Holland vs Princess

[Waynetor]

I'm a long time loyal Princess cruiser but am thinking it may be time for a change.

 

I'm looking for thoughts from anyone that has experience on both lines.  My  wife is wheelchair bound so we need accessible cabins so any advice on Holland experiences related to wheelchair use around the ship such as in venues and help getting on-off in ports also appreciated.

 

Wayne

[cruzingnut]

This came up a little while ago so you may want to check this out:

For us, we prefer Holland over Princess.  The food is better on Holland, the vibe on Holland is much more laid back which is what we prefer.  We don't need to be entertained all the time; we prefer quiet places to sit on sea days.  Not that we've used them but there are number of accessible cabins on each ship that people like when they get them (and need them!).  Others may be able to chime in about the wheelchair experiences onboard.

 

Linda R.

[quilty964]

We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam in January of 2020.  We saw lots of people with scooters and wheelchairs.  We had our Mariners lunch with a lady in a wheelchair....they had been on many HAL cruises, and didn't have any issues or complaints about accessibility.  We saw them many times out and about, and they seemed very happy.  There was a lady with a motorized scooter...

she had a big, fluffy "poof ball" to use as a "flag"  that matched her outfits when she was out and about!  She looked like she was having a great time!  

[Sir PMP]

There's no difference between the two lines...

[Heartgrove]

FYI, Viking Ocean will not accommodate any assisted device beyond a walker or rollator.

[pms4104]

1 hour ago, Heartgrove said:

FYI, Viking Ocean will not accommodate any assisted device beyond a walker or rollator.

True, perhaps, of the Viking River Cruises. 

 

But if Viking Ocean partners with a scooter rental company, surely they do allow various assistance devices onboard.

[12cruise2]

Unless Princess has upped its game, we changed to Holland America because  HAL went to more ports than Princess on any given itinerary that they may be both frequenting.  Plus, HAL went to different ports than the what I call top 40-50 around the world.  We didn't want to keep going to the same ports.  We continue to enjoy HAL's smaller ship size (many around 2150 passengers) rather than the 3500 capacity.  We used to sail the 650-passenger Ocean and Pacific Princess ships frequently, but now they have been sold, so just mostly large ships in the Princess fleet.

[Heartgrove]

15 minutes ago, pms4104 said:

True, perhaps, of the Viking River Cruises. 

 

But if Viking Ocean partners with a scooter rental company, surely they do allow various assistance devices onboard.

 

No, they don't allow scooters onboard. Plus their crew cannot assist passengers while boarding. It is written in their FAQ section.

[pms4104]

29 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

 

No, they don't allow scooters onboard. Plus their crew cannot assist passengers while boarding. It is written in their FAQ section.

Sorry, I misunderstood the info I found online ... I apologize for posting wrong info.

[Waynetor]

Thanks for all your replies.

[Heartgrove]

1 hour ago, pms4104 said:

Sorry, I misunderstood the info I found online ... I apologize for posting wrong info.

 

No problem! We cruised with Viking Ocean this past Summer so read the VO CC forum before our cruise. Disappointed with some of forum and FAQ answers.

[mexico8]

Accessible cabins book up early and are hard to get.   You need to reserve as soon as the cruise is advertised.   There is a "Disability" section on Cruise critic with lots of information about cruising with wheelchairs and scooters.   I have a mobility scooter and cruise with HAL (and other lines) and don't have any problems on the ship except trying to get an accessible cabin when I try to book.

 

[QueenofEverything]

We have really noticed a difference with Princess in recent years.  They have really cut back on staffing (always seem to be short handed) and food (not that great).  We have sailed on Princess many times, but decided we like Holland America better. The staff seems better trained and there are more of them.  Princess' ships look a little tired, and I really miss not having a love seat in the cabin.  No place to sit in Princess cabins.  If you upgrade to a mini suite, you have a sofa, but most of them don't have any shade.