Hal-la land not so grand any more.

[DeeniEncinitas]

I'll join you!!!!

👍

Denise:)

[bluegiraffe]

You know, the older I get the less things are the same. We really can't control that but what we can control is how we react to it.

 

We don't cruise as much as we used to anymore...we used to take at least 1 cruise a year.

We haven't cruised since 2012 (I'm not counting a short 3 day on RCCL in 2015)

 

Will be on Eurodam 4 weeks from today and I know it's not going to be like the cruises we took 25 yrs ago but I'm going with a positive outlook and not a critical eye.

 

(Also, I save my paperwork from every vacation and we paid $699pp on our first Caribbean cruise on RCCL 25yrs ago...we are paying $799pp for our next cruise).

 

That says a lot as to why there have to be so many cut backs. We're paying practically the same thing we paid 25 yrs ago.

 

 

 

If HAL isn't for you anymore there are so many other choices out there. Think of the fun you'll have trying them.

HAL isn't going to go back to the "good old days" quality food, entertainment etc. If they did they'd be priced up there with the elite lines. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

 

I think $799 for a weeks vacation including food, lodging and entertainment is a steal. I don't expect "the Ritz" when I'm paying such a low price.

 

That's it in a nutshell. If the base fare hasn't kept up with the costs of providing the services they were giving 25 years ago, then either the price rises, the services get cut, or they go out of business. Doesn't mean anyone has to like it or stay with that line, but is a reality to be faced.

[esimon]

I say speak your mind and move on- plenty of other lines to cruise on

[esimon]

You know, the older I get the less things are the same. We really can't control that but what we can control is how we react to it.

 

We don't cruise as much as we used to anymore...we used to take at least 1 cruise a year.

We haven't cruised since 2012 (I'm not counting a short 3 day on RCCL in 2015)

 

Will be on Eurodam 4 weeks from today and I know it's not going to be like the cruises we took 25 yrs ago but I'm going with a positive outlook and not a critical eye.

 

(Also, I save my paperwork from every vacation and we paid $699pp on our first Caribbean cruise on RCCL 25yrs ago...we are paying $799pp for our next cruise).

 

That says a lot as to why there have to be so many cut backs. We're paying practically the same thing we paid 25 yrs ago.

 

 

 

If HAL isn't for you anymore there are so many other choices out there. Think of the fun you'll have trying them.

HAL isn't going to go back to the "good old days" quality food, entertainment etc. If they did they'd be priced up there with the elite lines. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

 

I think $799 for a weeks vacation including food, lodging and entertainment is a steal. I don't expect "the Ritz" when I'm paying such a low price.

 

could not agree more -- thanks for your reasonable response

[OlsSalt]

To get $699 in cruise services in1995 dollars it would cost you approx $1200 today, yet it is only costing us $799. How does HAL do it?

 

 

(According to one of those online - time/value calculators)

[debsjc]

To get $699 in cruise services in1995 dollars it would cost you approx $1200 today, yet it is only costing us $799. How does HAL do it?

 

 

(According to one of those online - time/value calculators)

 

Partly by making more profit on some routes, which then allows them to sell other more cheaply. There are not many European sailings that come up at that price. Also I think the profit on shore excursions, speciality restaurants, and beverages has increased, so I guess that helps too.

$799 is a great deal though.

[bUU]

The only legitimate role for cost with regard to price is that if you can't get folks to pay enough to cover your costs then you probably shouldn't be in business. Beyond that, prices are to be based on value. There are many other explanations for "how?" Bigger ships feed better economies of scale. Refinement of the service specification eliminates costs associated with services that passengers don't value highly enough. Stronger emphasis on generating revenue through means other than fares (surcharges, more gambling, specialty restaurants, etc.)

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[imescaping]

In your post you stated that you are going to seek "other travel options." I, like you, am disappointed that cruising isn't what it once was.There has definitely been a steady decline, but it seems to have been across all cruise lines. I found our recent Disney cruise came closest to our cruises of 15-20 years ago. I have only been on one short Luxury Cruise Line, (Radisson Seven Seas, now Regent) since I had not cruised with them before nor have I since, I cannot say if they are declining, improving or holding steady. I have only cruised once each on Norwegian and Celebrity so can't compare them either, but Holland, Princess, Carnival and RCCL have all declined. We too, are squarely middle class and can't fork out the big bucks for the luxury cruise companies.

