Having second thoughts about HAL

[daisy37]

Leaving on the Amsterdam on Aug 2 for the Inside Passage. I am travelling with my son, 25 and daughter 10. In the past, daughter and I have always cruised on Disney.

 

The more I read about HAL, the more concerned I am getting. It seems like there won't be many young people or enough to do. The quality of the shows seems to be lacking, (Disney has wonderful shows).

 

I also just read that my son will need to wear a sports jacket on Formal Nights. He didn't even want to wear a tie. If we don't eat in MDR on Formal Night, does he still need a sports jacket?

 

Please reassure me that I made a good decision.

 

thanks.

[sail7seas]

If you DS does not want to wear a jacket, you can have your dinner in Lido and he can dress more casually. They usually serve (most) of the menu from the Main Dining Room so your actual dinner selections will be quite similar.

 

We all make our own good time. If you meet others you and your family enjoy, all the better but how great you'll have this special vacation together. Alaska is an amazing place. I was the last person here who wanted to go to Alaska but as a 'good sport', I agreed to travel there with DH last summer and we had one of best cruises ever. We loved it.

 

Call HAL and perhaps they can tell you how many guests in your DD's age group are booked so you will have some expectation if there will be a fair number or not. That might ease some of your concern.

 

Hope you have a great time.

[DaveOKC]

Leaving on the Amsterdam on Aug 2 for the Inside Passage. I am travelling with my son, 25 and daughter 10. In the past, daughter and I have always cruised on Disney.

 

The more I read about HAL, the more concerned I am getting. It seems like there won't be many young people or enough to do. The quality of the shows seems to be lacking, (Disney has wonderful shows).

 

I also just read that my son will need to wear a sports jacket on Formal Nights. He didn't even want to wear a tie. If we don't eat in MDR on Formal Night, does he still need a sports jacket?

 

Please reassure me that I made a good decision.

 

thanks.

 

First, you can always dine in the Lido without a jacket and tie on formal nights. Also, you can dine in your cabin - HAL has a great program where you can order from the main dining room menu and have it brought to your cabin at whatever time you wish. You do have to order during a specific time frame however, so check with the front desk on this for details. This is a great option fir when you just do not feel like going to the MDR that evening.

 

As to the younger crowd - while certainly HAL has an older clientel overall, it really depends on the time of year and where you are traveling to. Since you are going to AK in early August, I am sure there will be plenty of other kids onboard and HAL has a good kids program.

 

As to shows - IMO they are not all that great (a few are though) and I skip most of them.

 

DaveOKC

[fsdj1097]

Leaving on the Amsterdam on Aug 2 for the Inside Passage. I am travelling with my son, 25 and daughter 10. In the past, daughter and I have always cruised on Disney.

 

The more I read about HAL, the more concerned I am getting. It seems like there won't be many young people or enough to do. The quality of the shows seems to be lacking, (Disney has wonderful shows).

 

I also just read that my son will need to wear a sports jacket on Formal Nights. He didn't even want to wear a tie. If we don't eat in MDR on Formal Night, does he still need a sports jacket?

 

Please reassure me that I made a good decision.

 

thanks.

 

On formal nights, the LIDO is an option for those not wanting to wear jackets and ties. Usually on the Alaska cruises you will have a comedian and/or a magician along with the musical shows by the show staff. Truthfully, we have never lacked for things to do while on an Alaska itenerary and we've made quite a few.

 

The Amsterdam is a wonderful ship, and Alaska is a place that keeps drawing you back.

 

I would encourage to give HAL a chance, their crew and the service that they provide is second to none.

[George C]

Leaving on the Amsterdam on Aug 2 for the Inside Passage. I am travelling with my son, 25 and daughter 10. In the past, daughter and I have always cruised on Disney.

 

The more I read about HAL, the more concerned I am getting. It seems like there won't be many young people or enough to do. The quality of the shows seems to be lacking, (Disney has wonderful shows).

 

I also just read that my son will need to wear a sports jacket on Formal Nights. He didn't even want to wear a tie. If we don't eat in MDR on Formal Night, does he still need a sports jacket?

 

Please reassure me that I made a good decision.

 

thanks.

