What has happened to the quality of the on board activities / shipboard experience

[OlsSalt]

 

Our next sailing is the Voyage of the Vikings, 38 days, and I am beginning to be concerned as to what might be available during the day.

 

Our next booking is the Voyage of the Vikings.

 

Excellent enrichment offerings on VOV last year. "Breathless" Barbara was an acquired taste at first for her independent port lectures and commentary but she was superb in her research and information. A real moment came when we had to miss Halifax due to high winds and a call went out to the onboard lecturers to come up with additional topics to fill the day - Barbara came through perfectly. It was a great cruise - do not worry one bit. Unless she is not along this next time.

 

Cruise Director was brand new to this special cruise, so he did not play more than a back ground role, but overall it was a very fulsome cruise overall. Keep your fingers crossed now that the Prince Christian Sound is ice-free both ways - absolutely stunning.

[Copper10-8]

Excellent enrichment offerings on VOV last year. "Breathless" Barbara was an acquired taste at first for her independent port lectures and commentary but she was superb in her research and information. A real moment came when we had to miss Halifax due to high winds and a call went out to the onboard lecturers to come up with additional topics to fill the day - Barbara came through perfectly. It was a great cruise - do not worry one bit. Unless she is not along this next time.

 

Cruise Director was brand new to this special cruise, so he did not play more than a back ground role, but overall it was a very fulsome cruise overall. Keep your fingers crossed now that the Prince Christian Sound is ice-free both ways - absolutely stunning.

 

Are you referring to Location Guide Barbara Haenni, aka the Pirate Mum?

[doone]

Crunchii, not looking for noisy things... just something interesting to do during sea days. Interesting lectures, maybe some trivia, maybe some golf/putting/chipping...

 

I couldn't agree more, I love HAL, I love their itineraries, their ships and also the biggest reason I sail HAL is their Phillipino and Indonesian crews, they are the best.

 

I still say HAL could do alot better with their entertainment during sea days and please not only the ones who want a little more to do but also keep the ones who don't happy but won't spend the money to do so. Many years ago when I first started sailing HAL, they had the perfect balance of onboard entertainment which set them apart from the other cruise lines, now they are no better than other lines and in some respects not as good.

 

I will continue to sail HAL as I feel you get a good bang for your buck, but will always hope they put the steel drums back to the aft pool....one can hope.

[Hlitner]

Excellent enrichment offerings on VOV last year. "Breathless" Barbara was an acquired taste at first for her independent port lectures and commentary but she was superb in her research and information. A real moment came when we had to miss Halifax due to high winds and a call went out to the onboard lecturers to come up with additional topics to fill the day - Barbara came through perfectly. It was a great cruise - do not worry one bit. Unless she is not along this next time.

 

Cruise Director was brand new to this special cruise, so he did not play more than a back ground role, but overall it was a very fulsome cruise overall. Keep your fingers crossed now that the Prince Christian Sound is ice-free both ways - absolutely stunning.

 

We agree that "Barbara was an acquired taste" and we never did acquire that taste even though we did attend most of her lectures. As independent travelers (we seldom took tours) Barbara just did not give us enough practical info. But we sure did learn a lot about flags (a personal passion of Barbara's). Like you we thought it was a great cruise (especially the scenic cruise past Greenland via Prince Christian Sound). The sad thing was that HAL would put a ship in such poor condition on such a special voyage where they charge top dollar. On the other hand, the ole Rotterdam did get us to the ports on time.

 

We also enjoyed the BB King group on that ship...but sadly they will never be seen on another Rotterdam cruise. And then there was Barry from Boston (we closed the bar on most nights) who will be back again for the 2018 VOV.

 

Hank

[Stratheden]

Thanks everybody for all of the comments in response to my original post.

 

I carefully read all of the responses on this thread. I also called Holland America Ship Services to get their point of view. I guess that my sense that there was less going on for activities on the ship was accurate. The Hawaii Circle cruise has many sea days... we don't want to be bored.

