The HAL experience

[voyeurism26]

I have been away from the board for a while since my last HAL cruise in September. Its funny how I come back to this board once I booked a cruise vacation..but thats another topic.

 

I enjoy reading the many comments about HAL. I have been going on HAL since 1995 and over the many years the posts regarding HAL has been getting much more negative. I have to agree with many of the negative posts, although there was a time that the negative remarks were so few and that the people making the remarks were just being unreasonable.

 

Then, I went on Celebrity and found the service and the food much better and I found that HAL service and food has declined. I still like HAL and I continue to give HAL my vacation dollars. But since we go on two cruises per year, I go on Celebrity one time and HAL the next. I find that most of the posts about HAL to be true. Here is the outline:

 

Service: it went from excellant to good

Food: it was excellant but know its good to average. The pinnacle is excellant.

Entertainment: was always average

Spa: went for great experience to horrible sales pitch experience

 

Overall, we find that HAL's service and food has decreasing in the many years. I can't tell you why? I can give you my opinion but that is not answer. We can all speculate but again, we don't know why. Perhaps price, Perhaps the way they pay there help? Perhaps the management has changed??? who nows...but one thing for sure I am certain that if HAL keeps doing what it has been doing, then more people will complain and more people will try a different line.

 

I will be going on the Westerdam in January and I hope that improvements have been made since my last cruise on the Zuiderdam. I will report.

 

-V26

[Krazy Kruizers]

A lot of us have been wondering lately if HAL is being influenced by the parent company - Carnival. Granted that Carnival has owned HAL for years, but more recently HAL has started to look in some areas like Carnival.

[OCruisers]

-V26 .... Enjoyed reading this thread ... thanks!

 

It seems ALL of the mass market cruise lines have gone a bit down-hill! :(

 

Like you, we've found Celebrity a happy choice BUT still have no real problem with HAL ... and Princess is never awful! :)

 

Krazy Kruzers brings up a good point ... but, it might just be the total cruise industry in general.

 

Would love to hear the opinions of others!

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[JDee]

A lot of us have been wondering lately if HAL is being influenced by the parent company - Carnival. Granted that Carnival has owned HAL for years, but more recently HAL has started to look in some areas like Carnival.

There have been quite a few changes at the top in the past year at least. Recall seeing some of the promotions/hirings on their web site & just now looked but it doesn't go back too far. Recently HAL has a new CEO, Master Chef, Director of Inside Sales, Senior VP for Fleet Operations, and another Senior VP for Marketing & Sales. Guess they each have to justify their keep.

 

Happy cruising.....

[Ziggy7]

V26,

Looking forward to your review :)

[voyeurism26]

Thank you for your replies...I am glad I am not going crazy and feeling the same about HAL and I am not the only one. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy going on HAL but I think service and food is declining in the past years.

 

I can't wait to go on the Westerdam, we have been on the old westerdam and really enjoyed her very much. We are really looking forward to going on the newer westerdam in a few weeks.

 

I will let you all know how it was.

 

-V26

[RaffinOrganGrinders]

Thank you for your replies...

I can't wait to go on the Westerdam, we have been on the old westerdam and really enjoyed her very much. We are really looking forward to going on the newer westerdam in a few weeks. I will let you all know how it was.

-V26

Several new reviews of the Westerdam have been posted here.

 

Georgehttp://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=306

[Himself]

A few weeks ago I was on the Volendam. We went out at Pier 25 0r 26 because the Zuiderdam was at the normal Hal spot. Someone looked over at the Zuiderdam and said this ship (THE VOLENDAM,) along with the ROTTERDAM,ZAANDAM and AMSTERDAM were the last of the HAL ships.

He then pointed to the Zuiderdam and called it the "first of the Carnival Ships."

 

I having been on the Volendam, Rotterdam and Zuiderdam must admit I prefer the "R" and "S" class ships over the "VISTA" class ships. That being said, I think that the Vista ships are mega ships but not Carnival ships. I find the "R" class ships to be ideal and I hope if HAL expands any more they do it with a copy of the Volendam or Zaandam.

 

Himself

[DFD1]

IMO only.....I sense that Carnival Corp is trying to change the passeger mix on HAL to a younger average age. In doing that, I suspect they are becoming less concerned about what the older group wants and are placing more emphasis on trying to find what works better for the younger crowd, which is probably not very interested in what HAL was l0, l5 or 20 years ago.

 

Having cruised on both HAL and Carnival a number of times in the past l0 years or so, I also sense that there is some homogenization (sp) taking place between the two, probably because of the "profit pressure" being exerted by the corporation.

 

IMO, I know others will not agree and I appreciate that.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have several cruises booked on HAL for 2005, but if they keep changing their image to look more like Carnival, then we will start to look elsewhere for vacations.

We have many, many, many cruises on HAL and don't like some of the changes we are seeing and experiencing.

[Cruiseoften]

We have several cruises booked on HAL for 2005, but if they keep changing their image to look more like Carnival, then we will start to look elsewhere for vacations.

We have many, many, many cruises on HAL and don't like some of the changes we are seeing and experiencing.

 

We're in the same boat. We read the boards and, perhaps we're wrong, but it seems that the Vista class ships are definitely becoming more 'Carnivalized'.

 

Agreed that 'Mariners' are in the so-called 'upper age' range but I'm not convinced that the 'baby boomer' generation is all that hung up on a 'new HAL'.

