Another HAL and internet post

[hastinc]

And before anyone says that its investment for the future recognize that when the current system was installed in the ship it was also an investment for the future. Today is the future that the current system installed in the ships was intended to serve.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

 

 

Building any new ship is an investment for the future. Don't forget they do regular dry dock upgrades to keep the ships relevant to what they think the customer wants or what the competition is doing.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[bUU]

However, during those dry docks they don't replace every system for which there is an upgraded model.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[clueless2]

No investment in technology is a long-term investment. It changes too quickly.

 

Sent from my Pixel using Forums mobile app

[bUU]

No investments in technology should be made that cannot stand for long enough to justify their utilization of resources and capital.

[hastinc]

Investment should be made for what customers want now and are willing to pay extra for. "Technology" costs have dropped significantly with previous and on-going R&D developments.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Kamloops50]

Many of HAL passengers don't use the internet regularly. As a result higher speed probably isn't a priority of their ships.

[taxmantoo]

Many of HAL passengers don't use the internet regularly. As a result higher speed probably isn't a priority of their ships.

"If you build it, they will come."

We try to limit our use as much as possible because of the terrible service. If they improved service, many more passengers wouldn't mind paying for it and would use it.

[bUU]

Investment should be made for what customers want now and are willing to pay extra for.

Investment of the resources and capital available should be directed towards what customers are most willing to pay extra for.

 

Recently, that has included enhancements to entertainment options and expansion into new destinations.

[hastinc]

Investment of the resources and capital available should be directed towards what customers are most willing to pay extra for.

 

 

Such as faster internet.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[slidergirl]

Such as faster internet.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

You're not going to win this one on HAL. He!!, a lot of HAL cruisers don't own smartphones yet - "fast Internet" is not one of their priorities when they sail. They are still getting over the demise of the HAL Cats, ballroom dancing and the installation of the BB King All Stars.

 

You might be better served on another line where fast Internet for streamers is available. If you find one, please let us know.

[bUU]

Such as faster internet.

On what objective and normalized research about the preferences of the entire range of Holland America customers do you base that claim?

 

 

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[Kamloops50]

I've never seen the Internet cafe with more than 1 or 2 people in ,except on the day before disembarkation.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[slidergirl]

I've never seen the Internet cafe with more than 1 or 2 people in ,except on the day before disembarkation.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

You've got those hundreds of children and petulant 20-somethings with their iPhones and Galaxies and tablets streaming videos and "keeping up" on whatever social media they are addicted to, doing said activities in their cabins, by the pool... It's not just the Internet cafe where people get on the 'net...

[Kamloops50]

You've got those hundreds of children and petulant 20-somethings with their iPhones and Galaxies and tablets streaming videos and "keeping up" on whatever social media they are addicted to, doing said activities in their cabins, by the pool... It's not just the Internet cafe where people get on the 'net...

 

 

Don't see many of those on board either. Children aren't very plentiful except for Alaska.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Tampa Girl]

I've never seen the Internet cafe with more than 1 or 2 people in ,except on the day before disembarkation.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

But don't forget that people are connecting to the internet at many places throughout the ship, including some cabins.

[Kamloops50]

But don't forget that people are connecting to the internet at many places throughout the ship, including some cabins.

 

 

The HAL ships I've been on. The internet in the room was poor to none existent. The last ship we where on . They were installs internet access points on the ship deck by deck as the ship continue to cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Zooguy]

You're not going to win this one on HAL. He!!, a lot of HAL cruisers don't own smartphones yet - "fast Internet" is not one of their priorities when they sail. They are still getting over the demise of the HAL Cats, ballroom dancing and the installation of the BB King All Stars.

 

 

 

You might be better served on another line where fast Internet for streamers is available. If you find one, please let us know.

