We do, too. We are standby for a 42-day trip in November out of Fort Lauderdale. It leaves 60 days from today. About 10 days ago none of the categories were sold out. Then suddenly, overnight, the whole ship shows as sold out. This just reinforces for us how necessary it is to have a solid plan "b" if you don't get on. Also, the new pricing is not as advantageous as the old pricing, except for Alaska, so shop carefully. It is still really beneficial for a solo.
My husband and I along with my sister and her husband successfully traveled standby on HAL out of Boston Massachusetts. The cruise was set to sail on a Tuesday, therefore we did not learn we had rooms until the day before the cruise. Apparently the 'inventory department" who assigns the rooms does not work on weekends so the 'no later than 2 days before' went out the window. When we arrived to board there were a few delays because despite having boarding passes our names did not make the manifest. I meant some standing around waiting for issues to be resolved. Once on board we ran into further delays because our room keys had not been issued. Housekeeping staff were very helpful in getting those issues resolved. Once the boarding and room key issues were resolved everything else went smoothly.
That is great! Was your cruise listed as sold out? Our 42-day cruise in November had all cabin types open, then suddenly showed up as sold out overnight. I assume it is related to guaranty cabins, but I'm not sure. Did you both wind up with interior cabins?
Thanks for the video. I happened to get on a standby at the $49 PD rate for a sailing at end of August. One of the great additional benefits was that as a solo traveller, I didn't have to pay a single supplement. I booked an additional trip on standby while on the ship at the $99 rate. When I got home I decided to upgrade the the $129 rate. They canceled the original and booked again. I have no idea if my place in line changed however.
Thanks for sharing! If you saw my most recent video, HAL's pricing for standby now seems to make sense only for solo passengers on most itineraries. I find it interesting that you were able to upgrade. Early on, I booked a cabin when they only offered one rate. When they changed to balcony and inside, I tried to change to balcony and was unable to do so. Let me know if you make the ship!
Stong work and thank you! Itineraries change. Programs offered change. The only constant in life is change ... so on we go with the current flow keeping our heads above water and waiting for the next change.
I completely agree. We really went back and forth on what to do with this change. It will be interesting to see what sailings they offer when the season changes.
I'm glad you liked it. Working on several more from our just-completed Princess Alaska cruise. And if our standby reservation works I will new HAL material as well.
I am form the Netherlands, Rotterdam and signed up. I booked 7 nights on the Rotterdam leaving from Rotterdam for 99 EUR a balcony. An inside or ocean view was not availble . I was advised to book the have it all when the booking is confirmed. As a solotraveller the pricing is perfect!!
Wow, I don't have access to information about what they do for ports in Europe. You are right that it is great for a solo traveler! Hope all goes well for you!
We will be sure to report everything! Our first standby is in 2 weeks on the Eurodam. As of today, the next 7 sailings of the Eurodam are sold out, which obviously includes our ship. Fortunately we are about a 4-5 hour drive to the port. So as long as we get word 2 days in advance we will be able to make the ship without incurring needless expenses if we are not selected.
I got on one in San Diego, got the information here from this great gentleman and took action. I got the 49.00 rate and was notified 2 days prior to cruise date. Had a nice time and can’t wait for Hal to return to San Diego this fall so that I can book some more. Great Video. Keep them coming. Thanks Fred San Diego Ca.
Appreciate your wisdom. We are signed up for a 35 day cruise on the standby list with a balacony option. I wondered how they would handle the two lines. This was great information. I do have a question though. Is it two days out at start of business, two days out at close of business time or two days out from the cruise time leaving port. I plan to call them as I am seeing some people's comments saying that they did not get a call on 2 days out and had to call HAL one day out. To be fair it was July 4th two days out, but that is pretty unacceptable with our drive. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.
Well, I think HAL leaves the 2-day timing deliberately vague. In our case, the two day notice came at about noon, or 48-hours before the start of boarding. I think that is the general intent for timing, but I can't find that in writing anywhere.
@@mytravelwindow3061did you manage to get on the Alaska cruise on HAL standby list? Hoping that you are! Will be nice to hear the outcome and feedback on their correspondence.
No, we did not. I made a follow up video describing our experience. And several people posted comments to that video describing their experiences as well. Some were able to board and others were not.
