Interesting Fact about HAL

[ZSandy25]

I follow Captain Alberts Blog and he stated in his most current blog that Holland America has the highest repeater rate of guests in the world.  I'm a long time repeater for many reasons and was pleased to see I'm not alone in my cruise choice.😃

[Aquahound]

10 minutes ago, ZSandy25 said:

I follow Captain Alberts Blog and he stated in his most current blog that Holland America has the highest repeater rate of guests in the world.  I'm a long time repeater for many reasons and was pleased to see I'm not alone in my cruise choice.😃

 

I've heard that claim from almost every line I've sailed.  I have no idea which line is telling the truth but I can't imagine HAL having a higher repeater rate than the big 3 (CCL, RCI & NCL).

 

Maybe they're playing a numbers game, like considering per capita. 

[daisy-mae]

You left out the most interesting part, and I quote:

 

" (Even if they moan and groan about everything all the time; they all come back) "

 

Frankly, I found it a little surprising to hear such a frank opinion relating to the cruise line's guests...

[ZSandy25]

6 minutes ago, daisy-mae said:

You left out the most interesting part, and I quote:

 

" (Even if they moan and groan about everything all the time; they all come back) "

 

Frankly, I found it a little surprising to hear such a frank opinion relating to the cruise line's guests...

I debated about posting that part  LOL....

[oaktreerb]

20 minutes ago, daisy-mae said:

You left out the most interesting part, and I quote:

 

" (Even if they moan and groan about everything all the time; they all come back) "

 

Frankly, I found it a little surprising to hear such a frank opinion relating to the cruise line's guests...

That comment made me laugh.  Maybe Captain Albert follows this board!  I love his blog and occasionally am surprised by his insight into Holland America and it’s staff and cruisers.  His insightful and gentle humor is always appreciated...although not always immediately apparent.

Edited November 3, 2019 by oaktreerb

[sevenseasnomad]

Granted what I'm about to write is antidotal evidence, which most of the time doesn't count for much when dealing with real raw data, but I've run into so many passengers aboard HAL who are first-timers.  We generally arrive at the question: What other cruise lines have you travelled?  Many times, they'll name a HAL competitor and add that they won't return to such-and-such line because. . .  Lots of reasons.  Almost all seem more pleased with HAL for various reasons: better service, better accommodations, laid-back atmosphere etc.  

 

My TA had once told me (again, I haven't used a TA since 2017) that their agency booked more HAL cruises as repeat business than any other line except possibly the luxury classes such as Seaborne.  I don't know if she was claiming this to reinforce our choice to stick with HAL or not.  We've been pleased with HAL, except for some recent cut-backs, like the smaller and less prevalent flower arrangements and selling off the smaller ships, but we'll continue to sail this line because my Autistic son doesn't do well on other ships.  HAL tends to work with us better to help him enjoy the cruise experience.  I can honestly say that the other lines we sailed, even when suite passengers, requested that we stick him in our stateroom where they would deliver his meals.  All provided him with game systems free of charge, but they asked that he stay in our cabin unless going ashore on an excursion. 

 

Needless to say, we were thrilled with HAL's more inclusive policy.  Never once, even when he acted up, did HAL ask us to confine him.  They have worked with us.  As a consequence, he feels comfortable and accepted, and in only one instance, on our first HAL cruise, did he demonstrate some of his behaviors.  He is now 3 days shy of being 3*, and he refuses to sail any other cruise line but HAL.  He does extremely well with HAL, so, yes, we're repeat passengers who intend to remain repeat passengers.

 

Captain Albert, I would presume, may have data from Carnival Corp. to which none of us are privy.  I'll believe his statement until it's proven to be false.

[Donald]

He left out the part about the highest return rate for mass market lines.

The premium cruise lines have much higher return rates.

And on the premium lines there is far less moaning and groaning.

[lazey1]

2 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

I've heard that claim from almost every line I've sailed.  I have no idea which line is telling the truth but I can't imagine HAL having a higher repeater rate than the big 3 (CCL, RCI & NCL).

 

Maybe they're playing a numbers game, like considering per capita. 

To each their own. I have cruised once on RCI and once on NCL and I absulutely can not imagine anyone repeating on either of those lines. I recently became 5* so yes, I do love to cruise on HAL.

[Cruzaholic41]

I’m a former partner of one of Miami’s largest cruise travel agencies and I don’t know how they can make this claim. Our 2 biggest sellers including returning guests were Carnival and Royal Caribbean. And I mean by far!  HAL wasn’t even close. 
 

It’s a simple volume thing. CCL and RCI have the most beds at sea so included with having the most cruisers is having the most repeat cruisers. 
 

