CNSJ

On 8/7/2024 at 8:19 AM, terrydtx said:

boring western Carribean Mexico cruises

We too have had enough of the Cozumel, Playa...., maybe Key West (roll dice) and Cayman Circle.  Eastern and Southern Caribbean much more appealing.

1 hour ago, Torquer said:

you need to chose your stateroom category

Yes, but that is in the broad selection of Inside, Verandah, Signature Suite etc.

hen you must pick amidships (middle), aft, or forward.

Then you can pick deck which may have V, VA, VB, VC, etc. within the display.  Price changes as you pick.

Not a great system if you ask me. 

2 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

Yes, I was booked on that cruise and started the Roll Call with that observation! 

Which makes me wonder why HAL didn't catch and change it.  I assume they have a person in Seattle that monitors Cruise Critic. 

I did see it called on Kos, which is on my list of ports to visit one day.

A few months ago we heard on this forum of the routing of a HAL ship around Vancouver Island as opposed to the inside passage which they blamed on the "main office."  I came across this cruise offering (see image below)  in the new 2026 Europe voyages.  It is called a "10-Day Adriatic Antiquities: Greek Isles and Istanbul."  I hope the marketing department is well separated from operations and safe navigation as no part of this voyage enters the Adriatic Sea.  

For the geographic novices, the Adriatic Sea lies between Italy and Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania.

Never trust the name of the cruise. 

On 7/25/2024 at 9:33 AM, BermudaBound2014 said:

It does seem like HAL is offering two different products. One for longer cruises and one for the 7 day 'bus runs'. 

So true, we have taken many "bus runs" in the Caribbean from 7 days to 12 days and the "feel" of the cruise is different when compared to longer trips of 14 days, and even more so on long voyages.  Perhaps it is because we get to know the Captain and his/her team on the longer runs, and the crew gets to know us better as well.  

Our longest trip with HAL was a 42 day transpacific (post covid) where we were able to experience the best of HAL.  Note:  I recognize that a Grand Voyage is the true best, but we are not able to cruise that long - at least not yet!

6 hours ago, JimDee363636 said:

Cunard isn't for everyone---the dress code is more formal than many people like

Yeah, DW says it's not vacation if she has to wear a gown or dress so many nights.

4 hours ago, POA1 said:

Right now, at the Capital Grille in Fort Lauderdale, shrimp cocktail is $20. Lobster bisque is $16 for a cup and $22 for a bowl. A filet in the same size served at the PG is $57. Sides range from $13 - $16 each. Desserts are $14-$17.

 

Thar puts me at about $140 - $150 pp for dinner (2 sides). Cocktails and wine are higher as well. Service expected to be 20%.

 

Reference URL:

 

https://www.thecapitalgrille.com/menu/dinner/

 

 

Dining ashore in a nice restaurant has become VERY expensive.  We find South Florida to be high cost and often poor service.  

19 hours ago, TRLD said:

there is a big difference between mass market and premium with quite a range. According to data from market watch HAL at about $3,300 per passenger comes in at the high end of Celebrity ($2,700), Princess($2,137) and HAL in revenue per passenger. Though still about half compared to the premium Azamara ($7,784) and Oceania($7,369).

Perhaps there is room for a Semi-Premium market with HAL raising prices 20-25% and making improvements (or retuning to previous levels of) in service, food quality, etc.  This means ships need to stay at existing size.

I do not want to pay the Azamara/Oceania price tag, and find HALs itineraries to be adequately diverse, so I am willing to pay a bit more....to get more.

2 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

I still think it's time for HAL to turn into an Oasis style ship.

If I wanted to go to a theme park like Universal Studios, I would visit one on land.  Zero desire to sail on one of those 200,000 plus ton floating "resorts".

1 hour ago, ohioNCLcruiser said:

Just got off the N. Statendam and one thing happened that def is a change in direction compared to my previous HAL cruises..a physical fight broke out between passengers. It happened during one of the art classes of all things! 😂🤦‍♂️

I too have had concerns over safety during the art classes and with the knitting groups onboard.  All those long sharp needles and the arguments that break out over whether a cable or rib stitch is best!

13 hours ago, TRLD said:

HAL has actually been successful in bringing their age demographics down since they launched music walk.

I think this makes sense as I am seeing younger cruisers on the Pinnacle Class ships, which offer more with more specialty restaurants, cars, music walk, etc.  HAL may be trying to capture the next generation of their "older clientele" a bit early.  Time will tell. I will leave my chips on the bet that HAL orders a ship like CUNARD's Queen Anne in next 6 months.  

