Question for those that have used the Cruise Consultant during longer cruise?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

We will be doing a repositioning cruise September 24th on the Veendam which is the first four days of a 34 day cruise. Will the Cruise Consultant be on board this early? We leave on Sunday and our first day Monday we are in port in Seattle. Is the Cruise consultant available while in port or only sea days? We plan to book at least 2 possibly 3 cruises for 2007 while on board. Or will it be better to call into HAL from the ship to book or do they even allow this if a Cruise Consultant is on board. I know last time we did this was while we were on the Maasdam last year and we had a terrible time trying to get it down because of phone problems with connecting with Seattle. Like last year I will already have printed out the cruise we want and the cabin we plan to select and our TA's information.

[jhannah]

If it's the first leg of a month-long voyage, I'd guess that the onboard consultant will be there. We've used one twice. Once we got lots of nice spiffs (reduced deposit, monogrammed robes, wine package, etc.) and the other time we got squat. And it was the same person who booked our cruises. I have no idea what the difference might have been. You might want to ask her/him in advance what the perks are for booking onboard.

[RuthC]

Lisa, the Cruise Consultant may or may not be on board during the first few days of the cruise. I think it will depend on where (s)he's coming from and the travel arrangements that can be made.

In my experience it there was no opportunity to call Seattle to book when there is a cruise consultant on board. It's either-or.

The Cruise Consultant has desk hours on sea days. I've never seen a schedule that has the desk open on a port day. Maybe if there's an early sailing (like 1:00-ish) there could be afternoon hours, but don't bet on it.

The hours don't tend to be extensive, either; a couple of hours in the morning, and again a similar period in the afternoon.

[Copper10-8]

Lisa, we've been using the on-board cruise consultant every year since OCT 01 and have had no complaints. Janice Carlin & Janice Gledhill are good ones and know their stuff! There "should" be one on board a 34-day cruise so no need to call HAL from the ship. I'd imagine that (calling from the ship) can get pretty expensive too. Have a great cruise!

[Spender Nui]

We've always been able to call and make an appointment with the cruise consultant.

[Aussie Gal]

Lisa,

 

Usually the Cruise Consultant is not available whilst in port. Her hours are usually quite liberal whilst at sea and on a day in port she will often be available for an hour or so after we have left the port.

 

Last year we booked the Veendam cruise whilst on board the Maasdam enroute to Rotterdam, it was a 17 day cruise. We did not receive any favours for this forthcoming 34 day cruise. Even our shipboard credit was very paltry. I do think that HAL has cut down a lot on extras for booking on board. In fact, the price we were quoted was nearly a thousand dollars p.p. more than what our TA gave us when we transferred the booking to her.

 

Like you, we always know what cabin we want, what cruise we hope to sail on and we actually spend very little time with her.

 

We did receive the bottle of wine for booking on board. That really was the only "extra" given.

 

Jennie

[Estella]

We were on that very cruise last year. It was wonderful. There was the best travel consultant on the entire cruise and he was excellent and very busy all the time. He was an elder gentleman named Mike and was very knowledgeable.

[Atomica]

Lisa, I know when I was onboard the Veendam for the same cruise last year, I do remember seeing the cruise consultant on the two sea days after Seattle. I don't know whether they got onboard in Vancouver or Seattle, but I do remember seeing them at a little desk just off of the Front Office in the atrium.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Thanks Everyone and Thanks Aaron, I was hoping you might remember if there was one there during the first 4 days. Now I just hope she is not too busy to fit us in since we do plan to book several. Does anyone know how we go about making an appointment to see the Cruise Consultant?

[Aussie Gal]

Hi Lisa,

 

The times that the Cruise Consultant is available are posted each day in the ship's activities newsletter.

 

We used to just try and get there a little before the actual time she was available and therefore hoped to be the first or one of the first. Often there was a line of people waiting to see her. I don't think you can make appointments unfortunately.

 

Estella and Aaron,

 

Have you any tips you can pass on about the cruise. We are looking forward to it so much especially now that we have final payment in a couple of weeks time. We booked this cruise last July, so have had a long wait.

 

Jennie

 

 

 

Jennie

[RuthC]

Does anyone know how we go about making an appointment to see the Cruise Consultant?

Jennie and I have had the same experience---no appointment necessary. Or available. You go to see her/him and wait your turn. If there are too many people waiting you come back some other time.

[sail7seas]

Lisa.....

 

The last few times we were on a cruise which had a cruise consultant aboard, they had at least one morning or afternoon when they were available in the Neptune Lounge. I must admit that I tried to book with her and wasn't able to accomplish it and haven't tried since.

 

The shipboard credits have shrunk to quite small now and I'm not sure they are even combinable with the much larger, better one we get so we find little advantage to booking while aboard.

 

[WNYCRUISER]

Earlier this year on the Noordam 11 day, the cruise consultant was on board, and available at certain times (although I don't recall exactly when).

