What HAL Changes over last 8 years?

[PeaceLoveCruise]

So it's been 8 years since DH and I have been on a cruise (we've been skiing our butts off!) So this year... Cruise time!! :D

 

We were just wondering what are the biggest changes we can expect from our last cruise. Any worth noting? Our lives have changed a lot (including our wedding in there somewhere!) We want to try to be up to info. Things that have changed... Special places on the ship... BYO wine policies... Where is trivia held.... You know.... The big important questions.

 

I don't recall us having id cards last time (could be wrong) but we had the room cards.

 

Also, can anyone explain how we disembark ourselves off the ship without waiting for a specific time? Is this possible? We are in a hurry to leave (not on a plane, but in a car) to make our way to key west for another week). Is this possible?

 

Thanks for any helpful hints for our westerdam eastern carribbean cruise!

 

Kelly

[kazu]

So it's been 8 years since DH and I have been on a cruise (we've been skiing our butts off!) So this year... Cruise time!! :D

 

We were just wondering what are the biggest changes we can expect from our last cruise. Any worth noting? Our lives have changed a lot (including our wedding in there somewhere!) We want to try to be up to info. Things that have changed... Special places on the ship... BYO wine policies... Where is trivia held.... You know.... The big important questions.

 

I don't recall us having id cards last time (could be wrong) but we had the room cards.

 

Also, can anyone explain how we disembark ourselves off the ship without waiting for a specific time? Is this possible? We are in a hurry to leave (not on a plane, but in a car) to make our way to key west for another week). Is this possible?

 

Thanks for any helpful hints for our westerdam eastern carribbean cruise!

 

Kelly

 

Disembarkation - as long as you can manage your own bags - you can elect self disembarkation which is earlier than the rest. You keep your bags overnight and take them off with you

 

Trivia depends upon the ship - on my last two it was in the Crow's Nest.

 

Wine - you can still byob for consumption in your cabin. Taking it to public places will incur an $18 corkage fee.

 

Hotel charges have gone up a smidge.

 

Changes? 8 years is a long time. To me, there are fewer flowers although the orchids are still in the Lido and the Pinnacle.

 

What ship are you going on?

 

There seem to be fewer staff (especially on the larger ships) IMO but they are still smiling:)

 

the first two days - there is no self serve to help prevent Noro. Not a biggie - but just so you know.

 

Room service still exists and I think you will find the choices better than they were 8 years ago.

 

Hope this helps a bit:D

[arewethereyet]

So it's been 8 years since DH and I have been on a cruise (we've been skiing our butts off!) So this year... Cruise time!! :D

 

The biggest difference you will notice is that the other passengers have definitely NOT skied their butts off. ;)

[CtheW0rld]

smoking is not allowed in your cabin anymore :mad: and is VERY limited elswhere on the ship.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

IMO the biggest change is that the cabin stewards have more cabins to take care of than in the past. And on HAL there are often two stewards per groups of cabins. Many cruise lines have also begun versions of Anytime dining where in the MDR, one level is for set times and the other is for open seating.

[PeaceLoveCruise]

Thanks so much so far! I'm on the Westerdam.

It doesn't sound like a lot is different and I guess I'll figure it out when I get there.

 

We remember sitting for hours after showing up to embark and it drove us crazy. Plus, we remember walking around the ship with out carry on luggage for a bit while we waited for our room.

 

Is this still pretty much par for the course?

 

Yes, 8 years is a long time. There was a big accident that left some significant hurdles to overcome before we were able to travel. :) (That's why this is such a big deal cruise for us!!) :)

[momatibm]

Thanks so much so far! I'm on the Westerdam.

It doesn't sound like a lot is different and I guess I'll figure it out when I get there.

 

We remember sitting for hours after showing up to embark and it drove us crazy. Plus, we remember walking around the ship with out carry on luggage for a bit while we waited for our room.

 

Is this still pretty much par for the course?