 

At a recent party, mostly 'boomers', 50+ folks, it was the consensus that we don't drink as much as we did for various reasons - the severity of 'day after' symptoms was cited several times!!; neighborhood parties were best because you didn't have to drive; medical conditions were also mentioned.

 

Let's face it, Carnival has (I believe) always presented itself as a 'party animal' cruise line - 'boomers' have been there, done that - however, we're not yet ready to crawl into bed at 9 p.m. but nor are we ready (or able!) to party all night. HAL has and hopefully will continue to caters to sociable 30 - 40 and 50+ year old cruisers - the 'Line with Ambiance'.

 

We can still dance the night away but - please - give us a sea day after the wild night!

[michmike]

and you're dead on about the spa, at least in the opinion of a gal who travels with us. She enjoys that kind of thing but after two experiences on 2 different HAL ships where she experienced a concerted sales pitch despite telling staff that she had no interest, she now opts to do the spa thing at home and spend her money on board in other ways.

 

Must be GREAT profit margins on the goods they push as I have talked to more than a few people that might have tried some of the spa services but defer simply because they don't want a sales pitch.

 

Wouldn't more income from services and less from products make sense? But hey.. you're talkin to a guy who thought it was a transformation to go from a barber shop to a hair salon.. so go figure..now if they would just subscribe to the police gazette.....

[Giorgi-one]

I have only been on HAL once and it was very disappointing. Based on past reputation, I was expecting something special. It was OK, but food / service in the DR was very average.

 

There are many posters on this board and even some on this thread who say "I know HAL is going downhill, but I still enjoy HAL and will continue to sail HAL". IF everyone has that opinion, why would HAL ever do anything to improve their service?

[gbc]

The reason for the cut backs is simple - economics. I went on my first cruise in 1983 (plus/minus one year) on Carnival. The cost of a one week Caribbean cruise in an outside cabin (there were virtually no balcony cabins in those days) was about $300 less than I am paying for a one week Caribbean cruise in an S suite in 2005 (a balcony cabin is probably cheaper in 2005 than my outside cabin in 1983). I can't name any other commodity whose price has not changed in 20 years. The cruise lines simply cannot provide the same services in 2004 that they provided in 1983 when the price is the same.

 

Another comparison - a week on a Caribbean island at an "upper third" resort with no food and no entertainment is almost double the cost of a one week caribbean cruise.

 

I'm sure there are some on these boards who could and would pay whatever it cost to have the "good old days" back - but for many of us (me anyway), I will make do with a little less in the way of service for the privilege and pleasure of cruising twice a year.

[Orcrone]

Let's face it, Carnival has (I believe) always presented itself as a 'party animal' cruise line

I think your perception of Carnival is based on an outdated image. Like almost all other cruise lines someone under 21 cannot travel unless accompanied by another person over 25. That eliminates the college spring break crowd.

 

When we cruised with them last year, DW and I fell into their typical demographics; married couples in their 30s and 40s with children on board.

[gooselace]

....Must be GREAT profit margins on the goods they push as I have talked to more than a few people that might have tried some of the spa services but defer simply because they don't want a sales pitch.

 

Wouldn't more income from services and less from products make sense? .....

If my very recent experience is any indicator, it's already happening. The massage and ginger/salt scrub was wonderful and no sales pitch. The masseuse did what products I use, but when I said Bliss on my feet and Ponds on my face, she didn't recommend, or try to sell, any specific products.

 

BUT, contrary to what had been widely reported on this board, the price of the hydo and thermal pools had been increased to $25 each and there was no invitation to use any of the spa facilities, except the regular shower, afterwards. Actually that was fine; the services compared favorably with what I've received elsewhere. She seemed satisfied with my tip, and I was relaxed and clean.

[voyeurism26]

gbc- your point is very true in regards to the price! However, regardless if the price is $300 a week per person or if the prices $3000 a week per person for a 7 day cruise and regardless what cabin you have (inside, outside, balcony, suite) the service and the food should always be great.

 

I and most of us on this board have been on more then one cruise and no matter what a person pays the service should be great. I have been on inexpensive cruises and have experienced much better food and service then I have on HAL. Why do I continue going on HAL? You might ask? I guess old habits die hard, I have going on HAL for a number of years and I guess I know what to expect. A few years back, I would go on NCL for a fun quick get-away and HAL for a luxury vacation. Now my plans have changed, HAL is the everyday ship for the quick get-away...and celebrity is the line I go on for a much more luxury experience, maybe I am getting older (37) or maybe my tastes have changed or maybe I am getting spoiled...but I know enough that HAL is changing.

 

-V26

[Giorgi-one]

Carnival owns HAL, Princess and Costa among others. It seems that quality is decreasing on all lines owned by Carnival. We had two great cruises on Costa before Carnival bought them. From what I have heard recently, Costa has gone WAY WAY downhill. We have seen similar (maybe not as drastic) comments about HAL and Princess. One poster above indicated that Carnival is trying to change passenger mix on HAL to a younger age. WHY? Most of the people with money and time enough to cruise are older. Why does every ship have to cater to families? It seems to me that if the large number of people who are looking for a slightly more upscale experience and are willing to pay a reasonable amount extra, refused to accept an inferior product the cruise lines would have to meet their expectations. However, understand that refusing means not cruising for a while.