Standards slipping on Holland America?

[POA1]

My GUESS would be that A) FLL and MIA are close to each other (maybe 15-25 minutes?) B) OP perhaps flew into and out of MIA so C) OP thinks of this as being an MIA roundtrip cruise

 

I fully know about one post wonders and trolls but I really don't get that vibe in this case... Is it really necessary to nitpick the hell out of someone giving their opinion? :confused: :eek:

About an hour, but that's why I asked. It could have been a different cruise line altogether. In fact, it would have had to be if the cruise went out of Miami. I asked for clarification initially. When the OP said he or she was certain it was Port Miami, I made the joke about the distance between terminals.

 

I realize that you didn’t see the humor in it, and I'm OK with that. You can't please everyone.

[InTheWASide]

About an hour, but that's why I asked. It could have been a different cruise line altogether. In fact, it would have had to be if the cruise went out of Miami. I asked for clarification initially. When the OP said he or she was certain it was Port Miami, I made the joke about the distance between terminals.

 

I realize that you didn’t see the humor in it, and I'm OK with that. You can't please everyone.

 

My apologies POA, the last part of my post was generalized for this thread as a whole but I can see how with the quote it looked like it may have been aimed at you. It was not intended that way. I know you typically post tongue-in-cheek. Sorry for any confusion

[POA1]

My apologies POA, the last part of my post was generalized for this thread as a whole but I can see how with the quote it looked like it may have been aimed at you. It was not intended that way. I know you typically post tongue-in-cheek. Sorry for any confusion

No harm. No foul. The OP has since clarified that they took the Breeze out of Miami and the Westerdam out of Fort Lauderdale.

[summersigh]

We've sailed on both the Carnival Fascination (Bahamas) and Carnival Legend (Roatan & Belize) as well as HAL's Ryndam (Alaska) and twice on the Westerdam (Caribbean). Not a lot of trips on the 2 but my personal observations follow:

 

I have to say that the cabin stewards and MDR service was excellent on both lines ... yet, for us, there was an ambience generally found on HAL that was missing on CCL.

 

The food on the CCL ships was marginal at best. For example, one night on CCL tablemates ordered "Shrimp Scampi". What arrived was a bowl of pasta topped with breaded shrimp and smothered in red spaghetti sauce. The conversation at the table went dead while everyone just stared at the bowls wondering if perhaps the wrong dishes had been delivered. There were numerous other offerings as the cruise went on all with that red sauce. It's been our experience that the menus on HAL have been much more varied and better cooked than on our CCL trips.

 

Every night on CCL the waiting crowd cheered and clapped loudly as the MDR doors opened. A couple at our CCL dinner table came on the first formal night dressed in well worn jogging suits and were admitted. Shorts and flip-flops were not uncommon in the CCL MDR.

 

Our Verandah cabins on CCL Fascination didn't have any seating besides a wooded straight-back chair and an ottoman. On the Legend there was a wooden bench/futon "thingie" with a coffee table.

 

We haven't sailed CCL TA or Europe so I can't speak to the CCL cruises there but from my experience - CCL isn't calling my name to return while HAL is our line of choice.

 

PS ... out of topic perhaps but we do like RCCL except that the Verandah cabins have only small showers where the shower curtain blows in to stick to whatever body part is nearest making showering an "adventure" :D. You have to book a "junior suite" on RCCL to get a bathtub/shower combo with some room.

[galensgrl]

Yes, a perfectly BBQ's pork chop is so much better than a burnt filet mignon.

 

From someone who loathes both BBQ sauce and pork chops, I'd take the well done filet, thank you. Pork chops are disgusting. I guess that makes it a matter of taste afterall.

 

Lorie

[Tante Amalie]

CCL and HAL are in a race to the bottom. So far, CCL is winning, but not by much. They are much closer than people want to admit.

[PathfinderEss]

You are correct. We sailed on Westerdam out of Fort Lauderdale, not Miami. My mistake. We got off the Westerdam in Fort Lauderdale, drove down to Miami and got on the Breeze.

Thanks for clearing that up, I think we were all scratching our head on the Westerdam sailing out of Miami.

[ithaca gal]

Our first cruise was HAL to Alaska. A year or so later I took a girlfriend to the Bahamas on Carnival Fantasy because it was more affordable. I was not prepared for the sight of people walking around with "buckets of longnecks" and the Hairy Chest Contest, etc. I was surprised by the "stepdown" in food in the MDR.

 

My DH and I then sailed on several HAL cruises which we enjoyed immensely. We wanted to take our son and his fiancé on a cruise out of NYC (where they live) and again chose CCL because it was an affordable way to book two cabins. We cruised to Nova Scotia, etc. and enjoyed it but again felt the food was sub-par when compared to HAL. Also, on formal night, the man at the next table wore jeans and an "Ultimate Fight Club" T-shirt with no one saying anything to him. My husband and son were in tuxes, as were several other men.

