Bringing a Bicycle

[JeannineWW]

My husband wants to know if he can bring a bicycle or electric scooter.  We will be on the Zuiderdam.

[LocoLoco1]

Coupla years ago a young couple brought 2 bicycles aboard the NOORDAM

[Seasick Sailor]

I just today looked at Holland America's "Know before you go" and it states prohibited items include bicycles.

[JeannineWW]

3 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

I just today looked at Holland America's "Know before you go" and it states prohibited items include bicycles.

Didn't think to check there.  Thanks for the info.

[TiogaCruiser]

@JeannineWW Several years ago, ( IIRC, a couple even before Covid), HAL changed it’s policy on bikes, and they were added to the Forbidden List. At that time, there was a lengthy thread about it here.

Prior to that, there had been the occasional person who would bring their bike and keep it in their cabin, and tour the ports with it.

[Guest ldtr]

5 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

@JeannineWW Several years ago, ( IIRC, a couple even before Covid), HAL changed it’s policy on bikes, and they were added to the Forbidden List. At that time, there was a lengthy thread about it here.

Prior to that, there had been the occasional person who would bring their bike and keep it in their cabin, and tour the ports with it.

Several cruise lines made changes about that same time.  If I recall correctly that were several bike related accidents involving cruise ship passengers around that time.

[rafinmd]

I know they're on the not permitted list.  That generally does not mean that you will not be able to board but they will confiscate the banned item at the gangway and return it at disembarkation.  Not sure how you get a definite answer but I wonder if they would allow you to reclaim it temporarily on a port call.

 

Roy

[Mary229]

8 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

@JeannineWW Several years ago, ( IIRC, a couple even before Covid), HAL changed it’s policy on bikes, and they were added to the Forbidden List. At that time, there was a lengthy thread about it here.

Prior to that, there had been the occasional person who would bring their bike and keep it in their cabin, and tour the ports with it.

Exactly. We were about to purchase some foldable bikes at the time they changed.  Research instead the various bike sharing apps 

[JeannineWW]

Thanks for the responses! We may just rent bikes at some of the ports on our South Pacific cruise.

[Machta]

Good morning, all.  I’m going to respectfully reactivate this thread.  We are 3* mariners but haven’t been on HAL since my husband’s mobility issues flared up.  We have, however, cruised with RCI and MSC with our Brompton folding bicycles.  RCI was fine with us respectfully rolling them down the hallways and keeping them in our cabin.  MSC allowed them aboard, but stored them in a locker near the disembarkation station and pulled them out for us at every port.  Both strategies worked very well and the staff was very helpful.  I’m going to call HAL on Monday to discuss.  I just thought others might like to know how other cruise lines have handled bicycles recently . . . 

[seychelle]

Please let us know what you find out. We have Bromptons too!

[Colorado Klutch]

On 9/12/2022 at 3:41 PM, Seasick Sailor said:

I just today looked at Holland America's "Know before you go" and it states prohibited items include bicycles.

 

Not very Dutch of them. 

[USN59-79]

Not sure when HAL changed their policy.  I am sure those who have cruised a lot of days on the old Amsterdam remember when the Hotel Mgr. Henk Mensik and his wife Christel the Guest Relations Mgr. had their tandem bicycle on board and were often seen enjoying a ride around the ports.

Personal experience has shown me that they can be dangerous.  In the 1970s I was on a Navy repair ship that stayed in Sasebo, Japan a few months.  We took a trip to Keelung and about 100 crew members, including myself, bought a bicycle there to use in Sasebo.  We kept them on the pier when there.  I hit a curb in downtown Sasebo, flew off and dislocated my shoulder.  Since I couldn't ride it then, I loaned it to another sailor.  Within a week he broke his arm hitting something while coming down a hill too fast.

[Machta]

18 hours ago, seychelle said:

Please let us know what you find out. We have Bromptons too!

 

I certainly shall!  