Yes. The original price ($49 and $79) did not include taxes and fees, which were charged over and above the room rates. So when a new law went into effect on July 1 that said that cruise companies had to quote all prices inclusive of these things, HAL was forced to change the quoted prices. There is a later video describing this. The problem is that taxes and fees are really high for Alaska cruises (about $50 per day). For other destinations they are much lower. Rather that have a different set of rates for different markets, HAL just added $50 a day into the rate for ALL standby cruises. So Alaska standby cruises are almost exactly the same FINAL price as they were before. But for other itineraries, most notably Caribbean and transatlantic, the new standby rates are nowhere as good a deal as they were before. It is still a killer deal for solo travelers, but not so much for everyone else.
Happy to help! We have been to Alaska this year on Princess. If we are able to do the standby on HAL we can not only describe the experience but also compare the experience on two different lines.
If there are not enough rooms for everyone signed up for the program then how is it decided who gets the rooms? Is it based on who applied first, who has the highest Mariner points, or is it completely random?
It is based on who applies first. That is why I was so concerned about whether the application date would change if we upgraded. Fortunately, it doesn't.
Sorry, I didn't see this question until today. I asked this question, and also asked if they could tell me how many standby reservations there are for the cruise. The answer to both questions is no. So all you know is that you are in line. I also called Monday (5 days before cruise) and asked if they could give any status updates. They were very polite, but basically said, "Don't call us; we have no information; we will email you when we do."
After I made the video we decided to upgrade, and discovered HAL didn't create a way to do that. So all those people who did the $49 rate can't upgrade later. Having said that, no, they don't get in the line in front of you (according to 2 different people at HAL).
I have looked at the program and have seen a lot of interesting deals. However, MOST of the cruises that I have booked on Holland America, Princess, and Celebrity have been in the $50-60 per day range. I will keep looking.
You are a good shopper. How good the deal is depends on destination and timing. We are booking Alaska. The ship we are sailing has sold out 7 consecutive weekly sailings without discount.. If we board, it will be at a good discount. But we might not make the ship....
@@edarion01 No, the new price includes port fees. The old one had port fees added afterward. This is to comply with new California law. I will have video on it shortly.
I would be interested in your opinion on ANNUAL travel insurance. If you have travel insurance for the year, that allows you maximum flexibility, right? Or am I missing something?
We have slowly come to this conclusion over time. When we first started, we purchased travel insurance through the cruise line, then discovered better and more flexible independent options, which eventually led us to research annual insurance. Last year we used an annual policy through Allianz. Fortunately we did not need it, so I can't give any experience with claims payment. But we renewed the policy again this year. I agree that it offers maximum flexibility. At our age (early 70s) renewal also offers two features that others might not have considered. They waive any pre-existing restrictions when you re-enroll, and they don't change the rates based on age.
You are very welcome. We just did an Alaska cruise on Princess (video soon), and we booked a standby cruise on HAL to compare the two cruise lines. The cruise is sold out, so we will see if we are able to get on as standby passengers.
I am so disappointed by them. They would not price-adjust our cruise, it is a shame. We booked 9 months ago just to see the price drop by a high number of hundreds!!! The obc they offer instead is a lame joke. We are finished with them after our upcoming cruise. That is no way to treat a return customer.
I'm really sorry to hear this. We have done "re-faring" a couple of times with different lines. Where is the cruise? And did the price change after final payment date?
Well, the cruise starts next month from Reykjavik, and if we hadn't planned, booked and paid everything from flights, transportations, hotels and the caretaking of my 89 years old mother for that time, we would have cancelled the cruise. We are done with HAL, and with us our whole family and friends! Never again - we cruise 3-4 times a year, but never with them any more. The prices for our cruise have dropped more than 50%, making our inside cabin more in price than a balcony!!!! They are throwing every cabin on the market for dumping prices! They would not adjust the fare at all, and 100 OBC is just a very bad joke. All the shore excursions we are interested in are sold out and we never go to a speciality Restaurant. When we hear the name HAL we think of betrayal and get a very bitter feeling! Their customer service is non existing and not willing to even listen. We will do that cruise - but with such a bad start we doubt to enjoy it.
