New to Holland America? This is for you...AKA "HAL For Dummies"

It sounds as if you would. HAL passengers may tend to be older, but are still very active. Even those of us with mobility problems are still getting out there and seeing the world.

That's encouraging. When I've read that HAL caters to "more mature" cruisers, I took that as a positive -- not as though they're somehow limited. My wife said she didn't want to go on one of those "party ships". RC and HAL were the only lines I considered when searching for an Alaska cruise :-)

Thank you Carole, for that thorough answer. Think we made {with our TA} a wonderful choice.

I keep running across posts on other threads about the typical passenger on Holland America cruises. This morning I saw one that referred to HAL ships as "floating nursing homes". DH and I are retired and in our early 70's. We'd rather tour and attend lectures than stay up late for the disco. We're too old to burn the candle at both ends, but we're not escapees from a nursing home.:evilsmile: Would we fit in?

You'd fit right in!

We're both hovering plus or minus 70, but you'd find us hard to keep up with. We generally leave the stateroom in the morning before 8am and don't return until usually midnight except to change or freshen up for dinner. While we don't disco, 1-2 miles walking the deck is pretty common place for us as is more walking off on excursions or exploring on our own in port. We take in the evening shows and catch up on movies we have not yet seen plus whatever other mischief we can find.

It sounds as if you would. HAL passengers may tend to be older, but are still very active. Even those of us with mobility problems are still getting out there and seeing the world.

Most passengers are over 65 years of age but if they are cruising are more than likely active people just wanting to see the world. Remember you are as old as you feel. Lots of things to do and certainly I suggest doing tours through cruise critic. Smaller and more intimate tours and you can really get to know a lot of good people. We also do open seating dining so we can meet as many people as possible. Last year cruised on the Zaandam forr 58 days this year on the Volendam for 28 and then changing to the Queen Mary 2 for 6 weeks. Let's see how that goes, have heard it is stuffy and have heard it is elegant and have heard it is fun. We'll see. Life is an adventure or nothing- Quote from Helen Keller.

I haven't been on HAL for 10 years so thank you everyone for supplying a wealth of knowledge! Read through all 89 pages and it's an amazing resource.

I'll be on an Alaska itinerary (Noordam) in May and wanted to verify a couple of things...

Gala night dress code for men no longer requires a coat? Just a collared shirt, slacks, and shoes? Are dress shoes required or are tennis/running shoes o.k.?

Nice that non-alcoholic beverages are allowed as carry onboard at all ports but what is the policy on snack foods to munch on in the room like potato chips at the ports?

There are some Hawaii only snacks that I would love take with me to share with my non-Hawaii friends. I usually make it a habit to bring things like boxes of chocolate covered macadamia nuts to give to our room stewards and dining room servers at the end of the cruise as gifts. Would those be allowed to bring on in my luggage?

Mahalo for any help,

Mark

I keep running across posts on other threads about the typical passenger on Holland America cruises. This morning I saw one that referred to HAL ships as "floating nursing homes". DH and I are retired and in our early 70's. We'd rather tour and attend lectures than stay up late for the disco. We're too old to burn the candle at both ends, but we're not escapees from a nursing home.:evilsmile: Would we fit in?

Oh my! I am in my mid-60's and active as much as I can be (some arthritis), and I have seen folks older than me run circles around me! I love HAL cruises and find that most folks on the ship may be older but have a great travel sense and want to see the world! Don't hesitate at all! I find it interesting to talk to others about their travels and what they have done--such inspiration and great information on other places to visit! Enjoy!

Can someone confirm whether HAL cabins have soap, conditioner and shampoo? Our other cruiseline has switched to the liquid all-purpose soap products except in suites, and I'm putting together my HAL packing list!

Can someone confirm whether HAL cabins have soap, conditioner and shampoo? Our other cruiseline has switched to the liquid all-purpose soap products except in suites, and I'm putting together my HAL packing list!

They do indeed. Elemis products :)

Can someone confirm whether HAL cabins have soap, conditioner and shampoo? Our other cruiseline has switched to the liquid all-purpose soap products except in suites, and I'm putting together my HAL packing list!

It is not all-purpose, but the bath has a body wash as well as the shampoo and (separate) conditioner.

If you want bar soap in the bath, you need to either bring over the bar from the sink, ask for another, or bring your own.

Do ocean view rooms on the Amsterdam have fridges in them? My husband needs one for his meds.