 

Yes, 8 years is a long time. There was a big accident that left some significant hurdles to overcome before we were able to travel. :) (That's why this is such a big deal cruise for us!!) :)

 

Usually, embarkation starts around 11:30 -- unless there is a Coast Guard inspection or a deep cleaning due to Noro.

 

Usually, the cabins are ready when you board so you can dump your carryons.

 

Sorry about your accident, and welcome back to cruising.

[SwissMyst]

Since we started cruising HAL ships in 2009, we noticed the YumYum man is no longer always out there when we exit the main dining room at night dispensing his mints, ginger, dates and figs with his always welcoming smile. A little thing, but missed.

[RevNeal]

Let's see ... 8 years ago would have been 2004. I notice you cruised last on the Zuiderdam, and your next cruise is on the Westerdam. You'll find the Westerdam has the same deck lay-out as the Zuiderdam, except that the Library/Internet area (called "The Explorations Cafe") has been relocated up to the starboard side of the Crows Nest, hence reducing the size and utility of the Crows Nest as a daytime and evening venue and resulting in the removal of the Oak Room. Interior decor is a little more subdued on the Westerdam than on the Zuiderdam.

 

The smoking room just abaft the Explorer's Lounge is now a Computer Lab.

 

For those who smoke, you should note that there is no smoking anywhere in the Explorer's Lounge, nor in Ocean Bar near the bar, nor on the port-side of the Crows Nest, nor in the Northern Lights around and in the booths behind the bar ... it's now "no smoking" in these lounges. The Oak Room is missing, so there's no place to smoke Cigars except outside. Also, you can't smoke in your cabin. You can still smoke in the Sports Bar and in the Casino as well as on some outdoor decks and on Verandahs (if you have one).

 

Cabin Stewards come in pairs, now ... you'll have two, and together they'll have more cabins than they did in 2004.

 

Dining Room Staff is thinned somewhat due to the need to redistribute staff around the ship in a different manner than was done in 2004.

 

The As You Wish Dining scheme has been established since 2004, bringing with it Open Seating in the lower level; or, you can have fixed traditional dining at two sittings on the upper level.

 

There's a soap/shampoo dispenser in the shower of your cabin ... no more will these products be provided in small bottles that sprout legs and jump into one's luggage.

 

The Dress Code has dropped the old "Informal" night category, with just Smart Casual and Formal Evenings. Jeans are now allowed in the MDR on Smart Casual Evenings. On some cruises it can be difficult to tell what night it is by how people dress.

 

The Lido no longer has trays ... it's more "station" oriented. Plates are larger than they used to be so you don't have to try and juggle a medium sized entree plate and a couple of smaller side-plates or bowls ... they plop everything onto one plate. Warning, that plate can -- if it's come right from the dishwashers -- sometimes be too hot to touch; I've seen passengers who, when handed a plate full of food, promptly drop it because their fingers are being scalded.

 

"Tipping Not Required" is gone ... they now have an onboard Hotel Service Charge (I think this change took place after 2004 ... I could be mistaken) that is applied to your onboard bill. Also, there's a gratuity added to each bar bill.

 

They have beverage cards of several different kinds for you to use. Depending upon your Mariner Status, you may get discounts for various things (like in-cabin bar and Wine packages in the MDR).

 

You can usually board around noon and can often go straight to your cabin. There's a Mariner's lunch in the MDR, if you prefer to go for a sit-down meal rather than the Lido.

 

You do have a ship's ID card ... it's the same card (even looks similar) as you had in 2004, with your dining assignment and life board assignment and a strip on the back that contains your passenger data. It is also your door key, and you'll need it when you're disembarking and embarking the ship at ports.

 

Trivia will vary greatly in terms of location and time, and the prizes are not as lucrative as they used to be. I haven't seen Dam-ship mugs with the first initial of the ship in a couple of years. Some of the answers are just as wrong in 2012 as they were in 2004.

 

The first 48 hours of the cruise the ship will be on Preventive Code Red. This means that you won't be serving yourself in the Lido and many of the items you'll normally find on the tables (like baskets with bread and butter, etc) will be missing.