 

We have since sailed on several more HAL ships and will not be returning to Carnival. It's just our personal taste, but we enjoy the service, ambiance and food on HAL.

[natski]

We have cruised once with RCI ( with kids and the reason we did so ), The last 4 cruises have been on Hal 2 east 1 west 1 10 day southern .

My only experience with CCL was coming into Port to dock , oposite was a CCl ship already docked , very busy with passengers haveing a great time music could be well heard and looking down to see app 25 I think all Male BUTTS swim trunks down Mooning us as we docked . Now I am not a prude very far from it buTT Not a Cruise line for us I think i am safe in saying . I use to have a pic of it Butt I think it got flushed !

[Hlitner]

One would always expect the HAL cheerleaders to defend their favorite cruise line and if you go on the Carnival board you will find plenty of folks always defending Carnival. It is just he nature of bulletin boards. However, for the folks who are "Carnival Bashers" we would simply ask when, where, and on what Carnival ship have you recently cruised?

 

DW and I have spent a lot of time cruising on HAL, Celebrity, RCI, Azamara, Princess, etc and find things to like and dislike about each line. We have also taken 3 Carnival cruises and also found things to like and not like. But we would agree with the OP that Carnival does beat the current HAL brand in quite a few major areas. As to the noisy party ship reputation of Carnival, this is certainly true on many of their cruises. But there are also Carnival cruise during the school year that have a somewhat older crowd (but not a floating nursing home like certain other lines).

 

Our first experience on Carnival was on a Christmas cruise on the Destiny (now the Sunshine). We did this cruise as a favor to our then teen daughter. The first evening we were chatting with some other passengers at a crowded bar when our newfound friends told us they normally cruised on Seabourn and Crystal (we really like Crystal). We were somewhat surprised and asked why they were on the Carnival cruise. The lady explained that although they like the higher quality of the luxury lines, there are other times they like to cruise with friends and family and just have a lot of fun.

 

So looking at the OPs review does not surprise me at all.

 

Hank

[thebts]

Well said Hank!

 

After a week on HAL Westerdam followed by a week on Carnival Breeze, I know which gave me the best bang for my vacation buck. And at 3 times the price of the Breeze, Westerdam was a disappointment.

[Katie333]

We've done a couple of cruises on CCL and really, they were just fine.

 

We loved our suite cabin on the Carnival Freedom, though CCL offers zero perks for booking this class of cabin, so you had better enjoy the cabin on its own (and we did). Our Neptune Suite experience on the Westerdam was a delight, and though it was twice the price of the perk-less CCL cabin, it was well worth it for the luxuries we enjoyed.

 

In our experience, CCL offers a good overall experience and you can ignore those things which you feel are cheesy or unenjoyable. The colour scheme can be loud (our first CCL cabin was pink and orange!). We have seen some bizarre behaviour on CCL such as passengers picking the shrimps off the sushi rice in the buffet and piling about 50 chicken tenders onto their plate - we've never seen stuff quite like this on another line.

 

Lately we've found dining can be hit or miss on any line. HAL would be preferred to CCL for us but for the right price, CCL is still an option we'd consider. With that said, our first HAL cruise was cheaper for a comparable cabin on CCL!

[aliaschief]

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Edited February 25, 2015 by aliaschief

[bobbisailsolo]

I think its just a matter of what appeals to you. I prefer a ship a bit more quiet, even if a bit older. I dont care for the really large ships, and Im not looking for any razzel dazzle at this point in my life. Not interested in entertainment or dancing. So HAL is perfect for me. But thats not to say, there is anything wrong with razzle dazzle. Ive heard the food on Carnivale has gotten much better as well! Caroibbean cruising are very different from international cruises. So for a caribbean cruise, Im sure Carnival would be great! I think you can get similar prices on HAL if you want till last minute...

[IndyDenise]

I'm a cruiser without a ship.

 

I don't fit in anywhere.

 

I love the pampering I get with HAL. I love the elegance and beauty of the ships.

 

I hate the lack of a party atmosphere.. I want to laugh and dance and wear stupid crap on my head. I want to tweak and do shots with a group.

 

I want to dress up for dinner and enjoy a good book on a balcony. I want to meet well traveled and well rounded people. I want to hang out in the Neptune Lounge or order off the great room service menu.

 

On Carnival I love their full schedule of dancing and activities. I can learn the Thriller dance or attend the white party. I can line dance poolside and drink buckets of beer.

 

The price is great too... One third of the price of Hal's but you really can't compare apples to oranges.

 

If there is an activity on CCL I don't wish to see I just don't go ( hairy chest ) .. I never did get why people complain about it. Don't go, or look. I wouldn't go to a bridge lesson or canasta or whatever and complain that

I'm bored.

