NEW TO HAL

[lolaletu]

Hello everyone - my husband and I are planning a cruise on Holland America - we live in Florida and we have been on about 63 cruises (mostly RCCL, Celebrity & Princess).   I usually don't have any trouble booking a cruise, but since we have never been on HAL before I am wondering if you guys can help us.   I was thinking about the Statendam (I guess thats the newest one)  but now I am thinking about the Zurderdam (I know I am spelling these ships wrong).  We are in our 60's and 70's but are very active and like listening to music and going to shows at night.  I love walking the deck after dinner and just seating out and enjoying the ocean.  During the day I love to be in the solarium on sea days.   Could someone recommend what ships you think we should look into - we will be going out of Ft. Lauderdale and we are looking for middle of January.  Thanks for everyones help.

[DFD1]

Personally,  I would suggest one of these.....Nieuw Amsterdam, or Eurodam, both cruising out of Ft. Lauderdale this winter. We have sailed both more than once and found them an excellent choice.

 

I hope you enjoy your first HAL cruise. We've been cruising HAL for many years and rarely have been disappointed.

 

Winter Haven, FL

Edited September 21, 2019 by DFD1

[MISTER 67]

If you enjoy walks and sitting on the Promenade Deck as we do, the Vista Class ships are what you want. Ships like the Zuiderdam, Eurodam, Noordam and a few others have the full walk- around promenade decks with the teak steamer loungers. All the ships built in at least the last 10+ years all have promenade decks but the views are blocked by the lifeboats, something about SOLAS rules that the lifeboats have to be on the same deck that you would board in case of emergency. One of my favorite things I love about cruising is reading a good book while sitting in one of HALs steamer chairs on the promenade deck watching the ocean go by.

Edited September 21, 2019 by MISTER 67

[catl331]

1 hour ago, lolaletu said:

I love walking the deck after dinner and just seating out and enjoying the ocean.

I think you would be disappointed with the Nieuw Statendam "promenade". There are only a few hard benches for seating, with poor ocean views.

 

 

Edited September 21, 2019 by catl331

[rafinmd]

That Nieuw Statendam promenade deck is still a huge step up from Celebrity.

 

Roy

[bEwAbG]

HAL's main pools have a retractable roof that may or may not be closed.  There is not a dedicated indoor pool like most people think when they think of "solarium" 

 

We're listing the negatives 🙂  They are nice ships!

[Friend100]

This is Eurodam (Nieuw Amsterdam is similar)

 

 

 

This is Veendam.

 

 

 

 

HAL ship doesn't have a solarium.

 

[mexico8]

14 minutes ago, Friend100 said:

This is Eurodam (Nieuw Amsterdam is similar)

 

 

 

This is Veendam.

 

 

 

 

HAL ship doesn't have a solarium.

 

Just off of the Nieuw Amsterdam and it looks like this picture.   We enjoyed the ship and have taken 9 cruises with HAL and found the food on the NA to be the best we have had on HAL ships.   Staff very friendly and good music in a few venues.

[sevenseasnomad]

If you want a more traditional ship, select Vista Class (Noordam, Oosterdam, Zuiderdam, Westerdam) or Signature Class (Eurodam/Nieuw Amsterdam).  The newest ships, Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam, have narrow Promenade Deck with no room for deck chairs.  Of course, the R and S Class ships (the smaller, older sisters in the fleet) have the wider decks too, but limited music venues.

 

If music is "your thing", the newer ships may be your cup of tea, as they have multiple venues, such a BB Kings Blues Club, Billboard On Board, Lincoln Center Stage, and Rolling Stone Rock Room.  All the Vista and Signature Class ship have these venues also, except for Rolling Stone Rock Room.  

 

If you enjoy specialty dining, Vista Class has Canaletto's and Pinnacle Grill.  Signature Class added Tamarind's while retaining the other two fee venues.  The Pinnacle Class (two newest ships) has all the previously mentioned restaurants plus Sel de Mer.  Free choices include New York Deli and Dutch Café, a real hit that serves Dutch specialties.

 

If excellent service floats your boat, you can't go wrong on any HAL ship.  Its crews are known for their welcoming, warm, gracious hospitality and service, which keeps a legion of HAL devotees returning to cruise with them again and again.  Hope this helps. 

[Cruzinbabe06]

I'm also thinking of booking our first HAL cruise on the Statendum.

 

Are the cabin tv's On Demand like Princess?

[oakridger]

Yes on Nieuw Statendam. 

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP -- book one of the Vista or Signature class ships to get a full promenade deck with deck chairs.  These ships also have a Thermo pool which you can buy a spa pass to use during the cruise.

[Cruzinbabe06]

9 hours ago, oakridger said:

Yes on Nieuw Statendam. 

 

 

Thank you.

 

Our first Princess Cruise (Regal), husband loved the ON Demand Movies!

 

I'm torn between the Regal and Statendam.

 

We love good food & service.  The Regal blew us away!

 

Is there a Cigar Bar on the Statendam and Sports Bar?

