New to HAL - need cabin comparison/advice

[KCSungirl]

It's good to be back on the boards. I have been away too long.

 

I am a veteran cruiser, but first time with HAL. Cruising the Med on the Noordam.

 

Question - The aft facing balcony cabins and the suite guarantee cabins are the same price. I don't care about size of the cabin, only amenities. Not knowing anything about HAL, I am trying to figure out if I should choose my BELOVED aft facing cabin or give up the view for a suite. I have never cruised in a suite, only mini-suites on Princess.

 

Will I find HAL to be similar to Celebrity and Princess? I want my expectations to be set correctly as to avoid any shock or disappointment. Is HAL still an elderly crowd or that an old stereotype?

 

Thanks for any feedback you can offer me. Sungirl

[mame42]

It's good to be back on the boards. I have been away too long.

 

I am a veteran cruiser, but first time with HAL. Cruising the Med on the Noordam.

 

Question - The aft facing balcony cabins and the suite guarantee cabins are the same price. I don't care about size of the cabin, only amenities. Not knowing anything about HAL, I am trying to figure out if I should choose my BELOVED aft facing cabin or give up the view for a suite. I have never cruised in a suite, only mini-suites on Princess.

 

Will I find HAL to be similar to Celebrity and Princess? I want my expectations to be set correctly as to avoid any shock or disappointment. Is HAL still an elderly crowd or that an old stereotype?

 

Thanks for any feedback you can offer me. Sungirl

 

Define elderly. On my Westerdam cruise I met a 92 year old, experienced (think African safaris), sophisticated solo traveler who with her well worn trekking stick put us all to shame with her energy and enthusiasm for new adventures.

[mame42]

It's good to be back on the boards. I have been away too long.

 

I am a veteran cruiser, but first time with HAL. Cruising the Med on the Noordam.

 

Question - The aft facing balcony cabins and the suite guarantee cabins are the same price. I don't care about size of the cabin, only amenities. Not knowing anything about HAL, I am trying to figure out if I should choose my BELOVED aft facing cabin or give up the view for a suite. I have never cruised in a suite, only mini-suites on Princess.

 

Will I find HAL to be similar to Celebrity and Princess? I want my expectations to be set correctly as to avoid any shock or disappointment. Is HAL still an elderly crowd or that an old stereotype?

 

Thanks for any feedback you can offer me. Sungirl

 

Define elderly. On my Westerdam cruise I met a 92 year old, experienced (think African safaris), sophisticated solo traveler who with her sturdy, well worn trekking stick put us all to shame with her energy and enthusiasm for new adventures.

[Linda&Vern]

Define elderly. On my Westerdam cruise I met a 92 year old, experienced (think African safaris), sophisticated solo traveler who with her well worn trekking stick put us all to shame with her energy and enthusiasm for new adventures.

On my Westerdam cruise last year I felt old at barely over 60. It was a younger crowd on the Caribbean itinerary.

[KCSungirl]

mame42 - I prefer an older crowd! No problem getting loungers at the pool!! It was more a curiousity question than anything. I am way more afraid of children than I am seniors. ;-)

I am well traveled, so I like to hang with the well- traveled. Definitely the ACTIVE over 55 crowd. I say 55, because that's how old I need to be to get in my dream retirement community.

 

Best, Sungirl

[Mary Ellen]

I've been cruising on HAL since I was in my 20s. I'm a 4* Mariner with HAL. Only on one cruise during the decades since would I describe the other passengers as "elderly". So much for that sterotype. While I haven't sailed on X, I've cruised on HAL and Princess. No discernable age difference.

 

The HAL website does a very accurate job of listed the amenities that come with booking a suite.

[KCSungirl]

Ok, took the aft facing balcony. Something seems romantic about that in the Med. Now on to other questions like PORTS!

 

I will go to the ports of call, but if anyone has a rec that I shouldn't miss, let me know.

 

Florence, Pisa, and Cinque Terra, and Portofino are on my pre-cruise land tour plans

 

Marseille is my biggest question. Which village in Provence? Monte Carlo - How is the day best spent? Nice? Cannes? St. Tropez? Antibes? Coastal activities preferred.

 

I got a drink package for drinks under $7. Is wine under $7? is any liquor under $7?

 

It's been a year since I have cruised and I need to get my groove back

 

Ciao, Sungirl

[sunsetbeachgal]

Hey old friend!! :)

 

Great to see you back on the boards! We had to branch out of Princess same old, same old itineraries and did an HAL cruise in November on the Eurodam, and just booked one for Northern Europe on the Prinsendam so am doing my research now too.

 

HAL is fairly similar to Princess in terms of food,service levels, etc. The ship decor is much more subdued and clientele a little older, but then so are we!! We find the cabins to be well designed. The Med. Is much more about the ports than the ship...long days touring then back for a shower, drink, dinner, then most days we were to bed early. No problem getting a lounger, but assume you don't have many sea days?

