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

[Cruise Suzy]

That was in the fine print before and we were able to use it for gratuities.  If you notice it is no longer being used for that, you can use it for unlimited laundry, other specialty dining or excursions. You can also use it for purchases in the shops (alcohol, jewelry, photos, etc,).

[jaulick]

On 5/1/2022 at 10:48 PM, Josmi said:

*Bump. Anybody? Buehler? Buehler? 🙂

From “Know Before You Go”:  Items such as sodas, energy drinks or other non-alcoholic items are not allowed on board in any form. Plastic water bottles are not allowed. However, an allowance of six liters, twelve (12) cans or cartons (500 ml in volume or less) or six (6) cans or cartons (1 liter in volume or less) of water are allowed per stateroom.  Any amount in excess of this allowance will be not be allowed onboard. Water in plastic bottles will not be allowed onboard in any quantity, including in ports of call. Guests will be asked to discard open beverages in plastic containers prior to boarding. 

[Peachestravels]

New to HAL. I have looked through alot of reviews and need some input. We would like to cruise to Alaska from Seattle and are trying to decide between HAL and Princess. Will someone please give me some good recent reviews from either Eurodam or Westerdam. I am having a hard time finding much. Thank you kindly.

[KrausHaus]

We have sailed on the Eurodam twice, the last time being last fall from Barcelona to Ft Lauderdale. It had been ten years since we were on it previously and we still loved the ship. Excellent food and service. The Main Dining room is great. Pinnacle Grill is fabulous for a special night. Cannaletto is very nice and the Tamarind has great Asian food. 

Shows in the theater were very, very good and the Crow's Nest is a nice place to hang out on sea days. We were on a Princess cruise before Covid and it did not compare to HAL. Ship was nice enough but service and food were lacking compared to HAL.

[islandwoman]

36 minutes ago, Peachestravels said:

  We would like to cruise to Alaska from Seattle and are trying to decide between HAL and Princess.

If you are planning to do a land/sea package, keep in mind that Princess owns the wilderness lodges in Alaska.

[Peachestravels]

17 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

If you are planning to do a land/sea package, keep in mind that Princess owns the wilderness lodges in Alaska.

No land/sea package, just a 7 day voyage. We prefer larger balconies.

[dropframe]

Wrong forum

 

Edited June 7, 2022 by dropframe
Wrong forum

[jonyboy]

1 hour ago, Peachestravels said:

No land/sea package, just a 7 day voyage. We prefer larger balconies.

We were on Westeram in Alaska a few years ago and I really liked everything about that ship.  Great room with Veranda.  All dining venues were very good.  Loved spending a couple hours in the BB King lounge in the evening

[IPB4IGO]

5 hours ago, Peachestravels said:

We prefer larger balconies.

When booking your cruise, be sure to be looking at the deck plan of your ship when selecting a cabin. Some parts of some decks have balconies that are not as deep as the norm. We had one of those cabins on the Eurodam a few years ago. Also, there are a few cabins with "Juliet" balconies, just deep enough to stand up on. All of those that i have seen were on decks 10 and 11.

 

On the cruise we were on just last week we had an "aft wrap" cabin. The deck could easily hold 20 people, although the part that paralleled the length of the ship was too cold and windy to enjoy when underway on an Alaska cruise (the aft-facing part of the balcony was colam and pleasant). Nevertheless, it would be my first choice if they weren't so expensive. We benefited from an outstanding upsell offer on that cruise, so it only cost us about half the regular fair.

Edited June 8, 2022 by IPB4IGO

[nyold]

I just finished a cruise. How do I submit feedback to the corporate? There were several individuals who stood out and went out of their way to help us, and we wanted to make sure their efforts are recognized. I think I heard someone mentioned that you can do it via the Navigator app, but I couldn't find where to submit it.

[*Miss G*]

13 minutes ago, nyold said:

I just finished a cruise. How do I submit feedback to the corporate? There were several individuals who stood out and went out of their way to help us, and we wanted to make sure their efforts are recognized. I think I heard someone mentioned that you can do it via the Navigator app, but I couldn't find where to submit it.

 

Sorry you couldn’t find the icon to submit comments on the Navigator app because the crew receives the recognition right away.  Check your junk mailbox for the survey.  Sometimes I find it there.  If you get one, it usually arrives within a few days.  Sometimes they aren’t sent at all.

[HAL4NOW]

1 hour ago, nyold said:

I just finished a cruise. How do I submit feedback to the corporate? There were several individuals who stood out and went out of their way to help us, and we wanted to make sure their efforts are recognized. I think I heard someone mentioned that you can do it via the Navigator app, but I couldn't find where to submit it.

You can go to the "Connect" tab on the bottom of the Navigator app, then select "Let Us Know" and you will be able to give feedback.

[nyold]

8 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Sorry you couldn’t find the icon to submit comments on the Navigator app because the crew receives the recognition right away.  Check your junk mailbox for the survey.  Sometimes I find it there.  If you get one, it usually arrives within a few days.  Sometimes they aren’t sent at all.

To circle back, I did get the survey email, and it's pretty lengthy and fine-grained (asking about different categories and aspects of the cruise). At the end there is a specific text box on which staff members you would like to recognize, so there's that. I hope it goes to the right eyes and the right people are recognized for their efforts.

[basicprincess24]

How strict is the 15-drink limit for the beverage package? I'm more familiar with the beverage packages on Carnival and Princess which also have the 15-drink limit, but on those lines it only applies to alcoholic beverages, and non-alcoholic beverages are unlimited. I don't think I could hit 15 alcoholic drinks in a day so that limit wouldn't bother me, but between specialty coffees, bottled water, sparkling water, and soda in addition to wine and cocktails, I think I might get close! In practice, are guests cut off due to non-alcoholic beverage orders?

