Help me choose! RCCL vs. HAL vs. CCL

[ViolaSwamp]

Background: I am looking to book a cruise for October 2010 as I will be turning 30 that month, and will have graduated with my MBA in June 2010. My mother will be turning 50 and I think a mother/daughter cruise would be fantastique! Also maybe bringing my sister and aunt with us.

 

I have cruised on RCCL and HAL; my sister has cruised CCL; my aunt has cruised CCL and Disney. My mother is a cruise newbie. We are all pretty flexible and agreeable and not too picky about our requirements.

 

Here are our options we are trying to decide between. None of us has sailed on these exact ships or exact itinerary before. If we take a trip out of NYC we can drive to the port which is a bonus.

 

Any thoughts on these ships (well I know no one knows about the Oasis yet! :p) in comparison to one another for a girls' trip for four women from 25-50 years old?

 

• Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas – Eastern Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale
  
• Holland America Veendam – Bermuda out of NYC
  
• Carnival Glory – Canada out of NYC
  

[trish1c]

Your choices are all over the place by line & geography. They are so different there is no way a bunch of strangers on the internet can help you pick. Since you have sailed before, why not let mom decide? It's not like you can really go wrong with any of the choices despite the wild differences in line & itinerary.

I will say that Carnival Glory would be my last choice.

[fann1sh]

Hi, Viola! Since I've cruised all 3 lines, know something about all 3 ships and itineraries, I think I can sort of help.

 

Since you're from Vermont, and I'm also from a fall color area, there's nothing nature can show you in October in New England or East Canada that's going to strike you dumb. (Is your family also from Vermont?) And while I love both Boston and Halifax, these are "drive to" cities from where you live. Glory is a nice ship, but not a "wow" like....

 

....Oasis of the Seas. In 2010, she'll be a year old, all the wrinkles ironed out. Tons of stuff to do on those 3 sea days, and St Thomas and St Maarten are great chick islands. Safe to wander any time of day, with shopping, beaches, even a zip line on St Maarten. What's not to love?

 

But, I've got to say I'll be booking Veendam soon. Never visited Bermuda, and the lure of sailing right into Hamilton harbour really calls to me. Veendam should be nicely spiffed up then, after her refit. Since you hang at the HAL boards, you won't be sucked in by that old line "HAL is just for seniors", but it's also true that since HAL cut out the events staff, this would strictly be a "lay back and relax" option. I suspect you may want more to do than that.

 

If so - book Oasis. If not - Veendam.

[wrp96]

I've got to agree with fann1sh. My choice would be either Oasis or Veendam for varying reasons. But it would really depend on what you guys are looking for in the vacation and what you really enjoy in a vacation.

 

If the idea is to have active fun in the sun, then Oasis would be it. There are some people though that I would NEVER recommend Oasis to as it would be too over the top and large for them.

 

If the idea is to have a quiet, relaxing vacation, then the Veendam to Bermuda would be it. HAL is a great line, but if you are looking for non-stop pool activities for example, this wouldn't be a good fit.

[TomTN]

You might also give Princess a look. Comparble to the other lines, and more diverse than HAL.

 

I have only sailed Princess one time out of 14 cruises, but my impression was that it would make for a great family cruise.

[Assateague Island Princes]

I prefer small and elegant, so HAL would be my choice. Don't need all that glitz and glamour and rock climbing walls - this old body of mine couldn't take it! LOL!:D Plus the idea of Bermuda intriques me. You'll have to have a pow wow with the ladies to see what suits you all. I'm sure whichever you choose, you will have a terrific time. Nothing like sailing with extended family!

[kitty9]

No way do I want to sail on a ship that carries more passengers than live in my town. I just cannot imagine trying to fight around 5000 passengers and thousands of crew. Sorry, but IMHO, bigger is not always better in cruising.

 

I'm not a big fan of Bermuda either. I just find it a rather boring place.

