sofienummer

Thank you all so much for all your kind and informative answers 🙂 This was very helpful! 

I haven't decided just yet, but I'll definitely take these comments into consideration when booking my next cruise 🙂 

Happy cruising everyone!! 

7 hours ago, Aj101 said:

Oh 33 is a baby on HAL…LOL.    I love HAL too especially the library and bread.  Anyhow I go with the itinerary and whether or not I can swing a balcony, 

Hahah yes, it is. But I was 'chilling with my older homies' 😂 

I also loved the library and the whole ship was just so beautiful; I loved to just walk around and notice little things 🙂 

Thank you! So far everyone is choosing itinerary first; which makes sense I guess! When you travel in general, you first pick the place you want to visit and then you pick a hotel etc. 

9 hours ago, www3traveler said:

I agree the itinerary is much more important than the ship.

 

I have been on The Getaway and The Dawn.  Both are great ships with wonderful staff.  The Getaway does have Studio cabins that are meant for one person.  I have sailed in a Studio a number of times and love it.

 

Whatever ship and itinerary you choose, relax and enjoy

 

 

Thank you for your reply! I hear a lot of great stories on The Dawn even though it's an older ship and the lay-out is a bit impractical and confusing. I guess there is something beautiful/special about that ship 🙂

Thank you, I will! 

11 hours ago, olemissreb said:

I can't speak to the advantages/disadvantages of HAL vs NCL, but after 7 cruises I can truly say I book for the itinerary and ship/line/amenities is second.  My sister and I will be on the Viva in March '25 and while I get to cruise out of my favorite port, I also get to experience 4 new ports on a very port intensive cruise (7 ports in 7 days).

 

The Viva is brand new. I'm excited about that, but I'm also hoping that we won't be cruising with a bunch of families...we're all in our 60s and just enjoying our empty nests before grandkids start coming. 🙂  Just couldn't beat the itinerary though, so we'll make the best of it.

Thank you for your response! And it's good to know that many choose the itinerary first. That's why last year the HAL was so perfect: a new ship + an itinerary I've always wanted to see!

How lovely that you are going together with your sister. I hope you have an amazing time 🙂 

Hi everyone,

Last year I finally went on my first solo cruise! I was supposed to go in 2017 on the Norwegian Epic, but because of health issues I unfortunately couldn't go. 

I think the main reason I chose Norwegian Epic last time was because back then it was one of the first cruise ships that accommodated for Solo travelers. It was a Mediterranean cruise, but I’m personally more interested in Northern countries.

So, last year I finally booked my first cruise to Norway! I went on the Rotterdam of Holland America Line; their newest Rotterdam ship. I had a balcony cabin and just an amazing experience. I loved to see Norway and I loved the whole atmosphere on HAL. I’ve met some great people, enjoyed classical music, quizzes, dancing, and other fun activities.

I was one of the youngest (33 years old), but did feel very welcomed and safe :) I’m not a big partier/drinker, but I do enjoy all kinds of fun activities!

Anyways, I’ve always wanted to go with NCL because I liked the idea of a cruise that’s less ‘strict and formal’, suited for many ages, have many activities and shows. But I wonder if someone who has been with both cruise lines can tell me a bit about the (dis)advantages of cruising with NCL after HAL.

On the HAL, I loved the classical music every night, the beautiful BBC Earth documentaries, the cleanliness/new feeling of the ship, the design, the whole atmosphere. It never felt too crowded, I could enjoy my time in peace!

I worry that NCL does not offer some of these things I really like.

The things I missed on the other hand: although I felt welcomed, it did feel a little out of place at times and I missed something like a circus? show, more game-related stuff, etc.

Now my other problem, should I go on an older NCL ship (Star or Dawn) and have an itinerary I like more. Or should I go on a relatively newer ship (Getaway) so I have a newer ship with more activities onboard, but have an itinerary I like a little less?

