WHO OWNS THE HOLLAND AMERICA CRUISE LINE?

WHO OWNS THE HOLLAND AMERICA CRUISE LINE?

So you had a bad experience on a cruise? Never again, you say, will you book a cruise on that cruise line. Well, it’s not as easy as you might imagine to NOT put the money into the pockets of the people that upset you the first time.

Let’s have a look at ownership of the various brands, and build a ‘family tree’.

In a world where the watchword is ‘competition’ you would expect just that. Sadly, as in most things competition is little more than smoke and mirrors. Not just in cruise ships, but in most multi-billion dollar enterprises. Airlines have shares or full ownership of other airlines. Genuine competition is a rare bird indeed. Mining, banking, retail, insurance, entertainment, you name it, companies are so intertwined and part or wholly owned by a single entity that no matter what you do to try to extricate yourself from any one, you may find that your second, third or subsequent choice is simply another company owned and operated by some corporate monster.

It’s really no different with Holland America. So, for your edification here is a list of the cruise lines now owned by the great conglomerate.

https://www.quora.com/What-cruise-lines-does-Carnival-own

It’s a fascinating industry with conglomerates owning a number of cruise lines and subsidiary companies shooting off in all directions. (I can see a loophole here for some enormous tax dodges!) Anyway, that’s not my business. They can do what they like so long as they don’t bilk the customers. In my opinion Holland America are doing entirely the wrong thing insomuch as they

1. Have institutionalised the menu’s across their fleet, so even if you are paying twice as much to travel on the Prinsendam as you would on the Zaandam, you still get the same old stodge not fit for a one star hospital!

2. They work on the standard of “sell, sell, sell” with shore excursions costing an arm and two legs against what you could arrange for yourself when you go ashore.

3. While they claim that (say) between the Prinsendam and the Zaandam, there is a difference in crew ratio. (Crew on the Prinsendam is they say almost one to one), the cost for a 28 day cruise we enquired about was being sold to us on board for $16,000 per person by the cruise consultant on board the Zaandam, the same cruise had been offered to another passenger by being sent a flyer, for half that amount!

4. The crew on the Zaandam, and, we are told, on other Holland America cruise ships have been cut brutally. It’s all just too much!

5. Forget any kind of half way decent entertainment! There are talks given by volunteers who are given some perks for being there. The “Chaplain” on the Zaandam was a lovely couple who were sent by their evangelical ministry (volunteers again!) Cindy and Nathan. Neither had any real idea of traditional religion or traditional services.

6. On our particular cruise around South America it slowly dawned upon many of the passengers that we seemed to be always berthed in CONTAINER PORTS and bussed quite long distances into small towns. Cruise ship ports were available, but oh no! NOT another container port and a long trip to the nearest town! Cost cutting again. All in all this was a most unsatisfactory research trip around South America. By the time we all reached Vancouver the mutterings among the passengers were getting louder, but with no one to listen we grumbled and groaned amongt ourselves.

Glad to be off the Zaandam, and not planning on using ANY Holland America, OR Carnival Cruise ships again for at least a very long time! Most passengers spoken to agreed.

Here is another website to give you a guide for your next cruise.

http://www.beyondships2.com/faq—who-owns-the-various-cruise-lines.html Don’t be fooled by price when you make do your research. Look for a cruise which includes gratuities or at least most of the things you might expect in a long cruise. Otherwise you will find a hefty bill at the end of the trip!