[PathfinderEss]

Probably the biggest changes is the way passengers dress or should I say don't dress for formal nights and smoking very limited on the ship. Oh and no trays in the Lido.

[solocanadian]

RevNeal: You've thought of everything. Very well done!:)

[mr green]

If you have put your clocks forward it is at 2.00PM!:(

 

john

[SwissMyst]

Yes, the change from individual ship logo wear and goods to generic "dam" ships logo wear and goods. Glad DH got this very classy Maasdam windbreaker on our first cruise in 2009 - because now it is either a list of ships, "dam ships" or just plain Holland America. My wardrobe and shelves are now full of that stuff, yet we would probably would have kept collecting the individual ship name items - some still exist (maybe) but nothing like in the past.

[RuthC]

If you have put your clocks forward it is at 2.00PM!:(

 

john

You persist in posting this, but it is simply not true. It happened to you on one cruise. The rest of us have it happen at night consistently.

[catl331]

We were just wondering what are the biggest changes we can expect from our last cruise. Any worth noting?

At the same time as the relocation of the Explorations Cafe that RevNeal noted, about 30 more cabins were added to the stern of the Zuiderdam, Westerdam, and Oosterdam which changed the profile of the stern considerably. The result is that the stern cabin balconies on deck 5 are now completely covered, and the balconies on decks 6, 7, and 8 are much smaller than they used to be.

 

[Australian family]

At the same time as the relocation of the Explorations Cafe that RevNeal noted, about 30 more cabins were added to the stern of the Zuiderdam, Westerdam, and Oosterdam which changed the profile of the stern considerably. The result is that the stern cabin balconies on deck 5 are now completely covered, and the balconies on decks 6, 7, and 8 are much smaller than they used to be.

 

 

Where were the cabins added on the Oosterdam and when or is that just how it was built?

[mr green]

You persist in posting this, but it is simply not true. It happened to you on one cruise. The rest of us have it happen at night consistently.

 

Which, !MO is much better than wrecking an entire afternoon. All one has to do is go to bed half an hour earlier.

 

john

[SilvertoGold]

You persist in posting this, but it is simply not true. It happened to you on one cruise. The rest of us have it happen at night consistently.

 

Not to argue, Dear RuthC, but we have had the clocks changed at 2 pm on three Hawaiis, two Transatlantics, one Med and one Transpacific.

[arewethereyet]

Not to argue, Dear RuthC, but we have had the clocks changed at 2 pm on three Hawaiis, two Transatlantics, one Med and one Transpacific.

I've had it happen as well.

[Himself]

Let's see ... 8 years ago would have been 2004. I notice you cruised last on the Zuiderdam, and your next cruise is on the Westerdam. You'll find the Westerdam has the same deck lay-out as the Zuiderdam, except that the Library/Internet area (called "The Explorations Cafe") has been relocated up to the starboard side of the Crows Nest, hence reducing the size and utility of the Crows Nest as a daytime and evening venue and resulting in the removal of the Oak Room. Interior decor is a little more subdued on the Westerdam than on the Zuiderdam.

 

The smoking room just abaft the Explorer's Lounge is now a Computer Lab.

 

For those who smoke, you should note that there is no smoking anywhere in the Explorer's Lounge, nor in Ocean Bar near the bar, nor on the port-side of the Crows Nest, nor in the Northern Lights around and in the booths behind the bar ... it's now "no smoking" in these lounges. The Oak Room is missing, so there's no place to smoke Cigars except outside. Also, you can't smoke in your cabin. You can still smoke in the Sports Bar and in the Casino as well as on some outdoor decks and on Verandahs (if you have one).

 

Cabin Stewards come in pairs, now ... you'll have two, and together they'll have more cabins than they did in 2004.

 

Dining Room Staff is thinned somewhat due to the need to redistribute staff around the ship in a different manner than was done in 2004.

 

The As You Wish Dining scheme has been established since 2004, bringing with it Open Seating in the lower level; or, you can have fixed traditional dining at two sittings on the upper level.