 

 

That's funny about the Hal Cats. I haven't thought about that in a long time. As far as ballroom dancing, remember the "gentlemen hosts?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[bUU]

I'll take normalized objective market research, performed by professionals who don't have a vested interest in biasing the result, over passengers, even myself as a passenger, making wild guesses about what I and other passengers are actually willing to pay for things.

[CA-Cruzers]

When my better two-thirds and I go on a cruise it's to get away from the regular routine of being land-locked, and that includes the time online. If people absolutely have to do it, I guess the internet charge should simply be considered part of the cost of travel... and the cruise lines are running a business, after all.

 

I'd like to think people could look at the water, a book or something else besides their facebook page, but the internet's joined TV as another opiate for the masses - and from the number of folks nosed in on their cell phones while standing in front of a Wonder of the World, I'd say an intervention might be appropriate. ;)

[hastinc]

On what objective and normalized research about the preferences of the entire range of Holland America customers do you base that claim?

 

 

Not sure what claim you are referencing, however HAL installed internet on all of their ships many years ago. Why? Because that is what their customers wanted and were willing to pay for. Posters on CC topics about internet routinely want faster internet speeds, as do I.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[POA1]

We are going on NCL's Escape this fall. Internet is $29.99 per day and based on what I've read, you have to buy it for the duration. They also have minute based plans with 250 minutes for $125 or 100 minutes for $75. Those two plans would run you $100 and $55 on HAL. Based on reported speeds on the Norwegian board, speeds look to be comparable to what we've experienced on HAL. (Not counting the Eurodam, which was much slower than average.)

 

If I didn't need access for work, I'd forego the expense.

[bUU]

When my better two-thirds and I go on a cruise it's to get away from the regular routine of being land-locked, and that includes the time online.

I hear (well, see) what you're saying, but I think your assessment of the value of Internet access between your daily "routine" and when you "get away" is way off target. I don't know what kind of charmed life you may lead, but if I personally encounter one thing during a typical day that is worth me photographing it, much less sharing it with family and friends via Facebook, that would be a remarkable day. Meanwhile, while I'm on vacation, I encounter such things several times an hour.

 

A friend of mine is touring Italy right now, and my dreary workday is being blessedly punctuated every hour or so with another set of photos - art museums, Mt. Vesuvius, historic sites, wonderful countryside vistas, etc. I'm having a rather bad week actually, and the real time sharing my friend is doing is a great bonus that is making a big difference in my week.

 

Admittedly, there's less of that sort of thing aboard ship as compared to in the ports, but reflexively, the ports (especially Mayan ruins in the jungle) don't necessarily have any wifi, so I could see the mechanics being photographing like crazy during the day and then relaxing in the evening aboard ship, posting recollections of the day, with photos, to Facebook. (And that's indeed what my friend in Italy is doing this week.)

 

I'd like to think people could look at the water, a book or something else besides their facebook page

I think it makes no sense opposing Facebook while advocating reading a book. No - worse - it is an excessively insular perspective. As a matter of fact, a far better argument can be made that you've got it completely backwards, using the example I gave above about posting to Facebook being a form of journaling the experiences a vacationer on a vacation has, away from their typical routine.

 

I'm being a bit unfair to you (but only as a mirror of your own statements). You perhaps were only thinking of using the Internet in the manner you personally use it, based on your own background and experience, and perhaps you didn't think much about how other passengers engage with other people in a manner different than you do, and that they perhaps engage with other people much more so leveraging technology to do so. That's the risk you take, though, when you put forward judgmental appraisals on what others value (like calling it an "opiate").

 

What is important to note is that Holland America passengers are probably much more like you than like me. They are likely to share your insular views on the Internet, which is why the super high-speed service that some are clamoring for in this thread is very low in priority.

 

Full Disclosure: After I post my recollections of the day on Facebook, I'm likely to read a book for an hour before sleep. The book reading is my "opiate". Of course, because at my age holding a heavy hardcover or even paperback book for an hour is likely to require pain relief for my wrist the next morning, I use a nice, lightweight Kindle.

