Can an RCL cruiser give me their thoughts on Holland?

[Truluv]

I have been cruising with RCL for years - widow, mid-60s. In fact, I will be on Oasis later this year. A kid has surprised me with a Holland Oosterdam cruise to AK for Mother's Day (It will be fun to cruise with that kid, and I'm thrilled to go back to Sitka since spouse & I renewed vows there almost 20 years ago). I've been trying to get info on Holland from ship reviews and the Holland Board, but the people on their Board aren't as friendly as RCL cruisers. They just point to their 85+ page newbie thread and tell people to go find their answers there.

 

So, if you've cruised with both lines, what did you think? I've gathered that Holland passenger demographics are much older, the ships are smaller (returning to a 1,900 passenger ship wlll be a big change after the mega ships!) and entertainment is much quieter. But are cabins as comfortable or much smaller? How does food compare? Any tips?

 

(Apologies for the typo in the caption - I hit "post" too quickly!)

[Wanna Be Retired]

I have been on Holland Westerdam twice. I enjoyed it and could not tell you any complaints. The ship was on the darker side and a little more geared towards older people I think. In their buffet they would not allow you to get your own food the first couple of days to make sure no one was sick. You just told the staff what you wanted and they put the food on the plate and handed it back to you.

 

The first time I stepped on a Royal Ship, I was surprised by the lights and had a sudden urge to get back off the ship. I got used to how bright everything was in a few minutes and then I loved it!

 

There was more stuff to do on Royal, but Holland had tons of interesting seminars. Holland had an indoor movie theater that I wish Royal had. Holland had these awesome sail away parties and Royal has not had them on the sailings I have been on. When we left on Holland there was music blasting and food on the deck with all of these bartenders serving drinks while you left the port. I left out of Rome on one and Fort Lauderdale on the other and both times I was so excited that we were sailing away. With Royal I have mostly left while it rains and that could be the problem but the one time it didn't all we got was a football game on the big screen television.

[celticduchess]

I usually cruise on HAL but they didn't have the dates available for our next cruise. I have also been on Explorer several years ago.

As far as HAL goes I love their service and the Westerdam. I have only had 1 bad waiter, but our wine steward made up for it. The ships are smaller, but there is a relaxed feeling. I am in my 30's and the demographic is older than on most lines, but from what I have been told AK is not as much the case. The food was wonderful at the buffet and dining room. They truly are hidden gems and for the price they can't be beat. I have been on different lines and I love HAL and Disney the most. I have an upcoming cruise on Rhapsody so I like to see how they compare. It all depends on what the person is looking for. You will not find the rushed/adventure style there. FYI at the time my parents did an AK cruise on HAL they said they open the bow for pics and they have wildlife guides on the bow to answer questions. That was a couple years ago.

 

 

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[msmayor]

I have sailed on Freedom of the Seas twice and Serenade of the Seas...also on HAL's Veendam, Westerdam and next Sunday leave on the Zuiderdam.

 

I truly enjoy RCL...but HAL would be my first choice. I absolutely love that their ships seem more 'classic', I love the size and find more activities that my husband and I enjoy both together and separately on HAL.

 

The things we love to do on HAL:

 

1. Cooking demonstrations in a 'real' kitchen set up with samples (we went to a demo on Freedom and it was at the tables in Sorrento's...hard to see, and no samples

2. Sip and Savor each evening around 5pm...usually held in one of the bars, its a $5 glass of wine paired with an appetizer described by one of the staff, and usually you get a recipe card. A nice short afternoon break

3. Regular movie theater on board with a lot of variety...my husband likes to hit the theater while I head to the spa

4. Promenade for walking in the morning that is lower on the ship...so easier to walk when the weather is misty or windy (RCL's is usually up top, deck 11-12, and on breezy mornings it can be HARD to get our walk in

5. We find the staff on HAL to be better than RCL...I'm not sure why, perhaps its the way they are trained (HAL has a major training facility in Indonesia for consistency while I think RCL does a lot of 'on-ship' training...we noticed that on Serenade with a lot of new staff that were learning their jobs)

6. We find the bar staff remembers us better on HAL...we always find 'our spot' at the beginning of a cruise and will regularly stop for refreshments each evening before dinner. More often than not, by day 3 the HAL staff has not only known our names but our preferences. I've also been offered more 'taste this'...a new drink sample...on HAL than on RCL

7. Half Moon Cay...its the prettiest slice of beach and beats Labadee every day of the week.

 

We'll still continue to book with RCL as we love the Freedom and Radiance class ships (Freedom is as big as I want to go), but HAL has some wonderful itineraries and we love their ships a little bit more.

