Considering Holland America

[dcruisers]

We have been on many cruises ( over 30) including  2 river cruises.  Considering trying Holland America (Nieuw Statendam) and would appreciate information.

Is it non smoking in the casino? ( hope so)

What are the dining  and show times?

Do they supply robes?

I'm sure I’ll think of other questions.

Thank you

[Sir PMP]

Officially no smoking in casino, but they do have smoking nights, show times 8:00 and 10:00pm, they supply robes, no smoking on the balconies..

[I like vacation]

Don't like to disagree but smoking is permitted in the casino on the Nieuw Statendam to the chagrin of many.  See long discussion:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2620847-single-smoking-thread-use-for-all-smoking-discussions-on-hal/page/10/

[TAD2005]

Dining times if you have fixed dining are 5:30 for early and 8:00 for late (main) seating.   You can also select "As You Wish" dining, more commonly called Anytime Dining.   You can show up anytime from 5:15 to 9:00.   You can reserve a specific time for 3 days in a row in the non-prime dining times.   In the prime dining times, you may experience a line if you request a specific type of table, like a 2-top, or 4-top.  You can usually get seated immediately if you accept the next available table, which will usually be at a large table of 6 or 8.

[dcruisers]

Thank you !!

Sorry to read that the  casino isn’t smoke free.

Will we be newbies or will our Carnival cruise credits be combined with Holland?

We sail mainly with Celebrity but our RCL cruise credits are added to Celebrity since they are under the same company.

[Mary229]

41 minutes ago, dcruisers said:

Thank you !!

Sorry to read that the  casino isn’t smoke free.

Will we be newbies or will our Carnival cruise credits be combined with Holland?

We sail mainly with Celebrity but our RCL cruise credits are added to Celebrity since they are under the same company.

Unfortunately not.  I do wish they would. 

[joekerstef]

1 hour ago, dcruisers said:

Will we be newbies or will our Carnival cruise credits be combined with Holland?

You will be a 1* Mariner but that doesn't get you much besides an invite to the Mariner luncheon towards the end of your cruise.

Just make sure to alert HAL that you've sailed with Carnival.

[RMLincoln]

Yes they supply robes.  And you can ask for other sizes, such as children's or XXL.  

Show times on NS might be the format as we had on Koningsdam last fall for the World Stage shows:  7 and 9pm for guest entertainers; 6:30, 8 and 9:30 for singers/dancers.  I'm not certain if they are still having the singers/dancers shows anymore.  Dining times vary a bit in different regions of the world, so it's really hard to say unless you can give us an itinerary that others have been on.  m--

[ready2cruzagain]

9 hours ago, joekerstef said:

You will be a 1* Mariner but that doesn't get you much besides an invite to the Mariner luncheon towards the end of your cruise.

Just make sure to alert HAL that you've sailed with Carnival.

 

Thanks for the information. I did not know this.  We have 138 days with Carnival but never sailed HA.  Booked for 21 days in 2020. Do I call up HA and tell them?

[Mary229]

9 hours ago, joekerstef said:

You will be a 1* Mariner but that doesn't get you much besides an invite to the Mariner luncheon towards the end of your cruise.

Just make sure to alert HAL that you've sailed with Carnival.

Have you gotten credit for your sailing days with other CCL ships.  I have sailed quite a bit with Princess and never thought to have those credited to HAL

[thinfool]

9 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Have you gotten credit for your sailing days with other CCL ships.  I have sailed quite a bit with Princess and never thought to have those credited to HAL

There is no credit given between lines under the Carnival umbrella.

Many would like this, but as it is, there are often so many upper status passengers on a cruise that they have to have the cocktail meetings more than once.  And the status-given laundry service is backed up for days.

 

[vinonme2]

6 minutes ago, thinfool said:

There is no credit given between lines under the Carnival umbrella.

Many would like this, but as it is, there are often so many upper status passengers on a cruise that they have to have the cocktail meetings more than once.  And the status-given laundry service is backed up for days.

 

I've sailed Holland America multiple times - latest being last Fall and this  month, and I've never experienced laundry service being backed up for days. My laundry has always gotten back the next day.    

What ship did you experience backed up service?   

[joekerstef]

1 hour ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 

Thanks for the information. I did not know this.  We have 138 days with Carnival but never sailed HA.  Booked for 21 days in 2020. Do I call up HA and tell them?

 

37 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Have you gotten credit for your sailing days with other CCL ships.  I have sailed quite a bit with Princess and never thought to have those credited to HAL

Do not misunderstand--you get to be a 1* mariner but you do NOT get your cruise days credited to HAL. You will start with zero cruise days no matter how many days you've sailed on any of the Carnival brands. 