 

That said, I have not really found anything else that provides the escape and pampering that cruises do. Princess and Holland seem to work best for me from an overall value for the price paid standpoint. The nickel and diming has definitely increased. Some of my friends have done All Inclusive resorts, but when all things. air, transfers, etc., are added in I found them to be out of my budget for any I would be willing to stay out. As understaffed as the cruise ships have become, I don't think it is any better at those resorts.

 

I don't drink, can take my own pictures, usually do my own thing on shore, and don't buy a bunch of stuff in the onboard shops. I enjoy the shows and games, getting to know my waiter and table companions, doing as much or as little as I want and things like that. Due to booking through Costco we had a large onboard credit on our last cruise (Coral Princessl, 15 night, Panama) and actually struggled to use it. Our final on our shipboard account was less than $25. Since they started nickel and diming for everything it is almost a game for us to see how little we can spend. Princess still lets you take on wine and bottle water, my brother and his wife drink wine and princess let them each bring a bottle of wine on board, then they bought another in port. They open it themselves so they don't pay a corkage fee. I brought a case of bottled water.

 

So, after that long rant the bottom line of my purpose in replying is this; what type of vacations are you looking into that you think will provide better value? I will say, that we spent a week on the North Shore of Oahu cost a little more per person that we would have likely spent on a 7 night caribbean or mexico cruise. We had a wonderful time. but each day/evening, we had to find somewhere to eat, and sites to see and activities to do. Some of our food was great, some not, same goes for service. I know there is some of that on a cruise but the lists of things to do are pre organized for you and somewhat limited (can be a good or bad thing.) If you find something awesome, please share with the rest of us.

Edited April 8, 2017 by imescaping

[alwaysfrantic]

What they want is exactly what General Motors wants. They want folks getting started in life to climb inside a Chevrolet spark, or perhaps a Sonic or a Cruze, and then as they get older and more firmly established in their career and can afford finer things, upgrade to a Malibu, and then graduate to an Impala, but eventually realize that their next step would be to switch to a Buick Regal or LaCrosse, and then a bit later realize that they their higher standards are better served by switching to a Cadillac CTS or XTS. I've said this before: I don't understand why they've got both Princess and Holland America (I think one of the two will do), but I do understand the reason for having:

• Carnival,
  
  • and then Princess OR Holland America,
    
    • and then Seabourn.
      

Want better? They've got a cruise line for you.

 

I wish they honored loyalty among the various CCL lines.

[bUU]

They're not able to track loyalty, anyway. The legacy programs track *nights cruised* which doesn't measure loyalty at all. What they need is an accurate tracking of loyalty, the willingness of the passenger to pay a premium for what they get.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Partly by making more profit on some routes, which then allows them to sell other more cheaply. There are not many European sailings that come up at that price. Also I think the profit on shore excursions, speciality restaurants, and beverages has increased, so I guess that helps too.

$799 is a great deal though.

 

I agree that the cost of cruises hasn't risen at a rate comparable with many other costs in life. I also think you're right about profit on the extras. Shore excursions certainly have not stayed the same. Specialty restaurants are relatively new, at least to us (we started cruising in the late '70s when the Lido buffet was a new concept!) The cost of a clamshell has gone up a few times in recent memory. Photos have become ridiculously expensive. (I know that's an outside contract, but HAL probably is getting more from the photo company than they used to) So the cruise lines are keeping the entry cost down, hoping to make their money on the extras.

[lazey1]

I don't disagree with your evaluation of what HAL has become. It's not what it used to be (not by a long shot), and never will be again. :(

 

However, your post serves no purpose other than to #1 vent, and #2 elicit a lot of disagreement.

 

Where is the darn like button?(y)

[sandbag7]

