Nymich Posted August 8, 2019 #26 Share Posted August 8, 2019 2 hours ago, ricka47 said: I wonder if it it's because the loyal HAL cruisers know that the line is not what it once was and refuse to accept it? HAL has been gradually changing the last 5 years or so since they opened the fist BB King Blue Club. Last December we were on HAL in the Rolling Stone Rock Room listening to a live band play Hendrix and Bon Jovi etc...……..No HAL is not the same. Yet, I have a feeling that we won’t be going mainstream again for quite a while. I hope that feeling is correct! We will continue to do both only because once in a while we are going to want a bigger ship type of cruise. 2 hours ago, ricka47 said: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ORV Posted August 8, 2019 #27 Share Posted August 8, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Rob the Cruiser said: @ricka47- Don't worry about loyalty status on Oceania. From our experience, nobody cares. Most of the loyalty perks come in the form of things others wouldn't know about. OBC, free grats, included deviation, discounts, etc. There are no lounges just for people at a certain level. There are some on the O ships that have access determined by room level. No special restaurant for any level. There is no special seating area by the pool, no special seating at the shows, all things the Mass lines tend to do. The repeaters party is open to anyone that has at least one cruise with Oceania. So what Rob says is spot on for Oceania. There is no preeminence among cruisers on Oceania. Except perhaps occasionally in the mind of a few. Edited August 8, 2019 by ORV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted August 8, 2019 #28 Share Posted August 8, 2019 2 hours ago, Rob the Cruiser said: @ricka47- Don't worry about loyalty status on Oceania. From our experience, nobody cares. While all the other lines have their " captains friend's club and mystic knights of the sea status, A special feudal class systems with private dining rooms and decks........its funny if it was not so sad to see people jockeying for position on these monster ships O has none of that really. No one cares if you in an inside or the owners suite.. or if this is your first or 100th cruise on O. No one wears pins and doo-hickey's flaunting their superiority..... its a low key well mannered, well traveled crowd who appreciates cuisine , conversation and the ambiance of the ship.........Sort of like how ocean travel was 80 years ago.... a romantic connection to the sea and travel. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted August 8, 2019 #29 Share Posted August 8, 2019 14 hours ago, Cruise Junky said: Sounds like you were on a really old ship if it had Lanai cabins. Would be an interesting comparison on a new ship. The concept that larger is better does not work... it just affords more opportunity for problems More is not better... only more of the same and with more challenging human interactions possible. I was on a large HAL ship once Venice to Ft Lauderdale... 2300 folks, The fun started when people had their things by the pool stolen, The trivia game door prized were stolen during the session, The library was broken into and books stolen, people tried to pry art and logos off the walls.......AND they were even stealing the day of the week mats from the elevators.! The captain had to close off sections of the ship to prevent vandalism....... Too many rats in the box..... It was like the "inner city" goes on vacation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob the Cruiser Posted August 8, 2019 #30 Share Posted August 8, 2019 (edited) 34 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said: While all the other lines have their " captains friend's club and mystic knights of the sea status, A special feudal class systems with private dining rooms and decks........its funny if it was not so sad to see people jockeying for position on these monster ships O has none of that really. No one cares if you in an inside or the owners suite.. or if this is your first or 100th cruise on O. No one wears pins and doo-hickey's flaunting their superiority..... its a low key well mannered, well traveled crowd who appreciates cuisine , conversation and the ambiance of the ship.........Sort of like how ocean travel was 80 years ago.... a romantic connection to the sea and travel. You sure have a great sense of humor. The "pledge pin" is sort of neat but we were disappointed that there is no secret handshake. BTW - I've never seen anyone actually wear the pin. Interesting comment that no one cares if you are in an inside cabin or owners suite. On our last 2-3 Celebrity cruises, we experienced a lot of "we're in a suite and you're not" snobbery. Our response, especially if the comment had been repeated, was "well bless your heart". Edited August 8, 2019 by Rob the Cruiser typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted August 8, 2019 #31 Share Posted August 8, 2019 5 minutes ago, Rob the Cruiser said: You sure have a great sense of humor. The "pledge pin" is sort of neat but we were disappointed that there is no secret handshake. BTW - I've never seen anyone actually wear the pin. Interesting comment that no one cares if you are in an inside cabin or owners suite. On our last 2-3 Celebrity cruises, we experienced a lot of "we're in a suite and you're not" snobbery. Our response, especially if the comment had been repeated, was "well bless your heart". Celebrity and Cunard both thrive on " the I am better than you" class system... selling faux esteem to needy people. for $$$$$$$$$$$ Wait till the mass market boys discover the idea of secret hand shake.... and maybe monogram slippers too... or a special ring Hey, Thats it.... a elite decoder ring that lets you decode secret messages from the captain... