Holland America Bringing O’s Reading Room Fleetwide

[ElaineKeagy]

If it’s a book recommended by Oprah, I can be 90% sure I’m not interested in it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Stratheden]

Someone reported that when Orlando Ashford was on a HAL ship recently "several" people were hassling him about things that he had done.

 

Speaking for everyone at Cruise Critic. I'm sure there were some behind the scenes conversations between posters here when it was discovered Orlando Ashford was on their sailing.

 

So when Ashford (the boss) was on a HAL cruise 'some' people had conversations with him about things he had done to the fleet that they didn't like. Surely he was onboard to see how the passengers were enjoying their cruise.

Why are you speaking for everyone at Cruise Critic.:confused:

[Sea girl 23]

He was..but the last thing he wanted was to be verbally assaulted by disgruntled Cruise Critic posters...can't say as I blame him.

[KirkNC]

I know on the 2017 WC he was greeted with mixed reactions. There were definitely some boos in there.

[Stratheden]

Haters gonna hate.And a lot of people hate him..and given the chance to call him out, darn right they are going to.

 

I'm just sure he loves all the hate mail he gets from people from the HAL boards(and you complain about all the mailers you get from HAL..hmmm.

 

I must be one of those seriously blinkered people that you mentioned. I have no idea what you are on about.

[comcox]

It might get HAL's attention if everyone on here posted their views (pro or con) directly onto HAL's blog about the Oprah Book Club at https://www.hollandamerica.com/blog/topics/arts-entertainment/os-reading-room-goes-fleetwide-features-oprahs-book-clubs-latest-selection-an-american-marriage/

[kazu]

I know on the 2017 WC he was greeted with mixed reactions. There were definitely some boos in there.

 

Thanks Kirk for the factual report ;)

 

The boos weren't necessarily from CC members though as has insinuated in previous posts. After all CC is a small percentage of the cruising public.

 

Considering how many days and $ World Cruisers spend on ships, I can understand their concerns if there are changes that don't appeal to them.

[Lizzie68]

He was..but the last thing he wanted was to be verbally assaulted by disgruntled Cruise Critic posters...can't say as I blame him.

 

Who said they were Cruise Critic posters? You do realise, I assume, that Cruise Critic members make up a very small percentage of cruisers? Like maybe 1 or 2 percent.

[ski ww]

If the boss shows up on a ship he has every right to expect to hear from disgruntled passengers about where he is taking the HAL brand. After all if I'm unhappy with a company's product, speaking to the boss is the best way to make sure my message is heard. Has nothing to do with hating him. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. The more people complain maybe head office will listen & change things. Isn't that why we fill out the post cruise surveys??

Allan

[kazu]

If the boss shows up on a ship he has every right to expect to hear from disgruntled passengers about where he is taking the HAL brand. After all if I'm unhappy with a company's product, speaking to the boss is the best way to make sure my message is heard. Has nothing to do with hating him. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. The more people complain maybe head office will listen & change things. Isn't that why we fill out the post cruise surveys??

Allan

 

Exactly! (y)

[OlsSalt]

We just cancelled a long trans-Pac to Japan/Shanghai on the Westerdam and switched over to a long Voyages to Antiquity for one reason only - could not stand the thought of the new dumbing down and loss of libraries and Crows Nest on too many of the HAL ships for these longer cruises.

 

We will continue to use either the Noordam or the smaller untrashed R and S class ships. Time is short for us when it comes to our cruising dollar, so we want the best enrichment bang for the buck.

 

This Westerdam cruise and the New Age Oprah obsession was not going to deliver anything close to what we want from cruise travel. I open up my local paper today to see a two page feature story about a "pet psychic" who charges $250 an hour to tell you what your pet is thinking, and she can do this by phone. I am just not "with it" any longer if this is the New Age and will choose to spend my own travel dollars elsewhere.

[cruisemom42]

We just cancelled a long trans-Pac to Japan/Shanghai on the Westerdam and switched over to a long Voyages to Antiquity for one reason only - could not stand the thought of the new dumbing down and loss of libraries and Crows Nest on too many of the HAL ships for these longer cruises.

 

 

Welcome to the dark side! :D

[OlsSalt]

Welcome to the dark side! :D

 

Welcome back to the dark side -remember we are old Voyages of Discovery cruisers so we know what we are getting into. One of the things that sealed the deal was seeing some of our favorite VOD enrichment lecturers now on VTA, and one of them on the cruise we choose.

 

We love being around the people who continue to choose these small, no frills enrichment ships. The lighter side will be if your and I ever cross paths on a VTA and learn who we each really are. I will be in the front row at the lectures gobbling up more intellectual enrichment than I ever do at the HAL buffet dessert line.

 

What did it for me was seeing photos of the new Crows Nexts and "curated" cubicles they are now calling their "libraries" on the Vista ships. They missed the point totally when it comes to quiet reading and viewing spaces on a longer cruises for us. Not that VTA has larger libraries - not the case at all, it is just the small VTA no frills environment and the passengers who will chose this educational niche cruise option is a desirable quiet learning space in its own right.

