Been a long time since HAL cruise - what's changed?

[bobbisailsolo]

Wow, Java Café?

It really has been a long time since you cruised HAL.

You will no longer have a Java Café. Long gone.

Espresso and Cappuccino are available for purchase at Explorations Café and in MDR. Ships are still spotless and understatedly elegant.

Some are much bigger than when you sailed.

You likely have not seen or dined in an alternative restaurant, Pinnacle Grill. Deicious and an additional charge.

Staffing is down; work load the same which equates to stewards working very hard on servicing more cabins, waiting on more dining tables......

 

Hotel Service Charge is added daily to our shipboard account as gratuities that are split among front of the house as well as back of the house crew.

No more Dutch Night.

No more Rosarios.

No more Brass Hors d'ouerves server in Ocean Bar.

Hotel Manager is now Hotel Director.

Chief Officer is now Staff Captain.

Maitre d' is now Dining Room Manager.

We are permitted to bring aboard one 750 ml bottle of wine per adult person at no corkage fee. Anything more than that is permitted but there is $18 corkage fee per bottle no matter where you drink it. The days of unlimited wine being permitted carried aboard ended.

 

LOTS of other changes but that's a start.

 

How much are the daily gratuities now?

[bobbisailsolo]

A lot has changed. Almost all for the worse.

 

My advice is to lower your expectations. Your memories of great service, etc. are now history. If you want a premium experience, you can't get it anymore on Holland. There are some wonderful cruise lines out there, but you'll have to pay more.

 

Your alternative is to hold your nose and book Holland America. You can still have a great cruise, but you'll be miserable if you keep comparing things to the "good old days". A lot of people spend their entire cruise complaining about how bad Holland America has become. Your choice is to either pay for a high quality experience on another line or stay with Holland America and try to find a bargain. They do have some great deals if you are OK with the lower quality.

 

 

 

Good Luck and have fun whichever way you go.

 

 

 

To be fair, it's not just HAL that has changed. All of the mainstream cruises have gone down hill. Cruising is not what it used to be, for sure.

[bobbisailsolo]

Guest lecturers are scarce, we had a staff member read a Captain Cook "lecture" on our recent Hawaii cruise. Sales pitches are now called seminars, you may find them for exotic gemstones, acupuncture, chocolate diamonds, tanzanite, birthstones and gods know what else. People attend these sales pitches!

 

Rock salt is available in grinders in the Lido for unknown reasons. Crunchy salt must be popular in some quarters.

 

The poorly named As You Wish Dining encompasses all dining options, including open seating.

 

Smoking rules have changed, see the HAL website, ain't nobody happy on Cruise Critic. Anti-smokers want more restrictions, pro-smokers want fewer, and the rest wish everybody would just shut up about it already.

 

There are no longer any trays in the Lido. Good luck getting your drink, seat and hot food.

 

 

No more trays! I forgot about that. I was told they wanted to cut down on wasted food. If you have to carry a plate, you can't take as much..

[RuthC]

How much are the daily gratuities now?

$12 per person, per day for everyone in any class of suite. $11.50 per person per day for all other classes of cabin. The amount is added to your daily account. The amount can be increased, decreased, or removed entirely if something has gone terribly wrong.

 

A 15% service charge is added to the price of drinks.

[sammiedawg]

A lot has changed. Almost all for the worse.

 

My advice is to lower your expectations. Your memories of great service, etc. are now history. If you want a premium experience, you can't get it anymore on Holland. There are some wonderful cruise lines out there, but you'll have to pay more.

 

Your alternative is to hold your nose and book Holland America. You can still have a great cruise, but you'll be miserable if you keep comparing things to the "good old days". A lot of people spend their entire cruise complaining about how bad Holland America has become. Your choice is to either pay for a high quality experience on another line or stay with Holland America and try to find a bargain. They do have some great deals if you are OK with the lower quality.

 

Good Luck and have fun whichever way you go.

 

Good comments.

I would suggest you try to figure out what the typical Holland America per diem is for the cabin category you want. I could explain this better if we were allowed to give out the web site name but there are Internet sites that display cruise pricing very well. Calculate the typical per diem and look for good value. Do not overpay for any particular HAL ship as the menus and service levels are standard across the fleet. I have my own opinion on what various cruise lines are worth using a quick calculation of the per diem rate.

