Who is HAL's new breed of customers?

[sail7seas]

Why do some thtink it a dirty wotd to grow 'older? Most of us think it beats the alternative. being senior or oldder, is a natureal progression of life. For you kids who think it something to be ashamed d of i wwsh you the good fortune to grow ol.d. not everyone is so lucky

[Lovely other]

"older passenger" is a relative term, to me. Does one immediately want to do ballroom dancing, bridge, classical strings, etc., when one becomes the magical "older passenger" ?? I would think that the "older passenger" wants what they grew up with. I haven't known any people who played bridge since my mother's friends, and they are all either deceased or in their late 80s. The "older" passenger didn't grow up with Sinatra, Dean Martin, Woody Herman, big bands - they grew up with The Beatles, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Carole King, Joanie Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, BB King, The Four Tops, The Supremes (even some of the younger "older" folks did The Sex Pistols, Elvis Costello, the Ramones) ... The "older" passenger may have gone to bars on Trivia Night in college and that brings back some fun memories.

What I am trying to say that it sounds like HAL is trying to update some things to the new class of "older" passengers. In some years, they will change again to make things interesting for the next set of "older" passengers - electronic gaming consoles at every table, MMORPG theaters, cosplay night, etc., And those of us that are the current "new" "older" passengers will bitch and whine about it...

 

Exactly what I was thinking .... My mum is 63 and loves her rock music. Can't see here trading in her AC/DC for Sinatra just because she hits a certain age ;p

 

Every generation is going to bring along new ideas of what they class as entertaining and fun, that's just the way things go. I'm looking forward to the cosplay introduction. ;):p

[cruisemom42]

"older passenger" is a relative term, to me. Does one immediately want to do ballroom dancing, bridge, classical strings, etc., when one becomes the magical "older passenger" ?? I would think that the "older passenger" wants what they grew up with. I haven't known any people who played bridge since my mother's friends, and they are all either deceased or in their late 80s. The "older" passenger didn't grow up with Sinatra, Dean Martin, Woody Herman, big bands - they grew up with The Beatles, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Carole King, Joanie Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, BB King, The Four Tops, The Supremes (even some of the younger "older" folks did The Sex Pistols, Elvis Costello, the Ramones) ... The "older" passenger may have gone to bars on Trivia Night in college and that brings back some fun memories.

What I am trying to say that it sounds like HAL is trying to update some things to the new class of "older" passengers. In some years, they will change again to make things interesting for the next set of "older" passengers - electronic gaming consoles at every table, MMORPG theaters, cosplay night, etc., And those of us that are the current "new" "older" passengers will bitch and whine about it...

 

x2 on this.

 

When my generation become the 'older' HAL passengers, I don't think we will miraculously develop a fondness for Frank Sinatra, or be willing to forego a reasonable level of 'connectivity'.

 

HAL can keep pitching to the older passenger -- that's fine. Rock climbing walls and surf pools are not in HAL's DNA. But the older passenger is evolving, and HAL needs to understand that as well.

[Sequim88]

I don't think we will miraculously develop a fondness for Frank Sinatra

 

AC/DC for me! But they are hard to sing along to at a piano bar. ;p Oh, that's right, no more piano bar. :loudcry:

[cruisemom42]

AC/DC for me! But they are hard to sing along to at a piano bar. ;p Oh, that's right, no more piano bar. :loudcry:

 

Oh, I don't know. I could see them getting a good chorus of "Cuz I'm TNT, I'm dynamite!" (Oy! Oy! Oy!) going....

[iancal]

HAL may be pitching to older customers. Perhaps those older customers are in their 80's/

 

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.

[slidergirl]

Oh, I don't know. I could see them getting a good chorus of "Cuz I'm TNT, I'm dynamite!" (Oy! Oy! Oy!) going....

 

I could see it now!!!

 

Disco - the only thing I remember of that horrible period of time was going to a Disco with some girlfriends on a girls' weekend. We took 3 cars to get there. Woke up the next morning to only find 2 cars in the drive!!! Totally spaced that we had 3 cars and 8 of us piled into a little Honda Civic to get back...