Last year, it was my first time being in Norway, but also the first time (technically second, but I don’t remember much since I was very young) I went on a cruise. I did A LOT. I didn’t want to miss out anything, felt like I needed to make the most out of it. This time I want to have a more relaxed time.

Long story short (sorry if this is long and possibly incoherent), what would you recommend/can you give me some information? I believe NCL is a more budget-friendly cruise line, so I wonder how much that would affect my experience after HAL. And if you do recommend NCL, would you recommend a newer or older ship?

I would greatly appreciate your thoughts and opinions,

Sophie

3 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

I have never played bingo on a ship but I believe you pay for cards and yes you can win money and sometimes a free cruise.

Movies by the pool change every night but on our recent Rotterdam back to back the movies repeated second week.

Cabin TV’s have a lot of movies that are free but they are not many new releases.

Trivia is free but there are no gifts.

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Thank you so much 🙂

Makes sense! And I love trivia, so that sounds like fun to try one time. 

Yeah, I figured/hoped the movie would change every night. 

I hope you enjoyed your b2b cruise on the Rotterdam 🙂

9 minutes ago, AFNavigator said:

Bingo is definitely a pay event on HAL...no free play or free prizes.  HAL doesn't really do any game shows like on Princess or Carnival but they do have trivia competitions.  I believe those are pay to play events also  (someone please correct me if I got that wrong).

Thank you 🙂 yeah, makes sense that something like bingo costs money if you can win prizes! 

On 9/19/2022 at 2:39 PM, Florida_gal_50 said:

I’m thinking there would be 3.  If you are close enough to the cruise to print your boarding pass it will be on there.

I'm sailing this upcoming Sunday and I got my boarding pass, but I couldn't find anything on it about gala nights/events etc.

Will this be available after I complete my health assignment? Or should I have already received such information by now?

I'm sailing this upcoming Sunday!! On the ms Rotterdam 😄 So excited! 

I downloaded the Navigator app and it already shows a lot of events for each day. 

Is this schedule correct/complete or will the 'event itinerary' be a bit different once we board and get our official planning? 

Is something like Bingo where you can win prizes free? Or do you need to pay to join Bingo and similar game shows? 

On the app it says that every night there is a movie night by the pool, but it seems they play the same movie every night. Is this correct? 

I would love to experience a movie night by the pool one day, but the movie doesn't sound interesting at all...

10 hours ago, colin v said:

When I have trouble with the app I log out and log back in. Things magically appear again. 
 

 

Thank you, but sadly that didn't work! I even deleted the app and downloaded it again, but I heard it's okay if I have a printed boarding pass, so all is well 🙂 

Hello fellow cruisers 🙂 

I'm back once again with more questions as a first time HAL cruiser. I'm genuinely happy and relieved a forum like this with knowledgeable and kind people exists!

I'll be sailing this next Sunday!! 25th of September. I have received my boarding pass through the HAL website, however I can't open my documents on the Navigator app. When I try to see my boarding pass, it gives an 'error'. I've read that more people have had trouble with it, does it have something to do with the fact I still have to do my health assignment 3 days prior to departure?

Aside from my embark time, my boarding pass also gives an disembark time. Is this a general disembark time or have I already been assigned a time?

6 hours ago, GypsySonnetGirl said:

Knowing that we were not adding to the bill every time we ordered something other than tea, coffee, or water made our cruise much more pleasant.

Does this mean tea is free 24/7? Aside from specialty tea?

When I looked at HAL's room service menu it didn't show a price next to certain drinks like tea and milk. Does this mean it's free when you order room service? 

5 hours ago, wineoclock said:

We saw Northern Lights & shooting stars on a Lapland trip one December. Magical - enjoy them if you get the chance. I’d like to do midnight Sun one time as well. 

That sounds amazing!! I would love to visit lapland one day, my greatgrandma was actually from Lapland, so it would be amazing to see that part of my roots one day.

