Who is HAL's new breed of customers?

[cruisemom42]

Thank you for making me aware of this line. It's definitely something we would be interested in.

 

You're welcome. They definitely have an interesting model.

 

But bear in mind it's very different from a HAL cruise. The food is good in the MDR, in the buffet and rear terrace dining area. But there is little or no room service and no specialty dining. The ship has few balconies. Cabins are on the small side (it's a small ship). There's no casino -- but a great library.

 

There is also free wine, beer or soda with dinner; most shore excursions are included, and no gratuities. (Not as in the old HAL days, but gratuities are actually already included.) And of course, the lecturers are a big draw for me.

 

I started cruising in the 1970s, so this ship reminds me of those early cruise ships. But it's different from large, modern mass market ships.

[doone]

Eurodam April 8-28 hot appetizers in crows nest every day, around 4 pm (happy hour)

Thanks but 4 pm I am still hanging out at the pool.

[Hlitner]

Thanks but 4 pm I am still hanging out at the pool.

 

Same with us. We prefer to eat at dinner time (past 7:30) rather then having dinner at tea time :). The 4-5 Happy Hour does not normally work for us since we are often still on deck (if the weather is good) reading and enjoying the day. Around 4:30 or 5 we will usually head to the cabin to shower, relax and get ready for evening. Then around 7 we head out for our pre dinner cocktails. Depending on who we meet at the bar and the socialization we will head to the MDR between 8 and 8:30. We do understand that by 8:30 some HAL cruisers are already heading to bed...but that is not our style. We usually expect to close down the BB King last show....or the piano bar (around midnight). But HAL usually has another Happy Hour later in the evening and we do try to take advantage :). When we were on the Zuiderdam (last August) they had a 10-11pm Happy Hour in the disco. At that time we were usually at the Piano Bar (not too are away) so I would generally go over the disco to get my double Cognac and then bring it back to the Piano Bar. The bar waiter in the Piano bar was very understanding....and said he didn't blame me for getting my drink in the Happy Hour. Over the course of the cruise it saved me around $200!

 

Hank

[KirkNC]

That's why they do two happy hours. The second is usually 6:30 to 7:30. Same as the first, apps and second drink is $2.

[Tampa Girl]

Same with us. We prefer to eat at dinner time (past 7:30) rather then having dinner at tea time :).

 

Hank

 

Love your description! Our preferences as well.

[latserrof]

Those of us in the 60's are a product of the IT generation. We do not view poor web sites, poor or a complete absence of on board/ in cabin IT features, or lack of good connectivity as sophisticated elegance. We view it as a huge negative.

 

Does not matter if it is HAL or any other company or cruise line vying for our business. We do not view these as options. We view them as the basic entry level requirements for any cruise line.

 

I'm not sure you (or anyone) can speak for an entire generation. I'm 66, work in TV production in Hollywood so I get more than my fill of tech. One reason I cruise is to get away from that stuff, and maybe experience a little of the simpler 'good old days.' If I wanted cruising to be like home, I'd stay home.

[Tatka]

I am 45 and increased my number of cruises per year to 4 or 5 by working from the ship sometimes. I work for IT. If HAL had Internet quality and costs similar to RCCL we would probably do cruises with this company.

[Hlitner]

That's why they do two happy hours. The second is usually 6:30 to 7:30. Same as the first, apps and second drink is $2.

 

DW and I cannot recall being on a ship with a 6:30 - 7:30 Happy Hour. To the best of our recollection (as seniors this is subject to senior moments) the HAL Happy hours have been 4 - 5 (usually in the Ocean Bar and sometimes also in the Crows Nest and 10-11pm (sometimes in the Crows Nest or Disco). One bummer is that if you go to the 4-5 Happy Hour they usually have some kind of hors d'oeuvres. But if we go into the Ocean bar at 7 or 7:30 they might have some left overs....but many times there is nothing. I once joked with a CD that HAL discriminates those who dine late....and he agreed.

 

Hank

[Aquahound]

DW and I cannot recall being on a ship with a 6:30 - 7:30 Happy Hour.

 

Same here. On my last HAL cruise (Oosterdam), there was 1 happy hour nightly from 4-5. It was held in the Crows Nest. I'm certain there wasn't a second one later. Like you, 4-5 is too early for me. We did manage to hit 2 of them out of 10 days though because we just happened to be in the CN when it started....probably for sail-away views.

 

Problem was, it was so packed, it was hard to get service.

 

That was in October of 2015 though, so maybe they added another one since.

[POA1]

The Happy Hours on the Eurodam in December 2016 were 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM in the Crow's Nest & Ocean Bar. There was a 2nd Happy Hour. It was usually 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM in the Crow's Nest.

 

Over the years, I can recall 4:00 - 5:00 PM, 5:00 - 6:00 PM, 9:00 - 10:00 PM, 10:00 - 11:00 PM and 11:00 - Midnight. 7:00 PM - 8:00 would have been great, because it would have coincided with pre-dinner cocktails for us. Alas, it was not to be.

 

They did, however, pass hors d'oeuvres between 7:00 and 8:00. (Just in time to ruin dinner!)

[alwaysfrantic]

A 7-8 would be great; stop on way to dinner for a drink. I only remember seeing them early, 4-5 with trivia and 5-6 before the early seating.

