$49.94 a day for a HAL cruise

[SwissMyst]

The only solution is for HAL to provide cruises and ships that PEOPLE WANT TO SAIL ON. Only then will they fill ships without the drastic price cutting. Raising prices on ships whose lighting in held in place with nets, toilets that don't flush and no air conditioning ain't gonna cut it.

 

No one is saying it will, nor should. Or that what you just described is the experience of most HAL cruisers.

 

But for those that had NO air conditioning and NO toilet that flushed, and their cabin was held together with duct tape and chicken wire, I can well understand their reason to never return.

[localady]

I was attracted by a very low price on a TA in november 2011 on the Rotterdam, this was a nice way to end up a one month vacation in Europe.

The inside stateroom was big an confortable, the food excellent, the entertainement excellent, the service was 5 stars and I discovered HAL...all that for $50. ppd.

I did the same this year on the Prinsendam for $41. ppd....will I repeat that this year ? yes ( I like the Rotterdam better than the "Elegant explorer")

One of the benefit for HAL, besides covering the cost of repositioning the ship ( or part of it) is to show their product to new prospect customers that will possibily buy other cruise on their ships (my case).

Am I cheap ? I don't think so, but since I'm on the road around 4/5 months a year I try to take advantage of all the good bargains.

When on a ship, weither you pay $41.00 ppd or $500.00 ppd you eat the same food at the same MDR, get to the same port at the same time, get the same sun or the same nasty weather, if willing to pay more $$$ to get bigger stateroom is more a question of choice and priority than a big bank account IMO.

 

Many of the cruisers who were on our Nieuw Amsterdam TA were travelers returning from extended trips to Europe. This was a restful way to come home and not have to worry about flights and flights baggage limitations.

I also met some lovely Europeans who have taken to TA's as a nice way to go to and from their "snow-bird" homes in Florida. They cruise to Florida in the Fall and return to Europe in the Spring, again without baggage restrictions. Brilliant if you ask me!

I also met some who the TA was their vacation, they were bargain seekers.

Moral to story: It takes all kinds to float a boat!! ;)

[twinkletoes4445]

Speaking only for myself,

I have never and would never used such a phrase as 'unwashed masses'. THAT is very ugly IMO

My point is simply the cuts are starting to sting.

The total revenue for the ship, total revenue for the cruise and for the cruise line determines how much they spend on what they provide.

When the total revenue is down, the outlay per guest is down.

The quality of the menus, the level of the staffing and many other features that make cruising our vacation of choice diminishes.

 

I've never seen a post talking about "unwashed masses." That was a very ugly comment by the poster.

 

I get what you are saying, and I agree. The cuts are starting to sting. Our issue is we feel like we're paying for the Ritz, but are in a Holiday Inn. There's nothing at all wrong with a HI, but I don't expect to pay the same price as I would at the Ritz.

[twinkletoes4445]

The only solution is for HAL to provide cruises and ships that PEOPLE WANT TO SAIL ON. Only then will they fill ships without the drastic price cutting. Raising prices on ships whose lighting in held in place with nets, toilets that don't flush and no air conditioning ain't gonna cut it.

 

Very true. At least our toilet flushed. It took two times, but it flushed. The A/C was a different story. Until they address these issues and fix them, they are not going to be able to sell the cabins for a premium price. It is what it is. Once HAL loses their customers, they are probably gone for good.

[innlady1]

The only solution is for HAL to provide cruises and ships that PEOPLE WANT TO SAIL ON. Only then will they fill ships without the drastic price cutting. Raising prices on ships whose lighting in held in place with nets, toilets that don't flush and no air conditioning ain't gonna cut it.

 

I wonder if they've fixed that on the Veendam yet? Honestly, I don't know how they could NOT.

[SwissMyst]

....

 

I get what you are saying, and I agree. The cuts are starting to sting. Our issue is we feel like we're paying for the Ritz, but are in a Holiday Inn. There's nothing at all wrong with a HI, but I don't expect to pay the same price as I would at the Ritz.

 

 

 

Raising prices stings too. Between a rock and a hard space on this one. But for us, the changes have not been noticeable or material. More understandable than anything if they are occurring.

[iancal]

HAL is pricing to the market- just as all other cruise lines do.As long as they can at least cover the variable cost for a cabin there is hope that they can increase revenue/profit via on board spending and excursions by offering knock down pricing on unsold cabins.

 

The cabins, like an airplane seat, have no shelf life. One the ship sails the value of an empty cabin inventory on that sailing goes to $0.

 

If you are flexible then grab those bargains. Once demand catches up with supply, and perhaps overtakes it, the story will be very different. We are very flexible at the moment so we are taking advantage of this oversupply whenever we can because we know that it is very time sensitive. It may be very different in eighteen months. Just like buying a car!

[cavecreekguy]

It seems to me a lot of people don't understand basic economics. When demand is low, such as with TAs, the price goes down to attract customers.

