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

[Jensue9]

Just heard back from my TA and he said holland America don’t have traditional dinning times (early and late) it’s open dinning???? I’m sailing in westerdam out of Auckland next march. 

[Grandmaanne7]

14 minutes ago, Jensue9 said:

Just heard back from my TA and he said holland America don’t have traditional dinning times (early and late) it’s open dinning???? I’m sailing in westerdam out of Auckland next march. 

Incorrect. They have fixed dining at 5:00 and 7:30 as well as anytime dining. 

[happytotravel]

Hello All,

Is there a way to see a breakdown of the cruise price that I have paid?  This would include the cruise price (I'm okay with combining the port charges) but what about the price of my HIA, choosing my own cabin and location?  As far as I can tell this is only possible when doing the actual booking of which, of course, I didn't do.

 

Next Question:  When checking for a price drop should I just be concerned with the cabin fare?  I do know to be aware of any promo changes.  I would not want to lose any of them as I booked under Early booking.

 

Thanks, happytotravel

 

[terrydtx]

7 minutes ago, happytotravel said:

Hello All,

Is there a way to see a breakdown of the cruise price that I have paid?  This would include the cruise price (I'm okay with combining the port charges) but what about the price of my HIA, choosing my own cabin and location?  As far as I can tell this is only possible when doing the actual booking of which, of course, I didn't do.

 

Next Question:  When checking for a price drop should I just be concerned with the cabin fare?  I do know to be aware of any promo changes.  I would not want to lose any of them as I booked under Early booking.

 

Thanks, happytotravel

 

When you booked you should have received an invoice from HAL or whoever you booked with. As for the Early Booking bonus if you reprice you have to rebook and you will lose that bonus and CO if you added it when booking. In 2022 we booked our Volendam cruise for this month with the early booking bonus and CO. When I saw the price drop $200 my TA checked into rebooking but what we would have lost was worth far more in value than the $200. The Early Booking Bonus generally is only good for the first 90 days after the cruise is released on the HAL website.

Edited August 5 by terrydtx

[Jensue9]

18 hours ago, Grandmaanne7 said:

Incorrect. They have fixed dining at 5:00 and 7:30 as well as anytime dining. 

Just to let you and the others who kindly helped me on here, I contacted Holland America direct and yes there is traditional dining times (early and late) as well as anytime dinning so my TA unfortunately was incorrect. We have now booked our dinning so thank you very much! If I had just listened to my TA I wouldn’t have booked any dinning time. 

[happytotravel]

Thank you Terrydtx for your quick response.  I would not want to lose all the extras that came with this booking.

happytotravel

[Moriah]

20 hours ago, Jensue9 said:

Just heard back from my TA and he said holland America don’t have traditional dinning times (early and late) it’s open dinning???? I’m sailing in westerdam out of Auckland next march. 

 

Probably what the TA meant is that fixed dining is not available for you because both times are "sold out" (for lack of better term at the moment) for your cruise.  If he really meant that Westerdam does not HAVE traditional fixed dining, then he is misinformed. 

[islandwoman]

On 8/3/2024 at 2:35 PM, CheapieD said:

New to Holland. Booked my first cruise last night so I am just starting to research. I choose the anytime dining.  Do I need to make a reservation for each night? Used to other cruise lines where I just check in for ATD or go at my assigned time for set dining. 

Which ship are you sailing?  If the largest, I would highly recommend dining reservations. When we sailed the Koningsdam, the waiting line for the MDR was often very long.

[hummingbird_206]

HAL Excursions question

 

We were on a cruise earlier this year and for all of our HAL excursions we went to the World Stage, stood in line to check in, received a numbered sticker, and waited for our number to be called to head off of the ship.

 

A friend recalls that he read somewhere (doesn't remember where) that this process has changed, that we don't check in at the World Stage, and now notifications to head off the ship are given via the Navigator app.  Is this the process now?

 

 

[ghstudio]

Just now, hummingbird_206 said:

HAL Excursions question

 

A friend recalls that he read somewhere (doesn't remember where) that this process has changed, that we don't check in at the World Stage, and now notifications to head off the ship are given via the Navigator app.  Is this the process now?

 

 

Nothing has changed….

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, hummingbird_206 said:

HAL Excursions question

 

We were on a cruise earlier this year and for all of our HAL excursions we went to the World Stage, stood in line to check in, received a numbered sticker, and waited for our number to be called to head off of the ship.

 

A friend recalls that he read somewhere (doesn't remember where) that this process has changed, that we don't check in at the World Stage, and now notifications to head off the ship are given via the Navigator app.  Is this the process now?

 

 

As of last November it hadn't changed. Not everyone has a smart phone or uses the app so a change like this would be Kaos and not work.

[hummingbird_206]

16 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

As of last November it hadn't changed. Not everyone has a smart phone or uses the app so a change like this would be Kaos and not work.

Thanks.  As I said in my post, the change hadn't happened as of earlier this year.  I'm looking for more recent info though.

[forwardho]

Nope, all HAL tours report to World Stage, get a number and wait for it to be called. Just got off the Rotterdam July 20th.

[Steerpike58]

On 6/14/2024 at 8:58 AM, Haljo1935 said:

Just to clarify - regular coffee is no charge, but cappuccino, lattes and other "fancy" coffees are not. 2 pots of cappuccino sounds like heaven, lol!

Reading through dozens of pages now - sorry if this has already been asked/answered. We have the HIA package, which includes specialty beverages like espressos and lattes (as I understand it).  So can I order a latte as room service without extra charge?  I plan to head to the buffet for breakfast as I only want toast, but I can't function without a latte and I don't want to have to head to the coffee shop in the morning just for that. 

