You're our HAL Standby Pioneer. Thank you for sharing your trials and tribulations. You can always spot a pioneer, they are the ones with the arrows in their back. Looking forward to following your continuing saga.
Reminds me of the story as to how to identify General Custer -- he's the one wearing an Arrow shirt. (Actually, it's only people old enough to remember Arrow brand shirts that get that joke anymore.) Thanks for the title. I will wear it proudly and will continue to keep everyone informed as we forge ahead across the prairie. Uh, make that ocean...
My experience was so different. I found out 5 days before. I also got a much better cabin than I expected. It was a window cabin on the promenade deck. I met someone who booked standby just two weeks before sailing and also got notification 5 days before. Her cabin was porthole on deck 1. From my experience, and brief discussion with a HAL rep, I think you have a better chance in less popular sailing dates. In my case May for Canada-New England. I plan to try for Alaska but it may be 2nd or near last sailing of the season. For excursions, I will choose one with another provider if it’s cancelable. For me, the no single supplement will be the big draw.
@@tonyintrevado8960it was the Volendam sailed May 18, 2024 Montreal to Boston. I live about a 7 hour drive from Montreal. I took a train from Toronto to Montreal. Plan was to spend the weekend with a friend if I didn’t get on. Also booked a refundable flight from Boston back to Toronto. It was the 2nd sailing from Montreal that season, 3rd sailing overall. Volendam is one of HAL’s oldest ships but by far my favourite (only my 3rd cruise). I absolutely loved it. I didn’t book excursions because all the ports were walkable and easy to explore on your own. With the exception of Sidney, NS, I didn’t regret it. If you’re curious about the ship watch Cruising Canucks, they are Canadian vloggers and were on the same cruise. They do a ship tour and daily vlogs.
Is there a good site to check availability, and not have to go through every deck and count available cabins? Think you'd be able to figure out your chances. Maybe one of the sites with price prediction can give you the odds of selling out.
I've been looking for a site like that, and haven't found it. I would love a site that says this ship is 98% sold out and this one is 85%. If anyone out there knows such a site, please let us know.
Thanks for the kind words! I would love that. In my working life I did have experience in this area, but in the medical field. Are you a veteran cruiser?
That's a great story. I met my wife in Yellowstone, where we were summer employees. We celebrate 50 years this week. Here's to many years of retired cruises.
I am Standby for the 42 day cruise in November. I had been looking at this cruise for months and wanted to on it very much. I am going solo and live 5 hrs from port. This is the only way I could ever go on a cruise like this so it is worth the anxiety.
Oh my, great vid, and very informative. Love your ideas for plan b and c in order to cope, lessen the potential monetary losses, and still have a great time.
I've been wanting to go on a cruise for a while now, but the 100% markup for single cruisers has prevented me from doing so. Not having to pay double (+getting a nice discount) made this a good option for me, since I'm flexible with time and live close to a participating cruise port. I've just put myself on the standby list for a HAL cruise leaving from Amsterdam in August. Keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a cabin available.
Good call! I agree that not paying the singles supplement is a huge advantage to this. Let us know if you are able to get on the ship. We will be sailing in the Baltic in August on a different cruise line. We have always been intrigued by the Queen Mary II, and are doing an 8 night sailing out of Hamburg to see the Norwegian fjords. We anticipate a very different experience.
I’m planning to stay on the list until the ship sails. I am planning to be at the pier, packed and ready to go. I’ll either be onboard or waving the ship goodbye. I am 25 minutes away from the pier in Seattle.
@@mytravelwindow3061today was the day… I did not get on. Here’s what happened… my standby cruise was to Alaska out of Seattle 6/29 to 7/6. I got an email Thursday evening saying no cabins. Like Ken’s email, it gave me the option to cancel then or stay on the list. The email said I could potentially be called up to the time of sailing. So, being 25 minutes away I Replied that I’d stay on the list until the ship sailed. My plan was to drive down to the terminal this morning and wait for the call. I called Friday morning and confirmed I was on the standby list until sailing. Late last night (Friday) I checked my booking online. It said my booking was cancelled. I called first thing this morning, and did not give up easily, but after about 30 minutes was told that they do not allow passengers to board with less than 24 hours of processing time, because they have to get luggage tags and boarding passes ready. They would not budge and without an active booking I would not be able to do anything. Very disappointed, mostly about the communication. 😑
Oh, Tracy, I'm sad for you. Something doesn't add up here, because I have read reports of people who have been given space on the day of sailing. So there is something missing in that answer. If they are going to cancel you 24 hours in advance, why give you 2 options at the 48-hour point? When we filled out all of the check-in process, it gave us the option to print luggage tags, which we did. I thought that was a bit odd, since there was no cabin assignment on the tag. How many days in advance of the cruise did you sign up? And do you know if any other standby cruisers got on?
We live about 45 minutes from the terminal of Amsterdam and about 2 hours from Rotterdam. We would not book a stand-by cruise where we would have to fly. No stress on our holiday. No excursions available? We book at HAL or else a short one in the port were We are, never a problem. I'm still waiting how this will evolve.
I couldn't see these cruises from the USA, so I used my VPN to log in with an IP address in Amsterdam, and now I see this info. Rates are different, but apparently include port fees??? And there is a graduated cancellation policy. I suspect I would have trouble booking one of these as an American.
@@mytravelwindow3061 Yes that is correct. The rates are €69.= or €99.= p.p.p.d. The reduced rate of €69 or €99 per day is included port fees, taxes and levies. If you choose to remove yourself from the standby list, cancellation fees will apply. The following cancellation conditions apply: +46 days before departure 20% / 45-29 days before departure 50% / 28-16 days before departure 75% / 15 days before departure 100%. I don't know if you cannot book as an American but one of the rules is that you have to be on a short drivingdistance from Rotterdam, Amsterdam or IJmuiden. It does not specific say you have to live in The Netherlands or Europe although I guess that is the intention.....
Thank you for the comments you made here. This led me to do the research that led to my newest video, that I released yesterday (July 8) regarding the expansion of the program to Europe. I really appreciate the information! I would LOVE to be able to participate in some of these.
Had looked at HAL's program a couple of months back. We live far from either Seattle or Florida ports. Would have to cancel both air and flights receiving the email you did. Bit of a hassle, but probably worth it. Your video was so well done. Subscribed to your channel. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful! Unfortunately, I don't think the HAL standby program will let you know a week in advance unless there is a big drop off in demand. And in that case, they would probably re-do the program.
I am sorry you did not get on your cruise. I’m retiring at the end of this year and it was very tempted by a 35 day Hawaiian Mara islands cruise. I opted for an 11 day Mexican Riviera. The representative said they were only inside Cabins. So I was charged at the $99 a day rate. I’m within two hours driving distance or I could take the train. I think what I’ll do as it gets closer is drive down, stay the night before in a hotel. If it don’t get on the cruise, they’re plenty of other things to do in San Diego. I’ll let you know what happens.
