Thinking of booking first HAL cruise -- Advice needed

[lawgirl]

Hello. We've cruised RCI (Brilliance and Serenade) and Celebrity (Summit). We're booked on Princess in the fall to give that line a try. Thinking of a HAL cruise on Volendam, 9 night Caribbean in January 2005. Any thoughts? We are in our 30s, like to have choices of things to do, but don't particularly want tons of children on board. We like good food and service, nice pools. We definitley liked Celebrity better than RCI. Would we like a HAl cruise on the Volendam? Since the ship is smaller will we be bored? Thanks!!

[torybruno]

My advice...stick with Celebrity!

[wjterry]

Just returned from HAL and had done RCC, Celebrity, NCL and my advice especially for your age is stick with what you have already been on. May want to wait to see how Princess is. HAL was no where near what we have been told.

[Keith Rita]

Contrary to the previous two posters--try HAL, you might just like them! Kind of like driving a Ford or Chevy or Dodge, you need the first hand experience to form your own opinion. We have cruised Carnival, Celebrity, RCI, and HAL. They were all good, however, our best experiences have been on HAL. We can't guarantee you will like it--but you might! The main thing is you will be on an another cruise!

[rhelms]

Returned from a Hal cruise a couple of weeks ago. We were on the Maasdam. I knew before going that the croud would be more mature than my experience on previous RCI cruises. I intended for my frame of mind to be adjusted accordingly. Shouldn't be that hard since I am in my late forties. But I just couldn't. There was just no excitement on the ship. I guess dull is the word I am looking for. This was even true for the ship staff. Boring cruise director, boring bingo, boring casino, etc.

 

I thought the trade off would be enhanced food and service. Not true in either case. Serving staff lacked personality and IMHO the food wasn't anything exceptional. I thought the deserts were particularly weak.

 

I am not saying that I didn't enjoy the cruise. I guess there is no such thing as a bad cruise. I just need a little more excitement. I will add that the ship was gorgeous. Although hot, the piano bar was one of the prettiest rooms I have ever seen on a ship. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

[lawgirl]

Thank you for the replies. I've actually done some more research on this ship, the Volendam, and the reviews were not great. I think we'll stick with RCI, Princess or Celebrity. Celebrity is getting pricey so I though maybe HAL would be an alternative for a more elegant, refined cruise -- guess not! Oh well. Thanks again.

[localady]

With all due respect, I think HAL is being sold short. I have cruised on Celebrity, RCC, Disney and HAL, and am in my early 40's. I have never met a cruise I didn't like, and for my style HAL fits the mark!

 

There are less children and an older crowd. If you are looking for Rumba lessons or getting down with the Hiphop DJ, you will be disappointed. :eek: What will not disappoint you are the larger rooms and the fact that there are only 1300 people on the ship.

I am very active during shore excursions, but enjoy nothing more than curling up with a good book on my balcony in the afternoon of a sea day. It really depends on the type of atmosphere you are striving for IMHO;)

[Tatka]

I hope our cruise on Zuiderdam won't be "dull" !!!

[hotspur]

Returned from a Hal cruise a couple of weeks ago. We were on the Maasdam. I knew before going that the croud would be more mature than my experience on previous RCI cruises. I intended for my frame of mind to be adjusted accordingly. Shouldn't be that hard since I am in my late forties. But I just couldn't. There was just no excitement on the ship. I guess dull is the word I am looking for. This was even true for the ship staff. Boring cruise director, boring bingo, boring casino, etc.

I'm with rhelms. In fact, we may have been on the same Maasdam cruise.

 

The service was nothing special. Nor was the food. Comparable with NCL and other popular-priced lines, I'd say. Minimal information about ports, other than where the HAL-affiliated shops were located. No "enrichment" lectures whatsoever. The ballyhooed Indonesian/Filipino staff was no friendlier or better-trained than crews on NCL or the old Renaissance. Flowers were nice. If you cruise to look at flower arrangements, HAL is probably the line for you.

 

After all the gushing from the regulars here on the HAL board, it was a big disappointment. Formal nights were just a charade to give them a chance to take and sell more photographs. Getting to the Captain's welcome reception required running a gantlet of photographers--it was the only way in. The poor captain was nothing more than a living, breathing, highly-paid photo prop. (I have great respect for the NCL captain who, in a Q-and-A session with passengers, admitted how embarrassed he was to be part of this picture-posing nonsense.) Both inappropriate and annoying. Then they sat you in the big lounge, gave you a drink, and you tapped your foot waiting for dinner-time. The ambiance in the dining room was neither "formal" or dignified in any way. The fabled "parade of the baked Alaskas" was turned into a farce by the blaring music from Verdi's Aida and the incessant screaming of the cruise director. People were asked to dress up for this nonsense? It was simply embarrassing.

 

Nice ship, indifferent crew, ordinary food, mediocre entertainment, little or no meaningful port information, few substantive activities during the day, overblown dress "requests" for evenings. One came away with the sense that no stone was left unturned in trying to squeeze extra $$ out of the passengers for seven days. Good things: Nice-sized cabin, abundant seating in the Lido, a very nice salad bar, and a pretty good selection of sugar-free desserts. The sugar-free ice cream was from Perry's, by the way, not made on board.