Criticism of HAL

[imsulin]

Just want to say that I've read many posts criticizing HAL for one thing or another - from smuggling alcohol, to required tipping (who doesn't tip?), to the Windstar Cafe (don't mind paying a relatively low price for great coffee specialities) replacing the Java bar (which I usually miss because of its limited hours), decline of service (haven't encountered it), et. al. I've only been on four HAL cruises (about 25 cruises overall), and it remains my favorite line - booked again for next April. I know that I'm a relatively new Mariner, and there are many long-time HAL cruisers out there, but I've had great experiences with this line, and don't have the criticisms that I've seen posted here. Just trying to be positive. Thanks!

[Esme]

We are long time cruisers on HAL (23 years) and I have got to agree with you Imsulin. Sure things have changed but hasn't everything in day to day life. We are paying more for everything including taxes, health care, petrol, etc. etc. :eek: You can't expect low fares and all the amenities we used to get.

 

We've been very happy with HAL's service and rarely complain about anything. We enjoy ourselves and take everything with a grain of salt. Life is too short.

[gliles]

Absolutely. My first cruise was in the early 90s and what we are paying for this cruise, a balcony compared to the outside, almost 13 years later, is about the same. You have to expect some things to change.

[CruisinMatt]

All cruise lines have those that are strong supporters and other that will go out of the way to bash them to the bitter end. It all depends on experience, background, likes, dislikes etc. I tend to cruise with an open mind. While I am "younger" and have only 5 cruises under my belt, I certainly hope that I can enjoy all the cruiselines out there and appreciate each product, so that when I have 20+ cruises to boast about, I will be able to recount my experiences positively! :)

[Cruising Illini]

My ONLY disappointment will be if they don't have the MANY Filipino and Indonesian staff -- they "make" the cruise so happy. The Eastern Europeans in the Pinnacle and part-time in the Neptune can't compare -- they haven't been to "smile school". Notice I said "will be" because like many others I have no serious complaints and will be going on our 24th in a couple of weeks so you can see we are very satisfied. The price for all HAL cruises is the most "value" for the $$ of any cruise line & any extra charges are minimal in the overall cost.

[estj]

compared to many on this board...we too are relatively newcomers to cruising...but have sailed on HAL enough to know that we will continue to book our cruises on HAL line. In fact, I am introducing two good friends to HAL for their very first cruise in November...wouldn't select any other line to introduce new cruisers to! Service is always excellent...from the early arrival times to ship-board activities- to just about everything involved with the cruise. HAL is consistent with good service delivery. Yes, there has been a hic cup now or then...but minor...and HAL has always been responsive. Our expectations are rather high...so if HAL meets our expectations consistently...we're satisfied!

Cass:)

[localady]

We enjoy cruising with Holland America very much.:) We are not happy with some of the decisions that have been made lately by HAL which are called "Signature of Excellence" but could be as easily called in some cases " Nickelling and Diming us to death":eek: . One can very much enjoy the crew and ships, and still disagree with that IMHO. I really don't think that makes me a whiner. :cool:

[FlorenceItaly]

I cruised in June on the Maasdam, and in August on the Veendam. I enjoyed both cruises very much, but I did not experience the excellent level of service that is talked about on this board. Imo, it was average. I am a very friendly person, so I do not believe personality was an issue. Will I cruise them again, yes.

 

Marie

[superstein61]

Everyone has different likes, dislikes. Everyone has their own view of what is important and not important to them, Everyone's cruise experience is different.

 

Me - I enjoy reading the positives and the neagtives from everyone. much better than reading just one sided comments. I prefer objectivity

[ryansmemom]

One of the lovely things about experience is that it is subjective. Please don't flame me for this. I know I'm being picky here, but I am trained in the scientific method and my training tells me that experience is always subjective. In order for it to be objective we would have to set up some sort of procedure ala BF Skinner and take measurements. We would need to define our terms and set the perameters and do all sorts of tedious things like that.

 

So, lets cut to the chase here and just enjoy each others subjective experiences for what they are. Some of us have positive experiences and some negative. Most have a mix. We all enjoy our cruises.

 

I for one have completly enjoyed every cruise I have ever been on. I attribute that to the fact that I board the ship with that expectation. I am not saying that things have been perfect or that there have not been problems. I have chosen to ignore them.

 

Therefore that is my subjective experience. All experience is subjective because we all have our own filters that we use to process that experience. That is why the pros use standardized tests and mechanical instruments when they want to be objective.

 

Just a general statement. No flames please.

 

Linda

[starysacz]

Ryansmemom - You are absolutely correct. I have been trained to evaluate the objective and subjective domains in human personality and individuals are all different in terms of their interpretations. We have sailed HAL for 24 years and will continue to do so. Attitude is what counts.

