Why would (or wouldn't) you choose HAL for Alaska?

[Mary229]

In the small towns of Alaska I don’t see much difference as to where HAL and where Princess would be.  Tendering can be a problem on very large ships; the solution is to book ship shore excursions those days so to get priority tendering. The itineraries note if it is a tender port or not.  I do like Victoria, very picturesque and the gardens are a must do at least once. 
 

both HAL and Princess have been sailing Alaska for a long time. 

[CT D&N]

Have sailed both HAL and Princess numerous times.  I agree with much of what has been posted and would give the edge to HAL.  Also, HAL ships do have the covered pool area which Princess ships do not.

 

[rafinmd]

21 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

That reminds me of the comment the captain of QE2 made when she did a tandem sail with QM2. He made a lot of jokes at QM2's expense, like QE2 could go faster than we are now, but QM2 can't keep up. His best comment was that the people on QM2 had the better view.

 

I was on QE in Alaska this June. I love Cunard, and that ship most of all. But I felt a twinge of longing when I saw Zuidy at Glacier Bay. 

 

 

 

While I love Cunard as well, the one thing that would dissuade me from Cunard to Alaska is the lack of a covered pool.  A great place for scenic cruising in comfort.

 

Roy

[bundtkate]

29 minutes ago, CT D&N said:

Also, HAL ships do have the covered pool area which Princess ships do not.

I saw that, but it looks like Princess's pools are heated so I wasn't considering this a dealbreaker. Is the indoor pool on HAL crowded? That was another thing keeping me from seeing it as a huge plus. I figured it's probably going to be even more crowded than the main pool usually is as it'll be the only one that's usable.

[oakridger]

In my experiences on HAL in Alaska, all on the Nieuw Amsterdam, the Lido (covered) pool was not what I would call crowded. With the cover, it really makes the ship feel more spacious because people have all that space to hang out even when it's raining and/or cold. I consider the covered pool in any climate to be a big plus!  

 

~Nancy

[*Miss G*]

Alaska is all about the scenery.  With that in mind, HAL wins hands down.  Princess ships are very inward-facing while HAL ships focus on the outdoors.  On HAL you can enjoy forward-facing scenic views from the Crow’s Nest and a full wrap-around promenade and outdoor viewing/walking on the Panorama and Sun Decks.  You will not find those on Princess unless you pay extra.

 

In addition, if you run into inclement weather, HAL will close the glass roof over the Lido pool so you can still catch the views and use the space.  Princess’ Lido area becomes wasted space under the same circumstances.

 

If you enjoy movies under the stars on the big screen, it’s nice to snuggle under a blanket and enjoy your movie night snacks on HAL… even if it’s raining.  On Princess, you will get soaking wet.  Princess blasts loud music, movies, and chatter on their big screen during the day which, to me, is sacrilege in a majestic place like Alaska.

 

Choose a Pinnacle-class ship (Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Rotterdam) for an awesome time on the Music Walk in the evenings.

[SuzWillCruise]

I’ve never cruised on Princess, and I haven’t cruised on HAL (yet), but here’s why we picked HAL for our June 2023 Alaska cruise: it sails Saturday to Saturday (out of Seattle).

 

Last August (2022) we sailed on Carnival to Alaska. We absolutely loved Alaska, but that 8 day cruise used up almost two weeks of vacation. It started on Wednesday and finished 8 days later on Thursday. We took off Tuesday to fly. I ended up also taking the day before off (Monday) because I didn’t want to risk getting Covid at work. (At the time I was going into the office one day per week, and Monday was my in-office day. ). So that was 8 days of time off, and then I was jet lagged and our return flight was delayed so I also missed part of Thursday. I think I used 76 hours of leave.

 

Our trip this June with HAL will be one day less, but will use only 44 hours leave, and we’ll fly home on a Saturday and have Sunday to recover before work on Monday. Additionally, our itinerary includes Glacier Bay, which we didn’t see on our Carnival cruise. (I’m hoping it isn’t a let down. We did the excursion for Tracy Arm Fjord and that was amazing, and was part of the impetus for our coming home and immediately looking for and booking another cruise!)

 

The Saturday to Saturday timeline might make the cruise more crowded, but the ship size isn’t crazy big so we hope we’ll happy. Our favorite ships so far have been the Spirit class ships on Carnival, because the gross tonnage to passenger ratio is pretty great. And, so far they don’t have tons of private access only areas that make the ship feel teensy if you aren’t in the special private  areas.

