KAKcruiser

HAL had a 10 year contract for Crown Bay but it expired a new years ago and now usually docks in Havensight.

The signature suite is almost twice the size of a verandah. I would at least book that. The balcony would be almost twice as big as a regular verandah balcony, so it would be almost the same as your double wide verandah balcony.

I agree that you can't trust the web site. They are again not showing the private (mariner) fare. This happened a few months ago and now the problem is back. Of course, when you call, the customer service rep sometimes tells you that there is no mariner fare available. But, if you are persistent and demand to be connected to a pricing specialist, they will know about it.

The Volendam has converted to the new interactive TV system and no long has DVDs.

Did you press "Manage My Booking?" When you do, it should say Itinerary, Shore Excursions, etc across the top. Then if you go down a little, it should say Have It All. Then you can push "details." When you push "buy now" it puts it in the cart but you can cancel at that point.

Log in and go to your booking. Press "Manage my Booking" and the Have It All package should pop up.

I tried putting it in the cart but it still said $50 a day x 11 days = $550.

My offer is for $50 a day. Sure wish I could get it for $11.

On our recent Nieuw Amsterdam sailing, the priest said that they were having trouble recruiting enough priests to fill the ships.

I am not sure if this pin was a giveaway or an item from the gift ship but I'm sure it was from the early 2000s.

I have seen this pin and think it is from the period 2000 - 2005.

I know of a solo cruiser who got the offer but he doesn't know why. He does occasionally spend money in the spa so maybe that could be the reason?

The voyage number is listed on the top left side of the cruise confirmation.

I certainly wouldn't deal with this PCC again. How soon is your cruise? My understanding is that you booked a SC Neptune guarantee. That means you could be assigned an SA, SB or SC. Just because there are no SA midship Neptunes showing does not mean you wouldn't be assigned to one. They have to hold a certain number of cabins back to fill the guarantees. Yes, you could possibly get assigned to the forward Neptune but you are just as likely to be assigned somewhere else. Why not hope for the best and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised.

This is interesting. I wonder if it has anything to do with the dock being damaged during the last hurricane. If so, maybe it will affect other cruises with a planned stop in Grand Turk.

While the Neptune Suite is great with the space and amenities, it does have a much higher cost. The signature Suite is a big improvement over the Verandah. It has almost twice a much space. It depends on your budget.

They might give you an upgrade or onboard credit or even future cruise credits. They will usually do something so keep after your travel agent.

This looks like a very interesting itinerary - roundtrip Fort Lauderdale with stops in New Orleans and Cozumel. Why couldn't HAL do this itinerary on a regular sailing? It would be a relief from the same old ports they do all the time.

My memory is that they have special menus and charge higher prices.

I also was interested in the status of a priest onboard. I have never seen an entry like "Catholic Prayer led by congregation."

Today the private fares are showing again. I'm glad they fixed it - hope it lasts.

Sorry, it actually says "rooms" rather than "cabins."

When you do a test booking and click on "cabins", it will display either "best price" or "private fare."

I'm glad this worked for you. I tried it but didn't work for me.

The Wednesday specials seem to have a higher rate that before except for the guaranteed cabins. They are lower.