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

[kazu]

22 hours ago, lisax said:

I am new to Holland America and will be travelling on NS in September. From reading previous reviews I thought there were no adult only pools on NW however when I look at the frequently asked questions on the web site is says that you must be over 18 to use the sea view pool. I am interested to know if this is the case and if so, is this rule observed. I usually sail on celebrity and their adults only pool is strictly adults only.

 

It seems the aft pool rules were changed - at least on the Pinnacle Class.

 

The sign said you had to be over 16 or if younger accompanied by an adult.

However, unless you are travelling at a time when there are a lot of children on board (and I don’t honk you will be in September) the aft pools aka Sea View Pool is usually quite sedate.  Children and young people normally migrate to the Lido pool unless the ship is overflowing with children (like at vacation time).

[regan3]

What are the breakfast options disembarkation day (Vancouver). Lido, MDR, room service?

 

How early do any of them start and when do they end?

 

Thank you. 

[kazu]

12 hours ago, regan3 said:

What are the breakfast options disembarkation day (Vancouver). Lido, MDR, room service?

 

How early do any of them start and when do they end?

 

Thank you. 

 

Breakfast options are Lido & MDR.  There have been some reports that room service is not available on disembarkation day.

 

The times are listed on your Daily you receive the night before.

 

Usually breakfast starts around 6 or 6:30 AM depending on location.  Timing depends on when disembarkation is scheduled for.

[Haljo1935]

34 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Breakfast options are Lido & MDR.  There have been some reports that room service is not available on disembarkation day.

 

The times are listed on your Daily you receive the night before.

 

Usually breakfast starts around 6 or 6:30 AM depending on location.  Timing depends on when disembarkation is scheduled for.

And breakfast options & times are also (usually) listed on the instruction sheet in your Disembarkation Packet, aka my least favorite piece of cruising mail...😢

[islandwoman]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

Breakfast options are Lido & MDR.  There have been some reports that room service is not available on disembarkation day. 

Just when you need room service breakfast the most, it might not be available.  😟  I know it isn't on other cruise lines I have sailed.

[Haljo1935]

34 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

Just when you need room service breakfast the most, it might not be available.  😟  I know it isn't on other cruise lines I have sailed.

You can count on NO room service final day. 😢

[islandwoman]

12 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

You can count on NO room service final day. 😢

I think they want you out of your cabin as early as possible, so they hope you'll go to breakfast and then get off the ship.  But some people (like me) want to brush their teeth after breakfast.

[Cruise Suzy]

6 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

I think they want you out of your cabin as early as possible, so they hope you'll go to breakfast and then get off the ship.  But some people (like me) want to brush their teeth after breakfast.

 

There is no problem with going back to your stateroom after breakfast. HAL lets you stay there until you disembark. No sense in disembarking before your luggage group is called because it won't be waiting for you until then.

[Fouremco]

4 minutes ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

There is no problem with going back to your stateroom after breakfast. HAL lets you stay there until you disembark. No sense in disembarking before your luggage group is called because it won't be waiting for you until then.

Are you sure? This is the first time that I've heard of any linkage between your disembarkation time slop and the delivery of your baggage in the terminal. 

[Mary229]

5 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Are you sure? This is the first time that I've heard of any linkage between your disembarkation time slop and the delivery of your baggage in the terminal. 

Yes that is true.   On my last cruise my luggage got into green while the DH’s went to the correct lime green.  We went down with the lime greens and retrieved his luggage but had to wait around until the greens showed up.  

Edited August 23, 2023 by Mary229

[Fouremco]

55 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Yes that is true.   On my last cruise my luggage got into green while the DH’s went to the correct lime green.  We went down with the lime greens and retrieved his luggage but had to wait around until the greens showed up.  

Well, live and learn. In my experience, baggage claim areas were alphabetical, not colour coded, but if terminals/cruise lines are using colour coding now, so be it. But they might want to separate green from lime green time slots to avoid problems like the one you experienced. 

[Mary229]

26 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Well, live and learn. In my experience, baggage claim areas were alphabetical, not colour coded, but if terminals/cruise lines are using colour coding now, so be it. But they might want to separate green from lime green time slots to avoid problems like the one you experienced. 

It was a first for me and I agree.  

[Haljo1935]

2 hours ago, islandwoman said:

I think they want you out of your cabin as early as possible, so they hope you'll go to breakfast and then get off the ship.  But some people (like me) want to brush their teeth after breakfast.

If you happen to see your steward as you leave for breakfast, let them you'll be back to grab your stuff after you eat. They can still work on your cabin if they need to and you can return to brush your teeth &  anything else you need to then just grab your stuff when it's time to go.

Tummy fed, teeth brushed, luggage not schlepped and disembark group intact 🤗

Edited August 23, 2023 by Haljo1935
Typo

[spocruiser]

New to Holland America...

 

Our cruise is a month or two less than one year away. Excursion bookings are listed for most ports, but specialty dining booking indicates not available yet. Is there a set time pre-cruise when specialty dining reservations open up?  Thank you.

[Sea42]

1 hour ago, spocruiser said:

New to Holland America...

 

Our cruise is a month or two less than one year away. Excursion bookings are listed for most ports, but specialty dining booking indicates not available yet. Is there a set time pre-cruise when specialty dining reservations open up?  Thank you.