[KirkNC]

DW and I cannot recall being on a ship with a 6:30 - 7:30 Happy Hour. To the best of our recollection (as seniors this is subject to senior moments) the HAL Happy hours have been 4 - 5 (usually in the Ocean Bar and sometimes also in the Crows Nest and 10-11pm (sometimes in the Crows Nest or Disco). One bummer is that if you go to the 4-5 Happy Hour they usually have some kind of hors d'oeuvres. But if we go into the Ocean bar at 7 or 7:30 they might have some left overs....but many times there is nothing. I once joked with a CD that HAL discriminates those who dine late....and he agreed.

 

Hank

 

I can recall being on a few ships that don't have the late happy hours, I have been told it's up to the CD (like they can make an independent decision on anything ) but on the vast majority of our cruises they have had it. I have seen individual nights it might be preempted by a private function.

[cruisemom42]

After reading the latest entries in this thread, I've revised my opinion on HAL's new breed of customers. It appears these will be highly focused on Happy Hours and hot hors d'ouvres. ;)

[taxmantoo]

After reading the latest entries in this thread, I've revised my opinion on HAL's new breed of customers. It appears these will be highly focused on Happy Hours and hot hors d'ouvres. ;)

 

Like a booze cruise with canapes instead of nachos??? Very classy

[bUU]

There is a market for the older, lower amenity cruise ships who do smaller enrichment itineraries. Hope HAL looks into including this among their diverse range of adventure travel offerings as they describe themselves in the 2016 CCL Annual Report. There is a customer base now abandoned by the loss of these scattered smaller enrichment cruise options that can be consolidated.

The question is whether that is the best use of available capital or not. The question is not whether profit can be made but rather whether there is no better way to make profit.

 

We have all read the articles that make clear how much more profitable the mega-sized ships are. I think the existence of those lower priced cruises makes it that much more difficult to sell higher priced cruises (i.e., on smaller ships) which is why we see those ships being moved out of the market. If passengers wouldn't think that those smaller ship cruises were overpriced when they would be priced high enough to provide the same ROI as the mega-sized ships maybe things would be different. (I know some folks claim they've been told differently but I think those people have been duped. Companies don't consciously and deliberately turn away from what is in their​ best long term financial interests to pursue an approach that they know is less lucrative for them long term.)

 

 

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[kevingastreich]

The NA hasn't yet been retrofitted. It will be quite different afterwards.

No more appetizers?

[POA1]

No more appetizers?

We were on the retrofitted Eurodam in December and there were appetizers as per usual. This is despite the fact that some people have said that there weren't any.

 

Sometimes I think certain posters are so full of it that the whites of their eyes are brown. ;)

[iancal]

Appetizers, hot or cold, are pretty low on our list of priorities for a cruise ship. Slightly above personalized stationary, medals, lapel pins, and a calendar. Just below priority boarding.

 

Not certain where this places us in the new breed of cruising.

[Hlitner]

Appetizers, hot or cold, are pretty low on our list of priorities for a cruise ship. Slightly above personalized stationary, medals, lapel pins, and a calendar. Just below priority boarding.

 

Not certain where this places us in the new breed of cruising.

 

Surely you jest :). In most fine restaurants, the appetizers are among the most interesting and innovative dishes. In fact, we have gone to some fantastic restaurants where DW will order several appetizers in lieu of less adventurous entrees. The ideal situation is that there are great options for all courses...and the diner makes the choices that best suit their own taste.

 

Hank

[iancal]

In a dining room, yes. In a bar/lounge area we really don't care unless we plan to skip dinner.

 

And yes, we sometimes order a variety of appetizers in a restaurant. But do you really think the food in an MDR is innovative, interesting, or fantastic? Or in the bar area for that matter?

[navybankerteacher]

In a dining room, yes. In a bar/lounge area we really don't care unless we plan to skip dinner.

 

And yes, we sometimes order a variety of appetizers in a restaurant. But do you really think the food in an MDR is innovative, interesting, or fantastic? Or in the bar area for that matter?

 

He was, of course, referring to "...most fine restaurants..." when he spoke up for appetizers, and not necessarily to a mass market cruise line's MDR. Context always counts.

[POA1]

The nibblies served in the bars are hors d'oeurves. The appetizers are your starter courses with your main meal. You order appetizers. Hor d'ourves are not generally. They're passed or served.

 

Hank is correct about appetizers and creativity. That's often where a restaurant will try things out before committing to a new entrée.

 

I realize that I used appetizers to mean hors d'oeurves in an earlier post.

[kevingastreich]

Appetizers, hot or cold, are pretty low on our list of priorities for a cruise ship. Slightly above personalized stationary, medals, lapel pins, and a calendar.

Who gets a calendar? I actually use paper calendars. I want want.

[iancal]

No matter what you call them or where they are served, bite size or otherwise, my question still stands.

 

Would you really describe the ones served on HAL or other similar cruise lines as fantastic, adventurous, interesting or innovative? I might agree with interesting.

[OlsSalt]

No matter what you call them or where they are served, bite size or otherwise, my question still stands.

 

Would you really describe the ones served on HAL or other similar cruise lines as fantastic, adventurous, interesting or innovative? I might agree with interesting.

 

I describe them okay, satisfying, occasionally innovative, also occasionally awkward but enough variety that one can pick and choose. Mainly however, they are appetite killers right before dinner. Maybe that is their intent?