oaktreerb

Have you ever used the “free” laundry room on a luxury line cruise ship? On a sea day it is constant activity. Find a washer that works, consider whether you should remove someone’s not quite dry laundry from a dryer that signals the clothes are dry, determine where to put someone’s dry laundry when you want to use the dryer. Wait for the iron to be free for pressing. I was surprised that a lot of men are responsible for doing laundry on the ship! Laundry is a bargain on a HAL ship whether $9 or $20 a day. And you can use OBC to pay for it!

You have to be ONBOARD 30 minutes prior to departure.

HAL does not allow you to choose a check in time. The earlier you are assigned a check in time, the more likely it will change. What time does your itinerary leave port? The port of departure also makes a difference. Many factors come into play. Generally plan to board sometime early to mid afternoon in most cases. HAL’s goal is to have the rooms ready before boarding,

Not at all.

Deck 4 aft, deeper balcony, partially covered, quiet unless you have noisy neighbors, close to dining room, my favorite location. The forward staterooms are nearer the showroom and entertainment venues and far forward have steel railings.

I also got the waitlist notification and was told to accept the waitlist booking, pay for it, and get reimbursed onboard. It was the only excursion I wanted to do so I was happy to get it! I made a note on my printed confirmation so I won’t forget to ask for the credit (to my credit card) when we are onboard.

Anyone can order from Room Service. Call your concierge and ask them if you can order from the Pinnacle. Club Orange has a special phone contact to call and you may as well take advantage of it!

Sometimes HAL sends notices that do not apply to your cruise. Which itinerary are you cruising? Covid standards still exist in some areas. Do you need to show proof of vaccination? If HAL asks you to download Verifly you should probably do it to be sure you have completed all of the necessary documentation in order to join the ship.

You need to choose your stateroom. The obstructed veranda that you paid for with the addition of Club Orange makes you eligible to choose any stateroom within that stateroom category. On the newer ships you could choose from a VF to a VQ stateroom. You must have paid the upcharge for Club Orange. You may be able to call Club Orange directly with your booking number or you may have to go through your TA. Look online at the stateroom selection before you call.

If the ship is ready for boarding the 4* and above just proceed to go onboard after going through the boarding process and security. There was no line for 4 and 5 star that I saw. I arrived at my boarding time and after telling them I was 4* I walked into the terminal and went through the boarding/security process.

There is an elevator. We walked up the stairs.

Kids sail free?

Agree about the drinks. Training may be an issue here. Agree about Sel de Mer. The lobster was disappointing. The Salmon was excellent. Dover Sole seems to be the best choice. Service is excellent. The staff was looking forward to Rudy being on the Nov 12 sailing.

I hope you have fixed seating. If not, charm the Maitre’d into giving you a fixed table in open seating. Our stateroom was on 4 aft and we had to wind our way through the crowds of people outside the dining room on our way to Club Orange for dinner (where we also had to wait sometimes). Food was good, portions small. I don’t care for the Lido so we only went there for a salad to take to the room. It’s not the food, it’s all the people milling around that bothers me. Servers were helpful. We did have a full ship and the Grand Dutch Cafe was pretty busy but it’s worth the wait. People tried to leave open seats in the showroom to avoid crowding. Arrive at your boarding time, tell the reps that you are 4* or above. Assume that you will be going directly into the terminal upon arrival. You should be treated with courtesy. If you feel like someone has given you the wrong information, ask someone else.

There is some seating inside the terminal building near the entry point and just in front of the bathrooms. Sometimes you just have to ask the right person so if somebody is trying to hurry you along, just ask another port rep who seems more open to assist you.

It may depend on which staff member you meet at the entry point. If everyone came at their assigned time it would make the process so much smoother!

You have to tell the staff that you are 4*. or above. The PRIORITY boarding printed on your boarding pass doesn’t mean anything to them. You shouldn’t expect early check in but you should expect to be admitted to the building if you arrive at your boarding time. HAL has made an effort to have rooms available at embarkation to reduce crowding in the Lido. Do not expect lunch in the dining room. People on this board who talk about arriving early because they are higher priority star status mess up the boarding process for everybody.

You need to choose your room now! It’s not a category upgrade, it is only within the category you paid for and as @trixieesays, call them to choose your room PDQ!.

The less the staff has to do for you the faster everybody can get on board. Print your own and have them on your luggage before you get to the port.

In San Diego it came in handy when we arrived at the port to show our boarding time and our 4* status. We were told to have our boarding passes in hand. Easier to see and no fumbling around with our cell phone when we were also dealing with carryons, etc!

If you are 4* let the staff know. It’s a challenge for them to see the 4* designation on the boarding pass. Most are aware of the 4* status, some may not be. Arrive at your boarding time and you should have an easy boarding process. After you check in and are told to sit in a particular area, ask if the ship has begun boarding. If it has, you can proceed to board because you are 4* or above. Priority boarding seems to mean nothing in my recent experience. A lot of cruisers will probably be 4*.

Yes. Fixed early dining fills up pretty fast. It is easier to get late fixed dining. If you can’t get fixed dining get to know the Maitre’d the first night and ask if it would be possible to have the same table for two each evening at the early seating. That way you can just walk in and sit at your table. If you do not arrive within 15 minutes of your time the table will be given to someone else, and give him the courtesy of letting him know when you will be eating elsewhere.

When I book a cruise and add Club Orange at the same time my PCC always asks for a separate payment for Club Orange. CO payment is rolled into the discounted cruise fare but charged as a separate item on my Cruise Confirmation paperwork. I’ve booked CO three times in the past year.

Club Orange is your special dining. The Pinnacle Dining Room is not open for suite breakfast like it is on the older ships.

It’s still one of my favorite places on the ship. In November the ship was really crowded. On two other cruises with fewer people on the ship, it was great! More people are discovering that the food items are free and HAL needs to up their staffing and train the cooks! There are wonderful premade pastries and cookies. Enjoy!