3 Issues Driving Holland America Cruisers Crazy This Year
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- čas přidán 22. 05. 2024
- I recently embarked on Holland America Eurodam to host one of my group cruises with some trepidation, because I'd had past fans of Holland America telling me they were falling out of love with the line, based on three recent changes.
So, I felt this would be the perfect opportunity to put these to the test, as I could tap into the thoughts of everyone on my group cruise. And, based on what we discovered, you’ll hear where we found the concerns about Holland America are right, where they are not, and why.
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The loss of live classical music onboard is tragic. It seems like the move to larger ships would justify having more variety onboard, not less.
Wait what?? They removed that? That is the special thing about Holland America. The live classical music of various themes around the ship.
On my last cruise I was so saddened by the lack of classical music. I had been looking forward it to so much and then nothing. Bad decision.
Exactly! On our Transatlantic on Nieuw Statendam back home to US, we were really, appalled that, though they still advertise Lincoln Center Stage, they couldn't even bring a classical quartet or duo onboard. There is NO excuse for this. I think they have lost their way. Us over 70's may be dying off, but there are more people joining the over 50 demographic every day. When people take grandkids once a year, they might choose another line but for their 3-4+ times a year, they want peace quiet and no flowboards or climbing walls.
My husband and I met on the Prinsendam and got married on her a few years later. We have over 700 days on board HAL and used to love it. Then they started with the changes. The dance hosts disappeared, the excellent dance bands in the Ocean Bar and the Crows Nest were discontinued. The theatre became a ghost town. The on deck barbecues were long gone, and the piano bar where you could hang out and sing along was replaced by the dueling pianos. The new music walk played music so loud that a friend’s hearing aid alerted him that he was damaging his ears. The serving staff seemed to be far fewer than they used to be so tables in the Lido were constantly dirty and there was nowhere to sit. Club Orange promises a lot but you still have to wait, sometimes up to half an hour, to be seated. They got rid of the wonderful cold soups in the dining room that everyone loved, among many other favorites. No more unlimited lobster on gala nights. It seems to be that everything used to be great and then they ruined it. It makes me sad. 15 years ago I said one day I would live full time on their ships when I retired. Now, nope. Such a shame.
They got rid of the cold soups?! I'm boarding Eurodam to Alaska next week and had really been looking forward to them. I'm also super bummed that they got rid of BB King's. This will be my 7th HAL cruise and my boyfriend's first cruise ever, and I had been bragging about BB's since we booked the cruise a year ago.
@@sewistnotsewerdon’t think they got rid of BB King. Just Lincoln Centre Stage.
@@Desjardins50Getting rid of either is a deal breaker for me.
I miss the shipboard newssheets, BBQs and chocolate nites plus all the good to great theater entertainment. The Entertainment HOA have now for the most part sucks.
Agree with everything you say.
My wife and I are in our 60's, no kids, and HAL has been our favorite line for over 20 years. We have 3 HAL cruises booked over the next year and will continue to sail with HAL whenever possible. Gary is spot-on about the kid situation which is why we avoid cruising around/on major holidays and we avoid short (less than 10 day) cruises now. Well behaved kids are not an issue but, unfortunately, we are now living in the age of the out-of-control brat and the parents are 100% to blame for that.
Yep, parents are off doing their own thing and let their kids run wild. We have taken over a half dozen HAL cruises, but have switched to Viking and Oceania. We used to love the string quartets and Lincoln Center. The excrutiatingly loud, tasteless music they tout now doesn't even really have talented singers and dancers. My high school students were MUCH better. What are they thinking? They are degrading the line to the masses and just becoming another mediocre party animal cruise line. What a degradation of one of THE most prestigious and historic cruise lines!
We sailed with Celebrity to Alaska the first week of September, 2 years ago and NEVER seen a single child. I think TIMING IS KEY. I am pretty sure this was because many schools had started by then.
Timing and itinerary. My first cruise was to Bermuda in May, on Celebrity, and there were very few children. The ones that were on board were pretty well behaved at least.
Yes, i have purposely scheduled Alaska sept 8, 2025….school is IN SESSION~
One of my major reasons to sail HAL was Lincoln Center. It was such a nice thing to do during the afternoon on sea days. And, children on cruises aren't my favorite.
Sailed on the Westerdam last month. Miss the classical music.
Lincoln Center Stage was well-attended and a quality program. Eliminating that is a huge mistake. The main theater shows were lackluster, dancers interacting with a computer screen.
I found the”One Step Dance Company” shows to be a bit much.
There have been many changes, not for the better. The Eurodam has always been my favorite ship. I’ve sailed almost all the ships and so miss the Veendam which used to go to Bermuda. I’m not sure who decided to ditch the Lincoln Center. Not a good idea
Sorry to hear they ended the Lincoln Center performances.
Glad you raised these issues, Gary. I suppose that we had been happy enough with HAL until we booked our sixth cruise with them from San Diego to Hawaii just over a year ago. We previously made trips on their ships in the Caribbean, Europe and Australia-New Zealand, but the Konigsdam was seriously overcrowded and guest services seemed completely indifferent, or perhaps just overwhelmed. Port stays were cancelled or shortened in several cases making the seventeen day voyage seem even longer. Oh, and they took that time to announce cancellation of their Lincoln Center program. We haven't put HAL into any more of our plans.
I can’t wait to see traditional HAL cruiser’s faces if they announce that Lincoln Center’s replacement is the Wiggles :)
This is very much within the realm of possibilities.
