ProvincetownCruiser

We are trying to book a new cruise using a future cruise credit with Holland America.  This credit includes the cost of the cancelled cruise as well as the Hotel and Airfare which were all booked through Holland America.  We are trying to book a cruise through Holland America for next spring but the representative is telling us that the credit can only be used toward future cruises and not for hotel and airfare, even though the refund amount includes the cost of the hotel and airfare.  This would mean that it would be necessary to book two cruise to use the full credit. Is anyone else having this issue.   

6 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I agree that at this moment there is an inconsistency and that HAL will either have to 1) change your embarkation port, if they feel the DO NOT TRAVEL advisory won't be lifted, or 2) the advisory will be lifted or downgraded.

 

They will not embark in Venice while at the same time telling you that you cannot embark if you have been in Venice!

 

Many, many changes are in the cards at the moment. I'm sure this is one they are considering/working on. 

Thanks, I think I got it.

Thanks for the information!

Hi

We received  a beverage package and an on board spending credit as an early booking  incentive and have no idea how they work, are they on a separate card or on your room card, do you have to let the server know when ordering or purchasing something or is it automatic when you get a qualifying drink or purchase? 

Someone told me that Holland America no longer has shows with singers and dancers in their entertainment line up, does anyone know if this is true.

We have decided to do the HAL package, we compared prices and it is a bit pricier than if we booked the hotel and made our own arrangements, but having everything taken care of seems worth the extra money. We will be tired from the flight and having someone helping us will be a nice.

We thank everyone for their advice, we are most likely going to do the HAL package. Although we have done our own arrangements in the past, I think at least on this cruise it sounds like a good idea to use the package.

We are doing the Signature Experience in Venice in Oct. 2018 and the hotels are not listed but for 2017 HAL is using the Bauer and Bonvechiatti. Any advice as to which one if there is a choice?

I think there is a difference in price and location other than that we don't know much more and would also be interested in any advice.

Thank you all for your input, . Although I am still not sure what we will do your information has been very helpful and informative.

We are booked on a cruise leaving from Venice and were thinking about adding the pre-cruise hotel package, but we wondering if it is worth it. Being met at the airport, transport to the hotel and then to the ship as well as having a Holland America representative at the hotel make it sound very tempting.. Has anyone had any experience with their hotel packages?

Since RSVP only has one formal night can one opt out and just go to the buffet or is it pretty much expected that every one will dress up? It seems like too much effort to pack a tux or suit for one night and then there's the extra expense for baggage since quite few airlines are charging for extra bags or even one bag checked. RSVP is being seriously considered for 2009 which is why this question...Thanks!

The last several RSVP cruises I was on the formal night was pretty much optional and not a requirement, I would say less than 50% were dressed formally and the dress code for the main dinning room was the same as every other night.

19-26 July Venice to Barcelona - Holland America Eurodam

29 Venice D17

30 Split Croatia 9-19

31 Kotor Montenegro 9-17

1 Corfu Greece 9-19

2 Sea

3 Civitavecchia Roma Italy 7-20

4 Monte Carlo Monaco 10-20

5 Marseilles France 9-17

6 Barcelona A8

 

2x Pinnacle suite PS at 9500$

38x Neptune suite SA deck 7 at 3200$

10x Neptune suite SB AFT deck 45678 at 2900$

 

 

August 15-25 Barcelona to Athens - Celebrity Equinox

15 barcelona D17

16 Aajaccio Corsica 10-18

17 Livorno Italy 7-20

18 Civitavecchia Roma Italy 7-19

19 Napoli 7 -19

20 sea

21 Santorini Greece onwards 9-20

22 Rhodos 9-17

23 Izmir Turkey 9-18

24 Mykonos Greece 10-

25 departining mykons at 01.00

Arriving at Piraeus Athens at 08.00

 

2x penthouse suite at 14000$

8x royal suite at 9000$

12 celebrity suite at 6000$

 

***** prices per person

***** additional port charges and gratuities apply

***** those booked on the Rome-Istanbul may reserve the same stateroom for the following Celebrity Cruise Barcelona to Athens as a welcome back gift aka preferential treatment

Hi

Thanks for the information both cruises sound interesting, we will check them out.

I would also recommend checking out Aquafest. it is a smaller group (about 500) let's you have the gay atmosphere without being consumed by it like on Atlantis or RSVP. While I like the all gay cruises, I like the Aquafest group better. With the others I feel like I am spending 7 days at a gay bar..LOL. But I do understand the appeal.

I don't think I have heard of Aquafest, do they charter a smaller ship or is it large charter group aboard a regular ship similar to Pied Piper? I will have to check them out.

Thanks for information

I just got an email about an Atlantis cruise May 2016: Atlantis on Anthem of the Seas, May 21-28, 2016 from New York (actually from Bayonne, NJ).

 

RSVP also announced two riverboat cruises on Facebook:

• Legendary Danube River Cruise from Budapest to Nuremberg July 19-26 on the Avalon Expression.
  
• European Splendor River Cruise from Nuremberg to Amsterdam July 26- August 2 on the Avalon Expression.
  

Thanks for the information, on the RSVP River Boat cruises, The dates would work well for us although I think my partner would prefer a larger ship we will have to talk about it. I also got the email on the Atlantis cruise from New York it is tempting to take a cruise from New York but we have done several RSVP Caribbean cruises, so I think we would prefer a change in scenery but that ship is very interesting.

Thanks again for the information.

Does anyone know what cruises RSVP and Atlantis are doing the summer of 2016. We are interested in doing a cruise next summer with either RSVP or Atlantis. Thanks.

The Baltic cruise is the same one that was sold on RSVP's Alaskan cruise but for some reason they now feel it will sell better as an Atlantis cruise. I don't see why it would make much of a difference and if I had booked with RSVP I would be a bit annoyed by the change, particularly long term customers of RSVP.

I wish you the best of luck with what ever decision you make on your upcoming cruise. But don't give up on cruising. I have had a lot of great cruises with RSVP.

Hi Asamau,

I am curious about your cruise it is an actual gay cruise, because I was under the impression that Al & Chuck booked a block of cabins on a regular (straight) cruise?

We are also booked on next years RSVP Caribbean cruise so I took your suggestion and checked the week before and after and we are paying about $300.00 dollars more each but I also noticed that the itinerary is slightly different, which may or may not have an affect on the price. In any case I always have a great time and have never felt ripped off on a RSVP cruise but it is nice to know that there are other options that cost less money.

I am aware that RSVP and Atlantis are more money but I have always felt that I have gotten my moneys worth and it is nice to be able to be yourself and not have to worry what others think. I also nice not having kids on the cruise. But groups like Pied Piper seem to offer more varied cruise destinations and I am certianly not opposed to saving money. Thanks for the information.

Thanks for the information, I will keep thim in mind in upcoming trips.

I recently saw an ad for Al & Chuck cruises on Logo and wondered if anyone new anything about them? They seem buy a block of cabins on a regular cruise and resell them similar to the way I believe Pied Piper does it. I have been on several all gay cruises with RSVP and had a wonderful time, but was curious what mixed cruise is like. I wondered how the straight passengers were toward a large number of gay people on the ship and if there were any problems. Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks