HAL Negative threads

[Himself]

Is anyone else amazed at how many negative comments are coming lately? I have observed it is passengers which are used to other line like RCL or NCL and sometimes Carnival and even some casual HAL passenger. What gives? I'm not a HAL cheerleader with blinders on (at least I don't think I am) but seems like a lot of unfair criticism of issues that other lines experience. I'm talking about vibration, toilets not working, some inexperienced crew members etc.. Just seems like a lot of hits on HAL, when no line is perfect. Anyone else think this is unfair and at an unusual volume?

 

 

 

 

I do find many of the attacks on HAL to be unfair and below the belt. If I was considering HAL and read some of these posts, I would be most reluctant to chance HAL. No line is perfect but my experience since November of 1996 is that HAL is a very good line. I even find it interesting that people will attack a given ship on a given cruise and tell how "everyone was misrerable" only to find another poster on the same cruise raving about HAL her staff and her equipment.

[ASIWISH]

using the toilets at least 1 time per day. Well, I'll let you all do the math here...

 

Joanie

 

Joanie, with the Code Red on the Maasdam, you might want to adjust your math!:p

[bozemanman]

I do find many of the attacks on HAL to be unfair and below the belt. If I was considering HAL and read some of these posts, I would be most reluctant to chance HAL. No line is perfect but my experience since November of 1996 is that HAL is a very good line. I even find it interesting that people will attack a given ship on a given cruise and tell how "everyone was misrerable" only to find another poster on the same cruise raving about HAL her staff and her equipment.

 

 

Thank you!!!...and I am glad others are noticing. I know the saying...you'll get 10 negatives for every positive response...but I thought lately (especially for someone who has never cruised, let alone on HAL) the board has sounded really negative and thought (maybe) myself and some veterans might "right" the ship...so to speak.:)

[big green]

Has anyone ever stopped to think that the posters on these cruise boards are in a teeny weeny minority of the number of people who actually cruise? We are just off the Oosterdam on Dec. 24 and had a great cruise and outstanding food despite pretty crummy weather and high seas. Just as an example, someone two tables away whined that other people were being served before his table and managed to get a bottle of wine which he figured he was entitled to. And then tried to see if he could make some other ridiculous complaint because he wanted more free wine. A totally obnoxious passenger. The point here is that there are many people who simply think they are more important than anyone else. We had an outstanding dining room waiter and assistant, but some people are always looking to find the negative. A sad commentary. Will be interesting to see any reviews.

 

 

How many cruises have you been on???--I was on the same cruise as you and the seas were not high at all--perfectly normal==and the weather in the

islands was great even though it rained on Hilo which is normal--I am wiritn a review whuich will be done soon.. Claiming high seas is really off base.

 

BG

[Cindy]

I have also noticed an increase in unhappy passengers (not just on the HAL forum) recently. I think part of it may have to do with the holidays...when people pay a premium for a holiday cruise and their expectations aren't met, they tend to want to vent! Problems that might be quickly and easily solved at a less busy time become more complicated when the ships are completely full and there's little margin for error.

[ASIWISH]

I am wiritn a review whuich will be done soon...

 

BG

 

Big Green: I have been waiting for your review for months!!!

 

Let me know when it's going to posted, so I can have a bottle of wine and some popcorn ready!!!!

[Himself]

How many cruises have you been on???--I was on the same cruise as you and the seas were not high at all--perfectly normal==and the weather in the

islands was great even though it rained on Hilo which is normal--I am wiritn a review whuich will be done soon.. Claiming high seas is really off base.

 

BG

 

I must tell you that "high seas" is very subjective. Several years ago I did a week on the Amsterdam out of Seattle. Now the Pacific can be rough if you are on the Ocean side of Vancouver Island. This particular time the sea was very calm. It was like sailing on glass and a lady complained to me on how rocky the ride was. I could not believe what I was hearing as it was one of the smoothest sailings I was ever on. Perhaps this person you refer to above never experieced the High Seas before and thought they were experincing high seas that were indeed calm. But I agree the negative subjectivness pass off as objective truth can be vexing.

