A new HAL Blog! (Yes, I'm a HAL employee!)

[fun_seeker]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][SIZE="3"]Hi Betty,
We got our the Shareholder OBC in January for our May voyage, so I expect the info is still good and you can do it all by e-mail. Just click on the link at the bottom of this posting to access the information you need. We got next day service.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Sissy Ruth]

Hi Dutch,
Thanks ever so for all the valuable info you provide in this thread. I have
a question - we are booked on Statendam departing SD 10/30/09, so
of course, next evening will be Halloween. Do they usually have a costume party for this and how does that usually work -- after dinner
or what?:confused: Thanks in advance
Cindy

[kazu]

[quote name='jtl513']Has he tried the Indonesian Sambal that is readily available on all the ships? The waiters loooooove to bring that out and watch people's reaction when they taste it! :D

See [URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambal[/URL][/quote]

thanks so much. I think this is what we had in the Queen's lounge and now that I know the name I will ask for it. Before in the regular dining room all they offered was tabasco. They will be so dissapointed in my husband. They brought a little bit out and everyone crowded around and when he was done he asked if he could have a bit more! What can I say he's Mexican and Spanish. Thanks for telling me the name. Now I know what to ask for. Jacqui

[audjewel]

Can one substitute their own combo of packages ie: the suite amenities pkg or couples pkgs or well being package? or is it just what is offered.
ALSO does the cruise ship have any packages on just the alpha capsule treatment and perhaps the hydro pool Audrey

[fun_seeker]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][SIZE="3"]Hi Dutch,
This is a question that was posted on another thread, but we think it really belongs here. "Do you have any information on what changes HAL is considering for the Mariner program, if any?"
Thanks[/SIZE][/FONT]

[serendipity1499]

Hi Betty,

We got our the Shareholder OBC in January for our May voyage, so I expect the info is still good and you can do it all by e-mail. Just click on the link at the bottom of this posting to access the information you need. We got next day service.

 

Hi Funseeker...Could not find a link to access at the bottom of your post..

I have no problem sending a FAX for our OBC, as don't need to use DH's PC for that..But would like to know if it's Reservations or Ann in Special Accounts Dept. which I should FAX our Satement to.. And hope they will reply by e-mail..

Thanks for your help..Betty.

P.S. BTW..Are you using comic sans ms, Italicized & size 3 font?It's really very nice & I've been experimenting with fonts..

[FoghornLeghorn]

Just wondering if you can answer any questions about the Gaither Homecoming Cruises that are twice a year....

 

I assume no casino opened during those?

Do the entertainers and their family all stay in the same area or deck?

Do they interact with the cruisers?

Are there the normal trivia and activities, or is it mostly gospel/religious oriented activities?

 

Any information would be much appreciated.

 

:)

[DutchByAssociation]

Lots of stuff to respond to... I'll go line by line in red.

Hi Dutch..Again want to thank you for your patience & all the helpful information you give us..Always enjoy reading your posts & Blog..

Thanks!

 

You may have addressed this before, but of course I never needed the info...Now that I've bit the bullet & own Carnival stock, I'm getting ready to request our OBC for our Nov. Cruise..

 

The Carnival Shareholder Benefit states we should contact:

 

World Cruise Reservations at:

Ph: 800-522-3399 FAX 206 281-0627...

Correct

 

However in Aug. of 2006 a poster by the name of "Southbound" stated that future requests for Stockholder credit is no longer handled by the Reservation Administration Dept..He said all future requests for OBC should be sent to:

Special Accounts Dept. Attn: Ann same phone & FAX number..

Do you know which is correct:

The above that I shrunk is extremely outdated.

 

In addition since the stock is indicated on our monthly brokerage statement, is it permissible to white out all the other info with the exception of our names, address, & the Carnival Stock info..

Not sure what all the World Cruise desk folks need to see. Call and ask before you modify the document

 

Do you know if the appropriate Dept. will confirm our OBC by e-mail rather than FAX..I'm very computer challenged when it comes to setting up our FAX for incoming FAX's..

 

Our FAX machine is tied to our home phone & answering machine plus DH's PC, which I try to stay away from..DH's PC is completely different than mine..If anything goes wrong with his P.C. he will probably blame me for it...;)LOL

I'm sure they can accommodate you. Just ask about this as well when you call.

 

Thanks so much for your help..

 

Have a good day..

Thanks, you too!

 

Betty

[DutchByAssociation]

Hi Dutch,

Thanks ever so for all the valuable info you provide in this thread. I have

a question - we are booked on Statendam departing SD 10/30/09, so

of course, next evening will be Halloween. Do they usually have a costume party for this and how does that usually work -- after dinner

or what?:confused: Thanks in advance

Cindy

 

Ship Services should either have or can get that info for you... I've never actually been onboard over Halloween.

[DutchByAssociation]

Can one substitute their own combo of packages ie: the suite amenities pkg or couples pkgs or well being package? or is it just what is offered.

