Ship's Wake Posted February 6, 2014 #51 Share Posted February 6, 2014 (edited) deleted Edited February 6, 2014 by oysterdam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agabbymama Posted February 6, 2014 #52 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Can't wait and hope to book on her inaugural cruise:) You and the 3000+ other folks. Not for me. I was afraid HAL would go to the larger ships, and it appears they have. I'll stick to the smaller class, if I decide to cruise again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UPNYGuy Posted March 2, 2014 #53 Share Posted March 2, 2014 the line is definitely taking a turn toward exiting the premium market HAL is (and has been) a contemporary / mass market cruise line for quite some time now. A true premium cruise line experience exists with Azamara and Oceania (and in the ship-within-a-ship areas). Your mileage may vary, but our finest cruise experience to date was on the Norwegian Breakaway, sailing in The Haven (to the point that HAL has likely lost us as customers). If Holland America bases the Pinnacle Class prototype in NYC, they better have a "Haven" type suite complex planned. And that isn't just our opinion... most of the people in the suite complex that had logo carry bags were toting "HALware". HAL is losing a percent of suite pax to NCL due to the perks and exclusivity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.dawg Posted March 2, 2014 #54 Share Posted March 2, 2014 my great grandmother could not stand some of the decor on the titanic -- but she signed on anyway. and complained - at least for the first night or sol she tried the piazza once, but it was too salty for her neopolitan taste buds, so she just listened to the music. 'nearer my God to thee' was her fave; i gave up on hal ships when they could not straighten the lamp shades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisetrail Posted March 3, 2014 #55 Share Posted March 3, 2014 (edited) HAL is (and has been) a contemporary / mass market cruise line for quite some time now. A true premium cruise line experience exists with Azamara and Oceania (and in the ship-within-a-ship areas). Your mileage may vary, but our finest cruise experience to date was on the Norwegian Breakaway, sailing in The Haven (to the point that HAL has likely lost us as customers). If Holland America bases the Pinnacle Class prototype in NYC, they better have a "Haven" type suite complex planned. And that isn't just our opinion... most of the people in the suite complex that had logo carry bags were toting "HALware". HAL is losing a percent of suite pax to NCL due to the perks and exclusivity. HAL Signature Class ships at this time are those ships that provide true premium cruise line experience. Neither Azamara floating sinks, nor newer Oceania ships are on par. "Ship within a ship" is faux exclusivity enclaves - a third world type of luxury - found on lower grade cruise lines. MS Eurodam and MS Nieuw Amsterdam are "Haven" ships - the whole ship is like "Haven" on MSC or NCL. HAL product is a higher quality product, so I believe obnoxous third world segregation is not in their tradition. I am not blaming "Haven" clients in any way - they just buy what is sold. Hope it will never happen on HAL. Edited March 3, 2014 by cruisetrail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UPNYGuy Posted March 3, 2014 #56 Share Posted March 3, 2014 All I am going to say is that HAL clients should plan on a "ship within a ship" coming in the not so distant future. Celebrity announced that they are reconfiguring the Solstice class to hold it. And NCL, MSC, and RCCL currently have one. Princess is also rumored to be in development. Celebrity developing one forced HAL into a corner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisetrail Posted March 3, 2014 #57 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Celebrity is working on some additional suite perks. It won't be "ship within a ship". RCI does not have "ship within a ship" concept either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UPNYGuy Posted March 3, 2014 #58 Share Posted March 3, 2014 All I'm going to say is that we have had service related issues on fully half of our HAL cruises, and that we gave them 8 chances to fix these issues (surly servers, overflowing toilets ruining our carpets, waiting 45 minutes for bar service, terrible food, incompetent room stewards, run down ships) so we looked elsewhere. We are perfectly happy in a world of "faux luxury" as it was put to us. We are completely shielded from the crowds, and escorted around in crew elevators with a personal concierge. Plus, anything we need is met with a swift and prompt response. Now we are aware that bad service can occur on any line, but we have given them more than a chance. Considering that my wife and I have sailed on half of the HAL fleet, I think I know what to expect from them from here on out ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innlady1 Posted March 3, 2014 #59 Share Posted March 3, 2014 That was a really great cruise :) I miss that itinerary. Sent from my SGH-T779 using Tapatalk It was. New York to the Caribbean on the Noordam was our first HAL cruise. And, our 2nd...a year later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted March 3, 2014 #60 Share Posted March 3, 2014 We also greatly enjoyed that Noordam cruise, roundtrip NY to the Caribbean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz chic Posted March 3, 2014 #61 Share Posted March 3, 2014 All I'm going to say is that we have had service related issues on fully half of our HAL