Many, many questions about Zaandam & 14-day Circle Hawaii!

[NCTribeFan]

Right, so I started a thread a while back as I was trying to find someone/anyone to sail to Aruba with me on Westerdam.

 

That didn't work out. And then the two people who assurred me they would sail on Fantasy out of Charleston backed out.

 

Suddenly, I had no cruise planned for this fall. :(

 

And, out of nowhere, thanks to a casual comment to a cousin I hadn't seen in years, I'm now sailing to Hawaii on Zaandam on 11/21! I can't actually believe this is happening. I only started my new job on 6/1 and the partners were all fine with me taking that much time off. Thanks to the 2 days during Thanksgiving week, I'll only have to take 1 day unpaid leave. Amazing!

 

Anyway, I've read every thread I could find. I've read all the info about the different ship classes. I've looked at Joanie's pics. I've looked at pics on Webshots! I've started doing my excursion research (rather overwhelming). I've joined our Roll Call thread. I've booked my pre-cruise night at the Holiday Inn across from the pier in San Diego. I have my flights picked out and will book them shortly.

 

I still have a slew of questions!

 

Roll Call folks sent me to the RC sailing prior to us. Much more active and tons of info.

 

People there are talking about a wine card. I plan on getting the Holiday Inn shuttle over to the shopping area and picking up some wine (probably boxed, as I'm boarding solo and can only handle so much luggage myself). Having wine in the cabin and then being able to use the wine card for a glass in the dining room sounds just about perfect. I could always find something in one of the ports, I would hope. Perhaps someone could recommend a store close to one of the piers in Hawaii.

 

Anyone have any idea how the house Pinot Grigio might be?

 

The wine bottle packages seem high compared to what Carnival had to offer, so I'll probably go with the wine card. However, the beer buckets are less. So I guess I'll have to mixed my alcohol choices, right? :p

 

Is the $21.65 for a six-pack of Bud the same as one would pay onboard? Are the buckets-o-beer even available on board or is this just a pre-order for cabin delivery thing?

 

I guess that brings me to another question - anyone have a copy of the bar menu scanned or available online anywhere? Would like to check the onboard per drink prices.

 

I've started doing my homework re: excursions. So many options! I'm sailing with an older cousin & her friend who has alzheimers. I doubt that they'll be wanting to do very active trips. And while I love to drive, I just don't want to spend my few days in Hawaii behind the wheel.

 

I figure the luau the evening we're in Honolulu is a must-do. Other than that, I still have lots of homework to do. I prefer independent excursions partly because they cost less but mostly because the groups are smaller and you don't waste half your time being herded around like cattle and waiting for the few stragglers.

 

Can anyone point me to a link of the menus? As you can see by my signature, I'm Platinum on Carnival and love their food, but have to confess that I'm ready for a change. Thing with Carnival is that there are nights that I could eat just about everything on the menu and other nights where none of the selections particularly appeal to me. Just personal taste, but mine happens to be that all the things I like are offered at once. So, I'm looking forward to some variety.

 

What is the charge for the Pinnacle Grill? Word on Carnival board is that the specialty restaurant charge ($30) is actually the tip, but most people leave additional. How about on HAL?

 

What Spa options are included in the fare and which are add-ons?

 

I worry about motion on the first couple of days out from San Diego and would hate to pre-purchase a pass for the thermal suite only to be seasick for much of the first week! What are the purchase options? Can I purchase a pass for the 2nd week only as soon as I board?

 

That's only the beginning. I'll add questions here as they occur to me. I'm not one of those people who starts a new thread for every little thing that pops into her tiny little brain. Aren't you glad about that? :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

They do sell buckets of beer on beer on the ship -- sorry I don't know the price as we do not drink beer.

You can purchase the wine card before you cruise -- in fact I would suggest that you do so -- if it is still listed on HAL's site. Some of the ships are no longer selling it.

The house brand of wines is Coastal Vintners -- we tried it -- JMO -- it was bitter.

The Pinnacle Grill is $20 per person -- there is no tip included in that price. The staff there go get a tiny bit from the Hotel Service Charge that is $11 per day per person added onto your shipboard account. We always do tip the waitstaff there at the end of the meal and we also tip the wine steward there as well even though there is a 15% service charge added onto all bar bills -- even for sodas and bottled water that you buy anywhere on the ship.