 

CM42 - I thought you were on a cruise???? GET OFF THE 'NET and ENJOY!!!!

[OlsSalt]

I could see it now!!!

 

Disco - the only thing I remember of that horrible period of time was going to a Disco with some girlfriends on a girls' weekend. We took 3 cars to get there. Woke up the next morning to only find 2 cars in the drive!!! Totally spaced that we had 3 cars and 8 of us piled into a little Honda Civic to get back...

 

CM42 - I thought you were on a cruise???? GET OFF THE 'NET and ENJOY!!!!

 

Will your generation also want to bring back "smoking".

[iancal]

Actually, some people in my generation actively avoided HAL because of their smoking policy. Especially on veranda cabins. When it came down to a draw between two ships/two lines that we equal in our evaluation, the HAL veranda was always eliminated by DW for exactly that reason.

 

Casino did not do anything from me either. Just another example of how far behind HAL really was, and still is in certain areas.

[doone]

AC/DC for me! But they are hard to sing along to at a piano bar. ;p Oh, that's right, no more piano bar. :loudcry:

Sing along at the piano bar 3 years ago on the Niew Amsterdam was so much fun, dueling Pianos on the Eurodam this year not so much :(

[Homosassa]

HAL may be pitching to older customers. Perhaps those older customers are in their 80's/

 

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.

 

My husband and I are in our 60's. We started cruising in our twenties.

 

We cruise to relax and enjoy ourselves. Lack of WiFi or other IT gimmicks definitely do not influence our cruise lines choice (if anything, the lack is a plus as the passengers might engage with each other instead of their cell phone or lap top).

 

And we loved the Planet Earth series on our Rotterdam cruise this past January. The show that combined the beautiful landscapes and animal video with the live music of the Band and String Duet was a highlight of the cruise.

[Taters]

My husband and I are in our 60's. We started cruising in our twenties.

 

We cruise to relax and enjoy ourselves. Lack of WiFi or other IT gimmicks definitely do not influence our cruise lines choice (if anything, the lack is a plus as the passengers might engage with each other instead of their cell phone or lap top).

 

And we loved the Planet Earth series on our Rotterdam cruise this past January. The show that combined the beautiful landscapes and animal video with the live music of the Band and String Duet was a highlight of the cruise.

 

Sorry to momentarily hijack the thread. Your screen name just brought back great memories for me. My folks owned a little house in Homosassa in the late 60s, early 70s, and it was right on the river. We'd spend weekends there and especially loved swimming with what we knew as "sea cows". I remember trying to keep up with the schools of fresh water mullet and putting my fingers in the little springs that were everywhere. :) What a great time to be a kid. I'd like to go back to Homosassa and see how it's grown sometime... My husband has never been to that part of Florida. And oh! I also remember getting gas at the old "filling station" with the giant dinosaur. Awesome times.

[OlsSalt]

Actually, some people in my generation actively avoided HAL because of their smoking policy. Especially on veranda cabins. When it came down to a draw between two ships/two lines that we equal in our evaluation, the HAL veranda was always eliminated by DW for exactly that reason.

 

Casino did not do anything from me either. Just another example of how far behind HAL really was, and still is in certain areas.

 

Your "generation" is associated with more recreational drug use than alcohol which has other generational associations - how will this trend impact both smoking policies and HAL bar revenues? The Dutch are quite enlightened about this topic, so have at it.

[PoppyandNana]

Actually, some people in my generation actively avoided HAL because of their smoking policy. Especially on veranda cabins. When it came down to a draw between two ships/two lines that we equal in our evaluation, the HAL veranda was always eliminated by DW for exactly that reason.

 

Casino did not do anything from me either. Just another example of how far behind HAL really was, and still is in certain areas.

 

I believe they have banned smoking on balconies as of January 2017

[Cruise Junky]

I'm 50 and DH is 63. I am completely put off my HAL cruise after reading some of the comments on this thread.

