Disappointing Shops onboard.

[Interlinetraveler]

Currently onboard the new Rotterdam for ten days down to the ABC islands. With this being the Inaugural Season for the ship , I was hoping for some commemorative items for sale in the shops. Not the case at all, the only logo items are overpriced generic HAL logo items. Sequined logo T-shirts for $40 to $50 each, a few sweat suits, etc.  There is a large selection of Louis Vuitton and Coach bags, so you won’t have to waste your time traveling to Rodeo Drive. It’s almost like in the 18 months of the shutdown, someone made the decision that we would be so happy to be cruising again, that they thought they could stock with expensive items and we’d buy it no matter what. 

[Crew News]

26 minutes ago, Interlinetraveler said:

Currently onboard the new Rotterdam for ten days down to the ABC islands. With this being the Inaugural Season for the ship , I was hoping for some commemorative items for sale in the shops. Not the case at all, the only logo items are overpriced generic HAL logo items. Sequined logo T-shirts for $40 to $50 each, a few sweat suits, etc.  There is a large selection of Louis Vuitton and Coach bags, so you won’t have to waste your time traveling to Rodeo Drive. It’s almost like in the 18 months of the shutdown, someone made the decision that we would be so happy to be cruising again, that they thought they could stock with expensive items and we’d buy it no matter what. 

I was on the first US cruise of Nieuw Amsterdam a number of years ago and picked up a t-shirt from all of their European stops for just $5/each

[Laminator]

59 minutes ago, Interlinetraveler said:

Currently onboard the new Rotterdam for ten days down to the ABC islands. With this being the Inaugural Season for the ship , I was hoping for some commemorative items for sale in the shops. Not the case at all, the only logo items are overpriced generic HAL logo items. Sequined logo T-shirts for $40 to $50 each, a few sweat suits, etc.  There is a large selection of Louis Vuitton and Coach bags, so you won’t have to waste your time traveling to Rodeo Drive. It’s almost like in the 18 months of the shutdown, someone made the decision that we would be so happy to be cruising again, that they thought they could stock with expensive items and we’d buy it no matter what. 

Those Louis Vuitton bags are not new. They are used.

[ski ww]

You'd think there would be some items to help celebrate the inaugural cruise, mugs, T-shirts etc. Some thing to take home and brag about. 

[Roger88]

33 minutes ago, ski ww said:

You'd think there would be some items to help celebrate the inaugural cruise, mugs, T-shirts etc. Some thing to take home and brag about. 

There are always such things on board. Usually these are pencils, pens, mugs, some even got their own store where they sell this kind of stuff, and people do buy it, A LOT! In my opinion these things are way overpriced and eventually end up in a trash bin.. 

[KirkNC]

My gripe with the shops are they almost never stock XL or XXL shirts.  Given the customers onboard, you would think they would overstock those sizes.

[Roger88]

14 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

My gripe with the shops are they almost never stock XL or XXL shirts.  Given the customers onboard, you would think they would overstock those sizes.

Who buys it? I mean I have a few shorts (0versized unfortunatly), but its more of a souvenir. I even started gifting them to friends and relatives lol 

[FlaMariner]

There were no logo items (not even a 'dam t-shirt) to be had on the maiden voyage of the Rotterdam a month ago.

 

It came up as a topic in the coffee chat and Seth (the brand ambassador) said that was because of the go/no go concern of the TA.  There was even a thought that we might get an email post cruise to buy stuff....but I was not counting on that...and it has yet to materialize. 

 

In times like these, HAL needs to make $$$ where they can....Missed opportunities with $$$ left on the ground......We would rarely buy HAL logo stuff but we would have with the Rotterdam maiden voyage experience.

 

HAL if you are listening.....some people will pay you $$$ for HAL logo stuff....Get some onboard...$$$.

[cruisemom42]

10 hours ago, Laminator said:

Those Louis Vuitton bags are not new. They are used.

 

Really?  That seems like an odd concept for this particular passenger set....

[Laminator]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Really?  That seems like an odd concept for this particular passenger set....

Really.   My wife stopped in there and talked to the guy. She knows the Louis Vuitton and Chanel bags are used. She is not sure about the Coach bags but she thinks they are used also. 

[Sharon in AZ]

Prior to our Koningsdam cruise last month I pre-purchased a logo coffee mug for my DH (which he loves and uses every day) and wanted to do the same thing for our upcoming Rotterdam cruise. But it hasn’t been listed under the gifts area so I was hoping to purchase it once onboard. Now it looks like that won’t happen. 

[Sea42]

5 minutes ago, Laminator said:

Really.   My wife stopped in there and talked to the guy. She knows the Louis Vuitton and Chanel bags are used. She is not sure about the Coach bags but she thinks they are used also. 

Do the prices reflect that?

[Sea42]

On day 2 of our recent cruise on the NA the shops closed, except the jewelry shop. Apparently they were getting a shipment of new items the next week so they were doing inventory of old items and rearranging the shop. Sundries could be purchased at the front desk.

[Crazy For Cats]

3 hours ago, FlaMariner said:

There were no logo items (not even a 'dam t-shirt) to be had on the maiden voyage of the Rotterdam a month ago.

 

It came up as a topic in the coffee chat and Seth (the brand ambassador) said that was because of the go/no go concern of the TA.  There was even a thought that we might get an email post cruise to buy stuff....but I was not counting on that...and it has yet to materialize. 