 

Also, how predictable is room service - eg, can I specify 7:00am and expect something around that time? Will my beverage arrive moderately 'fresh' (not cold)? 

[hummingbird_206]

11 minutes ago, Steerpike58 said:

Reading through dozens of pages now - sorry if this has already been asked/answered. We have the HIA package, which includes specialty beverages like espressos and lattes (as I understand it).  So can I order a latte as room service without extra charge?  I plan to head to the buffet for breakfast as I only want toast, but I can't function without a latte and I don't want to have to head to the coffee shop in the morning just for that. 

 

Also, how predictable is room service - eg, can I specify 7:00am and expect something around that time? Will my beverage arrive moderately 'fresh' (not cold)? 

Beverages covered by the HIA package are not free from room service.

[terrydtx]

28 minutes ago, Steerpike58 said:

Reading through dozens of pages now - sorry if this has already been asked/answered. We have the HIA package, which includes specialty beverages like espressos and lattes (as I understand it).  So can I order a latte as room service without extra charge?  I plan to head to the buffet for breakfast as I only want toast, but I can't function without a latte and I don't want to have to head to the coffee shop in the morning just for that. 

 

Also, how predictable is room service - eg, can I specify 7:00am and expect something around that time? Will my beverage arrive moderately 'fresh' (not cold)? 

The beverage packages do not cover drinks from Room service, HAL's private island HMC or your mini bar. Breakfast room service will have options for 1/2 hour increments 7-7:30 for example. We have always been successful in getting ours within the times specified. For coffee we order a "large" pot of coffee, and it comes in an insulated carafe that keep the coffee hot. On mornings we do not do a room service breakfast, we just order a pot of Coffee to enjoy while we get dressed.

Edited August 9 by terrydtx

[glutenhab]

Can we bring cans of carbonated water (Perrier/Bubly etc.) aboard Holland America ships? Says so much water is allowed. Does this qualify?

[Steerpike58]

A mundane question ... does HA have a laundry room for self-service laundry, and more to the point - do they have ironing boards and irons for passenger use? We just got back from a Viking cruise and while I didn't use their self-serve laundry, I did touch up all my shirts with their iron and it was very convenient. We're on the Oosterdam - Vista class. 

[0106]

1 minute ago, Steerpike58 said:

does HA have a laundry room for self-service laundry,

No self service laundry.  Hang your shirt in the bathroom while you take a shower and you will be just fine.

[Steerpike58]

54 minutes ago, hummingbird_206 said:

Beverages covered by the HIA package are not free from room service.

 

41 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

The beverage packages do not cover drinks from Room service, ...

I just did a general search for Holland America Room Service Menu, and found this link: https://rogerjett-photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Room-Service-Breakfast-Card-2024.pdf 

It suggests I can order a bunch of free items, and pay for things like steak and eggs, but I don't see any option for an espresso or latte, at any price.  Does this mean I can't order a latte/espresso from room service? I don't see a 'write-in' area ... 

[terrydtx]

31 minutes ago, Steerpike58 said:

 

I just did a general search for Holland America Room Service Menu, and found this link: https://rogerjett-photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Room-Service-Breakfast-Card-2024.pdf 

It suggests I can order a bunch of free items, and pay for things like steak and eggs, but I don't see any option for an espresso or latte, at any price.  Does this mean I can't order a latte/espresso from room service? I don't see a 'write-in' area ... 

That is correct the food items for extra charge come from the kitchens, the specialty coffees are not available to be made in the kitchens. Just get up and walk to the specialty coffee outlets on the ship. Specialty coffees are not available from room service. The Mimosa and bloody Mary's on the menu are also not included in the beverage packages.

 

Here is where you can get your fancy coffees:

Explorations Café – Morning Cruise Coffee (hollandamerica.com)

Edited August 9 by terrydtx

[terrydtx]

34 minutes ago, Steerpike58 said:

A mundane question ... does HA have a laundry room for self-service laundry, and more to the point - do they have ironing boards and irons for passenger use? We just got back from a Viking cruise and while I didn't use their self-serve laundry, I did touch up all my shirts with their iron and it was very convenient. We're on the Oosterdam - Vista class. 

No self service laundry or irons and ironing boards for passenger use on HAL ships. They do have a send out laundry service using the ship's laundry, but it is not self-service. They also have a pressing service, but it is not free or included.

Edited August 9 by terrydtx

[FLCruiser97]

Laundry service onboard is top notch. 

[Kaibyrd]

I’m thinking about getting the Thermal Suite 7 Day Cruise pass. We’re booked for Aug. 31 2025 to Alaska on the Noordam.  I’m bringing my elderly mother. Is this pass worth the money and is the Thermal Suite the same on all ships? What is included? The description is a bit vague.

Edited August 9 by Kaibyrd

[Steerpike58]

5 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Here is where you can get your fancy coffees:

Explorations Café – Morning Cruise Coffee (hollandamerica.com)

Thanks; this is pretty much what I'd concluded already ... the mention of room service got me all excited as a new possibility!  I'm eager and willing to go to the Explorations Cafe (I've never used room service ever in my life and don't plan to until I can no longer move!), but my dilemma is my partner isn't interested in a specialty coffee and just wants to go for breakfast, so I guess I'll have to zip up to Explorations Cafe, grab two lattes at once, then head back down to breakfast - probably in the Lido knowing her. On Viking, they have a free self-serve espresso machine right there in the main dining area (World Cafe), so I can grab it quickly (and repeatedly) during breakfast. Oh well; more exercise so that's good.