I hope you make the ship! Our 42-day November sailing still shows as not sold out, so I'm hoping we make it. But like you, we have a continent plan for vacation near Fort Lauderdale if it doesn't work. We are in Europe for the month of August, so I missed the fact that HAL posted their fall itinerary cruises. Your posting caused me to check out the new trips. They have some great itineraries. But one of the trips that I checked out actually has a discounted fare lower than the standby. Their program won't work going forward if they keep pricing it that way!
Great video. Only thing is be careful when posting paperwork with booking number apparently there is a glitch with booking number and last name people can access your booking.
Yikes! You are right that I was not careful with booking number. It was on 2 of the documents. I blocked it on one but not the other. By the time I posted this video my booking had disappeared from my record. I had copied this the day before. So I tried going online and looking up the number but it wasn't listed. I will be more careful. Thank you!
If you were planning on heading to Seattle, a third option would be booking a last minute cruise on another ship either in Seattle or Vancouver. We have vacations where plan A had a hurricane coming so we had a plan B 300 miles off ahore just in case ...
Good idea. We actually checked into that, and there was an inside cabin available on a Norwegian ship the same day. But by that time we had cancelled the hotel, and it was more money and less interesting, so we decided not to. I said in the video that we plan B for Florida is Disney World, but there are a half dozen last minute Caribbean cruises that we have checked out and that might actually be plan B in November. It may depend on weather and timing. I honestly expect that ship NOT to sell out, and think we will get on.
@@mytravelwindow3061 Another idea would be to make a stand-by cruise the second cruise in a back to back. That way, you are already at the port. I received a casino deal on Carnival last month . I decided to book a Miami cruise a day after a cruise on the Regal Princess that was disembarking in FLL.
interesting video. Thanks for sharing your experience. My brother lives 90 minutes from San Diego, I am in Colorado. So if I were to do this I would either fly out to see him for a week or so to catch a HAL ship out of SD, or fly off the FL like you were thinking. (thumbs up #445)
We did not make Westerdam Aug 4 Seattle to Alaska. We got the email at 1:30AM on the day of sailing that they canceled our standby and would be refunding our money. We are from Iowa and flew to Seattle and went with plan b vacay - Mt Rainier, Astoria, OR, Olympic National Park. Sad to miss the cruise but had a nice time. I will be booking a cruise in the future w/o standby because I miss the ship life.
@@robinvanraden1081 Sorry you didn't make the ship. I think you have the right idea with plan b vacation. That is what we plan for our Nov standby. We also booked regular cruise; just finishing 7 days on Cunard Queen Mary 2. Video next month...
I'm a frequent HAL cruiser and hadn't heard of this program. I could make the Florida ports with 48 hrs notice. I'll me curious how this program works out, and have signed up, looking forward to any updates.
Yes, once you are actually assigned a room, you become a "regular" cruiser and all benefits apply. The only things that don't work are discounts at booking. Since it is already discounted, you don't get things like military discounts on top of that.
For our Alaska itinerary the old price came to just over $100. We paid a total of $1405 for a 7 day cruise for 2 people. So the price differential is very dependent on the port stops.
Inspired by your video I call HAL to buy a standby ticket on a cruise leaving from Ft Lauderdale but on the website there were no Caribbean cruises listed as available yet. How were you able to buy yours?
HAL loaded out the entire summer schedule in March, which included the Ft. Lauderdale trip we booked. A few of the longer trips were later removed from the listings, probably because they had as many standby bookings as they needed. Our cruise was there for about 2 months before it was pulled. If they stick to a similar schedule in the fall, I would look for the Caribbean cruises to show up around September.
What if you stay on the list till boarding, get picked , but too late to get to the port? I understand that you are now committed and cannot be refunded. So, can you board at the next port, like anyone else could that missed their embarkation port?
I don't know the answer to that question. You would need to be on the ship manifest, which means HAL would have to know before sailing that you planned to do this. So I think it would be possible with the right communications.
Thanks for watching! We are violating all of the guidelines for the trip we have booked in November. Fort Lauderdale is actually further from us than any other port. But this was the longest standby cruise available, at 42 days. And since it involves a double transatlantic and lots of sea days it is looking like it will not sell out. We booked it for essentially half price, and we get to see at least 3 bucket list destinations -- Morocco, Egypt, and Gibraltar. So we committed, and decided that if it fell through we would just do an alternate vacation in Florida. In my mind, this is the only type of combination that will work if we are far away. Apparently they had lots of interest, because this can no longer be booked standby even though it isn't yet sold out.
The easiest way is directly with Holland America. The info is all at this site: www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/cruise-deals/standby-program But your first question when you get a representative should be "Do you know how to book a standby cruise?" I still hear reports of agents who don't know how to do it, and you will save a lot of time making sure. What they will want to know is the cruise id, which is in the far right column of the page above (e.g. X472). Remember you have to pay up front.
That is my understanding also, but I will defer to someone else who may know more. My whole goal was to never get into that situation. This is a significant issue in Alaska, because the fees represented about half of what we actually paid.
We were Standby on 7/7/24 Sold Out Westerdam 7 Day and never got Email from Holland America prior to the cruise. When no HAL Email at +48 Hours we called HAL Ship Inventory and was hold to just wait for an Email that never came.
Yeah, we booked this the day it was listed, so pretty sure we were at the top of the list. Next one is much more likely. 42 day double transatlantic. I don't think it will completely sell out.
@@mytravelwindow3061 those don’t sell out so you have a better chance with that one. I will be booking the first ones out of San Diego as soon as Alaska is over in September.
Yes, it is a very good deal for solo travelers. This seem intentional, perhaps because solo travelers have more flexibility and that is the passengers they are trying to target.
Hi this is a great channel. Question if you go on standby for verandah but none come available will they offer an inside if one is available? then give refund for difference or onboard credit? Also for better odds of getting on ship should you pay inside or verandah? thank you
After I was selected for the inside cabin 2 days prior to sail date, a second email arrived giving me the option to upgrade to a Veranda for $99.00, I kept my inside cabin.
Fred is absolutely correct, but he booked his trip before they added the $79 balcony option. If you choose a balcony option now, and only an inside is available, they give you the choice. Do you want the inside for $49 (they refund you the difference) or do you want to pass on an inside? So the $79 option certainly gives you the most choice right now.
I booked before the verandah option became available. When I called to "upgrade" one person said I couldn't (and they obviously didn't even know anything about the Standby program). So, I called again and got a person that knew about Standby, thought I could upgrade, but wasn't sure. For fear of losing my place in line or losing my Standby booking all together I opted not to upgrade. We'll see if I get any room on Saturday :)
@@TracyPlouse Well, let's see how many different answers we can get. I called, was told I could upgrade, because like you I booked before the Verandah availability. He tried. When it didn't work, he put me on hold while he tried to find someone else to help him. Finally came back and said there is no way to do it. So I think you have all that you can. Let us know how it turns out!
Thanks for that hint. I used a VPN to log in as if I were in Amsterdam, and was able to see the info. Different rates, cancellation is different, and payment apparently already has port fees included, but mostly the same. Let me know how it works if you try it out!
