MaxThrusters

18 hours ago, MississippiMom said:

I have never cruised Holland America before, but have been looking a lot on their website at possible 2025 options.  Yes, I registered, but I don't think that makes me an official "Mariner."  However, just yesterday, I got an email from HA advising of the $400 onboard credit and the Have it All offer for many sailings.  Am I now considered a "Mariner" or are they marketing to me as a Carnival VIFP (only gold, not platinum)?

I don't know if they still do this, but it used to be you could get automatic 1-star HAL Mariner status if you sailed on any other Carnival-owned cruise line before (in my case it was Cunard back in 2012) and applied for it at the website Carnival has (or had) for all their combined lines. I can't remember the details as it was so long ago, but I think it was something like 'world's leading cruse-lines' or something like that. Perhaps someone else will remember the details and if it is still possible to do now.

Edit: I just noticed that the poster Crystalspin above me had some info on this too!

Keep in mind that if the cruise is sold out, the obc offered will be nowhere near the value of an upgrade from say an obstructed balcony to a category V balcony. My upcoming 24-day cruise with club orange next year got me a cabin that would have been $4000 more without the CO upgrade (according to my PCC). I think they only offer around $50/week obc if no upgrades available.

Thanks for posting this info! I found some that interest me for next year, to think about.

Hi! How does it work with the AARP and the Have It Now OBC? I'm looking at an 18 day verandah, and have it now says it should come with $300OBC. AARP is $200. I did a courtesy hold, and it showed only $200 OBC pp total. I expect if they don't stack I will skip the Have It Now. Still waiting to hear back from a PCC since Thursday.

36 minutes ago, kazu said:

For Honolulu, we went to the Chief’s Luau.  It was very good.  We booked it independently and they pick you up just a couple of blocks from the terminal and bring you back.

 

The roll call members who had done the Polynesian one said this was better.  YMMV.

Hmm, now this is helpful! Thanks, I will look into it!!!

Just now, Mike B Landlubber said:

I’m signed up to cruise to Hawaii on Zaandam in November, so forgive me grabbing the wheel… What’s the deal about Memorial or Missouri first?

I think the memorial for that ship isn't something you can do with any tour from anyone or anywhere, as it's literally a sort of cemetery: if you want to see it it's a separate charge you pay onsite or something. The HAL excursions I looked at all said as much. I expect they want it like that, as respect for the fallen perhaps

Something else I am looking forward to on this particular cruise is visiting the San Diego Zoo as an excursion on the way to the airport home. I hope I can get an evening flight so I can do this. I don't like zoos in general, but I read that the one in San Diego is pretty good

1 hour ago, Haljo1935 said:

Whichever way you go, you have a great cruise in your future!!

For Pearl Harbor, if the Memorial is important to you, find out if the HAL excursion goes to the Memorial first or the Missouri. We had a very disappointing experience in Jan.

I could be wrong, but I thought the Missouri memorial is always separate from the tours

Crystal, is there an independent cultural center/luau tour I should be looking for? I saw the HAL one is a buffet which kind of disappointed me. I want a real luau, or at least as real as Disney does at their Polynesian Village down in Florida haha

Hi Crystalspin!

I did the Sheer verification already, yesterday, and doing it again gets me a message saying "thanks for being so enthusiastic but you are already verified!" or something similar haha! It's going to be a bit tricky: I am Canadian, and the HAL Canada website does not show the AARP deal, despite Canadians being welcome to join AARP and qualifying through Sheer. I also qualify for past passenger casino offerings; all this means I really need a PCC to sort it out to see what works best for me between the AARP and Casino offers, and HAI, and CO.. so complicated! If I miss out on that small $100obc weekend offer I suppose I wont be too upset.

Wow the non-HAL version of the luau/cultural center tour sounds like a much better deal! I will have to look into this. I don't mind paying extra for a HAL tour especially if the times are tight, but the first day being an overnight..well I doubt I will be late by a whole day. Perhaps I will book that independent, and take up with HAL for the pearl harbour tour for day 2.

I'm just sitting around waiting to hear back from a PCC now. They are going to love me when they do call: I will be all "hi, I am ready to book X" hehe

My experience is old (pre-2017) , so it may not be applicable to how they do things these days. I've been on 2 b2b that had a turn around in Fort Lauderdale. Both of mine were each with one booking number, ie a 2-week cruise was booked that consisted of 2 one-week cruises back to back. The first time, they made us get off the ship but our luggage stayed onboard, as the room was not changed. The second time was more sensible: we didn't have to get off and stayed onboard. It was fun seeing the ship so deserted in that time between 10Am and the new people coming onboard starting around 11:30-noon.

Hi all!

Wow has it really been so long since I last sailed? 2017! I remember putting off re-booking something, and then we had that COVID pandemic. Well, I'm ready now! I think I would like to do a Hawaii cruise this time: something new! Looking at 28 January 2025 for 18 days on the ms Konigsdam from San Diego.

The last ship I sailed on was in fact the ms Konigsdam, so that is fun to be going back. I believe it's been updated since I was on her last. I'm a 3-star mariner, and have done Verandahs, Signatures, and Vistas in the past. Oh and one upgrade to Neptune! This time around I think it will be a verandah.

I'm waiting to hear back from a PCC (my previous PCC seems not work there anymore!), to arrange the booking. I already have casino offers flagged to my account, but I want to add in my AARP membership to the mix to see what I can get, and preferably get it done before the HIA promo going on now ends. There's also another small coded promo going on right now which expires this Monday for an additional $100 OBC. I also want to get Club Orange! That should get me an upgrade from fully obstructed verandah to V, VA, or VX (Spa) if there is any available. I'm only 2 or 3 cruises short of 4-star so I would like to do CO while it's worthwhile. I hate standing around waiting to board.

