1'st HAL Cruise-Questions

[glutenhab]

Have not yet cruised HAL but we are ready to book a 48 day HAL Cruise (B2B 24 day) Baltic/Europe/Med/Greek Islands cruise on the Rotterdam starting on Sept 7/11 to celebrate our 25th anniversary & her 50th birthday (we got engaged at the Trevi Fountain in Sept/85 & it will even bring us back there.....the coin worked!). I have looked at Celebrity, Princess, Azamara, Oceania & even Seabourne but HAL seems to fit our personalities & wants, as well as seeming to be the "Best Bang For The Buck". This board has helped us make up our mind so thanks for that. We want a relaxing & port intensive holiday & this one looks great.

 

Some of the things we are looking for most were confirmed by some posts here;

-Great service with a smile. W-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l beds

-Slower paced atmosphere that will relax you

-Larger cabins

-VERY FEW p.a. announcements

-Bottom line is I feel my money is well spent with HAL

 

A few of questions though;

- Is the coffee fresh & are espresso's offered? Would love to see French Press or specialty coffees but that may be asking too much.

- Does HAL offer back to back discounts?

- How does the Rotterdam stack up against the rest of the HAL line (excluding Prinsendam of course)?

- Does HAL have a loyalty program & will 48 days get us close to any rewards?

- Do any/all staterooms have fridges?

[arzz]

1 - espressos and cappuchinos are complimentary in the dining room at dinner and possibly also lunch. They are also available for a fee (much lower than at Starbuck's) in the Explorations Cafe all day.

 

I am not sure whether they offer back to back discounts but you will be treated special on a back to back. In August we had an extra invite to a cocktail party, an invite to a special Indonesian luncheon, a plate of fancy truffles delivered to our cabin on change over day, an extra nice tote bag as a cabin gift the first night of the second cruise ....

 

Availability of fridges depends on the ship -- I do not know the Rotterdam specifically but I do know the Amsterdam very well. Refrigerators are standard in veranda suites and above on that ship. They may be rented for a nominal fee in other categories if arranged in advance with ship's services.

 

After 48 days on board you will definitely have some mariner status. Go to HAL's website and click on the Mariner Program benefits and it will all be explained.

 

Have a great time and welcome to Holland America our personal favorite cruise line. Your cruise sounds wonderful.

[trophy_23]

The Rotterdam is great and was in fine shape when we were onboard in June. She was very clean and the staff we wonderful. We were in a DD (Oceanview) and did not have a fridge, but were told we could get one for $2/day.