(UN) Happy Hour on Nieuw Statendam

[Native Floridian 26]

11 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

 

That's all great information!!! 

 

Although we have the HIA, I hope that HAL continues to have the "Historic Happy Hour" on our cruise.   Very neat!   Reminds me of when my parents took the family to The Cloister at Sea Island, GA to celebrate their 50th anniversary.  My mother had read somewhere that if you honeymooned there (which they had), and could present your original bill, that the accommodations would be the same rate per day as that of the original bill if while visiting during your anniversary.   I cannot remember the amount, but it was something between $25-$50 per night.  This was back when the standard Cloister rooms were going for around $350 a night.  Not only did my parents get the reduced room rate per night, but upon check-in, The Cloister gave the same rate to the whole family!  In total, we had 4 rooms booked.   And not only that, but they upgraded us all to their ocean front suites!!!

 

That is so awesome! 

[Stratheden]

On 3/27/2023 at 5:18 AM, Real NHDOC said:

We ordered a martini last night in billboard onboard. It was not during the 3pm happy hour but at a more civilized 5pm. $12.69 for one drink. Exactly what we had been paying for two on Rotterdam during happy hour at the same time of day. And it was half full to ad insult to injury.  So half the booze at twice the price! 
 

Seriously, we’ve been averaging 100-150 days a year aboard cruise ships and like to enjoy one cocktail a day. The difference does add up but it’s more the principle of it. Same cruise line, should have policies that are consistent between the ships, especially when the beverage manager on Rotterdam said it was a fleet-wide policy. But the beverage manager on this ship disagrees and says it’s up to the beverage manager’s discretion. So who is telling the truth?
 

 

Geez!  So all of this huge thread has been about 1 cocktail a day. 

[nooligans]

1 hour ago, Stratheden said:

Geez!  So all of this huge thread has been about 1 cocktail a day. 

Well, 2 cocktails a day for a couple, for cruises that can last 14 or more days - this adds up if you aren’t on the HIA package. And it’s also about HAL being uniform in their policies.

 

FWIW, the Happy Hour on the Nieuw Statendam is now at 4pm, and is 50 percent off each drink. So sometimes passengers’ input has an effect on policy! 

[tjcox9]

On 3/19/2023 at 7:19 AM, Mary229 said:

I hope that doesn’t become the norm but likely they will make it more difficult not to buy a package.    A manager put it succinctly, “ HIA is paying the mortgage”.  
 

 

Yeah it is because they are not stocking the bars...........

[Native Floridian 26]

8 hours ago, Stratheden said:

Geez!  So all of this huge thread has been about 1 cocktail a day. 

To each his own.  I find many of the HAL topics to be a bore, but this one had a direct impact on me.  Choose what you like to read.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Native Floridian 26

[Native Floridian 26]

It's been a year and we're getting ready for our next TA on the Nieuw Statendam in April.  Are they still having Happy Hours and what about the Historic Happy they had for the 150th anniversary?  If they had it a year ago, I wonder how long they celebrated it or will celebrate it.

[topspot]

32 minutes ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

It's been a year and we're getting ready for our next TA on the Nieuw Statendam in April.  Are they still having Happy Hours and what about the Historic Happy they had for the 150th anniversary?  If they had it a year ago, I wonder how long they celebrated it or will celebrate it.

We'll be on that TA with you.  We sailed on the Rotterdam in January'24 and happy hour was 4-5 all drinks 50% off.  It was listed 4-5 but the servers actually started earlier than that around 3:30 they would ask if you wanted a drink and that it was happy hour despite it being before 4

[Real NHDOC]

I am the OP of this thread and am getting ready to board N-S on Sunday. According to the app, the H H is only 25% off the second drink (again like it was last year). If that is the case I will lobby the beverage manager again to get it changed. If we’re lucky the app is in error but if not it might take some arm twisting again to get it changed. We have already sailed on Zaandam and Eurodam this winter and on both the happy hour was the standard 50% off. It seems like N-S always “sails to its own winds”. 
 

The H H special only got changed last year after the beverage manager got changed to one I know to be reasonable (Csaba). Once he verified that N-S was the only ship in the fleet not giving 50% off at the pre- dinner hour (4-5pm) he changed it. Fingers crossed that he’s coming back onboard this year!

