Haljo1935

Hi - "small" is subjective, but I will weigh in. We consider HAL (Holland America) to be good size for us as they are not mega-ships but not Seabourn small, either. San Diego round trip has a 16 day Hawaiian itinerary departing Dec 21 that has you at sea for Christmas and New Years. There are several legs before and after that can added if you want something longer than 16 days. Whatever your final decision, safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

Aligned with @terrydtx that you don't need to worry about uploading pictures into the app as they'll do them at check in if you didn't. As @Mary229 mentioned, you may receive multiple emails with check in times and your boarding group - it will also be at the top of the boarding pass in the Navigator App. The Navigator App will auto update if HAL changes your time or group. We last left from San Diego in Nov - they were not enforcing check in times or boarding times. Not to say they won't, just saying they haven't when we've left from there including as recently as Nov. I'm sure if call HAL, they will likely tell you to comply with your check in & boarding times. Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

I feel like I'm in good company with some fellow "schleppers." 🤭 Hoping to pick up a few bottles during our upcoming fall cruises to Rome.

Welcome to cruising, to HAL and to AK!! No reservations needed that I'm aware of. All of the talks, comedians and mainstage presentations are all walk in. For Alaska, if your itinerary includes Glacier Bay, you will have some Naturalists and people from Alaskan Geographic as well as Park Rangers come onto the ship that will also do some talks from the deck - no reservations for those either, they fill quickly. Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

Oh no! And thanks for the warning. I have 2 16-day cruises coming up that I would be buying Thermalpass. Sorry that happened.

Could be either different price or no more seats. The way to know, is: 1) have the airline site up and look at it at the same time - you'll see all the seats available that way. 2) call FE and have them book - they should be able to see the full flight even if it's at different prices. You would need to be very clear with them not only how many people but who you want booked on same record/locator as they have to do it by name and they won't make that decision for you. 3) get as many as I could then call FE and tell them you have xx more people to book on the same flight. They will ten tell you if there's not enough seats and/or what the other prices will be. If it was me, I'd do option #3. And be sure you're BEFORE final payment if you do #2 or #3 so you don't get dinged on fees if anything you booked doesn't work and so you don't have to immediately pay for those you book under option #2. Hope that's not confusing.

Huge congrats - enjoy!! Now you get benefits of CO plus breakfast in Pinnacle Grill!!

That's the equivalent of getting 3 days free. 😊 That's the same price I'm seeing on my upcoming 14 day and 16 day cruises. Enjoy!

Hey @CecilCtyCruiser HAL laundry does a great job and will honor special requests - just include notes in the laundry bag. You can have items folded or hung, dried or hung dry. You can also use 2 bags, for example, 1 for cold wash/hang dry and another for med wash/dry/fold. I will be using laundry on upcoming 14 day Carnival cruise and am very anxious...

I'm 4* - you're welcome to be my new bff but I'm a "schlepper," lol. And a buyer 🤭

And, play along with me here, if you learned it wouldn't be available, would you "schlep" a couple bottles with you?

Recently re comped grats that I could see on an invoice from HAL, once the booking was transferred to my TA, they weren't listed. When I called the TA, he said he could see them in the booking so I should trust they were there. Respectfully, no - only those things which are documented and visible to all parties exist, so I'll take an updated invoice, please and thank you. I eventually got a copy of the invoice the TA gets from HAL - it's the TA agency version, not meant for the passenger - and the grats were on there, but never showed on my copy. I still have the original from HAL that shows them before the booking was transferred. I will take that with me when I sail, JIC. I really don't think HAL is trying to screw over passengers, I think their systems are so "wonky" so unstable (like their website) that different people, with different levels of access see different things depending on where they're looking. It doesn't make any of it right or acceptable, it means we all (HAL & TAs included) need to patient and diligent.

Happy to hear you enjoyed HAL and will be back. Safe travels.

Yes and it changes as @oakridger mentioned. I just captured these 3 different graphics, there are more. Oh, look - my battery is charged, guess I can unplug now, lol.

True; however, being a self professed "wine schlepper," bringing bottles ensures I have what I enjoy as out of stock has recently been an issue. I will also buy wine onboard when there is one I like or would like to try. So I do both - schlep wine and buy wine from HAL. And as 4* I do appreciate the discount.

I have occasionally (not consistently) used FE; I compare costs w/booking direct and ultimately go with whichever is the better value. With that said, I was simply too scared to check prices on FE after booking due to the process involved that makes it look like you're canceling. Learning it doesn't cancel when you compare but FE agents will cancel them, I got past that and now do my own comparisons. No HAL doesn't look good here, but I really don't think they're trying to make more $$ (I could be completely wrong and swallowed the kool-aid);🤔 I believe it's due to a clunky system that needs some tweaking. HAL and Princess EZ Air use the same system (and same agents), so Princess pax are subjected to the same klunky process. I believe the FE agents would prefer to work in a better system as it's very time consuming for them when they have to make changes. Saving a small amount of $$ (which is subjective and personal) is not worth it, but a meaningful savings is worth it to me. I do like how the flight details, including seat selections, is visible in your HAL booking when done through FE and autopopulates into the checkout process. 😊

I received official notice from HAL yesterday that Lahaina is replaced by Kahului for my Dec 21 cruise. While the reason is heartbreaking, I am happy to not have another sea day. Hope your experience aligns.

Welcome and solid plan!! Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

I kept seeing a line entry for ship photo w/$0 charge and just disregard it. After a couple years of seeing it, I finally asked when I was at GS what that was. "It's your complimentary photo of the ship; just go to the Photo Desk to pick it up." Alrighty!!

YES!!

My experience aligns w/ @FlyingCruiser2 the bow is closed except for certain special times. I think I've seen it printed in the daily program when it's going to be open; announcements are generally made when it opens. It is used by crew as a break area when closed.

Folliwing. We have 3 on an upcoming cruise and have the same question.

Thanks for bringing us along. Was on Eurodam for my last trip to AK (April May this year) and of course enjoyed it thoroughly. Will be on Westerdam next April May for my 1st TP - Yokohama to Seattle followed by a week in AK. So I'm very interested in your insights on the ship. Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

You know you want that AARP OBC from HAL!! Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

I would, too, but don't think we'll ever hear from any of the Glitchy Drinkers - they're busy enjoying their "gift."