Mary229

They now are set up for everyone can have their own account. One thing to know is if both you and your wife are on your credit card she won’t be able to do much with the finances at the front desk. I went to pay off a bit of our bill and couldn’t because it was “his” credit card. Next time I will have my own credit card or I will be the primary. i have never used the tv, I use the app

I really don’t understand how they can’t see the difference between a company that tries to pay its bills and one that runs like a fugitive so it doesn’t have to pay at the pump. Serving me caviar doesn’t blind me to reality. I have a great Travel Agency where they do their best to keep tabs on the financial condition of the companies whose products they offer. That means I don’t sail, tour or fly with some but it probably saves me grief

@bbstx I have recently converted to dress and skirts for touring. This one thing has lightened my load. I now have quite as few viscose dresses, love them. I truly admire people who can do cube wardrobe packing but it is not in my genes.

Call them and be sure. The Sheraton might even be more convenient and I think they have a service also.

I have done it twice by sea, a third time next week and about 6 times by land. You can’t beat eastern Canada. It is very laid back, the food is great and the scenery is lovely. The only thing better would be the cruise that does the Saint Lawrence but then also goes north to the Canadian Maritimes. It is not as exotic as some of my other ventures but it is one of the few places I keep going back to over and over again.

I was able to get a test at the Hilton Schiphol. It was quick and easy and a very clean location. Perhaps you could stop in there as you exit the airport. The front desk can point you in the right direction. This was an unadvertised location, cost $35 your hotel in Rotterdam may have a similar setup.

@DaveOKC I just used your formula for an upsell than played a little more hardball for a better location. Thanks for all of your advice. I will report back in a few weeks whether I was credited with points for the upgrade

It will change before you go. I have never seen 10 am but if they can be ready that quickly, why not?

Is the MDR open for breakfast on port days?

I think spending varies as much as anything else. It is a personal habit not necessarily dictated by age. As a business owner I have seen people very cautious the first year or two of retirement but resume or pick up their leisure spending once comfortable with their new status. Then there are people like DH and myself who were affectionately known among our friends as “the big cheaps”. We weren’t cheap but we were frugal and we had designs for our nest egg - travel. Now that we are in our late 60s we are spending money like a teenager with his first paycheck. Our budgeting habits only kick in when we question whether we really want something, often we just don’t spend because we aren’t interested. Before a cruise I pay the credit cards down to zero and money is no object - if it interests us.

Former owners have a pile of cash https://moneyweek.com/517741/van-der-vorm-the-dutch-billionaires-who-keep-schtum

I was searching to review the HAL/CCL merger details. I came across this article. It is a trip down memory lane but do notice how high prices were back in the day. I expect those prices may not only be a distant memory but came back around soon https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-02-12-tr-2780-story.html

Those long voyages sell out and command top dollar per day (in the HAL universe of prices). There is a demographic for those long cruises. HAL would not be my favorite except for those great itineraries. Remember HAL is owned by CCL. CCL is obviously is undergoing a change. I think that change is to position each of their different lines in markets defined by the style and itineraries. I hope they continue HAL semi-expeditionary style going in-depth to exotic locales. For the cruises you describe Alaska is your best bet, from what I hear they excel in Alaska and those tend to be under 14 days. They also do the New England/eastern Canada very well, again short voyages.

I don’t think HAL wants to compete with CCL and probably not RCL either. HAL has been in a curious niche because of its notable long itineraries which are not usually what families seek. There is plenty of room in the market for a quieter demographic, regardless of age. There is quite a bit of room in the market for the older itinerary, because bluntly, that is where the money is. The under 40s do not command the portion of wealth that those older than 40 command

Finances are always foremost, they are a business😉. As you mention the sustainable paradigm is a win-win for them, cheaper energy and good relations.

I think their fleet upgrades to more fuel efficient ships indicates they are trying to have a cohesive environmental policy. It was a stated consideration when they were choosing ships to sell off

The new handpicked CEO starts in August.

It may happen somewhere but I don’t expect it within the CCL clan. They are “too big to fail” and will seek orderly sales and mergers. That doesn’t mean your cruise won’t get cancelled, that doesn’t mean there won’t be cost cutting.

I don’t see a bankruptcy in CCL’s future. If HAL is sold off it is in the seller and buyers self interest to keep the passengers whole. When you buy a business you are not only buying the physical assets, you are are buying brand, goodwill, customers. Crystal was not a merger or acquisition, it wasn’t even a normal bankruptcy. Crystal was a seizure because bad actions. Bankruptcy is usually a managed affair, there is no bankruptcy court on earth that would have told them to just run, don’t look back. 😉

It seemed for a few years that Princess and HAL were merging but during the pandemic the lines veered away with Princess committing to larger ships. I was encouraged when Gus came out said that he felt the exotic and in depth itineraries were HAL’s niche. I applauded that. since then the relaunch and geopolitical concerns have made the cruise world smaller. Asia seems unhurried to open. The worsening relations with China as they align with Russia leaves me wondering if western cruise lines will ever be returning to their sphere of influence any time soon. As I see it Russia has removed the Baltics from the itinerary, the cruise lines haven’t quite figured that out yet but it is not at all clear that 2023 will be any better in the Baltics. Meanwhile Europe is suffering from food and fuel inflation that will impede the leisure flyer as much if not more than Covid testing. We are left with the Americas, Africa and perhaps India (that is a murky outlook too, geopolitically). as to the cruise lines as the world gets smaller there is going to be consolidation. Some of that will be the disappearance and bankruptcy of some lines, some will be merged. I certainly hope HAL remains as a stand alone. The new deglobalized economy may lead to more privatization and who knows, some Dutch mogul may come and buy HAL from CCL

Here is the exact lingo, what is not clear is if you pay for an upsell on top of a regular fare. I vote that it is included but that is just my opinion Suite Bonus Earn double Cruise Day credits when you pay a published fare for a spacious suite or penthouse on your next cruise. For example, a guest who pays published fare for suite accommodations for a 10-day cruise earns 20 Cruise Day credits. Special paid or complimentary upgrades do not qualify.

The only limitation land tours have is the 25 pound weight limit for certain Yukon flights and you can only have one piece of luggage each. I only learned about the weight limit inone of these review threads, I didn’t find that information on HAL. ALSO You can only hand carry a small pieces of luggage like a daypack. There is a document on the website call Tour tips which explains the luggage system

Don’t bet on it. I was biz class and in the biz class line and it took 2.5 hours and that was in May before the demand season. Just be prepared to spend that $2600

I agree. I like Skechers, they are cute and easy casual fashion but I wouldn’t want to walk a mile in them. I can walk 20 miles in my brooks and easily 8 miles a day in my Clark’s. I am an avid walker and am particular about support and durability

One trick to see your reservations and shore excursions is to go to your booking and click itinerary. It presents your itinerary with reservations and shore excursions in a format easily saved as a PDF. yes, technology is not HAL’s strong suit, a fact which I share with them on every survey and review.