Mary229

8 hours ago, cakewalk73 said:

I thought I read the T&C's, and that the gift cards was good for everything on HAL, but I did run into the issue of using it for HIA.  Could anyone elaborate on how you used your gift cards for HIA?  Which would be the correct department to contact with the ability for allowing payments by gift cards in their little pull down box?  Please help.  Thanks so much.

You cannot pay a single transaction with a combination of gift cards and credit cards.  Anything included on your fare invoice can be purchased with gift cards.  
 

For individual purchases off of the invoice you cannot buy crew gratuities and hotels and flights.  If the hotels and flights are on the fare invoice they can be bought with cards.  I have never tried buying HIA separately with gift cards so I cannot tell you if it can be done or not.  For crew gratuities you can buy OBC with gift cards and the gratuities will be deducted daily from that OBC once onboard.  
 

Remember you can buy supplemental gift cards on HAL.  The ones on HAL are not discounted but can be bought in any amount and can even be bought in fractional dollars, I bought one for $13.19 to complete an order 

1 minute ago, oakridger said:

 

From reading recent "Live From" posts on Carnival Cruises they are already having these ticketed game show there. The two lines seem to be getting more similar as time goes on..................

 

~Nancyy 

I don’t know if it is a downward spiral  as the event was held twice maybe 3 times and people loved it.  My friends took off one day to get in line to get tickets!  It was SRO. I think it is the spread of a popular event, like trivia, rather than a negative.   There are just trends that catch on and spread.  I often say I have never understood the dance shows, people love them and they are on any cruise line that is large enough to afford them.  I will refrain from saying what I think of them but it is sort of the same as you feel about this game show idea 😂

2 hours ago, Kay S said:

Not to argue with you, but can you define an "unprovoked encounter"?  Like getting bit or licked?

The examples I have read on the HAL forum include @Haljo1935 experience, dogs using the elevator as a bathroom, dogs eating in public dining areas and so on. 

32 minutes ago, Kay S said:

Well said.  That attitude "they must be a fake because I think so" can manifest in vigilante behavior, questioning, harassing and reporting the supposed "fakes."  The kids on YouTube call that "Karen" behavior,  "the policewomen of all human behavior."   I am waiting for a Karen YouTube video where an angry cruise ship passenger harangs the hapless owner of a legitimate service that isn't a German Shepherd with  a harness--or too small (or cute) to be a "real" service dog.  Or one where the dog owner tells the "doggie police" it's none of her (or his) business and the "Karen" summons the ship captain.  Those videos often contain the "karma" moment where the "fake" is revealed to be not fake and the accuser looks like an entitled, holy-than-thou busybody.  

 

I have looked, but I haven't found any cruise ship "fake dog Karens," but that might be because a) I'm no good at Google, or b) the problem is not so widespread that there are few opportunities for "Karen at sea" videos.

 

Okay, you can now line up to tell me I'm wrong, uninformed, rude, etc.

I am sure you are right that there may exist a few vigilantes but I think most of us would report only if we had an unprovoked encounter. 

54 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Except the veterinary  requirements have nothing to do with or indicate service dog status. People I know with service dogs have had to meet the same country entry requirements for their dogs, as those that were not service animals.

I am simply saying the extra step may put off the posers.  They try to game the system as long as it is easy 

39 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Really? You have to buy a ticket to participate in a game show? Hopefully you don’t have to buy one to watch them. 😁

 

Not to watch but to participate. I think because it had cash prizes.   From what I could figure out it is done in partnership with the casino   

4 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

OK, we're now really starting to get excited about cruising with HAL again on their 3+ week cruises! 🕺💃

 

Holland America Line Debuts New Production Shows - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News

 

Beginning in February 2024, Holland America Line is set to debut four shows that unite singing and dancing in a new mainstage experience. The concert-style productions are fronted by three multi-talented headliners, who will be supported by an ensemble of singers and dancers.

 

New shows include “Song & Dance,” which is set on a studio backlot and features two leading men fronting a concert of musical numbers from Broadway, Hollywood and more.

 

Holland America is introducing “Class Act,” a production that aims to bring Las Vegas to the sea with an elaborate show that celebrates iconic female music performers.

 

“All That!” was created to transport guests to a TV studio, where they can be part of the audience of variety shows of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

 

The new program includes “Hey, Mr. DJ,” which will feature iconic radio DJs presenting songs from the ’60s through today.

 

HAL's elimination of the production shows back in 2019 was one huge reason we started cruising with other lines, as we do enjoy going to the theater shows in the evening.