I can see how that is very frustrating. This is a no-win situation for HAL. If they don't fill cabins, they lose money. If they do fill cabins by dropping prices only for last minute cruisers, they obviously lose loyalty, which in the end may be worse. I hope you can settle in and enjoy the cruise. Remember that the crew don't have anything to do with the pricing process, and they will do all they can to give you a great cruise. And it is good to sail this year in Norway before many of the ports restrict visitors going forward. If you drop HAL, which will be your cruise line of choice?
@@mytravelwindow3061thank you for your kind words. We will not be cruising to Norway, but Iceland, Scotland and England, ending in Amsterdam. Norway is where we have been to last year. Well, we are Diamond plus with RCL, Elite plus with Celebrity... Mostlikely they will get our money in the future. Definitely not HAL. As I wrote, we are done with them for good. We will not look up any voyages with them any more, not even last minute... Take care 🙋
This video was done before July 1, when all the cruise lines had to post full prices, including taxes and fees. So instead of $49 for a room and $50 for fees it is now $99 or both. For Alaska, taxes and fees amount to about $50 per day. So for these cruises, the price changed very little. I did a later video on this change.
Great video. We will be considering the standby in the future. We love Holland America.
We do, too. We are standby for a 42-day trip in November out of Fort Lauderdale. It leaves 60 days from today. About 10 days ago none of the categories were sold out. Then suddenly, overnight, the whole ship shows as sold out. This just reinforces for us how necessary it is to have a solid plan "b" if you don't get on.
Also, the new pricing is not as advantageous as the old pricing, except for Alaska, so shop carefully. It is still really beneficial for a solo.
My husband and I along with my sister and her husband successfully traveled standby on HAL out of Boston Massachusetts. The cruise was set to sail on a Tuesday, therefore we did not learn we had rooms until the day before the cruise. Apparently the 'inventory department" who assigns the rooms does not work on weekends so the 'no later than 2 days before' went out the window. When we arrived to board there were a few delays because despite having boarding passes our names did not make the manifest. I meant some standing around waiting for issues to be resolved. Once on board we ran into further delays because our room keys had not been issued. Housekeeping staff were very helpful in getting those issues resolved. Once the boarding and room key issues were resolved everything else went smoothly.
That is great! Was your cruise listed as sold out? Our 42-day cruise in November had all cabin types open, then suddenly showed up as sold out overnight. I assume it is related to guaranty cabins, but I'm not sure. Did you both wind up with interior cabins?
We both had ocean view cabins. I did not check the ship status prior as we were just letting the adventure evolve; what will be will be.
Thanks for the video. I happened to get on a standby at the $49 PD rate for a sailing at end of August.
One of the great additional benefits was that as a solo traveller, I didn't have to pay a single supplement.
I booked an additional trip on standby while on the ship at the $99 rate.
When I got home I decided to upgrade the the $129 rate. They canceled the original and booked again. I have no idea if my place in line changed however.
Thanks for sharing! If you saw my most recent video, HAL's pricing for standby now seems to make sense only for solo passengers on most itineraries.
I find it interesting that you were able to upgrade. Early on, I booked a cabin when they only offered one rate. When they changed to balcony and inside, I tried to change to balcony and was unable to do so. Let me know if you make the ship!
Stong work and thank you!
Itineraries change. Programs offered change. The only constant in life is change ... so on we go with the current flow keeping our heads above water and waiting for the next change.
I completely agree. We really went back and forth on what to do with this change. It will be interesting to see what sailings they offer when the season changes.
Another excellent and informative video. Thank You!
I'm glad you liked it. Working on several more from our just-completed Princess Alaska cruise. And if our standby reservation works I will new HAL material as well.
I am form the Netherlands, Rotterdam and signed up. I booked 7 nights on the Rotterdam leaving from Rotterdam for 99 EUR a balcony. An inside or ocean view was not availble . I was advised to book the have it all when the booking is confirmed.
As a solotraveller the pricing is perfect!!
Wow, I don't have access to information about what they do for ports in Europe. You are right that it is great for a solo traveler! Hope all goes well for you!
@vanjan, Bij wie heb je dit geboekt? Het klinkt héél interessant om eens uit te zoeken voor Nederland.
Looking forward to seeing if you got on one of the cruises and I’m sure that you will update us all as that progresses!!
