HAL to announce new celebrity voyage(s) Thursday (2/9/17)

[SteelMagnolia9]

I'm not trolling, I swear! How is she polarizing? I seriously never knew people didn't like her

 

I am also surprised that most of the posts are negative. She is a successful business woman and philanthropist who has given millions for college scholarships and other charitable causes. She was born in poverty, went to college and worked for her success, nothing inherited or handed to her.

 

 

 

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[Cruise Junky]

I am also surprised that most of the posts are negative. She is a successful business woman and philanthropist who has given millions for college scholarships and other charitable causes. She was born in poverty, went to college and worked for her success, nothing inherited or handed to her.

 

 

 

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Completely agree with you. Some of the comments are mind boggling

[Skoogs]

If the Oprah venture is successful just think of what would be next. Martha Stewart, The Property Brothers, Ice Road Truckers! Wow, this going to be great! [emoji57]

 

 

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[iceman93]

Okay, so I went to Wikipedia to learn more about Oprah. As I thought, her claim to fame is being a talk show host. I admit she had a terrible early life and went on to make something of herself. She has also given lots of money to charity, particularly educational ones.

 

That being said, I fail to see how someone who was a successful talk show host should somehow make me want to cruise a particular cruise line. Rather than paying her, an apparent multi-billionaire, to associate with them I would much prefer that HAL had spent that money on increasing pay for their workers, a higher design budget for the next set of ships, a better website, or dozens of other things that would actually have a positive effect on my cruising experience.

[Cruise Junky]

Okay, so I went to Wikipedia to learn more about Oprah. As I thought, her claim to fame is being a talk show host. I admit she had a terrible early life and went on to make something of herself. She has also given lots of money to charity, particularly educational ones.

 

That being said, I fail to see how someone who was a successful talk show host should somehow make me want to cruise a particular cruise line. Rather than paying her, an apparent multi-billionaire, to associate with them I would much prefer that HAL had spent that money on increasing pay for their workers, a higher design budget for the next set of ships, a better website, or dozens of other things that would actually have a positive effect on my cruising experience.

 

The fact that you had to Wikipedia her shows you are not their target market for these cruises. That's not meant to be derogatory, she has an amazing following which I'm sure HAL hopes to tap into.

[AncientWanderer]

I wish HAL would skip the gimmicks and just focus on providing an excellent cruise experience. Businesses grow by word-of-mouth recommendations by happy customers. Our recent cruises have been so "off" that I don't suggest the line to friends anymore. Too dicey. And this is the first time in, oh, about 10 years that we don't have a future cruise booked. Are we scared off for good? Not sure and hope not.

[sammiedawg]

I wish HAL would skip the gimmicks and just focus on providing an excellent cruise experience. Businesses grow by word-of-mouth recommendations by happy customers. Our recent cruises have been so "off" that I don't suggest the line to friends anymore. Too dicey. And this is the first time in, oh, about 10 years that we don't have a future cruise booked. Are we scared off for good? Not sure and hope not.

 

My travel agent stopped working commending HAL a number of years ago. Too many complaints about mediocre food, non working mechanicals. I too am disappointed in the product based on the last few cruises we took.

[iceman93]

The fact that you had to Wikipedia her shows you are not their target market for these cruises. That's not meant to be derogatory, she has an amazing following which I'm sure HAL hopes to tap into.

 

That's true--another thing the Wikipedia article mentioned was "the Oprah effect", where whenever she mentions or endorses a product, that product's sales spike for a short time.

 

I guess I also thought (ignorantly, perhaps), that Oprah's time had come and gone. I remember when she used to be popular, when her show was on the air, but thought she had pretty much faded away. If I'm right, then maybe hooking up with HAL is an attempt by her managers to keep her in the public eye. After all, since her brand seems based entirely on cult of personality, if her influence wanes then she is no longer "worth" anything from a business sense. They need to keep her well-known enough that her cadre of followers doesn't wither up.

[bUU]

That being said, I fail to see how someone who was a successful talk show host should somehow make me want to cruise a particular cruise line.

