Do you Like the direction..

[RuthC]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

It was the Westy and quite a few years ago.  Since you asked I looked at my data base and it was in early Dec 2012 :). 

Since you admit what you post constantly is a gross exaggeration, then, it is long past time to stop posting about the 'Glenn Miller music' you hear on HAL. 

[Hlitner]

17 minutes ago, RuthC said:

Since you admit what you post constantly is a gross exaggeration, then, it is long past time to stop posting about the 'Glenn Miller music' you hear on HAL. 

You have a point.  On the New HAL we would likely hear no live music!

 

Hank

[iancal]

It would not surprise me if HAL migrated their entertainment options solely to user pay jukeboxes and user pay movies.

[HappyInVan]

15 hours ago, Roz said:

I'm very intrigued with Celebrity's Edge.  I've read all the hype and reviews, and it's a mixed bag of reactions.  My last cruise with HAL left me shaking my head.  I'm looking for something new.  I just did a quick fare check on 3 ships leaving Ft. Lauderdale on Dec. 1, all 7-day itineraries.  Fares are for the lowest category inside cabin.

 

Edge - $899

Nieuw Statendam - $449

Veendam - $399

 

 

 

 

Says it all! Celebrity can charge more because passengers are willing to pay more. The customer is always right.

 

 

Reminder: Always blame management. Never blame the customer.

[Roz]

6 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

 

 

Says it all! Celebrity can charge more because passengers are willing to pay more. The customer is always right.

 

 

Reminder: Always blame management. Never blame the customer.

 

I wasn't blaming anyone, just pointing out the difference in fares.

[HappyInVan]

On 9/26/2019 at 6:18 PM, ronbe65 said:

From HAL website:

About the Nieuw Amsterdam

The second of our Signature-class ships, ms Nieuw Amsterdam celebrates historic New York City, once called Nieuw Amsterdam, with its inspired design and an art collection valued at more than $3 million. While on board enjoy cooking classes and hands-on workshops from America’s Test Kitchen. Hone your video-editing skills at a Digital Workshop powered by Windows®. Dine in your choice of specialty restaurants. Or rejuvenate in the Greenhouse Spa & Salon.

 

Is it all that they are able to say about the most comfortable and spacious cruise ship at sea?

Probably they will argue with me on this matter!

Helplessness, incompetence.

 

They don't know their ships. They don't love their ship. 

 

"Can the current management build a distinctive brand?"

 

Happy cruising!

 

 

Ouch!

 

Looks like a lot of cruise companies are chasing the money. How many new millionaires and billionaires in the last decade? Meanwhile, HAL is controlling costs.

 

Over at the MSC forum, everything is calm. No dust ups over fixed versus open dining. No trolling against the senior cruisers. Newcomers versus old.

 

Questions about the Yacht Club are answered promptly and usefully. No drama here. No demonstrations against the luxury passengers.

 

FYI, Arnold Donald spent 23 years at Monsanto. Orlando was a coach to management. Christine Duffy was President of a corporate meeting company and of the Cruise Lines Industry Association.

 

https://carnival-news.com/about-3/executive-bios/christine-duffy/

 

 

Meanwhile, Stein Kruse is not being promoted to corporate HQ. He's the head of the new Holland America Group (includes Princess and P&O?). Not a good sign when a middle management level has been added.

 

Reminder: Always blame management. Never blame the customers.

 

 

237

 

[Copper10-8]

26 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

 

 

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

Meanwhile, Stein Kruse is not being promoted to corporate HQ. He's the head of the new Holland America Group (includes Princess and P&O?). Not a good sign when a middle management level has been added.

 

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

 

 

Just a heads up; the HAL Group (Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, P&O Australia and Seabourn Cruise Line - not incl. P&O) is not new anymore. It went into effect on Dec 1, 2013 with former HAL CEO/President Stein Kruse at the top

[tkwbear]

On 9/14/2019 at 12:17 AM, Donald said:

Arnold Donald is currently the head of the Carnival Corp Board of Directors.

Orlando Ashford was his room-mate in college.

That's all you need to know.

Ashford got both of his degrees from Purdue. I don't see that school on Donald's resume. No, I am not a fan of Ashford.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/23/carnival-ceo-went-from-poverty-to-running-48-billion-company.html

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/oashford/

[tkwbear]

On 9/17/2019 at 10:26 AM, fatcat04 said:

No. The move towards sterilizing everything into some generic product and removing everything that doesn't turn a buck is making the Holland America product look not only cheap but bland in an already crowded market.