We will be sure to report everything!
Our first standby is in 2 weeks on the Eurodam. As of today, the next 7 sailings of the Eurodam are sold out, which obviously includes our ship. Fortunately we are about a 4-5 hour drive to the port. So as long as we get word 2 days in advance we will be able to make the ship without incurring needless expenses if we are not selected.
I got on one in San Diego, got the information here from this great gentleman and took action. I got the 49.00 rate and was notified 2 days prior to cruise date. Had a nice time and can’t wait for Hal to return to San Diego this fall so that I can book some more.
Great Video. Keep them coming. Thanks Fred San Diego Ca.
Thanks for the kind remarks, Fred. I really appreciate it.
Appreciate your wisdom. We are signed up for a 35 day cruise on the standby list with a balacony option. I wondered how they would handle the two lines. This was great information.
I do have a question though. Is it two days out at start of business, two days out at close of business time or two days out from the cruise time leaving port. I plan to call them as I am seeing some people's comments saying that they did not get a call on 2 days out and had to call HAL one day out. To be fair it was July 4th two days out, but that is pretty unacceptable with our drive. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.
Well, I think HAL leaves the 2-day timing deliberately vague. In our case, the two day notice came at about noon, or 48-hours before the start of boarding. I think that is the general intent for timing, but I can't find that in writing anywhere.
I’m on a HAL stand by list and I look forward to hearing your outcome.
4 days until the cruise and no word yet.
That’s unfortunate but my fingers are crossed for you. Best wishes!
@@mytravelwindow3061did you manage to get on the Alaska cruise on HAL standby list? Hoping that you are! Will be nice to hear the outcome and feedback on their correspondence.
No, we did not. I made a follow up video describing our experience. And several people posted comments to that video describing their experiences as well. Some were able to board and others were not.
the site says "For $99 per person per day for an Inside or Oceanview stateroom or $129 per person per day for a Verandah"
Yes. The original price ($49 and $79) did not include taxes and fees, which were charged over and above the room rates. So when a new law went into effect on July 1 that said that cruise companies had to quote all prices inclusive of these things, HAL was forced to change the quoted prices. There is a later video describing this.
The problem is that taxes and fees are really high for Alaska cruises (about $50 per day). For other destinations they are much lower. Rather that have a different set of rates for different markets, HAL just added $50 a day into the rate for ALL standby cruises. So Alaska standby cruises are almost exactly the same FINAL price as they were before. But for other itineraries, most notably Caribbean and transatlantic, the new standby rates are nowhere as good a deal as they were before. It is still a killer deal for solo travelers, but not so much for everyone else.
Thanks for the for the update!! most helpfull
Happy to help! We have been to Alaska this year on Princess. If we are able to do the standby on HAL we can not only describe the experience but also compare the experience on two different lines.
Great contents.
Thanks! We are now 3 days away from our standby trip. Will let everyone know all the details about if and when we get on the ship.
Do you know how it works for solo people? Do you pay double the price?
No, you do not pay double. There is no "solo supplement." So this is an even better deal for solo passengers.
If there are not enough rooms for everyone signed up for the program then how is it decided who gets the rooms? Is it based on who applied first, who has the highest Mariner points, or is it completely random?
It is based on who applies first. That is why I was so concerned about whether the application date would change if we upgraded. Fortunately, it doesn't.
Thanks. Are you able to tell how many are ahead of you in line?
Sorry, I didn't see this question until today. I asked this question, and also asked if they could tell me how many standby reservations there are for the cruise. The answer to both questions is no. So all you know is that you are in line.
I also called Monday (5 days before cruise) and asked if they could give any status updates. They were very polite, but basically said, "Don't call us; we have no information; we will email you when we do."
You didnt explain, if you booked under the orginal 49, and dont upgrade, do people who book at the balcony rate get ahead of you in line?
After I made the video we decided to upgrade, and discovered HAL didn't create a way to do that. So all those people who did the $49 rate can't upgrade later.
Having said that, no, they don't get in the line in front of you (according to 2 different people at HAL).
I have looked at the program and have seen a lot of interesting deals. However, MOST of the cruises that I have booked on Holland America, Princess, and Celebrity have been in the $50-60 per day range. I will keep looking.
