What is happening at HAL?

Just returned on the 22 day cruise from April 19th to May 10th and cannot believe how down hill this cruise line has gone. Except for our dining Steward and our room Steward the rest of the service was very poor. We have been on many cruises and cannot believe how poor they have got JMO

Just returned on the 22 day cruise from April 19th to May 10th and cannot believe how down hill this cruise line has gone. Except for our dining Steward and our room Steward the rest of the service was very poor. We have been on many cruises and cannot believe how poor they have got JMO

Twenty-two days on board a HAL vessel should give you all the experience you need for judging staff performance. Since I've selected one for later this year' date=' I'd like to read what the complaints are and what Dam you had. Were these repeated problems or one time events? What deck was your cabin? And have you been pleased with other ships and their services? I'm serious as I ask these questions since I still have time to cancel and go elsewhere. [b']Jack[/b]

The original poster, Weluvcruisin', has not been on this forum since June 9th, so I don't know if he will see your posts.

He was on the Oosterdam, I believe traveling from Sydney, through the South Pacific and on to the Seattle/Vancouver ports. He did post a review on the main HAL board, entitled "Disappointed":

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2212741

His original roll call was here ( I don't know that he ever joined the roll call):

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1884781

I was on the Oosterdam from Seattle to Sydney last September/October, and had a quite different, and generally positive, experience, fwiw.

Sorry to butt in here on what should be the roll call forum only, but my intention is to be helpful, and provide some additional info.

Last year we did Sydney to Seattle on the Oosterdam. Service was great

After a 5 year hiatus, I cruised on the Zuiderdam last fall and the Noordam in May. I did not have any significant complaints after the first day of each cruise. I'll be cruising on HAL again without question.

The original poster, Weluvcruisin', has not been on this forum since June 9th, so I don't know if he will see your posts.

 

He was on the Oosterdam, I believe traveling from Sydney, through the South Pacific and on to the Seattle/Vancouver ports. He did post a review on the main HAL board, entitled "Disappointed":

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2212741

 

 

His original roll call was here ( I don't know that he ever joined the roll call):

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1884781

 

I was on the Oosterdam from Seattle to Sydney last September/October, and had a quite different, and generally positive, experience, fwiw.

 

Sorry to butt in here on what should be the roll call forum only, but my intention is to be helpful, and provide some additional info.

Karin:

As you know I was on the Oosterdam with you and your sister last July and I am on her again. I have no problem with any part of this cruise. Thank you for your post. I think you bring some clarity to this thread. Like yourself, I would never guess the poster was talking about the Oosterdam.

Himself

Sorry you had a bad experience - but find that very atypical. Have sailed many lines and many ships but always come back to HAL because of the service! Have found that if I treat them almost like family, I get exceptional service.

Hi Jack,

That was not a good cruise.

See http://www.cruisecritic.com/sydney-oosterdam-cruises_dp93-cl21-sh283/mra/

Ira

Everyone has a right to their opinion and everyone has different needs and expectations.

We were on the Oosterdam for the full 36 day repo this spring from Auckland to Vancouver and we had a wonderful experience. True there was a bad upper respiratory bug going around. The Show Room sounded like a TB ward and many of us required a visit to the medical clinic.

We really enjoyed our cruise on the Oosterdam. We had late fixed dining and we were finished dining in 60-90 minutes. We had a great dining room team that provided great service and we received great service in all venues. Entertainment was some of the best we have experienced.

I read a comment on another review of this cruise that the guest lecture series were bad and poorly attended. We enjoyed them but had to get to the showroom early to get a seat. Total different on-board experience.

Before our sailing on the Oosterdam we kept reading some unfavorable reviews about the ship. Our 36 days on her this spring was a great voyage and we disembarked with smiles and another great Dam cruise in the diary.

Like I said, everyone has an opinion. In my opinion the MS Oosterdam is a ship I would like another 42 days,of my life, sailing on her and enjoying the outstanding crew. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.;)

Don't take my word for it. Go book a cruise on the Oosterdam. My bet is you will enjoy it.

Everyone has a right to their opinion and everyone has different needs and expectations.

 

We were on the Oosterdam for the full 36 day repo this spring from Auckland to Vancouver and we had a wonderful experience. True there was a bad upper respiratory bug going around. The Show Room sounded like a TB ward and many of us required a visit to the medical clinic.

 

 

We really enjoyed our cruise on the Oosterdam. We had late fixed dining and we were finished dining in 60-90 minutes. We had a great dining room team that provided great service and we received great service in all venues. Entertainment was some of the best we have experienced.

 

I read a comment on another review of this cruise that the guest lecture series were bad and poorly attended. We enjoyed them but had to get to the showroom early to get a seat. Total different on-board experience.

 

Before our sailing on the Oosterdam we kept reading some unfavorable reviews about the ship. Our 36 days on her this spring was a great voyage and disembarked with smiles and another great Dam cruise in the diary.

