Crown or Volendam??

[klr6773]

I thought I had my heart set on a Princess Crown out of SEA round trip next year. I was fishing around and really think I like the Volendam round trip out of YVR instead. Really great,full days in each port.

 

 

Can anyone give me feedback? I know HAL attracts a little bit older clientele. We are 41 and 36. Two ladies, same sex couple. Not even slightly PDA'ers, laid back (described by a good friend as " soccer moms") not interested in " exciting night life". Just want to explore and see all we can without breaking the bank.

 

 

Food comparison? ( not really picky..always find plenty to eat) Inside stateroom comparisons ? Oh,the only thing I really don't like is any kind of Formal night,so we would eat elsewhere regardless of ship...

 

 

 

Thanks for any bits of info that can help me decide...I'm ready to wrap this search up!

[CruiserBruce]

Food is totally subjective. There will be diverse opinions on both sides. We have sailed both, we find HAL's food better.

 

On HAL, nobody will care if you are a same sex couple.

 

Don't fall for the "older crowd" issues. HAL is a classy line, with good food. Short (like 7 day) cruises on most lines draw a younger, more family oriented crowd. On longer cruises, on all lines, the age slides to older.

 

Some reading on the reviews of Volendam will help with recent experiences.

Edited August 2, 2014 by CruiserBruce

[Eileen G]

I have been on both ships and although I prefer Princess I would absolutely choose the Volendam. The amount of good outside viewing areas are much better and the Volendam has a covered pool. HAL usually gets the best pier too. I also wouldn't skip formal night either. Our last HAL cruise most ladies were dressed in nice slacks and a fancy blouse hardly what I would call formal. In Alaska most people don't dress that formal on formal night.

 

On our first Alaska cruise we were on the Volendam RT out of Vancouver and had a balcony. But we spent most of our time on the rear deck which had very nice lounges plus you could see both sides of the inner passage. We were usually the only ones there.

[LEtue]

I wanted to sail the Noordam or Volendam next year from Vancouver. The itinerary is absolutely wonderful but.....the price as a solo passenger is too high for my budget. And since I can't wait until their fares drop and still get my FF seats I had to go with what I can afford.

 

Go with the Volendam! Sailing from Vancouver is so much nicer than Seattle.....

Edited August 2, 2014 by LEtue

[MSMcDuffy]

Hi,

 

I've done a RT Vancouver on Volendam and RT Seattle and I've been on the Crown at another location. You will find almost no difference in demographics on an Alaskan cruise. You two will fit in fine.

 

I'm not sure about inside staterooms but all of our cabins on HAL were larger, including the bathrooms, and the beds were way more comfortable than on Princess. I'd think it would be the same with the insides.

 

The food is comparable on both lines. I do give the edge to Princess because of the Int'l Cafe, Cafe Caribe, and more options for dining later into the evening but you will not go hungry on HAL:p.

 

I really think the Volendam is the best choice for AK because of the itinerary and size of the ship.

 

Happy Travels!:)

[artnak]

Just off the Volendam (July 23-30) and had a really nice laid back RT cruise to Alaska. Sailing out of Vancouver was wonderful.

 

Unlike cruises out of Seattle, ships out of Vancouver sail the inside passage (beautiful), we found with less open water it was much smoother sailing.

This was one of the main reasons DH and I chose the Volendam.

 

We have never cruised on Princess so don’t have an opinion, but we’ve mostly sailed HAL and a couple of cruises on Celebrity.

 

Concerning formal nights on the Volendam, some people dressed up (suits & dresses), but a lot of men were in button down shirts with

no ties or jackets, ladies in nice pants and blouses, the vibe was much more smart casual than formal.

Of the 10+ cruises I’ve done, this was by far the least formal of all formal nights. I don’t remember seeing anyone in a tux or long dress.

 

Food was good, but not great.

 

Not many activities, but that’s not what you sail to Alaska for.

It’s all about being on deck and viewing the gorgeous sights of the inside passage, glaciers and the sea life.

 

We found the average adult age range was 35- 60 years, mostly couples, but a lot of families were on board.

Our cabin was comfortable and quiet, and we had children in both cabins next to us.

 

No matter which you choose I’m sure you’ll have a great time.

 

Happy sailing :)

[marysb]

We loved the Volendam for our Alaska cruise. The size of the ships is really convenient to get around. Lots of inside and outside viewing areas. Doesn't feel crowded.

 

We ve cruised on lots of different lines and larger ships, but for Alaska it was really nice.

 

Also the staterooms were big. I would recommend it.