If vacation time isn’t a factor, a mid-week sailing could be preferable, because the passenger count could likely be lower. But if you have to watch the vacation days, the start and end days of a particular cruise can make a difference!

 

[bundtkate]

Thanks again to everyone here for the feedback! After asking this here and on the Princess board, plus some extra research, we're actually leaning on going with HAL. Originally, we were thinking of an aft-facing balcony and probably leaning towards Princess for the newer ship, but after watching some ship tours of the Konigsdam, we are hoping to book an inside and use the money saved to book a cabana in The Retreat for the week so that we have our outside space to watch scenery as well as a small taste of luxury. Big ups to @luv2cruzuk who I don't think is in this thread, but gave me the idea with his mini-review of the Konigsdam. I am not totally certain I found up-to-date pricing (let know if you've sailed recently and know what it costs), but I found a price list showing $400 for 7 days which feels like a steal. Even if it's a fair bit more, it will still be cheaper than a balcony cabin. Plus, no one is bringing me a beer on the balcony except my husband and I love him just a bit too much to send him for drinks in Glacier Bay.

There were a few things that convinced me to go with HAL:

1. Itinerary. While Princess goes through the Inside Passage on the way back to Seattle, HAL goes through it both ways. This gives you a whole extra day to see scenery, which is what Alaska is all about, and mitigates any FOMO you may have if you're on the wrong side of the ship when you pass by something important.
2. Smaller ship. While we do enjoy big ships, it's more because they're new than because they're big. Konigsdam is still pretty new and I've heard small ships can get closer to scenery and wildlife in Alaska so it feels like the best of both worlds.
3. The enclosed pool area. @*Miss G* gets cookies for finding the right words to convince me here. Alaska is rainy, not just cold. Extra inside space with a view is a bigger plus than I was giving it credit for. I also love the idea of The Crows Nest. I can't remember what they called it, but there was a similar space on the MSC Meraviglia and it was our favorite spot on the ship to watch a sunset.
4. Weirdly, price. HAL was about $200 total cheaper anyway, but the option to pay for the Retreat Cabana instead of a private balcony brings it down a ton. I'd guess we're looking at a bit over $3k all in which is well below budget.

We may end up changing our minds if The Retreat costs way more than I think or it can't be reserved at the time of booking, but I've shot my TA an email so he can check into it for us so with any luck we'll be booked by next week. Thanks again for y'all's help. I can Google all I want, but there's no substitute for the advice of those who choose HAL on the regular so your thoughts have been invaluable. I'm sure we'll have a great cruise and I'll be sure to pop by with a review afterwards to let y'all know just how awesome it was.

Edited May 1, 2023 by bundtkate
Ew, typos

[luv2cruzuk]

15 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

Thanks again to everyone here for the feedback! After asking this here and on the Princess board, plus some extra research, we're actually leaning on going with HAL. Originally, we were thinking of an aft-facing balcony and probably leaning towards Princess for the newer ship, but after watching some ship tours of the Konigsdam, we are hoping to book an inside and use the money saved to book a cabana in The Retreat for the week so that we have our outside space to watch scenery as well as a small taste of luxury. Big ups to @luv2cruzuk who I don't think is in this thread, but gave me the idea with his mini-review of the Konigsdam. I am not totally certain I found up-to-date pricing (let know if you've sailed recently and know what it costs), but I found a price list showing $400 for 7 days which feels like a steal. Even if it's a fair bit more, it will still be cheaper than a balcony cabin. Plus, no one is bringing me a beer on the balcony except my husband and I love him just a bit too much to send him for drinks in Glacier Bay.

There were a few things that convinced me to go with HAL:

1. Itinerary. While Princess goes through the Inside Passage on the way back to Seattle, HAL goes through it both ways. This gives you a whole extra day to see scenery, which is what Alaska is all about, and mitigates any FOMO you may have if you're on the wrong side of the ship when you pass by something important.
2. Smaller ship. While we do enjoy big ships, it's more because they're new than because they're big. Konigsdam is still pretty new and I've heard small ships can get closer to scenery and wildlife in Alaska so it feels like the best of both worlds.
3. The enclosed pool area. @*Miss G* gets cookies for finding the right words to convince me here. Alaska is rainy, not just cold. Extra inside space with a view is a bigger plus than I was giving it credit for. I also love the idea of The Crows Nest. I can't remember what they called it, but there was a similar space on the MSC Meraviglia and it was our favorite spot on the ship to watch a sunset.
4. Weirdly, price. HAL was about $200 total cheaper anyway, but the option to pay for the Retreat Cabana instead of a private balcony brings it down a ton. I'd guess we're looking at a bit over $3k all in which is well below budget.