By that logic, I would fail to see how Quilt Seminar at Sea, Dave Koz & Friends, In Touch Ministries, etc., could not only attract passengers, but so much so that they charter the whole ship at times. Just because we personally may not find some person or group of people interesting doesn't mean that there aren't tens of thousands (and in Oprah's case, millions) of potential passengers who do.

 

Rather than paying her,

Before addressing your comment that followed from this assumption... How much are they paying her? (And if you don't know, why say that they are if you don't know?)

 

I don't know, but it could be a co-marketing arrangement.

 

I wish HAL would skip the gimmicks and just focus on providing an excellent cruise experience.

To many folks attracted to Holland America by what you choose to call "gimmicks", they are indeed focusing on providing an excellent cruise experience. Again, just because you don't find something worthwhile doesn't mean that there aren't more people out there who will, and perhaps people who, unlike you, wouldn't cruise otherwise.

[AncientWanderer]

 

To many folks attracted to Holland America by what you choose to call "gimmicks", they are indeed focusing on providing an excellent cruise experience. Again, just because you don't find something worthwhile doesn't mean that there aren't more people out there who will, and perhaps people who, unlike you, wouldn't cruise otherwise.

 

Oh, I have no problem at all with adding layers that are of special interest to select groups and that are designed to attract new demographics. But first and foremost the basic foundation of the cruise experience should be solid. I've found that foundation lacking recently. Your mileage may differ.

[bUU]

But first and foremost the basic foundation of the cruise experience should be solid.

And for as long as I can remember, there have always been people who feel service providers are providing a lesser product than before and other people who feel service providers are providing a greater product than before. I suspect that will never change. So the challenge for service providers, of all sorts, is to determine what combination of aspects are most important to the most lucrative portion of the target market.

[AncientWanderer]

And for as long as I can remember, there have always been people who feel service providers are providing a lesser product than before and other people who feel service providers are providing a greater product than before. I suspect that will never change. So the challenge for service providers, of all sorts, is to determine what combination of aspects are most important to the most lucrative portion of the target market.

 

Oh sure. I'm not their target market anymore. Right you are.

[Maureenxx]

For most of us, it's not that we object so much to Oprah (I often watched her shows) and I give her a lot of credit for how far she has come and the good things she has done. The objection to this venture is that we see all the cutbacks in ships staff, the loss of so many little extra nice touches we used to enjoy on HA, the cutbacks in food quality, etc. etc. and we feel like the money they are spending on these "experiences" should be used more wisely.

[johnmik1]

She has made some radical offensive remarks in the last 8 years that have caused many people to reject her.Do a web search as they are heavily reported!

[bUU]

There are surely higher grade cruise lines. I compared Holland America to Princess and NCL. Holland America was the low cost provider. I was able to afford a higher grade cabin on Holland America. It's great that we have such an array of options.

[pris993]

I am also surprised that most of the posts are negative. She is a successful business woman and philanthropist who has given millions for college scholarships and other charitable causes. She was born in poverty, went to college and worked for her success, nothing inherited or handed to her.

 

 

 

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All you say is true... most of the charities though seemed to be in Africia... what about american black kids???

She has become to political for me. I admire her success but do not agree with her politics.

[pris993]

I have watched Oprah evolve over the last 35 years she has been in Chicago, and am surprised that HAL has engaged such a polarizing individual in any marketing effort.JMHO!

 

Agree, I use to watch her, admire her success, she has become to polarizing for me... have not watched her for sometime... I would go the other direction if I was HAL.

[pris993]

As I stated in my previous post, I've never met her so don't know if I like her or not. My issue is more with the attitude of celebrities in general, WE know more than you, WE are better at life than you. You should listen to US. Dress, eat, exercise and vote like WE do and your life will be better. Thanks but no thanks.

 

 

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I would say a lot of american feel the way you, I know I do, that goes for a lot of celebrities.

[bUU]

I would go the other direction if I was HAL.

I remember folks on Disney forums saying something similar about their decision to go with a certain comedienne as featured player in one of their theme park attractions in 1996. To be fair to the nay-sayers, they couldn't possibly have foreseen that Ellen DeGeneres would become a beloved talk show host, host of the Oscars and the Emmys, etc.