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


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5 minutes ago, ToXS said:

Did you mean to say you took HAL off your list? I ask because it is HAL that we are so disgusted with.  

No, we took NCL off the list, mostly due to the size.  We've done a couple cruises on HAL and have been happy with them

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We'll be sailing on the Eurodam in February and I have 3 quick questions.

 

- Do they have Trivial Pursuit team activities/competitions on board? 

 

- Is it customary to tip room service directly? If so, how much?

 

- I often find restaurant food too salty. Has anyone found this to be a problem on the Eurodam? If I request low-sodium, would I have to pre-order dinner the night before?

Many thanks.

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12 hours ago, NGBG said:

We'll be sailing on the Eurodam in February and I have 3 quick questions.

 

- Do they have Trivial Pursuit team activities/competitions on board? 

 

I can help with the first two questions - Yes, they do.

12 hours ago, NGBG said:

 

- Is it customary to tip room service directly? If so, how much?

 

Entirely up to you.  We do and a number do but there is no requirement nor any criticism if you don’t.  Depending on what you order you can tip anywhere from $1, $2 or $5.  Have the money out though ready to give to the steward as they don’t wait and don’t have their hand out.  You’ll receive a very gracious smile if you choose to do so.

 

 

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36 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

I can help with the first two questions - Yes, they do.

 

Entirely up to you.  We do and a number do but there is no requirement nor any criticism if you don’t.  Depending on what you order you can tip anywhere from $1, $2 or $5.  Have the money out though ready to give to the steward as they don’t wait and don’t have their hand out.  You’ll receive a very gracious smile if you choose to do so.

 

 

Thanks, kazu

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On 8/23/2014 at 1:07 PM, Seawoff said:

 

As stated before. Room service is free

 

Also as stated before you can order anything off the MDR menu if you call for your meals between 5:30 and 6:00 pm. This is also free.

 

It will be delivered to your room at the time you choose between 5:30 and 9:00), but you must order your meal in the first half hour the dining room is open for the evening meal (5:30-6:00)

 

If you wish to see the MDR menu before supper/dining time.

 

Go to the dining room captain any time during the day and ask for a complimentary copy of that days menu. They will be happy to provide you with a souvenir copy.

 

If you are in a Neptune Suite a copy of the next nights menu is left in your room as part of the turn down service.;)

Anyone  know if this is still true...in 2019, on Ms Amsterdam? 

Edited by Brandy Girl
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Room service is still free but there are now a few select items which are not.

 

The menu is available on the Navigator “app” or is posted outside the MDR.  Yes, it’s still free to be delivered to your room.  I’ve heard you must order within the first hour of the DR being open but have never tested this theory.

 

I have never had a menu delivered to the NS but I’ve heard it happens.  If, however, you are in a NS the Concierges can arrange anything and everything for you.  Just ask.

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14 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

I have never had a menu delivered to the NS but I’ve heard it happens.  If, however, you are in a NS the Concierges can arrange anything and everything for you.  Just ask.

 

We’ve always had the menus delivered for the evening meal in the MDR - they are left that morning after the room has been attended to by the stewards.

 

This may be changing with the Navigator app, but it was still the case on our last two cruises and the Navigator was working and in play at the time.

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1 hour ago, metairiegal said:

We'll be on the Nieuw Amsterdam next week.  Where and when can we meet the maitre d on first day to check on our table location?  I've seen sample Navigators but I don't see a time or place.

 

Thanks!

 

There should be a podium across from the entrance to the Pinnacle Grill on Deck 2 OR a rep may be seated in the bar across the hallway with a laptop making reservations.

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4 hours ago, Crew News said:

 

There should be a podium across from the entrance to the Pinnacle Grill on Deck 2 OR a rep may be seated in the bar across the hallway with a laptop making reservations.

Thank you for that info!  Do you happen to know the time that the rep will be there?

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9 hours ago, raesive said:

Sailing on the Zuiderdam for the first time over Christmas. Anything special to this ship we should look for? Typical holiday traditions or otherwise?

 

Christmas decorations, a visit from Santa, tracking Santa, probably some carols and, of course, typical Christmas dinner to name a few.

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On 11/20/2019 at 9:15 AM, metairiegal said:

We'll be on the Nieuw Amsterdam next week.  Where and when can we meet the maitre d on first day to check on our table location?  I've seen sample Navigators but I don't see a time or place.

 

Thanks!

 

Your table number will be on your card (forgotten the name for it - senior moment!) that you get at check-in.  We always just go to the MDR to see where it is shortly after boarding.  Boarding usually begins around 11:30, and we are amongst the first to board, so it's usually a bit quieter still.  If we change tables - sometimes we've had to - the Dining Room Manager will take care of it and just put a sticker with the new table number over the old one. 