Truth
It seems all these cruise liners are turning into massive amusement parks. Who needs screaming brats , crying babies and hyperactive kids running around.
I’m well over 50, and love classical music. But if they announced The Wiggles onboard? You can bet your booty I would be right in front of the stage Rock-A-Bye-ing my sweet bear! Have you heard their music? It’s absolutely joy-inducing. 😂
😂🤣
I'm a 56 year old solo who went on my first HAL cruise in December and fell in love with this cruise line. One of the biggest draws for me was the Rolling Stone Lounge, BB King blues and Billboard Onboard. If there is no Rolling Stone, I would pick a different ship. I was completely comfortable with the demographics, there were all ages and some kids, but not a lot of kids. This was a 7 day Caribbean in December. I've learned to avoid cruising during spring break, especially a 7-day.
Met many solos, some have become friends, and I've booked the same cruise for this December and planning to book a longer Christmas cruise for 2025. I wish HAL would come back to Tampa, that is my only complaint. ☺
As noted, HAL has removed BB Kings from all but its 3 largest ships. This continues a trend of HAL gradually reducing live music performances and will inevitably mean we choose other cruise lines in future. On those smaller ships, HAL gets the Rolling Stone rock band to try and play the BB King genres like R&B , Pop, and Motown which the Rolling Stone band is laughably bad at.
@@amandym1809 then the bands they have are laughably bad. Anybody that can play classic rock can play blues, it's literally the foundation of every piece of classic rock ever written and some of it is even straight up covering blues tune in a rock style.
We found nothing to do on Holland America during the day except trivia, bingo, and sales/marketing events.
I have sailed twice with Holland America, a 14 day Norway (low key but great itinerary and good food/service) and a 7 day Alaska last year on the Koningsdam. I found my last sailing boring with a serious lack of entertainment. Even our 70+ year old parents found it lacking in entertainment, boring and not lively enough. We spoke to people who were getting off the ship on embarkation day and they said they were bored but we hoped they were just hard to please but nope, sadly they were correct. We also found the cafe and counter serve food areas just were not open long enough. We had the drinks package and I struggled to find a place to get an early morning or late night cup of good coffee or snack. I wish the Dutch Cafe was open 24 hrs or a similar venue was available somewhere on the ship. The dining room service was also really chaotic but slow at the same time. Afternoon tea which we enjoyed previously was an absolute disaster. I am thinking they may have had lots of new staff but it seemed very disorganized. The cruise itself was just a huge disappointment. On top of that I came home with Covid. The one saving grace was our cabin attendants who were very kind and attentive. I injured my shoulder prior to cruise and requested ice for an ice pack one day and they always insured I had ice available after that and asked how I was and if I needed anything when they saw me.
I experienced all the points you mentioned. We are four-star Mariners and we are done with HAL. They are alienating their bread and butter customers.
What some consider boring, others experience as relaxing 😎
It used to be that based on our mood we could pick the line. Sometimes we wanted to do a "walker' laid back cruise we would do HAL. If we wanted better dining and quiet bars we would do Celebrity. And if we wanted good lounge entertainment we would do Princess (love Crooners). Now it seems like all the main cruise lines are trying to get full of kids. loud music. slower service and worse food.
HAL lost my business a few years ago. Kept giving them a second, third, and fourth try, and finally got fed up. The extra $7 charge for an appetizer along with a soup in the Pinnacle Grill did it for me.
We just disembarked the Westerdam transpacific today and was so disappointed. We are frequent cruisers and before this cruise HAL was our favorite cruise line. Now I don’t think we will ever sail with them again even though we are near the 4 star level. Everything we had liked about HAL is now gone. Our main interest - live entertainment was cut back dramatically compared to the past and compared to Princess which we just sailed before this cruise. No Lincoln Center Stage, no 7 piece live band or singers) which Princess still has) on production shows or to back up guest headliners (only recorded soundtrack), no dueling piano (reduced to single player 2 months ago). Rolling stone band was good but was very repetitive, especially for a longer cruise. Instead of real shows the Step Dance company performed modern dance to a recorded soundtrack (often to a mostly empty audience). They no longer have a separate Port Guide position with presentations and desk hours to assist non excursion guests, no America’s test kitchen daily cooking demos, no orchids on tables in lido, etc, etc, etc. Also the food quality in the main dining room has greatly declined and the lido food choices were the same every day for 16 days. We were very sad to see the toll of budget cuts on a cruise line we use to love. I just hope the executives realize their errors before it is too late.
The move to eliminate Lincoln Center just gutted me. It was the main reason I chose HAL.
based on cruise critic, it sounds like they are sporadically adding back basically identical classical musicians to some ships. We very recently got of Nieuw Amsterdam, the last 5 nights of repositioning from FLL to Vancouver, and there was none of this on our cruise.
Totally agree. I had a long chat with our Cruise Director about this, and wrote to the line afterwards. It is not going to change anything, of course, but we have booked with other cruise lines.
@@joycehayes9756 Cruise Directors whom I've spoken to about changes to Lincoln Centre Stage on my last two cruises were rather dismissive. They pointed to some form of classical music performance at the World Stage but were unable to advise the programme or the type of classical repertoire to be performed. I fear it might all be cheesy and commercial, like a Saturday night variety programme. It's mind boggling how HAL doesn't understand that the concerts by Lincoln Centre Stage is what makes HAL special.
