HAL continuing to downgrade its product

[cruisemom42]

8 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

No its the "They don't really measure up to HAL" I am commenting on. Unless you have sailed on NCL how would you know???

 

"They don't really measure up to HAL in terms of destinations."  I just assumed the second part wasn't needed since I already said it in the first part (which you left out):  "While NCL does offer some interesting destinations, they don't really measure up to HAL..."

 

🙄

[cruisemom42]

10 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I'm with you on based on our past experience, NCL is not our favorite cruise line. Also, I was the one that started threads asking about sharing tables, and was just as annoyed as you about the general attitude. However, we now have an NCL cruise booked, and it was because both DW and I were blown away by the itinerary which starts in London (Southampton) and ends in Reykjavik with ports in Belgium, Amsterdam, 3 in Norway, and 3 in Iceland ending with an overnight in Reykjavik. Despite, some misgivings about NCL we intend to have a wonderful cruise including celebrating an anniversary on a sea day.

 

I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It's a bit different situation if going with a travel partner vs going on one's own.

[Mary229]

10 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I'm with you on based on our past experience, NCL is not our favorite cruise line. Also, I was the one that started threads asking about sharing tables, and was just as annoyed as you about the general attitude. However, we now have an NCL cruise booked, and it was because both DW and I were blown away by the itinerary which starts in London (Southampton) and ends in Reykjavik with ports in Belgium, Amsterdam, 3 in Norway, and 3 in Iceland ending with an overnight in Reykjavik. Despite, some misgivings about NCL we intend to have a wonderful cruise including celebrating an anniversary on a sea day.

NCL was our former favorite and I am looking at them again.  The Northern European voyages do look interesting.  I agree with @cruisemom42 that they have only a handful of interesting itineraries.   We always had odd table mates on Norwegian as they tried to match you, it wasn’t random.  If I wanted to hang out with Texans I would just stay home😉.  We now enjoy having our own table and inviting people to dine with us.  

[LMaxwell]

2 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I have no desire to sit in a casino inhaling smoke when I can be outside in the warmth with the sound of the ocean.  Not much of a decision.   

I haven't mentioned a casino or needing to use one to get a free cruise offer.  If you feel the free offers are costing amenities and services for everyone else onboard and don't believe they should exist, do your part and reject the offer should it come your way.  

[daisy-mae]

14 hours ago, AV8rix said:

However, a major complaint is not a "nicety", and that's the discontinuation of an IT specialist, the guy that they used to have in the library to help with software issues.  Not fair to EVERYONE, both the guests and staff.  Now if someone has an issue with Navigator (or ArriveCAN 😣) the only place to go is Guest Services.  They are not software specialists and, while they are assisting someone with a software issue, the line for those waiting for service just gets longer and longer.

On our recent Zuiderdam cruise there was a block of time and a separate venue set aside for help with Navigator and other IT problems. The service was available for the first two days of the cruise. We were given excellent help with issues related to our internet connection. 

[Florida_gal_50]

53 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

I haven't mentioned a casino or needing to use one to get a free cruise offer.  If you feel the free offers are costing amenities and services for everyone else onboard and don't believe they should exist, do your part and reject the offer should it come your way.  

It won’t come my way.  Anyway even if it did I’ve probably spent $100k with them already, not the $500 others have spent.  You do you and don’t worry about others.    

[LMaxwell]

16 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

  You do you and don’t worry about others.    

 

Wonderful advice to try out. 

[rodndonna]

44 minutes ago, daisy-mae said:

On our recent Zuiderdam cruise there was a block of time and a separate venue set aside for help with Navigator and other IT problems. The service was available for the first two days of the cruise. We were given excellent help with issues related to our internet connection. 

On our Rotterdam in September there were a couple of stations just outside guest services for helping people with Navigator. Not sure how long or often they were there as we were not using or looking, just happened to notice them at some point. I think it was early in the cruise.

[mcrcruiser]

Here is the bottom line . no one really wants to pay more for their cruises . However ,reality is  it costs Carnival corporation  more each & every day to operate their ships when it comes to fuel going higher ,food costs going higher  , dry  dock costs going higher   ,the salaried  people on a ship & land wages going higher . So ultimately , any business has to cut back or raise their sales prices or go out of business  . Then it becomes  the offerings  of the   most healthy   balance sheet against the balance sheet of the less financially healthy business 

 

 No one likes or enjoys any cut backs . The reasons we cruise is  for  their food diversification ,quality of their food ,  all the services on board  & the entertainment value  plus the itinerary  .If ant one of these lessens which we perceive important we would not sail that cruise line & go else where  to even  cruise less but cruise on a upscale .pricier cruise line   with all the services & niceties . Remember  you get what you pay for  . 

 

[mcrcruiser]

Ok OK  let us all understand  that there are different strikes for different folks  

 

 We all have our own priorities  . For us it is simple  .If any cruise line disappoints  us  we go to another cruise line   .If we need to pay more  for a upscaled deluxe cruise experience we just cruise less times  ,simple decision making  process .No hassles 

[LMaxwell]

28 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

you get what you pay for  . 

