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

[kazu]

We are sailing on the new ship in April, will there be robes provided?

 

Should be, Hal has provided them on the other ships

[Lizzie68]

We got on the Veendam out of Tampa sailing tomorrow as a last minute getaway. As of yesterday! Have completedthe pre boarding check in on my IPAD. And it shows completed. BUT. there's no where to click on express docs or boarding pass. Any help would be greatly appreciated. No answers on any calls to HAL. 😱😱😱😱worrying my boyfriend to death. And it's his first cruise. 😓

Thanks!!

 

I'm sure it will be alright once you get there. A friend also had problems with printing their boarding pass this week even after getting the "express docs are ready" email, and had to call HAL. I think it is yet another glitch with the website.

[T8NCruise]

Am not good with searching, sorry. Have been reading lots. Need comfirmation please that lifejackets are now not worn for lifeboat drill? Think I remember reading that and can not find it. Thank you.

[RuthC]

Am not good with searching, sorry. Have been reading lots. Need comfirmation please that lifejackets are now not worn for lifeboat drill? Think I remember reading that and can not find it. Thank you.

Lifejackets are not worn to muster drill. That's been true on HAL now for years. The announcements over the PA in advance of the drill will reinforce this, and the other procedures to be followed. Listen to them when they are made.

[jagsfan]

Can you answer my friends' questions?

They are sailing May 28 on Veendam. Is it too early to print luggage tags and boarding passes?

Are the staterooms still ready at embarkation?

Can they stay in their staterooms till it's time to go off the ship?

Free restaurants besides MDR and Lido deck?

If they buy luggage tag plastic sleeves on EBay, will Holland's tags fit? Anybody know the height and width?

They are not computer savvy, so they volunteered me to get the info.

Edited March 2, 2016 by jagsfan

[dakrewser]

Can you answer my friends' questions?

They are sailing May 28 on Veendam. Is it too early to print luggage tags and boarding passes?

 

Probably. Best to wait until after last payment date

Are the staterooms still ready at embarkation?

 

Yes

 

Can they stay in their staterooms till it's time to go off the ship?

 

Yes

 

Free restaurants besides MDR and Lido deck?

 

The Explorations cafe has sweets and mini sandwiches

If they buy luggage tag plastic sleeves on EBay, will Holland's tags fit? Anybody know the height and width?

They are not computer savvy, so they volunteered me to get the info.

 

Don't know the size of the tags, off hand.

[Lizzie68]

Can you answer my friends' questions?

They are sailing May 28 on Veendam. Is it too early to print luggage tags and boarding passes?

Are the staterooms still ready at embarkation?

Can they stay in their staterooms till it's time to go off the ship?

Free restaurants besides MDR and Lido deck?

If they buy luggage tag plastic sleeves on EBay, will Holland's tags fit? Anybody know the height and width?

They are not computer savvy, so they volunteered me to get the info.

 

To your last question about the luggage tags.... I'm pretty sure they will fit any standard size sleeve, but we just print them and cover in wide celloptape and fasten them with zip ties. I think many people on here have a favourite way of finishing off the luggage tags.:)

[jagsfan]

I guess the best thing is for them to print their luggage tags if they can figure it out, and my husband laminate or tape them for use. I don't think they could figure it out.

The first time I printed ours, I thought for sure I'd screw up the folding. I bought sleeves for ours several years ago, but haven't done Holland lately so can't remember if they're the same size as Princess or RCCL.

[jagsfan]

I forgot to thank y'all for your help........I love CC..

[sweetipie]

Ruth, we are sailing on the Zaandam for 42 days in about 10 days. HAL has quoted a price of $1750. for one liquor package. I think that is out of line. We booked direct and only got $100. on board credit and nothing else. I'm sure we'll book through an agent next time. Also we decided to add 4 days to the cruise at the last minute and what would have been 200 each is now 2200 each. Any reasoning to that?

[4sumcruising]

I'm sure it will be alright once you get there. A friend also had problems with printing their boarding pass this week even after getting the "express docs are ready" email, and had to call HAL. I think it is yet another glitch with the website.

 

Also having problems going through the check in system, get to the last page with all green flags and it wont let me click on "print boarding pass". Any way to fix this? I have emailed H&A twice with no response as yet.

