Newbie to hal

[gcollins]

Hi Everyone,

 

Been lurking on the board awaiting my registration confirmation which took a few days but finally got it. A group of us have just booked our first cruise on HAL. Have previously cruised RCCL and Carnival but never on HAL. I have a few questions that I hope some of you can answer. We are on the Panama Canal Sunfarer for 10/14/10 thru 10/24/10 leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale on Zuiderdam. We chose HAL mainly due to the itinerary....nobody else has this and it has great stops that none of us have ever been to.

 

There's a group of 8 going so far ranging in ages from 33 to 53 (I'm 43). We are not the late night partying type, however, we do enjoy our cocktails on the beach, pool, casino, etc.

 

We are in Verandah type VE, cabin 5074. It appears this looks right over the lifeboats? :-( Anybody have any opinion if the view is bad, etc? Was looking at the cabins in the back of the ship, category VA, due to larger verandah's but how bout the view? Price jumps up quite a bit for these as well.

 

Am looking forward to the potential "upscale" from Carnival and RCCL, however, am concerned about the age gap? Or should I be? I saw someone asking about knitting classes which kinda concerned me. I could knit at home...why on earth would I knit on vacation? Well, it's probably relaxing I'm sure :-).

 

I enjoy the spa quite a bit....I've read some comments about spa passes? What exactly is that?

 

First top is Half Moom Cay - was looking at booking a cabana for the day with a butler. Any feedback on that?

 

Costa Rica - was looking at ziplining?

 

Aruba - Probably a day at the beach? Same for Caracao?

 

We booked the late dinner, 8:00 upper dining room. Seems everyone is on the early dinner LOL. We usually eat, have wine with dinner, then head to the casino for a little fun before going back to the cabin.

 

Any other pointers, etc anybody reccomends?

 

Thankyou!

[fsdj1097]

Hi Everyone,

 

Been lurking on the board awaiting my registration confirmation which took a few days but finally got it. A group of us have just booked our first cruise on HAL. Have previously cruised RCCL and Carnival but never on HAL. I have a few questions that I hope some of you can answer. We are on the Panama Canal Sunfarer for 10/14/10 thru 10/24/10 leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale on Zuiderdam. We chose HAL mainly due to the itinerary....nobody else has this and it has great stops that none of us have ever been to.

 

There's a group of 8 going so far ranging in ages from 33 to 53 (I'm 43). We are not the late night partying type, however, we do enjoy our cocktails on the beach, pool, casino, etc.

 

We are in Verandah type VE, cabin 5074. It appears this looks right over the lifeboats? :-( Anybody have any opinion if the view is bad, etc? Was looking at the cabins in the back of the ship, category VA, due to larger verandah's but how bout the view? Price jumps up quite a bit for these as well.

 

Am looking forward to the potential "upscale" from Carnival and RCCL, however, am concerned about the age gap? Or should I be? I saw someone asking about knitting classes which kinda concerned me. I could knit at home...why on earth would I knit on vacation? Well, it's probably relaxing I'm sure :-).

 

I enjoy the spa quite a bit....I've read some comments about spa passes? What exactly is that?

 

First top is Half Moom Cay - was looking at booking a cabana for the day with a butler. Any feedback on that?

 

Costa Rica - was looking at ziplining?

 

Aruba - Probably a day at the beach? Same for Caracao?

 

We booked the late dinner, 8:00 upper dining room. Seems everyone is on the early dinner LOL. We usually eat, have wine with dinner, then head to the casino for a little fun before going back to the cabin.

 

Any other pointers, etc anybody reccomends?

 

Thankyou!

 

We have had cabins that have verandahs directly above the lifeboats. They don't interfere with your views of the ocean at all. Lots of folks love the aft cabins, but we prefer cabins more amidships.

 

Don't be turned off by the stigma that HAL has about the older demographic. You see lots of them, but they are a lively bunch. You'll see them out there on the dance floors 'shakin' what their mama gave 'em'!!!! LOL

 

I think you'll enjoy the Zuiderdam and HAL. The service is a notch above, as are the cabin sizes and crew to guest ratio.

 

Have a great cruise!!!

[gcollins]

Thanks Sam!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

We just did this past Oct/Nov your cruise on the Zuiderdam -- it's a nice introduction to the Panama Canal.

 

Be sure to get up early to see the approach to the locks -- about 5:30 is when we got up.

 

And don't forget to try the Panama Buns -- they will only be available that day -- they will be out on the decks - in the Lido. YUM!!