Unless, like Paul said in post #2, they’re not including an element of the equation such as among this particular tier of cruise lines or something like that. 

[richwmn]

3 minutes ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

I’m a former partner of one of Miami’s largest cruise travel agencies and I don’t know how they can make this claim. Our 2 biggest sellers including returning guests were Carnival and Royal Caribbean. And I mean by far!  HAL wasn’t even close. 
 

It’s a simple volume thing. CCL and RCI have the most beds at sea so included with having the most cruisers is having the most repeat cruisers. 
 

Unless, like Paul said in post #2, they’re not including an element of the equation such as among this particular tier of cruise lines or something like that. 

If you are looking at raw numbers, because RCL and Carnival process the most passengers you are probably right. However, I have always heard that HAL has the highest percentage of repeat passengers, which IMHO is a better metric. If 500 passengers return on a ship that holds 3000 passengers that is not as good as 500 returning on a ship that holds 1300.

 

I would also suggest that looking at a single agency doesn't give a good reading of the whole industry, as that agency might have agents that actively sell RCL and Carnival, while only selling HAL if the customer insists.

 

 

Edited November 3, 2019 by richwmn

[oaktreerb]

31 minutes ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

I’m a former partner of one of Miami’s largest cruise travel agencies and I don’t know how they can make this claim. Our 2 biggest sellers including returning guests were Carnival and Royal Caribbean. And I mean by far!  HAL wasn’t even close. 
 

It’s a simple volume thing. CCL and RCI have the most beds at sea so included with having the most cruisers is having the most repeat cruisers. 
 

Unless, like Paul said in post #2, they’re not including an element of the equation such as among this particular tier of cruise lines or something like that. 

Your agency represents Miami and RCI and Carnival have a lot of big ships cruising a lot of itineraries in the Caribbean so makes sense for your area.  There are many factors to consider worldwide.

 

Regardless, Captain Albert represents HAL and I enjoy his insights very much.  I know from experience that there are a lot of repeat HAL cruisers on the Alaska and the  Panama Canal full transit itineraries.  

Edited November 3, 2019 by oaktreerb

[Cruzaholic41]

40 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

Your agency represents Miami and RCI and Carnival have a lot of big ships cruising a lot of itineraries in the Caribbean so makes sense for your area.  There are many factors to consider worldwide.

You think because the company is located in Miami, we only represent Miami cruises?  That’s an odd thing to say. What would a travel agency in Bismarck, ND represent?  
 

We sold cruises all over the world on every line and to customers all over the world. The Miami market was big but in total was only a small fraction of our total business. 

[obriendan]

I like this statement!  We’ve repeated 29 times so it’s nice to have your judgment confirmed😁

 

Dan

[Aquahound]

1 hour ago, richwmn said:

If you are looking at raw numbers, because RCL and Carnival process the most passengers you are probably right. However, I have always heard that HAL has the highest percentage of repeat passengers, which IMHO is a better metric. If 500 passengers return on a ship that holds 3000 passengers that is not as good as 500 returning on a ship that holds 1300.

 

That could be it, right there.  With HAL's small ships...compared to the rest of the mass market...like Maasdam, Rotterdam and/or the former Prinsendam, it could be true that HAL has the highest number of repeaters based on percentage...or per capita like I said in my first post.  From that angle, I can see how it could be true.  

 

1 hour ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

I’m a former partner of one of Miami’s largest cruise travel agencies and I don’t know how they can make this claim. Our 2 biggest sellers including returning guests were Carnival and Royal Caribbean. And I mean by far!  HAL wasn’t even close. 
 

It’s a simple volume thing. CCL and RCI have the most beds at sea so included with having the most cruisers is having the most repeat cruisers. 

 

I was hoping you'd see this thread since this is right up your alley.  I remember one Oasis Class cruise where there were over 1000 in attendance at the welcome back reception.  

 

But I also wonder how this is considered.....I'm a repeat cruiser on several lines.  On the low end, I've taken 3 Princess cruises and on the high end, I've taken 30 RCI cruises.  Am I 1 stat on both, or have I been 3 stats on Princess and 30 stats on RCI?  I'm sure they'd both look at it in a way that benefits them most.  😉

[Mary229]

Two thoughts - HAL historically catered to an older clientele and older clientele generally have more free time and have more disposable income. 
The internet has made complaining easier.  I am not complaining about the complainers😉, many of those valid complaints may have not been seen or heard when the process was more difficult 

[catl331]

2 hours ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

Unless, like Paul said in post #2, they’re not including an element of the equation such as among this particular tier of cruise lines or something like that. 

