Special Touches that Make a HAL cruise for you

[albertiger]

The flowers, room service on debarkation day, minimal announcements, DVD players, restroom towels, adult pool, artwork, the quality furnishings, the beds, and the lounge cushions. Oh yes, being treated as an adult and not having to sign out pool towels!

And thats all from my 1st HAL cruise on Eurodam!:eek:

Looking forward to Ryndam in December.:D

[ANSalberg]

THE CREW!!!!!!!!!!! I remember being very sick for a day or two, with something upper resperatory. I decided to stay in bed until it was over and I gave our room steward SPECIFIC instructions "You are NOT to come in here while I'm sick BECAUSE I do NOT want you to get this; the LAST thing you need is to be ill!" I medicated up that night as DH went to late seating dinner, and fell into a very sound sleep. And when Dick came back from dinner at 10 the whole room had been cleaned/with NEW towels hung in the batroom etc - He [ the room steward] just said " I knew you'd feel BETTER if it was tidy" I never heard a thing......They are SO INCREDIBLY caring......

Anne

[luvs2travl]

The elegant ships. The crew! The fact that you are called by name from the minute you board. (How DO they do that?) The crew! The fabulous food. The cleanliness of the entire ship - immaculate. The beautiful cabins. And the most comfortable beds of any cruise line!! The crew!

 

Always ice in the ice bucket -always!! No 'hard-selling' on board. We even got the daily menu from the MDR placed in our mailbox each day. The Neptune Lounge - one of the best areas on board any cruise ship anywhere! The crew!

 

The beautiful elevator doors! The art throughout the ship. The flat-screen TV's and DVD players in the staterooms. The extensive libraries.

 

Did I mention - the extraordinary, wonderfully friendly and always-smiling crew? ;):D

[KAYEF]

When you return to your cabin after dinner and the stewards have turned down your bed for the night you will find 2 chocolates on your breakfast menu on the bed.

 

I'll give you mine..................I don't waste calories on milk chocolate so this is where I REALLY enjoy the chocolate. I'm not tempted before bedtime.:p

Now, if they ever change to DARK chocolate I will be in a world of hurt. I may dart into cabins with the door open and appropriate those chocolates all the way down the hall.:D

[travelmatron]

Room service dinner on the verandah with a choice of anything on the MDR menu. BTW the appetizer here is baked brie with a sour cherry sauce...Good? OMG!

[Virgil]

Yes all that stuff!! I begged my husband for 10 yrs to go on a cruise and finally he agreed to shut me up. When we came back into port he said I am not going and you can't make me. It was a HAL cruise and we have been on HAL ever since because you just can't have a better experience. I love the staff, the orchids in the Lido, cloth hand towels in the bathrooms, just the overwhelming kindness of everyone, the comfortable beds, the specialty food areas in the Lido (stir fry, Italian etc)and yes, the bread pudding.

[Petronillus]

What a marvelous, upbeat thread! Many thanks to the OP!

 

The "special sauce" that makes HAL HAL is the care and devotion of the crew. All the training in the world is not going to instill that level of caring. The world is full of toxic environments; what a delight it is to spend time in a salutary one.

 

That said, my favorite aspects of a HAL cruise are:

 

• The late evening shows put on by the crew (alternating week by week between the Indonesians and the Filipinos) sharing aspects of their native cultures.
  
• The presence of a priest and the opportunity for daily Mass.
  
• That squawk box announcements in the cabin are kept to a bare minimum.
  
• That the promenade deck makes a complete, uninterrupted circuit of the promenade deck.
  
• The Crow's Nest in general, but especially for late-afternoon cocktails.
  
• The thermal suites, especially the ceranimc, hot-water loungers.
  
• The absence of muzak.
  

[ilovcruisesm]

so many, so many...

 

there is the canapes before dinner, the way the staff will remember you (once a waiter at my favorite bar made my whole family little roses out of napkins, so sweet!), the chocolates on your pillow, the towel animals (cute!), the free ice cream and sorbet practically 24 hours, the little mints and dried fruit outside the dining room, the vegetarian menu for sure, the terrace grill for my mid-afternoon taco snack and veggie burgers, the royal dutch and indonesian teas, the explorations cafe, the gorgeous glass elevators on the vista-class ships, the cooking demos, free popcorn in the movie theater, the spectacular gyms, the spectacular food...get me on a ship now plz!!!!! :)

[alonzo14]

I have ony sialed HAL once and hopefully will aain in the future but here is what I liked. First of all I think HAL is the best value in cruising!! I like the fresh OJ, being able to bring any drinks onboard for consumption, the size of the rooms, the Thermal Suite, those aft SC suites ( you pay MUCH more for a Balcon this sie on other ships ), the hairdryers in the rooms ( really nice salon style), the fresh flowers, and the HOT room service.

[luvs2travl]

Chocolates? What chocolates and where?

