Mother (80) Daughter Trip NCL Pearl vs Holland Zaandam Canada New England Aug2023

[travelhome]

I will be staying with my mom in Boston for the month of August (next month). So I am planning an once-a-life-time mother daughter trip for late August!

 

This is really last minute and the choices narrow down to the following two below:

$1049pp Inside cabin for NCL Pearl 7 days 8/25 - 9/1 Boston roundtrip, Port of Calls: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island • Sydney, Nova Scotia • Halifax, Nova Scotia • Portland, Maine • Bar Harbor, Maine

$1493pp Oceanview for Holland Zaandam 11 days 8/23 - 9/3 Boston - Montreal one way, Port of Calls: Portland, Maine • St. John, New Brunswick, Canada • Halifax, Nova Scotia • Corner Brook, Newfoundland • Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island • Cruise Gulf Of St. Lawrence • Saguenay, Quebec, Canada • Quebec City, Quebec • Montreal, Quebec

 

My mom will be turning 80 December this year. She is relatively healthy, mobile and would be happy visiting interesting sites, but we may have to use wheelchair for long walks. 

 

I would have wanted a Balcony cabin, but at this last minute, Balcony is either not available (Holland) or too expensive ($3199 Pearl). I will just take the lowest cost cabin available and spend $$ elsewhere. I am not familiar with these two ships and these ports. My questions / considerations are:

1. How's NCL Pearl compared with Holland Zaandam, in terms of restaurant choices, senior friendly amenities, activity choices for sea days etc. 

2. How are these itineraries stack against each other, for senior that cannot take too long a walk. 

3. Since Holland Zaandam ship will be Boston-Montreal one way, is it possible to catch the flight to Boston at 8:15am after the ship docks at 7am? If not, we might spend the day tour Montreal and take a later flight back to Boston. But not sure whether we can keep the luggage at the port or somewhere? 

4. Not sure whether the one way trip will be too aggressive and too much of a hassle, compared to the Boston roundtrip one. 

 

Would really appreciate it if you could share your knowledge about the ships, the itineraries and senior travel. It will actually be my very first time traveling with my mom alone, no kids, no husbands, just two of us! 

 

Thanks a lot!

Tiffany

 

 

 

[alwaysfrantic]

You definitely can NOT make an 8:15 am flight.  
 

I don’t know anything about NCL.  HAL will have many 80 year old aboard and activities that she would likely appreciate and enjoy.  The ship is almost certainly smaller and thus easier to get around.  

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Having sailed many times both NCL and HAL I would say HAL hands down for mom. My parents sailed around the world with HAL but also on all the major lines and while they did enjoy NCL as they got older they seemed to enjoy Crystal, HAL and Cunard. They personally did not care for Seabourn but liked the larger ships with a diverse passenger makeup. So my opinion would be HAL over NCL. Please keep us posted and regards to mom!

[trivia addict]

I wholeheartedly agree with the above posters.

I have taken several HAL and NCL cruises. I’ve been on the Pearl, which is a lovely ship but never the Zaandam, so can’t compare the two ships. But to compare the two Lines, I think your mother would be more comfortable with HAL. It attracts an older crowd and its shipboard activities reflect that. 
Having been to almost all of the ports you mention. I would not give up the opportunity to visit Montreal and Quebec City.

I wouldn’t worry about the one way hassle of flying home. My daughter and I have taken a Mother//Daughter cruise each year since 2007. (Excluding Covid years).
At the start, I made all of the decisions, and now I happily let her take over and am secure in the knowledge that she can navigate us through those pesky things like airports and apps on the phone!

I am sure that the two of you will figure it all out together and I know that this trip will be a very special time for both of you.

[Mary229]

Only one comment if budget is important the insides on the Zaandam are generally the same size as the outside views.  The ones on the promenade deck are slightly shorter but do have the benefit of easy access to the wonderful teak floored wrap around promenade with lounge chairs 

[Alberta Quilter]

If you do choose the one way itinerary, make sure to ask for wheelchair assistance at the airport, when you book your flight.  It will make travelling through the airport soooo much easier for both of you!

 

Another thought, if budget and time are not issues, could you also book the return trip Montreal to Boston?  The Zuiderdam is doing 7 day itineraries between Boston and Quebec City (but it’s the same ports each way which may or may not be a good thing).

