Times are a changing

[Ken the cruiser]

In the last 4 years we have traveled on HAL cruises 9 times, to include the 14 day Alaska voyage to Anchorage on the Amsterdam we're on right now. However, we may be jumping ship after our Antarctica cruise next year as HAL's rebranding strategy definitely is not in sync with what we enjoy when cruising. Here's what we found out on the cruise we're on right now.

 

The cruise director's response to our daughter's request for karaoke was that HAL wants the passengers to focus more on what to do off the ship rather than on the ship. In others words as they only have a cruise director and one assistant now, they only have time to offer trivia at various times around the ship. If you want "cheesy" entertainment like karaoke or game shows, look elsewhere as there were no such offerings so far on this 14 day Alaska cruise.

 

Forget about having a naturalist speak on one of their Alaskan cruises, even a 14 day one like we're on. The best you're going to get is a person from excursions read from a script when sailing by a glacier.

 

We stopped by the future cruise desk to confirm the rumor that HAL is only going to have lecturers on cruises over 15 days and were told "it depends". If you are on a 15+ day cruise on the Prinsendam in Northern Europe or cruising through the Panama Canal or around Antarctica, the answer is yes; otherwise probably not.

 

We're really not complaining, but just wanted to let folks know what we found out. It will be interesting to see what they actually offer on the Antarctica cruise we're booked on in January.

 

But as you can tell from our future cruises booked below, HAL is definitely not our "go to" cruise line anymore. It's sad too as we just made 4 star and love the free laundry and the other perks you get at that level. But we feel if we're going to be on a 25-35 day cruise, there should be a lot more things to do than play trivia, watch evening shows and go to the bar and listen to piano players.

 

But that's ok. After 9 cruises on HAL in 5 years, maybe it is time for a change, especially when an Oceania veranda cabin is roughly the same price as a HAL vista suite.

 

 

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[bUU]

I hear Seabourn is nice.

 

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

[Krazy Kruizers]

We did your cruise a couple of times -- on the Amsteram.

Yes -- times are changing -- and we have noticed the differences on various ships the last couple of years.

Many cut backs.

Hope you enjoy your cruises on other lines.

[EDLOS]

In the last 4 years we have traveled on HAL cruises 9 times, to include the 14 day Alaska voyage to Anchorage on the Amsterdam we're on right now. However, we may be jumping ship after our Antarctica cruise next year as HAL's rebranding strategy definitely is not in sync with what we enjoy when cruising. Here's what we found out on the cruise we're on right now.

 

The cruise director's response to our daughter's request for karaoke was that HAL wants the passengers to focus more on what to do off the ship rather than on the ship. In others words as they only have a cruise director and one assistant now, they only have time to offer trivia at various times around the ship. If you want "cheesy" entertainment like karaoke or game shows, look elsewhere as there were no such offerings so far on this 14 day Alaska cruise.

 

Forget about having a naturalist speak on one of their Alaskan cruises, even a 14 day one like we're on. The best you're going to get is a person from excursions read from a script when sailing by a glacier.

 

We stopped by the future cruise desk to confirm the rumor that HAL is only going to have lecturers on cruises over 15 days and were told "it depends". If you are on a 15+ day cruise on the Prinsendam in Northern Europe or cruising through the Panama Canal or around Antarctica, the answer is yes; otherwise probably not.

 

We're really not complaining, but just wanted to let folks know what we found out. It will be interesting to see what they actually offer on the Antarctica cruise we're booked on in January.

 

But as you can tell from our future cruises booked below, HAL is definitely not our "go to" cruise line anymore. It's sad too as we just made 4 star and love the free laundry and the other perks you get at that level. But we feel if we're going to be on a 25-35 day cruise, there should be a lot more things to do than play trivia, watch evening shows and go to the bar and listen to piano players.

 

But that's ok. After 9 cruises on HAL in 5 years, maybe it is time for a change, especially when an Oceania veranda cabin is roughly the same price as a HAL vista suite.

