The pre-booking experience on Holland versus Princess versus Royal Caribbean Cruise lines compared

 There are key differences in the pre-booking experiences on Holland America vs. Princess vs. Royal Caribbean cruise lines that I think are important for your to know

Booking flights thru the cruise lines

Royal Caribbean doesn't let you see the flight options till you book unless you call into the cruise line. The reps are very helpful but it's annoying you can see your options till you book. 

Princess  and Holland allow you to look at the ez air flights prior to booking so you will get an idea of options and prices without have to go to the airline or flight hub sites. 

Holland also has a nice feature allowing you to fly out of a different city other than your disembarkation city in Europe and at any date/time after your cruise. I am currently taking advantage of it.

All cruise lines have same day arrival protection and they always offer the earliest direct flight to you if it's available. These flights get there in sufficient time to make it to the cruise for embarkation.  

All cruise lines will offer you the flight in CDN dollars but because they are a US travel agency, you will have to pay for your seats/ bag on Air Canada in USD. Annoying.  Fortunately it's only Air Canada as I have flown on European carriers and they will price in CDN. 

Shore Excursions, Internet, transfers  and other pre cruise purchases.

The biggest difference between RCCL and Princess and Holland are the pre-sales they have on shore excursions.  The prices stay the same pre and after on board on Princess and Holland America. 

RCCL and Princess let you use your OBCs to pay for pre-cruise purchases. Holland America does not (and this is very annoying as sometimes shore excursions sell out). 

All have sales on the internet packages pre-boarding. 

I have begun to find that the cruise lines are charging much more than a taxi or uber or shuttle to the cruise port in Florida. I also find they use less and less buses and your wait for a cruise line bus can be up to an hour.  I stand in the taxi line and often am asked if I am willing to share (which I do as one person for savings).   

Cruise line apps  and pre communications

All three cruise lines ask you to download their app.  Princess and RCCL are comparable and pretty easy to use. Holland America (even their tutorial) is awful.  You can't even see you cabin number and basic info. 

All are needed if you are going to get the internet package.

All allow you an online boarding pass in the app. 

Pre cruise emails from the Cruise companies

You will receive almost nothing from Holland, but Princess and RCCL will communicate a bit.

Non of them advise you on the new visas required for UK or Europe. One of the reasons you should book thru a travel agent.  I am currently in the process of getting the ETA for UK ($10 pounds) and the EITA is not ready yet for Europe.

Booking a Guaranteed Cabin

All don't let you know til about a week ahead of the cruise departure.  Once on Holland it was the night before departure. 

I book a guaranteed ocean view or balcony on Princess or Holland and have mostly had good cabins (but I hated the solo ocean view on Koningsdam.  If you don't want the solo ocean view on Holland you have to pick the "f" Oceanview guaranteed cabin option vs the OO. I still don't have the assignment yet on Holland and hope this works to get a normal ocean view cabin. 

I have had horrible cabins on RCCL guaranteed so I recommend picking your cabin. They are known to give out the worst cabins to those booking the guaranteed option and never upgrade you.

Both princess and Holland have given me in-category upgrades on cabins (i.e a better ocean view) or an upgrade to a balcony (much rarer). 

Hope these comparisons help

Marcia

How to use the internet when in port on a cruise with caution and why I buy the Ship Internet package instead

 I personally always buy the internet package on the ship I am sailing on. Yes it is expensive and sometimes is not great, (especially on trans Atlantic and trans Pacific cruises )  but I feel more comfortable using the private network versus the public networks you must use in port. 

You can save money by pre-booking the internet package before getting on the ship. Also depending on your loyalty level you will also get a discount. On Princess as an elite or platinum level you get 50% off booking ahead and Holland there is nothing til 4 star mariner. However  Holland has  a decent package for a 14 day trip at 20% off for their premium internet.  On RCCL, I got 25% off pre-booking the internet package but it has been the most expensive and honestly no better than the other cruise lines. 

If you don't want to spend the money and will rely on using the in-port options of free wifi, do so with great caution.  Never and I mean never use your mobile banking or  make purchases while using free wifi even if these banking/retail sites say its safe, the hackers are so good now that you a high chance of being hacked and they try to do e-transfers and purchases on the credit card info you enter.  Fortunately my bank prevented any issues by contacting me but don't take the risk.  Just check emails, google maps etc.  for safety.  

Use the most legitimate wifi you can find ... i.e. when in port you will see the crew using the Port terminal free wifi put by the Tourism boards.  Some tourists use the free wifi at restaurants or museums (as these are semi private as the places will give you a sign on password.  Watch for any private wifi (i.e. a name and bunch of numbers) and don't use them. 

Again I don't recommend using free wifi sites and even hate using it at the airport as I know they track everything you do, but sometimes to check flight status etc you just have to.  Be vigilant if you are using free wifi.

Hope this helps

Marcia

How to get your On Board Credit For Princess, Holland America or Carnival

 About a year ago the Carnival Corporation began using Stockperks to administer their on board credit approval for stockholders of 100 or more shares of Carnival stock. Below is how to get your onboard credit of $100USD for less than 14 days and $250 for cruises 14 days or more.  This is how I got my onboard credits.

- Download the Stockperks app onto your phone or iPad/tablet.  Create your profile on the Stockperks app (basic name, address and email info)

- Once you have booked your cruise and and a cruise booking number you can apply for your OBC. You do not have to wait until you have paid in full

- the first step is to pick from the various options what cruise line you want the OBC from ... pick Princess, Holland America or Carnival

- The second  step in the Stockperks app is to upload a recent (less than 3 months old ) investment statement showing the investment company (name and address), your name and address and the page that shows the stock ownership of 100 or more Carnival stock.  I print out my statement and black out the investment account number, and any other stock information, holdings , amounts info other than the Carnival stock. Then I take a picture of the marked up statement page(s ) on my IPAD.   Stockperks makes this easy asking you to upload the picture and you select it from your iPad

It will take minimum of 3 full business days for them to process the request.  Mine has usually been 4 days as I am uploading a statement from a private investment advisor.  They will then send you an email stating you have been approved for an OBC.  You will then enter your booking confirmation number and the sailing date of the cruise  (that's all they need).  They will tell you they are submitting it to the cruise line and it will take up to 5 business days.  I have always seen my credit the next day on my shipboard account. 

Note when I have taken two cruises in the same year with the same cruise line, they did not ask me to upload the statement again. 

Hope this helps

Marcia