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Not being able to select currency is super frustrating -- even when one uses a VPN you can get presented pricing in USD, only to have it revert to CAD when you sign in. There are significant arbitrage-able price differences at times b/c HAL uses a fixed rate of exchange, rather than floating at the daily rate. Scott.

Well played on orchestrated. Three bonus points awarded. I guess here is the commercial decision point for HAL: You have a branded cost centre (recall well that Lincoln Centre is simply a filial marketing arrangement ... the talent is scouted / sourced by RWS Entertainment Group) that performs in a space that could be revenue generating. You have an audience of purists (hush y'all this is a recital) contra regular folk on vacation. The purists sit in quiet non-revenue generating rapture (when compared to costs) and the regular folk are invited not to participate by lovingly-dispatched glares from the purists. You are a business manager whose rev versus cost centre is literally underwater catering to an audience of price-seekers who are [perceived to be] entirely allergic to incremental costs. What should one do? Scott.

You mean 'Let's-astroturf-HAL-with-what-we-think' day ? 🙂. Scott.

I think you might want to look at the list of PIF's holdings ... Scott. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1767640/000108514623002379/xslForm13F_X02/infotable.xml

I think another thing in play and worth consideration here is vertical integration and revenue capture -- where cruise lines own their own islands and/or port facilities and/or tour convenors / hotels -- naturally the tendency will be to prefer themselves -- or partners where they have negotiated commercial relationships. So resultantly, the voyage planning of selecting Port A versus Port B (and dockage x versus dockage y) is less about building up customer experience, and more about EBITDA maximization and/or lowering pax per diems to attract customers. Scott.

I expect it also hasn't occurred to the seafaring traditionalists of Bain Capital. /s And as @cantgetin mentioned we were being pushed a mid-morning message during our eight crossing days in the app with a location update, but that was simply a latitude / longitude which you then had to drop into your preferred map app. Nothing visual at all. It definitely was a contrast to HAL with their LCD map tables. I've cruised with them long enough to remember when the paper charts with routes laid out in pencil crayon would be posted to the atrium walls outside guest relations. Scott.

Personally on my Valiant TA last month I was using Google Maps to determine our relative position and speed? Given how app-focussed / phone-centric VV is, I expect that's their working assumption for those ppl who might be curious? I have 300+ nights w/ HAL, and they definitely have their seafaring bias (and 150 years of legacy to back that) so that voyage-y detailed info (including the 13h00 noon position report from the bridge every day) better resonates w/ their typical pax. I kinda like it. For a pax on a four-night Scarlet Lady Bimini / Key West long weekend, I expect that positioning detail isn't a priority ? Scott.

Sidewalk on the south side of N. Cruise Boulevard. Traffic (despite seven vessels in port) was surprisingly benign. Scott.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/our-company/mission-values.html. Scott.

Yup. Was there in April pre our JLo delayed TA departure aboard Valiant Lady. We dropped our bags at the terminal and walked down -- they have indoor and outdoor seating, Had a pint in the sun. We then went to see friends off on Disney Dream. We came back, stopped in again (we still had time to kill). Had another pint. We walked back to Terminal V, got our wrist bands, and priority boarded w/ Deep Blue Extras, and were onboard within five mins of boarding being available. Scott.

Rather, I expect it is a variable / risked compensation element to their individual and/or team gratuity payout. Pay for performance. Incentive drives behaviour. HAL's service promise is: We are ambassadors of joy – in service to our guests and to one another. Great little bit of prose, however it's difficult to measure in the numbers of toilets scrubbed, omelettes made, or drinks slung -- hence commendation capture and overall scoring w/ the post-cruise survey. Scott.

Actually it was a licensing arrangement w/ Lincoln Centre. Programming was admin'd by RWS Entertainment Group -- the same ppl who do programming for the Main Stage (think Step One dance group) and the Music Walk. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=639980517152176 In case you'd like to audition? 🙂 https://www.rwsglobal.com/auditions-gigs Scott.

I had this with the daily / post-event survey as well ... got the pop-up survey in the app, provided some constructive feedback wrt obtaining service at On the Rocks trying to get drinks pre-dinner ... was very cordial and framed it as a 'we want Virgin to be successful, please take our money'. A couple of night later we were dining at Pink Agave, and the beverage manager came to find us tableside. We had a lovely chat, talked about our observations, he comped our evening bar bill, and brought over to Espresso martinis two conclude dinner. Scott.

Works for me ... When is your return booked? is it within bookable the window as well? Scott

Short answer = yes. Random HAL cruise, random date, name of the cruise-only high volume online agency redacted.

Winner winner chicken dinner. 🙂. Scott.

