Greysandy

On 11/29/2021 at 10:57 AM, moodyb1 said:

Interested in your thoughts about the Hollywood Pool Club/Conservatory. The Majestic Princes is the only one in its class of ships that has an atrium pool. For me, it's a big plus when I go sailing. I'm Elite on Princess and prefer the older ships that have the atrium pools. I really enjoyed the Majestic and we sail her again in March on a California Coastal. We also sail on Celebrity because of the atrium pools.

 

Arlene

I did actually quite like it due to the quiet and solitude compared to the main pool, but since it was warmer weather, I spent most time outside. I had envisioned a more "magical" vibe from the online photos, when in reality it was just a nice indoor pool with plastic plant topiaries. They did have small cabanas in there that on a full ship would probably be rented out, but weren't this time. An indoor cabana does not appeal to me. Also, Elite members get an exclusive happy hour with appetizers in there each evening.

On 11/29/2021 at 11:39 AM, cruisingrob21 said:

• Crows nest is really a nice spot, and on the R and S class ships, the Library area was really a primo spot.
• Ports on more of the "milk run" itineraries have some better variation like Sitka and Icy Strait Pt in AK.
• Overall, more modestly sized ships

 

Yes, thanks for pointing out a few more reasons we really like HAL. One more is that we like to rent a cabana for the trip as our own personal outdoor space. It's a really good deal especially compared to getting an ocean view or interior with it, versus a veranda.

2 hours ago, foodsvcmgr said:

Good review, we sail both lines and agree there are not many substantive differences but lots of little things we grade a bit higher or lower on each.

Your point about HAL also dropping traditional fixed dining is concerning.

Has this actually happened yet?

I will comment on it after my upcoming cruise, but my boarding docs say "open seating" instead of the early seating I requested (and I have been with my travel agent for 12 years and she is awesome, getting my free upgrades in rooms about 50% of the time).

We just got off the Majestic Princess, which was only about 45% full. There were about 10 couples dancing in the piazza at various times and none were wearing masks. When we danced at one of the 70's/80's music events, we didn't wear them either. Nobody doing cardio in the fitness center wore them, and only a few people lifting weights did.

Zumba and line dancing were held outside so again no masks.

Another definite positive for Princess was that all of the house wines included in the beverage package were decent. The ones on HAL in the past have not been, so I ended up drinking a lot more hard alcohol.

4 hours ago, XBGuy said:

@Greysandy, I am a regular Princess Cruiser, and your comments about the Chef's Table are really surprising.  I have done the Chef's Table twice, and while there are things about it that I do not particularly enjoy, I have to say that the meals that I had were outstanding. 

I was really surprised also after hearing fabulous things about it from our friends who are elite members and reading the reviews on this site. My only guess is that maybe the chef had to use up some of the high priced cuts of meat since the ships have not been full to capacity since returning to cruising. We are open minded and will definitely try other events in the future.

2 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

Thanks for the post.  I'm a first time cruiser who initially booked my Alaska cruise on the Sapphire Princess, only to have it changed to the Royal Princess.  I was so disappointed with the change that I switched to the Koningsdam.  Even though we are younger than the average Mariner, we're generally anti-social and hate crowds so hoping HAL is the right choice.

We are 52 and enjoy the quieter and older HAL fellow cruisers. We are teachers and wanted time away from screaming children on our breaks. 

We are 7 days from being 4 star mariner’s with HAL and are very satisfied with them, but tried the Majestic Princess last week because 4 friends were going with us and had chosen Princess. There are many similarities and differences between the two. Here are some of my comments on the positives and negatives of each.

Princess outshines HAL on these:

COFFEE!! It was so much easier to get good coffee. It was quickly and efficiently prepared at the International Café, even with a long line. Cappucino also available at the buffet, by walking into the bakery hallway. Several bars also have expresso or cappuccino available throughout the day. I have waited quite a while to get coffee at the Crow’s Nest, and waited for it to open in the morning.

Croissants are freshly baked each morning and throughout the mornings. The almond croissants were my favorite.

