Trapper44

48 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

 

 

Also...where in the booking process do you book CO?  During the original booking?  After the original booking as an add-on, like an excursion or amenity purchase? 

I can answer from what my experience was. I looked and found several cabins shown as available prior to booking. I called my TA and booked an obstructed veranda. I then told TA I wanted to book Club Orange and upgrade my room. The TA called HAL to book Club Orange and conferenced me in on the call. The HAL agent tried to say that I could book Club Orange but I would have to wait until I boarded to choose my room. I said that didn't make sense and was not the way it worked. After checking with someone she asked what room I desired. I told her the room number for our first choice and after checking, she said it was available and I could have it. I had to pay the Club Orange charge before they gave me the room. We have not yet sailed so cannot answer about anything else.

 I did need the confirmation number so I guess you could add it later but prior to the cruise, using the confirmation number.

10 minutes ago, Crew News said:

My Zuiderdam waiter in April said the same thing, so I sent him to check.  The Assistant Maitre'd stopped by to say they were indeed available.  So, I had a delicious apple crisp that evening and moved the large scoop of vanilla ice cream from the side to the top of the warm pastry so that it could properly melt over the dessert.  The table near me noticed and ordered the same thing. My waiter apologized, thanked me for the tip, and said he would start recommending them. 

 

If enough CC Hal Forum ask for them, maybe they will find their way back on to the menus.

Every waiter I asked said the same thing. I didn't want to cause a commotion so asked for cheese plate. I did ask him to please check and if not available then to bring a cheese plate. Maybe he didn't check, if so that would go along with some of the service on that 14 days.

8 hours ago, Crew News said:

A good example is the availability of fruit crisps in the MDR.  If you ask, you can have them with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream to melt over the warm fruit.

On a recent cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam they were not available. I asked for the first week and none were available. Even checked the Desserts in the Lido and there were none. Nobody seemed to know what they were.

2 hours ago, WannaSea said:

There is a top shelf in our honor bar fridge with enough room for a couple of sodas and a sandwich size ziploc. (You could ask your steward to empty it giving you all the space if you want.) Burger was best I've ever had, with good fries and a little slaw. It would be foolish to order 2 appetizers. 😁 I ate the whole thing. 😋

I will give you credit if you ate the whole thing! I have tried twice but never could finish that last bit. Maybe if I only had the burger and only half the fries. Enjoyed both!! Best burger I have ever had.

On 11/3/2022 at 5:25 PM, Daniel A said:

I just downloaded the Verifly app, and it won't accept my booking number.  Possibly, because HAL hasn't promulgated the health requirements for 2023 cruises yet?

If they are still using Verifly you need to be within 30 days, I believe. It would not take my booking number until we were inside 30 days.

22 hours ago, crystalspin said:

 

In the past, the SBP accrued spending as if you had paid full price for every drink or possibly as if you had drunk all 15 drinks/day at maximum price of $11/drink. ($165 per day per person.) I have never had SBP and not made maximum spending sailing with my husband. However, I have not cruised since HIA was introduced and I am sore afraid that they have stopped doling out the credits that way!

The only cruise that we didn't max out the spending days was the one where we did not have the HIA package with the drink package. However, they total the drink package is very generous. We are same as you. We are sitting at 166 days so taking Granddaughter on a birthday cruise to obtain 4 stars prior to a longer TA. 

9 hours ago, Naismith said:

Just a few notes about the PCC...it was established as a means of providing jobs and thus income for college students at BYU-Hawaii.  That is why the PCC is so far from Honolulu, it is in Laie, on the campus there.

 

Although it is operated by a church, it is fully taxed as a for-profit operation, since they do charge admission.

 

The turnover of students leaving to go back to their islands, and new performers coming in with great enthusiasm, was one of the special things that made it such a delight.

 

And of course COVID hit it hard, and they are just finding their way back, like so many performance and restaurant venues. Perhaps by next year they will be smoothly operating again, (depending on how well the new vaccines work, and whether new variants or diseases crop up).

 

I served as a missionary in Indonesia, and being able to attend BYU-Hawaii and work at the PCC was a goal for so many young people there.  