I have not seen anyone post the menus from last year's Zaandam Hawaiian cruises.

There are no free spa options -- you have to pay for everything. You can prebook the thermo suite -- but it must be for the whole cruise. Once on the ship you can purchase by the day or for the whole cruise. No option to just book for the second week.

[aliaschief]

We go to Hawaii every couple of years, beginning in Oahu and ending on Kauai.

In Oahu, if you like to learn and sample about the differnt cuisines, try Matthew Gray's food tour: http://hawaiifoodtours.com/

We've done both the hole in the wall and gourment trilogy - must say I liked the hole in the wall best. If you are able to go with Matthew and Keira do try to.

If you want to do the Arizona, I would highly encourage you to do the ship's tour, just due to lines. However, this group does really nice tours: http://oahunaturetours.com/ We have used them for the circle Hawaii tour which was great.

If you're interested in Islamic art, a tour of Doris Duke's place, Shangri la is very good. Its through the Honolulu Academy of Arts but you need reservations far in advance as they don't allow alot of people in: http://www.shangrilahawaii.org/Tour-The-Property/

In Kauai - Movie tour, 4X4 tour, Waimea canyon

- you can google and find tour operators. The two islands are very different in feel - Oahu feels like NYC compared to the very laid back and beautiful Kauai.

Enjoy your trip.

[bcd2010]

My cruise to Hawaii in January was my first trip to the state. I found the excursion choices to be overwhelming, too, so I started with a list of "everything Hawaiian" I'd want to do on a first trip, then picked excursions - some HAL, some private - that allowed me to meet nearly everything on the list. Here's my list of things to do and the islands I chose to do them (modify it to suit your interests):

 

Luau Honolulu

Surf Lesson (younger son) Honolulu

Outrigger Canoe Honolulu

Beach (Waikiki) Honolulu

Diamond Head Honolulu

Hawaiian Shave Ice Honolulu

Volcanoes Hilo

Waterfalls Hilo

Rainforest Hilo

Plantations (sugar cane, pineapple, macadamia nut) Hilo (mac nut)

Snorkel (+dolphins, whales) Lahaina, Kona

Atlantis Sub (older son) Lahaina

Zip Line Nawiliwili

Souvenir Shopping (usually in the afternoons) All ports

[kazu]

We have not done the Hawaii tour but as to your ship and the wine, we can certainly comment. We loved the ship and found the house wine Pinot Grigio quite drinkable (became the only house white we would drink).

 

We did use the wine package for dinner, there are a couple highly recommended but the rest I would leave. I have no problem drinking the same wine every night if it is good quality. Have a great cruise:)

[Crusing Bob]

Also, if you go to www.hollandamerica.com, you can see various Spa Treatments and cost along with lots of other info. Wine choice packages, etc.

[NCTribeFan]

Yes, I have been to the website. I did try to do as much homework as possible before I even posted my thread.

 

Yes, the wine card is showing up as a selection when I log into my reservation. Sounds like it will work for me. That means I won't have to try to lug 50 pounds of wine from the hotel to the ship along with my luggage. Excellent! :D

 

So you can't even use the weight room and sauna without an extra charge?? I thought only the spa treatments (you know, facials, massages, etc) and the thermal suite were extra. That's disappointing. :(

 

I understand you earn points on your Mariner status based on your onboard account, not just nights sailed. Does that include excursions booked through HAL that you prebook prior to sailing? And something like the wine card? Or is it strictly onboard spending? It would seem unjust to not count those pre-cruise purchases. After all, you're doing HAL a favor by giving them your money earlier than necessary!

 

Speaking of spending, rather than take a wad of cash to pay for independent shore trips and port expenses, I've started simply going to the casino, uploading cash from my onboard account onto my card, playing a little (and trying to NOT lose all that I just uploaded), then taking my card to the window and cashing out. There's no fee to obtain cash that way and cuts way down on what I have to carry while traveling precruise. Plus, it then goes on my credit card, and I earn points which I then redeem for other goodies (or for cash which I turn right around and apply to the bill).