[Lizzie68]

Also having problems going through the check in system, get to the last page with all green flags and it wont let me click on "print boarding pass". Any way to fix this? I have emailed H&A twice with no response as yet.

 

Unfortunately I have no ideas for you. I guess I'm going to find out when I try to print my own in a few weeks. I would suggest calling HAL or your TA. Sorry, that's the best I can offer.

[thisbeme]

Unfortunately I have no ideas for you. I guess I'm going to find out when I try to print my own in a few weeks. I would suggest calling HAL or your TA. Sorry, that's the best I can offer.

 

 

I had the same problem when accessing the HAL website with Firefox - I could not get any response when clicking the green tabs to print the boarding pass. Then I tried by accessing the website with Internet Explorer and VOILA!! - it worked. Some websites will only work with the IE browser and this may be one of them. Try it and see if it works for you. :)

[T8NCruise]

RuthC thank you for answering my questin about life jackets

[4sumcruising]

I had the same problem when accessing the HAL website with Firefox - I could not get any response when clicking the green tabs to print the boarding pass. Then I tried by accessing the website with Internet Explorer and VOILA!! - it worked. Some websites will only work with the IE browser and this may be one of them. Try it and see if it works for you. :)

 

You are a star, strange how you can click on some box's but not others:rolleyes:

[BillK400]

What is the HAL policy for taking towels off the ship to use at a beach, etc.? One cruise line (can't remember which) provided towels (different than the towels in the bathroom) for use when going ashore.

 

Thanks!

[mllewis48]

What is the HAL policy for taking towels off the ship to use at a beach, etc.? One cruise line (can't remember which) provided towels (different than the towels in the bathroom) for use when going ashore.

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

You have beach towels assigned to you in your SR, but you must bring them back or pay for them! When you bring back your SR Steward will replace. Pools on the ship have towels provided.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited March 13, 2016 by mllewis48

[Gojirart]

When you leave the ship, staff will be near the exit with large towels you can take ashore. (They aren't quite as nice as those on board and are usually a different color.) You need to sign for them with your cabin number. When you come back on board, they will have a big bin to collect them in. Just give them your cabin number again and put the used towels in the bin!

[kazu]

When you leave the ship, staff will be near the exit with large towels you can take ashore. (They aren't quite as nice as those on board and are usually a different color.) You need to sign for them with your cabin number. When you come back on board, they will have a big bin to collect them in. Just give them your cabin number again and put the used towels in the bin!

 

Or the towels may be in your room for your use. If they are, return them to your stateroom.

[BillK400]

Thanks everyone for the info on availability of "beach towels"!

[Btimmer]

Sometimes they will be put in your room.

 

 

Tim in Burien, WA

[Library_Lady]

Just finished reading all 54 pages here. Thanks to all for posting such good information. I'm finally able to contribute something myself.

 

The rep I spoke with at HAL said that policy had changed and now everyone is able to eat in the MDR on embarkation day....not just Mariners. He said the company had so many complaints about the policy that the ill will wasn't worth it. Before you assume this to be gospel, you might want to double check. We are sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam from Vancouver to Alaska in May.

[Kathyfromstl]

Being new to cruising can ask a question on the thread? Wasn't sure where to ask it. I have the Explore 4 package for my Alaskan cruise this summer. There is no way I'm going to drink the allowable number of drinks each day. I see on the MDR menu there is an after dinner drink in a souvenir glass. Does anyone have a picture of this glass. Is it worth getting this each evening and saving the glass as a souvenir?

[shrimpboat123]

Being new to cruising can ask a question on the thread? Wasn't sure where to ask it. I have the Explore 4 package for my Alaskan cruise this summer. There is no way I'm going to drink the allowable number of drinks each day. I see on the MDR menu there is an after dinner drink in a souvenir glass. Does anyone have a picture of this glass. Is it worth getting this each evening and saving the glass as a souvenir?

 

 

There are 6 different glasses.

 

 

 

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[SC_GAY_Cruiser]

Kathy - I believe its probably the same shot glasses that I have gotten before. It has the HAL logo on it. And I was thinking the same thing as far as purchasing the Signature Drink Package.......as long as the cost for the liquor/glass is under $8, it should be accepted.