Andi Land

Did you get a volunteer? I’ll give it a shot if needed. 

On 2/3/2019 at 5:30 PM, SPSGB said:

I’m currently booked on HAL for this itinerary for mid-May. I would love to hear from anyone who has cruised a similar itinerary at the same time of year.  Is this a good time to see spring blooms?  What is the weather like?  I have also posted this on the HAL board. Thanks!

Did you get any advice on the HAL board? I’m also going on one of the earlier cruises and am curious. 

You can ask to be put on a waiting list for that category. They’ll email you if something comes available. 

The cruise I booked is for May of 2020 with final payment March of 2020. Fully refundable. If you’re having difficulties or see something weird, it’s always good to call HAL for clarification. 

I’m not sure if anyone is interested but the $1 deposit is back today. I don’t see it posted yet on their website but I was able to use it for a cruise in 2020. 

Have done both of these cruises and my kids preferred Canada New England. They thought Alaska was pretty but kinda boring. 

I’m able to see the refundable fare. What date are you looking at? 

Thank you! Going on the Volendam for an Alaska cruise this summer. 

You can track your application status online and get email updates. 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/after/status.html

My very first cruise booking was for a 3 day round trip Seattle. It had a stop in Victoria and another in Vancouver before heading back to Seattle. I booked this cruise to test if we’d like cruising. Well, about a month before departure I received an email that the cruise was overbooked. The perks to give up my cabin were great. I received a 7 day cruise of my choosing to anywhere HAL cruised. Since I live close to Seattle it was an quick yes to change to a different cruise. So, I’m another example of the fact that cruise lines do indeed over book cruises. 

These Canada New England cruises for 2020 are not sold out.  I’ve contacted HAL 3 times to let them know the website is glitching and won’t allow bookings. You can call and book direct or book thru another TA site. It’s very frustrating that two weeks after my initial inquiry it’s still not fixed. 

As as for Grand Asia tour, I’m not sure. But St Pete Cruiser has given a great idea of what might be up next on the itinerary after Canada New England.  

I have been looking at the Canada New England cruises for 2020 on the Amsterdam. It’ll let me see prices but it won’t go any further to make a booking. I called HAL about this a few days back and the rep told me to use Google Chrome instead of Safari. I’m still having the same problem no matter which browser I’m in. 

Thank you all for the replies. I have decided on Montreal to Boston. We live in Oregon so,the flight to Montreal will be the longest leg of the trip. We decided we’d like to get that part done before the cruise. The flight from Boston is non stop so, that should be easier after our cruise. 

I apologize if this has been asked before. I did try the search feature with no luck. I’m planning a Canada/New England cruise with Holland America. Does it matter if we go Boston to Montreal or Montreal to Boston? Is one direction preferred to the other for any reason?  Thanks for the help. 

Thank you! I have added it to my card. 

We sailed August 2018 and there are not refrigerators in the Lanai rooms. I’ve been told you can rent them though. 

We’re also doing the 14 day cruise in 2020. Thanks for asking the question. We are deciding on date and stateroom too. 

2 hours ago, Crew News said:

Just booked May 4th.

I’ve noticed you go to Alaska early in the season. Is this your favorite time to go? Do you find everything “open” and available as far as excursions and such?

1 hour ago, LEtue said:

Love the departure from Vancouver but without Kodiak and Sitka the itinerary is less appealing for me. 

 

The price to cruise this new itinerary as a solo is just too much to based on the changes 

I was thinking the same thing. Kodiak is a big draw for my husband. We’ve been to Sitka numerous times and love it. We don’t know anything about Haines or Valdez though so,I’m going to do some research. 

The 14 day itinerary is on the Maasdam on RT Vancouver instead of Seattle. It has other changes to itinerary as well. 

FYI, the 2020 itineraries are now posted for those who have been waiting. 

Checked my cruise today and the price was down $250 per person. Just an FYI for others. 

12 hours ago, crusinbanjo said:

Mrs Banjo and I were looking at the 10 day Adriatic cruise leaving Venice in early May.  When last I looked, the price for a Neptune suite was $3500, for restricted fare.  Today I went to book it and the price is $4500.  Could not believe that.  Sadly, I guess we’ll be looking at other options for May 2019 that don’t include HAL.

Call and ask them to price it for you at the Advantage Fare.  This is the price without the E4 added and it’s still refundable. 

3 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Glad you changed your mind on what cruise to take.

 

Leaving on a Wednesday puts you in the ports on the weekend when there are fewer people.

I hadn’t even considered that aspect of it. Yes, I’m happy we decided on the Volendam. I think that itinerary gives us the best of both worlds as Roy pointed out. It’s about a 5 hour drive to Vancouver for us so it’s not too bad. 

43 minutes ago, Cruise_More_Often said:

Andi, what time in August is your cruise? I'm asking because several years ago that tour's provider, Allen Marine, stopped doing the tour in the latter part of August. If you want to be sure the tour will be offered on your cruise, e-mail Allen Marine and ask.

Great info! I booked for August 28. I’ll email them for more details. Thank you.