Sopwith

On a recent cruise on the NA we booked 7019. HAL decided some time later that it was a guarantee and slam dunked us into 5046 without telling us. It opens directly into the elevator lobby, which is exactly what we were trying to avoid with 7019. By the time we discovered the change it was late, and they refused to move us back.

HAL cannot be trusted with cabin assignments.

I agree that staying on the ship all day for a first time transit is a must! Having done that twice, we're taking a tour on our partial transit. Which shorex did you do, and how was it disappointing?

The ship stopped briefly in Gatun Lake and we tendered ashore. The tour included a walk through the the jungle in a national park, where we saw a few howler monkeys. The guide made a big deal out of a nest of soldier ants :rolleyes:. We then went to the visitors centre at the Gatun Locks, which was interesting. Caught up to the ship at Cristobal, which is in a bit of a sketchy area of the city.

The jungle walk was nothing special (if you've seen one, ... ), the visitors centre was okay, but no more interesting than staying on the ship. Not a disaster, but not really worth the $.

Some cruises offer shore excursions in Panama while the ship transits Gatun Lake and the Gatun Locks. If this is your first Panama cruise I would highly recommend you stay on the ship and enjoy the full experience. We did a shorex on our second transit and were disappointed.

If you look at the Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam, HAL has added aft cabins as well as two decks of cabins aft of the Crow's Nest, on the same hull as the Vista ships, which were already pretty much at capacity. They have not expanded the capacity of the dining venues or public spaces at all. In fact, some areas have been repurposed to exclude most passengers unless they pay for access. If you don't think "crammed" is the appropriate verb, perhaps "stuffed" is a better descriptor.

As for the Neanderthal factor, that is a term I coined a while back. It refers to the increasing level of riff raff and generally uncouth behaviour that comes with lower fares and increased access to the proletariat.

Once a few years ago a guy showed up at the dining room just ahead of us dressed in a red "Joe the Plummer" tank top, shorts and flip flops. QED. (He was denied entry, thankfully.)

Fact #1: HAL has crammed so many pax onto some of the ships while not increasing the Lido capacity, that tables are frequently not available at peak times.

Fact #2: It is impolite and inconsiderate to occupy a table while others go and get their food.

Fact #3: So many people do this that if you don't you'll never get a table together.

Fact #4: The best way to fight fire is with fire, so we do it when we have to.

Fact #5: It is sad that it's come to this. Cruising used to be fun and relaxing. Now things like this increase the aggravation factor.

Fact #6: In more general terms, the Neanderthal factor continues to increase on cruise ships.

Delving a little deeper into Carnival's financials for the year ending Nov 30, 2016 reveals a few more interesting factoids:

1. Occupancy percentage = 105.9% (based on 100% = two people per rentable cabin, total of just over 80 million person-days)

2. Gross revenue yield = $201.97 per person per day (based on 100% occupancy), net revenue (net of out of pocket costs such as commissions and transportation) = $167.06, of which $123.11 is ticket revenue and $43.95 is onboard and "other" revenue.

3. Gross cruise costs (based on 100% occupancy) = $142.73

By way of clarification, I did not say that there was anything wrong with Carnival making a profit. Profit is actually a good thing, for reasons that have already been pointed out.

Over the past ten+ years HAL has made a calculated decision to change their business strategy to appeal to the more price-sensitive segment of the market, as have other cruise lines. Clearly this segment is dominant, and the strategy has paid off. Good for them, I guess.

What I said was their chosen strategy is no longer a good match for us. There are other alternatives out there that are a better fit, including some that don't involve cruising.

Why do you assume increased profits short-changes service? Might mean there is more money for improvements to the physical inventory.

I don't think I'm assuming anything. We have done at least a dozen HAL cruises over the past 16 years and probably another ten on other lines, so I speak from first hand experience. There is no question that the service provided by HAL has been declining over the past 5-10 years.

It is not the physical inventory that's the problem, it's the soft product. Food quality has deteriorated. The number of client-facing crew has diminished. Deck area has been taken away in favour of rentable cabanas. More cabins and passengers have been crammed onto the ships. New ships are bigger. Surcharges for speciality restaurants have gone up; there are even surcharges on the surcharges in the PG now. Entertainment quality has declined.

After our most recent cruise on the NA in October, wife and I decided HAL was no longer for us. Fair enough. I just found it interesting that while clients like us leave, HAL seems to have found their success formula.

I see a lot of similarities to the airline industry. Fixed costs are extremely high, so filling the ships is of critical importance. The market is saturated these days, and thus highly competitive. As long as we sheep follow the recent buying trends, the most effective way to fill the ships is to keep prices low. The best way to keep prices low is to keep costs low.

As for the physical inventory, people buy what they can see, so keeping it up is important. The soft product they can't see when making a purchase is less important when it comes to filling the ships.

My $0.02 worth.

