boze9999

The nice thing about the excusion credit begin a dollar amount, is it now allows you to use the total for a variety of various priced excursions. And if you have a small amount left, you might find yourself enjoying a modestly priced excursion you might not otherwise have taken! I like the new format!

17 hours ago, opa&oma said:

Then they need to replace it with another perk.  Their perks are very little compared to other lines.

I really do think all of the perks should be a Mariner benefit while on board (or during booking a cruise) in order to incentivize everyone they need to sail in order to experience them. 

THANKS @Crew Newsfor posting the updated menu! I'm very pleased with the changes and look forward to our upcoming sailings! And @albingirlI personaly wasn't complaining about the PG - just making an observation based on many other CC comments. We typically eat in the PG most nights and enjoy the food, the service and the experience - and like others, sometimes love just enjoying various appetizers for our evening. 

15 hours ago, canadarocks said:

Thanks so much for the update @TotallyCruzin. Good to know it is just the Westerdam.... at least so far. 

Already too many complaints about the PG - Best that HAL focus on quality & service vs surcharges IMO.

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

 

 

Which booster is it?  Pfizer, Moderna or another?

 

Thanks.

My friends have all received the new Moderna one @Daniel A. Not sure if they had a choice or not.

Personally, I would rather have an on board benefit. I personally have little to no time to read print magazines - just my opinion.

It's Saturday Sept 3rd and friends of mine in California are already getting the NEW vaccine - just a FYI.

If CO is an important add-on for you, keep in mind CO has a capacity limit and many times does sell out prior to departure - especially on the Pinnacle Class ships (Rotterdam, Koningsdam, N Statendam) which all have a private dining room.

They always seem to try to work with special dietary needs. It won't hurt to ask @0106

5 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Where were your receptions ?   On the Zuiderdam it was the Ocean Bar.   On the NS it was the deck 1 atrium.   

On the Rotterdam it was in the BB Kings (amazing) and on the Nieuw Amsterdam it was the Ocean Bar. Having the red carpet entrance to the Pinnacle had everyone watching us enter and wondering "who are those VIPSs"!!

We've done three Pinnacle Galas and ALWAYS sign up before sailing (they sometimes sell out early!). We love the red carpet evening @The-Inside-Cabin!

Yes, the balcony is visible to anyone on the elevator. Bear in mind that when the elevator is moving, it's a fast glimpse, however when a guest gets on/off on your floor, elevator guests (should they even choose to look) have a longer time for your balcony view. 

1 minute ago, sailingdutchy said:

 

Thank you very much for that , we love to have breakfast in the Pinnacle !  Any idea about CO price on Vista Class would it be the same as on the Pinnacle Class ships ? 

Much appreciated @boze9999, Tony 

The flat rate seems to be $25 p/p p/day for short cruises and $15 p/p p/day for more than 7 days - but it seems as if they sometimes offer it for less, depending on capacity, etc. We appreciate the over the top personal service we receive with Club Orange, so for us, it is well worth it - plus the other benefits @sailingdutchy. Everyone has their own preferences, just as they do with cabin choices, etc!

5 minutes ago, sailingdutchy said:

We have purchased Club Orange a couple of times on the Nieuw Statendam  and really enjoyed it , specially the Breakfasts in the special CO Room , the price was quite reasonable and we received a nice upgrade on top of that.

 

We will be on the Oosterdam in September , we are 5 star mariners and do not go very often to the dining room but mostly to Specialty Restaurants .  Is the price for CO different on the Vista Class ships and what would be advantage for us to purchase CO. 

 

My second question is , what is the phone number for Ships Inventory to ask for prices of upgrades .

Thank you ,

Tony 

We love Club Orange. When you're on the Oosterdam your breakfast will be in the Pinnacle - absolutely delightful! Your dinner will be in the MDR with a specialty menu and service so not quite as private for dinner as if you're on the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam or Rotterdam. 

7 hours ago, dfish said:

At this time it is for today and July 31st.  If they get rain it is possible to go back to Amsterdam.

Unfortunately, the "rainy season" is generally considered to be the Fall (S/O/N). Time for some rain dances for summertime rain!

