Is HAL as BAD as the latest reviews-------food-entertainment??????

[AncientWanderer]

3 hours ago, Real NHDOC said:

When people complain about issues on cruises now I always remind them about how bad service has gotten on land.  Hotels that now routinely only clean rooms every 3-5 days (and the prices are up 25-50%).  And the service in some restaurants is terrible and if you leave less than 20% tip you better never come back - even for the people at the airport who just hand you a pre-made sandwich for $15.  

 

It's a different world now.  Yes, they now default to cabin service only once a day.  Is that the end of the world?  No.  Is every experience perfect?  No.  It's still head and shoulders better than a typical service experience on land and still, overall, a much better value. 

 

Agree 100 percent.  We've been on seven HAL cruises since the post-pandemic restart.  I can't wait for the next one this spring.  Yet I have a certificate for two free nights in a high-end hotel, but I'm not even remotely interested in using it.  Many of the cruises have made hotel stays necessary, and all of the hotels  just seemed -- not clean, and kind of depressing, with so many restaurants, bars and so on shuttered.  They can't seem to staff them.

 

I'd encourage anyone to go on a HAL cruise.  Look at the price point compared to premium lines, gasp, and then embrace the upcharges for things you really value. 

Do I miss the flowers on the tables in MDR?  Definitely, yes. 

[snaebyllej]

23 minutes ago, pirate_dad said:

There are a couple things i have noticed post-covid.

 

They skipped out on the towel art. I only got it 2 times in 3 cruises in my vista suite and I asked for it for the kids.

 

The main dining room has cut back on the silverware and glasses normal used for a MDR place setting. No salad fork, bread plate etc... I think it makes the experience less grand. The food has been a step down in quality in the MDR. I eat now in Club Orange mostly. They cut out the NY Strip steak option and only do it on occasion or you can get the $40 dry aged. I think it is a bunch of little things that combine to make the overall experience cheaper (for lack of a better word). If you hadn't cruised on HAL prior to COVID you probably wouldn't notice but if you had it is noticeable. I just think they made some cuts in areas that really don't save them a lot of money but impact the experience. I am getting on a ship tomorrow so I will update but in Nov it was the above... I would also say Club Orange is definately worth it.

 

No bread plate?  Zuiderdam had them in December.

[highscar]

Hey.  I live alone, rarely see anyone.  I’m on a wonderful ship with wonderful friendly people. I’m fed, pampered, laundry done,  dishes washed.  Complain?  Would like to stay longer. 

y

[AncientWanderer]

9 minutes ago, snaebyllej said:

No bread plate?  Zuiderdam had them in December.

 

We've always had bread plates.     🤷‍♀️

[Navybikermom]

I did a 7-day in September 2022 and a 16-day last month, both on the Zaandam and they were terrific. In March 2022 I did a 7-day Caribbean on the NA and was not as impressed. Seems to be random experiences, from what I’ve seen. The 16-day Panama Canal on the Zaandam was the best one. Perhaps the longer itineraries have better entertainment? The food was pretty good on all three, though. I don’t eat seafood but my table mates who did certainly enjoyed theirs. Can’t speak much for the Lido, since I only eat breakfast there, and only cereal at that. I am quite dissatisfied with the cereal options (the big dispensers that crunch the cereal as you turn the handle vs. the individual boxes they used to have), but it appeared that most people ate the hot options so they probably didn’t even notice the cereal dilemma 😂. 
 

Yes some things have changed, and not necessarily for the better, but as a solo traveler with few needs, I have been pretty satisfied with post-Covid HAL cruises. 

[Tennessee Titan]

1 hour ago, AncientWanderer said:

 

We've always had bread plates.     🤷‍♀️

They eliminated them for a while during the pandemic.....

[millennial]

Its a budget cruise line now. You get what you pay for. Considering the price point, its not bad.

[mcrcruiser]

17 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Sailed 3 times in 2022, for a total of 32 days. Didn't lose any weight...that is for sure.

 

Food is totally subjective. And people think that everything is perfectly normal after Covid. It is much easier to complain that to think logically about what is happening.

Generally speaking cruise prices are higher but food & service lacks  the equivalents

[mcrcruiser]

18 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Sailed 3 times in 2022, for a total of 32 days. Didn't lose any weight...that is for sure.

 

Food is totally subjective. And people think that everything is perfectly normal after Covid. It is much easier to complain that to think logically about what is happening.

