How could HAL Improve?

[sapper1]

[quote name='SJSULIBRARIAN']Heat the dinner plates so the food has a chance to be at least warm when it is served

Interactive TV

Increased Internet speed[/QUOTE]

Stop heating the ice cream bowls so the ice cream has a chance to be solid when it is served.

[librarysmile]

I'd like to see more meaningful Mariner rewards. It could be something simple but it would be nice if it was something I would want. I don't particularly want the magazine or a 10% discount on their online shop. I'd like a free fancy coffee or a complimentary 10 minute internet session or a free photo of my choice (just one since I know all 3 would be too much).

HAL is my favorite cruise line and I'll be sailing with them again in a month and a day. As someone else said though, there's always room for improvement. ;)

[Pearlbill]

They could stop running "A Signature of Excellence" byline. Some of us gullible ones, actually believed it.

[startwin]

I'm not too fussy, as long I'm comfortable and have a working toilet (a gamble, it seems, these days) and would love a glass of wine with dinner and before the coffee, but even that is hard to get with the servers being so busy.

[sapper1]

Train front desk staff not to treat passengers with a patronizing attitude. It is often not so much the problem that is infuriating as it is the denial that there is a problem. They should be more human and less scripted.

[kazu]

I don't need much - we've been happy especially on the smaller ships BUT

I would really like HAL to improve their wine lists.

allow us to bring wine on board in ports where wine is known to be good.

Bring more local wines on board. And beer. The beer was sold out before we even got on board last time.

Have interactive TV or at least let me check my onboard account on line so I don't waste paper. Or, have a confirmation in your room of the shipboard credits that you have. (gift notices don't work with the other ones available)

Accept an IPAD email for proof of the obc's, purchases, etc. Don't make us bring paper.

Let us download the shore excursions earlier - I have tried for three days and was told that even though the shore excursions are there - I may have to wait 120 days out from the cruise to print it out! really???? DH won't look unless I can print it out so 120 days (2 months) for this planner doesn't cut it.

On night one (usually slow) have more wine stewards or support, have the manager present immediately to help or increase the help even if it is temporary.

Life is good - I'm sailing - but I really wish they would give a deal to early bookers and not offer such great deals to last minute bookers.

That's my wish list :) OK we can all laugh

[PrincessNancy]

[quote name='Lovely other']
7. a close-up magician in the bar at night ...on the Noordam they had one in the Crows Nest but only because my husbands occupation became known. Ok i'm only asking for that so i can go with him on cruises ...well a girl has to try :cool:[/QUOTE]

I was reading right along and then came to #7--I was literally laughing out loud!

Although, I have to say I agree that it would be great to have a close-up magician in the pubs in the evening!

[Lovely other]

The Daily Program could be on the TV also thus eliminating the copious pieces of paper delivered to the cabins and thrown away the next day!


I would hate this ...the Daily Program is a great thing and imagine having to run back to your cabin everytime you wanted to see what was happening ...can't fit a tv in my pocket ;)

[cruiseclues]

Take photos of your MDR food and chances are the food will be better. ;)

[SilvertoGold]

[quote name='sapper1']stop heating the ice cream bowls so the ice cream has a chance to be solid when it is served.[/quote]

yes!

[SilvertoGold]

[quote name='librarysmile']I'd like to see more meaningful Mariner rewards. It could be something simple but it would be nice if it was something I would want. I don't particularly want the magazine or a 10% discount on their online shop. I'd like a free fancy coffee or a complimentary 10 minute internet session or a free photo of my choice (just one since I know all 3 would be too much).

HAL is my favorite cruise line and I'll be sailing with them again in a month and a day. As someone else said though, there's always room for improvement. ;)[/quote]

HAL's rewards are relatively good, you just have to be a relatively frequent cruiser with them to attaint he higher levels.

Personally I would love a list of rewards to be able to choose from, but considering how hard it is for the ships to get the present rewards figured out, this is not something that is reasonable to expect.

[aliaschief]

There is always room for improvement in Holland America and in all of us posters.

There has been some interesting observations, recommendations and suggestions. Hope there noticed.

[chrispb]

[quote name='kazu']

Life is good - I'm sailing - but I really wish they would give a deal to early bookers and not offer such great deals to last minute bookers.

That's my wish list :) OK we can all laugh[/quote]

With price-drop on your side of the pond, don't you get the same/similar prices as the late bookers?

[kazu]

[quote name='chrispb']With price-drop on your side of the pond, don't you get the same/similar prices as the late bookers?[/QUOTE]

No, usually the price drops after final payment :( If it drops beforehand, yes we do get it - but a significant drop has been a rarity for us.

The 'good deals' are usually after final payment if the cruise is not selling well.