[debblue]

when i board a hal ship i go with the attitude i am going to hae a wonderful time see some differnet placces and enjoy whatever company i am with,i don't look for differences in other lines and compare each has their own distinction and if something isn't right so be it i don't expect perfect things (nothing is perfect nor do i look for non perfect) my feeling is i am on a cruise and i am thankful i can still enjoy them and have the money to do it, with so many obstacles in this life enjoy what you will i enjoy cruises and that's my story, i am sticking to it!!!!!!!!!

happy cruises to all and safe seas :o for all of us

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have been on quite a few HAL cruises and have noticed the changes over the years. And I have mentioned them here on these boards for others to read so that they may know what to expect.

But that hasn't in any way changed our opinion of HAL.

And we have quite a few more cruises booked on HAL for next year.

[gizmo]

Everyone has different likes, dislikes. Everyone has their own view of what is important and not important to them, Everyone's cruise experience is different.

 

Me - I enjoy reading the positives and the neagtives from everyone. much better than reading just one sided comments. I prefer objectivity

Agree 100% with superstein. I like to read and post, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Everyone has opinions. I see nothing wrong with a negative opinion, for instance the "the paying for coffee in the new Winstar Cafe". I was one that posted I thought it was nickle and diming.

I was also one that posted about the terrible service back in April. Yes it was terrible on my last cruise. Did it ruin my cruise? NO, we had a fantastic cruise.

 

Would I let something like this ruin a cruise? No way. You can voice an opinion that is viewed as critiscm but it doesn't mean you have an attitude problem or you expect everything to be perfect.

 

There is nothing wrong with being postive either. Both positive and negative comments should be posted. Those that get good service should post it was good and those that have bad service should also post it was bad.

[localady]

Everyone has opinions. I see nothing wrong with a negative opinion, for instance the "the paying for coffee in the new Winstar Cafe". I was one that posted I thought it was nickle and diming.

I was also one that posted about the terrible service back in April. Yes it was terrible on my last cruise. Did it ruin my cruise? NO, we had a fantastic cruise.

 

Would I let something like this ruin a cruise? No way. You can voice an opinion that is viewed as critiscm but it doesn't mean you have an attitude problem or you expect everything to be perfect.

 

There is nothing wrong with being postive either. Both positive and negative comments should be posted. Those that get good service should post it was good and those that have bad service should also post it was bad.

Yep I second that! :D Love to cruise on HAL, but it doesn't mean I cruise with blinders on. That said, Gizmo is correct, I would not let something like the demise of the Java Cafe ruin my cruise. But I will call a spade a spade when any company makes a cutback and calls it part of the "Signature of Excellence" program. Gotta love those highly paid marketing types!:rolleyes:

[dakrewser]

The one constant in life is change. Everything, even cruise lines and cruise experiences, are constantly changing. I do enjoy hearing from experienced cruisers about the changes they notice and their opinions on whether or not it is change for the better, or merely change for the sake of change.

 

I also like to hear the impressions of newbies to cruising as they compare their first experience to their expectations.

 

Not only is each experience viewed through a subjective lens, but it's also filtered individual priorities and values. What some consider a decline in the cruising experience, others consider an improvement.

 

Keep all the reviews, the bouquets and the brickbats coming - it's all very useful.

[ryansmemom]

I agree with the posters who wrote that they enjoy reading both the positive and negative experiences of my fellow cruisers. There will always be a mix of both types of experiences in any of life's adventures. Our attitudes and personalities and stress levels will impact on how much weight we give the positive or negative. This is just human nature.

 

The point I was trying to make is that these experiences are subjective. They are processed through our personality, personal filters, moods, and previous experiences. In order to obtain an objective measure you must resort to scientific, controlled methods.

 

Let's enjoy sharing our subjective experiences and recognize them as just that. All of our report carry the same weight. All are legitimate. None deserve to be more reliable or valid than others by calling them "objective".

 

Linda

[dakrewser]

All of our report carry the same weight. All are legitimate. None deserve to be more reliable or valid than others by calling them "objective".

Some people are simply better observers (or "more observant") than others. Some, by virtue of wider or deeper experience have a greater canvas on which to make comparisons. Saying that everyone's report carries "the same weight" is like saying that everyone's singing carries the same tune!:) It just ain't so. Some people are simply better at describing what they like or dislike about a situation.

 

But it's only by reading a large sample of someone's reports that you or I can judge that person's taste and how closely it meshes with our own.

 

Some reviewers and opinion writers that I would never agree with are still among those I read most frequently because of the quality of their desciptive language. The best reviewers tell us not only what they like and dislike, but why.

