Princess/HAL

[karinad]

I came here to ask this rather then HAL because I have cruised with Princess quite a few times but have never cruised on HAL. Currently we have a deposit on the Royal Princess for a transatlantic in Oct. We got a pretty good deal with a nice OBC. I would be happy to go on this one, however, dh isn't crazy about the sea days or a scared to be on the sea that long.

 

There is a nice cruise on the Oosterdam that does the Med. with only 2 sea days out of 12 days. Sounds a little exhausting with all the ports, but not a bad price and worth the money.

 

I've heard that HAL is a good cruise line but I'm still unsure of it. We've sailed on CCL, Celebrity, DCL, RCCL and NCL. When we cruise we look for good food and good entertainment with a variety of venues to choose from. We are in our early 60's, but having said that think in terms of age like the Rolling Stones. Dh plays in a rock band.

 

I'm hoping that there's some here that have cruised with both lines and can give some helpful opinions .

 

Thanks so much ahead of time!

[Coral]

I came here to ask this rather then HAL because I have cruised with Princess quite a few times but have never cruised on HAL. Currently we have a deposit on the Royal Princess for a transatlantic in Oct. We got a pretty good deal with a nice OBC. I would be happy to go on this one, however, dh isn't crazy about the sea days or a scared to be on the sea that long.

 

There is a nice cruise on the Oosterdam that does the Med. with only 2 sea days out of 12 days. Sounds a little exhausting with all the ports, but not a bad price and worth the money.

 

I've heard that HAL is a good cruise line but I'm still unsure of it. We've sailed on CCL, Celebrity, DCL, RCCL and NCL. When we cruise we look for good food and good entertainment with a variety of venues to choose from. We are in our early 60's, but having said that think in terms of age like the Rolling Stones. Dh plays in a rock band.

 

I'm hoping that there's some here that have cruised with both lines and can give some helpful opinions .

 

Thanks so much ahead of time!

 

I have cruised Carnival, Celebrity, RCCL, Princess, HAL and Crystal.

 

I have only been on HAL once and it was on the Oosterdam and I liked the ship a lot (colors were odd but you get used to it). I liked it better then the Grand Class ships. The layout was better.

 

I give the advantage to HAL for cabins. I must have had a deluxe inside cabin as it was huge with a large corner couch and I believe it also had a tub in it. Due to sound issues, I was moved to a balcony and that had a couch in it and also a tub in the bathroom.

 

I preferred the layout of the buffet. They also had stations where they would make items for you (stir fry, etc..). Dining room food was also good.

 

This was the only ship I have paid for the spa experience and am glad I did to have access to their warm pool and warming chairs.

 

Service was fine, food was fine. We had pretty good entertainment on my sailing, better than on any Princess ship that I have been on, but I think this may be an exception. We had Joel Mason who was an Elton John impersonator along with a former Olympic gymnast and a great comedian.

 

My only hesitation about sailing them again is that they have a more liberal smoking policy and people are allowed to smoke on their balcony (and other locations). This probably won't affect you with so many port days but it is worth pointing out if you are sensitive to this. I probably would choose this ship over the Royal due to having a real Royal Promenade and also the size of the ship is a size I prefer.

 

My HAL experience was positive. I would sail them again - I just wish they would change their smoking policy.

 

BTW - I sailed HAL in my 30's. It was early December. I have sailed Princess several times during that same time and the demographics were about the same. I did not feel that I was sailing with a bunch of "old people".

[Cindy]

 

There is a nice cruise on the Oosterdam that does the Med. with only 2 sea days out of 12 days. Sounds a little exhausting with all the ports, but not a bad price and worth the money.

 

I've heard that HAL is a good cruise line but I'm still unsure of it. We've sailed on CCL, Celebrity, DCL, RCCL and NCL. When we cruise we look for good food and good entertainment with a variety of venues to choose from. We are in our early 60's, but having said that think in terms of age like the Rolling Stones. Dh plays in a rock band.

 

I'm hoping that there's some here that have cruised with both lines and can give some helpful opinions .

 

Thanks so much ahead of time!

 

We've taken 2 HAL cruises. I think the food and service on HAL are both very good. Entertainment can be hit or miss, but if you take that Med itinerary evening entertainment probably won't be as important!

 

We just booked a HAL Med cruise for Spring of 2017, and chose it over Princess, Celebrity, and Azamara because it had (to us) the best combination of itinerary, price, and the exact cabin we wanted. The itinerary we chose has the positive of ending with an overnight in Venice. I struggled to find anything similar on a Princess itinerary. Our cruise is 12 nights with only one sea day!:eek: I'm sure mostly what I'll be doing in the evenings after dinner is sleeping!:p

 

Don't be put off by the (relatively speaking) smaller size of the ship. I agree with Coral...the HAL Vista ships are laid out better than the Grand class ships, and in the Med ports I think smaller is better.

