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

[mllewis48]

Hi everyone,

 

 

 

We are very excited about going on our first HAL cruise on the Maasdam in August. We will be celebrating on anniversary in a Neptune Suite and are really looking forward to it.

 

 

 

I have been doing a great deal of research on the HAL board for several months, looking at pictures of the ship, Main Dining Room, the Neptune Suites, and the Neptune Lounge, etc.

 

 

 

We have selected to do As You Wish dining, but I have a question about it. The pictures I’ve seen of the Lower Floor of the dining room, show the two tops are in areas with a very little room around them. We really don’t want to be seated at a table for two that is only a few inches away from another table.

 

 

 

In looking at the dining room pictures of the Upper Floor, I’ve noticed there are several two tops along a railing and few others in scattered around the room. They all appear to be less crowded than those on the Lower Floor.

 

 

 

Can the concierge in the Neptune Lounge arrange to reserve one of the two top tables on the upper floor for us if we switch to set time/Traditional Dining?

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

We typically do Main Dining at 8:00 and request the table for two along the railing when we book and are usually successful in our request. We love the location. I agree with your assessment of the closeness of the others as we have had those on previous cruises.

 

Request and hope you get that location, you will love it!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dakrewser]

Hi everyone,

 

Can the concierge in the Neptune Lounge arrange to reserve one of the two top tables on the upper floor for us if we switch to set time/Traditional Dining?

 

Thanks

 

Don't wait until you're on board - talk to your travel agent now about getting switched.

[JimAOk1945]

Don't wait until you're on board - talk to your travel agent now about getting switched.

I think you are right about not waiting until we are on board. I'll contact him today. Thanks for your input!

[CaveDiving]

HAL ships have the Lido in Code Orange for the first 48 hours. You can not help yourself to anything in the Lido -- not even water, coffee, etc.

This is done to help prevent germs from spreading -- i.e. -- Noro Virus.

 

This statement is no longer valid. The code orange in the Lido is no longer done at the start of each cruise.

 

Scott & Karen

[Crew News]

We had no Code Orange for our three cruises in May on the Nieuw Amsterdam.

[NU/Fan]

On our recent cruise it was Noon to 3.

New to Hal, what is an open house?

Can anyone get on-board?

[RuthC]

New to Hal, what is an open house?

Can anyone get on-board?

The open house referred to in the post you quoted was for Club HAL. That's the area for kids and teens on the cruise.

 

No, under almost all circumstances, no one other than passengers, and others who belong on the ship, are allowed aboard. Individuals who are granted special permission to come aboard have gotten it in advance, gone through a few hoops to obtain it, and are well documented.

[jonj]

My suggestion for "Dummies":

 

MS Eurodam & Nieuw Amsterdam - The GRAND TOUR of SIGNATURE class - Pics and Video is your handbook, textbook, culinary book, tutorial for beginners and complete pictorial guide to the most exciting HAL ships - the Eurodam and the Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

Click here to take your video cruise on the Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

Enjoy!

 

The first link above no longer works is there an update?

Edited June 28, 2016 by jonj

[RuthC]

The first link above no longer works is there an update?

No, there isn't. That website is no longer available for us to peruse.

[Sherbertscamper]

So if we decide to order room service from the dining room menu, do we order the appetizer and dessert too?

[GoneJohnson]

So if we decide to order room service from the dining room menu, do we order the appetizer and dessert too?

 

Yes you do. Just finished a long 21 day Panama Canal and we ordered room service more than expected... got it all. We were tired some nights and just ordered in... same good food.

[dakrewser]

So if we decide to order room service from the dining room menu, do we order the appetizer and dessert too?

 

Yes, you order them all at once, and they're delivered all at once - so best to skip the frozen desserts! :)

[cambriah]

Hi All:

 

Can you have drinks - - wine, soda - -delivered to your stateroom with the Signature Beverage Package?

 

Thank !

 

Cambriah

[BVsmurfette]

Doing our first cruise in europe soon, and wondering if embarkation process is any different than what we're used to in FLL/Seattle.

For example, looks like we're schedule to leave Rome at 6pm. What time do they start letting you onboard? would it still be around 11am/11:30? Thanks in advance.

[cavecreekguy]

Hi All:

 

Can you have drinks - - wine, soda - -delivered to your stateroom with the Signature Beverage Package?

 

Thank !

 

Cambriah

 

No. The Signature Beverage Package cannot be used for room service, minibar or Half Moon Cay purchases. However, you can purchase beverages with the package at one of the bars and bring them to your cabin. I often use it for a couple of cans of soda for my cabin, or bottles of water to take ashore.

[RuthC]

Doing our first cruise in europe soon, and wondering if embarkation process is any different than what we're used to in FLL/Seattle.

For example, looks like we're schedule to leave Rome at 6pm. What time do they start letting you onboard? would it still be around 11am/11:30? Thanks in advance.

Yes, you should find it pretty much the same in Rome as in Ft. Lauderdale. I've found it to be the same all over the world, with one exception.

 

Once, in Venice, check-in and boarding was a half hour later than the 11:00/11:30 customary times. No big deal.

[BVsmurfette]

Thanks for responding RuthC!

i had wondered if b/c departure was 6pm in rome vs 4pm in FLL, maybe boarding would also be pushed back, but so glad that is NOT the case :) means we can enjoy lunch on board as usual!

[HarpHarp]

New to HAL cruiser here.

What beverages are available free of charge?

What types of soda do they have on board?

Can you bring soda or bottled water on board?

[RuthC]

What beverages are available free of charge?

What types of soda do they have on board?

Can you bring soda or bottled water on board?

Welcome to HAL!

 

You can get coffee, tea, and hot chocolate in the Lido 24/7 with no charge. Those drinks are also available in the dining room.

