oaktreerb

No need to send free offers to someone who is booked! I’m sure these offers are not sent out randomly.

I think that’s the answer. Let us know if you get the free inside offer when you have nothing booked with HAL! Would you take a free inside or ask to upgrade?

Used to be to make any changes to your booking you had to go through your TA or PCC. Now that the secret upsell phone # is “out there” it seems that anyone “in the know” can ask for an upsell. This is great information for HAL insiders. When those e-mails go out, the upsells must be available to anyone who calls regardless of whether they got the e-mail.

I have done it pre Covid. We were upgraded from a veranda to a signature suite. I felt like we had paid too much for the veranda when prices fell. We were upgraded to the last SS. Never hurts to ask. They will not call you, you call Big Box TA, they call HAL, you accept or decline.

HAL needs to get it’s act together. I’m glad the OP took this inconsistency to the next level. If you use the Big Box store, call the BB TA to see if there are upsells available. They will call HAL for you. This is the second person this week who has reported speaking to a rude customer service rep at Holland America. Obviously there needs to be some training of phone reps. People shouldn’t feel like they have to come to Cruise Critic to find out “how the system really works”

Laundry is a great way to spend that OBC.

But you should be reimbursed on your credit card at the end of the cruise if not otherwise spent, it is refundable

So sorry for the mess. Booking online seems so easy but it’s a lot more complicated than it seems. My advice to anyone booking a cruise is: Don’t book online. There are too many pitfalls.. It doesn’t cost any more to use a PCC or a TA. Also, once you have booked with a TA, your PCC can not help you, you have to run everything through that TA. If you book online, though, you should be able to get assistance from the “general” HAL booking agents.

RE: shore excursions being sold out. I have decided that the HIA promo which includes a shore excursion per person causes the shore excursions to sell out early. If you are on the waiting list for the excursion some people may cancel the cruise at final payment and the shore excursions will open up. We just experienced that for our February cruise. We did have to pay for the excursion but will be reimbursed (for our complimentary excursion) on the ship.

I think HAL’s goal is to get most people to choose the HIA fare. It must be a money maker for them. I can see how it could promote more spending in several areas.

There is a refundable fare between the HIA and non-refundable. Ask your TA or HAL agent for the Advantage Fare. You really have three fare choices but they only promote two of them. You have to ask.

Some things I can get if I ask for them, like chocolates, towel animals, and slippers. I feel silly asking for towel animals. We have to go to upgrade to Club Orange/Neptune Suite for fresh orange juice and Sel de Mer for lobster. The chocolate extravaganza was wasteful. The Orange Party may have replaced it. Gratuity for specialty dining? When did that start?

You have indicated reduced services and extra charges without supporting your statement. Too many to mention? How about the top 10?

If you paid by credit card the refund will go back to the credit card. If you cancel the excursion you lose your reservation and you may may not be able to rebook, especially if it has been waitlisted.

The first thing we do is remove the contents of the refrigerator/cooler. You can also ask your steward to do it. Then I fill it up with snacks and drinks for those times when there is no food available on the ship. Juice is available in the Lido only at breakfast. You can take a glass back to your room later (mixers or instead of a soda). Take cookies back to the room for a snack. Fruit too, since they no longer provide in room. Refill your water bottle from the sink. Get a map of the area you are visiting and plan your own “city tour”. Check out public bus routes for the area.

You may be looking at an Alaska/Yukon cruisetour. There is a lot of information online about your particular itinerary. There is also a brochure that you can download and possibly have mailed to you that covers the Alaska season. In my opinion Holland America offers the best experiences in Alaska. We have experienced the Yukon cruise tours several times and they are unique to HAL. The flights can be commercial but the flight within the Yukon may be charter. The lodging can vary depending on the itinerary. It will be the Westmark in Fairbanks and maybe in Anchorage. Hotels in Alaska and the Yukon are comfortable and convenient. HAL has the McKinley Chalet Resort in Denali. If this is an Alaska/Yukon tour you will have a “journey host” who travels with you and coordinates your activities. You will meet that person when you arrive in Alaska.. You are not given a choice as to accommodations but if your room is not satisfactory the front desk will work with you. In Denali there is an upsell for accommodations. The Alaska brochure is excellent. HAL has a lot of choices as far as cruise tours go. My advice is to take the longer tour if you can with two nights minimum in Denali and Dawson City. Koningsdam is my favorite ship!

Pickleball may be scheduled as one of the activities on your daily When and Where.

The spa veranda is near the spa. Beware, to my knowledge those veranda’s are much smaller. You may get a yoga mat and a couple of bottles of complimentary water.

Nice. I’ll ask for this listing on our next cruise. I agree, Kasama was a lovely hostess!

The bathtub heights are difficult for some people to get in and out. If you look at the stateroom pictures on Halfacts.com you may find pictures of the shower. The time we had a shower only it was small and had a shower curtain. You have more space with a shower within the tub.

@mcrcruiserWe got to 4* faster by booking Alaska cruisetours. A 14 day land and sea in a suite will be worth 28 days. The land days are credited the same as your cruise stateroom category. I think you should cruise back to back Panama Canal from San Diego in a suite. Or do the Tahiti, South Pacific out of San Diego in a Suite. No flying for either itinerary. You could be 4* by 2024. Much easier than doing a land and sea…….and no flying!

Is the ship open for coming and going all night? Can you get on and off with the standard procedure (keycard, security check, etc) 24 hours each day?

@Mary229What’s the difference between a Pilsner and a Lager? I like Heineken on the ship. It comes in a special can. I wonder if HAL will create a “special edition” glass to pour it into. I would probably buy one.

@AulanisThe assigned dining is fixed dining early (5:15 or 8;00, I think). Open dining (As You Wish) means you can go to the dining room when you want, or you can make reservations with the maitre’d at the entrance to the dining room for future dates or your concierge may make reservations for you if you are in a suite. You have to ask for early or late fixed dining when you book your cruise, early fixed is the first to fill up. There is usually a line of open dining people when the dining room opens at around 5:15. With fixed dining you just walk to your assigned table, you don’t need to be seated. Take your Shareholder credit confirmation with you and/or ask your TA to give you the Cruise Confirmation which shows all of your onboard OBC. The Navigator App is a work in progress.

We paid a lot to take a ship tour of the Westerdam a few years ago. We toured the bridge as well as the laundry, recycling, and many areas down below in the working and crew area. Because of Covid the ship tours are no longer offered. I think “A City on the Sea” is a great idea. I hope it is offered on our Koningsdam Hawaii cruise in February.