RandyinDEN Posted February 25, 2018 #1 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Oh brother. This is their answer to taking away the library? https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/18580-holland-america-bringing-o-s-reading-room-fleetwide.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted February 25, 2018 #2 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Oh brother. This is their answer to taking away the library? https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/18580-holland-america-bringing-o-s-reading-room-fleetwide.html Wow, talk about not knowing or caring about its "fanatical reader" passengers: “Our guests are fanatical readers, and O’s Reading Room quickly became one of the most popular activities on ships with O, The Oprah Magazine programming,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “We’re excited that we can now offer this experience to all of our guests. Oprah’s personal passion for reading is evident by the books she chooses, and we’re privileged to feature the same selection as Oprah’s Book Club.” I wonder which ship this was. We saw no interest in any of the dedicated Oprah activities and locales on our last cruise (Veendam) where they were prominently featured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VennDiagram Posted February 25, 2018 #3 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Oh brother. This is their answer to taking away the library? https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/18580-holland-america-bringing-o-s-reading-room-fleetwide.html uh, yay? :( (n) At least it will be opt-in ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted February 25, 2018 #4 Share Posted February 25, 2018 The first book choice - An American Marriage - the three star reviews from Amazon - probably closer to the truth about this social agenda book choice: https://www.amazon.com/American-Marriage-Novel-Tayari-Jones/product-reviews/1616201347/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_hist_3?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=three_star&reviewerType=all_reviews#reviews-filter-bar My own book choices are 100% non-fiction so this holds zero appeal for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted February 25, 2018 #5 Share Posted February 25, 2018 I just read the link to my DH and he looked at me like I was crazy. I told him I am not making this up. We have no interest in this new venue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hflors Posted February 25, 2018 #6 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Most ships don't even have "hosts" for the library, but now HAL found a "host" to host some nonsense book club! And of course it is a book no one ever heard of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea girl 23 Posted February 25, 2018 #7 Share Posted February 25, 2018 uh, yay? :( (n) At least it will be opt-in ;) Which some people have a hard time grasping.Nobody is making you participate. No guns to heads in other words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted February 26, 2018 #8 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Which some people have a hard time grasping.Nobody is making you participate. No guns to heads in other words. Taking away the former well-loved HAL full range libraries and replacing them with this narrow social agenda fiction book club choice is forcing a choice. Gun to our heads. So to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare *Miss G* Posted February 26, 2018 #9 Share Posted February 26, 2018 If I am reading this correctly, the O books are only on the O cruises? So does that mean they will be giving the fanatical (strange choice of words) readers something to read on the non-O cruises? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted February 26, 2018 #10 Share Posted February 26, 2018 If I am reading this correctly, the O books are only on the O cruises? So does that mean they will be giving the fanatical (strange choice of words) readers something to read on the non-O cruises? HAL Prea Ashford: “We’re excited that we can now offer this experience to all of our guests. I will have to agree with a prior poster who recoiled at the use of the word "guest". We are not guests of HAL; we are paying passengers who can still exercise free will rather than being forced to be under the permissive care of our "hosts". However, once we choose to be a HAL passenger, the captain still calls the shots.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VennDiagram Posted February 26, 2018 #11 Share Posted February 26, 2018 If I am reading this correctly, the O books are only on the O cruises? So does that mean they will be giving the fanatical (strange choice of words) readers something to read on the non-O cruises? I interpreted it that for non-O-themed cruises you can bring your own copy of the current book club book, and there will be meetings led by a staff member to discuss the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAD2005 Posted February 26, 2018 #12 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Typical to HAL's recent policies, establishing an "O" reading room must have been encouraged by a very substantial financial influx of funds. It's simply a marketing program to hopefully sell more "O" sponsored books, in return for a wad of cash and display space on HAL ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VennDiagram Posted February 26, 2018 #13 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Which some people have a hard time grasping.Nobody is making you participate. No guns to heads in other words. Unless one has the misfortune to be seated at dinner or wherever with some of the "book club group". We were on a cruise with a large special-interest group one time, and were heartily sick of them and their specialty by the end of the first lunch. Fortunately, our dinner