Any positive comments re.sailing experience on HAL in the past couple of years??

[BJzink]

It has been 2+ years since I have sailed on a HAL ship, not by choice, but they weren't going out of San Diego for awhile. I am booked on the Zuiderdam for a 24 day Northern Europe cruise - seems like there are a lot of negative comments on this site re. cut-backs in service, dining, on-board entertainment, on & on.

Can anyone give some positive feedback about something that has improved? I'd like to look forward to this cruise as much as possible & this would help. Thanks.

[RuthC]

In my experience, service remains excellent overall. Itineraries continue to be HAL's best selling point, and keep me coming back time and again.

It is true that food, especially dinner selections, are not nearly as good as they used to be. Cheaper cuts of meat, with the consequent "doctoring" them to make them edible, get tiresome on longer cruises. When it comes to entertainment, it is as if HAL wants to send us all to bed early so they can relax.

But especially the older ships are still lovely and gracious. They are comfortable, with decent size cabins. Service is warm and sincere, and oh! the places I can go!

[ExpatBride]

I had a great time on Zuiderdam in the Baltics last summer. It was my first HAL cruise and if they had a true fjords itinerary this year, I would've sailed HAL again. I'm a vegetarian so I can't comment on the meat situation, but I was very happy with the onboard experience and the food.

[luv2bmovin]

If you enjoyed it 2+ years ago you'll enjoy it today. I've been on the Zuiderdam recently and had a wonderful cruise experience. Hope you do too.

 

 

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[lvz2cruz]

We have sailed HAL three times in the last 16 months and they have all been great cruises. There are less juice selections at breakfast. Service all around is great. I think the food is wonderful. Entertainment is good but everyone has their own likes and dislikes. I didn't miss the changes in the library but that's not a big factor in our cruise experience.

They no longer allow smoking on balconies.

We have cruised celebrity twice in the last year and their cuts in food and service are very apparent.

[OlsSalt]

From the day we started cruising HAL over 8 years ago, there were negative comments - ships were rattle traps, smelled bad, should be scrapped, etc, etc, etc. Now almost 400 days later on HAL we continue to enjoy each and every HAL experience.

 

This can bring howls that one is a brain-dead "cheerleader" with no taste or discernment, which over time one simply has to reject and ignore. HAL remains an exceptional value cruise line - you get a lot for the prices they charge. We came "down" from Crystal which simply did not meet our own travel needs.

 

Too much "luxury" and things we did not really need or like for Crystal's premium price. So when compared to a Crystal standard, of course HAL will be lacking, but more than makes up for it in price, itineraries and overall travel experience since you can travel just as far and even wider for half the cost or less.

 

Changes over time are not necessarily always negative. The realities of increasing operational costs, competition, and decreasing labor pools with HAL still finding the market sweet spot continue to work in HAL's favor.

 

Most of the negative recent changes do not materially intrude on the overall cruise experience, especially if one is travel and exploration oriented. If one wants more of an onboard entertainment experience, then HAL ships may not work. One needs to evaluate the critical comments from those two very different orientations.

 

Decide which one is most important for you: entertainment onboard or destination travel in relative comfort and figure out where in the sliding scale between those two opposites you are most comfortable, and then see how the "negative" comments about HAL will matter in your own assessment of what you read here.

 

Anyone who claims the "did not have a working toilet for 10 days", needs to be put into suspended credibility category until one finds out what exactly they meant by that sweeping and incredibly vague statement. Same with "we had no A/C for 10 days".

[USN59-79]

Two things we really enjoyed on our last cruise on Amsterdam were the computer classes and the cooking classes. As we age and computers and digital cameras become more complex, it is hard to keep up with the changes. My DW and I took 20 different classes, some of them more than once, and enjoyed them. The cooking classes are something new. The first one was free due to 5-star status, the second was $26, which I thought was a bargain. It included either an apron or a $29. cookbook plus lunch in the Pinnacle with all the wine you could drink, plus the cooking part was a lot of fun.

[esimon]

Ole Salt - Amen

[Adoptionmsw]

We sailed for 35 days in the summer of 2016 on the Rotterdam and 21 days in February of this year on the Oosterdam. There are some cutbacks from when we first started cruising but none that affected our enjoyment. The staff remains eager to please, the food is good to excellent. There were more than enough activities to keep us busy on sea days. I can't wait to take another HAL cruise.

 

 

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[Dave in NJ]

I've sailed HAL several times in the last two years, and those experiences were very positive. That doesn't mean the product is the same as it was 5 or 10 years ago.

