Holland vs Princess ?

[ckr31]

How does Holland America compare to princess? we are thinking about taking a special charter cruise on HAL I need to know dinning comparison,rooms and service

[mr green]

Its close, but I prefer Princess, I find everything just a tad better than HAL. That being said I enjoy cruising with HAL.

 

john

[Umbarger]

HAL rocks. In fact I doubt I will take a Princess again when I can take a HAL. Dining is so much better. I had a full sized lobster tail on HAL on Princess they are tiny tiny. Service is exceptional on HAL. I felt like a guest on HAL instead of like a bother on Princess. The regular balcony cabins on HAL come with a sofa and are the same size as Princess mini suites.

 

Oh and the beds on HAL are so much better than sleeping on the Princess concrete ones.

[smslms]

The answers to your questions are extremely subjective. You will find cheerleaders for both HAL and Princess. We have cruised both, along with other cruiselines, and the best advice we can give you is to try both and form your own opinion, as only you know what you like and dislike.

[Putterdude]

I am not a cheerleader for any cruise line but I will say that our cruise aboard the Oosterdam over Christmas was nothing short of a horror and it will be a long time before we set foot on the dock of a HAL ship . Here is a link to my review of that cruise.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=94985

[Amuse Bouche]

HAL rocks. In fact I doubt I will take a Princess again when I can take a HAL. Dining is so much better. I had a full sized lobster tail on HAL on Princess they are tiny tiny. Service is exceptional on HAL. I felt like a guest on HAL instead of like a bother on Princess. The regular balcony cabins on HAL come with a sofa and are the same size as Princess mini suites.

 

Oh and the beds on HAL are so much better than sleeping on the Princess concrete ones.

 

I LOVE HAL beds! They actually sell them, and I'm seriously considering it.

 

HAL is a wonderful line. Great crew. Food is very good for mass produced cruise food, and they pretty much give you whatever you want, like all 4 desserts if you wish. The itineraries to Alaska have always fit us well. The thing I love most is there isn't that much of a hard sell on cruise junk. They have the usual shows, but unless you seek the sales out, you don't notice them.

I can't really compare tho. I've only been on one Princess in 2001. I'm going on my second next year.

[MSMcDuffy]

I've enjoyed cruises on both & found the food and service to be very similar. I've never used the specialty dining rooms so can't comment on that.

 

The crew on both of my HAL cruises were more personable and interactive with us but since crews change over I don't think that should be a big factor.

 

The rooms are where I give the biggest edge to HAL. They are a little larger and include a sofa instead of 2 chairs and many categories below the balcony categories have a bathtub and the beds are more comfy (softer).

 

I'm actually hoping to get back on a HAL ship soon but since I go by a mix of itinerary/budget first, my last two and next cruise will be on Princess.

 

Try it, you'll probably like it:)

[shepp]

Food is very good for mass produced cruise food, and they pretty much give you whatever you want, like all 4 desserts if you wish.

 

Gee, I hate to tell you, but it's the very same on Princess. Really. You can eat ten desserts if you want to...and many pax look like they do just that.

[moniquet]

HAL rocks. In fact I doubt I will take a Princess again when I can take a HAL. Dining is so much better. I had a full sized lobster tail on HAL on Princess they are tiny tiny. Service is exceptional on HAL. I felt like a guest on HAL instead of like a bother on Princess. The regular balcony cabins on HAL come with a sofa and are the same size as Princess mini suites.

 

Oh and the beds on HAL are so much better than sleeping on the Princess concrete ones.

 

Yes, I agree. HAL ships don't feel as crowded either.

[dorisis]

HAL has larger cabins. Princess has a better age mix and in my opinion far better perks for frequent passengers.

 

~Doris~

[Steamboatin]

HAL has more kids.

 

The 90 year old parents bring their 60 and 70 year old kids with them.:D

[Coral]

I really liked my HAL cruise. The cabins are larger, they put tubs in many more cabins (some outside cabins have tubs), there are couches in more cabins - my outside cabin had a couch, their beds are fabulous, they put dvd players in all rooms. Room service allows full menu to all cabins.

 

I love the layout of the buffet over Princess's buffet.

 

I found Customer Service desk very responsive. My wait staff and room steward were equivalent to Princess.

 

I really liked my HAL cruise (oosterdam).

[tip]

We sailed on the HAL Noordam in January and will be sailing on the Emerald Princess next winter. We look forward to not breathing in second hand smoke. Princess has it right, a 21st Century smoking policy!

[paul929207]

hal has more kids.

 

The 90 year old parents bring their 60 and 70 year old kids with them.:d

lol

[PunkiC]

They are both very good lines. HAL does have nicer decor, but Princess has way better pizza. :)

 

We are dancers and like the fact that Princess has larger dance floors although HAL always has excellent dance music.

 

We are primarily Princess people because we are Elite and we love the benefits. HAL's loyalty program sucks in comparison.

[geoherb]

I like both. Whichever works better for our vacation time is the one I'll choose--considering things such as itinerary and price. I also consider Celebrity among my top three choices.