[CruiserBruce]

Have been on 8 HAL cruises, with one booked and 5 Princess cruises. HAL wins. Food is better. Ships are better laid out. Entertainment is better on Princess, but not always. We went back to Princess after several HAL cruises...wasn't a good idea, other than for the itinerary we did.

[G&G]

I have been sailing on HAL for the past 30 years. Though it has changed a great deal I still sail on HAL but prefer Oceania and Celebrity; Oceania for the food and Celebrity for the entertainment.

 

The Oosterdam is a very nice ship. Food is good and ship is beautiful. Also prefer smaller ships. In fact I have booked a 21 day Caribbean cruise on the Oosterdam next Fall. As a prior CC posted the entertainment on HAL is hit or miss.

 

Six years ago I did the 10 ports in 12 days on the Emerald Princess in the Med. Great cruise but needed another vacation to recovery from all those tours :D !

[Cruise Junky]

We just booked a HAL Med cruise for Spring of 2017, and chose it over Princess, Celebrity, and Azamara because it had (to us) the best combination of itinerary, price, and the exact cabin we wanted. The itinerary we chose has the positive of ending with an overnight in Venice. I struggled to find anything similar on a Princess itinerary.

 

Just did the same thing but for September 2017. Couldn't find an itinerary anywhere close on other lines. Smokers put me off but you know what? we handled that for years on Princess before they outlawed it on balconies so we'll live. Funny you're already booked on a TA, so are we and doing the same debate on Sea Days. We'll keep both booked for a while as the TA is about $1,400 cheaper but I think we'll end up with HAL.

[Dietemann]

We really like HAL (are Elite on Princess). The only negative is they hold the Muster Drill outside on deck, but it's not too bad. The really positive (to us) is you can order room service breakfast on the morning of debarkation, and RS breakfast is more expansive than on Princess.

Even the Verandah cabins have a sofa, bathrooms mostly have tubs.

[Coral]

We really like HAL (are Elite on Princess). The only negative is they hold the Muster Drill outside on deck, but it's not too bad. The really positive (to us) is you can order room service breakfast on the morning of debarkation, and RS breakfast is more expansive than on Princess.

Even the Verandah cabins have a sofa, bathrooms mostly have tubs.

 

Not only that - they have an expanded room service menu and let you order the main dining room menu as room service.

[Coral]

Just did the same thing but for September 2017. Couldn't find an itinerary anywhere close on other lines. Smokers put me off but you know what? we handled that for years on Princess before they outlawed it on balconies so we'll live.

 

My only concern is most lines have done more to ban this so I wonder if those who do enjoy smoking on balcony have all flocked to HAL which still allows it - thus a higher concentration of it. Not sure if this is true. Though - on a very port intensive cruise, it really would not be an issue.

 

In the Med - I would definitely choose the better itinerary and smaller is better IMO.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Coral

[Cindy]

My only concern is most lines have done more to ban this so I wonder if those who do enjoy smoking on balcony have all flocked to HAL which still allows it - thus a higher concentration of it. Not sure if this is true. Though - on a very port intensive cruise, it really would not be an issue.

 

In the Med - I would definitely choose the better itinerary and smaller is better IMO.

 

 

I wish they'd ban balcony smoking, and who knows...maybe by 2017 they will. That said, I've had more issues with smoke in the casinos than on balconies, especially on lines where people use them as smoking lounges since their other options are so limited.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Coral]

I wish they'd ban balcony smoking, and who knows...maybe by 2017 they will. That said, I've had more issues with smoke in the casinos than on balconies, especially on lines where people use them as smoking lounges since their other options are so limited.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I hope they do also! I really like the layout of their ships, the size of their ships and they have some great itineraries! I also like their cabins. The inside cabin I had was really large and had a couch!

Edited February 3, 2016 by Coral

[Host Jazzbeau]

My only concern is most lines have done more to ban this so I wonder if those who do enjoy smoking on balcony have all flocked to HAL which still allows it - thus a higher concentration of it. Not sure if this is true. Though - on a very port intensive cruise, it really would not be an issue.

 

In the Med - I would definitely choose the better itinerary and smaller is better IMO.

 

I wish they'd ban balcony smoking, and who knows...maybe by 2017 they will. That said, I've had more issues with smoke in the casinos than on balconies, especially on lines where people use them as smoking lounges since their other options are so limited.

 

This is the only thing keeping us from trying HAL [i really like the layout of the HAL ships] and specifically directing us to Celebrity, which bans smoking even in the Casino [despite X's lack of promenade decks].