 

Can I assume that I can obtain cash the same way on HAL?

 

More money questions: I'm a shareholder and will be getting nice $250 OBC for this cruise. All the fine print (on Carnival and HAL and I assume all the CCL lines) is that this cannot be used for gratuities or in the casino. My experience on Carnival has been that it is simply applied to your onboard account. In the end, that OBC and any others I've had, either from purchasing OBC ahead of sailing or for any other reason, have all just been applied to my account.

 

Any thoughts on this?

 

If the $20 for the Pinnacle Grill isn't the tip, what do folks "normally" tip the servers? I realize this will probably vary a lot.

 

Thanks for the hints about excursions. What I'm thinking so far...

 

Hilo - island tour using Ricky's tours (seems to include just about everything for $60)

Honolulu - am - island tour using Discover Hawaii Tours $35; pm - luau through HAL $139

Kauai - Waimea Canyon through HAL $42

Maui - not sure - Island Marketing has a Road to Hana tour for $135

 

I know a lot of people use Island Marketing for Caribbean excursions. It looks like they have some good ones for Hawaii, so I'm going to investigate further and ask questions on the Hawaii Port-of-Call board.

 

Thanks to all! I appreciate all the input. I just want to be sure I get the most out of the cruise that I can, as I doubt I'll be able to do anything like it for a long time, if ever again!

[Crusing Bob]

NCT, anyone can use the gym without a fee and I believe the co-ed sauna exists without a fee. We have always used the one in the Thermal Suite so can't say for sure about that. I know they have one on the Vista Class but not sure about "R" & "S" Class.

[RuthC]

So you can't even use the weight room and sauna without an extra charge?? I thought only the spa treatments (you know, facials, massages, etc) and the thermal suite were extra. That's disappointing. :(

Cruising Bob answered this for you.

I understand you earn points on your Mariner status based on your onboard account, not just nights sailed. Does that include excursions booked through HAL that you prebook prior to sailing? And something like the wine card?

All spending attached to your booking number counts toward the additional "sailing" days. It's one day for every $300 spent, up to the total number of actual cruise days.

Speaking of spending, rather than take a wad of cash to pay for independent shore trips and port expenses, I've started simply going to the casino, uploading cash from my onboard account onto my card, playing a little (and trying to NOT lose all that I just uploaded), then taking my card to the window and cashing out.

Can I assume that I can obtain cash the same way on HAL?

I've read on this board that it works that way on HAL, too. I have no personal experience, however.

More money questions: I'm a shareholder and will be getting nice $250 OBC for this cruise. All the fine print (on Carnival and HAL and I assume all the CCL lines) is that this cannot be used for gratuities or in the casino. My experience on Carnival has been that it is simply applied to your onboard account. In the end, that OBC and any others I've had, either from purchasing OBC ahead of sailing or for any other reason, have all just been applied to my account.

 

Any thoughts on this?

In practice, it works the same way on HAL.

[jbhcw]

CTribefan...we did Hawaii in April...a wonderful cruise..Also used Ricky's tours..he's great.... did a fantastic job. We had booked the Old Lahaina Luau in Maui but due to high winds couldn't tender in..We did a HAL tour in Kauai I think..memory is going quickly:eek: I also bought a wine card..just drank their Chardonnay..it was good...not crazy about Pinot Grigio so cannot comment

 

We were two couples so carried a rolling cooler on for our wine..it worked great...corkage is $18.00 with HAL... We also pre-ordered a fridge for our outside cabin and that worked well too.

 

Culinary demos on the Zaandam were great as were the shows...we enjoyed it all. First day or two out of San Diego was a little rough..and when the ship lost a stabilizer for a few hours it got quite rough..we each took some medicine..a first in 30 plus cruises...but in retrospect neither one of us actually got sick..the Zaandam is a great riding ship..I loved her even though she is showing some wear and tear with her age..

 

We are also Platinum with Carnival..love both lines...think you will like HAL:)

 

I did a review but for another board...Cruise Buggie....you can go there to read it.