They had the game shows on my last cruise. I did not attend but friends enjoyed it immensely. To be a participant you had to buy a ticket but they said there were prizes worth the cost 

18 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Actually many countries have similar service animal laws. The major difference is in those countries documentation of the service animal status can be required.

 

Though I would expect that you would see the North American focused lines such as HAL still follow US rules for US residents booking under US terms and conditions, even if the cruise is outside of the US. Though I can not say for sure.

The issue these same passengers will have are the veterinarian requirements needed for bringing a dog into Europe even if the animal stays onboard.  I am sure these rules thwart the posers.   The pax with legitimate needs will produce necessary documents 

2 hours ago, cruiser man 60 said:

 

3 hours ago, rwethereyet1969 said:

If HAL doesn't crack down on pet dogs coming aboard, sadly, this may be our first and only cruise. 

I think anyone making a report should include this message 

3 minutes ago, hobgoblin said:

Has anyone done a cruise that incorporates The Golden Triangle stopping to tour india?

I have been asking HAL to do a cruise that focuses on India.  Wouldn’t that be great?  I assume cruise docking infrastructure may be an issue

7 hours ago, bajae said:

Just wanted to clarify that besides dogs, miniature horses can also be service animals. 

Not on transportation.  On transportation it is dogs and dogs only

https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/service-animals

4 minutes ago, TRLD said:

keep in mind that from the cruise line perspective, if the passenger knows what is needed and the rules, about the only thing they can do is restrict the behavior causing a disturbance. 

 

They might be right is 9 cases of a fake service dog, and wrong 1 time out of 10 that 1 case can cost them far far more than letting 9 fake service dogs on board. There are plenty of attorneys waiting for that 1 case and can easily win if it is demonstrated that the cruise line prevented a valid service animal.

 

I am certainly against the fakes, but also understand what businesses face with the way the current law is written. Even the state that have laws against false claims or documents concerning service animals, the underlying federal law means that it is difficult to actually catch them, unless the animal actually creates a disturbance.

And I agree the law is a minefield.  The airlines have been fighting to tighten the law similar to the UK version.  They were, at last, allowed to refuse non-dog animals as “service animals”. Yes,yes, there are cats on planes but those are paying passengers governed by private guidelines.   If we don’t raise a complaint there will be no one to bring the pressure. We are not powerless, perhaps impatient but not powerless 

18 minutes ago, cbr663 said:

This isn't about dogs or anti-dogs.  This is yet another example of obnoxious passengers behaving poorly on a ship and HAL doing very little about it.  And that list of obnoxious behaviour appears to be getting longer.

 

My HAL cruising experience is that I have sailed on more cruises with dogs than without.  I've only sometimes encountered the dogs, yet as someone who walks the Promenade deck I have encountered the turf pad.  I've also encountered dogs in my other forms of travel.

 

As a dog lover, encountering a service dog on a ship doesn't bother me.  I understand that it may bother others and I am quite sure that people who travel with service dogs have ample experience of how to deal with others who simply don't want to be around a dog period.  This though is not what this thread is about.  This is about people refusing to accept the HAL rule that pets are not permitted and mis-representing their pet as a service animal.  Aka - obnoxious passengers behaving poorly.

 

I've written on an earlier cruise my surprise with seeing a passenger enter the Grand Dutch Cafe with a large shoulder bag, sit at a table and then remove the little dog from the bag and place it in her lap while at the table.  I wondered what service the dog could provide while being transported in a pet travel bag and I thought it very surprising that the dog would be allowed to essentially be at the dining table.  I also accepted that if no one working for HAL was going to address it, neither was I.

 

And that's the core issue here - HAL's refusal to address poor passenger behaviour.  It seems that HAL would rather simply count the days until the cruise is over and the problem walks off the ship than to take concrete steps from preventing it from walking on the ship.

 

I think the resolution is complex.  The ADA is very complex and leaves companies open to serious litigation and fines.  CCL doesn’t want one errant employee to ask or say the wrong thing. The lawyers need to handle this.  What can we do is bring pressure on corporate to get those lawyers working.  How we do this is filing reports/complaints through as many avenues as we can find - from the app, from the survey, by email, by letter.  If people document the offending parties as @Haljo1935did the perhaps corporate will feel the pressure and get their lawyers working.  Those lawyers can research the case after the fact and the line could then ban the guest.  Also if the complaints are frequent enough then perhaps the cruise lines, like the airlines will start challenging the laws to remove the loopholes.  As mentioned earlier by a UK poster their equivalent law requires training documentation and certification and the law allows them to demand these documents. 

