After Reading Numerous Posts over the last Several Weeks, These are my thoughts

[LAFFNVEGAS]

2 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Our recent Eurodam cruise utilized the Main Showroom and offered new acts so maybe the new Alaska season is off to a good start. The talent on Music Walk was exceptional. 
The Casino was hopping as well as the lounges.

It was a cruise down memory lane as we have grown to love Hal cruises. Refreshing.

For us frequent cruisers I believe they just ran the same same to long.

It appears they have new package for the new Alaska season.

Will wait for reviews to see if there is anything that backs up our Eurodam experience.

When Mark Pells is HD we can pretty much expect a great cruise experience and we did.

I certainly hope and would love to see some changes for our September Alaska cruise on the Westerdam. Anything new I would welcome. If in fact this is fleet wide or especially for Alaska that could help to encourage HAL going in the right direction and bringing back old HAL Mariners as well as encouraging the new Mariners sailing.

BTW I totally agree with having Mark Pells as HD definitely one of the good ones. 🙂 

[robotpony]

On our April Koningsdam trip, HAL had a much larger selection of acts on the main stage, including a new act, 3 different comedians, as well as many more of the EXC talks. It felt much busier than our last two Pinnacle class cruises, and much better staffed and stocked. In 18 days there wasn't a day where there wasn't a large selection of things to do on ship.

 

Overall we're seeing improvements over the last year, which matches our experience with most of the hotels we stay at where service levels are also slowing returning. 

[Guest ldtr]

I have been on several cruise lines since the restart. All of them had issues early in the restart. All of them have gotten back to more normal operation in recent.

 

One has to keep in mind that some of the changes are not cut backs but changes in direction. The direction that HAL is taking is pretty clear. The line still has the smallest cruise ship average size of the US focused mass market line. Their entertainment is focused on music walk, with the dance routines slowly expanding back in the direction of the old production shows, with singers now part of the shows. The food is better than Princess, and depending upon one tastes might be better than Celebrity as well, but not as good as a premium line such as Oceania. The ships tend to have more features such as indoor pools that other lines lack. HAL has very unique long itineraries, that the other mass market lines do not

 

Some people consider this direction to be cutbacks, instead of directional changes. At this point the supply chains, staffing, occupancy, seem to be back in more normal levels.

 

All of the cruise lines seem to more back to normal in terms of operations.  The temporary changes are mostly gone replaced with new directional changes.

 

As always pick the line that most appeals to what you want instead of lamenting the changes and what will never be again.

[HappyInVan]

The good news is that HAL is trying to return to its roots in hospitality. The separate Library is coming back, though not yet ready on the Koningsdam. On embarkation day, there were three pieces of chocolate sitting on the bed. There was Chocolate Surprise at the end of the cruise.

 

In 2022, I was worried that HAL was being transformed into a mass-market carrier. Room and three square meals. Enough shows to add sparkle. Get the pax to the destination and unload them.

 

On the other hand, Hotel operations still had issues. There was no hot chocolate in the Lido. Ran out of it in the Explorers Café. Some mornings, the Lido's scrambled eggs were liquid etc. Didn't see much of management in the public areas.

 

HAL still lacks cohesion. As others have pointed out, there are such inconsistencies among the ships.

Edited May 14, 2023 by HappyInVan

[alwaysfrantic]

19 hours ago, FreesiaE said:

I saw a 1 star review for the Zaandam b/c they didn't have Microsoft Office classes.  Um, ok.  😂😂😂

 

[BermudaBound2014]

On 5/13/2023 at 10:32 AM, HappyInVan said:

 Prices are back to breakeven levels.

 

 

According to the data supplied to the SEC, prices are not back to 'breakeven' even if you want to omit taxes and interest. Prices need to rise significantly over pre-covid levels just to account for inflation. My best guess is an 8% rise in prices just to account for fuel and food. We aren't seeing that in pricing.

 

IMO we are still a long way away from prices being back to breakeven levels.

 

 

Edited May 14, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[Murray's Pop]

Over the years we have cruised on just about all of the major cruise lines. Some have been great and others not so much.  So based on our experiences and likes, we have pretty much narrowed our choices to HAL and Princess.  Within these we have also narrowed our ship preference, mostly around the class of ships we enjoy. 