cruises, and that we gave them 8 chances to fix these issues (surly servers, overflowing toilets ruining our carpets, waiting 45 minutes for bar service, terrible food, incompetent room stewards, run down ships) so we looked elsewhere. We are perfectly happy in a world of "faux luxury" as it was put to us. We are completely shielded from the crowds, and escorted around in crew elevators with a personal concierge. Plus, anything we need is met with a swift and prompt response. Now we are aware that bad service can occur on any line, but we have given them more than a chance. Considering that my wife and I have sailed on half of the HAL fleet, I think I know what to expect from them from here on out ;) Agree with you. Hal is hardly a premium line. No premium line struggles like Hal does in the MDR. It doesn't matter who or how it's spun. Saying it is premium does not make it so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joysav Posted March 3, 2014 #62 Share Posted March 3, 2014 RCI (Oasis Class) .......... ........................ 225,282 ....... June 2016 STX France, St. Nazaire QUANTUM OF THE SEAS ........................ 167,800 ....... Fall 2014 Meyer Werft, Germany ANTHEM OF THE SEAS ........................ 167,800 .......March 2015 Meyer Werft, Germany UNNAMED ........................ .............. 167,800 ....... May 2016 Meyer Weft, NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE NORWEGIAN ESCAPE ........................ 163,000 ....... October 2015 Meyer Werft, Germany NORWEGIAN BLISS ........................ 163,000 ....... Spring 2017 Meyer Werft, Germany STAR CRUISES UNNAMED .......... ........................ 150,000 tons .......October 2016 Meyer Weft, Germany PRINCESS CRUISES REGAL PRINCESS ........................ 141,000 ....... Spring 2014 Fincantieri, Italy P & O CRUISES BRITANNIA ......... ........................ 141,000 gross tons, ....... March 2015 Fincantieri, Italy CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES CARNIVAL VISTA ........................ 135,000 ....... Winter, 2016 Fincantieri, Italy COSTA CROCIERE COSTA DIADEMA ........................132,500 ....... October 2014 Fincantieri, Italy AIDA CRUISES AIDAPRIMA .......................... 125,000 .......March 2015 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan UNNAMED ............................. 125,000 .......March 2016 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan XIAMEN INTERNATIONAL CRUISE CHINA XIAMEN ........................ 100,000 ....... October 2018 Xiamen Shipbuilding , Xiamen, HOLLAND AMERICA LINE UNNAMED :) .................'.......... 99,700 February 2016 .......Fincantieri, Italy TUI MEIN SCHIFF 3 ........................ 99,300 ....... May 2014 STX Finland, Turku Shipyard MEIN SCHIFF 4 ........................ 99,300 ....... April 2015 STX Finland, Turku Shipyard TOTAL NEW SHIPS ON ORDER: ........................ 29 TOTAL GROSS TONNAGE ON ORDER:........................ 2,722,300 Compiled by Shawn J. Dake. Update: February 5, 2014. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarpeian Rock Posted March 3, 2014 #63 Share Posted March 3, 2014 HAL Signature Class ships at this time are those ships that provide true premium cruise line experience.Neither Azamara floating sinks, nor newer Oceania ships are on par. "Ship within a ship" is faux exclusivity enclaves - a third world type of luxury - found on lower grade cruise lines. MS Eurodam and MS Nieuw Amsterdam are "Haven" ships - the whole ship is like "Haven" on MSC or NCL. HAL product is a higher quality product, so I believe obnoxous third world segregation is not in their tradition. I am not blaming "Haven" clients in any way - they just buy what is sold. Hope it will never happen on HAL. I have never read a guidebook or published review that ranked HAL as a line, or HAL's newest two ships, above Oceania as a line, or Oceania's two newest ships. "Third world segregation?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisetrail Posted March 3, 2014 #64 Share Posted March 3, 2014 All I'm going to say is that we have had service related issues on fully half of our HAL cruises, and that we gave them 8 chances to fix these issues (surly servers, overflowing toilets ruining our carpets, waiting 45 minutes for bar service, terrible food, incompetent room stewards, run down ships) so we looked elsewhere. We are perfectly happy in a world of "faux luxury" as it was put to us. We are completely shielded from the crowds, and escorted around in crew elevators with a personal concierge. Plus, anything we need is met with a swift and prompt response. Now we are aware that bad service can occur on any line, but we have given them more than a chance. Considering that my wife and I have sailed on half of the HAL fleet, I think I know what to expect from them from here on out ;) I assume you are talking about older ships. My comment is related to HAL Signature class. A mansarde in Paris is a mansarde. But it's in Paris. A palace in Cambogia is a palace. But it's in Cambogia. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted March 3, 2014 #65 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Thanks for the new build listing, Joysav. Really interesting how many tons under construction. :eek: Let's hope the world's economy really is growing. