Reviews for HAL Excursions

[BobbiSox]

I have only recently started to look at the reviews on HAL's excursion pages, having booked a cruise for 2021. I don't see that anyone has reviewed anything! That's curious. Before I buy most anything, I use reviews to help me decide if I should buy or not. Would anyone know why there are no reviews critiquing their past experiences with excursions?

 

[Alberta Quilter]

When HAL made changes to the website, we were unable to leave reviews!  As far as I know, that has not been fixed.  Stupid.

 

 

[Sea42]

You can try looking for HAL excursion reviews here:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/shoreexcursions/

 

[kwb101]

I was told in one voyage that I could write a review and give it to the shore excursion staff, who would enter it on the website. Welcome to the 20th century!

[TiogaCruiser]

Personally I take the reviews on the HAL shorex page with a grain of salt. After one of our cruises I submitted several reviews and all but 1 was published, even after resubmission.
All were positive, but the censored one pointed out the staff did not allow pax to use the bathroom inside the vessel, so all had to walk outside on a wet deck in very inclement rainy weather to use the bathrooms there. The shorex advertised indoor heads. 
 

Consequently, I no longer write reviews for HAL shorex . 

Edited September 14, 2020 by TiogaCruiser

[Mary229]

I read the reviews on Trip Advisor.  HAL generally uses the same local outfits for their excursions  in many locales.  If you go to popular destinations like the Caribbean or Mediterranean that may not be true.  

[cat shepard]

Ditto on checking them out on Trip Advisor, or you can post a question on CC’s forum for a particular port of call.  Many local folk provide excellent advice.

[grsnovi]

You could ask for specifics here although I suspect that a large % may use non-HAL options. We have used HAL's excursions exclusively because they are convenient and the ship waits for a HAL excursion if there is a problem (I'm sure somebody will post that they were on a HAL excursion and got left behind). For the most part we've been happy. There have been one or two stinkers but HAL took care of us afterwards. We've even done several of HAL's Alaska options multiple times. For the most part, we're going someplace that we've never been and often to a country where we don't speak the language so going with HAL is easy. As note above, I'm not sure that I'd attach much value to reviews on HAL site. I'd be more inclined to read reviews on this board (elsewhere) or a place like TripAdvisor where you'd most likely get reviews of the non-HAL excursions.

[lcand1923]

I agree with the advice to use Trip Advisor reviews.  Even when you could find reviews on HAL's website they were normally several years old.  I don't know if it is still possible, but many years ago I went to the Celebrity and Princess websites to read

Shore Excursion Descriptions and Reviews because there was nothing on HAL's website.  (This was before I discovered Trip Advisor.)

[DaveOKC]

4 hours ago, grsnovi said:

You could ask for specifics here although I suspect that a large % may use non-HAL options. We have used HAL's excursions exclusively because they are convenient and the ship waits for a HAL excursion if there is a problem (I'm sure somebody will post that they were on a HAL excursion and got left behind). For the most part we've been happy. There have been one or two stinkers but HAL took care of us afterwards. We've even done several of HAL's Alaska options multiple times. For the most part, we're going someplace that we've never been and often to a country where we don't speak the language so going with HAL is easy. As note above, I'm not sure that I'd attach much value to reviews on HAL site. I'd be more inclined to read reviews on this board (elsewhere) or a place like TripAdvisor where you'd most likely get reviews of the non-HAL excursions.

I have used the HAL reviews alot in the past and found them to be very fair and accurate in most cases.  I certainly miss having them.  One nice thing is having real people give you advice, such as "take as early in the day option as you can, as afternoon options are VERY hot."  I have made very good use of these tips.

 

Edited September 14, 2020 by DaveOKC

[Mary229]

I agree with @DaveOKC  The HAL reviewers were very good.  One thing I do like about HAL is they offer excursions throughout the day and will add a session if the earlier ones sell out.  I was on a "luxury" cruise where all shore excursions started at 8-8:30 in the morning - that is not luxury

[chill6x6]

Sooo...

 

Looking at my partial transit cruise coming up in March 2021. SOME excursions are still showing reviews and ratings while at least 50% show no review or rating.  I also looked at a cruise on Carnival I have booked for October 2022....all reviews/ratings are still intact. Maybe the Holland ones that are missing a review now will reappear at some point. I applaud CCL corporate for allowing reviews and ratings for their cruise line excursions. It's invaluable. Celebrity/Royal don't allow reviews/ratings. I think that stinks. I would have loved to have left a couple....they wouldn't have been complimentary.

[ontheweb]

11 hours ago, chill6x6 said:

Sooo...

 

Looking at my partial transit cruise coming up in March 2021. SOME excursions are still showing reviews and ratings while at least 50% show no review or rating.  I also looked at a cruise on Carnival I have booked for October 2022....all reviews/ratings are still intact. Maybe the Holland ones that are missing a review now will reappear at some point. I applaud CCL corporate for allowing reviews and ratings for their cruise line excursions. It's invaluable. Celebrity/Royal don't allow reviews/ratings. I think that stinks. I would have loved to have left a couple....they wouldn't have been complimentary.

I once wrote 2 reviews for Carnival excursions. One was extremely laudatory, and of course was published. The other was the opposite, and was not published as "it did not meet their guidelines".

[Mary229]

42 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I once wrote 2 reviews for Carnival excursions. One was extremely laudatory, and of course was published. The other was the opposite, and was not published as "it did not meet their guidelines".

Some of my excursions still have reviews and some of those reviews are real stinkers giving only 1 star.  I do hope the reviews reappear soon.