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Changes on Hal

CoastalCounseling

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CoastalCounseling

CoastalCounseling

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My first cruise was on Hal in Feb 2004. I have been away from the boards since then. Just booked for the Zuiderdam in Dec and am curious about all the changes I am reading about.

 

1. Is there now a charge for Lido ice cream? Coffee... in the Windstar right?

 

2. What is the new $10/day tipping poilcy? Do they add it to your bill? Is it optional? Who is to stop me from slipping cash to my room steward/waiter/room service if I so choose?

 

3. No alcohol in the rooms? Has this changed as well?

 

Is anything else I should know about .... recent changes?

 

Thanks!

Kelly

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Ellya

Ellya

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Ice Cream in the Lido is free (and so are the nummy chocolate chip cookies right next to them).

 

Regular coffee in the Lido is free, but specialty coffee in the coffee shop costs extra.

 

They add the $10 per person per day to your bill at the end of the cruise along with any other charges you make. This is distributed to various people including your room steward and dining staff. You can still tip on top of that in person if you desire. If you tip in addition, the staff does get to keep it. But if you want to reduce the tips then you must go and have that done at the office. If you reduce your tips (or remove them) the staff must pool any tips you give them.

 

I can't tell you what the alcohol policies are since I simply bought my (few) drinks.

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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:)

 

You can no longer bring your own alcohol onto the ship (people are smuggling it on). If they see you have for example, a bottle of absolut, in your carry-on luggage, it will be taken from you and returned to you at the end of the cruise.

You can bring on board wine and champagne.

Any alcohol that you buy in a port will also be held to the end of the cruise.

You can no longer buy alcohol in the boutiques for in-room consumption. If you want alcohol in your cabin, you can either order it before your cruise through ship services or order ir when you get on the ship. The price is around $29 a bottle unless you order something very special.

:)

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gizmo

gizmo

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I don't like it at all. Why a 15% tip if service is bad? On my last cruise the bar service in the casino was the worst bar service I ever saw. We moved into the Ocean Bar which had excellent service for pre dinner cocktails. Mr. Gizmo also complained about the bar staff pouring "short" in the casino. Not only was the bar service bad, but while playing at the tables, the waitress was invisable. We never had this happen before. We had to ask the dealer to get someone, he would get the casino boss, and then he went off to find the waitress. This happened night after night. In the past, the casino waitress would always approach us and ask if we would like a drink. I would like to add the Explorer Lounge service was also excellent.

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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:)

 

Agree with the 15% on bar tabs.

On the Maasdam this past May we gave up having a drink before dinner in the Ocean Bar. Cocktail hour began at 5:15. We had dinner at 5:45. By the time our drink order was taken and delivered to us it was 5:30 and the appetizers weren't brought out till that time. We never went back.

:)

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Thoth

Thoth

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Ice Cream in the Lido is free (and so are the nummy chocolate chip cookies right next to them).

 

Regular coffee in the Lido is free, but specialty coffee in the coffee shop costs extra.

 

They add the $10 per person per day to your bill at the end of the cruise along with any other charges you make. This is distributed to various people including your room steward and dining staff. You can still tip on top of that in person if you desire. If you tip in addition, the staff does get to keep it. But if you want to reduce the tips then you must go and have that done at the office. If you reduce your tips (or remove them) the staff must pool any tips you give them.

 

That sounds great to me! Free regular coffee, free ice cream, free popcorn

Oosterdam 24 July 04 here I come!!

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idiebabe

idiebabe

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Hi!

 

I'm new to HAL (although I've sailed many times). I'm booked on the Zui in April, 2005. Do they have the coffee/tea station on Lido available on a 24 hour basis?

 

Also, cocktail hour. Is that everyday and is it in certain lounges?

 

Is there a Captain's Dinner night (formal) and which night does it normally fall on? The other cruises I've been on it's usually the first "sailing" day.

 

I'd appreciate any info - thanks.

