MajMom96

Good service would be not having to call and beg for something they should be doing automatically as they promise in their literature. This is definitely not an example of good client-oriented service.

I’m sorry, but where in my post did you interpret I had to “beg” for the discount?? I saw it as a simple oversight and simply pointed it out to them to which they immediately took action. So yes, I see it as an example of excellent customer service. I don’t criticize a company for making a mistake, goodness knows we all make them. But I do have high expectations that mistakes will be corrected in a timely manner without an argument, which is exactly what happened in my case.

Just an update on the Oosterdam and pre-booking the Sel de Mer. Because of this thread, I knew to watch for the discount. Near the end of the cruise I watched for the credit but it didn’t show up so I called guest services. There was no need to wait in the line at the desk, they handled everything over the phone (and picked up after the first ring). They verified that I had pre-booked the Sel de Mer and that we had arrived for our reservation. They were great! They contacted the Mariner’s Society for me, verified that the credit should have been applied, and told me that accounting would correct the error overnight. And true to their word, the credit showed up on my statement the next day. So even though I needed to follow up, they took care of the issue very quickly with no argument. So I would still pre-book specialty restaurants because we enjoy the experience. And the pop up Sel de Mer was outstanding!

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No one is 1-star until completion of their first cruise, unless they have sailed on a CCL sister line. If it was as you said, there would be no need for invitations since everybody would qualify.

But back to the OP question, the couple they are cruising with who are new to HAL, can accompany them to the Mariners luncheon and they will also be given the tiles.

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I have never seen anyone check on who attends Mariners lunch. As others said nothing very special unless you collect the tiles. We leave the tiles on the table. Did get a free beer there once.

 

 

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Too bad I wasn’t on your cruise. I would have gladly taken your unwanted tiles. We used ours to make a nice tray and my sister mounted them on her “travel wall” in her den. [emoji4]

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We were invited to the special Mariners lunch on our last cruise. We are cruising early next year with a couple who have never sailed on HAL. Since they are linked in to our reservation, will they be able to attend this lunch as well.

Yes, they will be able to attend all Mariner functions you are invited to. My sister and her husband were new to HAL a few cruises ago and we asked at each function (the embarkation lunch, the Mariner luncheon, and the Mariners cocktail party) and they were welcome at all of them.

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I can choose between two obstructed balcony cabins. Looking at:

 

 

 

VH4135 and VH4062

 

 

 

Any insight? 4135 has a deeper angled balcony, but is an adjoining cabin. Larger tender in front. Also wonder if there could be more or maybe less obstruction in this one? Hard to tell by any pics I can find online.

 

 

 

4062 is not adjoining cabin and regular size balcony with the smaller lifeboat in front.

 

 

 

Thank you!

What’s your itinerary? If you don’t care about the views, then either is fine. But if you like the view coming into/out of ports, I would find an unobstructed balcony.

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Can someone please give me some idea of what is considered appropriate dinner attire for the formal nights on the Koningsdam? We will be traveling an additional 11 days outside of the 10 day Rome to Rome cruise and are trying to minimize our luggage. Thanks!

Read the pamphlet on line entitled “Know Before You Go”. It explains everything in there and you should be able to decide for yourself what is appropriate for you. No need to stir up another dress code controversy on CC.

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While on the first leg of a b2b a few years ago, when balcony smoking was still permitted, there was a family grouping of three or four cabins next to ours. They had all of their balcony dividers open, and the whole group tended to congregate on the balcony next to ours. All were smokers, and there was a constant cloud of smoke drifting our way. As it was permitted, we didn't complain, but we did note it in a comment card. On the last full day of the first leg, we received a note advising us that we would be moved to another cabin for the second leg. So, yes, comments are read and, when possible, action is taken. Maybe not in every case, but certainly in ours. We landed in a higher category cabin, with a bottle of wine and infrequent smokers as neighbours. We were finally able to enjoy breakfast on our balcony for the first time during the cruise.

