A few Questions

[AllenF]

I just booked our 1st cruise on HA and we are looking forward to it.

I have been checking out HA web site and there were a few things I could not find answers to concerning the rooms. We booked a SY mini suite I did not see if there is a hair dyer or a room safe. Not that I need a hair dyer but my wife does :D. Also do they have self assit debarkation or do you have to wait to be called to disembark. Also can you carry on a small amount of bottle water or soda. I really liked the fact I can order a wine card and bottle of crown online but I dont really wish to get a soda card as I like a to drink a cold can of soda in the morning over coffee. So if you cant carry on soda can you at least order cans for the room pre cruise to go ahead a pay for them in advance. Last question I know the Westerdam does not have a self service laundry so do they have some kind of Bag special (15.00 to 30.00) for clothes (tee shirts, shorts, underware Etc) I know they have dry cleaning services but I will not need that.

 

Thanks

[6rugrats]

IME, yes, there is a hair dryer and safe. Yes, you can bring on soda and bottled water. Yes, they have a laundry special by the bag, and yes, you may leave the ship as soon as it has been cleared.

[jimgev]

I just booked our 1st cruise on HA and we are looking forward to it.

I have been checking out HA web site and there were a few things I could not find answers to concerning the rooms. We booked a SY mini suite I did not see if there is a hair dyer or a room safe. Not that I need a hair dyer but my wife does :D. Also do they have self assit debarkation or do you have to wait to be called to disembark. Also can you carry on a small amount of bottle water or soda. I really liked the fact I can order a wine card and bottle of crown online but I dont really wish to get a soda card as I like a to drink a cold can of soda in the morning over coffee. So if you cant carry on soda can you at least order cans for the room pre cruise to go ahead a pay for them in advance. Last question I know the Westerdam does not have a self service laundry so do they have some kind of Bag special (15.00 to 30.00) for clothes (tee shirts, shorts, underware Etc) I know they have dry cleaning services but I will not need that.

 

Thanks

Your cabin will have a safe and a hair dryer. (I believe all HAL cabins have these). Your cabin will also have a small refrigerator that is stoked with various itmes including cans of soda and bottles of water. There will be a price card telling you the cost of these items.

There is laundry service and also a "special" for a bag no matter how full or heavy.

[sail7seas]

HAL permits guests to bring aboard soda and water. We are also allowed to bring wine or champagne.

 

If you wish to lug your soda with you, you can.

You also can call any bar or room service and have cans delivered to your cabin for your consumption there.

 

You also can buy soda in a port and bring it aboard when you return to the ship.

 

As written above, every cabin on every HAL ship has hair dryer and safe.

Some safes operate by selecting your own combination of numbers.

Some make use of the magnetic strip from any card. We use an old department store credit card from a store now out of business. That way we can lock up the cards that are useful to us.

 

[AllenF]

Thank you for your replies.

[LVSue]

Re debarkation, we have always had to wait to be called by color of the tags they give us to put on our suitcases (we keep a part of that tag as proof). I think the earlier groups need to get out for airline flights, etc.

[wdw1972]

Re debarkation, we have always had to wait to be called by color of the tags they give us to put on our suitcases (we keep a part of that tag as proof). I think the earlier groups need to get out for airline flights, etc.

 

Thankfully, HAL's done away with that nonsense (making announcements). It's now a silent disembarkation. You'll get a survey midway through the cruise, then receive a card giving you your disembarkation window (I think it's a 15-minute period). When that time comes, you simply walk off the ship. They had this in place last April on the Veendam, and I believe it's been in place fleet-wide for a while now.

 

Sue/WDW1972

Westerdam 2/08/09

[sail7seas]

We had that form of Debark on Maasdam a few weeks ago.

It was fine except for the few who tried to leave before it was their assigned time to do so. They were sent back to wait their turn and that made a little congestion with them going in the opposite direction. I think Security was correct to refuse them leaving before it was their turn.

 

[AllenF]

My wife and I pack very light usually we have 1 carry on each I rent a Tux. So we will not need to have our luggage picked up the night before debark. So from my understanding we will still need to debark at our alloted time slot correct.

[jtl513]

So from my understanding we will still need to debark at our alloted time slot correct.

Yes and no. To take your own baggage off you should request "express" or "expedited" debarkation. You will then get an "X" pass to allow you to get off before any of the other time slots. You should be off before 8:00a.

[Zeta3]

Allen, long time no see, how have you been? Welcome to HAL! We took our first HAL cruise last year and fell in love. It is such a relaxing but fun time. We were on the Westerdam in April and had a great time. We are thinking of booking Westerdam or Eurodam this April. I think you will have a great time on HAL.

 

Laundry is great they have these cloth bags that hold a LOT of clothes and we paid $12 per bag. You can do the bag whenever too, not like the 1 day special on Carnival.

[AllenF]

Hey Julie I hope you and Reggie are doing great. Shelly and I are doing fine. I leave for Miami Sunday for work I was hoping Shelly could go but she has to work. I have the picture Reggie took of us Zip lining in Costa Rica up at work. We need to plan for another cruise together on HAL for sure. We enjoy Carnival but we are ready for something different and I think HAL will offer that since we are big into Relaxing while cruising.

Drop me an email afrancis@sc.rr.com so we can keep in touch

[mickey001]

I'm the type that wants an ice cold diet coke as soon as I wake up in the morning as well. On my last HAL cruise I taped together two 12 packs, added a luggage tag and left them with the porter with the rest of my luggage. I not only had plenty of diet coke on hand when I wanted it, I didn't have to lug it onto the ship. :D

[iflyrc5]

Thankfully, HAL's done away with that nonsense (making announcements). It's now a silent disembarkation. You'll get a survey midway through the cruise, then receive a card giving you your disembarkation window (I think it's a 15-minute period). When that time comes, you simply walk off the ship. They had this in place last April on the Veendam, and I believe it's been in place fleet-wide for a while now.

 

Sue/WDW1972

Westerdam 2/08/09

One the Prinsendam in Dec 08 they were still calling for colors and numbers for getting off. We were given a letter with a time and the color/number tags. We had a time of 9:15 (second group) but the first group was not called until 9:15 and we were called at 9:30. The was in Ft Lauderdale.