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

[Lyn2018]

Not sure if this is the right forum. I went on a recent cruise with HAL and when I went in the navigator app I noticed I could view previous statements. 
 

For some reason it shows I owe $40 for Image Photo x 2 on a voyagé from 2 years ago. I absolutely positively know I did not buy any photos. Does anyone know how or when you would get a $40 charge for a photo? Was it because they took my picture they charged me? 

 

I also had multiple billing issues this last voyage and it looks like my credit card may be charged but I still had a cruise credit left on my account (to be used for gratuities). Or unless they gave me a refund - which they shouldn’t as they did not take the gratuities/crew appreciation. 

[Nebr.cruiser]

17 hours ago, 0106 said:

Looking forward to hearing about what you decided to get her.  Enjoy the cruise!

We ended up finding two cruises--one on Princess to Port Douglas and back and one on RCI to New Zealand.  There are 5 days between the cruises for other touring and we are staying a few days after as well.  Since we were able to use FF miles to fly to Australia, it makes it all (kind of) affordable.

 

Thanks for the advice every one!  The Noordam cruise had a great itinerary but we couldn't make it work out schedule-wise.

[ArchieTheAxolotl]

I found something. What if I got her a nice pair of deck sandals to use on the pool deck/ at home. I don't know where I would get them but My mom doesn't have a nice pair of sandals. I could get a pair for myself too!

[0106]

Sandals are an excellent idea!  Unfortunately, I am not familiar with Canadian stores.   Can you ask a female neighbor or teacher where they would go to shop for sandals,

[Dunmore2]

As a Canadian and a teacher, I’d say to try Soft Moc. They have stores,  but ship to addresses too.  Quark Shoes is another reputable store and they ship too.

[cruiser3775]

I'm booked on my first HAL cruise to New Zealand from Australia with Noordam next year. Cruise Critic is wonderful! Thank you all for this great thread. I have a question that I can't seem to find the answer to. I'm in a VD balcony stateroom on deck 7. I see the bathroom has a bath, so I'm guessing the shower is over the bath, not separate.  This might be difficult for me, as I have some limited mobility. How deep are the baths? Do they have slippery bases? Do they have a grab rail or bar?  Can anyone tell me where to find a photo showing the bathrooms?

[terrydtx]

14 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said:

I'm booked on my first HAL cruise to New Zealand from Australia with Noordam next year. Cruise Critic is wonderful! Thank you all for this great thread. I have a question that I can't seem to find the answer to. I'm in a VD balcony stateroom on deck 7. I see the bathroom has a bath, so I'm guessing the shower is over the bath, not separate.  This might be difficult for me, as I have some limited mobility. How deep are the baths? Do they have slippery bases? Do they have a grab rail or bar?  Can anyone tell me where to find a photo showing the bathrooms?

You can find more information about your cabin at: Cruise Deck Plan Database and Pictures (cruisedeckplans.com)

 

Here are pictures of a VD cabin tub/shower on deck 7 of the Noordam:

Edited May 13, 2022 by terrydtx

[cruiser3775]

Thanks, Terry. I think I can cope with that - not too deep, has a grab rail and shower curtain, not a fixed glass screen.

[KroozNut]

16 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

Thanks, Terry. I think I can cope with that - not too deep, has a grab rail and shower curtain, not a fixed glass screen.

 

Ours on the Zuiderdam (same class) also had an anti-slip mat for the floor of the tub.

[Gray Lady]

First, I would like to thank everyone for sharing. It has answered many questions. We are not only new to HAL, but new to cruising. Never been on a cruise ship in our lives! We picked HAL based on reviews, and are going on a 14 day cruise tour to Alaska. I think we have figured a lot out…shore excursions, laundry, packing (sort of), internet (hopefully will support a proctored COVID test in the Inside Passage), but I have never talked to anyone who has sailed on our ship. It is the Nieuw Amsterdam. We are booked on the upper promenade deck. We know the room will be smaller than hotel rooms, so booked a signature suite. I just want to know how the dining on your own works ( assume we will be seated with others?) and tips about our ship from people who have sailed on her. Also, embarking and disembarking procedures are something we really don’t know about. We are excited and anxious all at the same time. Thank you in advance!

[IPB4IGO]

15 hours ago, Gray Lady said:

 I just want to know how the dining on your own works ( assume we will be seated with others?) and tips about our ship from people who have sailed on her. Also, embarking and disembarking procedures are something we really don’t know about. We are excited and anxious all at the same time. Thank you in advance!

