REOVA

Is everyone's booking linked? You can try to see about booking with Pinnacle Grill under each booking for a particular day and time and then have HAL put everyone together either with phone call or when get on board. And depending on the ship, you may have a private room (if it's available). 

5 hours ago, pelimom said:

No, the TA is incorrect.  I definitely upgraded immediately when booking.  Did this directly with the Holland America phone agent.  I tried to do it with Costco Travel, but the agent there knew nothing about Orange Club.  

Did HAL let you do it direct since you had a TA (Big Box)? 

The  biggest perk of Neptune (and Pinnacle Suite) besides being larger is the concierge and lounge, however the lounge has changed over the years (not for the better). Now you are better off booking a veranda, Vista suite, signature suite (depends on ship) and paying for Club Orange to get special service line and separate restaurant on Pinnacle ships. We found we no longer needed the space in Neptune Suite but sometimes will book one (or upgrade) depending on the itinerary and length of cruise. And if you are five star Mariner, you have additional benefits not needed for Neptune (embarkation, tender, discounts, etc) unless the cruise is heavy with 5 star members (like Grand Cruises). 

You may be better to ask TA if there is any penalty of any booked amenities and credits (including deposit) for your particular cruise. HAL hasn't been consistent on every booking. 

I'll speak for everyone and hope that you will update this post once you can quantify damage and how you are. And of course if you need anything, I am sure many here will offer support. 

If you don't have umbrella in room there is a bucket at the gangway filled with umbrellas (first come) which is easier than carrying one up to cabin, especially if wet. 

Glad to hear Ronald is back. 

4 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

The famous double door entry/exit of the water closet in the NS cabins on the three Pinnacle class ships

Miss it. I was told Nieuw Statendam  and Rotterdam (our cabins didn't) do not have these, not sure why they discontinued. (Although HAL shows them on floor plan in brochure). 

6 hours ago, Colorado Klutch said:

 

Thanks, everyone. There is a blank area across from my booked cabin, 5076 aboard Koningsdam. 

Did you change cabins from 5072? 

Mostly are crew work areas or internal crew stairwells. Others would be ship mechanical or storage depending on deck level. Not sure if there are "blue print" type plans we can see. Might be best to find someone currently onboard and ask what doors or area is across the way from cabin. You may find them in this forum or the Roll Call. I'm sure people walk by all day and wouldn't mind snapping a photo for you. You may hear the door shut when crew cone in and out (some have mentioned it) but we had more noise from cabins next to or above us when people let the balcony doors slam. 

58 minutes ago, Pittypatbr said:

How can you tell if your cruise is sold out?

 

There is a filter in the search for sold out cruises...but they can change and you can contact your TA to see about being waitlisted. 

26 minutes ago, Charlene1985 said:

 

I wanted to walk around the ship a bit and take photos of the art and such but decided to save that for another day.  

That was what my DW called my excursion on sea day. There is a 3-d work by elevators that is hard to photograph correctly. (Scavenger hunt?). Can you name all of the artists on the stairwell walls? 

You can also book Nieuw Statendam (middle) or Koningsdam (oldest) which are sister ships. Slight differences but similar layout. 

This was from @Copper10-8 just off Koningsdam 

"HAL still has "Covid isolation" cabins on all their ships, so incl. K-dam, and will continue to have them for the foreseeable future while Covid is with us. No end in sight for that one. It is part of their protocol now"

26 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Are you sure that they are still setting aside quarantine cabins. Recent reports tend to indicate people are isolating in their own cabins. Other CCL lines seemed to gone back to all cabins being available to book. Also the last quarterly results from a few months back had indicated all CCl lines occupancy at that time was around 90% and it has claimed since then 

Yes there are set asides. We had set asides in August (which were full so we quarantined in our cabin) which I guess is ok now(?). The last quarterly results from a few months back would have had quarantine cabins. We never know the denominator of what 90% is so we can only ask onboard (for those crew that will disclose) what the passenger count is. People have been posting the numbers they hear and they are climbing. 2000-2600 on Pinnacle would be close to double occupancy, but during cruises with kids, you have to assume many of the cabins are more than double occupancy, meaning other cabins empty. Trying to extrapolate the cabins occupancy is fruitless so I ask for passenger count. 