[IRL_Joanie]

Joanie, with the Code Red on the Maasdam, you might want to adjust your math!:p

 

:D:DLOL:D:D

 

Joanie

[jimmy2x]

As an admitted CC addict, I visit other line forums regularly and find just as many complaints as we see here on HAL. The only ones I take seriously are physical plant issues - plumbing, A/C, etc. These are things that would cause discomfort for most of us and I've spent enough time at sea to recognize that. One can only hope that it doesn't happen on OUR cruise.:D

 

The vast majority of the other stuff is either unimportant, way over-blown, or both. Some of us have hung around this site for many years, with a few of us having migrated over from the old AOL cruise forum. Dress codes, smoking, food quality, entertainment or the lack thereof are pretty meaningless although endlessly entertaining in their own right. Nobody is ever going to change the mind of someone comfortable with the righteousness of their own position (see any Dress Code thread).

 

The one problem that I see with increasing frequency is the poster who haunts ALL of the boards with hardcore positions on how THAT particular line should conduct it's business in a manner that would suit THEM. Some of these people have never even been on a HAL ship, and have no apparent intention of doing so until HAL meets their stringent standards. Frankly, these are the folks I could do without, but I am quite sure that they will continue to grace us.

 

We are fortunate here on the HAL boards to have a number of folks who are long-time members and consistently provide accurate information to those in need of it. For this we should all be grateful.

[DFD1]

"the righteousness of their own position"....what a great phrase.

 

There's a lot of that going on around here lately! LOL

 

I think HAL does an exceptional job overall, considering the challenges of keeping the ships sailing at capacity or near capacity in a soft economy.

 

In an environment as complex as a cruise ship, there are bound to be problems from time to time with plumbing and other mechanical systems.

 

There will also always be complainers....and a lot of them show up here. That's life.

[GmaPajama]

Has anyone ever stopped to think that the posters on these cruise boards are in a teeny weeny minority of the number of people who actually cruise? .....

It's been pointed out many times here that we are a small percentage of actual cruisers, but I believe we have more impact than some might think. Since the good folks at the cruise lines do actually read these boards, I'm certain they are interested in what we have to say. I doubt they appreciate the whining and the moaning and the gimmie's ... but every successful business knows to listen to constructive criticism.

 

Some people know how to offer that, and those are the threads that can accomplish something. In my opinion.

[FrankNJ]

We have loved cruising on Hal for a number of years . But , no toilet is unacceptable.

I can't even begin to believe the people here that say you have to expect that once in a while ? No , you don't have to accept a non working toilet at any hotel . Floating or on land . If the Hotel can't fix the toilet , they have to move the guest to another room or the guest will check out and demand a refund . In the cruise situation , the guest will not return to the cruise line , and should demand a refund as well as complain to the proper authorities about the unsanitary health situation prevented.

 

All the Hal cheerleaders and all the math about percentages won't mean a thing when it's your toilet that doesn't work , ( or AC for that matter ) for 10 or 11 days ? Ridiculous.

 

I'm seriously considering cancelling the upcoming Zuiderdam , because frankly , if I board months from now and the toilet is not working I will probably go bat **** .

[lcand1923]

My Grandmother always said that things happen in threes. Don't know if that is true, but I needed three major car repairs and three plumbing repairs last year. So, maybe that's what's happening with the HAL boards, more or less. A person hears about the boards from somewhere, joins it and vents. Another person does the same, and so forth. After another month or two, especially if a couple of Zuiderdam cruises report NO toilet problems, these boards will be what they were.

[bcd2010]

We have loved cruising on Hal for a number of years . But , no toilet is unacceptable.

I can't even begin to believe the people here that say you have to expect that once in a while ? No , you don't have to accept a non working toilet at any hotel . Floating or on land . If the Hotel can't fix the toilet , they have to move the guest to another room or the guest will check out and demand a refund . In the cruise situation , the guest will not return to the cruise line , and should demand a refund as well as complain to the proper authorities about the unsanitary health situation prevented.

