Sailing HAL After 13 Years Away from the Ships........

[sail7seas]

A couple with whom we have sailed HAL a few times (really good friends) have not sailed for 13 years but are now thinking of cruising again.

 

Though she's heard monotonous hours of my gabbing about our cruises, I think she is in for a surprise when she returns to HAL.

 

What changes do you think are the most significant I would do her a favor to point out? I'm trying to think of major changes she might wish to hear about before she goes.

[CtheW0rld]

i started sailing on hal around that time. the things i've noticed are mainly negative:

 

• no more informal/semi-formal nights
  
• greater passenger to staff ratio
  
• master chef dinner
  
• much more restrictive smoking areas
  
• no longer escorted to cabin with champagne (for regualr people anyway)
  
• less expensive food options (where's the beef wellington?)
  
• less attention to maintenance
  
• lanai cabins
  
• zaandam and prinsendam refits
  
• no longer automatically offered
  hot hors d'orve
  
• less tuxedos/gown on formal nights
  

i'm sure i could come up with more, but that's enough negativity for one post :eek:

[rafinmd]

Wow, I thought my 9 years was bad. I don't have a lot to offer but will suggest a couple of questions to hopefully make the answers a bit better:

 

Are they away from all cruising for 13 years or have they cruised other lines in the meantime?

 

What ship will they be on and what type of accommodations will they have.

 

Things that I've noticed as unfamiliar from these boards are specialty restaurants and specialty lounges. I also don't think they had either a Mariner Embarkation Lunch or Mariner brunch when I was on HAL before. If they have any kind of connection with cancer survivors they might also be interested in the walk for the cure. I'll be watching this thread also to see what surprises may be in store for me.

 

Roy

[DAllenTCY]

No more skeet shooting.....

David

[Bill S]

Well, for starters, the great beds, the Pinnacle Grill, improved disembarkation, and last but not least, the Neptune Lounge & complimentary laundry (assuming they are in a Deluxe Verandah or PS category). I know there are have been other nice changes in the past 13 years, and I'm sure others will chime in.

[CowPrincess]

Different door keys :)

Significant reduction in the quality of food

A huge increase in the number of diners each dining steward serves

Explorations Cafe

Overall, the ships are bigger

The onboard photographers are substantially less annoying than in years past

Onboard computers for guest use :)

The Elemis amenities are the nicest HAL offering for amenities yet IMHO

Wine tastings onboard

TVs in the cabins (I honestly do NOT remember having a cabin TV on my first cruise)

As far as I know, there is no longer a phone # to call to have a mechanical voice tell you what time it is

No more escalators AFAIK

[bcd2010]

Laundry! (Per bag or unlimited)

[Himself]

Many of the ships are much bigger. The "R" Class. Vista Class and Signature Class ships are all bigger

[sail7seas]

Thanks for pointing out both some positive and not such happy changes.

 

They have had only land vacations during these 13 years with no cruises.

 

The last ship they sailed was Rotterdam VI so they have not seen the Vistas or Signatures. Tamarind and Pinnacle Grill will be new to them though we did have Odyssey on Rotterdam.

 

They would sail in a "SA or SB". They've experienced Neptune Lounge on Rotterdam but I think they've gotten more experienced at providing that amenity. It is definitely better than when only two ships had a Neptune.

 

They've not enjoyed early embarkation or silent debark.

They will miss Dutch Night as we all used to enjoy Dover Sole and the dutch hats etc

There really have been many changes during these years, haven't there? Some for the better IMO; some not.

 

[mariner]

Onboard expenses are quadruple.

[Copper10-8]

i started sailing on hal around that time. the things i've noticed are mainly negative:

 

• zaandam and prinsendam refits................................
  

 

You sure you mean Zaandam? or possibly Veendam/Rotterdam?

[CtheW0rld]

You sure you mean Zaandam? or possibly Veendam/Rotterdam?

 

yeap. thanks.

[Copper10-8]

Negatives:

No more (costumed) "Dutch Girl" with flowers at the Welcome Aboard pic

Art Auctions

No more Dutch night + menu in the MDR

Open seating in the MDR

No more Bridge tours (Yup, I know about the $150pp program)

Northern Lights

Retreat areas on the Signatures

Captain's Welcome Aboard Toast (liked the photo/handshake + speech better)

No more dedicated band in the Crow's Nest

No more spicy Thai Chicken Soup in the PG;)

Positives:

 

Half Moon Cay

Explorations Cafe

Signature Program overall (beds are muy bueno!)

Neptune Lounge

Early boarding times + access to cabins

Susan G. Komen On Deck walk For The Cure

Pinnacle Grill

Tamarind

Silk Den

Exterior elevators on the Vista's + Signatures

Digital Workshops

Deck BBQ

New Mariners program awards (i.e. free laundry)

Showroom at Sea concept (quality went up)

Mix

[kazu]

one change we really noticed was the bathrobes. They used to be nice and thick - now they are the 'waffle' style.

[sail7seas]

I think HAL was still flying the Orange Flag (Dutch House of Orange :)) and switched to the blue during this 13 year span.

I loved those orange flags and have a tender size one I treasure.

