anyone else switching cruise lines???

[jschm27]

I'm not going to switch cruise lines because of the wine policy. I don't like how the policy was implemented and I don't like some of its implications, like not being able to bring wine onboard for personal consumption after port visits. But what is of greater concern to me is what I perceive to be a general degradation of service and amenities onboard HAL ships. I have a cruise booked on MAASDAM shortly and I will be watching closely.

 

What this whole fiasco WILL cause me to do is to look at other cruise lines to see if there are comparable itineraries and amenities. I've enjoyed HAL in the past, but you know, there is a whole world out there other than HAL.

 

To HAL: Please please please look at where you are heading and what the consequences are.

 

Regards,

 

John

[Copper10-8]

Feel like I'm playing slow pitch softball and they're just lobbing them in:)

 

It's all about timing;)

[Watson's aunt]

No

 

I am over my rant. I have looked at the others. I don't care about the wine. It was the Explore program I was upset at. My friend who is going with me visiting me for two weeks from left coast. We talked about the trip and I said why doesn't she ask her husband. So I may be going solo in the cabin and they get thier own cabin. I Love the crew , the wrap around deck and itineraries. I will forget the explore program but when upgrates are givin out I hope I am on top of the list

 

 

Mary

[Laminator]

With the barrage of E-mails Hal has received on this issue,one should not expect a personalized response this soon. Many of us have received the corporate response and that is all I have expected.

 

I'm sure they are looking at our responses but any changes are not going to happen over night. They have already made a concession and hopefully are discussing our concerns.

 

Again changes are not going to be achieved over night. We just need to keep letting Hal know we have not forgot or have succumbed to the new wine policy without a few exceptions or modifications.

 

Patience but persistent.

 

HAL is a numbers company. They are thrilled that everyone is writing them personalized emails. Why? Let's take a look at CC. I believe CC just reached 1,000,000 members sometime in the last month or so. I have no idea how long cc has been around but I am sure someone out there can answer that question. The one million cc members reflect pax from ALL cruise lines.

 

HAL alone has over 1,000,000 FB likes in just over 4 years.

 

On the very long thread that was originally started 35% of the nearly 1100 posts came from 10 posters. So if I were to guess HAL has probably received 500 to 750 emails from cc members over the past few days. That is less than 4% of the 22,500 pax HAL has on their ships this week alone. Well less than .001% of the total pax HAL will have on their ships this year. HAL would have to receive over 12,500 email complaints regarding the wine policy just to reach 1% of their pax for the year.

 

So by looking at this from HAL's perspective this is nothing more than a minor annoyance. Of course they will take the time to answer your emails as it is good business practice. Right now there is not a chance in hell of them changing the policy. As you can see above the numbers for HAL just don't add up.

 

The message needs to be delivered to a much larger audience. Hence the FaceBook idea.

[Chelly]

Not worth switching cruise lines over.

 

I recall when trays were removed from the Lido. HAL cruisers were in an uproar, threatened to boycott, threatened to mutiny! We protested our disapproval! We pouted for years then finally moved on. Which is what will happen with the wine issue.

[VinTek]

I'm not sure I understand this whole concept of "switching" cruise lines. While I do understand the advantages of accruing benefits from loyalty programs, I have always cruised for itinerary and value (as I perceive it. I'd expect others to base their choices on their own perceptions). If a cruise line no longer gives you what you perceive to be value for your dollar, why wouldn't you switch? And why would you care if others did or not?

[kangforpres]

I'm looking at Celebrity since I think they are a close match to HAL for food and service. I have thought about Princess but I've heard there food is not HAL quality and it feels more crowded on their ships.

 

We have 2 cruises booked with HAL and I will be calling about the explore 4 option for our April 2014 Panama Canal, it is not listed has an option now but all of the other Panama Canal cruises are.

 

We have noticed a slow decline in service and the general feel that the HAL experience is no longer a special experience compared to what a "Signature of Excellence" should be since we started sailing HAL in 2009, but there has not been one big thing that would make us walk away from them.

 

-Paul

[whogo]

Not worth switching cruise lines over.

 

I recall when trays were removed from the Lido. HAL cruisers were in an uproar, threatened to boycott, threatened to mutiny! We protested our disapproval! We pouted for years then finally moved on. Which is what will happen with the wine issue.

