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Forgive me HAL

Lkcossmfr

By Lkcossmfr,
in Holland America Line

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Lkcossmfr

Lkcossmfr

Posted
Posted

Just back from a cruise on another line..What was I thinking? That all cruise lines are like HAL? Was I ever wrong...My hubs must have said

" This would never happen on a HAL cruise" a hundred times. Learned my lesson and I booked on the Noordam this morning for this February.

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rafinmd "Live from...." Rare

rafinmd

Posted
Posted
Share with us which one you went on so none of us make the same mistake. Yes once you get use to HAL it is hard to go to another one.:eek:

 

I won't explicitly disclose the op's secret, but a search on their id will reveal it. They were in a suite, so they SHOULD have a great experience. I have sailed the line in question. I would sail any cruise line again, but that would have been one of my last choices.

 

Roy

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Vic The Parrot

Vic The Parrot

Posted
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i'll reveal it - it was NCL. I haven't sailed on them, but they are MUCH less expensive than HAL. I would need to research their smoking policy before deciding to go with NCL.

 

 

 

If you're going as a single, it's more expensive than HAL.

 

 

NCL charges 200% single supplement, no matter what cabin category. :(

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Vic The Parrot

Vic The Parrot

Posted
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Of the many cruises I have taken only one of them has ever been on NCL: there is a reason why it's only one. I can't imagine ever going back.

 

 

I haven't been on NCL in ages.

 

 

But in many ways, I'm tempted to see the changes since that Freestyle

thing was implemented on thier ships.

 

Some people I've talked with love it ... others hate it.

I would give them another shot, but it has to be a good deal.

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lettienets

lettienets

Posted
Posted
If you're going as a single, it's more expensive than HAL.

 

 

NCL charges 200% single supplement, no matter what cabin category. :(

The new NCL Epic has single cabins and they share a big lounge together. I won't go with them because I do not want freestyle dining. Also they have several pay extra dining rooms. One or two is ok but getting into "several" I hear the quality of the main dining area is not so good. Plus I don't want to be making reservations all the time or waiting in line.

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TraelorMex

TraelorMex

Posted
Posted

wasn't it an NCL ship a few years ago whose Captian decided to 'make time' instead of following a more prudent course of action and took his ship through a treacherous storm?? Passengers were tossed about etc....saw a video of this and it was frightening. I would like to think HAL officers would not do such a dumb thing.

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Lkcossmfr

Lkcossmfr

Posted
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Yup, NCL it was. We had a good time , hard not to when you don't have to cook,clean etc. but not the experience we are used to. We took it because we brought our daughters family and she has 3 lttle ones. The kids were in heaven,,as were the 900 other kids on the boat...also because it left from NYC so we could just drive over there.

All in all it beat making a turkey dinner...again..but I wouldn't take that line again just for the 2 of us.

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billie5

billie5

Posted
Posted

We have been on some cruises which were substantially better than our HAL experiences (one on X, two on Princess come to mind) and a much larger number which were inferior. Generalizations among mainstream cruise lines are dangerous. However, I will admit that by our experience sailing NCL is likely to be one of the inferior cruises. A lot less expensive, though, so for some people it is a worthwhile trade-off.

 

Bill

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cruz chic

cruz chic

Posted
Posted
If you're going as a single, it's more expensive than HAL.

 

 

NCL charges 200% single supplement, no matter what cabin category. :(

Hal is starting to charge 200% for solos too. I'm paying darn close if not 200% for my Feb cruise. I also looked at Bermuda and Alaska cruises for 2011. They are pricing out at 200% as well.

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ariawoman

ariawoman

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Is it sad that the main reason I won't sail NCL is because I'm a coca cola person and they serve only pepsi? lol

 

Either way, that's my main motivation to stay away at this point.

 

I'm SO afraid to try another line after experiencing the great on board service from HAL (notice I said on board - on land, whole other story lol).

 

I don't want to be like the OP's DH and be constantly saying "HAL wasn't like this" or "If this were HAL it wouldn't be this way" etc.

 

The only thing I don't like about HAL is the laundry on the vista/signatures being no self serve, everything else matches my needs :-)

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iriemon

iriemon

Posted
Posted

Yes I agree, X and Princess give you good experiences and if you are traveling with family RCCL can be very good, however our last experience on them on the Freedom the food was bad. also people people everywhere, but lots of activities. We have not been on NCL for a long time. Use to love the Norway and their route from Boston to Bermuda was great because it parked in St. George for 4 days, it was a great mixture of a resort and cruise. But as one poster said, the Free Style and all the pay for resturants do nothing for us.

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AzEileen

AzEileen

Posted
Posted
I haven't been on NCL in ages.

 

Carnival=Walmart,

NCL=flea market

 

Wow! What an interesting thread! Our first two cruises were RCL, then we took time off to raise kids. The next 4 cruises were NCL. We liked NCL because of the freestyle dining. There are just the 2 of us and we prefer going to dinner when we want and requesting a table for 2. We don't use the pay restaurants (unless we win a free dinner at one of their receptions for previous cruisers, which we have done!) We booked our next cruise on HAL because NCL doesn't go to New Zealand/Australia; they have "as you wish dining" (which we hope will satisfy our dining preferences), the cruise line was recommended by friends, and our TA had a special offering.

 

Although I never would have considered NCL "flea market" there were things I didn't really like: a) seemed like large number of kids on each cruise (we like kids; it's just not our idea of the best way to spend a vacation!); and b) always trying to sell us something we weren't interested in.

 

Do you suppose our next cruise will convince us HAL is our cruise line of choice? I've got one NCL "cruise in waiting" because of a future cruise package I purchased on our last cruise! :rolleyes:

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ariawoman

ariawoman

Posted
Posted

 

Wow! What an interesting thread! Our first two cruises were RCL, then we took time off to raise kids. The next 4 cruises were NCL. We liked NCL because of the freestyle dining. There are just the 2 of us and we prefer going to dinner when we want and requesting a table for 2. We don't use the pay restaurants (unless we win a free dinner at one of their receptions for previous cruisers, which we have done!) We booked our next cruise on HAL because NCL doesn't go to New Zealand/Australia; they have "as you wish dining" (which we hope will satisfy our dining preferences), the cruise line was recommended by friends, and our TA had a special offering.

 

Although I never would have considered NCL "flea market" there were things I didn't really like: a) seemed like large number of kids on each cruise (we like kids; it's just not our idea of the best way to spend a vacation!); and b) always trying to sell us something we weren't interested in.

 

Do you suppose our next cruise will convince us HAL is our cruise line of choice? I've got one NCL "cruise in waiting" because of a future cruise package I purchased on our last cruise! :rolleyes:

 

HALs AYWD will satisfy your dining needs more than likely, because you can either choose from 1 of 2 fixed dining times, or go to the MDR when you wish :-)

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise! Which dam ship will you be sailing upon?

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