Holland America

[jennyau]

Has anyone sailed with HAL from Australia? What was your experience like? I have heard it had an older demographic but wondered if that was the same from Aus. Also, I have their cruise book but the pricing is confusing. My TA quoted me (for a verandah) for a 14 night ex Sydney for two people $4796. The book says $5499.......but in the T&C it says prices are quoted pp......any help appreciated!

 

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[Aus Traveller]

Has anyone sailed with HAL from Australia? What was your experience like? I have heard it had an older demographic but wondered if that was the same from Aus. Also, I have their cruise book but the pricing is confusing. My TA quoted me (for a verandah) for a 14 night ex Sydney for two people $4796. The book says $5499.......but in the T&C it says prices are quoted pp......any help appreciated!

 

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I have always had cruise prices quoted on a 'per person' basis. You TA might have quoted $4796 for two people, but he/she might have meant 'per person with two in a cabin'. We have sailed in a verandah cabin, and I know they are not cheap. Best to check before proceeding with a booking.:)

[jennyau]

I have always had cruise prices quoted on a 'per person' basis. You TA might have quoted $4796 for two people, but he/she might have meant 'per person with two in a cabin'. We have sailed in a verandah cabin, and I know they are not cheap. Best to check before proceeding with a booking.:)

 

Thanks so much for the reply.

 

I just tried their website and the price is not too different to what the TA quoted.....AND they have a large aft still available on the cruise I want....I am SO TEMPTED to just do it....but research is a good thing usually. Just hoping that it's still there when I decide.

 

Am reading as much here and online as I can as fast as I can!

 

Have you sailed HAL before? I really wanted an Aussie perspective hence the post here and not on the HAL board. edit: sorry if that question is answered in your signature....I can't see sigs on my phone :rolleyes:

 

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[Kiwi Kruzer]

I was going to suggest to check out the HAL web site as that has all the up to date prices , (Princess is the same)

We have had 3 cruises with HAL and really enjoyed them.Ours were on American cruises and we found a real cross section of ages .

 

[ozscotart]

On our last HAL cruise on the Veendam in South America, the breakdown was roughly as follows

 

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[ozscotart]

200 Australians, various ages from around 45 to 70

300 Germans ditto

100 assorted Europeans mainly French and Belgian, over 60

A few Brits in their 50s and 60s

Remainder North American all retired and over 60, some over 70

On our previous HAL cruise, a short one from Dover, it was a mixture of British and American, mostly retired.

I do know on our upcoming cruise from Sydney there will be one family, but otherwise I would expect it to be a mixture of Australians, Kiwis, Brits and Americans, mostly retired. During school holidays, and in less adventurous locations, there will of course be more families.

 

 

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[Thorpe]

We sailed on the Oosterdam from Sydney last November up the QLD coast then over to New Caledonia. Because it was for the Solar Eclipse there was a mix of ages but tended towards the over 60s. I had an aft VA balcony cabin on deck 5 which was covered over so no one could look down on you it was huge and I would pick that again every time. Had only sailed Princess before but found them similar and had a great time.

[erewhon]

We were on the Oosterdam for the Christmas cruise from Sydney.

There were many family groups.

The HAL website has the current prices, which are always lower than those listed in the cruise book.

If you do decide to book, keep checking for price drops, we have received a price drop for the HAL cruise we board on Wednesday.

[jennyau]

You are all wonderful! Thanks for all the responses. It's looking good.....

 

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[Pushka]

Our neighbours travel only on HAL and love it.

[Aus Traveller]

Thanks so much for the reply.

 

I just tried their website and the price is not too different to what the TA quoted.....AND they have a large aft still available on the cruise I want....I am SO TEMPTED to just do it....but research is a good thing usually. Just hoping that it's still there when I decide.

 

Am reading as much here and online as I can as fast as I can!

 

Have you sailed HAL before? I really wanted an Aussie perspective hence the post here and not on the HAL board. edit: sorry if that question is answered in your signature....I can't see sigs on my phone :rolleyes:

 

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I don't list my cruises in my signature.:) Just my choice.

 

We have cruised twice with HAL, one cruise being long. Both were out of USA so I can't comment on HAL ships operating out of Australia.

 

If the price is $4796, for two people for a 14 night cruise that is a good price for a verandah cabin. In round figures that is $200 pp per night.

[jennyau]

Another question here....my RCI cruise we booked through a ta. What do you normally do for a HAL cruise? Book online with them (US site from Australia) or usea local ta?

 

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[bvm49]

HAL is owned by Carnival & is therefore difficult to book with overseas TA. The age group is usually the oldest of all lines but not much different to Princess.

 

We enjoyed our Alaska cruise with them but there were a lot of wheelchairs! My 91 year old mother is booked on the circumnavigation of Aussie next month.

[jennyau]

HAL is owned by Carnival & is therefore difficult to book with overseas TA. The age group is usually the oldest of all lines but not much different to Princess.

 

We enjoyed our Alaska cruise with them but there were a lot of wheelchairs! My 91 year old mother is booked on the circumnavigation of Aussie next month.