We may end up changing our minds if The Retreat costs way more than I think or it can't be reserved at the time of booking, but I've shot my TA an email so he can check into it for us so with any luck we'll be booked by next week. Thanks again for y'all's help. I can Google all I want, but there's no substitute for the advice of those who choose HAL on the regular so your thoughts have been invaluable. I'm sure we'll have a great cruise and I'll be sure to pop by with a review afterwards to let y'all know just how awesome it was.

Thanks so much and I’m glad you found it useful. Actually, I think if you choose either HAL or Princess, it’s a win win for you and remember, Princess has The Sanctuary, so you could do the same with them…. Inside Cabin with a spot in The Sanctuary!

 

Best wishes, David

[*Miss G*]

@SuzWillCruise @bundtkate, I did a “Live” thread last September from the Koningsdam - Vancouver to Alaska.  @SuzWillCruise, the reason I tagged you was because there are pictures and videos of Glacier Bay, which was spectacular and the highlight of our cruise.  The scenery starts on Post #30, which I have linked here:

 

 

[SuzWillCruise]

40 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

@SuzWillCruise @bundtkate, I did a “Live” thread last September from the Koningsdam - Vancouver to Alaska.  @SuzWillCruise, the reason I tagged you was because there are pictures and videos of Glacier Bay, which was spectacular and the highlight of our cruise.  The scenery starts on Post #30, which I have linked here:

 

 

*Miss G*, I saw some of your photos from Glacier Bay, and I think I’ll be happy!
 

Here are pictures from the Tracey Arm Fjord excursion (North Sawyer Glacier and South Sawyer Glacier, and I’ll have to find my notes to remember which is which).  I think the verdict is Alaska is gorgeous and it’s be visited multiple times!

[zgscl]

On 4/29/2023 at 11:55 AM, bundtkate said:

For some context, my husband and I are in our mid-late 30s and normally RCI and MSC cruisers with a strong preference for the newer ships. We appreciate a modern look, lots of variety in activities, and plenty of spots to hang out with a drink and/or a snack, but we won't miss water slides or Broadway shows.

The daytime activity listings are very thin with a lot of the activities being sponsored Spa/shops, etc. There is stuff going on but absolutely no where close to something like RCI. I did a live thread on my Alaska cruise with HAL last year which is linked in my signature which has a lot of photos of programs, menus & food if you have some time to skim it will hopefully give you a better idea of life onboard. The EXC talks are very well done, and if you get an itinerary with Glacier Bay then there will be a ranger talk on that day as well. 

 

MDR food is fine, specialty food is of course better. HAL no longer includes lobster anywhere on a 7 night cruise in case that is important to you. It is available for purchase daily as an add on. 

 

Don't get me wrong - I love HAL and just finished my 16th cruise with them. But it is very laid back and a lot more self entertainment during the day. At night the music venues are good (and if you go on a Pinnacle Class Ship: Koningsdam, Rotterdam or Nieuw Statendam) they have an added venue. 

 

That being said HAL does do Alaska very well. They have done it longer than anyone else, get the best piers to dock in, they have more cruises to Glacier Bay than anyone. They also have very good shore excursions, but you will find pretty similar excursions with everyone. 

 

If the entertainment doesn't match what you want I would actually consider Princess or Celebrity. Way more in the way of onboard activities (I can't speak to Princess as I haven't been with them in about 20 years). But will include a program from one of the Celebrity cruises in case it is something you wanted to consider. They are pretty comparable to HAL otherwise. 

 

Here is the program from the one sea day. Note that Live from Lincoln Center is no more and has been replaced. 

 

Sea Day on Eurodam - July 2022 

 

 

 

Sea Day on Solstice - Mexican Rivera, November 2022

[zgscl]

2 hours ago, bundtkate said:

Itinerary. While Princess goes through the Inside Passage on the way back to Seattle, HAL goes through it both ways. This gives you a whole extra day to see scenery, which is what Alaska is all about, and mitigates any FOMO you may have if you're on the wrong side of the ship when you pass by something important.