 

My sister was on a Hal Alaska cruise a couple of years ago and said there were almost 1,000 children on board, no way of telling how many children will or will not be there. Also can eat in Cannelto (10 dollar fee) on formal night without jacket/tie

[Globaliser]

I would much rather dine with teens wearing just nice shirts and dockers, who respected the mdr situation, than a dozen teens in jackets and ties throwing food and being loudly obnoxious. and the same goes for some so-called adults.

The OP's son is not a teen, but is well into adulthood at age 25.

 

I agree that anyone throwing food and being loudly obnoxious in the MDR is unacceptable whatever their age and whatever they're wearing.

 

However, HAL makes a polite request for the limited number of formal nights on a cruise. How do you think it looks when you reply:-

well, I say, ---- you, hal. if you don't like my bucks, so be it.

It's not a very mature way of making an argument, particularly when there are (as you point out) other cruise lines which will not make such a request of you on any night on which you could easily choose to cruise instead.

 

Why not leave just HAL to those of us who do like the occasional night in a dining room full of dressed-up people?

[disfanatiks]

No advice on the MDR however when my husband and I travelled to Alaska with our 18-year old daughter a few years ago she was one of the younger persons on the cruise. (We went early in the season). I purchased her a week long pass to the gym that encompassed all the classes, etc. and her friends on the ship were the gym staff. We even took pix with her and them. As she was with them some days as the only person they really treated her special and she loved the attention. I feel that might be the case for the children's programming as well.

 

We cruised on Disney for her 12th birthday and on a ship full of pre-teens she hung out with us the entire time. Go figure! :) I think Alaska does lend itself to a special time for family and is so port intensive that you might not be bothered by a lack of other children.

 

At any rate, whatever you decide I hope you and your family have a wonderful time in Alaska. It truly is a special time for a family.

[Seago2]

OP- your son might feel completely put of place in a tie but be fine throwing on a jacket to walk into the MDR, put it on his chair, eat, put it back on and walk back out. All he really needs is the button down shirt. I can't stand formal night but strangely enough my sons like it a lot. Off to college they went and they started wearing jackets and ties all the time. :confused:. So- you can eat in the Lido for formal nights if you want. There are some advantages to eating in the Lido- might as well experience them on formal night if your son is really jacket-averse.

[isujim]

I have not done Alaska with HAL but did Alaska with Princess. On our Princess cruise there probably wasn't 25 kids on board. It was all about the scenic cruising of Alaska. Very few kids on Princess for this itinerary and would assume the same can probably be said for HAL.

 

As for formal night............HAL does make every effort to adhere to formal night, which I respect. I found out you didn't have to wear a tie but a coat is a must. I wore a tie anyway, but in reality I think your 25 year old could get by with a sport coat and no tie.

 

You will find most and by most I mean 98% of HAL guests adhere to the coat policy. Specifically, he will not need a coat in the Lido........

[isujim]

Some posts are better left without responding. Let's try and help daisy (welcome to cruise critic) and give her an idea of what she can really expect on HAL.

 

there are many more seasoned HAL cruisers than I.........only been on 3 but all have been enjoyable.

[stlouistravelers]

I have always enjoyed the formality of formal dining. It adds a little "class" to dinner. If one does not want to partake in the practice I think the lines have done well to offer other venues. It is part of the experience. As to the smoking, I believe that I have the right to not rebreathe somebody's smoke.

[startwin]

To the OP... I have done quite a few Alaska cruises on HAL. The last time, there was a large group of kids having a wonderful week with the HAL Club. Generally, on the Alaska cruises there is a mix of ages, though older people do tend towards HAL. However, the itinerary is such that many families and younger people also cruise this route, especially the locals here in BC/Vancouver.

 

As to the dress code on formal night... again, I have seen lots of kids in the MDR without tie or jacket, but nicely dressed. I think it does tend to be a bit less dressy on the Alaska cruises. We once had a large family on a table next to us taking their first cruise and I don't think they had ever heard of formal night but they had a great time and the staff treated them royally. My grandsons used to love to dress up, but not all kids do, so I understand your concern. Honestly, I think he will be fine in a shirt and nice pants.

[isujim]

I hope I never have to share a dinner table with you.... Wow.