I did visit Iceland once before and hoped to see the Northern Lights, but sadly I didn't (have to be honest and say that I fell asleep while staring at the sky 😅)

11 hours ago, hallasm said:

I would suggest you go for a walk on the upper deck early in the morning to enjoy the views if the weather is decent.  When entering Geiranger, you pass the Seven Sisters waterfall on the left.  

 

Northern lights are usually between 9pm and 2am. Ålesund is the most northerly on your cruise.  Check the Aurora forecast.

Thank you so much for your suggestions and information! I know the chances or seeing the Northern lights are very slim, but we can hope 🙂 

I also have a question about Eidfjord that you might know (or someone else!) since you are very knowledgeable about the Norwegian Fjords.

There is a yellow walking route (Hæreid round walk) which is 5,5km from the city center. Do you know if this route has directions with yellow direction arrows or something similair? I'm from the Netherlands and while walking 5,5km is perfectly fine for me: I'm used to FLAT levels hehe. Do you know how steep this route is? Basically how intense is this walk? 

Very interesting thread, thank you for the tips and information.

I'm going on a Norse Legends tour with HAL msRotterdam in 8 days!! 😄 

We will be visiting: Eidfjord, Alesund, Geiranger and Bergen.

It also says: scenic cruising Hardangerfjord and cruising Geirangerfjord. Since it's october and it's still dark before we arrive, I assume we can only see/experience scenic cruising once we leave a port of call? I'm in a starboard aft balcony; will I be able to see things well? 

And is there any chance at seeing the Northern Lights from any of these destinations when it's dark?

I'm planning on doing the Hæreid round walk (yellow route) in Eidfjord if the weather is decent. Has anyone done this before? Or does someone have another suggestion for Eidfjord? 

Any other suggestions, tips, or whatever are always very welcome 🙂 

21 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

Sorry, but I had to answer all your questions within your post.  You will need to expand it in order to see them.  Welcome to Holland America!

Thank you so much for answering all my questions!! 🙂 

I've read that self-disembarkation time is usually early, but can you also self-disembark and leave the ship at a later time? Like say 9am? 

I'm asking because I will be disembarking in my home country with someone picking me up at the pier and I would like to take it easy and leave when the biggest crowd has left! 

1 hour ago, whogo said:

Shore side security dumped out water bottles during our Boston embarkation a couple of weeks ago.

First of all, thank you all for your response; great help!

And wow really? Even sustainable water bottles? I totally get why people don't want plastic bottles and don't want cruisers to bring their own food and drinks, but I think water is essential! 

18 hours ago, Navybikermom said:

The ice in my room bucket always melted enough by the next morning that I was able to fill my water bottle most of the way up with nice chilled water that had a few cubes left in it. Otherwise, the water from the tap is fine. 

I love this idea!! Thank you 🙂 

19 hours ago, crystalspin said:

Hi Sofie!

 

You can bring 12, 12oz cans or cartons (no bottles) of water at embarcation. The water on the ship is either city water from the last port, or distilled on board. It is frequently tested and fine to drink. In the Lido, it may be additionally filtered, or maybe just tastes better because it is chilled?!! Fill your re-usable bottle or thermal cup as ldtr described above. The reason is: people will put their personal container too far up on the spout and potentially contaminate it, while a clean glass is known to have been sterilized by the dishwasher. 

 

Your dining stewards will be happy to bring you "tap" water, or fancy bottled water, whatever you like!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Thank you so much for your reply and help 🙂 

18 hours ago, MAVIP said:

My experience in Geiranger: 1st: HAL tour to both sides of Geiranger, 2nd time: Geirangerfjord.no tour to both sides in small bus (12? seats), but they do not use that anymore, This year in May: the Panorama- exclusive bus. Good trustworthy company situated very close to the pier. and: the port is not a tender port for the 1st cruise ship of the day that pays for the Seawalk. The Seawalk is a perfect way to walk ashore from the ship to the pier. This is the situation that day for m.s. Rotterdam:

M/S ROTTERDAM

29.09.2022 07:00

29.09.2022 17:00

Pos. 4B/SW

and SW stands for Sea Walk.  So, you will walk from the ship via the SeaWalk to the pier and drive from the pier to the SkyWalk with the Panoramic-exclusive bus.   😉

Ah thank you so much!! That makes it much easier 😉 

I just booked my tour to Mount Dalsnibba & Eagle Road! Can't wait 🙂 

Hello,

I just booked my first HAL cruise on the Rotterdam to Norway! 

