tamadig2001

We'll be on the Avalon Passion sailing from Budapest to Bucharest on September 26. Keeping my fingers crossed that there will be no water level issues. And thank you notamermaid for keeping us posted.

Monica

I stumbled on this thread a couple of days ago and I'm so glad I did. This is truly a wealth of information not only on water levels of the Danube but also on so many aspects of river cruising. I have learned a lot thanks to everyone's input, particularly notamermaid with her regular updates. My husband and I and two other couples will be cruising the Danube from Budapest to Bucharest on the Avalon Passion from September 16 to 26. This will be our fifth river cruise, two of which were on the Rhine and the Danube in the fall and we never had issues with water levels. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that our coming cruise will not be adversely impacted, and I'll be following this thread closely over the next few months. Once again, thank you everyone and keep the info coming!

Monica

4 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

I'm craving that Chow Mein already!  This would an underwhelming menu on a budget cruise line, let alone a premium one.  I'm not happy to hear about the shortages of alcohol, beverages, and black tea (especially in Japan).  This reminds me of my last Celebrity cruise, running out of Pineapple while in Hawaii.  Bland unseasoned food, maybe they're short on spice and garlic?  Vegetables is a big one for me, so sparse and unevenly cooked is not ok.  Hopefully I can ask for extras.

 

Does anyone know if there's still an Asian breakfast offered in the MDR?  It had scrambled eggs, miso soup, and salmon.

My friends who are currently on the Westerdam have Chinese congee with salmon almost every day but I think it's in the Lido. But I'm sure it's available in the MDR if you ask for it.

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

Today was a sea day, so I’ve been doing some things I haven’t gotten to on busy port days, including tossing out past Dailies after making notes. 
 

I believe HAL has offered shuttles in all ports where points of interest are not near enough to walk (e.g., industrial ports). Most have been $20 to $25. 
 

Kobe had a complimentary shuttle offered by the port from the ship to Motomachi Station (near their Chinatown).

 

In Fukuoka, the cost was $20 and drop off point was near the Hakata City Office.

 

I also had an overcharge for a tour that should’ve been covered under the HIA promo, required going to the shorex desk and several calls between shorex staff and accounting but the charge was removed. 

 

Tomorrow I have another shore excursion to see some of the traditional steep-pitched roofed houses typical of the Kanazawa area, but the weather continues rainy. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. I may have to sacrifice my beef tenderloin to the weather gods….

From your description of the shore excursion tomorrow I think they are taking you to Shirakawa-go (literally "white river village") which is just a little over an hour's drive from Kanazawa. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, the village is famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer", as the farmhouses' steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer. We went there more than ten years ago in March, and we were lucky it snowed that morning. The thatched roofs were covered with snow and it was like a winter wonderland. That was one of the highlights of our trip.

Monica

1 hour ago, USN59-79 said:

An interesting thing is that many ports have excellent free shuttles to downtown when the ship advertises a $25. shuttle to what I assume is the same place.  At Kochi yesterday the free shuttle took us to the main shopping area about ten miles from the ship.  There were guides at the bus stop and signs posted on walls every 400 feet or so saying Westerdam bus stop with an arrow pointing in the right direction.  Not sure what those who paid for a shuttle got but it couldn’t be as nice as the free one.

Ray

That's good to know and thanks for the information as I'll be on a similar cruise on the Westie in October. On the Diamond Princess in November 2019, the ship's shuttle was free. They took us to somewhere near the Harimaya Bridge which is two or three tram stops to the market and Kochi Castle. I think HAL's shuttle must have stopped there too because it looked like a waiting area and convenient for picking up passengers returning to the ship.

Monica

42 minutes ago, USN59-79 said:

Thought I would mention some things from a different perspective.  We have had fixed dining since boarding in March.  Have had waiters who know our preferences.  Did the Pinnacle twice and enjoyed the food and service.  Bought the 8 bottle wine package at half price so no complaints about wine.  I enjoy sake and similar drinks sold in convenience stores in containers like milk cartons.  Some are as much as 60 proof.  Never had a problem bringing them aboard as the X-ray is looking for glass bottles.  That is my CC tip for today.  
Ray

That's one advantage of having a fixed table. You have the same waiters and they know what to get you without your asking. Also, they would go the extra mile hoping to get an extra tip from you. With open dining you get a different waiter every night and they know they wouldn't get much extra. Perhaps the more experienced waiting staff are assigned to fixed seating?

