Will I be bored on HAL?

[OlsSalt]

Thanks for the photos. Indeed, HAL should poach the Princess interior design team. Though maybe not the ship design team - an expansive indoor atrium is a trade off for an expansive outdoor 360 promenade, which it looks like HAL did ditch on the Konigsdam. HAL atriums have always been odd spaces - more functional interior core passage ways than active destination spots.

[lenquixote66]

Will I be bored on Hal?

 

Considering HAL vs NCL to Alaska. I just got home from a cruise on Carnival and was bored out of my mind. I do not do art auctions, refused to pay the crazy cost for one bingo card, not good at trivia so really do not enjoy it.

 

Are there other things to do on the ship? Cards? Dancing lessons etc?

 

I do not want to be on a ship with 4000 people on it, race tracks and lots of kids like the NCL Bliss, I would like to be on a ship that has some things to do.

 

Which ship would I be happier on?

 

The best cruise I was ever on was an HAL ship to Alaska .I have been on HAL 4 times ,however,I now prefer RCI and Celebrity.

[SMSACE6]

I really cant imagine being bored on any cruise ship, but that is just a reflection of me. I am a person who does not need "entertainment", but likes it in small doses, at times. To OP, I have not yet sailed on HAL, but am very interested to do so, when I can eventually get back to travel, and cruising. I have done one Celebrity way back in in 2002, also one NCL before that, but my most cruises have been on Carnival from 2000 until 2016, 8, cruises with them in total, and enjoyed all cruises, all lines, but with regard to Carnival, I just feel that I have out grown them, and the last two, have been ok, but left me feeling the need to venture elsewhere. I keep coming back to HAL, Celebrity, and maybe NCL, since I cruise solo, but HAL and Celebrty are now on my top list. Also considering MSC. So for me, at this point...and only when I can eventually get back to travel and cruising...it is HAL, Celebrity, Princess, NCL, MSC, in that order , for me.

[OCruisers]

Princess and HAL have been doing Alaska for the longest and both had a proven history of providing excellent cruises there. ;)

[*Miss G*]

Whoa. That Ruby Princess atrium is amazing.

[OlsSalt]

Whoa. That Ruby Princess atrium is amazing.

 

3600 passenger ships like the Ruby Princess do have more bulk and size to offer different visuals. Seating for approx only 20 people in this Piazza however, so not sure how it gets used. No question, visually it is very pretty.

[*Miss G*]

Whoa. 3600 passengers. I will just enjoy the pics. lol Thank you.

[SetAnOpenCourse]

I have been on both NCL and HAL and much prefer HAL. The cruise I took on NCL was a party, party, party. Lots of young people over drinking the first 2 days (there was a free drinks promo) then we hit rough seas and had hung over, vomiting young people. Overall I had a good cruise with lots to do but it was not the atmosphere I was looking for on a cruise.

There were no dance lessons on any cruise I have taken in the last 5 years. I think those are still on Cunard and Princess but I may be mistaken. On HAL I have seen card games being offered in the daily activities.

We don’t cruise for the wave pools, water slides and go carts but have never been bored on any cruise. We usually enjoy most music, game shows, movies and shows offered on a cruise.

 

Regarding dance lessons on Cunard and Princess, yes they were offered on my cruises on QM2 and Crown Princess.

[cruisemom42]

3600 passenger ships like the Ruby Princess do have more bulk and size to offer different visuals. Seating for approx only 20 people in this Piazza however, so not sure how it gets used. No question, visually it is very pretty.

 

What's shown in the photo is only a small part of the atrium. There is quite a bit of seating, several bars on various levels, a lovely international cafe (no charge) with goodies available throughout the day.

 

That said, 3600 people is a lot of humanity. It was my last Princess cruise that decided me large ships are no longer in my future -- at least not when I am making the decision about the cruise. (I come from a cruising family...)

[SetAnOpenCourse]

...