FYI you will not go through the inside passage on the sea day to/from Seattle. Vancouver departures go on the inside of Vancouver Island, Seattle departures go on the outside. The first/last day onboard are very much a sea day for most of the day on all Seattle departures regardless of the cruise line. You will have time in the Inside Passage on both lines when you going in and out of the ports of call. I would definitely go with a Vancouver departure if this is important to you. 

 

2 hours ago, bundtkate said:

2. Smaller ship. While we do enjoy big ships, it's more because they're new than because they're big. Konigsdam is still pretty new and I've heard small ships can get closer to scenery and wildlife in Alaska so it feels like the best of both worlds.

Koningsdam is a great ship and one of my favorites. If you can get an itinerary with Glacier Bay this is generally considered the best as far as glacier viewings. 

 

2 hours ago, bundtkate said:

3. The enclosed pool area. @*Miss G* gets cookies for finding the right words to convince me here. Alaska is rainy, not just cold. Extra inside space with a view is a bigger plus than I was giving it credit for. I also love the idea of The Crows Nest. I can't remember what they called it, but there was a similar space on the MSC Meraviglia and it was our favorite spot on the ship to watch a sunset.

This is a WIN for HAL on all of their ships. It just makes so much sense. If the weather is nice they open it, and if the weather is not nice then they close it. Brilliant. 

 

2 hours ago, bundtkate said:

We may end up changing our minds if The Retreat costs way more than I think or it can't be reserved at the time of booking, but I've shot my TA an email so he can check into it for us so with any luck we'll be booked by next week.

I love the Retreat Cabanas but would urge you to reconsider for Alaska. The weather is too unpredictable. We sailed in July last year and got one, weather was way too cold to use it at all. The two weeks before our cruise was in the 70s, then we had 50s and low 60s our week. Similar experience in August of 2021. You will not know until you get there and you cannot get it refunded if you find it unusable for the whole cruise. We used it on the day of departure and toughed it out for a few hours in Sitka. I get a retreat cabana on all of my other cruises but will never do so again in Alaska or other northern destinations. 

 

As far as booking goes you need to have your cruise booked and deposited first. Once the deposit is paid you will need to call Ship Services at 1-800-541-1576. Choose the option that says something like all other purchases or cruises departing within 4 days. It should be $399 for a Retreat Cabana for 7 days and I believe $549 if you want the larger Family Cabana. Definitely book early the retreat routinely does sell out even in Alaska. 

Details on Cabanas can be found here including a layout of cabanas. They will give you your assignment when you book it so I recommend calling rather than having your TA do it so you can choose based on what they have available. 

 https://halfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/HAL_2018_Cabanas.pdf

 

If you are on Eurodam or Nieuw Amsterdam there is the option of a Lido Cabana - it is not on any other ship. This is similar to the Retreat but it is on the Lido deck next to the pool. Much less private as it is in the pool area, but they do have curtains that close it off for privacy. Otherwise you get the same service. The big plus here is that you are inside so if the weather sucks you can still use it every day. These are a bit less expensive because of the more public location and run at $199 due to the less private location. I have not yet been in one of these but am doing one in 2 weeks on my next Alaska cruise. 

[bundtkate]

9 minutes ago, zgscl said:

I love the Retreat Cabanas but would urge you to reconsider for Alaska. The weather is too unpredictable. We sailed in July last year and got one, weather was way too cold to use it at all.

I think because we're getting it in lieu of a balcony cabin, we'll be okay. Way I see it, if it's too cold for the Retreat, I wasted $400. If it's too cold to sit on my balcony, I wasted a lot more. Since I'm not going to chance Alaska with zero outside access, might as well book the cheaper thing, right? All the same, thank you for the word of caution. We'll keep it in mind and make sure we're going into it with the right mindset/expectations so we're not upset if things go a bit pear-shaped.
 

23 minutes ago, zgscl said:

As far as booking goes you need to have your cruise booked and deposited first. Once the deposit is paid you will need to call Ship Services at 1-800-541-1576. Choose the option that says something like all other purchases or cruises departing within 4 days. It should be $399 for a Retreat Cabana for 7 days and I believe $549 if you want the larger Family Cabana. Definitely book early the retreat routinely does sell out even in Alaska. 

