New Cruise Atlas

[bobpell]

Any word when 2021-2022 version will be ready?

Dreamer Bob

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Considering they have not finished the 2021-22 Deployments, and there may be some additional ship shuffles/cancellations from what is currently available I wouldn't expect a print edition until possibly Late Q1 of next year, if even then

[Mary229]

I have gotten no mailings from HAL since the pandemic started.   We may find that everything becomes digital for the foreseeable future 

[rkacruiser]

Not meaning to be unkind, but Dreamer Bob, you are dreaming!  I haven't received a Cruise Atlas in a long time that I either didn't pick up on a cruise or have my travel agent sent it to me.  Considering the flux and issues that exist in the cruising industry today, one shouldn't expect to find a Cruise Atlas in one's mail box anytime in the near future.

[sail7seas]

On 9/14/2020 at 1:05 PM, bobpell said:

Any word when 2021-2022 version will be ready?

Dreamer Bob

 

GOOd question

 

If you gain reliable info, kindly pass it along

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sir PMP]

Patience , please..

[rkacruiser]

16 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

Patience , please..

 

Yes, such is needed during these unsettled times.  Hope is also an important attribute to have, I think.  

 

I just hope that a hard copy Cruise Atlas does not become as extinct as T. Rex.  

 

It's become in recent years very difficult to obtain hard copy brochures from any travel company:  cruise lines, airlines, Amtrak.  

[Sososailer]

I keep looking back at our 2019 & 2020 Cruise Atlas just because it brings me joy. 

[oaktreerb]

2021 Alaska Planner is online in e-brochures on HAL site now.

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, oaktreerb said:

2021 Alaska Planner is online in e-brochures on HAL site now.

 

Pardon my sarcasm:  such wonderful news for those of us who prefer a hard copy.  On-line only?   👎

[oaktreerb]

I’m pretty sure the print version will follow eventually.  There aren’t as many pages as in the past.  I’m  happy to see the itineraries in an easy to read format in any form.   The HAL website is fancy but not easy to navigate or compare itineraries.  Eventually AAA will get the hard copies and I’ll pick one up there.  We are scheduled for Alaska in August of 2021.  

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

I’m pretty sure the print version will follow eventually.  There aren’t as many pages as in the past.  I’m  happy to see the itineraries in an easy to read format in any form.   The HAL website is fancy but not easy to navigate or compare itineraries.  Eventually AAA will get the hard copies and I’ll pick one up there.  We are scheduled for Alaska in August of 2021.  

 

In what will be the "new normal" for cruising in the near future, I surely hope that your expectations for a hard copy Cruise Atlas is correct.  

 

Why, however, should I have to go to my travel agent or AAA to obtain one?  It's a 5 Star Mariner Society "perk" that is/has been eroded to near the point of extinction.  

[oaktreerb]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

In what will be the "new normal" for cruising in the near future, I surely hope that your expectations for a hard copy Cruise Atlas is correct.  

 

Why, however, should I have to go to my travel agent or AAA to obtain one?  It's a 5 Star Mariner Society "perk" that is/has been eroded to near the point of extinction.  

The cruise line has reduced their fleet by 4 ships in 2020.  They have to adjust the 2021 itineraries, try to figure out what the standards will be for each country that they visit, deal with people who have FCC's to apply, reduce the staff, etc.  I'm just thrilled that they finally got the Alaska 2021 online. As a stockholder and frequent HAL cruiser I want this company to be successful,  I love the Alaska cruises and have the convenience of a few itineraries like Mexico, Hawaii, and Panama Canal out of my home port.  I really don't mind going to Triple A for a Cruise Atlas (although those are not ready yet).  

 

A few years ago my PCC sent me his only copy of the Cruise Atlas because I was having trouble getting one.  That made me rethink my priorities and since then I have been more patient.   I think we'll all have to be patient as this industry slowly gets up and running again.   

 

I'm not sure I'll make it to 5 Star so I'll just have to pick my Cruise Atlas up.  HAL has in the past had Alaska cruise shows locally each year where they make the Cruise Atlas available.  I've been saving them since 2005!  

 

 

 

[rkacruiser]

2 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

I'm just thrilled that they finally got the Alaska 2021 online. As a stockholder and frequent HAL cruiser I want this company to be successful, 

 

I am also a shareholder and I also want them to be successful.  What I don't want to experience is that if a potential guest desires to do some shopping for a cruise, one must go online to do so.

 

3 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

I think we'll all have to be patient as this industry slowly gets up and running again.   

 

I have no problems being patient.  Patience has little to do with whether there will be future Cruise Atlases or not.

 

3 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

 I've been saving them since 2005!  

 

 

I have quite a collection of such stuff since I collect ocean liner memorabilia.  

[SFO Peter]

The Cruise Atlas is available to download from the HAL website when available.   Look at the bottom of the page then  click e-brochures.  When it comes up save it somewhere on your computer so you can find it.