 

Like I said, everyone has an opinion. In my opinion the MS Oosterdam is a ship I would like another 42 days,of my life, sailing on her and enjoying the outstanding crew. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.;)

 

Don't take my word for it. Go book a cruise on the Oosterdam. My bet is you will enjoy it.

I agree with you 95% Bruce. We were also on the same cruise and had a great time. We did have some minor issues in the dinning room, but they were rectified. They had a hard time cooking Salmon correctly.

In fact we've already booked another cruise on her for 21 days the end of Feb 2016.

I agree with you 95% Bruce. We were also on the same cruise and had a great time. We did have some minor issues in the dinning room, but they were rectified. They had a hard time cooking Salmon correctly.

 

In fact we've already booked another cruise on her for 21 days the end of Feb 2016.

Good on you. We also had a couple of incidents but we expect that on any vacation. Nothing is perfect.

Miss you both and do hope your having a wonderful summer after such a brutal winter.

Keep in touch.

I did the syd to vancouver on oosterdam spring of 2014 and thought it was one of the best HAL cruises I have ever done....and i'm four star mariner and have done a bunch.

For me the food was good, the service was great and I loved the ship and the itinerary.

I agree with you 95% Bruce. We were also on the same cruise and had a great time. We did have some minor issues in the dinning room, but they were rectified. They had a hard time cooking Salmon correctly.

 

In fact we've already booked another cruise on her for 21 days the end of Feb 2016.

Completely off topic, but what's your Avatar / Icon?

Completely off topic, but what's your Avatar / Icon?

It's a shrimp boat :) (to catch the lovely delicacy known as shrimp) - like the name I believe ;) ;)

It's a shrimp boat :) (to catch the lovely delicacy known as shrimp) - like the name I believe ;) ;)

Thanks. On my phone, it looks like a Princess ship going through a drawbridge.

Thanks. On my phone, it looks like a Princess ship going through a drawbridge.

ha! ha! ha!. I can assure you that shrimpboat123 would not have a Princess ship as an avatar:p:D I lured them onto Holland a few years ago and I think they have been stuck there ;):p

True there was a bad upper respiratory bug going around. The Show Room sounded like a TB ward and many of us required a visit to the medical clinic.

What I could never understand was why the Lido was never put into hygiene mode to try to limit the spread.

The constant coughing in all areas of the ship really got to me by the end, and quite frankly I (DH) couldn't wait to get off.

Three days later we were on Princess Northbound to Alaska and the peace and quiet without that constant coughing was really really noticeable.

Completely off topic, but what's your Avatar / Icon?

Thanks. On my phone, it looks like a Princess ship going through a drawbridge.

As Kazu said, it's a Shrimp Boat. :)

Maybe you need to get a bigger phone! :D

As Kazu said, it's a Shrimp Boat. :)

 

Maybe you need to get a bigger phone! :D

I'm on an iPad. It's still not overly clear. I'm glad the picture was described. I find most aviators aren't that clear.

What I could never understand was why the Lido was never put into hygiene mode to try to limit the spread.

 

The constant coughing in all areas of the ship really got to me by the end, and quite frankly I couldn't wait to get off.

 

Three days later we were on Princess Northbound to Alaska and the peace and quiet without that constant coughing was really really noticeable.

 

Duncan

We have always stated we thought ships management could have been more agressive in trying to contain the spread of this contagious bug.

Number one culprit was passengers not self quaranteeing themselves and poor public preventive medicine.

As Kazu said, it's a Shrimp Boat. :)

 

Maybe you need to get a bigger phone! :D

Cue inappropriate "That's what she said" joke.

Number one culprit was passengers not self quaranteeing themselves and poor public preventive medicine.

Leadership starts from the top.

Lead by example; go to higher hygiene status on board and get the message out about how serious the crew is taking this.

We have always stated we thought ships management could have been more agressive in trying to contain the spread of this contagious bug.

 

Number one culprit was passengers not self quaranteeing themselves and poor public preventive medicine.

and then there are the passengers who politely cough into their hand - and then use that hand to open the door or use the hand rail!

I believe that the biggest challenge with HAL, and with other mass market cruise lines, in these times of cuts is inconsistency.

Food, service, entertainment, ship condition is not longer consistent. Expectations remain the same. Bound to lead to some disappointment for some cruisers-on all cruise lines. Customers can no longer depend on the product from sailing to sailing, or ship to ship.

I believe that the biggest challenge with HAL, and with other mass market cruise lines, in these times of cuts is inconsistency.

 

Food, service, entertainment, ship condition is not longer consistent. Expectations remain the same. Bound to lead to some disappointment for some cruisers-on all cruise lines. Customers can no longer depend on the product from sailing to sailing, or ship to ship.

Hotels are worse IMO that cruise lines. The difference in one chain hotel to the next can be mind-blowing.