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Special Birthday

cherrypop

By cherrypop,
in Holland America Line

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cherrypop

cherrypop

Posted
Posted

I am wondering if HAL does anything special for birthday, it being a special one turning 50? I know Princess gives a nice cake which is brought to you in the dining room. We celebrated an anniversary on Carnival Spirit and got a piece of cake brought to us, nothing special at all. Or do they have anything you can purchase for this?

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
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HAL also will bring you a cake in the dining room if you or your TA lets them know you are celebrating. The stewards sing Happy Birthday and it's fun!

 

Have a Happy Birthday and great cruise. :)

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Pokeynose

Pokeynose

Posted
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Our TA and also our son let HAL know it was our 50th wedding anniv. and also my DH's birthday the day we were sailing. Not one word from the Captain or anyone. It was quite disappointing. We even contacted the Concierge in the Neptune Lounge and nothing was done. So we put it behind us and enjoyed the cruise anyway. Good luck to you and Happy Birthday to the some one turning 50.:)

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Barek

Barek

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If you tell your table steward in the main dining room, you'll get a cake and have "Happy Birthday" sung by a half dozen or so table stewards. On our cruise a couple weeks ago, there were three in one night. In the Pinnacle Grill, if you mention it when booking the table reservation, you'll also get a cake - but I don't recall if "Happy Birthday" was sung or not.

 

On our cruise on the Westerdam (other ships and other sailing dates may vary), the cake in the main dining room was a white cake - and I saw most of the tables didn't finish it and left it at their tables. In the Pinnacle Grill, it's a chocolate cake (it looked like a browny with thick frosting) and most guests had any uneaten portions wrapped to take back to their cabins. No idea if that was coincidence, or if the PG cake was actually better or not.

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Barek

Barek

Posted
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Our TA and also our son let HAL know it was our 50th wedding anniv. and also my DH's birthday the day we were sailing. Not one word from the Captain or anyone. It was quite disappointing. We even contacted the Concierge in the Neptune Lounge and nothing was done. So we put it behind us and enjoyed the cruise anyway. Good luck to you and Happy Birthday to the some one turning 50.:)

The special celebration packages that HAL mentions on their website are only available at an additional booking cost. For those who purchase one, they do have celebrations for anniversaries and honeymoons - but nothing is automatically scheduled for those who mention it in their booking. Here's HAL's info on what's available: http://www.hollandamerica.com/news/FactSheets.action

 

Although if you tell your table steward, they will bring the same cake as they give for birthdays.

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Pokeynose

Pokeynose

Posted
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You mentioned that the occasions were on the first night of sailing. That may have been the problem because the first day is always the hardest and most disorganized.

 

No, we didn't expect anything the first night of sailing, we didn't even get our luggage in time to dress for dinner. We were told the Captain would congratulate us on the first formal night, we didn't expect a cake but that is all behind us and we are going on another cruise next sept. '09.:)

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cp556

cp556

Posted
Posted

Thanks, Barek. I hadn't thought about the Pinnacle. DH's BD will be during our Westerdam Panama Canal cruise, on a day at sea, and I'm reminded that we should make Pinnacle reservations for that evening to celebrate. Might even get a chocolate cake .... yummmmmm!

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gizmo

gizmo

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I have not been lucky with a birthday cake. A cake was requested and noted on our invoice. It was requested for a certain night. NO cake. The TA was on board and followed up on it. Still no cake. We gave up. :rolleyes:

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O2B@C

O2B@C

Posted
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Obviously, experiences vary. On Westerdam in November 2007, I had told them it was our anniversary during the cruise (a sea day, in the middle of the itinerary), but neither requested nor paid for anything special. We got balloons on our door, a note from the ship, AND a cake at dinner (but no singing, because I asked them not to - DH would have been mortified - so they just wished us happy anniversary quietly and left it at that). We were in a deluxe suite - maybe that made a difference?

 

PS: The cake was ok, but nothing special. I'm not a big cake fan anyway.