Good video, Gary. I do want to comment about the "kids" aspect. I feel that HAL's movement to be more kid-friendly is not "new" and think HAL has been working towards this for a while (Kids sail free promo is not new; we took advantage of that over a decade ago). I think the multi-generational market is a sweet spot that HAL should exploit. In full disclosure, our first cruise was in 2010 on the Nieuw Amsterdam with our then 13-year old son (who picked the cruise because he thought the kids club looked cool:-). We had a blast and became fans of cruising and HAL. You gave great advice for folks who want to avoid the crowds of kids (longer cruises, not on school holidays, go on lines without a kids club). Glad you had a great group cruise on the Eurodam!
I stopped cruising with HAL when, about 15 years ago, our cabin lost air conditioning the second afternoon of a 7 day cruise in hot and humid Mexico. Allegedly there were no open cabins to move us to, and for our "inconvenience" we received a plate of snacks and a floor fan. Only after writing HAL post cruise, all they would do is give us a very limited 10% off a future non holiday cruise. Totally unacceptable so adios HAL!
We took a Trans Atlantic cruise on HAL Rotterdam a couple of years ago. I just saw one sweet toddler aboard (who made friends with everybody she met).
The quiet was certainly enjoyable, but we’ve been on plenty of cruises that were more family-focused, and have never been “bothered” by little humans
Doing my first HAL sailing next year and I have to say, I'm sorry to hear about the reduction of classical live music. I don't absolutely hate jukebox musicals, but I can find those on any of the mainstream cruise lines (ie Carnival's Playlist Productions).
You have presented a very fair analysis of HAL. We gave over 850 days on HAL and love them for the wonderful itineraries. However we have shifted our recent cruising experience to Princess and have thoroughly enjoyed two ships. We have two future bookings on both Hal and Princess and are onboard the Majestic Princess finishing a repositioning cruise from Australia to Seattle. The Eurodam joined us in Victoria last night along with the Bliss.
My husband is gutted by the end of Lincoln Center. The venue was always packed, and I don't fully understand why HAL ditched them. Still, HAL is a better fit for us than Princess (where we started out) and we have two cruises booked for next year.
I totally agree. The ONLY reason I booked Holland both for Alaska and Hawaii thinking I could enjoy the classical music. They stopped it but I could not get a refund. A total crap thing for me.
It’s Lincoln Centre Stage who did not want to renew their contracts wit HAL. Not the other way around.
My wife and I cruise primarily for the interesting ports, so entertainment is secondary for us. Our recent cruise had a good comedian, so we did enjoy her 2 shows.
The only change that bothered us a bit is the much higher costs for dining. Pinnacle charge went up 100%, and there are now several extra charge food items on the dining room menu.
As far as kids go, don't cruise in late December if it bothers you. Also avoiding low cost trips like the carribbean will ensure low kid numbers.
I enjoyed Lincoln Center Stage alot, and it's a ahame there is now a void in both entertainment programming and on most ships entertainment space. Whatever transition HAL is going through it's taking too long to execute. As for Grand Dutch Cafe, on many ships there's space for at least a mini version of it if HAL wanted to offer it. For instance, on the Westerdam there is a cafe counter not used on Deck 3 which could be converted into a Mini Dutch Cafe with cold treats and even beer offerings. At the least 1900 passengers don't all have to go to the Crow's Nest for premium coffee.
Hi 485 days HALcruiser here. I have to agree with your comments. A few things I don't like but broadly still a massive fan. Just did a 31 night South America cruise and saw maybe 4 kids. That is pretty much my experience on all our cruises... BUT we rarely cruise during school vacations. Love your videos by the way.
Loved my recent HAL 22 day repositioning cruise! April so only saw maybe 10 children, all very well behaved. Enjoyed the entertainment; liked Dutch cafe; LOVED the observation deck with barista made coffee (enjoyed daily); LOVED the many Hawaiian ambassadors that educated and entertained daily. Have 4 more HAL cruises booked; all on Koningsdam as I live in the Pacific Northwest and especially appreciate the Vancouver BC embarkation location or San Diego (easy flight for me).
We stopped using HA as of last year. It always seemed that the public areas were jammed full of people all the time. Finding a place to sit was very hard to do. We moved our business to Viking.
I found this too. They were dedicating lots of crew to the "upgrade" areas, like the cabanas, meanwhile lots of lines and waiting for drinks at the bar for the regular folks. I suspect this is not solely a HAL issue, but I found it annoying.
We cruise HAL repositioning cruises, none shorter than 3 weeks. Very few kids, many sea days and far-flung port calls. The loss of Lincoln Center Stage saddens me. However the jazz/pop trio that plays most evenings in the Ocean bar meets our light entertainment needs.
We enjoyed our cruise to Alaska with HAL a few years back, but the changes you mention are not positive ones from our perspective. We really enjoyed the smaller Oceania ships and those sound like a better fit.
We really enjoyed the HAL Club Orange benefits and would highly recommend that if you are going on HAL.
As a longtime HAL cruiser, I am no longer using Holland. I miss the Lincoln center, Nature videos accompanied by the orchestra, and production shows.
Now there is no live orchestra, no production shows, and only a dance troupe and assorted comedians and single acts. The Hard Rock and Billboard Music Lounge doesn’t really appeal to most older cruisers, which are HALs bread and butter.
Even with my status in HAL, I am now going Princess, which still has a ship’s orchestra and production shows.
There are tradeoffs. I’ve sailed Princess, and the food was inferior to HAL, the balcony rooms lacked couches, and the production shows were just as uninspired/boring.
I really liked the Lincoln Center Stage, but also loved BB Kings. It was jammed every night, all ages.
