For those that have sailed HAL

[PEMCO007]

HI there, really need some advice, we are looking at a christmas cruise and have left it late I know so are fairly limited to what is out there, we have sailed princess numerous times, also rccl, ncl, celebrity and p&o, but keep returning to princess. Princess has a cruise that will suit us, but I am a little wary as we did a princess in july so am worried that food/show are going to be too familiar to us so would have liked a change, the other cruise lines dont appeal due to dates wrong or itineraries but have never even considered HAL, what are they like ???? (not sure carnival would be out cup of tea, )any feedback good and bad, do they attract an older crowd? We are in our 30's with a 4 yr old who is not really into the kids club, my dad 70 and my mil 60?

 

Thanks

[echotumi]

its a older crowd but i like the food and shows on hal ,nice ships great staff its a lil older but holidays seems younger good luck:D

[Sails279]

Morning....

We have done 2 Christmas cruises on Hal, and have done several Princess cruises as well....(not Christmas)

 

There are some differences...One of the main ones is that the room service menu will include all things on the menu. If it's dinner, what ever is served in the dining room, you can get in your cabin...If you have a balcony, it can be a real nice experince sitting on it to have a full dinner.

 

Yes, it does seem to be an older crowd. however, the comment above is correct, there are more kids and younger people on the Christmas cruise...

We are going on Princess this year for Christmas. One of the things that I noticed was that HAL for some reason always had us at sea on Christmas day which I kind of liked....

 

The entertainment is about what you would expect...Crew shows, and the magic act, and the comedian...etc....I am getting convinced, that it doesn't matter what line, you get the same thing...

 

The crew is manily Philapino, and Indonisian (sp). They work hard and usually have a smile on their faces.

 

The ships on HAL always appeared clean, and work was constantly being done to keep them that way...

 

Is HAL better than Princess, no....as good...yes....and relax, it's not like Carnival...that's no slam on Carnival...HAL is a bit more subdued...

 

Which ever way you go, you should have a good time...As most of us know, a cruise is as good or as bad as you make it....

 

Looking forward to mine...Hope you enjoy yours....

D

[PEMCO007]

Thank you,

[Pam in CA]

If you like Princess, you'll like HAL. As said, there are some differences but overall, I think they are similar. The bathrooms are larger in the cabins and many have tub/shower combinations; however, there's no dressing area and not as much storage. The sleeping space in HAL cabins is larger and there's a small couch.

[Sails279]

Pam is correct...of course with the number of days at sea she has, you wouldn't expect otherwise...

 

Couple of other things come to mind now that I think about it...

 

The ship design is a bit difference...On Princess (at least the ones I have been on) the cabins are higher on the ship and the public areas are lower on the ship. On Hal it's the exact oppisite...It's not a big deal.

 

Resturants are on the aft of the ship on most Hal ships, and in the front for most Princess ships...It's been my experince that the buffett on the Hal ships is bigger, not so much in food or choices, but in general size. There seems to be a lot more seats...Since we always have a group, I have never done anytime dining...so I can't comment on it....

 

Cabins do feel a bit bigger on Hal, but as Pam notes, there is more storage on Princess...however, there is enough on either....If my DW can find space for her stuff, anybody can....

 

If you are on one of the larger or I guess they are called midsized ships now, one thing to check out is the Thermal suite....It's attached to the spa, but is not really part of the spa...It has a pool there that is a something, jacuzzi type, with mineral water....You can by day passes, but I usually would buy one for the week....It's not cheap, (but what is on a cruise anymore), but I always found this one worth doing....if nothing else, check it out...It must be midsized or bigger though, as the small ships aren't worth it....

 

Though it's minor, you never have much trouble spotting your ship in port....Those big blue ships are hard to miss....

 

If I read right, you have a 4 year old going...Santa does make a visit on Hal...Since most of our group is from highschool thru 90 we don't usually go and try to see him...however, some that I have talked to about it, said HAL made it a good time for the kids....

 

Pam, if you disagree with anything I have said, feel free to say so...