 

 

Quite honestly service on both lines has been exceptional in my limited experience.

 

Food is prettier on HAL but both lines suffer from having variety 24/7

 

When you walk into a CCL ship you feel the vibe.. It's exciting and you feel good about being there.

 

When I walk into a HAL ship I feel pampered and valued.

 

I've concluded that I will cruise both lines for what they give to me.

 

I'll make my own party on HAL, and my own serenity on CCL.

[Hlitner]

I'm a cruiser without a ship.

 

I don't fit in anywhere.

 

I love the pampering I get with HAL. I love the elegance and beauty of the ships.

 

I hate the lack of a party atmosphere.. I want to laugh and dance and wear stupid crap on my head. I want to tweak and do shots with a group.

 

I want to dress up for dinner and enjoy a good book on a balcony. I want to meet well traveled and well rounded people. I want to hang out in the Neptune Lounge or order off the great room service menu.

 

On Carnival I love their full schedule of dancing and activities. I can learn the Thriller dance or attend the white party. I can line dance poolside and drink buckets of beer.

 

The price is great too... One third of the price of Hal's but you really can't compare apples to oranges.

 

If there is an activity on CCL I don't wish to see I just don't go ( hairy chest ) .. I never did get why people complain about it. Don't go, or look. I wouldn't go to a bridge lesson or canasta or whatever and complain that

I'm bored.

 

 

Quite honestly service on both lines has been exceptional in my limited experience.

 

Food is prettier on HAL but both lines suffer from having variety 24/7

 

When you walk into a CCL ship you feel the vibe.. It's exciting and you feel good about being there.

 

When I walk into a HAL ship I feel pampered and valued.

 

I've concluded that I will cruise both lines for what they give to me.

 

I'll make my own party on HAL, and my own serenity on CCL.

 

Hmmm. Perhaps you have yet to find the ideal cruise line that best fits your wants and needs. My first thought would be to give Princess a try which might be a better compromise for you then either Carnival or HAL.

 

Hank

[bobbisailsolo]

Hmmm. Perhaps you have yet to find the ideal cruise line that best fits your wants and needs. My first thought would be to give Princess a try which might be a better compromise for you then either Carnival or HAL.

 

 

 

Hank

 

I was thinking the same thing!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[IndyDenise]

I was thinking the same thing!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

Don't get me wrong I love cruising but it's not my first vacation choice. I would rather be land locked in Paris... Then Rome...

 

I don't think I will ever find a good fit because I won't cruise enough to test the waters, so to speak.

 

But I do enjoy everyone here and the enthusiasm you fine posters have for cruising!

[Saphire]

After a week on HAL Westerdam followed by a week on Carnival Breeze, I know which gave me the best bang for my vacation buck. And at 3 times the price of the Breeze, Westerdam was a disappointment.

 

3 times?!? An ocean view stateroom on the Breeze is exactly the same cost of the Westerdam. Are you saying that you paid $1650 pp for your ocean view cabin on the Westerdam?

[I_r_a]

I believe that The Breeze, built 2012, is 130 k tons and holds 4600 pax.

 

The Westerdam, built 2004, is 80 k tons with 2000 pax.

 

They are so very different that one can only say "Chacun à son goût".

 

Ira

[Cruizer Bill]

I was on a CCL cruise a long time ago so, no recent experience. What I remember is that CCL was always on the loudspeakers pushing their bingo, horse racing and other fund raising activities. It was much louder on CCL. On the other hand, there were more activities going on. Completely different ambiance. However, my CCL cruise was over 30 years ago.

[visagrunt]

Returning to the title of the thread, I would venture that standards are changing on HAL. "Slipping" suggests that this is an unintended consequence of other choices. I think, rather, that some of the "extras" that we used to see were deliberately cut, scaled back or done away with.

 

But none of that bothers me. My cruises with HAL have all presented me with value for money. Are they perfect? No. Are they worth what I paid? Absolutely.

 

And so long as that last answer is yes, then standards are absolutely fine.

[sail7seas]

I believe that The Breeze, built 2012, is 130 k tons and holds 4600 pax.

 

The Westerdam, built 2004, is 80 k tons with 2000 pax.

 

They are so very different that one can only say "Chacun à son goût".

 

Ira

 

Would you mind translating, please?

 

Thanks.

 

[OVgirl]

3 times?!? An ocean view stateroom on the Breeze is exactly the same cost of the Westerdam. Are you saying that you paid $1650 pp for your ocean view cabin on the Westerdam?

 

If that's the price the OP paid, then they need to get a new TA.

I think OP was overcharged.

[RuthC]

Would you mind translating, please?

To each his own.

I didn't know either, but I just Googled it.