 

Sounds like you have nothing to worry about;)

[tangerinebunny]

OP, it's just buyer's remorse; once the money is spent it's time to worry.

 

HAL's shows, like their food, aren't especially memorable. But it's Alaska. Unlike the Caribbean, there's more to do off the ship than on board. And HAL service and quiet ambiance are usually very good.

 

No cruise is perfect. But Alaska in summer may be as good as it gets.

[kyriecat]

I was trying to find a link to the roll call for Aug. 2 sailing of Amsterdam for Daisy so she could correspond with some fellow cruisers on her sailing. I was unable to find one. Did I miss it?

 

When I did my Alaska cruise, we were so busy during the day (so much to see!) that we were tired by evening and didn't care too much for shows and late night entertainment. I didn't have children in tow so that will probably make a difference with regard to your excursion levels. My husband and I were off the ship pretty much from the time we reached port until it was time to get back onboard. We went hiking, took a helicopter ride, watched whales, white-water rafting, and wandered around town on our cruise. There weren't many children on my cruise (it was Royal Caribbean) so I have a feeling that Alaska might not be a popular family destination.

 

I noticed that Daisy is a fairly new poster. Please don't let the "ranters" here scare you off. Most people are nice in person. Unfortunately the internet brings our the worst in people. Really sad when you think about it. The primary "ranter" (BTW - I consider it a rant when the post includes "---- you") stated on the Vow Renewal Questions thread that he is a Catholic priest. :rolleyes:

[innlady1]

I was trying to find a link to the roll call for Aug. 2 sailing of Amsterdam for Daisy so she could correspond with some fellow cruisers on her sailing. I was unable to find one. Did I miss it?

 

When I did my Alaska cruise, we were so busy during the day (so much to see!) that we were tired by evening and didn't care too much for shows and late night entertainment. I didn't have children in tow so that will probably make a difference with regard to your excursion levels. My husband and I were off the ship pretty much from the time we reached port until it was time to get back onboard. We went hiking, took a helicopter ride, watched whales, white-water rafting, and wandered around town on our cruise. There weren't many children on my cruise (it was Royal Caribbean) so I have a feeling that Alaska might not be a popular family destination.

 

I noticed that Daisy is a fairly new poster. Please don't let the "ranters" here scare you off. Most people are nice in person. Unfortunately the internet brings our the worst in people. Really sad when you think about it. The primary "ranter" (BTW - I consider it a rant when the post includes "---- you") stated on the Vow Renewal Questions thread that he is a Catholic priest. :rolleyes:

 

Probably very similar to our Bermuda cruise. We were in port from mid day Tuesday to mid day Friday...and what we did on the ship is a foggy memory...it was all about Bermuda!

[dan1618]

Leaving on the Amsterdam on Aug 2 for the Inside Passage. I am travelling with my son, 25 and daughter 10. In the past, daughter and I have always cruised on Disney.

 

The more I read about HAL, the more concerned I am getting. It seems like there won't be many young people or enough to do. The quality of the shows seems to be lacking, (Disney has wonderful shows).

 

I also just read that my son will need to wear a sports jacket on Formal Nights. He didn't even want to wear a tie. If we don't eat in MDR on Formal Night, does he still need a sports jacket?

 

Please reassure me that I made a good decision.

 

thanks.

 

I think your decision was fine. A couple of things:

 

First, your itinerary: the only real times in question are your first full day (At sea -- which will probably include at least some Inside Passage time where the scenery is fantastic), and your last full day (also scenic cruising the inside passage -- where sometimes you will see whales, orcas, dolphins, and more). On the Alaska itinerary, you are basically in port all day long -- and likely will be worn out by the evening. So you don't miss much in port, I actually kind of recommend doing the late dining -- which means dinner won't be over until 9:30 or later. Your daughter should be ready for bed by then with almost every day starting early.

 

IMO, shows are largely irrelevant on an Alaska cruise because they are really about the scenery and the ports. Even late in the evening, it's still light outside, so you can still take in the scenery. I haven't had a ten year old on one, but I have had a 20 and 22 year old -- and they were fine with it (enjoyed it immensely actually).

 

As for formal night, there is a way to have your cake and eat it to: if he will wear a tie, he can wear the jacket until he gets to the table, then take it off and hang it over the back of the chair. Perfectly acceptable. He can even undo the top button of his shirt and loosen the tie a little!

