can't seem to decide..Princess or HAL

[MsJ]

Hello....we are trying to decide on our cruise for next February. I have to go 3rd week as that is school vacation week here. Its just my husband and myself. We have narrowed it down to Princess Grand and HAL Veendam. Too very different ships but both with their own appeal. We have cruised on both lines and were happy with both. We like both big and small ships. We have also cruised with NCL..Celebrity and RCL.....and the Old Sitmar which turned into Princess half way though the cruise.Anyway......keep going back and forth between the Grand and the Veendam......just trying to find any opinions form anyone who has been on both lines also.....

[Druke I]

All things being equal (they never are), I personally would opt for HAL.

 

I like the size of Veendam better than the huge Grand class ships, and I think the food in the dining room better on HAL. I think Princess has better variety of food in the Lido area.

 

On the other hand, I think Princess generally has better production show entertainment than HAL, and their main show lounges have better sightlines than HAL, which tend to have flat floors (dual purpose rooms).

 

Big factor for me would be price, and usually Princess is more reasonable than HAL.

[enymarsh]

I've been on the sister ships to both of the ones you've asked about so I'll give you my 2 cents!

 

 

I think it really depends on what you like. If you want the one with fewer children (being school break) I would choose Veendam. On the other hand, if you prefer a larger ship and all it has to offer, regardless of the number of children, I would choose Grand. I've been on HAL's Volendam and although it was a beautiful ship, it didn't have as many pools and hot tubs as the Golden or the Star. Also, although their buffet is IMO superior to Princess' it's not open 24/7 like on Princess. We LOVE personal choice dining so we prefer Princess for that reason too. This is such a subjective decision to make, but both lines will deliver a wonderful experience so you can't really go wrong.

[asctony]

We have cruised on both ships. We think Princess has HAL beat in all aspects with the following exceptions:

1. HAL does have better selection/food on the Lido deck.

2. HAL cabins are bigger.

Other than that, Princess gives you the most selection, member bennies, and more bang for the buck.

Happy Cruising!!

[derf5585]

I can't resist

 

I would rather go with a Princess than a Hal. But I guess Derfette would want the other way around.

[Druke I]

Derf

 

I understand completely.

 

Incidentally, I had to kiss many frogettes before I found a princess.

[kryos]

Hello....we are trying to decide on our cruise for next February. I have to go 3rd week as that is school vacation week here. Its just my husband and myself. We have narrowed it down to Princess Grand and HAL Veendam. Too very different ships but both with their own appeal. We have cruised on both lines and were happy with both. We like both big and small ships. We have also cruised with NCL..Celebrity and RCL.....and the Old Sitmar which turned into Princess half way though the cruise.Anyway......keep going back and forth between the Grand and the Veendam......just trying to find any opinions form anyone who has been on both lines also.....

Do you like cruising with children? If it is a school vacation week, you are likely to run into them. I would think the number of children would likely be a bit less on HAL than on Princess, so this could be a factor in your decision.

 

As far as I'm concerned, both lines are great. I did two Princess cruises this year. I will do two HAL cruises next year. I did three HAL cruises last year.

 

You can't go wrong with either line, in my opinion ... so I would let itinerary be my primary guide if I were you. Food is about the same on both lines ... service is pretty much equal ... at least in my opinion. HAL probably edges Princess out with the sheer volume of beautiful artwork on most of their ships, and I think HAL's Lido Buffet is superior to Princess' Horizon Court. However, I think the evening entertainment in the show lounges is far superior on Princess. Of course, those last items are purely subjective.

 

Can't comment on the other lines you mentioned. Never been on them.

 

Blue skies and enjoy your cruise ... with whatever line you decide to go with ...

 

--rita

[OCruisers]

MsJ .... Wow! We're old Sitmar folks too -- still miss that line! :o

 

We have actually been on both Grand Princess and Veendam. Enjoyed both ... but they are quite different!

 

When we want a very restful cruise or if it is port intensive, we pick HAL. Princess is our choice for more "At Sea" days and when want a more active schedule on the ship.

 

Note: We thought Veendam was even more laid back than other HAL ships. We will cruise again with HAL ... but probably NOT on Veendam.

 

Have FUN planning! Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[MsJ]

Thank you all for your posts...we have decided on the Grand......it came down to the best itinerary for us....I will probably have a million questios between now and next February.. Marianne

[Cindy]

Do you like cruising with children? If it is a school vacation week, you are likely to run into them.

 

I wouldn't think there would be too many children on the Grand sailing from Galveston in February. Most school vacations here in Texas aren't until later in March. Surrounding states are on a similar schedule.

 

Even though it was Spring Break when we were on the Grand in March, and there were LOADS of children on the ship, it wasn't a problem at all. The main pool area was mostly families, but there were plenty of quieter places on the ship. We fell in love with the aft (adults only) pool area. It was a great and quiet place to read and nap, close to the Horizon Court, and there was bar service.

 

We had late seating traditional dining, and there were only a couple children in the entire dining room. Well, one of our table mates could have been called a bratty child, but I guess that's a story for another thread! :D

[MsJ]

thanks for info.....its helpful Marianne