You have to remember that the “entry level” to “old age” (60+) cruisers are smack dab in the middle of the HA demographic, and they grew up listening to the kind of music you hear in the Hard Rock and Billboard lounges.
The music venues definitely appeal to older cruisers, like myself.
I've cruised many times with Holland but am looking elsewhere now. First it was the elimination of America's Test Kitchen, now Lincoln Center Stage, and the dueling pianos seem to be down to one piano. It's just not the same for me.
We gave Holland another chance (last cruise with them was 2015) on the Rotterdam and, sadly, we won’t be back. We’re pretty much set on fewer cruises and paying Viking’s prices.
My husband and I are both 75 and felt our Viking cruise to the Arctic circle was way over priced and under exciting. We saw the northern lights, but were bored out of our skulls nightly with only Torshaven open after 9:00PM. Sometimes a single acoustic guitar, Nothing else was open on the entire ship. Really, I;m not that thrilled to have free washers and dryers so I can pretend I’m at home. Give me a full service, filled with entertainment cruise and I’ll enjoy being around children if I put my mind to it.
Just back from Westerdam round Japan. less than a dozen kids on board, mainly seniors like us. Great cruise - crew looked after us very well. I too am missing Lincoln Center - it was a big point of differentiation. Rolling Stone lounge was great - went every evening it was open. Dualling pianos in Billboard now down to one and I thought was very mediocre. Two of the Japan enrichment talks were left to the last day at sea which seemed the wrong way round. We'll likely be back on HAL but I guess they are trying to recoup some of the costs of Covid and are cutting at the margins. I think they'd be better taking a longer view but as long as they are filling the ships....
"differentiation" very good point
When I heard about the "Lincoln Center" on this channel, I thought to myself to keep a note on this cruise line.
Thanks for the video. I really like the HAL ships. I agree about timing trips to be far from traditional holiday times if you want fewer kids on board. And your regional point is accurate too. We were on Princess last year at Easter from Long Beach and it seemed like the whole ship was large groups of extended multigenerational families from all over the western USA. Good trip but I don’t think I’ll be booking one at a holiday time like that again.
Thanks for the always informative video. We don’t mind well mannered children and expect our 10 year old grandson to behave in the MDR next summer when we take him on his first cruise to New England and the Maritimes. What we do mind is the loss of Lincoln Center, and now the Billboard Onboard lounge only has one piano. Pretty frail offering we heard on the transatlantic voyage early April on Nieuw Statendam. But enough complaining, most of the entertainment is first rate, the food and service are always excellent, the wine choices varied, and we order doubles to avoid any gripes about the strength of the drinks. Oh, did i mention the beds and pillows are comfy, the bath products are luxury quality, and we are already booked for three more cruises this year. We are trying our first long (53 night) cruise from Seattle to Japan and back, passing through Alaska and Hawaii. I predict we are going to have a wonderful time. I’m not sure any cruise line could do more for us, nor be more for such a variety of cruisers as we’ve seen onboard lately. Keep the good videos coming.
The newer bigger ships on HAL don’t have a proper Promenade deck where you could always sit on deck chairs. What a shame - one of the favourite things we liked to do. Bad design decision.
Never cruise over a holiday! Made that mistake 20 years ago, we took a Celebrity Cruise over Christmas, kids ran amok parents had no control.
The problem is if you are a teacher, you can only travel at those times
You mean parents chose not to execute any control. On my last cruise on a different line, I was across the hall from a noisy family - the parents let the children run loose, all over the ship and at all hours. I'd hear them stampeding back in the middle of the night. The parents obviously wanted to have some private time and felt like they had a whole ship full of babysitters.
@@Jodster223one of many reasons why I'm out of that profession
Nice video Gary, thanks 👍
I have been on Holland America twice. My first trip was to the Panama Canal in 2018.
In February 2023 I went to Singapore and Indonesia. The Indonesia cruise was just great because of the outings to Indonesia and Bali. At the time the evening entertainment was not good. But I did enjoy the classical music events. I am glad to hear the entertainment is better.
I have a 24-day HAL cruise this summer: Boston - Canada - Greenland - Iceland - Boston. This cruise will push me to the 4-star level. I love their smaller ships, and the more destination intensive themes. Thank You for the updates and your insights.
We were sad to see the end of Lincoln Center Stage. I prefer the rock band to the blues band and really enjoyed the dueling pianos. I think changes are inevitable and they are starting to shift to end of baby boom and Gen X trends, hens more 80/90s rather than 60/70s.
We sailed on the Eurodam to Alaska 2 years ago, and we're going again on the August 31st sailing. I was so disappointed to find out the BB King blues lounge is no longer on the ship.
I thought it was still available? We were told it would be when we travel in 2025....sigh.
Just returned from H.A. Zaandam to Alaska & back. Wonderful food, entertainment and service. A mix of ages and a few families onboard but younger toddler screeching in dining room not pleasant. Guys, if 'dressy' night in d.r. can you not at least wear a button shirt instead of t-shirt? My first oceanliner experience one to remember.
That reminds me of a christening where my sister and brother in law were the godparents to one of a set of twins. He was in a suit and she wore a very tasteful dress but the others were not to be believed. Even the one grandfather thought that his "good jeans" and a clean t-shirt were appropriate. 🙄
Hi Gary- my wife and I just finished our 4th HAL cruise, this one being a repositioning from FTL to Rotterdam (on the Rotterdam). Unfortunately, we were under the weather a bit so we didn't take advantage of much of the entertainment. Not many kids, and the only real problem we ran into was because of our gluten free diet. WHile breakfast and lunch was manageable, dinner was difficult. Nothing on the menu in the dining room, and we'd have to go station to station in the buffet to put together a plate. Meats here, veggies there. Desserts were missing much of the time. By the time we sat down to eat, food was cold and not appetizing. They need to set up one station for Gluten free passengers.