[karinad]

Wow, thanks for all the wonderful responses! I'm glad that they're all pretty positive. We're not smokers and going through the casinos is sometimes over whelming on any of the cruise lines. We always get a balcony and the one time it bothered us was there was a cigar smoker next door, but that was years ago. The smoking wouldn't be a deal breaker for us because it's hit or miss.

 

I'm also debating on 2 different decks on the Oosterdam. Deck 4 or 8. On 8 there's a cabin very aft and far away from the elevators. On 4 there's a few open forward and pretty close to the elevators. Usually we prefer an upper deck, but last year we had a Cove Balcony on CCL Dream and it was pretty convenient to everything and the elevators and stairs. It was much better then expected and less running around. That cabin was also forward but not way forward. Does anyone have thoughts on location?

[zelker]

Re: deck choice, you might want to look at what's below you on Deck 3 or above you on Deck 9 ... both are public spaces and might tend to generate more noise if you're sensitive to that.

Edited February 3, 2016 by zelker

[karinad]

Re: deck choice, you might want to look at what's below you on Deck 3 or above you on Deck 9 ... both are public spaces and might tend to generate more noise if you're sensitive to that.

 

Thanks! I did check the deck below 4 and it's the theater, above 4 (5) are cabins. For deck 8 there's a pool at the aft of the ship and a large deck. I don't know how that would be during the day, but at night I imagine that it would be quiet.

[sunnygidget]

One of things I do like about Holland vista ships are the covered pools. There are sliding roofs over the main pool. If the weather gets bad that space onboard is still useable, thus there is less crowding in public spaces inside. The Osterdam has a sliding roof.

We do enjoy the true promenade deck that goes all the way around the ship.

On the other hand, they do not have a do it yourself laundry on the vista class ships. Not important for a short trip.

[lmentzer]

Opinions are like....We have sailed Carnival, HAL and Princess, and by far our worst experience was on HAL. We cruised Carnival a number of times and thought the crowd was too young and too many kids. We did 14 days on HALs Westerdam, and while the cruise was great, a Panama Canal transit, the ship was terrible. The ship was in poor condition, the food was bland and repetitive, the crew was unfriendly, and the demographic of the passengerrs was average of 70+. We cruised 15 days on Princess, to Hawaii and back, and enjoyed it completely. Good food, great ship, friendly and efficient crew, and a great mix of young people, older folk, and not a ton of kids running amuck. Food was maybe a little better on Carnival, but not by much. I'm a smoker, so I liked being able to smoke on the balcony, but the smoking area on the Ruby was okay, and I can see how my smoking on the balcony can affect others, but all the whining about it gets old.

[sunsetbeachgal]

While Princess is our line of choice due to loyalty benefits, we have sailed on HAL three times in the last few years, all excellent experiences. We found HAL has great itineraries and often very good prices. For Europe, we chose based first on itinerary and secondly on price.

 

HAL to us is a bit more sedate, but there definitely is evening entertainment that we have enjoyed. The BB King Blues Club (not sure it that is on the Oosterdam) is excellent and we enjoy the piano bar. Their production shows aren't as good as Princess, IMHO. Food, we give a slight edge to Princess.

 

We have had balconies on two of our last HAL cruises and have never smelled a whiff of smoke, maybe we are lucky or maybe there are less smokers!

[cruisen JJ]

We have only been on one HAL cruise which was one too many. We were a group of 38 on board for a wedding. We had 1 suite, 17 balcony and 3 ocean view cabins for a 7 day cruise. Over half of our cabins didn't have any hot water for the entire trip, several of the cabins the water wouldn't drain when showering and you were left standing in water. There were cables of some sort under the carpets in the hallways making it very easy to twist your ankle. We had 6 tables in the dining room with different waiters - some were finished and leaving while others were on salad. The later tables weren't even offered dessert as they were getting ready for the 2nd seating. Our group didn't arrive late - they were just left sitting waiting for menus and orders to be taken. The meals were OK but no better than Princess or RCCL. The day of the wedding we went up a little early and no one knew there was even going to be a wedding that day. Their wedding planner - No communication. Cleaning staff did a poor job - my husband slipped on some grease on the deck and dislocated his shoulder. Their idea of an apology was 5 small chocolates. It took me speaking to 5 different people to get them to allow my husband in the dining room on formal night without a tie (his arm was in a sling and he couldn't tie it). I could continue but I won't. We were spoiled when we traveled on Sitmar, since then we've stayed with RCCL and Princess and have had no problems on any of our cruises.

[karinad]

I'm a little surprised with some of the negative things said about HAL only because I thought of them as a just very small step above Princess and a couple steps above CCL, NCL & RCCL. I can't say that I ever had a bad experience on these lines, but, IMO NCL's food is nothing to rave about and RCCL Explorer of the Seas needed some refurbishing especially in the cabins.

