HAL vs Carnival...my opinion

[Roz]

With the exception of one cruise on Princess, all my cruises have been with HAL and Carnival. I sail both lines for different reasons, but like them both. I don't agree with a lot of what the OP posted, but apparently HAL isn't the line for them, and that's OK.

 

I've sailed with elderly passengers on HAL and Carnival, and it didn't make a bit of difference to me. They were having a good time and so was I.

 

Alaska is a different cruise experience from Mexico or the Caribbean, regardless of which line you sail on.

 

Roz

[Topo Gigio]

I'm Platinum on Carnival, in my 30's, and sailed on my 1st Holland America cruise a few months ago. The cruise lines are indeed different and for a reason, but before I say anything else, I found that HAL's "nursing home at sea", older, more polished crowd reputation was as accurate as Carnival's "Walmart at sea", trashy, low class reputation. Some people fit the reputation. Some don't. You can find a little bit of everything on both.

 

We had an absolutely phenomenal cruise on HAL but for very different reasons which is a GREAT thing. The things that you describe as negatives are actually the reason why some people choose HAL over CCL and vice versa.

 

- We were SO glad that the main pool was void of any music. Just a quiet area to relax, and enjoy a dip in the pool or hot tub. With or without the retractable roof. It became one of my favorite spots on the ship.

- You describe the food selection at the buffet as being "international" and you couldn't find anything to eat, yet you praise Guy's Burgers and the pizza on Carnival. That's another indication of how different the demographics are on these two cruise lines. Some people are perfectly happy eating what they know. Others go on vacation to try something new.

- Another welcome change was the music. Yes, real musicians, playing throughout the ship, from full bands to solo pianists and violinists. There's a DJ onboard but he's thankfully tucked away in the night club.

 

I wrote a full review and comparison not too long ago between HAL and CCL (I'll see if I can find it) but in doing so, I learned that comparing these two products is indeed comparing apples and oranges.

 

I'd select Carnival for the low prices, convenience of sailing close to home (not focused on destinations), and informal and fun atmosphere. I'd select Holland for a more sophisticated, sedated, and detailed oriented cruise experience, while visiting new destinations.

 

You always hit the nail on it's head!

[mermaid72]

Alaska is going to be the same regardless of one's ship -- the point of OP was to compare ships and onboard experience. No point at all in comparing Alaska to .... Alaska.

Sorry, but I must disagree with you.

An Alaska cruise with HAL or Princess also offers a land tour with many of their cruises, Carnival does not.

This usually consists of the cruise, an extensive train ride thru the interior and several nights stay at a lodge run by the cruise line.

Also only HAL & Princess have some sort of special permit to visit more of the wilderness areas that other lines are not allowed to cruise into because of over use & possible pollution problems.

An Alaskan cruise is much different than say a Caribbean cruise..... the passengers are usually more into what they are going to see & experience in the ports rather than what the ship has to offer them in the nightclubs & waterslides department.

[JWGrayson]

Our first cruise was in June 2007 on the Zaandam to Alaska. We had no idea what to expect. We really enjoyed it and have cruised a LOT since. Here are a few things of interest that we found different.

 

1. At 9:00 PM, it was like a ghost ship.

2. No jacket, no entry into the MDR on Formal Night.

3. Booking a suite gets you some nice perks!

 

 

I an trying now to decide whether to do Hal or Carnival for Alaska in either 2014 or 2015...but as other posters have said Alaska will be the destination not the ship!

 

Carnival only does the inside passage and returns; while HAL goes all the way to the Anchorage area and offers land tours to Denali. So, the HAL experience in Alaska is much better.

 

Looks like Mermaid be me to it.

 

John

[Tapi]

Also only HAL & Princess have some sort of special permit to visit more of the wilderness areas that other lines are not allowed to cruise into

 

That's one of the reasons why we chose Holland for our Alaska cruise. We wanted an itinerary that visited Glacier Bay. Carnival only gets two permits a year (one for the first sailing and one for the last sailing of the season). Holland and Princess have multiple ships sailing to Glacier Bay every week during the entire season.

 

Alaska is going to be the same regardless of one's ship

 

Absolutely disagree for the reasons explained above. The Alaska experience is vastly different from one cruise line to another, and from one itinerary to another.

 

Glacier Bay was the absolute highlight of our Alaska cruise. Without it, the experience wouldn't have been as amazing.

