Who are Holland America's target market?

[gailellen12]

On 4/23/2020 at 5:40 PM, TN Fem said:

I'm 45 yrs old with kids. We like HAL because it usually has ports other cruise lines don't   I like interesting itineraries and decent food.  My kids are perfectly content on the Lido deck with the ping pong table, chess and pool. We don't need water slides and rock walls.  

 

Our first HAL was South America and Antartica cruising. Honestly the educational programming was great and it was great value. We've since done a Cuba cruise and a Central American cruise.  Both great with ports most other ships don't stop at and we had a great experience booking our own excursions on those cruises.  

 

We booked Mexican Riviera this year fairly last minute (January) because I wanted warmth and decent food for spring break and the price was right (our cruise was canceled). 

 

I'm hoping our NZ/AUS cruise happens at Christmas. We thought about flying and driving NZ for winter break, but realized we could cover a lot more ground cruising and the price was significantly cheaper.   

 

The next cruise we want to do is Asia (probably HK to Singapore). It has interesting ports but I have a shellfish allergy and some of us are picky eaters so being able to eat breakfast and dinner onboard is appealing particularly for that part of the world. 

 

We are probably not normal travelers and don't fit neatly into any bucket. We try to cruise every other Christmas and then do an in-depth country on the odd years (last two trips have Sri Lanka and Jordan). 

We were looking at this cruise too but rumor has it Australia and New Zealand will be shutting their ports for quite awhile.  These two countries have almost eliminated Coronavirus!

[sail7seas]

 

 

Whew !

Some  really 'tough' reading here!

 

 

sail.noordam@gmail.com

Edited April 26, 2020 by sail7seas

[BJzink]

On 4/23/2020 at 11:17 PM, Mud_Shark said:

We don't like crowds of children, so we quickly found that Princess was more our style than RCL or Carnival.  Now we are trying HAL.  But that said, a few things for the young at heart would not be a bad thing.  A waterslide would be good.  It wouldn't make the ship into an amusement park, but would be fun to try, and the granddaughter would like it as well.  We are 58, and I take my oldest grandaughter to the waterslide park every year.  Wouldn't try the flow rider or rock wall or anything that "out there", but HAL does sound a little sedate.  We shall hopefully see (our fall cruise may well be cancelled 😞   )

 

Don

If you cruise on Maasdam there are the Zodiacs which your granddaughter would probably like.   

[echoshipmate]

Lots of pompous people who are so certain of their own class. HAL needs to replace the most senior members as they will not be sailing with anyone much longer. We have always been, and still are, huge HAL fans, 4 star, so we have earned our Stars. Main problem to me is, I don't think HAL knows what they want to be when they grow up! With luck, we will be still sailing with them when they figure it out.

[Stateroom_Sailor]

Judging by their ad, I would say 40 +

 

 

Princess, 35+, with Families

 

 

Celebrity, 25 - 35

 

 

[pattil749]

Cruise lines are not all created equal.  They appeal to different market segments.   HAL is definitely geared to the more mature traveler who prefers a mid-size ship with a more subdued environment.  A touch of elegance and refinement with great food, good music, onboard enrichment opportunities, and focus on destinations.  No hairy chest contests but more wine tastings.   Not trying to be all things to all people, and that's fine!

[DFD1]

1 hour ago, pattil749 said:

Cruise lines are not all created equal.  They appeal to different market segments.   HAL is definitely geared to the more mature traveler who prefers a mid-size ship with a more subdued environment.  A touch of elegance and refinement with great food, good music, onboard enrichment opportunities, and focus on destinations.  No hairy chest contests but more wine tastings.   Not trying to be all things to all people, and that's fine!

 

Thanks for posting this. The problem is that HAL is miserably lacking when it comes to actually delivering the things you talk about. The food is not great. The music is recently almost non existent except for Music Row and the enrichment opportunities have virtually disappeared.

 

If they actually delivered the things which go to make up that "touch of elegance and refinement", I, for one, would be a lot happier with them than I am now.

 

They have become boring and lack-luster in spite of the fact they have great staff and crew and sail some ships of what many of us consider the perfect size. IMO

[JB Books]

I've never been on HAL, but have a HAL cruise scheduled for October. At least it has some chance of not being canceled. If it doesn't go forward then it doesn't. However, if it does take place, then at least I'll be able to judge HAL's relative quality!

[ski ww]

There seem to be many people complaining on CC about what HAL used to be & what they would like it to be again. Which I have no problem with, but there is an old saying which says, "don't talk to the monkey, talk to the organ grinder".If more people wrote to complain directly to HAL and told them, things might change. 

[Sir PMP]

37 minutes ago, JB Books said:

I've never been on HAL, but have a HAL cruise scheduled for October. At least it has some chance of not being canceled. If it doesn't go forward then it doesn't. However, if it does take place, then at least I'll be able to judge HAL's relative quality!

No cruises until Jan. 2021..

