cruisePack842

Just off a cruise. The ONLY smoking area remaining is the Sea View bar, at the stern. Impossible to sell smoke originating from that area.

Oh, OK. I assumed "the server doesn't even usually bring anything for us to sign." meant comped. I just don't know what a bartender could do extra, to warrant a tip of more than 25%.

Thanks for the discussion.

Your example is a little different situation, to me. First, the ship is probably making decent money on your gambling. And some of your drinks were complimentary, so yeah, a nice tip is fine. You must be rolling pretty high to get the comped drinks, which I've rarely read about on this forum. Drink more, you gamble more. I get what they're doing, and it's good business.

With all due respect for your previous career, I just don't think it is my obligation to make any servers life better, beyond the tip I pre-paid, unless he went beyond what is expected. I'm the same way in restaurants; standard 15%, more if he/she is personable and professional.

Yes, the drink packages cover the minimum tips. If you are going to use one bar a lot, if you add an extra dollar or two, you will generally receive faster, better service.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app

Dollar or two per drink? That pushes the tip to near 30%. No thanks. I'll take my chances on the service. Yes, I note you said "generally".

However, if I am there awhile, and he was personable and professional, I might throw down a couple of bucks when I leave.

RCCL charges $13.50 pp/day in a regular cabin, $16.50 pp/day in a suite. It has been my experience recently that they are only leaving one or two envelopes, your room steward will give you more if you ask. Their website tells you the breakdown, there is also a list of employees that the tips go to on the cruise contract.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

My HAL contract does not address tipping, but I did see elsewhere that the per day tip goes to room stewards, waitstaff, and all the rest of the crew we don't see or interact with. Does not include bartenders, but my drink package covers them.

Once again, the OP is going on a Princess Cruise where only one person in the cabin is required to buy the beverage package.

Thanks for the correction. Maybe I'll look into Princess, for our next cruise. ;)

My wife and I sat down for over an hour just discussing the packages. We tried to work out how many drinks in total we would have, alcholic, fizzy and water. Then we tried to guess if we would drink more as we were on holiday and change in temperture. For us we both would need a seperate drinking package (I assume thats doable) so we decided on a drinks package for me and to just buy the drinks she wanted as required. I think it is all dependant on monies and if you will drink more as you are away, doesnt it?

Some cruise lines, one adult buys a package, all in your cabin must buy.

What is the gala night entertainment, and where does it take place? Just can't decide if it's worth it, though the food part sounds good.

All the ships have the laundry packages, although the per bag and unlimited prices can vary. Usually on the European itineraries they are a little higher.

Yes, the Volendam has a self-service laundry. Detergent is provided at no charge. It is a special, marine-friendly detergent and should be the only kind used.

Do bring your own dryer sheets, if you use them.

Not understanding "marine-friendly detergent". Is the resulting "grey water" dumped at sea?

They allow a bottle of wine pp. Not having wine glasses would be a major oversight by HAL.

We got the Sig Bev pkgs, so decided to forgo bringing 2 bottles. 15 drinks per day is plenty. I'm sure we'll also do daily water, smoothies, and numerous premium coffees. At $52, including pre-paid tip, I'll break even at 6 Makers. If the bartender was personable and professional, I'll throw down a few bucks when we leave. Otherwise, he's already been tipped. What I'm not so sure of is, do I still sign his receipt, and just leave the tip spot blank? Or, because I have a package(and my drink and tip are pre-paid), do I not get a receipt at all? Do I have to keep track of drinks obtained per day, toward my limit?

You can also buy the package first day aboard, I read.

They also hold $13.50/day($15 for the suites) as a tip for the stewards, waitstaff, and all the other crew we don't see or interact with. Again, I believe it does not cover the bartenders. I'm unsure about those who bring room service meals, but I'm leaning towards tipping them, until I find out otherwise.

As for my stewards, I'll determine any tips, when the envelope shows up.

This is all I understand as of now, but I still have a week to tweak things.

The Tamarind is in the middle of the ship on one of the top decks. You need to take the middle bank of elevators to reach it from the inside, though you can walk outdoors I suppose if you take another elevator that goes up that high. Think of it like getting to the Crows Nest, except this is the same thing in the middle of the ship - no sweeping views but a lovely separate "pod" of its own.

 

Then for the next secret, is you find the stairs that go two floors up to the very private sun deck on top of the Tamarind restaurant. Few know about that too. So you have the Silk Den bar on one side and the Tamarind restaurant on the other once you get off the right elevators on the right floor, after you figure you did not end up in a high end Manhattan night club restaurant through some galactic "worm hole". Nope, you are really on a good old HAL ship after all.

About your second secret, there are 3 elevators that open to Tamarind. Are the stairs to the private sun deck across from the interior middle bank? There are several stairwells here, but it's the only one that looks like 2 flights.

I'd like to know more about the gala nights. What are they about? Are they worth it?

Our bed configuration request (Queen) is noted on our booking confirmation documentation. :)

My HAL boarding pass has no such request. I'll check with my TA.

No. The shelves are filled with soda and beer cans as well as bottles of wine. The door is filled with liquor miniatures.

 

You can always remove the cans of beer and soda to make room for your bottles but it is just as easy to ask your Room Steward to have everything removed.

I'll do that. Thanks.

Yes your room stewards will arrange for the Beverage Department to empty your fridge. It will usually be done within 24 hours.

Actually, I just need room for 2 bottles of Chardonnay. Will there be room, with how it comes stocked?

When will I get the opportunity to request the beds be pushed into a queen, and the fridge emptied?