Yeah, I agree it is stressful. We have a standby on a 42-day trip out of Fort Lauderdale in November. I felt sure we would get on, as there were still 90 open cabins with just over 60 days to go. But suddenly the ship shows as sold out less than a week later. I think it has to do with guarantee cabins. Now that they have changed the pricing to include port fees, it makes everything other than Alaska less attractive. We won't book a future standby. Too much stress, to little reward.
Hello and thanks for this video. When I found out about this program, I called HAL and guess what, the HAL agent knew nothing about it, and I was put on hold for over 30 minutes until the agent came back on the phone and still could not provide any information. I called three other times and still was not able to get any information about the program. The HAL agents are not trained on this program so a total waste of my time to call and the website, no comment. I have two HAL cruises coming up before the end of the year and I am going to ask the future cruise consultant about the program and the cruise director some questions during one of the open talks if either one can provide any useful information. Something tells me that they will not know anything as well.
I would be interested to know what the cruise consultants tell you. Not only is information hard to find, the administration of the list seems to vary. But it may seem that way because there is no info as to where you stand in the queue.
I was on standby on the Koningsdam to Alaska but there was no cabins available. Disappointing, but since I get a full refund, no big deal. I'm thinking of trying standby again on a Canada/New England cruise in the fall.
Hi did you try peak season like a June July cruise? Also what was the departure port? I went to site and see nothing but Alaska cruises. Nothing from Calif.
I think this is a terminology issue. According to a Carnival Q&A website, the Dept of Homeland Security requires a final ship manifest one hour before departure. This is a record of who is actually on the ship. So a person could be a ticketed passenger who didn't make it (missed the plane, became ill or lost, etc.). These would be on the passenger list but not the manifest. I think this is how HAL counts you. Because we have filled out all the paperwork and paid our money, we are listed as a passenger. You either remove yourself from the passenger list in the last 24-48 hours, or they remove you when you either don't show up or don't get a room. In essence, HAL has oversold the ship, which works if people understand the process and the cruise line can deal with it. If a cruise line doesn't want to deal with this, then the deadline can be set earlier. This is my understanding. If anyone has a correction to this, please chime in.
The standby program is available in the Netherlands since May 1st, 2024 for sailings from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and IJmuiden. For €69/day you're on the list for an inside or oceanview cabin (including all taxes). For €99/day (including all taxes) you're on the list for a verandah cabin. The 3rd and 4th person in the same cabin travel for free, but they have to pay taxes. I tried to explain this in a video to the Dutch guests of HAL. This is the link: ua-cam.com/video/d1ph2izAD4A/v-deo.html We love your videos!
Thanks! I couldn't see this until I used by VPN and signed in using an IP address from Amsterdam. This is a great sign that HAL is comfortable with expanding the program, and it makes sense that this is the region to expand.
Yeah, I don't think I have heard of a single person who actually was notified at the 7 day point. If the cruise isn't sold out, it seems people start getting notified around the 5 day mark. If it is sold out, they learn in the last 48 hours. Does anyone else reading these comments know of someone who heard more than 5 days in advance?
Yeah, there is a certain target audience. We will let you know how it works for us to fly across country to Florida for our next cruise. That only works if you are willing to fly whether or not you get on the ship.
Haha. Family members also asked that question. My wife was mostly packed when we called it off. I had focused on doing everything else, like getting the house ready for us to be gone. We travel multiple times each year, and I know by experience that I can pack in about an hour.
On other cruise lines, it’s called “Guaranteed Cabins” or GTY. It’s just that HAL has created an actual program around this. If other cruise lines were smart, they wouldn’t allow people on the GTY list to reserve excursions, book flights, etc. either, because WHEN cruisers are turned away at the pier, they want compensation for those provisions. So, cruising on the cheap like that saves money, but at what costs? Also, it’s wise to buy travelers insurance when booking GTY or Standby, otherwise you’d have to be ready to blow those extra “savings.”
@@JoeOtaku Tell that to people who got to the port and got turned away and sent home on RCCL, NCL, etc. You can Google them. It’s a horrible thing to happen, but it happens.
You are right that both of these methods are ways of creating an oversold ship. Lines like RCCL (which has the most bad press about this) operate like airlines. The logic goes like this: we know a certain percentage of people won't show up. So we sell guarantee cabins to fill those slots. As long as the right number of people don't show, no one knows the difference and we sail with a full ship. If someone looks to get "bumped" we offer them incentives to take another sailing. HAL says you pay your money knowing you don't have a slot, but that one may very well open up. If it does, you will gleefully take it, even if it is not a cabin you would usually choose. I agree. Two approaches to the same end. I like HAL's approach better, but essentially the same targeted outcome -- a full ship regardless of last minute changes. And yes, insurance is a good idea.
Perfectly understandable. This is a tradeoff between "more cruises that are less perfect" and "fewer cruises that are just how I like them." I just want to help people clarify how to choose.
For solo cruisers, do you still only pay $49/night (pre tax, grat and fees) if you're placed in a non-studio, normal double-occupancy cabin? If so, that seems like an incredible deal, if your circumstances line up for it. I can't think of any other situations where a solo cruiser can stay in a double-occupancy cabin and not pay double.
No, they actually didn't double it. The new rates INCLUDE taxes and port fees. So instead of a fixed price for the room, you now have a fixed price for the room/taxes combination. Why? California passed a law that went into effect on July 1 that said that all posted cruise prices must now include taxes and port fees. It is too difficult to administer that for just California, so the lines are now doing that universally. To make math easy, let's call the old rate $50 and the new rate $100. When we booked our Alaska cruise, we each paid about $700 -- about 350 in room charges and 350 in port fees. Under the new scheme, you will pay about $700 (for both room and port fees combined). Believe it or not, the Alaska total actually went down by a few dollars. But port fees aren't as high in other regions, so the total paid will usually be a little bit higher under the new pricing. But definitely not double. Does that help?
@@mytravelwindow3061 That's hugely helpful! May I quote you/get in touch w/ you as a source via email for a blog post I'm putting together for Frommer's? You're the most thorough CruiseTuber I've seen on the subject by far!
Thanks for the kind words! I would be happy to be a resource. My channel email address is my.adventure.window@gmail.com. I don't know if you read other comments to this video, but HAL has also just opened this up on May 1 for European travelers out of 3 Baltic area ports. I plan a quick video in the next few days on both the pricing change and the European expansion.
Let us know what happens. What would you have done had the email come saying no cabin at 48-hour point? Were you prepared to wait longer, or would you have opted out then?
@@rogerstorms4414 I'm fascinated by this. So you were onboard a different HAL ship with a regular fare, then wanted to extend the trip with a standby? Wow, that is a whole new idea to me. I'm sorry it didn't work. How far is home away from the port?
That is a fantastic perk! I think it likely that we will run out of either health or money before we get to 5 star status. But with options like that why would you ever do a standby cruise?