 

All the Hal cheerleaders and all the math about percentages won't mean a thing when it's your toilet that doesn't work , ( or AC for that matter ) for 10 or 11 days ? Ridiculous.

 

I'm seriously considering cancelling the upcoming Zuiderdam , because frankly , if I board months from now and the toilet is not working I will probably go bat **** .

 

Thank you! There are negative posts, and then there is the narcississtic philosophy: if it's not a problem for me, it's not a problem.

[cruz chic]

Thank you! There are negative posts, and then there is the narcississtic philosophy: if it's not a problem for me, it's not a problem.

So true!

[BugsyCruiser]

I did my first ever cruise aboard the Eurodam just a couple of months ago and I liked it a lot. I had a couple of very minor gripes, but that probably was because as a first time cruiser I wasn't aware of how they do things or that you could do certain things. Example: the food in the MDR was good but the portions were small. Another cruiser pointed out that you can ask for another portion. I wasn't aware of that but now I know it for future cruises :D Some people will find stuff to gripe about no matter what. And don't get me wrong, that is their right. But I could see it if a first time cruiser came on here and didn't know that he or she could get turned off to cruising alltogether. Me? I'm hooked on it now

[Barrick]

I for one do not mind the negative posts, why would I only want to read all the good news and cheerleading on a cruise "critic" board? If I was only interested in reading all the good stuff, I would stick to only reading cruise line company brochures, and the Mariner magazine.

 

As a consumer, I want to know what to expect in advance of making a cruise purchase, good AND bad. The more informed I am, the more likely I will make the right purchase. Whenever I make a big purchae such as a new car, I will read consumer reviews, not just the brochure for the car I am interested in. I can judge fair complaints from trivial complaints. I think if you're on a cruise ship, or a hotel room or in a bed and breakfast and your toilet doesnt flush for 3 days (regardless of the cause), then you have a reason to be pretty upset about it. I mean seriously.

 

If a carpet is worn on a stairway, I couldnt care less, if a public toilet is out of order I couldnt care less, but if my food is badly prepared, or always comes to my table cold, then I do care. If the toilet is my room is not working for a couple of days, I do care.

[George C]

I try to add positives along with negatives my Zuiderdam cruise last month was not perfect ( we did see many toilets out of order in the common areas and had issues with some personnel) but it was still a good cruise, suite and very nice, room stewards were just great ( best that I can remember in my 54 cruises), loved the shows and the music. With so much new personnel on all these ships there are bound to be some problems ( and I am talking about all lines) . I will continue to sail HAL along with other lines.

[rwams]

I for one do not mind the negative posts, why would I only want to read all the good news and cheerleading on a cruise "critic" board? If I was only interested in reading all the good stuff, I would stick to only reading cruise line company brochures, and the Mariner magazine.

 

As a consumer, I want to know what to expect in advance of making a cruise purchase, good AND bad. The more informed I am, the more likely I will make the right purchase. Whenever I make a big purchae such as a new car, I will read consumer reviews, not just the brochure for the car I am interested in. I can judge fair complaints from trivial complaints. I think if you're on a cruise ship, or a hotel room or in a bed and breakfast and your toilet doesnt flush for 3 days (regardless of the cause), then you have a reason to be pretty upset about it. I mean seriously.

 

If a carpet is worn on a stairway, I couldnt care less, if a public toilet is out of order I couldnt care less, but if my food is badly prepared, or always comes to my table cold, then I do care. If the toilet is my room is not working for a couple of days, I do care.

I agree, What I read I find that the positive and the negative post are all informative, funny at times and really doesn't bother me because I am going to have a great time on my cruise.

[Cruiser from MS]

I am going on my first Holland American cruise next month. I also like to read the good and the bad so I will know what to expect on my cruise. You have to read the negative reviews with an open mind and that it is that one person's opinion. I believe a bad cruise would be better than a good day at the office.... :)

[Barrick]

I dont know if I've ever had a good day in the office. In fact I would rather be on a cruise ship with an engine room fire, than sitting at my desk right now in the office.