 

To their proposed end, other than price point, why choose HAL? When you finally strip it of it's charm, it's elegance, and everything else that made it unique, it just comes down to bucks and that is what Mr. Ashford seems intent on doing.  Do they really want to be the Aldi of the cruise world? I love Aldi but I often pay more for the better quality, superior customer service, and overall experience of Publix. With vacation bucks, this becomes even more important. 

 

This is a good analogy. I went to Aldi once, never again. Orlando is turning HAL into Aldi.

 

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, tkwbear said:

Arnold Donald is currently the head of the Carnival Corp Board of Directors.

 

Unless there has been a very recent change, this information is incorrect.  Micky Arison remains the Chairman of Carnival Corporation's Board of Directors.  Please correct me if I am mistaken.

[cowmilker]

1 hour ago, tkwbear said:

. I went to Aldi once, never again.

 

LOL  I shop there once a week and resist going anywhere else ever.  Sometimes I just have to because Aldi doesn't have everything all the time, but I really don't like it. Aldi is small. I go in, get my stuff and get out. I don't have to choose between 14 different kinds of ketchup or sixteen varieties of olives.

And the bill is a fraction of what it would be anywhere else.

We're considering moving and the first question my husband had was "Do they have an Aldi there?"  🙂

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

Just a heads up; the HAL Group (Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, P&O Australia and Seabourn Cruise Line - not incl. P&O) is not new anymore. It went into effect on Dec 1, 2013 with former HAL CEO/President Stein Kruse at the top

 

True, but I wonder why Mr. Kruse has not been further elevated in the corporate structure.  Kirk Lanterman served on the Board of Directors for CCL.  Wasn't there a Princess Cruises Senior Executive who also was on the Board for awhile?  

[Copper10-8]

10 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Unless there has been a very recent change, this information is incorrect.  Micky Arison remains the Chairman of Carnival Corporation's Board of Directors.  Please correct me if I am mistaken.

 

 

Micky is Chairman of the board of Carnival Corp. while Arnold is President & CEO, a position previously also held by Micky. Both are on the board of directors

Edited September 29, 2019 by Copper10-8

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, Hlitner said:

It sounds like you have done your homework :). 

 

I am trying to do so.  I keep learning.

20 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I was a bit disappointed in the wines that were poured (booze is included for YC folks) and got very annoyed one evening when our waiter suggested Robert Mondavi Woodbridge.  I told him that it was cheap garbage wine (drinkable but not particularly good) and he quickly returned with some better Italian wine offerings.

 

I recall you posting that on another thread.  Your experience is in my memory bank.

20 hours ago, Hlitner said:

In the evening we rotated ever other night between a piano bar player/singer and the other night we had a pair of violinists.  It was low key, very classy, and usually very empty :(.  Most in the YC preferred to go out to the main part of the ship where we had an excellent rock band, country group, etc.   DW and I spent nearly every night with the small rock group (the guitar player could do Hotel California nearly as good as the Eagles original) but we would always end our evening in the Top Sail for a nightcap and some friendly conversation at the bar.

 

How late in the evening is there entertainment in the Top Sail?  I can't imagine me spending every evening in the Lounge and not sampling the other entertainment offerings.  Yet, I would also like to sample what the Top Sail performers are able to provide. 

[Hlitner]

8 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I am trying to do so.  I keep learning.

 

I recall you posting that on another thread.  Your experience is in my memory bank.

 

How late in the evening is there entertainment in the Top Sail?  I can't imagine me spending every evening in the Lounge and not sampling the other entertainment offerings.  Yet, I would also like to sample what the Top Sail performers are able to provide. 

It has been 10 months.....but my ole memory (and that of DW) seems to recall they were there until around 11pm.  On our particular cruise (21 days in the Caribbean) the Top Sail was never crowded late in the evening...but we did have a small friendly group that used to hang out at the bar until at least midnight.  Looking forward to going back on that ship in December and we even booked the same cabin :).  Also have a future Seaside (YC) cruise booked.  All of these MSC cruises would have previously been Celebrity cruises...but Celebrity has cut-back too much and raised their prices.  Now that we found the YC it is our "go to" cruise for our annual Caribbean thing.

 

We are not so sure we want to do the MSC YC in Europe for a bunch of reasons.

 

Hank

[Copper10-8]

10 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

True, but I wonder why Mr. Kruse has not been further elevated in the corporate structure.  Kirk Lanterman served on the Board of Directors for CCL.  Wasn't there a Princess Cruises Senior Executive who also was on the Board for awhile?  

