Mary229

See above.

Another option is to meet the HAL shuttle at the Movenpick in Amsterdam. It is only $29 a person. That is a deal. You may need to call HAL for availability

I 100% agree. I assumed the ship was heading to dry dock after our journey and was surprised to hear it was next going transoceanic. Good news - we saw Sunday what looked like Starlink installation

You cannot use OBC prior to cruising. What I have done is book with credit card then once on ship go to shore excursions desk and have them change it. YMMV

My recommendation is use the hotel shuttle to ship if available. I have had one too many bad taxi and Uber experiences in FLL

Then he will have to wait until Mexico and recross. If you are miserable you do what you need to do. Been there, done that

Where did he embark?

Good move. You should receive port fees returned for ports you aren’t going on. Be sure to clear your departure with the front desk. My view is that cruise lines can never offer the same experience as land based food or entertainment. HAL cruisers are sailing to travel primarily. The other services are secondary. Let’s examine this - cruise lines collect provisions by mass order at specific ports therefore they don’t have access to daily fresh markets required for the finest dining experience. Entertainers don’t have access to their entire production facilities so it is going to be a lesser product (I have actually seen some of these same entertainers on land and they are far better when they are fully accompanied by their own stage crew and musicians. ) simply, HAL cruise fares (port fees are non negotiable) range from $80 to $140 a day per person. One could not buy a decent hotel much less a fine meal anywhere in the US or Canada for that price. Now add in entertainment and activities such as gym and pool. One must adjust their expectations in line with the economies.

Have fun. We look over the menu beforehand then order the entree we want and pick from the various vegetables available that evening in the dining room.

The onboard accounting system seems to be a mess.

Since you paid nothing and it is unbearable make arrangements to disembark. I would never stay in a situation that would be so unbearable.

Your HAL invoice should include a penalty schedule and those dates include all payments including the deposit. I cannot answer your insurance question.

Probably so.

It must predate as they announced that they would not offer segments on legendary. They will continue to offer them on grands.

I am pretty sure cruise ship policy is no different than an airline or hotel. They will assist if possible but they can’t extract you if needed. This is an unfortunate and alarming situation so I hope for the best for those missing persons but to stay may well endanger the lives of many more

You likely are sailing casino but in most cases the Grand Voyages are much more expensive per diem than regular cruises, as much as 2x higher.

I had coffee in the Pinnacle this week and was not charged.

If you are 4 or 5 star you also enjoy discounts on specialty coffee, specialty dining and perhaps internet so do your math

If your deposit is non refundable that is therefore an immediate cancellation penalty and HAL insurance is not then available. I have had this arise and you know what it was $1 non refundable deposit too! yes, HAL insurance is not age based and the reason is it is not a truly adequate medical plan for many people

If they are not through HAL you need to cover them. If they are not bought through HAL at time of insurance purchase they are not covered. They need to be included at time the insurance is purchased.

No but the ship laundry service is affordable

The cost is based on the cost of the trip, not timing. Also be aware if any portion of your trip, including deposit, is non-refundable you cannot buy this insurance after you make that deposit. . Your flights will need to be insured separately or be refundable fares.

I think the person is confused. It’s the internet, you can’t believe everything you read😁.

I have never had a charge and I often order Jasmine hot tea in the Tamarind and decaf coffee in Pinnacle (decaf tends to be nespresso and better flavor than the normal HAL swill)

I encountered this once and was warned by my TA and, at the time, confirmed with HAL. Things can and do change - YMMV