[kawagama]

We did our very first ever cruise last year (May) with HAL to Alaska. We were on the Noordam and quite enjoyed it. We had a balcony stateroom which was very comfortable and our cabin stewards were great. We are in our early 60s. Haven't yet done a cruise with RCI, but are booked for October.

 

From what I gather, some of the differences are in things to do. We had several sea days on our cruise and found those a little long. I guess we just didn't take advantage of all the talks and demonstrations on board the ship. There certainly was a long list, however! We enjoyed the food quite a bit. The portions in the MDR were not large, but certainly adequate. And if you have a large appetite, you can certainly order more. The buffet was great too--lots of different stations, always something to choose. Sometimes, getting a seat in the LIDO was tricky, but we always managed to find two. We did Open Seating dining and enjoyed the company of many different folks from all over. The Noordam holds approximately 1900 guests and while that is a smaller ship, we basically never saw the same people twice at dinner! Or anywhere else! So certainly large enough for us.

 

The one thing about HAL is that they do let people smoke on the balconies (unless they've finally changed that) and you cannot bring your own wine anywhere on the ship without paying a corkage fee. You can only drink it in your own stateroom--something which we found quite annoying. I am looking forward to bringing my own glass of wine to dinner on our RCI cruise.

 

Getting on in Vancouver was long and tiring. I guess we went at the wrong time (when everyone else did!) and ended up waiting in several long lines--one for immigration and security and the other to get checked in. Later we found out that some people through this process had been given the chance to sit down for part of the wait--something we couldn't do. However, they did have stewards wandering around with glasses of lemonade and cookies.

 

We enjoyed the cruise. The boat was very clean, lots of hand sanitizers everywhere, comfortable rooms (and beds), and plenty to do without going over the top.

[LorraineP]

Prefer Holland over RCL but because of cost of flying, plus hotel night before and weight restrictions on luggage we are finding that now we cruise on RCL out of Cape Liberty or Baltimore thereby eliminating all of the above. On Holland for past passengers on embarkment day you can eat in main dining room, on last day you can wait in your stateroom or on your balcony until your number is called, when getting on ship first day you are greeted with servers in red Philip Morris bellhop attire with white gloves handing out champagne and welcoming you and when getting off ship last day a group of crew members are there wishing you safe travels. These are just a few examples.

[Tapi]

We took our first Holland America cruise aboard the Westerdam to Alaska a few years ago. Here are my thoughts:

 

- The overall experience feels much more traditional, somewhat like the days of cruising before all the modern forms of entertainment and technology started being implemented. No rock climbing walls, zip lines, ice skating rinks, carousels, water slides, 4D simulators, etc, etc.

 

- What will set HAL apart from RCL will be in the small details. Look for fresh flowers throughout the ship, white gloved service, room service delivered in real china, throw blankets for use in your balcony, the quality of linens, the multi million dollar art collection throughout the ship, the very restrained use of public announcements, the delivery of your laundry folded in a basket, wrapped in tissue with a gold seal, and the much stricter adherence to etiquette and protocol at the main dining room among others.

 

- I was a bit concerned about sailing on a considerably smaller ship, specially after experiencing ships almost 3 times her size, but that was truly not an issue. The size was more than adequate plus we quickly learned that on an Alaska itinerary, the ship takes second place to the wonderful itinerary. Interestingly, I was a bit bummed because I wanted to visit Skagway, but our itinerary went to Sitka instead. Turns out that Sitka was one of our favorite stops and one of the highlights of the cruise!

