colbe

On 7/9/2024 at 7:00 AM, colbe said:

Only one of our bags arrived in New Zealand with us. 😒 At the moment nobody seems to know where the other one is.

UPDATE 

Four weeks later and I still do not have my luggage. The bag is not missing, I have known at all times since Monday 8 July exactly where it is. My battle has been to find anyone at HAL who would listen to me and assist.

My one and only response from HA was on July 19, when I was told that they would contact the ship and pier to try and locate it (even though I had told them that Pier 91 staff had it) and then get back to me (they haven't).

20 July: Pier 91 sent me a photo of the 11 items that USA customs have removed from the bag as they are items prohibited to import into US. (Half empty toiletries (two that where purchased in Alaska), a small empty glass bottle, a small pair of paper scissors!

21 July: DHL messaged to say that my parcel was on its way. (This is in spite of my telling HAL that AirNZ had arranged to fly my bag as a RUSH and deliver it to my home. I had left a customs and agricultural declaration at the airport to enable this.)

Bag then travelled from Seattle to Cincinnati, to San Francisco, to LA, to Auckland.

Three days later the bag was still sitting at the airport and I get a message to say that it cannot pass customs. I spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to contact a real person at DHL to find out what is wrong - the customs declaration that came with it is incorrect. 

Eight days later I still do not have customs clearance. I have supplied extensive paper work but it is really hard to explain why the customs declaration listed a $2000 antique pearl necklace from Chinese Republic of China (what?) and only $35 worth of clothing all purchased in the USA. The bag is sitting in DHL Bond Store and I am having to pay a daily charge of $40 plus $100 dollars to have them refile the customs declaration.

This is a brief outline of what has happened. I always trusted that HAL staff would help if I contacted them, but my trust has been destroyed. Rather than it being a staff problem, I suspect that it is a systems failure, emails go nowhere, phones are not monitored, phone messages are not listened to. 

18 minutes ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

I have to be in Seattle tomorrow. Maybe I should try to find a door to pound on to get their attention. It's so irritating when they don't respond to more serious issues. Yes, being overcharged for your drinks is a bother, but missing luggage is major!

Thank you Susie. I have managed to get a real person at Property Claims (in California) to answer the phone this afternoon (after 8 days). They have promised to look into what has happened and get back to me. This has been quite an experience, especially trying to deal with it from New Zealand.

Kind regards,

Colleen

11 minutes ago, keldorama said:

Don't know if you have resolved this yet or not, but someone posted on this cruise's FB page a similar issue. They were getting nowhere with HAL (what a surprise). They ended up calling the port. The cruise port had the bag; it was transported to the terminal in error. You might try that.

This is me on Facebook. My luggage is still sitting somewhere in Seattle having been passed to HAL. I have still had no contact from a real person at HAL. One of the automated replies said that it could be 6 weeks before they answered my email. The Office of the HAL President has simply forwarded my email to one of the email addresses that I have already tried. The phone number that the Sydney office suggested I try just rings and rings and nobody answers.

Air New Zealand Support meanwhile, has rung me every day to tell me that the plane from San Francisco has landed and that there is no luggage for me. AirNZ has set up a RUSH order so that the bag can be transported by them without me as a passenger. They will deliver it to my home. I have instructions and a reference number that I need to give to HAL for the RUSH to happen. 

I am not hopeful that anything will happen before my bag just disappears again.

35 minutes ago, bcummin said:

 

Sorry that one of your bags is missing. I read that Port Valet is not for international flights. (One of our family flew from London, England.)  Hopefully your missing bag comes home soon.

Barbara

Port Valet assured me that our flights were eligible, and Neil's bag came through no problem with us. My big concern is that now I am out of the States I cannot use the Port Valet 'track my bag'. I have emailed asking for them to check for me. (The last time I had a missing bag in the US I never saw it again, so I am a little bit nervous)

4 hours ago, TableGirl said:

Just a follow up - PORT VALET worked well and both suitcases arrived for all three of us traveling together.  I agree - how nice would it be to have Port Valet everywhere 🙂

Only one of our bags arrived in New Zealand with us. 😒 At the moment nobody seems to know where the other one is.

5 hours ago, hummingbird_206 said:

We did a Panama Canal cruise earlier this year on Zaandam and didn't get a tile.  It wasn't a 'legendary' cruise, does that make a difference?

Hummingbird are you on this cruise (28 day solstice)? If so, I have spare 150 anniversary tiles you can have if you want them.

