rodndonna

We are doing our first Oosterdam cruise next month and currently booked in MM - inside cabin in the aft which quite frankly would be fine, however, it appears we will have no sofa or loveseat to sit on and I think I would really like one. I am reviewing room categories that have availability to see the cheapest options we could potentially call in for an upsell to that would give us a sofa/loveseat. Large insides are now quite pricey now, so I guess those are limited and go quick (mental note taken for future bookings). There are a number of Fully Obstructed Oceanview available - but I am confused when I look at pictures. Some show a couch and some show what looks like a day bed. If you are just 2 people, are there cushions to make that bed more of a couch? Is it a matter of finding one that states maximum of 3 n a room over 4 in a room assuming 3 in a room means it has a sofa bed and 4 in a room are bunk beds? I've never called in for an upsell,and as much as I like to think they would know all this, I am nervous I am may call in and get something I didn't expect (for example just another bed to sit on ....)

Same for me. I have been getting the error lately as well in Firefox, but no problems with Safari.

Personally for us, on the Eurodam, I would say no. We would like (we think) the separate dining room for CO, but it is only on Pinnacle class I believe. There are some dining perks in terms of broader menu and better access to the dining room for anytime dining, but that is not of much interest to us. I think the other thing people like is priority to tenders, so if you have a lot of tender ports, maybe?

I am less concerned with noises from the ceiling than being beside a room with noisy kids (bad Alaska experience). Other than that, those rooms do look fantastic for an inside and likely what we would book without OC, but the cost to book them over an inside GTY with OC wouldn't be worthwhile. I was hoping "maybe" OC got an inside into an Oceanview 😉 I guess you need to really be in a Verandah to make OC worthwhile from a room upgrade point of view.

I am thinking it would be doing NE and Canada after that. Those are still not out yet.

Does anyone know how booking onboard works if you have a PCC and want them to get the credit for your booking? Is is automatic that the PCC will get that booking (when you have a PCC) or would we need to "transfer" the booking within HAL they way you would if transferring to an external TA?

We had a Dec 2023 cruise cancelled by HAL earlier this year, and the FCD was returned as FCD.

Thinking about booking a cruise booking on the Eurodam and wondering about the potential benefit of purchasing Club Orange. for that cruise (assuming available) Is there a separate dining room for CO on Eurodam? We've sailed on the Eurodam and seem think there was ... but it was our first post Covid cruise and our first HAL cruise so too many new things going on to trust ur recollection. We are looking at an inside (to save $) and minimally only really care about having someplace to sit comfortably like a couch or loveseat. I think we can get this with a "large" inside. If we book an inside GTY and then purchase CO, any idea where that would get us for cabin? Large Inside, Inside better locale (but then maybe still no loveseat) or Oceanview (which would get us a loveseat and a window!).

In fact, I can see fall 2024 cruises that still have Early Booking bonus available. I don't think they have a hard rule for offering "Early", and I suspect it depends somewhat on availability.

You mention "reasonable pricing", and with that in mind I would also recommend you take a look at HAL. In our experience (lowly cabin inside or balcony cabins) HAL is generally a little cheaper and has what I would consider better (more interesting) itineraries than Celebrity.

The HIA early bonus offering extends well past the first 90 days after the launch For example, we just had a March 2025 cruise with Celebrity for the Caribbean, so came poking on HAL's site for a winter escape replacement. Those cruises were released back in March (so long past 90 days) but they still offer the early booking bonus, but we wouldn't get the Mariner loyalty bonus.

That Early Bonus isn't the same as what the OP was refering to (I thought) - there are 2 bonuses associated with being early, The one as you show above, and also the "Mariner Loyalty" early bonus OBC which is only available if you have a Mariner number and you book within 90 days of launch. You can "double-dip" by being within the 90days of launch and get both.

You get the Mariner early booking bonus when you book in the first 90 days after the launch - so really really early. You will have to ask HAL or check back to see the release dates for your cruises to see if you are eligible. https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/deals_CAD/mariner-early-booking-bonus.html

I hope so also .. but am not optimistic....