The ease of the Medallion, unlocking our room door as we approached, being able to track and locate anyone in your travel group at any time, being able to retrieve ship photos instantly and select the best ones, and being able to order drinks (or coffee) to your exact location was definitely a game changer.

Bars and food venues are open the full hours posted and don’t close early.

Allegro’s sit down no charge specialty pizza restaurant was fabulous.

Zumba class in the open air basketball court was a blast!

Fitness center was newer, cleaner and bigger.

Veranda room design was efficient with open closet and smaller bathroom, making for more walking space in the room. But there was no loveseat, and the beds seemed to be an RV Queen rather than true Queen.

The production shows were higher quality with fabulous singers who did some amazing opera.

Since most people had the drink package, there was no hassle if one person ordered two drinks at one time and brought one to their partner.

The reasons we will still remain committed to HAL:

The wrap-around Promenade walking deck. This is an absolute must have for me. It felt so claustrophobic to be on such a large ship but not be able to do some nice walking each morning and evening. The small walking lap on the Sports deck on the Majestic Princess was tiny and only 3 ft wide in several sections.

BB King’s and all of the other live music on HAL is just more to my liking. I did not care for the multimedia technology offerings at the pool.

The wine pairing (and beer pairing lunch we had on an Alaskan cruise) dinners are exceptional and rival high end tasting menu dinners we’ve had on land.

Many more craft cocktail offerings, cocktail classes. Several drinks that I now make at parties at our house were ones we tasted first on a HAL ship. Princess was limited to standard recipes except for Good Spirits at Sea, where a special menu was offered at that bar on some afternoons.

Things that were pretty much comparable:

The dining room food, buffet food, and Pinnacle/Crowne Grill steakhouse. I did not try Bistro Sur le Mer or Harmony on our recent cruise due to poor reviews from my friends. I do love Cannaletto and Rudi’s Sur le Mer on HAL. Our recent service on the Majestic Princess was better than prior dining room experiences on HAL, but my guess is that was due to the fact that the ship was fully staffed but only at 45% capacity. We are sailing on the Koningsdam in December and can compare then since it seems HAL has also moved away from the early and late seating and will have Dine your way.

Pools and hot tubs, as well as the thermal suite. Both cost $219/week per couple and had heated chairs and giant uncrowded hot tub with unique seats and jets.

Cooking shows, crew chats, game shows. Since none of these are all that interesting to me after doing many over the years, they seem fine for both lines.

The other evening entertainment such as comics, and featured musicians.

Major disappointment with Princess:

The Chef’s Table dining experience. For $115, we really expected different food than the regular dining room, but it was basically the same and even the same lukewarm temperature. No flavor, no interesting recipes, flavors or sauces. We were literally served the lobster risotto entrée from the night before. The main dish was just 4 proteins (filet mignon, lamb chop, shrimp and scallops) simply grilled and put on the plate with potato cubes and some carrots and beets cut into spheres. The service and experience was fun but the food was a complete let down other than the beautiful designs of the dessert in a ruby slipper, and the sorbet with a sugar swan.

Overall, we really enjoyed our Princess cruise, but we are still really looking forward to doing the same itinerary (for the 6^th time) on the Koningsdam in a month.

We are 7 days from being 4 star mariner’s with HAL and are very satisfied with them, but tried the Majestic Princess last week because 4 friends were going with us and had chosen Princess. There are many similarities and differences between the two. Here are some of my comments on the positives and negatives of each.

Princess outshines HAL on these:

COFFEE!! It was so much easier to get good coffee. It was quickly and efficiently prepared at the International Café, even with a long line. Cappucino also available at the buffet, by walking into the bakery hallway. Several bars also have expresso or cappuccino available throughout the day. I have waited quite a while to get coffee at the Crow’s Nest, and waited for it to open in the morning.

Croissants are freshly baked each morning and throughout the mornings. The almond croissants were my favorite.

The ease of the Medallion, unlocking our room door as we approached, being able to track and locate anyone in your travel group at any time, being able to retrieve ship photos instantly and select the best ones, and being able to order drinks (or coffee) to your exact location was definitely a game changer.