 

- The ship overall does feel much more enclosed and gloomy. In addition to the lack of openness, our ship was decorated in darker colors. The main atrium is very small and somewhat dark. The art collection throughout the ship, while a highlight on HAL ships, was something that I had a hard time appreciating and left me scratching my head more than once. They do offer a tour which explains the different pieces throughout the ship which would've probably made me more appreciative of what I was looking at.

 

- The ship has some fantastic venues though, including the Crow's Nest which is a wraparound lounge located all the way forward and which is excellent to enjoy the views. The lounge is adjacent to a full library sponsored by The NY Times which was a neat spot to relax. They even had a big communal jigsaw puzzle which took shape little by little as the week went by.

 

The Greenhouse Spa was one of our favorite spots to relax. It had various steam rooms, heated tile loungers with floor to ceiling windows, and one of the largest thalassotherapy pools that we've seen. We purchased a week pass which was well worth it. Nothing more relaxing than watching the amazing scenery from a heated lounger after a long day of sightseeing.

 

The main pool had a considerably different feel than main pools on Royal. It's a quiet place to relax. Except for an ocasional activity or deck party, this part of the ship remains blissfully quiet the rest of the time. It's covered with a glass roof which is great in colder temperatures, but even in Alaska, it was opened a few times when the temperatures climbed above 60 degrees. It was neat sitting in a hot tub while watching snow covered mountains go by.

 

- The staterooms are more generous in size than on Royal. We had a balcony stateroom and it was very enjoyable. The beds were comfortable with higher quality linens (as mentioned before). We had plenty of storage (even for our family of 4 which included two small children). There was a sitting area with a sofa and we still had plenty of room for a pack and play (something that had been a bit more challenging when we sailed on Royal before). The balcony was large. We also traveled with family members in other categories, including standard oceanview staterooms and signature suites and those were nicely appointed and generously sized as well. You can also order from the entire main dining room menu for room service.

 

- Entertainment was a bit lackluster. While they did have some excellent entertainers, including a string quartet that would make everyone stop and watch as well as other talented musicians, the main theater entertainment was disappointing. On our particular sailing, they kept hyping up a particular magician that would be performing later in the week. The way that he was advertised made it felt as if David Copperfield himself would be performing and would make the entire ship disappear! When the day finally came, the magician just did card and pennies tricks as well as cutting the girl in a box in half. What was supposed to be the highlight in entertainment for the week turned into the biggest letdown.

 

- HAL does indeed cater to an older, more traveled, and slower paced clientele which has an appreciation for things like lectures, culinary demonstrations (the ship has its own culinary center), as well as the before mentioned art collection and library. However, on our particular sailing the average age was younger. On these weeklong summer cruises from a US port, HAL attracts more families and younger couples. The demographics seemed closer to what we've experienced on Royal and even Carnival. But still, we came across many seniors, some which seemed almost insulted that we had dared to bring small children on their beloved cruise line. It's my understanding though that HAL is trying to attract a younger demographic with their newer ships including better children's facilities and family sized staterooms.

 

I'm sure that I can keep writing but I hope that I've written enough to give you a realistic idea of what the differences are. Personally, I think that the cruise was wonderful (more for the itinerary than the ship) and we came back with some of the most cherished memories of all of our travels. But I think that I'm not quite ready for what HAL has to offer (I'm in my 40's, raising a young and energetic family) but maybe in the future I'll be more appreciative and will sail on them again. My parents (who are in their 70's) absolutely loved the cruise (my mother is the one who pointed out the little details that made a difference and that I couldn't quite pinpoint). No matter what, enjoy they cruise!

 

 

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Edited March 11, 2017 by Tapi

[Truluv]

Thank you all for the very helpful comments! I'm definitely looking forward to trying HAL now! It might end up being my new favorite cruise line now that I'm in my 60s.

 

I had noticed a few comments about unfriendliness towards kids in a few of the HAL reviews. Even on the HAL board, someone asked about bringing a kid who was younger than the specified age limit on an excursion. While the majority of responses were polite, there were also a few angry postings about children spoiling the excursion for everyone else. (I better remind my 28 yr old to watch his manners! Then again, since he's giving me this trip as a present, maybe he can have as many temper tantrums as he wants LOL.)

