Questions, Questions, Questions from Newbie

[magictam]

Hi All

I have so enjoyed reading all the posts and been collecting information by the ream. But I still have questions. My husband, sister and brother in law are all going on our first cruise August 26th to Alaska on the Noordam. I can hardly wait, feel like a kid waiting for Christmas (it will never come). I hope y'all can help w/these questions.

1. Are the cabin doors metal? I have read about doing do decorations, especially magnetic ones. Would like to do a special one for my sis, it's thier 25 (Silver) wedding anniversary. If not metal, how do you hang the decoration?

2. Does anyone know the cost of having my digital camera downloaded to a CD from one of the shops on ship? I heard this was possible, is it available on the Noordom?

3. From HAL's website I understand that HAL includes tipping fees in my prices but I really don't understand who gets those tips and especially who should I still be tipping. As I former waitress, I really don't want to slight anyone. But I'm also basically cheap and don't want to double my tips if HALs already collecting them.

Thanks for any and all advice.

[jtl513]

Hi All

I have so enjoyed reading all the posts and been collecting information by the ream. But I still have questions. My husband, sister and brother in law are all going on our first cruise August 26th to Alaska on the Noordam. I can hardly wait, feel like a kid waiting for Christmas (it will never come). I hope y'all can help w/these questions.

1. Are the cabin doors metal? I have read about doing do decorations, especially magnetic ones. Would like to do a special one for my sis, it's thier 25 (Silver) wedding anniversary. If not metal, how do you hang the decoration?

2. Does anyone know the cost of having my digital camera downloaded to a CD from one of the shops on ship? I heard this was possible, is it available on the Noordom?

3. From HAL's website I understand that HAL includes tipping fees in my prices but I really don't understand who gets those tips and especially who should I still be tipping. As I former waitress, I really don't want to slight anyone. But I'm also basically cheap and don't want to double my tips if HALs already collecting them.

Thanks for any and all advice.

1. Wood. Frames are steel, though. I guess most people who do decorations tape them up, but be sure it's tape that doesn't leave marks.

2. $15 last I checked, and it's usually not while-you-wait. It may take 4 to 24 hours, so you usually can't empty your only card. Cheaper in the long run to buy more memory cards before you go ... NOT on the ship! Or take them to someplace in a port and make your CD for $3 to $4 for the first 100 pictures.

3. According to a Cruise Director on one of our cruises, the $10/day/person charge, now starting to be called a service charge rather than a gratuity, is divided this way: $3.50 to your cabin steward, $3.50 to your dining room steward (who presumably shares some of it with his assistant), and $3 into a pool divided among all of the service staff on the ship. Many people on this board add a cash tip to stewards who give exceptional service, or do special things for them. Many do not. Many people who post on this board claim that ALL tips, cash or Auto, go into one big pool. No one on the "outside" really knows for sure!

[kakalina]

Welcome to the boards. Draw up a deck chair and stay awhile. I'll try to answer your questions:

1. We have not found any metal cabin doors. We use tape

 

2. The last time I checked the photo shop was way out of line on prices. You would be much better served to wait until you got home and have it done there for a reasonable price.

 

3. HAL will take $10 per person, per day for tips. These tips are distributed throughout the staff. HAL's reasoning it that this amount will take care of everyone you come in to contact with and also those you don't ie cooks, laundry etc. There are those that tip more above and beyond and there are those that don't. It is a personal thing. If you add nothing extra everyone is still fully compensated per HAL.

 

Hope this helps. Look forward to hearing about your cruise.

[innlady1]

Hi All

I have so enjoyed reading all the posts and been collecting information by the ream. But I still have questions. My husband, sister and brother in law are all going on our first cruise August 26th to Alaska on the Noordam. I can hardly wait, feel like a kid waiting for Christmas (it will never come). I hope y'all can help w/these questions.

1. Are the cabin doors metal? I have read about doing do decorations, especially magnetic ones. Would like to do a special one for my sis, it's thier 25 (Silver) wedding anniversary. If not metal, how do you hang the decoration?

2. Does anyone know the cost of having my digital camera downloaded to a CD from one of the shops on ship? I heard this was possible, is it available on the Noordom?

3. From HAL's website I understand that HAL includes tipping fees in my prices but I really don't understand who gets those tips and especially who should I still be tipping. As I former waitress, I really don't want to slight anyone. But I'm also basically cheap and don't want to double my tips if HALs already collecting them.

Thanks for any and all advice.

 

1. I think the doors are a laminate of some sort (the top layer). To resemble tiger maple or something similar:confused: We were on the Noordam over Valentine's Day. I brought a pretty heart shaped wreath with paper roses for the door. It stayed in the ziplock! No one had their doors decorated....and we walked by quite a few staterooms in our comings and goings! Last year on Princess, there were lots; nothing on HAL (actually, I preferred it that way...Princess looked a little junky with all the stuff).

 

2. I don't know the answer to this.

 

3. We did the $10 pp tip. From what I understood the greater percentage goes directly to the room steward and your waitstaff. We gave our room steward $10 upon arrival and another $25 when we disembarked. I can't remember what DH put in the envelope for the #1 waiter and the #2 guy. I tipped the room service steward $1 each time he came. I'd read that amount somewhere on here, I believe.

 

Hope this helps you.