Cheating on Carnival (not what you think)...Booked on HAL...Thoughts anyone?

[LandCruiser]

My wife and I are trying HAL for the first time. The only other line we have been on is Carnival. We have loved our voyages on CCL but we are very much looking forward to our week on the "Z".

 

This is also our first cruise with a balcony...very excited about that as well.

 

Curious...We are in our early 30's, what are your thoughts on the HAL passenger demographic? Will there be a big difference from Carnival (obvious answer being yes...details please) and will we really notice anything different about the cruise line itself and the passengers we will be sharing the ship with.

 

Dave

[cocabear]

You're not alone Dave! I have also only sailed on Carnival before and am booked on HAL for a cruise through the Panama Canal. There are 6 people in our group in their 40's, one in their 50's, one in their 60's and one in their 70's. I really don't know what to expect as far as demographics go, but I am sure there will be someone that can enlighten us.

[chieft26]

We've done both Carnival and Holland America. We like them both for different reasons. I have to admit that service and food are much better on Holland America, but we have more fun on Carnival since everything doesn't shut down by eleven at night. We did feel like we were the young "kids" (and we're in our 40's) since Holland America does seem to cater to the older crowd (55+).

[glrounds]

I clearly remember the opening line of a review of the inaugural cruise of the Zuiderdam (please bear in mind inaugurals on HAL brought out all the "old" traditionalists looking to either approve or dismiss this new upstart Vista Class):

"Clearly 95% of the passengers on this cruise will be dead within 5 years....." :D

Having said that, I would also state that many of the "new" demographic on HAL are cruisers like yourself (much to the consternation of the "old guard") that bring about changes in dress codes, bring your children, and just in general tend to swing the customs and traditions away from the "status quo".

I'm interested in the Z and the Oo also because of the lower than Carnival pricing on the inside and oceanview cabins. Most of the balconies, suites, and mini-suites are sold out months in advance, but HAL sure has a problem filling the rest of the ships in some areas.

Its ironic, 10 out of 12 cruises on CCL and I "fit" the HAL demographic perfectly (almost 65), but I just love the FUNSHIPS. Hard for me to cheat on my beloved Carnival. :rolleyes:

Have a great cruise and tell us all about it. If you hang out on the HAL boards don't be dismayed by the regular "cheerleaders" that trounce immediately on anybody suggesting that HAL is NOT perfect. And for God's sake don't even ask a question about THE DRESS CODE. :D

 

[Vicar]

And just make sure you don't wear a swim diaper in the aft pool either *LOL*

[ParrotHeadFL]

Since HAL is owned by Carnival, it's not really cheating.

[retiredldo]

We have been on both the Z and O from Hal, and our first carnival cruise coming up, in addition we have cruised princess rccl and ncl, ncl was far and away the worst. Hal, excellent service, very low keyed, good entertainment, outstanding food. Very good staff. It does appear to be an older type crowd on HAL but when you listen to the HALites, the Z and O were a significant step away from the normal routine of HAL, many folks said it had the touch of carnival with brighter colors etc, and quite frankly they did tone it down with more earth tones on the Ossterdam. WIth that style of ship, HAL is attempting to change the demographics of their cruisers, well they even have discos on the ships whereas they did not before. Being escorted to your room by a white gloved attendant is gone. The free coffee bar is non existent, you pay for the speciality coffees. However the yum yum man is there after dinner serving, ginger, mints and doing jokes

 

Oh well

 

Pete

[LandCruiser]

Since HAL is owned by Carnival, it's not really cheating.

Yeah but aren't they considered "sister" companies? Isn't that worse then cheating? "Sister-Sister Swap" not as bad as "Best Friend" and not as fun as "Mother-Daughter" but sinister none the same.

[Brneyznfl]

Yeah but aren't they considered "sister" companies? Isn't that worse then cheating? "Sister-Sister Swap" not as bad as "Best Friend" and not as fun as "Mother-Daughter" but sinister none the same.

LOL Landcruiser. :D

[gsb]

It's okay if you're ready to slow down, take some naps, and go to bed early.

[LandCruiser]

All kidding aside, thanks for the input from all who contributed. One thing I will not stray from is the Carnival Board. It is by far the most fun loving on the whole site. The Jury is still out as to if we will have more fun on a HAL cruise then we have had on CCL but one thing I do know is that this board (the Carnival Board) is way more fun to chat and post on. (Too bad they had to go and ruin it with the new formatting...is anyone else sad that the post count got reset...I lost all credibility...not the first time that has happened.)

[hammybee]

Too funny. We are devoted HAL fans and will be sailing with Carnival this summer and am wondering the same thing in reverse. We just returned from Alaska on the Oosterdam, which like its sisters' 'Z' and 'W' are a part of HAL's new VISTA class. It is apparent that HAL is going after a younger demographic with these new ships. I'm 50 and felt a little old on the Oosterdam. Average age was about 40.