Edited March 11, 2017 by Truluv

[George C]

Our last 4 and next 2 cruise are RCCL, but did 4 HAL cruises just before that (we cruise once or twice a year), ships are smaller, yes older group of passengers but not that old. My biggest complaint is entertainment or lack of , that and everything other than casino is shutdown by midnight or before. No big difference on food, there pay restaurant Pinnacle is much nicer and better food than RCCL Chops. I think its good to change lines and we would do Hal again.

[Spunky946]

We've taken our children on three Holland America cruise, including Alaska and we've all loved it.

 

They were 10 and 6 in Alaska and still talk about it and going back. If you are going to glacier bay, they will bring on several park rangers and they give amazing information. If you are going to Ketchikan you should do the Bering fisherman tour. They are fantastic and it was awesome, we've done two Caribbean cruises and are doing another over Christmas this year. It's calmer and less frenetic, which is what we love.

 

 

Thank you all for the very helpful comments! I'm definitely looking forward to trying HAL now! It might end up being my new favorite cruise line now that I'm in my 60s.

 

I had noticed a few comments about unfriendliness towards kids in a few of the HAL reviews. Even on the HAL board, someone asked about bringing a kid who was younger than the specified age limit on an excursion. While the majority of responses were polite, there were also a few angry postings about children spoiling the excursion for everyone else. (I better remind my 28 yr old to watch his manners! Then again, since he's giving me this trip as a present, maybe he can have as many temper tantrums as he wants LOL.)

[BermudaBound2014]

I've sailed both, multiple times. For me, HAL would be my preference for an Alaska cruise simply because the itinerary is a bit more subdued to match the activities on the ship. Flow rider replaced by lectures on ports, etc... I believe the zuiderdam is a sister to the Oosterdam? If so, I very much enjoyed the zuiderdam thermal spa set up and think that will lend itself beautifully to an Alaska cruise. I also love Sitka!! You raised your son well :). Enjoy!

[Scallywag703]

I was on the Koningsdam in Norway last year and the ship was much brighter and had more food and entertainment venues than previous ships. In some ways looked like Celebrity, especially around the 2-level pool area, though much of the ship retained the classic Holland look. I've heard that many of the repeat cruisers don't like the "new-fangled" look and amenities of the ship, but cruisers on our sailing loved it.

 

My first Holland America cruise was part of an Alaska cruisetour about 20 years ago and I remember that in Alaska then they didn't want kids under 15. Now of course everyone has kids-oriented shore excursions. I would say it's not the most kid-friendly cruise line, so are there "get off my lawn" type cruisers there? Sure. But not everyone by any means. Lots of kids on the Koningsdam as it was summer and Amsterdam is a drive-market port in western Europe. Didn't see most of them until the last day when it was sunny enough to have the pool cover open and they were playing in the pool.

 

Pretty much everyone goes there now, but Holland and Princess still have the best infrastructure in Alaska. As others have said, the onboard service is top-notch - gracious would be a good word for it - and the food is outstanding. Nice size cabins. You will enjoy it.

[emilygrace]

I love HAL and have sailed with them 4 times, the most recent being on the Nieuw Amsterdam. That was a beautiful ship! The food and service is excellent, the cabins spacious, and my favorite thing is that all oceanview and above cabins have a bathtub. The libraries on board are excellent, and the movie theater is quite nice, AND they serve popcorn!

[Sea-Larke]

Have over 30 cruises with RCCL and 8 with HAL plus Princess, Carnival and MSC. Just spent 17 days on Koningsdam 2/12/17 - 3/1/17. Found K'd to be absolutely beautiful. Spacious cabins with big showers. Music theme everywhere with beautiful flower arrangements. Orchids on every table. Highly recommend HAL.

 

 

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[packedandready]

OP,,thanks for the post. A couple of things were mentioned that I'm not clear on.

 

We LOVE the solariums on the RCI ships. Enjoy the shade and quiet (usually..lol) they provide. Is there anything like with on HAL?

