syesmar

On 9/12/2023 at 8:52 AM, Clummus said:

I leave on my cruise on 09/16/23, from Vancouver BC, the cruise actually originates in Seattle the day before….

@Clummus On which ship are you sailing?

@mattR There have been a number of changes with HAL over 19 years. Some have been mentioned here and here and here. Just thought I’d pass the threads along in case you wanted to read more.

Happy Planning!

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

The walk is 2 1/2 - 3 miles depending on your exact route.  Very doable and takes decent walkers about an hour.  We will be there on a Sunday, next April, and might do that walk if it is a good weather day.

 

Hank

Thanks for the info. I would be willing to walk it to visit again if other transportation wasn’t available. I think there were 2 bus options when we visited and it was easy to navigate.

19 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Yes, Villefranche is a tender port!  There are no docking facilities for any cruise ships…You also cannot count on there being taxis sitting at this small port.  This is a place where it makes sense for some to book an excursion (or pre-arranged private guide/transportation).

Hank

@Hlitner

We took a bus there from Monaco a few years back and from one of the stops connected with another bus to Villa Ephrussi. It was one of my favorite days ever. I’m not exactly sure where tender passengers would be dropped off; do you have an idea of how far the walk might be to Villa Ephrussi from the tender drop off?

Not trying to go off topic, but since it’s related: I know passengers may order room service off the MDR menu during dinner hours (I have done this countless times without issue). If a passenger wanted to order room service during lunch hours on a day when the MDR is open, are we able to order from the MDR menu on those days? Just curious about that.

@Lakesregion In the Lido, the Bread Board section should have a variety of sandwiches, plus the Homestead section might offer a slider.

It’s not hot, but I love the Club Sandwich from the In-Room Dining menu. Highly recommend (with a slice of the chocolate cake for dessert)!

12 hours ago, Mary229 said:

…iTunes downloads your songs and they are available without internet. I don’t know about Spotify but I know I need internet for I heart. 

@Thetideishigh2021

We have the same issue with Amazon Music, etc., when we’re in the mountains and lose a signal. As the post above indicates, along with your own experience, if you have music already downloaded and aren’t reliant on streaming, then it makes for easier playback.

I have memories of being on the Prinsendam in 2009 and being asked our cabin number when we arrived for dinner on the several times we ate in The Lido. We had tablecloths, placed our order at the counter and it was brought to our table by a server.

On 8/18/2023 at 12:37 PM, AFNavigator said:

I just threw out the generic Game Show concept as something fun that can be offered to interested passengers.  Tailored to the appropriate audience, some of these types of activities can be quite entertaining….

We had several excellent Cruise Directors in the past who made the Game Shows, Marriage Game, etc., hilarious and very entertaining. For those memorable ones, it was standing room only.

3 hours ago, Mary229 said:

…They used to offer hors d’oeuvres in some of the bars starting at 5 but that has disappeared.  They should bring that back.  

According to the “Know Before You Go,” under Shipboard Meals, it says “In addition to breakfast, lunch and a multi-course dinner, you can enjoy afternoon tea, hearty salads, comfort classics, global cuisine, an ice cream bar, hot hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hours, and the traditional late-night snack.…” https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq/know-before-you-go.html

So HAL is advertising the hors d’oeuvres as still available, difficult-to-find though they may be. On my last sailing (pre-pandemic), I had to request them. I have heard of others more recently getting them on request.

2 hours ago, Anubi said:

None of the Norway cruises call into Geiranger.  😞  

31 minutes ago, WNCtourist said:

I'm not seeing Flam on any Norway itineraries for 2025 -- am I overlooking something?

See this Thread: 

Does the Spa still do their giveaways on Embarkation Day? (I actually won a few prizes over the years!) If I would attend, I always received offers during the sailing via flyers to my room.

While I have never booked transfers at the time of booking, when I used travel agents, they always would ask me if I wanted to include transfers. But I have never been told that if I were to cancel, what the penalties would be. Good to know! 

11 hours ago, azalice said:

Will I be able to make and receive phone calls easily during the Alaska Explorer Seattle roundtrip cruise? I need contact with my home during the 7 days. I would appreciate information and/or advice.

I looked at an Explorer itinerary. For your US ports, when we visited we had a signal with Verizon. ymmv.

6 hours ago, DTtravelers said:

Well, I called the Mariner Society number yesterday and got a different story.  I know, I know...

 

We are at 197 days, and I told the agent I did not want to have to wait 11 more days in 3* status on our scheduled 14 day cruise.  He said on day 3 to go to the front desk and have them submit an expedited request to the home office.  As soon as it was approved, we would get 4* benefits during the cruise. 

 

Note: In this day and age, it shouldn't take involvement of anyone to make this happen.  It should all be automated.  The computer knows you boarded the ship and it knows your history.  Making you wait until your next cruise or until someone punches a few keys on the computer to update you is archaic.  But time will tell.  However it all turns out, I will report back after/during the cruise...(March '24).

That’s interesting, thanks for sharing! 

In the past, the Mariner Society told me if you’re within 3 days of the next star and your cruise is 21 days or longer, you can call and request the early upgrade to receive the benefits for the duration of the cruise. It has to go through an approval process. It’s good to hear they may be able to do this on 14 day sailings.

I look forward to hearing how quickly they are able to expedite your case!

Happy Sailing!

I like the Wasabi & Soy Crusted Beef Tenderloin in Tamarind.