[slidergirl]

Your "generation" is associated with more recreational drug use than alcohol which has other generational associations - how will this trend impact both smoking policies and HAL bar revenues? The Dutch are quite enlightened about this topic, so have at it.

 

So your generation was more of the parents driving home while drunk and having the kids in the car??? (talking from experience)

 

Well, the Dutch do have their coffee shops - perhaps put one on board in the future. But, smoking is never a good idea, regardless of what is inside the wrapper. Claudie Bears and THC pastries are a much better way to indulge ;)

[albingirl]

I'm 50 and DH is 63. I am completely put off my HAL cruise after reading some of the comments on this thread.

Don't be. They are, for the most part, being quite dramatic.

[RocketMan275]

I'm 50 and DH is 63. I am completely put off my HAL cruise after reading some of the comments on this thread.

I see no relationship between the comments on this thread and our experiences on Holland. I would ignore these comments.

[slidergirl]

 

... Lack of WiFi or other IT gimmicks definitely do not influence our cruise lines choice (if anything, the lack is a plus as the passengers might engage with each other instead of their cell phone or lap top)...

 

Wifi is a "gimmick"??? If not for wifi, most of those wonderful reviews and "live from" reports that we all read here on CC would not exist. Is there a difference in someone having one's nose in a book vs having one's nose on a tablet for reading? Hell, I was a seasoned traveler prior to the Internet being made available to the masses (I was working on Internet development since 1977, though, and, unlike Al Gore, I KNEW those who "invented" the Internet ;) ). And, I do not miss the days one bit where I did not have access on a trip. A tablet or a smartphone with some great travel apps is a big plus to me nowadays.

 

I don't cruise to engage with strangers. I cruise to relax and refresh myself. I actually don't do any activities on any of the cruise lines - no slides, no dancing, no movies. I do like to sit in a bar at the end of an evening and sip a vodka - if there is music, fine, if not, fine.

 

For the one who said they are turned off of HAL because of the statements made here: what turned you off? Lack of old music, lack of bridge, new music, too much going on now, too little going on now...

[OlsSalt]

I'm 50 and DH is 63. I am completely put off my HAL cruise after reading some of the comments on this thread.

 

Then that is a good choice for you, Good you got this info ahead of time. Otherwise you would have had a very disappointing experience. What will you be looking at next.

 

The HAL experience is not for everyone. The Crystal experience is not for everyone. I can't think of a single cruise line that is all things for all people, all the time. Even the CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines described HAL was for "midwesterners, even if they don't live there." Many found that to be a compliment.

 

Best to find the right niche that clicks on all the important levels. Princess and Celebrity are known to be livelier, more entertaining ships. while still being is the similar price ranges and demographics.

[kevingastreich]

Personally I don't care who they're going for. As long as they offer what I want in a cruise, I'm in.

I think you just answered the question. HAL is appealing to people who like a classic cruise experience. Sometimes, even younger people like class.

[kevingastreich]

AC/DC for me! But they are hard to sing along to at a piano bar. ;p Oh, that's right, no more piano bar. :loudcry:

Andy from Scotland did a killer Bon Jovi "Livin' on a Prayer" in the piano bar on NA last week. It was a great sing-along.

[slidergirl]

I think you just answered the question. HAL is appealing to people who like a classic cruise experience. Sometimes, even younger people like class.

 

I've got to roll my eyes at your last statement. HAL has plenty of classless people, just like any other cruise line. HAL is for people who want some trappings of the "classic" cruising experience of bygone decades;), but cannot afford a true classic cruise like Crystal or Cunard. "Classic Lite" I'd call it...

[kevingastreich]

I've got to roll my eyes at your last statement. HAL has plenty of classless people,

True, I did see shorts in the MDR but to HAL's credit, they discreetly informed the guest that shorts were not appropriate attire for the MDR.

[Himself]

I have sailed on HAL ships for 20 years and I must the Koeningsdam is different and a bit too loud--too much noise. It is not as dignified as the other Holland ships.