 

Glad you were able find cruisemates to sail with you!! DH is getting where he's not as crazy as I am about traveling..so starting to think of cruising without him:D

[liketraveling]

 

Hilo - island tour using Ricky's tours (seems to include just about everything for $60)

Honolulu - am - island tour using Discover Hawaii Tours $35; pm - luau through HAL $139

Kauai - Waimea Canyon through HAL $42

Maui - not sure - Island Marketing has a Road to Hana tour for $135

 

Thanks to all! I appreciate all the input. I just want to be sure I get the most out of the cruise that I can, as I doubt I'll be able to do anything like it for a long time, if ever again!

 

I did this cruise in March and we were only in Maui til 5:00 - I don't think you will have time to do the Road to Hana because the ships on the 14 nights are only in Maui til 5:00. It wasn't an option on our cruise.

 

You might want to try the Ioa Valley, Haleakala Crater & Ocean Center.

[Himself]

One place I would not miss on Oahu is the Arizona Memorial. i would book an excursion there.

[gummi]

The girlfriend and I took this cruise last spring. If it's your first time to Oahu, some of the suggestions mentioned above are good starting points--USS Arizona, luau.

 

But if you've already been to Pearl Harbor, a nice evening would entail some authentic Hawaiian music beachside, with the sun setting in the background. Check out the scene at the Halekulani Hotel--

 

http://www.halekulani.com/dining/house_without_a_key/

 

We walked from the ship through the downtown area, checked out Iolani Palace and several other sights, then wound up at the hotel for sunset cocktails. But, as I said, we'd been in Honolulu previously.

 

Excellent day for minimal cost.

[NCTribeFan]

Again, thanks for all the replies.

 

I know it sounds awful to say this, but I really have no interest in going to Pearl Harbor. I have no relations who were in the Pacific during the war, so no personal connection and I'm not a war buff in any way. However, I do enjoy touring old forts like those in old San Juan and the one in St Kitts.

 

I was in France for a month in the summer of 1994 and there were lots of D-Day anniversary activities going on. I really didn't enjoy the exhibits or the cemetaries. My father and uncles were all in Europe (all survived, thankfully), but visiting places where people have died is not the sort of thing I enjoy doing while on vacation. Sounds unpatriotic, but I'm really not the flag-waving rah-rah America type anyway. If that offends anyone, I'm sorry. That's just me. :o

 

I've read comments that the ship's Luau excursion isn't "authentic" because there are other Pacific Islanders involved. Personally, I'd be absolutely THRILLED to see some Maori doing the Haka! It may be the closest I'll ever get to the South Pacific.

 

I'm pretty sure that whatever I decide to do with be wonderful! I just want to be sure to see black sand beaches, a volcano or two, and a luau. Anything and everything else will be icing on the cake. :D

[vbmom87]

For Maui, we did the Road to Hana with Valley Isles. It was an exceptional tour. You will see a black beach on this tour.

 

http://www.tourmaui.com/

[NCTribeFan]

I'm wondering if there's really time to do the Road to Hana.

 

Anyone have any input re: whether prepurchasing excursions, etc. counts when calculating the onboard charges for days in the Mariner program?

 

It would seem that they only consider your account while on board. Again, that doesn't give you much incentive to pre-book excursions or anything else, does it?

 

I've never seen an excursion sell out on Carnival prior to booking. I've always been able to book once onboard, but I have no idea how popular the various Hawaii excursions might be. Like the luau. I would think it would be capacity controlled and that it might be very popular. I'd hate to wait to board and find out I couldn't go. :( But I hate to spend the money on a ship's excursion and not have it count toward the Mariner program.

 

Know what I mean?

[RuthC]

Anyone have any input re: whether prepurchasing excursions, etc. counts when calculating the onboard charges for days in the Mariner program?

 

It would seem that they only consider your account while on board. Again, that doesn't give you much incentive to pre-book excursions or anything else, does it?

All expenses, except casino charges, that are associated with your booking number count toward the $300 = one sailing day calculation. That includes shore excursions and other expenses booked in advance, as well as any gifts to you.

[liketraveling]

I'm wondering if there's really time to do the Road to Hana.

 

Anyone have any input re: whether prepurchasing excursions, etc. counts when calculating the onboard charges for days in the Mariner program?

