FIRELT5 Posted March 3, 2009 #1 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammybee Posted March 3, 2009 #2 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Expected and understandable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sage Posted March 3, 2009 #3 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Securing and filling out luggage tags at the pier sounds like a nightmare, as not everyone arrives by plane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CA Posted March 3, 2009 #4 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Ellen Posted March 3, 2009 #5 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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 detailsIs HAL saying they didn't do this with the old method???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CA Posted March 3, 2009 #6 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CA Posted March 3, 2009 #7 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZjohn Posted March 3, 2009 #8 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Ellen Posted March 3, 2009 #9 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azrose Posted March 3, 2009 #10 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desdemona01 Posted March 3, 2009 #11 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry1954 Posted March 3, 2009 #12 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted March 3, 2009 #13 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Thanks for the information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2CarolinaCruisers Posted March 3, 2009 #14 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtl513 Posted March 3, 2009 #15 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YXU AC*SE Posted March 3, 2009 #16 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie51 Posted March 3, 2009 #17 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomc Posted March 3, 2009 #18 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Is that Donald Duck checking in? He wears a red bow tie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinimadam Posted March 3, 2009 #19 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeriatricNurse Posted March 3, 2009 #20 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YXU AC*SE Posted March 3, 2009 #21 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeriatricNurse Posted March 3, 2009 #22 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kryos Posted March 3, 2009 #23 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted March 3, 2009 #24 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kryos Posted March 3, 2009 #25 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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