Is anybody else going to miss HAL's smaller ships?

[Sue from Canada]

11 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

As soon as cruising is really up and going again I plan to try Fred Olsen's offerings on Borealis and Bolette. Hopefully that works out and I won't have to "miss" them.

Has anyone cruised with Fred Olsen and if so, what did you think.   Can we pay in either US or CDN dollars?

[daisybertie]

Some more pictures of the beautiful Maasdam. The first is sailing into Perth, and then the next three were taken at Bar Harbour. It was very foggy when we arrived at Bar Harbour, but turned into a beautiful day.
 

[mcrcruiser]

We forgot but we also sailed on Eurodam & Nordam  .Both very nice ships  .However ,we still favor Konigsdam for the variety of entertainment she offers   &   other amenities    .We totally understand peoples  feelings about those smaller ships  ,However ,the cruise industry is moving forward even to  liquid gas propulsion ships   & the small ship experience is going toward lines like Viking ,Seaborn  ie at much higher prices    .Economy comes with size in the cruise industry 

[Boatdrill]

19 hours ago, kazu said:

I far prefer the “old” Crow’s Nest for a Meet and Greet than the Billboard area on the ships that have had their Crow’s Nests “revived”.  

I agree 100%. The Captain's Corner near the "old" Crow's Nest was perfect for private parties; I booked it often for groups. When that space was reassigned to be a lecture room, and no longer available for its original use,  HAL tried numerous times to get me to book the parties in the Gallery Bar. I refused each time, and reminded them that guests are sailing on a ship at sea with spectacular views from the windows. Why would I put them in an enclosed space without windows, that's no better than a hotel pub ?  

 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by Boatdrill

[iancal]

There is nothing precluding cruisers from booking on those new, and some older, cruise lines that have picked up smaller HAL ships.  

 

They are being completely renovated and will no doubt be attractive to many.

[KirkNC]

9 minutes ago, iancal said:

There is nothing precluding cruisers from booking on those new, and some older, cruise lines that have picked up smaller HAL ships.  

 

They are being completely renovated and will no doubt be attractive to many.

Part of my exact plan.

[FlaMariner]

 

We would sail on any HAL ship....but we've quickly learned that we can afford a balcony on the larger ships....and that has become our preference.

 

For instance, on 11/5/22 the Volendam and Westerdam both leave Europe for their fall TA 14 day cruises....The Volendam balcony is $203/night vs $123/night for the Westie.  Fewer balconies on the smaller ships mean higher $$$ for those balconies....

 

 

[KirkNC]

11 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

 

We would sail on any HAL ship....but we've quickly learned that we can afford a balcony on the larger ships....and that has become our preference.

 

For instance, on 11/5/22 the Volendam and Westerdam both leave Europe for their fall TA 14 day cruises....The Volendam balcony is $203/night vs $123/night for the Westie.  Fewer balconies on the smaller ships mean higher $$$ for those balconies....

 

 

And that is the trade off.  The only way smaller ships are economically viable is with higher prices.  HAL did that for years with the Prinsendam where prices were often 40-60% higher then another HAL ship.  Even with those prices they had no problem filling her up.

[iancal]

32 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

Part of my exact plan.

...and unlike HAL, these cruise lines are investing some real money to truly bring these ships up to snuff,  with razor focus on their target market, and hopefully profitable.

Edited May 24, 2021 by iancal

[KirkNC]

1 minute ago, iancal said:

...and unlike HAL, these cruise lines are investing some real money to truly bring these ships up to snuff AND hopefully make them profitable.

Good point, no band aid maintenance but a true overhaul.  I am particularly watching Azamara in this regard.

[Aardvaark]

Our first HAL cruise was 1995 Rotterdam IV to Alaska from Vancouver. We’ve done Rotterdam V and we’ll do Rotterdam VI.  We like the smaller ships.  Our last cruise was on Azamara. What’s next?  Don’t know.

[mamaofami]

yes, I will miss the smaller ships very much.

[rkacruiser]

33 minutes ago, Aardvaark said:

Our first HAL cruise was 1995 Rotterdam IV to Alaska from Vancouver.

 

You mean Rotterdam V.

 

4 hours ago, Boatdrill said:

the Gallery Bar.

 

A lounge that "came to be" because the disco it replaced was rather underused.  That space was/(is?) a problem waiting for an answer.  

 

The Atrium Bar opposite the Front Desk and the Shore Excursion Office is another such space.  

 

 

[kazu]

3 hours ago, FlaMariner said:

 

We would sail on any HAL ship....but we've quickly learned that we can afford a balcony on the larger ships....and that has become our preference.