 

PS any itinerary with Saguenay would get my vote!  That is one of my favourite ports!

[Essiesmom]

According to cruisedeckplans, cabins on NCL Pearl are considerably smaller than on HAL.  EM

[*Miss G*]

Wow!  What a wonderful trip for the two of you!  You will make some amazing memories.  Absolutely, if this is a “trip of a lifetime”, you should go with the Zaandam!  That itinerary is quite rare.  Both Newfoundland and Saguenay in one trip!  Canada/New England is all about the scenery, and it’s not going to get any more scenic than the Saguenay Fjord!  Although both ships visit a couple of the same ports, a visit to Quebec and Newfoundland will really give you a broader perspective of Canada and old world charm.  You did say this was a trip of a lifetime!

 

Off the top of my head, here are my thoughts:

 

• I haven’t been on the Pearl, nor on any NCL product, so I cannot offer a comparison as to experience.  However, the Pearl is much bigger in size than the Zaandam with a passenger capacity of an additional 1,000 people.  1,000 additional people!  I think the short itinerary and summer school closures would also mean many more kids on the Pearl than on the Zaandam.  Ship size would also mean your mother would have farther to walk.
•  
• Bar Harbor has begun to limit access to cruise ships.  Even though it remains on some itineraries I have read where plans have changed and some ships are not stopping there.
•  
• I think your mother would love Zaandam’s promenade with teak lounge chairs and the library behind the Explorations Cafe.  (Pictures below.)
•  
• As others have said, the 8:15am flight would be impossible to make.  HAL offers scenic coach tours with airport transfer on disembarkation day for those with later flights.  It’s a good way to get a feel for the port while still flying home the same day.

 

The library is divided into three sections.  (And it’s awesome.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Across from the library is a beautiful ladies room.

 

 

Edited July 14, 2023 by *Miss G*

[Haljo1935]

Aligned with above on navigating flights and airports - you should find those doable. I have done the Boston tour w/airport transfer (on HAL) @*Miss G* referenced and quite enjoyed it. It gives you an opportunity to see a bit of the city w/o worrying about luggage as it rides on the bus with you. I would imagine NCL would have something similar  - definitely won't make an early morning flight. If you go w/HAL, there should something like that for Montreal, too.

I've not been on NCL, but cruise HAL regularly and believe your mom would be comfortable on their ships.

The itinerary for HAL is awesome! Agree w/ @Alberta Quilter about Saguenay - it is lovely. It was substituted last year when we were cruising a week after Fiona went through the area and found it to be the silver lining.

Also find the Oceanview cabin a better choice than an inside, especially if you do the longer itinerary. While there are certainly plenty of places on the ship to enjoy the views (be sure to go to the Crow's Nest) you both may find being able to relax in your cabin while still enjoying the views to be a little sanctuary. Especially given you considered a balcony, a well located Oceanview is a great next choice. Get portside if you're able so you maximize cabin views. 

How exciting for you to be planning such a great trip for the 2 of you. The itinerary is very nice and the ports lovely. You will be able to see a lot no matter which way you go, but HAL checks a lot of boxes for your mom's demographic and the enhanced itinerary is a bonus. Afternoon tea on HAL, especially for a mother-daughter cruise, would be special. 

You can note the booking as a birthday celebration for your mom and they'll do a little something special for her (HAL will). Please be sure to use a wheel chair to make the airports and the ports easier.  Navigating 2 airports is really no different than navigating 1.

Edited July 14, 2023 by Haljo1935
Typo

[OlsSalt]

Think about the cost of shore excursions, when you have many more ports to visit - some do not have much to do on your own. That could be a factor. How many tender ports - which can be hard if there are mobility problems. Maybe spend some more time exploring what you will want to do in each port. 

 

But hand's down, the Zaandam is the best choice ship - it is a perfect sized ship, wonderful cabins, lovely dining room and a very comfortable cozy home feel to it.  The New England itinerary it is a wonderful cruise, but partly because of some of thee shore excursions like the Anne of Green Gables tour on Prince Edwards Island -  a very charming excursion where the book came alive. 

 

Please do let us know what you finally choose. 

[crystalspin]

Agree with the Zaandam choice and the location of the Lower Promenade deck - either inside or Oceanview. Steps from the biggest balcony on the ship! Just beware of cabins under the main galley (the blank white area between midship and aft elevator banks on Deck 4); they are noisy day and night! 

