Best summation of HAL: going forward

[sail7seas]

On 7/26/2020 at 7:26 PM, oaktreerb said:

I enjoy cruising and have thought about cruising alone.  I’ve met lots of delightful people who are cruising single even when they may have a partner at home.  I know they pay double fares for the most part.  I also know that there were some very nice insides on the ships that were just sold.  My conclusion has been that I would need an obstructed room on the lower promenade.   

 

 

My late DH and I sailed  about 1,000 (cruises- mAny lines combined). in  May, 2020, I sailed solo for the first time, since his passing.     Going to and boarding the  ship alone was hard, of course bur after traveling so much with dh, lots of adjustments were called for.       I had such a successfully fine time , I booked  to sail again this month.   of course, HAL cancelled that cruise but as soon, as it is possible,  I hope to make another booking and sail  solo again.

 

I usually must pay double as I want our usua l suite with veranda and they charge(most of the time).  For me to sail totally  different than what we always did, sets me up  to fail  IMO.

 

When the ships are open for bookings again, think about maybe sailing on your own....   if you wish

 

Edited August 6, 2020 by sail7seas

[iancal]

We always have a balcony.

 

But really, if one is on a budget, single or otherwise, the trick is to just get on the ship.  Then you can enjoy everything.  We say more power to those who do that.  And if taking an inside means more cruising or different and longer cruises then fine.  Just do it and have a wonderful time.
 

 Don’t pay any  attention to those who like to impress and refer to their verandah cabins as suites.  It is all about aspirations for those people.  Forget ‘em an enjoy everything that the cruise ship has to offer.

 

 

 

 

[DeeDee Groff]

1 hour ago, iancal said:

We always have a balcony.

 

But really, if one is on a budget, single or otherwise, the trick is to just get on the ship.  Then you can enjoy everything.  We say more power to those who do that.  And if taking an inside means more cruising or different and longer cruises then fine.  Just do it and have a wonderful time.
 

 Don’t pay any  attention to those who like to impress and refer to their verandah cabins as suites.  It is all about aspirations for those people.  Forget ‘em an enjoy everything that the cruise ship has to offer.

 

 

 

 

 

Your post is very reassuring to me and validates my thinking--thanks!

[Sir PMP]

On 7/27/2020 at 9:08 AM, bouhunter said:

Wow.  It's just an internet message board.  If posts here get you that upset it might be time for a break.

 

And actually the posts you're referencing weren't offensive in any way.  The poster was just stating facts about passenger demographics and the cruise industry.  There were no personal attacks or insults whatsoever.

No. they were offensive..

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, iancal said:

We always have a balcony.

 

But really, if one is on a budget, single or otherwise, the trick is to just get on the ship.  Then you can enjoy everything.  We say more power to those who do that.  And if taking an inside means more cruising or different and longer cruises then fine.  Just do it and have a wonderful time.
 

 Don’t pay any  attention to those who like to impress and refer to their verandah cabins as suites.  It is all about aspirations for those people.  Forget ‘em an enjoy everything that the cruise ship has to offer.

 

 

 

 

Is it really common for people to brag about what type of cabin they booked? 

[bennybear]

5 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Is it really common for people to brag about what type of cabin they booked? 

   

Not in our experience on HAL.  We’ve never heard anyone even mention it.  Not sure what Iancal meant specifically.   

 

We found on princess we were asked if we were elite.  On Cunard we were asked if we were in the Grills?  Never even asked on HAL, never heard anyone even say what star level they were and we’ve sailed with friends zero to 5 star.  

 

 

[Horizon chaser 1957]

6 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Is it really common for people to brag about what type of cabin they booked? 

Very rarely, but the ones that do stand out. They need to find that one thing that makes them ‘special’ and have no other real topic of conversation. 

[Horizon chaser 1957]

1 hour ago, bennybear said:

   

Not in our experience on HAL.  We’ve never heard anyone even mention it.  Not sure what Iancal meant specifically.  

 

We found on princess we were asked if we were elite.  On Cunard we were asked if we were in the Grills?  Never even asked on HAL, never heard anyone even say what star level they were and we’ve sailed with friends zero to 5 star.  

 

 

 

 

At a wine tasting on the Princendam, a woman at the table mentioned she was 4 star and asked if the rest of us were. When I said I was 3 star, she curled her nose and lip and neither looked nor spoke to me for the rest of the event. It was, and still is, was the only time on a cruise I’ve actually seen someone behave that way.

That night, I told our MDR tablemates about it. They looked shocked, then the wife laughed said she wished she had been the one Mrs. Snooty had asked. That conversation was the first, last, and only time in a month long cruise either of them mentioned that they were 5 star.