[rkacruiser]

7 minutes ago, SFO PETER said:

The Cruise Atlas is available to download from the HAL website when available.   Look at the bottom of the page then  click e-brochures.  When it comes up save it somewhere on your computer so you can find it.

 

So,  I realize that!  Doing so does not replace a hard copy!  Many of us still prefer to read books that are hard or soft cover.  Many of us do not prefer to read books that are on Kindle or whatever.

 

[RuthC]

43 minutes ago, SFO PETER said:

The Cruise Atlas is available to download from the HAL website when available.   Look at the bottom of the page then  click e-brochures.  When it comes up save it somewhere on your computer so you can find it.

You can't pick up an e-version of the Atlas and flip around until you stumble onto something that looks interesting. You can't brouze an E-version of the Atlas. You can't glance at a few pages, put it down, pick it back up later, like you can with a paper version. 
An e-version of the Atlas is great if you are seriously looking for a cruise, especially a cruise you have already given thought to. A paper version is infinitely better for the 'window shopping' approach to finding a cruise. Some of my best cruises were the ones I never gave a thought to before stumbling on it. There's a lot to be said for serendipity. 

[TiogaCruiser]

3 hours ago, RuthC said:

You can't pick up an e-version of the Atlas and flip around until you stumble onto something that looks interesting. You can't brouze an E-version of the Atlas. You can't glance at a few pages, put it down, pick it back up later, like you can with a paper version. 
An e-version of the Atlas is great if you are seriously looking for a cruise, especially a cruise you have already given thought to. A paper version is infinitely better for the 'window shopping' approach to finding a cruise. Some of my best cruises were the ones I never gave a thought to before stumbling on it. There's a lot to be said for serendipity. 

And our Prinsendam cruise to Norway would not have happened had DH not seen the paper brochure laying on the table 😇 open to a picture of what We now know as Pulpit Rock, and said “That’s beautiful. Where’s that?”😉

Edited October 10, 2020 by TiogaCruiser

[cruisemom42]

I imagine cruise atlases will disappear in the not-distant future. Between the ability to search online and the increased concern re: paper waste, I don't imagine there will continue to be much demand for them.

 

I "made the switch" to online browsing at least 10 years ago. E-versions of just about anything I shop for online are better than the printed counterparts. I work FT with a long commute, so I do a lot of online shopping for things at home in the evening -- clothes, vacations, household goods, you name it. COVID has only accelerated that. It's so much easier and better to look at a variety of pictures available online -- in fabulous resolution and full-sized (not a single 4 x 3 shot in a printed catalog). Of course you can browse a few pages at a time, as well as bookmarking thing of interest, sharing links with others, etc. 

 

Very few of my travel inspirations ever came from reading a catalog. I have gotten more good ideas about potential future cruises from other cruisers here on CC (or from fellow travelers on actual trips) than just about anywhere else, but the internet makes it so easy to search for options. There are robust search engines that let you find and compare all cruises that visit X, Y, and Z ports during May 2021, for example. Or if you aren't familiar with a cruise line there are YouTube videos and endless articles and reviews online. 

 

I no longer subscribe to any print magazines -- I never end up looking at them because the online experience is so much more fulfilling. If I hear a mention of somewhere on TV or see a commercial about a destination, my trusty laptop is in my lap and I can look it up immediately. Of course, I am also a big fan of reducing paper waste -- my bills are electronic as well as most of my important paperwork, my photos, my travel notes, etc.

 

I'm not going to say it's a generational thing, because I'm quite sure some will come along and correct me. But I'm pretty sure a higher percentage of older cruisers value the atlases more than younger ones.  My parents (long-time cruisers) just about keel-hauled me once when they found out I was tossing out the Princess and HAL atlases that were sent to me with no prompting when they were having trouble getting them. But recently I haven't received any, and they no longer are able to cruise, so.....  🤷‍♀️

 

Edited to add:  Also, I suppose if you only cruise one line, it makes a bit more sense. For me, I'd have to have 5 or 6 atlases all open at once....and at that point it's much easier to switch between windows on a computer!

Edited October 10, 2020 by cruisemom42

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I imagine cruise atlases will disappear in the not-distant future.

 

A response to your post: 

 

Paragraph #1:  Yes.  I think you are correct.

 

Paragraph #2:  For some things for which one shops, e-versions are fine.  In some cases--at least where I live--for what I think I want to buy--it is the only option.  For other items that I may want to buy, e-versions are not satisfactory.  

 

Paragraph #3:  I disagree.  A hard copy does not require the effort to go flipping from site to site to compare itineraries, ships, etc that searching online does.  If one knows specifically   all of the details of the itinerary, date of traveling, etc., accessing such information on a cruise line's web site is easy to do.  Providing that the web site is sufficiently user friendly and provides the information the prospective guest wishes to learn.