 

I like the flowers and towels thing in the bathroom. That sounds nice.

 

This certainly sounds like it will be a completely different experience than cruising with NCL.

 

 

No comparison!! You will be spoiled forever!! :)

[Bill HaHa]

All of the above plus the Neptune lounge. The only reason I cruise with HAL is because of the Neptune

[suse]

Yes, we love the beautiful flowers, the art throughout the ships, the formal dining rooms, the comfortable cabins, AFT Pool, Pinnacle and Tamarind, Exploration Cafe, Maasdam's Room Service (the best of all the ships we have sailed, IMO), Lido (particularly on Eurodam), the hand towels and bud vases of flowers in the restrooms (DBA - Bonsais are starting to show up in some of the ladies restrooms, as well ), Neptune and Neptune's coffee machine etc, but for us first and most what makes HAL cruises so special for us is

 

 

OFFICERS, CREW, STAFF !

don't you think they are way good-looking too? Haha, I do.

[bulgargirl]

I can't imagine staff (other than my room stewards) remembering my name. That's a really cool touch.

 

I saw a picture of the ceramic thermal water loungers (or whatever they were called) and they looked awesome.

 

I like the idea of cooking demonstrations and the movie theater. I'm planning on catching at least one of those.

 

What are the before dinner canapes and where do I find those? I already thought I was going to bloat up, but with afternoon teas, canapes, vegetarian menus, all this stuff - I'm going to be downright fat when I get off!!!

[RoupMom]

ALL of the above! Plus for fun the great rugs in the elevators that keep me somewhat oriented to what day it is! The fresh-squeezed OJ is available in the Lido.

[duck tune]

This certainly sounds like it will be a completely different experience than cruising with NCL.

 

DH and I have taken three cruises with NCL and HAL is heads above NCL in every category - especially in courtesy and friendliness - IMO. I will second all of the comments made thus far. Just one time DH and I were able to afford a Deluxe Suite on the Amsterdam to Alaska and even though we have never been able to do that again the crew treats us just as special in the category we can afford as we were treated in the Suite. I also save the nightly chocolates and bring them home to wean myself off the cruise. Dark chocolates would be a different story - they would never make it home.

[mollybb]

Chocolate milk as a drink choice. Our last 3 voyages have been on RCCL with no chocolate milk.

[sevenseasnomad]

Chocolate milk? Sign me up. Never knew this.

 

I second everything posted thus far. In addition, the civility, manners, and travel experience of our fellow passengers. Most are so much fun to talk to. We were sold on HAL from the first day by the staff and crew, but add to that our fellow passengers, and I doubt you will see us on any line in the future except Holland America. Love it! Love it! Love it!:) Can't wait until December.

[May4]

I agree with ALL that has been said. Here are a few more.......

 

The offer of fresh pastries every morning, often from a silver tray. I can resist the chocolate croissants if, and only if, I'm planning to order pancakes.:)

 

How safe I feel wherever the ship may be docked. Hats off to the security dept.

 

A clean orderly ship bottom to top and back again. Every day. Everywhere.

 

Beverage dept. servers that provide great service with a sense of fun thrown in.

 

My TP folded to a point.:D

[bulgargirl]

Chocolate milk sounds awesome.

 

So do real cocktails. I've seen way too many cruise drinks that were just that cocktail blend/mix stuff and ice. Not that appetizing. Particularly for the price paid.

[Two@Sea]

Chocolate milk sounds awesome.

 

So do real cocktails. I've seen way too many cruise drinks that were just that cocktail blend/mix stuff and ice. Not that appetizing. Particularly for the price paid.

 

 

Well, then, you simply MUST try one (or several) of their Cosmos! Best I have ever had, anywhere!

[Pettifogger]

"... the Eggs Benedict choices (I have never seen Eggs Benedict offered with so many choices -- about 6 or 8 ways to make them, substituting the back bacon with crab, smoked salmon, spinach, mushrooms, sigh.... ), ..."

 

I've eaten roughly 81 breakfasts on HAL and had no idea these were available except as occasional specials. Can one order most or all of them whenever one wishes?

[elsie60]

Everything above, but for me it is mostly the cabin and dining stewards. I always feel sad when I leave because they become family for a week or more and are always going above and beyond to please. They work so hard and are always pleasant and treat us like queens/kings.

[Tamaracboy]

BTW the appetizer here is baked brie with a sour cherry sauce...Good? OMG![/font][/color]

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Must agree with you on the Baked Brie :D :D :D :D

[user8]

If I could only name one thing, it would be the comfortable beds! They are luxurious ; not like those on a lot of other cruise lines.

[docksider21]

This sounds like a HAL brochure, but I also like the

 

Marine Blue Hulls.

 

Its nice to be on a ship that looks like a ship! :)

 

Oh yes, and the muesli for breakfast in the Lido.