Usually I only drink water and tea which is why I didn't buy a drink package. But I have a few questions about drinking water on the ms Rotterdam.

First of all, I have to take medications each day, so I need to have water for that. 
Am I allowed to bring water (carton bottles) with me on the cruise? Do I need to pay for that? Or can I order large bottles of water for a specific price? I couldn't find it on the Navigator app. 

I want to take my reusable water bottle on board, is that okay? 

Is it safe to drink the water in your cabin?

Are there places on the ship where you can fill your bottle with (tap) water? And can you bring it back to your cabin?

I believe they serve water at the MDR, if I'm correct. But I assume they won't like it if I would ONLY drink the water?

I realize these are quite a few questions about water haha, but it's important for me because I drink a lot of it!

Thank you in advance for those answering! I really appreciate this forum and the information 🙂 

1 hour ago, MAVIP said:

Seeing the date and ports, it must be the ms Rotterdam of HAL. We did that twice.

EIdfjord: walking (almost crawling) distance. If no excursion can be booked maybe you are interested in the troll train tour of an hour (nothing amiss with a troll train for adults). tickets at the tourist office next to the ship.  They also have brochures with different routes to walk through the little "town"  and surroundings.

Alesund walking distance, because you walk right into the center. If no excursion: HoHo bus or troll train or just walk in this very nice town

Geiranger book a local tour to at least Dalsnibba (or HoHo as Halasm suggests) and enjoy the views. 

Bergen  The Rotterdam will most probably dock at Jekteviken, 15-20 minutes walk to the center-fishmarket. If the weather is good: Floibanen (station 5 minutes from the fishmarket) trip for a nice trip and view over the city, walk, look and maybe eat something at the fishmarket and absolutely visit Bryggen and please do not forget to enter the alleys behind the quayside shops at Bryggen. (bring a raincoat....). If you would like to hve a Norwegian sweater: much choice in Bergen and do not forget the Global Blue taxfree and collect the tax on board the ship or via Guest Service (they will take care of it if everything properly filled out and in time handen to them in an enveloppe....).   Enjoy your cruise in the most beatifull fjords of Norway and nice ports.

Ah yes, I forgot to mention that, but thank you so much for your lovely and informative response!

I am thinking of booking this tour in Geiranger: https://www.geirangerfjord.no/panorama-exclusive-bus

The tour start at 9:00 (or 13:00 but I don't like to risk not being back on time for departure), but this port is a tender port, right?

The HAL will prioritize guests who booked an excursion through the cruise line, so is there a realistic chance of me not being able to make this tour? 

1 hour ago, hallasm said:

Might also be late for many activities.
Ålesund and Bergen easy walkable and many sights
Geiranger has a Ho Ho bus to the view points. 
Eidfjord  is a very tiny city. Try also Norway Excursions

 

You mean late as in booked late or because it's near the end of the 'tourist season'? 

Thank you for your information and tips 🙂 

I will definitely try Norway Excursions, thank you!

1 hour ago, nansi said:

Bergen and Alesund are right where you dock. Just get off and walk around. Bergen has a furnicular (spelling) that you can ride up to the top of the mountain overlooking the city. However if it's a rainy day, you may not see anything below due to fog. But there is a nice visitor center up to where you can eat or drink, so not a total waste. We didn't go to Eidfjord or Geiranger, so I can't help you with those. Lovely cities with friendly people! Just do some research ahead of time and do your own walking tour.

Thank you for your tips, great to here they dock right there! I love the idea of overlooking the city from the top of the mountain. And yes, I'm doing research right now and probably will decide on the day itself depending on the weather🙂