Well done HAL

[RetiredRich]

Let's give a shout out well done to the HAL management people that helped get the ships cruising again.  We were so happy last May when we found out we didn't have to cancel Alaska cruise again.  But some nay sayers and experts said it wouldn't happen.  Well it did....just got back off New Amsterdam to Alaska.  It was very much a scaled down version of other HAL cruises we have been on.  But to other first time cruisers they were happy and didn't know the difference.  Sure did miss the towel animals.  The mask requirements everywhere were a necessary evil but this couple in the 70s made it thru with no problems.  So a big well done for the HAL team.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Well done 😃

[Hlitner]

I would be interested in knowing what "scaled down" means other then the loss of towel animals.  One surprise for us, when we did a recent Seabourn cruise in Greece, was that nothing was "scaled down" other then the ship operating at lower capacity.  In Greece we also had no masking requirement onboard (the crew did mask).

 

Hank

[jhannah]

I heard a report that said all HAL ships will be in service by next Spring. Looking like they will be the first cruise line to restart all their vessels. Good going!

 

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, jhannah said:

I heard a report that said all HAL ships will be in service by next Spring. Looking like they will be the first cruise line to restart all their vessels. Good going!

 

I would think that it would be very difficult to predict what will be happening by the next Spring.

[maryandmarge]

We are on the Nieuw Amsterdam now and had two awesome room stewards Martin and Yadi and they left us towel animals every night.   When they asked us our requirements the first morning we asked “towel animals?”    He said no problem.   So I think if you want them you will need to ask.     This has been a great cruise!     

[tmt218]

51 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I would think that it would be very difficult to predict what will be happening by the next Spring.

While we won’t know what will happen in the future it was an announcement from HAL on their blog that the last 3 ships on the fleet will be sailing by spring 2022

[tmt218]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I would be interested in knowing what "scaled down" means other then the loss of towel animals.  One surprise for us, when we did a recent Seabourn cruise in Greece, was that nothing was "scaled down" other then the ship operating at lower capacity.  In Greece we also had no masking requirement onboard (the crew did mask).

 

Hank

I would like know this also. Towel animals don’t make or break my cruise. 

 

[Hlitner]

14 minutes ago, tmt218 said:

While we won’t know what will happen in the future it was an announcement from HAL on their blog that the last 3 ships on the fleet will be sailing by spring 2022

Perhaps and perhaps not....but we now have some hope.  Consider that HAL said they are working with the Japanese officials on the March resumption of those Noordam cruises from Yokohama.  But we also need to be cognizant that at the current time Japan is not only closed to cruise ships but also closed to tourism!   So while we salute HAL for trying to get things kicked off in Japan there is a lot of cause for skepticism.  One thing we have learned in the last two years are that "announcements"  are meaningless without real action.  Like you say, we don't know what will happen in the future and we would also not bet on HAL announcements actually happening.  We are booked on some of those Spring Noordam cruises but you can be certain that none of our plans involve non-refundable reservations.

 

Hank

[RetiredRich]

The food in the Lido was fine.  Before it was all kinds of steak and seafood with more variety.  Plus they have to bring you any kind of drink....even water.  You cannot get anything yourself.  They come to clean your room only once in the morning.  Before they would come to your room twice.  In the evening they would bring tomorrow's schedule plus turn down the beds and do the towel animals.  Seems like one can't post anything without someone trying to make you look small or stupid.  The towel animals were cute and missed.  The cruise was great thanks to HAL.

[idiebabe]

1 minute ago, RetiredRich said:

The food in the Lido was fine.  Before it was all kinds of steak and seafood with more variety.  Plus they have to bring you any kind of drink....even water.  You cannot get anything yourself.  They come to clean your room only once in the morning.  Before they would come to your room twice.  In the evening they would bring tomorrow's schedule plus turn down the beds and do the towel animals.  Seems like one can't post anything without someone trying to make you look small or stupid.  The towel animals were cute and missed.  The cruise was great thanks to HAL.

We also had a GREAT Cruise on our July 24th Sailing!  😀  Somethings were different than Pre-Covid and feel the same as you that it didn't impact the enjoyment of our Cruise at all.  Looking forward to our Cruise in November on Rotterdam! 

[Oceansaway17]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I would think that it would be very difficult to predict what will be happening by the next Spring.

 

yup agree considering how things are panning out this year.  I would have thought things would have been better by now.    Keep on looking at photos from past trips and remember them fondly.

[Borge]

6 hours ago, RetiredRich said:

Let's give a shout out well done to the HAL management people that helped get the ships cruising again.  We were so happy last May when we found out we didn't have to cancel Alaska cruise again.  But some nay sayers and experts said it wouldn't happen.  Well it did....just got back off New Amsterdam to Alaska.  It was very much a scaled down version of other HAL cruises we have been on.  But to other first time cruisers they were happy and didn't know the difference.  Sure did miss the towel animals.  The mask requirements everywhere were a necessary evil but this couple in the 70s made it thru with no problems.  So a big well done for the HAL team.

