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

[kazu]

Hello, does anyone know where I can find info on what is INCLUDED AT NO CHARGE on a HAL Koningsdam cruise? Can one access the Lido restaurant 24/7 for coffee/tea/... for free? can one take it out of the restaurant? I understand that room service is not free now in some cases? I find the Holland America website not very forthcoming with what is/is not included other than activities & particular dining rooms. Are there better cruise lines? I thought this was one of the better ones. Sorry for ranting. I'm booked but can cancel today. Would really appreciate your imput. Thank you!

 

There is a lot of information in the know before you go booklet - https://www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/marketing-assets/manage-my-cruise-already-booked/faqs/KBYG.pdf

 

I'm not sure if all of your questions are totally addressed there so...

 

Regular coffee, tea, water (not bottled), iced tea, lemonade and juices in the morning are all no charge on HAL.

 

Of course coffee and tea are available 24/7 in the Lido and yes you can take your coffee/tea with you. You don't have to drink it in the Lido.

 

Room service is free. There are a few items on the room service menu that have a surcharge (cost $) but otherwise all other items and room service itself is free of charge.

 

Hope this helps.

[49erteacher]

Most room service is free. Some items that carry a charge, most don't. You can have coffee delivered for free anytime, I usually give a small tip. The 2 Lido beverage stations (Coffee, water, ice only ) are open 24/7 one on each end of the Lido. Sometimes during non meal hours one is closed. You may take beverages out of the Lido. HAL is a relaxing, casually elegant cruise line with great itineraries and the most helpful crews. I hear the K is a bit livelier than the other ships in the fleet, but I haven't sailed her yet, prefer the smaller ships. Have a great cruise!

[fyrdusk8]

Hello, does anyone know where I can find info on what is INCLUDED AT NO CHARGE on a HAL Koningsdam cruise? Can one access the Lido restaurant 24/7 for coffee/tea/... for free? can one take it out of the restaurant? I understand that room service is not free now in some cases? I find the Holland America website not very forthcoming with what is/is not included other than activities & particular dining rooms. Are there better cruise lines? I thought this was one of the better ones. Sorry for ranting. I'm booked but can cancel today. Would really appreciate your imput. Thank you!

 

 

All food and beverages can be carried out of the Lido. I have taken an entire meal before. I know the tea and coffee are always included. That being said, I have taken a wrapped sandwich for dinner and ended up not eating it and taking it to my room for a midnight snack.

 

Room service is free, there is a surcharge for certain items, certain hours. After 11pm any hot meals there is a surcharge. There is a surcharge for upscale things like salmon Benedict in room service.

 

I have ordered a club sandwich and chips at 2am with iced tea for no charge.

 

IMO HAL is one of the better cruise lines. I hope this gives you some help.

[denniti]

There is a lot of information in the know before you go booklet - https://www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/marketing-assets/manage-my-cruise-already-booked/faqs/KBYG.pdf

 

I'm not sure if all of your questions are totally addressed there so...

 

Regular coffee, tea, water (not bottled), iced tea, lemonade and juices in the morning are all no charge on HAL.

 

Of course coffee and tea are available 24/7 in the Lido and yes you can take your coffee/tea with you. You don't have to drink it in the Lido.

 

Room service is free. There are a few items on the room service menu that have a surcharge (cost $) but otherwise all other items and room service itself is free of charge.

 

Hope this helps.

 

It helps a huge amount kazu. I really appreciate the concise answer and makes me feel much better about the cruise. Thanks very much!

[Louise245]

Most of the time I book directly with the cruise company itself. I did so directly with HAL for our 2019 Translatlantic. Today I noticed a big box store offering quite a bit of onboard $ for the cruise. I found out I can transfer my reservation. I am wondering what I should be concerned about if I do so.

