Slot Machines in the Ocean Bar

[rkacruiser]

1 minute ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I was told by reliable sources that the slots are being installed to support a special casino promotion and are not permanent.   Should be removed in a "few months" 

 

hmmmmm

 

tine will tell 

 

I will believe that when I learn that this is true!  

 

23 hours ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Wasn’t Signature of Excellence the old slogan?  I thought Savor the Journey is the current one. 

 

Correct.  But my definition of "Savior the Journey" seems to becoming quite different as compared to those in the Executive Suite of Holland America Line.  

 

Frankly, "Excellence" in the travel product that I buy exceeds the "Savor" factor.  

[Laminator]

1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I was told by reliable sources that the slots are being installed to support a special casino promotion and are not permanent.   Should be removed in a "few months" 

 

hmmmmm

 

tine will tell 

I was actually told the same by a very reliable source for the machines that were added on the Rotterdam. I know the Rotterdam has a big slot tournament coming up on the Dec 1st cruise I believe. I am not sure about the Koningsdam. 

Edited November 8, 2021 by Laminator

[OVgirl]

1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I was told by reliable sources that the slots are being installed to support a special casino promotion and are not permanent.   Should be removed in a "few months" 

 

hmmmmm

 

tine will tell 

I hope so because this is just weird. Feels like the Twilight Zone.

[zgscl]

1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I was told by reliable sources that the slots are being installed to support a special casino promotion and are not permanent.   Should be removed in a "few months" 

 

hmmmmm

 

tine will tell 

I certainly hope this is the case! 

[rkacruiser]

23 minutes ago, OVgirl said:

I hope so because this is just weird. Feels like the Twilight Zone.

 

Too often, what seems to be "temporary" becomes permanent.  Until some other "Executive Suit" has a "better idea".  

[Hlitner]

Surely this must be some kind of temporary thing.  I cannot think of much else that would be more tacky except putting meatloaf on the MDR menu.  Oops.  

 

Hank

[zgscl]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Surely this must be some kind of temporary thing.  I cannot think of much else that would be more tacky except putting meatloaf on the MDR menu.  Oops.  

 

Hank

I can assure you the slot machines will be on my comment card after my sailing next week! 

[yarnsinger]

On 11/4/2021 at 12:57 PM, Heartgrove said:

Not that I agree with installing them in the Ocean Bar, but it would be a smoke-free environment.

So would the casino if they banned smoking in there. That would also make a good bit of the rest of the ship smoke-free because the smoke from the casino wouldn't spread. If we could smell it with the casino only sparsely occupied, what will it be like when the ship is full? Either shut off the casino area so smoke doesn't spread and people don't have to walk through it to get to to and from the Main Stage, or ban smoking.

[yarnsinger]

8 hours ago, zgscl said:

I can assure you the slot machines will be on my comment card after my sailing next week! 

They will complement my comments from the TA about how much we loved the jazz band in the Ocean Bar.

[taxmantoo]

15 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I was told by reliable sources that the slots are being installed to support a special casino promotion and are not permanent.   Should be removed in a "few months" 

 

hmmmmm

 

tine will tell 

The pandemic was supposed to last a few months 😏 

[johnnyswitzerland]

Horrifying!  OMG what are they thinking!?

 

I thought this had to be some kind of November Fools' Day joke until I saw the pics!  Unreal.

 

I hope we can get official confirmation that this is temporary quickly.  Frankly, this seems nuts even if temporary.

[zgscl]

1 hour ago, johnnyswitzerland said:

Horrifying!  OMG what are they thinking!?

 

I thought this had to be some kind of November Fools' Day joke until I saw the pics!  Unreal.

 

I hope we can get official confirmation that this is temporary quickly.  Frankly, this seems nuts even if temporary.

Totally agree. Even if temporary it takes away from everyone else enjoying the Ocean Bar in the interim. There isn’t really an alternate location nearby especially for folks dining in Sel de Mer & Pinnacle. If BB Kings is open I guess you could go there for a pre dinner drink. 

[farawaygal]

We are on KDam right now and the machines and chairs are cheap and tacky looking. The area looks like a third rate gas station in Vegas.  Unbelievable...this does not make me Savour the Journey!

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, farawaygal said:

We are on KDam right now and the machines and chairs are cheap and tacky looking. The area looks like a third rate gas station in Vegas.  Unbelievable...this does not make me Savour the Journey!

Just wait until they install table top video poker machines in all the Lido and MDR tables!

 

Hank

[Florida_gal_50]

2 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Just wait until they install table top video poker machines in all the Lido and MDR tables!

 

Hank

Please don’t wind people up anymore.  Some are about to explode 😛.

[Seasick Sailor]

Was there a post that mentioned Rotterdam had a big tournament in Dec? Maybe that's why they were installed?

[tjcox9]

40 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Was there a post that mentioned Rotterdam had a big tournament in Dec? Maybe that's why they were installed?

However, they were also installed on the Koningsdam..............which is where I first saw mention of them.

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Please don’t wind people up anymore.  Some are about to explode 😛.

 

Disagree with your thought about some of us are "about to explode".  This situation is just one more reason why, at least for me, I need to be more serious as to on which cruise line my next cruise will be.  

 

If I want a "Carnival Cruise Line type cruise", I'd book it.  And, I don't think I would be paying for "Signature of Excellence" and "Savor the Journey" prices for comparable staterooms.  

[YYC F/A]

They’re busy installing even more banks of slots as we speak.