Enjoying your videos over the last 3 years.
Excellent video, Gary! I have seen exactly the same issues on HAL over the last few years. I was very disappointed on the Eurodam when Lincoln Center Stage was removed and felt that the dance company shows were boring. I was very glad to hear the announcement of the new shows being rolled out with singers and dancers again. Most recently, we enjoyed Pinnacle Class, Rotterdam where I think the dedicated Music Walk venues have a better layout than Signature Class. I am also curious how guests are going to feel about the redesign of BB Kings into Rolling Stone Lounge. I saw that change on a tour of the Nieuw Amsterdam.
The writing has been on the wall for HAL ever since they started offering "kids sail free." I think the most frustrating thing is that HAL has very few provisions for kids, other than the kids club, so now all these kids are all over the place.
Thanks for sharing this video. My one and only trip on HAL was on the Rotterdam VI five years ago. It was all right, but I'm not rushing to get back on them. My view, then and now, is that there are other cruise lines with things I'd rather try, so it might be a while before I get back on HAL.
First time watching, really enjoyed. We have our first ever cruise on Queen Anne next year x
We made the mistake and cruised over Thanksgiving. Most of the children were well behaved but because they could cruise free the ship was beyond full. There isn't a real place for all those kids so they had filled the crows nest playing games etc. You couldn't find a place to sit. They actually scheduled that area at night for the teens. If they do this then they need to find areas for activities that are for kids and not in the Crows Nest/Explorers Cafe.
Excellent review and I agree with most of your points. Last year I tried Holland for the first time specifically because I was interested in Lincoln Center and I expected a smaller ship premium experience over my normal RC experience. After I got onboard I found out they had eliminated Lincoln Center. I like the destinations Holland America goes to, and like the idea of smaller ships, but I would not prioritize Holland over others in the future. They had a lot of generic music and dance shows on our cruise and after a few days it was monotonous. BB King was good but after 2 days it also was boring. RC ships give a better premium experience, have more varied entertainment and dazzling ships. Club Orange and the Neptune lounge are not very premium, and they have fewer specialty restaurants- and now no Lincoln Center. Holland did have a better library than RC but that was the only area that was better. I should be the market for Holland but they are going for another demographic. I might as well stick with Viking or RC.
Excellent review of my favorite cruise line! Everything you covered is true and I have experienced it all! On my recent segment of the Grand World Voyage, we had classical music in the Explorers Lounge. Live music played late as well.
I loved following that trip you did! I hope they do get more classical music across the fleet. It is missed...
Just come off the HAL Eurodam repositioning cruise from FL to Seattle. First time customer to HAL & loved it. However a couple of points I have made to them via feedback:
1. If you are going to call it “Have it all” then it really needs to be have it all. Paying extra for drinks over a certain price, having to pay extra for better internet isn’t have it all in my view.
2. Our second to last stop was Vancouver. 1000 PAX got off, 1000 PAX got on for a one night cruises to Seattle which turned it into a booze cruise. Vibe & dynamic changed horrendously. I absolutely don’t blame the 1 night cruisers, I blame HAL for selling one night. I imagine the $$$ in will be outweighed by the complaints.
All in all tho I enjoyed HAL a lot & will defo cruise with them again.
We did HAL in 2019 to Alaska and loved it. Going on Nieuw Statendam in june for northern european trip cant wait.
My wife and I went on the S.S. Rotterdam back in 1994. Would love to try the new M.S. Rotterdam. Looks like a wonderful ship.
VIKING, folks! No one under 18, no casino, no art sales, no photo sales etc. etc.
This is it. The price point isn't terrible, and I like the inclusions I'd pay big money for on other ships. And yes, no kids! If I wanted to deal with kids, I'd have my own.
The end of the Lincoln Center partnership is very disappointing to me. It was to me one of the highlights for cruising with them.
We enjoy HAL, however this is a game-changer for us. We try to cruise when school is in session. Love kids, but not on vacay.
Thank you for the video.
Really Wonderful video Gary, many thanks. WHEN is your next group cruise? I've never been on Holland America and this Eurodam ship looks wonderful.
My next group cruise is in September (Canada & New England but sold out and we cannot get more cabins). Then at end of January 2026 a HAL Panama Canal one that going to have for members and patrons as proved so popular. details at www.tipsfortravellers.com/panamagroupcruise/
🛳🛳🛳In my opinion, all lines should stop kkds sail for free.🛳🛳🛳
Timely for us as my wife is planning a Ireland/Iceland cruise on Holland America next year.
As a late 20s millennial, I was really disappointed to see Lincoln Center stage end - don’t have to be old to enjoy it. HAL’s production shows are uninspired/dull. BB Kings is obnoxiously loud. The main thing that’s keeping me coming back is the food and service. If they cut the food at all, I’m done.
I love your videos because you remain unemotional and on subject. It is unfortunate that in a few areas Holland America has lost its focus. Seems sometimes they are trying to be everything to everyone, which, of course is impossible. On our last two cruises, which were back to back we wondered what had happened to Lincoln Center stage. Now, through your video we realize that it has been canceled by the line which is a shame. Back to you, you do an excellent job and thank you so very much.
