mcrcruiser

Is there a HAL policy in place for handicap to be the first to board any of HAL's ships?

That is correct but ,we so ofteb forget about these .There are so many bonus deals that HAL is now offering

Always pays to check . Because of mistakes by new reps ,got to keep checking to get all that you deserve in OBC

Our understanding with HAL /AARP gift cards that id not used the money goes back to the gift card

Reconed that you inquire of the Mariner Society ,because , HAL has so many new customer service people that they just do not know about the 90 day booking window when a cruise comes out . There is also the AARP on board credit available if you are a AARP member .Then there are $500 Holland America gift cards on the AARP web site that cost $450 .you can buy up to 5 of these gift cards each month

Today , Oct 5 th ,we connected to a manager at HAL with a excellent conversation . It iurns out I was right about the Mariner Early Booking bonus plus the AARP bonus on our 10 day april 2 2025 cruise on Zaandam . We got the $ 300 yoysal OBC ,We also booked the April 12 ,2024 cruise which is aslo Mexican Riviera 6 night cruise & we got $200 OVC . Then we used American Express $1000 yp deposit on the 7 night cruise & American Express gives back a $300 credit ;which we will use up sjopping at the super markets .When we get to 2025 I will buy 100 shares of CCL stock to get $100 more OBC for each cruise . These OBCs will covert all the tips & some special restaurant dinners

We booked a cruise that came out this September & now it is early October 2023 . The cruise is April w ,2025 . & trust me no one at hooland has a clue . Asking to connect to the Mariner Dept ,they do noy know how . # phone calls into holland & they don;t have a clue . Now O told the TA if this is not resolved today ,hooland will get 3 cruises cancelled .Never in over 30 years has comminocations been so bad .asking for the office of the president they can'r do that LOL

Our understanding is the there is a Mariner early booking bonus if you are a Mariner & you book with in 90 days of release of the cruise .. We looked at a HAL cruise on their web site & it says Early Booking Bonus .We are 3 star Mariners & booked this cruise with HAL & then transferred to our TA . Shouldn't we get the Early booking Bonus? TIA

Anbout 2 weeks ago we sent HAL a FAX form completed to transfer the cruise from GAL to a TA . however ,HAL has yet to transfer the cruise . What amount of time has been your experience for the transfer from HAK to a TA for a cruise booked with HAL ? TIA

Bruce we checked & our cruises are not in the app because the clsest one id Nov 30 ,2024 . It is good to know what that extra entree being served on Pinnacle class ships from those people who sailed recently .

Pinnacle for lunch on sea days imo is also goo value ..dinners imo are over priced for what you get

Thank you every one . We can wait until we board & dine in CO ,since there seems not to be consitency between ships. Fir us it does not pay for the increased cost unless we are doing 14 or more day cruises at a $30 per day per couple extra cost . Under 14 day cruises it costs $50 per day cper couple . We have 2 cruises booked that are 10 day cruises & one 18 day cruise ,we will take the cabin up grade on the 18 day cruise with CO . The 2 shorter cruises we can pick some special restaurant nights like in Tamarind .We find Tamarind is good value for what in on their menu

Thanks

We understand that when dining for dinner in club Orange there is the MDR menu plus one extra item added each night . what are those extra entres ,in Pinnacle class ships ? TIA

We always look carefully . Still we fo not get those cruise surveys . The last ones we ever completed was when they left a paper one in the staterooms .since they all went tech we have not dulled one in

We never git surveys after all pit HAL cruises . Perhaps HAL only gives them to 4 ot 5 star Mariners .We are just 3 star ,trying to get to 4 star . Thanks got your review .We will be trying Zaandam April 2025

Japan has been a extremely tough government on this issue

Crystal we booked into cabin 3429 which is the one full handicap with window facing the stern of the ship on the promenade deck . I saw a video made by a handicapped person where they asked the cabin attendants to place the beds at a L in the cabin because there was not enough toom yo move around with his power chair having the 2 beds together . We also saw the vath & habdicap shower . i use a electir scooter & my wife uses a Yollator large walker . I can walk short distances but she needs the walker all the time except in our senior condo . Thanks for your infomation . It all helps . We haven't neem on this small of a ship since we sailed the old ritterdam in 2019 pre covid from Tampa to the Westwrn Caribbean . We normally sail the Mexican riviera itinerary on koningsdam & thise handicap cabins are quite large doe mobility pirposes .also large entry doors that open & close electrically .since the cruise is not until early april 2025 ,much can happen . We have a neighbor wjo owns a large home on many acres on Utah .He said that where he built is is 6500 ft elevation . We been to your state many times to get to the national parks .Itah is a lovely state Cliff

Crystal we are booked into a EE on promenade deck . will Hal be converting those showers .Also didn't they replace all the TVs to the modern TVs ? TIA Cliff

Thank you for your in depth explanation .On past cruises we also feel that the World Stage was under utilized . like you said post covid starte budget cuts

We love all the apecialty restaurants & our 3 Star Mariner discountv . We are almost 4 star Mariner & then we get the free clthing washes . Getting more use to no broadway sty;e plays & finding the other enterrainment more than sufficient 😀

Yes that is a rather high cost for that Cgristmas Eve dinner . We agree that the MDR would also have some thing special . Even though food costs have gone up ,all cruise lines buy closer to wholesale prices because of the huge volumes they purchase . We don;t need their perception with these rather high prices

We read some where that HAL was mixing in some other entertainment than the 4 dancers on Pinnacle class Ships . What is that entertainment & what times do they perfotm , would it be 7 & 9 pm shows ? TIA

Thanks for the ingo about the high Tea in the MDR in the after noon .We were not aware HAL did this on sea days

We agree that all that you noted .What bothered me was the way HAL applied the AARP bonus after the fact of using the AARP promotion to attract new business .Imo it twas not handled properly Too confusing on what cruises you could get it applied . All they needed to do is apply it to all new bookings after the promo was introduced to those holding AARP current acct cards . These types of things happen endlessly with HAK when they have prnituins .They use big letters to attract people in their adds then you need to read all the fine small print .THese are vacations & they make people do flips to get a cruise peoperly booked when there are promotions . One day we hope that HAL inderstand that not every one can afford a Beptune suite with all the perks included We have cruised the world with Celebrity mostly ,then RCL ,PRincess & more recently HAL . We are close to 4 star .one or 2 more cruises normal lengths will get us there /Elite Plys with X ,Doamonf Plus with RCL & can;t rember our level at Princess . When we first cruised we went on Carnival doe several cruises .We cruise HAL mainly because they sail cruises from San Diego which is 28 miles door to door . My DW can no lomger fly as she has a inner ear problem which devekoped recently , Ig HAL offered a R/T to New Zwaland from SD we book it in a heart beat , When they has the Maasdam in the fleet ,it saoled a R/T from SD to south America . We thought of foing the Panama Canal which we have done full transiuts ywice with X ,however ,it is hard t to get a transit bacj to SD in a couple of weeks spread