Holland America Line Launches New Electronic Cruise Documents

[serendipity1499]

Wonder if they will charge a fee to send Docs the old way?

Well it was nice while it lasted but to save $$ I understand it..I never received the new HAL case, but my dear friend who knew I was looking forward to having the new one gave me one as a gift..:):)

 

We had no problem on the Maasdam in Nov, as did not have docs on arrival except the boarding Psass & credit card info I printed up..

I too like to fill out our luggage tags beforehand, but also like the idea of being able to go on=line & see our reservations..We carry a sharpie & name & address labels so it should not be a problem for us..

Another thought, perhaps HAL could design & make up a generic luggage tag which could be pre-printed on heavier stock & attached to your luggage if you don't want to do it at the pier..

:)Betty

[kryos]

Yup....... add me to the list of not liking the idea of not receiving luggage tags pre arrival at the dock.

 

BAD Idea IMO

 

I don't mind about on line docs but really, really see problems with not having tags.

 

I think HAL should provide a nice supply of "generic" luggage tags to all the major TA's and PCC's. That way, if clients request them, they can easily get them. The only extra step you would have to do is fill out the name of the ship.

 

Green is how everything is going. I get emails from one particular source that have a tag line at the bottom requesting that I don't print them out unless absolutely necessary.

 

You'll even be getting your daily newspaper online one day. My paper already transmits the daily edition to Amazon for Kindle reading. They also have a subscription-only electronic edition that apparently is like a PDF file ... a complete copy of the newspaper.

 

Green is the way to go. I personally have no problem with this.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Yeah... that doesn't sound very efficient. Princess sends an information packet about two weeks after final payment that includes tour information and booking forms, a "Cruise Answer Book", and your luggage tags. That works very well.

What's the point in that, though? You're not going "green" if you can get a package in the mail full of paper. All that info in the doc packet can be read online or printed on recyclable paper at your own personal printer. At work, we usually receive paper that has already been printed on one side and then "X'd" out for our network printers. We only put clean paper in if we are printing something that needs to be sent externally. I personally think sending an info packet defeats the whole purpose. Far better for Princess to send an email full of handy links to get all that info online.

 

As far as the luggage tags, I don't know what the better solution for them would be other than to provide you with a method of requesting them online ... or through your TA. I'd rather HAL send a small envelope out with a couple of luggage tags inside than sending me that big packet of crap that I'm just gonna wind up tossing anyway.

 

And, as for the "nice blue folder" ... that's actually a cheap piece of crap that I've also routinely tossed. I have a much nicer, leather document folder I got from my job that I can use if I really want one. Here's a nice income generating idea for HAL ... maybe sell nice document folders ... real leather ones in an assortment of colors ... with the HAL logo embossed on them ... for those people who are "married" to the document folders. I sure would buy one and I think most regular HAL cruisers would. At least they would be of a much nicer quality ... much nicer appearance. After all, you do get what you pay for and when you get those "freebie" document folders from HAL, they really are a cheap, generally unattractive, piece of junk. Just my humble opinion. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[yogi2929]

 

.....luggage tag which could be pre-printed on heavier stock & attached to your luggage if you don't want to do it at the pier.. :)Betty

 

You can print up luggage tags Carnival with e-docs. Wonder if they will do the same thing on HAL?

 

Does this mean they are doing away with those buttons?

[kryos]

Wonder if they will charge a fee to send Docs the old way?

Guess what? HAL generally doesn't send your documents out. Your TA does. HAL sends them to the TA and then it is her responsibility to check them for accuracy and then send them along to you. Some TA's charge for this service, but I think most do not. I doubt HAL will charge the TA's for sending documents if they are requested, but your TA may pass along the charge to you for forwarding them along. After all, FedEx, DHL or Priority Mail is not free.

 

Frankly, I like seeing HAL go this way. I'd rather they cut down their expenses on something like this than cut something out onboard that I really like.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[mancunian]

I am quite happy to have edocs instead of paper ones ..... with the exception of the luggagae labels, or rather the lack of them.

 

I may be very naive about this, but I have always thought that having cruise labels on your luggage helped identify you - will be much harder for land staff meeting planes.

