New to Holland America? This is for you...AKA "HAL For Dummies"

[jsscuba2]

I have booked a B to B cruise in December. I think I am correct that each passenger can bring 1bottle of wine on the ship. So since I’m doing B to B can I bring two bottles. Each cruise was booked separately.

[jsscuba2]

Where can I find info on drink cards?

 

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, jsscuba2 said:

I have booked a B to B cruise in December. I think I am correct that each passenger can bring 1bottle of wine on the ship.

Slight, but significant, correction here. You are allowed to bring as many bottles of wine aboard as you wish. You must pay an $18/bottle corkage fee on every bottle after the first, however. Those bottles may be consumed anywhere on the ship, as corkage has been paid already. 
You may also bring wine aboard, subject to corkage fee, from any port. 

I do not know the answer to your main question, but I am sure someone will post of their experience. 

[kazu]

3 hours ago, jsscuba2 said:

Where can I find info on drink cards?

 

 

Log in and go to you bookings and beverages.

You’ll see the details there for the different drink cards whether you want to buy them now or on board.

[kazu]

4 hours ago, jsscuba2 said:

So since I’m doing B to B can I bring two bottles. Each cruise was booked separately.

 

Theoretically, yes you can.  In practice there have been mixed reports.  I know for us, we were not allowed.  Even though it was a B2B because of the in transit card, it was considered as a Collectors and we needed to pay corkage.

 

Recent reports are more encouraging. 

 

 

[mimbecky]

 I am sure that my answers are somewhere in this post but scrolling through I don’t automatically see them so I thought I would just ask them all here. 

 

1. On a seven night cruise is there a formal night? 

2.  I know there is something similar to Celebrity’s Café Bacio onboard but I cannot find out if the coffee and/or pastries are for a fee. We will not have a drink card. 

3. I am reading that we can bring wine, soda and water on. Then I just read about a corkage fee. Can’t we just bring our own opener?

4.  Anything on the Oosterdam that we must not miss? 

 

thanks!

[danb35]

There will generally be two "gala nights" on a seven-day cruise.  There's a bar/cafe in the Crow's nest; the coffee there is paid, but many of the pastries are free.  You can bring unlimited non-alcoholic beverages on board for free.  You can bring one bottle of wine per adult per stateroom on board for free (so long as you drink them in your cabin), any more wine than that calls for the "corkage fee".  That fee has nothing to do with their opening the bottle as such, it's just a fee for the privilege of drinking it on board.

[RuthC]

20 minutes ago, danb35 said:

There's a bar/cafe in the Crow's nest;

Slight correction here: The pastries are in Explorations Café. Explorations Café is in the Crow's Nest on some, but not all ships. On the S- and R-class ships it is located near the upper level of the dining room, port side. 

[danb35]

4 minutes ago, RuthC said:

Slight correction here: The pastries are in Explorations Café. Explorations Café is in the Crow's Nest on some, but not all ships. On the S- and R-class ships it is located near the upper level of the dining room, port side. 

Thanks for the correction.  On Oosterdam, though, it is in the Crow's Nest (unless they've moved it since January).

[wvhogdogs]

Hello, I am new to Holland and trying to decide to book Niew Amsterdam or New Statendam, Is the high tea and late night buffet the same on both ships. I notice the tea and food being served on N A  but buffet style on NS.. Any one on these ship let me know.

[Crew News]

Welcome to CC.

 

Indeed, afternoon tea and the late night buffet are the same.  The NS is about 400 passengers larger than the NA and has a permanent Rudi's Sel de Mer restaurant, movies under the stars around the indoor pool, more music venues,  smoothie counter, and an expanded NY Pizza.  The Lido, except size, is the same on both ships.  Menus on all HAL ships, on the same itinerary/region are the same.

 

Feel free to ask lots of questions to help your cruise decisions.

Edited October 3, 2019 by Crew News

[kb4683]

Will magnets work on the cabin walls of Cat. L (inside on Lower Promenade) on the Rotterdam?  Was very surprised to find that Veendam's walls will not hold magnets after sailing on Maasdam where they worked great!

 

Thanks!

[crazytomatoes]

How many Gala nights on a 21 day cruise? 

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, crazytomatoes said:

How many Gala nights on a 21 day cruise? 

Three. 

[mimbecky]

On 7/16/2019 at 3:42 AM, terrydtx said:

Do the math, most bar drinks are under $9 and at happy hours in bars the second drink is only $2. Specialty coffees and espresso cost around $4.

 

 

Say what?  Happy hour, second drink is $2? Does that mean if my husband orders a drink, then mine is $2 or does that mean we would each have to order two drinks....?

[RuthC]

5 minutes ago, mimbecky said:

 

 

Say what?  Happy hour, second drink is $2? Does that mean if my husband orders a drink, then mine is $2 or does that mean we would each have to order two drinks....?

They have to be the same drink, and are served at the same time. HAL doesn't care who drinks them. So, if you and DH want the same thing, have at it. 

[Cruise Suzy]

3 minutes ago, RuthC said:

They have to be the same drink, and are served at the same time. HAL doesn't care who drinks them. So, if you and DH want the same thing, have at it. 

Mocktails also are included in the Happy Hour pricing. And sometimes there are unannounced "Happy Hours" poolside during the day.

[mimbecky]

3 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

Mocktails also are included in the Happy Hour pricing. And sometimes there are unannounced "Happy Hours" poolside during the day.

Dumb question but if they are "unannounced", how do you find out about them.....?

Edited October 4, 2019 by mimbecky

[Cruise Suzy]

8 hours ago, mimbecky said:

Dumb question but if they are "unannounced", how do you find out about them.....?

 

The server told us when we ordered while waiting for our Dive In buzzer to buzz at lunch. Happened only 3 times on the February cruise. Also one night we were offered a special "6 bottles for the price of 5" in the Lido Market on beer and cider - unopened in a bucket of ice, could be taken to room if need be.

[danb35]

11 hours ago, RuthC said:

They have to be the same drink

I don't know if that's the rule, but if it is, I can say it isn't always enforced--on Oosterdam in January, my wife and I had different drinks with the Happy Hour pricing.  Maybe we just got lucky.

[kazu]

34 minutes ago, danb35 said:

I don't know if that's the rule, but if it is, I can say it isn't always enforced--on Oosterdam in January, my wife and I had different drinks with the Happy Hour pricing.  Maybe we just got lucky.

 

It’s definitely the rule.  Nice that you were lucky 🙂 

[GeezerCouple]

2 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

The server told us when we ordered while waiting for our Dive In buzzer to buzz at lunch. Happened only 3 times on the February cruise. Also one night we were offered a special "6 bottles for the price of 5" in the Lido Market on beer and cider - unopened in a bucket of ice, could be taken to room if need be.

 

They have hard cider?

If so, do you remember the brand(s)?

 

Thanks!

 

GC

[Cruise Suzy]

1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

They have hard cider?

If so, do you remember the brand(s)?

 

Thanks!

 

GC

 

Yes. It was Strongbow. Available at several bars.

 

See page 15  http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Terrace-Lido-Bar-Menu.pdf

 

 

Edited October 4, 2019 by Cruise Suzy

[GeezerCouple]

12 minutes ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

Yes. It was Strongbow. Available at several bars.

 

See page 15  http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Terrace-Lido-Bar-Menu.pdf

 

 

 

Thanks very much!

I had missed that before.

 

GC

[Cruise Suzy]

1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

Thanks very much!

I had missed that before.

 

You're welcome. Since I don't drink beer or wine, I always ask if cider is available if I don't see one, especially when having a burger or pizza.