Princess vs Holland America

[JimmyVWine]

As of this post one can take 'unlimited', wine on board HAL, but Princess is now only one bottle per person, and pay $15.00 per bottle over the limit.

 

This will change on 1/31. HAL is switching to one bottle per adult at embarkation with no option to pay for extra bottles. That one bottle will be assessed a $20 corkage fee if consumed in a public area. In one month's time, Princess will assume a large advantage over HAL on this one issue.

[J-D]

...2) Princess has a 21st Century smoking policy. HAL is still stuck somewhere in the middle of the 20th Century.

 

Most importantly for us, HAL still allows smoking on verandahs. If this is important to you (one way or the other), that may be the overriding consideration between Princess and HAL, as it is for us.

 

John

[Tarpeian Rock]

I noticed that you - understandably - posted the same question on the HAL board, and I responded there, my "bottom line" being that I would sail on a Grand-class Princess ship in a heartbeat, but after 4 HAL cruises - which could be characterized as "declining by degrees" each year - we would have some pause about sailing HAL again unless the itinerary was compelling. After one Princess cruise I am hardly a Princess expert, but there were so many touches on the Grand Princess that made for a great 15-day experience that we were left with very positive feelings. We are not "show" people and tend to be quiet readers, so really can't comment on entertainment and activities; if these are important to you, others' comments in those areas need to be weighed.

 

The Grand's International Café and Alfredo's were highly enjoyable and offset what we thought were unappealing offerings in the Horizon Court at breakfast and lunch. We did most breakfasts in the MDR, and lunched in the Atrium. As I stated in my other post, we found dinner in the MDR really great, wonderful service, with food and presentation far better than our last two HAL experiences. We can't speak to how representative our experience on the Grand was to other Princess ships. The "quiet pool" at the stern - the area that used to be shaded by Skywalker's before it was removed - was our favorite outside spot and was a great space.

 

With friends, we experienced Ultimate Balcony Dining, and it was a fantastic experience, and I don't believe HAL has anything comparable. Good luck with your choice.

[RASHOPPER2]

We have sailed on many Princess cruises, but decided to try another line. So we went on a 7 day Holland America cruise on the Westerdam in December. To sum it up, we cannot wait to go back to Princess.

 

Our complaints: The ship was dark and dreary in décor. There was a dark maroon and dark blue color scheme. and heavy sculptures on each floor.

 

The food was poor, the portions small, and for a large period of time at night there was nothing open where you could get a snack. The service was poor, especially in the dining room. We would ask for a table for 2 at lunch and were told no tables for 2. I said fine, we will share but no more than 6 please. The head waiter sent us to a table for 10. The food service was also slow, and often everyone at the same table was not served at the same time.

 

We were totally surprised at the poor entertainment. With the exception of the classical musicians in Explorers, the talent was minimal. Said classical musicians were listed to perform until 10 PM, but often finished by 9.

 

Last but not least the use of glass drinking glasses in the Lido made for a dangerous situation. Often people would bring the glasses out to the pool deck. On our last day the pool was closed. We found out that someone had thrown a glass into the pool and it shattered. The pool had to be emptied and cleaned. Why they do not have plastic glasses in the Lido as Princess does in the Horizon Court is beyond reason? Oh yes - glasses. Iced tea was served in juice glasses. If you were thirsty you had to keep going back and back for more. And none of the staff in the Lido would ever ask if you needed something. It was strictly self service. Again: this does not happen in the Horizon Court on Princess.

 

My advise. Go with Princess for a far better cruise experience.

[jer_l]

We are three-star Mariners with HAL and have just completed our first Princess Cruise. I was quite impressed with the Golden Princess. Although the ship was larger than the HAL ships it did not seem crowded.

 

Here's my overall comparison of the two brands:

 

Cabins--HAL is a bit larger with better beds and a couch for seating. HAL bathrooms are larger to accommodate a tub; however, we prefer the showers on Princess. We definitely liked the closet set-up on Princess better.