 

Is smoking still allowed on the balconies?

[Tapi]

There's one other thing that I thought about which caught my attention about sailing on HAL. If you've wondered about religious services while on a cruise vacation, HAL is one of the few cruise lines which offers regular religious services on every ship (I believe except on the Prinsendam). The crewmembers on HAL ships hail heavily from countries which are predominantly Catholic, so each ship has a resident Catholic priest who, among other things, officiates mass services for passengers on a daily basis. We were on the ship on a Sunday and mass was offered at the Culinary Center. Not only was it offered, but it was packed. People from all denominations are welcome as well.

 

 

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[WisconsinFan]

We sailed on the Oosterdam to Alaska and really enjoyed it. We had 4 kids along who had fun too. Three generations together. Saw many families like ours. Fresh flowers every where, free popcorn in the theatre, great service.

 

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[markeb]

It's been awhile for us, but we enjoyed HAL. Our last cruise with them was on the Maasdam probably 10 years ago, but the level of service was amazing. I agree the Pinnacle Grill was excellent, and at that time, they had on board sommeliers, and as a Seattle-based company, an emphasis on Washington state wines with some great choices.

 

I will also agree that the ships were much more traditional, somewhat dark, and could get pretty quiet.

[Truluv]

On the HAL board, someone posted that smoking was eliminated on 1/1/17.

 

I really appreciate hearing from RCL cruisers about what to expect. I'm getting excited, since this experience sounds like it will really appeal to me.

[parrotfeathers]

If I were you I would read quite a few of the HAL threads. I believe the biggest complaint about the older ships is their problems with a/c and toilets. I was on the Eurodam in a suite. It was a very relaxing cruise. Don't count on the same type of activities as RCL--it is much quieter--sometimes I just wondered around since I'm not into soaking up the sun. I did enjoy the cooking demonstration. The CL closed before 10 p.m. I think and there are no alcoholic beverages served. It was a nice cruise. I really enjoy RCL more.

[ChinaShrek]

Thank you all for the very helpful comments! I'm definitely looking forward to trying HAL now! It might end up being my new favorite cruise line now that I'm in my 60s.

 

I had noticed a few comments about unfriendliness towards kids in a few of the HAL reviews. Even on the HAL board, someone asked about bringing a kid who was younger than the specified age limit on an excursion. While the majority of responses were polite, there were also a few angry postings about children spoiling the excursion for everyone else. (I better remind my 28 yr old to watch his manners! Then again, since he's giving me this trip as a present, maybe he can have as many temper tantrums as he wants LOL.)

 

Yes, I agree. The people who post on the HAL discussion boards really want order and predictability. I have read a lot of threads over there complaining about people who cut lines in the Lido buffet or when the MDR changes their dinner reservation from late seating to earlier seating. Many threads also complain about changes that HAL makes to the ships. Really, what's the big deal. They should be grateful that they have the money and health to cruise! I have taken three cruises on HAL and enjoyed them a lot. RCI posters seem to welcome change and go with the flow more.

[msmayor]

OP,,thanks for the post. A couple of things were mentioned that I'm not clear on.

 

We LOVE the solariums on the RCI ships. Enjoy the shade and quiet (usually..lol) they provide. Is there anything like with on HAL?

 

Is smoking still allowed on the balconies?

 

Smoking is no longer permitted on any balconies...smokers must use the designated areas of the ship to smoke, and I believe there may be an area in casinos where it is permitted.

 

The HAL ships we have been on have retractable roofs over the Lido pools which creates a 'solarium' type area in the case of bad weather. I've been in the RCL solariums on Freedom and Serenade and don't recall a specific themed area like that on the HAL ships I've been on. What many of the ships DO have now is Retreat Cabanas you can rent for a day or even the entire cruise. These are spaces that will provide shade and loungers as well as special touches like snacks, sparkling wine and staff that will take lunch orders and deliver. We priced out getting one for our upcoming cruise and would have reserved one for a week if we didn't already have a balcony to use. Its a great way to have a private lounge space if you are in an inside or ocean view.

