Holland America secrets they don't tell you about - 2013 edition

[elycelynne]

Note to self, don't walk past the rocks on HMC. I've got some not to wonderful images in my head now:D:eek:;).

 

New product for sale in the HMC gift shop: brain bleach! :D;)

[chloes nana]

If you really like the desert or something else from the previous evenings dinner, if you ask, sometimes they will have "leftovers" they can bring you. We discovered this on the Noordam during Thanksgiving last year.:D

[Typhoon1]

Note to self, don't walk past the rocks on HMC. I've got some not to wonderful images in my head now:D:eek:;).

 

Wear your sunglasses, they won't see you staring.

[Typhoon1]

 

You don't even have to go that far.

 

There's plenty of nudity just past the horse stables.

[cruz chic]

New product for sale in the HMC gift shop: brain bleach! :D;)

 

Got that right:D.

[rallydave]

Another secret is that HAL advertises Champagne upon embarkation and for special occasions yet that is false advertising as they only provide Sparkling Wine.

 

All Champagne is a type of Sparkling Wine however no Sparkling Wine is Champagne!!

[cruz chic]

Wear your sunglasses, they won't see you staring.

 

Don't worry, I won't be staring:eek:.

[ekkc10753]

When ordering breakfast from the little hang-on-the-door-the-night-before thingy....check croissant and write in next to it...."chocolate".....YUMMM!!!! ;)

 

I think you can write pretty much anything you want (within reason) and it will be delivered. We sailed out of San Diego once and a freind gave us avocados from his back yard to take along. We had smoked salmon and avocados, grapefruit with Prosecco and orange juice most mornings on our veranda; I'm not sure I ever got used to real mornings after that:rolleyes:

 

Bumping ths topic back to the first page!

[Ship's Wake]

Every stateroom has a dvd player. You can request from close to 800 movie titles from the front desk (booklet with list of titles is found in your cabin - called Ship Flicks). Dvds can be picked up at the front desk or you can have them delivered.

[love_the_sea]

When ordering breakfast from the little hang-on-the-door-the-night-before thingy....check croissant and write in next to it...."chocolate".....YUMMM!!!! ;)

Love this secret!!! Putting it in my "travel folder" for my upcoming cruise so I don't forget.

 

Every stateroom has a dvd player. You can request from close to 800 movie titles from the front desk (booklet with list of titles is found in your cabin - called Ship Flicks). Dvds can be picked up at the front desk or you can have them delivered.

 

This is also nice to know if we run out of things to do on a sea day. I thought those were only for passengers in a suite.

[Typhoon1]

Don't worry, I won't be staring:eek:.

 

You wouldn't be missing much. :D:D

[SeagoingMom]

When ordering breakfast from the little hang-on-the-door-the-night-before thingy....check croissant and write in next to it...."chocolate".....YUMMM!!!! ;)

 

I did not realize that I should have written "no chocolate" on my breakfast card when I ordered croissants and got, instead, petits pains au chocolat -- not the same thing! I was disappointed. If I had known you, I could have handed them over to you! :);)

[Clarabella_Baby]

I did not realize that I should have written "no chocolate" on my breakfast card when I ordered croissants and got, instead, petits pains au chocolat -- not the same thing! I was disappointed. If I had known you, I could have handed them over to you! :);)

 

I will gladly take all unwanted chocolate croissants! :p

 

Here's another, not so secret, secret....the little bag they give you to cram full of laundry for $20 some bucks....actually holds a whole bunch of clothes. Last Christmas I was on a cruise with my parents and on about day 4 or 5 we thought we'd throw some clothes in the bag to get cleaned. Well we ended up having to hunt for dirty laundry as the bag held everything we'd alredy worn. Mind you we didn't put jeans or anything really bulky in it. But we were completely shocked at how much did fit. And then when it was all returned....oh my!!!! Beautifully folded in tissue paper and hung professionally on hangers. We definitely thought the $20 was worth it.