Saw your question on this thread and didn't see an answer. Did you have an Oceanside room and if so what was your cabin number? We want to know if anyone was on deck one with the large ocean view window and in the rear of the ship. We are looking at room 1950 and worried about engine noise.

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Hi all, does anyone know if the Oosterdam has karaoke ( not just in the teen club)?

Oh my! I am in my mid-60's and active as much as I can be (some arthritis), and I have seen folks older than me run circles around me! I love HAL cruises and find that most folks on the ship may be older but have a great travel sense and want to see the world! Don't hesitate at all! I find it interesting to talk to others about their travels and what they have done--such inspiration and great information on other places to visit! Enjoy!

I chose HAL specifically because it seems to welcome its more mature travelers, and "active seniors" will find a warm reception. I booked my first ever cruise based on my friends' recommendations: HAL, September 11, 2017, to Alaska. I'll be 66 by then. I do have some mobility issues (emphysema + osteoarthritis + some other stuff), but I'm confident I'll be OK. This cruise is my "trial run" -- if I find that I like cruise travel, I intend to do it regularly and finally visit some places I've been unable to see. We'll see. Meanwhile, I'm super excited about my Alaska adventure, a true "bucket list" item. (I've visited every state in the union except Alaska and Maine.)

I booked my first ever cruise based on my friends' recommendations: HAL, September 11, 2017, to Alaska....This cruise is my "trial run" -- if I find that I like cruise travel, I intend to do it regularly and finally visit some places I've been unable to see. We'll see. Meanwhile, I'm super excited about my Alaska adventure, a true "bucket list" item.

I too booked a HAL cruise as a trial run. I'm doing a seven day western Caribbean in November on the Rotterdam in a Lanai cabin. If I like it, I'm going to book a transpacific, probably on the Maasdam (those 2018 cruises are not posted yet).

My question: Can I generalize from a short Caribbean HAL cruise to a long one? I've done long cruises before on Princess, and found them to be very different from Princess' short Caribbean cruises.

I too booked a HAL cruise as a trial run. I'm doing a seven day western Caribbean in November on the Rotterdam in a Lanai cabin. If I like it, I'm going to book a transpacific, probably on the Maasdam (those 2018 cruises are not posted yet).

 

My question: Can I generalize from a short Caribbean HAL cruise to a long one? I've done long cruises before on Princess, and found them to be very different from Princess' short Caribbean cruises.

I find the longer cruises different too. More lecturers, different activities on sea days, possible Black & White Ball, parties, more beverage special events, etc.

You can generalize a bit as to the experience, etc. to gage if you like HAL, but I do find the experience different on longer cruises. Only my experience and others may disagree.

My question: Can I generalize from a short Caribbean HAL cruise to a long one? I've done long cruises before on Princess, and found them to be very different from Princess' short Caribbean cruises.

I have always found the truly long cruises (as opposed to a series of short back-to-back cruises) to be quite different from short cruises.

The cabin, bar, and food service will be about the same, although your stewards will get to know you better on a long cruise, so the service may seem improved. Food will be about the same, although there should be a greater variety in the menus.

But day to day life will slow down, and be a lot more relaxed than on a short cruise. It becomes more like real life, in that a routine will be set.

You will have enrichment lectures, as well as the customary shore excursion and shopping lectures. Evening entertainment may be more varied and interesting. The frenetic pace of trying to do it all is gone, and that's a nice feeling.

On the HAL age demographics: The talk about the "nursing home" still brings a smile to my face. I have another for you all: If you still talk about "the disco", you are indeed in the HAL demographic ;) The disco died with the entrance of the 1990s...

I work with a bunch of 20-somethings. I always tell them I'm living vicariously through them!! How they can work a 3-11pm shift and then go out to the bar or club afterwards = NOT HAL material!!!

To me, it is not so much the age thing as it is an activity thing on HAL. I am cruising to relax. I don't care to be bombarded by calypso/whatever music blaring at the pool, I don't care to have pool games, bingo, production shows, etc. I want a mellow environment where I can recharge my battery after working a long and hard tourist season. At least, with HAL, I think I will be able to have more opportunities to have a mellow time without having to hide in my cabin. If I could afford one of the higher-end cruises, I'm sure I could find the quiet environment along with a true sense of more sophistication. But, I'm on a mass-market budget, so HAL will have to do.

