What Am I Missing By Not Sailing W/HAL?

[need2cruisesoon]

HAL lovers, I've cruised Princess, X, NCL, RC and even Azamara but what exactly does the HAL have that others don't?

 

I'd like to cruise with Holland but why?

[OlsSalt]

You tell us first why you want to sail with HAL. Gives everyone a better idea how to respond to your question. May not be the right fit at all for you, but how would we know.

 

What are you looking for that is different from the other cruise lines you have been on.

[SetAnOpenCourse]

At least some of those lines do not have outdoor full promenade decks as appealing as the ones found on most HAL ships. This space is vital for really enjoying time at sea.

[mysticsailor]

I have not sailed as many cruise lines as you but the first thing I noticed about HAL was the difference in employees: service, attitude, etc.

[BRWolf]

We've sailed on the Veendam and Maasdam. We like the size of the ships. Spacious, but intimate. We like the Promenade deck. The Crow's Nest is a great place to go early in the morning. We agree that the employees have a great attitude and provide very good service. Fellow passengers are overwhelmingly courteous and polite.

 

We've been able to relax and enjoy each cruise.

[curtdesilets]

This quickly comes to mind:

 

1) Smaller Ships! The vast majority of HAL ships have 2000 pax or less. This leads to a much more intimate sailing experience.

2) Great Promenade Decks on all ships. Great for exercise or sunset strolls. Or WHALE Watching!

3) Primarily Indonesian and Filipino staff. I feel that the communication among staff members is increased by this more narrow draw of employment rather than some lines with say 30 different nationalities/languages or more. Perhaps?

4) Dutch Nautical Art abounds!

5) HAL is classier than most lines, more traditional IMO.

[fishin' musician]

HAL lovers, I've cruised Princess, X, NCL, RC and even Azamara but what exactly does the HAL have that others don't?

 

I'd like to cruise with Holland but why?

 

I also have no brand loyalty; have sailed all brands you cite except Azamara. Have also sailed Windstar and Costa (2 each). All things being equal (which they never are) I'd take Princess. I've sailed HAL 4 or 5 times and to me they are most like Princess. Which may or may not be related to them being sister companies. I bit advanced average age, a bit more elegantly designed interior. Recently off Westerdam and food was best I've had on a mainstream line in maybe 10 years.

[DaveOKC]

The crew! They are so friendly and helpful. They go out of their way to address your needs/issues and make you feel comfortable.

 

Plus, we like having a Catholic priest onboard every sailing.

[baxley]

Hal offers cruising as it should be....more about the trip and scenery...and less about amusement park activities. We live in such a fast pace...that it is wonderful to slow down.

[cruisemom42]

HAL probably would not be my line of first choice, but the draw for me is their itineraries.

 

I've found most lines to have very good service, and by and large the food doesn't differ too much among mass market lines -- some ships are slightly better and some are slightly worse.

 

After sailing recently on mostly small ships, I am not keen on the larger ones EXCEPT on itineraries where the ship is the biggest draw. In those cases, my choice would go to Celebrity among the mass market lines, not to HAL which is a bit TOO quiet for my taste.

[baggal]

HAL probably would not be my line of first choice, but the draw for me is their itineraries.

 

 

 

I've found most lines to have very good service, and by and large the food doesn't differ too much among mass market lines -- some ships are slightly better and some are slightly worse.

 

 

 

After sailing recently on mostly small ships, I am not keen on the larger ones EXCEPT on itineraries where the ship is the biggest draw. In those cases, my choice would go to Celebrity among the mass market lines, not to HAL which is a bit TOO quiet for my taste.

 

 

I totally agree with your assessment except that we thoroughly enjoyed our recent European cruise on the Koningsdam - HAL's largest ship. HAL, Celebrity and Princess all market to the same demographic with some slight differences. Right now we're looking at a Caribbean cruise for the winter where the ship is more important than the ports. HAL is #3 of the 3.

 

 

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[cunarderdiamond7]

Excellent post

 

 

If you like good food, great staff and even a chance to spend some quiet time with someone, HAL is a great choice.

 

If you prefer drunks all around, loud blaring noise 24/7, idiotic things like bumper cars and the like, choose someplace else

Hal offers cruising as it should be....more about the trip and scenery...and less about amusement park activities. We live in such a fast pace...that it is wonderful to slow down.

[Wishing on a star]

About the food mentioned...

Fishin'Musician.... We have sailed Princess.

I understand that the Specialty Restaurants on HAL are so very good!!!!

But, just from what I gather, the other standard offerings on HAL just do not seem to look quite as good???

We were lucky to have really excellent food and service in the MDR on our last cruise, on Coral Princess.

I have to say that the Buffet was pretty bad.

 

So, would that mention of excellent food be 'overall', and compare as maybe better than Princess???

 

We are looking forward to a Western Med. cruise on HAL, because of the itinerary and the new ship!

[cruisemom42]

Excellent post

 

 

If you like good food, great staff and even a chance to spend some quiet time with someone, HAL is a great choice.

 

If you prefer drunks all around, loud blaring noise 24/7, idiotic things like bumper cars and the like, choose someplace else

 

Interesting. I have sailed on Princess and Celebrity any number of times and have NEVER experienced drunks all around, loud blaring noise 24/7 or bumper cars....

[lax19]

Just of the Eurodam to Alaska. Here are some of the differences I noticed:

 

1) The ship never felt crowded - plenty of places to sit and relax, virtually no wait at the MDR for a table.

2) Non-smoking Casino.

3) No roving photographers during dinner.

