HAL continuing to downgrade its product

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Hoo boy, I bet the HAL staffer who proposed having adult coloring as an "activity" had all the execs rubbing their hands gleefully. That guy (or gal) probably got a nice bonus. Reports notwithstanding, a pretty low investment bar to offering this novel activity onboard. 

 

If it is well accepted, I can only imagine new activities will follow in the next year or so:

 

• New casino-sponsored activity:  Watching paint dry.  Come on out to the Promenade deck this afternoon between 4-6pm where the crew will have just finished repainting a length of the deck railing. Use our new app feature to place bets on how long it will take the paint to actually dry....

 

Or maybe these would be popular offerings:

 

• Cooking classes:  We heard you -- HAL is once again providing hands-on opportunities for those who enjoy cooking. Class 1:  Come visit the scullery and learn how to wash produce to "at sea" specifications. Then, you'll have the opportunities to dice carrots, onions and celery into mirepoix, the basis for many soups, stews and sauces. Enjoy the fruits of your labors at dinner in the evening when you can proudly point out your efforts to friends and family. Class 2:  Learn how to make a traditional "Rustic Lasagna".  Each participant will complete all of the steps to create an industrial-sized pan of this tasty dish and will have the proud thrill of seeing their dish on the evening menu (or not).

 

Do not understand why you are focusing on rustic lasagna. Usually when I have seen that, it means traditional tuscan style using  chunks of tomatos and other ingredients, instead of US style which is more sauce/pureed veggie based. have seen rustic/traditional lasagna offered in some very high end restaurants.

Edited December 11, 2022 by ldtr

[oaktreerb]

The past three years have been difficult for everyone.  I hope we can go forward with optimism and hope for a return to the adventure of cruising.    To enjoy an adventure you need to adapt to changes.  If you want to sleep in the Crows Nest your adventures will be in your dreams!  

[ShipWalker]

I have it from a reliable source that starting in 2023 HAL in conjunction with Cruise Critic will introduce a new onboard "connect the dots" experience followed by an ultimate coloring in of the pictures class.

 

Pictures then will be displayed in the art gallery and sold at auction.

[Mary229]

9 minutes ago, ShipWalker said:

I have it from a reliable source that starting in 2023 HAL in conjunction with Cruise Critic will introduce a new onboard "connect the dots" experience followed by an ultimate coloring in of the pictures class.

 

Pictures then will be displayed in the art gallery and sold at auction.

Will there be a cap and gown ceremony following your successful completion of finger painting?

[cruisemom42]

24 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Do not understand why you are focusing on rustic lasagna. Usually when I have seen that, it means traditional tuscan style using  chunks of tomatos and other ingredients, instead of US style which is more sauce/pureed veggie based. have seen rustic/traditional lasagna offered in some very high end restaurants.

 

Please enlighten me. Olive Garden doesn't count.

 

I've perused the menus of La Pergola and Enoteca Pinchiorri (Michelin starred restaurants in Rome and Florence) and have not seen "rustic lasagna"....

 

 

[cruisemom42]

Just now, Mary229 said:

Will there be a cap and gown ceremony following your successful completion of finger painting?

 

No, you just get to "graduate" to the next level classes which include painting and hand-firing your own 'Dam tile.

 

[Blackduck59]

There seems to be a lot of mocking going on about the "Adult Colouring" activity. Is this an extra charge event or included in your fare? I am 63 and my wife is 65 and we can both remember when it seemed like everyone had a "Doodle Art" poster either on their wall or a work in progress. I would bet even some of those mocking "Adult Colouring" had Doodle Art in their room in college.

[ChinaShrek]

On 12/10/2022 at 1:11 PM, Himself said:

When I think back 30 years ago I can see a big difference today and it was better then than now

But again, what about the price? Aren't cruises (especially HAL) dirt cheap today? If I am getting a free cruise every 3-4 months, i don't expect much entertainment.