 

We made the decision to book our Hawaii cruise with Princess. We last cruised on Princess about 10 months ago and really enjoyed the entire experience. At this point, this makes the most sense for us, even though Holland America has been our favorite for the past 20 years. It is too bad that all the cutbacks on Holland America are driving us away but when it comes right down to it, in a free market, there are always choices..

 

Will we come back to Holland America again sometime? Probably but it won't be for a while... they have lost my business for the near term...

You should write to Mr Ashford and let him know that you did not book with HAL and tell him why. Things will never change unless we all let them know.

[OlsSalt]

We agree that "Barbara was an acquired taste" and we never did acquire that taste even though we did attend most of her lectures. As independent travelers (we seldom took tours) Barbara just did not give us enough practical info. But we sure did learn a lot about flags (a personal passion of Barbara's). Like you we thought it was a great cruise (especially the scenic cruise past Greenland via Prince Christian Sound). The sad thing was that HAL would put a ship in such poor condition on such a special voyage where they charge top dollar. On the other hand, the ole Rotterdam did get us to the ports on time.

 

We also enjoyed the BB King group on that ship...but sadly they will never be seen on another Rotterdam cruise. And then there was Barry from Boston (we closed the bar on most nights) who will be back again for the 2018 VOV.

 

Hank

 

I am sorry the condition of the ship made you sad. We have been around this topic before. We thought she was in fine shape, and things can happen on every ship, including buckets in the public rooms collecting situational condensation.

 

The itinerary is worth the top dollar. The additional challenge of having to helicopter over Prince Christian sound to view the current state of the ice bergs must have added extra costs too. We were lucky we were good to go at least one and half times through the Sound, due to this extra effort. (and cost)

 

And the good thing is most ports were so small, they were very easy to do on one's own - just get off the ship and go. And find Norwegian pancakes wherever possible was always our goal. There was so little tourism infrastructure in many them anyway - they were just what they were. It was a glorious cruise.

[kazu]

I am sorry the condition of the ship made you sad. We have been around this topic before. We thought she was in fine shape, and things can happen on every ship, including buckets in the public rooms collecting situational condensation.

 

The itinerary is worth the top dollar. The additional challenge of having to helicopter over Prince Christian sound to view the current state of the ice bergs must have added extra costs too. We were lucky we were good to go at least one and half times through the Sound, due to this extra effort. (and cost)

 

And the good thing is most ports were so small, they were very easy to do on one's own - just get off the ship and go. And find Norwegian pancakes wherever possible was always our goal. There was so little tourism infrastructure in many them anyway - they were just what they were. It was a glorious cruise.

 

Seriously? Someone reports issues on a ship and you still say it was worth top dollar????

 

Seriously?? Sure the itinerary is nice but if you don't have a nice ship to get you there it can be the cruise from H. I was on one of those and I wouldn't want to repeat it ever. (And it wasn't a HAL cruise)

 

We had a great cruise on the Rotterdam, really good, but before Hank's and your's but, if we had issues, itinerary or not, I would not be a happy camper.

 

We all deserve decent A/C, decent plumbing, etc.

 

I do think the Rotterdam is a lovely ship and love her art, layout, etc., but things also have to work properly on board.

[navybankerteacher]

Seriously? Someone reports issues on a ship and you still say it was worth top dollar????

 

Seriously??

 

...

/quote]

 

Unless reported "issues" overwhelm the good points, a cruise can of course be worth top dollar. I have never had a cruise without there being some "issues", and my least enjoyable cruise had no significant identifiable ship "issues" - my problem was with the passenger mix.

[KroozNut]

That was posted by someone else.

 

Okay... then I disagree with the author of that post.

[KroozNut]

Sometimes there's a need to be frank and honest with someone and the conversation may not meet everyone's definition of "nice". Everything isn't always unicorns and rainbows.

 

Roz

 

(y)(y)

[KroozNut]

I will continue to sail HAL as I feel you get a good bang for your buck, but will always hope they put the steel drums back to the aft pool....one can hope.

