’m not really looking to add a new credit card to my wallet, but if the medical insurance could be purchased outright for a reasonable amount, that might be worth looking into.

Ooh! I was just discussing my trip to Amsterdam next summer with my Mom, and she pointed out that Stephen West’s yarn shop is there! *adds to itinerary*

Something I noticed today when my PCC called me back is that on my AT&T phone, calls from HAL are marked as “Spam Risk.” If I hadn’t recognized the number, I wouldn’t have answered the call. I mention this only to suggest the small possibility that maybe some of these calls are being returned, and they’re either being blocked or unintentionally ignored because they look like spam calls?

A really good place to research that is on Ravelry. I bet there’s an Alaska group there that would fill you in on all the local info.

Same. I work freelance, so I have a lot more flexibility in my job than a lot of people with more traditional office jobs, but even I can’t abandon my clients for 6 weeks completely, even with on-the-ground backup support and plenty of notice. 😂 I’m not as concerned about my second 14-day cruise on the Nieuw Statendam, as I expect it’ll be one of the ones up and running on Starlink by then if it isn’t already. But I’m slightly more nervous about what the internet status of the Zuiderdam will be for the TA cruise. We’ll see! Funny story about rocky seas… My first ever cruise was a Panama Canal cruise the Christmas I was 15. That first night in the Caribbean after passing through the canal was stormy, and while I thought all the rocking and rolling was great fun, my Mom wasn’t as thrilled about it. While she was trying to sleep, things were sliding off surfaces and falling to the ground — I remember a glass shattered in their bathroom. According to my Dad, she was talking in her sleep, and one of the things she said was “who let Erdufylla drive?” (15 being the age when American kids are learning to drive, something that stressed my Mom out a lot.) It’s given us a bunch of good laughs over the years. 😅

I’m jealous about your TP trip, @Haljo1935! That’s one of my bucket list cruises, but it’s going to have to wait a few years. This 6-week Europe trip (2 14-day cruises, 1 week between them on my own, and 1 week visiting friends in Denmark after) is already making my eyes bulge when I look at the budget spreadsheet. 😂 I hope you have a wonderful time on both your crosses, though!

That’s either changed recently, or it varies from ship to ship. I got tacos at the Lido on the Koningsdam last month, and while the server did put together the shell and meat that I requested, I added all my own toppings at the self-serve window at the side of that station. I will say I had a difficult time finding salsa in the Lido. I can’t remember if they had it there at the taco bar, though my memory tells me all I found was pico. That was fine for me for tacos, but I missed being able to put salsa on my omelettes the few times I got one in the Lido for breakfast. I probably could have asked, but it’s such a fast-paced, noisy environment, I didn’t want to hold up lines or pull a server away from their task.

Yup, that’s the TA I’m on. Docking in IJmuiden looks like it’s not quite as convenient, now that I look, but if it saves on port fees, I can appreciate that. And it doesn’t look like it’ll be too inconvenient to figure out transportation into Amsterdam proper. I’ve been poking around a bit and found several different options for mass transit daily passes. I don’t know if they extend that far out, or if it would be better to take a HAL transfer into the city and go from there, but all things to look into. 🙂 I look forward to seeing you on the cruise, @oakridger!

I could genuinely be mistaken about this, but isn’t that only true when you book a suite initially, not take a reduced-rate upgrade?

Those numbers are consistent with what I’ve seen recently, but I think they do vary from cruise to cruise. People more in the know can correct me if that’s wrong. I have two questions about the “per bag” laundry: (1) If you put some items in a zippered mesh bag, either to protect them (e.g., something you don’t want stretched out, like bras) or keep smaller items together (e.g., socks), will they keep them in the bag and put that through the wash as is, or remove the items from the mesh bag? (2) I hear people rave about the laundry service and how you can specify certain washing instructions (cold wash, low heat dry, air dry, etc.). I assume they’re talking about individual items sent to laundry, but can those instructions be given on a bag of laundry, too, if the whole bag is to receive the same instructions?

I can’t speak to actual experience, as I’m booked on my first TA cruise next spring. But I will say that when I mentioned this same concern to someone, they pointed out that hurricane season doesn’t start til June, so while yes, seas can be rough and stormy at any time, and seasickness is a possibility, it’s maybe less likely for big awful storms in April/May than later in the summer.

My understanding is that the partnership with Lincoln Center was no longer mutually profitable/beneficial. I didn’t mean that I knew the specifics, just that there was something about the arrangement that no longer made it make sense to continue. I don’t think that deciding factor to end the partnership was that HAL decided people no longer wanted to hear classical music (or at least I hope that wasn’t the reason), but I do worry that their view is that in trying to attract a somewhat younger demographic, classical music is an easy thing to cut — the spend on salaries and accommodations for multiple musicians might not balance out with the expected passenger draw their music might bring. And they might not be wrong. I know I’m someone in that younger demographic (GenX/Millennial) who *does* want classical music, but I don’t know what percentage of my peers would say the same. All we can do is provide feedback and hope they listen and find some option that fits with their budget and strategy for the future.