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ORV Posted August 8, 2019 #32 Share Posted August 8, 2019 13 minutes ago, Rob the Cruiser said: You sure have a great sense of humor. The "pledge pin" is sort of neat but we were disappointed that there is no secret handshake. BTW - I've never seen anyone actually wear the pin. Interesting comment that no one cares if you are in an inside cabin or owners suite. On our last 2-3 Celebrity cruises, we experienced a lot of "we're in a suite and you're not" snobbery. Our response, especially if the comment had been repeated, was "well bless your heart". Ever been around a Zenith? I'm sure there's some nice ones, I didn't meet them though. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted August 8, 2019 #33 Share Posted August 8, 2019 50 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said: The concept that larger is better does not work... it just affords more opportunity for problems More is not better... only more of the same and with more challenging human interactions possible. I was on a large HAL ship once Venice to Ft Lauderdale... 2300 folks, The fun started when people had their things by the pool stolen, The trivia game door prized were stolen during the session, The library was broken into and books stolen, people tried to pry art and logos off the walls.......AND they were even stealing the day of the week mats from the elevators.! The captain had to close off sections of the ship to prevent vandalism....... Too many rats in the box..... It was like the "inner city" goes on vacation It's not a case of larger is better. It's a case of more dining options, more entertainment options, a real balcony vs. a lanai on a public deck. I'm no HAL fan but I think it would have made an interesting comparison to one of the newer Koningsdam or NS rather than something that should probably be turned into a reef. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted August 8, 2019 #34 Share Posted August 8, 2019 4 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said: It's not a case of larger is better. It's a case of more dining options, more entertainment options, a real balcony vs. a lanai on a public deck. I'm no HAL fan but I think it would have made an interesting comparison to one of the newer Koningsdam or NS rather than something that should probably be turned into a reef. Here I disagree... the only saving grace for HAL is its small ships that still maintain an air of classic ambiance. The Laini cabin I think absurd in the first place.. just a cheap way of making a balcony. More restaurants just means more lousy choices not better. More lousy entertainment and more chances of running into really objectionable people through sheer probability. Its darwin at sea. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted August 8, 2019 #35 Share Posted August 8, 2019 5 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said: Here I disagree... the only saving grace for HAL is its small ships that still maintain an air of classic ambiance. The Laini cabin I think absurd in the first place.. just a cheap way of making a balcony. More restaurants just means more lousy choices not better. More lousy entertainment and more chances of running into really objectionable people through sheer probability. Its darwin at sea. I'm pretty darn sure we have proof that you can run into objectionable people everywhere, even small ships. As I said, I'm no HAL fan, but I have heard very good things about The dining and entertainment options on their newer ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanandJim Posted August 8, 2019 #36 Share Posted August 8, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Cruise Junky said: I'm pretty darn sure we have proof that you can run into objectionable people everywhere, even small ships. As I said, I'm no HAL fan, but I have heard very good things about The dining and entertainment options on their newer ships. Define objectionable. My SIL lives in Tampa but refuses to sail HAL's very convenient cruises from that Port because, and I kid you not, on her last HAL trip the crew were unable to prevent public urination (both sexes fwiw) in the cabin hallways. No Virginia, this is not your father's Holland America Edited August 8, 2019 by StanandJim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted August 8, 2019 #37 Share Posted August 8, 2019 51 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said: I'm pretty darn sure we have proof that you can run into objectionable people everywhere, even small ships. As I said, I'm no HAL fan, but I have heard very good things about The dining and entertainment options on their newer ships. You have a point.... but I have to think a lot comes from HAL brainwashing people as to what is good... and have a very different viewpoint. Too the people HAL is seeking to attract are the younger age groups who want all these resort at sea things. Naturally , they will rave about a product that fits them... Case in point, a Prinsendam HAL devotee recently said the food on HAL and the service were far , far better on HAL than Oceania Riviera and that O could learn a lot from HAL... I guess it is all a persons perspective. My perspective is that a Mc Donalds that has 3 floors and seats 1000 in Paris Is still the same product you get in Omaha. Its just larger.... and well serves wine... but it is still a Mc Donalds. I will confess