Feel too old on HAL

[George C]

I never had problem with Hal Cats , but my wife says I am deaf

[ASIWISH]

My DDP and I (will be 42 and 49) quote]

 

I am in my late forties, and my DW is SIGNIFICANTLY older (6-months older:p), but we love HAL. We have sailed on RCCL and CCL, but find HAL much more our style.

 

I hate when you are constantly bombarded by DJs and waiters trying to sell you drinks on the other lines. You can't even have a conversation. The service on HAL is the significant difference to us.

 

Relax when you want, get crazy when you want. On HAL, you decide. On some other lines, they decide.

 

JMO

[arewethereyet]

I know what you mean! And not just on HAL. I'd love to know who came up with the idea of "louder is better," because it isn't!

 

I am terrified of the HAL Cats--my hearing is good and I want to keep it that way. I fled the Showroom on Maasdam one night because the room was so overamplified that the grand piano sounded tinny, like a kid's toy. I ended up in the Ocean Bar, listening to the Neptunes, where the sound level and music were perfect.

Count me in with this group. Although, mostly the HAL ships are pretty quiet, and we like it that way. Only occasionally are we exposed to the attempt to deafen us. A few times on other lines I gave up trying to find a quiet spot and retreated to the cabin.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Count me in with this group. Although, mostly the HAL ships are pretty quiet, and we like it that way. Only occasionally are we exposed to the attempt to deafen us. A few times on other lines I gave up trying to find a quiet spot and retreated to the cabin.

 

Me, too! Interesting that OP is thinking about leaving RCCL, because that's the line where I gave up on finding peace and quiet around the ship. Thank goodness we had a balcony to hide out on!

[3rdGenCunarder]

I am in my late forties, and my DW is SIGNIFICANTLY older (6-months older:p), but we love HAL. We have sailed on RCCL and CCL, but find HAL much more our style.

 

Significantly??? oooh, you're brave! :D

 

I hate when you are constantly bombarded by DJs and waiters trying to sell you drinks on the other lines. You can't even have a conversation. The service on HAL is the significant difference to us.

 

Relax when you want, get crazy when you want. On HAL, you decide. On some other lines, they decide.

 

JMO

 

Great line! You should work for HAL's marketing department.

(sorry about the ital. and not ital. formatting in the quotees, don't know why it's doing this)

Edited April 19, 2013 by 3rdGenCunarder

[veryseasonedtraveler]

One of the many reasons I love HAL is the fact that fellow passengers have been there and done that. If you have a question about a future destination, you will have good advice. They have been there (maybe even twice).

[Hlitner]

We tried our first HAL cruise when in our 40s (a 12 day Baltic cruise on the Maasdam) and loved the cruise, but were not happy with our fellow passengers. On that cruise (about 20 years ago) the average age of our fellow passengers was probably in the early to mid 70s, nobody was awake after 9pm, and we felt like the children on the ship. It was nearly 15 years until we again went back on HA (we have cruised on 14 different cruise lines) and we now have about 300 days with HAL. Would we recommend HAL for a couple in their 40s? Our answer would be a very weak yes. We would probably suggest Celebrity or Princess before HAL for the OP.

 

Hank

[sail7seas]

We sailed HAL in our forties and fifties and........

 

We loved HAL from our first cruise forward and now have over 80 cruises with HAL.

 

[cruz chic]

We tried our first HAL cruise when in our 40s (a 12 day Baltic cruise on the Maasdam) and loved the cruise, but were not happy with our fellow passengers. On that cruise (about 20 years ago) the average age of our fellow passengers was probably in the early to mid 70s, nobody was awake after 9pm, and we felt like the children on the ship. It was nearly 15 years until we again went back on HA (we have cruised on 14 different cruise lines) and we now have about 300 days with HAL. Would we recommend HAL for a couple in their 40s? Our answer would be a very weak yes. We would probably suggest Celebrity or Princess before HAL for the OP.

 

Hank

 

I've cruised both celebrity and princess. The make up of the pax has been pretty much the same. You make no secret that you think everyone on Hal is 90 years old and goes to bed at 9. On my last cruise which was 15 days I checked out the BB king band and it must have been close to 11. The place was hopping. Maybe you are going to the wrong places or maybe some people are tired at nine because they didn't take a nap like you do in the afternoon. I don't rely on others to make my fun. Maybe that's where you are going wrong. I'm surprised that you've made it to 300 days considering how boring you seem to find Hal.

Edited November 19, 2013 by lorekauf

[holacanada]

Hi fellows !