It's a little like the car ads on TV that claim "best in its class".  Who is defining the class, and how many are in it? One? 🙂

[oceanmom]

3 hours ago, richwmn said:

If you are looking at raw numbers, because RCL and Carnival process the most passengers you are probably right. However, I have always heard that HAL has the highest percentage of repeat passengers, which IMHO is a better metric. If 500 passengers return on a ship that holds 3000 passengers that is not as good as 500 returning on a ship that holds 1300.

 

 

I agree. Comparing the various sizes of cruise lines and the number of repeat passengers for each line is comparing apples to oranges.

 

Comparing percentages of repeat customers for each cruise line is better,

 

If a cruise line has a total of 5,000 passengers in one year and 500 of them are repeat passengers, you have a 10% repeat rate. If another has a total of 50,000 passengers in one year and 500 of them are repeat passengers, you have a 1% repeat rate. Big difference for same number of repeat passengers.

[Aquahound]

Just an example of why you can't be so quick to believe these claims.....American Cruise Lines says it has the highest repeat customer rate in the industry:

 

https://cruisemaven.com/american-cruise-lines-upgrades-loyalty-program-for-repeat-guests/

 

I know folks who love HAL want to believe this is true but like I said earlier, at one point or another, I've heard this claim from every line I've sailed.  I don't think anyone really knows.  

[FRANKIEDNYC]

These figures may be based on a percentage of those that sailed in the past

[SanDiego Single]

5 hours ago, sevenseasnomad said:

My TA had once told me (again, I haven't used a TA since 2017) that their agency booked more HAL cruises as repeat business than any other line except possibly the luxury classes such as Seaborne.  I don't know if she was claiming this to reinforce our choice to stick with HAL or not.  We've been pleased with HAL, except for some recent cut-backs, like the smaller and less prevalent flower arrangements and selling off the smaller ships, but we'll continue to sail this line because my Autistic son doesn't do well on other ships.  HAL tends to work with us better to help him enjoy the cruise experience.  I can honestly say that the other lines we sailed, even when suite passengers, requested that we stick him in our stateroom where they would deliver his meals.  All provided him with game systems free of charge, but they asked that he stay in our cabin unless going ashore on an excursion. 

 

Needless to say, we were thrilled with HAL's more inclusive policy.  Never once, even when he acted up, did HAL ask us to confine him.  They have worked with us.  As a consequence, he feels comfortable and accepted, and in only one instance, on our first HAL cruise, did he demonstrate some of his behaviors.  He is now 3 days shy of being 3*, and he refuses to sail any other cruise line but HAL.  He does extremely well with HAL, so, yes, we're repeat passengers who intend to remain repeat passengers.

 

 

I am extremely disappointed to hear that other cruise lines have treated your son this way. 

[Cruzaholic41]

14 hours ago, Aquahound said:

Just an example of why you can't be so quick to believe these claims.....American Cruise Lines says it has the highest repeat customer rate in the industry:

I remember John Heald saying the same thing about Carnival.  Brand ambassadors say what the line tells them to say and many times, it’s not entirely true, such as with this returning passengers bit. 

[DougK]

I agree with everybody who says that the statistics are infinitely malleable, as is the presentation, so it's not a particularly meaningful claim. But I'll add this question: Is it even the mark of a good line to have the highest repeater rate? Sure, on the one hand it can be viewed to mean that people are satisfied and want to come back. But on the other hand, it can also be viewed to mean that the line, either through its product or its marketing, does little to attract new cruisers--which in the long term means the line will fail.

 

Perhaps it would be best if the line has a middle-of-the-road repeater rate...

[Cruisingcrew13]

Having cruised on Carnival, Costa and RCL, I have cruised Carnival the most, but mostly because of when I could go and price. Now that my daughter graduated college and finished college sports, we can travel some other months besides the summer. Port Everglades isn't home to HAL during the summer. I am looking forward to my first HAL cruise in a few weeks. I do have to wonder how port location and ship movements play into the statistics.

[DFD1]

I expect HAL's repeat passenger claim is based on the size of their ships...especially if the claim dates back to the days when she was sailing only R and S class ships.

 

I learned of that claim many years ago. It is not new.

 

In any event, with few exceptions, you can count me among the repeaters.

[iancal]

Older people tend to be more set in their ways, more loyal to vendors, less inclined to shop, and more resistant to change.

 

Not surprising to read this about HAL customers given their demographics.

 

Does HAL have a higher percentage of longer cruise offerings than their competiors?  This could also impact the repeat customer numbers.

Edited November 6, 2019 by iancal