We re sailing HAL to Alaska in mid September. Our first HAL cruise and looking forward to it. The kids should be in school then!
When we started cruising, Holland America was priced a little higher than some of the other cruise lines going to the same places, which tends to have families go to other cruise lines, also there is not as many activities for the younger set to do, some sports areas and club HAL though I have yet to see kids in that space. I like HAL’s atmosphere, most of the time I am looking at what destination the cruise ship is going to and what can I see when in port and love the down time when on the ship. The more low key atmosphere is great when you just want to relax.
I love Holland America. I haven't seen that many families but I guess that's because I take the longer cruises. On the recent cruise around South America, they offered Spanish lessons which I thought was great. I also liked the detailed information they gave us about each port.
My husband and I are looking to book a Mediterranean cruise next summer. We historically liked HA because it was mostly adults. You have convinced me to spend a little more money and book it on Viking where I am guaranteed no kids.. Thank you!
I love Holland America! I would be considered an older cruiser (mid 60s) and love the music. I like the changes being made. I love seeing children on board and learning manners. I will definitely stay with HAL.
The trouble is that they DON'T learn manners. Parents let them run amok.
We literally just got off the Eurodam yesterday after a one week trip to Alaska. There were a handful of kids. I didn't notice any activities directed towards kids. We had a great time. Tons of activities and entertainment. My wife already wants to do another Alaska cruise.
So glad to hear they are changing up the world stage again. I went on a 7day in February and 4 of those days were dance shows. I don't mind one or two, but four out of seven? Way too much dance.
Personally I love the addition of the Rolling Stone Lounge, it was amazing.
The cruises I've been on have never had many kids and the ones I've seen were pretty good for their ages. Looking forward to maybe booking a 4-day next year with my Kiddo.
I recently sailed on the Nieuw Statendam after more than 15 years of sailing on the older ships and did not like the ship. It feels crowded because HAL stretched the ship to add more passengers compared to the older classes but did not substantially enlarge the dining or entertainment venues. Every place on the ship from the Lido buffet to the World Stage feels overcrowded and it is slow to move around the ship with the parade of wheelchairs and walkers.
I did two 15 day cruises on Nieuw Statendam that were fully booked and it never felt too crowded except when HAL kept people waiting for no reason before tendering or passport control. Every other minute aboard was completely fine
Ouch....but true. I actually think the Lido walkways and seating spaces on the newest ships are more narrow than the previous ships.
The thing that is good about the smaller ships, is that it allows passage into places the large ships can’t go. I’m going on the Zaandam to Alaska next month, and am looking forward to Glacier Bay. My friends and I will also be getting off at Tracy Arm to take a smaller vessel excursion up the Tracy Arm fjord.
I will be curious to see how many kids will be on board as we are going while the younger ones should still be in school.
We have been on 3 HAL cruises and love them. We went to Alaska on the last cruise of the season (3rd week of September) and not one kid. And, being the last cruise of the season, a lot of deals to be had. On the cruise back, everything in the ship stores was 75% off! At Tracey’s Crab Shack, everyone got double the crab legs and endless bisque. The jewellers could sell at more than 50% off because it was cheaper for them than to pay the insurance to ship back to the States or wherever they were from. We had a bit of rain one day. It was a wonderful trip.
Hubby and I are looking forward to our Boston to Montreal cruise on board the MS Volendam in June. I welcome the news of this East Coast music. I hope we get it, too. While mom was growing up in Montreal, William Langstroth, of Singalong Jubilee, where Anne Murray got her start and eventually married him, during his teen years was constantly showing up at mom's house in hopes of a date. In the 50s, when my dad was posted to Halifax with the RCN, "Uncle Willie" was often a big part of some infamous kitchen parties. Since we're brand new to Holland America, we don't plan on coming with preconceived notions, just ready to enjoy ourselves.
Gary, you're 100% correct about HAL trying to appeal more to families, but like you, we only really see them during school holidays. To avoid the kiddos, we cruise outside of that period (in fact I think we met you one year at the KDam Neptune Lounge or Club Orange a few weeks before Christmas) - we routinely cruise the week BEFORE the Christmas holiday. - They do need to step up their entertainment game, but they've been doing that. Lincoln Stage was always a pretty small venue, but I enjoyed hearing the classical music on the way to dinner - but their stage shows are so lackluster I think I've gone to 5 of them on about 100 days sailed. Re: ship size, I agree with you that their "larger" ships are still quite a bit smaller than their competitors - and we love this.
Good video great
Advice I do like to be on the cruise ship with more season cruisers. I think there needs to be something on Holland America for first time cruisers and for people that need to use their navigation if they would have something for them to watch as a video before coming on the ship because I found a lot of people at guest services getting help with their phone , which takes up a lot of time
I just came from the HAL Rotterdam and things are getting on my nerves.
Most cocktails used to be included in the Signature Beverage Package. Now popular choices are a surcharge. Not by much but you can reckon between 1 and 2 dollar.
Moreover, the Fresh orange juice during breakfast in the Main Dining room is OUTSIDE your package. Any! I have Elite at the moment and was charged for it two times. “This was changed last month” or some BS like that.
Your “have it all” is more like HIA* (additional charges required).
As seniors are continually tossed aside by these big cruise lines for Day Care cruises we have found a few private yachts doing small group cruises coming down in prices and able to go to smaller islands large cruise ships aren’t allowed so I guess it all works out.