We always do "anytime dining". You just walk up to the main dining room and request a table for two if you don't want to share a table with others. Pre-pandemic there was sometimes a wait of up to 20 minutes until your buzzer went off, telling you your table was ready, but usually we were seated right away. We have been on two cruises post-pandemic, and there has never been any wait at all. 

Embarking and disembarking is simple: Just get in line with evrybody else!

We used the Verifly app before boarding our current cruise. At the terminal, the agent asked if we used it, and I showed her the screen on my phone. She directed us around the really long line, bypassing a bunch of screening.

Don't be anxious. HAL makes things simple for us.

[dropframe]

27 minutes ago, IPB4IGO said:

We always do "anytime dining". You just walk up to the main dining room and request a table for two if you don't want to share a table with others. Pre-pandemic there was sometimes a wait of up to 20 minutes until your buzzer went off, telling you your table was ready, but usually we were seated right away. We have been on two cruises post-pandemic, and there has never been any wait at all. 

Embarking and disembarking is simple: Just get in line with evrybody else!

We used the Verifly app before boarding our current cruise. At the terminal, the agent asked if we used it, and I showed her the screen on my phone. She directed us around the really long line, bypassing a bunch of screening.

Don't be anxious. HAL makes things simple for us.

Instead of just showing up and hoping for an empty table, can you phone ahead a reservation for two and skip the wait?

If so who do you call and how far in advance? 

[terrydtx]

41 minutes ago, IPB4IGO said:

We used the Verifly app before boarding our current cruise. At the terminal, the agent asked if we used it, and I showed her the screen on my phone.

I thought the Verifly app was only for American and British airlines? Is this something HAL now accepts?

Edited May 18, 2022 by terrydtx

[Cruise Suzy]

35 minutes ago, dropframe said:

Instead of just showing up and hoping for an empty table, can you phone ahead a reservation for two and skip the wait?

If so who do you call and how far in advance?

 

If you have Anytime Dining, you can reserve a time online before boarding. Or you can call the dining extension once you are onboard. It's listed on the cabin phone.

[KroozNut]

1 hour ago, IPB4IGO said:

We used the Verifly app before boarding our current cruise. At the terminal, the agent asked if we used it, and I showed her the screen on my phone. She directed us around the really long line, bypassing a bunch of screening.

 

We didn't use the VeriFly app on our recent cruise and had the same very easy, stress free experience at check-in.

[dropframe]

18 minutes ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

If you have Anytime Dining, you can reserve a time online before boarding. Or you can call the dining extension once you are onboard. It's listed on the cabin phone.

You may have misunderstood.  I don't want the same time every night. I want to dine at different times and for example; Call at 5p and make a reservation for 7:15p. Can I do this?

[jonyboy]

45 minutes ago, dropframe said:

You may have misunderstood.  I don't want the same time every night. I want to dine at different times and for example; Call at 5p and make a reservation for 7:15p. Can I do this?

 

[jonyboy]

Just now, jonyboy said:

 

On our HAL cruises we did have a set time and same table.  We did have our concierge pick a table for us near a window.  However, we did not dine at that time every night.  There were some day excursions that got us back to the ship later in the day and we just showed up when we wanted to and never had to wait more that 5-10 minutes

 

[Cruise Suzy]

44 minutes ago, dropframe said:

You may have misunderstood.  I don't want the same time every night. I want to dine at different times and for example; Call at 5p and make a reservation for 7:15p. Can I do this?

When reserving Anytime Dining online, you can choose a different time for each night. I have done this for every cruise since the option became available.

 

I have also called once onboard, but never at 5 for 7:15 that day.

[dropframe]

12 minutes ago, Cruise Suzy said:

When reserving Anytime Dining online, you can choose a different time for each night. I have done this for every cruise since the option became available.

 

I have also called once onboard, but never at 5 for 7:15 that day.

This is what I'm trying to figure out. How did you go about making your daily reservation and how much notice was required? 

[Cruise Suzy]

16 minutes ago, dropframe said:

How did you go about making your daily reservation and how much notice was required? 

 

You can ask at the MDR entrance for reservations on the next or subsequent night(s). During other times, you can call the Dining extension - it's listed on the phone. I have no idea what the minimum notice is. I'm sure it would depend on how many folks have already reserved that time slot. I make our reservations online once we know what excursions we will be taking. If need be, I tweak them once onboard.