 

Frankly, I'd be happy with simply a little upbeat activity (i.e., live music or something) at sailaway; just to help get everyone excited and in a great mood at the beginning of their cruise. Instead of what they have now... people just milling about having a drink and/or watching the departure port fade into the distance.

[Roz]

Sailaway used to be a big deal. Not anymore. Sad....

 

Roz

 

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[Sea girl 23]

So did a lot of other things..which aren't coming back:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[taxmantoo]

Frankly, I'd be happy with simply a little upbeat activity (i.e., live music or something) at sailaway; just to help get everyone excited and in a great mood at the beginning of their cruise. Instead of what they have now... people just milling about having a drink and/or watching the departure port fade into the distance.

That would indeed be nice :)

[Hlitner]

I am sorry the condition of the ship made you sad. We have been around this topic before. We thought she was in fine shape, and things can happen on every ship, including buckets in the public rooms collecting situational condensation.

 

The itinerary is worth the top dollar. The additional challenge of having to helicopter over Prince Christian sound to view the current state of the ice bergs must have added extra costs too. We were lucky we were good to go at least one and half times through the Sound, due to this extra effort. (and cost)

 

And the good thing is most ports were so small, they were very easy to do on one's own - just get off the ship and go. And find Norwegian pancakes wherever possible was always our goal. There was so little tourism infrastructure in many them anyway - they were just what they were. It was a glorious cruise.

 

"Situational condensation" is one of the funniest spins I have ever heard! Did you consider 8 large buckets in the Lido, capturing a steady flow of water...."situational condensation." I would add that we have cruised on more then 65 different vessels and this was the first time we saw buckets used (in multiple places around the ship) to capture "situational condensation." And then there was the large leak pushing up from under the deck at the aft bird bath (previously a swimming pool). Most cruise lines repair those kind of things quite quickly (often within a day) but HAL has this innovative program known as "deferred maintenance" which makes as much sense as "situational condensation." :).

 

But despite these (and other) issues it was a fabulous cruise with a terrific crew, amazing itinerary, and a great bunch of passengers. By the way, one of those passengers was the wife of CCL's President and CEO (Arnold Donald). Wonder if she also called it "situational condensation."

 

Hank

[OlsSalt]

"Situational condensation" is one of the funniest spins I have ever heard! Did you consider 8 large buckets in the Lido, capturing a steady flow of water...."situational condensation." I would add that we have cruised on more then 65 different vessels and this was the first time we saw buckets used (in multiple places around the ship) to capture "situational condensation." And then there was the large leak pushing up from under the deck at the aft bird bath (previously a swimming pool). Most cruise lines repair those kind of things quite quickly (often within a day) but HAL has this innovative program known as "deferred maintenance" which makes as much sense as "situational condensation." :).

 

But despite these (and other) issues it was a fabulous cruise with a terrific crew, amazing itinerary, and a great bunch of passengers. By the way, one of those passengers was the wife of CCL's President and CEO (Arnold Donald). Wonder if she also called it "situational condensation."

Hank

 

Somehow I missed 8 buckets in the Lido capturing a steady flow of water while on that same cruise. I did not notice the aft deck getting pushed up at all. From time to time I have seen occasional buckets out on many HAL ships. They are there for a short while, a notice sign is put out, and then they are gone later. The difference is while this makes you sad, my reaction is more indifferent. This gets filed under "ship happens" to me .

 

I also hope one day you will share the ship maintenance schedules with us, so we too can become experts about all things mechanical that are ongoing or "deferred" actions on all the HAL ships.

 

If it makes you feel better we had a leak once in our cabin ceiling, and it was explained to be a "situational residual drainage" from a test of the fire sprinkler system. stopped and that was that. So I am okay with their explanation there can be "situational condensation" that collects and drips on any given ship at any given time.

 

There was a note in the CCL 2017 Annual report that some ships created more maintenance issues than worth repairing, but they named no names. Just reported this as part of the "consolidated" analysis they do on all their inventory.

[Lizzie68]

I observed some of that "situational condensation" on the Zuiderdam once.:D:D:D It basically took out several badly needed tables and chairs because the buckets took up the room. We called it leaks. Much less interesting, I know.

