If you are going to drink soda, get a soda card on the first day and you can drink unlimited fountain soda for the whole cruise. Can't recall the price, but it was around $35 for a 7 day cruise. On the Zuiderdam, they actually provided you with a large logo bubble glass that you could go to any bar and have filled all week and then take home as a souveneir.
Free Cruise Lottery. Available at the front desk and not heavily advertised sometimes. $10 a chance or $20 for 3 chances. Someone will win. We won it aboard the Ryndam a few years ago and it made the next cruise a whole lot nicer when we did not have to pay the cruise fare.
Crow's Nest for before dinner cocktails. It is usually not too crowded on most evenings as it is fairly far away from the dining room, but the view and service are outstanding. Free hors d'ourves (OK, so I can't spell) and very little competition for the waiters time makes it very relaxing and seconds are easy to come by. Catch the forward elevators down to the dining level and walk through the public areas to work up an appetite for dinner.
On your 2nd and subsequent HAL cruise, the Mariner's party. Free hors d'voures (Yes, I still can not spell it) and cocktails are served, and if you find the right location or get to know some of the bar staff you could have more cocktails or champagne than you can handle. Additionally, the Captain and Hotel Manager will each have a short speech outlining some of the future ships or improvements that HAL is preparing for. Some find it boring, but we always have a good time at the Mariner reception.
Free ice cream in the Lido! Familiar to all those who have sailed on HAL, but a feature most other cruise lines do not offer.
Aft veranda rooms on the Zuiderdam and her sisters. The aft verandas on the Vista ships are 3 to 4 times larger than the side verandas and offer a superb view. We will be booking these rooms if we can on all of our subsequent Vista class sailings.
HAL secrets
in Holland America Line
Posted
If you are going to drink soda, get a soda card on the first day and you can drink unlimited fountain soda for the whole cruise. Can't recall the price, but it was around $35 for a 7 day cruise. On the Zuiderdam, they actually provided you with a large logo bubble glass that you could go to any bar and have filled all week and then take home as a souveneir.
Free Cruise Lottery. Available at the front desk and not heavily advertised sometimes. $10 a chance or $20 for 3 chances. Someone will win. We won it aboard the Ryndam a few years ago and it made the next cruise a whole lot nicer when we did not have to pay the cruise fare.
Crow's Nest for before dinner cocktails. It is usually not too crowded on most evenings as it is fairly far away from the dining room, but the view and service are outstanding. Free hors d'ourves (OK, so I can't spell) and very little competition for the waiters time makes it very relaxing and seconds are easy to come by. Catch the forward elevators down to the dining level and walk through the public areas to work up an appetite for dinner.
On your 2nd and subsequent HAL cruise, the Mariner's party. Free hors d'voures (Yes, I still can not spell it) and cocktails are served, and if you find the right location or get to know some of the bar staff you could have more cocktails or champagne than you can handle. Additionally, the Captain and Hotel Manager will each have a short speech outlining some of the future ships or improvements that HAL is preparing for. Some find it boring, but we always have a good time at the Mariner reception.
Free ice cream in the Lido! Familiar to all those who have sailed on HAL, but a feature most other cruise lines do not offer.
Aft veranda rooms on the Zuiderdam and her sisters. The aft verandas on the Vista ships are 3 to 4 times larger than the side verandas and offer a superb view. We will be booking these rooms if we can on all of our subsequent Vista class sailings.
Thats all that I can think of at the moment.