 

In times like these, HAL needs to make $$$ where they can....Missed opportunities with $$$ left on the ground......We would rarely buy HAL logo stuff but we would have with the Rotterdam maiden voyage experience.

 

HAL if you are listening.....some people will pay you $$$ for HAL logo stuff....Get some onboard...$$$.

I’d like to buy some logo stuff, especially ship models, online when I’m home.  I’d be willing to pay shipping.

[Laminator]

4 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

Do the prices reflect that?

Not enough of a reflection to make her buy one.

[Himself]

I have been on inaugural seasons for the Nieuw Amsterdam, Koeningsdam and the Nieuw Statendam and there were always caps and mugs with name of the ship.  HAL switched venders a few years ago and I preferred the previous vender.

[iancal]

DW bought a cover up a few years ago on Westerdam   Excellent quality...she still uses it from time to time.

 

Bought a Citizen watch that was supposed to be duty free, fifty percent off, too good even to be true

 

 Saw the exact same watch in a FLL discount mall two days after getting off the ship.  Price was $1. less than I paid on board.   Plus the sales tax of course. 

 

We never bother much  with the on board stores.  We have enough trash and trinkets to last a lifetime.  And we do not see any garage sales on our horizon.

 

Perhaps it is like the art auctions.....has the effect of potentially offsetting the cost our fares.

Edited November 28, 2021 by iancal

[Megamixer]

It's a big beef of mine with all the cruise lines now.  Generic "cruise line" mugs, shirts, caps, etc.  Nothing with the specific ship's name on it.  In years past (starting in 1992 with Sovereign Of The Seas) I had a mug from each ship I've been on.  I've often wondered how those high end shops make a profit; I never see anyone in them.  On the Koningsdam cruise I was just on there was actually a "used Rolex watch sale".  Really!

[Horizon chaser 1957]

4 hours ago, FlaMariner said:

There were no logo items (not even a 'dam t-shirt) to be had on the maiden voyage of the Rotterdam a month ago.

 

It came up as a topic in the coffee chat and Seth (the brand ambassador) said that was because of the go/no go concern of the TA.  There was even a thought that we might get an email post cruise to buy stuff....but I was not counting on that...and it has yet to materialize. 

I wonder if getting burned on unmarketable 2020 GWV merchandise had anything to do with it.  There was a LOT of merchandise and pillow gifts for upcoming ports that never even made it on to the ship. They would have been stuck with at least a ton - literally, of useless and in some cases expensive logo’d merchandise. 
I sometimes wonder what happened to it.🤔

[aliaschief]

Watches and perfumes. What’s with that? Rarely, do I sense a woman is dabbed with perfume these days. Watches? How about Fitbits or Apple watches?

 

Maybe they could stock more travel gadgets or personal items, OTC meds.

 

I understand some have the need or desire to shop but I would prefer they get rid of shoppes and replace with a new venue.

 

To each their own.

[iancal]

Perhaps the rent is too high and the revenue/profit f'cast too low to encourage businesses to bid on the space or pay the rent

 

Seems to me it is the same on all of the other cruise lines/ships we have sailed on.  Five minutes through the shop and we are finished with them unless there is some item or OTC that we specifically need.

Edited November 28, 2021 by iancal

[XBGuy]

18 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

What’s with that? Rarely, do I sense a woman is dabbed with perfume these days.

 

 

It seems to be the current fad in SoCal, these days.  Even in the bagel and coffee shop in the mornings I seem to be encountering multiple perfumed women.  But Wait, There's More.  It seems that men are following along with the trend.  More and more of them are dousing themselves with aftershave or cologne or something.  I should also mention that these people seem to be, pretty much, in the thirty-something demographic.

[XBGuy]

I do not find it surprising that the stores are not stocked with new inventory.  For almost two years Holland America revenues were, effectively, zero. They, along, of course, with every other cruise line, are bleeding cash.  So, when cruising restarted, Holland America marketers and accountants had a decision to make:  sell the stuff that has been sitting in warehouses for the last two years or spend money on new stuff. It seems like a pretty easy decision to me.

[idiebabe]

2 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Prior to our Koningsdam cruise last month I pre-purchased a logo coffee mug for my DH (which he loves and uses every day) and wanted to do the same thing for our upcoming Rotterdam cruise. But it hasn’t been listed under the gifts area so I was hoping to purchase it once onboard. Now it looks like that won’t happen. 

You can purchase really nice Mugs at the Photo Shop.  My Daughter surprised me with one that had a Group picture of us taken in the MDR and also the Rotterdam and 2021 on it.  In the past pre-Covid I purchased Mugs there and uploaded pics of us in various Ports.  

 

I was told when we were Onboard Rotterdam that they are waiting for the Logo items to arrive but could take months.  (Probably sitting in a shipping container on a Cargo Ship off the Coast of CA!)  The gal also mentioned they are not the same Company and the HAL items they have for sale now are leftover from the other Company.  

[MogeyMan]

9 hours ago, KirkNC said:

My gripe with the shops are they almost never stock XL or XXL shirts.  Given the customers onboard, you would think they would overstock those sizes.

Yessss. For those of us a bit larger people who forget something.

 

And no OCT antacids. Alka-Seltzer, (ick) but no Tums!!!