In my experience, you get sent to voicemail during business hours when the person you’re trying to connect with is already on another call. I’ve heard of people having terrible experiences with non-responsive PCCs, and have had a couple of them myself. I can tell you there are good ones out there, though, if it’s any consolation. I called mine a few days ago about an hour before end of business hours, got his voicemail, asked that he call me back before end of day about some promotional pricing I wanted to take advantage of, and he called me back within 10 minutes. I say that not to gloat, but to encourage you to put in a new request for a new PCC, and in the meantime, make it clear in the voicemails you leave that you need a call back ASAP. Hopefully that will help.

I always really enjoyed the LCS content, and it was sorely missed on my last cruise. I understand why it went away, but I hope they can find a way to add something like it back. I also enjoy the music from BB King and Rolling Stones (less impressed with Billboard), but it’s like being served steak every night in a row when what you’re really craving is fish.

I mean, once you hit SABLE status, what’s the harm in adding a little more? Go big or go home. 😂 No, but seriously — I contend that crafting and collecting crafting supplies are two entirely separate, if related, hobbies. I get just as much joy from browsing and buying new yarn, pens, paper, paints, etc. as I do from actually knitting, drawing, etc. Even if they go unused for a decade or more, I’ve still already gotten a nice dopamine hit just from the process of acquiring them and adding them to my hoard. 🥰

@*Miss G* Thanks for all that! I almost always avoid third-party sites for precisely the reasons you list, so finding places to book directly with would have been my first instinct already. (I also like supporting smaller businesses directly when I can.) I’m glad to hear that practice remains a smart choice in Europe. I’ll definitely take your advice about researching neighborhoods, points of interest, and commuting options. I do have some potential mobility issues — nothing too major, but a bum ankle that can act up if I try and walk too much on it, so I won’t be booking any lengthy walking tours, and I’ll want to find a hotel that’s either close to some of the things I want to see, or possibly near a train station. But you’ve definitely helped me narrow down the things I need to include in my research, which is a huge help. Thank you! @newcruisers70 Thank you for your advice about the trains in Germany! I’d mostly come to the conclusion that a flight to Copenhagen was going to be the smartest move, after seeing how inexpensive the flights are and how many transfers a train ride would require. But I’m very glad to hear that confirmed from someone with on-the-ground experience. And you’re right — a week sounds like a lot of time, but split between two cities, with a day of travel between, it’s not actually all that much, and I’d rather do that than add in several one-day trips to smaller cities in-between.

Thank you so much @*Miss G* and @cruisemom42! Your encouragement and tips mean a lot to me, and are very, very welcome. This trip is very much in the early planning stages and morphing as I go — I only just added the TA cruise this week, after two weeks of pipe dreaming it and thinking it sounded silly and unreasonable, and then being convinced by friends and family that it wasn’t and I should take the plunge. I love traveling, I love cruising, and after years of saying I wanted to do more international traveling and putting it off because no one ever wanted to do the same trips I did, I’m taking the plunge to do this on my own, because no time like the present, right? Your words of encouragement have made me feel better about the planning of it, and I’ve got time to figure it all out. 🙂 Thank you!

Ah! Thank you for clarifying! I guess I’ve never really gotten caught up in that wait, so I didn’t realize there was a priority ranking in play there. In my (admittedly limited) experience, both check-in and boarding were nearly immediate, and the only real lines I’ve experienced were to get through customs. (My most recent cruise through Vancouver may be coloring that memory, too, as that customs line was *long*.)

I agree that with a lot of fabrics, a combo of Downy Wrinkle Release and shower steam can go a long way, and it’s always been enough for anything I’ve packed. But the OP mentioned linen, and I’ve never successfully gotten linen to go smooth enough for my taste with just those two options. If I were packing something linen, I would also budget to send it away for pressing. Just my $0.02. 🙂

I’m generally a planner. Very Type A, with spreadsheets and highlighters and all sorts of pro/con lists. But I’ve also been dealing with heightened general anxiety since COVID, and the idea of planning a week in Europe is somewhat overwhelming to me, since it’s not anything I’ve ever researched or experienced before. I’m capable of it, but I expect it will stress me out (on the planning side, trying to make the right choice, worrying about the choices I’ve made, comparing too many options and getting lost in a sea of paperwork and potential plans, etc., and on the travel side, worrying about dealing with unforeseen problems or last-minute changes on my own in a foreign country), and I don’t really want to make this a stressful experience. So I’m thinking, at least for this first big foreign solo trip, I’d like to work with a TA. The first cruise docks in Amsterdam on 5/25, and the second one leaves Copenhagen on 6/1. At the moment, I’m thinking I’ll probably split the difference, spending a few days in Amsterdam, and then either take a train or a flight to Copenhagen, and spend a few days there before getting on the next cruise. I don’t mind guiding a TA to things I’d like to do/see, but having someone who knows what areas are safe, a good deal, easy to get to/from, etc., and having someone I could get in touch with to help if plans go awry would ease my mind, I think.