 

It would seem that they only consider your account while on board. Again, that doesn't give you much incentive to pre-book excursions or anything else, does it?

 

I've never seen an excursion sell out on Carnival prior to booking. I've always been able to book once onboard, but I have no idea how popular the various Hawaii excursions might be. Like the luau. I would think it would be capacity controlled and that it might be very popular. I'd hate to wait to board and find out I couldn't go. :( But I hate to spend the money on a ship's excursion and not have it count toward the Mariner program.

 

Know what I mean?

 

I have done 3 HAL cruises. Alaska I just booked once I was in shore because it was so dependent on weather. Mexico I booked all the excursions I wanted once I was on the ship and I go everything I wanted.

 

When I went to Hawaii in March. Almost everything I wanted was already booked and I was waitlisted for allot of things and my name never came up. If you want to due a luau I would book it prior to boarding.

[sassyredhat]

We've taken 2 Hawaii cruises and booked for another. Our last one was on Zaandam. Love that ship !

 

All of our tours were ships tours, but you can do them independantly. I think someone mentioned the Ocean Center. We really enjoyed that one. All the exhibits are beautifully done.

 

Also, in Maui, in the evening, there is a show called Ulelena. In the center of town, about 2 blocks from the pier, is the show house. You can buy tickets there. But they sell out, so buy them early in the day.

 

Ulalena is very hard to describe, but it tells the history of Hawaii in the native way using the most awesome "props" similar to Cirque de Soleil.

 

Volcanoes National Park is also great.

 

As far as 'the ocean motion", I just took 1/2 of a Bonine on 1 day over, and one day back. DH took nothing. It's just the tradewinds blowing across the ship.

 

We love this cruise, and would have booked for 2011, but we had to get back to Alaska before the last SF departure was canceled.

 

You will love this ! :)

 

Pat

[NCTribeFan]

Yes, I see a couple of independent excursions I'm thinking about. Will probably go ahead and book the luau.

 

I believe I'm on the res as the 3rd person in the cabin, and the Mariner FAQ states that the onboard spending only applies to the 1st 2 people. I guess they figure you're getting a reduced rate, but when it's 3 singles sailing together who have divided the fare equally, seems wrong. Will talk to my cousin and see if she's OK with my calling and seeing if they'll change the booking to show that I'm the 2nd passenger. Her friend only sails with her, so if she gets Mariner benefits, they would extend to her also, right?

 

Besides, I imagine my onboard spending will far exceed either of theirs. I want my credits! :D

 

Tell me about the amenities in the cabin. I'm going to have to be really careful with my packing, so if I can avoid bringing bottles of anything, even travel size, I will. I bring my own shampoo, but what else do they provide? Any body lotion? Toothpaste? Any facial cleanser or just soap? Moisturizer?

 

Can you view your onboard account through the television? You can on some Carnival ships. You can even look at menus and book excursions. Very handy to keep up with your spending.

 

I've booked at the Holiday Inn on the bay. I understand there's a grocery store nearby. Is it within walking distance? Can you walk to the ship? Not sure I want to do that if I'm hauling lots of luggage, though!

 

How about disembarkation? I'm going to book my flights and see one at 10:55 am. I know that's earlier than recommended, but I also understand that the airport is not far. I also realize that things don't always go perfectly that morning, but have read that San Diego is one of the better ports for embarkation and disembarking.

 

Thanks again, everyone!

[RuthC]

Tell me about the amenities in the cabin. I bring my own shampoo, but what else do they provide? Any body lotion? Toothpaste? Any facial cleanser or just soap? Moisturizer?

HAL provides shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion. They also provides hand soap and bath soap, and a shower cap. They do not provide tooth paste.

Can you view your onboard account through the television? You can on some Carnival ships. You can even look at menus and book excursions.

You can't check your account via the TV. You can go to the Front Desk anytime, though, and get a printout. Also, no menus via the TV. You can see a menu posted outside the dining room. By afternoon they are also available at the bars.

I've booked at the Holiday Inn on the bay. Can you walk to the ship? Not sure I want to do that if I'm hauling lots of luggage, though!

