What About the Many Improvements?

[sail7seas]

I've been thinking we've been hard on HAL this past week listing things we aren't happy about.

 

How about listing things we think have improved on the ships in recent years??

 

I could make a very long list but that would be answering my own question :D so will just say:

 

I think the ships themselves are incredible. HAL has built beautiful, comfortable, wonderful ships for us to enjoy.

 

What things do you think are improvements they've made for us in recent years?

[JimVrhovac]

1. Neptune Lounge

 

2. Explorer's Cafe

 

3. Library in Cafe

 

4. DVD library and retal setup in Cafe

 

5. Picture takers are not as aggressive

 

6. As you wish dining

 

7. Pinnacle Grill

 

8. Senior staff stay with ship longer

 

9. Oak room cigar lounge

 

Remember it is easier for us to criticize something than to bring out the good things about something. This is human nature.

 

HAL continues to refine its product to try and suite their customer base.

[ldog]

the beds

the art - podcasts are great!

the library

culinary arts theatre

[u4ea]

The crushed butterfinger bars to put on your ice cream:)

Mark...

[LAFFNVEGAS]

The crushed butterfinger bars to put on your ice cream:)

Mark...

Ooohhh Mark that is such a good one:p ;) :D

[arzz]

The Explorer's cafe/library and games area wins hands down (just wish the coffees weren't extra charge!) -- what a wonderful space!

 

The beds

 

The bar appetizers that were served on our May Amsterdam to Alaska cruise

 

And just so many little parts of the cruise experience that HAL has maintained exceptionally well

[Copper10-8]

* Most of the Signature of Excellence program improvements, especially the Explorations Cafe, the beds and flat screen TV's

* The Pinnacle Grill restaurants

* Casual dining option in the Lido

* Early boarding program

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Sail, I mentioned this same thing the other day when he seemed everyone was on a bashing HAL kick. I guess because I am relatively new cruiser with only having cruised HAL since 2003 I have only seen the changes in 5 years but in all honesty to me there has been drastic improvements in many areas. I think where some have gone away there have been better things to replace them. Times change, passengers likes and dislikes change. I personally and extremely happy with what HAL has evolved to if not we would have moved on but instead we continue to come back. With HAL cruise number 16 coming up in less than 2 weeks I think that says a lot right there;)

[bepsf]

9. Oak room cigar lounge

 

But Jim - The Oak Rooms are going away...

 

I definitely enjoy the new beds/bedding (but they needed to update the reading lamps while they were at it - they do a great job of illuminating the back of your pillow...), Flat-Screen TV's, Elemis products, Exploration's Cafe's (except I'm not sure how I'll like it in the Crow's Nest...) Pinnacle Grill, Wine Bar (when they're open, that is), Neptune Lounges, Private Cabana's on HMC, revised Bar Menu's...

[JimVrhovac]

Movable mirrors on dressing stand

 

Had to ruin my day by telling me th Oak Rooms arre going away....

 

Jim

[bepsf]

Had to ruin my day by telling me the Oak Rooms are going away....

Jim

 

Sorry Jim -

I guess that means no slippers for me!

;)

[Sir PMP]

They should close the crow's nest bar, looking at the robots behind the pc's, smelling coffee all day plus a piano player that could not play (Zuiderdam) is not my kind of enjoying a drink up there anymore.

[sail7seas]

Sail, I mentioned this same thing the other day when he seemed everyone was on a bashing HAL kick. I guess because I am relatively new cruiser with only having cruised HAL since 2003 I have only seen the changes in 5 years but in all honesty to me there has been drastic improvements in many areas. I think where some have gone away there have been better things to replace them. Times change, passengers likes and dislikes change. I personally and extremely happy with what HAL has evolved to if not we would have moved on but instead we continue to come back. With HAL cruise number 16 coming up in less than 2 weeks I think that says a lot right there;)

 

 

Certainly there have been some changes we're not wild about but we love sailing with HAL and think many of the recent changes are very much to the better. Some great ones listed here. All products have to change and inevitably long term patrons will be positive about some and negative about others.

 

It seems we were concentrating far too much on negatives in recent days. ;) Most of us here are much more postive about HAL than that.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Improvements -- bringing back the floral arrangers!!

The flower arrangements on our last several cruises have been fantastic!! Love the bowls of flowers in our suites as well.

[PathfinderEss]

Another interesting topic, well here goes my thoughts:

Bedding is terrific

Neptune lounges are wonderful

Food quality in dinning room has improved

Internet cafe

Pinnacle (good food-service not good)

Flat screen TV's

Early boarding wonderful

Casual dinning in the Lido

On board bookings, love it

Explorer's Cafe

DVD library

Treadmills with TV, fabulous

and more.........

I think we all forget what Hal was like 10 years ago and how much improving they really have done over those years but there is one thing they are falling down badly on in my opinion is the entertainment. On our last cruise on the Ryndam, there was not one group that was even semi good.