[denniti]

Most room service is free. Some items that carry a charge, most don't. You can have coffee delivered for free anytime, I usually give a small tip. The 2 Lido beverage stations (Coffee, water, ice only ) are open 24/7 one on each end of the Lido. Sometimes during non meal hours one is closed. You may take beverages out of the Lido. HAL is a relaxing, casually elegant cruise line with great itineraries and the most helpful crews. I hear the K is a bit livelier than the other ships in the fleet, but I haven't sailed her yet, prefer the smaller ships. Have a great cruise!

 

Thank you 49erteacher. So good to hear!

[denniti]

All food and beverages can be carried out of the Lido. I have taken an entire meal before. I know the tea and coffee are always included. That being said, I have taken a wrapped sandwich for dinner and ended up not eating it and taking it to my room for a midnight snack.

 

Room service is free, there is a surcharge for certain items, certain hours. After 11pm any hot meals there is a surcharge. There is a surcharge for upscale things like salmon Benedict in room service.

 

I have ordered a club sandwich and chips at 2am with iced tea for no charge.

 

IMO HAL is one of the better cruise lines. I hope this gives you some help.

 

That's great to know fyrdusk8 - wondered about food as well. Feeling much better about everything. Thx!

[bUU]

Are there better cruise lines? I thought this was one of the better ones.

All in all, the major cruise lines are comparable to their pricing in terms of the value for price, averaged over all consumers. You won't do better or worse with any cruise line at the same price point, except as it pertains to how a certain cruise lines' strengths foster your specific satisfaction. If a major cruise line isn't a good fit for you then there is someone else for whom it is.

 

 

 

This message may have been drafted using voice recognition. Please forgive any typos.

[therealblackknight]

Hello, does anyone know where I can find info on what is INCLUDED AT NO CHARGE on a HAL Koningsdam cruise? Can one access the Lido restaurant 24/7 for coffee/tea/... for free? can one take it out of the restaurant? I understand that room service is not free now in some cases? I find the Holland America website not very forthcoming with what is/is not included other than activities & particular dining rooms. Are there better cruise lines? I thought this was one of the better ones. Sorry for ranting. I'm booked but can cancel today. Would really appreciate your imput. Thank you!

 

Was on the Koningsdam back in Jan/Feb and this is what I remember as far as the food/drinks go...

 

The coffee/tea/water is available 24/7 and is free in Lido which you can take out of the market. I don't recall them charging for anything in Lido other than at the small bar they have in there.

 

Keep in mind that they have one of the specialty restaurants (Canaletto) that is essential attached to the Lido market and they do charge there.

 

Room service is free for the most part though there are some items that they do charge for and those are listed with a price.

 

The Dive-In on deck 9 is free, though it is only open limited hours. I think it was basically from lunch till about dinner time.

 

The New York Pizza and Deli on deck 10 was all free from what I can remember. When they play movies in the indoor screen above the pool at night, they usually have popcorn or some treat there that is also free.

 

In the Grand Dutch cafe on deck 3 and the Explorations cafe on deck 12, they have some desserts and stuff behind a glass case but they are free, you just have to ask for it. They sell stuff there like soda, specialty coffee, alcohol, etc.. which does cost money.

 

As far as better cruiselines, that is a rather subjective question honestly. This was my only Holland America cruise I've taken and I did generally like it. Quality, service, etc.. was definitely good. My only gripe would be that at least on the cruise I was on, it tends to skew towards the older (senior citizen) crowd moreso than your typical cruise as far as your fellow passengers go.

 

Note: I'm in my 40's and have previously take 7 cruises on Royal Caribbean.

[Turtles06]

Was on the Koningsdam back in Jan/Feb and this is what I remember...

 

As far as better cruiselines, that is a rather subjective question honestly. This was my only Holland America cruise I've taken and I did generally like it. Quality, service, etc.. was definitely good. My only gripe would be that at least on the cruise I was on, it tends to skew towards the older (senior citizen) crowd moreso than your typical cruise as far as your fellow passengers go.

 

Note: I'm in my 40's and have previously take 7 cruises on Royal Caribbean.

