Halguy

May I respectfully suggest that you purchase the unlimited ( 15 per day ) drink package. lol

I most certainly would agree with you that it has to raise some suspicion regarding the future of HAL why there are no new build orders for the next decade( based upon an article I read ). Unfortunately, perhaps, HALs best days are behind them.

The shows are packed because there is barely anything else to do, it is FOMO that bring people in. I am not suggesting that HAL leave their mid size ship niche, it is something that we are attracted to.

This pie chart shows me how Carnival is their biggest growing brand, and except for Carnival everything has pretty much stayed the same. Costa, Princess, and Seabourn all have new ships in the works.

Doesn’t have to be bigger, I’m quite happy with the mid size ships. Less tattered and more up to date is something that almost everyone can appreciate. I too don’t dabble much in the casino, however, I would welcome an evening with outstanding entertainment .

I don’t either, however, if HAL is looking to attract more families, which BTW they are, it would behove them to keep the little ones occupied while the parents and grandparents can spend some money onboard

You are correct. HAL , is going out at full capacity. I’m not saying that HAL doesn’t have to discount unsold cabins, every business I know has to lower prices to move inventory. HAL, is discounting much less than a year ago. If you are selling all your product and still not making a significant profit then there’s something wrong with your business model. Their prices are set as to what the market will tolerate, as the sailing dates get closer prices will sometimes go up or down, whatever it takes to go out full. What can HAL do to be a more profitable brand, something they have begun doing, cutting back. This is a recipe that doesn’t lead to a good conclusion

The HAL ships are going out at full capacity, 100%, or sometimes higher. What makes you feel that HAL is not as profitable as the many other cruise lines that fall under the Carnival Corporation umbrella? In general cruise lines are raking in the money, post pandemic numbers have now exceeded pre pandemic numbers. Perhaps Carnival Corp takes for granted the extreme loyalty HAL customers have, or perhaps C.C. is looking at HAL as a bygone era and will eventually sell off the fleet as their oldest ships can no longer be refurbished. This is what the car manufacturers did with Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Mercury, Pontiac, etc. Sometimes you must first spend some money to make some money!

I’ve found that the menu selection is somewhat smaller, lobster is now an upcharge even on the more dressy nights, and the Pinnacle Grill has noticeably declined in it’s quality of steak, especially the rib steak which I had to give back on 2 occasions. If I didn’t have the Pinnacle included with my 5 star perks I would not go there. My favorite dining venue is Tamarind. Caneletto is quite good except that it gets no respect situated on Lido deck. You are certainly correct in pointing out that certain aspects of the food onboard has declined. I’m just trying to think has ANYTHING gotten better?

My wife and I are both 5 Star Mariners on HAL. We’ve been on all 11 ships currently in their fleet. We just booked several more cruise on HAL for this upcoming winter. Needless to say, we enjoy much of the overall experience that HAL offers. I just read an article listing all the new ships that are coming out shortly as well as the ships that are under contract to be built in the next decade. The only mass market cruise line with zero plans is HAL. Along with the major cruise lines, numerous smaller more boutique cruise lines have new ships planned. Everyone likes new, tattered furniture, stained carpeting, and boring decor does not attract new customers nor does it keep loyal past passengers. The staff on HAL are exceptional, even though some post pandemic newer staff are just learning the ropes. The food on HAL is the best, IMO , of any mass market cruise line, and I’ve been on most. The entertainment is probably the worst, same shows over and over again in main stage venue, movies on some nights rather then live shows, or other excuses for what should be an hour or so of real entertainment. There are many loyal HAL customers who don’t want to hear anything negative about their home away from home. The fact is that HAL, like most cruise lines have been cutting back. The small things that sometimes set HAL apart from its competitors is gradually disappearing. If HAL has any hope of attracting a younger generation cruiser, which BTW I’ve read they are attempting to do, newer more modern ships would be a great start. More activities during the day and evening would also help. An expanded Club Hal, teenage activities, and eliminate the boring, repetitive shows that I avoid on a regular basis. Some nights on HAL we find almost nothing to do, it’s boring. For those reading this that are fearful that HAL would lose its mojo, and no longer be the cruise line they feel comfortable with, that doesn’t have to be the case. It can become the cruise line that you now enjoy even more. Realistically, new ships take years to plan and build, however, other changes, upgrades, can be implemented in a much shorter time. I am concerned that as the HAL fleet gets older and less desirable, and absolutely no plans for new ships are projected, and their current ultra loyal devotees are no longer sailing, HAL too will fade away and unfortunately be soon forgotten.