You are a good shopper. How good the deal is depends on destination and timing. We are booking Alaska. The ship we are sailing has sold out 7 consecutive weekly sailings without discount.. If we board, it will be at a good discount. But we might not make the ship....
They doubled the prices now it is $99 and $129
@@edarion01 No, the new price includes port fees. The old one had port fees added afterward. This is to comply with new California law. I will have video on it shortly.
@@edarion01 And Alaskan Port fees and taxes are that much.
@@jlawrence0181it’s not all Alaskan cruises tho what about the New England ones
Hi. How do we sign up, and where do we find a list of s available cruises? Thanks in advance
Here is the link to the page that shows cruises and information about how to book.
www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/cruise-deals/standby-program
Hello. Thanks for the excellent video. Can one add/is one entitled to, ones Carnival Shareholders perks with the Standby program?
I tracked a thread on Cruise Critic where people tried this and were told no.
@@mytravelwindow3061 I was told no
I would be interested in your opinion on ANNUAL travel insurance. If you have travel insurance for the year, that allows you maximum flexibility, right? Or am I missing something?
We have slowly come to this conclusion over time. When we first started, we purchased travel insurance through the cruise line, then discovered better and more flexible independent options, which eventually led us to research annual insurance.
Last year we used an annual policy through Allianz. Fortunately we did not need it, so I can't give any experience with claims payment. But we renewed the policy again this year. I agree that it offers maximum flexibility. At our age (early 70s) renewal also offers two features that others might not have considered. They waive any pre-existing restrictions when you re-enroll, and they don't change the rates based on age.
What about single travellers?
There is no single supplement. In other words it is just $49 or $79, not double. So this is even a better deal for singles.
Thanks
You are very welcome. We just did an Alaska cruise on Princess (video soon), and we booked a standby cruise on HAL to compare the two cruise lines. The cruise is sold out, so we will see if we are able to get on as standby passengers.
I am so disappointed by them.
They would not price-adjust our cruise, it is a shame.
We booked 9 months ago just to see the price drop by a high number of hundreds!!!
The obc they offer instead is a lame joke.
We are finished with them after our upcoming cruise.
That is no way to treat a return customer.
I'm really sorry to hear this. We have done "re-faring" a couple of times with different lines. Where is the cruise? And did the price change after final payment date?
Well, the cruise starts next month from Reykjavik, and if we hadn't planned, booked and paid everything from flights, transportations, hotels and the caretaking of my 89 years old mother for that time, we would have cancelled the cruise.
We are done with HAL, and with us our whole family and friends! Never again - we cruise 3-4 times a year, but never with them any more.
The prices for our cruise have dropped more than 50%, making our inside cabin more in price than a balcony!!!!
They are throwing every cabin on the market for dumping prices!
They would not adjust the fare at all, and 100 OBC is just a very bad joke. All the shore excursions we are interested in are sold out and we never go to a speciality Restaurant.
When we hear the name HAL we think of betrayal and get a very bitter feeling!
Their customer service is non existing and not willing to even listen.
We will do that cruise - but with such a bad start we doubt to enjoy it.
I can see how that is very frustrating. This is a no-win situation for HAL. If they don't fill cabins, they lose money. If they do fill cabins by dropping prices only for last minute cruisers, they obviously lose loyalty, which in the end may be worse.
I hope you can settle in and enjoy the cruise. Remember that the crew don't have anything to do with the pricing process, and they will do all they can to give you a great cruise. And it is good to sail this year in Norway before many of the ports restrict visitors going forward.
If you drop HAL, which will be your cruise line of choice?
@@mytravelwindow3061thank you for your kind words.
We will not be cruising to Norway, but Iceland, Scotland and England, ending in Amsterdam. Norway is where we have been to last year.
Well, we are Diamond plus with RCL, Elite plus with Celebrity... Mostlikely they will get our money in the future.
Definitely not HAL. As I wrote, we are done with them for good. We will not look up any voyages with them any more, not even last minute...
Take care 🙋
I only see $99 inside and $129 balcony
This video was done before July 1, when all the cruise lines had to post full prices, including taxes and fees. So instead of $49 for a room and $50 for fees it is now $99 or both. For Alaska, taxes and fees amount to about $50 per day. So for these cruises, the price changed very little. I did a later video on this change.