 

There's a soap/shampoo dispenser in the shower of your cabin ... no more will these products be provided in small bottles that sprout legs and jump into one's luggage.

 

The Dress Code has dropped the old "Informal" night category, with just Smart Casual and Formal Evenings. Jeans are now allowed in the MDR on Smart Casual Evenings. On some cruises it can be difficult to tell what night it is by how people dress.

 

The Lido no longer has trays ... it's more "station" oriented. Plates are larger than they used to be so you don't have to try and juggle a medium sized entree plate and a couple of smaller side-plates or bowls ... they plop everything onto one plate. Warning, that plate can -- if it's come right from the dishwashers -- sometimes be too hot to touch; I've seen passengers who, when handed a plate full of food, promptly drop it because their fingers are being scalded.

 

"Tipping Not Required" is gone ... they now have an onboard Hotel Service Charge (I think this change took place after 2004 ... I could be mistaken) that is applied to your onboard bill. Also, there's a gratuity added to each bar bill.

 

They have beverage cards of several different kinds for you to use. Depending upon your Mariner Status, you may get discounts for various things (like in-cabin bar and Wine packages in the MDR).

 

You can usually board around noon and can often go straight to your cabin. There's a Mariner's lunch in the MDR, if you prefer to go for a sit-down meal rather than the Lido.

 

You do have a ship's ID card ... it's the same card (even looks similar) as you had in 2004, with your dining assignment and life board assignment and a strip on the back that contains your passenger data. It is also your door key, and you'll need it when you're disembarking and embarking the ship at ports.

 

Trivia will vary greatly in terms of location and time, and the prizes are not as lucrative as they used to be. I haven't seen Dam-ship mugs with the first initial of the ship in a couple of years. Some of the answers are just as wrong in 2012 as they were in 2004.

 

The first 48 hours of the cruise the ship will be on Preventive Code Red. This means that you won't be serving yourself in the Lido and many of the items you'll normally find on the tables (like baskets with bread and butter, etc) will be missing.

 

 

 

 

Rev. Neal: You are so thorough that you have left me for a loss of words---not the easiest thing to do.

[Typhoon1]

Food portion sizes appear to have shrunk since those days.

 

Smaller, yes. But still more than adequate.

[luxurysailer]

The thing we miss the most is the absence of the Filipino band (?Rosario Strings) in the Crow's Nest. We really enjoyed the music they played.

[Jemima]

The Cruise Director's staff have been replaced by an explorations team. It is somewhat the same number of people, but each with specific titles & jobs: party planner, techspert etc. The salad and appitizer courses have been combined into one course, but you can still order both. TVs are flat screen and will take DVDs. Life jackets are no longer taken to the lifeboat drill. Canaletto's has been added to all ships except the Prinsendam. It is in a lido section, Italian, open at dinner time and no or minimal charge depending on ship. Food is more flavorful than in 2004 or maybe I should say less bland. Shore excursions can be booked ahead online as can the Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind (only on two ships), and other items such as beverage cards can be purchased ahead. Lido hours has been lengthened a little. A dedicated space has been added for computer related classes. There is now a space for culinary classes and demos. There are dedicated children and youth spaces on all ships except the Prinsendam (Club Hal and Oasis).

[PeaceLoveCruise]

Wow!! Thank you so much, everyone!!! RevNeal! Wowzers!!! Thank you for taking so much time to do a thorough report!! I so appreciate it! We are very much looking forward to this cruise after waiting for so long!!! I am so appreciative of all of cc'ers for helping us out!!

 

I am a little confused about the clock thing. :confused:

[RuthC]

Not to argue, Dear RuthC, but we have had the clocks changed at 2 pm on three Hawaiis, two Transatlantics, one Med and one Transpacific.

 

I've had it happen as well.

However, it is not an absolute, as mr green presents it. In well over 500 nights on HAL I have never had the clock change in the afternoon.

There are times, though, I wish it would. Eight hours sleep lost east-bound was brutal. Not to mention the hardship it is for the crew.