First Time Cruise -In Alaska
 

We are going to Alaska on an Inside Passage Cruise with Holland America in May from Australia.<BR>Reading all the posts I am confused. I am a non coffee and tea drinker- is water available on board for free or is there a charge.<BR>What is lemonade to Americans-is it flat ot bubbly.<BR>Also tipping can you tip at the competion of the trip or daily? <BR>As we do not have tipping in Australia it is all new.<BR>How did other Aussies get on when they went on a cruise.<BR>Thanks

Tap water is available at no charge, but not 'bottled' water (there is a fee for bottled water).<BR><BR>Lemonade is flat.<BR><BR>Tipping is traditionally done at the end of the cruise. Don't worry about how much, as it will all be explained to you with recommended amounts (my last cruise on RCCL i THINK the tips ran about $8/day per person).

Hi,<BR><BR>You may want to go over to www.cruisecritic.com <BR>and click on the Holland America boards along with the Alaska boards if you have questions.<BR><BR>These people are very familiar with HAL. You will learn a lot over there.<BR><BR>Sorry - haven't sailed HAL before.<BR><BR>Tap water (not bottled) is free and lemonade is flat in the US. HAL normally says that &quot;tipping is optional&quot; but from my understanding, you are expected to tip.

Don't forget to tip the bartenders and waitstaff in the lounges, that is not automatically added to the bill as on other lines.<BR><BR>Have a great trip, and thanks for the support.

Thanks for the answers, I have been to cruisecritic but find Fodords easier to read and follow. <BR>Thanks again I won't worry anymore until we arrive,

I sailed HAL to Alaska. HAL has a no-tipping policy, but most passegers do tip at the end of the cruise. And because bars and lounges do not automatically add gratuity like many other lines, you can tip their staff as you use their services.

Sorry -- I meant to say they have a no-tipping required policy. But as I stated, most passengers do tip. No set amount and it should depend on the service provided. It's an encouragement for their staff to give good service and I think it works because the service is consistently excellent on HAL.

We were on the Volendam last summer - first time on HAL. The first thing that we noticed was that the staff are not as &quot;pushy&quot; as the other lines in serving you drinks. For example, while sitting in a lounge one day, we told the waiter that we weren't interested in drinks. He nevertheless brought appetizers for us to eat. And on deck while in Glacier Bay, the waiters walked around with hot soup rather than drinks. That's what I call service without expectation of tips!