Some HAL questions from a RCCL cruiser

[pxy cda]

Hello fellow cruisers. DH and I are veteran RCCL cruisers, but are thinking of "jumping ships" to HAL. We were planning a trip home to Halifax from Toronto this spring and noticed Maasdam sails from Montreal(a couple of weeks after dry dock - NICE!). So we are thinking of taking the ship from Montreal to Halifax (and getting off one port early to stay with family and flying back to Montreal).

 

So here are some questions (and YES I did do a search on some of these but didnt find threads/posts that are current).

 

1 - The whole spa thing - does the Q cabin get you the spa access to the thermal lounge or is it just the froo froo stuff in the room - can someone give me their experience with these rooms and let me know if you think they are worth the extra $$ or if a couple of $20 days in the thermal lounge is enough or if spa service also gets you access to the spa? (on RCCL - it is all free access so you dont have to pay for these spaces)

 

2 - for those of you who have also sailed RCCL - how do you think HAL compares on 1 - food, 2 - service, 3 - atmosphere (NB - we are in our forties and we are fine with older folks - we actually prefer an adult atmosphere to a "family" atmosphere)

 

3 - We are looking to book either a guarantee and play the cabin lottery or try to book a nicer inside cabin (it will be canada in the spring so not overly warm so no need for a balcony) Thoughts?

 

4 - anything else we should know about HAL that is unique or "insider" tips please post away!

 

Thanks everyone.:)

[jtl513]

2. We've only tried RCCL once, and that was enough for us. We think HAL is superior in all aspects except entertainment. (Granted our RCCL cruise was on the older Sovereign o.t.s. )

 

3. We've done guarantees 8 times and have been upgraded every time. However, those upgrades have all been within the same general class (OV to higher OV, veranda to higher veranda) except the last one when we booked a low OV and were given a high veranda. YMMV :)

[FLACRUISER99]

Hello fellow cruisers. DH and I are veteran RCCL cruisers, but are thinking of "jumping ships" to HAL. We were planning a trip home to Halifax from Toronto this spring and noticed Maasdam sails from Montreal(a couple of weeks after dry dock - NICE!). So we are thinking of taking the ship from Montreal to Halifax (and getting off one port early to stay with family and flying back to Montreal).

 

So here are some questions (and YES I did do a search on some of these but didnt find threads/posts that are current).

 

1 - The whole spa thing - does the Q cabin get you the spa access to the thermal lounge or is it just the froo froo stuff in the room - can someone give me their experience with these rooms and let me know if you think they are worth the extra $$ or if a couple of $20 days in the thermal lounge is enough or if spa service also gets you access to the spa? (on RCCL - it is all free access so you dont have to pay for these spaces)

 

2 - for those of you who have also sailed RCCL - how do you think HAL compares on 1 - food, 2 - service, 3 - atmosphere (NB - we are in our forties and we are fine with older folks - we actually prefer an adult atmosphere to a "family" atmosphere)

 

3 - We are looking to book either a guarantee and play the cabin lottery or try to book a nicer inside cabin (it will be canada in the spring so not overly warm so no need for a balcony) Thoughts?

 

4 - anything else we should know about HAL that is unique or "insider" tips please post away!

 

Thanks everyone.:)

Food - Hal better, service - my opinion RC better (I like RCI's International crew better then HAL's Indonesian/Filipino crew),Atmosphere more adult ( no hairy legs,quest ect.) I have done well with GTY's on HAL. I would try HAL. If you notice I have cruised booked on Princess, HAL,& RCI all great vacations but all different experiences IMO.

[pxy cda]

Thanks for the feedback - Oh I think we are pretty much decided to try it since they are the only game in town (sailing from Montreal). Just wondering on cabin selection and the spa thing. The comparisons are interesting.

 

I have done quite a bit of reading and it seems HAL may be more our speed (more mature, relaxed cruise without the frat house/kiddy focussed activitities if YKWIM)

 

We did a cruise last year on IOS and found her beautiful - but the kids omg! throngs of wild packs of kids running all over at all hours! unreal. The food was also a HUGE dissappointment - I put it down to size of ship - wait staff seemed harried..

[barbarah33]

Hi there, I have done many RCCL cruises and after my most recent experience on the Indy - much like yours I found the food to be a huge let down, I have done all Princess until now. In two weeks I am sailing on HA's Westerdam. I have heard many wonderful things about Holland America and they had an itinerary that was a bit different so it was an easy decision. I would be happy to let you know what I found when I return.

[kazu]

My friends who used to cruise HAL with me sailed RCL last year.