You can also get milk(several varieties), juices, lemonade and fruit juices, and of course water, without charge.

 

Holland America serves Coke products, including various diet formulas and caffeine free types.

 

Yes, you can carry aboard all the soda and water you want, both at initial embarkation and at all ports.

[OVgirl]

Welcome to HAL!

 

You can get coffee, tea, and hot chocolate in the Lido 24/7 with no charge. Those drinks are also available in the dining room.

You can also get milk(several varieties), juices, lemonade and fruit juices, and of course water, without charge.

 

Holland America serves Coke products, including various diet formulas and caffeine free types.

 

Yes, you can carry aboard all the soda and water you want, both at initial embarkation and at all ports.

 

The milk and juices are charged if you get them from a bar. I think in the Lido there's no charge. Not sure how it works in the MDR.

[kazu]

The milk and juices are charged if you get them from a bar. I think in the Lido there's no charge. Not sure how it works in the MDR.

Juices are fee in the morning in the MDR along with the milk, etc.

 

Milk is available in the MDR at no charge.

 

I think iced tea is also available in the MDR.

 

At no charge.

[RuthC]

The milk and juices are charged if you get them from a bar. I think in the Lido there's no charge. Not sure how it works in the MDR.

I never heard of milk from a bar having a charge, but there may be. I don't recall ever seeing someone order milk at a bar, now that I think about it.

 

I know that the juices from a bar can be a different formula than those from the galley. I was with a person when she was given that explanation for why she was being charged for a glass of cranberry juice at dinner. She had ordered from the wine steward instead of the table steward.

Edited July 2, 2016 by RuthC

[OVgirl]

I never heard of milk from a bar having a charge, but there may be. I don't recall ever seeing someone order milk at a bar, now that I think about it.

 

I know that the juices from a bar can be a different formula than those from the galley. I was with a person when she was given that explanation for why she was being charged for a glass of cranberry juice at dinner. She had ordered from the wine steward instead of the table steward.

 

True about the milk. I was just thinking that you get charged for most beverages you order at a bar.

[astx813]

Wow, I'm so excited to have finally gotten through all 63 pages (almost as excited as I am for Alaska on the Westerdam in a few months)! It's been interesting to see how some answers have changed since the genesis of the "Dummies" thread. Here are the questions I still have after all that reading:

 

* My girlfriend and I are beer people (nothing against grapes, but I like grains more... and I work for a brewery). I've seen that we can have one wine bottle (≤750ml) per adult passenger, do you think we will be sent to the naughty room if we have two large-format beers instead? If we did, do you think I could talk my way into keeping them? (they'd be no more alcoholic than wine or champagne, so I don't see the difference)

 

* I think I saw that we can buy wine in port and that they will store it for the rest of the cruise to be returned on disembarkation day. Is that correct? It leads to the similar question: would they also hold beer, and can this be done from the embarkation city? The cruise is the second half of a vacation, and we'd like to be able to buy some local beers to bring home with us after the trip.

 

* I saw some recent posts about them trialing a new internet option on the Westerdam. Anyone have details on what that is? I'm going to do my best to stay offline and in the moment, but it's a tall order for a guy like me.

 

* Does it benefit the crew if I purchase things like the SBC or a spa package on-board instead of in advance?

 

* Do they offer promos for spa reservations or any other "indulgences" on the first day (or at any other time, really), or should I just book these things as soon as I make my decision?

 

* And lastly: I've gotten a handle on most of the acronyms, but what's DH?

[kazu]

Wow, I'm so excited to have finally gotten through all 63 pages (almost as excited as I am for Alaska on the Westerdam in a few months)! It's been interesting to see how some answers have changed since the genesis of the "Dummies" thread. Here are the questions I still have after all that reading:

 

* My girlfriend and I are beer people (nothing against grapes, but I like grains more... and I work for a brewery). I've seen that we can have one wine bottle (≤750ml) per adult passenger, do you think we will be sent to the naughty room if we have two large-format beers instead? If we did, do you think I could talk my way into keeping them? (they'd be no more alcoholic than wine or champagne, so I don't see the difference)

 

You might not see the difference, but HAL does ;). It's wine only that is permitted as far as alcoholic drinks go. Period. I don't think you will be able to "talk"your way into keeping them ;)

 

* I think I saw that we can buy wine in port and that they will store it for the rest of the cruise to be returned on disembarkation day. Is that correct? It leads to the similar question: would they also hold beer, and can this be done from the embarkation city? The cruise is the second half of a vacation, and we'd like to be able to buy some local beers to bring home with us after the trip.

yes, they should store the beer for you. They will take it and return it to you the night before disembarkation

 

* I saw some recent posts about them trialing a new internet option on the Westerdam. Anyone have details on what that is? I'm going to do my best to stay offline and in the moment, but it's a tall order for a guy like me.

 

Westerdam offered an unlimited internet package. In other words,no need to log on and off. The system worked great on our Panama cruise in 2015 but it was not great on our South Pacific cruise in 2016. I think our internet guy did not know how to turn the satellite ;) especially since we had no internet in Hawaii. Could have also been due to weather of course (which was not good for some time)

 

* Does it benefit the crew if I purchase things like the SBC or a spa package on-board instead of in advance?

 

I know that applies to wine packages and drinks. I don't have the answer to this one, but I would guess it might be a yes.

 

* Do they offer promos for spa reservations or any other "indulgences" on the first day (or at any other time, really), or should I just book these things as soon as I make my decision?

 

Yes, there is a special for the spa on the first day. There are also some spa specials during the cruise

 

* And lastly: I've gotten a handle on most of the acronyms, but what's DH?

 

DH is Dear Husband

 

I tried to answer your questions above (in red).