...

. But less so since we hardly recognized any of the songs on our last cruise - they have left our "older" demographic behind - no more 195001960's stuff that we found sooooo comfortable for us. Okay, okay, we are old.

...

 

It's not your age. It's the quality of the music that makes you like it!

[Ken the cruiser]

In our opinion and we are in our mid 60s the simple answer is, yes, you will be bored. If you want to be entertained while you're on the ship, a Celebrity or Princess cruise would be much more entertaining. Celebrity will probably have a lot more lively evening shows and interactive game shows. They will probably also have a naturalist onboard. The only time HAL will have a guest speaker onboard is when they stop at Glacier Bay and NP rangers come onboard. We just took a 14 day HAL Alaska cruise to Anchorage and back and only had a port guide onboard who read from a script when we stopped by a glacier. On a 7 day Celebrity Alaska cruise we took a couple of years ago on the Solstice, they had a naturalist, Brent Nixon, that gave great lectures on sea days as well as great overviews when we visited a glacier. Hands down, we would pick Celebrity over HAL if we were planning another Alaska cruise. Actually, we would pick Celebrity or HAL every time if they both offered the same itinerary we wanted to take.

Edited February 1, 2018 by Ken the cruiser

[navybankerteacher]

I think the OP is talking about the decor. And in general, I have to disagree that Princess is 'dark and clubby' -- there is a much greater use of lighter colors and lighter wood tones. Possible exception is her one remaining R ship, but that's not Princess's build....

 

Take a look, for example at this photo of the atrium on the Eurodam and compare it with the photo of the Ruby Princess's atrium. Both ships were launched within a year of each other, so there's not an issue of one being more 'dated' than the other.

 

HAL Eurodam:

 

 

Ruby Princess:

 

 

I'm not crazy about that pink thing hanging above Eurodam's atrium, but it is not as tacky as the typical Princess gold colored plastic trim which plagues so much of their atria.

[newcruiser1956]

The best cruise I was ever on was an HAL ship to Alaska .I have been on HAL 4 times ,however,I now prefer RCI and Celebrity.

 

Thanks, can you tell me why you have switched?

[newcruiser1956]

. I really think that younger people have become so accustomed to constant stimulation, they don't know how to stop and just smell the roses.

 

OP Here... 62 years old and single :) I will admit to being a type A personality. Sitting and laying in the sun for hours is not my thing. I like to be active. It is hard when you are solo and watching all the happy couples and groups and you are alone. I entertained myself on Carnival and can other places too but it would be nice if they had something other than art auctions, bingo and trivia to do on a ship.

[JT1962]

OP Here... 62 years old and single :) I will admit to being a type A personality. Sitting and laying in the sun for hours is not my thing. I like to be active. It is hard when you are solo and watching all the happy couples and groups and you are alone. I entertained myself on Carnival and can other places too but it would be nice if they had something other than art auctions, bingo and trivia to do on a ship.

 

 

 

I totally agree with you. I am 56 and was on my first HAL cruise 3 weeks ago in the Caribbean. I have been on 16 cruises on various lines and that was the first one where I actually felt bored at times. We chose the cruise based on the itinerary and enjoyed the ports, but realize we are not a good fit for HAL, at least in the Caribbean.

 

We primarily have cruised Royal Caribbean and Carnival, although not their newest or largest ships. We are not big partiers or drinkers, but do like to have some entertainment options. We found the quality and options for food and entertainment on HAL both below what we experienced on other lines.

 

As you have found, some here seem to think that you should expect to “entertain yourself” and if you are bored, it is some type of character flaw or you aren’t as sophisticated as others. Everyone has different preferences and tastes, and there is nothing wrong with wanting more options for entertainment. There are some that love HAL because it does not offer much of the entertainment options of other lines, but it is not for us.

