Maureenxx

I read with interest your critique of the food.  On our last two cruises (one a Grand Cruise)  I found the food to be less than good.  I agree completely with your "cleaning out the pantry" description.  Really, beets on top of a hamburger; New England clam chowder with the wrong kind of clams and in the shell to boot; unknown toppings on meats to disguise their poor quality.  One of our tablemates said he never knew what he was going to get when he ordered an item; usually it was something unexpected.  Of course there were also some people who thought the food was great.  But  I'm glad to find that I am not the only one who thinks the food on HAL has really gone downhill.  I think the problem are the "celebrity chefs" trying to show off.

My sister and I were on the same May-June cruise to Alaska and we did not find anything exciting or helpful about the EXC feature.  The excursions were not nearly as good as those on our last Alaska trip on the Amsterdam.  The onboard entertainment was truly lacking except for a couple of nights.  We loved Matthew and participated in all his activities.  Mostly, on board we were left to our own devices to entertain ourselves, especially on sea days.  Service was excellent as always.  We found the food lacking, especially on "gala" nights.  Nothing gala about them.  There was certainly NOTHING special about this cruise, especially when we had to anchor out on several occasions when we saw the other HAL ships docked in the middle of town.  We miss the HAL of just a few years ago.

I agree with so much that has been said here.  On my last after cruise questionnaire I commented on the dislike of Rudi's food and said why.  I agree he needs to be replaced.  He is too much on "celebrity" chefs and not on the food.  Also agree that those at the top need to go.  Just in the past few years we have noticed the decline in daytime activities; last cruise there were maybe two per 24 hours on board on sea days.  Now, we are booked on a cruise that will have no production shows and few staff to organize anything onboard.  We love Holland America and hate to see the things lacking more and more.  Not to mention that we will have to get used to the larger ships which we really don't care for.  Please make your thoughts known on your future questionnaires just in case someone does read them.

N

Cool Cruiser you are not the only  one.  We have cruised with HA for 20 years and the food has really declined over the past few years.  Last cruise for us, everyone at our table of 6 complained about the food choices.  Some of the meals we got were not recognzible.  Beets on a hamburger, really.  NewEngland clam chowder by someone who had never had the real thing.  Steak that was so tough you couldn't cut it.  Chef Rudi and his celebrity chefs have ruined the menu trying to show off.  Looking at that Oosterdam menu made me wonder, too, what I will eat on the next cruise.  And I am NOT a finicky eater; I enjoy foods from around the world but not fake imitations of them.

Need info on getting from airport to cruise terminal.  Looks like it's a long trip and shuttles, taxis, etc. seem expensive.  Any locals out there who can help.  Considered using BART and rapid transit.  Is this doable with a lot of walking.

Trying to pull up price info on 2020 Voyage of the Vikings.  Can see only first page.  When clicking on pricing only get the "spinning blue ball".  Anyone know how to get prices?

Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your beautiful pictures. As a lover of all the British Isles has to offer it was a real treat to see where you went. I am elderly and unable to travel around like I did in my youth so your pictures brought back so many lovely memories for me. I lived in England for a while and traveled extensively then - the best time of my life. Thanks for bringing back the memories for me. I really enjoyed your writing.:)

The new website is a TOTAL DISASTER. Just trying to research any cruise is so frustrating. Too many screens to flip through and too much photography we don't need. Having to start over every time you want to make a change is just stupid. After a week of trying I still can't figure out some things. Certainly not user friendly. Just another example of THE GREAT ONE trying to show off I guess.

What is your opinion of recent HAL food. On our last cruise in October the food was really lacking. I thought it was just me until my tablemates in the main dining room made some comments. Some items arrived as a real surprise because they were not as described on the menu. We got steaks that we couldn't cut. Strange combinations. One day they had a special chef's menu and it was the worst menu I have ever seen and others at our table agreed. We were really disappointed in the food on this cruise as always before we thought the food was really good. Anyone else think the food has really gone down.

The discount you refer to is stated in the E brochure for grand voyages. Upper right hand corner of a page that seems to be number 181 though it is near the front of the brochure as you page through. Don't know what the discounts are but surely HAL person can tell you.

What's your experience with HAL laundry? Do things come back in good shape? Are there items you would advise not to send to laundry? Do you think they wash everything in hot water and if so what is the effect? Shrinkage, fading. Thanks for input to a new laundry user.