 

[TiogaCruiser]

Hey Sail ( or Copper),

 

What was the orange flag and why did it change? I assumed HAL flew Nederlands flag.......

[sail7seas]

There have been a series of flags through the years that were (are) HAL company flags. The blue and white flag they now fly as company flag was only instituted within no more than the last 15 years but I don't recall exactly when. The one that preceded it was orange with the HAL Oval shaped Logo (in blue on white) in center of the flag.I was particularly fond of that orange one.

 

HAL flies the Netherlands flag as country of Registry of all their ships. Always on the stern is a Dutch red, white and blue stripe flag.

 

 

[Copper10-8]

There have been a series of flags through the years that were (are) HAL company flags. The blue and white flag they now fly as company flag was only instituted within no more than the last 15 years but I don't recall exactly when. The one that preceded it was orange with the HAL Oval shaped Logo (in blue on white) in center of the flag.I was particularly fond of that orange one.

 

HAL flies the Netherlands flag as country of Registry of all their ships. Always on the stern is a Dutch red, white and blue stripe flag.

 

 

 

1873-1971 - Nederlandsch Amerikaansche Schoomvaart Maatschappij translated into Netherlands American Steamship Company - Green-White-Green horizontally striped (these are the official colors of the City of Rotterdam, the city where the NASM was founded and home-based until moving in 1978 to Stamford, CT and again in 1983 to their present corporate headquarters of Seattle, WA) with NASM in the center white band.

 

 

1971-1983 Holland Amerika Lijn/Holland America Line - Orange with 3 elongated panels one above the other with the sides angled from lower hoist to upper fly, the central one being white and the outer ones aqua. This is commonly known as the "slug" logo because some felt the three angled panels resembled slugs

 

 

1983-2000 Holland America Line - Orange bearing a seascape of a HAL liner, the 1938-1973 Nieuw Amsterdam II, in all black, dwarfing explorer Henry Hudson's sailing vessel the Halve Maen or Half Moon in white within an oblong black outlined white annulet frame

 

 

 

2000 - present Holland America Line - Blue-White-Blue horizontally striped still bearing the previous seascape of a HAL liner, the 1938-1973 Nieuw Amsterdam II, now in all blue, dwarfing explorer Henry Hudson's sailing vessel the Halve Maen or Half Moon in white within an oblong blue outlined white annulet frame

[Copper10-8]

The official flag of The Netherlands or the Dutch flag, always flown at the stern of each of the fifteen Holland America Line ships since all are registered in Rotterdam, The Netherlands

 

The only exception to the above is the flag flown by the ship under the command of HAL Captain Pieter Visser (currently Volendam). Being in the Royal Netherlands Navy Reserve, he gets to fly the ensign of that service (Koninklijke Marine Reserve) at the stern of Volendam. It has a foul anchor under the royal crown, in black on a white disk, in the center.

[fann1sh]

Bill S mentioned "improved disembarkation". Most people were sitting on bags in the public areas 13 years ago.

 

In 2001 on Volendam we were in a suite, and still had to leave our cabin. But we were able to relax in Marco Polo (Pinnacle Grill v1.0).

 

So, staying in the cabin until disembarking may be new to them? (Flip side of that coin: locked public washrooms on disembarkation day.)

 

P.S. - how about the thermal suite?

[Krazy Kruizers]

really miss the crudites with cocktails in the ocean bar

miss the mariner's cocktail party in the showroom at night

[sail7seas]

Bill S mentioned "improved disembarkation". Most people were sitting on bags in the public areas 13 years ago.

 

In 2001 on Volendam we were in a suite, and still had to leave our cabin. But we were able to relax in Marco Polo (Pinnacle Grill v1.0).

 

So, staying in the cabin until disembarking may be new to them? (Flip side of that coin: locked public washrooms on disembarkation day.)

 

P.S. - how about the thermal suite?

 

REALLY????

They lock the public washrooms on disembarkation day? I didn't know that. Wonder why.

[fann1sh]

REALLY????

They lock the public washrooms on disembarkation day? I didn't know that. Wonder why.

 

Well...all I can say, it's happened to me.

 

I was told they wanted to get the cleaning done there before they started on cabins.

[sail7seas]

Now I know for sure we will wait in our cabin until time to leave the ship. Just knowing the restroom may be locked would be sure to make me 'need one'. :o

 

[Tricia724]

I like it that the 15% gratuity is added to the bar bills. I always felt a little awkward if I was out around the ship and wanted a Coke or glass of wine and didn't have any tip money with me. We always take care of our regular servers in the Crow's Nest or Ocean Bar at the end of the cruise, but it's hard to remember who may have served an occasional drink, and at least with the added 15%, they get something.

 

I also like that the $11 per day is added to our stateroom charges. That's one less thing that we have to worry about, and we don't have to carry a significant amount of money for tips or make arrangements to get cash, or struggle with the right breakdown of bills for tips. It's not much of a problem on a short cruise, but it's more problematic on longer cruises. We usually do give some extra tips and plan for that but that still means less cash to be concerned about.

 

I know these added charges are still a sore spot for some cruisers....and your friends may or may not like it....but it's working for me.