Would We Be A Good Fit For HA?

[GTO-Girl]

As you can see from my signature we have mostly sailed Carnival with a Disney, RCI and an upcoming Princess thrown in for good measure.

 

We get a lot of e-mails from HA and are seeing some good deals but we don't know if we would be a good fit for HA. We are middle class working folks in our 50's who very much enjoy cruising but who most times don't participate in formal nights because we don't enjoy formal wear. On other "non-formal" nights we dress in slacks & tops/shirts and would never consider dressing down anything less (no shorts or jeans for us!)

 

Are we too informal to enjoy ourselves on HA? Please be honest with your opinions.......it will not hurt my feelings.

[AZjohn]

You sound just like my wife and I;). We enjoy HAL for the feel of the ship, the itineraries, and the great beds and cabins. We are not into playing dress up while on vacation and found several dinning options to work around formal nights. We also aren’t into the shows or live music HAL offers. We cruise specifically for exploring new ports in foreign lands and not for onboard entertainment (climbing rocks, belly flop diving contest, etc.) so HAL works out great for us. They are a lot of great people we meet on the ship and the staff always seems friendly and happy to see us.

Hope you give it a try sometime,

John

[English_in_Spain]

I would say that it is more a case of what type of cruise you enjoy than how you dress.

 

If you like lots of entertainment, especially late at night, or if you like organised activities around the pool then HAL is not for you.

 

We have sailed on both HAL and RCI. We find that on HAL during the evening we are more likely to sit in one of the lounges, chatting with new-found friends. This suits us better than the late night party atmosphere on RCI.

 

Only you can decide. I would suggest you give HAL a try. If you are like us you will love it.

[GTO-Girl]

They do have some great itineraries......we may just give them a try!

 

Thanks everybody!

[dcsam]

I'm about to turn 50 and started cruising with HAL in my 30s. I've been on R. Caribbean and Princess, but prefer HAL. We don't go to shows, or to any late night parties or midnight food gatherings. We enjoy the quiet atmosphere of HAL. Just seems more 'nautical' and traditional than other lines. You won't see flashing neon lights or beer-drinking contests. I don't particularly enjoy dressing up while on vacation (I do that for work), and HAL accommodates this nicely. On our last Alaskan cruise, we ate many times up in the Lido and enjoyed it just as much as the main dining room (if not more). At the lido, there's no need to dress up.

Just do your research, but I think you'd find HAL would serve you well.

[GTO-Girl]

I'm about to turn 50 and started cruising with HAL in my 30s. I've been on R. Caribbean and Princess, but prefer HAL. We don't go to shows, or to any late night parties or midnight food gatherings. We enjoy the quiet atmosphere of HAL. Just seems more 'nautical' and traditional than other lines. You won't see flashing neon lights or beer-drinking contests. I don't particularly enjoy dressing up while on vacation (I do that for work), and HAL accommodates this nicely. On our last Alaskan cruise, we ate many times up in the Lido and enjoyed it just as much as the main dining room (if not more). At the lido, there's no need to dress up.

Just do your research, but I think you'd find HAL would serve you well.

 

This sounds just perfect for us. We don't go to a lot of shows and could care less about all the "contests", we just want to relax in a casual atmosphere and from your description it sounds great.

 

We did try to call HAL about six months ago to inquire about a cruise, but unfortunately we got a very snooty rep who acted like we were intruding on his time because we asked a few questions. My husband was very put off and decided it was not the cruiseline for us......but I'm thinking it was just "bad luck of the draw" that we got that guy and I would really like to give HAL another try.

 

Thanks again for everyone's help!!

[AZjohn]

This sounds just perfect for us. We don't go to a lot of shows and could care less about all the "contests", we just want to relax in a casual atmosphere and from your description it sounds great.

 

We did try to call HAL about six months ago to inquire about a cruise, but unfortunately we got a very snooty rep who acted like we were intruding on his time because we asked a few questions. My husband was very put off and decided it was not the cruiseline for us......but I'm thinking it was just "bad luck of the draw" that we got that guy and I would really like to give HAL another try.

 

Thanks again for everyone's help!!

