Holland America's DIY Tickets "Cheapens" Luxury Cruise Experience

[whogo]

You are correct. The luxury cruiselines are often classified as 6 star. HAL marketing does not claim to be amongst these cruiselines.

 

http://www.luxury-cruising.write101.com/six-star-cruising.htm

 

:D:D:D

Hal marketing uses the word "luxury" about 16,000 times on their website according to their search engine. "Luxurious" turns up another 1700 hits.

[swedish weave]

I kept 1 of those blue folders and tossed the rest.

 

I want e-docs, e-visas, e-shore excursions, etc.

 

Much easier - if getting something by computer instead of snail mail cheapens it. You're going to be in for alot of 'cheapening' experiences. It's alot more immediate and cost effective.

 

MaryAnn

 

Welcome to the computer age !!!

[rkacruiser]

Thanks to the responses of Storylady and Jtl513 (and the photo), I do feel more re-assured about receiving the e-documents in a timely manner as well as getting the bags tagged. The suggestion of putting more than one tag on the bag is an excellent one. My two newest pieces of luggage have two handles: each will get their own tag in the future.

[iancal]

I think that most cruise lines, including HAL, only really need two items from each passenger. A credit card (their absolute first priority) and a passport or other req'd form of id. The rest is noise level. We thought the print your own baggage tags would not work, but found that they worked well. Just took a few staples at the dock.

[COMBOY]

Yes, I realize how fun it was to get this big bulky cruise folder in the mail. You felt like you were going some place special...but really. The only real importance was the cruise ticket and luggage tags. The other stuff was shore tour booklet & cruise info booklet which you can now read at your convenience on-line and even book tours in advance online. If you still want a nice cruise folder either use one from a past cruise or just buy a nice wallet folder (you can even personalize it) at the stationery store and keep your e-doc tickets and passport and travel other docs in it. You can reuse it cruise after cruise. Now the only thing now you have to do is bring your e-docs, passport and credit card to the pier. Simple and easy....and your fast on board sipping a cold cocktail as your ship sail out of the harbor. Really...isn't the the whole point of a cruise. And also...if you lose your e-docs you can just reprint them. I would rather the cruise line cut out mailing docs vs cutting back on board.

[louise2004]

It would take alot more than this to dampen my enthusiasm about an upcoming cruise.:) Best of luck. I'm sure you'll have a good time when you get there.;)

 

Suse, I agree with you there. Times change, gone are the violins at tea time, and so go the packets. Just think of all the trees saved, and postage saved. The fun is on board, even the anticipation doesn't lessen.

Happy sailing to all!

yolanda

[brucory]

Hal marketing uses the word "luxury" about 16,000 times on their website according to their search engine. "Luxurious" turns up another 1700 hits.

 

Not sure what your point is Whogo. The reference was to the differences between HAL and 6 star luxury cruiselines. Try a search of that on the HAL site and you won't find any claims by HAL of being amongst that class....

 

:D:D:D

[OhioLair]

Am printing up my docs as I type this... convenient. The sustainability issue is for HAL, not us or the environment. They are saving BIG bucks by doing this ensuring they can still offer a great value to their passengers. It also has the advantage of printing them when you are ready.... and not loosing the "wallet" they send you..... ;)

 

 

Statendam Panama Canal Oct 09

Eurodam Innaugural 20 days Baltic summer 08

Oosterdam Alaska summer 07

Noordam (thebest so far) Eastern Med Summer 06

[emileg]

Just talked to Hal yesterday. You can receive the blue packet but the cost is $25. A lot of people put them in their scrap book.

 

Vis;)

We'll just recycle cases from three previous HAL cruises. The best cases we have are from 1997 and we use them on other cruise lines that have provide flimsy or no cases at all.

[Landlubber54]

"Holland America's DIY Tickets "Cheapens" Luxury Cruise Experience "

Your title above states that you think they are a luxury cruise line, they are not.

 

Everything on earth is relative. I don't think that HAL will ever be confused Regent or Seabourn. That said, they do offer an excellent value and I, for one, do feel spoiled while cruising with HAL...with or without a little blue doc holder. :D

[DFD1]

There's a lot of kicking and screaming over on the new Mariners Program thread about there being no benefits for longtime cruisers with hundreds of days on HAL.

 

Maybe the blue HAL document folder could become a perk for Mariners with more than 200 days.

 

That otta' keep 'em coming back for years!

 

Seriously, we like the print-yourself documents because we have control of them from the first day they are available. No waiting for DHL, FedEx or UPS.