Holland America or Princess for TATL

[cruising cockroach]

My wife and I are considering a TATL cruise later this year. It's come to the Nieuw Amsterdam (which apparently more than 2 dozen CC members will be travelling on and is very attractively priced currently) and a longer cruise on the Crown Princess. Just wondering how the two ships (and cruise lines) compare. We do know the Nieuw Amsterdam is 70% the pax capacity of the CP. Our most recent experience is the Island P which is a bigger ship by weigh than the Nieuw Amsterdam but also rated for fewer maximum pax.

 

We are base elite on both lines. My wife sailed on the previous Nieuw Amsterdam (no. 3?) many years ago (HAL just gave her 1-star this morning).

[sandvinsd]

What is TATL?

[cruising cockroach]

What is TATL?

 

Trans-Atlantic, or a repositioning cruise called Meditterenean Farewell or some such.

[sandvinsd]

Thanks. Like HAL for the service and itineraries and service, but with few or no ports it depends on which boat you feel will give you the best shipboard product. Both are good, but I still like HAL.

[Herkimer18]

I am booked on the HAL Neiuw Amsterdam TA that you are speaking about. HAL is currently offering a sale on its 25 day Collector's cruise that makes it worth considering if you have the spare time. It leaves from Venice on Oct 17 and then becomes the TA on Oct 29 in Barcelona. The price just went down substantially a few days ago. Don't know how long it will last.

[cruising cockroach]

Thanks all. We are using the TATL leg as a means to get home as an alternative to flying as the "taxes & fees - mostly fuel surcharges - using miles runs $390 a person + the value of the miles themselves. We've seen (by land) most of the stops of the previous cruise and it is pricey for us.

 

I'm intrigued by the price of balcony rooms as they run as low (or even less) than the lowest outside window cabis.

[leonardofan]

My only TAs on HAL were on the Prinsendam, so its not exactly parallel, but

food was more sophisticated. Crown Princess service standards were very

high but food was like the food in the restaurant started by Ruth Reichl's

friends in her autobiography--comfort food done extraordinarily well. Little

boring after a while. (If you do go on CP, book the Chef's table--great fun!)

 

Would (Will, I hope) sail TA on both again...

 

BTW CP TA's don't seem to be very crowded for some reason--I got a great

(mid range inside to superior balcony!) upgrade, on my first Princess sailing.

[travelnnana]

Book on the NA trans-Atlantic - I was on the Crown Princess a few years ago for a Canada-New England cruise - it is the largest ship I was ever on - and has no covered pool - though I am platinum on Princess - it was my last Princess cruise - in addition - the NA balconies have more room than the Princess balconies - used to have to get a mini-suite on Princess to get a sofa in the room - granted they ar bigger than the HAL balcony rooms - but so much more expensive - I would not like to be crossing the ocean on a ship without a covered pool - just my preference

[Salacia]

My wife and I are considering a TATL cruise later this year. It's come to the Nieuw Amsterdam (which apparently more than 2 dozen CC members will be travelling on and is very attractively priced currently) and a longer cruise on the Crown Princess. Just wondering how the two ships (and cruise lines) compare. We do know the Nieuw Amsterdam is 70% the pax capacity of the CP. Our most recent experience is the Island P which is a bigger ship by weigh than the Nieuw Amsterdam but also rated for fewer maximum pax.

 

We are base elite on both lines. My wife sailed on the previous Nieuw Amsterdam (no. 3?) many years ago (HAL just gave her 1-star this morning).

 

 

Hi cruising cockroach. My husband and I have also talked about making a transatlantic crossing (at some point when time permits). Personally, I would only make that voyage on an ocean liner built to specificatons for a transatlantic crossing.

 

There is currently only one ocean liner, and that is the Queen Mary 2. BTW, that is a fact, not an opinion. Sorry to confuse your question by adding a third option, but I thought it might be worth mention.

 

Best wishes,

Salacia

[CtheW0rld]

My wife and I are considering a TATL cruise later this year. It's come to the Nieuw Amsterdam (which apparently more than 2 dozen CC members will be travelling on and is very attractively priced currently) and a longer cruise on the Crown Princess. Just wondering how the two ships (and cruise lines) compare. We do know the Nieuw Amsterdam is 70% the pax capacity of the CP. Our most recent experience is the Island P which is a bigger ship by weigh than the Nieuw Amsterdam but also rated for fewer maximum pax.

 

We are base elite on both lines. My wife sailed on the previous Nieuw Amsterdam (no. 3?) many years ago (HAL just gave her 1-star this morning).