I understand and know the history of PCC. Those things you point out were exactly why we spent many days there when we lived there. Due to Covid or whatever that has totally changed unless 40 and 50 year olds are students. Many of the performers, that used to be students appeared to be old enough to be parents or even grandparents of students. As I said in my reply "If I had NEVER been it might have been a more enjoyable day." I was asked for my reasons and replied with MY reasons. I am sorry, I didn't realize you were with us.

When we first went the entire staff were students from the various islands. They performed and interacted with the crowd. Towards the evening there was a luau, for a cost, and they also had The Parade of the Long Boats. You sat on the bank of a canal and the students floated past you doing their native dances. All was very relaxed and enjoyable. Over the years the luau became larger but was still enjoyable. When we first booked it was to include the luau but we were notified that due to Covid it was not being held. We instead were to go to the buffet for our meal. We stumbled across the luau as we were going to the buffet and they were having a luau but it was more like sitting at a restaurant with the waiter bringing you your food. The buffet was the dirtiest I have ever been into with many children running around grabbing food and putting it back. After dinner we then went to their theater. This was also a new experience for us. There was a small troop of performers that put on a type of show depicting the various islands. It has just become another tourist attraction nothing unique. If we had never been, with the exception of the buffet, it might have not been that bad. I would rather go to a more authentic luau, visit Arizona Memorial, tour Pearl Harbour, or visit the North Shore to spend my time. Just my opinion.   

I am not sure how long some of these cruises will be in Honolulu. In February the Koningsdam was there overnight. We took the PCC excursion thru the ship. It was a 10 hour excursion and departed at 1 PM so we arrived back at the ship late. We had been many times to PCC starting back in mid 1970's. This was our last time we will go to PCC. It has changed and not for the better.

4 hours ago, Tom_Cruise said:

I tried (twice) using my DD 214 form for the military program but it was not accepted.  What are other people using?

I used my DD214 and had no trouble.

7 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Do you have the exact link?

It keeps re-directing me back to this link:  https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/deals/military-appreciation-offer.html

I've already been verified, but can't find any "form" or exact link to submit to...

I had the same problem so the next time I "talked" with TA I asked if the Military OBC was there. It was there even though I had not been notified.

17 hours ago, erewhon said:

@richwmn Rich,  thank you for posting the menus, no mention of fruit crisps among the dessert options,  are they no longer available?

From experience in Feb. you need to ask for them. They were on display in the Lido at the Desert Station. You needed to take it around the corner to add a scoop of ice cream.

 I have seen some ship menus that do list them.

On 10/1/2022 at 9:30 PM, melspar said:

The Navigator app does not display our boarding pass or the excursions I thought we had purchased. Our cruise embarking on Oct. 8, so information should appear on app.  Our other information on our booking, etc. does display. I’ve called HAL several times on this. They just say they’re having difficulties for some passengers and to try again. Anyone have any advice for us? Our TA is also trying to get it figured out. 

In February our excursions did not appear in the Navigator app until we boarded. We had prepurchased them also. not sure about the boarding pass. In February our final was not available until after we completed the health documents, however I understand the boarding pass, with the bar code is available sometime around two weeks before cruise now. Perhaps someone who has cruised recently can address this. We just printed them out and used that to board. The information (excursions, account, where and when, etc.) available, in the Navigator, magically appeared when we stepped onto the ship. Possibly it still works that way.

46 minutes ago, sofienummer said:

Hello fellow cruisers 🙂 

 

I'm back once again with more questions as a first time HAL cruiser. I'm genuinely happy and relieved a forum like this with knowledgeable and kind people exists!

I'll be sailing this next Sunday!! 25th of September. I have received my boarding pass through the HAL website, however I can't open my documents on the Navigator app. When I try to see my boarding pass, it gives an 'error'. I've read that more people have had trouble with it, does it have something to do with the fact I still have to do my health assignment 3 days prior to departure?

 

Aside from my embark time, my boarding pass also gives an disembark time. Is this a general disembark time or have I already been assigned a time?

Since you have not completed the health portion it won't help you to print out the boarding pass. It does not have the final information that is needed to board. Can you log into your cruise with your account? If you can, then try to print the boarding pass. Once you complete the health section there should be a QAR code on the pass. Print a copy of it and bring it with you to the cruise check in. As others have said it does not have to be on your Navigator app.

6 hours ago, Lyndihop said:

So I looked at the “bar menu”. 
I didn’t see mixed drinks. 
ex: Margaritas, Pina Coladas etc

Are there NONE???on beverage package?