[*Miss G*]

18 hours ago, Gray Lady said:

First, I would like to thank everyone for sharing. It has answered many questions. We are not only new to HAL, but new to cruising. Never been on a cruise ship in our lives! We picked HAL based on reviews, and are going on a 14 day cruise tour to Alaska. I think we have figured a lot out…shore excursions, laundry, packing (sort of), internet (hopefully will support a proctored COVID test in the Inside Passage), but I have never talked to anyone who has sailed on our ship. It is the Nieuw Amsterdam. We are booked on the upper promenade deck. We know the room will be smaller than hotel rooms, so booked a signature suite. I just want to know how the dining on your own works ( assume we will be seated with others?) and tips about our ship from people who have sailed on her. Also, embarking and disembarking procedures are something we really don’t know about. We are excited and anxious all at the same time. Thank you in advance!

 

The Nieuw Amsterdam is a lovely ship; you have made a great choice!  Check out the Tamarind Bar as well as the Tamarind Restaurant.  They are favourite spots for many.  Also BB King’s is a super fun night spot.  I don’t have a “Live-From” thread on the NA but I do have a PICTURE THREAD of our Neptune Suite, which is almost the same as the Signature Suite.  Sadly, this was before CC had improved their site so you probably won’t see the pictures until about halfway down the thread, but the first posts will explain what they are.  You can also find pictures on the HALfacts Site.  Welcome to Holland America and to cruising!!

 

 

56 minutes ago, dropframe said:

This is what I'm trying to figure out. How did you go about making your daily reservation and how much notice was required? 

 

Depending on your ship, there is a dining reservations podium located in the hallway usually on Deck 3 mid ship near the Pinnacle Grill.  Check your When & Where for the times and locations.  The When & Where will be in your stateroom upon arrival.

[jonyboy]

8 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

The Nieuw Amsterdam is a lovely ship; you have made a great choice!  Check out the Tamarind Bar as well as the Tamarind Restaurant.  They are favourite spots for many.  Also BB King’s is a super fun night spot.  I don’t have a “Live-From” thread on the NA but I do have a PICTURE THREAD of our Neptune Suite, which is almost the same as the Signature Suite.  Sadly, this was before CC had improved their site so you probably won’t see the pictures until about halfway down the thread, but the first posts will explain what they are.  You can also find pictures on the HALfacts Site.  Welcome to Holland America and to cruising!!

 

 

 

Depending on your ship, there is a dining reservations podium located in the hallway usually on Deck 3 mid ship near the Pinnacle Grill.  Check your When & Where for the times and locations.  The When & Where will be in your stateroom upon arrival.

Dive In is one of the best fast food options on any  ship we've ever been on.  Great place to get a casual lunch

[Aloha3]

19 hours ago, Gray Lady said:

First, I would like to thank everyone for sharing. It has answered many questions. We are not only new to HAL, but new to cruising. Never been on a cruise ship in our lives! We picked HAL based on reviews, and are going on a 14 day cruise tour to Alaska. I think we have figured a lot out…shore excursions, laundry, packing (sort of), internet (hopefully will support a proctored COVID test in the Inside Passage), but I have never talked to anyone who has sailed on our ship. It is the Nieuw Amsterdam. We are booked on the upper promenade deck. We know the room will be smaller than hotel rooms, so booked a signature suite. I just want to know how the dining on your own works ( assume we will be seated with others?) and tips about our ship from people who have sailed on her. Also, embarking and disembarking procedures are something we really don’t know about. We are excited and anxious all at the same time. Thank you in advance!

We always pick anytime dining and often a share table up to six. A great way to meet others and then if you want to join group, say for trivia or in a lounge, you see a familiar face.

[KrausHaus]

44 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

Depending on your ship, there is a dining reservations podium located in the hallway usually on Deck 3 mid ship near the Pinnacle Grill.  Check your When & Where for the times and locations.  The When & Where will be in your stateroom upon arrival.

 

We have always been making our dining reservations well ahead of time for Specialty Dining at Pinnacle Grill, Tamarind, or Canaletto by going to HALs website and finding our booking and then making the reservation there. In fact, we have a cruise in July (Copenhagen to Boston) that I was able to make our reservations online a couple months ago. All done. No worries.

At the time I also made some of our Main Dining Room reservations at our preferred time. Often, especially on Sea Days, the wait can be over thirty minutes. And trying to phone in reservations on the same day is often impossible.