 

He still has time  No room right now; no one from Princess on the current board however, there is a person from P&O Ferries

 

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=200767&p=irol-govboard

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, Hlitner said:

The Black Card gets you a fixed menu

 

That information does not encourage me to use that perk.  Certainly won't plan on doing so until I am aboard and have had a dinner or two or so in the YC Restaurant, look at the specialty restaurants menus, and decide what to do.

 

I have a Cirque de Soil show with a fixed dinner menu on my booking that I did not want.  Show with drinks, OK.  But, my travel agent could not get MSC to alter the "reservation for the show".  Both of us think that the YC Concierge will be able to get this change done. 

[rkacruiser]

4 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

On our particular cruise (21 days in the Caribbean) the Top Sail was never crowded late in the evening...but we did have a small friendly group that used to hang out at the bar until at least midnight. 

 

I patronize a lounge's bar more than at a table in the lounge.  This is good news, but, I well know, that it simply depends on that sailing's guest list.  Many times it works with interesting conversations among the bartenders, stewards, other guests, and me.  And, sometimes, it doesn't.

 

If I am still there at midnight, someone might have to call my Butler and have him/her tuck me in for the night!

[rkacruiser]

9 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

He still has time  No room right now; no one from Princess on the current board however, there is a person from P&O Ferries

 

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=200767&p=irol-govboard

 

Thanks for the information, Copper10-8!

 

I was not aware that there was a limit as to the number of members that could be on the Board of Directors.  

[Copper10-8]

1 minute ago, rkacruiser said:

 

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

 

I was not aware that there was a limit as to the number of members that could be on the Board of Directors.  

 

Having never served on any board of directors, except on the one for the bottom dwellers, I am not sure about that theory myself 

[HappyInVan]

4 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

Just a heads up; the HAL Group (Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, P&O Australia and Seabourn Cruise Line - not incl. P&O) is not new anymore. It went into effect on Dec 1, 2013 with former HAL CEO/President Stein Kruse at the top

 

Thanks. I stand corrected.

[*Miss G*]

22 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

 

Thanks. I stand corrected.

 

Just remember;  blame management.

[HappyInVan]

8 hours ago, ronbe65 said:

 

Isn't it true that Viking Ocean is the most successful startup of these years?

All major cruise brands have 90K ships in their fleet (Carnival, RCI, Celebrity, MSC, NCL, Princess, HAL).

Why did Viking choose a Vista-class concept as a prototype for their new ships?

Why not anything else?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hmmm. Are you referring to HAL's Vista class ships (82k ton)?

 

Viking has squadrons of 47k ton ships, also from Fincantieri shipyard. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_Cruises#Fleet
 

[HappyInVan]

17 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Thanks for the information, Copper10-8!

 

I was not aware that there was a limit as to the number of members that could be on the Board of Directors.  

 

Any Board of Directors is a political entity. They play an important role in governing the corporation. Affecting all stakeholders.

 

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/boardofdirectors.asp

 

The company's Article of Incorporation outlines the purpose of the company and possibly specify the number of directors. The By Laws would explain the process whereby directors are appointed/elected. And, by which the number of directors can be changed.

 

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/articlesofincorporation.asp

 

 

Same as the Strata Council of a condo.

 

On any BoD, there is a core group which does most of the work, and provides stability. Check the appointments to the various committees reporting to the BoD.

 

It is the BoD who approves the appointment of corporate officers like the CEO, President and COO. So, Arnold and Orlando need the political support of their BoD.

 

On the current Carnival BoD, there are 12 members. There's Micky Arison as Chairman. Arnold represent management. There is the former First Sea Lord as the government insider.

 

Two are shipping veterans.

 

https://www.carnivalcorp.com/corporate-information/board-of-directors

 

Five are business veterans in unrelated industries.

 

One is a consultant. Another is a finance person.

 

Anyone familiar with the Carnival BoD? Without checking the minutes of the AGM, I have no idea who was appointed and who elected. Is there anyone who represents major outside shareholders?

 

The details of how the senior managers are assessed is confidential.

 

However, if you feel strongly about an issue, you (shareholder/customer) can contact any or all of the outside directors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

However, if you feel strongly about an issue, you (shareholder/customer) can contact any or all of the outside directors.

 

 

 

My experience has been that contacting the Board's Lead Director with cc's to others in the corporate structure has been fruitful.