[daisy-mae]

We took our folding Bike Friday bikes on a Norwegian cruise to Bermuda about 10 years ago. At the time we were required to sign a waiver and the bikes had to be kept in our stateroom. That particular cruise included two nights in port, which made the bikes very convenient for exploring the island.

 

Although they fold, the bikes do take up space, specially in a regular sized cabin. I would want to research the length of time for each port of call and the type of access from the port (industrial zone, busy roadways, etc.) plus the airline charges for extra luggage (if flying to embarkation point) before deciding whether or not to repeat the experience.

[Machta]

Well, that was quick!

 

Just after I posted in this thread I sent an email to the HAL accessibility people asking about bringing our folding Brompton bikes.  I would hasten to note that our situation might be a little bit different from that of other folks since my husband does have some mobility issues.

 

Anyway, about noon today (which, if you're counting, is basically 1/2 of a business day) a representative got back to me with permission so long as we agree to (politely) roll the bikes up/down the gangway and hallways ourselves, store them in our cabin (we have a Vista Suite, so plenty of room), and, most importantly, NOT ride them on the ship (!).  He did ask that we fill out a form so that the ship personnel will know they're on board.

 

I am unsure if this is now standard policy across the fleet or if they approved our request.  If taking folding bicycles on board is of interest to you I would encourage you to reach out to customer service, your personal cruise consultant, or the accessibility team at HAL.  

 

Next up:  planning bike rides from the ports in Norway . . . woohoo!

 

Thanks to all who replied.  I appreciate it!  Please let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them.

 

[WriterOnDeck]

I'm on the world cruise and there are a few people with bikes -- fold-able and not. On a couple of occasions the captain or cruise director announced that bikes could not be take ashore. Might have been tender ports. But apparently the ban on bikes has been lifted.

 

[Hazegrey5]

Hi, Can you please post the contact email for HAL?  I tried the guest relations email, but did not get a reply.  

How was your experience in port with the folding bicycles?

Thank you

[Toad]

My brother and SIL have always booked a lanai cabin and bring their bikes for easy roll off roll on.  As far as I know, no one has ever argued.

[badtwin]

On 2/13/2023 at 12:00 PM, Machta said:

Well, that was quick!

 

Just after I posted in this thread I sent an email to the HAL accessibility people asking about bringing our folding Brompton bikes.  I would hasten to note that our situation might be a little bit different from that of other folks since my husband does have some mobility issues.

 

Anyway, about noon today (which, if you're counting, is basically 1/2 of a business day) a representative got back to me with permission so long as we agree to (politely) roll the bikes up/down the gangway and hallways ourselves, store them in our cabin (we have a Vista Suite, so plenty of room), and, most importantly, NOT ride them on the ship (!).  He did ask that we fill out a form so that the ship personnel will know they're on board.

 

I am unsure if this is now standard policy across the fleet or if they approved our request.  If taking folding bicycles on board is of interest to you I would encourage you to reach out to customer service, your personal cruise consultant, or the accessibility team at HAL.  

 

Next up:  planning bike rides from the ports in Norway . . . woohoo!

 

Thanks to all who replied.  I appreciate it!  Please let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them.

 

Just a note to be sure you understand local rules of the road. Last cruise we did bike tours in Oslo, Helsinki and Amsterdam.  I don't think rules were same in any as far as bikes vs pedestrian vs cars.  When in doubt stop I guess.  We loved bike tours although got soaked to bone every time.

[Machta]

On 2/11/2024 at 11:29 AM, Hazegrey5 said:

Hi, Can you please post the contact email for HAL?  I tried the guest relations email, but did not get a reply.  

How was your experience in port with the folding bicycles?

Thank you

Yes, the email I heard back from is guestaccessibility@hollandamerica.com.  However, as I noted above, my husband has some accessibility issues so bringing the bikes is really important to us.