 

 

A phrase that should be a ringing endorsement any company would be proud to be tied to; alas so often these days it is used to mean accepting lesser services and slipping standards only because a higher priced alternative exists somewhere else.  Whether it be shoes, a restaurant, a car, or a cruise "I got what I paid for" should be one of the best word of mouth advertising possible. 

[BermudaBound2014]

15 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

We all have our own priorities  . For us it is simple  .If any cruise line disappoints  us  we go to another cruise line   .

 

I'm not quite so black and white because cruise lines are always evolving. I keep an eye on the news and reviews to see if the line has addressed my concerns. Often that's the case. This is why I have zero brand loyalty. The industry is anything but stagnant. 

[cbr663]

I wish I could write that I am surprised by HAL downgrading its product, but I am not.  With this board being littered lately with free and deeply discounted cruise offers it seemed to me that HAL was having great difficulty selling its cabins.  HAL obviously had to resort to deep discounting to get people just to board.  It's current promotions also support that it's pricing model is simply too high.

 

Its current pricing model could also be deterring cruisers.  We were reviewing a Norway cruise and when looking at pricing there were only 2 options:  the higher "Have it All" which included amenities that are of no interest to us or a lower priced fare with non-refundable deposit which is of no interest to us.  Where's the fare with a refundable deposit?

 

All this leads me to conclude that at this time, HAL fares are, on the whole, deeply discounted and anyone paying a full fare will more than likely be disappointed as cuts simply have to be made.

[Djptcp]

DH and I are 4 Star Mariners and in the past year we have sailed on the Rotterdam 3 times and the Nieuw Amsterdam 1 time (just returned the other day), for a total of 30 days. On all 4 of these cruises we found the crew to be exceptional; the food in the Lido buffet, the Canelletto, the Pinnacle Grill, and the Tamarind superior. The Rotterdam Library is terrific.

 

On the down side, there really wasn't much of a library on the N. Amsterdam, but we brought enough books with us. The Neptune Suites on the Rotterdam are smaller than on other ships and there isn't a separate vanity area anymore. During the 4 cruises mentioned above, we ate in the main dining room only 2 times (1 dinner and 1 breakfast) because the service was horrible at the dinner. A manager finally realized our waiter had forgotten all about us and took over. Breakfast service was good, but we prefer more choices found in the Lido Buffet.

 

My biggest complaint about HAL ships is the tiny size of the casinos, especially on the Pinnacle Class ships. This has nothing to do with what some people feel is diminished service, just thought I would mention it.

 

 

[Damcruiser]

Count us as a couple who were very happy on our recent 19-day B2B cruise on N Statendam.

This was our first cruise since being kicked off a Celebrity ship due to covid over 2 and a half years ago.

The food and service in the MDR was exceptional.

The crew throughout the ship were friendly and glad to be of service.

In this day of Kindles and eReaders, who needs a library and a librarian?

We found senior staff to be rather invisible.

A request we made on day one to change cabins (we were willing to pay) was ignored.

We loved the live music and the dance floors in different venues.

Trivia was great, partially due to the wonderful hostess, Erica.  (Prizes were meaningless)

 

Towel animal complaints bother me.  I would rather have turndown service at night than the time spent making towel animals.

Chocolates and candy man missing?  How much weight do you want to gain on a cruise?

We were impressed enough to book 7 weeks on NS starting this month.

The prices were too low to stay at home and the stock I just bought is giving us $750 OBC.

In all our many, many Celebrity cruises, I never had the quality of a Bloody Caesar that I received on board.

[cbr663]

3 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

.... Remember  you get what you pay for  . 

 

 

Unfortunately with dynamic pricing you do not get what you pay for.  You are more apt to overpay than underpay and in the end you get what the average pay for.  

[G&G]

As stated in other threads, we will be sailing on HAL in December 2022 for the last time after 40 years sailing on HAL. We are not leaving HAL, HAL left us.

[Damcruiser]

35 minutes ago, G&G said:

As stated in other threads, we will be sailing on HAL in December 2022 for the last time after 40 years sailing on HAL. We are not leaving HAL, HAL left us.

The grass is not greener on the other side.  I believe that for every cruiser leaving HAL with dissatisfaction, others will be leaving Celebrity, Royal, NCL.  All for the same reason, a lowering of standards and expectations.  I wish you well on other cruise lines. Please report back to us how your next cruise compares.

[oaktreerb]

4 hours ago, cbr663 said:

 

 

Its current pricing model could also be deterring cruisers.  We were reviewing a Norway cruise and when looking at pricing there were only 2 options:  the higher "Have it All" which included amenities that are of no interest to us or a lower priced fare with non-refundable deposit which is of no interest to us.  Where's the fare with a refundable deposit?

 

All this leads me to conclude that at this time, HAL fares are, on the whole, deeply discounted and anyone paying a full fare will more than likely be disappointed as cuts simply have to be made.