 

As far as the itinerary being too "aggressive" or busy. You are not required to do a activity at every port! Pick the ports you don't want to miss a scenic or historic drive, and pick some others to take a short walk or even to stay on the ship and have the Crow's Nest mostly to yourselves. 

[crystalspin]

@travelhome I went to look at available cabins, and the HAL website shows the entire ship sold out! Maybe you have found a travel agent with some rooms blocked out?

[RuthC]

Although far from being a small ship, the Zaandam is smaller than most ships sailing today. Since you say your Mom might need a wheelchair in some ports, walking the length of the ship also needs to be considered, as well as the distance to your dinner table each night. 
For those with mobility problems, the Zaandam is a great size ship to be on. 

I agree with the suggestion to reserve wheelchair assistance in the airports (if you don't do the round-trip), and also for boarding/disembarking the ship. 
If you do decide to have a wheelchair, or other mobility device, for ports, it has to be rented from an outside company that deals with HAL; there are two of them. The device will be delivered to the cabin, and left there at the end of the cruise. 
You could wheel your Mom down to the disembarkation assembly area, leave her there with the carry-ons, then bring the chair back to the cabin. 
Consider a scooter, too, so she can be a little more independent. You won't have to be joined at the hip. 

Do not book a flight before 11:30, or so. 

[kitkat343]

I've sailed both, and they are quite similar, although an 80 year old passenger will likely be happier on HAL, and a family with young children will likely feel more comfortable on NCL.  

 

The one caveat with NCL is that they make a lot of last minute itinerary changes after final payment, and don't give a lot of notice.  That's really hard for travelers with disabilities and families because we need to plan in advance.   You need to be really careful with booking private tours and checking their cancellation policies especially if you are sailing on NCL.  

 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

Another vote for HAL. HAL has the better itinerary. Not a fair comparison, since it's a longer cruise. But getting to see Montreal and Quebec City as well as Saguenay make that itinerary a winner. 

 

Another consideration is NCL's stop at Bar Harbor will likely be a no-go for Mom. It's a tender port. And the walking is difficult--uphill with narrow sidewalks. 

[Blackduck59]

I'm booked on the 23rd August departure so if you choose that I'll see you there.

[BermudaBound2014]

16 hours ago, travelhome said:

I will be staying with my mom in Boston for the month of August (next month). So I am planning an once-a-life-time mother daughter trip for late August!

 

This is really last minute and the choices narrow down to the following two below:

$1049pp Inside cabin for NCL Pearl 7 days 8/25 - 9/1 Boston roundtrip, Port of Calls: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island • Sydney, Nova Scotia • Halifax, Nova Scotia • Portland, Maine • Bar Harbor, Maine

$1493pp Oceanview for Holland Zaandam 11 days 8/23 - 9/3 Boston - Montreal one way, Port of Calls: Portland, Maine • St. John, New Brunswick, Canada • Halifax, Nova Scotia • Corner Brook, Newfoundland • Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island • Cruise Gulf Of St. Lawrence • Saguenay, Quebec, Canada • Quebec City, Quebec • Montreal, Quebec

 

My mom will be turning 80 December this year. She is relatively healthy, mobile and would be happy visiting interesting sites, but we may have to use wheelchair for long walks. 

 

I would have wanted a Balcony cabin, but at this last minute, Balcony is either not available (Holland) or too expensive ($3199 Pearl). I will just take the lowest cost cabin available and spend $$ elsewhere. I am not familiar with these two ships and these ports. My questions / considerations are:

1. How's NCL Pearl compared with Holland Zaandam, in terms of restaurant choices, senior friendly amenities, activity choices for sea days etc. 

2. How are these itineraries stack against each other, for senior that cannot take too long a walk. 

3. Since Holland Zaandam ship will be Boston-Montreal one way, is it possible to catch the flight to Boston at 8:15am after the ship docks at 7am? If not, we might spend the day tour Montreal and take a later flight back to Boston. But not sure whether we can keep the luggage at the port or somewhere? 

4. Not sure whether the one way trip will be too aggressive and too much of a hassle, compared to the Boston roundtrip one. 