[janmcn]

On our last cruise on the Prinsendam, we ran into a lady in the elevator who was already "beginning a list" of complaints…and we hadn't even left the dock!!!! (We had an awesome cruise.)

[bcd2010]

I for one do not mind the negative posts, why would I only want to read all the good news and cheerleading on a cruise "critic" board? If I was only interested in reading all the good stuff, I would stick to only reading cruise line company brochures, and the Mariner magazine.

 

As a consumer, I want to know what to expect in advance of making a cruise purchase, good AND bad. The more informed I am, the more likely I will make the right purchase. Whenever I make a big purchae such as a new car, I will read consumer reviews, not just the brochure for the car I am interested in. I can judge fair complaints from trivial complaints. I think if you're on a cruise ship, or a hotel room or in a bed and breakfast and your toilet doesnt flush for 3 days (regardless of the cause), then you have a reason to be pretty upset about it. I mean seriously.

 

If a carpet is worn on a stairway, I couldnt care less, if a public toilet is out of order I couldnt care less, but if my food is badly prepared, or always comes to my table cold, then I do care. If the toilet is my room is not working for a couple of days, I do care.

 

And consider this: if you only heard/read about the good stuff and never about any of the problems, you would be surprised by even the most minor of problems - worse, you wouldn't know that many of them could be remedied by talking to the HM, DRM, etc.

 

There may be some disappointments in worn carpets or no tech-spert on board (so no digital workshops, as happened on my last cruise), but my cruise is not severely impacted by these. Non-working toilets and non-responsive personnel DO have a major negative impact. Complaints should not all be grouped together.

[mescat4]

off the Oosterdam Xmas eve after 21 day Mex-Hwy. Several of the toilets in the public rest rooms- both mens and womens were 'out of order' for a significant part of the cruise. The fact that they could not be repaired en route expeditiously suggests that the problem was not minor. That said, it did not significantly impact the enjoyment of our cruise. I'm happy to say that the toilet in our stateroom did function flawlessly, unlike previous cruises on the Statendam, Prinsendam, and Volendam. Those however, were fixed in a timely fashion. Toilets will be a problem at sea as long as people throw things down the toilets as if they were at home!!

 

Ev

[ANSalberg]

On our last cruise on the Prinsendam, we ran into a lady in the elevator who was already "beginning a list" of complaints…and we hadn't even left the dock!!!! (We had an awesome cruise.)

 

We have 600 plus days on HAL & have cruised other lines as well- MOST within the last 12 years but a few shorter ones during our working years. So people OFTEN ask 'Will I like cruising?" and even people I know fairly well I have to say to them "I honestly don't know if you'll like it- there are too many factors". Subjectively formerly employed people seem to understand that things can go wrong and simply deal with it, but that, too, is a generalization. Also some things to consider is the difference in cruising; we do the 65 plus "Grand" cruises MORE often because we have the time now that we are retired AND the quest in our hearts to see the world that we were too busy to see before -therefore the little issues remain just that; SMALL....if you are spending a LOT of "your" money on a week-long/port intensive cruise with a big family -you are talking about very different experiences; the reality is -cruising CAN be extremely different [ the size of the ship/the age of your cruising companions/the ports you visit/what you are cruising FOR {relaxation or learning} / what you can afford ON the ship {Suite or inside room} ] ALL are VERY different emotional/physical experiences.

I can honestly say we've NEVER had a "bad" cruise -however I DO remember one very exciting cruise many years ago -Riding out on a Princess ship; Hurricane Bonnie!!! The weatherman at the next table remarked [we were off Nova Scotia at the time] "They MAY have downgraded this -however if there is still an "eye" its STILL a hurricane" -It was exciting to us and our tablemates; we watched from the upper bar-area [ I don't remember what they called it] it was LIKE riding a roller-coaster!!!IF you were prone to seasickness/motion sickness-THIS cruise might have been your WORST nightmare! We loved it.

The lady beginning her list on the Prinsendam; RUN...that's all I can say; RUN away as fast as you can from the downer! And be glad they don't live right next door to you at HOME! ;)

Anne