IMO, I think Hal is trying to appeal to GenXers like my husband and myself. We're okay with all of these changes. We try to cruise when the kids are in school because it's also easier for us to get off of work to vacation. I'm excited about the Rolling Stone lounge. We haven't seen it yet but we will this year!
I'm not so sure the changes are a generational thing. Getting rid of classical music means you are getting rid of a more "discernable" and affluent crowd. Being a post boomer myself, these changes aren't to my liking. They are targeting a different market thinking they will overcrowd their ships and make more money.
Gen x here, too. You will LOVE both the Rolling Stone and the BB King. I spent a LOT of time enjoying the band in the Rolling Stone. Orange party was in the BB King and it was fantastic. I can't wait to get back on the Nieuw Statendam.
Loved our Alaska cruise on Volendam late last May. We were successful on getting into the hot tubs, but the pool wasn't. A group of young children were monopolizing the pool. They were having the time of their lives, bless their young souls, but I didn't get my exercises in. I was very sad.
We took a HAL Thanksgiving cruise in Caribbean. Most kids we have ever seen. Also miss Lincoln Center and now ending BB King. Still love HAL, but dont like changes
No holiday is safe any more. I sailed NCL over last Thanksgiving and it was the same. And that was to Bermuda, which isn't exactly a cheap family friendly destination.
Last year , my wife and I cruised on HAL for an Alaska cruise. We chose HAL because of the itinerary which met our needs. Compared to other cruise lines, we found the level of service pretty poor and will not cruise with them again. Now looking forward to Cunard cruise on the Queen Anne later this year.
I am single and always had to pay 1.5 or 2 times the fare to cruise. However, I feel that my high fare subsidizes the married couple, bringing their 3 or so children on the cruises "free" When I went on Carnival, it had a wild "party vibe" for the young drinkers. I can understand the future belongs to next generation of children, and I will be "gone". So I stopped going on Carnival.
Then the last few RCL cruises I went on were jam packed with children sailing for free. Hundreds of kids running and screaming all over the ship. The market for RCL is families and children, and I felt my fare was subsidizing those with all the children. So I stopped RCL cruising. Then I did a few Holland America cruises, and the cruises were filled with children sailing free. So I stopped going on Holland America. I have sailed on Princess several times, and it was packed with kids.
Also, I went of a few single rate NCL cruises, but they too gear now towards a kids sail free policy.
I had a Cunard cruise planed and paid for, and then Covid hit. The cruise was cancelled to the Canary Islands. It took 4 months to get a refund, and they were quite unpleasant to me.
I am not wealthy, so the luxury lines with less cruisers are not available to me. I do want to go on a Virgin cruise, solo cabin. I would like to book and get credit for Brandon the Weekend cruiser, but I feel if I call Virgin, the agent I talk to will get the commission.
All in all, I have stopped cruising because of all the children jamming the cruise lines. And I understand if I had lots of kids, I too would want them to go "free". And I feel the cruise lines have abandoned the older cruisers like me, because they want to get the kids sailing "free" grow up and become future cruisers.
The single supplement is a crime. I myself would cruise more often if I didn't have to find a travel companion. It's the only form of travel where I would be comfortable going alone. What the lines don't understand is that younger generations aren't the way they were in the past - they're fickle, always chasing the latest trend, and eager to throw their money at anything that will get them attention on social media. They are raising another generation of self absorbed children who never grow up, and yet the cruise lines think that they will magically turn into the same type of loyal customers that have supported the industry for years. Once the current boom goes bust (and it will eventually), and they're struggling to fill ships, they'll regret alienating their best customers.
I could have written this comment. I do not want to subsidize “Kids Sail Free”, especially when i cruise to relax and not to be circled by running, screaming kids.
I don’t understand either why they have solos pay twice the amount sometimes, I can understand it’s just one cabin, but you’re not not eating twice the amount of food , not having two steaks or two lobsters for example !!
Hoping to book a cruise soon, but what the cruise lines are doing is driving me into the arms of Saga cruises, and HAL has now been crossed off my list of lines to look at.
I was just on nieuw amsterdam to alaska. The total lack of any piano bar was very disappointing. My taste in music swings wildly from punk to reggae but i enjoy a relaxing piano bar & also classical. It was very sad & the lack of music was noticeable. Everything seemed an upsell. On a major side note, the air conditioning was so poorly maintained for the inside & ocean view passenger sections, that i went home with black lung. I'm in recovery & really pissed off. Many aspects of the trip were great, like the food, but for the most part it felt like cattle being herded.
I was considering a last-minute booking in Ocan View on Nieuw Amsterdam for July. After reading this, I may have to look at spending more for a balcony cabin.
@@JBM425You will enjoy the balcony. Well worth the extra cost.
We are 59 and 69 yo, and we've been cruising regularly with HAL for 13 years. We also cruise with RC and Celebrity regularly and occasionally with Princess. For us, seeing kids on a ship makes us happy, so no problem there. Music? For us, HAL's got it down pat. :)
Just left the Koningsdam this morning. Fantastic trip to Alaska and back to Vancouver. There were kids, but not many. BB King, Piano bar and Billboard was fantastic, we were there every evening. Not into classical music,so a lack of it doesn’t bother us. We were there with a group of 20 people celebrating our wedding anniversary, ages ranging from 10 to 92. We all had a wonderful time. Especially the aurora borealis on the final night.