 

For instance, on 11/5/22 the Volendam and Westerdam both leave Europe for their fall TA 14 day cruises....The Volendam balcony is $203/night vs $123/night for the Westie.  Fewer balconies on the smaller ships mean higher $$$ for those balconies....

 

 

 

Check out the cost of the balconies on our TA now (14 days) over $6,000 pp and our Norwegian Fjords is right up there with the old Prinsendam pricing IMO. 

 

 

 

 

[crusinbanjo]

On 5/23/2021 at 7:18 PM, rucrazy said:

"Is anybody else going to miss HAL's smaller ships?"

 

I already do!

Yes, Mrs Banjo and I miss Prinsendam, and the S class ships.  We are 5 Star Mariners and currently have no bookings on HAL and no plans for future bookings after COVID.  Zuiderdam was the biggest ship we ever sailed on any cruise line, and we just didn’t like it.  Too big and too many other passengers for our taste.  Going forward, after COVID, we will be looking at Fred Olson and or staying with other small ship lines exclusively.  Sorry HAL, we had a good run, but it’s over between us!

[atexsix]

2 hours ago, crusinbanjo said:

Yes, Mrs Banjo and I miss Prinsendam, and the S class ships.  We are 5 Star Mariners and currently have no bookings on HAL and no plans for future bookings after COVID.  Zuiderdam was the biggest ship we ever sailed on any cruise line, and we just didn’t like it.  Too big and too many other passengers for our taste.  Going forward, after COVID, we will be looking at Fred Olson and or staying with other small ship lines exclusively.  Sorry HAL, we had a good run, but it’s over between us!

Likewise, not necessarily leaving HAL but on the hunt for some smaller ships.

[Aardvaark]

17 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

You mean Rotterdam V.

 

 

 

No.  I meant Rotterdam IV, the last of the ocean-crossing two-class ships, later converted to one-class and put into the cruise industry.  She is now a hotel ship in Rotterdam, her namesake port.

[YXU AC*SE]

2 hours ago, Aardvaark said:

No.  I meant Rotterdam IV

 

Actually, that was V.  IV was scrapped in 1940.  🙂 

http://www.halpostcards.com/unofficial/rot4.html

 

[Aardvaark]

1 hour ago, YXU AC*SE said:

 

Actually, that was V.  IV was scrapped in 1940.  🙂 

http://www.halpostcards.com/unofficial/rot4.html

 

Hmmm, you’re right.  So I sailed then on Rotterdam (nil) in 1995 to Alaska, and Rotterdam V a number of times thru the 20teens?

[Aardvaark]

12 minutes ago, Aardvaark said:

Hmmm, you’re right.  So I sailed then on Rotterdam (nil) in 1995 to Alaska, and Rotterdam V a number of times thru the 20teens?

Nope.  That was "V" in 1995, so what was the Rotterdam recently sold?

Edited May 25, 2021 by Aardvaark
.

[NancyIL]

My very first cruise was on Zaandam to the Caribbean in 2004. Subsequent HAL cruises were on Veendam (2008) and Amsterdam (2011) to Alaska, and Eurodam (2017) to the Caribbean. I mostly cruise on Royal Caribbean, but was pleased to recently book the Zaandam’s May 2022 Ft.Lauderdale to Montreal repo cruise. 

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, Aardvaark said:

Nope.  That was "V" in 1995, so what was the Rotterdam recently sold?

Rotterdam V entered service in 1959, and completed her final sailing in September 1997. Shortly thereafter Rotterdam VI started sailing, and was sold to Fred. Olsen fairly recently. 
The new Pinnacle Class ship to be named 'Rotterdam' will be Rotterdam VII. 

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, Aardvaark said:

That was "V" in 1995, so what was the Rotterdam recently sold?

 

My last sailing on Rotterdam V was in 1996 not long before she left the fleet.

 

The ship that was recently sold to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines was Rotterdam VI.  

[St Pete Cruiser]

Most of my HAL days have been onboard the S and R class ships, and I do relish the experience.  When I think back to the best of those days, it was often the itineraries that made them so special.  I fear that the larger ships just won't be able to go to those places and if they do, will have to tender rather than dock.  

 

The classic profile of the S class still shows up in HAL ads and brochures!

[JeffElizabeth]

We loved the smaller ships, over half of our cruises were on the Prinsendam.  So we are going to try the Rotterdam in October and Oceania's Marina in March. Hopefully the Rotterdam convinces us bigger is better.