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisetrail Posted March 3, 2014 #66 Share Posted March 3, 2014 (edited) I have never read a guidebook or published review that ranked HAL as a line, or HAL's newest two ships, above Oceania as a line, or Oceania's two newest ships. "Third world segregation?" Writing a review, especially a comparison review is hard work that is not for everyone, to be honest. Guidebooks reviews are lazy and come in bulk. Good reviews - I mean competent and/or comprehensive reviews - come from cruise ships enthusiasts. Cruise critic is a good place to find a good review. Cruise reviews rarely come fully cooked and served on a plate. In most cases we need to do our home work - a reserach. HAL Signature class vs Oceania Marina - please see the link in the post above. What is what in comparison is seen instantly as soon as you put two ships together. Something that is not seen right away - food. I used to assume it was superior. What is better on so-called "luxury light" line? Of course, food. It was until RuthC review of Oceania (Marina or Riviera). That's it. No guidebooks needed. :) Edited March 3, 2014 by cruisetrail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted March 3, 2014 #67 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Something that is not seen right away - food. I used to assume it was superior. What is better on so-called "luxury light" line? Of course, food.It was until RuthC review of Oceania (Marina or Riviera). Let's not misconstrue my report on the Riviera. First off, I said the ship was drop-dead gorgeous, which she is. She is a different style than the HAL ships, but is quality throughout. She is much more spacious than the Vista/Signature ships. Luxurious and comfortable. The food on the Riviera did not live up to the hype, but it was very good. Certainly the food in the dining room was as good as HAL has served in recent years, and generally better. Waves Grill (the outside "burger bar") is far and away superior to HAL's Terrace Grill. HAL could learn a lot on that venue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisetrail Posted March 3, 2014 #68 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Let's not misconstrue my report on the Riviera. First off, I said the ship was drop-dead gorgeous, which she is. She is a different style than the HAL ships, but is quality throughout. She is much more spacious than the Vista/Signature ships. Luxurious and comfortable. The food on the Riviera did not live up to the hype, but it was very good. Certainly the food in the dining room was as good as HAL has served in recent years, and generally better. Waves Grill (the outside "burger bar") is far and away superior to HAL's Terrace Grill. HAL could learn a lot on that venue. Thank you RuthC, I refer to your report about the food. Ships design and spaciousness is not discussed - the difference visible as ships are put nose to nose. The HAL Signature ships are much more spacious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EbayCruiser Posted March 3, 2014 #69 Share Posted March 3, 2014 This is exciting! I hope it comes to FLL for the Spring Cruise Season. I like to cruise out of FLL in Feb. or March. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted March 3, 2014 #70 Share Posted March 3, 2014 The HAL Signature ships are much more spacious. "Bigger" does not equal "more spacious". I just know how it felt walking around, not literally bumping into people, finding a seat. Riviera was spacious and comfortable. I stand by that statement. Have you ever sailed on the Riviera??? If not, you can't know how it feels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peaches from georgia Posted March 3, 2014 #71 Share Posted March 3, 2014 'Spacious and roomy' has little to do with the overall size of the space as RuthC says. It depends on how the available space is utilized and the amount of people using it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sppunk Posted March 3, 2014 #72 Share Posted March 3, 2014 'Spacious and roomy' has little to do with the overall size of the space as RuthC says. It depends on how the available space is utilized and the amount of people using it. Yup! Oasis of the Seas actually can feel roomy due to the design - it's design is IMO by far the best on a ship ever. I'm glad I never sailed it though! But it was a marvel to wander around one day and see the flow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kazu Posted March 3, 2014 #73 Share Posted March 3, 2014 "Bigger" does not equal "more spacious". I just know how it felt walking around, not literally bumping into people, finding a seat. Riviera was spacious and comfortable. I stand by that statement. Have you ever sailed on the Riviera??? If not, you can't know how it feels. I agree RuthC - how can you call the Signature ships more spacious than say the Prinsendam???? According to a certain website which I cannot quote here, the both Signature ships have a space ratio of 34 while the Prinsendam has one of 42 - 47.8 (depending upon which website you look at) . (they all agree on the space ratio on the Signature ships though). That seems like a big difference to me???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisetrail Posted March 3, 2014 #74 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Signature class is 41.0 Space ratio has been explained earlier in this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisetrail Posted March 3, 2014 #75 Share Posted March 3, 2014 "Bigger" does not equal "more spacious". That's correct. And this is what concerns me about the new HAL ship. Oceania feels as it is. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=37701080&postcount=174 http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=37729016&postcount=213 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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