I happen to like HAL!

[scamper]

I was reading another thread where much of the discussion was about HAL having the "bad" reputation of appealing only to those "of a certain age." I like that term!

 

Well, I can tell you that (now in my mid 50s), I have been a HAL customer since my early 40s and I happen to like having middle and advanced-aged people as my shipmates! They're by and large civilized, gracious, courteous, friendly; many are spritely, energetic, obviously like having a good time, and God Bless them.

 

I have faith to know when I have booked my next HAL cruise that most all of my shipmates will be good and decent people of all ages who are doing exactly what I am doing, making it the kind of vacation that I will remember for the rest of my life.

[canadianbear]

We only started cruising in the last few years and have only cruised on HAL so I can't compare to any other lines. We have been very happy on HAL even with the noticeable cutbacks.

 

My husband I are are in our late 50's. Our son is in his late 20's and also enjoys HAL. We have had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful people of all ages-each with their own very interesting story.

 

We just seem to be comfortable on HAL but might venture out one day to try another cruise line if the opportunity presents itself. So far, we are content with HAL though.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for liking we "over the hill" people.

[Down-Unders]

I was reading another thread where much of the discussion was about HAL having the "bad" reputation of appealing only to those "of a certain age." I like that term!

 

Well, I can tell you that (now in my mid 50s), I have been a HAL customer since my early 40s and I happen to like having middle and advanced-aged people as my shipmates! They're by and large civilized, gracious, courteous, friendly; many are spritely, energetic, obviously like having a good time, and God Bless them.

 

I have faith to know when I have booked my next HAL cruise that most all of my shipmates will be good and decent people of all ages who are doing exactly what I am doing, making it the kind of vacation that I will remember for the rest of my life.

 

Well said.

[cporses]

Sound like we have picked the best cruise line for our first cruise. Everybody cruises for their own reasons. Some like the wine and food, some like the casino, some like the entertainment.You can eat, drink and gamble at home, and much cheaper! We like the destinations. That is how we ended up with HAL's Venetian Adventure in September. Not too much sea days, (I did 22 years in the navy), and lots of interesting ports of call. Also, coming from Australia, we wanted to get as many designations as possible without having to unpack. Perfect for us, me mid sixties, DW mid fifties. HAL ticks all our boxes.

 

 

 

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[rafinmd]

Every cruise line that stays in business is right for somebody. HAL is not my favorite cruise line but it is well up in the top three, and an excellent value with superb itineraries. There's a lot to HAL to like.

 

Roy

[kazu]

Sound like we have picked the best cruise line for our first cruise. Everybody cruises for their own reasons. Some like the wine and food, some like the casino, some like the entertainment.You can eat, drink and gamble at home, and much cheaper! We like the destinations. That is how we ended up with HAL's Venetian Adventure in September. Not too much sea days, (I did 22 years in the navy), and lots of interesting ports of call. Also, coming from Australia, we wanted to get as many designations as possible without having to unpack. Perfect for us, me mid sixties, DW mid fifties. HAL ticks all our boxes.

 

 

 

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I think you chose a nice itinerary for your first cruise indeed:D

 

Like the OP, we are HAL fans. We haven't cruised luxury yet - so our experiences are limited to the mass market and/or 'premium' cruise lines (whatever word suits). HAL is still the favourite so far :)

[cporses]

Thanks Kazu. We think we have done well. Three days in Rome, then relax while HAL sails us between ports. I won 't have to stand watches either!

 

 

 

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[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I like Holland as well 59/60 and think they are a luxury cruise line for my liking ..

Edited February 16, 2014 by we're sailing away....

[Linda&Vern]

I was reading another thread where much of the discussion was about HAL having the "bad" reputation of appealing only to those "of a certain age." I like that term!

 

Well, I can tell you that (now in my mid 50s), I have been a HAL customer since my early 40s and I happen to like having middle and advanced-aged people as my shipmates! They're by and large civilized, gracious, courteous, friendly; many are spritely, energetic, obviously like having a good time, and God Bless them.

 

I have faith to know when I have booked my next HAL cruise that most all of my shipmates will be good and decent people of all ages who are doing exactly what I am doing, making it the kind of vacation that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Thanks for the great post! It ruffles my feathers when someone says the average age on a HAL cruise is 70 or 80. TA's should be fined for doing that. I mean, come on folks ... you may have passengers in their 70's and 80's ... but not an average of all ages. Think about the math to get that number.

 

I'll also never understand when someone takes a 21-day or longer cruise and comes back to complain about the "old people" on the cruise. Except for those independently wealthy, how many "young people" can take those longer cruises? I know my adult children could never get that much time off work at once (exception being school employees off in the summer of course).

[oo7 Bond!]

I too like HAL.... And RCI & Princess & Disney & NCL to name a few of my favorites.

[puppycanducruise]

I agree with the OP.

DH and I sailed with HAL when we were in our 40s, and now, in our 50s still love sailing with them.