Details on Cabanas can be found here including a layout of cabanas. They will give you your assignment when you book it so I recommend calling rather than having your TA do it so you can choose based on what they have available. 

Thanks so much for this! The fact you can't book right away and it could sold out already makes me a bit twitchy about my plans, but I guess worst case I find out they're gone and immediately swap to a balcony instead. I also trust my TA to book for me, mostly because I'm not too picky. I want one that looks over the sides instead of facing the Lido. Any of them would do me just fine. Do you think it would be rude to book a family cabana as a couple? I assumed it would be double the price since it's double the size and wasn't considering it, but for just $150 more I would be tempted ...

 

 

2 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

I did a “Live” thread last September from the Koningsdam - Vancouver to Alaska.

Thank you so much for this! I just finished reading and, despite your struggles, still feel pretty good about my choice. BB King's is something I was pretty stoked about (we're big blues fans) so I was glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. I was actually considering Club Orange because my only experience with suite dining is The Haven and assumed HAL's would be the same. I would actually die for a slice of The Haven's french toast so allowing me to pay for that food without the suite price tag seemed too good to be true. I then learned it actually is too good to be true and there's only one special entree per day. Boo. Reading your review has solidified my decision to pass and save that money. What a nightmare!

[zgscl]

2 hours ago, bundtkate said:

I think because we're getting it in lieu of a balcony cabin, we'll be okay. Way I see it, if it's too cold for the Retreat, I wasted $400. If it's too cold to sit on my balcony, I wasted a lot more. Since I'm not going to chance Alaska with zero outside access, might as well book the cheaper thing, right? All the same, thank you for the word of caution. We'll keep it in mind and make sure we're going into it with the right mindset/expectations so we're not upset if things go a bit pear-shaped.

Honestly this is a super solid plan. Totally makes sense as long as you are comfortable with the fact that you could not be able to use the retreat at all. The service up there is great. I should also mention that it is only available from 9AM-5PM. Totally should work well for Glacier Bay or glacier viewing, etc. And to be honest you wouldn't really want to be on your balcony in the evening in Alaska anyway most of the time. 

 

2 hours ago, bundtkate said:

Thanks so much for this! The fact you can't book right away and it could sold out already makes me a bit twitchy about my plans, but I guess worst case I find out they're gone and immediately swap to a balcony instead. I also trust my TA to book for me, mostly because I'm not too picky. I want one that looks over the sides instead of facing the Lido. Any of them would do me just fine. Do you think it would be rude to book a family cabana as a couple? I assumed it would be double the price since it's double the size and wasn't considering it, but for just $150 more I would be tempted ...

 

You can definitely call in advance if you want to check availability on the cabana, they just won't be able to book until the room is confirmed. The Ship Services Department is open Monday-Friday 7AM-5PM PST. You can email them at ship_services@hollandamerica.com and I usually get pretty fast responses. They cannot book by email but can probably at least tell you of availability on the desired sailing. 

ABSOLUTELY you can book the family cabana, it gives you way more space. No issue at all as long as it is available which is usually the hurdle. If you are on a Pinnacle Class ship (Koningsdam, Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam) I actually highly recommend it. On these ships the cabana space is two loungers with a small table between. There are no chairs. I usually travel solo and ask them to remove one lounger and replace with chairs as I often want to sit rather than lounge but for 2 people this may be more of an issue. The family cabana on these ships gives you both loungers and table/chairs. 

On the other vessels it is less of an issue because the cabanas are a bit larger and come with both chairs/loungers. 

But the family cabana is totally worth an extra $150. I would do it without a second thought. 

I agree with the side view particularly for Alaska (unless family which will be a corner and best of both worlds). 

I go into a lot of detail on cabanas on my two Koningsdam threads in my signature. 

The retreat area also does have shared tables/chairs and lounge chairs that can be used also.

2 hours ago, bundtkate said:

BB King's is something I was pretty stoked about (we're big blues fans) so I was glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. I was actually considering Club Orange because my only experience with suite dining is The Haven and assumed HAL's would be the same.

BB Kings is GREAT. The one word of warning - depending on the group they have had to abbreviate it on a lot of my sailings due to illness, etc. A few times the sets were down to 15 minutes. I haven't been on in a while so hopefully things have improved since my last sailing. 