On the HAL age demographics: The talk about the "nursing home" still brings a smile to my face. I have another for you all: If you still talk about "the disco", you are indeed in the HAL demographic ;) The disco died with the entrance of the 1990s...

I work with a bunch of 20-somethings. I always tell them I'm living vicariously through them!! How they can work a 3-11pm shift and then go out to the bar or club afterwards = NOT HAL material!!!

o.

We just realized that the 11 pm hour might be a bit late for us on our Alaska cruise. My wife and I stay up late but we are East coast timezone people. We are not sure how well we will adjust to the time change. In NY last call is 4 AM but I think that would be midnight in Juneau.

A question regarding wifi/internet. We are newbies. We have one day on our upcoming eurodam cruise ( April 8 Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver) where we need Internet. And it is a cruising day. We know we will have to pay. My question is on speed and download capabilities. Any comments/advice?

A question regarding wifi/internet. We are newbies. We have one day on our upcoming eurodam cruise ( April 8 Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver) where we need Internet. And it is a cruising day. We know we will have to pay. My question is on speed and download capabilities. Any comments/advice?

Wifi really depends on where you are. On that sailing, we had good wifi pretty much all the time. Now, good is taken with a grain of salt. I am talking about ship wifi which is dependent upon satellite. It's not high speed like at home. Think dial up for speed (might be a slight exaggeration but gives you an idea). What do you need to download. I have been able to upload pics on most ships. And, I have been able to download a spread sheet.

Let us know what ship you are on and hopefully, someone who has been on it can give you an idea of their experience.

Can anyone tell me if there is a wet and dry sauna aboard the Eurodam that is free for use and not part of the paid spa facilities? Thanks!

Hello,

I am sailing on the Panama Canal cruise departing Ft Lauderdale April 8th and have enjoyed ready every page of this thread over the last few weeks. Having said that, I still have a couple of questions that I may have missed answer to along the way.

Are the electrical outlets in the state rooms all american and can we take a power board on the ship with us?

We will be sailing on the MS Eurodam and I am aware that there is no self service laundry on this ship. I am happy to send out to have some clothes laundered but was wondering how people deal with clothes that need to be ironed? In particular I have several silk tops and delicate dresses that I would like to take with me but am worried about how these will look after coming out of a suitcase, would you send such delicate items to be pressed in the ship laundry? Or any secrets that people have for these more delicate items?

Thank you in advance.

Anyone know the capacity on each level of the MDR on vista class ships? Question was triggered by the negative impact of large groups on other passengers in MDR. Wondered how many the staff could handle at any one time.

Anyone know the capacity on each level of the MDR on vista class ships? Question was triggered by the negative impact of large groups on other passengers in MDR. Wondered how many the staff could handle at any one time.

The dining room layouts for each ship are on a website.

If you want to add up the #'s for each table you can get the numbers. I am not sure that each Vista ship has the same capacity so you may need to check your ship.

Try going googling HAL Cruiser Information and look for the facts.

Hello,

 

I am sailing on the Panama Canal cruise departing Ft Lauderdale April 8th and have enjoyed ready every page of this thread over the last few weeks. Having said that, I still have a couple of questions that I may have missed answer to along the way.

 

Are the electrical outlets in the state rooms all american and can we take a power board on the ship with us?

 

We will be sailing on the MS Eurodam and I am aware that there is no self service laundry on this ship. I am happy to send out to have some clothes laundered but was wondering how people deal with clothes that need to be ironed? In particular I have several silk tops and delicate dresses that I would like to take with me but am worried about how these will look after coming out of a suitcase, would you send such delicate items to be pressed in the ship laundry? Or any secrets that people have for these more delicate items?

 

Thank you in advance.

The outlets in the cabin are American and Euro. If you have and adaptor and your electronics can handle it, you can use both.

The ships prefer you get one of their power boards, but usually you can bring yours as long as it doesn't have a surge protector.

When you send anything out to laundry, it is automatically ironed. If you just want to have something pressed that can certainly be done. We have had some things pressed with good results. If I am really worried about an article, I sent it out for drycleaning and it comes back pristine.

Don't forget, if it's just a few wrinkles, too, the shower works great to knowck a lot out.

Anyone know the capacity on each level of the MDR on vista class ships? Question was triggered by the negative impact of large groups on other passengers in MDR. Wondered how many the staff could handle at any one time.

I can tell you that the total capacity of the main dining room on the Vistas is 1,064 seats