 

you've cruised with both lines, so you understand the on-board experience. they are so similar.

 

i've done several TAs and enjoyed them all. does one have better ports than the other? sonmetimes TAs go to very unique ports.

 

itinerary, airfare and total cost would be the deciding factors for me.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When it comes to deciding on a cruise -- I run off the various itineraries.

Then we both look them over and see which ports we are interested in.

Itineraries are important to us first.

Then we compare the prices of the cruises -- second most important factor to us.

Of course we have to consider the airlines since we have no choice but to fly and we compare the airline prices as well.

[Jumbiecruiser]

IMHO HAL just has better overall service and food. I like the cabin accommodations better also. I suggest going with HAL. Also, the NA is a very nice ship.

[CtheW0rld]

here is an interesting alternative on the Maasdam. I found it while googling the other options you mentioned.

 

11/10/2012 Rome (Civitavecchia),Italy

11/11/2012 Sorrento, Italy

11/12/2012 Sorrento, Italy

11/13/2012 Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

11/14/2012 At Sea

11/15/2012 Tangier, Morocco

11/16/2012 Cadiz, Spain

11/17/2012 Lisbon, Portugal

11/18/2012 Lisbon, Portugal

11/19/2012 At Sea

11/20/2012 Funchal, Madeira Islands, Portuga

11/21/2012 Funchal, Madeira Islands, Portugal

11/22/2012 At Sea

11/23/2012 At Sea

11/24/2012 At Sea

11/25/2012 At Sea

11/26/2012 At Sea

11/27/2012 At Sea

11/28/2012 At Sea

11/29/2012 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

11/30/2012 Fort Lauderdale, Florida

[readytogo2]

Hi cruising cockroach. My husband and I have also talked about making a transatlantic crossing (at some point when time permits). Personally, I would only make that voyage on an ocean liner built to specificatons for a transatlantic crossing.

 

There is currently only one ocean liner, and that is the Queen Mary 2. BTW, that is a fact, not an opinion. Sorry to confuse your question by adding a third option, but I thought it might be worth mention.

 

Best wishes,

Salacia

 

I have to agree. Before we married, my wife made a few transatlantic crossings on Ocean liners, she always said, never on a cruise ship, only ocean liners.

[Boytjie]

What is TATL?

 

Trans-Atlantic, or a repositioning cruise called Meditterenean Farewell or some such.

 

I have never heard of it referred to like that: "TATL". "TA" is the usual abbreviation

[RuthC]

I have never heard of it referred to like that: "TATL". "TA" is the usual abbreviation

I hope the "trans-At" that I use is clear, too. Sometimes it takes a second for me to interpret "TA", as that is also used for "travel agent".

 

(ok, I'm old. I'm slow sometimes.)

[cruising cockroach]

I do appreciate a liner vs. floating hotel/city blocks that most cmodern ruise ships resemble. The QM2 is expensive, and we don't care for formality. We have to say one attraction is pice as my frequent flyer miles incur nearly $400 in fuel surcharges per ticket westbound.

[cruising cockroach]

Hmm, can't seem to edit my previous post. Stops don't matter too much for us as we prefer to spend a lot more time on land than a cruise typically allows.

[Boytjie]

I hope the "trans-At" that I use is clear, too. Sometimes it takes a second for me to interpret "TA", as that is also used for "travel agent".

 

(ok, I'm old. I'm slow sometimes.)

 

TA is used for both Travel Agent and Trans Atlantic on these boards and and the context usually makes it clear which one is meant.

 

Trans-at sounds too much like a cousin of Sputnik's. :D

(showing some age there too :) )

[Boytjie]

Hmm, can't seem to edit my previous post.

 

You get about 15 or 20 minutes from first posting it to being able to go back and edit it.

[kazu]

Hi cruising cockroach. My husband and I have also talked about making a transatlantic crossing (at some point when time permits). Personally, I would only make that voyage on an ocean liner built to specificatons for a transatlantic crossing.

 

There is currently only one ocean liner, and that is the Queen Mary 2. BTW, that is a fact, not an opinion. Sorry to confuse your question by adding a third option, but I thought it might be worth mention.

 

Best wishes,

Salacia

 

Salacia - we've done several transatlantics - the smoothest and best sailing we ever had was on the Prinsendam (HAL's smallest ships). She was built to cruise the oceans and travel the world. She literally 'cuts' through the waves. :) She is not the size of the Queen Mary, but size doesn't always count. ;)

 

for the op - I far prefer HAL, but that's just me.:D