On 6/28/2024 at 3:50 PM, VacationCharlene said:

We had an outstanding second day in Anchorage. We reserved with CARIBOU TOURS (Tim) a 6 hour tour for 8-10 people. He was very prompt in picking us up next door to Egan Center, drop off spot in town.  Tim is very personable and highly educated about Alaska!  We visited the AWCC (Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center). You had a choice of walking around by yourself or driving with him and stopping at the animals with his narrative. We also visited beautiful photo stops along Turnagain Arm. Visite

d Portage Valley. We went to Girdwood for an awesome meal (included)!and drinks (at your own expense). Was a wonderful excursion and we would recommend you setting up a visit next year. Was a great day. www.cariboutours.com

This was a great day out. More information for anyone on the 2025 cruise -

38 minutes ago, sciencewonk said:

I recently moved from the US to Australia.  My previous cruises were all booked in the US.  I have booked a cruise in Japan and Korea using the Australian website.  How can I tell which currency is being quoted in the shore excursion?  I don't know if it's relevant, but the credit card I'm using is a US card from a US bank.

Excursions are priced in US dollars.

You are scheduled to be at White Bay Cruise Terminal. You are best to book a hotel in the city and take a taxi or rideshare to the dock in the morning. 

See page 16 of the port schedule.

https://www.portauthoritynsw.com.au/cruise/sydney-cruise-schedule/

This one from Mid Canterbury. (Photo supplied to local news by  SJ & SJ Schmack)

13 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

It looks like we won't be seeing any northern lights if the make it down this far.  In fact, we are supposed to have rain beginning in just a little while.  It has gotten windy and cooler along with the all the clouds moving in.  I still managed to get some quiet time outside with my book.

 

 

 

Colourful morning in Aotearoa New Zealand. This one was taken from an AirNZ plane.

1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

I was just playing around with Marine Traffic.  The old Veendam (Currently Agean Majesty) has been sitting in limbo for ages.  She's apparently supposed to be set up for residential world cruises but delayed time after time.  She now appears to be in drydock, so there may be a return to service on the horizon/

 

Roy

Is that the ship that Life at Sea Cruises are planning to use?

24 minutes ago, Geoff Ross said:

I've been trying to contact Holland America in Oz. The phones are not working and my emails that I received from my cruise consultant keep failing. The App says that I've checked in but doesn't show me any shore excursions. When I try the website hollandamerica.com.au it doesn't take me there, but to the American site. Any ideas would be wonderful

Phone 1300987322 If that doesn't work for you then phone Carnival Cruises in Sydney and ask them to put you through to HAL.1300 385 625. I have to put +61 in front of the numbers to call from NZ but I am assuming that you do not have to if in Aust.

Deleted

21 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Sorry. I was referring to this space showing between 7143 or 7134 before the last aft cabins of 7154 or 7142. Looks a bit different than the screenshots that you are all so much helping me to understand. 

Deleted

1 hour ago, Laminator said:

I am going to need your help. I don't understand the main HAL forum. 

12 minutes ago, Ready2go11 said:

Mystery fruit- does anyone know what this is?

It looks like a Pepino melon.

55 minutes ago, WCB said:

When we arrived at the entrance gate, the fee was 250 SCR.  We wonder if these prices are current, or do they change depending on if a cruise ship is in port?  We have no way of knowing unless anyone reading this has visited here recently, like on a Grand Africa voyage.   

250 SCR each when we were there on the GA last November.

1 hour ago, SSCAF001 said:

I will sail from Sydney to Vancouver aboard Noordam departing April 6. I am doing my ESTA for the USA since the ship will call several days in Hawaii. I do not know what I should put when asking my point of contact information knowing that I need a name, street address, tel number. Should I use the Port agent of HAL in Honolulu? If yes, does someone know its name and address? Thanks for your help.

You use the name of the ship.

14 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

Here is a mini review of a Aft Verandah on Deck 4. I would stay with 7.

https://halfacts.com/4178-noordam/

 

And this one on a sister ship.

https://halfacts.com/vista-class/4181-Oosterdam/

21 minutes ago, Ksqrd said:

Hello all,

 

We are cruising to Norway in May and we are considering an forward facing cabin on the Nieuw Statendam (cabin 6200). Has anyone stayed in this cabin or one like it?  The room and the wrap around balcony look great but we are wondering how windy it will be. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

Thanks!

Do you perhaps mean 6002?

https://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/6002-nieuw-statendam/

2 hours ago, SC LTC said:

So one still needs it

No

7 minutes ago, asebastian said:

Blades ARE allowed, QUOTE sharp blades over two and half inches long are prohibited UNQUOTE - this is from the FAQ Know Before You Go on the HAL website. We always carry a small folding knife with a 2.5" blade, as we tend to buy a lot of local fruits when ashore at the various ports, particularly at the Asian ports. The knives at the Lido are really blunt "butter knives" of sorts, and unless you can pocket a sharp steak knife, those are useless for fruits.

.

1 minute ago, colbe said:

Does anyone know the approx taxi fare from Sea-Tac to a downtown hotel? Thanks.

^^^Seattle Hotel

Does anyone know the approx taxi fare from Sea-Tac to a downtown hotel? Thanks.