[Mary229]

3 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

There seems to be a lot of mocking going on about the "Adult Colouring" activity. Is this an extra charge event or included in your fare? I am 63 and my wife is 65 and we can both remember when it seemed like everyone had a "Doodle Art" poster either on their wall or a work in progress. I would bet even some of those mocking "Adult Colouring" had Doodle Art in their room in college.

Not mocking the activity simply that HAL puts it on the calendar as an enrichment special.  I can see having colors and coloring pages in the library as we have crosswords, jigsaws and other quiet entertainment but as a calendar event - no.  Think if you are considering HAL for a cruise and on activities you see coloring.  Wow, Royal has a broadway show, Oceania an afternoon tea with a quartet and on HAL I get coloring 

Edited December 11, 2022 by Mary229

[oaktreerb]

5 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

There seems to be a lot of mocking going on about the "Adult Colouring" activity. Is this an extra charge event or included in your fare? I am 63 and my wife is 65 and we can both remember when it seemed like everyone had a "Doodle Art" poster either on their wall or a work in progress. I would bet even some of those mocking "Adult Colouring" had Doodle Art in their room in college.

Included in your fare.  People have complained a lot about not enough activities on HAL.  Actually, it’s an activity where people can get together with a common activity, kind of like a meet and greet, I would think.

 

This thread is like a snowball rolling down hill picking up lots of residue.

 

Edited December 11, 2022 by oaktreerb

[Florida_gal_50]

Just now, ChinaShrek said:

But again, what about the price? Aren't cruises (especially HAL) dirt cheap today? If I am getting a free cruise every 3-4 months, i don't expect much entertainment.

Good for you. Please realize there are many people that are paying thousands for their cruises.  My cruises are no cheaper than they were 10 or 20 years ago and economies of scale are making them much cheaper to run

[Florida_gal_50]

6 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

There seems to be a lot of mocking going on about the "Adult Colouring" activity. Is this an extra charge event or included in your fare? I am 63 and my wife is 65 and we can both remember when it seemed like everyone had a "Doodle Art" poster either on their wall or a work in progress. I would bet even some of those mocking "Adult Colouring" had Doodle Art in their room in college.

I don't even know what you are talking about so no.  I think they were free but I had zero interest so I didn't pay a lot of attention.

[Guest ldtr]

Just now, cruisemom42 said:

 

Please enlighten me. Olive Garden doesn't count.

 

I've perused the menus of La Pergola and Enoteca Pinchiorri (Michelin starred restaurants in Rome and Florence) and have not seen "rustic lasagna"....

 

 

it is a style, not just a name. It is a form of traditional tuscan style where the veggies are chunk not puree. Emile has had it prepared in  his resturaunts in  as a example, in the past. Have seen it called rustic in others in some places, more commonly called traditional, however traditional can mean different things in different places.   You seem to focus on the term rustic. Have you actually tried it to see what style it actually is or just ridiculing the name? 

 

I would expect a lasagna labeled rustic or traditional to contain veggies prepared battuto style instead of being pureed. There are other characteristics. There are a number of very good Italian cook books out there under the term rustic italian cooking.

Edited December 11, 2022 by ldtr

[Florida_gal_50]

4 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Not mocking the activity simply that HAL puts it on the calendar as an enrichment special.  I can see having colors and coloring pages in the library as we have crosswords, jigsaws and other quiet entertainment but as a calendar event - no.  Think if you are considering HAL for a cruise and on activities you see coloring.  Wow, Royal has a broadway show, Oceania an afternoon tea with a quartet and on HAL I get coloring 

And on the front page as a highlight of the entertainment.

[Guest ldtr]

Just now, Florida_gal_50 said:

Good for you. Please realize there are many people that are paying thousands for their cruises.  My cruises are no cheaper than they were 10 or 20 years ago and economies of scale are making them much cheaper to run

However how does the price compare to 10 or 20 years ago after being adjusted for inflation.  Cruise prices have increased at a much slower rate than inflation.