 

Crew/staff--This is pretty much a toss-up. Both lines have great crews. I liked the dining room staff on HAL better, but other staff I would give a slight edge to Princess for their helpfulness and friendliness.

 

Entertainment--This varies from cruise to cruise. The entertainment on Princess was quite good. I have experienced both better and worse on HAL cruises.

 

FOOD

Buffet--HAL has a much better set-up, but we rarely visit the buffet.

Dining Room--Not much difference in food quality; however, unless you really like bread pudding Princess wins hands down in the dessert category.

Room Service--Much better choices on HAL; however, the International Cafe more than makes up for this. We loved having our (very) hot Earl Grey Tea from the IC every morning for breakfast. We eat a light breakfast and the choices in the IC were just right for us.

Specialty Restaurants--Here I think the edge definitely goes to HAL when comparing Crown Grill to Pinnacle Grill. Sabatinis ($25) is much better than Cannelettos ($10) in both service and food.

 

SHIPS

HAL has a distinct style which some may not understand. HAL owns an extensive collection of art and antiques which are part of each ship. What some may see as dark and heavy, others may see as Old World elegance. That said, I really appreciate the designs of both lines although they are quite different from one another.

 

OTHER

There is definitely more night life on Princess. We retire late and appreciated that on our recent Princess cruise.

[PunkiC]

We are primarily Princess cruisers but decided to give HAL a try after we retired for a cruise from Civitavecchia to Spain, Portugal and FLL.

 

The ship was beautiful and we loved the poached egg stations in the morning.

 

The pizza on HAL sucked. Sorry for my language, but it was really bad compared to Princess.

 

We really liked having a priest on board for daily and especially Sunday Masses.

 

The entertainment and activities were seriously lacking. DH, who doesn't care about bridge, was very bored during the afternoons.

 

Once HAL changed their wine policy, we wrote them off as a possible future cruise line.

[dorisis]

Most of the differences stated in the above posts seem to be minor. I have cruised both lines and find more similarities than differences. HAL provides a slightly more traditional cruise which may appeal more to seniors.

[sun~]

I have been on the Caribbean Princess and Crown Princess, the Zaandam, Maasdam, Eurodam x2, the Nieuw Amsterdam (next sailing Jan. 19th).

 

Princess's ships are much prettier, with nicely designed public areas. HAL's ships are dark and dreary, with dated decor. The newer HAL ships have some more modern furniture styles, bout overall, they are depressing ships.

 

I found that Princess has more bells and whistles, such as more pool areas, more amenities like a wine bar, and lively public areas like the atrium. The vibe was quite different than on the regular HAL cruises I have been on. The Princess ships may have seemed more crowded as people where out and about. On the two regular HAL cruises (Zaandam and Maasdam) it seemed less busy. However, it was probably due to the fact that many of the senior citizen passengers where either sleeping in their cabin during the day, sleeping in the library, sleeping on the promenade deck or playing bingo. No competition for deck chairs. Even my MIL with something like 500 sea days on HAL complained about the "old folks" on her last two Alaskan cruises (she is 82!).

 

I find the HAL ships bare bones and no frills.

 

The food isn't great on either, the speciality restaurants are hit and miss. Loved the Crown Grill (or whatever it was called) except for their obsession with asparagus with everything ;) love the PG on HAL, had two misses at Sabatini's, but the restaurant is gorgeous. Canaletto is meh, but the Tamarind is fab. Pizza on Princess is much, much better than on HAL.

 

I have been reading that the beds are being changed on Princess. That is really needed. The beds on HAL have been ok.

 

Crew is hard working on all if the ships we have been on. The management on HAL is absolutely horrible. Management will not acknowledge or solve issues on board. A couple of glitches I had on Princess weren't solved as well as the should have been on Princess either.

 

My last few cruises on HAL have been a full charter, so completely different crowd/demographic than any regular cruise.

 

So personally if I were Going on a regular cruise, I would choose Princess over HAL. Prettier ships, more amenities, MUTS.

Edited January 2, 2014 by sun~

[Donder1]

We have sailed on both.

