shipmeoff!

This is the line the premixed cocktails in the door are from. 
https://www.otrcocktails.com/about-us
Pretty sure I see the old fashioned there, I’ve had that and their original Negroni and they are quite acceptable. 

5 hours ago, hummingbird_206 said:

Sounds like you're having fun, yay!  We were on the Zaandam earlier this year and really liked it. We're going to be on the Westerdam later this year so just a small step up in size.

 

You mentioned knowing the passenger count, where did you get that info?  I'll be curious to see what it is for the Westerdam when we head out.

Guest services has this info. I find it super interesting!

They sanitize, then do a proper rinse. Keep your hands in until it stops. 12 seconds kind of feels like forever the first time!

way better than having that weird residue that the sanitizer dispensers leave 

I was on the ship when the app changed. The best part of the app vanished which was a listing of all the hours of bars and dining options each day. I hope they reinstate it because it was exceptionally helpful.

9 minutes ago, julia said:

Welcome back!  We spent 35 nights on the Koningsdam last Spring, and it is a happy ship! We will board the Noordam next Sunday... our favorite class on HAL.

Most of my HAL time has been on Zaandam so I was a little scared size wise for sure but this has been a great reintroduction…

Well here I am on the Koningsdam on my first HAL cruise since 2018.

The pax count on the ship is 2704. Official capacity is 2650. It does not feel maxed out or over and we have not hit a port yet so what we see is what we get:
 

Due to scheduling etc, my last 4 cruises before the pandemic were on Princess. For context I am 100 plus days with HAL though. 
So here we go!

I AM SO HAPPY TO BE BACK!!

The HAL crew I knew and loved are here. The HAL food quality I so loved remains. 

I’ve done fixed dining, pinnacle lunch, sashayed through the Lido and grazed on my pals’ dive in orders. Just enjoyed a NY deli pizza that is coming back to my room in the form of leftovers for late night snack.

The crew on this ship is happy. I know that in the scheme of things that energy in a workplace comes from the top.

This rings true here. My traveling friends and I ended up by the NY deli to play dice at 930 pm and I ordered a pizza on the app while we sat. Who was standing at the pickup counter when I went to retrieve my order but the Captain himself checking in with passengers and also chatting with staff. 

We have set dining, and an early booking HIA and more package. 

Every single interaction I have had in our first two days has been positive. The crew is genuinely happy and so am I. 

The food in every venue is great. Yes, some of the complimentary items from the before times in the MDR are gone (crab, lobster) but the choices that remain are lovely and the quality is excellent, Tonight I had the rack of lamb and it was lovely.

Towel animals and bedtime turndown chocolates still are making appearances. 

My cruising happy place lives on. Thank you HAL. I get that the businesses must evolve and pivot. HAL you’ve done well.

I’ve put in for multiple FCDs already and I plan to use them.

@bfgood2- It’s all here. Thanks to CrewNews. The Terms and conditions on the final page speaks to the fresh juice situation.
 

https://rogerjett-photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Beverage-Packages-2024.pdf

The terms and conditions on the latest document also say 

“Fresh Squeezed and Cold Pressed Juices are excluded from all packages.” 

Thank you again CrewNews for all your work keeping the beverage information highway flowing. 

I don’t think it’s going to happen this time.

Looking at the latest drink package flyer posted by crew news… I see that some drinks previously covered by the standard package are now listed as Elite drinks (looking at you Lemon Drop) 😞

https://rogerjett-photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Beverage-Packages-2024.pdf

We actually had this room on a round trip Hawaii cruise years ago. Loved it! We always book near the elevators because my traveling companion has a knee replacement. Straight shot up to the crows nest!

You will notice that the elevator bank is actually inside an alcove, which provides a buffer for any excessive conversation noise. We have never ever been disturbed by anyone using the elevators on any of our cruises. I am fairly noise sensitive FWIW.

Anyone using the elevators on deck one belong there, either to get to and from their rooms or the medical center, it’s not a spot where they would just congregate naturally.
 

One thing I will point out though is that you may experience some motion as you are quite far forward and the crossing can encounter higher swells. We liked that too 😊

If you go into the app, click experiences, then dining and drinks, you will see reservations available on restaurants. if you select one of the restaurants that your promo credit would apply to, as in Pinnacle, Canaletto or Tamarind, it will prompt you with the opportunity to apply any promo credit available and make the reservation. That’s the easiest way to see it.

Website is an inferno level hot mess right now. 

