Tampa Girl

I tend to think that HAL has no duty to refund the money. It appears that the airline is the one responsible. What is the difference between being denied boarding either the ship or a plane enroute to the ship when, suddenly, a Covid test reveals that one is positive? HAL has no control over the airline's policy. There is a reason for insurance and if the OP didn't choose to go that route, her recourse may be solely against the airline.

Unfortunately we were not on that cruise. In What year was the cruise? BTW, we, too, never glimpsed a puffin in Iceland - nor in Petropavlosk Bay, although, honestly, I probably would not have recognized one since I had not yet been to Iceland and had seen puffin pictures by the hundreds. Interesting and appealing birds.

What marvelous memories this picture brings forth! Thank you for posting it. One of our favorite pictures is that of the training site for the sled racing dogs in Kamchatskiy, not to mention looking at about six "Mt. Fuji's:, across the sound from Petropavlovsk. Beautiful! Unfortunately, that port is not likely to be re-visited on any future Grand Asia..

I think you are correct. I thought at the time, that the many, many complaints from the '23 WC'ers was a little shortsighted, given that there had been no full WC since '21 (do I have the years correct?), and a large portion of the '23 WC were utilizing OBC's or were being comped from the aborted '21 cruise. By the time of the '23 WC, HAL's coffer was greatly reduced, and the several cost-cutting measures were both predictable and probably necessary. At least that is IMHO, for what it is worth, as a total outsider.

It will undoubtedly depend on how full the WC will be. There are usually several empty spaces. How many are there on the present WC?

We are also very interested in a possible Grand Asia. We loved the 2018 sailing.

I think that HAL's policy is to first sell the full itinerary and just accept guarantees until a certain time has passed. Segments have always been sold, but not during the initial announcement.

That is my understanding, as well. Our forthcoming Caribbean cruise recognizes CCL, military, and AARP. However, it is not a casino or an otherwise "free cabin" cruise.

The only income I can see from a former tourist buying real estate in that city would be the taxes and fees at closing. Yearly RE taxes were being corrected from the seller, assuming that it was not a ew house. I think that what the cities are primarily counting area from dining and shopping. And the figures from those expenditures don't support any great advantage to a city.

What persentage, if any, does the city get from port charges?

It was not included on the Oosterdam in October, 2023, although our HIA package was usable in the NL. We simply signed a sheet in the NL when we poured the drink.

Thank you, Crystal, for responding. The "private fares" that we have received have also been by postal mailers or emails. However, I will keep a close watch in the future for comparing non logged-in prices and logged-in prices.

What are "private fares" and are they the same as Mariner discounted fares? If so, how does one apply for one? I always sign in using our Mariner # and, invariably there is no discount off the posted fare. What am I missing? We, also, have taken advantage of what HAL calls "private fares", but I did not think that what several people have referred to as a Mariner discount. I had gotten the impression that the latter was applicable on the regular offers.

I am not sure why not logging in would give you a better price than logging in, and I don't understand why you simply don't reserve two cabins, with you and your husband in one cabin and your adult son in the interior. If the mariner status is an issue, I have never found that our 5* status has given us a better price, although HALs website claims that one's status does provide better prices.

Sociopaths??? Hardly. People can be late for valid reasons, and bathroom breaks are often the cause. If a five or ten-minute delay is so vital to you, perhaps private tours would be more appropriate.

Thanks so much, Pete.

Sorry for the duplicate. My new computer and I are not quite in sync.

Pete, I am entranced by this luggage. Did you order it online or is Tach carried in certain shores? Thanks for sharing your expertise with us. It is most appreciated. Pete - I am entranced by this luggage! Did you order in online o

Does the app clarify what "checking your stock ownership" entails?

Please read posts #8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 18, 20, etc

The discount provided by HAL is dependent upon the seat class that you want to purchase. Your questions need to be answered by the airline, not HAL. HAL can't quote you a price until you decide what class you wish to fly. The posts herein have given you the general differences, but you need to check the various sites and the airline, in particular to make a decision as to what you can comfortably book.

I don't see the Silver Moon on that tracker, however. When I did a search for that ship, the message was "No such ship", or words to that effect.

Agree that the optimal choice is to get two connecting rooms. However, I do remember from our VOV cruise on the Zuiderdam last August, in a signature suite, that the desk did have drawers. Also, weren't there drawers under the foot of the bed? Also, weren't their drawers in the sofa end table?

But that is a major deletion of ports. By skipping India, it cuts off not only those ports but also the possibility of visiting the Taj Mahal. I think Singapore is the 70th day of a 128-day cruise, nearly one-half of the world cruise. The present political situation is a major problem for HAL. This is not a simple itinerary change and it involves the possible compensation for those who do not wish to complete a substituted itinerary. It is one thing to lose 4 or 5 ports on a 26-day cruise, and to lose about one-half of the ports on a 128- day cruise.

In case you are not aware, the $11 drink is only a cap on the amount that is gratuitous. If you buy a more expensive drink, you pay only the difference.