 

With Princess we will now only cruise on a Grand or Crown class ship.  Our most recent cruise (February) was on a Royal class ship (Regal Princess).  We felt very crowded on this ship and was not impressed by the layout.

 

On HAL we have narrowed our choices to either Vista Class or Signature Class ships, and within these we have our favorite ships.  In Vista class it is the Noordam and in Signature class it is Eurodam. In fact Eurodam is our next scheduled cruise next May and are so looking forward to returning to HAL, our overall favorite cruise line.

 

 

[jimgev]

We have been on three post-covid cruises with HAL. Three different ships. All three have been great.

HAL is not for everybody. No cruise line is for everybody. They each have their target demographic.

No cruise line can address the things that are most important to every demographic. For us, HAL fits into our wheelhouse.I would agree that HAL does not have great entertainment in the main theater setting, but I never go to that venue anyway. My love is music and HAL does a great job with live music.

We always have wonderful service and enjpy our interactions with the staff.

I have eaten in some of the finest restaurants in the world - i know good food. I also know that no top restaurant prepares three meals per day , day after day, for several thousand people. HAL does a damed good job with their food service.

If HAL does not meet the expectations you have, there are other cruise lines to choose from. That's what is so great about competition. Go where you are most comfortable. Hopefully, all the lines will soon return to profitability and see corresponding improvements in what they do best.

[Guest ldtr]

17 minutes ago, Murray's Pop said:

Over the years we have cruised on just about all of the major cruise lines. Some have been great and others not so much.  So based on our experiences and likes, we have pretty much narrowed our choices to HAL and Princess.  Within these we have also narrowed our ship preference, mostly around the class of ships we enjoy. 

 

With Princess we will now only cruise on a Grand or Crown class ship.  Our most recent cruise (February) was on a Royal class ship (Regal Princess).  We felt very crowded on this ship and was not impressed by the layout.

 

On HAL we have narrowed our choices to either Vista Class or Signature Class ships, and within these we have our favorite ships.  In Vista class it is the Noordam and in Signature class it is Eurodam. In fact Eurodam is our next scheduled cruise next May and are so looking forward to returning to HAL, our overall favorite cruise line.

 

 

Just to show how there is a lot of difference in peoples opinions. We have done 8 Princess cruises in the last 8 months. For us the cruises on Royal Class ships have felt less crowded then the Grand class ships in all of their variations.  It all comes down to what someone likes and where they spend their time. 2 people on the same cruise can, and often do, have totally different opinions based upon their choices and experiences.

[HappyInVan]

2 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

According to the data supplied to the SEC, prices are not back to 'breakeven' even if you want to omit taxes and interest. Prices need to rise significantly over pre-covid levels just to account for inflation. My best guess is an 8% rise in prices just to account for fuel and food. We aren't seeing that in pricing.

 

 

I'm solely interested in HAL. I guesstimate their financial position from the actual prices posted online. For me, they started posting a price of C$400-$500/day for a veranda, during their $1+HIA program. For many cruises the marginal price has slipped to C$300-$400/day, as people haven't made FP for many sailings.

 

Bear in mind that HAL is now pushing HIA hard. So, onboard spending also matters. Once onboard spending flattens out, HAL will have to try and push cruise price up.

 

My estimate is that for a veranda they need  C$300/day to breakeven before interest. That is, they will need 10% higher to cover costs. >20% higher to return HAL to its glory. Assuming that they can return average occupancy to >90%.

 

For the inside cabins at just C$200/day, HAL might just be covering the operating costs of the voyage. That's why there's so much interest in the industry in all-suite ships. MSC has just started the Explorer brand as an extension of their Yacht Club. Someone has restarted Crystal. Ponant has vigorously expanded their 100-cabin small ships.

 

BTW, the Koningsdam was once again serving big chunky steaks in the Lido. Hope that their gamble pays off. Pax pay more for more value.

Edited May 14, 2023 by HappyInVan

[recruiter 28]

18 hours ago, kazu said:

 

I am going to join in on you with this one if you don’t mind, Bruce.

 

I think the biggest thing I am seeing on HAL ships is the inconsistency.