@@mytravelwindow3061Hi Ken, another great video. I’m definitely following your StandBy saga. HAL offered us free cabins when we were 1-Star Mariners. The free cabin offers were for cruises within 90-day of sailing, so full payment of port fees & taxes were due immediately. One could not get the AARP credit, but you could get the shareholder credit. We last received the free offers at the end of last year, & I thought HAL created the Standby program to replace the free cabin offers, but I’ve heard that HAL is still offering free cabins (such as this 5-Star) so I’m hopeful we’ll get another offer. HAL actually charges you $100/pp, but you get $100/pp OBC, and you can upgrade to a balcony, etc. for a nominal fee. We did take advantage of 5 free cabin offers & are now 3-Star Mariners. 3-7 day Caribbean cruises (B2B2B), an 18 day Hawaiian Cruise, & a 22 day Antarctic cruise. Haven’t received an offer in the last 6 months though. 😕
Yes, if you have to fly the only way it really works is if you want to stay in the port even if you don't sail, like visit family or do alternate vacation.
@@Artsloops I think the countdown timer goes from midnight at the start of departure day. We received our email about 48 hours before boarding time, i.e. about noon Thur for Sat departure. I would call them rather than fret over when it will come.
I watched your earlier videos on this topic and I never understood why someone would consider doing the standby option. I don’t think that it is worth the aggravation for the money saved.
Yeah, I think this would not be worth it for the vast majority of cruisers. If we only took one cruise in a year, I would never do it. Or if we didn't want uncertainty for a specific cruise, we wouldn't. We had already booked 3 cruises in a 12-month period: Alaska land and sea, Norwegian fjords, and Panama Canal next spring. Would not do any of these on a standby. So these 2 cruises were icing on the cake, and come with a sense of adventure.
I live 30 minutes from the port, if I was retired or had the ability to take off for a week this would be a great way to save money. There is no stress if the standby program is used as it's intended. If you're trying to use it to "get a deal" or if you have other obligations that you'd have to change last minute then the standby program probably isn't a good match for you.
@@mytravelwindow3061 I can understand the adventure component but it can come with an element of frustration. Personally, at my stage in life, I would never do an inside cabin. I don’t go on a cruise just to cruise. I have to be going somewhere where I really want to go.
If you lived very close to a port it would be great. As a retired person if i lived within an hours drive of a HAL port I would be on stand by list after stand by list. Unfortunately we live near Atlanta and HAL doesn't sail out of any drivable ports even 5 hours away.
Disney is a subject of open debate at our house, and it might not happen. We used to live an hour from Disneyland and visited it often in our 20s. We wanted to do modern Disney World once to compare. But our other alternative is to do a last minute Caribbean cruise as our plan b, and we are both leaning toward that instead. It just seemed to be too complicated to say all this in the video. The point was that we will fly there and have a fallback vacation if the cruise doesn't happen. It was easier to just say Disney World than go into all this detail.
Well, we have already done Alaska this year, and we have 2 other cruises booked. So if we could do this one for this price, it would be worth it. But full price wouldn't. So we are still happy with the decision.
HAL certainly hopes they will be sold out, although standby tickets are listed for sale before that happens. HAL knows that on every sailing there will be some last minute cancellations, and the plan is that these bookings will fill those slots. We know (from all the people who have recounted their experiences) that sometimes the ship doesn't sell out, and sometimes it sells out and everyone shows up. But in general, yes, it will be a sold out ship, someone won't make it, and you have the chance to claim their cabin at the last minute.
![Holland America Changes Standby [And What It Means for You]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-je8UUdonaQ/mqdefault.jpg)
You're our HAL Standby Pioneer. Thank you for sharing your trials and tribulations. You can always spot a pioneer, they are the ones with the arrows in their back. Looking forward to following your continuing saga.
Reminds me of the story as to how to identify General Custer -- he's the one wearing an Arrow shirt.
(Actually, it's only people old enough to remember Arrow brand shirts that get that joke anymore.)
Thanks for the title. I will wear it proudly and will continue to keep everyone informed as we forge ahead across the prairie. Uh, make that ocean...
This is the best clearest video I've seen on a very specific cruise topic. Well done. I'm subscribed.
Wow, thanks! I appreciate the kind words and welcome to the channel!
My experience was so different. I found out 5 days before. I also got a much better cabin than I expected. It was a window cabin on the promenade deck. I met someone who booked standby just two weeks before sailing and also got notification 5 days before. Her cabin was porthole on deck 1.
From my experience, and brief discussion with a HAL rep, I think you have a better chance in less popular sailing dates. In my case May for Canada-New England.
I plan to try for Alaska but it may be 2nd or near last sailing of the season. For excursions, I will choose one with another provider if it’s cancelable.
For me, the no single supplement will be the big draw.
I agree with looking at less popular dates. Alaska in shoulder season would be a good option.
Logical. I was thinking same. Can you tell me (Can-Us) which departure port and ship size (60K or 80K tons). Thanks.
@@tonyintrevado8960it was the Volendam sailed May 18, 2024 Montreal to Boston. I live about a 7 hour drive from Montreal. I took a train from Toronto to Montreal. Plan was to spend the weekend with a friend if I didn’t get on. Also booked a refundable flight from Boston back to Toronto.
It was the 2nd sailing from Montreal that season, 3rd sailing overall.
Volendam is one of HAL’s oldest ships but by far my favourite (only my 3rd cruise). I absolutely loved it. I didn’t book excursions because all the ports were walkable and easy to explore on your own. With the exception of Sidney, NS, I didn’t regret it.
If you’re curious about the ship watch Cruising Canucks, they are Canadian vloggers and were on the same cruise. They do a ship tour and daily vlogs.
Is there a good site to check availability, and not have to go through every deck and count available cabins?
Think you'd be able to figure out your chances. Maybe one of the sites with price prediction can give you the odds of selling out.
I've been looking for a site like that, and haven't found it. I would love a site that says this ship is 98% sold out and this one is 85%. If anyone out there knows such a site, please let us know.
I subscribed based on this video. HAL needs to hire you to create customer service content for their website and employee training.
Thanks for the kind words! I would love that. In my working life I did have experience in this area, but in the medical field. Are you a veteran cruiser?
@@mytravelwindow3061 I met my husband on a cruise, back in the 90s! Hoping we can cruise more, now that we are retired.
That's a great story. I met my wife in Yellowstone, where we were summer employees. We celebrate 50 years this week. Here's to many years of retired cruises.
Thank you for all the information, it helps to make the right decission.
I'm glad it was helpful!
I am Standby for the 42 day cruise in November. I had been looking at this cruise for months and wanted to on it very much. I am going solo and live 5 hrs from port. This is the only way I could ever go on a cruise like this so it is worth the anxiety.
Well, we will be right there with you. We will fly in 2 early and plan to wait right up until sailing. Hope we both make it!
Thank you for your support and review. I will follow up with my experience next month. Better luck next time.
Best of luck! I look forward to hearing the results. I think the greatest likelihood of getting on a sold-out ship will be in the last 24 hours.