 

Would really appreciate it if you could share your knowledge about the ships, the itineraries and senior travel. It will actually be my very first time traveling with my mom alone, no kids, no husbands, just two of us! 

 

Thanks a lot!

Tiffany

 

 

 

 

Aloha, I have sailed sister ships to both of these. The Pearl belongs to the Jewel class and has lots of positives, but in your case, I would go with Zaandam because it is going to end up so much less expensive. I'm sure you know this, but NCL is going to add automatic tips to the beverage/dining part of the package (Special Services). These are in addition to the service charges, so the Zaandam will end up about the same price and you get 4 more days. If these are my only two choices, hands down my vote is for Zaandam.

 

 

 

 

Now.... how adventurous are you? I don't mean to muddy the waters, but there are some SPECTACULAR last minute cruises to Alaska because the Alaska market is flooded right now. Without a doubt Alaska is going to give you a much much bigger bang for the buck and, IMO, a bigger WOW factor too. Of course, it requires a much longer travel day so it might not be worth it. 

 

Off the top of my head, this one stands out as an exceptional value. It is open jaw so you will have to play with airfare. Keep in mind you can bus from Vancouver back to Seattle and stick with Boston/Seattle round trip air if that is significantly cheaper This trip won't be as easy as a round trip boston, and I'm not sure if your mom prefers not to fly,  but this is the trip I'd be looking at if I were booking today:

 

Celebrity Millennium.

August 25-Sept 1st

 

Final cost for the cruise (and if you are a shopper you won't pay this published rate)

 

Another quick look and it appears airfare Boston to Seattle is running around $300 on United departing August 24 and returning late Sept 1st. So the grand total including airfare is still cheaper than the Zaandam cruise after you add port taxes. 

 

 

If the west coast is too far, have you considered cruises out of NY or NJ? Any of these will offer a better value simply due to supply and demand.  I kinda like the 10 night on Caribbean Princess from Quebec to New York for $599 pp (plus all taxes).

 

Anyway, just ignore me if I'm making things too confusing. Just trying to help. Between the two you have listed, my vote is Zaandam. 

 

 

[beach spring]

Although I have not been on the Norwegian ship, my husband and I just last month did the Boston to Montreal on the Zaandam.  We booked late also so ended up in an oceanview on deck 2.  (Be aware that some of the OV staterooms at bow have portholes and not big windows.)  We were quite comfortable and the ship is just small enough that we had reasonable walks throughout.  In the ports, we did our own thing, since my husband was still recovering from a nasty fall (broken shoulder and knee), and we did end up walking but also enjoyed the bus tours we booked in the ports.  Hop on Hop off tours in Quebec City and Halifax.  As someone mentioned, Bar Harbor is a tender port and also an iffy one, weather dependent.  Study up and select tours/sites which work for you; the ship's tours are pricey and limit what you might like to see that is not included.  As for Montreal, we stayed an extra 2 1/2 days and had a lovely time.  Our small hotel, the Springhill Suites, was in a great location in Old Montreal.  We easily walked to the Place Jacques-Cartier for dining al fresco and attended Sunday morning mass in the Notre-Dame Basilica (all in French, of course).  Questions?   I'll try to help.

[travelhome]

Thanks for everyone's warm assistance! I eventually booked the NCL Boston roundtrip cruise with my mom, due to availability. Really appreciate all your wonderful notes and tips here. I may sail on HAL one day! 

 

For many who had experience with this New England / Canada route, please take a look at the draft activities I put together. I avoid long walk tours and lean toward sit down drive around tours. 

 

Port1: Sunday 8/27 Charlottetown  $52/pp 2.5hr

Charlottetown Pedal Pub Crawl 2023 (viator.com)

Port2: Monday 8/28 Sydney

Small city, just walk a bit along Esplanade street and back to ship

Port3: Tuesday 8/29 Halifax  $47/pp 1hr

Halifax Harbour Hopper Sightseeing Tour by Land and Sea 2023 (viator.com)

Port4: Wed 8/30 Portland, ME $40/pp 105min

Cruise Ship Passengers - Portland Discovery Land & Sea Tours — Portland Discovery Land & Sea Tours

Port5: Thur 8/31 Bar Harbor, ME $58/pp 2.5hr

Acadia National Park Tours | Oli’s Trolley (olistrolley.com)

 

Please let me know if there is anything I should pay special attention or whether there are very long walks to get to those tours. My mom should be able to walk for 15-20min on flat terrain before needing some rest. 