[stevenr597]

Carnival and HAL are completely different cruise lines and serve different groups. HAL is known as being fairly upscale and more sophisticated. The level of service, especially in the dinning room is more upscale. Carnival is more of a party line where they stress the quantitiy of the food to the quantity. Carnival ships tend to be more crowded.

 

For young individuals I would suggest Carnival. For a more upscale and sophisticated group I would suggest Princess, Celebrity or HAL.

[stlouistravelers]

Booked on both. Different experiences

[joeyancho]

. I did not like how the buffet was run at all. One night, all the buffet had was international foods which I didn't recognize one thing.

REALLY? You need to get out of the house more, and not just to McDonalds.

[fouremmetts]

Our first cruise was in June 2007 on the Zaandam to Alaska. We had no idea what to expect. We really enjoyed it and have cruised a LOT since. Here are a few things of interest that we found different.

 

1. At 9:00 PM, it was like a ghost ship.

2. No jacket, no entry into the MDR on Formal Night.

3. Booking a suite gets you some nice perks!

 

 

Agree wholeheartedly with #1. My mom, sis and I went on the Zuiderdam in 2008. Mom turned in early (8ish) and sis and I went to find something to do. Ha-ha! Only thing open was the piano bar - which closed at midnight! When walking back to our cabin, sis and I were the only ones in the halls!

 

Now, before you think that we are in our 30s, I was 49 and sis was 63 at the time! We were at least a decade or two younger than most on board.

 

I like RCL and Carnival much better. Perhaps HAL again but we would have to be a tad more "mature"! :D

[jbhcw]

Our first cruise was in June 2007 on the Zaandam to Alaska. We had no idea what to expect. We really enjoyed it and have cruised a LOT since. Here are a few things of interest that we found different.

 

1. At 9:00 PM, it was like a ghost ship.

2. No jacket, no entry into the MDR on Formal Night.

3. Booking a suite gets you some nice perks!

 

 

 

Carnival only does the inside passage and returns; while HAL goes all the way to the Anchorage area and offers land tours to Denali. So, the HAL experience in Alaska is much better.

 

Looks like Mermaid be me to it.

 

John

 

Thanks for the info...and we do have a FCC we need to use:)

[Tapi]

You always hit the nail on it's head!

 

Thanks for the compliment Topo!

[Sh1035]

Carnival and HAL are completely different cruise lines and serve different groups. HAL is known as being fairly upscale and more sophisticated. The level of service, especially in the dinning room is more upscale. Carnival is more of a party line where they stress the quantitiy of the food to the quantity. Carnival ships tend to be more crowded.

 

For young individuals I would suggest Carnival. For a more upscale and sophisticated group I would suggest Princess, Celebrity or HAL.

 

So does more sophisticated and upscale = old???? I've done princess and celebrity but bored to death at night.

[misssea]

I am merely giving my opinion on HAL vs CCL. Alaska was breathtaking as expected and I could have been on a row boat and still appreciated the beauty and wonder of it. I did not care for the international buffet because they stated the dishes without explaining what exactly was in them. If I had known, I might have tried something. Plus, the smell of the food that night was not pleasing to me. It just wasn't for me. I love how you give your opinion on here and just because people don't agree, they have to be demeaning and rude. I went to a cooking demo and sat in the back. We could hardly see what was going on (could watch the TV monitors) but it was way too hot in there. I am not a partier but just experience a more upbeat vibe with Carnival. I have never been bored on a Carnival ship!

 

 

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[NCTribeFan]

Odd how we found things to do after 9 pm. We had late dinner and would stop and hear the little 3-piece strings and have an after-dinner coffee.

 

Then we'd head down to the lounge where the 3-piece jazz band was playing and we'd stay there for an after-dinner drink.

 

Then we'd head to the casino or sit outside there and watch sports on TV.

 

There was always the disco going on at that time of night. And either someone on the piano in another lounge or the young lady with the guitar.

 

I do believe some of you are exaggerating! I know! Imagine that! People on Cruise Critic exaggerating!!

 

As I said in my review of the cruise, I didn't find it was THAT different from Carnival! I thought the food was slightly better, but maybe that was mostly just because it was a change of menu. I loved the afternoon tea every day. I loved having a drink server (can't remember his name without opening the review thread) who came along the outside promenade deck with a tray of lemonade.

