Holland America Cruise SECRETS & Tips All Cruisers Need to Know...

The daily charge went up on 1 June 2026 and was not announced loudly — plus the one thing this line still does that almost nobody else does, and the facility that quietly never came back. Not ships and not itineraries. The cabin and the service: what is genuinely included, what quietly is not, and what changed in 2026. What you will learn in this video: Crew Appreciation as of 1 June 2026: $18 per guest per day in a stateroom, $20 in a suite — and what that actually totals for two people on a fourteen night cruise. How the pool works, who is in it, and why prepaying tends to make for a calmer week. The honest version of adjusting it at guest services, and what actually reaches somebody with the power to change anything. Room service that is genuinely complimentary, twenty four hours a day, with no delivery fee — now unusual enough to be a reason to choose a ship. The main dining room menu delivered to your stateroom at no extra charge while the dining room is open, and which dishes survive the journey. The speciality breakfast items that do carry a charge. The in-room dining breakfast card, and the two things to get right when you fill it in. Why there are no guest self-service launderettes left on this fleet, with one exception. How the paid laundry actually works: in by 9am back next day, express at around a 50% surcharge, and pick-up through the Navigator app. Elemis Aromapure in every stateroom category — what you can leave at home, and who should not. Club Orange: the complimentary stateroom upgrade, the concierge, the free laundry, and why I would not buy it for the upgrade alone. What to do on day one if you do not carry a smartphone. How to verify every word of this on Holland America's own site in two minutes. Sources used in this video: Holland America — Crew Appreciation rates and charges: hollandamerica.com/en/us/faq/onboard-cruise-experience/onboard-information/is-there-a-crew-appreciation-charge-gratuity-tip Holland America — 24-hour in-room dining: hollandamerica.com/en/us/onboard-experiences/dining/24-hour-in-room-dining Holland America — self-service laundry: hollandamerica.com/en/us/faq/onboard-cruise-experience/onboard-information/self-service-laundry Holland America — laundry and dry cleaning: hollandamerica.com/en/us/faq/onboard-cruise-experience/onboard-information/are-laundry-facilities-available-on-board Holland America — Club Orange benefits: hollandamerica.com/en/us/onboard-experiences/dining/club-orange Holland America — onboard amenities and services: hollandamerica.com/en/us/faq/onboard-cruise-experience/onboard-information/services-on-board Reporting on the June 2026 Crew Appreciation increase: cruisenews.io/holland-america-raises-crew-gratuities-to-18-a-day-in-2026/ If you have sailed this line since June, did anyone actually mention the new rate to you before you saw it on your statement? I would like to know, and so would the next person reading. No affiliation with Holland America Line or any cruise line is claimed or implied. Brands are named for commentary and education only. #hollandamerica #cruisetips #cruiseafter60 #seniortravel #cruisecabin #cabinsteward #cruisesecrets #crewappreciation #cruisegratuities #roomservice #cruiseplanning #seniorcruising #staterooms #cruising2026 #cruiselife