DSLibrarian

Really? Have you not been following the news? Rather than knee jerk "Islamphobia" how about Erdogan now having the power to suspend HUMAN rights?

 

"Since the July 15 coup attempt, the government has arrested nearly 10,000 people. In addition, over 58,880 civil service employees -- including teachers, university deans and police -- have been dismissed, suspended, forced to resign or had their licenses revoked, accused of being Gulen followers."

 

France is a stable democracy. Turkey is careening toward autocracy and dictatorship.

 

ETA: We have been to numerous ports in Turkey on previous cruises and also have taken dedicated land trips to central Turkey and Cappadocia. We have come to know and befriend many Turkish people. The tragedy that is unfolding now in Turkey is incredibly sad. We worry for our friends and the future of this magnificent country.

Shorex is correct. I received an email from friends in Istanbul this morning. The email said this:

Does anything on the HAL reservation page show that this promo has been added? I spoke to my large Pacific Northwest warehouse but have yet to receive an update confirmation for HAL or the agency.

 

Have others received an email?

Log into your online account with your "large Pacific Northwest warehouse" and look at your booking. You should see it there.

Last year we were fortunate to be able to add Explore4 to 2 cruises without price increases. It was nice not to have to worry about the costs of drinks - although we aren't heavy drinkers and never had more than 4 beverages each per day - including water and specialty coffees.

We had hoped to do the same this time. Unfortunately, with Explore4 for our 7 day 2017 Mexican Riveria cruise the cost is up $400pp. We are in a Neptune Suite, so even though it would include $200 internet, 2 Pinnacle grill dinners (really only worth $29 total to us as we are 4*) as well as the SBP, it isn't worth the increase for us - even with a little extra OBC our Big Box TA would include. The most we could hope for would be to possibly break even with it.

(As a side note, we were able to add the Sip & Sail promo to our 12 day Aug 2017 Princess cruise at no additional cost.)

Thank you for posting your review. DH & I are booked for this cruise in Aug 2017 (includes the Military Tattoo) so this has been especially helpful.

No apology needed. :) I'm just very grateful for your keeping the list.

Jacqui - You already removed it for us, but it was Dec 4, 2016.

Trying this again, but for next year. We cancelled the one for this year because of a group on board.

Thanks for this, Jacqui!

Westerdam - 01-Dec-2017 - 7 day Mexican Riviera

DSLibrarian

wHY DO THEY NEEed RFID chip on ship's cARd?

Maybe they want to know where we are at all times..YIKES! (That's how we use RFID in the library - to track our materials.)

Thank you for keeping up the list -

Please delete this one. We decided against sailing with a group on board:

Westerdam - 03-Dec-16 - 7 day Mexican Riviera

DSLibrarian

Instead we booked a Princess cruise for next year:

Caribbean Princess - 05 Aug 2017 - 12 Day British Isles with Military Tattoo

DSLibrarian

I sailed Princess for the first time 2 years ago with a friend (not DH) so not in a suite and no 4* amenities!! However, I enjoyed it and had a great cruise. So much so, that I've booked another Princess cruise for August 2017 (almost the same itinerary as the one from 2014) but in a suite this time so DH can enjoy the fabulous itinerary.

Be sure to purchase a coffee card (I think it was about $30 for 15 espresso drinks and unlimited coffee and tea at the international cafe.) We almost always had a light breakfast there before heading out each day. They have self service laundry facilities, too. Meals in the main dining room seemed comparable to HAL.

Years ago I sailed to the Mexican Riviera with a Card Players group onboard. This was on the Oosterdam. It was the worst cruise I've ever been on. The group took over the Crows Nest as well as the meeting rooms; it was closed the entire cruise. I peeked in and the windows were covered with paper. Guess they didn't want any peeking at someone else's hand. It was very disappointing not to be use the Crows Nest the entire cruise. I hope you will have a better experience than I did. Please come back to CC to report.

 

 

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Oh, NO!! Now I'm seriously considering canceling this one. We've already booked air so maybe we'd be better off exploring Southern California for the week.

In response to my inquiry, a HAL Customer Service Representative contacted the "Event Coordinator" who stated that the Card Players Group would not be in the Crows Nest. They will be in meeting rooms and the board room.

Thanks for checking qsuzi - Hmm...I've never heard of a board room..

Thanks Ruth - That's what I'm afraid of. I'm worried that they will be such a large group that the Crows Nest or someplace else we like to spend our time will be closed off for them.