[sail7seas]

Haters gonna hate.And a lot of people hate him..and given the chance to call him out, darn right they are going to.

 

I'm just sure he loves all the hate mail he gets from people from the HAL boards(and you complain about all the mailers you get from HAL..hmmm.

Heavy

 

 

wow.......... that's a leap from does he visit ships to meet his customers and crews to Haters. .. :confused: :eek:

 

Speaking only for myself, I ha ve never communicated or atttempted to communicate with him. Best way to send a messageto a business is with one's wallet. IMO

[Sea girl 23]

I see plenty of people hating on Orlando Ashford and saying "I hate what he's done to HAL.."yet they still cruise with HAL anyways. Whut?

[taxmantoo]

I see plenty of people hating on Orlando Ashford and saying "I hate what he's done to HAL.."yet they still cruise with HAL anyways. Whut?

Not to get too political ... but a lot of people who do not like Trump still like America. The same can be said about our Prime Minister in Canada.

[OlsSalt]

In the chain of corporate command, the board of directors sets the agenda for a company and evaluates the performance of its key administrators tasked to carry out that agenda. Vote with your feet if you don't like the new changes, but don't blame a single person. Ashford himself as an individual is in the middle of this corporate food chain.

 

Was on a recent cruise with Ashford and he seemed like a very amiable public personality. There was no reason to "hate" him. Nor is there any reason to "hate" the changes, unless one has a lot more context about the entire corporate decision making process.

 

That said, we just voted with our own pocket book and canceled a long HAL cruise over the Library and Crow's Nest debacle - could not see spending a long cruise in that setting, and what it symbolizes for our own personal cruise satisfaction criteria.

 

I can not like the way HAL is going, but what I don't know is whether HAL would even be around if they did not start making the changes. If the changes work and "right the ship" then they will have proven their worth. If they drive more long time passengers away like they just did to us to the overall detriment of the company, that will be an unfolding story too.

 

We will continue to sail her smaller, older ships as long as they support the main reasons we chose HAL ships over any other brand in the first place.

[Sea girl 23]

In the chain of corporate command, the board of directors sets the agenda for a company and evaluates the performance of its key administrators tasked with carry out that agenda. Vote with your feet if you don't like the new changes, but don't blame a single person. Was on a recent cruise with Ashford and he seemed like a very amiable public personality. There was no reason to "hate" him. Nor is their any reason to "hate" the changes unless one has a lot more context about the entire corporate decision making process.

 

That said, we just voted with our own pocket book and canceled a long HAL cruise over the Library and Crow's Nest debacle - could not see spending a long cruise in that setting, and what it symbolizes for our own personal cruise satisfaction criteria..

 

Good.You're actually doing what some here *can't*/*won't* do.And for that you get my respect.Full stop.Not a bit begrudgingly.

 

Dunno if it's a familiarity thing or what but if the moaners REALLY dislike something SO much why are they continuing to book cruises with HAL? *puts on flameproof suit.*

[OlsSalt]

Good.You're actually doing what some here *can't*/*won't* do.And for that you get my respect.Full stop.Not a bit begrudgingly.

 

Dunno if it's a familiarity thing or what but if the moaners REALLY dislike something SO much why are they continuing to book cruises with HAL? *puts on flameproof suit.*

 

I am not interested in your "respect". I am far more interested why you love to position yourself as the resident drive-by, sweeping generalizations pot-stirrer.

[GeorgesGal]

I doubt that Oprah is spending any money and instead I would think that Oprah is licensing her brand to HAL.

 

+1

 

Oprah is a phenomenal booster of her own label! Her name isn't there because she paid to have it there; rather I think she is being paid a top price by HAL for the 'privilege' of having her name on board their ships! JMO.

[Sea girl 23]

I am not interested in your "respect". I am far more interested why you love to position yourself as the resident drive-by, sweeping generalizations pot-stirrer.

 

Not making generalisations- just posting what I see. To quote a well known movie some people can't "handle the truth".

[OlsSalt]

Not making generalisations- just posting what I see. To quote a well known movie some people can't "handle the truth".

 

Res ipsa loquitur.

[kazu]

and some people like to interpret facts as they see them and call everything else fake news ;)and discount all other posts.

 

I've always found that it's better to have an open mind to all opinions.

[Lizzie68]

Good.You're actually doing what some here *can't*/*won't* do.And for that you get my respect.Full stop.Not a bit begrudgingly.

 

Dunno if it's a familiarity thing or what but if the moaners REALLY dislike something SO much why are they continuing to book cruises with HAL? *puts on flameproof suit.*

To your first sentence, I am wondering what makes you think you are always right as you are constantly bashing others in this community for simply having an opinion different to your own. It smacks of that "I am special" attitude. Most of us can state a differing opinion and move on.

 

Sent from my SM-J320W8 using Forums mobile app

[Sea girl 23]

And I see a lot of closed minds(not just with respect to you-know-who either.)