May might be slower (After Spring break/Easter but before Summer) so ship may have less count, but Alaska is a popular cruise for HAL (and they have multiple ships there). 

Years ago HAL stated that because their Mariner status is more "obtainable" than the sister lines it would be hard to match to the appropriate levels on sister lines. We took this as typical "not willing to do this". We are 5 star HAL and less on Princess and probably would never sail on Seabourn,Aida or Cunard (except to get cruise in Europe if we didn't fly) so it's not an issue for us. But it would appear if MSC can match other lines, that CCL could figure an intra-match. However they will need to figure out a 6* or other modification to Mariner program before they increase members. Or maybe they first make so many cuts that 5* members get tired and leave and the next group rises up. 🤪

Now if Seabourn ships join HAL to embark on longer itineraries, maybe I will feel differently. 🤞🤞

While your internet pauses for regeneration I thought I'd post a photo that came up today in my history from 2018 GWC in Puerto Limon. 

50 minutes ago, cruzysuzy said:

I would really like to take the plunge and move from Princess to Holland America.  Most of what I've read is right down my alley.  But one thing is giving me pause.  On another forum a poster stated that HAL has eliminated a number of their enrichment programs from what they used to be.

 

Enrichment programs are a real source of enjoyment to me. I don't do 'deck toys' and am a moderate drinker.  Yes, music is nice but I need to keep my brain going.  What is everyone's current experience on this issue?

It will depend on what itinerary you book. Carribean cruises have no enrichment unless you count the CD talking about Jimmy Buffet, Ernest Hemingway or Bob Marley influences ( which was ok to kill an hour but "enrichment"?). You will need to book a Grand cruise, Voyage of the Vikings (17 or 35 day) or maybe a South Pacific cruise to have speakers/ambassadors on local topics. We are all hoping the "new" longer itineraries go back to what HAL used to have. 

Depends on what full capacity means. They still have Covid cabins set aside but capacity could be double occ (where cabin allows) or maximum occ (with up to 4 in cabin). So if they only have 80% of cabins set up available for passenger booking and are sold out, is that full capacity? 

They've been maximizing passenger booking over the past few months but it does vary on time of year and itinerary. 

19 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Masks no longer required as of 7 AM tomorrow.   I was at the Sea View pool - crew started dancing when the Capt made that announcement.     

 

We got a memo saying to expect poor internet until Tahiti.   If I can't post here - check my twitter feed for updates -  @theinsidecabin 

Enjoy the break and Magellan's "Peaceful" Ocean. 

The Lido should be open (barring cleaning or repairs or rough seas) and has a dome even if it's raining. If it's warm enough they will open the roof dome. 

Depending on the cruise, you may find dancing up in the crows nest. When you get on you may talk with the entertainment staff and ask if they will do ballroom dance (they have music avail). On the R Class they had the Ocean Bar available for dancing as well. 

2 hours ago, Iamthesea said:

When booking with HIA, is your deposit refundable?

Neither are necessarily related. Deposits are refundable (up until the fine print timelines) unless you book a nonrefundable deposit cruise. You may need to ask your TA/PCC if options you want are not shown on website. 

HAL has been big on marketing the past year with very little new deals, if you look closer. And it's probably industry wide given where they need to be to survive. 

46 minutes ago, LocoLoco1 said:

CCL seems to have HAL placed (for now) somewhere between Hoi-toi and ho-hum. Sailing recently on a CUNARD  vessel told me my ideal would be the Prinsendam ambiance in a Koningsdam sized ship; and I’d pay $extra$ for it. As a loyal HAL cruiser I often imagine THAT for an Around the World. 

Unfortunately a Pinnacle sized ship wouldn't get to many ports and tendering would be a nightmare.(I can imagine the ticket lines).  Prinsendam was good for SA and Zaandam would have been good to take over Amsterdam place for GWC, but HAL can pack a few hundred more passengers on Zuiderdam.