[Mary229]

51 minutes ago, thinfool said:

There is no credit given between lines under the Carnival umbrella.

Many would like this, but as it is, there are often so many upper status passengers on a cruise that they have to have the cocktail meetings more than once.  And the status-given laundry service is backed up for days.

 

That is what I have always been told but I was curious as someone said they should tell HAL they had sailed with Princess.  Those questions are generally asked when you book along with age and state of residency.  It would be great because thinking about this I also remember sailing quite a few times with Carnival when I lived in New Orleans.  

[ready2cruzagain]

2 hours ago, joekerstef said:

 

Do not misunderstand--you get to be a 1* mariner but you do NOT get your cruise days credited to HAL. You will start with zero cruise days no matter how many days you've sailed on any of the Carnival brands. 

 

I get it.  I was just thinking the Mariners lunch looked good.😁

[Homosassa]

As you are a Carnival cruiser, you need to be aware of  some other differences between Carnival and HAL:

 

There is no music played at the pool or blaring in other public areas on the ship.

 

The two fisted drinking culture of Carnival does not exist in HAL.  This might be changing as HAL tries to attract new cruisers and is now offering drink packages. There has been the appearance of "how can I maximize my booze" threads now appearing on the HAL board.

 

You will find that cruisers do dress better on HAL with many following the recommended dress suggestions on board ship. Yes, there will be some in long gowns and tuxes on Gala night. Of course, there will also be the cruisers who dress as they would for a night out in the local bar in nowhere USA.

 

HAL cruisers cruise for the experience of new places and things. As a result, the ship is hopping early on port days as people are up to go ashore.  A a result, the ship will be quieter in the evening as people will go to bed earlier  to be up early.

[dcruisers]

We’ve also sailed Princess - under the same umbrella. ( and Viking, NCL RCL and Celebrity- our favorite so far)...... guess those cruises will not count either.

Also.....Does HA offer purchasing a drink package?  We love not having to sign slips or watch for drink errors on our statement.

TIA

Edited May 25, 2019 by dcruisers

[kazu]

1 hour ago, dcruisers said:

We’ve also sailed Princess - under the same umbrella. ( and Viking, NCL RCL and Celebrity- our favorite so far)...... guess those cruises will not count either.

Also.....Does HA offer purchasing a drink package?  We love not having to sign slips or watch for drink errors on our statement.

TIA

 

Yes, they do offer a drink package.  You need to do a bit of math and see if it is worth it, IMO.

 

If it’s not, the other option is to purchase a beverage card.  That avoids the slips and watching for errors on your statement too 😉 

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, kazu said:

 

Yes, they do offer a drink package.  You need to do a bit of math and see if it is worth it, IMO.

 

If it’s not, the other option is to purchase a beverage card.  That avoids the slips and watching for errors on your statement too 😉 

 

I don't know if it's on all ships, but on the K this winter, there were no bar receipts given. Perhaps they give one if you ask, but I didn't bother. I checked my account every few days and didn't find any questionable charges.

 

[dcruisers]

I appreciate all the great information.

i agree- often you don’t get you monies worth purchasing the drink package.  However, we have chosen it as a free perk several times..  

I do have a question- what is the difference between a beverage card and drink package?  Does the beverage card allow getting wine or beer.

[kazu]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I don't know if it's on all ships, but on the K this winter, there were no bar receipts given. Perhaps they give one if you ask, but I didn't bother. I checked my account every few days and didn't find any questionable charges.

 

 

Interesting.  Just off the P’dam a couple of weeks ago and we got receipts for our drinks whether we charged them to our on board account or our beverage card.  Never had to ask.
 

Maybe it’s a new thing for the Pinnacle class?

[kazu]

Just now, dcruisers said:

I appreciate all the great information.

i agree- often you don’t get you monies worth purchasing the drink package.  However, we have chosen it as a free perk several times..  

I do have a question- what is the difference between a beverage card and drink package?  Does the beverage card allow getting wine or beer.

 

The beverage card lets you get any drink you want.

 

It’s basically a preloaded card (think credit or debit) with X amount of dollars on it (whatever you decided to purchase) and the charges are just deducted from it.

 

I just keep the most recent slip that tells me what my most recent purchase was and what my balance is on the card.

Bascially you can buy what you want with the beverage card - soda, water, drinks, wine or wine bottles.  The drink package limits you to what the drinks cost (there is a limit on each one & it’s useless at happy hour contrary to the beverage card).

 

Note - beverage cards cannot usually be used at HMC or when you get a bottle of water disembarking - probably a couple of other spots too - nor can the drink packages, I believe.