[sail7seas]

[quote name='chrispb']With price-drop on your side of the pond, don't you get the same/similar prices as the late bookers?[/quote]


[B] No, we don't get the price drops.
They make sure to drop the prices the day after final payment is due and then they make it for 'new bookings only'.

[/B]

[solocanadian]

[quote name='OlsSalt']Do we know what the legal liabilities were for HAL allowing an unlimited consumption in-cabin wine policy?[/QUOTE]

[B][SIZE="3"][COLOR="Blue"]I don't think this matters a bit. Bet HAL would sell me 2 or 3 bottle of liquor for a 7 day cruise and not care if it were just me consuming it.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]

[lcand1923]

I know the penny counters have caused the difficulty, but I do wish HAL would return staffing levels in the MDR to something close to what they once were. I just spoke to some friends who are back from a HAL cruise. They stopped going to the MDR for meals because they couldn't get wine service, their food was cold and the meals were taking 3 hours. They switched to the Lido. They asked how the service had been on my last HAL cruise. I said that most of my meals ended up being in the Lido, too. Meals in the MDR had been one of the highlights of HAL. It is cheaper to have everyone eat in the Lido, but .......

[Watson's aunt]

Just off the Zuiderhdam. I fouind the food on her wonderful 10+ except the night I ate at Pinaclle Hrill.

I don't care about shows/entertainment.

I wish they would stop charging double fares thier solo passengers. We don't eat or need the same care as a two people need.

Get rid of the new cheap and worthless dailey programs. I have only been activly sailing the last 3 years In 2011 they had port news and a daily program.
2012 Port news was gone and daily program was the same
2013 they have a cheap paper and no news about ports. They have daily news of what happens on the ship. If you have not seen these horrible programs on cheap paper. We pay enough we should have a quality program. I was on the Zuiderdam 10 day cruise November 8


Mary

[cruz chic]

[QUOTE=Watson's aunt;40747484]Just off the Zuiderhdam. I fouind the food on her wonderful 10+ except the night I ate at Pinaclle Hrill.

I don't care about shows/entertainment.

I wish they would stop charging double fares thier solo passengers. We don't eat or need the same care as a two people need.

Get rid of the new cheap and worthless dailey programs. I have only been activly sailing the last 3 years In 2011 they had port news and a daily program.
2012 Port news was gone and daily program was the same
2013 they have a cheap paper and no news about ports. They have daily news of what happens on the ship. If you have not seen these horrible programs on cheap paper. We pay enough we should have a quality program. I was on the Zuiderdam 10 day cruise November 8


Mary[/QUOTE]

They do give you a booklet about the ports at the beginning of the cruise.

[sppunk]

To whomever said grits are nasty ... please don't judge them on HALs take! I had the grits for dinner on Eurodam in October and they were the worst thing I put in my mouth all cruise. To call them in edible would be impolite to inedible!

My short wish list:
- add more stewarts or at least restore staff levels
- update to interactive TVs (it's inexcusable they aren't available, really). Having no kiosks to see your portfolio is really frustrating.
- train the dessert chefs how to prepare actual desserts
- ban smoking everywhere except a specific sealed-off interior ounce and one section of a top deck.

[chrispb]

[quote name='kazu']No, usually the price drops after final payment :( If it drops beforehand, yes we do get it - but a significant drop has been a rarity for us.

The 'good deals' are usually after final payment if the cruise is not selling well.[/quote]

Thanks, seems the answer is to become a late booker yourself. It works for me. :D Also, I think if I booked a year or 2 in advance then I'd regret it and wish I was going somewhere else entirely.

[cruz chic]

[quote name='chrispb']Thanks, seems the answer is to become a late booker yourself. It works for me. :D [/quote]

Clearly, that would be the best thing but some of us are not able to do that.

[cruiseapril]

First- What we really enjoy about HAL:
Very good itineraries (they attract us more than other lines), relaxing atmosphere, excellent service (our experience), very good food, the connection to the Netherlands (we lived in Curacao), attractive ships,
good shore excursions (so far), Mariner's program and magazine, and wine tasting events.

There are only 2 things we would like to have changed (at this writing)-
the volume of the theater (wow, was that loud last time!) and the quality
of the bed sheets.

[AlexandNessa]

I would prefer HAL develop an app for us smartphone peeps that can be used onboard. Disney did this, and we loved it. Daily programs, restaurant hours, menus, weather and port information, disembarkation info, etc., all at the touch of your phone. So convenient and easy to use.

[sackman]

I would like to see some kind of shared points system with the other cruise lines in the Carnival system. I have a boatload of points with Princess, but I'm just a little one-star on HAL. It makes it difficult to try other offerings when the perks I get on Princess are so great compared to the other lines.