 

I did two different HAL cruises - one in November on the Oosterdam and one in Dec- January on the Koningsdam

 

The Oosterdam cruise had an engaged crew and captain with good activities and talks during our sea days.  The captain’s cook off challenge (hilarious) was so packed they showed it on the World Stage for those that couldn’t get seating for the show.  And believe me it was funny.  The staff at the Sea View Bar were phenomenal.  Before you could even lift a hand they were there and back to see what else they could do.  I had an injured foot and after the first day - as soon as I sat down they came with ice for my foot and a coffee.  Even some of the food was different.  The standard shrimp cocktail had a different sauce at the bottom. It was delish!

 

On the Koningsdam the Sea View Bar was so sparsely staffed it was ludicrous.  My one dinner & lunch in the MDR was one and done and I was so glad I had Club Orange.  The ship was understaffed (790 IIRC) for an overbooked ship (2900 IIRC including 500-600 children).  I posted the #’s on my live thread.  It was Christmas, New Years and post New Years season so children are expected but what shone through was the lack of staff and the incapacity of the HAL club to do much for the numbers on board.  My cabin stewards were wonderful but aside from them and Club Orange although staff were nice it was obvious that they were not the same as on a “happy” ship.  There were just not enough.  Nothing exciting except the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.  Nothing on sea days.  Zip - contrary to the Oosterdam.  Same ol’ same ol’ for entertainment (I’m not that big on entertainment but there was nothing to entice me).  It was ok as I didn’t want to be home but it wasn’t stellar.  I think Club Orange was my daily highlight 🙂 

 

On the Oosterdam there were normally 4-5 servicing the Sea View Bar.  On the Koningsdam - usually 2.  Others were working but not servicing.  A stark difference.

 

The contrast between the two sailings was astounding for me.  It seemed strange that there were plenty of staff on the Oosterdam but not the Koningsdam.  Part of HAL’s inconsistency or deliberate?

I sail again in October on another Pinnacle Class ship - Rotterdam - time will tell.  And believe me, on a Transatlantic, lack of staff shows big time 🤞 

 

I agree with you, Jacqui. We were on the October 2022 Oosterdam TA with you and enjoyed it so much we sailed the 14 day April 2023 TA and 7 day Mediterranean on the Oosterdam.  We were pleased to see so many of the same staff including the great Captain, Hotel Mgr, waiters, guest services staff, and our favorite bartender...all the same from October 2022.  We, too, plan to sail on the Rotterdam TA this October and hope we like it as well as the Oosterdam.  We were on the first TA after covid on the Rotterdam in the  fall of 2021...only 900 passengers and it was amazing.  We look forward to returning but know there will be more passengers this time.  During our last month's cruise on the Oosterdam, we learned my sister had passed away.  It was bittersweet to be so far away from home.  The next day, a staff member knocked on our cabin door and delivered a beautiful bouquet and letter from the Captain and staff offering their heartfelt condolences.  My heart was touched by this generous gesture.  And so, I will add, the Oosterdam feels like "home" to us and we have booked the October 2024 TA on it...so don't hesitate to cruise on the Oosterdam...the staff is incredible and will make you feel at home.

[kazu]

7 minutes ago, recruiter 28 said:

I agree with you, Jacqui. We were on the October 2022 Oosterdam TA with you and enjoyed it so much we sailed the 14 day April 2023 TA and 7 day Mediterranean on the Oosterdam.  We were pleased to see so many of the same staff including the great Captain, Hotel Mgr, waiters, guest services staff, and our favorite bartender...all the same from October 2022.  We, too, plan to sail on the Rotterdam TA this October and hope we like it as well as the Oosterdam.  We were on the first TA after covid on the Rotterdam in the  fall of 2021...only 900 passengers and it was amazing.  We look forward to returning but know there will be more passengers this time.  During our last month's cruise on the Oosterdam, we learned my sister had passed away.  It was bittersweet to be so far away from home.  The next day, a staff member knocked on our cabin door and delivered a beautiful bouquet and letter from the Captain and staff offering their heartfelt condolences.  My heart was touched by this generous gesture.  And so, I will add, the Oosterdam feels like "home" to us and we have booked the October 2024 TA on it...so don't hesitate to cruise on the Oosterdam...the staff is incredible and will make you feel at home.