Club orange is great - the food is the freshest and hottest I have had onboard. That being said it is the exact same menu and food as the MDR with a single extra main dish. Definitely no where near The Haven or Luminae or a proper suite restaurant. 

It is nice, but I only recommend paying if you can take advantage of the metacategory upgrade (book cheapest balcony and get upgraded to best available balcony; book cheapest Oceanview get upgraded to best available Oceanview). 

Also, the $35/day gets added to your cruise fare and if fares drop they may or may not let you price match. 

@Florida_gal_50 any recent experience with Club Orange and price drops? Have they let you price match to the latest? 

 

Koningsdam Standard Cabana

 

 

They are great about swapping out furniture and I had them do a table/chairs instead since it was just me. 

 

 

This was an empty family cabana so it is a bit of a mess. But they have a big day bed and then a couple chairs and then a table/chairs. 

 

 

The older ships (everything but Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam & Rotterdam) have larger cabanas across the board. 

 

Eurodam Lido Cabana

 

Eurodam Family Cabana

 

Zuiderdam Retreat Cabana

 

Zuiderdam Family Cabana

[Florida_gal_50]

On my November 2022 they didn’t want to get me a second price reduction before final on a refundable fare.  It was a fairly big drop and I said I could cancel the whole thing. I had nothing to lose at that point. I have a similar problem for a cruise this fall.  It dropped previously but I would have lost more obc than I gained money wise.  Now it’s gone down more so I have an email into my pcc.  I’ve got everything to lose this time if I’d have to cancel.  My air has doubled and it wasn’t cheap to begin with.  Club orange was almost fully booked in January when I booked so I may be stuck with the higher price.

[mahi mahi]

We did Alaska last year twice, Zuiderdam in June and Majestic Princess in September, both out of Vancouver.  We had such a wonderful time on Zuiderdam we couldn't wait to go back and had to use up a credit on Princess.  We much prefer HAL for their smaller ships and despite Princess billing Majestic as 'inside passage' it did not cruise the east side of Vancouver island therefore not nearly as scenic.  We had last cruised Alaska in 2008 and at that time we booked an obstructed ocean view cabin, figuring we would not be using a balcony because hey, it's September in Alaska!  A couple of weeks before sailing we were offered a balcony for $99 each and thought why not.  I so remember sitting on the loveseat in our cabin and seeing a whale spout not far from the ship and my husband and I practically tackling each other to get out the door for a better view!

 

Food on HAL was hands down much better than Princess (we have been disappointed in the food on every Princess cruise but hey, food is subjective and Princess cheerleaders will disagree I'm sure!).  We love that HAL opens the bow for viewing in Glacier Bay and Hubbard, just bundle up - it's worth it.  They also serve pea soup out there to warm you up.  As another poster pointed out, room service is always available and you can order room service even at dinner.  We did a fantastic ship excursion with HAL in Skagway that included wonderful hike in the rainforest that was spectacular as well as the train ride.  We actually had to tender with Princess in Skagway.

 

You will love Alaska, however you get there.  There is something very humbling about it, that there are still places on the planet that are still unspoiled.  Days are long in June.  There is nothing like being out on the balcony as the sun rises and watching pristine scenery drift by as the ship moves almost silently along (thank goodness for drapes that block those 3 am sunrises if you're not an early morning person!)

 

It's all about the scenery - as they say "that's why you're here".  Enjoy!

[3rdGenCunarder]

45 minutes ago, mahi mahi said:

We had last cruised Alaska in 2008 and at that time we booked an obstructed ocean view cabin, figuring we would not be using a balcony because hey, it's September in Alaska!  A couple of weeks before sailing we were offered a balcony for $99 each and thought why not.  I so remember sitting on the loveseat in our cabin and seeing a whale spout not far from the ship and my husband and I practically tackling each other to get out the door for a better view!

 

I love having a balcony in Alaska. It's good insurance against rainy weather. On my last Alaska cruise, I did go up to the bow (Cunard opens the bow on QE) for a while on the day that had good weather, but I was grateful to have the shelter of my balcony on the rainy day. The pea soup is famous, but I'm not a fan of pea soup. DH and I used to order room service coffee for the times we did glacier watching on our balcony. I liked being able to go out and watch Alaska go by for a while, then go into the cabin to warm up.

