Things being Discontinued the Fall?

[boards]

What is HSC?? Never mind I got it - Hotel Service Charge.

[cruz chic]

What is HSC??

 

Hotel service charge

[CruiserBruce]

Hotel Service Charge.

[mariner]

Hope they ban carrying wine aboard. And make the HSC permanent.

[Himself]

If you mean that we wouldn't have to listen to a half hour begging plea for 9's, assurance that no additional tips are necessary but certainly welcome and 10-year old jokes, I'd vote for that. :rolleyes:

 

"Ten year old jokes!" I heard most of them 17 years ago!

[lovetocruise2020]

The wine goes, we go.

 

NCL now has cabanas and is much better in the suite catagory, and I know we are not the only ones that think that.

 

The Haven is amazing. The new aft suites? 1.5 baths? AMAZING room service? Adults deck? hmmm... You do not ever have to leave the HAVEN if you do not want to!!! Private dining for every meal? SOLD...

 

We will take our suite dollars elsewhere, that we can get more perks, and nicer rooms...

 

HAL needs to grab and HOLD ON TO people our age... Some day the older crowd will leave, and they will need to be replaced.

 

If we leave HAL, you will still find me here. I love alot of the CC members on that HAL board!!! :) NO FB personal page for me!

 

Im not even going to kidd, we spend big money on all of our HAL cruises( we save our cheap cruises for RCCL and CCL which we LOVE) Customers like us, who have been loyal and got to 3 stars in no time, and spend alot onboard should be appriciated.

 

Our HAL cruises are life events, 1-2 times per year, to celebrate occasions. We save for those cruises, and the RCCL and CCL cheap ones? We just drop the dogs off and leave.

 

There are things we LOVE about HAL and why we stay... If they go, we go.

 

Repeat biz is everything. Every one of my clients who goes to Sandals on the long awaited Honeymoon, goes back 1-2 times per year... Just makes sense! Keep that money HAL!!!

[mariner]

That's great. The wine onboard is killing HAL in the marketplace. They can't compete with other lines.

[ellieanne]

Can we agree to disagree? a lot of people on board make my life better.

 

By the time I get home, I may forget some names. On board, I am fresh and can pinpoint them on a survey.:)

 

the surveys don't take long and in fact, one comment on our last cruise from several - "I like that they still do the surveys - many other cruise lines now just email you".

 

So each to their own, I prefer the one on board and the chance to highlight crew members.

 

Once I get home, will I complete the survey especially if I am jetlagged and tired? Will I remember everyone's name that made my trip wonderful in that state?

 

I won't know until it happens but............I take the time to do the survey on board and I think it has some pluses with the way it is done:) (and yes, I do both of ours too;) with input from DH)

 

This is how I feel. I'm terrible with names and while I am on board I can always find the person and check. Mentioning them by name is important, and I want to be as correct as I can be. By the time I get home, I will have forgotten the names of the people who made the cruise, or didn't make it. Besides, I despise filling out online surveys! I find I am never given enough space/characters to explain the problem/solution and/or offer suggestions. With the paper surveys on the ship, I knew I could always get more paper from the front desk to be as thorough as possible.

 

And my family always fills out our surveys together -- the shared experience helps us remember everything we wanted to comment on, and many times others can remember something I had forgotten, and we can help each other put things in perspective. An online survey would be individual and not as comprehensive as I could be on board with the input of my travelling companions.

 

I really hope they will maintain the paper surveys on-board.

[lovetocruise2020]

That's great. The wine onboard is killing HAL in the marketplace. They can't compete with other lines.

 

This only applies to clients who do not have alot of onboard spending. That counts us out. We got to 3 star in no time at all. ]

 

We have large amounts of onboard spending.

 

This does however apply to guests with low onboard bills....

[mariner]

Believe me. So do I. Most passengers spend NOTHING on board. And if you're willing to live it up on Norwegian at a la carte restaurants, lave the wine at home.

[lovetocruise2020]

Believe me. So do I. Most passengers spend NOTHING on board. And if you're willing to live it up on Norwegian at a la carte restaurants, lave the wine at home.

 

 

I am so spoiled. I live within 15 mils of 30 amazing wineries. I am picky.

The pax thats spend nothing ? Ugh, ruins it for us.

 

The Haven suites have a ton of perks, the Haven rest. Included 3 amazing meals a day, have u seen these choices? The beverage package? Covers almost EVERYTHING. Pay the corage? No prob.

Leave my beloved HAL? Ugh, only if I have to.

 

HAL needs to step up the suites, and STAY HAL, because people our age will leave. :(

[mariner]

Look at Seabourn. I have a cellar. I buy foreign and domestic. I can live without it for 10 days. HAL has some fantastic wines that I can't purchase where I live and fairly reasonable prices.

[hpeabody]

On this past weeks cruise there were no day of the week carpets in the elevators, there was no disembarkation talk, the did a little FAQ sheet with your luggage tags, there was no paper survey, it will be emailed. The HSC was $11.50 pp as expected.

[OVgirl]

Believe me. So do I. Most passengers spend NOTHING on board. And if you're willing to live it up on Norwegian at a la carte restaurants, lave the wine at home.

 

Is that really true or are you just guessing? If that is the case then I can understand a business like HAL "nickel and diming" for some extra revenue.

[solocanadian]

Well you are all pretty good at guessing :D I am hearing that yes the Survey's done while on board will be going away and instead will be electronic this started on the Volendam this past week and this week's sailing of the Westerdam and will then be rolled out to the rest of the fleet. I understand the new on line comment cards are quite nice and you will only rate the things you used on board.

SilvertoGold I am so surprised you mentioned Embarkation Talk.... but yes I am hearing rumor that might be going away ;) I have to admit I have not been to one since our first HAL cruise in 2003.

