What is your biggest HAL "peeve" lately?

[ekerr19]

What is the thing you dislike the most about HAL lately? Is it the new dining schedules, itineraries, staff reductions, pricing or something entirely different? Is there anything at all?

 

I'm not posting this in order to get people to bash HAL, merely to get an idea of what people dislike the most lately or from a recent cruise... is there one thing that sticks out?

 

For us, it is the dining schedule. I really just don't care for it at all. I prefer two seatings. I know it's not a huge thing, but I do wish they'd switch back.

 

Though it's not in the thread title, it might also be interesting to hear what recent change you like best... for us, it is the new tipping policy. We still tip extra, but don't worry so much about missing one of the bartenders or waitstaff.

[Roz]

I also like the auto-tipping, and like you, tip extra for good service. It's nice not to have to carry money in my pocket, or try to track down bartenders and cocktail waiters on the last day to tip them.

 

The biggest change that I don't like is how the dining room servers always seem to be harried and rushed. I get the sense that they're frustrated by wanting to give good service, but having management not staff the dining room adequately.

 

Roz

[Odd Ball]

Bad service in the dining room, followed by the 4 dining times.:mad:

 

IMHO the bad service is because of cutbacks. Those poor guys have too many tables assigned to them. :eek:

 

We like the new beds and linens.:)

[Roz]

I like the 4 dining times, but I think I'm in the minority. And those mattresses and linens are heavenly.

 

Roz

[GrammyPL]

I would also like to see HAL go back to the 2 seatings and hire more dining staff. The new linens and beds are great. Oh--I also like the new tipping policy.

[peaches from georgia]

Biggest Peeve- cuts in Dining Room staff because it is really affecting HAL's reputation and the entire cruise experience. :mad:

 

Love- the new Bedding- mattresses and linens :)

[dot73]

Definitely the dining room staff, which has really been cut in size. The waiters no longer have the time to chat. I used to enjoy getting to know the waiters and learning about where they came from, their families, etc. The poor guys have no time to speak with the passengers. For the first time, I've seen unhappy staff on HAL and it made me sad because they really helped to make the HAL cruises so enjoyable.

[rjbean4]

:cool: Will add my two cents. My mom & I have cruised twice so far since the dining room went to 4 seatings. Both have been on the Rotterdam. For us hasn't been a problem but what has is that we have had the 8:30 seating and the 1st time we were at a table of 6 by ourselves. There was supposed to be 2 other people with us but they never showed up during the 16 day cruise. We found 2 other people with the same problem and joined someone else at her table with the same problem as well and made our own table for the rest of the cruise.

 

The 2nd was back on the Rotterdam in December during the Holiday cruise. We had a friend traveling with us that time and the three of us were at a table with another couple the 1st night. This other couple were just aweful and I had a heck of a time trying to keep our friend with us at the table. She was so disgusted with them she more than once wanted to get up and leave. If this couple had not said that they had already made arrangements to change tables we would have. The remainer of the 1st week we had the lecturer who was on board for the Panama Canal and his wife which we enjoyed but then they changed to a earlier seating. So once again the 3 of us were on our own for the 2nd week of the cruise. But this time we didn't mind as much as we actually enjoyed having the table to ourselves.

 

We didn't have a problem with our service. Just seems like there are more people that don't want the 8:30 seating if they get stuck with it and instead go to the Lido which for dinner we don't do unless its the BBQ or we also go to the Pinnacle.

 

R. J. Bean

43 cruises on HAL at the age of 40

473 days at sea on 11 different DAM SHIPS

8/05 Alaska on the Veendam

12/05 Holiday Cruise on the Veendam

If Holland America doesn't go there WE DON'T GO!!!!

[HeatherInFlorida]

I love the new dining times because I love 8:00. If you could have 8:00 with only 2 times, that would be fine with me.

 

I also love the new bed linens and mattresses.

 

My greatest peeve would be the auto-tipping which I really dislike. I know we can tip on top of that, but I like doing it all myself and knowing for sure that the entire amount I'm giving our stewards, etc., is going directly into their pockets.

[sail7seas]

My pet peeves are not biggies but, nevertheless, are things we've noticed that don't please us.