ALSO does the cruise ship have any packages on just the alpha capsule treatment and perhaps the hydro pool Audrey

 

The packages are all pre-set. Amenities may change slightly or increase in quantity for longer sailings though. Ship Services can assist with that.

 

Not sure on the alpha capsule but there is a daily, weekly, or cruise-long pass for the hydropool and thermal suites. Ship services has prices or you can ask onboard.

[DutchByAssociation]

Hi Dutch,

This is a question that was posted on another thread, but we think it really belongs here. "Do you have any information on what changes HAL is considering for the Mariner program, if any?"

Thanks

 

This information is strictly internal at this time and I can't divulge ANY details other than to say that any announcement to the public about this program will be done by press release.

 

But here's my promise to you: If you follow my blog, the MOMENT the release comes out I will post a copy of it on my blog for all of the readers.

 

Unfortunately though, I'm not willing to risk my job by giving any advance notice or hints about this. You all understand, right? :)

[DutchByAssociation]

Just wondering if you can answer any questions about the Gaither Homecoming Cruises that are twice a year....

 

I assume no casino opened during those?

Do the entertainers and their family all stay in the same area or deck?

Do they interact with the cruisers?

Are there the normal trivia and activities, or is it mostly gospel/religious oriented activities?

 

Any information would be much appreciated.

 

:)

 

Hi Foggy/Reba-

 

All programming for charter cruises is determined directly by the company that chartered the ship. You would have to go to Gaither directly with your questions, as they know what they wish to do and are planning to do.

 

But if you have questions about whatever specific ship it might be (public rooms, if your dress will clash with the curtains in the Ocean Bar :D, etc ), I'm happy to help with that sort of thing

[fun_seeker]

Hi Funseeker...Could not find a link to access at the bottom of your post..

I have no problem sending a FAX for our OBC, as don't need to use DH's PC for that..But would like to know if it's Reservations or Ann in Special Accounts Dept. which I should FAX our Satement to.. And hope they will reply by e-mail..

Thanks for your help..Betty.

P.S. BTW..Are you using comic sans ms, Italicized & size 3 font?It's really very nice & I've been experimenting with fonts..

Hi Betty,

This is the information that we have:

We've utilized email for the on-board credits. The address we have is as follows:

 

WorldCruisereservations@hollandamerica.com

 

We made it to the attention of Karen Stuart.

 

Be sure when transmitting as an attachment to X out your account number, balances, etc. for security purposes.

 

All the good folks at HAL would like is for you to provide proof of ownership: a current trade statement that shows date of ownership or recent trade confirmation of at least a 100 shares.

 

You should receive an email confirmation within 2-3 business days. Be sure to print out, send a copy to your TA (if applicable) and take the copy with in case it does not show up on your final payment invoice.

 

Certainly a fax is an alternative (and not all that much more trouble).

 

For anyone else having trouble finding the link or wanting more information, it is at the bottom of the page as "Shareholder OBC Program Information."

 

We are using ComicSansMS size 3. No italics.

[fun_seeker]

This information is strictly internal at this time and I can't divulge ANY details other than to say that any announcement to the public about this program will be done by press release.

 

But here's my promise to you: If you follow my blog, the MOMENT the release comes out I will post a copy of it on my blog for all of the readers.

 

Unfortunately though, I'm not willing to risk my job by giving any advance notice or hints about this. You all understand, right? :)

Thanks, Dutch. We can appreciate the restraint you are under and your apology is certainly not necessary. We have checked your blog from time to time, but will now have to do it more often.

[jtl513]

Just wondering if you can answer any questions about the Gaither Homecoming Cruises that are twice a year....

 

I assume no casino opened during those?

Do the entertainers and their family all stay in the same area or deck?

Do they interact with the cruisers?

Are there the normal trivia and activities, or is it mostly gospel/religious oriented activities?

 

Any information would be much appreciated.

 

:)

CLICK HERE for a recent thread about this charter. The OP was able to determine that the casino and all bars will be closed for the cruise. There is a phone number in that thread that you can call for your other questions.

[jetstorm]

After reading another thread about the HAL ships closing the buffet lines between meals, I thought I'd ask you why don't they do as Princess does and close one line and leave the other open, then switch as the closed one is ready to open back up, for those of us who don't eat at "normal" times or are perhaps hungry after an excursion? I realize HAL has a sandwich bar and offers some food at the pool, but sometimes we want more than a sandwich and have found the line at the pool grill to be very long and slow moving. They need more cooks out there if that is all they are offering. Thank you for addressing this. I hate to complain but also know that sometimes that's how companies know to make changes. Let's hope HAL is listening to it's customers. Thanks also for starting this thread and answering our questions, it's very helpful.