 

They are not ones to compare, but they were very disappointed. Said the food was the worst they have ever had on a cruise ship and they did not enjoy it at all. They far prefer HAL.

[fann1sh]

I cruised Royal Caribbean, and had a lot fun, but "graduated" to HAL in my 30's. Worse entertainment, but better food, bigger cabins, and a more elegant ambiance. And it isn't always a "seniors, more seniors, and only seniors" passenger list on HAL.

 

I'd pick a specific inside cabin rather than going for a guarantee. There are definitely some large, excellent value inside cabins on Maasdam. Take a look at:

 

A deck: M 773, 769. These inside cabins which run the lengthwise axis of the ship are larger.

 

Main deck: K 548 and 549 are HUGE for inside cabins. My very first HAL cabin was 548 on sister ship Statendam. It sold me on HAL.

 

Lower Promenade deck: any of the category J. Truly excellent location, a few steps away from the wrap around promenade (which you will LOVE). Nearby laundry and a public washroom, too. Note: the inside K's further back tend to get noise from the galley above them, so are less desirable.

 

Navigation deck: The I's are fine (IQ's are smaller) but the best part of being on this deck is the open air area at the stern of the ship. How crowded it is will depend on how many people know about it on your particular voyage.

 

Also consider obstructed view cabins. On Maasdam, this doesn't mean what it does on other ships ("Honey, there's a lifeboat smack in front of our window!") On lower promenade deck, some of these cabins views of the water are whole/part obstructed by the ship's own superstructure (steel walls) on the far side of the promenade.

 

 

However, a couple HH are physically blocked by a crew stair. If you want a bath tub rather than just a shower, but not the price tag of an oceanview cabin, consider the HH obstructed view category.

 

However, some people don't like the idea of people walking just outside their window. YMMV.

[pxy cda]

I cruised Royal Caribbean, and had a lot fun, but "graduated" to HAL in my 30's. Worse entertainment, but better food, bigger cabins, and a more elegant ambiance. And it isn't always a "seniors, more seniors, and only seniors" passenger list on HAL.

 

I'd pick a specific inside cabin rather than going for a guarantee. There are definitely some large, excellent value inside cabins on Maasdam. ....et al...../

 

Wow thanks for the detailed cabin tips! I will definitely check out those insides - I was also looking at L500 - it appears huge and kind of outside even though there are no windows (slightly modified for PC).

[LAFFNVEGAS]

My friends who used to cruise HAL with me sailed RCL last year.

 

They are not ones to compare, but they were very disappointed. Said the food was the worst they have ever had on a cruise ship and they did not enjoy it at all. They far prefer HAL.

I totally agree, our recent Mariner of the Seas cruise truly had the worst food we have ever had with the exception of their specialty restaurants. We had last sailed on RCL back in 2002 and late 2003 and both times knew it was not great but was told because they were a 5 day and a 3 day cruise that the quality is not always the best. Well it was even worse with a 7 day.

As for service on the surface it felt like service was good but after a few days of hearing many different crew member talk and walking by tables as servers were talking to passengers we come to find that everything that comes out of their mouth was very scripted. Every crew member said exactly the same thing, did the same thing to the point it was as if the were robots. Nothing seemed genuine. In the dining room it was all about attempting to get better tips. I honestly got to the point that I did not want to even deal with a crew member any more.

We have been on 5 non HAL cruises in a row and we return to HAL in less than 9 weeks. It will be interesting to see if my memory of HAL remains the same and if I still feel they are one of the best. I have to admit that of the past cruises both the Celebrity Solstice and the NCL Pearl were pretty good but they had totally different things that made them really good. Over all the RCCL cruise was by far the worst but I cannot say that it was a bad cruise because we have never had a bad cruise. Nothing went wrong it is just that it was not as good as other cruises we have been on for the same price. Personally I think RCCL cruises have way to high of a price point in comparison to other lines that have a far superior product. Even their own sister line Celebrity has about the same price point that RCCL does in most cases yet it is a far superior product. :confused:

[PC168]

Hi,

 

We did a couple times RCCL as you can see and one time with HAL back in December.

 

IMO, I find qualify of food and service from HAL is alot better; buffet food quality is also better as well on HAL, house keeping is about the same on both lines;

 

Entertainment from RCCL is better where as HAL used their Indonesian employees to do a show one of the night, don't get me wrong, I didn't mind at all, but they should pay professional to do the nights shows...if you have gone to the big ships such as the Voyager class or bigger on RCCL, there is a promenade as well as an ice skating rink and I found these are very entertaining; plus there are alot more activities that you can do on board;

 

HAL is very relaxing and I think there are not much to do on the ship and RCCL keeps you busy all day long at sea day.