D

[PEMCO007]

Really appreciate all your feedback, i am looking at the Noordam, so I think it is one of the bigger ones, my only reservation is I have heard everywhere shuts early and it is like a ghost town at night, but maybe this is only specific to certain cruise and not applicable to holiday cruises? we were on the star princess in july on a med cruise and that was pretty quite, that said we are no means party people but do like some life even if its only people watching, x

[newmexicoNita]

HI there, really need some advice, we are looking at a christmas cruise and have left it late I know so are fairly limited to what is out there, we have sailed princess numerous times, also rccl, ncl, celebrity and p&o, but keep returning to princess. Princess has a cruise that will suit us, but I am a little wary as we did a princess in july so am worried that food/show are going to be too familiar to us so would have liked a change, the other cruise lines dont appeal due to dates wrong or itineraries but have never even considered HAL, what are they like ???? (not sure carnival would be out cup of tea, )any feedback good and bad, do they attract an older crowd? We are in our 30's with a 4 yr old who is not really into the kids club, my dad 70 and my mil 60?

 

Thanks

 

If you are actually talking over Christmas I am sure there will be lots of kids on either cruiseline. If you are not talking actual Christmas time you might find HAL not what you have in mind. I do love HAL, but it certainly is an older crowd with shows that appeal to those over 60. Again, remember I am not talking Christmas week. If you are going then, you will probably really enjoy HAL. It really is a good cruise line. Of course so is Princess and being Christmas there is a possiblitiy the shows may be a little different.

 

NIta

[Pam in CA]

Pam, if you disagree with anything I have said, feel free to say so...

D

My only quibble is the comment that on Princess, the restaurants are at the front of the ship. That's true only with the buffet on the Coral/Island. On all other Princess ships, the buffet is at the back. Dining rooms are both mid-ship and aft, similar to HAL. :) Not a big deal.

 

HAL's version of Anytime is much better managed. Those in "Main" (Traditional) seating are not allowed to go there unless they request permission and it's a one-way switch. There are few if any lines at any time, early, 7:00-7:30, or late. Much better experience than Anytime on Princess. One thing to note is that HAL's buffet hours are limited. Breakfast closes at 9:30am, lunch at 2:00pm and dinner at 8:00pm.

[Scrapchick]

I have done a Christmas cruise on Princess and also on HAL. We like both cruise lines a lot but have sailed far more on Princess. It probably varies by ship. We have had marvelous experiences on the Noordam, but we had a terrible Christmas cruise on the Rotterdam last year and I will never do another HAL holiday cruise again, regardless of the ship... That doesn't mean I won't sail HAL again, but it means I will never pay their marked up rates to have the depressing experience we had last year repeat itself at Christmas time... Fool me once, shame on you... etc....

 

By contrast, we did a holiday cruise on Princess two years ago and had an absolutely brilliant time.

 

You can read my reviews on the Home page... I wrote a review of the Rotterdam Christmas 2010 sailing. I THINK I also wrote a review of the Golden Princess Christmas sailing in 2009.

 

For a holiday sailing, based on my experiences with two different lines, I would definitely choose Princess over HAL. At least on Princess they leave the holiday decorations up beyond Jan 1... On the Rotterdam they couldn't get them down fast enough and it pretty much captured the whole approach towards celebrating the holidays on board.

 

I'll try to link to the reviews here...

 

Golden Princess review

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=61414

 

Rotterdam review

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=76871

 

Feel free to ask if you want more details, but I think the reviews will give you a pretty good idea of what we thought.

 

Edited to say we had our daughter with us, aged 8 on the Golden and 9 on the Rotterdam and from her perspective, Princess won hands down as well. So much more was done for the kids.

[PEMCO007]

Thanks again, I do love Princess, it is just not the best option for us this yr, dd has started reception and the Grand and Crown wont arrive back til a week after she is supposed to start school, not sure how the school will feel about tht given she has just started :( the one prior goes from San Juan earlier but from non direct flights from uk and as hubby is nervous flyer wont do two flights, our only other option is Celebrity which means she would stil miss a couple of days but not as much ut that one is from New York , I prefer to get to the warmth asap, I guess if it means us going away or not it is worth the chance, tbh the prices on HAL are very favourable to princess

[geoherb]

I always look at prices from Princess, HAL, and Celebrity for the cruises that fit our schedule. We've taken been on Christmas cruises on all three (as well as Royal Caribbean). The best itinerary at the best price gets our business.