 

For the first time with HAL one of our cruises this year is Greenwich to Greenwich so no air involved. On other cruiselines one of the nice things about cruises from home ports is that as your draw up porters take your luggage right from the car/taxi. If you have not luggage labels you are going to have to haul your own luggage into the terminal. Or am I wrong about this?

[dam1050]

Having sailed several times on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean using E-docs, I can assure you I have had no problems whatsoever in getting luggage tags at the piers and attaching to luggage before boarding.

 

Think of the environment; forests you'll be saving, delivery of documents ... everything else in that couriered package is already available to read online!

 

I'd much prefer E-docs, and I commend HAL for a wise decision.

 

Dave

[mancunian]

Just having a hysterical laugh about all this. We go on the first of our HAL booked cruises on the 31 May. What ..... no trays and no luggage labels. Was just wondering what else might have disappeared.

[sail7seas]

Every port we've embarked in had stevedores (porters) outside greeting cars/taxis as they arrived and they take the luggage. Presumably, now, they will hand out luggage tags as we arrive and we will have to complete and attach them to our suitcases and the stevedores will continue to handle the luggage the same as always.

 

The nuisance is standing there completing however many tags we may need...possibly in rain, wind or lousy weather. :(

 

Stevedores currently have supply of tags to provide anyone who arrives without their luggage tagged so that will not be totally new to them.

[kakalina]

I have never had a problem calling my PCC and requesting luggage tags. They arrive in an envelope and that's all we need. Twice our docs arrived without tags in them. If he could do that they should be able to do it for anyone. Just call and ask for tags for the -----dam.

 

I like the edocs, who needs all that extra paper? Everything you need to know is online.

[sail7seas]

Kakalina....... If it works that way, I agree it will be fine. If we are able to obtain luggage tags in advance of leaving home, perfect!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Filling out luggage tags at the pier sounds like a nightmare!!

I just hope that we can request them via snail mail so that we can fill them out before the cruise.

[geoherb]

We booked our December cruise on a Celebrity ship at the last minute (less than four weeks before sailing date). Celebrity said there wasn't time to send us paper docs. All we had were the e-docs. It worked out fine. The porter at the pier had plenty of luggage tags ready for people without them. It took less than a minute to write our names and cabin number on the tag and attach it to each bag.

 

Check-in was also a breeze. We had to show the printed e-doc and our passports and let the rep see the credit card we were using for our onboard account. It was the easiest check-in we've had out of 15 cruises.

[cp556]

The next big item being auctioned on eBay: HAL document folders .....

[jhannah]

This has been coming for a long time. Although paper has been supplied up 'till now, many times the paper wasn't even asked for or handed in at check-in. It's been electronic for quite a while. I think it's a good idea.

 

While I like the Princess method of sending bag tags ahead of time, I can't see it as a huge problem simply writing a number on a tag at the airport. There's no need for all that airline and flight arrival information at that stage of the game ... so I'm sure the tags won't even have that on them (once the current stocks are used up.)

[Pam in CA]

What's the point in that, though? You're not going "green" if you can get a package in the mail full of paper. All that info in the doc packet can be read online or printed on recyclable paper at your own personal printer. At work, we usually receive paper that has already been printed on one side and then "X'd" out for our network printers. We only put clean paper in if we are printing something that needs to be sent externally. I personally think sending an info packet defeats the whole purpose. Far better for Princess to send an email full of handy links to get all that info online.

Surprisingly, there are many people who don't use e-mail or the Internet, or, if they do, they have trouble navigating sites. Also, some people, such as myself, prefer to read information in paper form rather than online. Perhaps it's my eyesight or whatever, I absorb information better when it's in a booklet. By sending out the Cruise Answer booklet, everyone has a reference guide as to what to expect, what to bring, how to dress, what's available on the ship, etc. There are really no excuses then for not knowing.

[LMHSRN]

This has been coming for a long time. Although paper has been supplied up 'till now, many times the paper wasn't even asked for or handed in at check-in. It's been electronic for quite a while. I think it's a good idea.

