Bill B

On 3/26/2024 at 10:34 PM, mightycruisequeen said:

According to HAL's website, the Oak Room on Noordam does currently allow smoking.   

You are correct.

However, remember the adage - "Don't believe everything you read on the internet." (especially HAL's website) 🚬

One good electromagnetic pulse from detonation of a relatively close nuclear device will solve the problem. 😉

Then of course, no one will be able to find their way back to their room because the Navigator App won't work. 🙄 So, maybe it's not a good idea. 🤣

I'm assuming Captain XXXXX still has: a sextant, chronometer, charts and a magnetic compass, thus will be able to find a port (somewhere). 🤔😓

On 3/20/2024 at 9:23 PM, JAFM said:

Are bonfires allowed in the staterooms?  We like a nice evening bonfire.  Does HAL provide kindling?

No, but the Oak Room on the Noordam - designed as smoking lounge (where you can't smoke anymore) - has a beautiful fireplace. The woman who claims to be allergic to purified water 🤔 and can only drink spring water, is also allergic to wood. So, kindling has been banned. 🙄

You need a different accent - then it'll connect you to Costa's artificial 'mind'. 🙄

Why don't you ask them?

43 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

What persentage, if any, does the city get from port charges?

There is no universal percentage. 

Good and bad on both. It depends on the ship, itinerary and how lucky you are. 

On 1/18/2024 at 10:13 PM, cruisemom42 said:

Put 'em in the scupper with a hosepipe on them.... 

I know a few sea shanties -

I've never thought about it (until now). Personally, it varies dramatically from zero to many hundreds of dollars for a helicopter tour. They always get my port charges.

Friday here in Vietnam. I've found something puzzling on the website when I log in and go to my booking under ITINERARY -

Pre-Paid Crew Appreciation: Bill B

I haven't pre-paid the crew appreciation and it is not included in my booking promo.

Also, $500 OBC is included in my booking promo, plus $100 from AARP = $600. Yesterday, when my TA got my room changed from a Cat. L to Cat. MM (i.e. I downgraded myself to better room) the corresponding fare appears on my Booking Confirmation with a total of $700 OBC. When I asked my TA where the extra $100 came from, her reply was "I don't know and I'm afraid to ask." 🤔

As far as I can see, the only 'downside' is they have almost a year to fix the website before I sail. How good is their accounting department? 😏

53 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I think I've learned more about HAL here than I have from many cruises on HAL. 

All is flux, the only constant is change.*

*May or may not not apply to sailings on, before or after February 1, 2024.

1 hour ago, kazu said:

There are no terms and conditions on the HAL site and my call to ships’ services took me to the Philippines which I take with a grain of salt 😉 

This is interesting. I've looked at the four Beverage Cards on the HAL website. The page for each card has DETAILS (which don't tell you much 😂) and under that, a link for a pop-up window - BEVERAGE PACKAGE FAQs - stating in part: "Below are the Terms and Conditions, not sure we need to add this, but may be helpful to add some of these notes?" (I can't figure out if that's that a statement or a question 🤣) and "Packages are non-transferable and non-refundable. No sharing is permitted."

Now the question becomes -

Is a Card a Package?

44 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

Check the date.

Ahh haa! That explains it. 😄

They will gratefully accept it (but prefer U.S. dollars).

Yesterday, I made a one dollar deposit booking (in USD) charged to my RBC visa. It appears on my account as $1.38 CAD. 😧

20 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Well a good keel hauling may get everyone's attention, but may not work in today's social climate.

Keel hauling is too drastic. Bring back the 'cat' -

By USS Constitution Museum 

On 2/25/2017 at 6:33 AM, eyern1 said:

I think I've seen where you can fill a bag for some amount for the crew to wash...

Yes... and the bag comes back very clean. 😉

6 minutes ago, CVU said:

The Premium drink package was in a generous HIA early booking bonus for 17 nt and is also with the Crew Gratuities along with other nice perks...

In that case all your 'gratuities' - drinks and grew appreciation - are included and you won't be billed anything for any 'gratuity' unless you order a drink priced at more than $15. If you do, you will pay the difference between $15 and the price of the drink, plus 18%. 

What remains to be seen is if those who pre-pay their crew appreciation (i.e. it is not included in the booking), at the current rate and sail after February 1, will be billed the increased amount. It seems in the past people who did so were 'locked in'. However, the wording is such that, even if crew appreciation is pre-paid, they could (I doubt it) be billed the increased amount when onboard. Stay tuned and check back on February 2. 😏

5 hours ago, Moriah said:

Those are crew cabins.  Performers, etc.

They must be important to get a window (even if the view is only of a lifeboat). 😉

On 2/25/2017 at 8:06 AM, Krazy Kruizers said:

...and laundry by the bag ($20 per bag in the Caribbean).

I think the bags are now $35 (maybe the Caribbean is different).

1 hour ago, Shippy said:

Yes, just cruises. I cannot name them because years ago i did that.

I got a reprimand from cruise critic that if I did that again, I would be banned    :O(

Kind'a like going to Facebook 'jail'. 😂 Understandable though - Cruise Critic doesn't really exist for the discussion boards, it exists to sell cruises through links to advertisers (who pay to fund the discussion boards).

Back to the original topic - 

I find the least labour intensive way of looking at all available rooms is to use a website (that cannot be named) showing all rooms in any given Cat. on any given deck (including accessible rooms) for the entire ship - just one (almost instantaneous) 'click' to change decks. On the HAL website, it's a PITA to change sections and decks to see what's available.

If your cruise can be booked as part of a B-T-B etc., open a window for each 'cruise'.

I have a booking now for a 28-day cruise that is sold as part of its preceding 41-day and antecedent 43-day cruises. I was able to get a room that was not shown as available for my cruise because I knew it could be booked for the 41-day.

It seems to me you have nothing to lose (except a pittance of interest) and everything to gain  - guaranteed spot and locked-in price* - by pre-booking. I can see no reason you couldn't cancel once onboard and immediately re-book using OBC.

* Read the 'fine print'.

1 hour ago, CVU said:

We are fine with the increase but wondered if it was a locked price when you book.  Premium Drinks are in our HIA too, so I doubt they add the increase to those?   Thanks

It depends on what promo you booked under.

You use the words "Premium" and "too" when referring to your beverage package so I assume (always a mistake) you booked under a HIA Early Booking Bonus promo that included the 'crew appreciation', upgraded beverage package - Signature to Elite (18% service charge included) - and upgraded wi-fi - Surf to Premium. If that's the case, your 'crew appreciation' is paid no matter how much the per diem rate changes.

The 18% service charge on drinks has not changed (yet). It is different and separate from the 'crew appreciation'.

1 hour ago, TravelBluebird said:

There is an endless procession of beautiful icebergs.  I keep going out to my balcony, thinking I have enough photos of icebergs, but I can’t help myself.  I take more.

I remember the days of film when you had to think twice before pressing the shutter button. There is something to be said for the digital revolution. 📷 

Thanks AQ! 

I was just curious. It really doesn't matter because I will spend more than $600 onboard.

How do you know if OBC is refundable or non-refundable?

For my cruise, I have $500 OBC included as part of the booking and $100 AARP OBC.

I assume the AARP $100 is non-refundable, but what about the $500 as part of the booking?