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  • 3 weeks later...
e-CJ

e-CJ

Posted
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Last year on the Noordam we did receive a cake to celebrate our anniversary and another person at our table had a 50th birthday and received cake as well. I think they sang happy birthday to him. The cake they serve is nothing special and on both occasions most of the cake was left at the table. I do believe that you can also order, and pay for, a cake to be delivered. We saw a couple of them. They were a bit larger and decorated. No idea if they were worth the price, but you should find it listed on the website. The free cake is what most people had who were celebrating during that cruise.

 

In two week we will celebrate my 55th birthday on the Amsterdam. There is supposed to be a cake, but I won't be too upset if they forget. The desserts on the menu are a little better anyway.

 

Now, birthday dinner in the Pinnacle would be very nice...

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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Last year on the Noordam we did receive a cake to celebrate our anniversary and another person at our table had a 50th birthday and received cake as well. I think they sang happy birthday to him. The cake they serve is nothing special and on both occasions most of the cake was left at the table. I do believe that you can also order, and pay for, a cake to be delivered. We saw a couple of them. They were a bit larger and decorated. No idea if they were worth the price, but you should find it listed on the website. The free cake is what most people had who were celebrating during that cruise.

 

In two week we will celebrate my 55th birthday on the Amsterdam. There is supposed to be a cake, but I won't be too upset if they forget. The desserts on the menu are a little better anyway.

 

Now, birthday dinner in the Pinnacle would be very nice...

 

Have a Happy 55th Birthday on the beautiful Amsterdam -- Alaska -- great place!!

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sail7seas

sail7seas

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No, we didn't expect anything the first night of sailing, we didn't even get our luggage in time to dress for dinner. We were told the Captain would congratulate us on the first formal night, we didn't expect a cake but that is all behind us and we are going on another cruise next sept. '09.:)

 

 

Do you recall who told you the Captain would congratulate you? They gave you a false expectation. The set you up for the disappointment. Was it your TA?

Other than if you purchase the Renewal of Vows package, it would be very unusual for the Captain to do so. Sometimes a card is sent but rarely and we haven't seen one in a long time.

 

We have spent a great many birthdays and anniversaries on board and don't expect anything of the sort. On occassion, we have had incredible celebrations. We have had a few cards from the Captain through the years. Other times it's quiet. But it is always wonderful as we're delighted we are together and aboard an HAL ship. That's enough for us!! :)

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michmike

michmike

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We were on the Volendam when my buddy and I both turned 55 (our bday's are a day apart) Wives had arranged to have cakes for both nites, which were falling toward the end of the cruise. We had a couple at our table who were in their early 90s. When they saw cakes coming out for celebrations on the second nite to other tables, Vi (the wife in that couple) said that our table needed a special cake. We told her that we'd be getting them on 2 different nites later in the week but she said that she couldn't wait that long. (and at 90 she might have had a point *L*)

 

So... after dinner that nite and when Joe and Vi and tottered off, we got with the waiters and told them that it was Joe and Vi's anniversary the following evening and we needed a cake. Sure enough.. next nite the waiters came over with the cake with a sparkler burning atop it and sang Happy Anniversary to them.. they played right along and had a grand old time

 

so I'd just coordinate w/ your waitstaff the nite before.

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e-CJ

e-CJ

Posted
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e-CJ

 

Do write a report when you get back.

 

I plan to do that. This cruise I will be taking my laptop and though I will not be using the internet on board, I do plan to keep a daily journal. I wasn't able to do that the last cruise and it went undocumented.:( So, I will post some of it and/or a link on the Amsterdam thread, below in my sig.:)

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ore-ee-gun

ore-ee-gun

Posted
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DH and I will be celebrating our 25th anniversary on our November cruise, but (a) cake/frosting is at the very bottom of my list when choosing desserts, and (b), I really don't care for the attention a song attracts. Now, if they wanted to provide us a nice (ie: not the stuff they serve at receptions) bottle of bubbly to mark the occasion, well, we'd be fine with that. :D

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