MsKitty, my mother and I did many mom/daughter trips on HAL after my father passed away. Our TA recommended requesting fixed dining at a table for 6, and we stuck to that after the first trip turned out so well.

In our experience, the tablemates that were selected for us by the dining room planners were amazing. Very often our table included at least one or two solo female travelers, in about mom’s age range, and the connections were easy and genuine. This was prior to Covid but I hope that the same thought goes in to the fixed seating now. 
 

edited to add - Kate ❤️ 😊

Good to be aware of. Sounds like my experience with meeting resistance in transferring a booking to my TA may not have been a one off / rogue employee as suggested. 

I recently dealt with shore excursions on the phone and there was definitely less of the extreme but sincere HAL professionalism I remember so fondly. 

Thanks to all who are acting as Guinea pigs and sharing their experiences.

It seems like there hasn’t been a lot of thought put into this by people who truly understand what it’s like to cruise. Kind of poor.

I live very close to a standby port but I would need a bit more notice than “up until embarkation time”. If they can promise I would know either way by 72 hours prior or even 48, that would be okay with me, 7 days obviously would be really nice.

My passport is in a safe deposit box at the bank, I would rather not pack until I know I’m going, so two to seven days would give me time to pull things together.

So thank you again to all contributing to this thread. I am grateful to you. Please keep the updates coming. 

If you like gin, stop in here and pick up a good one!! Right up from the dock.

https://www.portchilkootdistillery.com/50-fathoms-gin

8 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

Is this true?  I have transferred to my TA a couple of times with no issues.

 

~Nancy

I can assure you it is. It was truly bizarre and I did not appreciate it one bit.

I recently booked a cruise on the HAL website because my TA was off, and prior to that before Covid I would book online through HAL and then transfer to him anyway, no issues ever.

With this latest booking, I called in to add the bed configuration as somehow I didn’t do that or couldn’t, no matter. Anyway I spoke to a HAL rep when I got my confirmation and realized it was missing. All good. Preference noted on booking.

But the fun started when my TA sent HAL the form to transfer. The rep I had spoken to began phoning, emailing and leaving messages trying to retain the booking.

(Wanting to know what my TA was going to throw in as well so they could “see what they could do”) 

I finally had to call HAL and tell the first person who answered that the booking was to be released. What my arrangement with my TA is is none of their business. 
 

Transferring to my TA was never an issue in years past. I was not impressed. I’m not sure what their model is for paying their staff but I think something has changed…

Norwegian has had to redirect the Bliss which is part of it, Skagway has an issue with a rock over the berth 

https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1551
This page states it was updated *Dec 4*, so the communication about the itinerary changes to the traveling public seems to be rather slow

I seem to recall a situation about 5 years ago or so when I had just booked a cruise with what was then known as “Explore4” which included the standard beverage package, OBC for shore ex, a specialty dinner, and if memory serves me the fourth item was gratuities rather than Wi-Fi. But I digress.

Anyway, around that particular point in time there was a price increase on the menu prices of drinks similar to the amounts reported now, which also bumped many just past the threshold of the standard beverage package. 
 

Shortly after, the price limit on the standard beverage package was adjusted to take into account the price increase. I am hoping that will be the case this time around.

Which also may have had something to do with the HIA and drink package price increase too. Hard to pull off a seamless transition. I feel for all affected, staff and current pax.

5 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

As a tangential aside, if I'm not using HAL's air service, why do they ask for details about my flight arrangements during the check in?

As someone who has worked in both luxury rail and cruise tourism, the more logistical info they have about all passengers including those who are categorized as “independent” ie, only having purchased the actual cruise or train journey from the supplier, the better.

Even if you have made your own travel arrangements to the ship from the airport, should something happen such as a delay on your flight that has “package guests” onboard or those who have purchased transfers, it would alert the line that you are also on that affected flight, and in my experience, if at all possible they would be working to help you too because it’s the right thing to do, especially if there was still room on the transfer coach to fit your party.  
 

Same thing for return. Should something affect a ships arrival, the more information they have about where and when people are planning to fly out of, is incredibly helpful. It’s rare that this happens but when it does, there’s a LOT going on behind the scenes trying to help everyone. 

The HAL invoice will read “convertible twins” if they are aware of your request for such.

Just wondering where and how one picks up the Freestyle Coca Cola cup needed to use the machine - we have the have it all plus more promo with elite beverage package on an upcoming trip. - or is it magically in staterooms on embarkation?

the choices look super fun with plenty of less sugar options 

thank you so much