@@mytravelwindow3061 I plan to go down to the wire at 90 minutes prior…
Thank you for this video. I was wondering about doing this. Now I know a little bit more about it.
You are very welcome! I think HAL has a good plan here, but their systems still need a little work.
Oh my, great vid, and very informative. Love your ideas for plan b and c in order to cope, lessen the potential monetary losses, and still have a great time.
Yes, I think our plan going forward will be to commit to actually going to the port, then having a plan b ready if the cruise doesn't happen.
I've been wanting to go on a cruise for a while now, but the 100% markup for single cruisers has prevented me from doing so. Not having to pay double (+getting a nice discount) made this a good option for me, since I'm flexible with time and live close to a participating cruise port.
I've just put myself on the standby list for a HAL cruise leaving from Amsterdam in August. Keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a cabin available.
Good call! I agree that not paying the singles supplement is a huge advantage to this. Let us know if you are able to get on the ship.
We will be sailing in the Baltic in August on a different cruise line. We have always been intrigued by the Queen Mary II, and are doing an 8 night sailing out of Hamburg to see the Norwegian fjords. We anticipate a very different experience.
@@mytravelwindow3061 Got the message today that I'm on the ship. Leaving this Saturday, so 2 days in advance.
I’m planning to stay on the list until the ship sails. I am planning to be at the pier, packed and ready to go. I’ll either be onboard or waving the ship goodbye. I am 25 minutes away from the pier in Seattle.
I'm envious! We are planning to do that on our next cruise. Please share what happens!
@@mytravelwindow3061today was the day… I did not get on. Here’s what happened… my standby cruise was to Alaska out of Seattle 6/29 to 7/6. I got an email Thursday evening saying no cabins. Like Ken’s email, it gave me the option to cancel then or stay on the list. The email said I could potentially be called up to the time of sailing. So, being 25 minutes away I
Replied that I’d stay on the list until the ship sailed. My plan was to drive down to the terminal this morning and wait for the call. I called Friday morning and confirmed I was on the standby list until sailing. Late last
night (Friday) I checked my booking online. It said my booking was cancelled. I called first thing this morning, and did not give up easily, but after about 30 minutes was told that they do not allow passengers to board with less than 24 hours of processing time, because they have to get luggage tags and boarding passes ready. They would not budge and without an active booking I would not be able to do anything. Very disappointed, mostly about the communication. 😑
I did not get on. I posted the details here yesterday.
Oh, Tracy, I'm sad for you.
Something doesn't add up here, because I have read reports of people who have been given space on the day of sailing. So there is something missing in that answer. If they are going to cancel you 24 hours in advance, why give you 2 options at the 48-hour point?
When we filled out all of the check-in process, it gave us the option to print luggage tags, which we did. I thought that was a bit odd, since there was no cabin assignment on the tag.
How many days in advance of the cruise did you sign up? And do you know if any other standby cruisers got on?
I was waiting for this video, sorry to hear you did not get on this time. Some useful tips. I live about 30 min from Rotterdam cruiseterminal.
We live about 45 minutes from the terminal of Amsterdam and about 2 hours from Rotterdam. We would not book a stand-by cruise where we would have to fly. No stress on our holiday. No excursions available? We book at HAL or else a short one in the port were We are, never a problem. I'm still waiting how this will evolve.
I couldn't see these cruises from the USA, so I used my VPN to log in with an IP address in Amsterdam, and now I see this info. Rates are different, but apparently include port fees??? And there is a graduated cancellation policy. I suspect I would have trouble booking one of these as an American.
@@mytravelwindow3061 Yes that is correct. The rates are €69.= or €99.= p.p.p.d. The reduced rate of €69 or €99 per day is included port fees, taxes and levies.
If you choose to remove yourself from the standby list, cancellation fees will apply. The following cancellation conditions apply: +46 days before departure 20% / 45-29 days before departure 50% / 28-16 days before departure 75% / 15 days before departure 100%.
I don't know if you cannot book as an American but one of the rules is that you have to be on a short drivingdistance from Rotterdam, Amsterdam or IJmuiden. It does not specific say you have to live in The Netherlands or Europe although I guess that is the intention.....
There are even cruises that don't have BTB but start in Rotterdam and end in Fort Lauderdale or Boston.....
Thank you for the comments you made here. This led me to do the research that led to my newest video, that I released yesterday (July 8) regarding the expansion of the program to Europe. I really appreciate the information! I would LOVE to be able to participate in some of these.
Had looked at HAL's program a couple of months back. We live far from either Seattle or Florida ports. Would have to cancel both air and flights receiving the email you did. Bit of a hassle, but probably worth it. Your video was so well done. Subscribed to your channel. Thanks.
Welcome to the channel! I will have a new video out in a couple of days on even newer changes in the program.
Thanks for clarifying. I just subscribed.🎉
Welcome to the channel! We just ended a cruise on Queen Mary. Look for a report on that cruise in September!
Thank you for the great info! I have thought about it but I would need to know a week ahead!
Glad it was helpful! Unfortunately, I don't think the HAL standby program will let you know a week in advance unless there is a big drop off in demand. And in that case, they would probably re-do the program.
I am sorry you did not get on your cruise. I’m retiring at the end of this year and it was very tempted by a 35 day Hawaiian Mara islands cruise. I opted for an 11 day Mexican Riviera. The representative said they were only inside Cabins. So I was charged at the $99 a day rate. I’m within two hours driving distance or I could take the train. I think what I’ll do as it gets closer is drive down, stay the night before in a hotel. If it don’t get on the cruise, they’re plenty of other things to do in San Diego. I’ll let you know what happens.
I hope you make the ship! Our 42-day November sailing still shows as not sold out, so I'm hoping we make it. But like you, we have a continent plan for vacation near Fort Lauderdale if it doesn't work.
We are in Europe for the month of August, so I missed the fact that HAL posted their fall itinerary cruises. Your posting caused me to check out the new trips. They have some great itineraries. But one of the trips that I checked out actually has a discounted fare lower than the standby. Their program won't work going forward if they keep pricing it that way!
Great video. Only thing is be careful when posting paperwork with booking number apparently there is a glitch with booking number and last name people can access your booking.
Yikes! You are right that I was not careful with booking number. It was on 2 of the documents. I blocked it on one but not the other.
By the time I posted this video my booking had disappeared from my record. I had copied this the day before. So I tried going online and looking up the number but it wasn't listed. I will be more careful. Thank you!
If you were planning on heading to Seattle, a third option would be booking a last minute cruise on another ship either in Seattle or Vancouver.
We have vacations where plan A had a hurricane coming so we had a plan B 300 miles off ahore just in case ...
Good idea. We actually checked into that, and there was an inside cabin available on a Norwegian ship the same day. But by that time we had cancelled the hotel, and it was more money and less interesting, so we decided not to.
I said in the video that we plan B for Florida is Disney World, but there are a half dozen last minute Caribbean cruises that we have checked out and that might actually be plan B in November. It may depend on weather and timing. I honestly expect that ship NOT to sell out, and think we will get on.