 

I miss live music in the dining room. I miss the Rosario Strings being on all ships.

 

I miss the hors d'ouerves cart from which the stewards would serve us 'nibbles'. They now (sometimes---if they have the time and remember) bring a cocktail plate with a munchie or two.

 

I miss the larger crew that had more time to interact with passengers. IMO, it is not only the dining room that has reduced crew. Cabin stewards have more cabins to take care of; bartenders are in shorter numbers.

 

I miss the days when crew had the time to know us well enough to be making those beautiful painted Dutch hats for passengers they served often.

 

Summary.........the reduced crews are showing and we are noticing and it is effecting our enjoyment to varying degrees.

I also VERY MUCH miss that HAL will have no ship in the Caribbean for spring, summer and fall of 2006. THAT I REALLY MISS!!!

[user8]

The auto tip is my biggest peeve. I do not like having a set amount automatically charged to my account that goes into a pool. Such action takes away from the satisfaction I get by being able to tip face to face to those who make my cruise so enjoyable.

[RevNeal]

My "biggest HAL peeve" would have to be the staff-reductions. I've been told that the reduction has, in part, been due to the expansion of the fleet coming at the same time as short-falls in cruise-line revenue, but now that we're seeing the sips fill up quickly, and now that the last new-build for several years is about to come on line, my prayer is that HAL will be able to build staffing levels back toward the levels that they had before the Vista-ship expansion.

 

That which I'm pleased with the most would be the new beds and linens in all the cabins. That's a NICE touch.

[Southbound]

Agree wholeheartedly with Heather and User8. We, too, dislike the auto tip and much prefer the decision of who to tip and how much remaining with the pax. We always tip above the "suggested" amount to show our appreciation to those providing exemplary service -- which is usually most, if not all, of those with whom we are in frequent contact.:(

 

The lack of adequate staffing in the dining room is totally unnecessary and unjustified. The cruise industry has experienced its best bottom line in many years; most ships are sailing at capacity; advance bookings are at an all-time high. They should dip into the profits and hire more people to provide an adequate complement of servers, rather than continue to make do with the over-worked ones they have. :(

We haven't had the pleasure of experiencing the new bedding, but are looking forward to it later this year on our b2b Volendam holiday sailing.:)

[cruznon]

I do NOT like the four dining times. Although 8:00 is lovely for the majority of passengers--not enough space ! So some passengers get stuck with 5:45--great if you have small kids or some get 8:30---much too late ! I'd be happy with either 6:15 or 8:00--at the moment not possible for July cruise.

The new beds/ linens are wonderful.

I do like the autotips. It's easier and all crew get a cut of tips. Hey,the guys who shine the rails, etc. also contribute to the enjoyment of passengers. My husband told one of the crew (who was polishing a rail) that we appreciated his efforts and how beautiful everything looks-- he beamed and thanked us. I think it's nice they get a small portion of the autotip.

[the2ofus]

On our last few cruises the Shore Excursion staff has become less and less visible, less and less interested in interaction with the pax. Seems like they are just there to sell a product. They don't seem to know much about the islands of the Caribbean or the various tours in the ports. When I travel, I like to learn about the places I visit. These Shore Ex folks should at least study up on their itinerary.

[Jim Gallup]

Southbound,

 

You need to take a little closer look at the financial reports from those cruise lines making all that money.

Yes, they are fully booked. Yes, they are enjoying great advance bookings.

But the entire cruise industry last year - worldwide - made less revenue and less profit than Federal Express Company.

The big difference of course is that the Cruise Lines had to invest many BILLIONS of dollars to make that money.

Except for Carnival, the best financial performance by a cruise line last year was 5% net profit. The only business that earns less net profit is the supermarket business. But they don't have to invest BILLIONS when they build a supermarket.

One poster was upset that most cruise lines - HAL included - are pulling out of the Caribbean. Why would any Cruise Line President in his right mind leave an area where his company is so well established and his ships are full every week? Is he trying to bankrupt his company by taking it away form such a lucrative market with guaranteed profits? Or could it be that those full ships in the Caribbean are losing money every week? What do you think? Are Cruise Line Presidents that stupid?