[navybankerteacher]

OK, We will challenge some of the HAL cheerleaders with a basic question, similar to what has been asked by the OP. In the past 10 years what has changed for the better on HAL?

 

Hank

P.S. We are 4 Star Mainers and have done man HAL days in the past 10 years.

 

I am not a HAL cheerleader, although HAL does remain my lass-market line of choice for the overall experience,

 

Since you asked, I find that HAL is distinctly more affordable than in the past. The cost of sailing them has gone up by no more that the rate on other lines, while the quality of the experience has not gone down as much.

 

Admittedly this is not a rave review, but improved affordability as a percentage of my disposable income, has to be recognized; whether or not it offsets the decline in service is another question.

[sail7seas]

Conference calls start....... mass texting. :D It gets comical. I do worry though when one is missing as I hope they are okay.

I think OP started an interesting thread and I like to read various posters' comments about changes. :)

Edited February 22, 2015 by sail7seas

[Tante Amalie]

That is a good point about HAL's value proposition. I agree that while the quality of HAL has dropped dramatically, so have the prices.

 

There are some amazingly low prices on HAL cruises. For the last 2 years, you could easily get an Ocean View cabin at under $100/day in Alaska. The Caribbean is even cheaper. You don't get those prices if you book early, but it seems like the prices have really tended to plummet during the last few months before the cruises.

 

When you factor that in, HAL doesn't look so bad, as long as you are ready to accept the greatly diminished service and quality.

[bobbisailsolo]

HAL is just changing with the times. Gone IMHO are the days when people cared about table settings. My generation was a bunch of collectors. We loved waterford crystal and silver place settings. But not the younger folks. We were so duped into believing any of that stuff mattered! Have you seen what waterford goes for on eBay? Lol. Remember when people dressed up to fly? No long elegant gowns much on cruises... Or sequined jackets. We have become a society of casualness and comfort...at my age I can't even wear heels if I wanted to. What is most important are the itineraries which I still think sets HAL apart from say RCL and Carnival... I'm sure there are some people who still like the old style cruising... But I think for the most part those days are gone. Plus... Just a thought... We are more politically correct now... As we should be... No need to have someone walk down the aisle ringing a bell. That's a bit demeaning in 2015. Again these are just my opinions hope I didn't offend anyone. I'm almost afraid to post this!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sail7seas]

Perhaps there is another factor as to how much some care about table settings and decorum etc and it is more to do with what they are looking for from their cruise.

 

For those to whom the itinerary is the most important, a pretty table setting may not matter. They are tired from a full day of touring, want an 'adequate dinner', perhaps a few minutes watching the show and off to bed.

 

For those to whom the cruise ship is the destination and they have been to/seen/toured so many of the ports they seek more attention to detail and experience on the ship. They have lounged around the ship all day and want a fine, leisurely dinner and consider that part of their entertainment. They care about how it is served etc They want more than to just be fed.

 

I do think generational differences are also at play but there is nothing new about that. Remember how horrified some parents were when Elvis was starting his career. Some wouldn't let their kids watch him on Ed Sullivan show. :D

 

It also may depend upon how much one has paid for their cruise. Someone who has paid $399 for the week is willing to accept less than someone who has paid $3,999. Of course, no one forces anyone to pay high prices when they can pay less but that may be a source of some discontent??

 

Just some idle thoughts.

Edited February 24, 2015 by sail7seas

[solocanadian]

Long forgotten, you made me recall, fondly, our first cruise on the now departed Nieuw Amsterdam and how a Dining Room staff person walked down each corridor with the pleasant chimes announcing the first or second seating.

 

Those were the days!