@@mytravelwindow3061 Another idea would be to make a stand-by cruise the second cruise in a back to back. That way, you are already at the port.
I received a casino deal on Carnival last month . I decided to book a Miami cruise a day after a cruise on the Regal Princess that was disembarking in FLL.
Great idea!
interesting video. Thanks for sharing your experience. My brother lives 90 minutes from San Diego, I am in Colorado. So if I were to do this I would either fly out to see him for a week or so to catch a HAL ship out of SD, or fly off the FL like you were thinking. (thumbs up #445)
Yep, those are both great options! Thanks for the compliments.
We did not make Westerdam Aug 4 Seattle to Alaska. We got the email at 1:30AM on the day of sailing that they canceled our standby and would be refunding our money. We are from Iowa and flew to Seattle and went with plan b vacay - Mt Rainier, Astoria, OR, Olympic National Park. Sad to miss the cruise but had a nice time. I will be booking a cruise in the future w/o standby because I miss the ship life.
@@robinvanraden1081 Sorry you didn't make the ship. I think you have the right idea with plan b vacation. That is what we plan for our Nov standby. We also booked regular cruise; just finishing 7 days on Cunard Queen Mary 2. Video next month...
I'm a frequent HAL cruiser and hadn't heard of this program. I could make the Florida ports with 48 hrs notice. I'll me curious how this program works out, and have signed up, looking forward to any updates.
Welcome to the channel! We will keep you updated with any news about the program or about sailing in general.
Do HAL Onboard Mariner Benefits apply to HAL Standby Bookings?
Yes, once you are actually assigned a room, you become a "regular" cruiser and all benefits apply. The only things that don't work are discounts at booking. Since it is already discounted, you don't get things like military discounts on top of that.
Now they have raised the price to $99 inc tax and tips and $129 balcony. . Other formula with $49 plus tax tips etc only came to about $75day
For our Alaska itinerary the old price came to just over $100. We paid a total of $1405 for a 7 day cruise for 2 people. So the price differential is very dependent on the port stops.
Inspired by your video I call HAL to buy a standby ticket on a cruise leaving from Ft Lauderdale but on the website there were no Caribbean cruises listed as available yet. How were you able to buy yours?
HAL loaded out the entire summer schedule in March, which included the Ft. Lauderdale trip we booked. A few of the longer trips were later removed from the listings, probably because they had as many standby bookings as they needed. Our cruise was there for about 2 months before it was pulled.
If they stick to a similar schedule in the fall, I would look for the Caribbean cruises to show up around September.
@@mytravelwindow3061 Thanks for the advice!
When you prepay the cruise do you prepay gratuities? If not how much are those and do you pay on the ship?
No, gratuities are not prepaid. Once you are on board the ship they are charged to your account each day.
What if you stay on the list till boarding, get picked , but too late to get to the port? I understand that you are now committed and cannot be refunded. So, can you board at the next port, like anyone else could that missed their embarkation port?
I don't know the answer to that question. You would need to be on the ship manifest, which means HAL would have to know before sailing that you planned to do this. So I think it would be possible with the right communications.
Too stressful. Not practical from Ohio, but if we lived on West Coast or Florida, maybe. Thanks for the great video!
Thanks for watching!
We are violating all of the guidelines for the trip we have booked in November. Fort Lauderdale is actually further from us than any other port. But this was the longest standby cruise available, at 42 days. And since it involves a double transatlantic and lots of sea days it is looking like it will not sell out. We booked it for essentially half price, and we get to see at least 3 bucket list destinations -- Morocco, Egypt, and Gibraltar. So we committed, and decided that if it fell through we would just do an alternate vacation in Florida. In my mind, this is the only type of combination that will work if we are far away.
Apparently they had lots of interest, because this can no longer be booked standby even though it isn't yet sold out.
How do you book this?
The easiest way is directly with Holland America. The info is all at this site: www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/cruise-deals/standby-program
But your first question when you get a representative should be "Do you know how to book a standby cruise?" I still hear reports of agents who don't know how to do it, and you will save a lot of time making sure. What they will want to know is the cruise id, which is in the far right column of the page above (e.g. X472).
Remember you have to pay up front.
? I do believe you get the taxes and port fees back if you can't go if called? Can you verify.
If you are called/ cleared and you can’t go, per my understanding you lose all of your money paid.
That is my understanding also, but I will defer to someone else who may know more. My whole goal was to never get into that situation. This is a significant issue in Alaska, because the fees represented about half of what we actually paid.
We were Standby on 7/7/24 Sold Out Westerdam 7 Day and never got Email from Holland America prior to the cruise. When no HAL Email at +48 Hours we called HAL Ship Inventory and was hold to just wait for an Email that never came.
So, did the ship inventory people tell you that your money would be refunded? Where do things stand right now?
@PaigeBruton What is your question?
Oh no!!! Hope you get the next one!
Yeah, we booked this the day it was listed, so pretty sure we were at the top of the list. Next one is much more likely. 42 day double transatlantic. I don't think it will completely sell out.
@@mytravelwindow3061 those don’t sell out so you have a better chance with that one. I will be booking the first ones out of San Diego as soon as Alaska is over in September.
What is the minimum amount of days before departure the $49 standby is available. Can I try to book two days before cruise.?
I don't know the answer to that question, but it would be easy enough to find out if you called them.
As a solo this would be a huge advantage if I only lived closer than a 9 hr drive from the ports.
Yes, it is a very good deal for solo travelers. This seem intentional, perhaps because solo travelers have more flexibility and that is the passengers they are trying to target.
Hi this is a great channel. Question if you go on standby for verandah but none come available will they offer an inside if one is available? then give refund for difference or onboard credit? Also for better odds of getting on ship should you pay inside or verandah? thank you
After I was selected for the inside cabin 2 days prior to sail date, a second email arrived giving me the option to upgrade to a Veranda for $99.00, I kept my inside cabin.
Fred is absolutely correct, but he booked his trip before they added the $79 balcony option. If you choose a balcony option now, and only an inside is available, they give you the choice. Do you want the inside for $49 (they refund you the difference) or do you want to pass on an inside? So the $79 option certainly gives you the most choice right now.
I booked before the verandah option became available. When I called to "upgrade" one person said I couldn't (and they obviously didn't even know anything about the Standby program). So, I called again and got a person that knew about Standby, thought I could upgrade, but wasn't sure. For fear of losing my place in line or losing my Standby booking all together I opted not to upgrade. We'll see if I get any room on Saturday :)
@@TracyPlouse Well, let's see how many different answers we can get. I called, was told I could upgrade, because like you I booked before the Verandah availability. He tried. When it didn't work, he put me on hold while he tried to find someone else to help him. Finally came back and said there is no way to do it. So I think you have all that you can. Let us know how it turns out!
@@TracyPlouse Please come report back if you get it!! Im intrigued by this program and may sign up. thank you
Did you get a refund from HAL for the Seattle standby ?