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

If I might ask, did they offer lectures on sea days? 

Yes

1 hour ago, anniegb said:

I have also completed this cruise and in comparison to another cruise line, different itinerary, HAL's daytime activity schedule on the return leg was very light. I think we had 8/9 consecutive sea days.

JMO the Headline Acts in the World Theatre in the 1st half of the itinerary were of a higher quality too.

My advice is be self sufficient wrt to entertainment.

FWIW, I realised that an itinerary with a cruise length of more than 25 days is too long for me.

 

I wouldn’t be discouraged by long cruises , I love them but the 8 sea days we had on the Tahiti Cruise pushed my limits for physical inactivity.  There is only so much leg room on a cruise and walking on a treadmill is a poor substitute 

3 minutes ago, TRLD said:

And more self service.

Yeah, at $20 an hour you may have to go in the back and flip your own burger 😂

1 minute ago, Kay S said:

How about an emotional support cat? 🙂  When cats can be trained to do service functions for people, will the ADA revise the rules to include them?  The anti-dog sentiment is strong here. 🙂

You are singing my DH’s song.  Cats have been shown to be very calming and are often used in nursing homes and other group homes.  The “vet cat” we often see is meant to be a calming influence to kenneled animals 

17 minutes ago, cruiser man 60 said:

Is it just American cruise lines that don’t check properly that they’re service dogs, I have never seen a dog on a European cruise line other than guide dogs.

Our laws are very restrictive.  It is difficult to ask appropriate questions without being on the wrong side of the law.  

2 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

Try a fast food joint for their latest uptick in pricing! 🤪 That is to say, at least here in Cali

It is everywhere.  While traveling on a holiday we ate at McDonald’s.  As we left the restaurant I said to DH “for that price we could have lunched at the Pinnacle Grill”.  Actually, as 4 star Mariners I think the PG lunch is cheaper!

They are supposed to have it loaded to your card they just can’t seem to have it done - HAL’s IT department strikes again.  Yes, they are supposed to be under the same IT and Casino operations but it does not seem that way. 

Anything in the Canadian Maritimes and Northern Europe.  I probably should get a second home, it would probably be cheaper😁

1 hour ago, AKJonesy said:

I think people are just sick and tired of people bringing their emotional support dogs everywhere and then on top of it, they want to make sure you notice them.  I sat down in ANC concourse a couple of weeks ago next to a young woman who had a dog in a carrier.  The dog was completely quiet.  Then, after a few seconds after I sat down, the girl stared talking to the silent dog asking it questions.  🙂  (Are you doing ok?)  Now, if that dog had responded and said something like, "'Im ok", then I would've been impressed.  Seriously asking the dog if it's doing ok? It was completely silent. I moved away.  As I said, I give them a wide berth.  Another situation, I get on a plane and this guy has a lapdog out of it's carrier on my seat.  I just stood there and finally said, this is my seat.  Last summer, a flight attendant asked me if someone could put their dog under my bigger middle seat opening.  I asked where the person was sitting and they were in the aisle.  I said I would sit in the aisle seat, but no, I would not have the dog under my seat opening.  I think we are tired of people bringing their dogs everywhere...in the carts at the grocery store, etc.  What's the deal?  They can't leave them at home while they shop?  Bologna.  You can spot the fake service dogs everywhere because the owner generally wants you to fawn all over them.  My advice, give these people a wide berth.  

The same entitled people use the wheelchair service at airlines.  Once they figure out they can do it on cruise ships they will do it there too. Many times while escorting my elderly mom I have seen whole gaggles of people from a single van get out and jump into attendant chairs - often it looks like a bunch of young women going on holiday.  Taking selfies and prancing about. 

4 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

 

 

None of it would be refundable at this point.

I think the only thing you can do at this point is ask your TA or HAL and see if it would be possible to drop the HIA and pay for a cabin upgrade but I'm not optimistic.

The packages would be refundable if they are not tied to HIA. I just checked - these packages can be bought separately 

Up until recently both could be purchased individually. Since the change in internet packages I have not checked 

1 hour ago, amandas friend said:

We are on a 7 day Alaska cruise in July. We will see how it goes. If it is good, as I believe it will be, I think the price HAL charges is much more reasonable that the high end cruise lines. And they seem to have very good service and good itineraries. So if all goes well, we will book HAL again. Thoughts? 

HAL does Alaska well and if the price is right you should be satisfied with the value you receive.