[LINY123]

We are planning for a large group to visit Bermuda in June, 2010 and are considering both Holland America's Veendam and Norwegian Dawn. Just recently sailed the Dawn and liked freestyle dining and casual dress attire. The group is comprised of mixed ages who would like a casual dress code even on formal nights... Do you have to get dressed up to dine? Any suggestions would be helpful...

[jtl513]

After reading another thread about the HAL ships closing the buffet lines between meals, I thought I'd ask you why don't they do as Princess does and close one line and leave the other open, then switch as the closed one is ready to open back up, for those of us who don't eat at "normal" times or are perhaps hungry after an excursion?

We haven't eaten dinner in the Lido very often, but when we have we have seen one side used for passengers and the other side for crew only. If they used the crew side for passengers, even temporarily, they would end up with passengers sitting on that side.

 

According to the Daily Programs from our last cruise, the Lido deli was open every day until 5:00p and the full dinner line opened at 5:30p, so you'd only have a 1/2 hour to 'cope'. :)

[RuthC]

The group is comprised of mixed ages who would like a casual dress code even on formal nights... Do you have to get dressed up to dine? Any suggestions would be helpful...

Good news! You can dine in casual dress in the Lido, and have most of the same food items found on the menu in the main dining room. You are also free to order room service. Again, during dining room hours, you may order from that menu.

[Bobed1927]

We booked a 20 day cruise in November on the Noordam. I subsequently discovered that it's actually two ten day cruises combined. Would we have been better off if we had booked the ten day cruises separately as back to back?

[serendipity1499]

Thanks so much Dutch for the info..Betty

[serendipity1499]

Hi Betty,

This is the information that we have:

We've utilized email for the on-board credits. The address we have is as follows:

 

WorldCruisereservations@hollandamerica.com

 

We made it to the attention of Karen Stuart.

 

Be sure when transmitting as an attachment to X out your account number, balances, etc. for security purposes.

 

All the good folks at HAL would like is for you to provide proof of ownership: a current trade statement that shows date of ownership or recent trade confirmation of at least a 100 shares.

 

You should receive an email confirmation within 2-3 business days. Be sure to print out, send a copy to your TA (if applicable) and take the copy with in case it does not show up on your final payment invoice.

 

Certainly a fax is an alternative (and not all that much more trouble).

 

For anyone else having trouble finding the link or wanting more information, it is at the bottom of the page as "Shareholder OBC Program Information."

 

We are using ComicSansMS size 3. No italics.

 

Thanks so much funseeker..Have a good weekend..Betty

[serendipity1499]

We booked a 20 day cruise in November on the Noordam. I subsequently discovered that it's actually two ten day cruises combined. Would we have been better off if we had booked the ten day cruises separately as back to back?

 

Didn't you find that your 20 day cruise was about 10% less in price than the two ten day cruises? Did HAL advertise it as a 20 day cruise?

We booked a 28 day on the Statendam in Nov. which is actually two 14 day cruises B2B..Our cruise is considerably less in price than if we booked the two 14 day cruises seperately...In addition HAL advertised it as a 28 day cruise...

Booking it as one cruise gives you one booking No. & guarantees the same cabin on both segments..

 

Betty

[DutchByAssociation]

After reading another thread about the HAL ships closing the buffet lines between meals, I thought I'd ask you why don't they do as Princess does and close one line and leave the other open, then switch as the closed one is ready to open back up, for those of us who don't eat at "normal" times or are perhaps hungry after an excursion? I realize HAL has a sandwich bar and offers some food at the pool, but sometimes we want more than a sandwich and have found the line at the pool grill to be very long and slow moving. They need more cooks out there if that is all they are offering. Thank you for addressing this. I hate to complain but also know that sometimes that's how companies know to make changes. Let's hope HAL is listening to it's customers. Thanks also for starting this thread and answering our questions, it's very helpful.

 

Besides what you mention of the Terrace Grill being open (this would include Slice at the aft pool of...currently... Eurodam and Veendam), there is also room service which during the middle of the day offers everything from shrimp cocktail and fruit plates, to hamburgers and salmon steaks. I definitely see your point, but the easiest way to get a station turned over is to close it (my opinion at least) and have everyone dedicated to that task. That's a great comment to put on the comment cards for ship staff to see though! And who knows... if enough people feel the same way, that's how change happens :)

[DutchByAssociation]

We are planning for a large group to visit Bermuda in June, 2010 and are considering both Holland America's Veendam and Norwegian Dawn. Just recently sailed the Dawn and liked freestyle dining and casual dress attire. The group is comprised of mixed ages who would like a casual dress code even on formal nights... Do you have to get dressed up to dine? Any suggestions would be helpful...

 

It's your choice. If you dine in the Lido at dinner, the dress code is basically "have clothes on" (see website for the details, but it's very casual...) You can also get the main dining room menu available as room service during dining room hours. If you have a balcony, that's a great way to dine on at least one night!

 

And for the smart casual and formal nights (see website) you are expected to follow along with the dress code