 

Eileen

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elmorejj

elmorejj

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Eileen, the coffee/tea station is open 24 hours. Cocktail hour is every evening about 45 mins. prior to your dinner seating. It`s in most main lounges and hot and cold Hors D`oevres are served. The Captains welcome aboard dinner is usually on the first formal night....the first full day aboard. There will be the usual meet and greet with the Capt. and other officers and champagne is served along with Hors D`oevres.....jean

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CoastalCounseling

CoastalCounseling

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I appreciate all the help with these questions.

 

Do I understand this correctly?

 

So I can have the $10 per person removed from my account. Then I can slip cash to my room steward and dining staff as I see fit??

 

One HAL staff made my child an oragami animal to play with. Another turned a napkin into an hand puppet and entertained my son. These are the people who made our cruise special. One room service staff sat and had a glass of wine and discussed his home country with us. I want those extra special staff to be rewarded.

 

Has anyone had trouble bringing on beer or soda?

 

Thanks,

 

Kelly

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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:)

 

Concerning tips - if you chose to have the tips removed from your account, you will be given a form to fill out and asked why you are doing so. Then you will get a form letter from the captain explaining HAL's new tipping policy and asking you to reconsider. Your room steward and dining room wait staff will be notified of your decision. Those crew members are SUPPOSED to turn in any cash they get from passengers who chose to drop the automatic tips. That money is supposed to then be put into a pool. Notice I said, SUPPOSED. How honest will the crew be to turn in those tips? I can't answer that for you.

:)

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Orcrone

Orcrone

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So I can have the $10 per person removed from my account. Then I can slip cash to my room steward and dining staff as I see fit??
You can do that. However, if you remove the automatic tip, then anything you give to your stewards has to be turned in to be pooled anyhow.

 

However, if you leave the automatic tip in place then anything you give above and beyond can be kept by the stewards.

 

Sorry, must have written this as KK was posting.

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Orcrone

Orcrone

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Has anyone had trouble bringing on beer or soda?

I believe you're allowed to bring beer and soda on board for consumption in your cabin. I just wouldn't overdo it. Having Pepsi and Budweiser trucks pull up to the dock might raise some eyebrows.:D
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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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:)

 

As for the cocktail hour and dining times, this is what happened when we were on the Maasdam this past May. For the first group of diners, cocktail hour was from 5:15 - 6:15 in the Ocean Bar and Crow's Nest. This was great for those who had the 6:15 diner time. But, like us, who ate at 5:45 - not great. We went to the Ocean Bar at 5:15. By the time our drink order was taken, drinks brought to us along with appetizers it was 5:30 - only 15 minutes to sit and enjoy everything. We never went back. We were used to sitting and having a couple of drinks and appetizers before dinner.

And if it the same situation on the Statendam this fall, we will just have vegies in the Neptune Lounge.

:)

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agt

agt

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You can no longer bring your own alcohol onto the ship (people are smuggling it on). If they see you have for example, a bottle of absolut, in your carry-on luggage, it will be taken from you and returned to you at the end of the cruise.

I have looked all though my contract as well as on the HAL website,

and I can see no mention of this alcohol policy. Is it documented anywhere?

(This cruise will be my first, so if there are any other

"unwritten rules" I should know about, I'd appreciate any advice!)

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elmorejj

elmorejj

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The new liquor policy was brought in about February..I think. No bottles of liquor in carry ons, only wine or champagne, beer is a no no, but I think you can bring soda if its a different brand to what they serve on board (coke products). Of course you can still bring it on in your checked luggage if you wrap it correctly, just for cabin consumption..its now called smuggling!!.....jean

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Jacqueline

Jacqueline

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I have looked all though my contract as well as on the HAL website,

and I can see no mention of this alcohol policy. Is it documented anywhere?

(This cruise will be my first, so if there are any other

"unwritten rules" I should know about, I'd appreciate any advice!)

 

Its stated very clearly on p.11 in the "Know before you go" booklet that comes with the documents....

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