What should a new HAL CEO bring back to ships ?

[comcox]

Bring back the libraries, the good lecturers, the Crow's Nest as a wonderful place to sit and enjoy the scenary, the little movie theatre--the loss of those is what drove us away from HAL>

[RocketMan275]

17 hours ago, npcl said:

If the cruise lines are going to have to change considerably, resize, retire ships, etc.

Resizing and retiring ships would be prohibitively expensive due to the loss of invested capital.

[Himself]

I just hope all the HAL ships remain cruising under the HAL Banner. It is never good to let fear be the motivator.

[Despegue]

Once again, this “new Normal” is just a temporary thing people.

it is simply impossible to permanently do this social distancing etc etc.

Ships will sail again like before, with mdr and lido market, with your lounges, and with people to actually being allowed to interact with eachother in a normal way.

Covid19 will maybe stay, but as one of the other flu type  and corona virii. 
There is simply no alternative. not socially, and not economically.

 

Ps. I am currently quarantined in Dubai and having to undergo daily Covid19 tests, which by the way, are highly unpleasant.

Edited May 16, 2020 by Despegue

[avian777]

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

Resizing and retiring ships would be prohibitively expensive due to the loss of invested capital.

You may be correct, RocketMan, but to accurately analyze any retirement/re-sizing plan would require a detailed knowledge of the depreciation history on each ship.  Just out of curiosity, what "useful life" does HAL assign to each new or remodeled (re-sized) ship and what depreciation schedule does HAL use?

[avian777]

5 hours ago, comcox said:

Bring back the libraries, the good lecturers, the Crow's Nest as a wonderful place to sit and enjoy the scenary, the little movie theatre--the loss of those is what drove us away from HAL>

 

And HAL should also:  lower cruise fares and eliminate the single cruiser fare premium, increase the quality and variety of entertainment, increase the wages/salaries of ALL ship personnel, allow passengers to bring unlimited amounts of wine, liquor and beer on board (without corkage fees, of course), provide better and more ship excursions (at no charge, of course), keep the libraries fully supplied with both new and classic books with full-time professional librarians, improve Mariner Society benefits with more and larger discounts and "freebies", and host more cocktail parties for guests (with unlimited free drinks, of course) ... just to mention a few things that readily come to mind.

[avian777]

25 minutes ago, Despegue said:

... Ps. I am currently quarantined in Dubai and having to undergo daily Covid19 tests, which by the way, are highly unpleasant.

 

Good luck and hope you get out of quarantine and home soon.

[RocketMan275]

13 minutes ago, avian777 said:

 

And HAL should also:  lower cruise fares and eliminate the single cruiser fare premium, increase the quality and variety of entertainment, increase the wages/salaries of ALL ship personnel, allow passengers to bring unlimited amounts of wine, liquor and beer on board (without corkage fees, of course), provide better and more ship excursions (at no charge, of course), keep the libraries fully supplied with both new and classic books with full-time professional librarians, improve Mariner Society benefits with more and larger discounts and "freebies", and host more cocktail parties for guests (with unlimited free drinks, of course) ... just to mention a few things that readily come to mind.

You left out the most important.  Establish a  toll free number where 4* & 5* mariners can call the CEO directly to keep him informed of the wishes of the most important of HAL passengers.  This 'hot line' would recognize the importance of these 4* & 5* Mariners and their advanced knowledge of the things that make a cruise line successful.  This "hot line" would be, of course, connected to a phone on the desk of the CEO.

[cruisetheworld67]

22 hours ago, BobbiSox said:

You are right about everything. Of course we are nostalgic! The  main reason I continue to travel with HAL: I  am ten days shy of being bumped up to 5-star Mariner, after twenty years of sailing HAL, and I am too old to start another loyalty program on another line. I probably wouldn't live long enough to enjoy the benefits.

Well, I understand what you are saying but don't see the rationale behind it.  Why keep spending money on an experience which does not meet expectations regardless of MAriner status? I had an aunt who loved Italian food and used to patronize a local Italian restaurant where the food and service was usually sub par. I asked her why on earth she continued to go back to the same place if it was always not an enjoyable experience? Her response; "Well, it was a good deal. We usually have a free dessert coupon." HA!

The HAL mariner program is just a clever marketing program to keep you coming back until you achieve that ultimate level....in HAL's case  5 star. All the cruise lines have it. As well as big box stores. And the local coffee shops, etc. etc. etc. 

My local casino, where I play poker, has various card levels, gold, platinum, and diamond....where at the diamond level you get free rooms, food, etc. But you need to acquire enough points in a 12 month period to advance to the next level or all your points reset again. A buddy I know who plays the pit games was determined to get to the diamond level and had 3 more days to play enough hours to get there. I saw him (this was a few months ago before Covid 19) and I asked him if he made it to the diamond level. He said (with a little disgust):"YEah, I figured that Diamond CArd cost me $30,000 over the year! HA!

BTW....You are never to old to try a new cruise line. If you can cruise you can change.

I would rather take 1 Seabourn cruise every 18 months if I truly enjoy the experience rather than take 2 HAL cruises a year where I did not enjoy it. 