 

[RuthC]

8 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Is it really common for people to brag about what type of cabin they booked? 

In my experience, only on Cruise Critic, and only by a few people; not on the ships. However, those who do brag about it on CC, do so often. 

[bennybear]

6 hours ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

 

 

At a wine tasting on the Princendam, a woman at the table mentioned she was 4 star and asked if the rest of us were. When I said I was 3 star, she curled her nose and lip and neither looked nor spoke to me for the rest of the event. It was, and still is, was the only time on a cruise I’ve actually seen someone behave that way.

That night, I told our MDR tablemates about it. They looked shocked, then the wife laughed said she wished she had been the one Mrs. Snooty had asked. That conversation was the first, last, and only time in a month long cruise either of them mentioned that they were 5 star.

 

 

Yikes!  But so true,   on our last cruise we were with two separate five stars that we only found out about at the medallion ceremony.   The true HAL aficionados have class and reserve.  

 

Always take some comments with a grain of salt as some posters haven’t sailed HAL for many years and don’t have any recent experience. 

[oaktreerb]

On 8/5/2020 at 5:01 PM, sail7seas said:

 

 

My late DH and I sailed  about 1,000 (cruises- mAny lines combined). in  May, 2020, I sailed solo for the first time, since his passing.     Going to and boarding the  ship alone was hard, of course bur after traveling so much with dh, lots of adjustments were called for.       I had such a successfully fine time , I booked  to sail again this month.   of course, HAL cancelled that cruise but as soon, as it is possible,  I hope to make another booking and sail  solo again.

 

I usually must pay double as I want our usua l suite with veranda and they charge(most of the time).  For me to sail totally  different than what we always did, sets me up  to fail  IMO.

 

When the ships are open for bookings again, think about maybe sailing on your own....   if you wish

 

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.  I hope we’ll all be sailing again safely sometime in 2021.  

[Aquahound]

7 hours ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

 

At a wine tasting on the Princendam, a woman at the table mentioned she was 4 star and asked if the rest of us were. When I said I was 3 star, she curled her nose and lip and neither looked nor spoke to me for the rest of the event. It was, and still is, was the only time on a cruise I’ve actually seen someone behave that way.

 

 

Funny story.  I had something similar happen on Celebrity.  Someone in the top tier (Zenith) was condescending toward my wife and me for being 2 tiers below her.  It didn't bother us.  We just laughed it off.  However, in an odd set of circumstances, DW and I were invited to eat with the Captain.  As luck would have it, so was the Zenith because it's an automatic perk at that level.  Well, my DW is a very pretty woman, and she was sat next to the Captain.  It bugged the heck out of the Zenith and you could see the anguish in her face the entire dinner.  

 

I had no desire to get "even" with this woman, but fate took care of it for me.

 

20 minutes ago, bennybear said:

 

Yikes!  But so true,   on our last cruise we were with two separate five stars that we only found out about at the medallion ceremony.   The true HAL aficionados have class and reserve.  

 

 

Well, I wouldn't say that.  Top tier HAL cruisers can be just as bad as top tier folks on other lines.  Koningsdam: DW and I had an older couple approach us at Lincoln Center Stage.  They wanted us to move because we were in their seats.  At first, I apologized, thinking maybe we swooped in while they were in the restroom or something.  But they went on to say they were on several B2Bs and that's where they always sat.  They both got pretty crappy about it, as though we were in the wrong.  At that moment, I heard a woman nearby say to her friend something like "look, they're doing it again." That's when I knew I had to stand my ground and I told them to go find new seats.  How do I know they were frequenters?  They were wearing those goofy looking medallions. 

[iancal]

It can happen on any cruise line.

Edited August 7, 2020 by iancal

[drowelf]

On 7/27/2020 at 12:41 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

IMHO for HAL to be profitable going forward and compete with its future competitors, I would think they would also need to sell off their other smaller ships. This would include the Volendam and Zaandam where around 70+% of their cabins are either inside or oceanview which I would image don't generate a lot of profit.

I thought the cruise ship business model was based on the on-board spend, not your cabin price. Its those pricey drinks, shoreex, shops and other stuff that generates the majority of the profits. But first they have to get you on-board, hence cheap rooms. 

[Ken the cruiser]

12 minutes ago, drowelf said:

I thought the cruise ship business model was based on the on-board spend, not your cabin price. Its those pricey drinks, shoreex, shops and other stuff that generates the majority of the profits. But first they have to get you on-board, hence cheap rooms. 

I would think it would be a combination of all of the above. All I know is one of the reasons we left HAL was that we could get a lot more bang for our $300-350+ pp/day for a balcony cabin on Oceania, an Aqua or an occasional sky suite on Celebrity or a mini-suite or an occasional full suite on Princess than spending that for a Vista Suite, which is basically a balcony cabin, on HAL.  