 

While I like the Princess method of sending bag tags ahead of time, I can't see it as a huge problem simply writing a number on a tag at the airport. There's no need for all that airline and flight arrival information at that stage of the game ... so I'm sure the tags won't even have that on them (once the current stocks are used up.)

 

To quote a HAL rep. on the phone today. e-docs will contain printable luggage tags. you will just need to print how ever many you need!

[lettienets]

Filling out luggage tags at the pier sounds like a nightmare!!

 

I just hope that we can request them via snail mail so that we can fill them out before the cruise.

You will already have your own name and address personal luggage tags on your cases that you use in case your luggage gets lost on plane/bus/intransit.

At the pier, you will get the big one with the name of the ship.

You or the stevedore will put your stateroom on it and the stevedores will take it away.

Done.

[Bramcruiser]

To quote a HAL rep. on the phone today. e-docs will contain printable luggage tags. you will just need to print how ever many you need!

 

Well I was wondering ......but if we print them off our own printers then how are they to be attached to the luggage?????

 

Also, in our case, we're travelling to the port city a few days before the cruise and enjoying the area before we set sail. Besides bringing the printed documents with me am I supposed to find tape somewhere so I can stick these luggage tags to the bag? Oh, I am sure that there will be blank ones at the cruise terminal but I also anticipate the same chaos that many here are suggesting might happen. Confusion in a crowd situation is not a good thing.

 

David

Who's very curious about this new system but will miss doing the doc dance! No anticipation there.

[foodsvcmgr]

Basically had an e-doc experience boarding OOSTERDAM December 6th -

no one took the paper ticket, only the express boarding pass I had printed at home, credit card was already posted as others have said, etc.

 

I certainly would prefer to receive decent luggage tags in the mail upfront,

the rest of the package I don't need.

 

That should still help the environment AND reduce HAL's costs.:o

[chloes nana]

The next big item being auctioned on eBay: HAL document folders .....

anyone want to send me theirs?? I am going on my very first ever cruise and have never experienced "the blue folder" I'll take a couple if you don't want them.....:p

[Krazy Kruizers]

You will already have your own name and address personal luggage tags on your cases that you use in case your luggage gets lost on plane/bus/intransit.

At the pier, you will get the big one with the name of the ship.

You or the stevedore will put your stateroom on it and the stevedores will take it away.

Done.

 

 

Still don't like the idea of doing it at the pier!!

Have nearly 100 cruises on various lines -- 50 on HAL -- and have never had to do this.

I am for edocs -- just not liking the idea of doing luggage tags at the pier.

Getting old and don't need the extra hassles at the pier.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sure wish that I had saved all the extra tags we had from all HAl ships -- then we could have made copies of them.

Run them off the copier.

Filled out the information.

Pasted them to cardboard.

Made a hole in the "tag"

Added a heavy duty string.

Then attached them to our luggage.

[sylteach]

Just talked to my TA today. She, also, said that you can print off the luggage tags on-line. She said it will be in a form that you can actually fold your paper three times so it will have 3 layers of paper thickness. I guess you could punch a hole in it and then use string or ties to attach it to your suitcase, etc. She said she will still get our documents sent to her since she is with an agency.

Good News! She told me we are saving $350 with the price drop, so far. We don't sail until Sept. soooooo we will be waiting to see if it drops more. We have 2 rooms, 2 in one room and a single person in one room and he is already being charged 150% so every little bit helps!!!

[sail7seas]

Sure wish that I had saved all the extra tags we had from all HAl ships -- then we could have made copies of them.

 

Run them off the copier.

 

Filled out the information.

 

Pasted them to cardboard.

 

Made a hole in the "tag"

 

Added a heavy duty string.

 

Then attached them to our luggage.

 

 

I actually have at least two of each of our 'used' luggage tags.

 

Each cruise, I attach one to each of our rollaboard bags. When I purchased new bags for us, I went to the silly bother of transferring them off the old bags onto the new ones. :rolleyes:

 

I have tags for Statendam, Veendam, Ryndam, Maasdam, Zaandam, Volendam, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Zuiderdam, Noordam and Eurodam.

 

Missing Westerdam, Oosterdam and Prinsendam.

 

Want copies, KK? I'm happy to share.