Windsailer

I thought most of the HAL ships calling on Sitka moored and passengers were tendered in? Has that changed this year?  It certainly is easier if you tender in. 

I know i would save some money if I did it myself before the cruise but I have a lot of OBC and this might be a way to use it. What's the process? Do I just go to the Customer Service desk and they can take care of it?  Thanks in advance for all the information. 

HALs refusal to "grandfather" in the bookings made prior to the March 2024 implementation of this policy is very short sighted. Many of us book cruises right when they are listed so we can have a cabin in the location we want. It's likely that HAL will lose previously loyal customer over how this policy is being implemented. Including me. Does HAL realize that it costs 5x as much to acquire new customers than retain the ones you have? As a long time shareholder I am less than impressed with HAL's management. 

3 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

I think this could be about the term "assigned cabin" ("If you are assigned to a cabin, that is yours"). Maybe the rep thinks the question is about a Guarentee assignment? I can't imagine HAL making the mistake of assigning a Guarentee solo or couple to a triple or quad in the first place.

She had my booking number and was able to see that it was a specific cabin. It wasn't a guarantee. 

Once this new policy started being discussed - and in spite of the inaccurate answer from the Customer Service agent above - I made sure that when I booked a new cruise I was not in a cabin that was allowed three or four people. 

However, this doesn't help with the problem I have now. I have CO on two of my cruises this year - both were booked in 2023 - and in talking to Ship Inventory i selected a cabin I liked. I wasn't told that the cabin slept more than two people. In March, when this new polcy started being discussed, discovering both cabins were triples, I tried to switch both those cabins to doubles. But was told by my TA and HAL directly that I was only allowed to select my cabin once with CO and since I had already done that I couldn't move. More than a bit frustrating. 

All of you might find the following interesting. Note the date. 

49 minutes ago, a.madruga said:

we just noticed our booking for Alaska next July 2025 is a quad never even noticed until we read your issue and worried somewhat only because it's summer and we could get bumped  booked it in Nov 2023 so we could get what we wanted along with CO so our deal is very good but now you got us calling our PCC tomorrow.  Hope all works out for you and family

Let us know how that turns out. With CO you are allowed to select your cabin once and that's it. When this new policy came out I tried to move cabins and was told no and no and no.

I recently booked a cruise for October 2026 right when they came out. I travel solo. The cabin I wanted (one that was not a triple or quad) was not available. As I was upgrading from a VH to a V or VA with Club Orange the only cabins available were quads or triples. I told my TA that I didn't want any of them because I was afraid i would be moved. She assured me - after talking to HAL - that I wouldn't be moved. That the policy wasn't going to be enforced on that particular cruise.  We'll see. 

I recently booked three new cruises. As usual the AARP credit did not show up manually. Each time I emailed HAL reservations and they added it. Mine never is attached automatically even though HAL says it should. 

Thanks for all the helpful information. I truly appreciate it!

9 hours ago, GrammieK said:

I recently requested a specific table for dinner in the main dining room. You need to contact ship services for your ship. Have a couple of table numbers ready in case your first choice is already assigned. The agent will check if your choice is available and then send an email to the person in charge. I received a confirmation email in a couple of days confirming my choice. 
 

good luck

k🚢

Do you have the email to contact Ship Services? Would really appreciate it. TIA. 

6 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

I have not gotten a call back; I call.Ship Inventory daily.

Thanks. Just as I expected.

Has anyone had any success in being placed on the waiting list for Club Orange then HAL calling to tell you it's avaiable? Or is it best to just call Ship Inventory all the time to see if a spot opens up?

Interesting. I got fresh squeezed OJ in the Lido on the Noordam last December. Every morning. Never a charge.

I had always planned to be more careful in cabin selection after I heard about this new policy. Perhaps HAL is going to make that process easier. I searched for cabins on two potential cruises in 2026 on the HAL website, indicating that the number of guests was one. I also picked "select your own cabin" at a cost of approx $250 more. Each time the only cabins that came up were ones that did not sleep 3 or 4. Not that I agree with the policy and hope that I am not affected by it on the two cruises I have booked for this year. 

The problem I have with this new policy is that it came out after I booked my 4 2024 and 2025 cruises. I have Club Orange on all 4. With Club Orange once you select a cabin you can't change it. I travel solo (and pay the same as 2 people) and two of the cabins are designated for 3/4 persons. I tried to change the 2 cabins to ones that are designated for 2 people. but HAL refuses to let me. One of the cruises is over Christmas. If I am booted from my cabin to accomodate late bookers I will be extremely unhappy. 

Assuming i continue to cruise on HAL I will make sure that I only books cabins that are designated for two passengers. 

It's  at 740 West Hastings. Less than 1/2 mile from the hotel. Perhaps you are thinking of another Breka location? 

There is a lovely restaurant that is open 24/7 quite close to the hotel. https://www.breka.ca/

If you order from the cab on the way from the airport I am sure it would be easy to stop and pick something up. 

Thanks Crew News. That's reassuring!

I have been trying to use the Stockperks app on my new iPhone for the past week. Numerous emails from Stockperks either saying my submission had problems and the submission was successful. Nothing directly from HAL. This morning I received this:

Hello

 

I hope HAL is saving a lot of money by using Stockperks rather having HAL staff process the requests. I find it to be a horrible process. 

When I board the Noordam at the end of September the Nieuw Amsterdam will also be in port and boarding passengers. Will it be obvious where I should check in so I don't end up on the NA. (Not that I would normally mind!). TIA. 

4 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

I think you are probably safe, between Club Orange, booking before the policy was started, not being warned, and the strict limitation NOT being in effect (although at least two of us did get the idea from our PCC, that that was the end goal).

 

Club Orange may in fact be the way around being bumped...

I hope so!  I am a bit more encouraged now. 

6 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Their policy is not necessarily to limit couples to double cabins. It is more to give advance notice that if solo or couple book a 3/4 cabin  and if there are 2 cabins in the same class or higher there is some chance, however small, that they might get bumped. 

 

If all cabins are 3/4 no way to bump you to a 2 if there are none for a given class or higher. If some are 3 and some are 4 probably better of to book a 3.

Well, there wasn't any advance notice when I booked any of these cruises. 

I have 4 cruises booked - two over Christmas. Three of the 4 cruises I used Club Orange to upgrade to VA cabins. All these cabins are marked as triples or quads. I am most concerned about this year's Christmas cruise so I asked my TA - who is terrific - to find me a new VA cabin that isn't a triple or quad. She did a search for a single passenger and came up with 8 cabins. All are either triple or quad! So if their policy is to limit solos or couples to double cabins it isn't working. I really, really hope I don't get bumped. 

52 minutes ago, richart said:

Hopefully someone can give you a better answer than I since I have yet to embark out of Vancouver, I have read the following on posts on this board:

1. Porters are available at curbside.
2. Baggage drop off is on Level P2.

3. Princess used Level D4 (Convention Center) for baggage drop off during one passenger's cruise.
 

This is really, really helpful. Thanks!