Wondering if the Explorations Central is up and running on Koningsdam (or any other ship). Are people actually using the services and how are they working. Would like info from someone who has been on the ship recently.

Is is possible to travel from Tianjin port to Mutianju Wall and back in one day? Thinking of seeing wall for a short time and a short stop in Tiananmen Square. How long would this take and does anyone recommend a private tour who would do this.

We had some of the same experiences on our Kdm cruise in January. Food was not as good as usual; lots of strange combinations. Service was slower because of mixing fixed and anytime together - our waiters would have to stop and attend to anytime people popping in. Also, what was a real downer was when there was a barbecue on deck and they closed one level of the dining room so that fixed diners had to move and had no guaranteed table. Several of us complained about this. Hope this is not going to be a shipwide thing.

How for out will HAL book flights? We just booked November HAL cruise to South Pacific and TA said they don't have flight info yet. Anyone have this happen.

OMG! I think I would be sick if I happened to be on one of these cruises. All this "getting to know yourself" is just crazy. I hope HAL will tell people when booking if this stuff is going to be on the cruise they select so that they can avoid it if they wish to.

It really makes me sad to hear that HAL executives are only concentrating on luring new customers. For the last few years we have noticed the at first small cut backs that have now turned into larger ones. Just about all of the CD's staff has been eliminated; on our last cruise I think there was one lone assistant CD and that was it. That's one reason there are no longer many daytime activities; no one to lead them. Remember the days of horse racing, boat building, quoits, etc. It was a lot of fun to compete and a chance to meet new people if you wanted to do those things, but of course you were left alone to do your own thing is you wished. No one ever came around pushing you to join any activity. That's how is should be. Just my thoughts.

There is a list of free amenities we get if we book far in advance for a Grand Cruise in 2018. One says "complimentary journeys ashore". Has anyone on a grand voyage gotten this and what does it cover? Will we be sent info on booking this and is it different from the usual excursions offered on HAL cruises? Called HAL and they said "we're not sure"??

Thought we'd ask someone who has been on a grand cruise.

Our first and last cruise on K'dam. Ship is too large for us. Loved the theater and Lincoln Center. However, LC should have a more dedicated space, not just along the passageway, poor design. Missed having a movie theater and the movies shown on deck were mostly unknown to us. Didn't like the fact that there is no room for deck chairs on the "promonnade" deck and no library to browse. Don't know what to do when the smaller ships are gone.

Agree,agree, agree!!!

Not another "improvement"! Like most of you we really enjoy our time in the Crow's Nest just watching the sea and relaxing. That used to be what cruising was about. Apparently now it about plugging into devices. Horrible!! If Ashford is so good at technology he should concentrate on getting good internet service on his ships. Obviously his new ideas are not being met with good feelings by the long-term, loyal fans of HAL. If all these new ideas become fleetwide we will be trying to hopefully find another cruise line with medium size ships that are still lovely and quiet and looking for customers who just like to enjoy the ocean and explore new places. That's what drew us to HAL in the first place. Hope everyone will comment on these changes on their next cruise.

I am already so tired of hearing about HAL's "exciting new direction". Just an excuse for less staff and service.

Sad to hear. Have always enjoyed joining others for crafts and needlework. A nice get together, especially on sea days and long cruises. As far as I am concerned, HAL's "new direction" is just a way of telling their long-term loyal cruisers that "we don't want you around anymore". I guess we are too frugal with our money. Younger cruisers are more apt to be loose with their spending. Guess it's time to start a new cruise line with nicely appointed small ships for those of us who just want to enjoy the open sea and visit interesting places. I always thought that was what a cruise was all about, but it looks like that idea is no longer popular.

I agree that there are a lot less staff on board and that is why there are so few activities now. I was on the K'dam in January and only saw one person helping the cruise director. Of course,no librarian, no IT person, no dance classes etc.

We are thinking of taking Mom with us on an Asian cruise on either Holland America or Princess. She uses a rolling walker for distance walking and to keep from standing. Will she be able to go on shore excursions without difficulty? We are looking at excursions that require easy to moderate participation. Does anyone have experience in Asia with using a rolling walker? Will tour buses be able to handle. Thanks for any info.