[kevingastreich]

It has been 2+ years since I have sailed on a HAL ship, not by choice, but they weren't going out of San Diego for awhile. I am booked on the Zuiderdam for a 24 day Northern Europe cruise - seems like there are a lot of negative comments on this site re. cut-backs in service, dining, on-board entertainment, on & on.

Can anyone give some positive feedback about something that has improved? I'd like to look forward to this cruise as much as possible & this would help. Thanks.

 

In the Signature Suites, the large screen TV on the wall behind the sofa is actually a plus in our book. Sure, you can't watch it from the sofa now but it frees up a lot of space on the counter top and where the DVD player used to fit, not to mention you now have two more power outlets available. On the minus side, we didn't get any personalized stationery this time. I don't know if it was just an oversight or a permanent cut-back.

[VennDiagram]

As another poster said, if you liked HAL two or three years ago, you'll probably like it now.

 

We love the Dive-In, on-demand TV, and the more-to-our-taste offerings in the wine packages. Service is still good though the stewards don't have the time they did in the past for conversation. Not wild about the new room service menu, but we will adapt.

[navybankerteacher]

Yes, HAL has shown some cutbacks in service, on-board music, and quality of MDR meals. The thing to remember is that such is the case on all lines - and food, service, comfort, and overall experience in our view on HAL still beats the competition.

 

We last sailed Westerdam from San Diego to Hawaii in February -- I am not sure what OP could have been referring to, as I believe HAL regularly sails out of San Diego: to the Mexican Riviers, Hawaii, and other Pacific destinations..

[albingirl]

In my experience, service remains excellent overall. Itineraries continue to be HAL's best selling point, and keep me coming back time and again.

It is true that food, especially dinner selections, are not nearly as good as they used to be. Cheaper cuts of meat, with the consequent "doctoring" them to make them edible, get tiresome on longer cruises. When it comes to entertainment, it is as if HAL wants to send us all to bed early so they can relax.

But especially the older ships are still lovely and gracious. They are comfortable, with decent size cabins. Service is warm and sincere, and oh! the places I can go!

What Ruth said.:)

[navybankerteacher]

P.S. I just checked a cruise web site - without listing the very many sailings, it is worth noting that within the next 12 months Amsterdam, Maasdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, Zaandam and Nieuw Amsterdam sail from San Diego -- some of them many times, so I believe HAL remains a regular provider.

[3rdGenCunarder]

In the Signature Suites, the large screen TV on the wall behind the sofa is actually a plus in our book. Sure, you can't watch it from the sofa now but it frees up a lot of space on the counter top and where the DVD player used to fit, not to mention you now have two more power outlets available. On the minus side, we didn't get any personalized stationery this time. I don't know if it was just an oversight or a permanent cut-back.

 

Zuiderdam hasn't had the TV upgrade yet.

 

We were on her in February and thought she was in good shape. We liked the food. I particularly liked the salad bar at lunch in the buffet, where they had lots of ingredients and made the salad for you. Good ice cream at the buffet, and that sinful bread pudding is still there. Nice pasta bar, too.

 

Room service is still free. Other lines have started charging, but HAL does not charge for most items. There are now some upsell items on the menu, but there's a lot you can get for free.

 

HAL's beds are very comfortable. And every ship we've been on is clean, clean, clean! On our cruise, one morning Maintenance was taking down the air duct covers in the hallway so the stewards could vacuum up there.

 

They are VERY proactive about noro, so there is limited self-service at the buffet now. It makes things a bit slower, but considering how little some people know about "buffet manners," the increased wait is a fair trade. And if even a tiny outbreak starts, they're on it. The bread basket and butter are replaced by waiter service; salt and pepper shakers disappear and you ask for little packets. They take away anything communal, wipe everything in sight with disinfectant, and that bangs down the outbreak.

 

And as others have said, the service is great. If you liked Zuiderdam 2 years ago, I think you'll still like her.

[janmcn]

If you lurk much on other cruise lines' forums, you'll hear the same: "Cutbacks in quality, service, food, etc." As one CD said to us he had learned that for some people to be happy, they have to be complaining about things.

 

We've sailed the Z in January and actually liked it better than our cruise 10 days later on the Oosterdam that had been refurbished...yes, the refurbished cabins (SS) were wonderful, as was some of the rest of the ship...but we felt the food and service was better on the Z. Looking forward to 24 days on it this summer! No problems in my book with any HAL ships...always someone will complain about some cruise, but another poster will rave about it...you'd swear they were on different cruises! Enjoy it!

[rkacruiser]

In my opinion, positives:

 

Menu selections have greatly changed and offer much more interesting variety than years past. On my most recent HAL cruises, the food has been well prepared, no additional seasoning required, and very nicely presented (as usual).