 

As far as the ports, we flew in to Amsterdam and had a BLAST riding all over the city before the cruise departed!  It was awesome!  Then on the cruise we rode in several different ports and had a wonderful time.

 

In two weeks we fly with our bikes to Hong Kong, where we board the Westerdam for 2 weeks to Tokyo.  Again, HAL guest accessibility was very kind in letting us know that we are fine.  We have a Neptune for this trip with lots of room to store the bikes.  Really looking forward to this trip!

 

 

[Machta]

On 2/11/2024 at 5:08 PM, Toad said:

My brother and SIL have always booked a lanai cabin and bring their bikes for easy roll off roll on.  As far as I know, no one has ever argued.

That sounds like such a great idea!  But I think there are only one or two ships left in the fleet that have lanai cabins . . . Is that right?  Maybe the Volendam and the Zaandam?

[boze9999]

On 9/12/2022 at 3:36 PM, LocoLoco1 said:

Coupla years ago a young couple brought 2 bicycles aboard the NOORDAM

That young couple was probably part of the crew/staff @LocoLoco1

 

[LocoLoco1]

It was a couple from Ohio, USA. 

[Machta]

Good day, all.  I’d like to update you as to our experiences with our Bromptons since I last posted.  We did take the 14 day cruise from Hong Kong to Tokyo / Yokohama last March, and we had a great time.  I did email the accessibility people beforehand, of course, and they must have taken care of everything.  The only port we were not allowed to take the bikes onshore was Shanghai, and that was because the local officials did not allow it.  We had a great time, especially in Kagoshima riding up the Sakurajima volcano!

 

More recently, in early August we flew to Vancouver and did a 7-day Alaska trip on the Koningsdam as a family reunion.  Vancouver was hot and smoky from the forest fires, but it’s an incredible city in which to ride a bike.  As is now my normal pattern, I emailed guest services some time before the cruise with the proper information re mobility needs.

 

Unfortunately, the evening we sailed the luggage with our Bromptons had not been delivered, and about 7pm we received a phone call to come down to security.  They told us that bicycles were prohibited and that they would keep the bikes until we disembarked.  I pulled out my phone and showed them the email from the HAL accessibility people approving our request, but they didn’t budge.  They just kept pointing to their list of prohibited items.  One woman in particular was glaring at us as if we had tried to do something criminal.  After quite a bit of back and forth, they sent me to guest services.  

 

The assistant manager at guest services listened but didn’t budge.  I asked him to check with the accessibility people, and forwarded the email I had received.  He said he would check with them, but it would take time.  That was on Saturday evening, right after we had sailed.

 

No news on Sunday, which thankfully was a sea day.  We had a group excursion planned for Monday.  When we returned to our stateroom Monday afternoon the bikes were inside.  I went down to guest services and spoke to the same assistant manager, and he said that my “story” had been confirmed.  Apparently the accessibility people had forgotten to email security on the Koningsdam and let them know that our bikes were approved.  And so that was that.

 

Except . . . In politely and respectfully taking our bikes on and off the ship the rest of the trip, of course we had to pass through security.  The same woman glared at us as we passed through.  She made us very uncomfortable.  We did receive an email from HAL accessibility apologizing for the snafu, but no one on the ship made any apology at all.  We were very uncomfortable, to the point that we may look for a new cruise line “home” once our upcoming cruise on HAL is complete.  

 

I’m sure that in some sense we sound like crybabies, but please understand that for my husband this is a matter of mobility.  Without wheels, he would almost have to be in a wheelchair to go very far.  His condition may come to that, but we are determined to be active as long as we can.  When he’s on his own two feet, he struggles.  When he’s on the Brompton, he soars.  If we can’t have our Brommies, we’ll find another cruise line.

 

Best of luck to all who attempt to bring bikes on ships.  Let me know if there’s any information or feedback I can provide and I shall happily do so.

 

As the Project 529 people say, “Il est temps de rouler!”