FlaMariner

We did this a year ago Delta/KLM....with a connection to Schipol to Florence, Italy. Easy. In Amsterdam.... You do go thru passport control We did not have to fetch our bags We easily found our connecting gate to Florence In Florence... We just got off the plane and had no passport control area Our bags were on the carousel Schipol is like ATL for Europe. They know how to hub and spoke.

From years of Delta business travel experience.....with ATL as the connecting center of my universe. I'd always choose the Delta flight that worked for me....And let Delta worry about the connecting time........And no issues if you miss the flight as there is always another one and on you go with no fee on the next one......unless you cannot make the connection to the last flight of the night...and that is a nightmare. There will be no one to assist and the hotels will all be supposedly booked. Concrete floor overnight, thanks Delta. Also, it is fast to get around in ATL....the train can have you from T to E quickly. But it is pleasant and more fun to walk if you have the time to burn. (the worst part of ATL is the service staff....in the restaurants, food courts, services, gate agents, etc...they are not known for pleasant and efficient service) And yes, 1:20 is plenty of time....you can even walk and get your steps in!

The first time we saw those scales out the night before disembarkation in the elevator lobby we thought it was a cruel joke...... (we travel with a carry on so weighing luggage was foreign to us but gaining weight on a cruise was top of mind) LOL

The unwashed can access the cabana area but they are shooed by the crew if they did not pay (firsthand experience checking it out). At the Retreat area, there is a sign to that effect. I've never used one but I think it is apparent that you have to pay to use and only the owner will use it. So I doubt there is any type of "access device/key". Other pros will chime in....Enjoy the cabana and the 'dam ship!

So what's the magic formula? So far, from what I'm reading, it is not.... casino patronage Mariner not having booked cruises Mariner having booked cruises Could it be high level Mariners? 3 Stars here and no offers Could it be folks who have high onboard spending? That's not us Any other thoughts on why some are lucky?

is there a button to delete/ignore certain threads? I really do not want to see "bed bugs" when on the Holland America Line board. Can somebody make it go away? LOL.

Jealous. I so want this. And wish I did not know that this offer exists. (thinking my bad for having 4 cruises booked over the next year...no need to send free offers to me? or just what is the secret formula here?)

I've never seen a wine tasting for the Sommelier Wine Packages. I do get a brochure and it lists and describes the wines in the three different packages. Also, sometimes some of the wines on the list may not be available. We are not picky wine people and we are always fine with package #1 (the least expensive). We manage to finish however many bottles we buy by the end of the cruise....or buy more!

Not the "rule" for me. I've always called and gotten upsell quotes (and took advantage of some upsells) without involving my TA.

I'm clawing up the ladder and will wear out the 50% 4 Star wine discount hopefully soon!!!! So let's see, in my example of the 8 bottle #1 package.......My price would drop from $203.67 to $148.92/8 bottles = $18.62 a bottle......bring it on! Life is good! 4 Stars here I come...someday soon..LOL

......and w/3 Star discount, Sommelier package #1 comes out to $25 a bottle. Not being picky wine people, it's not worth it to us to shlep bottles onboard to pay $20/a bottle boarding fee (8 bottle package #1 $258.42 (includes 18% bar tip) - $54.75 (Mariner 3 star discount) = $203.67/8bottles = $25.46/bottle) Source is my 12/2021 OBC account.

Exactly my experience last week except I was offered to go from inside guarantee to any not obstructed view balcony (VF to VQ) if I wanted to pay $299 per person. Answer was no. Booking number was all that was required. I book with a TA. TA never forwards upsells.

no jacket. no tie. no problem! kaki pants and a dress shirt and I'm ready for dinner (works for smart casual and dressy evenings). Enjoy Holland America Line!

Thanks for reporting. Glad that is dead and buried.

....Agree...and isn't that why we cruise HAL in the first place!

I think it was just one incident? The OP was upset because she did not make the decision to buy the upsell when she was on the phone and when she called back it was gone. She escalated the call and I'm thinking the HAL person said "call your TA" to get her to move on? I hope HAL does not cut us off from calling directly to the upsell area but again, I think it was just this once incident and I can understand why.

Good luck, remember the rules.....do not ruin this for the rest of us....lots of pressure. You can do it! LOL.

Here you go...do not share with anyone else...especially folks who are not certified like you are....good luck. 888.628.8107

You cannot have the phone number until you agree to the following.... you will be nice to the HAL rep you will have your booking number ready you will have the deck plan ready you will make a quick decision (yes or no) you will have your credit card ready to pay if you say yes. If you agree to the following, I might turn over the magic number.......LOL....Unless someone else beats me to it. Cruise Critic folks have to be certified before being allowed to call....LOL.

Then perhaps no more "dressy" nights? (Not that it mattered to us, we wore the same type of clothes every night anyway...kaki pants and dress shirt for me...which meets the "dressy" requirement.....just hope I can get my escargot at least one time in 7 nights)

Do you see "dressy" nights? That's the new name for "gala" nights...... From today's HAL website FAQs: Most evenings smart casual attire is appropriate. Shorts, pool/beachwear, distressed jeans and men’s tank tops are best left to the daytime and are not permitted in fine dining restaurants. Dressy Nights evoke the grand traditions of cruising as guests dress to impress for special events on board, including our five-course gourmet dinner in the Dining Room. For gentlemen, collared shirts and slacks are required in all fine dining restaurants.

Holland America Line kid passengers are well mannered and quiet.......just like their parents and grandparents.

+1....love the above!

We've cruised the NS, K'dam and Rotterdam.....and had several tender ports (not just HMC) and we commented that it seemed that tendering was faster and easier than on the older/smaller ships. No issues with lines. And we travel in steerage and 3 stars on our belly so nothing special. Now we have had weather issues that kept us from stopping at non-tender ports........we missed Porta Delgado twice, Cozumel once.....so it's a crap shoot for any port anyway, in our experience. And HMC (tender) we have missed one time out of ten or so attempts. (We've also commented that it seems that HAL has done a good job of eliminating any lines....remember embarkation lines "back in the day".....Now we fly thru and hardly have time to put our passport away....love it)

My thoughts exactly. I'm thinking they pulled out the "call your TA" line as a way to get the upset customer off the phone? We all know the rules.... Have your booking number ready Have the deck plan ready Have your credit card ready And most importantly, do not dilly dally