 

 

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On other posting sites on this venue, I was chided about my observation that so called Enrichment Programs were canned presentations by shore excursion staff on board as of late and I was assured that on Trans Pacific crossings this would not be the case. Maybe that was true in the past but going forward, I am very leery as HAL continues to cut back. Yes, also I noticed that there are no more silly, but fun activities like Putting Contests.

[Stratheden]

Sadly I think all this extra partnering that HAL is getting involved in means that there is going to be a lot of selling going on whilst onboard.

 

We cruise for the ports, love to get off and wander by ourselves, maybe take one or two excursions over a 3 week cruise. We also enjoy the peace and quiet of the ship. We can chat to other passengers, read, walk the deck and of course, eat. :')

 

We can ignore the sales pitches. Never been to an art auction, never had a photo taken, so won't make much difference to us.

 

I do feel for those who enjoy the activities. They have progressively decreased in number and in value over the years.

[sandbag7]

Too bad about the naturalist; they should definitely have one for a 2 week Alaskan cruise; I hope we will have one for our 17 day Australia/New Zealand cruise.

Hope you find what you are looking for on Oceania; I've enjoyed our cruises on them but they are not exactly known for Karaoke, games, or entertainment as a whole; good library though.

[canadianbear]

I agree. We have two more HAL cruises booked but after that we aren't sure what we will do.

 

 

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[Dunelm]

I am sorry to hear about your cruise, and am surprised. Have just returned from seven day Alaska cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam. A park ranger boarded the ship, gave talks all the time we did Glacier Bay, and gave super talk in showroom. There was also a talk by a native Alaskan that was fascinating. Sorry you did not have this experience.

[Copper10-8]

Too bad about the naturalist; they should definitely have one for a 2 week Alaskan cruise; I hope we will have one for our 17 day Australia/New Zealand cruise.

.........................................

 

Amsterdam actually had a naturalist by the name of Rachel Liebman on board from the start of her (the ship's) Alaska season on 15 May until 19 June 17 when she went home. Rachel did the talks in Tracy/Endicott Arm and at Hubbard Glacier. Doesn't sound like another naturalist replaced her from what the OP is saying

[Copper10-8]

I am sorry to hear about your cruise, and am surprised. Have just returned from seven day Alaska cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam. A park ranger boarded the ship, gave talks all the time we did Glacier Bay, and gave super talk in showroom. There was also a talk by a native Alaskan that was fascinating. Sorry you did not have this experience.

 

Those National Park Service Rangers (usually two), plus a naturalist/wildlife"watcher" plus a Native American/Tlingit speaker come on board via the park ranger boat 'Serac' at Bartlett Cove for those ships that go into Glacier Bay National Park. They disembark the same way when the ship ends up back at Bartlett Cove later in the day

[easyboy]

I understand your concerns. I guess cutbacks could be the reason, as others have suggested. Thank you for your feedback,

[Sundagger]

In the last 4 years we have traveled on HAL cruises 9 times, to include the 14 day Alaska voyage to Anchorage on the Amsterdam we're on right now. However, we may be jumping ship after our Antarctica cruise next year as HAL's rebranding strategy definitely is not in sync with what we enjoy when cruising. Here's what we found out on the cruise we're on right now.

 

The cruise director's response to our daughter's request for karaoke was that HAL wants the passengers to focus more on what to do off the ship rather than on the ship. In others words as they only have a cruise director and one assistant now, they only have time to offer trivia at various times around the ship. If you want "cheesy" entertainment like karaoke or game shows, look elsewhere as there were no such offerings so far on this 14 day Alaska cruise.

 

Forget about having a naturalist speak on one of their Alaskan cruises, even a 14 day one like we're on. The best you're going to get is a person from excursions read from a script when sailing by a glacier.