Thanks for sharing this story. I have found that HAL usually does their best to resolve issues when you’re on board as they did in your case. And when they do, I reflect it on the survey. I agree that they do use the surveys as a tool to make improvements.

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Big deal? Not really. We get there early and relax with our Kindles, whatever. As soon as they call the 4 and 5* Mariners, we board. The rest is gravy. Or, I should say, vacation!

 

 

 

We don’t judge our vacation by the number of hours we spend on the ship but why spend those hours sitting in a hotel lobby when we can be reaping the benefits of our vacation? Seems like such a no brainer to me.

 

 

 

To each his own but I’ll take my own on the ship!!! :)

I agree! I look forward to embarkation day on every cruise and don’t mind waiting in the terminal to board. It’s exciting! Plus we enjoy the lunch in the mdr over the buffet so we try to board early enough to drop off our carryons and get our cruise underway!

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I do not view Target any different than HAL, Celebrity, or my local bank.

 

I am a customer of all three. They sell me the product that I have contracted for and they perhaps will meet or exceed the service expectations that they have set. They may like to call me a guest or a client to boost my ego or give me the warm and fuzzies however the net is the same. Paying Customer.

 

I am a customer whether I stop at a Sleet Inn or a Marriott Renaissance. The price is different, the service level and amenity levels are different. This does not make me a guest at the Ren and a customer at Sleep. I view myself as a paying customer at both. And I expect to get exactly what each promised me at the time of purchase.

 

Sometimes I have to chuckle at the comments of HAL loyalists. I cannot imagine even one of them taking delivery of a new automobile and

being so cavalier if the salesman says sorry, the AC on this car does not function and we cannot fix it. It is what I mean by getting or not getting what you paid for.

Not sure I follow your car analogy, of course I wouldn’t accept a new car without a working A/C. I don’t see anything wrong with being loyal to a particular brand if they continue to exceed your expectations, as HAL has done for me (and yes, I’ve cruised various lines so I do have comparative data). I’m sure there are plenty of brands that you are loyal to for a various reasons. It all depends on what is important to you.

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I do not view HAL or any other cruise line as a host. I am a customer, not a guest. They are a business, albeit a hospitality business. I feel exactly the same about a hotel.

I thought this was an interesting comment so I went to the dictionary for a definition of “host”. “A host is a person (or entity) who receives or entertains other people as guests.” So I guess you’re right. In your view, they aren’t anything special and have no obligation to “receive or entertain”, just give you a product in exchange for your dollar.

I actually prefer the “host/guest” relationship and I do feel like HAL goes the extra mile to provide a level of service that enhances my cruising experience. I feel like they appreciate me and want to do everything to make me comfortable. On the contrary, I’m a “customer” at Target, with no expectation that they will go the extra mile to help me have a better experience shopping there. IMHO. [emoji41]

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I remember reading here on CC that 4 and 5 stars are "allowed" to bypass any time schedule and show up when they want. Can someone confirm this, please?

Confirmed. The same is true for suite guests.

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I'm wondering if people that have purchased their transfers through HAL are transferred according to their assigned boarding times. Does anyone know?

If you purchased transfers through HAL, the transfer time is based on your flight schedule. They pick you up at the airport based on your flight times and transport you to the cruise terminal. Then you just checkin and get assigned to the “next” boarding group regardless of the checkin time printed on your boarding pass.

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Late fixed-dining on the upper level of both the smaller R and S class HAL ships remains our favorite time and place for the true delight in traditional onboard dining. No waiting, no crowds, no frantic busyness that we feel when dining in the lower as-you-wish setting. Service is friendly and prompt, and the over-all feeling is serene and predictable. Dining stewards get to know you and your preferences right away, and you fall quickly into their welcoming embrace for the duration of the cruise.

Very eloquently put, OS! I couldn’t have said it better. And I totally agree with you. It is our preferred dining as well for all the same reasons.