[MajMom96]

I agree with all the previous comments with a few extra of my own. We love the food and the service! We find the food on Holland America to be better quality than other lines we’ve been on and we appreciate that Holland reserves the “upcharging” for the specialty restaurants, so if you’re dining in the MDR, all items are inclusive. The Lido buffet is set up with several serving stations versus one buffet line which really minimizes lines in the buffet (at least in the ships I’ve been on). We also appreciate the added touches of fresh flowers everywhere (not artificial as on other lines), closet doors versus open wardrobes on other lines, and cloth towels versus paper in the public restrooms. Even though these are little things, I think they show attention to detail and add a little class. We’ve also been impressed with the constant cleaning of the ships. There is always someone dusting every inch of the ship and polishing the doors, handrails, etc. Overall, we prefer Holland America over the other lines we’ve been on (Princess, Celebrity, Royal, Carnival).

 

 

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[Sea42]

I agree with all the previous comments with a few extra of my own. We love the food and the service! We find the food on Holland America to be better quality than other lines we’ve been on and we appreciate that Holland reserves the “upcharging” for the specialty restaurants, so if you’re dining in the MDR, all items are inclusive. The Lido buffet is set up with several serving stations versus one buffet line which really minimizes lines in the buffet (at least in the ships I’ve been on). We also appreciate the added touches of fresh flowers everywhere (not artificial as on other lines), closet doors versus open wardrobes on other lines, and cloth towels versus paper in the public restrooms. Even though these are little things, I think they show attention to detail and add a little class. We’ve also been impressed with the constant cleaning of the ships. There is always someone dusting every inch of the ship and polishing the doors, handrails, etc. Overall, we prefer Holland America over the other lines we’ve been on (Princess, Celebrity, Royal, Carnival).

 

 

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This was not the case last week on the Eurodam. There were several nights were the better seafood items were offered with a $25 surcharge in the MDR.

[MajMom96]

This was not the case last week on the Eurodam. There were several nights were the better seafood items were offered with a $25 surcharge in the MDR.

 

 

 

Really? Wow, I don’t like that! That must be new. I cruised on Neiuw Amsterdam in May and everything in the MDR was still all inclusive. That’s disappointing if they’re going the way of Royal. Now it will be interesting to see what’s happening on the Oosterdam in August. Thanks for the potential “heads up”. [emoji45]

 

 

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[Old As Dirt Mom]

The $25 surcharge is for one offering of seafood items, including a large portion of King Crab legs, prepared in the Pinnacle Grill galley. The rest of the (pretty extensive) menu is as always, inclusive.

[MajMom96]

The $25 surcharge is for one offering of seafood items, including a large portion of King Crab legs, prepared in the Pinnacle Grill galley. The rest of the (pretty extensive) menu is as always, inclusive.

 

 

 

I still think it’s disappointing and wish they left the upcharging to the specialty restaurants. As with most everything, if they see that people will pay this in the MDR for crab legs, it will only be a matter of time before other upcharged items (like a “better” cut of steak) make it onto the MDR menu. [emoji45]

 

 

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[Old As Dirt Mom]

I like HAL' s relatively civilized approach to embarkation and disembarkation, with cabins, in most instances, ready for passengers upon boarding at 11:30 am, and the ability to enjoy breakfast in one's cabin at leisure prior to disembarkation.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

I still think it’s disappointing and wish they left the upcharging to the specialty restaurants. As with most everything, if they see that people will pay this in the MDR for crab legs, it will only be a matter of time before other upcharged items (like a “better” cut of steak) make it onto the MDR menu. [emoji45]

 

 

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I agree with you.

[iancal]

We really do not find that much difference between HAL, Celebrity, and Princess. We find the service to be about the same. Food and entertainment is hit and miss on all of them. We think all of the mass market lines, including HAL, are moving towards lowest common denominator. We are not married to any one cruise line. We typically select on the basis of the ship, not the cruise line, because we find them so similar.

 

The one difference we find on HAL is their ships tend to be more traditional, ie darker with lots of wood and darker decor. Much like an older railway hotel. Some might feel that this decor is more 'classy'. Our preference if for a more contemporary design/decor with more open spaces.

[AncientWanderer]

We have sailed a lot on HAL, Princess and Celebrity. Given the itinerary we want, we always choose HAL first because: We've found Celebrity to be "hit or miss," sometimes great, sometimes mediocre overall. Princess has a lot going for it, but we don't like their MDR experience. The tables are closer together, dining rooms louder, just not as pleasant as HAL, even though the food might be good. A nice dining experience is really important to us. We do think the Lido buffet is better arranged on Princess ships than on HAL's, so if you don't care about MDR and are a buffet-goer, you might be happier with Princess. Lastly, and very importantly, the service from crew and staff on HAL ships is just fabulous. HAL really shines in the area of service.

 

There are a lot of other "little touches" on HAL ships that we like, but the above things are why we personally look to HAL first.

[Wishing on a star]

I would have to wonder about that above description of the MDR experience, as compared to Princess.

Princess ships break up their MDR and dining venues, to avoid that one, huge, cavernous, effect. which is often acoustically very difficult and loud.

Our experience in the MDR on our last cruise on Princess was just excellent in every respect. Food, Service, etc...

I will say that on the newer Princess ships, they really have packed the tables in tightly. But, sacrifice of personal space is an ongoing problem on most all mid-level cruise lines. We have also had a cruise with a very much less-than-excellent experience in the MDR venues. So, I think that this can vary and be very subjective, by ship, and even particular sailing.