It has been our experience when checking dining reservations made online, to go directly to that location (PG, Canaletto, etc) to check or make changes, rather than wait at the podium on the first day.  The podium rep there is usually frazzled quite quickly by the many change or reservation requests!
 

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6 hours ago, T8NCruise said:

 

Your table number will be on your card (forgotten the name for it - senior moment!) that you get at check-in.  We always just go to the MDR to see where it is shortly after boarding.  Boarding usually begins around 11:30, and we are amongst the first to board, so it's usually a bit quieter still.  If we change tables - sometimes we've had to - the Dining Room Manager will take care of it and just put a sticker with the new table number over the old one.

 

We prefer to take the guesswork out of this process. Prior to our sailing we review the MDR diagrams (available online) for the particular ship we're sailing, then select a few (3-5) specific tables that we'd be happy with.

 

Next we contact the ship's coordinator for our ship at HAL's ship services via email and provide the table numbers we selected requesting to be assigned to one of those tables. The ship's coordinator will communicate your preferences to the ship's dining room staff, and confirm your assigned table back to you via email.

 

This method has worked every time for us, and we have always been assigned to one of the tables requested.

 

As an example, we already have our table assignment for our next cruise in March 2020. 🙂  

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Just booked the Rotterdam for March 27 10 day Caribbean from Ft Lauderdale.  There is no role call listed for it.  We haven't been on Holland America since 2007 when we did San Diego to Hawaii on the Zaandam with the Kingston Trio.  

 

A quick question - what is the difference in the beverage packages - what brands of spirits are included in each?  

 

Thanks for any information.

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2 hours ago, poorsusan said:

Just booked the Rotterdam for March 27 10 day Caribbean from Ft Lauderdale.  There is no role call listed for it.  We haven't been on Holland America since 2007 when we did San Diego to Hawaii on the Zaandam with the Kingston Trio.  

 

A quick question - what is the difference in the beverage packages - what brands of spirits are included in each?  

 

Thanks for any information.

 

55 minutes ago, silkismom said:

I also want to know about beverage pkgs, thanks

 

Signature Beverage Package covers drinks up to $11 (service charge excluded as you paid for it in the package.)

 

Elite Beverage package covers drinks up to $15 (same deal on service charge)

 

the spirits in the SBP are pretty standard and acceptable.  Wines (and tastes are subjective) are limited and not that great.  YMMV.

Elite package offers more for wines and most other liquors to in the SBP are added to the Elite.

But, last time I looked, Grey Goose vodka was wishing the SPB package if that gives you an idea 😉 

 

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On 11/11/2019 at 8:11 AM, jonyboy said:

Based on this and other comments, we have taken NCL off our list.  Now I'm curious how you all feel about the Celebrity Summit.  It is also larger than the Veendam but smaller than the NCL escape.

We really like the Summit.  Have cruised it and Veendam two times each to Bermuda.  

I like the Summit better than Veemdam but otherwise prefer HAL to Celebrity.

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1 hour ago, lvz2cruz said:

We really like the Summit.  Have cruised it and Veendam two times each to Bermuda.  

I like the Summit better than Veemdam but otherwise prefer HAL to Celebrity.

We cruised on the Veendam which moors right in Hamilton itself . This ship is about as large as the Hamilton dock can handle . This made the cruise experience . All the rest must dock at King's Warf/ Royal Naval Dockyard which is a crowded charmless space . The lineups for buses or taxis was horrible when we visited . Terrible.

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On 11/22/2019 at 5:31 PM, KroozNut said:

 

We prefer to take the guesswork out of this process. Prior to our sailing we review the MDR diagrams (available online) for the particular ship we're sailing, then select a few (3-5) specific tables that we'd be happy with.

 

Next we contact the ship's coordinator for our ship at HAL's ship services via email and provide the table numbers we selected requesting to be assigned to one of those tables. The ship's coordinator will communicate your preferences to the ship's dining room staff, and confirm your assigned table back to you via email.

 

This method has worked every time for us, and we have always been assigned to one of the tables requested.

 

As an example, we already have our table assignment for our next cruise in March 2020. 🙂  

This sounds like a great system!   May I ask:

 

1. Where online can the dining room layout, with table numbers, be found?


2. How do I get access to any given HAL ship’s Coordinator?

 

Thanks!

 

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1 hour ago, SeagoingMom said:

This sounds like a great system!   May I ask:

 

1. Where online can the dining room layout, with table numbers, be found?


 

 

 

If you go to halfacts.com and the different classes of ships for the one you are sailing on, you will see the dining room layouts

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