 

We took three Princess cruises last year. I did not mind the repeats on the menus. After all, it had been at least four months since I had last had it. The shows are another matter--I think we've seen them all. Depending on the quality of the singers, we'll see them again, though, because they can still be entertaining.

[Dena]

People on these boards report lots of smoke on HAL. Otherwise we would have tried them, the teak promenade looks beautiful. The cabins also look very nice.

[PEMCO007]

Where is smoking allowed?

[PEMCO007]

To be honest geoherb i really dont mind the repeat menus, its hubby that is being the grump, he is also fed up of the same layouts, that said the itinerary does seem more favourable from HAL and my dd wouldn have to miss school when she gets back

[MSPCUBS]

I have been on both HAL and Princess, neither during the holidays. I just returned from my first Princess cruise. It was on the Crown doing a transatlantic. Not sure if the size was the problem, but it seemed like we were ALWAYS waiting in a line. Wait to get off the ship an hour and a half (not enough shuttle busses), wait to get a tender an hour and 20 minutes, wait for the dining room (unless it was before 6), and we even got off the ship an hour and a half late when we finished in New York.

On HAL, I never expereinced a line - maybe because the ship are smaller. It is an older crowd, but I (in my 50's) like the atmosphere of their ships much better.

I do agree, though, that a cruise is what you make of it. I have traveled on NCL, Royal C and Carnival and would not hestitate to travel on any of them if the itinerary and the price is right.

[LindaM]

People on these boards report lots of smoke on HAL. Otherwise we would have tried them, the teak promenade looks beautiful. The cabins also look very nice.

 

I think you may have misunderstood. Smoking is allowed in the cabins on HAL until the end of the year. There are very few people who do smoke, however. We have been on 4 HAL cruises and have never smelled smoke in our cabin. You will find some smokers in the casino and on starboard side of the pool deck.

 

I certainly would avoid HAL if you want a balcony, though!!

[CHOPPERTESTER]

HAL has an eggs benedict station (nine types) in the buffet if you are into that.

 

Mostly everything on the MDR menu is available in the Buffet (except one item usually like lobster) even filet mignon.

 

Yes kind of dead at night but you will find a bar with your age group.

 

Best food over our last few cruises.

[Pam in CA]

People on these boards report lots of smoke on HAL. Otherwise we would have tried them, the teak promenade looks beautiful. The cabins also look very nice.

I've never had a problem with smoke on any HAL cruise. Now, with Celebrity and their more restrictive smoking policy, we had a lot of problems in public areas. Go figure.

[Belle]

I like them both. They each have

something different but some Things are

the same.

 

Take the Hal cruise...the cabins are bigger

with a couch, better for three in a room.

Hal does have better room service menu

if you need to stay in because of your child

for any reason.

 

Go for it..husband wants a change. Your

traveling with family. You'll have a great time!

[DeepWaterMariner]

We like and recommend both Princess and HAL. Our only Christmas cruise was on HAL a couple of years ago and it was wonderful. One of the deciding factors for that cruise was the price for 3rd and 4rd passengers in a cabin which made it affordable for our daughter's family. It was a better overall deal than other lines were offering at the time but HAL still is very competitive when you share the same cabin with the kids. HAL couldn't have handled Christmas better and we all look back on that cruise and holiday as one our most memorable. We sailed the Noordam earlier this year and she has taken its place among our favorite ships.

[srpilo]

I can't really comment on a HAL Xmas cruise as the demographic is not the norm on holiday sailings, but even though Princess is by far our favorite line, we do have over 75 days on HAL and find many positives when comparing it to Princess, but without question HAL is a markably quieter cruise experience ..