[Stevesan]

They are both very good lines. HAL does have nicer decor, but Princess has way better pizza. :)

 

We are dancers and like the fact that Princess has larger dance floors although HAL always has excellent dance music.

 

We are primarily Princess people because we are Elite and we love the benefits. HAL's loyalty program sucks in comparison.

 

 

I resemble that remark. Upon reaching 100+ days I had my picture taken with the ship's captain and was awarded a copper medallion.

I was a bit surprised when I wasn't charged for the photo.

 

In all seriosity, I prefer HAL's R and S class ships, and of course the stretch versions. I took my first and last Vista class cruise on Zuiderdam.

As previously mentioned, the cabins are larger and the service is always exemplary. Maybe a bit too fawning at times, but that beats surly.:p

[mnbruce]

HAL rocks. In fact I doubt I will take a Princess again when I can take a HAL. Dining is so much better. I had a full sized lobster tail on HAL on Princess they are tiny tiny. Service is exceptional on HAL. I felt like a guest on HAL instead of like a bother on Princess. The regular balcony cabins on HAL come with a sofa and are the same size as Princess mini suites.

 

Oh and the beds on HAL are so much better than sleeping on the Princess concrete ones.

 

I tend to agree with you here. For my tastes HAL is a small step up over Princess. That being said, I am about to take my third straight cruise on the CB. In the end it's the itinerary that determines the cruise line we use.

 

I wish Princess would do something with their beds. The HAL beds make you feel like you are at the Four Seasons, while the Princess ones remind me of a Motel 6

[1025cruise]

I've sailed both Princess (Emerald Princess, Crown Princess, and soon the Star Princess) as well as HAL (Veendam). I'd like to give the edge to Princess, but it would not stop me from sailing HAL again. These are my notes, but keep in mind what I experienced might be itinerary and ship specific as the Veendam is a smaller ship, and the cruise was to Bermuda.

 

1. Food being subjective, there are things I liked about Princess and HAL. I would say quality was about the same, pizza is definitely better on Princess (I couldn't even eat a full slice of what they served me on HAL). I liked HAL's taco bar (after they come off of code orange at the beginning of the cruise). One thing I did not like about HAL but like on Princess was the buffet availability. Princess always has food being served at the buffet during the day. HAL was very strict on their hours. If you wanted to eat a late lunch, your options were restricted to the taco bar, the grill, pizza, or room service. Another thing I prefer with Princess, the menus at the buffet for dinner were different than the dining room. On the Veendam, the menus were exactly the same. So, if I were in a situation where the menu did not appeal to me in the dining room, my option was the same menu in the buffet. NOTE, I didn't starve, but I would have liked to see more variety.

 

I will give HAL a hand up with the Pinnacle Grill. We dined there twice, but yet, we have never felt the options at the Crown Grill appealing enough to go there.

 

Activities: Both cruises had good activities (though I assume things will be different on a charter). One thing I preferred with Princess was their Trivia. HAL had two games a day, at the same time, in the same places. Princess would rotate when/where the games were. One thing I will note, the Veendam did seem to have a lack of chair problem on the sea days. There did not appear to be enough chairs for the demand. I also liked HAL's cooking demos.

 

Rooms: I liked our HAL room. We had an oceanview (was booked late). The room had a small couch and a tub. On Princess, in order to get a couch and a tub, you must be in at least a mini-suite.

 

If you enjoy Princess, I think you will enjoy HAL.

[Cruise Raider]

We've sailed a dozen times on Princess and did a B2B on HAL. I like the variety in switching between cruiselines and find things I love about each one of them. But, for comparison -- I will list why I like which line and hopefully you can choose which ones are important to you to help make a decision:

 

• Food -- Princess wins hands down on the food with the exception of the Pinacle Grill on HAL -- which was one of the best meals I have ever had on any cruiseship.
  
• Service -- this is where HAL excels -- zooming right past Princess. Now, there have been some ships on Princess where the staff / crew have been wonderful and some ships where our service was downright horrible (and we are not all that demanding); Amongst the best service we have had on Princess was on the Golden and Caribbean Princess. Some of the worst was on the Coral, Crown and Dawn.
  
• Pool towels -- I don't know why Princess is so stingy with their pool towels (yikes...that's another story altogether)
  
• Extra charges showing up on your bill -- there is always something on our bill we didn't purchase that shows up on our bill on Princess -- always towards the end of the cruise where we may not have time to fight it.
  
• Rooms -- with the exception of those wide open closets on the Grand Class and newer ships on Princess, the rooms on HAL have a better design. I don't get the little table that Princess puts in the room to add more congestion. I put it in the closet as an extra shelf vs tripping over it ever time I get up at night to use the bathroom.
  
• MUTS - this one goes to Princess. Love the entertainment by the pool and the afternoon milk and cookies. Also love the bands that play by the pool during the day. Love the popcorn at night for MUTS.
  
• International Cafe -- also goes to Princess!! Yummy -- grab little snack to enjoy in the Piazza -- especially fun if there is entertainment.
  