1 minute ago, Sir PMP said:

Well, I won't be merging with Princess.

@Sir PMP I am reserving my veto of the merger should it occur as well.  I would force myself to pack a Tuxedo in my suitcase and sail Cunard first.  @The Inside Cabin would be happy if we all did. 

Just now, Roz said:

so what the lessons learned from a Vista class world cruise?

HAL would know, but I don't know, because I didn't take the 2024WC, and HAL would not probably share the details.  

But many things impact the class on long journeys away from recurring homeports.  This includes, port logistics, fuel burn, adequate freezer and chill box space, general storage, medical spaces, cabin storage, etc.  Then there is the ability to fill the ship with passengers.  This needs to be compared against the R-Class.  Just my thoughts. 

1 hour ago, Roz said:

What does this mean???

My cut & paste from Word mixed this up!

Was supposed to say...

"HAL's Vista Class Zuiderdam just wrapped up world cruise, so the lessons learned from a Vista class world cruise are documented. " 

Regret my poor pre-send proof reading!!

27 minutes ago, Eric from San Diego said:

and HAL is not part of that picture

Is this manifests, I'll enjoy the next XX years with HAL, then search for my new cruise line that caters to folks like me that enjoy the journey.  I may have to pay more and cruise less.

From all accounts I read, tourism is up, particularly North Americans taking longer and more expensive vacations/holidays and even the shoulder seasons are becoming more and more crowded.  Cruise line bookings across most US cruise lines are booming in all markets, and cruising is a value when you look at the cost of hotels and meals.  We see more crowded - sold out ships and fares are up. Three years ago many said the industry would die due to COVID.

Cruise lines are feeling the benefit of the boomers spending of their savings/investments more and the following generations just spending.

Carnival Corp is starting to pay down debt, and is ordering large ships for Princess and Carnival.  So what about new HAL ships?

HAL has 11 ships, the oldest being 25 years old (Volendam, and R-Class ship).  The R class are great for world cruises and they have a loyal following amongst long term HAL cruisers.  I have only sailed the older Rotterdam VI  (R-Class), and enjoyed it.  Other than the older Rotterdam V which sailed from 1959-1997 (more than 37 years) - HAL rarely keeps a ship more than 25-28 years, and Volendam is now getting older.  

What is on the horizon for HAL new ships?  Cunard's Queen Anne is on her first season and is a grand ship based on the HAL Pinnacle Class, adding about 15% more tonnage and an equal number of additional passengers.  She shares a great deal of hull/mechanical systems as her little sisters which is a plus for Carnival Corp who owns both lines.  Cost per berth vs revenue per berth is the basic cruise line financial equation.  Ships like Konningsdam generally have a lower cost per berth than ships like Volendam as you only need one Captain, one Chief Engineer etc., and newer ships are built to be run more economically.  At about 113,000 Tons Queen Anne is "mid-sized" when you compare the average of the new builds delivered/on order for 2024-2027 is close to 170,000 tons.  

** As Princess, NCL, and Celebrity shed their "mid-sized ships" fans of the ~80,000 - 100,000 tons ships will be looking for a new homes they can only find mega ships within their favorite line.

I predict we will see HAL order a new ship in the coming year based on the Queen Anne stretching of the Pinnacle class (after all, how long can the go without a ship named Amsterdam?). It will allow HAL to retire one of the R class within a year or two and perhaps hold one for world cruises even after the next ship is delivered.  HAL doesn't Zuiderdam just wrapped up world cruise, so the lessons learned from a Vista class world cruise are documented.  

Thoughts out there??

Six of you will write to build ships like Prinsendam, but that's just counter-financially sound for HAL/Carnival Corp. Today that's Seabourn's territory.  Yes, it is about money in the end. 

19 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

It's impossible to make blanket cruise line comparisons anymore since the ships within a fleet are wildly different. The smaller Zaandam and Coral Princess should have significantly fewer lines than the Pinnacle or Regal class. 

 

I think you will get much more relevant answers if you let us know which two ships you are comparing. Some ships on HAL and Princess have a very good space ratio, while others have space ratios worse than even the biggest ships sailing right now.

 

The whole space ratio thing is bogus because it's based on volume to passengers.

The ship's "space ratio" (by definition) is the enclosed space (measured in ft3/cubic feet) per passenger. 