 

If you - like me - want more and better service people on our ships, there is a very simple answer. Pay more for your cruise. Put your money where your mouth is. Vote with your wallet. Tell the cruise lines that you are willing to pay 50% more for your cruise in order to get 100% better service.

What do you say?

[sail7seas]

One poster was upset that most cruise lines - HAL included - are pulling out of the Caribbean. Why would any Cruise Line President in his right mind leave an area where his company is so well established and his ships are full every week? Is he trying to bankrupt his company by taking it away form such a lucrative market with guaranteed profits? Or could it be that those full ships in the Caribbean are losing money every week? What do you think? Are Cruise Line Presidents that stupid?

 

If you - like me - want more and better service people on our ships, there is a very simple answer. Pay more for your cruise. Put your money where your mouth is. Vote with your wallet. Tell the cruise lines that you are willing to pay 50% more for your cruise in order to get 100% better service.

What do you say?

 

 

 

This is the poster who is upset HAL will not have a ship in the Caribbean spring, summer, fall of 2006. Whether HAL is making more money by moving does not make me less upset. I enjoy cruising the Caribbean in the spring, summer, fall and winter. We will miss having a cruise next summer so we will look elsewhere for our summer vacation. We will only take 3 or 4 HAL cruises. We will probably return to Caribbean resorts. We may find we still really like that a lot. We will be cruising HAL less because we will not go to Alasaka. So.....we'll still be in the Caribbean just not with HAL.

 

 

 

 

 

If you - like me - want more and better service people on our ships, there is a very simple answer. Pay more for your cruise. Put your money where your mouth is. Vote with your wallet. Tell the cruise lines that you are willing to pay 50% more for your cruise in order to get 100% better service.

What do you say?

 

 

We are paying more. The prices have risen significantly. We are not getting more for our money. We are getting less and less. We notice the cut backs. Once an amenity is taken away, once an included item is no longer included, that is never reversed. It is gone forever.....but price increases are consistent in recent months.

 

 

JMHO.......

 

 

 

 

[OCruisers]

:cool: Will add my two cents. My mom & I have cruised twice so far since the dining room went to 4 seatings. Both have been on the Rotterdam. For us hasn't been a problem but what has is that we have had the 8:30 seating and the 1st time we were at a table of 6 by ourselves. There was supposed to be 2 other people with us but they never showed up during the 16 day cruise. We found 2 other people with the same problem and joined someone else at her table with the same problem as well and made our own table for the rest of the cruise.

 

Agree with you! We actually LIKE eating at 8:30! It seems few others do! On our January '05 Veendam the Dining Room as LESS than 25% full on each of the 14 nights on this cruise! :(

 

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[Tricia724]

If you - like me - want more and better service people on our ships, there is a very simple answer. Pay more for your cruise. Put your money where your mouth is. Vote with your wallet. Tell the cruise lines that you are willing to pay 50% more for your cruise in order to get 100% better service.

What do you say?

 

Jim...you make a good point BUT...what if we pay 50% more and nothing changes? Now that they have been operating short staffed and getting away with it, do you really think they will ever increase their staff again?

 

The powers that be at HAL know that their repeat passengers are unhappy with the dining room service because we have all told them on the survey forms...but they are still filling their ships. We're all out here thinking that as the cruiseline rates go up and profits increase, surely they will restore service to its previous level. I'll be surprised if that happens. Once a company knows that they can run their operations with fewer people, and once they know that there are people willing to work under stressful conditions, and once they know that customers will grumble but continue to do business with them....they have it made.

 

I think we can pay 10%, 25%, or even 50% more and we won't see any better service. Especially now that RCI and Celebrity are taking such a hard line with their travel agents about discounting fares, HAL is in a good position to pick up some of their disgruntled people, too. Unless HAL's staff rebels and large numbers walk out on them, I don't see them adding any bodies to the dining room or cabin service.

[ekerr19]

Jim - I too, am willing to pay more... but will we get more?

 

We keep cruising, looking to repeat some of those great cruises of the 80's and 90's - so far it's not happening... we keep paying whatever HAL chooses to charge, so far it's still not happening...

 

At some point, we WILL get fed up with HAL and look elsewhere.