 

The introduction of Dive-In at the Terrace Grill was inspired. On Carnival, Guy's Burgers are hyped as being so good. Dive-In is by far superior.

 

With the addition of the BB King's Groups on some ships, entertainment has been improved. Overall, I think I see attempts to improve entertainment offerings. Some of the individual acts/performers, however, are a weakness.

 

Service remains excellent, personable, and efficient in most venues. I agree that the MDR staff can be stretched thin if all assigned to the wait staffs' tables appear. When such a situation happens, neither of the Stewards have much time to interact with their guests. Wine Stewards particularly seem to be stretched thin, whether the MDR is full or not.

 

The Yum Yum man is still on duty and is as personable and friendly as ever.

 

Port information provided is better than it used to be, but still needs improvements, particularly in maps of ports that are visited.

 

The ships with the new interactive TV's have a menu of selections where one could spend the entire cruise in the stateroom watching TV, I think.

 

The introduction of Happy Hour where one buys a drink and can get a second for $2 (originally had been $1) is appreciated by me. (I buy a double CC-7 to reduce my consumption of soft drink with this deal.) Hot hors d'oeuvres are also served at that time.

 

In the Lido Restaurant, as staff time permits, the Stewards will obtain beverages and re-fills of such when requested. Often, they will ask, particularly if they are not particularly busy.

 

Pizza has improved; some will disagree, I am sure.

 

Draft--yes Draft--Heineken is available on some of the ships! (On my first HAL cruise, Draft Heineken was available at 10 cents per glass. The price has risen somewhat since 1970.)

 

Negatives, in my opinion:

 

The change to the offerings on the Breakfast Room Service Menu available to those guests in non-Neptune Suite staterooms irritates me. Another attempt to fix something that was not broken and probably an attempt to increase revenue.

 

Libraries are disappearing on the ship. Librarians have disappeared. And those who worked to help guests with internet issues are now extinct.

 

The practice of having Protestant chaplains aboard, when possible, seems to be changing.

 

The time in port seems to be shorter for many ports in order to allow for a slower cruising speed (saves fuel).

 

The loss of a made-to-order sandwich station in the Lido Restaurant is a bean counter's mistake, in my opinion, that negatively impacts the guest experience. The waste that I have observed of the pre-made and un-selected sandwiches when the Lido Restaurant closes has to cost something.

 

Also in the Lido Restaurant, many praise the new Salad Bar area. Certainly are many salad items available, but why the huge salad bowls? Does that not also contribute to waste of food items?

 

Change is a part of life. Either one accepts it or not. I'm a "glass is half-full" person. And, I still enjoy a HAL cruise and look forward to the next two up-coming. And, God-willing, many more to follow.

[RetiredNow]

From the day we started cruising HAL over 8 years ago, there were negative comments - ships were rattle traps, smelled bad, should be scrapped, etc, etc, etc. Now almost 400 days later on HAL we continue to enjoy each and every HAL experience.

 

This can bring howls that one is a brain-dead "cheerleader" with no taste or discernment, which over time one simply has to reject and ignore. HAL remains an exceptional value cruise line - you get a lot for the prices they charge. We came "down" from Crystal which simply did not meet our own travel needs.

 

Too much "luxury" and things we did not really need or like for Crystal's premium price. So when compared to a Crystal standard, of course HAL will be lacking, but more than makes up for it in price, itineraries and overall travel experience since you can travel just as far and even wider for half the cost or less.

 

Changes over time are not necessarily always negative. The realities of increasing operational costs, competition, and decreasing labor pools with HAL still finding the market sweet spot continue to work in HAL's favor.

 

Most of the negative recent changes do not materially intrude on the overall cruise experience, especially if one is travel and exploration oriented. If one wants more of an onboard entertainment experience, then HAL ships may not work. One needs to evaluate the critical comments from those two very different orientations.

 

Decide which one is most important for you: entertainment onboard or destination travel in relative comfort and figure out where in the sliding scale between those two opposites you are most comfortable, and then see how the "negative" comments about HAL will matter in your own assessment of what you read here.

 

Anyone who claims the "did not have a working toilet for 10 days", needs to be put into suspended credibility category until one finds out what exactly they meant by that sweeping and incredibly vague statement. Same with "we had no A/C for 10 days".

 

 

WELL SAID, OLS SALT! There sometimes needs to be a pound of salt available to be taken with some posted comments.

By the way, was just on the Zuiderdam.....outstanding cruise in the Panama Canal. Service is still top notch. Other changes people posted tend to be minor for us. Everyone is different and change is constant.

