Orlando Ashford is leaving HAL

[fatcat04]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

One wonders how Seabourn customers would feel about that....?

Good point. I am just not seeing this.

Edited May 13, 2020 by fatcat04

[thinfool]

6 hours ago, taxmantoo said:

America's Test Kitchen

This is not a dining venue.

[Copper10-8]

5 hours ago, cccole said:

I was also thinking that Ashford may have a significant sum in is contract if he is asked to leave.  Under the circumstances it would be even more tragic for HAL if Ashford receives a severance while others wait for their refunds.    To The-Inside-Cabin, did Ashford always make the special appearance on World Cruises or did Kruse also show up?  Really miss your daily reports from the WC!!  Cherie   

 

Yes, Orlando Ashford, Stein Kruse and Gerald Bernhoft (HAL Mariners Society) have made appearances (sailed on short segments) during the GWVs.

 

As a side note, Mrs. Hazel Arnold, the spouse of Carnival Corp's CEO Donald Arnold, has been on the last several full HAL grand world voyages (since at least 2016). She is one of the nicest, most down to earth, unassuming  ladies you can meet and she can often be found in Amsterdam's Crow's Nest during the evening hrs.   

[USN59-79]

1 hour ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Yes, Orlando Ashford, Stein Kruse and Gerald Bernhoft (HAL Mariners Society) have made appearances (sailed on short segments) during the GWVs.

 

As a side note, Mrs. Hazel Arnold, the spouse of Carnival Corp's CEO Donald Arnold, has been on the last several full HAL grand world voyages (since at least 2016). She is one of the nicest, most down to earth, unassuming  ladies you can meet and she can often be found in Amsterdam's Crow's Nest during the evening hrs.   

Copper, I am trying to understand how Mr. and Mrs. Ashford joined the 2014 GWV in March, 2014 if he didn't become CEO until November, 2014.  I thought he was introduced as CEO, but maybe "CEO in training" for the next ten months?

[mudscraper]

7 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Watch out for what it is you ask! I might bring the dreaded dress code back + have it enforced in the MDRs! 🤣

Also please eradicate the Man Boob problem around the pool area.

[Crusinsusan2]

2 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

I say again that Club Orange on Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam, I'm talking about the dedicated dining venue there (it also takes the place of breakfast in the PG for "suiters") is fine. That's my personal opinion having dined there on K-dam. If you haven't on those two ships, you ought to give it a try 😉 

 

Ditto everything on your post Copper. We have had the pleasure to do two longer sailing on the Koningsdam in Club Orange. Both were great experiences for us from start to finish. Thanks for all you do and contribute. Can't wait to sail again when the coast is clear.    

 

[Nymich]

10 hours ago, ATC said:

I wonder if his leaving bonus will be delayed 60-90 days

He might not be able to get any clear communication on that and will have to file a credit card dispute!

 

[Nymich]

8 hours ago, igraf said:

 

The CEO leaving probably has more to do with stock option price guarantees than an actual firing.

 

igraf

 

 

Might also be the House Majority investigation that wants Carnival Corporation's documented response by May 15th to shoving ships out when Covid 19 was running rampant.  It is always easier to say "hey look we fired the guy".

 

Or maybe they just let him go so they can get the first batch of refunds out using his gigantic salary.

Edited May 13, 2020 by Nymich

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, USN59-79 said:

Copper, I am trying to understand how Mr. and Mrs. Ashford joined the 2014 GWV in March, 2014 if he didn't become CEO until November, 2014.  I thought he was introduced as CEO, but maybe "CEO in training" for the next ten months?

 

I don't believe I mentioned the 2014 GWV, nor Mrs. Ashford, Sir unless I'm misreading your inquiry and/or your quote... 

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, USN59-79 said:

Copper, I am trying to understand how Mr. and Mrs. Ashford joined the 2014 GWV in March, 2014 if he didn't become CEO until November, 2014.  I thought he was introduced as CEO, but maybe "CEO in training" for the next ten months?

 

The light just came on as to your inquiry; it's a jarhead thing 😉 

 

So Stein Kruse got his current job as CEO of the HAL Group effective December 1, 2013. Prior that that date he was president and CEO of Holland America Line

 

Orlando Ashford joined HAL as president and CEO effective December 1, 2014, in fact taking over from Kruse one full year after the latter became CEO of the group 

 

It appears to me that for a full year, Stein Kruse kept running HAL in his function as CEO of the HAL Group until Orlando Ashford was hired as president and CEO of HAL

 

The only explanation I can come up with as to how you saw him (Ashford) onboard Amsterdam in March 2014 in Southis that he must have been a special invitee by Kruse and that they were already looking at him to take over. At the time you saw him on Amsterdam, Ashford was still officially president of the Talent Business segment of Mercer, a global consulting firm  

 

Good catch Sir! 

 

[taxmantoo]

9 hours ago, thinfool said:

This is not a dining venue.

I have no idea how long you have been cruising on HAL or a member of Cruise Critic, but let me remind you that when the Koningsdam was introduced in 2016, the area designated as America's Test Kitchen was also referred to as the Culinary Arts Center where dinner was served as an upcharge restaurant.  Another one of Orlando's failed initiatives ...

[Himself]

I want to make a comment on Club Orange.   I was a passenger on the NS in February of 2019 and I was a member of Club Orange.  I tried it and I liked it.  I would join it again.  There were a lot of nice perks.   

[crusinbanjo]

15 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Well, I'm in the "older" group.  I'm not a fan of BB Kings, Rolling Stone Rock room, no production shows, removal of libraries, changing Crow's Nest to in-house advertisement area.  I agree that the food has suffered, also.  

 

Put Mrs Banjo and myself into the group that are not fans of many of the changes including those mentioned here.  

