More questions before departing on the Neiuw Statendam Jan 20

[hokie_fan]

The three weeks we had to prepare for this cruise are almost over so I am running out of research time.  Please forgive me for asking something that has been discussed several times before. I promise a trip report when I return for all the help everyone has given me.  Can't begin to tell you how excited we are to travel with HAL.

 

1) Wine Package - I was ready to do a six bottle wine package in the lower price  level and then looked at some of the possible options.  It looks like I am paying $30+ for a $6.00 bottle of wine. I don't think I can swallow that, literally.  So, I will bring the two allowed bottles and am thinking about bringing some additional ones that I enjoy and pay the corkage fee.  How does this happen during check-in?  Do you put the wine in a small roll on bag and just tell them to charge the you corking fee?  Does this confuse things in the dining room when you come carrying your own wine?  I am not sure about any wine being available at the ports we are visiting but if so, could we pick that up and pay corking fee?

 

2) Tours - I was thinking about booking a jeep tour with ABC (seem to be #1) but then ran across the toursbylocals website.  Anyone use those?  They offer a half day private tour for $180.  We really want to explore Aruba to decide if we would like to plan a family trip there, so a private tour would help accomplish this.  Looked at car rentals but did not find a place that had good reviews.  I did reserve a car in Curacao with Advanced Car Rentals.  Good reviews but it seems odd to hand someone $75 and then drive off in their car.

 

3) Disembarkation - My hubbie was excited to see the option of sending the luggage straight to the airport from the ship. Has anyone used this feature? Looks to be $19.95 per person. Do we need to book a ride to the airport?  Flight is not until 2:45.  We are driving down from VA in a rental and flying back.  I did not want the stress of flying even the day before after our last flying disaster that caused to lose two days on a trip to Kauai.  Govt.  shutdown sealed the deal.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes you have to carry all your wine when you check in.  After you go through security, there will be a table where someone will put a sticker on the extra bottles of wine and write out a slip charging your shipboard account $18 per bottle for all the extra bottles you have beyond the 2 free ones you are allowed to take on board.  That sticker indicates that you have paid the corkage fee.. If you decide to take the free bottles to the dining room, then you will be charged the corkage fee.

 

Can't answer your other questions as we always have to stay over an extra day at all disembarkation ports due to first flight being quite early in the morning.

 

 

[CineGraphic]

They are not set up to have the luggage forwarded as of yet. We tried last week and were told that it's not an option yet and that they don't know if or when it will become one.

[mcrcruiser]

6 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

They are not set up to have the luggage forwarded as of yet. We tried last week and were told that it's not an option yet and that they don't know if or when it will become one.

That should be set up son we hope .

[hokie_fan]

Thanks so much.  The luggage delivery sounded awesome.Maybe next time.  I will be packing a small roller bag with my favorite wine, some tonic and order a bottle of gin from the ship. I like diet tonic which is hard to come by.