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Is the 'Explorer's Lounge' the same as the 'Explorer's Bar'. I see an 'Explorer's Bar' on Eurodam's deck plans (our next sailing), but no 'Explorer's Lounge'.

 

 

 

I guess I'm still a bit unclear as to where to go / who to speak to if we want to change our (fixed) dining arrangements.

This thread has quite a bit of drift. LOL. I don’t think it matters what the titles are the OP just wants to know if there is someone to talk to to confirm/change dining arrangements on embarkation day. The answer is yes. We did it on our last cruise by talking with the person (I don’t know his title) at the podium as we entered the dining room for lunch once we were on board. He was able to pull up our dinner arrangements in the computer and showed us where our table was located in the dining room. He would have been able to make changes, but we didn’t need to make them as we were happy with our table location (away from service stations).

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I am interested in learning more about this ship as well. Still considering, but if we book it would be our first on Holland America after many, many Royal Caribbean cruises and one Celebrity. HA just seems to have so much more of the itineraries that I am looking for...

If you like RC, you’ll also like HAL. I would equate HAL with Celebrity. So I agree, HAL has more interesting itineraries so if that’s what you’re looking for, give HAL a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

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HAL does not enforce the boarding time on your boarding pass. They are essentially relying on “voluntary” compliance. We just get to the cruise terminal based on our schedule (which is usually “dictated” based on our airline schedule) and we’ve never had an issue with being put in the next available boarding group. Unless, of course, we are on one of our fortunate cruises where we booked a suite! Then it doesn’t matter. You get placed in the first boarding group anyway.

I am considering a winter Caribbean cruise on the Koningsdam. We have previously taken 14 cruises on Celebrity (7 in the Caribbean) and want to try something new. To describe us: active 70s, informal, friendly, appreciate good food, enjoy live shows and enrichment activities such as historical or geographical lectures, trivia quizzes, etc.

 

 

 

Of course I have read CC reviews of the ship and other H-A ships and read many posts on this board. But I'd like to hear especially from folks who have sailed on Celebrity for a comparative view, but all comments and suggestions will be appreciated.

 

 

 

Thanks in advance.

I’ve sailed on both and find them very comparable, but I like the variety of specialty restaurants on the Koningsdam better, especially the Tamarind! I also like the Dutch Cafe! Delicious pea soup and excellent cream puffs! And they’ll make a meat and cheese plate to order to take to your cabin. We did that every evening when we went to the cabin to change for dinner. As far as itinerary, I highly recommend the Southern Caribbean. We did that on the Koningsdam in Feb this year and had a great time! Enjoy!

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One word of warning on booking the special casino fares sent to you by mail. We have gotten some incredible deals from the mailings in the past, but we recently booked a cruise through the mailed offer and within a month the fares have dropped below the special rate. I have tried to get HAL to allow us to go down to the lower fare but everyone at HAL I have talked to says they do not know how to do it. It seems they have never run into this before. If we had not booked a special casino rate we would be compensated, but since we are special casino customers no compensation. I am not very happy with HAL right now. Just something to consider when booking from the mailing

Couldn’t you just cancel your original casino booking and re-book under the lower fare? I’ve never had an issue doing this if the price went down and I hadn’t made final payment (which I always hold back $100 until final payment due date).

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We are on the edge of booking a cruise to the South Pacific on the Noordam. We will be travelling with our 12 year old. I am wondering if the sofa bed is comfortable as my 12 year old is taller than me and I'm worried that she will find the sofa bed uncomfy? Is it worth trying to find a cabin with an upper bunk?

 

 

 

Also do the balcony rooms all have a refrigerator?

 

 

 

We are elite with Princess not sure if that can be transferred over to Hal?

 

 

 

Thanks

The sofa beds on HAL are better than the sofa beds on Princess - I’ve slept on both! However, it won’t be as comfortable as a regular bed. I think for both cruise lines, executives should be required to sleep on their sofa beds at least one night! [emoji23][emoji23]

Your room will have a refrigerator and I agree with other posts about letting HAL know your Princess status even though it’s not transferable.