 

Presumably you didn’t intend to be insulting to seniors, but “gripe” imho is not a word appropriately used about other human beings. You can “gripe” about poor service in the MDR, or about food being cold, etc. I imagine you meant to say that the age demographic on HAL skews older than you would prefer, given your own age, just as many folks would prefer not cruise with 1,000 children.

[Snowbaby369]

Presumably you didn’t intend to be insulting to seniors, but “gripe” imho is not a word appropriately used about other human beings. You can “gripe” about poor service in the MDR, or about food being cold, etc. I imagine you meant to say that the age demographic on HAL skews older than you would prefer, given your own age, just as many folks would prefer not cruise with 1,000 children.

 

Well put...Thanks.... from one of those older senior type that enjoys HAL as they don't tend to have so many children on bourd. ;)

We are late 50's. I'd hate to think we put people out because of our age.

[richstowe]

Presumably you didn’t intend to be insulting to seniors, but “gripe” imho is not a word appropriately used about other human beings. You can “gripe” about poor service in the MDR, or about food being cold, etc. I imagine you meant to say that the age demographic on HAL skews older than you would prefer, given your own age, just as many folks would prefer not cruise with 1,000 children.

Not my post but I could gripe about 1000 children , chair hogs , drunks or perhaps discovering your cruise is filled with seniors . Gripe is about as mild a term of complaint as there is . Are all so sensitive today ? :confused:

[fyrdusk8]

Well put...Thanks.... from one of those older senior type that enjoys HAL as they don't tend to have so many children on bourd. ;)

We are late 50's. I'd hate to think we put people out because of our age.

 

IMO - I have sailed over 70 days with HAL - I LOVE the demographics. The advantages of the elder demographics on the cruise line are many. I have met some amazing people and learned so much from their stories throughout their life. Heck, a lot of them are more fun than the "younger" crowd. I started with HAL when I was in my early 30's and would not change it for anything. (have sampled other lines)!!!

[drsel]

IMO - I have sailed over 70 days with HAL - I LOVE the demographics. The advantages of the elder demographics on the cruise line are many. I have met some amazing people and learned so much from their stories throughout their life. Heck, a lot of them are more fun than the "younger" crowd. I started with HAL when I was in my early 30's and would not change it for anything. (have sampled other lines)!!!

How does HAL compare with Celebrity, Royal, Carnival, Norwegian, Princess, MSC and Costa?

[bUU]

Presumably you didn’t intend to be insulting to seniors, but “gripe” imho is not a word appropriately used about other human beings.

While I agree with what you wrote I would hope that the PP was not actually griping about us seniors but rather griping about how the cruise line failed to adequately program its activities to appeal to passengers younger than we are.

 

How does HAL compare with Celebrity, Royal, Carnival, Norwegian, Princess, MSC and Costa?

FWIR and experienced, Holland America is a higher grade product as compared to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, and comparable to Princess and Celebrity.

[kazu]

How does HAL compare with Celebrity, Royal, Carnival, Norwegian, Princess, MSC and Costa?

 

Cruising is so subjective.

 

Overall, unless you are in a Haven suite on Norwegian (NCL), HAL is superior by far.

 

Same with Costa and MSC.

 

Carnival is a whole different demographic but their steak house is good. I would rate HAl better.

 

When you get to Celebrity and Princess there are different opinions out there. Some things are the same and some very different. You need to find the different that you like.

 

Having sailed on both those lines, I prefer HAL but that is a totally subjective opinion based on what I like.

 

I left Royal out as I wouldn't touch that ship with a 10 foot pole. Too much of a zoo for me, but again, it's subjective.

 

JMO

[richstowe]

Love your analysis kazu . I would add that RCI and NCL offer many more a la carte or additional fee options . If you like extra cost choices, especially with dining and sporting entertainment , then these are for you . Personally I appreciate how HAL and Carnival have less of these . You may spend extra if you wish to. You don't however have to spend extra to get the feel of the cruise like you do on Royal and Norwegian .