Edited August 7, 2020 by Ken the cruiser

[drowelf]

36 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I would think it would be a combination of all of the above. All I know is one of the reasons we left HAL was that we could get a lot more bang for our $300-350+ pp/day for a balcony cabin on Oceania, an Aqua or an occasional sky suite on Celebrity or a mini-suite or an occasional full suite on Princess than spending that for a Vista Suite, which is basically a balcony cabin, on HAL.  

I was thinking more along the lines of the model for the Oceanview and insides. Sure as the cabins get bigger there is more profit in the basic cruise fare (think Neptune/Pinnacle Suites), but I still thought I read a business case years ago that its what you spend on board that is the real profit driver.  Why else would they be hawking the spa services, shops, daily drink specials, etc. in all that lovely paper that appears in our cabins each and every day. 

Edited August 7, 2020 by drowelf

[RD64]

I frequently travel solo and last minute. If it is an inside cabin so be it. When I run into the - we only sail in suites / Neptune Lounge / I have travellled on every maiden voyage / I am 5+++++++ - I have no problem telling them I am travelling in Steerage class. It shuts them up quickly.

[Ken the cruiser]

4 minutes ago, drowelf said:

I was thinking more along the lines of the model for the Oceanview and insides. Sure as the cabins get bigger there is more profit in the basic cruise fare (think Neptune/Pinnacle Suites), but I still thought I read a business case years ago that its what you spend on board that is the real profit driver.  Why else would they be hawking the spa services, shops, daily drink specials, etc. in all that lovely paper that appears in our cabins each and every day. 

Good point. I know when HAL started changing their operating mode a few years ago when their senior management changed and they started having more vendor type presentations onboard, such as partnering up with a timeshare company, having Bamboo sales presentations, and of course, I would be remiss if I left out Peter Maxx and the various art auctions with free champagne, it definitely seemed like they were trying to snag some of those onboard $$$ since there wasn't much else to do on sea days.

 

But their big move IMHO was with their introduction of the Music Walk across most of the fleet. I mean how can one sit, especially with the more younger crowd they were trying to target, and listen to music without a drink in hand whereas where's the profit motive for having professional lecturers onboard. I see your point. And with 70% of the cabins on the Zaandam and Volendam being either oceanview or inside, those type of money-making operations you would think would pay off. And that's cool. If they are making a profit on those older and smaller ships, great!!

 

But then again they just sold 4 of them and these two similar ships are also getting a little long in the tooth as well. It will be interesting with their recent change in the senior management again, what HAL's direction will be when they start sailing again.

[vswan]

My DH and I have been taking one or two cruises per year for the past 30 years. A number of those as a family of four, now just the two of us. I always found it interesting when people brag about their tier level on one line or another. We have taken multiple cruises on nearly every main stream cruise line and have moved into the second or third tier on many of them. The benefits for tier level do not mean as much to me as getting a reasonable price on a good itinerary on the date that I want to go. Yes, I do have favorite lines, but find that each line has it's pros and cons - and gives variety. We started with inside/outside and now find that I do like having a balcony. Am not interested in all the suite/haven categories - would rather stretch my travel dollars. My DH could care less about people trying to impress him.

 

Funny story. My sister in law has cruised quite a bit and has stayed quite loyal to HAL and her tier level is important to her. On one cruise she was bragging to the others in her travel group about being invited to a suite for apps before dinner. No one else wanted to go with her and could have cared less. She just couldn't understand it... So apparently tier level and room choice is important to some, just not me.

[Ken the cruiser]

Sorry if some folks thought I was bragging. I was just trying to point out HAL definitely loves to jack up the price of their balcony cabins which they like to call Vista Suites on their smaller ships. But if you took that as bragging, sorry about that.

[drowelf]

HAL is a business, not a charity, and I'm sure they have revenue and profit goals to meet that are set by the CCL Board. I would expect them to dump any ships that can't show a profit or enough profit to meet the goals required. With their sale of the 4 ships early on, they may be better positioned to survive as a line once cruising can start again. Am I unhappy at the loss of the smaller ships, of course I am. I especially miss the Prinsendam, but I understand that they have to make a profit. What I really hope is that the changes required in the cruise lines will stop or slow down the mega ship trend, I won't weep a single tear. If smaller ships survive, but we have to pay more, I'll pony up the $$, hey I paid Prinsendam prices for many years and those cruises were not cheap compared to the bigger ships doing similar itineraries.  

[DeeDee Groff]

Thank you for a most insightful post, drowelf!