Carnival Corporation & plc Reports Record Full Year And Record Fourth Quarter Earnings

 

MIAMI, Dec. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) announced U.S. GAAP net income for the full year 2016 of $2.8 billion, or $3.72 diluted EPS, compared to $1.8 billion, or $2.26 diluted EPS, for the prior year. Full year 2016 adjusted net income of $2.6 billion, or $3.45 adjusted EPS, was higher than adjusted net income of $2.1 billion, or $2.70 adjusted EPS, for the full year 2015. Adjusted net income excludes unrealized gains and losses on fuel derivatives and other items, totaling $199 million in gains for the full year 2016 and $349 million of losses for the full year 2015. Revenues for the full year 2016 were $16.4 billion, $0.7 billion higher than the $15.7 billion in the prior year.

Methinks the cruise lines are going the way of the airlines: as long as we choose our cruises based on lowest price rather than best value the race for the bottom will continue.

http://www.carnivalcorp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=140690&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2230918

Be aware that if you're flying from YVR to a US designation you will clear US Customs at YVR before you board your flight. You need to allow time for this. Plan on arriving at the airport no later than 9:00-9:30 for an 11:30 flight.

If you're going to Florida there are flights on AA via DFW and UA via IAD which we have done a number of times. I would avoid connecting in ORD or YYZ. If you go via YYZ you'll have to do customs between flights, which is a bit of a pain, and possibly risky.

We sailed into Callao in April 2015. I went on to Machu Picchu, wife didn't want to go, so she would be on her own for the day. She booked a half day tour of Lima through the ship, which turned out to be closer to a full day, ended about 4:30. She enjoyed it, said it was quite good. Since the flight was about midnight I booked her into a room at the Ramada Hotel at the airport, so at check-in time all she had to do was go across a skywalk and downstairs. She said the hotel was fine and she felt safe. It worked out fairly well, hotel wasn't that expensive.

We did this because we also learned ahead of time that most areas of Callao and Lima are not the best for touristas to be walking around in on their own.

I have rented cars from National in Hilo, Honolulu and Kauai. In all three ports they had a shuttle to/from their location. I used National because they owed me a couple of free days, which I cashed in. I only had to pay the taxes, ~$8 per day. :D

Are you referring to the river cruise ship terminals located near the Centraal Station, or is there another terminal used by the deep sea ships?

We have used the river cruise terminals on the Ruijterkade a couple of times and found the location very convenient.

We spent 19 days on the NA this month, so I'll chime in here. We booked this cruise after benching HAL for several years because of the declining service and quality. We chose this one not because it was HAL, but because the timing, departure port and itinerary was what we were looking for, so we decided to take a chance on HAL again. I was hoping for an improvement in HAL's product, but unfortunately we found it no better.

The NA is built on the same hull as the Vista ships, but they have stuffed in a few dozen more cabins and up to 190 more passengers without expanding the public areas or dining facilities. On our cruise the private cabanas were rarely used, which meant there was even less real estate available to accommodate the extra passengers.

We also had the Phantom Captain - heard but not seen.

The food overall was passable, but not much better. We found the Lido food a bit better than the MDR. We had the open dining option, and found that we had to go at around 7:45-8:00 pm to avoid waiting. This was okay because we like to eat late anyway. However, by that time things were starting to thin out, and on a couple of nights it was apparent that they wanted us out of there so they could clean up and close down. The MDR service was actually better than what we've had before, even though the waiters do not work with an assistant any more.

The Lido does not have enough tables for the number of passengers. Tables were not cleared promptly when vacated, which made the problem worse. We also had trouble finding a table and almost always ended up outside. Even then I usually had to clear a table and set it myself. Most mornings there were no coffee cups available at the coffee station. When I asked the head waiter to have the cups replenished he said they don't stock them at the coffee station because they serve coffee at the tables. Doesn't work if there are no tables cleared. Almost every morning I had to search for a simple coffee cup! Ridiculous!

The Tamarind was excellent. The Canaletto was very good. Didn't try the Pinnacle, but were shocked by the upcharges, and the upcharges on the upcharges.

The entertainment was mediocre at best. Not even close to what we've had before on HAL.

Embarkation in Vancouver was slow. Disembarkation in Fort Lauderdale was a complete clusterfumble, but not by HAL. US CBP was causing mega delays. Some people stood in line for up to three hours. It took us almost an hour to get through and that was with Nexus.

My overall impression: HAL is now a full-fledged mass market line. If you want a cheap cruise this is the place to be. If you are more experienced and discriminating, there are better options out there. Yes, they're more money, but for some of us it's a better match.

We won't be cruising with HAL again. Sorry, but them's the straight goods.

We were on the NA for 19 days this month, Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale. I only saw one Lido cabana used for one day. One or two of the outside cabanas on Deck 11 forward were used on a couple of days, but were vacant most of the time.

In reply to a few questions, I was not and am not looking for any monetary compensation. I simply wanted to know what happened, and if possible to be put back somewhere similar to what I had booked. My priorities when booking a cabin are to avoid noise and disturbance: (1) not under or over eateries, galleys, pools, entertainment venues, etc. (2) not close to an elevator lobby. We were once directly under the main galley on the Volendam and were wakened by carts rolling around every morning at 5:00 am. Not good.

