New Fees on HAL

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Suki

Guest
HAL is adding some extra charges - that said I believe all are justified.

If Lobster Tails (as an example) or anything else for that matter, is not on the menu that evening and you choose to order them - YOU WILL BE CHARGED EXTRA - and why not!

To be blunt, there are pigs and gluttons on cruises and restaurants with 'All You can eat Buffets' who stuff themselves at the expense of everyone else. In their moronic minds they are 'getting what they paid for'.

HAL is adding a new 'special' Cafe on some of the newer ships - a charge will be made - fair enough - just how many 'customized Lattes etc.etc. can one person reasonbly consume when breakfast, midmorning snacks, lunch, afternoon tea, ice cream bar, dinner and late night buffet , to say nothing of 24 hour coffee,tea and room service, are included in the cruise cost!

ARRAUGH!!!!!!!!!
 
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wendyandbarry

Guest
Lets see now. HAL has taken away Robes in every non Suite cabin, there is less Flower,s in all area'a of the ship, less hours that the Ice Cream area is open, the food standard in the main dining room has gone down on most ships, and they are adding extra charges for thing that were free before, etc.
I am sorry, but one of the thing's I will miss is when you are looking over the menu the waiter tells you, if you want something that is not on the menu he will see if they have it, and if they do he will bring it to you.
I know that the price for the Cruise is less, but in the long run you will pay more, and make more guests upset when they get there bill on the last day.
I agree that some people do overdue it, and some standards should be changed, but not to the point where you change the whole Holland America way of Cruising.

I for one will give them one more chance, and if things are changed enough then we will find someone else to cruise with and will miss the old Holland America.



Post Edited (03-03-03 15:23)
 
B

BP

Guest
Is it not the cruise lines who when they advertise boast that you can eat 24 hours a day and order all you want as part of the cruise experience.
 
S

Suki

Guest
"wendyandbarry 
Date:   03-03-03 00:46

Lets see now. HAL has taken away Robes in every non Suite cabin, there is less Flower,s in all area'a of the ship, less hours that the Ice Cream area is open, the food standard in the main dining room has gone down on most ships, and they are adding extra charges for thing that were free before, etc.
I am sorry, but one of the thing's I will miss is when you are looking over the menu the waiter tells you, if you want something that is not on the menu he will see if they have it, and if they do he will bring it to you.
I know that the price for the Cruise is less, but in the long run you will pay more, and make more guests upset when they get there bill on the last day.
I agree that some people do overdue it, and some standards should be changed, but not to the point where you change the whole Holland America way of Cruising.

I for one will give them one more chance, and if things are changed enough then we will find someone else to cruise with and will miss the old Holland America."

I have to ask - (a) on how many HAL ships have you travelled
(b) when was your last HAL cruise - on which ship?

So many of posts re HAL on this thread and others are in the 'They say.......' and 'I've heard.........' category.

Many people seem to have sailed Zuiderdam in particular, and/or plan to do so on other HAL ships for the express purpose of nit-picking - I'm sorry for them - they are missing out on so much.

Alternative Restaurants (where available) extra charge was advised by HAL
- Java Cafe, on all HAL ships, does not charge for coffee and there's nothing to suggest that they may change this. The new Cafe on the Zuiderdam, on which I have NOT sailed, has a new Cafe set up (charges apply there) in addition to the Java Cafe. On our last cruise I recall the Ice Cream Bar being open more frequently thatn in the past
 
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wendyandbarry

Guest
I am sorry but we are new to HAL, and have only sailed on 5 Cruise's with them, and 4 ships.

Everything I point out comes from Ship Service's at HAL, not some T/A or even a HAL sale's rep.
They are charging at the Java Cafe on the Zuiderdam as you said and working there way though the fleet as ship services said. HAL did the same thing with the Alternative Restaurants, oh by the way they are going to change them all into Steak House's I wonder where they got that idea (the Parent company). The Ice cream bar was open from 11:00am to about 8:00pm on our first HAL cruse in 96.
I see that the other items you do not disagree with.

I do not sail on any ship the first year.

I want you, and everyone else who reads this to know, we have always loved to cruise on the Holland America Line, we would be more then happy if they give up this new policy they now have, and go back to the old ways and charge the extra 10% that they use to charge above there competition, and have the little extra's that made them what they were.

I have E-Mailed HAL my concerns and not just shooting off here, and I hope that all you fellow Mariners do the same.

Barry



Post Edited (03-05-03 09:28)
 
C

Cruzman

Guest
My last HAL cruise was in December, 2002 on the Zaandam; my first was on the Ryndam in October, 1999. I observed absolutely nothing that differentiated one from the other as far as food quality, services offered, etc. Haven't sailed on the Zuiderdam yet, but I am booked in May; we shall see how she compares.
 
S

Suki

Guest
wendyandbarry -

"I am sorry but we are new to HAL, and have only sailed on 5 Cruise's with them, and 4 ships."
..................................


I don't consider 5 cruises on HAL as being new to the Line! You're pretty well seasoned, I'd say.

The Zuiderdam, from what I've learned, firsthand, from
(a) an Agency owner privileged to sail her for 3 days on the Agent Special
and
(b) a couple of longtime HAL Mariners,
is very different from all other HAL ships presently in service. She is designed and operated in a different way to attract, it is hoped, a new generation and perhaps younger cruisers. I'm told 'she grows on you'. We may never find out!

The discounts being offered in todays market may well keep ships full but like you, we'd rather revert to the old ways and pay the extra 10%.

My comment re Java Café and the new café on the Zuiderdam was badly worded - it's my understanding that the original Java Café has and will remain as is - only in the new Café (Internet Café I believe it's called) will charges be incurred for Lattes and other specialty coffees and drinks - see nothing wrong with that. Same with the Alternative restautant. Meals, with very few exceptions, have always been more than satisfying, well prepared and presented in the main Dining Room. We have only once tried the 'alternative option' - it was fine - we enjoyed it but would not really consider it on every cruise.

We avoid Maiden Voyages but have done several Inaugurals. Any ship on any Line may have a few glitches but they've never ruined a trip for us.

We too have advised HAL of our concerns and expressed our hope that HAL will continue to be our Preferred Line.

A cruise is what you make it.
 
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