 

Never too old into my perception,

I begun cruising at 42 y/o. — Everytime with Holland. (not «Old Land» please) :eek:

 

Holacanada from Quebec City cruising in less than one week :rolleyes:

[Typhoon1]

If you feel HAL is too old for you, there are plenty of other cruise lines. I'm sure one of them meets your needs.

[born2travel]

Just back from our first HAL cruise (at 59 & 60 yrs of age) and we are in absolutely no hurry to repeat the experience. We found the food to be good at breakfast, fair at lunch, and just plain bad at dinner. The ship was very nice, but compared to the airy, open spaces of RCCL ships, Westerdam felt cramped and very dark.

 

I loved the Explorations/Crows Nest area, but found the Explorations Cafe itself to be a joke. It didn't keep long hours, snacks were hard to find, and paying for the so-so coffee in paper cups didn't impress me even a little bit.

 

The singers were talented, and the musician very good, however I never had problems finding smaller, quieter musical venues on RCCL ships. Piano bars on EVERY ship should be bigger, as they seem consistently popular.

 

Absolutely loved the Digital Workshop and Culinary Arts centre! They compensated for a lot of other disappointments.

 

I was shocked and extremely dismayed to find out that pools and hot tubs have very limited hours. What??? Do the lifeguards go off duty??? No, wait - there are no lifeguards. Apparently pools need to be roped over at 7 pm to keep us doddering old ones from falling in.

 

Essentially, different strokes...HAL is obviously a favorite for many. We can say we tried it, but it just wasn't a good fit for us.

[cruz chic]

Just back from our first HAL cruise (at 59 & 60 yrs of age) and we are in absolutely no hurry to repeat the experience. We found the food to be good at breakfast, fair at lunch, and just plain bad at dinner. The ship was very nice, but compared to the airy, open spaces of RCCL ships, Westerdam felt cramped and very dark.

 

I loved the Explorations/Crows Nest area, but found the Explorations Cafe itself to be a joke. It didn't keep long hours, snacks were hard to find, and paying for the so-so coffee in paper cups didn't impress me even a little bit.

 

The singers were talented, and the musician very good, however I never had problems finding smaller, quieter musical venues on RCCL ships. Piano bars on EVERY ship should be bigger, as they seem consistently popular.

 

Absolutely loved the Digital Workshop and Culinary Arts centre! They compensated for a lot of other disappointments.

 

I was shocked and extremely dismayed to find out that pools and hot tubs have very limited hours. What??? Do the lifeguards go off duty??? No, wait - there are no lifeguards. Apparently pools need to be roped over at 7 pm to keep us doddering old ones from falling in.

 

Essentially, different strokes...HAL is obviously a favorite for many. We can say we tried it, but it just wasn't a good fit for us.

 

Doddering old ones. Well aren't you sweet? Rcl is likely a better fit for you.

Edited November 20, 2013 by lorekauf

[Pearlbill]

Just back from our first HAL cruise (at 59 & 60 yrs of age) and we are in absolutely no hurry to repeat the experience. We found the food to be good at breakfast, fair at lunch, and just plain bad at dinner. The ship was very nice, but compared to the airy, open spaces of RCCL ships, Westerdam felt cramped and very dark.

 

I loved the Explorations/Crows Nest area, but found the Explorations Cafe itself to be a joke. It didn't keep long hours, snacks were hard to find, and paying for the so-so coffee in paper cups didn't impress me even a little bit.

 

The singers were talented, and the musician very good, however I never had problems finding smaller, quieter musical venues on RCCL ships. Piano bars on EVERY ship should be bigger, as they seem consistently popular.

 

Absolutely loved the Digital Workshop and Culinary Arts centre! They compensated for a lot of other disappointments.

 

I was shocked and extremely dismayed to find out that pools and hot tubs have very limited hours. What??? Do the lifeguards go off duty??? No, wait - there are no lifeguards. Apparently pools need to be roped over at 7 pm to keep us doddering old ones from falling in.

 

Essentially, different strokes...HAL is obviously a favorite for many. We can say we tried it, but it just wasn't a good fit for us.

My husband and I, love going for late night swims and we too were dismayed to find the pool on the Eurodam netted over quite early in the evening.

[Steamboatin]

 

............HAL has a reputation (somewhat deserved) of appealing to an older demographic, but don't get tied up with ages..........

 

 

This is so very true. HAL has a lot of kids on board their vessels.

 

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

[Oceanwench]

Lorekauf, the poster was not being serious with "doddering old folks"!!!