Bars and food venues are open the full hours posted and don’t close early.

Allegro’s sit down no charge specialty pizza restaurant was fabulous.

Zumba class in the open air basketball court was a blast!

Fitness center was newer, cleaner and bigger (but it is a bigger and newer ship).

The production shows were higher quality with fabulous singers who did some amazing opera.

Since most people had the drink package, there was no hassle if one person ordered two drinks at one time and brought one to their partner.

The reasons we will still remain committed to HAL:

The wrap-around Promenade walking deck. This is an absolute must have for me. It felt so claustrophobic to be on such a large ship but not be able to do some nice walking each morning and evening. The small walking lap on the Sports deck on the Majestic Princess was tiny and only 3 ft wide in several sections.

BB King’s and all of the other live music on HAL is just more to my liking. I did not care for the multimedia technology offerings at the Princess pool.

The wine pairing (and beer pairing lunch we had on an Alaskan cruise) dinners are exceptional and rival high end tasting menu dinners we’ve had on land.

Many more craft cocktail offerings, cocktail classes. Several drinks that I now make at parties at our house were ones we tasted first on a HAL ship. Princess was limited to standard recipes except for Good Spirits at Sea, where a special menu was offered at that bar on some afternoons.

Things that were pretty much comparable:

The dining room food, buffet food, and Pinnacle/Crowne Grill steakhouse. I did not try Bistro Sur le Mer or Harmony on our recent cruise due to poor reviews from my friends. I do love Cannaletto and Rudi’s Sur le Mer on HAL. Our recent service on the Majestic Princess was better than prior dining room experiences on HAL, but my guess is that was due to the fact that the ship was fully staffed but only at 45% capacity. We are sailing on the Koningsdam in December and can compare then since it seems HAL has also moved away from the early and late seating and will have Dine your way.

Pools and hot tubs, as well as the thermal suite. Both cost $219/week per couple and had heated chairs and giant uncrowded hot tub with unique seats and jets.

Cooking shows, crew chats, game shows. Since none of these are all that interesting to me after doing many over the years, they seem fine for both lines.

The other evening entertainment such as comics, and featured musicians.

Major disappointment with Princess:

The Chef’s Table dining experience. For $115, we really expected different food than the regular dining room, but it was basically the same and even the same lukewarm temperature. No flavor, no interesting recipes, flavors or sauces. We were literally served the lobster risotto entrée from the night before. The main dish was just 4 proteins (filet mignon, lamb chop, shrimp and scallops) simply grilled and put on the plate with potato cubes and some carrots and beets cut into spheres. The service and experience was fun but the food was a complete let down other than the beautiful designs of the dessert in a ruby slipper, and the sorbet with a sugar swan.

Overall, we definitely enjoyed our Princess cruise, but we are still really looking forward to doing the same itinerary (for the 6^th time) on the Koningsdam in a month.

1 hour ago, trixiee said:

How far is the cruise ship terminal from the airport?  Wondering if I should book a Hal transfer or just take a cab?  My flight lands fairly early- 10:30-ish...

It seems very close, around 5-10 miles max, but you can put both locations into Google Maps to check. We just take the train down from Orange county and walk 2 blocks to the cruise port, so we don't have to pay for parking.

Did the cruise director or other staff share what % of the ship was full? We are sailing on the Koningsdam on Dec 26th, and just got off the Majestic Princess with friends today, and it was only 45% full.

We just did the Chef's Table on the Majestic Princess a few days ago. No galley tour. We met in the Crowne Grille Bar and were led to the Lumiere dining area and had everything there. They did make us wait a few days before letting us know we could get in for the event, after telling us we were on the "waiting list" at 11:15am once we boarded the ship.