Yes, we received a refund 3 days after sail date.
Rotterdam is 69 euros there are a lot of cruises or 99 euros for balcony. I am in Europe so I get that hal website.
Thanks for that hint. I used a VPN to log in as if I were in Amsterdam, and was able to see the info. Different rates, cancellation is different, and payment apparently already has port fees included, but mostly the same. Let me know how it works if you try it out!
Should have minimal issue with getting a cabin on a repositioning cruise, I would think.
No, reposition cruises are generally last to sell out. Off season, few port stops, longer.
@@mytravelwindow3061 Exactly. If they're the last to sell out, then they should be the best odds to get a cabin off the standby list.
Hal very informative, thanks , if it sounds to good to be true no thanks. Very stressful.
Yeah, I agree it is stressful. We have a standby on a 42-day trip out of Fort Lauderdale in November. I felt sure we would get on, as there were still 90 open cabins with just over 60 days to go. But suddenly the ship shows as sold out less than a week later. I think it has to do with guarantee cabins.
Now that they have changed the pricing to include port fees, it makes everything other than Alaska less attractive. We won't book a future standby. Too much stress, to little reward.
Hello and thanks for this video. When I found out about this program, I called HAL and guess what, the HAL agent knew nothing about it, and I was put on hold for over 30 minutes until the agent came back on the phone and still could not provide any information. I called three other times and still was not able to get any information about the program. The HAL agents are not trained on this program so a total waste of my time to call and the website, no comment. I have two HAL cruises coming up before the end of the year and I am going to ask the future cruise consultant about the program and the cruise director some questions during one of the open talks if either one can provide any useful information. Something tells me that they will not know anything as well.
I would be interested to know what the cruise consultants tell you. Not only is information hard to find, the administration of the list seems to vary. But it may seem that way because there is no info as to where you stand in the queue.
I was on standby on the Koningsdam to Alaska but there was no cabins available. Disappointing, but since I get a full refund, no big deal. I'm thinking of trying standby again on a Canada/New England cruise in the fall.
That sounds like a great plan. Do you remember how long it took for you to get a refund?
Alaska cruises usually runs full.
@@mytravelwindow3061 The cruise booking was just cancelled- the FAQs say refunds are processed in 4-6 weeks.
Canada/New England in the fall usually run full. I think you need to look at periods where vacancies are more likely.
Hi did you try peak season like a June July cruise? Also what was the departure port? I went to site and see nothing but Alaska cruises. Nothing from Calif.
What?! I’m so sorry to hear that.
Yeah, we were really bummed yesterday, but we're moving on today and working on the next options.
My ncl rep told me passenger lists had to be finalized day before sailing. I thought that meant no standbys!
I think this is a terminology issue. According to a Carnival Q&A website, the Dept of Homeland Security requires a final ship manifest one hour before departure. This is a record of who is actually on the ship.
So a person could be a ticketed passenger who didn't make it (missed the plane, became ill or lost, etc.). These would be on the passenger list but not the manifest. I think this is how HAL counts you. Because we have filled out all the paperwork and paid our money, we are listed as a passenger. You either remove yourself from the passenger list in the last 24-48 hours, or they remove you when you either don't show up or don't get a room.
In essence, HAL has oversold the ship, which works if people understand the process and the cruise line can deal with it. If a cruise line doesn't want to deal with this, then the deadline can be set earlier.
This is my understanding. If anyone has a correction to this, please chime in.
I can imagine the frustration.
Yes, but hopefully our experience will help other people.
The standby program is available in the Netherlands since May 1st, 2024 for sailings from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and IJmuiden. For €69/day you're on the list for an inside or oceanview cabin (including all taxes). For €99/day (including all taxes) you're on the list for a verandah cabin. The 3rd and 4th person in the same cabin travel for free, but they have to pay taxes. I tried to explain this in a video to the Dutch guests of HAL. This is the link: ua-cam.com/video/d1ph2izAD4A/v-deo.html We love your videos!
Thanks! I couldn't see this until I used by VPN and signed in using an IP address from Amsterdam. This is a great sign that HAL is comfortable with expanding the program, and it makes sense that this is the region to expand.
I have never understood why HAL dangled the 7 day possibility as a carrot.
Yeah, I don't think I have heard of a single person who actually was notified at the 7 day point. If the cruise isn't sold out, it seems people start getting notified around the 5 day mark. If it is sold out, they learn in the last 48 hours.
Does anyone else reading these comments know of someone who heard more than 5 days in advance?
We don't reside near any HAL cruise ports, so we won't be trying any time soon...
Yeah, there is a certain target audience. We will let you know how it works for us to fly across country to Florida for our next cruise. That only works if you are willing to fly whether or not you get on the ship.
We're you packed in case you got a room
Haha. Family members also asked that question. My wife was mostly packed when we called it off. I had focused on doing everything else, like getting the house ready for us to be gone. We travel multiple times each year, and I know by experience that I can pack in about an hour.
On other cruise lines, it’s called “Guaranteed Cabins” or GTY. It’s just that HAL has created an actual program around this. If other cruise lines were smart, they wouldn’t allow people on the GTY list to reserve excursions, book flights, etc. either, because WHEN cruisers are turned away at the pier, they want compensation for those provisions. So, cruising on the cheap like that saves money, but at what costs? Also, it’s wise to buy travelers insurance when booking GTY or Standby, otherwise you’d have to be ready to blow those extra “savings.”
Guaranteed means you have a cabin "GUARANTEED", just not yet assigned. This is standby, no guarantees.
@@JoeOtaku Tell that to people who got to the port and got turned away and sent home on RCCL, NCL, etc. You can Google them. It’s a horrible thing to happen, but it happens.
You are right that both of these methods are ways of creating an oversold ship. Lines like RCCL (which has the most bad press about this) operate like airlines. The logic goes like this: we know a certain percentage of people won't show up. So we sell guarantee cabins to fill those slots. As long as the right number of people don't show, no one knows the difference and we sail with a full ship. If someone looks to get "bumped" we offer them incentives to take another sailing.
HAL says you pay your money knowing you don't have a slot, but that one may very well open up. If it does, you will gleefully take it, even if it is not a cabin you would usually choose.
I agree. Two approaches to the same end. I like HAL's approach better, but essentially the same targeted outcome -- a full ship regardless of last minute changes.
And yes, insurance is a good idea.
I'm a Senior, I only have so many minutes left in my life to sail. I will sail less and enjoy more.
Perfectly understandable. This is a tradeoff between "more cruises that are less perfect" and "fewer cruises that are just how I like them." I just want to help people clarify how to choose.
For solo cruisers, do you still only pay $49/night (pre tax, grat and fees) if you're placed in a non-studio, normal double-occupancy cabin? If so, that seems like an incredible deal, if your circumstances line up for it. I can't think of any other situations where a solo cruiser can stay in a double-occupancy cabin and not pay double.
You are right, this is a great option for solo travelers.
@@mytravelwindow3061 I may have spoke too soon! It appears they've just doubled the cost!
