Newbie ???

[Scorpiorose]

Being new to HAL I have a few questions if you don't mind....

 

1 - can you prepay the tips and how much is it total per person if it is automatically charged to the sea pass account?

 

2 - Is there an adults only pool area? Do ppl respect that?

 

3 - Any one travel in Nov.? What type of folks go then, families??? We'll be going on the Mexican Rivera!

 

4 - How is the bedding? RCCL has new nordstrum bedding and I'm spoiled with that!

 

5 - Any other tips for HAL? I'd love to hear!

 

Thanks all!

[Krazy Kruizers]

HAL automatically adds $10 per day per person to your shipboard account for their tips. yes - you can call HAL and have money advanced to pay for these tips.

We have cruised the Mexican/ Sea of Cortez cruises in November -- we had great weather.

The aft pool is supposed to be for adults only -- but we have seen children in it.

HAL has all new Euorpean bedding -- excellent.

[grannynurse]

Being new to HAL I have a few questions if you don't mind....

 

1 - can you prepay the tips and how much is it total per person if it is automatically charged to the sea pass account?

 

2 - Is there an adults only pool area? Do ppl respect that?

 

3 - Any one travel in Nov.? What type of folks go then, families??? We'll be going on the Mexican Rivera!

 

4 - How is the bedding? RCCL has new nordstrum bedding and I'm spoiled with that!

 

5 - Any other tips for HAL? I'd love to hear!

 

Thanks all!

 

Scorpiorose,

What ship are you sailing on? Tips we would give will be different if you're on a Vista like Oosterdam or on a smaller S (like Rindam) or R class ship.

There will be more families on over Thanksgiving than on other Nov. sailing dates and more on a 7 day than a 10 day trip.

 

If you're traveling in a suite there are many suite amenities. The mini-suite categories (different designations on S class than on Vista class) also have a few extra amenities like free DVD use and personalized stationary, larger towels etc.

 

Besides the $10pp/pd for tips, HAL puts another $50 pp/pd on hold for expenses but doesn't actually submit charges until the end of the trip. So in effect, it's $60 pp/pd if you do not prepay your tips like you're planning to.

 

We love the "Heavenly" bedding on HAL ships, IMO it's the best at sea.

 

Please give us more info like ship and cabin class so we can be of more help.

GN

[medfordgirl]

I have been on many RCCL cruises and only one HAL cruise. HAL bedding is better. I can't wait to sleep in it again this november. Our HAL cruise was thanksgiving week and there were a ton of kids. This time we are doing it the week after.

[Scorpiorose]

oh....geezz, well we'll be thanksgiving week so I guess that means lots of kids and family, which is ok.

 

We are on Oosterdam, 7 days in Mexican rivera! We've been to these ports and didn't really have good experiences except in Cabo so I'm researching for better places this time. Any suggestions for Puerta Vi and Maz. would be great. The boards roll call for this cruise hasn't moved at all in 3 weeks and the port section is also very slow.

 

So I guess the tips are 70 for the two of us? We usually walk away with very little on our sea pass cards, just tips and pictures really.

 

Thanks for the above info and any more you can add!

[O2B@C]

... We are on Oosterdam, 7 days in Mexican rivera! We've been to these ports and didn't really have good experiences except in Cabo so I'm researching for better places this time. Any suggestions for Puerta Vi and Maz. would be great. The boards roll call for this cruise hasn't moved at all in 3 weeks and the port section is also very slow.

 

So I guess the tips are 70 for the two of us? ...

 

The ports section will probably pick up when Mexican Riviera cruising season gets going again in the fall, so you may want to check back then.

 

It's $10 per person per day, so that will be $140 total for two persons for a 7-day cruise. Many people choose to supplement that with extra cash tips for room service delivery, room steward, and dining room staff, but it's up to you whether you choose to do that or not.

 

I agree with the prior responses about HAL's beds - that's our main reason for HAL being "our" cruise line - they are really great.

 

HAL also has better room service than most lines. If you are getting a cabin with a veranda, by all means have breakfast and/or dinner out there at least once! You can order anything from the dining room menu for room service dinner, for free! (Except for an optional tip to the delivery person.) You just need to place your order within a certain time window (usually half an hour after the dining room first opens) - but it can be for delivery at any time during dining room hours.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Scorpiorose]

Fantastic!!!

[cf_chuck]

Besides the $10pp/pd for tips, HAL puts another $50 pp/pd on hold for expenses but doesn't actually submit charges until the end of the trip. So in effect, it's $60 pp/pd if you do not prepay your tips like you're planning to.

 

Just as a point, the $60 PP/d hold is placed on the credit limit of the card securing the shipboard account at embarkation. The hold is placed for the entire duration of the trip and released after your shipboard account has been settled. They don't track daily useage or adjust the hold based on daily useage. While you can stock your shipboard account with advanced money, I don't think they reduce this hold because there is no tracking / reserve that HAL keeps as to where the money is to be allocated (e.g. casino vs. paying off what is owed in other areas). It's money in your account to use as you see fit. If, at the end of the cruise, there is money in the shipboard account, it will be used to offset any onboard charges and then any remaining charges will be debited from the credit account.