[*Miss G*]

10 hours ago, bundtkate said:

Thank you so much for this! I just finished reading and, despite your struggles, still feel pretty good about my choice. BB King's is something I was pretty stoked about (we're big blues fans) so I was glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. I was actually considering Club Orange because my only experience with suite dining is The Haven and assumed HAL's would be the same. I would actually die for a slice of The Haven's french toast so allowing me to pay for that food without the suite price tag seemed too good to be true. I then learned it actually is too good to be true and there's only one special entree per day. Boo. Reading your review has solidified my decision to pass and save that money. What a nightmare!

 

Despite the one-off poor experience on that trip, I love the Club Orange dining room and make sure I have it on every Pinnacle-class ship.  I am not a Lido Market Buffet or MDR person, for a number of reasons, so the CO dining room is a big hit with me.  All my other experiences with CO dining have been fantastic!

[Colorado Klutch]

On the subject of Victoria port calls, be aware a lot of ships stop there simply to meet US requirements for a foreign port call before returning to a US port. Thus, it's typical for the ship to pull in at night, like around 8:30 PM, when everything is closing down. Then ship gets underway early, like around 4:30 AM. So, if you're looking to enjoy Victoria, definitely check the schedule rather than assuming it's an actual port call. 

Edited May 1, 2023 by Colorado Klutch

[lcand1923]

I’ve done Land-Sea Alaska trips on Princess and HAL and several Cruise Only Alaska trips on HAL only.  I have found the food and docking locations to be better on HAL.  Princess has many more onboard activities.  Princess is noisier and busier that HAL.  I chose the Princess trip because of the itinerary which HAL was not offering at that time.  Look at itinerary, then consider all of the comments that have been posted here when making your final decision.  (I think it has been made, but just in case you haven’t contacted your TA yet ….)

[OlsSalt]

19 hours ago, CT D&N said:

Have sailed both HAL and Princess numerous times.  I agree with much of what has been posted and would give the edge to HAL.  Also, HAL ships do have the covered pool area which Princess ships do not.

 

 

The covered pool area on HAL ships would be the deal breaker against Princess for me. It is warm toasty, and a great way to see the passing scenery on HAL ships to Alaska and be only a few steps away from the Lido refreshments.

[Roz]

On 4/29/2023 at 3:47 PM, Mary229 said:

There is a late night buffet but I think it ends at 10:30. Room service is free, 24 hours.  There are paid options on room service  but plenty of snacks delivered for free 

 

The late night buffet starts at 10:30 pm and ends at 11:30 pm.

[bundtkate]

7 hours ago, Colorado Klutch said:

On the subject of Victoria port calls, be aware a lot of ships stop there simply to meet US requirements for a foreign port call before returning to a US port. Thus, it's typical for the ship to pull in at night, like around 8:30 PM, when everything is closing down.

This is 💯 why the Princess itinerary I was looking at stopped in Victoria which is why I wasn't considering it too much of a plus. It arrived at 7pm and left at 12am. It does look like a really charming place, but alas, timing wouldn't have likely allowed me to do much.

 

7 hours ago, lcand1923 said:

Look at itinerary, then consider all of the comments that have been posted here when making your final decision.  (I think it has been made, but just in case you haven’t contacted your TA yet ….)

This is pretty much what I did in the end and ultimately the itinerary probably was the big differentiator. I emailed my TA late yesterday and he's making some calls for me today so things are in motion. I may not have come around without the comments here, though, so cookies all around. 🙂

[BeachBum47]

I am so glad to hear that you're leaning towards HAL. I am a bit biased though.

 

One thing that I did not see mentioned yet... and it is the main reason I love HAL, is because it's DUTCH! And "if you're not Dutch, you're not much!" haha, that's what the Dutch say anyway. 😁

I love the history of Holland America and I just love the Dutch theme on the ships. I am going on my 3rd HAL cruise to Alaska on Saturday. 🙂 One thing I am looking forward to is enjoying traditional Dutch pea soup on the deck, watching the gorgeous scenery in the drizzling rain. Bliss.

 

The Dutch artwork and the Dutch staff (and all the non-Dutch staff, too, of course) are fantastic. The specialty Dutch food in The Grand Dutch café is amazing (only on Pinnacle ships) and you just can't get it as good outside of Holland. It's really authentic. I can't wait to have the herring and the kroketten and all the other goodies. 

Needless to say, my vote goes to HAL!