What a curious thread! To me the most amazing thing is that someone would cruise 40 times with one cruise line and (apparently) never seek an alternative experience! Granted, other than bus travel or a vacation home, cruising is certainly the most conservative method of vacationing but such single mindedness is to me beyond belief. I can't speak to the status of the Major Lines having not cruised them in more than 10 years, but I have been generally pleased with cruises I've taken in the recent past on less traditional lines: Windstar, Star Clipper, and Oceania, (Sea Dream a little less) and having cruised twice on each have not noticed any diminution of the product; I, realistically I think, expect a pretty good experience on the Noordam when I cruise on it next February, and with Viking the year after that. Granted, cruise lines have not kept up with the amazing changes and trends in restaurants in urban areas from Beijing to Peru to New York where chefs challenge each other to produce inventive fresh locally available cuisine. Anyone expecting a Michelin experience on a cruise ship, except on the rare occasion is just fooling themselves. A 1 star Michelin restaurant will charge $90 to $150 dollars for a degustation menu so how do you expect to get that kind of experience on the mini bucks you are paying on a floating hotel? That being said times have changed since I started cruising in the 1980's (Costa, Carnival, RCCL, Princess) but in many ways the cruise product has improved with more varied itineraries, better Spas and workout areas, specialty restaurants some of which go beyond the banal steakhouse. Perhaps the OP's complaint has a different basis than the issues I raised; certainly some of the responders have agreed with him for whatever (unspecified) reason. In any event my recommendation to OP: try something different; 40 cruises on one line is repetitive work not play. Why not try a land tour, a train tour, a group tour or (gasp) another cruise line. There is more than one way to relax, have fun and/or educate yourself.

[kira5]

If I paid $799 I would be more willing to accept various (hopefully minor) deficits but I would be reluctant to spend $10,000 on a cruise. Some cruises are much more than that for better cabins. Reading some reviews and comments would make me too apprehensive for that.

[iancal]

It is not that difficult.

 

Choose another cruise line or choose another vacation/travel option.

 

There are plenty of both out there. We vote with our feet and with our wallets. It works for us.

[serendipity1499]

You know, the older I get the less things are the same. We really can't control that but what we can control is how we react to it.

 

We don't cruise as much as we used to anymore...we used to take at least 1 cruise a year.

We haven't cruised since 2012 (I'm not counting a short 3 day on RCCL in 2015)

 

Will be on Eurodam 4 weeks from today and I know it's not going to be like the cruises we took 25 yrs ago but I'm going with a positive outlook and not a critical eye.

 

(Also, I save my paperwork from every vacation and we paid $699pp on our first Caribbean cruise on RCCL 25yrs ago...we are paying $799pp for our next cruise).

 

That says a lot as to why there have to be so many cut backs. We're paying practically the same thing we paid 25 yrs ago.

 

 

 

If HAL isn't for you anymore there are so many other choices out there. Think of the fun you'll have trying them.

HAL isn't going to go back to the "good old days" quality food, entertainment etc. If they did they'd be priced up there with the elite lines. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

 

I think $799 for a weeks vacation including food, lodging and entertainment is a steal. I don't expect "the Ritz" when I'm paying such a low price.

 

Finally found someone who is saying what I've been saying for many years..Our Cruises cost almost the same as they cost when we started cruising in 1998...

 

In 1998 we paid $267 per night in an Outside cabin for a 10 day Caribbean cruise on the Ryndam.. In Oct. 2016 we paid $270.50 per night for an 11 day Panama Canal cruise in a Balcony Cabin on Zuiderdamn..

 

How can Cruise Lines maintain the same level of service, when they charge the same prices they charged 18-19 years ago? :cool:

 

P.S. I also have all the paper work from every cruise Approx (24-25) we've ever taken..

[idiebabe]

I wish they honored loyalty among the various CCL lines.

 

It maybe coming! John Heald keeps posting on his site putting the question out there to Carnival cruisers and the response is an overwhelming yes to have a reciprocal program between the Carnival Corp lines. Celebrity and RCCL have it and MSC honors the level you are with all Cruise Lines.

[iancal]

One of the overriding issues is that HAL frequent cruiser benefits are at, or near the bottom of competitive cruise line frequent cruiser benefits.

 

Not such a great incentive for people to try HAL but an incentive to try another line like Princess.

[IRL_Joanie]

OP, sorry you're unhappy with HAL, but then you've groused about prices and their cheapness before. I hope you find a cruise line that you like.

 

BTW, saying you don't want snotty answers is likely to elicit lots of them. I'm off to make popcorn, just in case. :cool:

 

 

Exactly my thought....

Joanie

[G&G]

Finally found someone who is saying what I've been saying for many years..Our Cruises cost almost the same as they cost when we started cruising in 1998...

 

In 1998 we paid $267 per night in an Outside cabin for a 10 day Caribbean cruise on the Ryndam.. In Oct. 2016 we paid $270.50 per night for an 11 day Panama Canal cruise in a Balcony Cabin on Zuiderdamn..