[boulders]

OP, I've taken my children on Alaskan cruises twice. Once on Royal Caribbean and once on Princess. I've also cruised the Caribbean and Europe. IMO, Alaska provided the best experience on shore for kids. However, Alaskan cruises tend to have few kids. It's a shame that more people don't take their children on these cruises. It's a wonderful experience.

 

Our HAL Med cruise was 24 days long. :eek: DS7 and DD13 had a blast, especially with the other kids on board. The kids club was very good.

[IRL_Joanie]

Leaving on the Amsterdam on Aug 2 for the Inside Passage. I am travelling with my son, 25 and daughter 10. In the past, daughter and I have always cruised on Disney.

 

The more I read about HAL, the more concerned I am getting. It seems like there won't be many young people or enough to do. The quality of the shows seems to be lacking, (Disney has wonderful shows).

 

I also just read that my son will need to wear a sports jacket on Formal Nights. He didn't even want to wear a tie. If we don't eat in MDR on Formal Night, does he still need a sports jacket?

 

Please reassure me that I made a good decision.

 

thanks.

Daisy, let me please start by saying that I am not being snarky or rude or anything like that in my following comment. I hope you will understand that as you read.

 

1. You are having, what appears to me not only in your post, but how you say it, having some serious doubts.

 

2. You and your daughter have sailed on Disney and were happy with it.

 

3. Your son not even wanting to wear a tie, let alone a sports jacket.

 

4. Your concerns regarding the shows etc.

 

In my honest opinion, I think you would be better off doing the cruise on another line that is better suited to you and your children.

 

I am worried that your concerns would so bother you between now and then that you may truly end up hating the cruise just because.

 

I would love to see you and your children taking this cruise!! But I do not want to see anyone going on it and hating it because we all said, "Go On It!! It might just surprise you."

 

Joanie

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Other posters, remember OP's son is 25 which IMO means he is not a child. We cruise with a friend who on formal nights wears a tie and an outdoor jacket and is seated. I have seen men wear a nice shirt, pants, and a tie or a sports jacket and pants without a tie. As others have said, Alaska is far less formal in dress than other destinations. I hope the OP gives HAL a try and if son is uncomfortable with jacket and/or tie, the Lido is a very nice alternative to the MDR.

[startwin]

Other posters, remember OP's son is 25 which IMO means he is not a child. We cruise with a friend who on formal nights wears a tie and an outdoor jacket and is seated. I have seen men wear a nice shirt, pants, and a tie or a sports jacket and pants without a tie. As others have said, Alaska is far less formal in dress than other destinations. I hope the OP gives HAL a try and if son is uncomfortable with jacket and/or tie, the Lido is a very nice alternative to the MDR.

 

 

Oops, I guess I missed that bit:o I saw "10" and for some reason applied it to the son. Oh well, my intentions were good.

[Itasca]

Take a look at the thread by LTCZ reporting on a trip on the Volendam. I think it addresses some or all of your concerns. I can personally endorse what is reported also would apply to the Zuiderdam and probably therefor to your vessel as well.

[iancal]

On board entertainment is not a strong suit of HAL-far from it.

 

Notwithstanding that, formal evenings should not be an impediment to you. There are alternate dining venues and I would venture to guess that the Lido buffet will be fairly busy on an Alaska cruise with like minded people.

 

The MDR food on formal evenings is not very special so you will not be missing anything other than the ambiance of the MDR and the opportunity to dress up.

[Riversedge]

I'm really curious after reading this post. Has HAL gotten more strict about formal nights? We've sailed 55 days with HAL in the last 2 years and there's always been men in the dining room without jackets. We like to dress up so not an issue with us and we enjoy seeing others dressed nicely. It's fun to see what others are wearing (in a non-judgemental sort of way). Do some ships enforce the rule and others not?

[Friend100]

OP, when we cruised Disney I know I was paying a premium for the magical experience and top notch Disney entertainment. When we cruised HAL we enjoyed the ports and good value for money and a low profile atmosphere. There are things different and I would advise you too appreciate the difference. Surprisingly, I also found many similarities between them too.