At some point during the cruise, they sent out a flyer, and it included, for instance, what the on board credit would be if you booked while on board. (The only perk offered) I quickly figured that I could make more money in interest on the 1200.00 deposit if I held onto it, rather than paying a year in advance. But I figured it couldn't hurt to talk. Unfortunately, there were no appointments, so it was hit and miss. You showed up and if 10 people were ahead of you, you either left, or waited in the atrium.

 

As always, recently the bug bit and just had to book for next year. We have always used a B&M Travel agent, but since our last cruise, she retired. I had, upon returning from the Noordam, ordered the 2007 Carib brochure, and included was a card of one of the HAL Cruise Consultants. I called and spoke with her, and found that through her, I could get a shipboard credit worth three times what it would have been had I booked on board.

 

I guess I just don't know if it would be worth using up your precious cruising time speaking with the consultant, when you could possibly do better from home. If you do speak with a consultant while on board, I would be interested to hear how you make out. I guess I did better by waiting.

[Cruiseoften]

We booked a future cruise on our last cruise.......6 weeks ago. We didn't have a specific cabin in mind but did know where we wanted to be and a cabin number was selected. No 'perks' apart from a paltry ship board credit. We'd done it on other cruises and received wine, and a generous ship board credit. Afraid those days gone :(

 

On our return home I studied a deckplan, with a magnifying glass, and decided that a cabin change was in order. Called HAL direct and got that done. But get this - was advised to call back before balance payment date because chances were good that prices would go down.........we're talking Hawaii early January 2007.

 

I don't believe you can make an appointment - you just show up during her/his posted hours and take you turn. On port days the Consultants hours are limited - on sea days, there are morning and afternoon sittings. No phone calls are necessary, Consultant has computer connection to Seattle - we received a print-out of our booking almost within the hour and a copy was sent to our TA. TA has now received the updated information re cabin number change and assures me he will keep on top of any price reductions - I'll be checking too!!!

[Copper10-8]

Shipboard credit is not great:

7-11 days; $25pp for an inside and outside, $35pp for a verandah and $50pp for a suite

12+ days: $50 pp for an inside and outside, $75pp for a verandah and $100pp for a suite

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Thanks Everyone, that is basically what I figured.

John, thanks:) Those were the same shipboard credits they gave me last year when I booked on board. We had booked three cruises last year while on the Maasdam and all were S Suites. I was hoping when we booked our 10 day cruise for Novemeber that it was more than the $100:( What did happen was the agent I spoke to over the phone messed up when we booked the first one for Feb 2006 and he was thinking we could still get the extra shipboard credit they were offereing for bookings thru 2005 and he gave me $150.00. He realized afterwards but said because he told me they would still honor it and they did.:) I also have never had a problem using this shipboard credit with my CCL Stock credit. I think where some run into problems is with using the Amex credit.

[sail7seas]

That is what I was referring to Lisa. Sometimes they have not let us use their credit with the AmEx credit. There really is little advantage to our spending our vacation time with the cruise consultant. Hope it works well for you. If you aren't going to be looking for any other credit (other than CCL stock), then it is definitely worth getting $100 pp credit for 3 cruises. That's $600.....nothing to turn one's nose at!!! (so to speak. :) )

[Atomica]

Estella and Aaron,

 

Have you any tips you can pass on about the cruise. We are looking forward to it so much especially now that we have final payment in a couple of weeks time. We booked this cruise last July, so have had a long wait.

 

Well, I wish I had been able to do the full Amazon cruise! As it happens, I was only onboard for the Van-LA Segment. I do remember though that there was quite a bit of activities on the sea days after Seattle - more than I actually thought there would be. Being part of a longer cruise, they really pull out all the stops. One thing I enjoyed was each morning in the Explorers Lounge they had a little 'Coffee & Chat' with the previous night's entertainers. Very, very interesting and a really nice way to start the morning off.

 

Other than that, I do remember reading here that apparently in some parts of the Amazon, the bugs can get quite bad at night, because they are attracted to the ship's lights. But that's just second hand information :)

 

I hope someday to be able to do the full Amazon voyage!

[Gerd]

Hello LAFFNVEGAS,

 

you can proceed your booking while cruising at a ease – and COPPER10-8, you are right, Janice Gledhill is very competent in booking cruises. She really knows here work well. We have had here on board on our last year Hawaii cruise.:)

 

Have fun and good booking,

 

G E R D

 

 

 

Our marvelous cruises :

 

MS Ryndam – Wayfarer – March 1997

MS Noordam - Transatlantic Island Hook - April 2001

MS Volendam - Southern Caribbean - April 2002

MS Volendam - Westfarer Caribbean - April 2004

MS Prinsendam - Windmills & Waterford – September 2004

MS Westerdam - Western Caribbean - April 2005

MS Statendam - Hawaii Circle - September 2005

 

82 days - 22 '839 Nm

 

 

 

Future Cruises :

 

MS Rotterdam - Vikings and Czars – July, 4 2006

 

 

MS Veendam - Southern Caribbean – March, 18 2007