 

It is kind of like the Western Carribean HAL cruise I just booked for Dec. 2013. The advertisted fare for the cheapest inside on the Dec. 1 sailing is $499 pp. For the Dec. 22 sailing it is $1,299. Why is that? Because the Dec. 22 sailing is more popular. However, I don't think they will be dumping crew and food off for the Dec. 1 cruise I booked because it is less popular than the Christmas cruise. And to be honest I think I will have a better experience on a less crowded ship.

 

And the TA sailings are just the same. The ship is going where it needs to go, and HAL will charge what it needs to in order to get people in cabins. It may have a threshold it will not go below. I know when I took a Crystal TA it was still kind of expensive and they were only half full, so they evidently didn't go low enough to get the "unwashed masses" LOL. But maybe they couldn't also afford the $800 I paid for the airfare to Lisbon and return from Miami.

[Cruzin Terri]

I'm not sure if this is getting ugly or funny. I have been entertained on and off on this thread all day.

Do we now have to separate this thread (or forum) into the "Washed" and the "unwashed" masses?

 

I say if you find a bargain, go for it.

 

If you want a box of Kelloggs Corn Flakes and it costs $3.50 in Publix and $2.59 in Walmart, where would you buy it? If you went to Walmart to buy it, does that put you in the category of the "great unwashed? or does that make you a smart cookie who knows how to save a buck or should I say .91 cents?

 

Lighten up folks!

Terri

[PathfinderEss]

We have done over 5 repositioning cruises and have never found them to be any different then a regular cruise. Foods the same, drinks are the same, service is the same. Only difference is they usually don't stop anywhere, they are only to get the ship from point A to point B when the cruise seasons change, usually only lasting 3 to 4 days.

We usually attach them to either the beginning or end of another 7 day segment. Makes for a nice 11 day or so cruise. Prices for those cruises are always pretty reasonable. I've always thought these cruises are good for people who just want to try out cruising for a few days at a more reasonable price.

 

---------------

 

Innlady we'll find out when Chief comes back from his cruise. I want to know if they have done anything about the ceiling or do they still have a net strung across the ceiling to protect the patrons.

 

[twinkletoes4445]

Raising prices stings too. Between a rock and a hard space on this one. But for us, the changes have not been noticeable or material. More understandable than anything if they are occurring.

 

I knew the Zuiderdam had issues, and looking back, I shouldn't have booked it. We've had prices go up on our cruises, never down.

[SwissMyst]

One noticeable difference on our Maasdam TA was having three terrific and topical enrichment lecturers, plus other bonus talks of great interest during those 7 "long boring" at sea days. We loved it.

[tjcletsgo]

I'm not sure if this is getting ugly or funny. I have been entertained on and off on this thread all day.

Do we now have to separate this thread (or forum) into the "Washed" and the "unwashed" masses?

 

I say if you find a bargain, go for it.

 

If you want a box of Kelloggs Corn Flakes and it costs $3.50 in Publix and $2.59 in Walmart, where would you buy it? If you went to Walmart to buy it, does that put you in the category of the "great unwashed? or does that make you a smart cookie who knows how to save a buck or should I say .91 cents?

 

Lighten up folks!

Terri

 

Amen, Terri:D

[Caribbean Chris]

It is kind of like the Western Carribean HAL cruise I just booked for Dec. 2013. The advertisted fare for the cheapest inside on the Dec. 1 sailing is $499 pp. For the Dec. 22 sailing it is $1,299. Why is that? Because the Dec. 22 sailing is more popular. However, I don't think they will be dumping crew and food off for the Dec. 1 cruise I booked because it is less popular than the Christmas cruise. And to be honest I think I will have a better experience on a less crowded ship.

.

 

Just as a point of information, your Dec. 1 cruise could be crowded. We sailed on one if this early Dec. Western Caribbean ones and it was quite full with a very large church group. Groups also go for the lower rates.

 

Meanwhile...I've sailed transatlantic many times starting in the 1980s. I've never seen the quality drop on a TA on HAL.

 

My favorite was 21 days from Tampa to Southampton. The essence of relaxation plus interesting ports near the end for touring Lisbon, Seville, Santiago de Compostela, Bruges, WWII battlefield beaches, etc. Great lecturers. Lots of time to chat with the officers. And you arrive relaxed. A lovely cruising experience.

[cruz chic]

---------------

 

Innlady we'll find out when Chief comes back from his cruise. I want to know if they have done anything about the ceiling or do they still have a net strung across the ceiling to protect the patrons.

 

I'm quite sure that's a huge project that can't be fixed in an hour. I was on the Veendam in Apr 2012 and believe it or not that ceiling didn't affect my cruise one bit:D.

[Cruzin Terri]

I'm quite sure that's a huge project that can't be fixed in an hour. I was on the Veendam in Apr 2012 and believe it or not that ceiling didn't affect my cruise one bit:D.

