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From past experience. Yes, you can buy HAL insurance (Cancellation Protection Plan - CPP) for just one person in the cabin regardless of how many are staying in there. You can even buy Platinum for one and regular for the other.

No it's a new booking for 2024. It's ok I don't have to buy it. I'm just curious why the buying option can be found any more.

I tried clicking the link to the "Cruise Protection Program" and clicked the drop down plan options beside person's name. No choice (Standard or Platinum) is given. When I clicked the "View Cancellation Policy" and "View Plan Details" I got routed to an ERROR page. The CPP purchase options used to be right on your Booking Summary page when you book online and can be purchased at the same time.

1 minute ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Private Fares are totally different and attached to Mariner numbers, they are often non-refundable deposits but not always. Advantage Fares are available to everyone, no perks but refundable deposit that is often not a reduced deposit.

 

The Call Center is based on HAL's Peak Call Volume and Over Seas hours, they operate when calls coming in our the heaviest. Late hours at the end of the day call volume is low. A large percentage of HAL Reps that work state side are on Pacific time. 

I don't understand. If Advantage Fares are available to everyone, why would HAL keep it a "secret" unless you know about it? Or is that why some travel agents can offer you better price than what you get when you book directly with HAL? Are they using this Advantage Fares?

I used to see the Platinum and Regular CPP being offered on the Summary page when you book a cruise online. This has disappeared. When I searched on their website, any links pointing to buy their CPP shows an ERROR. Does anyone know if HAL no longer offers such insurance?

4 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Unfortunately if you got a Call Center Rep, they do not have a clue, plus they have only been told to sell what is on the Web Site Non-refundable and HIA. Your TA should be able to book Advantage Fare or an Experience Stateside Rep. The best time of the day to call and get someone stateside rather than Call Center is after 5:30 Pacific time. It is rare to get a Call Center Rep after that time. If it helps tell them you want promo code NH1 that is the code for Advantage Fares for all voyages.

Interesting to know! Normally you'd assume you'll get routed to a Call Center during after hours. Also, is Advantage Fare = Private Fare? Can you use NH1 when you book online on your own?

53 minutes ago, Naismith said:

Well said.  I reached my PCC today, and booked a great deal.

 

The terminology they use is like a different language.  What my email from HAL called a "private fare" is considered a "Mariner discount."  And is indeed eligible for the free prepaid crew incentive of the Black Friday sale.  

Yes, you get your Private Fare rates, free Prepaid Crew Appreciation, and Refundable Deposit. That's pretty sweet!

As far as I understand, credit card Travel Medical Insurances do not cover pre-existing conditions unless they are stable for a period of time (3 months, 6 months, or 1 year depending on your age). Any change in medication be it a new prescription, an increase or decrease dosage or stopping altogether means a change in the "stable" definition. Any new investigations, tests, any new referrals to specialists will be considered new existing conditions.  Reading insurance policies is like reading any boring and long legal documents. Better make sure you understand what is covered and what is not. I think HAL's Platinum CPP (Cancellation Protection Plan) covers any medical expenses upto $10,000 USD pre-existing conditions or not. But $10,000 USD is nothing if you encountered something major. I've also seen people with health issues blindly buying the Travel Insurance their TA handled without understanding the true coverage and thinking they're well covered. Good luck to them!

8 hours ago, POA1 said:

As long as you don't punch through the antenna, or the chip you're fine.

7 hours ago, POA1 said:

The reader sends out a signal which is picked up by the antenna. That creates a charge which powers a capacitor. Once the capacitor is charged it powers the circuit which sends out a numeric code.

 

Each reader is designed to work with a defined series of codes. Once a new, valid code is presented, the reader won't accept the old code. Most readers have a bunch of parallel code series. That's how multiple people can have keys. Otherwise, if one key was lost, they would all have to be replaced. 

 

The copper patterns around the outside are the antennae. You can't break the circuit or the capacitor won't charge.

Thanks for the picture & explanations. Nice to learn something new. 😃 Do you know if HAL's room key has the same antenna pattern as the one you showed? When I look at the actual room key, relative to your picture with the magnetic strip on the back, the safe spot would be the middle right edge of the card. That's where the customer service punch the hole that disabled my room key. 😕

Phew! 😄

32 minutes ago, Naismith said:

I called HAL because I was thinking about booking....the person that I spoke with informed me that the "free crew appreciation" is ONLY available if one gets the HIA package.  But that is NOT the impression given by their press release, the email that I received, nor the "terms and conditions" on the website under the "Black Friday Sale" which states:

 

Terms & Conditions
...

Black Friday Offer: Crew Appreciation: Receive prepaid stateroom gratuities on board. Limit one (1) Crew Appreciation Offer for 1st/2nd guests only per stateroom, per booking. Gratuities for other services, including, but not limited to, bar, dining room, wine accounts and spa/salon services, are not included. .....