 

My two cents:

 

I think that the beds and linens on HAL are superior to Princess. The ships are very nice and I like the fresh flowers, teak and brass on HAL. Also, their deck furniture is extremely nice! I also think that their ship sponsored tours are better in terms of choices and service.

 

Food is about equal in my opinion. I think both do a great job with food and beverages.

 

That said, Princess has it all over HAL in terms of entertainment and night life.

 

I'd sail HAL again, for sure.

 

I always consider the itinerary, cost and age of ship. I like the newer ships but sailed on the Grand to Alaska last September and it was in great shape.

[Mom33]

We have one cruise with Holland America and we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise.

When we were researching a cruise of the Panama Canal, our first choice was HAL, but Princess had an itinerary more to our liking. Our travel agent felt we would be just as happy with Princess as HAL, and she was right.

 

Many Princess cruises later, we feel very comfortable with the Princess product. We cruise mainly for the itinerary and Princess has the ports we want each time we pick a cruise, so we pretty much have stayed with Princess.

 

We would not hesitate to sail HAL if it had a better itinerary for us.:D

[eandj]

When comparing any ships and cruiselines, if you subtract the purely subjective points of food taste, style of ship ( chrome,neon vs traditional wood and brass) and itinerary stops...I think especially with Princess, HAL and Celebrity, they line up pretty even. Eash has its pros and cons. We all tend to look at and compare the things we subjectively find important when we cruise. I think basic differences that EVERYONE can see/feel/experience like Pam mentions in her accounting are the most helpful. That's why I won't rec. just one line or ship. What I find boring in entertainment, tasteless in dinners, or lacking the ambiance I feel most comfortable in, might be exactly what my neighbor loves. ;) So I say try a new ship/line when the mood strikes you.

 

Heavens, I'd be scared to cruise any line if I took seriously some of the complaints on ships I have read.:D

[swedish weave]

I have sailed both lines and my preferences boil down to one item.

 

For a unique itinerary I will choose HAL

For a cruise to enjoy I will choose Princess

[Pam in CA]

I think that the beds and linens on HAL are superior to Princess. The ships are very nice and I like the fresh flowers, teak and brass on HAL. Also, their deck furniture is extremely nice! I also think that their ship sponsored tours are better in terms of choices and service.

This is where it gets a bit subjective and perhaps inaccurate if time has passed. The Princess pillowtop mattresses are, IMHO, much better than HAL's. If you haven't been on a Princess ship recently, then you haven't experienced the mattresses. :)

 

I agree about the flowers in the public areas. They are gorgeous on HAL. Princess has flowers but they're not in the same class.

 

And, the loungers and balcony furniture on HAL are much nicer and more comfortable than Princess. I'm booking only oceanviews and insides now on Princess because the furniture is so uncomfortable that it's not worth paying for the balcony. :(

[arrice2]

Smoking

[OCruisers]

[quote=swedish weave;41132371

For a unique itinerary I will choose HAL

For a cruise to enjoy I will choose Princess

 

Agree with you very much!

 

We've been on four HAL cruises and enjoyed them because of the itineraries.

No HAL bashing from me.

 

Lots of Princess cruises because Princess is the best fit for us. :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[eandj]

I have sailed both lines and my preferences boil down to one item.

 

For a unique itinerary I will choose HAL

For a cruise to enjoy I will choose Princess

 

Hmmm...Can't you enjoy a cruise on HAL with a unique itinerary? Not sure what this means.:o

[swedish weave]

Hmmm...Can't you enjoy a cruise on HAL with a unique itinerary? Not sure what this means.:o

 

Please try to understand my post by re-reading what I said. Nothing negative from me, these are my preferences.... or are you just trying to argue with somebody ???

[JimmyVWine]

Please try to understand my post by re-reading what I said. Nothing negative from me, these are my preferences.... or are you just trying to argue with somebody ???