Edited June 20, 2013 by Clarabella_Baby

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

I did not realize that I should have written "no chocolate" on my breakfast card when I ordered croissants and got, instead, petits pains au chocolat -- not the same thing! I was disappointed. If I had known you, I could have handed them over to you! :);)

 

Or you could have given Ruth a call......I'd bet she would take them off your hands!:)

[RuthC]

Or you could have given Ruth a call......I'd bet she would take them off your hands!:)

Thanks for the thought. ;) But to tell the truth, RuthC doesn't care for the chocolate croissants, except on the Prinsendam.

On most of the ships, there is a small amount of hard chocolate, and I don't care for the way the texture melds (or doesn't, actually) with the pastry. On the Prinsendam, though, the croissants were under a heat lamp. The chocolate was nicely softened, and seemed to melt together with the pastry in my mouth. Delicious. :D

[KirkNC]

Don't worry, I won't be staring:eek:.

 

All depends whose there ;):D:o

[KirkNC]

I think you can write pretty much anything you want (within reason) and it will be delivered. We sailed out of San Diego once and a freind gave us avocados from his back yard to take along. We had smoked salmon and avocados, grapefruit with Prosecco and orange juice most mornings on our veranda; I'm not sure I ever got used to real mornings after that:rolleyes:

 

Bumping ths topic back to the first page!

 

Wow that sounds pretty good!

[cruz chic]

All depends whose there ;):D:o

 

Hey, it's a Hal cruise:D. I wouldn't even want to look at myself:p.

[YBA]

Hi

 

I would like to know if there a secret to staying on board your cruise when its over. Free of course.

 

Maty (EG)

 

Wondering if you found the secret yet and if you did, please share as I've been trying to figure out a way for the last 6 years! :)

[Keith1010]

Very good suggestions.

 

Keith

[Ship's Wake]

This post is meant for first time cruisers with HAL.

 

These days most new build ships from other lines place an emphasis on what's going on within the ship. It almost seems that the ocean is an afterthought.

 

With all Holland America ships, the focus is still on what's going on outside the ship.

 

Lots of open deck space (more so on ships that do not have cabanas), the Crows Nest lounge at the front of the ship that offers tremendous views of ocean and where your ship is headed, the wraparound promenade deck on every ship that goes all the way around the ship - here you can stretch your legs and feel the breeze, watch the ocean for sea life, or grab a deck chair in the shade and really feel like you are at sea.

 

To me, a cruise on Holland America is more of a journey on a ship as opposed to a vacation on a floating resort hotel - and that's something that keeps me coming back to Holland America.

Edited June 21, 2013 by oysterdam

[Bluwater7]

This post is meant for first time cruisers with HAL.

 

These days most new build ships from other lines place an emphasis on what's going on within the ship. It almost seems that the ocean is an afterthought.

 

With all Holland America ships, the focus is still on what's going on outside the ship.

 

Lots of open deck space (more so on ships that do not have cabanas), the Crows Nest lounge at the front of the ship that offers tremendous views of ocean and where your ship is headed, the wraparound promenade deck on every ship that goes all the way around the ship - here you can stretch your legs and feel the breeze, watch the ocean for sea life, or grab a deck chair in the shade and really feel like you are at sea.

 

To me, a cruise on Holland America is more of a journey on a ship as opposed to a vacation on a floating resort hotel - and that's something that keeps me coming back to Holland America.

 

Well said and I agree 100% ...

[ASIWISH]

These days most new build ships from other lines place an emphasis on what's going on within the ship. It almost seems that the ocean is an afterthought.

 

With all Holland America ships, the focus is still on what's going on outside the ship.

 

 

Well said!!!! I've never heard it said like this, but you're right!

[Ship's Wake]

Holland America ships are ideal for scenic cruises. You can walk out to the front of the promenade deck when the ship is doing a scenic cruise day such as in Alaska or New Zealand or through the Panama Canal.

 

Don't believe you can do this with any other large ship cruise line.

 

[sail7seas]

Why is the bow White?

 

Is that snow or a reflection that is blocking the teak?