 

Regarding children, I can honestly say that all the HAL cruises we have been on, the children have been a pleasant group. The activities staff kept them busy in their areas but on the occasions when they were roaming about the ship (the Pirate Parade comes to mind on the Westerdam) the children were a delight to see. I remember one other child, a toddler about the age of four...he was having so much fun on deck with his parents who kept control of him and ensured that he didn't intrude on any guests. He was precious!

 

HAL doesn't have a lot of the same activities that a younger and rowdier crowd may enjoy (belly flop contests, hairy chest contests, etc.) but much to our surprise on the Westerdam there was a pub crawl one night for $20 each. We signed up and it was just the right balance of liquor and fun even though it lasted only about 90 minutes. We visited four venues and had a small drink at each one, led by the Beverage Manager. There were people young and old...and the youngsters showed us the ropes of 'Flip Cup'!! I still remember one woman who was probably in her sixties being cheered on by the young adults on her team as she figured out how to flip her cup! A stop at the Piano Bar was a treat as the group of 35 or so 'invaded' and all sang a Billy Joel song at the top of our lungs to 'earn' our drink. The crowd in the space didn't mind the brief intrusion; most were smiling wide.

 

Just the right balance of fun and relaxation for us on HAL ships.

[island lady]

Was on HAL just once, cruise to Alaska. That was all it took to stay with Royal. Had a large suite, but the perks were not near what Royal had. No cocktail lounge at night, and just a small set up for breakfast in the lounge.

 

Everything seemed old with lots of rust. Could never, ever get anything but boiling hot water our of our cabin sink faucet, though they tried several times to fix it. Had to draw water into a cup and let it cool just to be able to brush our teeth. :mad: Shower was fine, it was just the sink faucet.

 

Ship was so pressurized at night, it gave us a headache. Too cold at night to leave the balcony doors open.

 

Only good thing we found was free laundry perk, and ability to bring on as much wine as you wanted (probably due to no cocktails offered).

[boscobeans]

I usually cruise on HAL but they didn't have the dates available for our next cruise. I have also been on Explorer several years ago.

As far as HAL goes I love their service and the Westerdam. I have only had 1 bad waiter, but our wine steward made up for it. The ships are smaller, but there is a relaxed feeling. I am in my 30's and the demographic is older than on most lines, but from what I have been told AK is not as much the case. The food was wonderful at the buffet and dining room. They truly are hidden gems and for the price they can't be beat. I have been on different lines and I love HAL and Disney the most. I have an upcoming cruise on Rhapsody so I like to see how they compare. It all depends on what the person is looking for. You will not find the rushed/adventure style there. FYI at the time my parents did an AK cruise on HAL they said they open the bow for pics and they have wildlife guides on the bow to answer questions. That was a couple years ago.

 

 

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Exactly our experiences on Holland America. Would take them in a heartbeat depending on date and itinerary... Fantastic staff and it is amazing how fast they get to know your names..

 

OMO

 

bosco

[msmayor]

Was on HAL just once, cruise to Alaska. That was all it took to stay with Royal. Had a large suite, but the perks were not near what Royal had. No cocktail lounge at night, and just a small set up for breakfast in the lounge.

 

 

Only good thing we found was free laundry perk, and ability to bring on as much wine as you wanted (probably due to no cocktails offered).

 

I'm curious...other than a suite lounge in the evening that served cocktails, what else did RCL offer their suite guests that HAL did not? I looked at a list of RCL benefits and it seems pretty comparable.

 

I'm sailing in my first Neptune suite next week and am excited to experience the perks being offered. While I know there is no dedicated 'bar' area for suite guests to use late into the evening, I understand that the Neptune Lounge (for those in Neptune and Pinnacle suites) now has an 'honor' bar with some liquor and mixers for you to help yourselves (writing down your suite number so the charge can go on your bill).

 

There are plenty of lounges on HAL ships so the need for a dedicated 'suite' bar seems overkill. If one wants a private cocktail party, HAL concierges will arrange for a bar setup in your suite complete with mixers and glasses as well as hors' d oeuvres for your group.