FYI, the experience was great, but the food tasted exactly the same as the regular dining room, and was the same lukewarm temperature. The first 4 appetizers were all served at the same time on the same plate. For the next course we had lobster risotto that was exactly the same as what was served in the dining room the night before. For the main course, there was a small filet mignon, a decent sized grilled lamb chop, two scallops and two prawns, all just simply grilled. There was no unique preparation or flavor. I love all proteins but it just seemed odd to just have such a simple preparation for this event. We have been to several high end tasting menu meals on land, and the wine pairing dinners and beer pairing dinners on Holland America, and they were all phenomenal, so we were rather surprised and disappointed by the menu for this one.

The sorbet as a palate cleanser and the desserts were absolutely jaw-dropping beautiful, and tasted fabulous.

We just got off the Majestic Princess this morning from the Mexican Riviera and had a fabulous time! It was only 45% full so the service was the best I had ever had on a cruise. Have fun!

13 hours ago, zgscl said:

I will probably do a more detailed review of the cabanas when I get back so it is easier for folks to find

Thanks! I definitely will be reading it. We have gotten cabanas previously on the Eurodam and enjoyed them a lot except for the one windy day where we couldn't use it.

Sandy

On 9/26/2021 at 6:13 PM, zgscl said:

This will be my first cabana rental. Apparently they will being whatever you want from the lido/pizza/dive in to enjoy from your private cabana or the much less crowded retreat area. Will be interesting to see how I like it. Totally agree with you I am not at all a fan of crowds. 

We get a cabana whenever possible because we just love having a large outdoor space to ourselves with the cabana steward to bring us cocktails and chocolate covered strawberries.

We did this cruise over Christmas last year. Every day was great until the last sea day where it was so windy we couldn't enjoy the cabana we rented.

We do that all of the time. Taxi to boardwalk, Malecon, in Puerto Vallarta. There are lots of great restaurants around there, especially the truck in a small alley serving birria (goat tacos with broth). In Cabo, we go to Barracruda's for ceviche and the Monkey bar for amazing fresh squeezed lime margaritas.

It still shows Mon - Cabo, Tues - Mazatlan, and Wed - Puerto Vallarta. Because Thanksgiving is Thursday, they may have left the schedule as is. Usually I book private excursions but this time we just booked the Barrio Bistro food and tequila one through the ship, so I wasn't worried about what day each port is. I'm happy that I can get ceviche at Barracruda's in Cabo San Lucas with the 10am - 6pm port time. The 7am - 1pm port time is very limiting, I think we had that our last time over Christmas.

BB Kings is our favorite music venue on HAL. 3 separate 45 minute sets offered each night. Piano bar can be great or mediocre depending on the artist.

Sandy

If you look at the most recent Pinnacle menu on the HAL website, it lists caviar as a $70 surcharge. They used to just offer it on the Rudi's Sel de Mar night but now it is on the Pinnacle menu. We will be cruising next week and will see for sure.

Sandy

Thanks so much. We leave for our Mexican Riviera cruise on HAL Oosterdam on Saturday. We have done this cruise before but always find something new and interesting to do.

We loved the Quench package and ordered it again for our thanksgiving cruise. They generally let me order 2 coffees at the same time with just my card, or I could get a bottle of san pellegrino and a coffee at the same time.

Sandy

We also did Vallarta Food tours and loved it. Lots of good food, with a nice variety. Vegetarians may just end up with lots of beans, but email them to inquire.

We did the Retreat Cabana on the Noordam and loved it so much we are booking again for our upcoming cruise to Mexico on the Oosterdam. We like the peace and solitude and mostly "child-free" zone. The service was great, and our attendant knew that I wanted sparkling water every day after the initial day and brought it for me before I arrived each morning. The chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling wine were also very nice.  We spent probably 75% of our time in our cabana, and rarely went to our inside cabin room.  One day, the wind was so crazy that we couldn't enjoy it, and it was the last sea day of the cruise, so that was a bummer. We still think it is worth every penny to have nice personal space with a breeze and view. The side facing cabanas have a glass wall, while the aft facing cabanas are open.

As many have said, smaller group size is the biggest benefit to me. Alaska can be expensive for excursions, even on your own. We found the greatest cost savings when doing SEs on our own in Europe on a Mediterranean cruise.