My only complaints: 1) the Navigator app was terrible and 2) they are not good with managing the tables in the main dinning room, we had booked an area for a dinner and were told that they could do it, but when we showed up, they had us all over the place with empty tables in the middle that we couldn’t sit at, but weren’t used. One evening, my husband and I were actually placed at a table of 8, but they didn’t sit anyone with us and there were empty tables for 2 all around. Another time, the server took the drink orders for the men and ignored the women.
We’re reluctantly trying HAL one more time, mainly to use up some credits left over from a disastrous Covid-studded voyage last year on Koningsdam. Lincoln Center concerts were initially the main draw to HAL for us. However, but classical music was conspicuous only by its complete absence on that trip. If there isn’t at least some vestige of its return on out Rotterdam Transatlantic crossing this fall, we’re history.
Gary, Very Informative video!! As a solo cruiser I prefer a more casual dining experience as opposed to the MDR especially in the evening.Does HAL offer these options and if so how many are there and what do they offer. Thanks for your time!! D.
I am disappointed that HAL has gotten rid of the Mariners lunch on embarkation day.
Oh well, such a shame, Loved all the memories , always loved HAL
Thank you again for your video 🙂🙂 what about Saga cruise? Are there still good or ok?
HAL used to be my “go to” cruise line but after they defrauded me and my fellow passengers by selling a BOGUS itinerary, I don’t care if they fold up shop.
Can you say more about this?
@@kayekaye251Yes. In Nov 2022 I booked a Panama Canal cruise that included a port stop in Nicaragua. About a month out we received a notice saying we’re not going to Nicaragua. Ok any experienced cruiser knows “crap happens.” BUT after I started looking into the “why” I discovered Nicaragua had a cruise ship ban in place, and furthermore HAL KNEW THIS AT THE TIME THEY PUBLISHED AND SOLD this itinerary. But they didn’t bother to tell us or give us any kind of warning until it was past the final payment deadline. So we were sold an itinerary THEY KNEW they couldn’t provide but they took our money anyway and STILL refuse to make it right. Unfortunately I can’t afford to get a lawyer and sue them and the Washington state AG is absolutely WORTHLESS when it comes to consumer protection. So all I can do is share my experience and never sail with them again.
@@kayekaye251Well I answered this and it looks like CZcams censored me. I’ll try again. Short version is HAL sold me a cruise with a port stop they knew they couldn’t do at the time of booking. And they didn’t tell us until it was too late to cancel. And they refuse to make it right.
@@kayekaye251And as I pointed out in my reply that was deleted, any experienced cruiser knows that an itinerary can be changed for unexpected reasons such as wind, mechanical issues, or port issues like the fires in Maui. The difference here is that this wasn’t unexpected and there was no reason to include this port stop in Nicaragua when they knew cruise ships were banned there.
Hi, Gary, quick question. At 7:30 in this video is a clip of the band on the Oosterdam on a South American cruise. Can you tell me when that particular clip was shot? There's a small chance that the group of orange shirts on the far side of the dance floor is the group I was travelling with around that time. Thanks, and keep up the good work!
We did the Alaska cruise last year 2023 on HAL and had a great time. We had a suite which was just below the access to the Neptune lounge and didn't give us Orange Club access. So we just paid the extra for Orange Club access plus the few extra perks and thought it was worth it. I always like when they say you get a room upgrade, but what it really means you get a category upgrade within your room type from Verandah Stateroom type C to Type B, I guess if you were type A then you would get a room type upgrade???? And there was a great mix of demographics and maybe 10% children since it was out of school holidays and it was the Alaska cruise.
Club Orange for men have to wear long pants, I had tailored shorts on the first cruise night and was informed long pants were necessary from the 2ns day. Anyway what men wore were their old daggy paints, old t-shirts and old jumpers. It was like an old persons home with people wearing their tired old clothes.
Food in the Orange Club was excellent with the menu changing 30% daily.
Love HAL don’t mind some changes.
Going on a HAL cruise this summer with my teenage daughter and adult son. First HAL cruise was with my in-laws when my daughter was 2. Keep in mind that many of us had children when we were older after establishing our careers. So my husband and I fit the HAL "demographic" but with kids. Granted we're a low-key quiet family. Second, it's a smart move to welcome families because just as we are mimicking my in-laws cruise choice, if our kids have favorable impressions, they may be HAL cruisers as adults. In fact, my musician son has friends that played for HAL in their live jazz bands. My son considered it too (he just graduated with a degree in sax performance), but there are fewer positions now for musicians, which is definitely a major loss. I think this is a universal issue, not just HAL.
We have cruised with HAL many times and really enjoy their reasonably sized ships. We did a Thanksgiving cruise with them last year, but never felt we had been invaded by children even though there were quite a few on board. The rest of the time we travel outside school vacations so it is unusual to see any children on board. My husband is disappointed that the Lincoln Center music has been discontinued, but we love the Rock Room and BB King's. My pet peeve is the reintroduction of smoking in the casino (supposedly by popular demand, I believe) as the smell permeates the deck below, usually where the music walk is. Why can't they put doors at the entrances to the casino to stop that happening??
We’ve been cruising on HAL since 2009. Yes, it’s changed but so have the clientele. Like all cruise lines, HAL is constantly adapting. I miss the Lincoln Center and suspect it probably didn’t monetize well - perhaps not a drinking crowd? We also travelled with our children and parents and found that HAL worked well for inter-generational travel. (Our kids made it to 3-star mariner) However, like most cruise lines, the decorum is very relaxed, maybe too casual now. There was something perhaps extra special for my children getting dressed for dinner. Maybe when the men and boys wore suits to dinner and the ladies and girls dressed up, the evening was more memorable and food more delicious.