 

Sounds like you are covering some great places on land...let me know your sailing date and I will take a look at the ports to see if I can help..we have done several Med. Cruises including one last summer with family...priceless!

 

Carole

Edited April 13, 2014 by sunsetbeachgal

[SeagoingMom]

No discernable age difference.

 

Big age difference, in my experience -- maybe 3 children aboard HAL. Lots of families with children on Princess. Obviously, we have all experienced different cruises of different lengths and different times of the year, and our individual personal experiences do not a pattern make.

 

I have never looked, but I wonder if there are not actual statistics published online somewhere that describe average ages (or better yet, age distributions) of cruise passengers by line, ship, itinerary, time of year, etc... Certainly someone in business development on the cruise lines has access to this market research. Maybe it is just not made public?

[KCSungirl]

Ms Carole, I forgot you were still on the boards. You are an active cruiser. I love seeing you on FB. I am so "rusty" on my cruising. (you saw my photo of Rusty on FB!) Now that I have taken to doing stupid videos on my FB travel page, I might be boring with a LIVE thread ;-)

 

Ok Ports

 

Naples - been before, want to take ferry to Capri I think

Palermo - know nothing

La Goulette - know nothing

Florence - doing this pre cruise, want a Tuscany tour to Arezza and Cortona

Calvi, Corsica - know nothing

Monte Carlo- Need advice for nice coastal activities, scenic drives, posh people watching

Marseille - Need advice - which villages in Provence

Barcelona - I'm thinking about the HOHO bus. That is my favorite form of transportation in any city!

 

I need to hunt all of my CC friends down and tell them to check out my Facebook page

 

Fungirl Across America and Beyond

 

Write me when time permits. Love Ya, Sungirl/Fungirl

[POA1]

I got a drink package for drinks under $7. Is wine under $7? is any liquor under $7?

 

We researched the heck out of the Signature Beverage Package. If you refer to post #351 in this thread, "

Wines and corkage and bars, Oh my! (Signature Beverage Pkg, Beverage Cards & Corkage), " there's a pretty good chance we answered any questions you might have. Hopefully the link below will drop you right into the thread at the index post.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=42154126

[Floridastorm]

Getting around is easy. The two, combined, are about the size of Central Park in NYC. Maybe just a little bigger. There are basically two public bus routes, Line 1 and Line 2, for tourists that cover every inch of Monaco/MonteCarlo. Easiest way to get around and they also act as site seeing vehicles. I think that both of the bus routes stop at the port and the central train station. Monaco/Monte Carlo, including their public transportation, is the cleanest and most organized city in Europe.

 

http://www.cam.mc/plan-reseau.php

[Yankee Couple]

I found Monte Carlo has a Hop on / Hop off...

Stops right at the Cruise Ship Dock:

Monaco le Grand Tour

http://monacolegrandtour.com/en/

 

Going to try it when we are there.

[Mary Ellen]

Big age difference, in my experience -- maybe 3 children aboard HAL. Lots of families with children on Princess. Obviously, we have all experienced different cruises of different lengths and different times of the year, and our individual personal experiences do not a pattern make.

 

I have never looked, but I wonder if there are not actual statistics published online somewhere that describe average ages (or better yet, age distributions) of cruise passengers by line, ship, itinerary, time of year, etc... Certainly someone in business development on the cruise lines has access to this market research. Maybe it is just not made public?

This poster is 'someone in the know' and backs up my experiences on HAL and Princess - no discernible age difference.

 

From the Princess forum:

For the past 8 consecutive years the average passenger on the Princess Fleet, worldwide, year round, is 58 years old.

 

For the past 7 consecutive years the average passenger on the Holland America Fleet, worldwide, year round, is 57 years old.

[KCSungirl]

On two weeks notice, I am frantically trying to figure out the itinerary - shore excursions, clothing, etc. I will hopefully be able to post a "Live" thread since the Med season is just now getting started. I hope I can help others. Sungirl

[SeagoingMom]

This poster is 'someone in the know' and backs up my experiences on HAL and Princess - no discernible age difference.

 

From the Princess forum:

Originally Posted by BruceMuzz

For the past 8 consecutive years the average passenger on the Princess Fleet, worldwide, year round, is 58 years old.

 

For the past 7 consecutive years the average passenger on the Holland America Fleet, worldwide, year round, is 57 years old.

 

Interesting! I guess I'll have to get with Bruce and find out where he got his statistics. I haven't been sailing with Princess and HAL for the past consecutive 7 or 8 years, so I did not discern the absence of difference.

[Mary Ellen]

Interesting! I guess I'll have to get with Bruce and find out where he got his statistics. I haven't been sailing with Princess and HAL for the past consecutive 7 or 8 years, so I did not discern the absence of difference.

Like I said, someone in the know.

I have managed 27 different cruise ships for 11 different cruise lines on 1,451 cruises (not days) over the past 37 years. [clip]