Generally speaking cruise prices are higher but food & service lacks  the equivalents

[mcrcruiser]

Instead of booking a  new longer cruise ,we decided to not book a cruise but to do a months long land trip  come August  .We still have cruises booked but mow I want to get a fresh  look at the  upscale land trip vs  the cruise experience . We will l definitely have more control  over the food quality & entertainment values on land 

[CruiserBruce]

1 minute ago, mcrcruiser said:

Generally speaking cruise prices are higher but food & service lacks  the equivalents

So, we are at 3 years ago now Covid began. Do you think prices should have stayed the same or gone down? And how many things increase their products after 3 years when their increase their price.

 

Lastly, you do know CCL incurred a ton of debt, but you are expecting prices not to increase, product to increase, and there isn't to be any cost cutting?

[mcrcruiser]

6 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

So, we are at 3 years ago now Covid began. Do you think prices should have stayed the same or gone down? And how many things increase their products after 3 years when their increase their price.

 

Lastly, you do know CCL incurred a ton of debt, but you are expecting prices not to increase, product to increase, and there isn't to be any cost cutting?

You mis read what my intent is  in that post . what I am saying is that cruise prices have gone up a lot yet  we do not believe the values in food quality , ,preparation  & service have not been  good in the MDR & Lido . The special restaurants were good to better  but not 5 star

To what point should any customer say I don't like the exchange of paying more & getting less than when I was paying less & getting  good quality food & service .  We all make comparisons  & imo  ,there reaches  a critical point   when we all decide some other vacation is worth doing vs cruises

Edited February 2, 2023 by mcrcruiser

[vicd1969]

Have been on two HAL cruises post-pandemic. Food has been very good for the most part, though one of the cruises was in a separate Club Orange dining room. Service was spotty in the MDR during the other one, but I haven't been on any other mass market cruise line since COVID to compare. My sister did recently sail on Princess and seemed to have enjoyed it, though some of the food offerings based on her photos were at best in the "questionable" category.  As for entertainment and activities, HAL has always lagged all the other mass market cruise lines and there are fewer non-sales related activities than before. But I've enjoyed the onboard music offerings on the Pinnacle ships more than the main stage shows HAL had in past years, for what it's worth. HAL still is a good value proposition for its itineraries in Alaska, Europe, and Asia, but I wouldn't sail them on the standard 7-day Caribbean / Mexico ones unless one lowers their expectations about those cruises.

[robotpony]

All of our 2022 cruises were great, ranging from above-and-beyond service, fantastic meals, quiet spaces, entertainment, and excursions. Our 2022 experiences were good enough that we booked 5 more cruises in for 2023 and 2024, so we see a lot of value in the unique itineraries, the laid back style of ship, and the availability of good food, comfort food, and entertainment.

 

Were our cruises perfect? No, we had a few experiences that were less than great, including a few dishes that were sloppy or disappointing, and a few MDR meals with chaotic service (around Thanksgiving).  These lesser experiences were uncommon and easily resolved. Our experiences with the entertainment, bar service, and general ship life have all been excellent. I expect both service failures and food issues will improve over 2023 and 2024, as supply chains, staffing, and other issues work themselves out. HAL and Carnival are not in the business of disappointing guests, so we can expect good things from most cruise lines in the future.

 

Comparing our recent HAL cruises to other recent vacations, HAL has been on par or above. This includes our typical Accor stays (Fairmonts mostly) at the Platinum level, and Disney property stays (usually at the DLH). HAL food ranks above most of the Disney resort food (LOL), and on par with most of the Fairmont restaurant food. 

[DesertRat46]

In October on our 9-night cruise aboard Zaandam, we thought everything was pretty good. Only real gripe is the food is so bland you need to bring your own hot sauce or spice blend.

Drink service in the MDR was a little slow, but not that different from pre-COVID days.

I would like more live music, but what was avalaible was pretty good.

We've switched to Celebrity for the next cruise simply because of the ports. Haven't been with them since 2019, so anxious to see what is like now.

[shack]

1 minute ago, DesertRat46 said:

In October on our 9-night cruise aboard Zaandam, we thought everything was pretty good. Only real gripe is the food is so bland you need to bring your own hot sauce or spice blend.

Drink service in the MDR was a little slow, but not that different from pre-COVID days.

I would like more live music, but what was avalaible was pretty good.

We've switched to Celebrity for the next cruise simply because of the ports. Haven't been with them since 2019, so anxious to see what is like now.

Surely they have Tabasco or Cholula in MDR.  Many want it for their breakfast.  I believe they had it on our HAL Alaska cruise.

[robotpony]

1 minute ago, shack said:

Surely they have Tabasco or Cholula in MDR.

 

There was a shelf of hot sauces in the Lido on each side of the buffet line, so I imagine that the MDR would have something available too.

[Colorado Klutch]

I was reading HAL reviews recently and I recall almost all the very bad reviews for the same cruise. I think it was a Christmas cruise. Apparently, the ship was extremely crowded and there simply weren't enough staff to adequately deal with all the people. 