Indeed they were. I still miss the dinner chimes. It was really classy.:)

[Vict0riann]

Indeed they were. I still miss the dinner chimes. It was really classy.:)

 

Every evening (or at least every evening that we were there) the Yum Yum man came through the Mix Bar area and the shops with the chimes. It must have been around 5:30? - definitely for the fixed early dinner seating. We were usually at the bar having the Sip and Savour, and that started at 5, I seem to remember, and a number of people would then start to wander toward the dining room. This was last December on the Maasdam. So perhaps, Solo, we will be able to hunt them down on Westie!:)

[RuthC]

HAL is just changing with the times. Gone IMHO are the days when people cared about table settings. My generation was a bunch of collectors. We loved waterford crystal and silver place settings. But not the younger folks. We were so duped into believing any of that stuff mattered! Have you seen what waterford goes for on eBay? Lol. Remember when people dressed up to fly? No long elegant gowns much on cruises... Or sequined jackets. We have become a society of casualness and comfort...at my age I can't even wear heels if I wanted to. What is most important are the itineraries which I still think sets HAL apart from say RCL and Carnival... I'm sure there are some people who still like the old style cruising... But I think for the most part those days are gone. Plus... Just a thought... We are more politically correct now... As we should be... No need to have someone walk down the aisle ringing a bell. That's a bit demeaning in 2015. Again these are just my opinions hope I didn't offend anyone. I'm almost afraid to post this!!

There's a world of difference between chowing down and fine dining. The former feeds the body, while the latter additionally feeds the soul.

If the days of fine dining are gone, then the world has lost something that mattered.

[sapper1]

There's a world of difference between chowing down and fine dining. The former feeds the body, while the latter additionally feeds the soul.

If the days of fine dining are gone, then the world has lost something that mattered.

 

I have been struggling to find the words to answer the post you quoted. Now, thanks to your eloquent post, I can stop struggling and let your words speak for me as well.

[sail7seas]

There's a world of difference between chowing down and fine dining. The former feeds the body, while the latter additionally feeds the soul.

If the days of fine dining are gone, then the world has lost something that mattered.

 

Well said, as usual, Ruth. :)

 

[Hlitner]

There's a world of difference between chowing down and fine dining. The former feeds the body, while the latter additionally feeds the soul.

If the days of fine dining are gone, then the world has lost something that mattered.

 

Here Here! Could not agree more. But fortunately, the world of fine dining is still alive and well in many venues (and some cruise lines) all over the world. Unfortunately, HAL is no longer one of those venues. Some alternative restaurants on a few mass market cruise lines (i.e. Murano on Celebrity, Todd English on Cunard, etc) are still maintaining a fine dining standard (you will never find a cruiser wearing baseball caps in those venues). But getting fine dining in a MDR now means paying the big bucks for some of the Ultra Luxury lines.

 

Hank

Edited February 24, 2015 by Hlitner

[bobbisailsolo]

There's a world of difference between chowing down and fine dining. The former feeds the body, while the latter additionally feeds the soul.

 

If the days of fine dining are gone, then the world has lost something that mattered. [/

 

 

I don't consider HAL fine dining. Don't think any of the mainstream cruises offer fine dining or really ever did. To me its comparable to banquet dining. As I've gotten older, or as I'd like to think wiser, I can be just as happy with a $30 steak, as I am with a $100'one (providing they are both from humanely raised cattle). As long as there's someone to fill my coffee cup I'm a happy camper.. Guess I look at the world differently now.

 

What really surprised me were all the really, really casual passengers on my 21 day med cruise. I plan to be one of them on my next cruise to Norway and the northern isles...Lol.

 

Just wondering, how many on this thread go to the captain's cocktail party? I assuming HAL still has them?

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[albingirl]

I think I would be rather depressed reading most of these comments. Personally, I think you have a very good value for a vacation on Holland America, no matter what you've paid. We sail with them, most of you do as well, so it's all relative. If I were contemplating sailing with HAL, I might think twice reading this thread.

[USVIcruizer]

My intent wasn't to depress anyone, but rather to hear fair & honest assessments of how things may have changed on HAL since last I cruised the line. Many of you have provided pertinent information, others have expressed their personal opinions, and I appreciate both.

 

Three things remain as important to me now as when I took my first cruise - cleanliness, service & relaxation. I don't need or want rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks or flow riders. I don't expect ANY venue preparing thousands of meals a day to be on the same level as the 5 star restaurants I regularly frequented years ago. I don't expect the same caliber of talent on a ship as what I experienced at the opening night of The Lion King on Broadway. Central Park on a ship? Not my thing. And even in my youth, I NEVER wore high heels!

 

What I want is an atmosphere in which I can sleep past 6:00am, enjoy quality time with my boyfriend, read a good book, play a little blackjack, see a bit of this amazing world in which we live and engage in friendly conversation with my fellow cruisers - all while gazing at the beauty of the sea. All of these pleasures, to me, are priceless.