[Chickadee910]

Hi is the non alcohol card a good deal

[Haboob]

Hi is the non alcohol card a good deal

 

If you like Coca Cola products.

 

-- Pepsi drinker

[NSWP]

I am a HAL Dummy, first cruise with HAL next April on Noordam, Sydney - Honolulu, done plenty on Princess and other cruise lines. So we just booked last week and found that early/late dinner sittings are waitlisted. With open dining, how long would we be expected to wait for a shared table? I am a Celiac - gluten intolerant, so I prefer fixed sitting so as I can pick my menu items night before, but this is difficult with open dining I fear.

 

Thank you.

[49erteacher]

NSWP, I have done open seating for many cruises and have dietary restrictions. The wait staff usually have a tablet which will show your restrictions, additionally the manager at the door should also have a notice to inform your server. I haven't run into any problems, I just tell the server I pre-ordered my dinner and they look it up. At times you may need to remind them to bring the menu for the next day when ordering dessert.

The wait for a shared table is usually non-existent or just a few minutes.

You may want to review your restrictions with the dining room manager right after boarding, at this time is may be possible to get fixed seating, if available.

Hope you enjoy HAL.

[NSWP]

NSWP, I have done open seating for many cruises and have dietary restrictions. The wait staff usually have a tablet which will show your restrictions, additionally the manager at the door should also have a notice to inform your server. I haven't run into any problems, I just tell the server I pre-ordered my dinner and they look it up. At times you may need to remind them to bring the menu for the next day when ordering dessert.

The wait for a shared table is usually non-existent or just a few minutes.

You may want to review your restrictions with the dining room manager right after boarding, at this time is may be possible to get fixed seating, if available.

Hope you enjoy HAL.

 

G'day, I really appreciate your reply with great information. Settles me down a bit. I will take your advice on board. I have notifed HAL re Celiac condition.

 

Happy cruising to you.:cool:

[WackyWayne]

I am a HAL Dummy, first cruise with HAL next April on Noordam, Sydney - Honolulu, done plenty on Princess and other cruise lines. So we just booked last week and found that early/late dinner sittings are waitlisted. With open dining, how long would we be expected to wait for a shared table? I am a Celiac - gluten intolerant, so I prefer fixed sitting so as I can pick my menu items night before, but this is difficult with open dining I fear.

 

In our experience, and from what we hear, being waitlisted is often a temporary state, so do not despair. Often it gets moved to fixed seating well in advance, sometimes at the last minute. And if not, you can always go to the dining room host on embarkation day and request a different arrangement. No guarantees, but I rarely hear of people not getting what they want.

 

 

re: different cruise lines: In my experience, the mainstream lines sailing out of American ports are much more similar to each other than they are different. So, you might find a cruise line, or a specific sailing, that you like a little more or less than you have done before, but it is unlikely to be horrible. I have never done a cruise that I regretted :)

[NSWP]

In our experience, and from what we hear, being waitlisted is often a temporary state, so do not despair. Often it gets moved to fixed seating well in advance, sometimes at the last minute. And if not, you can always go to the dining room host on embarkation day and request a different arrangement. No guarantees, but I rarely hear of people not getting what they want.

 

 

re: different cruise lines: In my experience, the mainstream lines sailing out of American ports are much more similar to each other than they are different. So, you might find a cruise line, or a specific sailing, that you like a little more or less than you have done before, but it is unlikely to be horrible. I have never done a cruise that I regretted :)

 

Thank you very much for the information.

 

Happy cruising !!:cool:

[carajoemom]

Hi all, I have just started cruising 2 year’s ago, met people on Princess and they said I probably would enjoy HAL better.

 

I found that in sea days or if you come back early from your excursion that there is absolutely nothing to do but trivia. What does HAL offer that is different from Princess?

 

I know food is subjective but do you think HAL ‘s food is the same quality or better is you have recently done both?

 

Does anyone have a sample daily activity sheet from HAL or do you know where I can see one?

 

Thanks that’s all my questions for now?

 

 

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