 

Paragraph #4:  I also have reduced the number of my magazine subscriptions, but I do still read the ones that I receive.  My problem is that I then choose to save them rather than discard them.  (If anyone is interested in any specific copies of the "Yellow Horde", let me know.  I may have what you are looking for.)  I do use our friend "Google" frequently as well as Wikipedia.  

 

Paragraph #6:  A slight exaggeration in your statement, I think.  Five or six cruise Atlases available at the same time?  Recent comprehensive cruise brochures that could be called an "Atlas" are from Princess, HAL, NCL, and RCL.  I receive many, many, many unwanted mailings from Regent and Oceania that are devoted to specific cruises and cruise regions and could not in any stretch of the imagination be compared to a "Cruise Atlas" of any of the above cruise lines.  

 

A comprehensive "Cruise Atlas" from Carnival Cruise Lines has been unobtainable for several years.

 

Does any of the "luxury" lines still have a "Cruise Atlas" type available?  Seabourn, Silverseas, Crystal, Cunard, Sea Dream, and Ponant?  

 

 

 

 

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

A response to your post: 

 

Paragraph #1:  Yes.  I think you are correct.

 

Paragraph #2:  For some things for which one shops, e-versions are fine.  In some cases--at least where I live--for what I think I want to buy--it is the only option.  For other items that I may want to buy, e-versions are not satisfactory.  

 

Paragraph #3:  I disagree.  A hard copy does not require the effort to go flipping from site to site to compare itineraries, ships, etc that searching online does.  If one knows specifically   all of the details of the itinerary, date of traveling, etc., accessing such information on a cruise line's web site is easy to do.  Providing that the web site is sufficiently user friendly and provides the information the prospective guest wishes to learn.

 

Paragraph #4:  I also have reduced the number of my magazine subscriptions, but I do still read the ones that I receive.  My problem is that I then choose to save them rather than discard them.  (If anyone is interested in any specific copies of the "Yellow Horde", let me know.  I may have what you are looking for.)  I do use our friend "Google" frequently as well as Wikipedia.  

 

Paragraph #6:  A slight exaggeration in your statement, I think.  Five or six cruise Atlases available at the same time?  Recent comprehensive cruise brochures that could be called an "Atlas" are from Princess, HAL, NCL, and RCL.  I receive many, many, many unwanted mailings from Regent and Oceania that are devoted to specific cruises and cruise regions and could not in any stretch of the imagination be compared to a "Cruise Atlas" of any of the above cruise lines.  

 

A comprehensive "Cruise Atlas" from Carnival Cruise Lines has been unobtainable for several years.

 

Does any of the "luxury" lines still have a "Cruise Atlas" type available?  Seabourn, Silverseas, Crystal, Cunard, Sea Dream, and Ponant?  

 

 

 

 

 

I probably should have prefaced my remarks by saying "For me...."   It works "for me" because I'm very computer literate and comfortable. That just comes from use and experience.  I can flip between websites faster than I can flip between pages, especially as I have all my favorites bookmarked. I might have anywhere from 10 to 20 tabs all open simultaneously when I am researching a cruise or a trip.

 

Also think you may have misread or misunderstood my last paragraph. What I was trying to say is that in order to be able to do the comparisons between lines as easily as I can using hard copy, I would have to have all of the atlases and even then it would be more tedious. It was more of a hypothetical -- but it does point out another reason why doing those comparisons online is more useful.  Once upon a time I went through a period where I would book an itinerary for a cruise, then only several weeks or months later I would find a better itinerary.  I'd have to cancel one booking and make another one. Much easier to be able to look across all lines at once and KNOW that I've made the right choice for me.

 

[rkacruiser]

29 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

lso think you may have misread or misunderstood my last paragraph. What I was trying to say is that in order to be able to do the comparisons between lines as easily as I can using hard copy,

 

Yes, I better understand what you are saying.  Thanks.  

 

29 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

I probably should have prefaced my remarks by saying "For me...."   It works "for me" because I'm very computer literate and comfortable. That just comes from use and experience.  

 

Your comment is very kind because it recognizes that some of us are not so computer literate.  I first came online 19 years ago.  In my mind and experience, I am a novice to this technology.  Surely, I have learned over the years.  But, for me to consider myself to be computer literate and 100% comfortable each day that I use my computer is laughable.  There are many times, I sit behind my keyboard and monitor and wonder why the heck did that happen?  

 

[oaktreerb]

My favorite feature of the Cruise Atlas is the pages that show the layout of the ships. On one page for each ship I can see what is above and below a stateroom on every deck.  Then as people on c CC mention their likes and dislikes about certain cabins I make notes of their comments on that page for future reference.

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

My favorite feature of the Cruise Atlas is the pages that show the layout of the ships. On one page for each ship I can see what is above and below a stateroom on every deck.  Then as people on c CC mention their likes and dislikes about certain cabins I make notes of their comments on that page for future reference.

 

For me, being able to easily study a ship's deck plan, which the Cruise Atlas provides, helps me to select a stateroom in a location where I think I will be the most satisfied.  Seeing the overall layout of the ship is also helpful.