7 minutes ago, saltshell said:

Cruise critic members does it again! Thanks for the info on the port switch. No notification from HAL; has me rather miffed. Now planning changes to embarkation transportation. You guys are the best.

Not sure @saltshell if you booked through a TA vs a HAL PCC. When booking with a HAL PCC, you get notifications directly from them (ie: immediately). When booked through a TA, HAL sends the TA the change notifications and they send them to you. Some TA's are outstanding and immediately forward to their clients. Sadly, some don't and that helps explains delays in getting notices of changes - whether before or during sailings. Best of luck and glad you saw the changes on CC!

2 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

If you do, please let us know, is that $30 total or $30 per day.

 

Roy

And the same question regarding upgrading from the surf to the premium - I assume you mean a $10 a day difference?

I agree with@kangforpres. We've done it numerous times, however he is correct - be sure and inform guest services and be prepared to schlepp your own bags - and make sure you feel comfortable that taxis, or ride share vehicles are available for your transport - more important in foreign ports than US ports IMO. 

The ability to watch college and NFL games depends on the network, the country (in port and out of port both vary), the international access and the relationship HAL has with each entity. We've watched many FB games all over, but if your cruise will be ruined by not being able to get a specific game, then I would suggest thinking twice about cruising at that time. Alternatively, with internet, you might be able to get your preferred game(s) or at least stream the play by play summaries. 

5 hours ago, vicd1969 said:

Not sure if it will matter for your husband, but I believe there is a firewall for VPNs and so he wouldn't be able to use one to log in to his work network. WiFi is good enough to send photos and read most websites. I don't think Netflix would however work well most of the time, maybe late in the evening. Ironically, the ship internet is usually down when docked, which shouldn't be much of an issue on a Transatlantic.

I am a heavy internet user both on the water and in port and we have sailed more than a lot on HAL. Other than some places like Alaska where you have towering granite walls interfering with the internet signals, I have not struggled with wifi when in port. In fact, it frequently is better because most of the guests are off the ship and not using wifi! Just my experience for what it's worth. 

We always use a PCC w/ HAL, however with theme cruises/speciality cruises we have to use their designated booking TA. What we've found was when using a non-HAL PCC, ALL communication from HAL goes first to the TA and then to you (whenever they get around to forwarding it to you). So yes - upgrade opportunities (which sometimes disappear in minutes or hours), itinerary changes, flight changes (if booked w/ your cruise) have a middle man layer delaying your receipt of timely information. Just my experience.....

We have sailed many HAL cruises and many TA's. Internet is important to me for business reasons. If internet is important to you, I would advise upgrading to the Premium package. Secondly, a lot depends on your room location as it relates to the routers. We are always fortunate to be near good routers. Many of the public areas of the ship are also very close to excellent routers. Bear in mind that stormy conditions can sometimes interrupt reception. Finally, sea days during the day tend to be slower as everyone hops on their wifi. If you have heavy internet things to do, best to do them later in the day/night or early morning. 

Just say no and go @Freckles1983Enjoy!
 

1 hour ago, seaoma said:

 

What's your secret? Perhaps those people who get covid on cruise ships would like to know.

 

We too have sailed approximately 130 days since start up @seaoma. A dozen negative tests later and generally unmasked unless absolutely required, we continue to be covid free, even when others get it for the first time or for the third time.  Our choice is to enjoy cruising while also respecting those who wish or need to mask. I'm sure you'll do the same. All the best in your journeys!

And important notice to all - it's not just Schiphol - US airports are experiencing 30% airline cancellations due to staffing deficiencies. One of our main legs to Amsterdam was cancelled with 8 hours notice. If we were not frequent experienced travelers, we would not be getting to our 5/29 cruise out of Amsterdam - the only open flights would've been a day late with the only airline comment "sorry - out of our control". Our experience gave us the ability to "get it done" and we're on our way. Folks - it's going to be a very challenging summer/tourist season of travel in 2022. Best advice - check your bookings frequently (especially on Sat/Sun because that's when a lot of them change) and especially every day in the last week before you travel!