 

I am so very sorry to hear about your sister.  Hard enough to lose her but harder when you are far away 😢. HAL’s staff’s gesture was truly heartwarming and wonderful ♥️ 

[PACD_JG]

On 5/13/2023 at 5:00 PM, rodndonna said:

 

This has come up a couple of times, and I agree - I don't see evidence that HAL is expensive for what it offers, and in particular against other cruiselines.

 

For those that say HAL is inexpensive, then you get what you pay for.  Perhaps use that as a rebuttal against the HAL naysayers.  "Stop complaining...HAL is cheap...what did you expect?"

[Mary229]

38 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

For those that say HAL is inexpensive, then you get what you pay for.  Perhaps use that as a rebuttal against the HAL naysayers.  "Stop complaining...HAL is cheap...what did you expect?"

I don’t think HAL is cheap but it offers a travel value for people who want to travel interesting itineraries.   For the run of the mill Caribbean, Mediterranean or Alaskan cruise one can get an equivalent product for cheaper but not significantly cheaper.  It depends on what you want.  
 

If you want a resort at sea HAL is likely not your best option, if you want nightlife and glitzy shows - nope. But if you want to sail to a destination and enjoy the destination in a quieter setting HAL is your best bet. The price per day is pretty much the same as any other mass market line except for the “grand Voyages” when they charge a premium 

[OlsSalt]

46 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

For those that say HAL is inexpensive, then you get what you pay for.  Perhaps use that as a rebuttal against the HAL naysayers.  "Stop complaining...HAL is cheap...what did you expect?"

 

It has been our experience, we always get more than we pay for when we choose HAL ships.  In the nicest possible way.

[HappyInVan]

3 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

For those that say HAL is inexpensive, then you get what you pay for.  Perhaps use that as a rebuttal against the HAL naysayers.  "Stop complaining...HAL is cheap...what did you expect?"

 

Of course, some cruises and cabins are priced competitively with Motel 6. The issue for HAL lovers is how long HAL can survive on such a thin diet. Next thing you know, HAL just has to run bigger and bigger ships until there's little difference with Princess, which has becoming more like Carnival.

 

In the pics below, you can compare the Eurodam (86k GT) with the Majestic Princess (144k GT). The Majestic has this monster screen on its open top deck. Perfect for NFL. I'm sure that Carnival has very reasonable prices for the economy pax?

 

 

 

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

4 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

For those that say HAL is inexpensive, then you get what you pay for.  Perhaps use that as a rebuttal against the HAL naysayers.  "Stop complaining...HAL is cheap...what did you expect?"

Most of the Nay Sayers myself included are well aware of HAL being Cheap and I have stated several times I am sailing on the Westerdam with Low Expectation but I am saving $4000 booking HAL Corner aft Neptune over my normal NCL Haven that I orginally placed on hold before finding an available corner aft on HAL. DH and I discussed it and we thought the $4000 savings was worth going into the differences we knew would occur.

[Haljo1935]

On 5/13/2023 at 12:23 PM, southamptoncruisers said:

Thanks for the link. 

We were on Eurodam April 29 - May 6; I did mention some maintenance issues in my review.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2934932-live-review-eurodam-alaska-april-29-may-6-2023-seattle-roundtrip/page/2/

Only real negative was in regards to lack of maintenance  - food and service were as expected .

We have only cruised on HAL, Princess and Carnival,  so I can't comment on other lines or compare.

I will say (as I have here on various threads) we price other cruiselines, but ultimately book what we do due to ship size (don't care for mega-ships)  and mostly consistent crew. We still have jobs (gotta pay for the cruises, lol) so we can't take longer cruises, but would probably not go longer than 14 days; we are having difficulty finding 7 day cruises with itineraries we like at prices that work for us. HAL is making us work to stay with them. 😪🤔

 

 

[*Miss G*]

12 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

The Majestic has this monster screen on its open top deck. Perfect for NFL.

 

As long as it doesn’t rain.  😉

[cruisemom42]

On 5/13/2023 at 7:13 PM, lissie said:

Which cruise line would that be? We choose on itinerary - find me a cheaper cruise that covers the Maritimes/ Greenland/Iceland and I'm all ears - I did look! 

 

That cruise was an attractive option, but for me the failure to stop at more than one port in Greenland was a big disappointment in terms of itinerary. Given the extremely variable weather conditions there, you are just one bad weather day away from not making landfall in Greenland at all. It has happened a number of times in the past.

