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Grand Voyage vs regular long cruise


Riversedge
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We are booked for half of a Grand Voyage next January to Antarctica on the Volendam.  We've been on several long cruises with HAL but never a World or Grand Voyage.  Will we notice a difference?  Are there more special events?  Special menus?  Are there any specialties that would be offered to those on the full cruise rather than the 41 day portion that we are on?  I'm guessing we wouldn't be treated differently while onboard.  Other than not being able to use a FCD I'm wondering what differences we will see.  Thanks for your help!

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I have done segments of a World Cruise and Grand Asia as well as a full Grand South America.  I've also done segments on Cunard and Crystal (as well as a full Crystal WC).  I think Holland America is the most egalitarian of the 3 in terms of what segmenters and full cruisers get.  There are perhaps 2 things that segmenters will miss.  Often, those on segments will only be able to get guarantees (they don't want those on the full cruise to need to change cabins mid-voyage); You should already have a status on that if you're booked.  The other thing would be perhaps some hosted dinners.

 

In addition to having more events, more speakers, perhaps shuttles in some ports where a regular cruise wouldn't be one on a regular cruise there will be a "pillow gift" left from your steward each Gala night.

 

Those are the main things  I can think of right now.

 

Roy

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In my experience, a Grand Voyage has better food selections than several successive voyages totaling the same length has. There are lovely pillow gifts once in a while, and segmenters get these, too; they are not reserved for full cruise passengers. There may be 'gentlemen hosts' dance partners available; I think the cruise has to be over 40 days for this.
The lecturers are generally plentiful and good. Entertainment used to be a higher caliber, but I wouldn't say that still holds true. Service seems to be the best that HAL has to offer.

One thing that's really nice is that everyone can get to know others so much better than on shorter cruises. It becomes more like life in a small town after a while.

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There are more activities on the Grand cruises, things like watercolor classes, ballroom dance classes, tai chi, etc.  Shrimp cocktail was available every night in the main dinning room on my last two Grands.  On the Grand World, full world cruisers have a captain's dinner in the Pinnacle Grill with a special gift.  

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We did a back2back around South America and a Grand Voyage Asia & Pacific. Like RuthC says, the Grand Voyage had lots of activities, the back2back lacked those, had just a few. The lecturers on the Grand Voyage were excellent and the excursion staff was very experienced, gave excellent advice. I don't remember anything about the ones on the b2b, if there were any, they were not memorable. 

 

 

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There's pros and cons to the Grand Voyages vs. simply long cruises.  Once upon a time, MDR menu selections included items that reflected the geographic region in which we were sailing, i.e. Filet of Kangaroo on a Grand Voyage; not offered during a long AKL-SYD-YVR repositioning cruise.  Mostly good, but not all, enrichment programs are a feature on both type of voyages. Grand voyages probably did have more activities, but I have never been bored on any other long voyage.

 

My one negative to the Grand Voyages is all of the "stuff"--the "pillow gifts"--that one receives.  Some are very desirable and useful; many are not.  Over the years, I have collected enough "stuff".  I need no more.  Stop providing the "stuff" on the Grand Voyages which would allow for a small reduction of their pricing and that pricing might be more attractive to me to book another such cruise.

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We recently cruised on the final segments of the Grand World Voyage; the contrast between that cruise and all the other HAL cruises we've done was significant to us. The additional lectures, the watercolor classes, the arts and crafts classes, the different stations in the Lido all were very special.

But the SERVICE was incredible. All HAL staff are friendly, but the attention to detail, staff introducing themselves and remembering names- that made an outstanding difference in our experience. One gets "spoiled" on a Grand Voyage, and now I'm wondering how our recent experience will compare when we get on the Eurodam in a few weeks!

We enjoyed the Grand World so much that we booked the Grand South America and Antarctica for next year while we were on the World Voyage! B2B trips are special- but not quite like a Grand Voyage. Whatever you choose to do, savor the journey!

 

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