Well, since my wife and I are booked on Hal in February (Sydney to Auckland) your review is disappointing. We have been cruising since 1983 on most every cruise line. This will be our first on HAL. This will be our third trip to New Zealand. Thanks for your review, well written and informative. One comment about Americans. I am from the south of the USA. Unfortunately, some Americans don’t understand they can be offensive. I hear their comments sometimes and think, Please shut up!