Monica

56 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

You might (I emphasize "might") be able to find one bar open until around midnight, although it will likely be very quiet.  On this ship the Gallery Bar (Deck 2/casino) is listed as being open "late" and we have heard (by the rumor mill) that one can get a drink there until around midnight.

 

I have long wondered (and asked this question in the past) whether HAL's evening hours are the product of a clientele that simply goes to bed early or if it is the HAL policy that drives folks to bed early.  We have met several folks who have told us they have no clue about the evening activities because they return to their cabin right after dinner to read or watch the TV.   Last evening, DW and I "closed" two lounges (where they had the only entertainment and they were not very crowded by closing time (10:15 and 10:45).

 

A few updates about our cruise.  I have never been a big fan of how HAL makes its "fou-fou" drinks by using "Sunsational" mixes that come out of 32 oz cartons.  So, for example, a strawberry daquiri made without strawberries leaves something to be desired as does a banana based drink that has no banana.  On some other mass market lines they will actually use real fruit (either fresh or frozen) which makes a big difference in the final product.  HAL does generally make a decent Bloody Mary, but this is a case where they do not use a mix and prepare the drink with tomato juice, Demitri's spice mix, tobasco, etc.   

 

On a happier note, a fellow cruiser reported seeing one of the Maitre d's shopping for tea (in Yokohama) and we now have some Black Tea aboard.  However, there is still no Earl Grey or English Breakfast Tea.  DW pointed out that if a ship ran out of coffee there would likely be a mutiny, but tea drinkers always seem to play 2nd fiddle.  It does boggle the mind that there would be any kind of tea shortage when cruising around Japan, where tea and tea shops are in abundance.  

 

Hank

On our past cruises they always had a big jar of PG Tips at the coffee and tea stands on the Lido Deck. We loved its rich and refreshing flavour and prefer it to other English teas. Don't tell me it's no longer available.

Monica

47 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

Monica, you might not be aware that the font you are using is nearly unreadable on mobile devices.  It appears as a fine cursive script in light print and has to be enlarged to be read.  If I was. It on my full iPad, I would have passed it over.  EM

Sorry, I really didn't know my font was hard to read on a cell phone as I use my computer to send messages most of the time. So here it is again in the default font. Hope you'll find it easier to read.

Hank, I wasn't aware of your travelogue until JohnCA posted about it in the April 10 - May 7 roll call. It has made for interesting reading and provided great insight into what cruising with HAL is like these days. We are 4-Star Mariners and have been loyal to HAL all this time but could not help but notice the cutbacks that have been happening in recent years. What keeps us coming back is the wonderful staff and the attractive itineraries. I will withhold my judgment until our next cruise this October, which is also a Yokohama round trip. I am with you 100% about the freedom and flexibility of independent travel, not to mention the dollars saved. In fact, I believe that having to do prior research would give you a better understanding of the places you travel to. 

So kudos to you Hank, and keep the commentaries coming. You have found a fan in me!

Monica

Hank, I wasn't aware of your travelogue until JohnCA posted about it in the April 10 - May 7 roll call. It has made for interesting reading and provided great insight into what cruising with HAL is like these days. We are 4-Star Mariners and have been loyal to HAL all this time but could not help but notice the cutbacks that have been happening in recent years. What keeps us coming back is the wonderful staff and the attractive itineraries. I will withhold my judgment until our next cruise this October, which is also a Yokohama round trip. I am with you 100% about the freedom and flexibility of independent travel, not to mention the dollars saved. In fact, I believe that having to do prior research would give you a better understanding of the places you travel to. 

So kudos to you Hank, and keep the commentaries coming. You have found a fan in me!

Monica

3 hours ago, USN59-79 said:

One thing I didn't mention was that along with the receipts for each expense, I also included a page with a short explanation describing each expense as the form doesn't provide room for that.  That gave the auditor info such as why I was claiming for a cancelled flight from Taipei to Hong Kong, for example.