[nyold]

6 hours ago, basicprincess24 said:

How strict is the 15-drink limit for the beverage package? I'm more familiar with the beverage packages on Carnival and Princess which also have the 15-drink limit, but on those lines it only applies to alcoholic beverages, and non-alcoholic beverages are unlimited. I don't think I could hit 15 alcoholic drinks in a day so that limit wouldn't bother me, but between specialty coffees, bottled water, sparkling water, and soda in addition to wine and cocktails, I think I might get close! In practice, are guests cut off due to non-alcoholic beverage orders?

 

It's not like they will suddenly say "we can't serve you anymore" unless you are severely intoxicated. If you go above the limit, the billing system will automatically charge you for the 16th drink onwards. The bar staff will only put your order and scan your card. So in that way, you need to keep track of it yourself. There is a way to check your current usage by going to guest services, but AFAIK there is no way to view it on the app.

 

My trick is on day 1 (embarkation day) to start loading up on canned water (not bottled water, it reduces plastic!) as the day nears the end. Also on port days when you tend to consume less. That way on sea days you can use your 15 drinks for actual fun drinks, and you drink the canned water that you got previously.

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, nyold said:

 

It's not like they will suddenly say "we can't serve you anymore" unless you are severely intoxicated. If you go above the limit, the billing system will automatically charge you for the 16th drink onwards. The bar staff will only put your order and scan your card. So in that way, you need to keep track of it yourself. There is a way to check your current usage by going to guest services, but AFAIK there is no way to view it on the app.

 

My trick is on day 1 (embarkation day) to start loading up on canned water (not bottled water, it reduces plastic!) as the day nears the end. Also on port days when you tend to consume less. That way on sea days you can use your 15 drinks for actual fun drinks, and you drink the canned water that you got previously.

Great advice on the water. I thought pre Covid that only the alcohol drinks counted in the 15 drink limit, has that changed to include specialty coffee and water now? I do not think we ever went over the 15 drink limit.

[Mary229]

38 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Great advice on the water. I thought pre Covid that only the alcohol drinks counted in the 15 drink limit, has that changed to include specialty coffee and water now? I do not think we ever went over the 15 drink limit.

Waters, canned soda, coffees.  Some on my last cruise were also able to get the milkshake at the dive in added to their drink package.  

[basicprincess24]

4 hours ago, nyold said:

My trick is on day 1 (embarkation day) to start loading up on canned water (not bottled water, it reduces plastic!) as the day nears the end. Also on port days when you tend to consume less. That way on sea days you can use your 15 drinks for actual fun drinks, and you drink the canned water that you got previously.

This is a great tip! I was thinking about sea days and that was concerning me, but "stocking up" on water on port days would probably take care of any issue. Thanks!

[eggemon]

9 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Great advice on the water. I thought pre Covid that only the alcohol drinks counted in the 15 drink limit, has that changed to include specialty coffee and water now? I do not think we ever went over the 15 drink limit.

There are those who have heard or experienced differently, but what I understand, experienced, and have seen in writing, is that the Elite (high-end) package includes unlimited "zero-proof" beverages, along with up to 15 drinks priced at $15 or less; and the Signature package provides 15 beverages of any type with a cost up to $11.

 

In both cases, any drinks over the dollar limit, and any drinks over the daily count, are charged at full price (plus gratuity).

 

Gary

[RuthC]

6 minutes ago, eggemon said:

In both cases, any drinks over the dollar limit, and any drinks over the daily count, are charged at full price (plus gratuity).

Reportedly, the first part of your statement is about to change. It's been posted on this forum that HAL announced that it would start charging only the difference (plus tip) between the allowed amount toward the drink and the actual price. 
Drinks over the allowed 15, of course, will continue to be fully charged for. 

[islandwoman]

I am not a HAL experienced cruiser, but all of the ships that I have ever sailed on provide perfectly good water out of the tap.  In the dining room and in the buffet, the water served comes out of the tap.  Free. No beverage package required. No limit. The only problem is that sometimes the water in the staterooms that comes out of the tap is a bit warm, but that's what ice is for.  Why waste your limited beverage package on water?

[RuthC]

3 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

I am not a HAL experienced cruiser, but all of the ships that I have ever sailed on provide perfectly good water out of the tap.  In the dining room and in the buffet, the water served comes out of the tap.  Free. No beverage package required. No limit. The only problem is that sometimes the water in the staterooms that comes out of the tap is a bit warm, but that's what ice is for.  Why waste your limited beverage package on water?

I am a (very) experienced HAL cruiser, and couldn't agree more with your point. The ice in your drinks is made from the same water that comes out of your tap, so why on earth would you pay for water! If it's good enough to melt in your cocktail, it's good enough to drink. 

[Nickelpenny]

5 minutes ago, RuthC said:

I am a (very) experienced HAL cruiser, and couldn't agree more with your point. The ice in your drinks is made from the same water that comes out of your tap, so why on earth would you pay for water! If it's good enough to melt in your cocktail, it's good enough to drink. 

To me, bottled water is such a waste of money.  I have been in places where it is not advisable to drink the water; I have either boiled it (China) or used a Brita filter (remote AK).  I absolutely refuse to pay for something that I can get for free!!  Bad taste - I have water enhancers (AKA crystal light!!).

[Mary229]

20 minutes ago, Nickelpenny said:

To me, bottled water is such a waste of money

Perhaps but some mineral and effervescent waters (technically known as bubbly water) are quite delicious and provide plenty of micronutrients.   

[eggemon]

4 hours ago, RuthC said:

Reportedly, the first part of your statement is about to change. It's been posted on this forum that HAL announced that it would start charging only the difference (plus tip) between the allowed amount toward the drink and the actual price. 

I had somehow missed that info... would be a nice change 😁