It was certainly said tongue-in-cheek.

 

My daughters loved HAL when they were in their 20s and early 30s. Now that one has two children, she is pushing for a cruise on a line that is more kid-oriented. Not Disney necessarily, but many others have kid zones and pool slides and the like. She is thinking NCL.

[cruz chic]

Lorekauf, the poster was not being serious with "doddering old folks"!!!

It was certainly said tongue-in-cheek.

 

My daughters loved HAL when they were in their 20s and early 30s. Now that one has two children, she is pushing for a cruise on a line that is more kid-oriented. Not Disney necessarily, but many others have kid zones and pool slides and the like. She is thinking NCL.

 

It didn't seem that way to me. There is a reason that there are different cruise lines. It pays to research. I love a quiet, laid back ship. I get enough noise at home. Some people want constant action, noise and activity. Best to go to a line that provides that instead of complaining about everything Hal isn't. That's why I always like to ask people if they are self entertaining. I totally understand your daughter wanting to look at other lines.

[Oceanwench]

If the poster were being mean, he/she would have posted "THE doddering old folks."

Instead, he/she (ages 59/60 -- which is hardly doddering) said "US doddering old folks."

 

Perhaps the tone doesn't come across to everyone when it's written rather than spoken, but the poster was merely musing about the reason for closing down the pools early.

 

And yes, maybe another line is a better fit for the poster, but that is for the poster to determine for himself/herself.

I find it rude in many instances -- not ALL, but many -- when someone here reacts to an honest criticism by suggesting a poster try another cruise line.

 

Now, if I said I was upset because HAL did not offer a huge water park or ice skating rink -- the comment would be justified. Royal Caribbean might be a better fit, and obviously I didn't do my homework if I just assumed HAL would have those amenities.

 

But when someone is disappointed about pools being shut down early ... well, that doesn't warrant the suggestion he/she look elsewhere.

[Pearlbill]

It didn't seem that way to me. There is a reason that there are different cruise lines. It pays to research. I love a quiet, laid back ship. I get enough noise at home. Some people want constant action, noise and activity. Best to go to a line that provides that instead of complaining about everything Hal isn't. That's why I always like to ask people if they are self entertaining. I totally understand your daughter wanting to look at other lines.

 

I too, read it as tongue in cheek. I also think, that HAL has a lot of wonderful amenities but seem to have a lot of limited hours. If HAL wants to retain it's reputation of being a quiet laid back ship, why does it not offer longer hours for the MDR for breakfast, lunch and dinner! For a lot of folks, including me, the Lido is nothing but action, noise and activity.

 

A late night swim is certainly self entertaining, so is a civilized sit down lunch in the MDR. Also, why does it not add more seats to the Screening Room? Every movie shown on the Eurodam in October was overflowing with people. One had to get there at least a half hour ahead of time to get a seat. Why is the BB King Blues band so popular? One has a hard time finding a seat there. Perhaps, HAL could provide a few more venues for live music in the evening. Those that want to retire early could and those that want a bit more action could have that.

 

I think a lot of comments are not complaints about HAL, just merely facts or at least what was observed by someone. Asking on Cruise Critic IS research. When a poster inquires about the atmosphere on a HAL ship replies are just that, replies. People that reply have already made up their mind about whether to stay with HAL or not. HAL has many wonderful things about it. People don't need to be told to go elsewhere. Obviously, many love HAL. Great. They don't need to be told to stay with HAL. A negative observation is just as valid as a positive one.

[cruz chic]

I too, read it as tongue in cheek. I also think, that HAL has a lot of wonderful amenities but seem to have a lot of limited hours. If HAL wants to retain it's reputation of being a quiet laid back ship, why does it not offer longer hours for the MDR for breakfast, lunch and dinner! For a lot of folks, including me, the Lido is nothing but action, noise and activity.

 

A late night swim is certainly self entertaining, so is a civilized sit down lunch in the MDR. Also, why does it not add more seats to the Screening Room? Every movie shown on the Eurodam in October was overflowing with people. One had to get there at least a half hour ahead of time to get a seat. Why is the BB King Blues band so popular? One has a hard time finding a seat there. Perhaps, HAL could provide a few more venues for live music in the evening. Those that want to retire early could and those that want a bit more action could have that.