 

Now another important question - what's the policy of bringing non-alcoholic beverages onboard? ;-)

[sail7seas]

Nice post, USVI........

 

You are welcome to bring as many non-alcoholic beverages aboard as you wish. Soda, water..... You can bring it aboard at embarkation as well as in ports along the way.

[JimAOk1945]

After reading this thread, I feel a little sad that we didn't have the opportunity to start cruising earlier in life. It would appear that we have missed so much that seasoned HAL cruisers enjoyed in the past.

 

On the other hand, since we never experienced them, I really shouldn't feel this way at all. If we weren't so keen on trying HAL, we would look to another cruise line for our upcoming Alaska cruise next summer. After reading the HAL board over the past two years, I feel certain that we will have a wonderful experience.

 

Cruising is a fantastic way to travel. Smooth sailing and pleasant weather everyone!

Edited February 25, 2015 by JimAOk1945

[bobbisailsolo]

After reading this thread, I feel a little sad that we didn't have the opportunity to start cruising earlier in life. It would appear that we have missed so much that seasoned HAL cruisers enjoyed in the past.

 

On the other hand, since we never experienced them, I really shouldn't feel this way at all. If we weren't so keen on trying HAL, we would look to another cruise line for our upcoming Alaska cruise next summer. After reading the HAL board over the past two years, I feel certain that we will have a wonderful experience.

 

Cruising is a fantastic way to travel. Smooth sailing and pleasant weather everyone!

 

HAL does a really good job in Alaska... that you can count on!

[JimAOk1945]

HAL does a really good job in Alaska... that you can count on!

Thanks for the kind words! Reviews like this one can be very discouraging. However, I respect the opinions and feelings of those who have posted their thoughts. I have learned a great deal while reading this board over the years as I do research for our upcoming cruise.

 

It will be a special cruise for us since we will be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. I look forward to booking our cruise as soon as HAL opens the Summer 2016 itineraries.

Edited February 25, 2015 by JimAOk1945

[AV8rix]

What I want is an atmosphere in which I can sleep past 6:00am, enjoy quality time with my boyfriend, read a good book, play a little blackjack, see a bit of this amazing world in which we live and engage in friendly conversation with my fellow cruisers - all while gazing at the beauty of the sea. All of these pleasures, to me, are priceless.

 

 

Hey USVIcruizer. I see that you're on the Amsterdam repo departing FLL on May 12. I started a roll call for that cruise. Why don't you join us? Here's the link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2144977

 

I'm a tournament blackjack player on land. However, because of the smoking situation, I can only play on the HAL ships for the first couple of hours on sea days. But I'm looking forward to meeting you at the table on board.

 

You certainly live in a beautiful part of the world!

[chrismch]

I see many have disparaged the change in quality on HAL and having cruised her twice last year and once with Oceania, I would like to add my own thoughts.

 

First for those who complain about the quality... How about the quality in the restaurants you dine in at home? No doubt many of those have gone down as well. I do restaurant reviews and I can attest to the changes and lack of professional service that was once there. However, that's not stopping me from dining out.

 

What I like about HAL... the beautiful artwork, the classic design of the ship, the different options for music from chamber to rock. The house band who handle the specialty and production shows are top notch (my DH is a musician and that's his opinion) and you can get a hot breakfast in your home (Oceania only offers that option with suites). I also like the various options for Eggs Benedict - my fave is the crab one.

 

I also love the specialty Asian restaurant - which is one of the reasons I like to sail on those two ships that have it. I go to the afternoon teas, but not for the desserts. I am a lover of teas and like that this specialty tea service includes teas that aren't served elsewhere on the ship. The Asian restaurant has specialty teas also. That was one of the disappointments with Oceania' s teas - only served what could be found in the dining room and lido. However, they did have one of the best teas I've ever had in their Red Ginger restaurant.

 

Most important is the rooms are more spacious for rooms under the suite level. Also, HAL has a higher space ratio than RCL, NCL, Princess, etc. So less feeling of being crowded.

 

Yes, the staff seemed to busier but if you treat them with respect, dignity and a smile, I've found them friendly and helpful.

 

Bottom line... Your attitude will reflect your experience on the ship. Any day on a ship is better than cooking and cleaning at home!