Service Quality on Grand Voyages

[Pettifogger]

We recently returned from our first Grand Voyage. Before we went, I wondered whether the service would really be better than the already premium service we got on our other HAL cruises or whether "the finest service made even better" was just advertising. I wondered how stewards who were already proving premium service could be motivated to provide "even better" service. I decided to keep track.

 

I enjoy good service, but I do not book cruises because of it. The first thing I look for is a cruise line that I respect and that seems to respect me. (HAL does not search me for cough syrup with an alcohol content and I don't smuggle booze.) Second is the size of the ship. Third is the itinerary. Fourth is the value offered. Service is way down on the list.

 

I ordinarily keep track of the names of stewards who provide exceptional service so that I can mention them in the end of cruise survey. For this cruise, I decided to concentrate on those who provided a casual service, because an assigned dining room steward and cabin steward always provide excellent service to their regular customers. (I mentioned them in the survey too, but didn't include them in my statistics.)

 

On the first three weeks of the cruise (because that was the length of my comparison cruises), I found I was taking down more than twice as many names as I had on my previous HAL cruises, and the service had been excellent on all of those. I'd describe the Grand Voyage service as premium plus. My guess is that they did it by selecting already highly motivated stewards rather any special motivational efforts, although only an insider would know.

 

I must mention one reservation; some passengers would criticize the dinner service as slow. My wife and I like to both talk and eat, alternately, of course, and the service was just right for that.

 

There were a lot of other especially nice things about the Grand Voyage and only one negative one; I don't remember on other HAL cruises there being so many loudspeaker announcements about shopping opportunities at various locations on the ship. I'm aware that onboard revenue is especially important in these trying times for cruise lines, but I'd think that the daily program with its insert would do the job without demanding the passengers' attention in such an immediate and insistent way.

 

I'm saving my money for my next Grand Voyage.

[MightyQuinn]

We recently returned from our first Grand Voyage. Before we went, I wondered whether the service would really be better than the already premium service we got on our other HAL cruises or whether "the finest service made even better" was just advertising.

 

I'd describe the Grand Voyage service as premium plus.

Nice comments Pettifogger. Which voyage did you do? You're probably spoiled forever now that you've experienced HAL at its best.

 

I've been following the blogs of several CC folks who are doing the Grand Australia & South Pacific Voyage & it's very clear that HAL really does amp it up for these extended cruises. Very tempting indeed.

[TCF]

I couldn't agree more....although I certainly don't have the 'research' to back it up.

 

I am not sure it is referred to as a Grand Cruise, but we did a 35 day cruise a year ago on the Veendam.

 

The service on that cruise at all levels was the best we have ever had on ANY other cruise, both HAL and other lines!

 

When the cruise was over, and we were discussing the size of the 'tip' we left the crew, (over $1700USD including the standard gratuity), we noted that we had tipped crew members that we would normally have never had cause to tip in the past. So crew that perhaps we would only get service from once or twice on a standard cruise we were getting much more often on the longer cruise and therefore we took note of them and tipped them.

 

Also, we decided that we had become 'friends' with so many of the crew over the month that we were more likely to get exceptional service. Even today we still get emails on a pretty regular basis from crew members we met on that cruise.

 

Even the Captain and Officers became friendly part of the great adventure we were on!

 

During that cruise the Veendam crew became an integral and enjoyable part of the experience.

[Pettifogger]

Mighty Quinn: We were on the first half of the Grand Australia and South Pacific, so you have the blogs you're following as a check on me and me as a check on them. From what you said, I gather the blogs and I are pretty much in accord. (I haven't consulted them, partly because I wouldn't want to contradict my cruise mates if there were any differences.)

[MightyQuinn]

Mighty Quinn: We were on the first half of the Grand Australia and South Pacific, so you have the blogs you're following as a check on me and me as a check on them. From what you said, I gather the blogs and I are pretty much in accord. (I haven't consulted them, partly because I wouldn't want to contradict my cruise mates if there were any differences.)

Well now that you're back, you can check the blogs & keep the dream alive! Everything jives with your account & it's all good. :):)

 

http://amazingvoyages.blogspot.com/

http://dreamcruise.kweenkaren.com/

http://2009aunzcruise.thestansfields.com/

http://cruisetothelandofoz.blogspot.com/

[DAllenTCY]

From what I've read about the World Cruises, the main dining room menu is fantastic....apparently one night they offer 24oz porterhouse steaks. Not only that, but the other poolside BBQs are lavish as well....and some are themed.

David

[IRL_Joanie]

Great to hear your Grand Voyage went so well! And that the service was exceedingly excellent. That is always great to hear;)

 

This makes it a little easier to try and convince hubby to do a Grand Voyage. Right after I read it to him he started talking about a 54 day Mediterranean for 2012.

 

THANK YOU!!

 

Joanie