 

We stopped by the future cruise desk to confirm the rumor that HAL is only going to have lecturers on cruises over 15 days and were told "it depends". If you are on a 15+ day cruise on the Prinsendam in Northern Europe or cruising through the Panama Canal or around Antarctica, the answer is yes; otherwise probably not.

 

We're really not complaining, but just wanted to let folks know what we found out. It will be interesting to see what they actually offer on the Antarctica cruise we're booked on in January.

 

But as you can tell from our future cruises booked below, HAL is definitely not our "go to" cruise line anymore. It's sad too as we just made 4 star and love the free laundry and the other perks you get at that level. But we feel if we're going to be on a 25-35 day cruise, there should be a lot more things to do than play trivia, watch evening shows and go to the bar and listen to piano players.

 

But that's ok. After 9 cruises on HAL in 5 years, maybe it is time for a change, especially when an Oceania veranda cabin is roughly the same price as a HAL vista suite.

 

 

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So Celebrity, Oceania, and Crystal have karaoke and game shows? What other sorts of entertainment do they provide that HAL doesn't? I'm not really familiar with those lines.

[blizzardboy]

I think you should put your concerns in a letter to Mr. Ashford. Leaving with an "exit interview" will do more than just leaving.

[bUU]

Sadly I think all this extra partnering that HAL is getting involved in means that there is going to be a lot of selling going on whilst onboard.

That makes sense. Already competitors like Royal Caribbean are heading down that path. Increasing retail sales on board can help justify keeping inflationary price increases smaller than they would have been otherwise, thereby making the base fare appear more attractive to more vacationers. And with baggage fees and such we've already seen the airlines capitalize on the budget traveler's penchant for rewarding fares that are lower than competitor's even if basic research would show that the bottom-line is greater due to fees and such. This "unbundling" is perhaps the most important trend in travel and hospitality, and it would be strange for a mass market cruise line to ignore it.

 

We can ignore the sales pitches. Never been to an art auction, never had a photo taken, so won't make much difference to us.

The way folks on Royal Caribbean have described it, it evolved into retail tables and kiosks in many public spaces. That's the most significant impact (other than the lower fare increases).

[ski ww]

I have noticed that the cruise director is not around much. On previous cruises he was more noticeable out & about on deck. We did the Alaska on the NA 1 Jul and normally he would introduce the show in the evening and after the show thank the cast members & also what else was going on around the ship. Some nights he was there other nights not to be seen. I don't remember seeing him around the ship at all.

Allan

[ksqueak]

I am sorry to hear about your cruise, and am surprised. Have just returned from seven day Alaska cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam. A park ranger boarded the ship, gave talks all the time we did Glacier Bay, and gave super talk in showroom. There was also a talk by a native Alaskan that was fascinating. Sorry you did not have this experience.

 

 

I was on the Zaandam in Alaska early June and we too had park rangers and a native Tlinglit come on board. Wish you could have enjoyed this, they were good.

[tutumomickey]

On the Osterdam for Alaska this June we had a naturalist on board the whole cruise.Gave lectures and hosted wildlife 'watches' on deck. Were we just lucky?

[iancal]

I think that the changes on HAL reflect industry trends in the mass market.

 

We have not been unhappy to see less of the cruise directors. We have generally found them to be an irritant and one of the major contributors to noise pollution (and bad jokes). We don't bother with trivia or the other on board cruiser participation activities so we cannot comment. Bingo and art auctions are always there but we have no issue in completely ignoring them. We have not seen any difference in the levels of retail or services sell on Princess, RCI, Celebrity, etc. They all seem to be at it with everything from wine packages to those $10 jumbo sales and the half price clothing from their last itinerary.

 

We have seen a decline on onboard talks, at least good ones. Two of the best have been on our most recent cruise. We had a park ranger for a full day sailing through Milford Sound on RCI. We both agree that his narrative was the very best that we have ever had. It lasted for the entire day.