You can walk, but why would you? The pier is across the street, but it's a wide street, with traffic. I wouldn't want to be dodging cars while pulling luggage. The hotel provides a shuttle. Free! :)

How about disembarkation? I'm going to book my flights and see one at 10:55 am. I know that's earlier than recommended, but I also understand that the airport is not far. I also realize that things don't always go perfectly that morning, but have read that San Diego is one of the better ports for embarkation and disembarking.

You can see the planes landing from the Lido Deck---the airport is that close. But book such an early flight? You may easily make it, but then again, you may not. I don't have it in me to take that kind of a chance. If the ship is late, or late being cleared, ....

[NCTribeFan]

Didn't realize the hotel would shuttle us over. That's terrific! Being a new ship for me, I want to board as early as possible and spend those pre-sailing hours exploring and learning my way around.

 

I ended up booking a 12:30 flight home. With the time changes and the fact that I have to be at work on Monday morning, I was hoping to get home as early as possible. It will be 10:30 here before I land that Sunday night. I have a feeling I'm not going to be terribly alert for a few days. Good thing it's our slowest time of the year!

 

Can anyone tell me when the formal nights are on this 14-day cruise? I'm guessing we'll want to book at Pinnacle at least one night and would like to arrange that prior to boarding, if possible, and prefer to go on a "regular" night. I do wish there were MDR menus available somewhere.

 

I'll ask on the Hawaii board about places close to the ports to pick up needed supplies, should I find I'm running low.

[sassyredhat]

Formal nights are usualy the 2nd and 4th nights both ways~~~if I remember right. We had 4 formal nights.

 

For the other "smart" nights, I bring 1 black top, 1 black pant and several of those nylon type flimsy jackets. Takes up less room and weight. Ruth probably has this down to a science ! :)

 

Pat

[NCTribeFan]

I used to take a dress for each night, simple because DD & I find "dressing" for dinner to be one of the fun things related to cruising.

 

I got over that by about cruise #8. :p

 

Now, I tend to bring the black slacks and various tops. But I definitely don't have 10 of them to wear on the non-formal nights! And given that I'm already spending much more than I had originally anticipated when I was simply trying to do a 7-night Carnival from a drive-to port, I really don't want to go shopping and spend a lot of clothing. If you go to Webshots and look at my various cruise albums, you'll probably notice that I'm wearing the same things cruise after cruise after cruises. Why not?

 

How about clothing during the day while at sea? If it is cool when we leave San Diego, is anyone going to have a problem if I wear jeans around the ship? I don't have a "resort casual" wardrobe. I have work clothes (mostly pantsuits), and I have jeans. I don't own khakis or Alfred Dunner matching pants and print tops. Don't mean to offend those ladies who wear those clothes, but I don't dress like my mother did when she was nearing 60! I'm too much a child of the 60s, I guess! ;)

 

Does HAL tend to keep the interior of their ships freezing cold? I hate being cold and it makes me nuts how in the middle of the summer, when you're wearing as little and as cool clothing as possible, businesses and restaurants have the AC absolutely blasting. No, I don't want to be hot, but I shouldn't have to wear a sweatshirt inside. I now take a nice black sweater but would rather not have to wear it 24/7.

 

Guess no one wants to comment on my "tip" question about Pinnacle. Yes, it's subjective and no, I'm not really being nosey (don't really care how much money other folks have or spend); just trying to get some guidance.

 

Online documents - again, just going by my experience with Carnival. There, if you pay in full, you can immediately view your documents. Their boarding pass (FunPass) is separate from your other online documents. I've filled out my info online, but the website says I can't view my documents for nearly another month. Is that the case? And, well, why would that be the case? I'm paid. They have my info. I simply want to view my docs! Yes, I'm obsessive and want to see what the luggage tags look like! :D

[catl331]

The Road to Hana is a great tour but very winding and the problem is you come back the same way you went. The ship will leave without you if you are not back on time unless you are on a ship tour. We like Lahaina alot for shopping and walking around. We were there when the whales were so we did a whale excursion. We also rode up to the volcano. Very interesting ride as you observe many different flora at different altitudes and the view from the top is great.