For those of you that like to plan early like myslef, Europe Fall 2025 cruises are now visible with pricing on a large 3rd party booking site. I can see pricing per category, but when you try to continue through it says no cabins left. They don't appear on HAL's site. This happened with Alaska (before available in HAL) and I could swear I had seen Europe for a while earlier this summer and then it disappeared. Fun to start peeking though when they show up like this 😃

I'm a big fan of booking early as the early booking bonus version of HIA you get the elite beverages and Premium Wifi and the gratuities are included. If you can book within 90 days of launch you also get extra OBC with the Mariner early booking bonus. We use "Future cruise deposits" purchased on a prior cruise, so the deposit is small, but doesn't sound like the case for yourself but worth looking into for future cruises if you are in a HAL cruise and every expect to book another. We are in Canada and we can re-fare if the price drops, not sure that is an option for you in the UK though. Another reason we book early is airfare for us is generally the long pole, and by booking early we have a better chance of getting decent flight options and prices. A final reason we book early is that I have a hard time imagining cruises prices will drop over the couple of years (but who knows). Good luck with your planning!

The thing for me is since I got my first Casino discount, I have always had that same discount on every cruise I look at, regardless of when I look (email received or not). I suspect this may be due in part to my nature of gambling the same relative amount on our cruises in combination with but more likely due to the fact that I am only ever looking at 7-14 day cruises (blame the dog!) that are in the order of a year or more out. Someday that Casino discount might not just be there for me... but I've yet to see it 🤔 When I am preplanning 2025 (as I am right now) I am already mentally tallying in my anticipated casino discount🤞to what I think 2025 pricing might be (based on HAL 2024 prices and what other lines are doing in regards to their relative 2024 to 2025 pricing).

Yes to more Canadian ports! Being selfish in part (from the region) but also because I have been eyeing the HAL cruises to Newfoundland (where I have yet to venture) but they appear to have actually reduced the sailings in 2024 from what they are in 2023 for options doing doing multiple NFLD ports. HAL is about the only "fare friendly" option to get to multiple ports in NFLD, so hoping 2025 offering is back to 2023 offering. Azores would be great. Another 2025 short list contender for us is an NCL Canary Islands cruise because it included ports invthe Azores. Again, not a lot of "fare-friendly" options getting to the Azores so nice if HAL went there.

It's only new bookings, but if you booked very recently you could consider re-faring it (essentially cancelling and rebooking) to get the OBC.

Reading through this topic (bits and pieces of the 10 pages) I am a bit unsure if it is valid for just 1 cruise a year or not. I see some folks stating that but have not read it in T&C (which may be in flux since this is so new) Not a big deal for us (have joined AARP as it appears worth is for even 1 cruise a year) but just wondering if we should be putting some forethought into which cruise to apply it to (potentially) if there is a limit.

I have always had it that way - which for me (a newer HAL person) would be for over a year now. First time I came across it (price dropping "on the fly") I thought it was some Canadian resident "at par" thing going on since it seemed to correlate to the difference in our currency, but not the case. Edit: Maybe an oddity on the Canadian currency rates site.

It's odd I don't need to get to the cart to see it ... I can see the price drop when I select the room category from what was displayed when it shows me all the room categories.

I have booked 3 cruises with a Casino discount - and it has always been the same % on each, and the also the same discount I see for any future cruises I have been eyeing. Definitely makes our Casino play worthwhile 😎

we see it when pricing (price is reduced after selecting room category) and then it is listed in the invoice as well (although in the invoice we no longer see what the actual discount was, just that it was applied to the rate)

I rarely get emails, but the Casino discount I receive seems to just be a mainstay on any cruise I have looked at (after I follow through the booking). I seem to always have the same % discount, but perhaps it is because everything I am looking at is at least a year in advance. We never get Casino related perks (like free play) on those though .. just the discount. All other perks (Shareholder OBC and such) are applicable on our Casino discount cruises. They are not on our rare "free cabin" offer with free play offers (always near term cruises for us). For us, even with a "free" cabin, we don't come out ahead of just booking early with a Casino discount and all the perks we can get with those bookings.