 

This past Feb Princess had an commentator who was excellent. He was on the SA cruise for it's entirety. He made himself available periodically to discuss port ideas as well as post cruise options. He provided us with the knowledge and the directions to do several port stops on our own, and with private guides. We were able to avoid the outrageously priced ships excursions.

 

We have not been on a Celebrity ship for two plus years but we have no doubt that they are going down the same path. Cannot ever remember having one on our NCL cruises. Not certain what is influencing our travel decisions but this is the first time in a long time that neither of us has had a specific cruise itinerary at the top our respective bucket lists. Perhaps the changes in the industry have impacted this or it could be that we are no longer constrained by work schedules.

Edited July 26, 2017 by iancal

[esimon]

I get a kick out people who 'aren't complaining' and only want to warns us -- Times have changed -- to get all the things you are missing WE will have to pay more. Sorry your daughter didn't get karaoke I hear Carnival is fun. Enjoy the other lines.

[ChucktownSteve]

OP, you'll enjoy Oceania if you like good food. I don't believe you'll find Karaoke though. Celebrity has had it in the past but with their rapid race to be just like RCL, I can't say they'll continue the activity since they've been cutting back a lot. Especially in the MDR and buffet.

 

Ironically, I've never sailed HAL but just booked a cruise yesterday after sailing Celebrity since 2010. You can have my cabin. :p

[mame42]

Having acquired 200+ days on Hal in a relatively short time, I can truthfully say that I have only met a Cruise Director once, and then because he was an invited guest at a dinner where I was also a guest. I could not care less.

 

I do not do games, trivia, or shows; give me a glass or two of wine and good conversation in the evening, and my entertainment is complete. I do my own research for my destinations.

 

At this time HAL gets me where I want to go with enough palatable food to fuel my explorations at a price I can afford in a cabin I can live in for an extended period of time.

 

Good enough for me.

[ICUQT]

Yes, times are changing but it is industry wide as others have stated .I have no complaints about HAL. No Axe to grind. I found myself thinking as the OP a couple of years back and decided I just needed a break from HA. Did not want to leave my comfort level with HA but took the leap. Been on a couple of different lines in the past two years and I (wife included) have survived. Yes, the ships are bigger and the demographics are different and that's OK with us. Sometimes change is what's needed. For me it has worked out. I appreciate cruising and find it more enjoyable and that's the outcome I was looking for with "change". I was working on my 5th star but that isn't important to me anymore. What matters most is the excitement of new adventures and good itineraries. Good times.

 

bob

[Old As Dirt Mom]

On the Osterdam for Alaska this June we had a naturalist on board the whole cruise.Gave lectures and hosted wildlife 'watches' on deck. Were we just lucky?

 

We also had a naturalist onboard the Eurodam throughout our Alaskan cruise in May.

[sailingskyward]

Reading this makes me wonder if all the lines are basically becoming the same product. For several years, I thought I'd only sail on HAL, but their refusal to waive the single supplement (even on departures inside of 30 days) pushed me this summer to NCL. Honestly it wasn't that bad. Sure, the demographics were different and there was a lot more nickel-and-diming, but I could live with it when I wasn't paying a 100% single supplement. This autumn I'll try Silversea for the first time, and it will be interesting to see if I step off the ship feeling it is worth the premium.

 

One note: sometimes I see fares on HAL when booking far in advance which offer only a 60% single supplement. However in almost all cases, the price later dropped inside of final payment window, and then with the 100% single supplement it ends up costing the exact same amount of money as the early booking with 60% single supplement.

 

Let's hope HAL continues to offer a relaxed and genteel cruising experience.

[BarbarianPaul]

We board the Zaandaam on Jan 28 for Antarctica, and can only say that they better have some great lecturers for such a "nature" oriented itinerary. It will be our first time with the line.

We sailed across the Bering Sea on the Celebrity Millenium in May, and they had multiple lecturers, all of whom were quite good. That's part of the reason we took the cruise.

A shame about HAL's lack of some fun, goofy game shows and contests and such. They're fun too!

 

 

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