• No smoking areas including the balconies -- now this is the biggest reason to travel on Princess in a balcony or above for us. Love the new policy without trying to sound too political.
  
• Bedding -- either one is good for us but on Princess, you may have to pre-order an egg crate topper. Pillows are my big thing for bed comfort and sometimes on Princess, you may have to request decent pillows but they have always come through.
  
• Showrooms / lounges -- seems like the bigger ships on Princess do not have some of the shows in rooms large enough for the audiences. We've been skunked out of seeing shows many times because we didn't arrive an hour early. That's crazy....standing room only out in the hallways...kind of annoying for those must see shows.
  
• Itineraries -- I think the Princess itineraries work out better for us as we live on the west coast and they schedule a limited number of cruises out of SF. Nice!!
  
• Buffet area -- HAL wins hands down on the buffet area design. It is just way too congested on Princess but I read they might be moving the desserts to another area which should alleviate some of this congestion. Again, food on Princess has always been our favorite. The Caribe Cafe at night for dinner has pretty much replaced our formal dining room experience. The service there has always been pretty phenomenal (Caribbean Princess and Emerald Princess) and there never seems to be too much of a crowd.
  
• Indoor pools -- had one on HAL and on some of the Princess ships. LOVE IT!!
  

Hope this helps you with your decision. They are both similar in pricing and overall quality --just depends on what you are looking for in a vacation.

[KruzPrincess]

My first and only HAL cruise was disappointing, but it was several years ago. I was seriously considering trying HAL again mostly because of the beds. I hate Princess beds. Now, with the change in smoking policies I'm hesitant to try HAL. I am not a person who goes crazy if I get a whiff of smoke, but I've read that it's very smoky. I'm afraid a lot of smokers will start heading to HAL because of the new Princess policy. I like my balcony time and wouldn't want a lot of smoke.

[mr green]

A couple of things worth mentioning.

Unless things have changed, if you book excursions before the cruise, Princess will not bill you until the last day of the cruise, final statement. With HAL you will find it on your first credit card billing after you book.

All cabins have 'fridges on Princess, not so with HAL, OV and interior cabins do not, they may be rented at $2.00 per day however.

Ship size. Princess caters most tastes, Large, Medium, and Small. HAL Medium and Small.

Yes size has changed, When Sun Princess was launched in 1995, she was then the largest cruise ship afloat, yes, a tad bigger than even NCL Norway by tonnage. Today the Sun is hardly the medium sized cruise ship.

 

john

[sassyredhat]

I only have one PCL cruise under my belt, and several HAL. They are very similar. It depends on what is important to you.

Since I have to rest alot, cabins are a big deal to me. PCL has nice cabins and alot of storage, but the tiny bathrooms are a pain. However, not a deal breaker if the itin. is right.

I found the service, food and most of the crew, to be similar, however, I give the edge to HAL. My opinion. :)

I also think that sometimes it depends on the ship itself. Some things are different on other ships in the same line.

So, for me----I look for the itinerary and price first. Then I see what line is going where, and what ship. I like some ships better than others.

Pat

[Dunelm]

They are both very good lines with fine food and service. I think the entertainment on Princess is a tad better, and the Hal cruises I have been on seemed to have an older crowd--perhaps just my perception, though.

[Arwen]

How does Holland America compare to princess? we are thinking about taking a special charter cruise on HAL I need to know dinning comparison,rooms and service

 

Hubby and I have done 10 HAL cruises, one on Celebrity, and just two weeks ago, our first Princess cruise.

 

We have chosen HAL more frequently because they have some wonderful itineraries.

 

We started with HAL because, initially, they were one of the first cruise lines to offer gluten free dining, something I require. Our first cruise was over 8 yrs ago and they did an amazing job with my diet and the food was amazing. My past three cruises with them, was hit and miss.

 

Our recent Princess cruise on the Sapphire for one week in Mexico was the most FUN we have ever had. The Sapphire was recently refurbished (drydocked) and is gorgeous. The food was some of the best I had ever had. They offered so much food that I could eat, that I feared gaining weight. Never before had to worry about that.

 

So much depends on the particular ship you choose, the type of itinerary(which I believe impacts the quality of food), and the Hotel Manager. It might be better to ask people's experiences with a particular ship and itinerary you are considering, whether it is HAL or Princess, to get a more accurate assessment.

 

I have had some negative experiences on HAL cruises recently. I believe it was due to poor management. Nevertheless, I also had the best ever cruise on a 33 day Hawaii/South Pacific/Marquesas HAL cruise because everything was done so well.....including the detail to providing wonderful gluten free meals. That was 2 1/2 yrs ago.

 

I now mentally jot down what it is I want for my next cruise. I find it better to ask for reviews of a particular ship from my CC friends rather than thinking one cruise line is better than another.

 

I found staterooms to be comparable. Much depends on the age of the ship and if it has or has not been dry docked recently. I hesitate to sail on a ship that is due for dry dock because that ship will generally have some problems a pax will have to deal with.

 

Princess, Celebrity, and HAL are all comparable. It just depends on what you are looking for.