 

How can Cruise Lines maintain the same level of service, when they charge the same prices they charged 18-19 years ago? :cool:

 

P.S. I also have all the paper work from every cruise Approx (24-25) we've ever taken..

 

Good point. We have been cruising 40 years, first on Carnival. A window cabin was $719 per person on a 7 day Caribbean cruise. In 2017 a Oceanview cabin on the Rotterdam out of Tampa is $770 per person. Something has to give.

 

P.S. I also have paper work on all our cruises (67).

[iflyrc5]

We had a great 32 days on the Rotterdam getting off on 16 Mar 2017. Outstanding crew (Hotel manger Mike Mahn sets a great example for the crew), good food and for the most part good entertainment. 32 days of no cooking, no cleaning, no laundry - nothing wrong with that. For those that have complaints with HAL then just stop cruising on HAL - that way there will be a better chance we can get the cabin we want when booking. We have over 500 days sailing on HAL and have not seen very many empty cabins on our cruises so many folks are happy with HAL. We have 3 more booked and also 6 Future Cruise Deposits so we will be happily sailing HAL for the next couple of years. Just wish they would stop cancelling (charting) cruises after we have them booked.

[HamOp]

You can only live in the now, not the past or the future.

 

If you stop to think about it, there is no "now". Only the past and the future.

[slidergirl]

They're not able to track loyalty, anyway. The legacy programs track *nights cruised* which doesn't measure loyalty at all. What they need is an accurate tracking of loyalty, the willingness of the passenger to pay a premium for what they get.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

 

Do you have proof that the program only tracked nights? People think hotel programs only track nights and stays (the equivalent of "nights and cruises"). There is more to programs than that. If you book and enter your Mariner number, I will bet they have right there the number of cruises you have taken, the amount of spend (what you spent on your cabin, what you spent onboard after OBC), which ships...

When loyalty programs are merged or offer reciprocal benefits, someone always suffers. People with the "best" will whine because they feel their benefits have been diminished, while people with the "least" will wax poetic about the wonderful free embarkation lunch they never had before. Be careful what you wish for.

[tuolumne couple]

...these threads are ,in a way ,funny and amusing to read. like any cruise, everyone has their own take on it. variety is the spice of life. we just received our 100 days at sea medal with holland america, and each cruise is still so very different and exciting to us. we find new ways to discover. lately we have fallen in love with aft balconies. each cruise we find something new to explore and do to keep it fresh. a friend of mine used to say 'expect disappointment, that way you will never be disappointed'. us? we expect nothing and let the experience find us. we will be taking a 15 night to the abc's having just done the panama canal recently. our bucket list is slowly being checked off and we are loving every minute of it. money cannot hold a candle to life experiences and we know that we need to travel to get these kind of experiences. we have nothing like this at home, and we live in one of the most beautiful areas i know of.

if you want to talk about things getting cheaper, go to walmart for a reality check. ha ha.

[missmishka]

...these threads are ,in a way ,funny and amusing to read. like any cruise, everyone has their own take on it. variety is the spice of life. we just received our 100 days at sea medal with holland america, and each cruise is still so very different and exciting to us. we find new ways to discover. lately we have fallen in love with aft balconies. each cruise we find something new to explore and do to keep it fresh. a friend of mine used to say 'expect disappointment, that way you will never be disappointed'. us? we expect nothing and let the experience find us. we will be taking a 15 night to the abc's having just done the panama canal recently. our bucket list is slowly being checked off and we are loving every minute of it. money cannot hold a candle to life experiences and we know that we need to travel to get these kind of experiences. we have nothing like this at home, and we live in one of the most beautiful areas i know of.

if you want to talk about things getting cheaper, go to walmart for a reality check. ha ha.

 

Thank you for posting this reply. This is exactly how we feel!

Are the cooking something edible (I find the food on the different cruise lines to be more alike than different and overly rich for my taste, so I ask for my fare to be prepared plainly)?

 

Are they doing the dishes?

 

Straightening up my room?

 

Scrubbing the shower & toilets - yes?

 

Then I am happy!

 

Are the bartenders making cocktails, not just the mixed drinks that I make at home?

 

Then I am doubly happy!

 

Life is what you make it. It's your life & vacation - CHOOSE HAPPY!

 

 

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