It will probably be about 4-6 months before your cruise.

[spocruiser]

2 hours ago, Sea42 said:

It will probably be about 4-6 months before your cruise.

 Thank you!

[regan3]

Does HAL add shore excursions after they are initially posted or do they add more shore excursions as it gets closer to departure?

 

Or is what is posted when they first appear it?

[kazu]

7 minutes ago, regan3 said:

Does HAL add shore excursions after they are initially posted or do they add more shore excursions as it gets closer to departure?

 

Or is what is posted when they first appear it?

 

All the shore excursions don’t always load at once so there can be more added.

 

There can be more added (ie popular ones that have a waitlist) close to sailing but usually, I have seen them when I board.  Previously sold out tours now available.   People waitlisted get notice, charged and are added.  (That’s assuming there is availability for more buses and guides).

[regan3]

Thank you.

 

Shore excursions just appeared a couple of days ago. 

 

One we are interested in isn't listed so there is hope it may appear at a later date?

[terrydtx]

3 minutes ago, regan3 said:

Thank you.

 

Shore excursions just appeared a couple of days ago. 

 

One we are interested in isn't listed so there is hope it may appear at a later date?

Have you looked at 3rd party private shore excursions?  We are at the point that we no longer book cruise line excursions unless we have an excursion credit or extra OBC. We are so tired of being ripped off for big bus crowded excursions that we have no control over itineraries.  We will be in Lisbon next month and we booked a private tour for just the 4 of us in our group for $75pp less than the same excursion on a bus the cruise line offered.

[islandwoman]

2 hours ago, terrydtx said:

We are at the point that we no longer book cruise line excursions unless we have an excursion credit or extra OBC. We are so tired of being ripped off for big bus crowded excursions that we have no control over itineraries.

Cruise excursions might also be a good choice when, for whatever reason, there is a chance of not getting back to the ship on time.  Or in a country where you don't speak the language, understand the culture, or have any way of acquiring local currency in localities where credit cards are not accepted or might be dangerous to use.

[Mary229]

32 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

Cruise excursions might also be a good choice when, for whatever reason, there is a chance of not getting back to the ship on time.  Or in a country where you don't speak the language, understand the culture, or have any way of acquiring local currency in localities where credit cards are not accepted or might be dangerous to use.

Exactly.  If it is going to take me 1000s of dollars to extract myself from an excursion gone wrong I only use the cruise excursions.  If I am in Europe or North America I don’t worry about that.  I can always get myself home from Italy easily😉 

[terrydtx]

14 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Exactly.  If it is going to take me 1000s of dollars to extract myself from an excursion gone wrong I only use the cruise excursions.  If I am in Europe or North America I don’t worry about that.  I can always get myself home from Italy easily😉 

 

 

54 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

Cruise excursions might also be a good choice when, for whatever reason, there is a chance of not getting back to the ship on time.  Or in a country where you don't speak the language, understand the culture, or have any way of acquiring local currency in localities where credit cards are not accepted or might be dangerous to use.

And I only use very reputable 3rd party tour companies that also have guarantees to get us back to the ship on time. Several of them are highly recommended on CC and one Spain Day Tours has a forum on CC. We have been mostly doing private tours since Covid and not once did we even come close to missing the ship. Until I wised up, I too avoided the non-ship tours for the same fears you site but I no longer have any worries. Some of the private tours we have on our upcoming cruises I was the organizer through our Roll Calls. We have 7 of the 8 ports on our Amsterdam to Athens cruise next month booked with private tours all organized and filled with fellow people on our roll call.  We not only booked very interesting tours but saved hundreds of dollars by not booking with the cruise line.

[Mary229]

16 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

 

 

And I only use very reputable 3rd party tour companies that also have guarantees to get us back to the ship on time. Several of them are highly recommended on CC and one Spain Day Tours has a forum on CC. We have been mostly doing private tours since Covid and not once did we even come close to missing the ship. Until I wised up, I too avoided the non-ship tours for the same fears you site but I no longer have any worries. Some of the private tours we have on our upcoming cruises I was the organizer through our Roll Calls. We have 7 of the 8 ports on our Amsterdam to Athens cruise next month booked with private tours all organized and filled with fellow people on our roll call.  We not only booked very interesting tours but saved hundreds of dollars by not booking with the cruise line.

That is fine in Europe and North America and likely Asia and some of the Pacific .  No small tour operator is going to extract you from Tierra Del Fuego or Nuuk, Greenland.  If you miss the ship those costs can  be exorbitant.  .  I always go traveling with the opinion I will get my own self out but there are some cases where the costs are not worth the risk. Sure you can do it but one should consider a cost benefit analysis 

[terrydtx]

3 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

That is fine in Europe and North America and likely Asia and some of the Pacific .  No small tour operator is going to extract you from Tierra Del Fuego or Nuuk, Greenland.  If you miss the ship those costs can  be exorbitant.  .  I always go traveling with the opinion I will get my own self out but there are some cases where the costs are not worth the risk. Sure you can do it but one should consider a cost benefit analysis 

I can agree on this and I haven't made any decisions on what excursions to use for our 2025 Oceania South America cruise on Oceania. We also have a $1000 shore excursion credit to use on that cruise. For our cruises coming up I have no problems or fears with private tours in Europe, California, Australia, New Zealand and NE/Canada.