HappyInVan

Not a surprise. On a 2022 deck plan of the Eurodam, Cabin 10005 and 6 were Signature Spa Suites (Category SU). Attached PDF... hal-eurodam-na deck-plan-050822.pdf

That shows how different we are. I have money to burn and too little time to do it. So, I have to be careful about dead-end streets. There's so much choice in 2023-4. Explora will be sailing. Viking is expanding its ocean fleet and offering promotions. MSC will be expanding in North America, and the ship-in-a-ship setup is interesting. Then, there's quirky Ponant with their 10k ton ships (with just @100 cabins). Cruising to places less travelled, and the annoying habit of changing embarkation ports at the last minute. Still, I suppose that one day, I'll have to get into their zodiac rafts in Antarctica!

We should appreciate that a cruise operation is complex with many moving parts. It may be the same ships essentially. But, how sophisticated is the cabin experience? Do they have infrared sensors for the lights? How extensive is the AV library on the TV? There may be the same staffers in some of the jobs. But, what is the emphasis? Quality or speed? Will there be the little touches and the wow factor? I'm not surprised that the new itineraries are repeats of the tried and true. But, how quickly will I tire of just two ships in the fleet? The cruise experience is highly personal. Some aspects of the New Crystal will be similar to the Old. But, many aspects will be better or worse. We won't know how it affects us, until the first few cruises are done and how NC responds to the complaints and shortcomings. Nothing is cast in stone. There may not be enough sustained demand at this high price level. Price discounting would change the cruise dynamics entirely. Stay tuned.

Its possible that the tendering problems were unique to the itinerary and to your voyage. Sadly, entertainment is likely to be diminished as HAL shuts down parts of Music Walk. Personally, I prefer to sail in the Pinnacle ships. More spacious and with greater choice of food outlets. Sadly, by all accounts, HAL's quality is diminishing as their customer base increased.

Actually, I order one-gallon jugs of distilled water ($2.95 each) from HAL. You'll find the item in the Beverages section of Cruise Planning online. You can specific that the jugs be delivered to your cabin on embarkation day, or later in the cruise. On the 16-day Hawaii cruise, I ordered and consumed 4 jugs. Hope this helps..

Actually, covid is still present on cruise ships. See posts with photos here... https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2911723-wrinkle-in-our-plans-rotterdam-southern-seafarer-january-25-february-4/page/2/#comments Significant numbers of people are taking a test at the ship's medical center. In addition, others are reporting that they tested positive AFTER disembarkation. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2913410-navigating-covid-on-koningsdam/ In addition, a significant number of itineraries require pre-boarding tests and/or masking. Last I heard, it included East Asia, Australasia, Panama canal and parts of South America. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2912506-masks-are-required-on-board-in-public-spaces-on-march-cruise/#comment-64785230 HAL has a policy where you get a FCC if you are unable to board your cruise, or if you are quarantined whilst onboard. That's necessary because whilst third party insurance policies pay out for trip interruptions, their covid coverage may lapse once Public Health raises the alert status. I have a Canadian annual travel insurance with TD Insurance. Their covid coverage becomes an exclusion once our Public Health raises the red flag. What will I do if it happens after I made FP? HAL sells a protection policy. You can cancel for any reason and receive a 80-90% refund. So, useful if the covid situation gets out of hand, war breaks out in Europe, or health restrictions onboard becomes too onerous. https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/pre-post-travel-cruise/cancellation-protection-plan.html

FYI, this is an extract of the invoice I received from New C's booking agent. FP is 4 months before embarkation... "TOTAL $4,600.00 PAYMENT SCHEDULE BALANCE DUE $3,910.00 FINAL PAYMENT DUE DATE APRIL 14, 2024 DEPOSIT AMOUNT $690.00 DEPOSIT DUE DATE FEBRUARY 17, 2023 CANCELLATION DETAILS All Crystal cruises may be cancelled prior to the final payment date with only an administration fee being assessed. Once the respective final payment date arrives, the below fee structure applies. DESTINATION FEES The cruise fare is inclusive of $700.00 per person destination fees. All fare savings or benefits are calculated net of destination fees. DEPOSIT INFORMATION Your cruise with Crystal is only confirmed upon receipt of deposit which is calculated based on the total booking value. The deposit required is 15%. The balance is due on the final payment due date. Please reference the cancellation fee schedule. 1411 Opus Place Executive Tower West II, Suite 300 Downers Grove IL, USA 60515-1098 TERMS AND CONDITION For our full Booking Terms and Conditions, please visit https://www.crystalcruises.com/ legal/ booking-terms-conditions" No details about cancellation protection as carried by HAL etc. No info about covid protection. What happens if you test positive just before the cruise? No info about when we can book direct online?? The price for 8 nights solo is acceptable to me. But, I've uncomfortable with the lack of clarity. For the time being, I'll pass on this opportunity. Hope that early pax will provide feedback to the rest of us. Thanks!