The cost of the tequila determines the cost of your Margarita, the same for any other mixed drink. 

45 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

I believe it is $100pp for the first two persons. Now, I do not have a third person in my booking so I can't prove that, but that would be my impression from going through applying our $100PP to our ShoreX.

For our upcoming cruise we have already booked excursions and have used up the credit. I had to pay for the third person in the room. It would only apply to the first two. The good thing was that $.05 would have been applied to the next excursion. 

We are looking at several cruises. Most of the cruises we are looking at are 7-day or 14 -day trips. HAL has already combined some of them. We are looking at a 14-day and a 28-day trip as HAL has them set up. Do you get the $200 and the $300 excursion credit or is it just the $300 credit? Also, with the latest HIA package there is OBC. Would we get the total or a smaller amount?  Checking the website, we could get the same cabin for the entire time. If we book, with two different booking numbers, could we still leave our luggage in the room?

10 hours ago, KBC73 said:

I noticed the crisps and creme brulee are back. Is that fleet wide or only on this cruise?

I was told that there is usually, a crisp, available. On our Feb. Circle Hawaii, I requested one almost every night. Always received one. Close to the end I discovered they had them on display in the Lido.

I was just about to post that on non Pinnacle class ships you can have breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill. On the three Pinnacle class ships you will have breakfast in the Orange Dining Room.

Not sure about Libby but Overdrive does download the book. Look under your Downloads. He should be able to "listen" to his books. My wife and I both use Overdrive and she was able to listen to her books while on our Circle Hawaii cruise and I was able to download a new book, to read. He might be better off by downloading at least one book just prior to the cruise departure, and if he needs another when you are in port try downloading then. 

16 hours ago, Crew News said:

On my first MDR night on the Zuiderdam last month, I asked for a crisp and the waiter assured me that it was not available.  After following my request to ask in the kitchen, my waiter returned and told me that apple crisp with a scoop of ice cream was available that evening if I wished. 

 

On subsequent MDR visits, I overheard my waiter offering the crisps to other diners.

They had it every night on our Koningsdam cruise in the Lido. Several evenings our waiter was not sure, but I ended up with one.

Everyone else has mentioned the Starters and Mains available every night. For dessert a Fruit Crisp and a Cheese Plate are available upon request.

4 hours ago, 57redbird said:

How far forward from aft on the port side are the cabins?  Cabin #s if possible.  We are booked in 4116 & I'm a little nervous.  TIA.

We were on her Feb. Hawaii and Mexico cruise in 4113. The doors forward and aft were shut. You had to remember to always use the mid. elevators to get to the room. It looked like no adjoining cabins were booked. For the two cruises we were onboard 4111 and 4115 were never occupied. As we were disembarking, I noticed that both were to be occupied on the next cruise.

5 hours ago, eggemon said:

Right there with the OP… different tour, but the same problem…

 

I’d love for the 50 pounds to be wrong, but I am pretty sure it is correct (small planes, short runways, etc.).

 

We are doing Y1L in July, and definitely have concerns about luggage. We can probably keep within the 50 pounds (plus ONE 13 pound carry on) for the land portion – not that it will be easy (CPAP machines, etc.) – but we will definitely want more clothes, etc. for the cruise (and our continuing vacation after the cruise).

 

As I understand the material from HAL, we cannot use the “Join Me Onboard” program due to customs regulations.

 

I have wondered if, before we head off on our trip, we could ship some luggage to our hotel in Anchorage and meet up with it there… has anyone here tried that? Any other thoughts about how we can connect with more luggage after we complete the restrictive part of our land tour? 

CPAP should not count toward your weight or carry-on items. Classified as medical equipment. At least that is the rule in the United States.

We were onboard the Koningsdam for 25 days this past Feb. We were in 4113 just aft of the middle elevators. We were above the Dutch Cafe and the only noise I noticed was from deck 5. You should be taking the inside passage so you will have land close on both sides most of the time.  When we went to Alaska, we sailed from Vancouver north. We were in an aft wrap on deck 8. My wife also tends to get seasick. Only the night we transited out to sea to dump gray water did the seas get a little choppy and she was able to handle it well, with the help of Bromine. The higher you are on the ship the farther you can see. The drawback is you will get more motion. Only you can decide where you want your cabin so enjoy whatever you choose. Alaska is beautiful and majestic.