 

I have not sailed Carnival in about 10 years. The food and service are definitely better on HAL. The size and quality of the cabin is also much better on HAL. Just wait till you hit the pillows.

 

Attire is resort casual and shorts and tees in the dining room is a major mistake because they will not let you in. About half the men wear tuxes on formal night.If you are more than 15 minutes late for dinner in the main dining room, they will not let you in. The Pinnacle is an alternative restaurant with a $20 surcharge. It has some of the best food I have ever had anywhere and well worth it. Dining in the LIDO is pretty good .The pace is slower and entertainment hit or miss. Unless there is a large group on board things can get quiet around midnight.

 

I think you are going to enjoy the difference and the balcony.

[MusicMan]

"I have not sailed Carnival in about 10 years. The food and service are definitely better on HAL. The size and quality of the cabin is also much better on HAL. Just wait till you hit the pillows."

 

All I can say is that since you haven't sailed Carnival in 10 years how could you possibly know that HAL food and service are better??? I just returned (in May) from a cruise tour with HAL (on the Statendam). While overall I thorougly enjoyed the experience, I did NOT find it to be head and shoulders above Carnival. I personally found the menu better on Carnival and service in the dining room was the worst I have ever had (while cruising). Now it wasn't TERRIBLE, but every Carnival cruise I had was better . I'm not saying EVERYONE'S service on the Statendam was bad, just ours. Which is one of my main points. Regardless of which line you're on you can get a great or a lousy waiter. It IS true that on the Lido deck, the buffet lines were shorter on HAL... but they've never run out of food on Carnival and where are you going anyway???? If if really impresses you to have an Indonesian waiter hand you your tray and silverware vs picking it up yourself then HAL certainly wins there. As for the "Fun" part, on HAL during the day I was sometimes bored to tears. I finally found an unoccupied meeting room with a piano and amused myself at least an hour a day in there playing the piano. There was a distinct lack of activities during the day. My wife and I (in our early 50's were probably one of the 25 youngest couples on board. There was probably less shoving in crowds and rushing to get to things on HAL, but MUCH more whining and complaining about every little thing from the "old folks". As for formal night, your estimation of 1/2 the men wearing tuxes was a little high for our particular cruise. I wore a tux, but felt I was in the minority. I didn't mind because I ENJOY formal wear every now and then. As for shorts and tees, except perhaps at lunch, they're not allowed in the dining room on Carnival either . Now I am NOT knocking HAL. I pretty much knew what I was getting into (my wifes co-worker booked the trip) and I DID have a great time. HAL just isnt the cruise line FOR ME!

[Travelitis]

We're awaiting our 1st Carnival cruise, but I can certainly comment on the Big Z compared to other lines. We had a cat S on a corner (wrap-around balcony) and loved it! However, it was very noticeably quieter and lower key than other ships we've sailed. We laughed all week about being far below the average age. The 2 couples we sat with at dinner and we got plenty of mileage out of it. We figured we'd been put together, because we were all of the "under 60" crowd. This is the first time I've seen main seating dining fill and go to waitlist only, while late seating had openings. During the day there were bloodthirsty games of Pictionary and Scattergories, and my dh would go with me just to make sure 2 particularly obnoxious mariners (code for fossils) didn't win. The disco was a joke, because so few people showed up. One night the most happening thing there was a 2 yr. old dancing with a member of the crew. Don't get me wrong, we had fun. I'm sure many people our age would've called it boring, but we like variety. A willingness to enjoy every type of cruise experience really helps if you're going on HAL and have been very pleased with other lines. The same little old ladies who go to bed at 8:00 think salad bar is a competition sport, and anyone without gray hair deserves to be pushed right out of the line. After all, they still have plenty of years and teeth left for salad while most HAL passengers are on a much tighter schedule with the grim reaper.

[skitch57]

We were on the Zandam during it's first year. I remember a quiet, very relaxing cruise. I thought the service was excellent and felt a bit more pampered. The food was equal to Carnival but the service was better and more elegant. I enjoyed the stop at their private island. We are in our 40s (just) an there were others like us. It was October so they weren't many children at all. Best words to describe that experience was peaceful and elegant.

[NinaCO]

I only cruised on HAL once, and my cruise may not have been average. But, my friends and I called it the "Geezer Getaway." Our fellow passengers were very nice, but folks in their 60's seemed young compared to the average passenger age. We watched and enjoyed some lovely ballroom dancing.

 

The midnight buffets were at 11:00, and we came to the conclusion that this was so that people could stay awake long enough to attend. The shows were boring (one night it was an accordian player). We tried the bars at night. They were open, but practically empty.

 

At dinner we were seated with a lovely couple in their 80's who we really enjoyed. My single friends and I (all in our 30's) flirted with the gentleman (his wife didn't mind :) ) and we had fun at dinner. The other couple we shared a table with were also in their 80's, and they were polite.

 

The ship was well cared for and the staff was pleasant. We had a terrific time, but I'm in no rush to cruise with HAL again.