IPB4IGO

We have a 28-day cruise booked with a Have It All package that includes Premium Wi-Fi. Does anybody know what it costs to upgrade that to the Streaming package?

Roger's excellent tables show the cost of upgrading from the Surf plan, but not from Premium.

TIA

On 3/18/2024 at 3:51 PM, rwethereyet1969 said:

First time cruiser. First time poster. I have read through 75% of this thread but have not seen the answer to a few questions.

 

DH and I are booked on the Koningsdam to Alaska 05/31/25 - 06/07/2025 in a Signature Suite with the early booking bonus HIA package.

 

!.  If DH and I both want a drink, can DH go alone to a bar/cafe to get an alcoholic drink or specialty coffee for both of us?  Would 2 drinks be deducted from his account or does he take both of our keycards or is this not allowed??

As long as you aren't using a beverage package to buy drinks, you can put both of your drinks on either card. Since you have the HIA package, you must each put your drinks on your own card. No sharing.

On 3/18/2024 at 3:51 PM, rwethereyet1969 said:

 

2.  Is there a headphone jack on the stateroom TV for wired headphones?

No. On cruises years ago I was able to plug our wireless headset transmitter into headphone jacks on the back of the TVs in the cabins, with difficulty. Now they are mounted so tight to the wall that you can't get to them, even if they are still there. They are never on the sides of the TV. In my experience in hotels, more recent TVs don't even have a headphone jack, although they do have a digital audio (fiber optic) outlet plug.

On 3/18/2024 at 3:51 PM, rwethereyet1969 said:

3.  If we want to have room service meals, can the small table between the sofa and window be moved around the room or is it fixed in place?  Can the small balcony table be moved inside the stateroom or is this frowned upon?  I am hoping to eat on the balcony but would like a plan B if weather is too cold or rainy.

In general, those tables can be moved, although we have had cabins in which the "coffee table" was affixed to the floor, er, deck.

On 3/18/2024 at 3:51 PM, rwethereyet1969 said:

 

I like plain seltzer. It was available last time we were on the Koningsdam. I often had to search from one bar to another to find it. The bar in the Lido had it more often than others. I would pick up two cans whenever I found it.

Club soda was much more readily available.

On 2/10/2024 at 8:45 PM, REOVA said:

Texting will depend on your phone (model and age). IPhone uses MMS to send messages via internet so you can send and receive from other iphones (blue and green text used to differentiate non iPhone/iPhone). Android is different and usually uses SMS and needs cell tower so in airplane won't work. (You have to be able  to modify settings for internet use for Android). 

Let me clarify re:Android phones. First you put your phone in Airplane Mode, so you won't inadvertently connect with their expensive Cellular at Sea service. Then you turn on Wi-Fi. If your phone has the Wi-Fi Calling feature, you can then use your Wi-Fi package for texting and voice calls. I have done that on our last two cruises.

I notice that the OP asked about the "regular internet package". I wonder whether our experience using the Premium plan are relevant. BTW, we have always been able to use Wi-Fi calling, but we always have the Premium plan.

I used this one on the Koningsdam last year. Shoe organizer

I haven't sailed since last year, so it's possible that the mounting of the TVs has changed to make it possible to get to an HDMI port, but the remote they provide is a simple aftermarket unit, like this, and there is no way to change the TV input from the network connection it uses to an HDMI port. I have been unable to find any manual controls on the TV itself.

20 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

The repo Canal cruises are usually designed to get the ship from the Caribbean to Alaska, or vice versa, and usually take 17-19 days. The west bound usually end in Seattle or Vancouver.

 

The standard 14 day you mention are usually FLL to SD, or vice versa. Otherwise, there isn't difference I am aware of, and I have been on 5 total Canal cruises.

OK, but he is embarking in San Diego on a 15-day cruise, followed by a Caribbean cruise. I don't understand how the 15-day repositioning cruise differs from the regular 14-day cruise. What am I missing?

How does a repositioning cruise differ from a regular Panama Canal cruise? We have been on three PC HAL cruises (would have been four if I hadn't been kicked off because I caught COVID during the eastbound trip), and they have always been 14 days each way.

On 10/3/2023 at 6:18 AM, REOVA said:

You can download movies to your laptop and caste to the TV depending on your system. Same if you subscribe to a cable service or streaming you can watch and caste to the TV. There is no cable connection available to the TV as the inputs are disabled. You may have buffering in some areas on the itinerary and depending on the ship internet. 

How do you cast to the cabin TV? I thought it was hard-wired to the ship's network, not connected via WiFi to the network we access.

15 minutes ago, sandiego1 said:

#2

Thanks.

On 9/14/2023 at 10:13 PM, sandiego1 said:

The measurements listed above by TheInsideCabin are accurate for the Zuiderdam.

I don't see a post by TheInsideCabin.