Here would be a good place to start: https://www.virginvoyages.com/promotional-terms-and-conditions My read at 56.3 would be, you can cancel at +120 days, any required deposit paid is retained as a future voyage credit, and everything else is refunded, and you're free to do you. 🙂. I have excerpted relevant language below. Scott. Item 56 --> Affinity Circle Bookings Modifications/Cancellations & Notices 1. Once names and deposits are made on ten (10) cabins, more cabins may be added up to fourteen (14) days prior to the Voyage depending on availability. 2. A Circle’s Voyage date can be changed up until 120 days prior to voyage start date, based upon availability on future sailings. 3. If a Sailor wishes to cancel, that Sailor will receive an Future Voyage Credit for their deposit amount up until 120 days prior to voyage start date (money paid for taxes and fees, bookables, and any amounts paid in excess of the voyage fare deposit will be refunded as well). 4. At 120 days the Circle’s Voyage is locked in, though cancellations lowering the number in the Circle to under 10 cabins would result in the remaining Sailors’ reservations being transitioned into individual Sailor bookings. Sailors may detach up to 120 days prior to the Voyage. 5. If a Circle Sailor has funds applied to their reservation, and should that Circle Sailor cancel between 120 and 45 days prior to the voyage sail date, that Circle Sailor will receive a 50% Future Voyage Credit for any voyage fare paid (though money paid for taxes and fees, and bookables would be refunded). 6. A Circle cabin category may be upgraded or downgraded 121 days or longer from the voyage sail date, depending on availability. Within 120 days or sooner of the voyage sail date, a Circle cabin category may be upgraded only, depending on availability. 7. After the seven-day hold period, cabin categories can only be upgraded. 8. Any name can be changed on a Circle booking up until 48 hours the Voyage sailing date. Name changes will automatically cancel any insurance for that Sailor, and no monies will be refunded. 9. Our Sailor Services can only modify bookings for Sailors booked by a First Mate if it has no financial impact to Virgin Voyages. 10. A Sailor booked in a Circle may transfer his or her booking to another at no cost, however, costs and fees related to that travel, for example, travel insurance, air travel, transfers, and shore excursions, may not be transferable or refundable. Cancellations can be made through Sailor Services or through a First Mate. 11. If a Sailor of a First Mate wishes to cancel the Circle or their delegate booking, the Sailor must do so through their First Mate. 12. If Sailors within the Circle cancel, but enough Sailors remain to keep the Circle intact, such cancellation will be handled in accordance with Virgin Voyages’ individual booking policies, found here.

One benefit to working w/ a first mate / travel agent (who is knowledgeable about the VV product) versus self-booking where it seems these loyalty flags are hit and miss to be picked up when the booking is created. I also had a new sailor ID created w/ this online booking which further complicated things, because before anything could happen, those accounts needed to be merged. Scott.

Yes. Just booked a December 2023 sailing ydy with having status matched on April's TA to BCN - our first Virgin Voyage. Was able to stack current market offers, with pay-in-full discount to book, then chatted online with sailor services and the adjusted the booking downward by 10 percent and refunded the amount to my original payment media. They were also able to apply Deep Blue Extra to my booking without having to have me re-submit anything. Not elegant, but .... Scott.

If you're booked by 28th Feb 2024 (or before), and your sailing date is 31st July 2024 (or before), you can make your application now. Scott.

I was more referring to any base faring advantage outside of a Circle (which is simply VV's nomenclature for tour / conductor rating) -- VV has yet to get into incentivized group rating through TA sales consortia like Virtuoso or Ensemble. Scott.

Yes, but round-trip from Singapore on Noordam --> 28-Day Coral Triangle, Volcanos & Great Barrier Reef. https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/find-a-cruise/O5A28A/N510.html Scott.

Given that there is no real financial incentive to using a TA versus booking directly, one hack I am now using, is using a larger online TA that has a live API dip into VV's inventory so you can see what space is available in your particular cabin class. That way when you book online directly w/ VV, you can amend your 'best available' (in VV parlance) booking to the space you may want. Scott.

Here is what is allowed. "Small quantities of water, dietary supplement drinks, non-alcoholic beer, or soft drinks in boxes and cans are permitted in hand luggage only. Drinks in bottles (glass or plastic) are not permitted. A small quantity is considered a maximum of twelve (12) sealed, unopened cans/cartons of twelve 12 ounces each or less per person." source: https://www.virginvoyages.com/safety-security/prohibited-items A bottle of Belvoir will look like a bottle of wine (albeit skinny) -- bring it in your carry-on. Technically, it would not be permissible as it is not a can / carton, although I can't see that being too readily enforced. Scott.

Not yet -- I Vivi-chatted and left a message inquiring about the same a couple of days ago and am awaiting a reply from Sailor Services. Looking to stack on with a MNVV booking. Scott.