So, Hawaii! I had a look at the HAL excursions. Wow, they sure are more expensive these days. I think for Honolulu I would like to check out something to do with Pearl Harbour, and the cultural centre/luau one. I like excursions with a meal, so I am looking at the other days with that in mind.

I will probably get the thermal suite pass, because on past cruises I really enjoyed that in the mornings and in the evenings.This cruise has many sea days too. I skipped it last time, in 2017, and I wish I hadn't! So relaxing.

I'd love to hear from folks who have done the Hawaii circle cruise before, with suggestions etc for the ports and what not. Or anyone who wants to offer input!
 

Cheers!

I've never noticed any gluten-free options on offer. Call ships services to see if something can be done

It just says 'Gone' for all your pictures. Likely it's because iCloud is not meant for mass photo sharing? You could try Tumblr or Instagram, both free. I too would really like to see them

I'd always wanted to try out a Neptune suite, having done veranda's and a few Signature suites in the past. Out of the blue we got a casino offer by email, with a huge list of sailings and categories to choose from including Neptunes! It seemed everything was at least 60% off the current prices at the time (some insides were free too). I'm not a big gambler, but I do play for a few hours at a time when I do. I only play blackjack, no slots or other games.

We learned that those offers are very time sensitive: by the time we called HAL about five hours after the email had been sent out, we were disheartened that the agent could not find anything left for us at first (we wanted a signature or neptune 11-14 days, Caribbean, between Dec-Feb..all sold out!). We settled on a 10 day in November..next week!

We got one of the two SC Neptune suites on deck 11 forward. It cost under $2000CAD pp WITH all taxes and fees included. At the time of booking, that was less than a veranda stateroom. Suddenly, sailing in a Neptune suite became affordable for us.

How interesting. Thanks for the replies

Hi, odd thing I noticed today. I'm sailing on 19 November on the ms Kongingsdam in a SC Neptune suite, of which there are only two on the ship as far as I know. The other one appears sold too. There are five remaining triple SA cabins on deck 7 for sale.

I found that one can book an SC guarantee today for 21% less than the cost for remaining SA cabins. Is HAL trying to sell the two sold SCs this way? What happens to us if someone books them lol. Has anyone else had this come up?

I've had a fan sent to my room a few times. You just have to ask at front desk or concierge. First come, first served, and they only have so many.

I'm bringing a little portable Honeywell fan with me on my upcoming cruise. It runs on AA batteries or a USB plug. It works great, and was only $15!

Those Pinnacle dinners that one gets with Explore4 that I had in the past were always at strange times that never suited us. We would always get it changed on embarkation day to a day and time that suited us, and never had any problem doing so.

A banded collar is, after all, a shirt with no collar. A polo is therefore more acceptable than a banded collar shirt LOL. OK I am running away now hah

On a more technical note, banded collars come from shirts that had detachable collars back in the day. Wearing one to a meal would have been unacceptable except in the servants's hall..and even then NO for dinner lol.

Jeans, or dungarees, would be acceptable if one were a gardener having lunch out in the fields.. that's why gardeners didn't have meals in the servant's hall where a jacket and trousers were required lol.

We don't live in the world of Downton Abbey anymore of course, but it's fun to look back and see where these clothing norms come from.

My advice is one can never be too dressed up on gala nights, but it's easy to feel awkward if too under-dressed. "Dress to impress" means just that. I've been at tables where one couple felt awful being in clothes way more casual than the other three couples.. they disappeared and never came back after the first gala night. I hated that, cause they were really nice.

Hey, congrats on your first HAL cruise! It's more casual than in years past. Perhaps this blurb from my cruise contract for my upcoming cruise next month will be helpful:

"Clothing: Daytime dress is casual. Pack appropriately for the climate in which you’re sailing. We suggest clothes that can be layered and possibly a raincoat, waterproof hat or umbrella for time ashore. Shirts/cover-ups and footwear are required at all times in the ship’s interior. Most evenings smart casual attire is appropriate. Pool/beachwear, distressed jeans and men’s tank tops should be left to daytime and poolside. Gala Nights evoke the grand traditions of cruising as guests dress to impress for special events on board, including a five-course gourmet dinner in the Dining Room. For gentlemen, jacket and tie are appropriate, collared shirt and slacks are required in all restaurants except those on Lido Deck which permit jeans, shorts and T-shirts. Formal wear for gentlemen can be pre-ordered for use during your cruise by calling Cruiseline Formalwear at 1-800-551-5091 or (305) 252-6565. For more information please visit cruiselineformal.com. Your formal wear will be in your stateroom when you board."

I try to figure out what the menus are in the MDR, and if there's nothing that I fancy, I am likely to try and book a dinner in a specialty venue. I usually like gala nights in MDR though. The last night aboard used to be a good choice for Pinnacle, but they changed up the last night menus so now it all depends. I am not a fan of Canaletto unless really craving pasta.

In the past we always had wine packages set for MDR delivery. This upcoming cruise, I changed it to stateroom. No particular reason; I just wanted to see how it works. I am tempted to call HAL and change it back though. It seems awkward to carry a bottle to every dinner.

Thank you, bloated on turkey here lol

I agree! I already have formal socks and shoes and other accessories. I just got a little too plump to fit in my own tux