 

Good luck.

[PC168]

One more thing, HAL's cabin square footage is bigger than RCCL.

[fann1sh]

I was also looking at L500 - it appears huge and kind of outside even though there are no windows (slightly modified for PC).

 

Even though that's not a true wheelchair accessible room, on this board we encourage the able bodied to stay away from modified rooms if the objective is to get extra space.

 

IMO, HAL should change their booking policy. They don't require proof of disability. And once you book the cabin, HAL can't/won't "bump" you for a disabled person.

 

However, if an accessible cabin is still available close to the sail date, that may be another story.

[jtl513]

Here's another picture of the Lower Promenade at the HHs. The first window is a DD, and the next two are HH.

[pxy cda]

Even though that's not a true wheelchair accessible room, on this board we encourage the able bodied to stay away from modified rooms if the objective is to get extra space.

 

IMO, HAL should change their booking policy. They don't require proof of disability. And once you book the cabin, HAL can't/won't "bump" you for a disabled person.

 

However, if an accessible cabin is still available close to the sail date, that may be another story.

 

That changes my mind completely - I wouldnt want to bump someone who needs that cabin.:o :(

No worries - there are lots of cabins - it was only if it was available and we are planning on booking more last minute as my bonus will determine if we cruise or drive. Thanks for the tip.

[pxy cda]

thanks for the great pics - makes me want to go NOW. I think though for four days (given we are disembarking early in Halifax) we're good with an inside unless the upgrade fairy sprinkles some dust!

[pxy cda]

Hi,

 

We did a couple times RCCL as you can see and one time with HAL back in December.

 

IMO, I find qualify of food and service from HAL is alot better; buffet food quality is also better as well on HAL, house keeping is about the same on both lines;

 

Entertainment from RCCL is better where as HAL used their Indonesian employees to do a show one of the night, don't get me wrong, I didn't mind at all, but they should pay professional to do the nights shows...if you have gone to the big ships such as the Voyager class or bigger on RCCL, there is a promenade as well as an ice skating rink and I found these are very entertaining; plus there are alot more activities that you can do on board;

 

HAL is very relaxing and I think there are not much to do on the ship and RCCL keeps you busy all day long at sea day.

 

Good luck.

 

Interesting comparisons PC and very useful. Thanks for the info.

 

My fave RCCL ship is the Grandeur, smaller, nice crew. I just found service/food quality paled noticably on the larger IOS and our room steward was off on the bigger ship (we got a dud even though we upgraded to a suite and our waiter/waitress were a hot mess!). Overall Grandeur #1, Adventure #2, Independence - way behind on service, food and overall experience. I will sail again on RCCL (we are platinum) but likely on the adventure or lower class ships with longer itineraries or we may move to X now that we get equal billing on the captains club.

 

I actually found IOS a bit too much of a family style cruise and we dont use any of the extras (waverunner, rock wall etc. no big deal) The promenade was kind of cool but I dont like crowds so I skipped the events there when a crowd formed (or we watched perched from a balcony above). It was also a gathering/playground area for the families onboard so we tended to walk though and avoid.

 

We do like the shows but its more of a timewaster before dinner than anything and being talentless ourselves we arent too judgemental of anyone who gets up there to entertain us for a while so long as they aren't crass. The ice rink show was amazing on both Adventure and Independence but more of a nice to have than must have.

 

I have yet to set a toe in the main pool of a RCCL ship preferring the quiet of the solarium - Hairy legs, belly flops and loud steel bands are not our scene. We've also never made it to the nightclubs as we head to bed after our late dinner and a little walk on deck - we tend to have busy port days.

 

A day at sea for us is late rising, brunch, fitness, spa, afternoon nap, reading in a nook on a quiet deck (or solarium pool), trivia at the piano bar, meeting new people at the bar, a bit of time in the casino, a game of bridge if we can find another couple, dinner and early bed with a book.

 

So I think Maasdam will fit the bill (and it is the only cruise out of Montreal to Halifax so it still beats driving!) - also we will be whale watching as it is the season. We have a busy port itinerary too so only one sea day.

 

I am also very intrigued by the culinary school and hope there is a session or two for me to attend while onboard HAL.