 

The Ocean Bar has been destroyed, it’s really sad, we sat there hidden in a banquet - not able to see anyone or anything other than annoying slots dinging and flashing loudly. It would be like putting a bunch of random isolated seating arrangements among a casino slot section and calling it a lounge. What a shame. 
 

Just one of many disappointments on boarding HAL. The Suite and Club Orange offerings have also been downgraded, even for suites and club orange with the “enhanced room service menu”, there is only one complimentary hot breakfast dish and everything else (including the only Eggs Benedict) has an additional per dish fee. Even for Neptune suites! So tacky, and for those paying for the Club Orange or SBP etc there is so much overpromising and walk backs or cut backs that don’t match the marketing or advertised inclusions…  as for the all the negative changes to the beverage packages, don’t even get me started. 
 

The F&B manager was very upfront about it, he said their costs have gone up 40-60% for F&B provisioning and guest fares have not gone up (debatable) and so the beverage packages have to be downgraded and the crew have targets to upsell including food items at dinner - whether shrimp cocktail at dinner or hot items on room service etc. 

 

The packages don’t even work properly as we’ve all been getting charged per drink in our group to our folios, and despite multiple guest relations visits all five cabins still have many incorrect charges. 

 

It’s been several years since I last sailed HAL but it’s disappointing (and irritating) to be constantly nickel and dimed at every turn.

[Hlitner]

2 minutes ago, YYC F/A said:

They’re busy installing even more banks of slots as we speak.

 

The Ocean Bar has been destroyed, it’s really sad, we sat there hidden in a banquet - not able to see anyone or anything other than annoying slots dinging and flashing loudly. It would be like putting a bunch of random isolated seating arrangements among a casino slot section and calling it a lounge. What a shame. 
 

Just one of many disappointments on boarding HAL. The Suite and Club Orange offerings have also been downgraded, even for suites and club orange with the “enhanced room service menu”, there is only one complimentary hot breakfast dish and everything else (including the only Eggs Benedict) has an additional per dish fee. Even for Neptune suites! So tacky, and for those paying for the Club Orange or SBP etc there is so much overpromising and walk backs or cut backs that don’t match the marketing or advertised inclusions…  as for the all the negative changes to the beverage packages, don’t even get me started. 
 

The F&B manager was very upfront about it, he said their costs have gone up 40-60% for F&B provisioning and guest fares have not gone up (debatable) and so the beverage packages have to be downgraded and the crew have targets to upsell including food items at dinner - whether shrimp cocktail at dinner or hot items on room service etc. 

 

The packages don’t even work properly as we’ve all been getting charged per drink in our group to our folios, and despite multiple guest relations visits all five cabins still have many incorrect charges. 

 

It’s been several years since I last sailed HAL but it’s disappointing (and irritating) to be constantly nickel and dimed at every turn.

OMG!  So we had 3 Asian cruises cancelled and HAL automatically rolled over our booking to 2023.  We are talking about a 42 day cruise on the Westerdam and the more we read posts like yours the more we think we need to cancel and move on to better things.  For us it started years ago when HAL tried to convince me that offering meatload in the MDR (probably replaced a steak) was a good thing.  Then they reduced the size of the show band from 7 to 5 and then gone!  And then they eliminated all the production shows!  Meanwhile, the piano bars (and terrific players used by HAL) started to disappear.  And now we are reading about all kinds of add on items in the MDR and even the Pinnacle.   We are not cheap (we have been on two Seabourn cruises in the past 3 months) but want decent quality and good value.  We used to love the old Crows Nest lounges and we have long enjoyed the Ocean Bar...even if it was to watch the decent dancers or even the male dance hosts (also gone).   Yes, things do change but when just about everything starts to reek of lower quality perhaps it is time to go elsewhere.  I should also mention we are 5 Star Mariners so do represent that crowd of HAL cruisers who have long enjoyed the line.  Now, we are not so sure.

 

Hank

[Florida_gal_50]

I decided to walk by this area tonight to see how loud and distracting it is.  No sound at all and believe it or not no one losing their mind over it.

[Laminator]

HAL needs to recoup losses from the Pamdemic. Many of you don't agree with the approach they are taking but they may have little choice. The casino clientele have to be a winner for them with all the casino offers that have been out there lately. We need to see how this pans out in the future.

[Hlitner]

8 hours ago, Laminator said:

HAL needs to recoup losses from the Pamdemic. Many of you don't agree with the approach they are taking but they may have little choice. The casino clientele have to be a winner for them with all the casino offers that have been out there lately. We need to see how this pans out in the future.

I suppose they could replace chairs in the cabins with slot machines.

 

Hank

 

[JennysUncle]

Let us hope that putting slot machines in the Ocean Bar is an experiment.  While some lines have gone smoke-free, HAL has clung to allowing smoking in the Casino.  Presumably the theory is that banning it there would hurt profits by not luring smokers - but maybe it would increase them by drawing non-smokers who don't gamble because they can't stand the smoke.  Having slots now in a non-smoking area will provide a direct head-to-head test, and maybe convince HAL to finally get rid of the stink in the Casino.

[cruisemom42]

12 hours ago, Laminator said:

HAL needs to recoup losses from the Pamdemic. Many of you don't agree with the approach they are taking but they may have little choice. The casino clientele have to be a winner for them with all the casino offers that have been out there lately. We need to see how this pans out in the future.

 

Does HAL have bigger losses to recoup than other lines?  I don't see them doing this.