Holland America

[peanutrach]

Has anyone had their wedding or taken a cruise on Holland America? It's a strong contender for a Bermuda wedding but I wanted to get thoughts on this since I haven't cruised with them before. Thanks!

[holstang]

A group of us went on a HA cruise a few years ago. We had no idea that it's geared more towards the "older" set, if you know what I mean. Our first clue was an agent at check-in making sure we were actually getting on the right ship, because we were younger.

 

There was no one our age on the ship (besides the crew, which loved us), which was fine, since we entertained ourselves, but just know that it's not like Carnival (more party-like & family friendly). It's more retirement age.

 

We still had a great time though. We booked that cruise specifically because because the itinerary was outstanding and it was a great deal.

[imsulin]

A group of us went on a HA cruise a few years ago. We had no idea that it's geared more towards the "older" set, if you know what I mean. Our first clue was an agent at check-in making sure we were actually getting on the right ship, because we were younger.

 

There was no one our age on the ship (besides the crew, which loved us), which was fine, since we entertained ourselves, but just know that it's not like Carnival (more party-like & family friendly). It's more retirement age.

 

We still had a great time though. We booked that cruise specifically because because the itinerary was outstanding and it was a great deal.

 

Gee...on my last HAL cruise, there were plenty of thirty-somethings, (including my DD and her boyfriend). I think the OP stated that Carnival wasn't an option due to previous negative experiences. Not everyone cruises to party!

[JerseyGem]

Has anyone had their wedding or taken a cruise on Holland America? It's a strong contender for a Bermuda wedding but I wanted to get thoughts on this since I haven't cruised with them before. Thanks!

 

Have you cruised before? Which lines? As others mentioned, HAL seems to attract an older crowd on most cruises. However, their summer week-long cruises to Bermuda can attract more of an age range (and multi-generation groups). This is a great cruiseline- very elegant & classic cruising (as opposed to NCL, for example, which is more casual & glitzy). Formal nights will have a higher percentage of men in tuxs and ladies in gowns (than on many other lines). One great advantage to HAL is that they currently dock in Hamilton rather than out at Kings Warf; Hamilton is a much better location IMHO.

 

So I'm certainly not going to steer you away from HAL! However, have you considered the possibility that the ship might miss Bermuda (I'm writing this as Hurricane Igor approaches Bermuda)? Two cruiselines have Captains who can marry you onboard (while out at sea in International waters): Princess and Celebrity. You might want to consider thiem too.

 

Whichever cruiseline and ship you choose, book early to give yourself time to do all the necessary papaerwork (marrying in a foreign country can be tricky). You might also want to consider getting married onboard a ship but on the day of embarkation (so non-sailing guests can attend). Best wishes and enjoy the planning process!

[holstang]

Has anyone had their wedding or taken a cruise on Holland America? It's a strong contender for a Bermuda wedding but I wanted to get thoughts on this since I haven't cruised with them before. Thanks!

 

Gee, I see no mention in the OP about not wanting to go on a Carnival cruise. She just asked about past HAL experiences, which I gladly gave. I'm sure your experience was different. Everyone has different experiences.

[peanutrach]

I've been on Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruises before. Didn't really enjoy Carnival, but RC was pretty good. I think we are leaning towards HAL b/c they have a good 7-day Bermuda itinerary and many dates to choose from. We plan on getting married in NYC before we set sail so that non-sailing friends/family can also join. Most likely we will be going in July. I'm looking forward to it but already everyone seems to have some sort of opinion about the wedding and it's kind of getting on my nerves. Plus, my fiance won't commit to a date b/c he just started a new job so that's kind of irritating. Wish me luck! Thanks for your responses!

[peanutrach]

Oh, also we are not "party people" so I think HAL should be fine. Even though we are in our early 30s (I'm 30 and he's 34) we probably act more like seniors than people our age. Actually, my grandma goes out more than us... LOL :-)