I'm looking at the Alaska cruises with a terminal at Sitka. Are the stops interesting? Is it worthwhile taking the longer cruise to the entrance to Glacial Bay? The itinerary comes with a flight between Seattle and Sitka. Is it a scheduled flight? Are they able to accommodate all of the ship's pax? Any info would be a great help> Thanks.

As a solo traveler, I'm interested in the single cabins. They're priced at @C$1k per day. Is there an additional charge? I could ask the question in an email to the company. However, this thread could be useful to other solo travelers.

Most customers repay by booking another stay. That's what it means to be a loyal customer! The biz doesn't have to spend money on advertisements and promotions to induce customers to return. So, today's intense advertising and promotions is a sign of HAL's decline. Let's not forget the value of positive social feedback. The happy customers influence friends and relatives. The unhappy customer also has a role in these forums, despite the best efforts of the cheerleaders.

Good point. That's why I don't feel any obligations to HAL. They've made their choices. The way things are going, HAL is descending towards Carnival standards, and should be priced accordingly!

Actually, the entire industry must face a labor shortage. HAL could pay higher wages, or someone else will. After all, the labor force is faced with high inflation. As a consumer, I have options. I don't have to be 'loyal' to HAL when HAL is looking after Number One. Like I said, HAL has the choice of cutting capacity. Raising base prices and needing less staff?

Back on topic. Yes, its unfortunate that price is an issue for many. Note that competing cruise companies are jumping in with their promotions; even Viking. So, there's the right price for you somewhere. The issue is that the industry remains over-capacity. Until that capacity is filled at suitable prices, expect ships to be under-staffed. Some of us expect better from HAL.

Back on topic. Yes, the under-staffing is very clear. From the stress on the room stewards, to the lack of service in the Lido. In the buffet, no one comes around with water pitchers. Get your own drinks from the bar. Slow to clear the tables after you leave. I've been on three HAL cruises in 2022. Two (New England and Hawaii) were sadly understaffed in the hotel and food departments. The Alaska cruise in April was fully staffed because it was the return of Alaska cruises from Vancouver. What a contrast with the rest of the year. HAL needs to raise base fares to restore quality. But, can they manage that without cutting capacity? In the meantime, expect more promotions like HIA+1 deposits. Placing more stress on pax trying to get their money'a worth.

Don't have any illusions that you're getting a deal by sailing with a Basic fare. The airlines are an example where they've continuously degrade the value of the Basic fare. Forcing pax to pay up for basic services.

Exactly! As I recall, the HIA+$1 deal ended in January. Its possible that the promotion accelerated bookings. Subsequent months may see below-average bookings(?) So, we need to average several months data to avoid a misinterpretation.

+1

Kevin, All the best to you.

Back on topic. I've done 3 cruises (K and NS) with HAL in 2022 for 33 nights. Overall, there were good and bad features. The ships were new and comfortable. Crowded but quiet nooks were still to be found. Food preparation was good, though the quality of meat was disappointing. No wow factor here. For my tastes, entertainment was fine. I enjoyed the Step One production, marvelling at the integration of technology and choreography. LCS added just the right touch of quality. There was loud music elsewhere on Music Walk. I found that there were sufficient activities and events for a 16 day itinerary. Though it may become tedious for a cruise longer than that. Hope this helps the OP.

Yes, of course. I'm hoping to hear from the veteran Crystal pax.

I've never cruised the old Crystal. So, what do you guys say? Are the itineraries worth the bother? Seems to me that the initial cruises are meh. There's a New England cruise that departs Quebec City and bypasses Atlantic Canada altogether!

See this. Scroll down... https://www.crystalcruises.com/cruises/return-to-service-cse-012-230731

They're back. Hurrah!!!

Where do they get the money from? Is this the tech generation? We've seen it before. Investors throw money at the tech sectors. What happens when the music stops? Boom and Bust. HAL shouldn't cater to a fickle set of customers. The older customers are reliable. Too much money, and not enough time to spend it$

Sorry. I don't see that as 'restructuring'. Looks like they're trying to do some marketing magic. Gazing at their navel and looking for a purpose in life. A corporate restructuring would include changes in the areas of responsibility, and reordering their businesses. For example, CCL has 9 brands/subsidiaries. RCL and NCLH each have only three brands; high, low and medium.