Edited March 7 by Real NHDOC

[0106]

I am currently on the NS.  Happy Hour is from 3-4 in Billboard.  “All listed cocktails, wines by the glass, beers and well drinks are 50% off”

[albingirl]

On 3/24/2023 at 3:21 PM, Real NHDOC said:

My experience is that HAL just isn’t so sophisticated as to adjust their happy hour to meet supply and demand.
 

What’s more likely is there’s nobody aboard the ship who knows how to change the system so it’s what it’s always been for the past couple of years and how it will stay until the 12 year old who understands the accounting program changes it. 

Rather demeaning don't you think?

[Native Floridian 26]

1 hour ago, albingirl said:

Rather demeaning don't you think?

You're responding to a very old post.  They changed shortly after they were made aware of the inconsistencies.

[albingirl]

12 minutes ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

You're responding to a very old post.  They changed shortly after they were made aware of the inconsistencies.

I like to call it as I see it. Better late than never. 

[Real NHDOC]

2 hours ago, 0106 said:

I am currently on the NS.  Happy Hour is from 3-4 in Billboard.  “All listed cocktails, wines by the glass, beers and well drinks are 50% off”

Great news! Looking forward to coming aboard. Thanks for the response.
 

I just wish someone at HAL knew how to update the Navigator app since apparently it still reflects the H H from over a year ago. 

[0106]

4 hours ago, Real NHDOC said:

I just wish someone at HAL knew how to update the Navigator app since apparently it still reflects the H H from over a year ago. 

Have you logged out and logged back in since your last cruise?

 

Remember, the Navigator App is not entirely accurate until you board the ship.

[Laminator]

2 hours ago, 0106 said:

Have you logged out and logged back in since your last cruise?

 

Remember, the Navigator App is not entirely accurate until you board the ship.

I am on the NS now and the NAV app still shows the 25% discount.

[0106]

 

5 hours ago, Laminator said:

I am on the NS now and the NAV app still shows the 25% discount.

Weird, here’s a screenshot of my Nav App.  
 

Here is the info from the Daily.

[Real NHDOC]

My navigator shows this for the first sea day 

 

I stand by my prior comments about HALs ability to fix their IT system problems. 

Edited March 8 by Real NHDOC

[0106]

@Real NHDOC.🤷‍♀️I haven’t gone to happy hour on this cruise.  Have you?  I guess  that’s the only way to find out what’s really going on at happy hour.

 

Do you think happy hour prices are different on sea days?  I’ll look at the Daily tomorrow.

[Real NHDOC]

15 minutes ago, 0106 said:

@Real NHDOC.🤷‍♀️I haven’t gone to happy hour on this cruise.  Have you?  I guess  that’s the only way to find out what’s really going on at happy hour.

 

Do you think happy hour prices are different on sea days?  I’ll look at the Daily tomorrow.

I don’t think the H H is different on sea days. I think the navigator app is wrong but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens next week. Every other HAL ship we have been on in the past year or so has been having 50% off drinks as their happy hour on every day but the first day (traditionally there is no H H on the embarkation day).  
 

H H is typically from 4-5pm. Some ships have it in two bars and some ships also have a later H H in the ocean bar (9 or 10pm) in addition to 4-5pm but they always have it in the Billboard bar if there’s only one bar offering it. 

Edited March 8 by Real NHDOC

[Laminator]

47 minutes ago, 0106 said:

 

Weird, here’s a screenshot of my Nav App.  
 

Here is the info from the Daily.

You need to click on the wording and you will the 25% discount. 

[0106]

13 minutes ago, Laminator said:

You need to click on the wording and you will the 25% discount. 

I did click on the wording.  
Without clickingAfter clicking the wording

[Laminator]

8 minutes ago, 0106 said:

I did click on the wording.  
Without clickingAfter clicking the wording

Mine shows the 25% discount. If I could figure out how to get the screenshot here I would post it

[Real NHDOC]

Some days it says 25% off second drink and some just say the generic “join us for…”. On my Navigator it says the 25% off on the first sea day but on the subsequent days it just has the generic statement. But nowhere does it say 50% off like it says in the daily. 

[nooligans]

16 hours ago, albingirl said:

Rather demeaning don't you think?

“Demeaning” seems like a strong word for a light-hearted joke about a corporation’s IT service. Who exactly has been demeaned?

[mwj]

HAL has a 'practice' of trying new ideas on one ship to test and sort it out.

Given that 'all' other ships have 50% off during multiple happy hours in different venues, it seems as if the NS is being used to change this.

 

Yes, I think this is an attempt to increase revenue, and drive guests to HIA.