 

 

If you're looking for action in the evenings, avoid HAL

Srpilo

[techsearch]

HAL! HAL! HAL! Love it...could give u lots of reasons but suffice it to day we have absolutely loved our HAL cruises. Won't do RCCL anymore, food is abysmal and rate for value overall is absurd. LOVE HAL and Celebrity and Princess. HAL has had the very best food by far than any cruise we have ever taken. The $20 charge for the Pinnacle is the best bargain on a cruise line today. Room service is fast and excellent! The theatre on the Noordam is delightful. Couch seating, just lovely. We are 40 something's with a 5 yr old and really, really love HAL. I wouldn't hesitate, especially with a holiday sailing....there will be plenty of kids and families in general. And the price is always right on HAL...there is a reason it wins all the awards for "best value".

 

So many things to say about HAL, really. GO! Hope that helps!:)

[Cruisin Kay D]

Mike & I took 6 grandkids on HAL Westerdam over their spring break and they loved the food!!! There were only about 250 kids among the 2000 passengers, whereas the year before when we took them on Carnival there were 1000 kids among the 3000 passengers. Yes HAL was quieter but still quite enjoyable!!! Haven't taken the grandkids on Princess yet because we book only 2 quads and the cabins on Princess are just way too small for 4 people! (Clothing storage great but no walking/sitting/bedspace!!!)

Over Christmas you will have more families than non-holiday times -- i.e. grandparents taking adult children & grandchildren. We are going on a Celebrity ship but only for 5 nts, due to various in-law family schedules....

I am certain that both Princess and HAL will have a maximum children limit -- I was talking to Princess Saturday about booking a 7 nt for this Christmas (before I decided on Celebrity) and when I was half-way through courtesy booking my family group of 16, the booking repr said the max # of children had been reached -- which meant she could not continue with my booking, so my family group could not go on that ship!!!

If you notice my cruise history below, we have been on Princess 16x and HAL 5x.

Oh yes, Celebrity Millenium has some favorable pricing for 5 nts -- and you can do B2B with another 5 nt or 4 nt on same ship -- 3rd in a cabin is $249 on Millenium whereas Grand Princess was going to be over $550 for same extra passengers, and that's for only 2 days more than Millie. On Millie we were able to get 6 Concierge balconies in a row with connecting doors for more than 1/3 less than Princess!!

[bobalink]

We are Princess fans, and recently moved up to the Platinum status. We have some Dutch friends who will only sail on HAL. For years they have "sung the praises" of HAL, so much so, that they convinced us to give it a try.

 

Last summer we were on the Noordam for a 7-day W. Med cruise, round trip Rome. We noticed many similarities.

 

The Noordam is lovely, rich wood and nice artwork. Our verandah stateroom was much bigger than a balcony room on Princess. The bathroom was quite large with a tub. The verandah was small and we could see the tenders and some spotlights from our verandah. Not a big deal, but I did not like looking at the top of a bright orange tender.

 

The Noordam has a beautiful library. The captain had a wonderful Q&A session and we really enjoyed that. He was very personable and approachable.

 

We thought the food on the Noordam was exceptionally good, in all venues. We paid the extra $$ for Pinnacle Grill one night and it was excellent, and well worth the additional charge. For us, we thought the food was better on the Noordam than on any of our Princess cruises. Table service in the HAL buffet (I think it is called Lido) was non-existent. You must get your drinks, water, etc. all on your own.

 

We had always heard that HAL attracts an older crowd, but that was not the case for our cruise. Because it was a round-trip from Rome, there were many, many, Italians on board. I guess it would be like a coastal cruise for them. Lots of families, babies, etc. We did notice a lot of smoking, but it never bothered us.

 

HAL's entertainment was okay, not great. But, it was a very port-intensive cruise, so we did not care much to see shows.

 

We did not think the room stewards or other staff were friendly. In fact, for whatever reason, the majority of the servers seemed very tense. We even wondered if they were under too much pressure.

 

We always have incredible stewards, waitstaff and bartenders, etc. on Princess.

 

I would probably go on another HAL cruise, if the itinerary was right. But I still prefer Princess. I really like the stunning Piazza and International Cafe on the Princess ships. Princess ships seem very "open and airy" compared to the Noordam.

 

Hope you have a wonderful holiday cruise, whatever you decide. I don't think you can go wrong if you give HAL a try.