No, they actually didn't double it. The new rates INCLUDE taxes and port fees. So instead of a fixed price for the room, you now have a fixed price for the room/taxes combination.
Why? California passed a law that went into effect on July 1 that said that all posted cruise prices must now include taxes and port fees. It is too difficult to administer that for just California, so the lines are now doing that universally.
To make math easy, let's call the old rate $50 and the new rate $100. When we booked our Alaska cruise, we each paid about $700 -- about 350 in room charges and 350 in port fees. Under the new scheme, you will pay about $700 (for both room and port fees combined). Believe it or not, the Alaska total actually went down by a few dollars.
But port fees aren't as high in other regions, so the total paid will usually be a little bit higher under the new pricing. But definitely not double. Does that help?
@@mytravelwindow3061 That's hugely helpful! May I quote you/get in touch w/ you as a source via email for a blog post I'm putting together for Frommer's? You're the most thorough CruiseTuber I've seen on the subject by far!
Thanks for the kind words! I would be happy to be a resource. My channel email address is my.adventure.window@gmail.com.
I don't know if you read other comments to this video, but HAL has also just opened this up on May 1 for European travelers out of 3 Baltic area ports. I plan a quick video in the next few days on both the pricing change and the European expansion.
Haha, I'll pass based on all those restrictions. Carnival is much better with my casino deals for $100 as a solo.
I started to say I'm not a gambler, but here I am betting on a cruise. Just not a casino gambler.
Didn't discuss Refund. Plan to call HAL about Refund.
Let us know what happens. What would you have done had the email come saying no cabin at 48-hour point? Were you prepared to wait longer, or would you have opted out then?
@mytravelwindow3061 We were Onboard the Westerdam. We would have Opted Out because we need the 48 hours to make travel home changes.
@@rogerstorms4414 I'm fascinated by this. So you were onboard a different HAL ship with a regular fare, then wanted to extend the trip with a standby? Wow, that is a whole new idea to me. I'm sorry it didn't work. How far is home away from the port?
@@mytravelwindow3061 We were on the same ship turning to do B2B as Standby. We do not live in Washington State.
Great idea. Sorry it didn't work. Will you try any standby in the future? We are standby on the 42-day cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale in November.
HAL sends us emails offering us free inside cabins. We have to pay port fees and taxes. We are 5 star mariners.
That is a fantastic perk! I think it likely that we will run out of either health or money before we get to 5 star status. But with options like that why would you ever do a standby cruise?
@@mytravelwindow3061 We don’t do stand by cruises. We like Celebrity Edge class ships too.
@@mytravelwindow3061Hi Ken, another great video. I’m definitely following your StandBy saga. HAL offered us free cabins when we were 1-Star Mariners. The free cabin offers were for cruises within 90-day of sailing, so full payment of port fees & taxes were due immediately. One could not get the AARP credit, but you could get the shareholder credit. We last received the free offers at the end of last year, & I thought HAL created the Standby program to replace the free cabin offers, but I’ve heard that HAL is still offering free cabins (such as this 5-Star) so I’m hopeful we’ll get another offer. HAL actually charges you $100/pp, but you get $100/pp OBC, and you can upgrade to a balcony, etc. for a nominal fee. We did take advantage of 5 free cabin offers & are now 3-Star Mariners. 3-7 day Caribbean cruises (B2B2B), an 18 day Hawaiian Cruise, & a 22 day Antarctic cruise. Haven’t received an offer in the last 6 months though. 😕
If I were to receive an offer like that I would jump at the opportunity.
I can’t fly last minute it’s too expensive.
Yes, if you have to fly the only way it really works is if you want to stay in the port even if you don't sail, like visit family or do alternate vacation.
The alternative would be to fly Southwest if possible, because they don't charge any change fees if you have to reschedule.
1 day 13 hours 18 minutes. No notice of any kind. No email!! Nothing on website!! Navigator App: Check-in begins at invalid datetime.!!!
@@Artsloops I think the countdown timer goes from midnight at the start of departure day. We received our email about 48 hours before boarding time, i.e. about noon Thur for Sat departure. I would call them rather than fret over when it will come.
Any news? Did you call or get an email?
Checking in….. did you get on the Holland America cruise?
I watched your earlier videos on this topic and I never understood why someone would consider doing the standby option. I don’t think that it is worth the aggravation for the money saved.
Yeah, I think this would not be worth it for the vast majority of cruisers. If we only took one cruise in a year, I would never do it. Or if we didn't want uncertainty for a specific cruise, we wouldn't.
We had already booked 3 cruises in a 12-month period: Alaska land and sea, Norwegian fjords, and Panama Canal next spring. Would not do any of these on a standby.
So these 2 cruises were icing on the cake, and come with a sense of adventure.
I live 30 minutes from the port, if I was retired or had the ability to take off for a week this would be a great way to save money. There is no stress if the standby program is used as it's intended. If you're trying to use it to "get a deal" or if you have other obligations that you'd have to change last minute then the standby program probably isn't a good match for you.
@@mytravelwindow3061 I can understand the adventure component but it can come with an element of frustration. Personally, at my stage in life, I would never do an inside cabin. I don’t go on a cruise just to cruise. I have to be going somewhere where I really want to go.
If you lived very close to a port it would be great. As a retired person if i lived within an hours drive of a HAL port I would be on stand by list after stand by list. Unfortunately we live near Atlanta and HAL doesn't sail out of any drivable ports even 5 hours away.
As a solo cruiser I am willing to take the gamble not to pay double
Why on earth would you do anything Disney!!!!!!!!
Disney is a subject of open debate at our house, and it might not happen. We used to live an hour from Disneyland and visited it often in our 20s. We wanted to do modern Disney World once to compare.
But our other alternative is to do a last minute Caribbean cruise as our plan b, and we are both leaning toward that instead. It just seemed to be too complicated to say all this in the video. The point was that we will fly there and have a fallback vacation if the cruise doesn't happen. It was easier to just say Disney World than go into all this detail.
We did Mickeys very merry Christmas and had a blast. 4 pm to midnight for $150. No lines and no hot humid weather.
More like any BUT Disney would be my choice but that is just me
You should not have booked stand by. Oh so sad
Well, we have already done Alaska this year, and we have 2 other cruises booked. So if we could do this one for this price, it would be worth it. But full price wouldn't. So we are still happy with the decision.
Do not cruise this line!
Is your complaint about HAL related to the standby program or a personal experience?
stand by should be illegal
Why?
this is for sold out cruises???
HAL certainly hopes they will be sold out, although standby tickets are listed for sale before that happens. HAL knows that on every sailing there will be some last minute cancellations, and the plan is that these bookings will fill those slots.
We know (from all the people who have recounted their experiences) that sometimes the ship doesn't sell out, and sometimes it sells out and everyone shows up. But in general, yes, it will be a sold out ship, someone won't make it, and you have the chance to claim their cabin at the last minute.
You Will be refunded if you are not able to board.
That is correct. We will receive back all that we paid in this case.