Enjoy your cruise! I like both cruise lines equally well.

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We were on Westerdam about a month ago in Alaska. I wore a tie on gala night. Me and about 10 others, that was it

That may be true since every sailing can vary. It’s just not the norm from what I’ve experienced. But as I mentioned, it doesn’t really matter. If you like wearing a tie, wear a tie; if you don’t like wearing a tie, don’t. No need to “count” ties on your cruise (unless you’re into that sort of thing). LOL!

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The phrase "minimum dress code" is loaded with passive-aggressive meaning. Some of you cannot seem to help yourselves, but there are many people who read what you write and understand exactly what you mean. "Take it up a few notches" is an implication that the minimum dress code is not really sufficient, for example.

Subscribe to conspiracy theories much? 🤣🤣🤣

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Perhaps you might want to re-read your own post which I quoted earlier. The "IF's" have been used several times so I was simply making things as crystal clear as I could.

 

 

 

I thought it had been in post #1, but the insinuations by some that I must have been trying to take advantage of benefits are tiresome and untrue.

 

 

 

All I was trying to do was give people a heads up and a warning so they are prepared IF it happens to them on their cruise. I, for one, will not book Sel de Mer in advance in the future. If it's booked up, it's booked up. It's not worth 7 trips to try to get fixed and feel like you are batting your head against the wall.

Thanks! I appreciate the “heads up”. I agree that you should have gotten a discount that you were expecting without having to “fight” so much.

We’ve pre-booked SdM on the Oosterdam at the end of August so this post has simply given me some info that will lead me to a call the Mariner’s Society to confirm whether the discount will apply. If so, I’ll get a confirmation email and just watch my account to see if the discount is applied. If they tell me it doesn’t apply, I always have the choice to cancel my reservation before I cruise. But since I’ve never done SdM, I’ll probably still go regardless of what they tell me. For me, it’s all about the experience and not the “business decisions of HAL” that keep me a loyal Custer....and the SdM menu looks incredible! But thanks for the heads up! This will help me avoid any frustration on my part during the cruise.

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OP....trust me.... the best thing is that men can now wear a collared shirt and slacks every night. No more packing a jacket and tie for me! If you want to fine but not necessary. Besides these days the food served in the MDR on "Gala Nights" is in no way "Gala."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Others may try to somehow "shame" you into thinking that if your attire is not up to "their" standards that this somehow "diminishes" their dining experience! Lol! Ignore them.

That is too funny! I reread the entire thread to be certain, and there isn’t one post that is trying to “shame” the OP into any standard other than the minimum dress code and “wear what you want”. This type of post just triggers the negativity. Why would you do that when it wasn’t there in the first place?

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Apologies for the post - I'm sure this must have been asked before

 

 

 

 

 

We're considering an Alaska cruise next year but I'm confused by what appears to be contradictory statements about the dress code on HA's website.

 

 

 

 

 

On the one hand, in its "2018 What you need to know before you go" booklet,it says "Gala nights.....for gentlemen, collared shirt and slacks are required in all fine dining restaurants." So far, so good as far as I'm concerned - that's what I would call "smart casual" which I'm happy with.

 

 

 

 

 

However, in their FAQs, it says "What should I pack .....on gala nights, men wear a jacket & tie, dark suit or tuxedo", implying an old fashioned "formal night" which is not my idea of fun when on holiday.

 

 

 

 

 

Can anyone help me clarify what is the actual situation of a required dress code for men.

 

 

 

 

 

TIA

 

John

Collared shirt and slacks always work, although in my experience, people do tend to dress up a little more on HAL for Gala nights (spirts jackets, suits, ties, tuxes for men, gowns, dressy slacks and tops, and cocktail dresses for women). But you won’t get turned away from any restaurant if you’re wearing collared shirt and slacks.

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