[doone]

Last time I sailed was in March 2019 on the Koningsdam.  I have a cruise booked in March on the Rotterdam and am looking forward to it.  I am fortunate enough to be able to cruise both in health and financially, so as long as I have a lounge chair looking out to the ocean and a cocktail in my hand, anything else I receive, to me, is a bonus...........ROTTERDAM, HERE WE COME AND CANNOT WAIT!!!!

 

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, mcrcruiser said:

Instead of booking a  new longer cruise ,we decided to not book a cruise but to do a months long land trip  come August  .We still have cruises booked but mow I want to get a fresh  look at the  upscale land trip vs  the cruise experience . We will l definitely have more control  over the food quality & entertainment values on land 

If you think cruise prices have gone just see what you run into when you price land trips.  Quality hotels have gone up much more.  Land tour companies even more.

[mcrcruiser]

30 minutes ago, ldtr said:

If you think cruise prices have gone just see what you run into when you price land trips.  Quality hotels have gone up much more.  Land tour companies even more.

We haven't paid for hotels for so many years I van not remember when we did pay . We have tons of Marriott ,Hilton Honors & Choice  hotel points  .The entire  August trip  all the hotels are fee using points for bookings . We also have one week in south Lake Tahoe  south  at the Marriott Timber Lodge    on a   time share trade   .While  in Lake Tahoe   we will get to see some of the shows  but we get discounts  . We will be going to Carson city & Virginia City  Nevada from our sparks Nevada Residence Inn by Marriott   .Our 3 days at yosemite we are booked into a Fairfielld Inn suite  with Marriott  .After Tahoe we have  Sacramento  for 2 days in a Sprighill suite by Marriott  .  .Then off to Morgan Hill Ca to visit wineries  & stay at a Hilton property  ,From there we get to Atascadero Ca to go to Hearst Castle   dusk tour  & finally we head to Camarillo Ca  for one night before heading to see our daughter & family  ,

All the hotels we get hot breakfasts  ,Lunches we eat light soups .ie & all dinners we go out   . 

Yes land trips are different than cruises   however ,we get to see & do so much more 

PS we do not use land  tour companies . We plan our own trips 

Edited February 2, 2023 by mcrcruiser

[Guest ldtr]

50 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

We haven't paid for hotels for so many years I van not remember when we did pay . We have tons of Marriott ,Hilton Honors & Choice  hotel points  .The entire  August trip  all the hotels are fee using points for bookings . We also have one week in south Lake Tahoe  south  at the Marriott Timber Lodge    on a   time share trade   .While  in Lake Tahoe   we will get to see some of the shows  but we get discounts  . We will be going to Carson city & Virginia City  Nevada from our sparks Nevada Residence Inn by Marriott   .Our 3 days at yosemite we are booked into a Fairfielld Inn suite  with Marriott  .After Tahoe we have  Sacramento  for 2 days in a Sprighill suite by Marriott  .  .Then off to Morgan Hill Ca to visit wineries  & stay at a Hilton property  ,From there we get to Atascadero Ca to go to Hearst Castle   dusk tour  & finally we head to Camarillo Ca  for one night before heading to see our daughter & family  ,

All the hotels we get hot breakfasts  ,Lunches we eat light soups .ie & all dinners we go out   . 

Yes land trips are different than cruises   however ,we get to see & do so much more 

PS we do not use land  tour companies . We plan our own trips 

Funny thing is that I thought you had stated that you did not like or could not drive  to drive anywhere and have repeatedly have given it as reasons why you could not do things during the shutdown and during the restart.  That you only wanted to cruise out of San Diego because due to your age it was to difficult to travel anywhere else.

 

Will be interesting to hear about services in the various hotels, which to a large degree have declined even more than on cruise lines.  As well as the increased number of points that they are requiring compared to 2019.  

Edited February 2, 2023 by ldtr

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, Colorado Klutch said:

I was reading HAL reviews recently and I recall almost all the very bad reviews for the same cruise. I think it was a Christmas cruise. Apparently, the ship was extremely crowded and there simply weren't enough staff to adequately deal with all the people. 

 

Holiday cruises are always crowded. If kids are off from school and HAL is doing "kids sail free," the increased numbers can burden the staff to the point that service becomes poor. 

[oaktreerb]

22 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Or maybe the room steward didn't notice the last cabin occupants left their Staples pen behind..

We are on Koningsdam.  We also have a Staples pen.  Probably supply chin issue.  At least we got a pen and I think it is new.

[shack]

57 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

We are on Koningsdam.  We also have a Staples pen.  Probably supply chin issue.  At least we got a pen and I think it is new.

Maybe they figure people won't take the Staples pens.  😉