Thank you for your thoughts. To me, it seems that the dedicated poker room, which would be available to this group all day on all 3 sea days and every evening, would have to be a large one. I'd think the Hudson Room (I think that's the normal card room, but I might be wrong) would not be large enough to meet the needs of this large group. Guess I'll just have to wait and see.

I just noticed that a Card Players Group will be on our December 3 Westerdam Mexican Riviera cruise. I looked the group up online and the information I found says they have a dedicated poker room on board and they comprise about 25% of the passengers on the ship.

Has anyone sailed with this group on board before? Just wondering if it will affect us very much. I also wonder what space would be large enough for their poker room.

I checked with my PCC if the 6/4/17 Norse Legends on the Koningsdam was eligible for the package promo and he said it was not. I did not get the code and just asked for it so I am not sure if that is why I got the answer I did.

I just searched ...the 6/4/17 Koningsdam 7 day Norse Legends sailing is included....if you have the offer. I searched the sailings we would be interested in but the costs are about $1500/pp more than without. We'll pass.

I received it yesterday, too. I was able to get all the way through it - took a while to complete. Lots of general questions based on most recent cruise.

So to just to clarify, we can order any alcoholic beverages (regardless if we have a beverage package or not) and they would be complimentary here?

Sorry.. I didn't word that very well.. For bar items, we had to give the steward our room key (had the SBP) for items we needed from the bar.

I will be taking my first Holland cruise this winter on the Eurodam. After hearing about the Retreat Cabanas on here I booked two for me and my partner and our two friends (Family Cabanas were not available).

 

A few questions:

 

1. For those who have had them before, any location preferences? You can't specifically reserve a location in advance the agent told me but they can submit a request you have to the ship. It looks like a couple look out over the Lido pool and the ocean beyond and then others are along the side with view of ocean through plexiglass. Is one better than the other. We booked two cabanas side-by-side which they will accommodate, but that could make it more difficult on location preference but I'll request anyway.

 

2. Is anything included as far as food and beverages. I've seen various reports from people talking about eating and drinking things in their cabana that staff brought to them but it wasn't clear if they were complimentary or extra.

We had one just last month. We prefer the cabanas overlooking the Lido pool - because they have more open air circulation and don't feel as closed in. The staff will being you anything you request from the lido, bar and/or Dive-In at no extra cost. (Just please remember to tip them at the end of the cruise if you appreciated their service.)

Just noticed this - Should be Westerdam, not Eurodam. Thanks!

Eurodam - 03-Dec-16 - 7 day Mexican Riviera

DSLibrarian

I got a call about being in a focus group for HAL, but it was for a day I couldn't get off work (and as I told the woman, I try not to drive into Seattle unless absolutely necessary). It's interesting to hear what it was about though. I wonder if all of the focus groups were held in Seattle, limiting the participants to local HAL cruisers?

The focus group I attended was in Denver

He claimed they did a lot of focus groups. Since they're trying to lure in younger cruisers, I wonder if their test groups were younger. I bet the presence of the Halve Maen got a "who cares?" shrug. (They probably thought Henry Hudson was the professor in My Fair Lady.)

 

If they wanted a new logo, they should have gone completely new. The new one is nice enough, but that ship doesn't look modern. I'd love to see the logos the focus groups didn't like.

I was in one of the focus groups. There were about 10 or 12 of us and all were repeat HAL cruisers and I'd guess ages ranged from 50 - 70. I don't recall being presented any examples of logos. We were asked to evaluate various concepts.

I booked this on line today for our upcoming cruise in November, in fear that it might fill up if I waited to book once we were on the ship. My question is whether we would get our 3 star, 25% discount if I wait until we board. Or will the discount be applied somewhere down the road to the $98 charge I think I made today?

 

Thanks for you help.

For dining reservations you book online, you'll see the discount in your onboard account. I can't remember when the discount posts but it is there fairly soon. We check our account several times during the cruise.

Please add DSLibrarian to the following. Thank you!

Eurodam - 29-Nov-15 - 8 day Southern Caribbean

Westerdam – 03-Dec-16 - 7 day Mexican Riviera

DH is a light sleeper so likes white noise at night. We bought a Sleepmate sound machine for our first cruise back in 1993. I'd suggest you purchase one. It does the trick for us and doesn't take much space in our luggage.. Interestingly, we still take this with us whenever we travel - it's still working great Amazon sells them.