 

[Borge]

Not sure if this has been addressed, but is there any change to the Safety Orientation Muster ?

[Hlitner]

So if I understand the posts they have replaced twice daily cabin service with once daily cabin service and downgraded the quality of food at the Lido?   So that means they only change towels once a day (in the morning)?  Guess I am somewhat confused as to why HAL has made these changes.  On Seabourn (very closely allied with HAL) there were no cutbacks in cabin service and the Lido was as good if not better then before COVID.  

 

Not to be overly critical but why should we expect cut backs post COVID?  While I understand that there may be the need for some COVID related protocols (such as no self service in the Lido) it is difficult for me to equate COVID with a cutback in the Lido regarding variety.   By the way, in terms of Lido Buffets and again drawing a comparison to the post COVID Seabourn experience, on SB they still have some self-service in their Lido (similar to pre-COVID).  We found this somewhat surprising until one considers that there has really been no real science that attributed the spread of COVID to buffets.   Many of us can still remember the early days of COVID when folks were leaving mail and packages outdoors for 1-2 days as a method of COVID avoidance until we found out that there never was a real threat of surface transfer.

 

We would be interested in knowing what kind of entertainment they had on the NA?  Has HAL resumed Production Shows?  Did they have live bands and shows or is HAL still trying to substitute movies/documentaries for real shows?

 

Hank

[tmt218]

1 hour ago, RetiredRich said:

The food in the Lido was fine.  Before it was all kinds of steak and seafood with more variety.  Plus they have to bring you any kind of drink....even water.  You cannot get anything yourself.  They come to clean your room only once in the morning.  Before they would come to your room twice.  In the evening they would bring tomorrow's schedule plus turn down the beds and do the towel animals.  Seems like one can't post anything without someone trying to make you look small or stupid.  The towel animals were cute and missed.  The cruise was great thanks to HAL.

Thank you! I was genuinely wondering what has changed. It definitely will be different but I’m glad I’m able to get on a ship. 

[Diver2014]

We've always been able to count on HAL for a nice, relaxing cruise.  Last one we were on was Oosterdam in 2019.  I don't care what the younger crowd calls HAL, it's nice to have some peace and quiet on a cruise and most everyone in bed at a decent hour.  I remember one of the higher ups at HAL stating a few years ago "we don't have water slides and never will".  That has always stuck in my head.

That's what I like about HAL (along with the Lido).  And towel animals.  And the glass ceiling that opens over the pool.  And all the shrimp and crab we could eat at lunch on the last day.  I could go on and on.

[RetiredRich]

The muster drill was much easier and more sanitary since you don't have to crowd into your boat area.  You watch a safety drill in your cabin and sometime in the afternoon go to your boat area and a worker will check your room card to show you went there.

[trident]

We were on the first two weeks  of the eurodam , AUG 15 TO AUG 29 The entertainment in main stage was as follows:7shows with ONE STEP ,DANCE CO, 3 SHOWS WITH  A MAGICIAN , 2 HAL HISTORY  TALKS , ONE  MOVIE NITE WITH  MIA MAMMA AND GREEK EXC NITE .Pretty boring in my  opinion .Worse than before covid -steve

[12cruise2]

We are on the NA right now.  We always eat in the Lido for breakfast and lunch, and the MDR for dinner.  We are four-star Mariners.  The food in the Lido has been outstanding.  Finally the chocolate chip cookies are chewy instead of bone dry as they were B.C.  The halibut fish and chips today for lunch were OUTSTANDING.  Cooked to perfection.  The prime rib on embarkation day was excellent as well.  The Asian station is always a favorite of my husband and this trip he says it's been even better.  I had chicken legs for lunch yesterday--the server at the buffet asked me which leg did I want, left or right?  The fruit, eggs benedict, salads, hot meals are all just wonderful--much better than B.C.  The service is wonderful, and faster on the drinks, etc. than before.  The staff is so great, and so excited to be working with passengers again.

The cabin service is excellent.  He would have happily serviced our room twice a day, no having to choose.  We are fine with only once a day.  Our internet, using a computer not a smart phone, has been fast and wonderful except for the fact that they use a Peru-based ISP, so the search engines come up in Spanish.  The IT asst. manager told me that after I complained, that to get really fast internet, they "had" to use the Peru-based satellite ISP.  Problem is, for our return 10/2 to go to FLL through the Panama Canal, we need covid testing again, and I can't get onto CVS to schedule the tests next Fri. on the ship because the internet and thereby CVS thinks I'm in a foreign country and won't let me go to the CVS covid-testing appt. site because they think I'm international and they don't allow it.  So, as soon as we get off 9/18 in Seattle, I'll get on to schedule CVS test.

We just couldn't be happier with the beautiful ship, the wonderful service and food, and being able to cruise again.  We'll plan close to the time the cruises actually go in the future--no several months to years planning ahead for sure.  Too much unknown around the world.  HAL owes me $600 in FCC and it still hasn't been posted to our account after 6 weeks now--money I could have used as we scheduled and PIF two cruises for this fall after being entitled to the $600 FCC.