[Blackduck59]

2 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

And on the front page as a highlight of the entertainment.

 

We'll just put you down in the "don't like adult colouring column". It's too bad you seem to be so offended by it.

[ShipWalker]

This was one of the adult coloring activities on the Noordam Panama Canal transition cruise in May this year. It was well attended several times.

 

 

Edited December 11, 2022 by ShipWalker

[Blackduck59]

27 minutes ago, ShipWalker said:

This was one of the adult coloring activities on the Noordam Panama Canal transition cruise in May this year. It was well attended several times.

 

 

 

That does look well attended, we are going on our first HAL cruise in August, perhaps we will look in. For the more creative types they could just use the provided art supplies and sketch there own thing, perhaps from a photo on their phone.

Just like food "Entertainment" is very subjective. What I may find entertaining could be very boring to others and vice versa. Opera for some is a magical lifting experience, for me it's fingernails on the chalk board. Funny thing I don't have to go to the opera.

[albingirl]

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

There seems to be a lot of mocking going on about the "Adult Colouring" activity. Is this an extra charge event or included in your fare? I am 63 and my wife is 65 and we can both remember when it seemed like everyone had a "Doodle Art" poster either on their wall or a work in progress. I would bet even some of those mocking "Adult Colouring" had Doodle Art in their room in college.

No. Didn't happen. 

[HamOp]

46 minutes ago, ShipWalker said:

This was one of the adult coloring activities on the Noordam Panama Canal transition cruise in May this year. It was well attended several times.

 

 

Looks kinda like lunch time at a retirement home.

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

We'll just put you down in the "don't like adult colouring column". It's too bad you seem to be so offended by it.

I’m not offended by it at all.   Let me guess,  you are in the this is amazing column.  I just think there should be something more interesting on the front page.  I was on what hal billed as a culinary cruise. Anything to do with that would have been 1000 x better.  There wasn’t a peep about the culinary aspect.

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

No, you just get to "graduate" to the next level classes which include painting and hand-firing your own 'Dam tile.

 

Hey, my DW retired after years and years of being an elementary art teacher. She used to laugh about how much they paid her to "teach fingerpainting".

 

But of course she did more than that. Pre-Covid, she used to take the 6th graders to the Metropolitan Musuem of Art. One year she had a class of students who were not being pulled out for extra help. She had them enter a contest sponsored by the makers of salad dressing. They made Einstein out of vegetables, and won an honorable mention (+money that was supposed to go to the art program, but went instead to the general fund for the school.) (The winner that year made astronauts out of vegetables. The year before the winner made Rosie O'Donnell out of vegetables and were later on her show. And unfortunately, the next year there was no contest.)

[Mary229]

5 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Hey, my DW retired after years and years of being an elementary art teacher. She used to laugh about how much they paid her to "teach fingerpainting".

 

But of course she did more than that. Pre-Covid, she used to take the 6th graders to the Metropolitan Musuem of Art. One year she had a class of students who were not being pulled out for extra help. She had them enter a contest sponsored by the makers of salad dressing. They made Einstein out of vegetables, and won an honorable mention (+money that was supposed to go to the art program, but went instead to the general fund for the school.) (The winner that year made astronauts out of vegetables. The year before the winner made Rosie O'Donnell out of vegetables and were later on her show. And unfortunately, the next year there was no contest.)

There we go, we have a winner.  Art and cooking.  Your wife should work for HAL @ontheweb.  

[PACD_JG]

1 hour ago, HamOp said:

Looks kinda like lunch time at a retirement home.

Definitely not Funderstruck.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

There we go, we have a winner.  Art and cooking.  Your wife should work for HAL @ontheweb.  

Actually, their masterpiece ended up being fed to the deer population near her school. I don't think HAL or any other cruise line is into feeding animals. (Please no Carnival jokes here. 🤣)

🤣