I get annoyed when I see posts on CC with disparaging remarks about how everyone on HAL is old, needs a walker etc. But the people that post those things have obviously never sailed HAL.

We're looking forward to joining the "people of a certain age" for our next cruise.

[sapper1]

We have only sailed on HAL and are quite comfortable with them. Of course there are things we don't like but if we switched lines there would be things we wouldn't like there as well, so why bother? We would then be at the bottom of the heap re perks as well.

 

Changing lines would also mean changing boards and I don't know anybody over there. "Posting with strangers", as Innlady so aptly expressed it once. I just happen to like you guys.

[gigianne]

And - I wouldn't have met you (Sapper1) and all my other CC HAL friends!!

[HamOp]

Thank you for liking we "over the hill" people.

 

 

Better to be "Over The Hill" than "UNDER The Hill":D

[Okie1946]

When DH and I started cruising after retirement, we looked at all of the cruise lines that were out there. When we chose HAL for the first time, it was because of the itinerary THEN most importantly - the size of the ship. That is what won us over to HAL.

 

We like the smallness of the ships and the family like feeling it helps create, the fact that the crew really does like what they are doing and enjoy talking to you as much as you like talking to them AND we have found that if we look hard enough we can find an itinerary going where ever we want to go.

 

DH has decided that one thing on his bucket list - he wants to cruise on each one of the "DAM" ships. So we have our work cut out for us. :eek: Can't complain about that job.:D

 

Okie

 

Previous Cruises:

Westerdam - Alaska - September 2009 - 7 days

Rotterdam - Alaska - September 2010 - 7 days

Oosterdam - Mexican Riviera - April 2011 - 7 days

Amsterdam - Alaska - September 2012 - 14 days

 

Planning Stages:

Panama Canal - March 2015 over 15 days (if offered)

Black Sea & Holy Land Explorer - October 2015 - 30 days (if offered)

Edited February 16, 2014 by Okie1946

[startwin]

I do sail with another line, but I have to say that I am very "comfortable" with HAL - it's like coming home. However, increasingly I find myself comparing and while there are things I miss from the other cruiseline when I am onboard, the lower promenade deck has so far put HAL in first place - but it is slipping. There are things I wish could be combined. I am now at a point where all things are pretty equal but my next cruise will tell. Another long cruise with mechanical issues will send me to the other. And I haven't posted on that board since around 2011.:o

[sapper1]

And - I wouldn't have met you (Sapper1) and all my other CC HAL friends!!

 

And that is the best part of CC. I have been around long enough now that there is at least one couple we know on each cruise we book----not to leave out the great singles too. :D

[rjrpar]

I was reading another thread where much of the discussion was about HAL having the "bad" reputation of appealing only to those "of a certain age." I like that term!

 

Well, I can tell you that (now in my mid 50s), I have been a HAL customer since my early 40s and I happen to like having middle and advanced-aged people as my shipmates! They're by and large civilized, gracious, courteous, friendly; many are spritely, energetic, obviously like having a good time, and God Bless them.

 

I have faith to know when I have booked my next HAL cruise that most all of my shipmates will be good and decent people of all ages who are doing exactly what I am doing, making it the kind of vacation that I will remember for the rest of my life.

 

Very nice post. We have never cruised HAL but are looking to do Alaska in 2015. Are considering HAL since we like to see the Yukon.

[scamper]

We have been very happy on HAL even with the noticeable cutbacks.

 

The cutbacks are really the only complaint I have ever had with Holland America. Wish they could figure out a way to stop and reverse many of them. I would be happy to pay a bit more if that's what it takes, but that's just me.

[donswife]

Better to be "Over The Hill" than "UNDER The Hill":D

 

When you get over the hill you start picking up speed!;)

[Kassandra]

Our very first cruise was with HAL, on the Noordam in 2006. Both DH and I were in our 40s. We will be taking our 4th HAL cruise this summer, and we just have no desire to try another cruiseline. We have never felt we were 'too young' and always enjoyed the mix of passengers on our cruises.

[George C]

I started cruising Hal in the 1970's when I was in my 20's then stopped for 30 years , really just love cruising, will sail on RCCL soon ( cruise #57) , did not like the way Hal handled the BYOB wine, but will sail with them again depending on price , ship etc etc.

[Lovely other]

my husband and i love HAL. He's 37 and i'm 40. Those that say its full of scooters and everyone is in bed by 10.30 pm have obviously not been on HAL.

 

We met some amazing new friends on both our cruises so far and were lucky to make it to bed before 1am most nights. I love the teak loungers (not that tacky plastic), I love walking around and around the deck, I love how clean it is and most of all I love the mix of people. We did the bar crawl which was great fun and got very crazy, our ages ranged from 24 to 82 and it was the 82 year old gentleman that had the most energy when we all hit the dance floor.

 

A cruise, like life is what you make it and we made it fun.

[scamper]

 

A cruise, like life is what you make it and we made it fun.

 

Hear! Hear!