 

We're Platinum Members on Princess and you can't beat the benefits. We haven't cruised with them since 2009 only because the pricing was high for the itineraries we wanted.

 

I probably wouldn't have started this thread if Princess's comparable itinerary was close to HAL's. Although the TA one that I mentioned on Princess is at an affordable price, DH, as I said earlier, is a little afraid of crossing and being at sea for 6 days and the footage from the Anthem of the Seas doesn't help my case.

[fishin' musician]

Like your husband, I too continue to get my ya yas out (I'm in my late 50s). DW and I have done about 10 Princess cruises, 6 NCL, 6 RCL, 2 HAL, 1 X, and 1 CCL. HAL is very much like Princess, but with a slightly more sleepy vibe, and a few added years of age to the average passenger. We did the Nieuw Amsterdam and the Zuiderdam and compared to Princess I'd say the design throughout has a bit more of a nod toward elegance.

 

We greatly enjoyed a 12 day Eastern Mediterranean aboard the Crown Princess with only 2 sea days.

 

My thinking is if you enjoy the Princess experience you'll appreciate both the similarities and differences of HAL.

[karinad]

Like your husband' date=' I too continue to get my ya yas out (I'm in my late 50s). DW and I have done about 10 Princess cruises, 6 NCL, 6 RCL, 2 HAL, 1 X, and 1 CCL. HAL is very much like Princess, but with a slightly more sleepy vibe, and a few added years of age to the average passenger. We did the Nieuw Amsterdam and the Zuiderdam and compared to Princess I'd say the design throughout has a bit more of a nod toward elegance.

 

We greatly enjoyed a 12 day Eastern Mediterranean aboard the Crown Princess with only 2 sea days.

 

My thinking is if you enjoy the Princess experience you'll appreciate both the similarities and differences of HAL.[/quote']

 

Thanks! Good to get another opinion from cruisers of similar ages, likes, and cruise history backrounds. I can't say that I'm really concerned about "older" people then us, just crowding when there's wheelchairs or scooters involved with not enough elevators to accommodate them. We gladly take the stairs when we can. We get more concerned about kids running wild or bad behavior in the formal dining rooms. Believe it or not, when we were on the Disney Cruise with our special needs daughter who was 32 at the time (passed away in 2009) the children were very well behaved.

 

BTW, I just watched your video on youtube. That had to take some pretty hush-hush planning to keep your dw from finding out!

[Viesczy]

HAL and Princess are quality lines, and to me offer a very similar on cruising experience.

 

I think Princess has better entertainment than HAL, I think HAL has slightly better food.

 

That isn't to say HAL has prop comics (the bane of existence) and Princess has food fit for swine. Just that I find more to do/more varied choices on Princess for entertainment and tastier food on HAL.

 

They are the two lines we look to when we want a really good time that is going to a relaxation vacation and not a celebration inundation vacation.

 

If the lines were doing the exact same itinerary for the same price the deal seal would be if the cruise was on a Princess ship w Scoops. :o Milkshakes are good!

[fishin' musician]

 

BTW, I just watched your video on youtube. That had to take some pretty hush-hush planning to keep your dw from finding out!

 

It was a building, stressful period between booking in Feb. and sailing in June. DW's radar is always on... we did not tell friends and family. Not sure if I'd attempt it again. Her running joke on subsequent cruises, "So, when are the kids showing up?".

[OCruisers]

I came here to ask this rather then HAL because I have cruised with Princess quite a few times but have never cruised on HAL. Currently we have a deposit on the Royal Princess for a transatlantic in Oct. We got a pretty good deal with a nice OBC. I would be happy to go on this one, however, dh isn't crazy about the sea days or a scared to be on the sea that long.

 

There is a nice cruise on the Oosterdam that does the Med. with only 2 sea days out of 12 days. Sounds a little exhausting with all the ports, but not a bad price and worth the money.

 

I've heard that HAL is a good cruise line but I'm still unsure of it. We've sailed on CCL, Celebrity, DCL, RCCL and NCL. When we cruise we look for good food and good entertainment with a variety of venues to choose from. We are in our early 60's, but having said that think in terms of age like the Rolling Stones. Dh plays in a rock band.

I'm hoping that there's some here that have cruised with both lines and can give some helpful opinions .

 

Thanks so much ahead of time!

 

Princess is the best fit for us but always have enjoyed HAL for port intensive cruises. Nice to return to a quiet ship that goes to sleep early when it's an early day next.

 

If Rolling Stones type of music is of great importance to you, you won't find it on HAL. ;)