 

As far as Alaska, as stated in my previous post, it is more about the ports than the ship. I have been on Princess and Royal Caribbean in Alaska and enjoyed both. Look at the one-way rather than round trip itineraries. They both offer good itineraries and better food and entertainment options, in my opinion, than HAL.

 

 

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Edited February 1, 2018 by JT1962

[Jade13]

I would not recommend HAL for you. We found our last HAL cruise boring compared to Celebrity.

 

We return to HAL for their itineraries, crew, and food.

 

With that said we do feel that HAL is a better ship for Alaska.

 

 

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[rogerdawhip]

If you were bored in Carnival you will fall asleep on HAL. It's a walking funeral parlor.

[Tampa Girl]

The best cruise I was ever on was an HAL ship to Alaska .I have been on HAL 4 times ,however,I now prefer RCI and Celebrity.

 

It might have been helpful if you had explained why.

[Lady Arwen]

If you were bored in Carnival you will fall asleep on HAL. It's a walking funeral parlor.

I've heard lots of really dumb comments on these boards, but this really has to take the cake.

[Hlitner]

I've heard lots of really dumb comments on these boards, but this really has to take the cake.

 

You think? I thought they had a point, although I would not call HAL a walking funeral parlor (although they do have a morgue on each ship). I think a floating assisted living center might be closer to the truth :).

 

But getting to the OP's question our experience is that folks who are concerned about being bored and usually bored. Like you, we have cruised on HAL (more then a few times) and are never bored. But you could drop DW and I on a deserted island, and as long as we had our Kindles, food, and drink we would be happy as clams.

 

Hank

[OlsSalt]

.

OP Here... 62 years old and single :) I will admit to being a type A personality. Sitting and laying in the sun for hours is not my thing. I like to be active. It is hard when you are solo and watching all the happy couples and groups and you are alone. I entertained myself on Carnival and can other places too but it would be nice if they had something other than art auctions, bingo and trivia to do on a ship.

 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////

I wondered when you first asked about "being bored", if in fact you were more worried about "being alone". That is a very different question. I'll repeat my same list trying to pin down when you might feel "most bored", or in fact feel most alone? Maybe targeting time and place might make it easier to see what could work better. I think I heard you say larger ships and inane activities, like your description of the Carnival cruise, were boring to you (would be for me too).

 

I also find a lag time in the late afternoon, kind of a inbetween time - too early to get ready for our late dinner, not a time to be outdoors, few ship activities during those late afternoon hours and I don't drink so going for sundowners is not on my agenda. Which comes back to the original question - when and where do you feel the most bored on ships?

 

I traveled quasi solo on my last cruise after always traveling with DH - two very different experiences - DH and I keep very much to ourselves when we cruise, but I found traveling solo this time to be a very engaging experience - there was so much easy conversation with everyone in close range - a total surprise for me and made any fears I had about becoming a solo cruiser in the far off future fade immensely. HAL passengers are very engaging people as many will tell you, and now I also experienced this too, after almost 500 days cruising as one of those "happy couples" you have observed, but who also kept very much, to themselves.

 

Repeat of first response:

What bores you?

 

Ports

At-Sea days

Consecutive sea days

Evenings

Musical venue choices

Number of in-cabin TV options

Choice of DVD's available in cabin

Only one movie in the theater each day

Mix of passengers

Food options

One hour lapses of time

Four hour lapses of time

15 minute lapses of time

Fitness activity choices

Enrichment activity choices

Waiting for a pizza or Dive-In choice

Spa activity choices

Pounding the 360 degree promenade deck racking up 4 laps to a mile

Lack of library choices for your own interests

Lack of easily accessible wifi onboard

[navybankerteacher]

You think? I thought they had a point, although I would not call HAL a walking funeral parlor (although they do have a morgue on each ship). I think a floating assisted living center might be closer to the truth :).

 

But getting to the OP's question our experience is that folks who are concerned about being bored and usually bored. Like you, we have cruised on HAL (more then a few times) and are never bored. But you could drop DW and I on a deserted island, and as long as we had our Kindles, food, and drink we would be happy as clams.