 

Not sure what claim you are referencing

This one (LINK) that implies that the cruise line should replace the existing Internet service aboard ship with faster service. There is a big difference between adding an Internet service piggy-backed on the ship's satellite communications that are needed anyway for operational purposes, and replacing an existing service. Without evidence that there is justification for such a claim, it remains a baseless claim. Edited May 31, 2017 by bUU

[taxmantoo]

A friend of mine is touring Italy right now, and my dreary workday is being blessedly punctuated every hour or so with another set of photos - art museums, Mt. Vesuvius, historic sites, wonderful countryside vistas, etc. I'm having a rather bad week actually, and the real time sharing my friend is doing is a great bonus that is making a big difference in my week.

 

Using the Internet for social media apps during your workday? tsk tsk tsk ... In my day, that would have gotten me fired! :rolleyes:

[bUU]

Using the Internet for social media apps during your workday? tsk tsk tsk ... In my day, that would have gotten me fired! :rolleyes:

Sanity and productivity is more important than inflexible rules. Regardless, I'm sitting here waiting for others to provide me what I need to do my job. That's what is so bad about this week. I'm stuck waiting with no way to get my work done until other people get their work done. It sucks. But at least the photos from Italy makes it less painful.

[CA-Cruzers]

I hear (well, see) what you're saying, but I think your assessment of the value of Internet access between your daily "routine" and when you "get away" is way off target. I don't know what kind of charmed life you may lead, but if I personally encounter one thing during a typical day that is worth me photographing it, much less sharing it with family and friends via Facebook, that would be a remarkable day. Meanwhile, while I'm on vacation, I encounter such things several times an hour.

 

I think it makes no sense opposing Facebook while advocating reading a book. No - worse - it is an excessively insular perspective. As a matter of fact, a far better argument can be made that you've got it completely backwards, using the example I gave above about posting to Facebook being a form of journaling the experiences a vacationer on a vacation has, away from their typical routine.

 

I'm being a bit unfair to you (but only as a mirror of your own statements). You perhaps were only thinking of using the Internet in the manner you personally use it, based on your own background and experience, and perhaps you didn't think much about how other passengers engage with other people in a manner different than you do, and that they perhaps engage with other people much more so leveraging technology to do so. That's the risk you take, though, when you put forward judgmental appraisals on what others value (like calling it an "opiate").

 

Full Disclosure: After I post my recollections of the day on Facebook, I'm likely to read a book for an hour before sleep. The book reading is my "opiate". Of course, because at my age holding a heavy hardcover or even paperback book for an hour is likely to require pain relief for my wrist the next morning, I use a nice, lightweight Kindle.

 

I appreciated reading that, thanks. It's perhaps my manner of speaking that made it sound judgmental, and that wasn't my intent. I don't think you were being unfair at all. My life isn't "charmed", unless that means first world, and for that I'm grateful. What I probably lost in my being overly wordy was that being able to instantly share a picture of something doesn't make it an imperative. I enjoy trip reports here, but given the choice I'd prefer seeing people's travel pictures in person, with them there to describe the excitement. Or reading a trip report, blog post, etc. Probably just my own weakness, but FB is a big time drain for me, and I don't access it on holiday... unless it's 104F in Bangkok and - being neither a mad dog or an Englishman - I'm indoors, resting. Even then I'm more likely to be reading or journaling.

 

Some folks truly need to be in touch with work, family or something, and I don't mean to minimize that; it's when people are glued to their phones even as they stand before the Grand Canyon or - worse - jaywalk across a city street that I'd say maybe we're a bit too attached to the media, and not the humans and/or vistas we're around. Just an opinion, and again, I appreciated yours. No right one, I'd say.

 

BTW - I understand the "wrist" thing regarding books, too. I'm reading The Path Between The Seas prior to the Panama Canal cruise, and that thing's bulky! I may end up with a reader device yet!