Thanks for the laugh.

[Lizzie68]

Frankly, I'd be happy with simply a little upbeat activity (i.e., live music or something) at sailaway; just to help get everyone excited and in a great mood at the beginning of their cruise. Instead of what they have now... people just milling about having a drink and/or watching the departure port fade into the distance.

 

That's how it used to be and it was exciting and got the cruise off to a great start. Surely it couldn't have cost that much - we hear it all the time on other ships leaving FLL.

[Aquahound]

Sailaway used to be a big deal. Not anymore. Sad....

 

It may have been a big deal at one time but now, it's not a deal at all. Nothing. Maybe it's because I sail multiple lines but whenever I sail HAL, I always feel odd at sailaway because that positive vibe from the steel drums....or any musical instrument for that matter...is not there. Like someone else said, it's just people milling about.

[OlsSalt]

I observed some of that "situational condensation" on the Zuiderdam once.:D:D:D It basically took out several badly needed tables and chairs because the buckets took up the room. We called it leaks. Much less interesting, I know.

Thanks for the laugh.

 

The story I got about the "situational condensation". it that it can come from the sliding glass dome - which is a pretty big area and happens when indoor and outdoor temperatures collide - therefore it runs off somewhere inside the system which happens to be the Lido deck. As a leak, a gusher, a deal-killer, a condemnation notice for health and safety violations, or as .... situational condensation.

 

Reactions to this can vary as well. Including willingness to believe the story and move on, or all out incredulity with demands for reimbursements due to shoddy ship maintenance. On the other hand, there are plenty of times when pipes do break and there are genuine flooding issues. Or get clogged. We really all do need to see Hiltner's maintenance schedule charts so we can all tell how HAL is in fact short-changing us.

[kazu]

I observed some of that "situational condensation" on the Zuiderdam once.:D:D:D It basically took out several badly needed tables and chairs because the buckets took up the room. We called it leaks. Much less interesting, I know.

Thanks for the laugh.

 

Call it "situational condensation", 'artifical condensation" or "fake news" - it makes no difference to me. I call them leaks, like you.

 

The story I got about the "situational condensation". it that it can come from the sliding glass dome - which is a pretty big area and happens when indoor and outdoor temperatures collide - therefore it runs off somewhere inside the system which happens to be the Lido deck. As a leak, a gusher, a deal-killer, a condemnation notice for health and safety violations, or as .... situational condensation.

 

Reactions to this can vary as well. Including willingness to believe the story and move on, or all out incredulity with demands for reimbursements due to shoddy ship maintenance. On the other hand, there are plenty of times when pipes do break and there are genuine flooding issues. Or get clogged. We really all do need to see Hiltner's maintenance schedule charts so we can all tell how HAL is in fact short-changing us.

 

the horse is dead. Please don't beat it any more. ;)

[KroozNut]

my least enjoyable cruise had no significant identifiable ship "issues" - my problem was with the passenger mix.

 

Can you elaborate a bit on what the issue was with the 'passenger mix'.. very curious..

[KroozNut]

HAL has this innovative program known as "deferred maintenance"

 

The concept and practice of deferring maintenance is nothing new (has been around for decades), and is certainly not unique to HAL.

 

It is a common practice used on both civilian and military vessels, and is simply a matter of prioritizing known maintenance issues. Documented maintenance requirements will often be deferred to allow for more urgent repairs to be accomplished with the (usually) limited staff available to do them.

 

During my 24 years in the US Navy, deferring required maintenance happened all the time, depending on what was most important to get accomplished at any given time.

[KroozNut]

Sailaway used to be a big deal. Not anymore. Sad....

 

Roz

 

It is still a big deal on other lines, and they treat it that way. Wish HAL did..

[DaveOKC]

On our Dec, 2017 Hawaii cruise the activities were very good for the 5 days to Hawaii, mostly centered about Hawaii of course. However, the 5 days returning had very few activities.

 

Wake up HAL, you know people are traveling BOTH WAYS on this cruise!