[Hlitner]

We are Diamond with RCL and 3 Star with HA so have a little experience with both the lines. RCL has changed a lot in the past 5 years...which is one reason why we now prefer HA, Princess, Azamara or just about any other line over RCL. That being said, if you are one of the RCL fans who love the huge mega-ships, ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls, pool games, etc you will probably hate the Maasdam, On the other hand, you will find the Maasdam to be somewhat more laid back (some might say classy), you can usually find deck chairs, food in the MDR is better then you now find on RCI although the buffets are close, on the Maasdam you can get fresh sqeezed OJ at the buffet for no charge, have eggs made to order at the Eggs Benedict Bar, etc et. I will add that for many years we were huge RCL fans, but the various budget cut-backs on that line (not to mention re-aligning Diamond benefits) turned us off to the line. As to HA, perhaps its the fact we are getting older, but we love the line more and more after each and every cruise.

 

Hank

[pxy cda]

We are Diamond with RCL and 3 Star with HA so have a little experience with both the lines. RCL has changed a lot in the past 5 years...which is one reason why we now prefer HA, Princess, Azamara or just about any other line over RCL. That being said, if you are one of the RCL fans who love the huge mega-ships, ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls, pool games, etc you will probably hate the Maasdam, On the other hand, you will find the Maasdam to be somewhat more laid back (some might say classy), you can usually find deck chairs, food in the MDR is better then you now find on RCI although the buffets are close, on the Maasdam you can get fresh sqeezed OJ at the buffet for no charge, have eggs made to order at the Eggs Benedict Bar, etc et. I will add that for many years we were huge RCL fans, but the various budget cut-backs on that line (not to mention re-aligning Diamond benefits) turned us off to the line. As to HA, perhaps its the fact we are getting older, but we love the line more and more after each and every cruise.

 

Hank

 

Yeah, We are back to the smaller ships now - We really like grandeur and Adventure but IOS was just too big and service/quality noticably slipped. We are definitely thinking about this one as it really is a unique itinerary for us to see that part of Canada and being Canadians something we should do. The more you describe it - the stuff I find crass and annoying on RCCL is absent on HAL. How are they for announcements? If I hear one more bingo announcement I swear I could go postal....:cool:

[WeRockChalkKU]

Yeah, We are back to the smaller ships now - We really like grandeur and Adventure but IOS was just too big and service/quality noticably slipped. We are definitely thinking about this one as it really is a unique itinerary for us to see that part of Canada and being Canadians something we should do. The more you describe it - the stuff I find crass and annoying on RCCL is absent on HAL. How are they for announcements? If I hear one more bingo announcement I swear I could go postal....:cool:

 

I just got off a 10 day on the Maasdam and only heard bingo mentioned one time during a short AM briefing by the cruise director. I had almost thought that there was no bingo onboard that sailing. This was our 2nd Massdam cruise and we love her. We did the Thermal Spa package, they limited it to 40 people and enjoyed it but probably wouldn't do it again. We were too busy relaxing, eating, having fun elsewhere on the ship.

[dawntrdr]

After several cruises with RCI and Celebrity, we tried the HAL Eurodam last month because its itinerary fit our limited schedule. Yes, HAL"s food is better and the service is more attentive but there are some things that have made me decide to avoid HAL in the future. Upon entering the cabin, I noticed a slight smell of urine that increased over the week. Visitors also mentioned it and we even had the bath Clorox'd during the week to no avail. When we unpacked, we found a bag of someone else's dirty clothes under the bed. The heater did not work and we had to have the workmen up to fix it. My pillow smelled TERRIBLE and they replaced it promptly but it made me wonder how long the pillows had been there without being ever washed. Smoking is pervasive throughout the ship. Worst of all, this was the first time that anyone in our party got Norwalk virus, and it hit 50% of us. We ran into other persons on the ship later who also noted it.

 

I avoided HAL for many years because I had heard stories that they tended to have more Norwalk. I thought most lines had gotten it under control. I gave the Eurodam cruise a good review when I got back because I hate to cause trouble for the very amiable stewards and I hate to read reviews where people do nothing but whine when they have just spent seven days in sunny warm locations, but the bottom line is that food and ambiance aside, these other things are more important to me and will drive my next cruise choice.

[ccruisequeen]

Mariner OS in Oct & Oosterdam this week. Activities better on RCCL, but Ship itself better on HAL.. Mariner was too enclose with no place to sit, except for the bars or Promenade cafe- the rest were dark bars with no light to read by, unless you went on the deck. It was like being in a shopping mall.

Oosterdam had lots of nice quiet lounges with lots of open windows to read by & look at the sights.

 

RCCL has more games during the day, even on port days, which I like.

[shandryl]

I have sailed RCCL many times. Then I tried HAL. Love HAL because they offer cruises that are longer 20 days or more :D I have a real cruise addiction and HAL seems to provide me with all my cruising needs.......LOL

 

I am eyeballing a 25day cruise on Maasdam right now..........*looking for my next cruise fix.......* LOL