[momatibm]

It has been 2+ years since I have sailed on a HAL ship, not by choice, but they weren't going out of San Diego for awhile. I am booked on the Zuiderdam for a 24 day Northern Europe cruise - seems like there are a lot of negative comments on this site re. cut-backs in service, dining, on-board entertainment, on & on.

Can anyone give some positive feedback about something that has improved? I'd like to look forward to this cruise as much as possible & this would help. Thanks.

 

I have sailed a HAL ship starting in 1988, and every year since 2008. Every cruise has been enjoyable, interesting and most of all classic cruising. We've done the Caribbean(too many times to count, but all of it east, west, southern), a full panama canal crossing, multiple partials (saw portions of the new locks being built), went to Antarctica. Of course, things have changed, but we still keep coming back. I am looking forward to new itineraries, this year we are doing a b2b which includes both the New England/Canada coast and Bermuda.

All that being said, yes some things have changed. Are they all bad, I don't think so. I don't think I can pick anything 'bad out of the changes', other will disagree.

 

I firmly believe set you expectations, do not over 'dream', let the experience flow. Don't look for what's missing, enjoy what is there.

[momatibm]

I have sailed a HAL ship starting in 1988, and every year since 2008. Every cruise has been enjoyable, interesting and most of all classic cruising. We've done the Caribbean(too many times to count, but all of it east, west, southern), a full panama canal crossing, multiple partials (saw portions of the new locks being built), went to Antarctica. Of course, things have changed, but we still keep coming back. I am looking forward to new itineraries, this year we are doing a b2b which includes both the New England/Canada coast and Bermuda.

All that being said, yes some things have changed. Are they all bad, I don't think so. I don't think I can pick anything 'bad out of the changes', other will disagree.

 

I firmly believe set you expectations, do not over 'dream', let the experience flow. Don't look for what's missing, enjoy what is there.

All this being said -- I am disappointed in the change to Gala nights -- I love getting dressed up and will continue to do so.

[sevenseasnomad]

In the Signature Suites, the large screen TV on the wall behind the sofa is actually a plus in our book. Sure, you can't watch it from the sofa now but it frees up a lot of space on the counter top and where the DVD player used to fit, not to mention you now have two more power outlets available. On the minus side, we didn't get any personalized stationery this time. I don't know if it was just an oversight or a permanent cut-back.

 

We complained about this in the Neptune Lounge and were told that if we really wanted the stationery, it would be delivered to our suite. Since we weren't planning on writing to anyone, we felt it would have been a waste for us to request it. Of course, in hindsight, we could have brought it home. Oh, well.

[bay guy]

We haven't sailed with HAL for many years but are booked on a 63 day leg of the 2018 WC. However, having sailed on several other lines over the past 38 years, I can see that all companies have eliminated many amenities and events over time. In reality, most of what's been eliminated has been to reduce waste and costs. Did we really need the midnight buffets? Not really and most ships still have food available 24/7.

The thing that has struck me over the years is that the cost of a cruise has essentially remained about the same, depending on the line and cabin category you choose. The first cruise we took in 1979 cost us about $950 per person for an inside cabin. That's before taxes and gratuities. You can get a similar price today on most cruise lines mainly because they have these mega ships that they need to fill with paying passengers.

Yes, the sales and "nickel and dining" can get aggravating at times but, in reality, there is no way you can take a vacation today, that goes to different areas of the world, for the same price when you consider what it would cost for transportation, food and equivalent entertainment. So we'll put up with the sales and promotions so we can continue to explore the world in a comfortable safe manner.

[BJzink]

Thanks to all of you for your comforting replies. I have been on the Noordam, Zaandam & Veendam previously, and am looking forward to my Northern Europe cruise on the Zuiderdam, and fall on the Prinsendam, and Asian cruise on the Oosterdam next spring. Just wanted to hear some positive experiences. And - I went on a reunion cruise last fall on Royal Caribbean - was concerned that HAL had perhaps fallen to that level.

[rafinmd]

Thanks to all of you for your comforting replies. I have been on the Noordam, Zaandam & Veendam previously, and am looking forward to my Northern Europe cruise on the Zuiderdam, and fall on the Prinsendam, and Asian cruise on the Oosterdam next spring. Just wanted to hear some positive experiences. And - I went on a reunion cruise last fall on Royal Caribbean - was concerned that HAL had perhaps fallen to that level.

 

I've had 2 great HAL cruises this spring (Koningsdam and Zaandam) but the Prinsendam remains my favorite non-Crystal ship (and that's after sailing both Silversea and Seabourn). Enjoy all your cruise, but especially that one.

 

Roy