 

As amatter of fact I work in aged care! I should feel quite at home. ;)

 

I wasn't necessarily thinking of booking with an overseas TA....more booking directly online with HAL?

 

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[Kiwi Kruzer]

As amatter of fact I work in aged care! I should feel quite at home. ;)

 

I wasn't necessarily thinking of booking with an overseas TA....more booking directly online with HAL?

 

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I think you will find the price will be the same from HAL and your local TA. They should both quote the website price.

You could always be cheeky and ask how much On Board Credit the agent will give you if you book with them:D

You might even get a free lanyard from them:D:D

It would also depend on who has the best cancellation policy.

 

 

[bronte2]

We cruised on Volendam from Sydney to Singapore last November and we found the fellow passengers to be mainly from the US, Canada and Aus.

 

I don't recall the age group as being any higher than any other line we have cruised on outside of school holiday periods. Certainly there were no young families, but nor were the majority of passengers very elderly.

 

We have mainly cruised with Princess both here and overseas and the experience on HAL was very similar.

 

I'm sure you will have a great cruise. :)

[Australian family]

We have been on both the Volendam and Oosterdam, both were good. We are in our forties and the mix of passengers was good. The Oosterdam was a XMas cruise, so was more families. They are not party central cruises, which I am past. We had a verandah on the Oosterdam for our family of 4. Excellent.

 

Both times we booked during a sale, sign upto their newsletters. And the prices were better through a local TA then HAL. We just like to cruise about with our TA choice.

 

If you google you will come up with heaps of TA's.

 

Also if you go with HAL, use the laundry package, our last cruise cost about $99 for 14 nights.

 

Also another hint, just go with open seating dining.

 

The Volendam cruise in 2009 had a lot of Americans.

 

The Oosterdam cruise 2012 was mostly Aussies. HAL seem to be attracting more Aussies.

[NSWP]

I believe the term 'Floating Nursing Homes' was derived from the pax age factor on HAL Ships, perhaps in America anyway.

 

These days..'Floating Aged Care Facility !!'

[Wastegirl]

We were on her in March and will be on the Oosterdam again in a few weeks. My DH and I are 58 and 60 and we found the demographic to be mainly Baby Boomers, spritely older folk and a good sprinkling of the 40's age group. Not many families as we were between school holidays. We found the ship, with the exception of a bit of strange art work, to be understated and country house feel. It is not the bit open atrium mega ship, which is not our style anyway.

 

I think the age demographic on board is a little different to HAL in the US as Aussies do not have preconceived notions and are booking purely on itinerary and whether they like big brassy ships with all the hooters and whistles or smaller elegant ships with a quieter ambience.

 

The ship did not close down at 10 o'clock at night, the Piano Bar especially went well into the evening. But it was not a party ship and I didn't see any drunken revelry, though a few people looked as if they were certainly having a good time.

[jennyau]

I'm sold.......HAL here we come!

 

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[Aus Traveller]

I think the age demographic on board is a little different to HAL in the US as Aussies do not have preconceived notions and are booking purely on itinerary and whether they like big brassy ships with all the hooters and whistles or smaller elegant ships with a quieter ambience.

 

The ship did not close down at 10 o'clock at night, the Piano Bar especially went well into the evening. But it was not a party ship and I didn't see any drunken revelry, though a few people looked as if they were certainly having a good time.

 

I think you are correct with your comment on HAL Aust being different from HAL from USA where I have heard everything shuts down at 9pm. Maybe an exagerration. :) I can't recall that it was that bad when we cruised on HAL, but we are not night-time party animals anyway.:)

[3littlepigs]

Another question here....my RCI cruise we booked through a ta. What do you normally do for a HAL cruise? Book online with them (US site from Australia) or usea local ta?

 

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We put a hold on a cabin on the HAL site without having to pay a deposit. Rang around the discount cruise TA's for prices then told our preferred TA the best price we were offered and she matched it (actually beat it a fraction) and she transferred the booking from HAL to her agency.

 

 

We loved our last Volendam cruise, its not a glitzy hotel style ship, much more a traditional liner, beautiful art work, lovely teak promenade deck, very classy.

[K-Roo-Zers]

I'm sold.......HAL here we come!

 

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You won't be sorry! Enjoy. We did the Nieuw Amsterdam and she is a beautiful ship, with terrific service and lovely, helpful crew.

 

Nicki

[sambasue63]

Hi.. just reading with interested from forum members who have cruised with HAL before and in particular, on the Oosterdam. We are booked on the Oosterdam for a 14 night trip around NZ leaving Sydney on December 8. Just wondering what the drink prices on HAL are like? Is it also true there is no self-service laundry onboard?

[rkmw]

Hi.. just reading with interested from forum members who have cruised with HAL before and in particular, on the Oosterdam. We are booked on the Oosterdam for a 14 night trip around NZ leaving Sydney on December 8. Just wondering what the drink prices on HAL are like? Is it also true there is no self-service laundry onboard?

 

never cruised with HAL but read that they dont have a laundry