New to Holland America? This is for you...AKA "HAL For Dummies"

[islandwoman]

2 hours ago, Sea Hag said:

We were on a Celebrity cruise once where the waiter tried really hard to talk me out of something. I got it anyway, and it was the best thing I had all that week of mostly mediocre food.

That seems really weird to me.  I wouldn't be surprised if a waiter pushed certain foods (I have seen signs on restaurant kitchen doors "push" this or that) and assumed that the kitchen had prepared a large amount of these items.  But to try to talk you out of ordering something?!  Why do you think?  Could it be that the kitchen was running low on that item?  Do you have a late dining hour?

[Sea Hag]

3 hours ago, islandwoman said:

That seems really weird to me.  I wouldn't be surprised if a waiter pushed certain foods (I have seen signs on restaurant kitchen doors "push" this or that) and assumed that the kitchen had prepared a large amount of these items.  But to try to talk you out of ordering something?!  Why do you think?  Could it be that the kitchen was running low on that item?  Do you have a late dining hour?

We had early dining. I don't really know why he tried to talk me out of it, but he certainly gave it a good try. It was braised beef short ribs. Maybe the kitchen standardly made a smaller quantity of that, and the waiters were told to try and make it last for both early and late sittings? Maybe he didn't like beef short ribs and thought he was doing me a favor? Maybe he'd been told to push something else? No way to tell. A mystery for the ages. 😂

[KroozNut]

2 hours ago, Sea Hag said:

We had early dining. I don't really know why he tried to talk me out of it, but he certainly gave it a good try. It was braised beef short ribs. Maybe the kitchen standardly made a smaller quantity of that, and the waiters were told to try and make it last for both early and late sittings? Maybe he didn't like beef short ribs and thought he was doing me a favor? Maybe he'd been told to push something else? No way to tell. A mystery for the ages. 😂

I had the braised short ribs and gnocchi in Canaletto on the NS cruise we just finished, and it was one of the best short rib dishes I've ever had.

 

[lissie]

Are there bathrobes in the rooms? I'm sailing Zaandam in an inside - and hoping that  I can avoid packing a cover up for the swimming pool. 

[RuthC]

3 hours ago, lissie said:

Are there bathrobes in the rooms? I'm sailing Zaandam in an inside - and hoping that  I can avoid packing a cover up for the swimming pool. 

All cabins do have a bathrobe for use. 

[Clay Clayton]

And they even have 3xl ones for us larger folk!

[ExArkie]

Is there somewhere within the Navigator app or on the Web site where one can see the amount of OBC attached to the reservation?

 

I booked a transpacific voyage on the HAL Web site, and then transferred it to a travel agent offering a few hundred dollars in OBC. On the confirmation received after initial booking, there was a line that showed $100 each OBC for Mariner status (been nine years since we were on HAL, but I'll take it), but I could not find the information anywhere else. Not that I'm paranoid, but I like independent verification that the TA did credit the OBC as promised...actually, any confirmation, since the TA receipt didn't show anything for OBC.

 

I'll also be adding the Carnival shareholder benefit later (we're talking seriously early booking), and generally like to see confirmation that the applicable OBC has been added for that as well.

 

Okay, maybe I am paranoid, but I had a former TA not add the promised OBC. We ended up getting a check for that amount sent to us after the cruise was over, so they at least admitted their error.

 

 

[Cruise Suzy]

7 minutes ago, ExArkie said:

On the confirmation received after initial booking, there was a line that showed $100 each OBC for Mariner status (been nine years since we were on HAL, but I'll take it), but I could not find the information anywhere else.

That's the only place you will see OBC. Each time you make a payment, you will receive a new confirmation receipt. After I have Shareholders Benefit confirmed, I ask for a new confirmation receipt and my TA obliges. If yours doesn't, just make a small payment to get a confirmation receipt.

[terrydtx]

19 minutes ago, ExArkie said:

Is there somewhere within the Navigator app or on the Web site where one can see the amount of OBC attached to the reservation?

 

I booked a transpacific voyage on the HAL Web site, and then transferred it to a travel agent offering a few hundred dollars in OBC. On the confirmation received after initial booking, there was a line that showed $100 each OBC for Mariner status (been nine years since we were on HAL, but I'll take it), but I could not find the information anywhere else. Not that I'm paranoid, but I like independent verification that the TA did credit the OBC as promised...actually, any confirmation, since the TA receipt didn't show anything for OBC.

 

I'll also be adding the Carnival shareholder benefit later (we're talking seriously early booking), and generally like to see confirmation that the applicable OBC has been added for that as well.

 

Okay, maybe I am paranoid, but I had a former TA not add the promised OBC. We ended up getting a check for that amount sent to us after the cruise was over, so they at least admitted their error.

 

 

Your invoice from HAL under Guest Information should have something that looks like this:

[gregma60]

16 minutes ago, Cruise Suzy said:

That's the only place you will see OBC. Each time you make a payment, you will receive a new confirmation receipt. After I have Shareholders Benefit confirmed, I ask for a new confirmation receipt and my TA obliges. If yours doesn't, just make a small payment to get a confirmation receipt.