I have not moved on from the tray uproar. I dislike dining in the Lido now. By the time you round a salad, a table, a main course, and a drink your food is luke warm, if a steward has not already cleared some of it off the table. Drat! I forgot silverware!

[LindaM]

I'm looking at Celebrity since I think they are a close match to HAL for food and service. I have thought about Princess but I've heard there food is not HAL quality and it feels more crowded on their ships.

 

We have 2 cruises booked with HAL and I will be calling about the explore 4 option for our April 2014 Panama Canal, it is not listed has an option now but all of the other Panama Canal cruises are.

 

We have noticed a slow decline in service and the general feel that the HAL experience is no longer a special experience compared to what a "Signature of Excellence" should be since we started sailing HAL in 2009, but there has not been one big thing that would make us walk away from them.

 

-Paul

 

I think you are making a mistake by choosing Celebrity over Princess. You might want to do more searches here. The food on Princess was wonderful---I gained 7 lbs. That has never happened. The service on Princess is similar to HAL and Celebrity. The food on Celebrity is so so. I was not impressed, nor were friends on a recent cruise on Eclipse.

[kazu]

I think you are making a mistake by choosing Celebrity over Princess. You might want to do more searches here. The food on Princess was wonderful---I gained 7 lbs. That has never happened. The service on Princess is similar to HAL and Celebrity. The food on Celebrity is so so. I was not impressed, nor were friends on a recent cruise on Eclipse.

 

I have been going through the boards a bit and also 'talking' to people. If you want to stay in this area then I would be tempted to look at Princess too. My Celebrity cruise was a disaster last time and Roy (rafinmd) reported he wasn't impressed.

 

I think if you do a Solstice ship it might be ok but that puts you into larger ships.

 

Just going by my own experiences and what I have read. Of course, others are very happy - so who knows?

 

After many years on HAL, even though I have done many cruise lines in the past, it's a bit scary (at least my opinon) the last thing you want to do is make a mistake - of course that can happen on HAL too if you book the wrong ship or get on the wrong week. ;) (I'm thinking Veendam, Zuiderdam & recently Noordam). Never had an issue but others certainly have!

[kangforpres]

I think you are making a mistake by choosing Celebrity over Princess. You might want to do more searches here. The food on Princess was wonderful---I gained 7 lbs. That has never happened. The service on Princess is similar to HAL and Celebrity. The food on Celebrity is so so. I was not impressed, nor were friends on a recent cruise on Eclipse.

 

I'm not trying to pass judgement on all of Princess, I have a co-worker who sailed on them this summer in Alaska and reported the food has very dissapointing. He is not a cruiser and really had no other cruise perspective to compare it too. Plus the fact the he and his girlfriend had to share a cabin with her parents dampened the experience of a first cruise.

 

Princess is on our radar since they cruise from SF and we live in Oakland but in general I heard people on CC report mixed results with Princess.

 

It does not really matter that much since we are still happy with HAL, and want to get that 4th star and "free" laundry.

[Cqis]

I did not know that bringing wine aboard was THAT important????!!!!

So far HAL has been the cruise line for me; but will try a river cruise some day .

[Chelly]

I did not know that bringing wine aboard was THAT important????!!!!

So far HAL has been the cruise line for me; but will try a river cruise some day .

 

LOL..In terms of importance, it appears that the right to schlep wine on board is right up there with trays in the lido and MDR dress code.:D

[kazu]

LOL..In terms of importance, it appears that the right to schlep wine on board is right up there with trays in the lido and MDR dress code.:D

 

only if you are going to compare to other lines that let you do it with a corkage fee which is all we had suggested to HAL:D

 

Lido trays never bothered me - I never used one - but I certainly didn't belittle the people to whom it was important:D

[jackjoy1]

NO, We have NO intention of switching cruise lines.

 

We love the people and ships of HAL and that is our cruising 'home'.

 

When we stop cruising HAL, we stop cruising.

 

Well said! Too much posturing on this subject.

[lmentzer]

Probably not, but that was a factor in choosing HAL for our Panama Canal Cruise in October. With the new rescriction, we will certainly be looking harder at other cruise lines for our future cruises. With wine prices about three or four times higher on board than you can buy them in the store, and we like two or three glasses of wine each day, there is a large cost involved. Just like the airlines, HAL is starting to nickle and dime their customers for most everything.