 

But did I feel it was a MUCH more luxurious experience than my other cruises? Not really. I've always had very good meals on Carnival and received excellent service.

 

And let me tell you - those oldsters would run over you on the way to 2-for-1 Happy Hour every day!! They could put em away, for sure! :p

[JUGGER]

i sailed with hal from july 28th to august 4th on the zaandam to alaska. I had heard this particular ship attracts older people and therefore, everything is geared toward older folks so i knew that going in. I am 49 and travelled with older inlaws, my husband and 8yo son. I thought that the crew was not as friendly as carnival's, the food wasn't as good and not as much variety. I really missed guy's burgers, and the 24 hour pizza and ice cream. I did not like how the buffet was run at all. One night, all the buffet had was international foods which i didn't recognize one thing and there wasn't anything else offered. The song and dance shows were not any better or worse than carnival's but the comedian/ventriloquist and magician were great. The lido pool area was empty most of the time with no live music at any time. They had a roof and a heated pool but not too many people took advantage of it. The piano man had talent but he had theme nights singing songs by cole porter, gershwin and andrew lloyd webber. The most recent music on the ship was from the 1960's unless you wanted to hang with the teenagers at midnight. The dining staff was efficient but didn't interact with us like i am used to with carnival. I never knew their names. Maybe a newer hal ship would have resulted in a better experience but i think i will stick with carnival. They have many more activities to choose from.

 

 

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hi--folks---how right you are----now we are senior--but----i never saw so many in one place---very depressing----and yes--no no music----and the pool area--was deserted most of the time--lovely ship---but definitely geared to the older in age and mind of certain folks--that is why we have had 57 cruises on carnival---with 3 more cruises--booked--happy sailing--irene and john-----2 young sailors---

[misssea]

I must ave missed where the disco is on the zaandam. The only parties they had for young folks was late at nigh in the Crow's nest. I loved it up there, in fact it was my favorite part of the ship but just because it had a dance floor doesn't mean it was a disco!

 

 

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[Tapi]

I love how you give your opinion on here and just because people don't agree, they have to be demeaning and rude.

 

Yes, it does happen on Cruise Critic. By the way, did you post your observations on the Holland America board as well? I'm curious about what kind of reception your thread received among Holland America fans.

[Tapi]

I must have missed where the disco is on the zaandam. The only parties they had for young folks was late at nigh in the Crow's nest. I loved it up there.

 

If the Zaandam is like the Westerdam, the night club is tucked behind the casino, with one entrance just around the lounge where cooking demonstrations are held and the other one in the back part of the casino. Unless you are actively looking for the night club, it is hard to miss.

 

I'm glad that the Crow's Nest was not transformed into a night club at night on the Westerdam. The fact that it was such a sophisticated and quiet retreat, day and night, made it one of my favorite spots during the entire cruise.

[Webecruzen]

We were on the Zandaam June 20th to Alaska followed by a week land tour to Anchorage, Denali, and Fairbanks. We are diamond on Carnival and loved our time on HAL. We found many different venues for live music. We loved the crows nest for happy hour specials. We enjoyed the many different offerings from digital photography editing to cooking demonstrations and wine tastings as well as educational talks. We found the buffet to be much better on HAL then Carnival with many more choices. I loved the table clothes during dinner in the buffet. We enjoyed meals in the MDR especially having the flaming deserts. The Steakhouse was excellent. My 15yo son still talks about how great the filet was. We found the casino empty with very little table game activity during our week onboard. But with the cost of a 2 week trip to Alaska there was very little in the budget to donate to the casino. On our sailing 80% of the passengers were either doing some sort of land package or a B2B cruise. We chose HAL over Carnival due to the land package and wanting to see Denali if we went to Alaska. We probably would not choose HAL for a 7 day Caribbean cruise but would definitely look at them for an itinerary that was not offered on Carnival in the future. We had a great room steward and every staff member we were in contact with were very friendly especially the captain.

[sjn911]

My folks two cruises were Hal and Disney...LOL..both to Alaska 20 years apart...Hal first. I hope I get my dad to cruise again with me..we lost mom last year one month after the Disney cruise...and Dad is still in the never cruising again mood because too sad..but he and we all have made one year now..just..so as we have done some same and new things with some joy..hope I get him to change mind...and maybe do a Pacific coast one south...for a change for him.