We have cruised on Seabourn a number of times, as we have with HAL.  Always we like the smaller ships and choose the cruise line after we select the IT.  Having said that anything larger than the S class ships are too big for us.  

I don't really care if they merge the operations or not, it is certainly  a major cost cutting initiative if they do merge the brands, but I don't think they will merge the styles, (making Seabourn a pay as you go or HAL an all inclusive).   Given the current situation, I think CCL is going to aggressively cut as much cost as they can and do it very quickly.  That is likely the only way the cruise lines can survive what is looking more and more like it will be a very long term shutdown.  So look for more execs being shown the door and more talk of merging brands, or at least merging back office operations and staff under fewer high level execs.

 

[Himself]

18 hours ago, ATC said:

I wonder if his leaving bonus will be delayed 60-90 days

Do they have the money to pay him a bonus?

[TiogaCruiser]

13 minutes ago, taxmantoo said:

I have no idea how long you have been cruising on HAL or a member of Cruise Critic, but let me remind you that when the Koningsdam was introduced in 2016, the area designated as America's Test Kitchen was also referred to as the Culinary Arts Center where dinner was served as an upcharge restaurant.  Another one of Orlando's failed initiatives ...

Didn’t it have a different name though?

Something like Farm to Table?

[taxmantoo]

20 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Didn’t it have a different name though?

Something like Farm to Table?

That was just another iteration of the same thing under a different name.  Orlando just would not give up on this total disaster 😉 I spoke to several ATK folks and even they thought it was horrible.

Edited May 13, 2020 by taxmantoo

[Roz]

I got the impression that Mr. Ashford randomly threw darts (ideas), hoping some would stick, without an overall goal or direction.

[JeffElizabeth]

17 hours ago, Cruiser Bruiser said:

the LOVE BOAT, soon will be making another run...the LOVE BOAT...

 

I think in the general scheme of things, the whole Diamond Princess debacle will be quickly forgotten. Everyone of a certain age who is even slightly interested in cruising will continue to associate Princess with the Love Boat. That's an association that is priceless.

Agree. I don't think Princess will suffer too badly from the bad press, my wife disagrees but she has never liked Princess.  I liked some of the changes Orlando made but most just didn't work.  

[JeffElizabeth]

1 hour ago, Himself said:

I want to make a comment on Club Orange.   I was a passenger on the NS in February of 2019 and I was a member of Club Orange.  I tried it and I liked it.  I would join it again.  There were a lot of nice perks.   

My SIL, a first time cruiser loved Club Orange. Get the perks of a long time cruiser for only a few extra dollars a day.

[1ANGELCAT]

1 hour ago, taxmantoo said:

That was just another iteration of the same thing under a different name.  Orlando just would not give up on this total disaster 😉 I spoke to several ATK folks and even they thought it was horrible.

Per HAL blog dated September 20 2016 the announcement for the debut of ATK.

The K premier was April of 2016, long before ATK. 
It was called dinner at the CAC with 2 different menus.

[USN59-79]

We participated in America's Test Kitchen a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.  I believe it was on the 2017 Amsterdam WC.  We were in groups of four in the area formerly the Wajang Theater.  Each group got to prepare and cook a different dish.  While we didn't get to eat our own dish, we then adjourned to the Pinnacle Grill where those dishes, along with wine, prepared by the PG chef, were served to us.  The instructor was witty and informative.  We also attended ATK on the Westerdam last December.  It was a cooking demonstration similar to a TV show, with no participation by the attendees.  It was very disappointing.  That was also the cruise where we found that they had eliminated the library on that ship.  Nevertheless, we came back to the Westerdam a month later; still HAL fans.

[kazu]

1 minute ago, USN59-79 said:

We participated in America's Test Kitchen a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.  I believe it was on the 2017 Amsterdam WC.  We were in groups of four in the area formerly the Wajang Theater.  Each group got to prepare and cook a different dish.  While we didn't get to eat our own dish, we then adjourned to the Pinnacle Grill where those dishes, along with wine, prepared by the PG chef, were served to us

 

We did the cooking lesson (as I like to call it) aka ATK and it was a lot of fun.  I learned a couple of things and lunch in the PG was fabulous.  

It was one 5* benefit that I thought was really nice.  Sadly, it was gone in a blink of an eye.

[USN59-79]

8 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

The light just came on as to your inquiry; it's a jarhead thing 😉 

 

So Stein Kruse got his current job as CEO of the HAL Group effective December 1, 2013. Prior that that date he was president and CEO of Holland America Line

 

Orlando Ashford joined HAL as president and CEO effective December 1, 2014, in fact taking over from Kruse one full year after the latter became CEO of the group 

 

It appears to me that for a full year, Stein Kruse kept running HAL in his function as CEO of the HAL Group until Orlando Ashford was hired as president and CEO of HAL

 

The only explanation I can come up with as to how you saw him (Ashford) onboard Amsterdam in March 2014 in Southis that he must have been a special invitee by Kruse and that they were already looking at him to take over. At the time you saw him on Amsterdam, Ashford was still officially president of the Talent Business segment of Mercer, a global consulting firm  

 

Good catch Sir! 

 

Thanks for the explanation.  At the time, we were all given a copy of a beautiful biography of Archbishop Tuto.  The card in it is signed Stein Kruse, President and Chief Executive Officer, Holland America Line.

[Woofbite]

17 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

One wonders how Seabourn customers would feel about that....?

Might it not go the other way with HAL becoming more upscale and more expensive.  (Maybe all inclusive?)

 

 

[comcox]

21 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

I won't be sorry to see him go.

 

He tried so many new ideas which in my opinion were a flop.  JMO

I totally agree. Too bad he didn't leave sooner before he did all the damage.