 

I ended up booking with Oceania for a similar voyage this summer. It has about 6 fewer days but the ports I'm interested in are all covered. More Greenland, less Iceland (but I plan to spend a few days in Reykjavik first), and both include St. Anthony for L'Anse aux Meadows. As a solo I was able to book a single cabin on O and it's only slightly more expensive than a similar category cabin on Zaandam for this itinerary.

 

Is Zaandam still planning to call in Bar Harbor?  My understanding was that ships with more than 1,000 passengers would not be allowed to port there any longer -- which is another reason I went with the smaller ship (Insignia; about 700 pax). I can't imagine Zaandam would be willing to sail with almost 2/3 capacity only, or alternatively pay a "tax" of $100 for each passenger in excess of the limit...??

 

 

 

[Blackduck59]

44 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

That cruise was an attractive option, but for me the failure to stop at more than one port in Greenland was a big disappointment in terms of itinerary. Given the extremely variable weather conditions there, you are just one bad weather day away from not making landfall in Greenland at all. It has happened a number of times in the past.

 

I ended up booking with Oceania for a similar voyage this summer. It has about 6 fewer days but the ports I'm interested in are all covered. More Greenland, less Iceland (but I plan to spend a few days in Reykjavik first), and both include St. Anthony for L'Anse aux Meadows. As a solo I was able to book a single cabin on O and it's only slightly more expensive than a similar category cabin on Zaandam for this itinerary.

 

Is Zaandam still planning to call in Bar Harbor?  My understanding was that ships with more than 1,000 passengers would not be allowed to port there any longer -- which is another reason I went with the smaller ship (Insignia; about 700 pax). I can't imagine Zaandam would be willing to sail with almost 2/3 capacity only, or alternatively pay a "tax" of $100 for each passenger in excess of the limit...??

So 6 fewer days and only slightly more than HAL. Interesting economics. I hope you have a wonderful cruise.

[cruisemom42]

1 minute ago, Blackduck59 said:

So 6 fewer days and only slightly more than HAL. Interesting economics. I hope you have a wonderful cruise.

 

I only plan to do this itinerary once. I wanted the best possible itinerary that I can afford. Luckily the Oceania option fit my criteria. I wouldn't pay crazy money for it, but for slightly more? Sure. 

[lissie]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

That cruise was an attractive option, but for me the failure to stop at more than one port in Greenland was a big disappointment in terms of itinerary. Given the extremely variable weather conditions there, you are just one bad weather day away from not making landfall in Greenland at all. It has happened a number of times in the past.

 

I ended up booking with Oceania for a similar voyage this summer. It has about 6 fewer days but the ports I'm interested in are all covered. More Greenland, less Iceland (but I plan to spend a few days in Reykjavik first), and both include St. Anthony for L'Anse aux Meadows. As a solo I was able to book a single cabin on O and it's only slightly more expensive than a similar category cabin on Zaandam for this itinerary.

 

Is Zaandam still planning to call in Bar Harbor?  My understanding was that ships with more than 1,000 passengers would not be allowed to port there any longer -- which is another reason I went with the smaller ship (Insignia; about 700 pax). I can't imagine Zaandam would be willing to sail with almost 2/3 capacity only, or alternatively pay a "tax" of $100 for each passenger in excess of the limit...??

 

 

 

It's 2 Greenland ports - one on the way to Iceland one of the way back plus a day cruising through the fjord. 

 

The ban on Bar Harbor doesn't start until next year so Zaandam is calling this year (and in fact already has) 

Edited May 16, 2023 by lissie

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

So 6 fewer days and only slightly more than HAL. Interesting economics. I hope you have a wonderful cruise.

Sounds like quality won over quantity. If that is what works for @cruisemom42, then it makes sense.

[rodndonna]

6 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Is Zaandam still planning to call in Bar Harbor?  My understanding was that ships with more than 1,000 passengers would not be allowed to port there any longer -- which is another reason I went with the smaller ship (Insignia; about 700 pax). I can't imagine Zaandam would be willing to sail with almost 2/3 capacity only, or alternatively pay a "tax" of $100 for each passenger in excess of the limit...??

 

 

It seems to be (at least for this season) as there is a review (as a post) from 2 weeks ago where they did stop in Bar Harbor.