CowPrincess making the HSC mandatory would not surprise me but that is not something I have heard.

 

Did you hear all of this directly from HAL or a customer's interpretation of what they think they heard? Unless it was in writing from HAL I would tend not to take it seriously but consider it hearsay!

[lovetocruise2020]

Look at Seabourn. I have a cellar. I buy foreign and domestic. I can live without it for 10 days. HAL has some fantastic wines that I can't purchase where I live and fairly reasonable prices.

 

Ok, I am not a wine aficionado. :(

 

We love:

 

Wilson Creek Winery Almond Champagne

Wilson Creek Winery Peach Cuvee

Wilson Creek Winery, Decadence, Chocolate Port

South Coast Winey, Ruby Cuvee

South Coast Winery, Black Jack Port

South Coast Winery, Wild Horse Peak (anything)

Paringa Sparkling Shiraz

Yellow Tail Moscato

Big Kahuna (Red Sangria)

Tobin James Winery (anything)

 

It's this that makes a nice cruise for us. Not that we love fine wine, but that we like what we like, no matter the cost :(

 

No one sells it, and spending 10k +overall for just 7 days, if I cannot have what I want then it diminishes the experience.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Did you hear all of this directly from HAL or a customer's interpretation of what they think they heard? Unless it was in writing from HAL I would tend not to take it seriously but consider it hearsay!

Take a look at the post just above yours which confirms it has started already, no I heard directly from someone who works on the ships.

[solocanadian]

Can we agree to disagree? a lot of people on board make my life better.

 

By the time I get home, I may forget some names. On board, I am fresh and can pinpoint them on a survey.:)

 

the surveys don't take long and in fact, one comment on our last cruise from several - "I like that they still do the surveys - many other cruise lines now just email you".

 

So each to their own, I prefer the one on board and the chance to highlight crew members.

 

Once I get home, will I complete the survey especially if I am jetlagged and tired? Will I remember everyone's name that made my trip wonderful in that state?

 

I won't know until it happens but............I take the time to do the survey on board and I think it has some pluses with the way it is done:) (and yes, I do both of ours too;) with input from DH)

 

I make written notes of names I want my tired old brain to remember. Online survey at home is what I prefer.:)

[lovetocruise2020]

Look at Seabourn. I have a cellar. I buy foreign and domestic. I can live without it for 10 days. HAL has some fantastic wines that I can't purchase where I live and fairly reasonable prices.

 

Most Seabourn cruises do not have nicer tubs in the cabins, no cabanas, no Pan Asian, not enough sea days, and def not the type of wine we are looking for. A very good, personal friend works in a very promiment position there she is always asking us to try it. I will send clients there, but def not for me....

 

Oceania would be a great fit if we could get some sea days in the Caribbean.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Is that really true or are you just guessing? If that is the case then I can understand a business like HAL "nickel and diming" for some extra revenue.

 

Unfortunately this is very true and all most shocking the percentage of those who spend absolutely nothing and will stand in line asking to have the gratuities removed at the end of the cruise. The growing number of individuals that purchase a cruise scraping together money is shocking then they cannot afford anything but the free stuff on board. I have seen where some of these cheap Alaska cruises for $399 PP they had to use several credit cards to pay the full amount, then they had to figure out their air cost. The demographics of this HAL board does not even come close to the growing trend for many cruisers.

[mariner]

You're wrong. The bathrooms are much nicer. And while our palettes don't agree, you can find plenty of bargains on HAL. I do for my price points.

[sail7seas]

Unfortunately this is very true and all most shocking the percentage of those who spend absolutely nothing and will stand in line asking to have the gratuities removed at the end of the cruise. The growing number of individuals that purchase a cruise scraping together money is shocking then they cannot afford anything but the free stuff on board. I have seen where some of these cheap Alaska cruises for $399 PP they had to use several credit cards to pay the full amount, then they had to figure out their air cost. The demographics of this HAL board does not even come close to the growing trend for many cruisers.

 

 

I am sensing you are right and do not doubt it.

You are not the first I've heard say this exact thing.

I don't understand people who book a vacation they cannot afford. When

we didn't have money to travel, we stayed home.

 

It isn't like groceries, medical care, mortgage payment.....

Travel is not a necessity. It is a luxury one waits to be able to afford

before they book.

 

IMO......

 

[lovetocruise2020]

You're wrong. The bathrooms are much nicer. And while our palettes don't agree, you can find plenty of bargains on HAL. I do for my price points.

 

 

I promise you, I know what I am talking about. Typical Seaborn balcony suite, does not have seperate bath and shower.

 

Molton Brown shower gel, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, soap, yes, *but so does HAL*

 

 

Also not enough sea days, no cabana, no Pan Asian.

 

Def not for us. Aprox 277 sf? No thanks.

 

To each his own...

 

We know JUST what we are looking for.

[lovetocruise2020]

Unfortunately this is very true and all most shocking the percentage of those who spend absolutely nothing and will stand in line asking to have the gratuities removed at the end of the cruise. The growing number of individuals that purchase a cruise scraping together money is shocking then they cannot afford anything but the free stuff on board. I have seen where some of these cheap Alaska cruises for $399 PP they had to use several credit cards to pay the full amount, then they had to figure out their air cost. The demographics of this HAL board does not even come close to the growing trend for many cruisers.

 

 

So very true!!!

[Laminator]

Unfortunately this is very true and all most shocking the percentage of those who spend absolutely nothing and will stand in line asking to have the gratuities removed at the end of the cruise.

 

I am hoping the HSC becomes mandatory. This hopefully will allow HAL to increase their staffing levels.