Hope you find a good Travel Agent (I'm not talking about a HAL agent), they will make a world of difference!;)

John

[sillysailor 1955]

You folks seem like my DH and I. We are in our mid 50s - like to cruise with Adults (nothing against kids - just don't want to vacation with them) We have done 3 NCL cruises (Caribbean and most recently Mediterrean). But our favorite cruises have been on HAL (Rotterdam 20+ years ago and more recently Noordam). You sound like you like to dress presentably for dinner (which is fine) - we did the Tux and Gown on our last cruise but it really is not necessary. HAL is very relaxing and we found the fact that they cater to an "more mature" (read older) crowd you can always get a spot in the hot tub, pools etc.;) and the staff is just the best. They are friendly and always helpful. I think you would enjoy HAL.:)

[dcsam]

The 'kid factor' is one of the greatest reasons we prefer HAL. I'm a teacher, and I prefer to take a break from the lil' critters while on vacation. There will always be kids on HAL ships - just not as many as other lines.

[woody73]

 

. . . HAL is very relaxing and . . . they cater to an "more mature" (read older) crowd . . .

We cruise on HAL because of the ports and itinerary. True, the passengers are typically "more mature."

 

On our first HAL cruise last year, the first passenger we met at the port was in his 90's, and he was sharp as a tack. His age was the same as our combined ages (my wife's and mine). That made us feel young.

 

Woody

[CowPrincess]

unfortunately we got a very snooty rep who acted like we were intruding on his time because we asked a few questions

 

Ohhhhhh, I think I've gotten him a couple of times, too -- I always just say "oh, sorry, gotta go" and call back and end up with a different rep :)

[beauwalker]

We have always picked our ships based on the itineraries. HAL often has wonderful itineraries, but there is something "clubby" about HAL that is a little off-putting. (For instance, a snotty agent).

 

My current irritation with HAL is the shore excusion page. I emailed that I couldn't get on the shore excursions site, and got a return email giving me the exact same directions that are on the web page. Well, duh, very useful email.

 

Also,I really don't know why you need to be a booked guest to see the prices of the shore excursions. Most other lines show the prices on the main page. For most people, the excursion prices are a consideration in booking. I don't think "hiding" the prices adds to HAL's cache.

[TiogaCruiser]

You sound alot like us. I always said I would NEVER be interested in a cruise- just not into the "party" thing. Hubbie and I went for the first time last year and had a great time. This year, no dress up for us. THe Lido is fine for formal nights. We dress presentably and spend most of our time on deck.

[Susie51]

This past Dec. DH and I cruised on HAL Oosterdam and had a wonderful cruise. We disembarked on Sat. in San Diego and drove to San Pedro to meet our daughter who was working on RCCL Vision of the Seas at that time. On Sun. we were able to board the ship on embarkation day with her. There is a big difference in the noise level. DH and I have grown to enjoy the much more relaxed atmosphere of HAL ships. Of the seven cruise lines I have sailed with, HAL has the best atmosphere for relaxing and classy interiors and friendly staff.

[croozegal2]

Thank you for starting this thread! My mother (80-ish) and me (50-ish) will be on the Rotterdam for 33 days next January and, as this will be our first HAL cruise, I was really wondering what the atmosphere would be like. I've done RCL and Princess many times, but have also really lost interest in all the partying, pool games, etc. Mom really likes the whirlpool and I like the pool lounger - are they difficult to snap up like the other ships?

And we've chosen the anytime dining as an option - any comments on that? Also - how is the coffee? Princess coffee is really bad! Does HAL have latte bars? One more thing, on this long of a cruise, would the food be really boring? I hear they have the same thing in the Lido night after night! (Can't be right, can it?)

 

We sound pretty much like the rest of you in how we like to cruise, so this really helped quell the stereotype of HAL being for really old, stuffed shirt type of people.

[RuthC]

Also - how is the coffee? Princess coffee is really bad! Does HAL have latte bars? One more thing, on this long of a cruise, would the food be really boring? I hear they have the same thing in the Lido night after night! (Can't be right, can it?)

HAL's coffee is decent; not Dunkin Donuts, but not bad. There's an Explorations Café where you can purchase specialty coffees, and the word is that they are delicious. You can also get latte and cappuccino in the dining room for no extra charge.

The menu in the dining room will vary each night. There will be some repeats on individual choices, but the menu in it's entirety will only repeat if your cruise is really a b-2-b for you.

Most, but not all, of the evening dining room menu is available in the Lido at night, so don't be concerned about the choices there getting boring.

 

I've taken several cruises in the >30 day range, and find them to be relaxing and quite enjoyable. After a while you can get sick of going to dinner every night, but there's enough choices on the Rotterdam for that not to be a problem.

[croozegal2]

Thanks RuthC for your advice! (Sometimes it is just about the coffee .. :) )

I feel pretty confident that we will enjoy the longer cruises just as much as you do.

 

Shelley