that I loathe the cattle boat atmosphere of the monster ships. To me I will not even consider anything over 1200 PAX and thats pushing it I prefer 600-700 as , to me, the lack of crowds and the low key ambiance are worth far more than fancy shows, bands, and all the hype But as I said that works both ways for HAL and O passengers as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted August 8, 2019 #38 Share Posted August 8, 2019 6 minutes ago, StanandJim said: Define objectionable. My SIL lives in Tampa but refuses to sail HAL's very convenient cruises from that Port because, and I kid you not, on her last HAL trip the crew were unable to prevent public urination (both sexes fwiw) in the cabin hallways. I think that is what you get when you have a huge ship with cabins for $45 a day to $250. A huge cross section of multi level cultural, standards when you draw on such a wide and diverse sociological mix all in one place... It is sad to see just how crude some people can be and feel no shame or remorse for acting in any way they please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob the Cruiser Posted August 8, 2019 #39 Share Posted August 8, 2019 2 hours ago, ORV said: Ever been around a Zenith? I'm sure there's some nice ones, I didn't meet them though. Yes, I've met a Zenith and he was a jerk. I was shocked. He had been so helpful and informative here on the CC Celebrity Forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigelc Posted August 8, 2019 #40 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Been on HAL once - loved the Neptune suit, very large balcony, excellent for our Norway trip. However, the food, service and other passengers behaviour was truly awfully - never again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted August 8, 2019 #41 Share Posted August 8, 2019 People on Oceania DO wear their pins especially on the Reunion party night & the Captain's Party night I have no idea where mine are 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted August 8, 2019 #42 Share Posted August 8, 2019 36 minutes ago, StanandJim said: Define objectionable. My SIL lives in Tampa but refuses to sail HAL's very convenient cruises from that Port because, and I kid you not, on her last HAL trip the crew were unable to prevent public urination (both sexes fwiw) in the cabin hallways. GROSS. Ugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted August 8, 2019 #43 Share Posted August 8, 2019 1 minute ago, nigelc said: Been on HAL once - loved the Neptune suit, very large balcony, excellent for our Norway trip. However, the food, service and other passengers behaviour was truly awfully - never again. Is the suit a perk on HAL ?😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigelc Posted August 8, 2019 #44 Share Posted August 8, 2019 3 minutes ago, LHT28 said: Is the suit a perk on HAL ?😁 lol - it is - should always check the spelling before submitting the post 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricka47 Posted August 8, 2019 #45 Share Posted August 8, 2019 1 hour ago, StanandJim said: Define objectionable. My SIL lives in Tampa but refuses to sail HAL's very convenient cruises from that Port because, and I kid you not, on her last HAL trip the crew were unable to prevent public urination (both sexes fwiw) in the cabin hallways. No Virginia, this is not your father's Holland America Well, they are owned by Carnival after all. But, I have never seen this on any cruise ship and hope that that was a very isolated case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted August 8, 2019 #46 Share Posted August 8, 2019 10 minutes ago, ricka47 said: Well, they are owned by Carnival after all. But, I have never seen this on any cruise ship and hope that that was a very isolated case. As prices come down so too to personal standards..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted August 8, 2019 #47 Share Posted August 8, 2019 48 minutes ago, ricka47 said: Well, they are owned by Carnival after all. But, I have never seen this on any cruise ship and hope that that was a very isolated case. So is Seabourn but I hope we never see this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPR Posted August 8, 2019 #48 Share Posted August 8, 2019 I’m still laughing about HAL’s cuisine being “fit for a King....as in ‘Here, King. Come!” 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nymich Posted August 8, 2019 #49 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Lots of hate for HAL on this board. Tough crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted August 8, 2019 #50 Share Posted August 8, 2019 I don't hate HAL, mostly because I've never sailed on HAL. (I do have friends who have and loved it, but again those cruises were some years ago.) Speaking of the ages of passengers ... my sampling is as small as they come BUT when we were in Venice at the end of our cruise in May 2018 we were on the people mover returning to the port. Several HAL passengers who were boarding were in the same car we were. Mind you, I'm talking about 4-5 people. Yes, they were MUCH younger than O passengers! And as we were walking through the port to the ship (we were docked further down than the HAL vessel) we saw many other HAL passengers arriving. All were much younger than we were. And they seemed very excited to be taking the cruise. I hope they enjoyed it. And I don't doubt that they did. I am not making any value judgments about passenger ages and backgrounds, however. It was just something I noticed. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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