Curious, this is what I got from HAL.

 

Thank you for contacting Holland America Line in regards to your Carnival Shareholder benefit. Holland America Line has applied the shipboard credit amount of $100.00 to your reservation XXXXXXX, and it will be credited to your onboard account upon embarkation.

 

From what I read, I won't see it until after we get on the ship, thus won't show up anywhere?

 

-gregma

[Cruise Suzy]

3 minutes ago, gregma60 said:

Curious, this is what I got from HAL.

 

Thank you for contacting Holland America Line in regards to your Carnival Shareholder benefit. Holland America Line has applied the shipboard credit amount of $100.00 to your reservation XXXXXXX, and it will be credited to your onboard account upon embarkation.

 

From what I read, I won't see it until after we get on the ship, thus won't show up anywhere?

 

-gregma

 

It will show up on a confirmation receipt. All OBC is credited to your onboard account upon embarkation, so that is not different from any other OBC.

[terrydtx]

22 minutes ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

It will show up on a confirmation receipt. All OBC is credited to your onboard account upon embarkation, so that is not different from any other OBC.

Plus HAL unlike other lines will not let you use the OBC before you embark for things like shore excursions, spa treatments and Specialty restaurants.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

42 minutes ago, gregma60 said:

Curious, this is what I got from HAL.

 

Thank you for contacting Holland America Line in regards to your Carnival Shareholder benefit. Holland America Line has applied the shipboard credit amount of $100.00 to your reservation XXXXXXX, and it will be credited to your onboard account upon embarkation.

 

From what I read, I won't see it until after we get on the ship, thus won't show up anywhere?

 

-gregma

 

We received the same response last week. I asked my PCC if he could see it anywhere and this is what he sent me:

 

 

Tom

[gregma60]

1 hour ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

It will show up on a confirmation receipt. All OBC is credited to your onboard account upon embarkation, so that is not different from any other OBC.

You are correct, just got off the phone and it does indeed show (although they couldn't see it broken down into the three different OBC, it still shows the correct total.

 

-gregma

[ExArkie]

3 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

That's the only place you will see OBC. Each time you make a payment, you will receive a new confirmation receipt. After I have Shareholders Benefit confirmed, I ask for a new confirmation receipt and my TA obliges. If yours doesn't, just make a small payment to get a confirmation receipt.

Thanks. I sort of figured that to be the case - at least one of the other lines we were on did the same. 

 

 

[librarylady19]

23 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

And they even have 3xl ones for us larger folk!

That I didn’t know. Will have to request one for DH🙄

[librarylady19]

21 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Plus HAL unlike other lines will not let you use the OBC before you embark for things like shore excursions, spa treatments and Specialty restaurants.

We have OBC coming from TA and Amex; can we get casino credit with this ? 

[terrydtx]

4 minutes ago, librarylady19 said:

We have OBC coming from TA and Amex; can we get casino credit with this ? 

Not sure, I do not gamble on the ship.

[kazu]

49 minutes ago, librarylady19 said:

We have OBC coming from TA and Amex; can we get casino credit with this ? 

 

If your TA’s OBC is refundable (most is), you can use it in the casino.  I’m not sure if Amex is refundable or not.

 

You can easily identify non refundable OBC on your statement or navigator app - it will have wording something like “not for cash or casino”

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

26 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

If your TA’s OBC is refundable (most is), you can use it in the casino.  I’m not sure if Amex is refundable or not.

 

You can easily identify non refundable OBC on your statement or navigator app - it will have wording something like “not for cash or casino”

 

We've had OBC a few dozen times (different sources - and other lines), and have been able to use it on anything. Perhaps I've just been lucky - or maybe this is more a HAL thing?

 

Tom

 

[kazu]

11 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

We've had OBC a few dozen times (different sources - and other lines), and have been able to use it on anything. Perhaps I've just been lucky - or maybe this is more a HAL thing?

 

Tom

 

 

I’m referencing HAL’s rules since this thread is a HAL one like the board 😉 

 

In the old days, before HAL’s computer caught up you could use your HAL OBC in the casino despite what the OBC said on the statement.  that is no longer the case.  They’ve caught up.  

[lavictoria]

3 hours ago, librarylady19 said:

We have OBC coming from TA and Amex; can we get casino credit with this ? 

Unfortunately HAL does not allow OBC to be used in the casino.

[librarylady19]

9 minutes ago, lavictoria said:

Unfortunately HAL does not allow OBC to be used in the casino.

Good to know! Guess Ill just have to do some on board shopping😀

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Well ... with only $100 + (perhaps another) $100 OBC, it's not like that won't be easy to spend on a meal/bottle of wine. That would get me nowhere in the casino anyway. 🙂

 

Tom

[Clay Clayton]

4 hours ago, librarylady19 said:

That I didn’t know. Will have to request one for DH🙄

Yep, we were asking the steward to remove them when he said he had some to fit us. We said “Unhuh” expecting to get some only slightly larger….lo and behold they actually fit us!😀