[Himself]

On 4/23/2020 at 6:30 AM, navybankerteacher said:

Holland America used to have a target market - the more mature, somewhat more upscale traveler willing to pay a bit more for superior food, service, good music and reasonable entertainment - on classic-appearing, small ships.  For some reason, Carnival Corp. wanted HAL to compete with their other brands so they changed their focus.   It has been stated that their over-60’s market was dying off - but they may have not noticed that there is a continuing supply of over-60’s in the pipeline.

Your point is well taken.  I wish that it was the fine line I experienced in the late 1990's.

HAL is HAL, not upscale Carnival,

[BJzink]

On 4/23/2020 at 7:08 AM, Roz said:

I'm not sure HAL knows.

They just can't believe our preferences!

[BJzink]

These kind of posts tend to be hurtful.  As though when we hit 65+ we should just stay home & dry up.

[YXU AC*SE]

1 minute ago, BJzink said:

As though when we hit 65+ we should just stay home & dry up.

 

I think there is one's chronological age, and then there is the age one lives.   Those aren't always the same number.    Scott. 

[taxmantoo]

Right now, HAL will gladly welcome anyone who is willing to part with some money! Doesn't matter what color, age, political stripe, nationality, height or weight ... just bring us your $$$

[Mary229]

I think at this point it is anyone that will pay in full.    The small ships may be sold off and the peace and quiet of classic cruising may be behind us.   Too bad, too.  If this happens I won’t be cruising anymore.   

[KirkNC]

To me HAL has lacked strategic direction for five or more years.  They don’t seem to know what or who they want.  They seem to throw things at the wall to see what sticks.

[DFD1]

2 hours ago, ski ww said:

There seem to be many people complaining on CC about what HAL used to be & what they would like it to be again. Which I have no problem with, but there is an old saying which says, "don't talk to the monkey, talk to the organ grinder".If more people wrote to complain directly to HAL and told them, things might change. 

 

You're right....and I have.

[KroozNut]

On 4/23/2020 at 10:14 AM, Aquahound said:

They eliminated cruise directors

 

Wait, wait, wait... They eliminated cruise directors... When?.. Must've been relatively recently; last 18 mos or so? Because on our last Eurodam sailing, I got to know our CD fairly well, and chatted with her often whenever we bumped into each other around the ship.

 

"Gone are the little touches such as the fresh flowers on the table (MDR and buffet) and the numerous arrangements around the ship"..

 

Similar comment here.. when? Again, beautiful fresh flower and orchid arrangements throughout the ship (Eurodam) on our last sailing in Dec 2018.. we loved them!

Edited June 28, 2020 by KroozNut

[KroozNut]

On 4/23/2020 at 2:04 PM, Homosassa said:

booze packages for the two fisted drinking crowd that are coming up from Carnival

 

 

Where are we cruising? Celebrity and  Princess.

 

 

Wow, that's pretty harsh.. 😏 While we haven't yet sailed Celebrity or Princess, last I checked they both had beverage packages similar to HAL, as do most, if not all main stream lines.

[KroozNut]

On 4/24/2020 at 1:02 PM, sail7seas said:

Does HAL acitvely market to  anyone?  I never see a tv ad, magazine marketing  that  catches ones eye.  

 

Actually, they do. But perhaps not as aggressively as some of the other brands. A relatively recent television spot that caught my eye, and pretty much describes why DW and I continue to sail HAL

 

 

[KroozNut]

4 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

No cruises until Jan. 2021..

This is incorrect. There are at the very least, several sailings to the Mexican Riviera beginning in the Fall of this year still currently being offered.

[Aquahound]

43 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

 

Wait, wait, wait... They eliminated cruise directors... When?.. Must've been relatively recently; last 18 mos or so? Because on our last Eurodam sailing, I got to know our CD fairly well, and chatted with her often whenever we bumped into each other around the ship.

 

 

I cruised Eurodam Sep, 2019.  The CD was replaced with someone called a EXC host, or somethingorother.  No joke telling and no real energy.  She was a very monotone figure who hosted destination talks, sometimes as the evening main theater entertainment.  

[RocketMan275]

On 4/23/2020 at 12:14 PM, Aquahound said:

They eliminated cruise directors and the person who replaced that position gives regular destination lectures.....and those destination lectures are some of the main evening entertainment in the main theater.  It's kind of a confused feeling on board.  

Eliminating cruise directors would be last on my last of terrible changes.  Can't remember the name of a single cruise director on any of the cruises we've taken.  We simply do not need a Master of Ceremonies for a cruise.

[kazu]

1 hour ago, KroozNut said:

"Gone are the little touches such as the fresh flowers on the table (MDR and buffet) and the numerous arrangements around the ship"..

 

Similar comment here.. when? Again, beautiful fresh flower and orchid arrangements throughout the ship (Eurodam) on our last sailing in Dec 2018.. we loved them!

 

Flowers are pretty much gone on most ships.  Replaced by lamps.

 

Your cruise in 2018 is just not recent enough to have seen this.
 

Just look at a few LIVE reports.  It was abundantly clear.  Vict0riann reported it clearly and she was on the N Statendam.  We did have some flowers on our Prinsendam cruise in April - May, 2019 but the Prinsendam did things a bit differently.  Just the same, there were differences.