[Appygirl]

The Zuiderdam is a beautiful boat. I've only been on it to Alaska and that destination tends to have a younger crowd while the warmer destinations tend to have an older crowd, no matter which line you're on. I think the spa pass you're talking about is around $150 per person for a 7 day cruise that gives you unlimited use of the hydrotherapy pool in the Greenhouse Spa. And I think the heated loungers. Perhaps someone who has recently done this can be more specific on the price. Its one thing to do that in Alaska, but I don't know if I'd want to be spending a lot of time in a hot tub in the Caribbean to get my money's worth out of it, especially since there are other hot tubs you can use by the swimming pools. Its a pretty area and very relaxing. I have a photo of it on my blog. Its the 6th photo down if you want to take a look. http://appytales.blogspot.com/2009/08/photos-taken-around-holland-americas.html

 

Zip lining is fun. We're going to be in Costa Rica in 3 weeks and due to my husband recovering from shoulder surgery we can't zip line and will be doing a crocodile river boat tour. Be sure to check out the boards on this forum for each of your destinations. There are some tour operators with very good reputations who are operating zip line tours in Costa Rica at a lower cost than the HAL's shore excursion. Be sure to check your roll call on this board to meet up with other cruisers from your ship, some who may have already booked shore excursions with operators and can share their information.

 

Have fun on your cruise!

[gcollins]

Thanks Appygirl! Loved the pics and the blog. We're excited about the trip. I think you're right about the hot tub and heated chairs...not sure I will spend the money for this since it's the Caribbean. Will get a massage though :-). Thanks again!

[SwissMyst]

You hit on the reason many of us love HAL - the great itineraries. They always have one more stop or more unusual stops than other cruise lines. If you have your own group of 8 already, I think you will have a terrific time.

 

It is a large ship. There is room for you to have fun and the knitting group to have fun too. What you described you like to do will fit in perfectly on HAL. In fact it sounds like you will be the magnet to draw people to you to widen the fun you can expect to have.

 

Just remember why you chose HAL - travel and great choices of port stops. Put those first, and then just kick back and enjoy the rest. HAL remains excellent value for your travel dollar.

[Y's Owl]

I did a similar cruise on the Maasdam last November. In Costa Rica, I did the four wheel adventure and enjoyed that very much. In Aruba, the beach is a good choice, but what I did was rent a Toyota Rav4 car and drive around the island, and visited the national park on the East end of the island. Of course I was also geocaching while doing this. I even got scratched up a bit trying to find a cache near the Alta Vista chapel. You will find there are a range of choices on shore excursions for all ages and physical abilities. Enjoy your cruise.

[Mary Ellen]

Am looking forward to the potential "upscale" from Carnival and RCCL, however, am concerned about the age gap? Or should I be? I saw someone asking about knitting classes which kinda concerned me. I could knit at home...why on earth would I knit on vacation? Well, it's probably relaxing I'm sure :-).

You DO know that knitters some in all age groups don't you? It is actually quite popular among the 20-somethings. Maybe you're too old for HAL? ;)

 

If it puts your mind at rest, if you'll re-read that knitting thread, it was about looong cruises - typically those well over 30-days. And yes, the ages on those are generally older.

 

Don't worry, NO one will force you to knit. "I could knit at home...why on earth would I knit on vacation?" You can also enjoy your cocktails at home, just as you can on vacation. :D There is no reason someone can't enjoy something on vacation just as they do at home. Look out - you'll most likely see people reading books too... :eek:

[Essiesmom]

I took some knitting along on my last cruise, just to have something to do with my hands while waiting for the shows to start...and during the port and enrichment talks. EM

[gcollins]

Guess I struck a nerve with Mary Ellen...sorry about that :-). I really don't care what other folks do on the cruise as long as it doesn't cause harm cuz it's all about me having a good time :-).

[Mpowered]

Hi Everyone,

 

We are in Verandah type VE, cabin 5074. It appears this looks right over the lifeboats? :-( Anybody have any opinion if the view is bad, etc? Was looking at the cabins in the back of the ship, category VA, due to larger verandah's but how bout the view? Price jumps up quite a bit for these as well.

 

We've been on the Zuiderdam twice, both times in the same cabin. There were two or three decks between us and the life boats. We actually enjoyed having the life boats there - very entertaining. :) Birds land on them. On port days, and in Lake Gatun, we saw them lowered, spiffed up a bit, scooting around, drills, etc. Some crew know what they're doing, others not so much. :rolleyes: They won't block your view. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

 

Joan

[benny salami]

:cool: The stories about seniors on HAL are overblown. They are active seniors, who realize the best and stick with it. It's not always a negative as elevators don't have every button pushed and no screaming brats running up and down the halls at 1 AM. We were worried about some negative nells and are glad we stuck with HAL and Noordam.