 

I would have to agree with a poster who recommended Princess and I would also throw Celebrity in the mix. Very nice lines, a little more upscale and known for better food and service.

[ViolaSwamp]

Thanks all for the feedback! Right now I am fresh off a great HAL cruise so I am leaning toward the Veendam... BUT the sailing I'm looking at doesn't appear to have balconies available anymore. :( Suites yes, but I'm not sure if financially that is ideal for everyone in our little party.

 

The idea of Celebrity or Princess intrigues me but I didn't see any October 2010 cruises on either my TA's website or Travelocity. Maybe I'll check their sites directly and see...

 

Hmm, food for thought...

 

Again, thanks with the ideas, please keep them coming!!

[ViolaSwamp]

 

Hi, Viola!

 

Is your family also from Vermont?

 

 

 

Hi right back atcha! :D

 

Yep, we're all Vermont gals, born and bred...

 

The only reason the Carnival cruise is an option is that it happens to be leaving from NYC the week we want to go on a cruise. It's a long shot - we definitely prefer SUN and WARMTH - but with other considerations (if we don't want to go to Bermuda without a balcony, or if we don't want to take the gamble on what plane tickets will cost in 2010 plus the hassle of flying :rolleyes: ) we may have to go with this dark horse...

[ViolaSwamp]

:eek: I just checked Celebrity's website and right now the only October 2010 bookings they show are for the Galapagos Islands, so much for that idea at the moment! :p

 

And Princess' site only has cruises through May 2010 on their site...

[wrp96]

You'll need to wait until April or May to see what will be available in Fall 2010. That is when Princess, RCCL, Celebrity, and HAL will start opening up those itineraries.

[ViolaSwamp]

Thanks wrp -

 

- stupid question here, if we put a deposit down NOW on the Veendam and then later decide to switch to another HAL sailing in October 2010 instead, can we do so without penalty? :confused:

[fann1sh]

Yes, as far as HAL is concerned, you can switch HAL cruises without penalty before final payment date.

 

However, you have to make sure your TA doesn't levy a charge.

 

Also, if you're getting cancellation insurance at the time of booking (in order to cover pre-existing medical conditions), and are not using HAL's CPP, you could have a problem.

 

HAL's CPP is NOT insurance, and is not for everyone (tho' it works for me), but I believe it can be switched also if you change HAL cruises.

[Cruzman]

Thanks all for the feedback! Right now I am fresh off a great HAL cruise so I am leaning toward the Veendam... BUT the sailing I'm looking at doesn't appear to have balconies available anymore. :( Suites yes, but I'm not sure if financially that is ideal for everyone in our little party.

 

The idea of Celebrity or Princess intrigues me but I didn't see any October 2010 cruises on either my TA's website or Travelocity. Maybe I'll check their sites directly and see...

 

Hmm, food for thought...

 

Again, thanks with the ideas, please keep them coming!!

 

On the S Class (the Veendam is one), there are no cabins referred to as balconies only. Even the cat BB's are called suites. This confounds me, as well as others. Go to HAL's website and search for your cruise (has late 2010 been posted?). I'll betcha a beer that there are cat A & B cabins available. As for the Oasis, 'ya couldn't drag me on board a ship that large. I've been on the Glory and the fall itinerary would appeal to a southern boy like myself, but personally, I'd pick the Veendam to Bermuda if my choices were limited to those mentioned.

[Sundagger]

On the Oct. 3, 2010 Veendam to Bermuda, virtually all of the categories are open. The Verandah Suites are the "balcony" cabins. They are larger than the Verandah cabins on the Vista Class ships, but still basically what most people would call a balcony cabin (but a fair step up in price from the Oceanviews). I had one on the Veendam several years ago, and they are very nice and roomy.

 

The Veendam will have undergone it's remodeling by then, so there are also the new "lanai" cabins - no one is certain what they will be like, but something like an oceanview on the Lower Promenade deck that opens onto the Promenade. There will also be the new specialty bars.