companions were not part of the group. We clung to each other, on the ship and on shore :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare *Miss G* Posted February 26, 2018 #14 Share Posted February 26, 2018 O-Kay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VennDiagram Posted February 26, 2018 #15 Share Posted February 26, 2018 O-Kay I see what you did there :D :D (y) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea girl 23 Posted February 26, 2018 #16 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Well..nothing you can do about that..there is at least one person on this thread(not you) who is being more than a little over dramatic.I have things I like to do on cruises-go to cooking demonstrations,read, etc. If I were on an Oprah cruise, I would choose,at the beginning of the cruise,if I was going to participate or not.Threads like this are just Oprah(and Orlando) bashing.No room for anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare *Miss G* Posted February 26, 2018 #17 Share Posted February 26, 2018 You should consider the possibility that not all threads are bashing Oprah and Ashford. It's not a conspiracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kangforpres Posted February 26, 2018 #18 Share Posted February 26, 2018 I'm a librarian and was sad to see HAL slowly kill off their libraries, but they where stale and really sad looking form a professional's perspective. Plus the added expense of staffing it with a crew member made no sense to them. To keep a library fresh even the small ones on cruise ships you need someone weeding the collection every month and processing new materials to replace the weeded(discarded) ones. You would have to get a new materials shipment at least once a month to keep things relevant. (figure out the logistics of that for a ship that is only replenishing supplies at the end of cruises.) I don't think any cruise line bothers to do this. The Queen Mary 2 does have a very nice Library staffed with what I'm told is a real "librarian" not just another activities staff member. I can't speak for the luxury lines since I haven't been on one, but I image if their clientele expected it they would have halfway decent libraries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cbr663 Posted February 26, 2018 #19 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Oh brother. This is their answer to taking away the library? https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/18580-holland-america-bringing-o-s-reading-room-fleetwide.html As the article does not contain any mention of the libraries, I highly doubt that this has anything to do with the libraries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cbr663 Posted February 26, 2018 #20 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Typical to HAL's recent policies, establishing an "O" reading room must have been encouraged by a very substantial financial influx of funds. It's simply a marketing program to hopefully sell more "O" sponsored books, in return for a wad of cash and display space on HAL ships. I doubt that Oprah is spending any money and instead I would think that Oprah is licensing her brand to HAL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 3rdGenCunarder Posted February 26, 2018 #21 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Typical to HAL's recent policies, establishing an "O" reading room must have been encouraged by a very substantial financial influx of funds. It's simply a marketing program to hopefully sell more "O" sponsored books, in return for a wad of cash and display space on HAL ships. Is HAL getting paid for all of this "branding?" Billboard, ATK, O, Lincoln Center (does Lincoln Center have extra money to throw at a cruise line?) It's getting to be like major league stadiums--almost all have corporate names and I no longer know which is which. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cbr663 Posted February 26, 2018 #22 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Taking away the former well-loved HAL full range libraries and replacing them with this narrow social agenda fiction book club choice is forcing a choice. Gun to our heads. So to speak. HAL's website states: "The time and location for this special O-themed event will vary by ship." This suggests to me that this isn't a replacement for the alleged well-loved library and is instead most likely a pop up event that will be held in different locations throughout the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 3rdGenCunarder Posted February 26, 2018 #23 Share Posted February 26, 2018 HAL's website states: "The time and location for this special O-themed event will vary by ship." This suggests to me that this isn't a replacement for the alleged well-loved library and is instead most likely a pop up event that will be held in different locations throughout the ship. That's how I read it, too. It isn't a permanent room, like, oh...a library??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea girl 23 Posted February 26, 2018 #24 Share Posted February 26, 2018 As the article does not contain any mention of the libraries, I highly doubt that this has anything to do with the libraries. Exactly. People are putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted February 26, 2018 #25 Share Posted February 26, 2018 I doubt that Oprah is spending any money and instead I would think that Oprah is licensing her brand to HAL. Cool, then let's get Trump International to also license its brand on HAL ships. What do you say, Seattle? Or does this all the sudden sound like a very bad idea to insert so much controversial "personality" into the cruise ship world. Keep things neutral, HAL. Don't let your ships be used to launch political or individual celebrity ego campaigns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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