Holland America Line Launches New Electronic Cruise Documents

[FIRELT5]

Beginning with Spring '09 cruises, Green Express Docs Speed Up

Vacation Planning

 

 

Seattle, March 3, 2009 — To make vacation planning easier, Holland

America Line will now provide its guests with quick, convenient and

“green” cruise documentation through its new Express Docs program that

begins with cruises departing May 9, 2009. The premium line’s

eco-friendly cruise documents, Express Docs provide guests with clear,

concise and easily accessible cruise and air travel details. Guests

have 24/7 access and can print boarding passes at their leisure before

a cruise.

 

 

"Express Docs provide all the same information our guests expect and

will also help them finalize vacation plans much quicker and they

provide greater flexibility in providing copies for family and

friends,” said Richard D. Meadows, CTC, executive vice president,

marketing, sales and guest programs. “Guests who still prefer paper

documents can request full cruise documentation and tickets to be

mailed.”

 

 

Beginning on March 10, 2009, guests sailing on all cruises departing

after May 9, 2009, can now request Holland America Line’s Express Docs

and receive a comprehensive, personalized travel summary including

cruise and flight information, itinerary, special request information,

shore excursion reservation information, transfer vouchers, important

notices and a boarding pass to be printed out and brought to the ship

for check-in. While online confirming voyage details, guest can easily

navigate to a shore excursion page to view and book available shore

tours.

 

 

Once final payment is received and the immigration questionnaire is

completed, guests will be able to access their boarding pass

approximately 50 days prior to the voyage date. Suite guests will

receive a special boarding pass to use at the Suite Check-in Desk at

the pier.

 

 

Guests with Holland America Line transfers will not need vouchers as

transfer information is included in the Express Docs forms. Luggage

tags will be available from Holland America Line staff at the pier or

airport at which guests arrive before boarding the ship.

 

 

The Grand World Voyage, Grand Voyages and Alaska CruiseTours will

continue to receive traditional documentation packets due to the

extensive detail provided for these types of extended vacations.

Guests sailing on these departures still may register their

immigration information online at http://www.hollandamerica.com and issue

their "Signature Boarding Pass" for boarding.

[hammybee]

Expected and understandable.

[Sage]

Securing and filling out luggage tags at the pier sounds like a nightmare, as not everyone arrives by plane.

[Pam in CA]

Yay! I had an awful time waiting for my docs for my January 4th cruise on the Amsterdam. Ordinarily, I wouldn't worry since you can just present your passport at check-in but I had a pre-cruise in Rio & Iguazu Falls and needed those docs. They didn't come until a week before I left but I was really sweating them out.

[Mary Ellen]

Expected, but I SURE don't see how this is going to make my cruise experience any better. I already did the immigration, boarding pass and shore ex on-line. NO improvement there. It was nice to be able to fill out out luggage tags at MY convenience. Now I get the 'ability' to do this at the pier. Oh joy. I'll be wanting ours mailed.

 

Express Docs provide guests with clear, concise and easily accessible cruise and air travel details

Is HAL saying they didn't do this with the old method????

[Pam in CA]

Securing and filling out luggage tags at the pier sounds like a nightmare, as not everyone arrives by plane.

Yeah... that doesn't sound very efficient. Princess sends an information packet about two weeks after final payment that includes tour information and booking forms, a "Cruise Answer Book", and your luggage tags. That works very well.

[Pam in CA]

Is HAL saying they didn't do this with the old method????

With the old method, if you really needed your pre-cruise hotel, flight information and transfers, it's no fun waiting for it to arrive at the last minute, wondering whether it would arrive at all.

[AZjohn]

Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. We just never got the same excitement with other cruise lines e-docs as we did when HAL’s doc’s arrived Fed Ex. The day they arrive my wife and I would meet in our bed that night and read all the silly stuff that was in the doc package. It just kind of made the upcoming trip a little more “real”;).

I will still ask my TA to get the “old school” doc’s this next cruise, but have a feeling sooner than later that will not be an option anymore.

Thanks,

John

[Mary Ellen]

Now Pam, you have to admit that how late your SA docs arrived was an unsual situation. Our normal TA gets our docs about 2 months ahead of sailing. I don't see how this 'improvement' is going to be any clearer or concise. Sorry.

[azrose]

This is our first cruise with Holland America....think I want to "experience" the old school way too!! Love the touchy, feely of the docs and the anticipation of awaiting their arrival---what will become of the "doc dance" now??? :D

[Desdemona01]

as if there isn't enough chaos at the pier--now everyone will be trying to fill out luggage tags....

 

I like the Princess way of doing it--hope HAL adopts it....

 

glad I've saved my lovely blue fabric folders from past cruises.....

[Harry1954]

Most of the stuff in the docs is not needed ... so I can understand what they are doing. That having been said, I really think they are making a strategic mistake with the luggage tags. First of all, it IDs others on the cruise if you happen to be stalled at the airport. Secondly, I have forgotten to put them ***** my luggage when I claimed it at airport and frantically had to do so at the pier - it was a mess - and it hasn't happened again - but I guess it will in the future. I go with the flow, so I won't be asking for 'old way' but I will miss the luggage tags part of it.

harry

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the information.