 

Hank

 

There are a number of less-than-complimentary designations which can be applied to cruise ships: floating amusement park, floating shopping mall, floating spring break beach party, etc. I suppose floating assisted living center could be applied to HAL --- but is that so bad? The busy work of daily living is taken care of, in a peaceful environment, where you and your travel partner can be comfortable with your own thoughts and activities (this last of course might be difficult for those addicted to "WOW FACTOR").

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

. I really think that younger people have become so accustomed to constant stimulation, they don't know how to stop and just smell the roses.

 

OP Here... 62 years old and single :) I will admit to being a type A personality. Sitting and laying in the sun for hours is not my thing. I like to be active. It is hard when you are solo and watching all the happy couples and groups and you are alone. I entertained myself on Carnival and can other places too but it would be nice if they had something other than art auctions, bingo and trivia to do on a ship.

 

HAL has get togethers and lunches for singles and solos. This might be something you would be interested in checking out. It could give you a chance to meet people you could hang out with on the cruise.

 

On sea days, the assistant cruise director will host a few games and activities, just not as many as in the past or as many as they have on Princess.

 

Trivia is a good way to meet people even if you don’t know many answers. We’ve made life last long friends while playing trivia.

[elycelynne]

. I really think that younger people have become so accustomed to constant stimulation, they don't know how to stop and just smell the roses.

 

OP Here... 62 years old and single :) I will admit to being a type A personality. Sitting and laying in the sun for hours is not my thing. I like to be active. It is hard when you are solo and watching all the happy couples and groups and you are alone. I entertained myself on Carnival and can other places too but it would be nice if they had something other than art auctions, bingo and trivia to do on a ship.

 

61 year old solo cruiser here. After several HAL cruises, my last two have been on Princess (which is supposed to be really good for Alaska although I haven't been there yet). It might not make so much difference in Alaska where it's more port-intensive (as opposed to the Caribbean where you might have some sea days and shorter excursions), but in general there's more to do on Princess. I did get very bored on my last HAL cruise -- even on sea days -- which is why I decided to try Princess in the first place. (And it doesn't hurt that they give solos two cruise credits since we pay double anyway.)

 

I think the problem with activities and entertainment on HAL is a lack of venues combined with too many "partnerships" that require exclusive use of the venues that do exist. For example (and someone correct me if I'm wrong), the BB King partnership dictates that the Queen's Lounge is to be used only for their performances. So most of the nighttime game shows, karaoke, etc. had to be sacrificed. And doesn't Billboard dictate the same thing for their venue so that it can't be used for anything else? Also, it seemed like the daytime activities in general were reduced in number.

 

So in answer to your question, unless you're on lengthy shore excursions during the day that leave you so tired that you don't want to do anything else after dinner, then yes, you will probably be bored on HAL.

 

And to those who pride themselves on being self-entertaining, more power to you. Not everyone is wired that way and it's even harder for most solo cruisers (although apparently not all).

[imescaping]

I can not answer the question, Will you be bored. But the things I like to do on HAL are Billboard on Board, Main Show room shows, America's Test Kitchen demonstrations, and sometimes Lincoln Center Stage. (LCS,often makes me sleepy) other than that, I will do team trivia or a port lecture, if it fits my day, I like to get a snack and sit on my balcony, (or in the crow's nest if I don't have one), I like to meet people, and afternoon tea is a good place to do that. I like that most HAL ships now have interactive large screen TV with on demand TV and movies. Late night activities are lacking on HAL, pretty much only the BB king nightclub after 11:00pm. That is when the TV/movies on demand come in.

 

As for other lines, Princess or Celebrity may be a better fit as they have a little more variety than HAL. But my preferred is HAL and I am never bored on a HAL cruise.

Edited February 2, 2018 by imescaping
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