[taxmantoo]

31 minutes ago, avian777 said:

 

And HAL should also:  lower cruise fares and eliminate the single cruiser fare premium, increase the quality and variety of entertainment, increase the wages/salaries of ALL ship personnel, allow passengers to bring unlimited amounts of wine, liquor and beer on board (without corkage fees, of course), provide better and more ship excursions (at no charge, of course), keep the libraries fully supplied with both new and classic books with full-time professional librarians, improve Mariner Society benefits with more and larger discounts and "freebies", and host more cocktail parties for guests (with unlimited free drinks, of course) ... just to mention a few things that readily come to mind.

I think you should apply for the job vacated by Orlando.  😋

[iancal]

Absolutely.  More and better entertainment  Enrichment seminars.  Big shows complete with four or five piece instrumental groups.   Better food.  Better service.  More common areas. Libraries.  Allow cruisers to bring aboard unlimited amounts of their own wine so they won't have to bother the bar staff or wine stewards with orders.   Better internet.  Improved ship maintenance.

 

Top it off with lower fares.  Just for singles or for everyone?

 

Sounds like a great plan for financial  recovery.  

Edited May 16, 2020 by iancal

[npcl]

4 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Resizing and retiring ships would be prohibitively expensive due to the loss of invested capital.

If you are out of cash and need to declare BK your invested capital is gone anyway.  You restructure the company to be profitable in the future.  Trying to hang onto unprofitable assets during a restructuring is a sure way for failure.

 

 

[npcl]

1 hour ago, iancal said:

Absolutely.  More and better entertainment  Enrichment seminars.  Big shows complete with four or five piece instrumental groups.   Better food.  Better service.  More common areas. Libraries.  Allow cruisers to bring aboard unlimited amounts of their own wine so they won't have to bother the bar staff or wine stewards with orders.   Better internet.  Improved ship maintenance.

 

Top it off with lower fares.  Just for singles or for everyone?

 

Sounds like a great plan for financial  recovery.  

In other words we want them to tailor each cruise exactly the way each of us wants it, and we want them to give it to us for pocket change.

[cruisemom42]

13 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Hmmm.  Coca-Cola - remember "new Coke"???  oops.  At least they realize the massive mistake and rolled it back.

 

 

People are fond of quoting this. But to have had one major marketing snafu in its 125+ year history, and to have recovered as well as it did..... well, HAL could have worse models.

[avian777]

2 hours ago, taxmantoo said:

I think you should apply for the job vacated by Orlando.  😋

Bless your heart for the wonderful suggestion. 

[slidergirl]

23 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

People are fond of quoting this. But to have had one major marketing snafu in its 125+ year history, and to have recovered as well as it did..... well, HAL could have worse models.

I had that to show that a massive mistake could be rolled back.  Since everyone seems to want the Crows Nest restored, it seemed like an appropriate comparison.  

 

[RocketMan275]

15 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

I had that to show that a massive mistake could be rolled back.  Since everyone seems to want the Crows Nest restored, it seemed like an appropriate comparison.  

 

One would think that if such restoration was the most efficient and profitable concept, then it would have been done.

[slidergirl]

1 minute ago, RocketMan275 said:

One would think that if such restoration was the most efficient and profitable concept, then it would have been done.

hey, I'm just trying to sate the appetite of the Crows Nest crowd...

[1ANGELCAT]

43 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

People are fond of quoting this. But to have had one major marketing snafu in its 125+ year history, and to have recovered as well as it did..... well, HAL could have worse models.

So what do you consider HAL’s worst mistake in its 147 year history ?

[cruisemom42]

13 minutes ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

So what do you consider HAL’s worst mistake in its 147 year history ?

 

Me? I have no idea. 

 

I mostly take cruising as I find it, and I am not a loyalist. I cruise on a variety of lines. I know things change over time, some for better and some for worse but it's up to me to decide whether the value is there.

 

[RocketMan275]

19 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

hey, I'm just trying to sate the appetite of the Crows Nest crowd...

Just be quiet, they're all taking naps in the Crow's Nest.

Most of the time we've observed that all the places to sit are full of older passengers sound asleep.

I suspect that is why there is so much opposition to the coffee bar and the Explorations Center.  All that noise disturbs their nap time.

[RocketMan275]

20 minutes ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

So what do you consider HAL’s worst mistake in its 147 year history ?

Based upon the comments in this forum, the worst mistake would have to be getting rid of the libraries.

[iancal]

Biggest mistake....probably the mismanagement that took place leading up to the pre Carnival Corp  HAL management's inability to secure financing from any source. Their weak, and probably untenable, financial situation made them an easy target for take over by Carnival Corp.

[taxmantoo]

1 hour ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

So what do you consider HAL’s worst mistake in its 147 year history ?

Hiring a Human Resources expert to run its Operations.  Regardless of who that person was and how great they might have been at their previous employment, they were doomed to failure before even starting on the job.  Human Resources and Operations require two totally different skill sets.  Sort of like hiring a plumber to fix your computer 

[tgetz]

I totally agree with Taxmantoo.