 

Nothing about HIA.

 

 

I find the HAL staff knowledge varies a lot. Sometimes you can get 5 different answers by asking 5 different staff members. I'll call and settle with the one that gives you the best answer you want to hear and make sure they keep their words. 😁

2 hours ago, REOVA said:

On same cruise 

Looks great! Is this served or self served. I intend to avoid touching those tongs and knives that are touched by many people.

19 minutes ago, Crew News said:

My Nieuw Amsterdam verandah stateroom card in October did not have a punched hole.  While standing in a long Embarkation Day line, a crew member moved down the line punching slots at the top of stateroom cards.

 

I have purchased a slot puncher for my upcoming cruises.

That's where the Customer Service punched for me, the middle top area. The card immediately failed to work. I was on Koningsdam.

9 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Last month on NS cards came pre punched as in @rafinmdpicture post #6 - the cabin door locks are the magnetic tap kind. 

Earlier in the year on either K'dam or NA (I'd have to look it up) the cards did not have a hole & they wouldn't punch one saying it would interfere w/the mag strip.

Then in Sept on a Carnival ship that also had the magnetic tap locks, the cards came pre punched in the corner as @Heartgrove pic post #12.

So it seems the corner would be safest, but they may also have changed vendors that use a different "pattern" which allows a narrow punch on one end w/o interfering. 

Great to know! Hope they have solved this problem. I'll continue to bring my good old lanyard next time then.

2 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

Currently on the Carnival Venezia and the HAL corporate partner uses a small hole punched in the lower corner.

 

Maybe this is the "magic" position! 😃 I actually dissected the damaged card strip by strip but couldn't be certain of a safest place to punch a hole in. The metallic wires are sooo fine. You only know they're there when you see some shiny reflection on the cut edge. The card is made with 2 thin slices of plastic with a thin metallic circuit fused in-between. I'll try this bottom corner next time! Thanks! ☺️

6 hours ago, rafinmd said:

 

Roy

 

PS, I think it's all cards now.  Not on the Koningsdam but I had the same punch on Nieuw Statendam regular room in 2019.

I had no problem with these pre-punched cards. It's the newer tap version cards (with no pre-punched holes) that cause the problem. 😐

Thank you for the tips. So I tried several "dummy" bookings. Yes, sometimes it showed Crew Appreciation included, sometimes not. HAL's site surely is glitchy! I guess I'll talk to my TA if I'm serious about booking. Any idea how long this Black Friday deal lasts?

3 hours ago, POA1 said:

The Club Orange room cards on the current Rotterdam sailing are pre-punched. It's not a round hole, but rather an elongated hole with a roundish middle. (Think rings of Saturn.) I don't know if all the keys are like that, or just the Club Orange ones.

 

While a pre-punched, orange-striped card is nice - it ain't no tote bag. 😁

 

We're on the Nieuw Statendam in a few weeks and you can be certain that this is just the kind of investigative journalism we will undertake. (For science!)

 

In the meantime, can you show us the perforated end of your room key if you are on the Rotterdam? Please @rafinmd

The room cards I used to have were the swipe ones with pre-punched elongated holes. The room card I got from my recent cruise was a proximity card. The kind you just need to tap to open the room door.  I can see that the hole rim on that disabled punched room key has some very thin metallic shines at various places. I assume that's the circuit. I just can't imagine a circuit needs to span an entire proximity card. It just doesn't make sense. So if anyone knows where is the "safe" spot to punch a hole on such cards, I'd really appreciate it.

Mine was the tap type (proximity card). I took it to the customer service. They punched a hole on it in the middle top part. Immediately disabled the card. I had to go back to customer service to get a new card done. I don't like using the clear pocket card holder lanyards because they're bulky.

I tried to book online a cruise that's under the "Black Friday Sale" which includes Free Prepaid Crew Appreciation. I couldn't find it mentioned anywhere on the Booking Summary. How can I be sure that it's applied?

Hi, I love wearing my room card on a lanyard. Unfortunately most of the time these newer proximity room cards are damaged once you punched a hole on them and will not work anymore. For those who successfully punched a hole on this kind of room cards, can you tell me where on the card did you do it?

Thanks for the report. I've been thinking of taking one of these Pacific Coast cruises in the fall some day. How was the sea during your voyage?

I'm thinking of taking a 24" luggage instead of a 20" carry-on. I know they all get checked one way or the other. I just like to keep everything with me if possible. 😄 But if the check-in scanner cannot fit a 24", then I'll just leave it with the porters.

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone knows what's the biggest size luggage you can hand carry onboard that will fit through their security scanner. I know carry-ons and backpacks for sure can. What if you don't want to drop off your luggage (bigger than 20") to the porters? Will it fit into the scanning machine?

Thanks

So there's no 3% charge if you play with cash instead of charge to your room? When you play with cash in the casino, how do they know who you are and what stateroom you're in? By facial recognition?