[2CarolinaCruisers]

Pretty much echo Harry's thoughts, but unless they make some major changes in their already user UN-friendly E site, there will be more than a few negative entries for HAL to address.

[jtl513]

Besides all of the people who never read the Know Before You Go booklet, we will now have a huge new crop of people who lack any clue about so many things answered there. I think HAL should continue to send that to first-timers.

[YXU AC*SE]

We booked on the Amsterdam at Christmas VERY last minute; had only bought our cabin a week prior to flying out to SCL, so the only documentation we had in hand was our signature boarding pass. When the stevedore met us to take our luggage away, seeing that it wasn't tagged, he had a Sharpie® in hand, and a hip pocket full of bagtags. He asked for our stateroom number (who cares about the rest of the crap), and the tags slapped on the bags (all nine of them) in about the time it took me to digout a tip from my wallet in local currency! Rooms weren't ready, so we checked in, got our key cards and headed back into Valpo. Magically, the luggage arrived. It turned out not being apocalyptic at all ... :-)

 

I'm also the guy who flies with an electronic boarding pass (a text message with a link to a bar code image on my BlackBerry® ) so no paper isn't all too threatening. YMMV.

 

 

 

Scott.

[Susie51]

I'll miss the luggage tags a LOT! It is very difficult sometimes to find them and some ships color code them according to the cabins position on the ship. Then a hard surface to fill them out on is usually not available. Of course, each terminal is different, but in NYC it is a nightmare without luggage tags.

[tomc]

Is that Donald Duck checking in? He wears a red bow tie.

[martinimadam]

I'm really conflicted on this one!

 

The eco-friendly part of me is delighted with the decrease in waste (know before you go booklet [for prior cruisers], all the extra paper, blue cover, etc.)

 

Maybe they'll make some changes to the luggage tags. Never did see the need for all the extra information...that should already be on your luggage somewhere. Just the cabin number should really suffice, and, if the porters have those sharpies, that shouldn't take a second.

 

But, (and it's a big one!) the anticipation-friendly part of me is going to miss waiting for that lovely package to arrive! And doing the doc dance! Guess we'll all have to get used to doing a virtual doc dance!

[GeriatricNurse]

Securing and filling out luggage tags at the pier sounds like a nightmare, as not everyone arrives by plane.

 

 

My thoughts exactly! It sounds as though you will be filling out your luggage tags on your knee just before boarding! An unnecessary aggrivation to say the least! Luggage tags should, as is currently done, filled out (and attached), BEFORE arriving at the pier!

[YXU AC*SE]

But, (and it's a big one!) the anticipation-friendly part of me is going to miss waiting for that lovely package to arrive! And doing the doc dance! Guess we'll all have to get used to doing a virtual doc dance!

 

Trust me, Martinimadam, I think one could dance just as well when your documents are virtual! We booked an outside guarantee (HH) and were showing as GUAR for OLCI. The next day we checked for our cabin assignment, we were assigned a B category verandah. It was quite easy to jig!! I've always printed (if required) what I wanted from HALs website versus relying on the package.

 

Plus the elimination of courier / docs / administrivia / paper air coupons contains the cruise lines costs, which is more EBITDA for them (I'm a CCL shareholder) and/or savings for us! I'd rather forgo a pleather document pouch and keep the quality of shipboard product up!

 

Scott.

[GeriatricNurse]

I'll miss the luggage tags a LOT! It is very difficult sometimes to find them and some ships color code them according to the cabins position on the ship. Then a hard surface to fill them out on is usually not available. Of course, each terminal is different, but in NYC it is a nightmare without luggage tags.

 

 

Hey, that's what knees are for! As for the knees being a "hard surface" is another matter!

[kryos]

Expected, but I SURE don't see how this is going to make my cruise experience any better.

HAL has actually been doing this for a while ... maybe I was part of a test group? Last September/October I printed out an express boarding pass and that was the only thing they asked me for at the pier. Yes, they had sent me paper docs, but never even asked for them. They didn't even ask for my credit card to swipe as that had apparently already had a hold placed on it based upon the credit card info I provided online. The woman just asked for the express boarding pass, my "have you been sick" questionnaire and my passport, and I was good to go. Snapped my boarding photo, gave me my room card and it was onward to the ship in less than maybe, at the most, ten minutes.

 

I personally think this is a great idea and frankly am surprised HAL didn't do it sooner. As for the luggage tags, what's the problem with filling them out at the airport or the pier? Just have a pen handy in your bag. I don't see much of a problem with that.

 

As for missing paper docs, I'll be honest ... once I was onboard the ship, I tossed them right into the waste basket. Just unnecessary stuff to bring home.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[sail7seas]

Yup....... add me to the list of not liking the idea of not receiving luggage tags pre arrival at the dock.

 

BAD Idea IMO

 

I don't mind about on line docs but really, really see problems with not having tags.

[kryos]

Trust me, Martinimadam, I think one could dance just as well when your documents are virtual!

Oh, just pick up the laptop and dance with it in your arms. It's a nicer doc dance that way. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita