Holland Vs Princess

[aklarsen]

We are trying to decide between Holland America and princess. Are you able to compare the highlights of each? Holland America has a better schedule but I hear Princess is better for kids. What are your thoughts and what are we giving up if we take Holland America over Princess?

[E-500]

We are trying to decide between Holland America and princess. Are you able to compare the highlights of each? Holland America has a better schedule but I hear Princess is better for kids. What are your thoughts and what are we giving up if we take Holland America over Princess?

 

I see you are new to the boards. A couple of suggestions. 1. Post your question on the Princess board also. 2. Use the CC search function, lots of past posts regarding this topic.

 

You will find that the two lines are similar in many ways, but there are important differences. Research will determine which is a better fit for you regarding your interests, expectations and tastes. Price, ports of call, ship size, food, entertainment, stateroom amenities etc. will all play into your final decision.

[topspot]

The comparison is very subjective, but this is our family's comparison:

 

HALusually has a better price for us, rooms are bigger, coffee better. Food and service in our opinion is about the same. Our daughter says HAL's teen program/area is much better than Princess. Princess has better desserts and more activities. We have enjoyed both lines. Our decision usually is made when we compare itineraries and price.

 

Hope that helps.

[kazu]

I agree with E500. post this on the Princess website and take notes. Remember, that each cruise line has its' own enthusiasts. Unfortunatley, that' s that's the name of the game. and you have to weigh it out.

 

for what it is worth, I have been on both and I did not find them equal. Years ago, Princess was great, but a few years ago, I found the food deplorable, the service lacking, etc. Which drove me back to HAL. I have also heard from friends of friends who went on Princess who said 'never again'. I don't know if they just had one bad experience that they let ruin a cruise or why they said it. (well, I do, but I won't repeat) I know what was reported, but when it comes second hand you can't always trust it.

 

Where you have younger people involved it comes down to what is of interest to them and what you want them to do on the cruise or what they want to do.

 

My friends have taken their children and far prefer HAL to Princess even though Princess might be more intensive. However, their children are not yours, so it just depends. Frankly, I find Hal's food better, rooms much larger. food is subjective, so it's just my opinion.

 

what do your children want to do on the cruise or better question what do you want them to do? then you can probably get your question answered better.

 

My friend's daughter had a blast on HAL when she was only 7. But each to their own.

[iancal]

I think that the larger differences will be between size of ship in each of their respective fleets.

[MS7777]

We sailed on the Crown Princess out of Brooklyn a couple of years ago. Booked a mini-suite veranda at some additional cost only to find that all the mini-suite verandas can be seen from all the smaller balcony cabins above us! No privacy whatsoever. BUMMER! In addition, we felt the service in the dining room was much below HAL's, the room service offerings were quite limited vs HAL's (esp if you want the same meals being served in the MDR - can't do it on Princess). The buffet wasn't nearly as good as HAL's. The rooms were comparable - the bathroom was a little smaller on Princess. The shows were equivalent. Both Hal & PRincess are fine overall but we prefer HAL. Have sailed on RCC which we like but don't like the crowds. We find HAL to be a little slower paced whihc is just fine for us. We are not that old but when we go on vacation we are just looking to unwind as we are both working in jobs that keep us going day and noight with some stress so HAL helps us to just relax and does that in a refined way. IMHO HAL gives you a great semi-luxury pampering - not bad for the price.

[cruizelvr]

For kids I suggest Princess, it is definitely more for families and kids. Holland is a bit more low key and has less activities. Plus the age of most passengers is older than on most Princess cruises, however it does depend on the time of year. Spring break or around the holidays will have more families on either cruise line.

[Michigan honey]

We have been on both the Crown Princess (largest Princess ship) and the Eurodam (largest HAL ship). The MDR food was slightly better on HAL; the buffet was much better on HAL. The service was much better on HAL. Princess was larger. HAL has a wraparound deck. Princess has a much nicer gift shop. The entertainment was about the same. Desserts were awful on both ship (but we still gained weight). High tea was great on both ships. I also enjoyed the International cafe on Princess. These are my preferences but you canot go wrong with either ship. Chose based on the itinerary.

[dobiemom]

The comparison is very subjective, but this is our family's comparison:

 

HALusually has a better price for us, rooms are bigger, coffee better. Food and service in our opinion is about the same. Our daughter says HAL's teen program/area is much better than Princess. Princess has better desserts and more activities. We have enjoyed both lines. Our decision usually is made when we compare itineraries and price.

 

Hope that helps.

My GF loves Princess and I agreed to sail with her. We got a balcony cabin... it was MUCH smaller that HAL's balcony cabins. On Princess you need to get a mini-suite to be comparable to HAL. Just FYI when you are doing a comparison.

 

And yes, we had a great cruise and I have sailed other lines, but I do prefer HAL. I guess you always remember your first love! ;)

[m steve]

as for other factors, they are quite similar in food quality, policies and treating passengers as adults. My only gripe is that P serves coffee made from syrup and it tastes pretty bad. I think Princess Chefs table is better.