There is a refundable fare between the HIA and non-refundable.  Ask your TA or HAL agent for the Advantage Fare.  You really have three fare choices but they only promote two of them.  You have to ask.

[ontheweb]

9 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It's a bit different situation if going with a travel partner vs going on one's own.

Yes, I can see the difference you are pointing out. One of the great things we have found about cruises is that DW and I get to spend a lot of quality time together, especially in the posts. And yet at the same time onboard we also get to do our own thing, especially swimming for her and trivia for me.

[Hlitner]

4 hours ago, Djptcp said:

DH and I are 4 Star Mariners and in the past year we have sailed on the Rotterdam 3 times and the Nieuw Amsterdam 1 time (just returned the other day), for a total of 30 days. On all 4 of these cruises we found the crew to be exceptional; the food in the Lido buffet, the Canelletto, the Pinnacle Grill, and the Tamarind superior. The Rotterdam Library is terrific.

 

On the down side, there really wasn't much of a library on the N. Amsterdam, but we brought enough books with us. The Neptune Suites on the Rotterdam are smaller than on other ships and there isn't a separate vanity area anymore. During the 4 cruises mentioned above, we ate in the main dining room only 2 times (1 dinner and 1 breakfast) because the service was horrible at the dinner. A manager finally realized our waiter had forgotten all about us and took over. Breakfast service was good, but we prefer more choices found in the Lido Buffet.

 

My biggest complaint about HAL ships is the tiny size of the casinos, especially on the Pinnacle Class ships. This has nothing to do with what some people feel is diminished service, just thought I would mention it.

 

 

I read the first paragraph of your review and it sounded like everything was great.  You talked about the exceptional crew (always been our experience on HAL).  But in the next paragraph you mentioned not going to the MDR because "the service was horrible at the dinner."  So this begs the question if you thought the crew was exceptional, why didn't the exceptional crew give you good service in the MDR?  A good portion of the crew who deals with passengers are the folks who work in the MDR.

 

Hank

[Florida_gal_50]

9 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

 

Wonderful advice to try out. 

Funny how people will go on and on about deals and free cruises they’ve gotten but don’t you dare respond to that because you will be beaten into a pulp.  I guess I need to take a page out of your play book and stamp my feet and cross my arms and tell people they are not allowed to dispute what I say.  That was hilarious by the way 😂.

 

I’m going to put you on ignore now.

[cbr663]

2 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

There is a refundable fare between the HIA and non-refundable.  Ask your TA or HAL agent for the Advantage Fare.  You really have three fare choices but they only promote two of them.  You have to ask.

 

Thank-you so much for this.  I wonder why HAL has chosen not to promote the Advantage Fare?  I wonder if the current fare options are deterring other passengers?

[cruisingxpert]

4 hours ago, Damcruiser said:

In all our many, many Celebrity cruises, I never had the quality of a Bloody Caesar that I received on board.

Interesting because Celebrity, as far as I know, still uses the same seasoning mix.  Dimitri's Bloody Mary Seasoning Mix.  It is wonderful and you can order it on Amazon.  However, here in Canada they sock it to us with delivery charges.  I had one every day on Nieuw Amsterdam last week.  Just don't let them add Tabasco and kill the flavour- they did that one day because I said the word spicy- which Dimitri is  Forget the tomato juice and add clamato- which contrary to what some people fear, clamato is not a fishy flavour😃

Edited November 1, 2022 by cruisingxpert

[Florida_gal_50]

5 hours ago, Damcruiser said:

Count us as a couple who were very happy on our recent 19-day B2B cruise on N Statendam.

This was our first cruise since being kicked off a Celebrity ship due to covid over 2 and a half years ago.

The food and service in the MDR was exceptional.

The crew throughout the ship were friendly and glad to be of service.

In this day of Kindles and eReaders, who needs a library and a librarian?

We found senior staff to be rather invisible.

A request we made on day one to change cabins (we were willing to pay) was ignored.

We loved the live music and the dance floors in different venues.

Trivia was great, partially due to the wonderful hostess, Erica.  (Prizes were meaningless)

 

Towel animal complaints bother me.  I would rather have turndown service at night than the time spent making towel animals.

Chocolates and candy man missing?  How much weight do you want to gain on a cruise?

We were impressed enough to book 7 weeks on NS starting this month.

The prices were too low to stay at home and the stock I just bought is giving us $750 OBC.

In all our many, many Celebrity cruises, I never had the quality of a Bloody Caesar that I received on board.

Hal makes the best bloody Caesar’s anywhere.  I even love to have a virgin one before dinner.  The cabana guys used to love to tease me about my salad in a cup.  Anyway I’m one who likes a chocolate.  I eat pretty sensibly until supper.  I couldn’t tell you what desserts they have at the Dutch cafe, at the lido, etc.  I never go to the dive in and rarely eat the pizza.  Just because you like a chocolate here and there doesn’t mean you are in it to gain as much as possible.