[TAD2005]

We just got off the Eurodam 28 days to Hawaii and French Polynesia.  We had a huge amount of 4 and 5 star Mariners onboard.   I used the laundry service multiple times on that cruise and my laundry was always back in under 18 hours.  One time, I put the bag out at 9:00 AM and got ti back at 6:00 PM.

Not sure what "maximize my booze" refers to, but both DW and I are 71 and 72.   We always either purchase the SBP or get it as a perk.   We are not stumbling drunks.  But we find that SBP, at $44.95 per day plus 15%, purchased before the cruise, has always saved us hundreds of $$$ over buying drinks as you go.   We always take long cruises with many sea days, the shortest being 25 days.   If your cruise is a 7 day, "If it's Tuesday, this must be Barbados" type of cruise where you are off the ship almost every day from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, then maybe the SBP will not pay for itself.

A typical mixed drink or glass of wine costs around $8 plus 15%, or $9.20.   You are now allowed any drink with a menu price of $11, and a max of 15 alcoholic beverages per day, and unlimited sodas, water in bottles, or specialty coffees.  The SBP with 15% service charge will cost you $51.70 per day, if you buy it before sailing online.  Or if you get it with a promotion.  Divide $51.70 by $9.20 and you get 5-1/2 drinks.  After that 5-1/2, you are drinking free.  Judge for yourself, based on your typical beverage habits that you do on vacation, when you don't have to worry about driving home.  If you only have a glass of wine or 2 at dinner, then of course the SBP is not for you.

HAL has stopped giving receipts for each drink purchase unless you ask them for it.

If you have a tour the next day, stop at any bar the night before and pickup 2 bottles of water to take with you on your tour.  They are included in the SBP and do not count towards your 15 alcoholic beverage count.   Take a few more bottles of water for your cabin fridge.

Edited May 25, 2019 by TAD2005

[dcruisers]

15 hours ago, TAD2005 said:

We just got off the Eurodam 28 days to Hawaii and French Polynesia.  We had a huge amount of 4 and 5 star Mariners onboard.   I used the laundry service multiple times on that cruise and my laundry was always back in under 18 hours.  One time, I put the bag out at 9:00 AM and got ti back at 6:00 PM.

Not sure what "maximize my booze" refers to, but both DW and I are 71 and 72.   We always either purchase the SBP or get it as a perk.   We are not stumbling drunks.  But we find that SBP, at $44.95 per day plus 15%, purchased before the cruise, has always saved us hundreds of $$$ over buying drinks as you go.   We always take long cruises with many sea days, the shortest being 25 days.   If your cruise is a 7 day, "If it's Tuesday, this must be Barbados" type of cruise where you are off the ship almost every day from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, then maybe the SBP will not pay for itself.

A typical mixed drink or glass of wine costs around $8 plus 15%, or $9.20.   You are now allowed any drink with a menu price of $11, and a max of 15 alcoholic beverages per day, and unlimited sodas, water in bottles, or specialty coffees.  The SBP with 15% service charge will cost you $51.70 per day, if you buy it before sailing online.  Or if you get it with a promotion.  Divide $51.70 by $9.20 and you get 5-1/2 drinks.  After that 5-1/2, you are drinking free.  Judge for yourself, based on your typical beverage habits that you do on vacation, when you don't have to worry about driving home.  If you only have a glass of wine or 2 at dinner, then of course the SBP is not for you.

HAL has stopped giving receipts for each drink purchase unless you ask them for it.

If you have a tour the next day, stop at any bar the night before and pickup 2 bottles of water to take with you on your tour.  They are included in the SBP and do not count towards your 15 alcoholic beverage count.   Take a few more bottles of water for your cabin fridge.

Thank you so much for the information!

- I do have another question regarding beverage card.....can my DH and I have one card or do we have to get 1 for each of us?  I’m thinking if it’s like a debit card- one should work.

Again- thank for taking the time to give me such great info.

 

[colonialinnkeeper]

16 hours ago, dcruisers said:

I appreciate all the great information.

i agree- often you don’t get you monies worth purchasing the drink package.  However, we have chosen it as a free perk several times..  

I do have a question- what is the difference between a beverage card and drink package?  Does the beverage card allow getting wine or beer.

Often the "free perk" for drink package is not free.  We learned this early on from our TA.  We booked a cruise on board which included the "free" drink package and moved the booking to our TA upon returning home.  She asked us if we wanted to see what the cruise would cost without the perk.  We looked at our statement from the cruise we just returned from, added up our bar and beverage charges to the basic charge from our TA and found that it was actually cheaper to pay separately by about $400 pp.  I realize that some just don't want to bother with individual charges but always nice to know the differences.