 

-dave

[merryecho]

I agree with gizmo. The main reason I read these boards is to find out about a line I haven't been on yet (or in a while), so I can make an informed decision about choosing my next cruise. If everyone only posts positive feedback, the information is nice, but pretty useless. We need to recognize that just because a person posts that they didn't like something on the cruise, it doesn't mean that they didn't have every bit as a good a time as the person who "takes it in stride", and writes a sunny review.

I'm not talking about throwing a tantrum on board if your coffee arrives cold, I'm talking about simply letting other potential passengers know that you found it to be a drawback. It isn't going to hurt anyone's feelings if we find something we would like to be different (at least it shouldn't), but we might have a chance of letting HAL know that some of their passengers would like it to be changed.

[ualtim]

While my wife and I have only cruised on Princess and HAL, we believe that we have found OUR (and I mean OUR) perfect cruise line. Did we hate Princess? No. We had a great time aboard all 3 cruises, but there are other factors, the small things, that keep us coming back to HAL. Everyone has their own comfort zone, and everyone's comfort zone is going to be different. Even though my wife and I have similar comfort zones, the boundaries we are willing to push are somewhat different. For US, (and I mean US) HAL provides the best combination of Value, Comfort, Level of Service, Fellow Cruise Passengers (variable to some extent on each cruise), and Ammenities that WE use. HAL suites OUR needs better than other similar products. While we would love to go on Radisson Seven Seas, Crystal, Seabourne, and other ultra luxury cruises, they due not meet a level of value that would be comfortable to US or our bank account. We have yet to get on board a Celebrity ship, but several factors have worked against us making it not possible so far. We have even gone as far as booking with them, but had to cancel due to outside factors.

 

Enough rambling, basically what I am trying to say is that everyone will have their comfort zone in different locations and on different cruise lines. Others opinions are valuable when making decisions on unknown cruise lines or unknown cruise ships in the same line. Good or Bad opinion, it is still not yours so do not rule something out or buy in based on just the reviews. There is a ton of information available on line and in books stores that will assist you along with the reviews to make an informed decision. If you do not like it after your cruise is done, there are other cruise lines/ships that may fit your comfort zone better.

 

Keep the Blue side down.

[Sailure]

I'm booked on my FIRST HAL cruise on the Volendam this month...on the 17th! After going through Hurricane Charly, Frances, and Jeanne....there is NOTHING that will be negative about HAL coming from me from this cruise!

I will enjoy it like I've never enjoyed any other cruise in my whole life! All I want to do is get aboard and relax for 10 days....I wouldn't even care if she didn't leave the pier!

As long as I have my bed, my food, my steward/ess, and my bed made everyday and my food served to me...I won't complain 'bout nuthin'!;)

[imsulin]

Thanks to all for your replies and observations! I think that ualtim said what I meant to say, and that is that I guess I've found my "comfort zone" with HAL. Like others, I've enjoyed all my cruises, but my first HAL cruise on the Zaandam just really got me hooked on the line, and I've been cruising since the late 70's. I can't pinpoint exactly what made me such a believer in HAL - it was no one particular thing - but the total overall ambience, I guess. I, too, enjoy the reviews, and take the negative into consideration, but HAL just suits my purposes and cruising style. I'm just sorry I didn't start cruising with them earlier! Thanks again, everyone!

 

(Must say that I was a "regular" at the Windstar Cafe on the Zui - looked forward to my latte' and pastry every afternoon, and thought the price was very minimal!)

[garydm]

We too are comfortable with HAL and have another cruise booked for February on Statendam. We do try others tho when the price and intinerary are to our liking. I will share with you our recent trip for less than $200 per day per person (outside cabin) on another line and what we received beyond what HAL offers that made this trip truly memorable:

 

1. Complimentary sodas and water in the cabin refrigerator and throughout the ship.

 

2. Complimentary specialty coffees and wonderful fresh pastries in a sidewalk cafe type setting with servers who made you feel welcome.

 

3. Two alternative restaurants with no additional charges.

 

4. No charge for use of washers and dryers.

 

5. A first class gym with all machines in great operating condition.

 

6. Very high quality entertainment at the evening shows.

 

7. Multiple enrichment programs including computer training, keyboard instruction, bridge lessons, onboard lecturers, etc. at no additional cost.

 

8. No bingo announcements.

 

9. Dining room service at breakfast and lunch that was like they really wanted us there rather than encouraging you to go to the Lido by way of poor service.

 

We like HAL alot, but if you get a chance, consider Crystal as we did.

 

Gary

[bepsf]

I might be inclined to try Crystal one of these days - They have pretty ships and I understand that they take very good care of their passengers as well...

 

...but I would miss getting my tile.

;)

[imsulin]

And I would miss getting my groceries!! ($$$$$$$$) (One more year until my IRA can kick in!!)