 

I think a lot of comments are not complaints about HAL, just merely facts or at least what was observed by someone. Asking on Cruise Critic IS research. When a poster inquires about the atmosphere on a HAL ship replies are just that, replies. People that reply have already made up their mind about whether to stay with HAL or not. HAL has many wonderful things about it. People don't need to be told to go elsewhere. Obviously, many love HAL. Great. They don't need to be told to stay with HAL. A negative observation is just as valid as a positive one.

I'm not telling anyone to go elsewhere. It just seems when something is not a good fit that it might be best to stay with something that is a better fit. There is one poster on this board that goes on and on about how everyone is in bed at 9pm on HAL but he continues to sail with them even though he just thinks that Celebrity is the best thing on earth. Why spend money on HAL then when Celebrity seems to push all the right buttons? I don't like Celebrity at all so therefore they will not get my money. I guess it's just more a case of finding what works for me instead of complaining about everything that doesn't work for me. I can imagine what kind of reception I'd get on the Celebrity boards if I posted everything that wasn't to my liking. I'd be eaten alive.

Edited November 20, 2013 by lorekauf

[cruz chic]

If the poster were being mean, he/she would have posted "THE doddering old folks."

Instead, he/she (ages 59/60 -- which is hardly doddering) said "US doddering old folks."

 

Perhaps the tone doesn't come across to everyone when it's written rather than spoken, but the poster was merely musing about the reason for closing down the pools early.

 

And yes, maybe another line is a better fit for the poster, but that is for the poster to determine for himself/herself.

I find it rude in many instances -- not ALL, but many -- when someone here reacts to an honest criticism by suggesting a poster try another cruise line.

 

Now, if I said I was upset because HAL did not offer a huge water park or ice skating rink -- the comment would be justified. Royal Caribbean might be a better fit, and obviously I didn't do my homework if I just assumed HAL would have those amenities.

 

But when someone is disappointed about pools being shut down early ... well, that doesn't warrant the suggestion he/she look elsewhere.

I guess we'll agree to disagree. Seems like a few posters feel the need to explain what other people mean. It should be the poster that explains it, not someone else.

[iancal]

You will be fine on HAL.

 

But don't fool yourself, the service etc. is going down on all cruise lines.

 

And the entertainment on HAL was never that good...and like RCI, it is going downhill.

[engrstudent]

I know I'm adding my two cents late in the conversation but my wife and I aren't even 30 and we love HAL. We work hard and HAL offers a nice, relaxed environment in which to unwind. I feel the fellow passengers are generally respectful to both the crew and other guests. There is definitely no hard partying nor excessive debauchery. I find the cooking demonstrations interesting, the ships tastefully decorated, and the service far superior to what I'm used to. And while the majority of the passengers on the 7-day itineraries are a generation older (my parents enjoy both HAL and Celebrity and are quite the seasoned cruisers), if not occasionally two, they are always willing to engage in conversation with us and share in their adventures. It really is a perfect escape from the normal hectic life that many young couples endure. 'Nuff said.

[veryseasonedtraveler]

Hate all the negativity. A cruise is still a good value.

[born2travel]

Hi lorekauf... I am really sorry if you thought I was referring to fellow passengers as "us doddering old folk"...that reference was pointed directly at the mirror. I was just taken aback by the pool closures and really did wonder why.

 

Thanks, everyone, for the reassurance that the tongue-in-cheekiness remark wasn't too widely misinterpreted. Had it been seriously directed at other passengers, I would deserve a MAJOR smackdown!

 

lorekauf, you are right on the money, RCL is a better fit for US, but definitely not for many others. So many ships, so many styles...and most of it very, very good! We count our lucky stars every day that we have the time, funds, and health to enjoy such vacations. We don't regret trying HAL for a moment and hope to cruise other lines as well before we hang up our suitcases.

 

HAL provided us with an extremely affordable vacation that agreed with our budget at a time when we really needed to get away. As it turned out, I have never been so relaxed on a vacation. It was just what the doctor ordered.

 

I have to admit that a ship like the Allure or Oasis engages me to the point that I am a bit like a demented hamster on a wheel. Of course, the Flowrider does slow me down a bit. I can spend a ridiculous amount of time there, soaking up the sun while watching the wipe-outs, AND applauding those who manage to gain competence (lest you think me totally heartless - LOL!) Still trying to muster up the courage to try it myself.

 

We do sail on those ships for those over-the-top features, and likewise knew that HAL offered a different kind of experience. Isn't that why so many of us love CruiseCritic forums??? We like to know before we go! But I just didn't find out about the danged pool closures until too late. Never even thought to ask that kind of question. Just goes to show that no detail is too small.

 

Happy thoughts and cruising to all,

Mary