 

I think the thing I truly dislike the most about HAL is the feeling that it really has become just another mass market cruise line. This, I attribute to Stein Kruse taking the helm. I never felt this way when Kirk Lanterman still had all the reins.

 

JMHO.

[Oceanwench]

I took my first HAL cruise on the Zuiderdam in 2003. I was impressed with the service, particularly in the dining room. Our evening meal was always a wonderful experience.

 

One year later, I cruised on the Oosterdam. Things had changed. Our servers were so rushed, they didn't have time to talk or to inquire how we were enjoying our food. We were disappointed.

[Southbound]

Except for Carnival, the best financial performance by a cruise line last year was 5% net profit.

 

It would be interesting to know the dollar amount of HAL's contribution to Carnival Corp's outstanding financial performance last year. Would venture a guess it wasn't anywhere close to chump change.

 

 

The only business that earns less net profit is the supermarket business. But they don't have to invest BILLIONS when they build a supermarket.

 

But many supermarkets, if not most, have to contend with union contracts which deal with wages, benefits, etc, their employees will receive. Supermarkets don't look to their customers to subsidize the employees' wages with tips; one major chain along the eastern seaboard specifically prohibits the practice. The long check-out lines and filled parking lots would seem to be an indication that they're doing quite well.

 

We've been cruising since the late '70s, starting with Rotterdam V and, despite the diminishment of certain areas of the product, it has so far remained our preference of vacation travel. Whether it will continue to be, only time will tell.

[kryos]

For us hasn't been a problem but what has is that we have had the 8:30 seating and the 1st time we were at a table of 6 by ourselves. There was supposed to be 2 other people with us but they never showed up during the 16 day cruise. We found 2 other people with the same problem and joined someone else at her table with the same problem as well and made our own table for the rest of the cruise.

It's a shame HAL doesn't offer "anytime dining" as an option.

 

We had this same problem on the Island Princess. A couple of folks I met on these CC boards invited me to sit with them at second seating, and I had my TA link our booking numbers. We were all at a table for eight and two other couples were also assigned there. One of the couples switched to early seating after the first night, and the other couple came and went based on the menu for the evening. They also clearly explained to us that this is what they made a habit of doing on all of their cruises, so that we would be prepared when they didn't show up ... and know that it was nothing that we said or did that caused their "sporadic" attendance.

 

Many nights it was just the three of us at this huge table. One night when we dined in one of the alternative venues (we always informed our servers when we planned to do this), no one showed up at the table.

 

While we very much enjoyed our dinners in the dining room, we all said that the next time we sailed Princess, we were going to try the anytime dining. The one woman who has many Princess sailings under her belt stated that when they did anytime dining on one of their past cruises, they would routinely pick up people throughout the day and have them join the group for dinner. This way, they would have a crowd to dine with each night ... which makes for much more lively conversation than just pretty much the same three people every night.

 

The thing I found strange about our dining experience on Princess is that we could not "combine" tables. We saw a couple of other tables around us that only had a couple of people at them, and we asked our server why everyone couldn't be moved to our table which was large. He said that the dining assignments had to stay the way they were because the other people at our tables technically were still assigned there and could walk in.

 

But, since anytime dining is not an option on HAL, I don't know what can be done about "no shows" in the dining room. But, I can't help but wonder what would happen to a solo who found him or herself being the only person at the table on most nights. Sure would make for an awfully boring dining experience, I would imagine. :(

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Robin7]

It's a shame HAL doesn't offer "anytime dining" as an option.

 

We loved 'anytime dining' when we were on the Star Princess two years ago. (The only thing we liked about that cruise!) At first we were dismayed, but then we realized we could book the same table with the same waiter at the same time each night. In fact, I believe our waiter did it for us after we showed up the second night right when the dining room opened. (We like to eat early and do all of the activities in the evenings.) I do wish HAL would implement that choice.

 

Robin

[dakrewser]

Four dining times don't bother me, and on our last cruise the DR service was fine. But we always pick a table for 2 and that's quite a bit easier for the staff, I believe.

 

AS to the staffing levels, while I think the line has cut back, some of the problem is US Immigration - fewer people are being allowed in and it takes longer to get visas.

 

What I really want returned is Dutch Night in the DR - and Dover Sole!