Does the $13.50 cover room service? I always give a tip but am curious if the people bringing room service got part of the Gratuity pool.

Yes, I'd like to get an answer too.

You need only the printed first page of your Express Docs (boarding passes) as well as your passport to enter the cruise terminal. You should have a file of your Express Docs on a mobile device just in case.

Thank you.

Oregon residents, boarding in Vancouver. We are arriving by car.

HAL website lists requirements for boarding. We have our passports and printed our boarding passes. I didn't print out the 17 pages attached.

But it also mentions needing Express Docs and "The cruise documents containing your Cruise Contract.".

Can someone explain all this?

As most of the cruising I do is outside the US, I would say a downside is cutting short the available time for sightseeing in a particular city.

 

But since that's probably not a big factor for you, then I'd say the only other downside is that it tends to be a lot more crowded with people if you just have to be one of the first onboard. Whereas, if you show up later (maybe 3 hours before sailaway), you'll likely waltz right onboard without any significant wait.

That's good news for us. We expect to board the NA at 1pm.

In exchange for purchasing in advance, you are getting a discount on the price. You are giving HAL the opportunity to sell dining times which otherwise might not have takers, and they give you a break on the deal. It makes money for both of you.

 

If you want the absolute right to choose from all the available dining times, you are free to do so, just without the dining package. Or, you can purchase the package and take your chances on being able to get an acceptable time.

You can still cancel the package and pay for the times of your choice.

But you can't get total choice of times and a discount, too.

I agree, though I also saved $5 each, pre-purchasing our Signature Beverage Packages. Didn't give up anything for that, that I'm aware of.

So I can expect 3 different restaurant reservation cards(w/assigned dates and times) in my cabin, when we arrive?

I'm not sure if our experience relates to yours or not, but I purchased the ROV package for our upcoming September sailing (surprise for DW). :) The package includes (among other things) dinner for 2 in the PG. I was interested in selecting a particular night for our PG dinner, so a couple of months ago I was speaking with one of HAL's customer service reps and was advised that I could not select a specific night for PG in advance of sailing with this package, but that once onboard I could contact the PG and make our reservation then. I was told that only those that make online dinner reservations for PG in advance of sailing via HAL's web site could select a specific date and time.

 

Well yesterday I contacted Ship Services to purchase the ROV package, as well as a Bon Voyage bottle of wine and spoke with a very helpful representative. I explained what I wanted to do about our PG reservation and she said that she would email the PG Manager with our request. She said that she should hear back from the ship in the next couple days and she would then email me with the answer. She said that if our requested date/time wasn't available for some reason, the PG Manager would let us know what dates/times were still available for our sailing and we could select from that.

 

So it turns out that yes, we will be able to select our preferred date/time for the PG grill in advance of sailing (even when the PG is part of a package); and even though we were initially told that we couldn't. :)

That all seems quite relevant.

I should've been able to do this online. I'll wait until boarding.

Heck, by purchasing the packages, I am guaranteeing our patronage(and fees) to all 3 restaurants. If anything, I should've gotten first dibs on dates and times. Oh well.

I used HAL's online chat feature asking about this question -- regarding the specialty meals -- not regular meals -- which your booking shows early, late or open. This was the reply :

 

In most cases, you'll need to pay at the time of making your reservation. However, it may be possible if you phone our Ship Services department to purchase the gift & ask about reserving at that time. You will need to contact our Ship Services department at 1-800-541-1576 (7 AM to 5 PM Pacific Time Monday through Friday) or e-mail them at hal_ship_services@hollandamerica.com. Fax# 1-(800)207-3547

I contacted them this morning, via ^^^ this email. Their response: because I purchased a package, Terms and Conditions -"Reservations can only be made once on board." So I guess the $10 pp I saved, is offset by not being able to pre-book a time and date before boarding. All those who pre-purchase the restaurants individually(and pay the full price), get to pick their dates and times, while those like me who buy the packages, get what's left. SMDH

Fortunately, we tend to prefer late dining, so maybe it will work out in the end.

You will need to change your reservations while on board in person or via telephone (PG) sometime before the date of your assigned reservation. If you choose to make the changes on Embarkation Day, the probability of getting the date/time you want are excellent. Waiting until the last minute just shrinks your options.

 

There should be a podium across from the PG on Deck 2 that might be able to make all the changes at the same time. If you are in a Neptune Suite, the Neptune Lounge Concierge can make all of the changes for you. Only a very few have not been able to change Specialty Restaurant reservations.

 

On my cruise last month many of the "package' reservations were made for Embarkation Day which might be good for you.

 

Here is a link to all of the Specialty Restaurant menus to help in your planning:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/hal-regular-and-specialty-restaurants/hal-specialty-restaurant-menus/

 

Open seating has nothing to do with the Specialty restaurants. It means that you can eat in the MDR whenever you wish but without an assigned table. Note that you can also order the MDR meal through Room Service during evening meal hours if you would like to eat on your veranda.

So my package meals days and times have already been assigned? If so, I won't know those days and times until I embark or call?

PG reservations are made for you at a time of the PG's choosing and will be on a card in your stateroom when you board. If you don't like the date/time, go to the PG on Embarkation Day and try to change them.

When I went thru the reservation process(until backing out, when it wanted to charge me), I chose the day, and it gave me a list of times to choose for the PG. Are you saying, because I purchased a package, I will instead be assigned a time for all 3 restaurants, at which ever times and days they choose? Then I have to go to each one to change? Hardly something I want to do during embarkation, when I'd rather be at the bar, or on deck enjoying the departure scene and celebrations. I must be missing something here.

BTW, our boarding passes say,"Open Seating", if that matters.