 

The Disney was a take the last and youngest grandchild on her 12 year old trip and was perfect for that and land experiences wonderful all planned through Disney. The Hal on an old ship was heaven then and a train land time added with the Lodge...both trips heaven for my folks...i think Princess or Holland are the best for Alaska but I have read wonderful Carnival reviews recently too. Do what your budget allows. You have to research where you want to get to..it is a HUGE VAST Place I have never seen yet but studied a long time as dad was there as a kid working. For me..I would love to be spoiled a little more in inside passage and Glacier Bay with hot chocolate/or on rare hot days a drink and the beauty and a little quieter ship..but again i have just read a great family review from Carnival there and they had great photos and a wonderful time..it is hard to beat the NW US and Canada and yes i am biased..LOL..sarah

 

The great Carnival review and photos...http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1894613.

[misssea]

FYI, there was nothing tucked in behind the very small casino on the zaandam. The deck plans show no nightclub anywhere period. There was plenty of live music but none of it appealed to me. I am more of an 80's, 90's person and there was none of that anywhere on the ship.

 

 

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[A2Mich]

FYI, there was nothing tucked in behind the very small casino on the zaandam. The deck plans show no nightclub anywhere period. There was plenty of live music but none of it appealed to me. I am more of an 80's, 90's person and there was none of that anywhere on the ship.

 

 

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Sure there was.........1880's and 1890's! J/K - I'm joking as I've never been on a HAL cruise, but Princess was similar on a 10 day southern Caribbean cruise. Maybe not to the extreme being described here, but definitely not the activity level we were expecting. On Carnival we night get run over by strollers, but on Princess we were run over by mobility scooters!

[NCTribeFan]

I must ave missed where the disco is on the zaandam. The only parties they had for young folks was late at nigh in the Crow's nest. I loved it up there, in fact it was my favorite part of the ship but just because it had a dance floor doesn't mean it was a disco!

 

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Yes, I was referring to the dance floor lounge in the Crow's Nest with a DJ = disco to me.

 

We also had a pop cover band that had a female lead singer. Personally, I can do without most 80s or 90s music.

 

It doesn't really matter to me what era it is as long as it's decent songs performed decently-well!

 

I just don't know what most people expect from the performers on cruise ships. It's always been my feeling that if anyone had any "real" talent, they wouldn't be working on a cruise ship!

 

Anyway, there was live music and there was a DJ with dance music late night. At least on my Hawaii cruise.

 

I expected an older crowd. Most of us working people just can't take 2-week cruises because, well, you know, we work and unless we want to use up all our vacation time at once, we tend to stick to shorted cruises. So, yes, a good amount of the folks on longer cruises are retired. This shouldn't be a surprise, either! :p

[halos]

Yes, I was referring to the dance floor lounge in the Crow's Nest with a DJ = disco to me.

 

We also had a pop cover band that had a female lead singer. Personally, I can do without most 80s or 90s music.

 

It doesn't really matter to me what era it is as long as it's decent songs performed decently-well!

 

I just don't know what most people expect from the performers on cruise ships. It's always been my feeling that if anyone had any "real" talent, they wouldn't be working on a cruise ship!

 

Anyway, there was live music and there was a DJ with dance music late night. At least on my Hawaii cruise.

 

I expected an older crowd. Most of us working people just can't take 2-week cruises because, well, you know, we work and unless we want to use up all our vacation time at once, we tend to stick to shorted cruises. So, yes, a good amount of the folks on longer cruises are retired. This shouldn't be a surprise, either! :p

"not much to do at night' perfectly describes my last CCL cruise (15 day itinerary)...so this would be no different than the HAL cruise described.

Our 15 night CCL cruise did have older people (for the reason you described) which was actually nice (as I am no longer young LOL) for a change, although I wouldn't like that all the time...I'd go bonkers.

I'd give HAL a try, but only if I went into the cruise needing total relaxation.

[Cruiser from MS]

We cruised Holland a couple of years ago and loved it. It was so much more relaxing and the food was really good, we only ate at the Lido buffet. My husband was a special needs passenger and believe me they really make sure those passengers have an enjoyable cruise. They have more balcony cabins for wheelchairs. My husband was allowed on the tender with his scooter. They do not push drinks as much as Carnival. Compared to my last Carnival cruise they allow you to keep your cabin much cooler than Carnival. I will definitely cruise Holland again, unfortunately it will be without my husband. He passed away last June.