 

Two days to go and fingers crossed that the weather will be cooperating for our journey! 

 

 

[Rubyfisch]

We went on a sunset tour with the same tour company in Portland last week (we were up for the weekend) and really enjoyed it - they have great tour guides.

 

Not sure of your timing in Portland, but there is a little cafe just down the street for the port called the Maker's Gallery. It has art and crafts from local artists for sale, and a small food menu. They have a grilled blueberry muffin that is among my favorite things to eat. It's way better than the Holy Donut (also good, also just down the street).

[Haljo1935]

8 hours ago, travelhome said:

...

Port1: Sunday 8/27 Charlottetown  $52/pp 2.5hr

Charlottetown Pedal Pub Crawl 2023 (viator.com)...

 

Please let me know if there is anything I should pay special attention or whether there are very long walks to get to those tours. My mom should be able to walk for 15-20min on flat terrain before needing some rest. ...

Congrats on making a choice to spend some quality time w/your mom. Even though you decided against HAL, I'm sure you'll have a lovely trip.

Looking at your list of excursions (which is helpful, BTW) first thought is Pedal Pub Crawl for your 80yo mom? Really? If it was my mom, it'd be Yikes!! Or are you doing that one w/o her? If she goes and enjoys herself, can we schedule a play date for our moms? Mine needs friends like yours, lol.

[travelhome]

ha, you picked that up! I actually didn't think too much of the pedaling part. The intro says "Thanks to solar-powered panels on your ingenious vehicle, you can pedal or choose to sit back and relax and let the sun do the work for you"

 

My mom had been on Surrey bike rides with us at the Golden Gate Park. Of course, the younger gen pedaled (me and my teenager kids) and the grandma just sat in the middle enjoying the ride. Lots of fun! 

Surrey Bike Rental in Golden Gate Park | Tiqets

This time, it will be just me and my mom. From the description, the vehicle can accommodate up to 14 ppl so I thought it would not require too much physical labor from a senior! But you did draw my attention to give it more thoughts. I was mostly trying to find sth fun without too much walking. But if the weather is poor and cloudy, this tour could end up being troublesome / miserable.... especially that we don't really drink alcohol, which negates the purpose / main theme of this "pub crawl".

 

em... thanks again for the feedback! Have to think more about this activity and what to do at Charlottetown. 

 

 

[Rubyfisch]

6 minutes ago, travelhome said:

ha, you picked that up! I actually didn't think too much of the pedaling part. The intro says "Thanks to solar-powered panels on your ingenious vehicle, you can pedal or choose to sit back and relax and let the sun do the work for you"

 

My mom had been on Surrey bike rides with us at the Golden Gate Park. Of course, the younger gen pedaled (me and my teenager kids) and the grandma just sat in the middle enjoying the ride. Lots of fun! 

Surrey Bike Rental in Golden Gate Park | Tiqets

This time, it will be just me and my mom. From the description, the vehicle can accommodate up to 14 ppl so I thought it would not require too much physical labor from a senior! But you did draw my attention to give it more thoughts. I was mostly trying to find sth fun without too much walking. But if the weather is poor and cloudy, this tour could end up being troublesome / miserable.... especially that we don't really drink alcohol, which negates the purpose / main theme of this "pub crawl".

 

em... thanks again for the feedback! Have to think more about this activity and what to do at Charlottetown. 

 

 

The same company has a solar boat tour in Charlottetown that we booked - you can find it directly on their website. That might be more your speed.

[dockman]

If you like being nickle and dimed to death at every turn you will love NCL as they have taken it to a new level.  The last ncl i did was on Getaway ...they had lots of restaurants avail but the problem was they were fee restaurants....so naturally the non fee restaurants were packed full and hard to get into so many people coughed up the fee just to eat and avoid standing in line for the non fee ones...not my idea of a more or less inclusive cruise and you can spend a lot of extra $$ on ncl...holland does have a couple of fee restaurants but thankfully nothing near the level of what i saw on NCL.

 

NCL is likely better for those who don't mind forking out more $$ to experience different restaurants and also more water slides and all that type stuff for kids....holland has no water slides and really not designed to be an amusement park.