Thank you. I did that too in my email/letter to explain the ticket reissue and cancellation charges I paid to my frequent flyers program for changing the flight from Narita (Tokyo) to Bangkok and finally cancelling it altogether. I also included a screen shot of the airline's policy taken from the web page. 

1 hour ago, ToBe said:

 We received all our expenses back months ago. We had no expenses at the hotel since HAL covered everything the one night we were there.  United and Delta gave us everything back but Emirates did not so HAL did. HAL paid for our flight home. I sent a copy of the ticket we could not use and the note from the credit card saying that they could not refund the expense since the ticket was nonrefundable. 

We had quite an adventure.  I don't twitter.

Thank you so much. I am re-sending my claim by regular mail, registered, tomorrow.

9 hours ago, ontheweb said:

And follow the advice of sending it return receipt requested so you have proof that they did receive it.

Thank you. Here in Canada this means sending it by registered mail.

Thank you both for your reply. I sent my claim form attached with the relevant receipts by email twice. Perhaps I should send it to them again by mail. It's not a lot of money, just around US$1150 for the two of us including actual meal costs, our flight from Phnom Penh to Hong Kong and flight change/cancellation charges.  

47 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

Between the color and the font I find your post very difficult to read, just saying...

"Just wondering if anyone has been reimbursed by Holland America for per diem expenses at the hotel in Cambodia and flight cancellation charges, etc. It's been more than seven months and I haven't received anything, despite emails and queries on their Twitter page. Their social media people keep promising to ask their guest relations staff to follow up, but so far no word."

I hope you'll find this easier to read.

Just wondering if anyone has been reimbursed by Holland America for per diem expenses at the hotel in Cambodia and flight cancellation charges, etc. It's been more than seven months and I haven't received anything, despite emails and queries on their Twitter page. Their social media people keep promising to ask their guest relations staff to follow up, but so far no word.

I think the OP is looking for repositioning cruises from Asia to North America. These won't happen until next spring, and the earliest ones would be from Tokyo to Vancouver on HAL's Westerdam (16 nights) on April 25, 2020 and the Celebrity Millennium (13 nights) on May 10, 2020. I'm sure there are many more if you do a web search of the cruise agents.

Monica

I don't know if this response is too late, but if your husband is really into taiko and wants to see a professional performance, I would recommend "Mangekyo" which is a 70-minute long show featuring not only taiko, but other musical instruments and also some energetic dancing and acrobatics. We saw it in Tokyo recently and even my husband, who was skeptical at first, enjoyed it tremendously. The show is held at the Alternative Theatre in Yurakucho, which is a stone's throw from Tokyo Station, and tickets are 8500 yen p.p., which is around US$75. If you have a couple of days pre or post cruise, you could include it in your itinerary. They have afternoon shows too so if you have a day in Tokyo you could easily make it. Here's their official website.

https://mangekyo-tokyo.com/en/

We've done Vancouver to Hong Kong twice on Holland America, both times on the Volendam and at the end of September. The first cruise, which took 32 days, was more interesting because we covered many Japanese ports, as well as Chinese and S. Korean ones. The second one, which was 28 days, went up to Alaska before crossing the Pacific, and we had just a few Japanese ports. I understand that Holland America also has repositioning cruises from Shanghai or Yokohama to North America, often in April so their ships can begin the Alaska season. You can go to their website to have a look.

Monica

..... Anyways, on the advice of a CC member in another forum, I tried emailing my request to worldcruisereservations at hollandamerica dot com and this is what I received from them:-

 

Thank you for your request to have a shipboard credit applied to reservation(s) WxxxxD based on your status as a CCL stockholder.

 

Financial compliance laws prohibit us from accepting and transmitting unsecured email of guest financial records. Guest’s personal financial data is subject to risk traveling through internet servers. In addition, we are advised not to open attachments to emails due to phishing, spam, and virus issues.

Please send future proof of eligibility by fax at 206.270.6080 or direct mail to:

 

Holland America Line

Attn: WCR

450 Third Ave. W.

Seattle, WA 98119

To set the record straight, HAL did approve my email request for the OBC, saying that it was "a one-time exception". As the credit will be applied to my onboard account upon embarkation, I'll print out the letter and carry it with me just in case there's any hiccup. Thank you all for your input.