5 minutes ago, Toad said:

Do you happen to know if that is true on the zuiderdam as well?

No, that's the only one I have ever measured (to settle a bet). It seemed to us to be the same size as all the other "queen" beds on HAL ships, i.e., slightly shorter and wider than our queen at home.

I have never measured the king beds on the ships, either, but they are certainly much larger. 

3 hours ago, cruisers5 said:

I know this is a bit of an usual question, does anyone know the size (in inches) of the queen sized beds...

I measured the "queen" bed on our last cruise. That was on the Koningsdam.

It was 6'4" long x 5'8" wide. A standard queen bed is 6'8" long x 5' wide.

We carry wireless headphones whenever we travel, so my wife can watch TV while I read. On a couple of HAL cruises I was able to plug the transmitter for the headphones into the TV headphone jack by loosening the TV mount and getting my arm back there to access the jack.  On recent cruises, however, the remodeled rooms have recessed the TVs into the walls such that there is no possibillty of getting to the headphone or digital audio jacks.

None of the TVs have had any accessible jacks on the edges.

By the way, the remotes for the cabin TV has no access to any menus on the TV itself such a Input Source, Audio Out, etc.

11 minutes ago, ROUS said:

Correct. Wifi connectivity while in airplane mode is never an issue. OS just denies the hotspot function to me.  Each time I've had to buy the multiple-device option. 

Thanks for the information. I have learned something new. 

I guess all I can offer is that ever-so-helpful response, "Works on my machine"! 

12 minutes ago, ROUS said:

 

It's some OS thing and I get that message instantaneously when I hit the hotspot icon. Same thing last four cruises. My Android version just really needs that cell functionality running. Beats me. 

Just to be clear, you are turning on Wi-Fi and connecting to the Ship's Wi-Fi (while in airplane mode) before you try to turn on your mobile hotspot?

8 hours ago, ROUS said:

 

My Android phone requires me to get out of airplane mode to become a hotspot. I've been advised to keep that cell function off while at sea, or risk some unintended expensive connection. How do you get around that?

On the Android phones that I have owned, I turn on Airplane Mode, then turn Wi-Fi back on. Then connect with the ship's Wi-Fi network. Then I turn on the mobile hotspot. That leaves the cellular connection disabled, so there is no possibility of an unintentional connection with Cellular At Sea or other expensive connectons.

I wonder whether you are skipping the step "connect with the ship's Wi-Fi network".  Your mobile hotspot won't work if you don't have network connection, either through Wi-Fi or your cellular provider.

Hope that helps.

You can also connect one device to the ship's Wi-Fi then turn on that device's mobile hotspot to share it with other devices in your cabin (or immediate area). I have done that with both a Windows laptop and Android phones.

On 6/8/2023 at 7:57 AM, Woofbite said:

Can't you make your phone a hot spot and let another user access your internet account?  I've connected my phone and a tablet but can't remember if both were in use at the same time.

 

 

 

I have done that on several HAL cruises. I have also shared my laptop's Wi-Fi connection. There were no complications with either device, even when I had my VPN in use.

We have taken both the train and the bus. We found the seating on the bus much more comfortable.

Last year we took four HAL cruises. On one or more my VPN worked. On others it did not.

We had the Premium Internet package on all four cruises, and Wi-Fi calling worked except on occasions when Internet speed was just too slow. That happened occasionally on every cruise.

On 3/17/2023 at 6:12 PM, Annesharlie said:

Hi…my husband and I are looking forward to our first cruise. Trans Atlantic on the Oosterdam.  If he buys wifi  can he hotspot his phone so I could get online at the same time? 
 

thanks

Anne

To use up Covid-releated Future Cruise Credits, we took four HAL cruises last year. On every ship I was able to the the hotspot feature of my phone and the hotspot feature of Windows 11 to share the ship's Internet connection. Easy-peasy, no technical skill required.

In the past I have used a travel router for the same purpose. No ethernet connection required. Plug the router into power, connect with the router through your computer and tell the router to connect with the ship's Wi-Fi. Since the hotspot function has been included with Windows and with Android on the phones, I have had no need for the router.

On 3/15/2023 at 5:34 PM, LVinTennessee said:

Another internet package question - I bought the premium internet plan. We are going to the Caribbean. 
Do I still need to put my phone in airplane mode?

Yes. Put your phone in airplane mode, then turn Wi-Fi back on.That prevents the phone from connecting to a cellular network but allows you to use the Internet through your Premium Internet Plan.

On 2/12/2023 at 10:55 AM, TxNewbie71 said:

Does anyone know if there are fans available for use in the rooms or should I bring a small portable one?

When cruising to a warm climate, we always have our travel agent request a fan in our cabin. It's always there waiting for us. If it turns out we don't need it, the steward will take it away.