[janmcn]

"Am looking forward to the potential "upscale" from Carnival and RCCL, however, am concerned about the age gap? Or should I be? I saw someone asking about knitting classes which kinda concerned me. I could knit at home...why on earth would I knit on vacation? Well, it's probably relaxing I'm sure :-). "

 

 

Don't worry about my posting about knitting classes...it's in reference to a 45-day cruise we're taking on HAL that has quite a few sea days in a row and I tend to be hyperactive and have to be doing something with my hands...so I knit and quilt. Knitting is easy to bring on ship and "just in case" we're under a Code Red, I have things to do. (There ARE plenty of things to do on board, but I tend to like to accomplish some of my projects.)

 

Loved the Zuiderdam and we had a cabin overlooking the lifeboats, too, but it really doesn't impact your "real" view.

 

You will fit in very nicely...the ages are all over the place. We've made good friends on HAL ships.

Enjoy your cruise!

[IRL_Joanie]

Hi Everyone,

 

Been lurking on the board awaiting my registration confirmation which took a few days but finally got it. A group of us have just booked our first cruise on HAL. Have previously cruised RCCL and Carnival but never on HAL. I have a few questions that I hope some of you can answer. We are on the Panama Canal Sunfarer for 10/14/10 thru 10/24/10 leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale on Zuiderdam. We chose HAL mainly due to the itinerary....nobody else has this and it has great stops that none of us have ever been to.

 

There's a group of 8 going so far ranging in ages from 33 to 53 (I'm 43). We are not the late night partying type, however, we do enjoy our cocktails on the beach, pool, casino, etc.

 

We are in Verandah type VE, cabin 5074. It appears this looks right over the lifeboats? :-( Anybody have any opinion if the view is bad, etc? Was looking at the cabins in the back of the ship, category VA, due to larger verandah's but how bout the view? Price jumps up quite a bit for these as well.

 

Any other pointers, etc anybody reccomends?

 

Thankyou!

 

 

First off, Welcome to CC!!!!

 

Here is a photo that CC member TM Weddie sent me for the HAL Staterooms/Cabins Photos page. This photo shows one of the lifeboat views from stateroom 5091:

 

 

Joanie

[bulgargirl]

Guess I struck a nerve with Mary Ellen...sorry about that :-). I really don't care what other folks do on the cruise as long as it doesn't cause harm cuz it's all about me having a good time :-).

 

Don't worry about it. I didn't think you were rude at all. And you certainly didn't imply that knitting was for old people, just wondered why someone would knit on a cruise. And I think that was answered - some people love it and some people really enjoy it while on longer cruises! (I have knitted before, but I'm terrible at it!!!!!)

 

Sorry. I think I repeated someone else's answer without realizing it.

[Mary Ellen]

I really don't care what other folks do on the cruise as long as it doesn't cause harm cuz it's all about me having a good time :-).

That the attitude! :D HAL will be a tad older than RCCL and Carnival, but the folks will be having fun. Have a great time.

[gcollins]

Thanks everyone for the responses! We're looking forward to our cruise and to the experience on HAL. I've heard such good things about it from everyone!

 

Thanks again!

[Himself]

Welcome to Cruise Critic, welcome to HAL and I am sure you will feel most welcome and the m.s. ZUIDERDAM. Have a great cruise.

[Wanna_Cruize]

Just a note on the cabanas at Half Moon Cay - we rented one for a group of us (albeit it was many years ago) but it was fantastic and well worth the $$ we all thought. It was great to have a place out of the sun to relax in, there were a couple of loungers in the front yard area, and attendants to get you lunch and tasty beverages. I probably have some photos kicking around somewhere. I would most definitely do it again if I had the chance.

[gcollins]

Thanks Wanna Cruze! That's what I needed to know. I'm sure we will be renting one for the day.....it looks like it would be perfect.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Keep in mind that the Cabanas on HMC are 4 people. Notice that you mentioned that there will be 8 of you. There is an extra charge per person for the other 4 people to use the cabana.

[gcollins]

Thanks Krazy....in your opinion, do you think 8 would be OK for 1 cabana or should we get 2 cabanas?

[BlueCat1105]

I want to chime in briefly to say that I did find HAL to be a bit too sedate for my taste, and I was probably more disappointed to find I felt that way than the people here will be in the fact that I mention it. I'm not a late-night person, nor a big drinker or dancer, but even though we were on a spring break cruise on a new ship, it was more staid than I expected. We saw two couples who danced a couple of dances in the piano bar after dinner on one of the two formal nights, and that was about it. Formal nights were the two nights we wanted to stay up and take in a little of the night life, since we were all decked out already...but we couldn't find any.

 

It was a very nice ship, however, and had we been with some other couples, we certainly would have made our own fun, but we were not as happy with the HAL cruise experience as we thought we would be.

[RuthC]

Thanks Krazy....in your opinion, do you think 8 would be OK for 1 cabana or should we get 2 cabanas?

Are four of them kids? For eight adults, or even six adults and two kids, I would get two adjacent cabanas, if they're available that way.