Why doesn't Holland America have better Youtube content?

Holland America has beautiful ships, excellent crews and a wonderful reputation. They are remaking their logo. They have new ships coming online. Yet it still feels like some of their marketing is an afterthought. Take their Youtube content for example. They put up this video above about the custom chocolates made for their ships. It is interesting enough, but doesn't have the purpose or production value of many of the shorts produced by other cruise lines. HAL doesn't even have the same sort of variety and quality that their sister Carnival brands do.

We hope that HAL invest a little more in their online videos in 2016. They have a very loyal fan/customer base who would embrace the medium, plus it might get a few more customers to try their ships.

Likes and Dislikes of Holland America's big announcements

Holland America Line made a splash Thursday with multiple announcements regarding upcoming changes and enhancements to the premium line. These are our thoughts:

Likes

Aside from some renovations and upgrades to the fleet during drydock, the most important change for the typical HAL passenger is the new partnership with BBC Earth. The award-winning media company will provide a series of experiences and entertainment based on their fun and informative content for Holland America passengers. From film to concerts and even events for kids. It seems like a perfect meeting of two brands and will make for many memorable cruises. 

Less obvious to the passengers but still a positive move are their technology partnerships with Utrip and AFAR. Utrip will provide better and more personalized booking experiences for activities. AFAR will add hundreds of references on HAL's various destinations. Both should help cruisers better plan their next vacation.

Dislikes

The one announcement that disappointed us was the unveiling of the new Holland America logo (below). At first glance it is not noticeably different, but upon closer inspection the old clipper ship is gone. We always loved the old logo as it represented the history of the company and the modern luxury of its current offering. What does the new logo represent? Just another generic ship. Will the average cruise passenger care? Probably not. But nuts like us do.

Cruise Law News challenges Holland America

Last week's Alaskan plane crash that killed nine, including eight passengers from Holland America's Westerdam was a tragedy. Investigators are still trying to figure out what happened. During the initial hours after the crash, many in the industry felt that the accident could have happened to any cruise line. Cruise Law News' Jim Walker doesn't. He feels that some of Holland America's policies are reckless and putting lives at risk.

Flying in Alaska is tough under the best circumstances. There's fog. There's heavy winds. There a plenty of mountains and worst of all, the weather is ever-changing. Visual flying is the norm and it can lead to accidents. While cruise lines are not flying those planes, they are selecting the companies who work with their passengers. And the cruise companies also establish the policies on cancellation. It is Holland America's strict cancellation policy that has Walker concerned. He thinks that more customer-friendly policies, including letting people cancel much closer to the trip, would be better for everyone. The cruise lines though would probably fight the recommendation since the current policies keep the pilots happy and the revenues stable.

All bush pilots and planes in Alaska are under more scrutiny now. And that's a good thing. It should lead to better safety. But to make things that much better, we hope cruise lines think about Cruise Law News recommendations. 

Suspected Murder Suicide on Holland America Line’s ms Ryndam

Cruise deaths are not unusual, however, this story off of the Ryndam is certainly different. Two passengers were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide Thursday. Because the ship was in Puerto Rico, the FBI is involved as well as the local authorities. No other passengers were impacted.

Cruise Industry News's Photos: Prinsendam

Cruiseindustrynews.com provides great coverage of industry topics and the business of cruises. But they also have stuff that appeals to those dreaming of their next trip. Are you a Holland America fan? Cruise Industry News has some exclusive photos of the Prinsendam. You can see the former Royal Viking Sun in docked in Portugal. For more pics, go to cruiseindustrynews.com.