I don't think that's argumentative. I'm struggling a bit with it myself. You have set up a binary test where cruises are either ones with unique itineraries or ones that are enjoyable, implying that they are mutually exclusive. I think I understand exactly what you mean by a cruise with a unique itinerary. But for the life of me, I cannot discern what an "enjoyable" cruise is. Do you mean one where you just float about and the ports of call are not really the sine qua non of the vacation? If so, then I get it. If not, then I'm lost.

[swedish weave]

I don't think that's argumentative. I'm struggling a bit with it myself. You have set up a binary test where cruises are either ones with unique itineraries or ones that are enjoyable, implying that they are mutually exclusive. I think I understand exactly what you mean by a cruise with a unique itinerary. But for the life of me, I cannot discern what an "enjoyable" cruise is. Do you mean one where you just float about and the ports of call are not really the sine qua non of the vacation? If so, then I get it. If not, then I'm lost.

 

Perhaps you could better understand the meaning if said I would choose Princess if the itineraries of both lines were the same.

[JimmyVWine]

Perhaps you could better understand the meaning if said I would choose Princess if the itineraries of both lines were the same.

That part makes sense.

[CI66774]

Please try to understand my post by re-reading what I said. Nothing negative from me, these are my preferences.... or are you just trying to argue with somebody ???

 

I understood what you were trying to convey. :)

[Pam in CA]

I understood what you were trying to convey. :)

I understood it, too, and generally agree.

[aquaseas]

I haven't sailed on Holland America for 4 years, so there may have been some changes. I sailed on the Eurodam (when I was 50-ish), where the average age was about my parent's age. My parents said that that particular ship had the youngest crowd of any of the HAL ships they had sailed on (and they had done a lot of them.)

 

My last 3 cruises have been on Princess. I think the Eurodam was more elegant, with fresh flower arrangements around the ship, Dutch antiques scattered about, and orchids on the tables in the buffet.

 

I love to hang out in piano bars, and an advantage of the Eurodam is that it has a self-contained piano bar. We had a group of regulars who met there every night. The pianist was great, took requests, and we sang together and had real fun. This was the most fun I've had on any cruise. On Princess ships, the piano bar is open concept, opening out onto the middle of the atrium. The is not a club atmosphere. The 3 pianists I've encountered have had their own agendas, more performing than letting people sing and have fun.

 

The afternoon tea on HAL was a splendid affair. It was served in a buffet line in a dining room. There were massive tables of pastries, tea sandwiches, and scones. The tables were decorated carved fruits and ice sculptures. Hoards of people were taking pictures and taking tea. Tea is much more low key on Princess. Patrons are seated in the dining room, and waiters pass trays of scones, tea sandwiches, and pastries. I can't remember any noticeable differences in the food.

 

HAL had a better selection of desserts in the dining room. There were more adventurous choices every night. Princess seems to be stuck with creme brulee, cheese cake, and the usual suspects night after night. I found that going to the buffet line later in the evening we could find things like Black Forest Cake.

 

One reason I keep going back to Princess (besides the Fettucini Alfredo on the menu every night as an appetizer) is the piazza and the International Cafe. There is always something going on there.

 

HAL and Princess both have advantages. My next cruise is in 20 days, and it is on the Crown Princess.

 

btw, I think Celebrity is awesome, but their Caribbean cruises do not have a private island, and the private island day really "makes" the cruise for me.

[TracieABD]

I just got off of a Holland Cruise (3 days ago). I am Platinum on Princess. There are things about both lines that I enjoy, but I have to say, I noticed a great deal of slippage in the area of service on this HAL cruise. I was on the Star in January and it was the best service I have ever received.

 

I am pretty sure my next cruise (after this NCL in a week) will be on Princess. :)

[eandj]

Please try to understand my post by re-reading what I said. Nothing negative from me, these are my preferences.... or are you just trying to argue with somebody ???

 

Um..no not arguing. :rolleyes: Just trying to comprehend what you were saying. I didn't have to reread your words. Initially you contrasted a cruiseline with a unique itinerary to a cruiseline that you enjoy.

 

Thank you for clarifying what you meant to say.;)