Deck space in square feet to passengers is what counts.  A grand six story atrium has six times the volume of a comparable space with one ten foot high interior.  The big new ship from RCI, X, and NCL have tons of dead air space.  Thats why some HAL ships appear to have lower space rations but seem less crowded.  

1 hour ago, JeffElizabeth said:

Anyone else notice the HA "suites" aren't really suites anymore? We have been booking Princess lately because they have more true suite options for cabins. This sometimes makes us choose Oceania too. 

I guess technically on HAL, only the Pinnacle Suite meets the true definition of a "suite."

For a real suite I might argue you need one of those giant cabins on the Queen Mary 2, which they don't even call a suite... I think they use the term "duplex." 

After serving a few decades plus in the Navy on nuclear submarines, I can say that the worst inside cabin on a HAL ship is orders of magnitude more spacious and luxurious than even the Captain's Stateroom on submarine.  Hat's off to my old shipmates still out there. 

12 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

the author has opted to create his own categories' definitions (e.g., "entry level luxury" for what are typically considered "premium" lines, and the term "ultraluxury" for standard "luxury" lines). 

I have my own two categories.  "Within Budget" and "Exceeds Budget" .

(Yes, I consider total cost and value) 

Then I pick from what's "Within Budget," that we like.

It's like hotels, just because it's 4 star or 5 star doesn't mean it's always a better hotel than some 3 star hotels.

DW dislikes the big MDR - especially the 90+ minutes it takes to have dinner in MDR.  We usually only eat in the MDR 25% of nights.  When we have Club Orange (on KDAM, NS, and RDAM) we are normally in and out in about 60 min for the same meals and find ourselves eating there 75% of nights.  Service is not only quicker, but a bit more refined, and the food was hot and fresh. 

Within the Signature Suite category, there is not a great deal of room for upgrades, and if they are all now guarantee, you could wind up anywhere.  

The "Club Orange upgrade" is best used when you can book a VH (lowest cost Verandah Cabin) and instantly get an upgrade to a VA/V cabin.  Club Orange costs $25 a day on a Pinnacle Class ship, which won a 7 day cruise is $175pp.  That's less than the ~$250 difference between VH and VA.  So you get Club Orange and save a few bucks while enjoying the benefits.  

Of course Club Orange is limited availability, and the best cabins sell out.  So as @Gail & Marty sailing away say, book early, and onboard (whenever possible).  

On 7/4/2024 at 7:14 PM, Haljo1935 said:

Luggage Direct is a great service

Having an air tag or two in your luggage helps you know where they are as they move about. 

On 7/4/2024 at 8:56 PM, bbodb1 said:

I can clearly see the advantages of letting the ship's baggage handlers deal with our large bags while we could enjoy a last breakfast aboard ship that last morning and not have to carry much more than a backpack with us.  

Relax!

We have never lost a bag with HAL in over 15 cruises, many to/from Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale).  Just keep medications and valuables with you.

You have made very wise decisions by arriving a day before cruise and remaining a day after the cruise.  From time to time ships arrive late due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances such as medical evals, mechanical issues, port security issues, or pilot availability.  Less stress = better cruise. 

Enjoy your cruise.  If the hotel shuttle bothers you, just order an Uber.  We often order Uber Black as the Big SUVs (normally a Tahoe/Escalade size) fits all our bags and the drivers are better.  They are often quicker to get to you as the demand level is different. Uber cost is minimal as the distances (even from beach hotels) is minimal.  

3 hours ago, RClark6369@aol.com said:

At the conclusion of our cruise, our flight out of Athens is 11:30am, should we be sweating bullets or will that be an easy departure to make ?

Sweating a bit.  

After our October 2023 cruise on N. Statendam we arrived in Piraeus and left the ship by 8 am.  It was close to pandemonium at the pier as three ships were all discharging passengers and there was a shuttle bus from pier area to the terminal where luggage and transportation was.  We gave up on the shuttle (along with a few hundred others) and walked the 100 yards to the terminal.  No order there, and about 500 people in line to get a taxi.  We waited more than an hour to get a taxi, which took us to our Athens hotel in 20 min.  The airport is about a 45 min taxi ride with typical traffic.  

Suggest you carry all luggage off and get off ship as fast as possible.  Since there are many Greek Gods, find the God of Smooth Travel, and spend some time in his/her Temple.

On the other hand... taking a later flight or flying the next day will make the entire trip much less stressful!