Not sure if it would work internationally, but many have used an online service like Faxzero.com to submit their docs for the credit. This because there are so few actual fax machines in use anymore.

I've faxed requests to HAL from Hong Kong before and it worked fine, so I don't understand what happened this time. 😕 Do they turn off their fax machines on weekends? 🙄 Was there a power outage? 🤔 Anyways, on the advice of a CC member in another forum, I tried emailing my request to worldcruisereservations at hollandamerica dot com and this is what I received from them:-

Thank you for your request to have a shipboard credit applied to reservation(s) WxxxxD based on your status as a CCL stockholder.

Financial compliance laws prohibit us from accepting and transmitting unsecured email of guest financial records. Guest’s personal financial data is subject to risk traveling through internet servers. In addition, we are advised not to open attachments to emails due to phishing, spam, and virus issues.

Please send future proof of eligibility by fax at 206.270.6080 or direct mail to:

Holland America Line

Attn: WCR

450 Third Ave. W.

Seattle, WA 98119

So I'll give it another go tomorrow morning (it's now 10.45 pm in HK) and if it fails again I might try faxzero dot com or just do it the snail mail way. Thanks for your help!

🙏

Cut & Pasted directly from the 2018 PDF on CCL's website:

 

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE

World Cruise Reservations

450 Third Ave. W. Seattle, WA 98119

Tel 800 522 3399

Fax 206 270 6080

 

So... You've got the right number.

 

Are you dialing via Hong Kong's phone network?

Then: 001 1 206 270 6080

 

001 = "International, please"

1 = North America

 

If you can't get the 206 number to work, try emailing them

via https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/contact-us.html

for instructions.

 

BTW, 800 numbers aren't defined internationally.

Yes, I did it the correct way, dialing 001 1 206 270 6080 but there was no response. Tried it a few times and it still didn't work. I guess I'll have to email them to find it. Thanks!

FAX NUMBER TO USE FOR CCL CRUISE CREDIT

 

For those who have used this benefit in the past, I believe there is a new FAX number when using this method to apply for your CCL credit. This is the one I now have: FAX: 1-206-280-6080

 

Regular phone for more information: 1-800-522-3399

Hi, are you sure this is the right number? According to the CCL's Shareholders Benefit Pdf sheet, the number for Holland America is (206) 270-6080. I used it just now but it didn't go through. Can anyone help? If not, I'd have to do it the old fashioned way, but I'm now in Hong Kong and don't know how long snail mail would take. Our sail date is April 30, 2018. Thanks!

Monica

I can vouch for the "socks off" rule in Myanmar temples. You have to take your shoes and socks off once you enter the temple grounds. On our cruise stop in Myanmar in March 2015, I went through three packets of wet wipes in three days because we visited at least six or seven temples every day. The problem is, unlike Japanese and Thai temples which are spotlessly clean, Myanmar temples have filthy floors and the access is often open air and lined with stalls. On one midday visit to an outdoor reclining buddha in Bago, the ground was so hot it was like walking on coals. But the worst experience I had was at an island temple in Thanlyin where we had to leave our shoes on the boat. I had to use the bathroom and was horrified to find the floor covered with an inch of water. You can imagine how gross it was. The lesson here is: have your bathroom breaks before entering temple grounds.

Rejseplanen can't figure out the 25 bus.

 

Its starts to run every 20th-30th minute from 08:00 until 16:00.

 

So either Øresundstog towards Nivå or Helsingør or metro line M2 towards Vanløse.

 

Then take bus 25 from Nørreport.

One more question: do we need to time-stamp our train tickets before boarding the train, or are they already stamped upon purchase? I read somewhere that we have to stamp it twice, face up, at the yellow machines on the platform. Pardon my ignorance as it will be our first time taking the train in Copenhagen.

Rejseplanen can't figure out the 25 bus.

 

Its starts to run every 20th-30th minute from 08:00 until 16:00.

 

So either Øresundstog towards Nivå or Helsingør or metro line M2 towards Vanløse.

 

Then take bus 25 from Nørreport.

Thanks for putting my mind at ease, knowing that there's also the Øresundstog option. I think I read somewhere that the train is more comfortable than the metro, and also we won't need to walk as far both at the airport station and Nørreport. Danish Viking, you're the top man!