 

Thanks for saying that. I also was on the Veendam for 31 days on the repo from South America in march-April. It didn't affect my cruise either. Looked at it once and never paid attention to it again. The cruise was great. And the price was right too!

Terri

[iancal]

When we see a news outlet such as CNN exaggerating issues in certain areas of the world where we want to travel we often check out the specials shortly afterwards.

 

We have had two great cruises in the Eastern Med., a seven day land trip to Crete, and an independent land trip to Turkey all at very attractive rates.

 

Courtesy of those news outlets that turn news events into television entertainment. They tend to frighten people into cancelling vacations or changing vacation plans.

[SwissMyst]

One other bonus on our Maasdam TA was having overnight stops in Lisbon, Naples Bay and Madeira - great ways to get to know a place better. I wish more HAL cruises had them.

 

Upcoming Rotterdam "Silk and Spices" London to Singapore has overnights in Dubai and Bali - just brings a different dimension and pace to the cruise. And in the case of Dubai, cooler evening temperature when everyone is out and about.

 

One think we liked about our longer cruises on the old MV Discovery were the three day stop overs between segments which were always in some remote spot and used because it was hard to coordinate incoming flights for arriving and departing passengers for the various segments. Best combination - lots of new places to see and occasionally a little more depth in some of them.

[SilvertoGold]

One other bonus on our Maasdam TA was having overnight stops in Lisbon, Naples Bay and Madeira - great ways to get to know a place better. I wish more HAL cruises had them.

 

Upcoming Rotterdam "Silk and Spices" London to Singapore has overnights in Dubai and Bali - just brings a different dimension and pace to the cruise. And in the case of Dubai, cooler evening temperature when everyone is out and about.

 

One think we liked about our longer cruises on the old MV Discovery were the three day stop overs between segments which were always in some remote spot and used because it was hard to coordinate incoming flights for arriving and departing passengers for the various segments. Best combination - lots of new places to see and occasionally a little more depth in some of them.

 

 

 

SwissMyst

Have a really super time on the Rotterdam!

[SwissMyst]

SwissMyst

Have a really super time on the Rotterdam!

 

Thanks SilvertoGold, there are now two live blogs to track - the one from Snoopsister Suzie and another from Geritt - both links are on the roll call. Bags are packed - teensy bit overweight, so there still needs to be some shedding as I keep an eye out for the upcoming weather reports. What looked like a fairly cold first half of the trip is starting to warm up a bit. Re-pack! :eek:

[DFD1]

HAL just ordered a new 2,600 passenger ship costing close to a Billion Dollars, so the $49.00 per day staterooms must not be hurting them very much.

 

HAL is also moving rapidly toward being just another Carnival mass market brand. That move will require them to sell staterooms to that market...and that market is demanding $49.00 staterooms.

 

The losers are those of you who are accustomed to a more refined and elegant experience on HAL. To the degree that it has existed in the past, that experience is fast going away.

 

That's just the way it is.....

[iancal]

Yes, cabin space on. HAL and all the other mass market cruise lines have become commodity items. A quick look at any of the on line TA sites will verify this.

 

At the moment it seems to be a buyers market out there-particularly if you do not have an issue considering more than one cruise line.

[SwissMyst]

HAL just ordered a new 2,600 passenger ship costing close to a Billion Dollars, so the $49.00 per day staterooms must not be hurting them very much.

 

HAL is also moving rapidly toward being just another Carnival mass market brand. That move will require them to sell staterooms to that market...and that market is demanding $49.00 staterooms.

 

The losers are those of you who are accustomed to a more refined and elegant experience on HAL. To the degree that it has existed in the past, that experience is fast going away.

 

That's just the way it is.....

 

If running larger mass market ships helps keep HAL floating the smaller ones with their signature unique itineraries and over all experience attracting a great group of passengers, then it may well not be the end of the world for HAL.

[cruisemom42]

If running larger mass market ships helps keep HAL floating the smaller ones with their signature unique itineraries and over all experience attracting a great group of passengers, then it may well not be the end of the world for HAL.

 

The problem comes when they start getting rid of the older, smaller ships and only adding larger ones.

 

Staff on Princess confirmed to me a few years back that the larger ships indeed "pay the way" for the smaller ones, which generally make little or no money for the line. Since then, they have only added more large ships and I fear the days of the smaller R-ships currently in the Princess fleet are probably numbered.

 

I'm not against large (well, within reason, like 2,000 to 2,200) ships in principle. It's just that, as I'm sure you know, they tend to have less interesting itineraries because 1) they have to sell those itineraries to a larger pool of passengers and 2) larger ships can't always access smaller ports with fewer facilities/infrastructure.

[DaveOKC]

So how does $37.44 per day sound? Two cruise (Trans Atlantic) in March now posting this fare!

 

 

DaveOKC