[cruznon]

Scorpiorose,

You have chosen wisely--the Oosterdam is a wonderful ship! The beds and lines are wonderful!!! The best at sea--they have spoiled us.

We have sailed in November a few times and always had great weather. On the Thanksgiving cruise, there will be lots of families, but no where near the # of kids you'll find on Carnival at this time. (I know this first-hand!)

We took the Sierra Madre HAL excursion in Mazatlan a couple of years ago which we enjoyed--you might want to check it out .

[medfordgirl]

just wondering, I know it is a $10 pp auto tip, do they also charge each child the $10 per day? cause then that will mean $30, maybe $40 per day... yikes:eek:

[cruz chic]

just wondering, I know it is a $10 pp auto tip, do they also charge each child the $10 per day? cause then that will mean $30, maybe $40 per day... yikes:eek:

Yes they charge for everyone in the cabin

[cf_chuck]

just wondering, I know it is a $10 pp auto tip, do they also charge each child the $10 per day? cause then that will mean $30, maybe $40 per day... yikes:eek:

 

 

From the HAL site:

"To ensure that the efforts of all of our crewmembers are recognized and rewarded, a Hotel Service Charge of US$10 per passenger is automatically added to each guest's shipboard account on a daily basis."

[birder22]

Personally, I thought the $40/day for a family of four was very reasonable. The room steward had extra work because he had to make up and take down the sofa and pullman bed each day and the waiters had as much work to do serving a family of four as they would two couples.

 

The crew was incredibly nice to my teenaged children. The Yum-Yum man always gave my son a high five after dinner and came over to greet him in the Lido at breakfast. The wait staff seemed to enjoy my son's attempt to try "lots and lots" of new food items at dinner and often brought him extra dishes to try.

 

Overall, the auto tips were very reasonable for the service we recieved.

[Scorpiorose]

you know.....I wouldn't think it would be as bad as the hords of teenagers and young ones cruising at spring break! We have always cruised spring break so this will be our first change from that. How could it be worse than spring break - kid wise I mean!

 

I feel pretty good about our choice but love the nods for the oosterdam! I am looking forward to some of what I hear is better on HAL vs. other cruise lines.......the bedding, the service, the room service, being allowed to bring wine on board.....

 

what else will be better do you think?

 

I think $10 pp a day is well worth it, I don't mind that at all!

[Scorpiorose]

....I'll have to check out that excursion.....thanks

[savannahgirl1]

scorpiorose,

 

LOVE THE PENGUIN!!!! :D So cute.

[aussiedisneyfan]

Scorpiorose, in Mazatlan you can just pick up a car/minivan tour at the port. We travelled with another family and the 8 of us had a miniva with a driver/guide for about 4 hours. I can't remember how much it cost but think it might have been $100, I remember thinking that it wasn't that much. They took us to a couple of lookouts, beaches, churches, where they dive of the cliffs and some shops. They do of course, have their own preferred shops but didn't get upset when we went into others and bought things.

[Wine Taster]

We had wonderful massages at the Aroma Spa in Mazatlan last Feb. The price was $25 for an hour (a little less than on board:D). It is centrally located. They are located at 320 Mariano Escobado and you can call them at 669-982-1111 (also need the Mexican country prefix). Check them out on the web.

[Copper10-8]

Puerta Vallarta - Think about the "Rhythm of the Night" excursion, it's a night-time one since Oosterdam does not leave PV until about 10 PM. A boat (usually a catamaran) will take you to John Huston's former private beach, Las Caletas, where you'll have dinner by Tiki torches. You'll then walk to a amphitheater where you'll be treated to a folkloric Mayan-type show. After that, it's the boat-ride back to Oosterdam. It's a nice and different type of shorex. If you've never been to PV before, you can easily take a cab from the port to either Old Puerta Vallarta or anywhere around the Malecon (esplanade) and walk around

Cabo has a nice shorex to Todos Santos, about a one-hour bus ride north of the city. Todos Santos' claim to fame is the Hotel California, thought to be the inspiration for the like-wise hit song by the Eagles. Lots of artisan places to check out, some nice restaurants to grab a Mexican lunch and a cold Margarita.

Mazatlan has a tour of the Corona/Pacifico brewery. There's also a tour that will take you to two Sierra Madre towns, Concordia and Copala; lots of cobblestone streets and colonial buildings.

Just a heads up: the aft/seaview pool is not automatically "Adults Only". There are no signs indicating it as such. If there are a lot of kids on a particular cruise, that descision (to make it Adults Only) will be made and it will be posted in the Daily Program.

The (Signature of Excellence) beds on HAL are the best around!

Enjoy your NOV Oosterdam cruise!

[Scorpiorose]

savannahgirl - thanks!

 

thanks aussie and wine taster, I'll check those two ideas out!!!

 

Copper - It's a thanksgiving cruise so I think there will be a lot of kids and families -hope there are quiet places! On our spring break cruise on RCCL AOS I was hardpressed to find a spot by the pool or adult pool to just sit and listen to my ipod!

 

I might try that night time excursion - so they take you right from the ship? Was the food good?