 

[sail7seas]

Another interesting topic, well here goes my thoughts:

 

Bedding is terrific

Neptune lounges are wonderful

Food quality in dinning room has improved

Internet cafe

Pinnacle (good food-service not good) *we almost always have

fabulous service in Pinnacle.

Flat screen TV's

Early boarding wonderful

Casual dinning in the Lido

On board bookings, love it

Explorer's Cafe

DVD library

Treadmills with TV, fabulous

and more.........

 

I think we all forget what Hal was like 10 years ago and how much improving they really have done over those years but ..........

 

 

 

 

I so agree with (almost) all of your list.

The other thing that is wonderful is being able to wait in our cabins for disembarkation.

[O2B@C]

I agree with most of what's been posted above - just want to add one thing - which may be controversial, but I think adding the Vistas to the fleet (and now Eurodam) should also count as an improvement, because these ships have a LOT more balcony cabins, so they are more available and affordable. That's not to say I would want to see them do away with the R and S ships, or Prinsendam, just that I for one am grateful that I have a better chance of enjoying a veranda cabin on a HAL cruise than I would be if they had not built the Vistas.

 

Nice thread, Sail!

[sail-a-bration]

Having never cruised HAL what is the improvement "early boarding"?

[Nonie]

I've been thinking we've been hard on HAL this past week listing things we aren't happy about.

 

How about listing things we think have improved on the ships in recent years??

 

I could make a very long list but that would be answering my own question :D so will just say:

 

I think the ships themselves are incredible. HAL has built beautiful, comfortable, wonderful ships for us to enjoy.

 

What things do you think are improvements they've made for us in recent years?

 

I say DITTO to all the other answers here and would like to add:

 

Braille markers on most doors, ends of railings in passageways, elevators (as well as talking elevaors). Braille menus, Braille Ship Directory and the fact that non-print reading pax can phone the front desk at any time and request that this be read. There is also pre-boarding for ALL persons with disabilities with an orientation tour of the ship if requested. The Shore X people will have someone escort blind/vision impaired pax to the correct ransportation for tours and usually will inform the driver/tour guide that one has vision difficulties and to make sure the pax doesn't get hurt or lost.

 

We have never been so well accommodated on any other cruise line and that is why we choose to pretty well stick withHAL. We know that the "Americans with Disabilities Act - ADA might have something to do with this but we feel that HAL staff go above and beyond the call of duty and they do it with such care and grace!!!!:) :) :D

[RuthC]

I'm thrilled with the new beds, early embarkation, and being able to stay in my cabin until I disembark.

The rest of the things others have mentioned, though, I could just as well do without if it meant bringing back the service levels of several years ago.

[jhannah]

Yes, the bedding is a great improvement. The Explorations Cafe is a great concept. And getting to remain in your cabin until time to disembark is SO much more civilized and comfortable than piling into a public room to wait.

[PathfinderEss]

I so agree with (almost) all of your list.

The other thing that is wonderful is being able to wait in our cabins for disembarkation.

Oh, sail7seas I forgot about that one and that's a big perk, being able to stay in your cabins for disembarkation, it's fabulous, how could I forget that, must be my age, lol.........

[cf_chuck]

Lido dining - a big improvement overall to the point I look at the menu to decide where I'll eat dinner rather than just going to the main dining room.

 

Use of cell phones on board - It's a nice, easy way to have others get in touch in case of emergency (and generally less expensive than going through the switchboard).

 

WEB based pre-orders.

 

AYWD - It's great to be able to set the dining times based on a number of individual, chosen factors (although I typically go for early seating).

 

TV - improved selection and it's nice to be able to catch the port information at my convenience rather than going to the show lounge and sitting when I can be catching rays.

 

I agree with many of the others posting regarding the in room experience, Preferred check in, hanging out in cabins before disembarkation, Explorers / Exploration, DVD checkout, etc.

[rkacruiser]

A previous poster mentioned it, but I want to re-emphasize it. The hors d'oerves being offered during Happy Hour in the Crow's Nest, Ocean Bar, and Explorer's Lounge--at least on the Amsterdam--are of the highest quality I have seen since my first HAL cruise in 1970. The presentation is also different and much improved. Now, if they would only bring back the "formal nuts", a description by one of the Crow's Nest bartenders--which are a high quality mixed nuts variety--for every night.

[RustaRoo]

Now, if they would only bring back the "formal nuts", a description by one of the Crow's Nest bartenders--which are a high quality mixed nuts variety--for every night.

Agreed - so much so, that the January 20, 2009 Noordam sailing has a group, of which I'm one, calling themselves the "Voyage of the Good Nuts"! Our roll-call shows over 60 people have signed up for this cruise already. We'll be requesting them frequently:D Indeed on my March cruise on the Volendam, I asked an Ocean Bar steward, on a formal night, for the "good nuts" and he readily supplied them - it was great!