The cabin we ended up with was the same as what we booked, and the noise factor was present, but not overly problematic until the last evening when the crew was humping bags and loading them into elevators for a few hours. I wasn't ever really angry, just irritated about the botch, and more irritated at HAL's lack of caring.

Regarding the rest of the cruise, we enjoyed it, but we found the service to be lacking overall, and the food and entertainment were mediocre. HAL isn't what it used to be.

A comment on the Nieuw Amsterdam: this is the same hull as the Vista ships, but they have stuffed another few dozen cabins and up to 190 additional passengers into it without increasing the public spaces. In fact they have reduced the area of available public space by creating a dozen or two private cabanas, which on this cruise were rarely in use. This was particularly evident in the Lido restaurant, where there are not enough tables for the number of passengers, and tables were not being cleared promptly when vacated, which made the problem worse. I was not able to even once eat breakfast inside. I always ended up outside, often had to clear and set my own table, and then go in search of a coffee mug because they weren't being stocked at the coffee station. Very poor service.

Which were the two ships? Veendam and?

Nieuw Amsterdam.

It's been a while since we sailed with HAL. We became disenchanted a few years ago and have avoided them, but since we spotted an itinerary that appealed we thought we'd give it a try again to see if things have improved.

 

However, we're off to a bad start. We selected a certain cabin and paid the deposit. After final payment and looking at the invoice I see that they have switched us to a Guarantee for the same category. I realize that this could work out to our advantage, however we could also be directly under the Lido restaurant or the pool deck, which we specifically wanted to avoid. I had our TA check, and they claim they don't know how it happened. They have allegedly promised to get our selected cabin back or upgrade us. I'm afraid I don't trust them to come through.

 

Is this normal for HAL these days to switch you out of a selected cabin without asking or telling? Doesn't bode well for our future relationship, which is already fragile.

So just to close this loop, we were finally assigned a cabin about two or three weeks prior to sailing. HAL tried to tell me it was an upgrade, but we ended up two decks down and opening directly into the elevator lobby, which was exactly what I was trying to avoid when I booked the numbered cabin. So in my view it was a downgrade.

I did have a discussion with the FCC on board to enquire if she could shed some light on how this could have happened. What I heard was the inevitable: HAL blamed the TA and the TA blamed HAL. She was quite dismissive of me and the whole affair. The FCC's initial response, and I'm paraphrasing only slightly, was "HAL doesn't make mistakes, so it must have been your travel agent". Later in the conversation it was "No, we would never have said that."

Regardless of who is responsible, a mistake happened and no one would take ownership and get it fixed. This is an opportunity lost by a company that holds itself out as putting great importance on customer loyalty. If you advertise this, you have to walk the talk. Not at HAL, apparently.

Sayonara, HAL. We gave you a second chance and you blew it.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Matthew will hit HMC sometime on Tuesday. Hopefully the damage won't be too severe. We are scheduled to stop there on Oct 22, hoping for the best.

So we had our day at HMC on Saturday, very pleasant even though there were two ships in. There was no visible evidence of Matthew and everything was intact and appeared normal.

We're on the NA at HMC on Oct 22. Do you happen to know if any other ships are there that day?

Thx...

Disney's Castaway Cay has been evacuated, Matthew is gong to hit it directly it appears. I can't recal where HMC is in relation.

 

Latest models have Matthew skimming eastern Florida then raking the SC coast as it hooks out to sea.

HMC, aka Little San Salvador, is between the south end of Eleuthera and the north end of Cat Island. Current predictions are for a direct hit on HMC sometime late Wednesday or Thursday.

TA claims she did everything she could to sort it out and HAL wouldn't budge. Tried for an upgrade or an upsell, but the ship is sold out. Looking at the website, this appears to be the case. Problem is the TA is a friend of my wife, so it's awkward for me to get too heavy. This is why I don't like doing business with friends.

Don't take "blast" too literally. I will discuss with the FCC on board and link future business to how we are treated. I much prefer to deal with these issues face to face rather than through email with some unseen, unknown minion who doesn't give a rat's derrière about me or my problem.

We booked a specific cabin for an upcoming cruise. When I got the invoice it showed as a guarantee. I had the TA try to recover our booked cabin, but HAL wouldn't let us have it. Weeks later we were assigned a cabin two decks lower on the opposite side of the ship. HAL calls this an upgrade (from VD to VB) but we're now opening right into the elevator lobby, which is one of the things I was trying to avoid. Not happy.

I still haven't received a satisfactory explanation as to what happened, but I have a strong hunch the TA inadvertently booked a guarantee.

Either way, someone's going to get a blast when we board.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Matthew will hit HMC sometime on Tuesday. Hopefully the damage won't be too severe. We are scheduled to stop there on Oct 22, hoping for the best.

Without trying to diminish the significance of your illness, if I could only do one more cruise, it definitely wouldn't be on HAL. (Seriously!)