Back when HAL gave recipe cards out at Cooking Demonstrations, I never threw any away so I have enough for a good-sized cookbook. I do not have the recipe for their Tamale Cake appetizer, though. Does anyone have it? I always enjoyed that dish.

I always enjoyed Chicken a la King at the Royal Dutch High Tea back in the day.

I love HAL’s variety of chocolate cakes, especially the one served in the Lido during lunch on the first day, and the one with raspberries, and the one on the In Room Dining menu…and the one… haha….

4 hours ago, sharonk729 said:

Once I got my PCC he found the offer. He said the agent I first spoke too was probably new. A new spread sheet comes out each week and newbie’s aren’t aware. Learned my lesson. Got my cruise

Glad it worked out for you! A few years back, an incredible deal was visible to me online. I called HAL to put it on Hold and they couldn’t find it, so I emailed a screenshot and they honored the price. For some reason, it didn’t show up for them to view on their end until the following day.

On 6/4/2023 at 7:35 PM, Hlitner said:

…Kind of like have a nice modern theater with State of the Art lighting/sound and nothing but a HAL history slide show or BBC Nature Documentary.  Ooops,  

 

Hank

I cannot understand why the World Stage is not used every night, or at least most nights, during a sailing. I remember when substituting a Movie for live entertainment was almost unheard of, but on nights when we were departing from a port at 9pm or later, one could understand. But to do away with evening entertainment just doesn’t make sense to me.

On the last cruise we took pre-pandemic, we had to arrive 20-30 minutes early just to get a seat for the evening show, it was standing room only every night. 🤷‍♀️

3 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

I have accepted upsell HAL email offers on most of my cruises and thus would not use a TA who does not pass these on.  I think that the issue is that SOME TAs consider it too time consuming to bother with (multiple calls to customer and HAL to work it all out).  

Agree, and we’ve decided not to use them again. I now know HAL had previously sent offers to them (for years), but not a single time were they passed on, even though we specifically had our booking marked to receive them. We had used the TA for a long time, they were through a big box who gave nice rebates through a membership we had, but most of the time I had done most of the work on the front end, even initially booking with HAL and transferring it over to the TA to get the rebate. Sometimes that was the only interaction we had for the entire transaction, was me calling to say, “I’ve got a booking on hold and am transferring it over to you.” After hearing about the service other TAs or even PCCs were giving (complimentary dinners, anniversary or sailaway gifts, etc.), we decided to book directly (and keep it) with HAL and not-to-our surprise, started receiving Upsells.

14 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

…Insurance doesn't recognize the gift cards. So, any booking made thru gift cards would be lost money after final payment...

I’ve never purchased HAL’s insurance, but I do always purchase an independent travel policy. The last several cruises my Nationwide policy was one crafted for cruise ship passengers. (Note: I have not sailed since the pandemic began). If I read my policy correctly, any necessary refund would have been based on my Invoice Total with HAL, airlines, hotels, etc., not method of payment (as long as it was non-refundable).

On 7/2/2023 at 7:31 PM, majmaj4 said:

If I booked through a TA; does the upgrade request/offer have to go through the TA also?

For years, we booked through a TA and were assured they would pass along any e-mailed Upgrade Offers, but we never received any. We just assumed none were offered to us by HAL, but after reading Threads here realized our TA was not taking the time to pass them along (likely because of how quickly they go, and the hassle involved on their part).

So on our last cruise, we booked directly through HAL and regularly received the e-mail offers once they started. We would also call in without an e-mail to check, and it was on one of those calls the representative made us an offer that we took.

On 7/2/2023 at 10:08 AM, cruisemom42 said:

 

Maybe some enterprising CC'er should print up some pins with this phrase on it and give them out at roll calls. 😆

 

Edited to add:  Oh wait, HAL doesn't attend roll call meetings, see separate post. LOL.

 

Guess we can just wear them around the ship.

😀What if we had a “Coordinated Feedback to HAL” Thread on this forum, and on select days picked a topic for concerned Mariners to email customer service about? I honestly don’t know if it would help or hinder the cause, but I would participate if it helped restore some beloved HAL features.

On 6/29/2023 at 1:43 PM, ExpatBride said:

 

I'm also a young GenXer, and classical music is one of the things that endeared me to HAL. I'm sailing next month for the first time since 2016 and was shocked after I booked to discover how many of the things that separated HAL from other lines have been discontinued. 

I don't expect things to stay the same, but a lot of the cuts were things that set HAL apart for the better....

Very well said! For years, we were among the youngest cruisers on board, yet it was those special things that made HAL different that kept us coming back, year after year. Perhaps those who were previously over these decisions to make cuts didn't realize how much the "little things" mattered (I understand some had never taken a cruise before, so I guess it would be easier to cut, cut, cut than evaluate what had set them apart:>).

"Big doors swing on small hinges."

I'm happy to hear about some of the things returning and am hoping that a classical music group that entertains almost nightly will return soon. Here's to a bright future! 😃

I noticed it more after the Disembarkation Talks became a thing of the past. The Cruise Director used to always remind us to do the survey, leave honest feedback and in a no-pressure way let us know that mentioning an outstanding crew member by name helped them more in their careers than most guests realized.

Perhaps without these reminders on some ships crew have felt pressure to get the message out themselves?

I also agree that it’s off-putting when the requests are excessive, or when I feel after-the-fact that a service might have been done in exchange for a comment. By and large, though, most of the crew I have encountered have gone above and beyond without ever mentioning the survey or feedback.

I don’t know about the new Rotterdam, but the previous Art Tours for several ships were archived. See this Thread for the files.

Happy Sailing!