[Tracey/Thom]

So happy to read all this! We're on the Niew Amsterdam May 2022, it was cancelled in 2020, and again in 2021. It's our first time on HAL (our 7th cruise), and we CANNOT wait!

[Hlitner]

30 minutes ago, trident said:

We were on the first two weeks  of the eurodam , AUG 15 TO AUG 29 The entertainment in main stage was as follows:7shows with ONE STEP ,DANCE CO, 3 SHOWS WITH  A MAGICIAN , 2 HAL HISTORY  TALKS , ONE  MOVIE NITE WITH  MIA MAMMA AND GREEK EXC NITE .Pretty boring in my  opinion .Worse than before covid -steve

Argh!  Our next HAL cruise is 42 days and you making me wonder if we will be better off if HAL cancels the voyages :(.   I just do not understand what has happened with HAL's entertainment department and their self-destructive policies.  Consider that even on a relatively small Seabourn ship (with only 300 passengers) we had 4 production shows (every week) and some terrific guest entertainers (singers and 1 excellent comedian).   HAL has certainly gone their own way with the elimination of Production shows and even dark nights with no real entertainment.  While many HAL passengers could care less (they are often in bed before 10) many other cruisers consider decent entertainment an important part of cruising.  Also consider that HAL built impressive stage/entertainment facilities on their newest ships and now wonders, why?   DW and I have long enjoyed the lecturers on HAL (Dr Alan Wright remains our favorite) but those used to be morning/afternoon entertainment on sea days.  

 

When DW and I think back over our many days on HAL many of our favorite evenings were spent in the piano bar where HAL used to have some excellent entertainment.  But even that has been eliminated on most ships.  We also thought the BB King concept was a good idea until we discovered that those pick-up groups (put together by HAL) seldom performed any BB King music.

I once asked the leader of one of the BB King groups why they were called a "BB King" group when they did not play his music or other blues/jazz standards.  He told me that the repertoire was put together during pre-cruise rehearsals and the HAL folks had to approve much of the music.  It turned out that the musicians in that particular group all had a jazz/blues background but were not allowed to do much from those genres.  Another HAL mystery.  I am not so sure that BB King would have approved of his name being lent to groups that played Irene Cara music.

 

Hank

[Boytjie]

4 hours ago, RetiredRich said:

They come to clean your room only once in the morning.  Before they would come to your room twice.  In the evening they would bring tomorrow's schedule plus turn down the beds and do the towel animals.  

 

You can get evening turndown service, you just have to ask for it. When our cabin steward mentioned it we told him we are OK with once a day.

Anything we needed was very quickly tended to when we requested it via the app.

Edited September 10, 2021 by Boytjie

[madera1]

We are on the NA now and I have not noticed any change in service. Even though we said we didn’t require evening service we have had it and towels have been changed both morning and night. We have eaten at the Lido for breakfast and lunch and can always get a table. The staff are friendly and food has been very good.  We have fixed late dining at a table for ten and our waters have known our names from day one. One of the waters has been making oragami  gifts for us each night. We have been to a few EXC talks and those have been well attended. The BB Kings has drawn large crowds each night. Trivia is held several times a day and is also well attended. Overall I would not hesitate to book this cruise or another .

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

 I just do not understand what has happened with HAL's entertainment department and their self-destructive policies. 

 

This is not a recent development.  On CC and this Message Board, I have expressed my opinions about this for some time.  A certain executive needs to retire.  Since there was such a long period of time when there were no cruises, what was the excuse to continue to keep him on the payroll?  

 

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Also consider that HAL built impressive stage/entertainment facilities on their newest ships and now wonders, why? 

 

In how many posts have I commented about this?  An expenditure of large amounts of money without any planning for its use?  The news of such a "feature" was very enticing, however.  Maybe an advertising gimmick by the marketing department?  

 

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

DW and I have long enjoyed the lecturers on HAL

 

As have I.  There have been some duds, like the Hong Kong radio personality lady whose presentations promised much, but was one of the most prolific "name droppers" of people whom she had interviewed that I have ever heard.  Her first program, the Main Theater was packed.  Each succeeding performance, there was declining attendance.  (Amsterdam's Grand World Voyage of 2008)

 

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

He told me that the repertoire was put together during pre-cruise rehearsals and the HAL folks had to approve much of the music.

 

This is also true with the playlist for the Rolling Stone Rock Room.  Good playlist; but, little variety of that list.  Night after night:  the same songs.  Sad, because the musicians were talented but could not vary the playlist.

 

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Not to be overly critical but why should we expect cut backs post COVID?

 

This is my concern.  Understandable why in this current era such reductions of service might be justified.  But, one of Newton's Laws is the Law of Inertia.  Once something is done--and is accepted--inertia might set in.  

 

I have observed a reduction of some nighttime stateroom service for some cruises pre-Covid.  Turn down the bed?  It's been awhile since I have returned to my stateroom and observed that.