 

Thanks in advance

[Himself]

The Nieuw Statendam might be the ship for you.   The Signature ships would be my choice but the Nieuw Statendam might be your choice.

[bEwAbG]

4 hours ago, ronbe65 said:

That will be the Nieuw Amsterdam or the Eurodam with a not-to-be-missed thing: the Thermal Suite.

 

Welcome to the new experience that is not available from RCI/Celebrity/Princess.

 

The Thermal Suite is not the same thing as a solarium.  The pool is basically a hot tub and there are a few separate relaxation areas included.  It also costs extra money, typically $150 for one on a 7-day cruise (and $250 for a couple).  "Worth it" to some but not the same experience as a dedicated indoor pool.

 

And other cruise lines certainly do have similar facilities in their spa areas.  It's not unique to HAL by any stretch.

Edited September 22, 2019 by bEwAbG

[Tennessee Titan]

IMHO: Nieuw Statendam. Many more dining choices, music entertainment, killer mainstage theater..

The promenade thing is a hoax in my opinion. Not something to base a whole cruise on....

[Vineyard View]

38 minutes ago, ronbe65 said:

A "Thermal Suite" pool on the recommended ships is not a hot tub. This is a high quality thalassotherapy pool.

Very few cruise lines, actually select ships, offer this level of thermal suite quality on board (neither "luxury" lines , nor RCI, Celebrity, MSC).

Video explanation in detail.

Happy cruising!

Viking Oceans has a Thalassotherapy pool on their ships and it is a wonderful perk to enjoy. I look forward to enjoying on both lines with upcoming sailings. I never realized that HAL’s thermal pool was this, and I didn’t know of it on previous sailings. I am very glad to find this thread. Thank you. 

Edited September 22, 2019 by Vineyard View

[MISTER 67]

10 minutes ago, Tennessee Titan said:

IMHO: Nieuw Statendam. Many more dining choices, music entertainment, killer mainstage theater..

The promenade thing is a hoax in my opinion. Not something to base a whole cruise on....

Might be a hoax to you but on some ships it's the only place to get some peace and quiet besides your cabin. We were on a cruise on the Equinox in June and music was being blasted everywhere, extremely annoying especially when you having a conversation over a drink or a meal.

There were tons of complaints and we sailed on her again at the end of August and things were a lot quieter. 

Edited September 22, 2019 by MISTER 67

[Vineyard View]

14 minutes ago, Tennessee Titan said:

IMHO: Nieuw Statendam. Many more dining choices, music entertainment, killer mainstage theater..

The promenade thing is a hoax in my opinion. Not something to base a whole cruise on....

The promenade is an important piece to me. I use it quite a bit - particularly on sea days.  I am a walker/hiker and much prefer outdoor cardio vs gyms. While it isn’t something I base my whole cruise on, it is absolutely a piece of the consideration for me. And has been mentioned, it can be a quiet, peaceful place to spend some outdoor time. 

Edited September 22, 2019 by Vineyard View

[DFD1]

With respect, it is certainly not a hoax. That deck can be a wonderful, relaxing part of any cruise for many of us.

[MISTER 67]

21 minutes ago, ronbe65 said:

I see what you are saying, and i's true in many cases, but just to be precise, no rules limit the quality of the promenade deck experience on cruise ships. If a cruise line wants a promenade deck, there will be a promenade deck. Examples of the newest ships: all Viking ships, MSC Seaside/Seaview, new Saga ships.

Happy cruising!

I sailed on the Seaside, it has sort of a promenade deck but not in the truest sense of the word. It's not covered and it has a bar on each side and many tables and chairs for eating and drinking but no loungers, some sofa type seats here and there. What MSC did is have the main buffet lower on the ship on the deck where the so called promenade deck is so passengers can take their food from the buffet to the tables and chairs outside. If it's raining and windy, forget about it.  The lifeboats are one deck below. 

 

Edited September 22, 2019 by MISTER 67

[SempreMare]

@ronbe65that's a great video; thanks for posting.

[Tennessee Titan]

1 hour ago, MISTER 67 said:

Might be a hoax to you but on some ships it's the only place to get some peace and quiet besides your cabin. We were on a cruise on the Equinox in June and music was being blasted everywhere, extremely annoying especially when you having a conversation over a drink or a meal.

There were tons of complaints and we sailed on her again at the end of August and things were a lot quieter. 

Plenty of place to sit/lie on the upper decks. Have you ever heard of a verandah cabin?

[catl331]

18 minutes ago, Tennessee Titan said:

Plenty of place to sit/lie on the upper decks.

Most are out in the sun without a good view of the ocean.

18 minutes ago, Tennessee Titan said:

Have you ever heard of a verandah cabin?

Yes, but sometimes it's on the wrong (sunny) side of the ship for the time of day or locale.

Edited September 22, 2019 by catl331

[MISTER 67]

25 minutes ago, Tennessee Titan said:

Plenty of place to sit/lie on the upper decks. Have you ever heard of a verandah cabin?

No I never heard of those, are they something new?

Edited September 22, 2019 by MISTER 67