Back to Non HAL After HAL

[sail7seas]

Good thread. Interesting reading.

 

[qsuzi]

We have also tried some cruise lines. Our Ranking is :

 

1. HAL

2. Carnival

3. RCCL

4. Celebrity

5. AIDA

6. NCL

 

We tried AIDA and NCL only once but we die not like it!

We tried X three Times, the Exquinox was Great and we loved it. On Eclipse and Infinity the Food was not good, Even in the blu.

Rccl is nice but i don't like the plastic plates...

Carnival was a fum cruise and this is why we made the other cruises ... And HAL was our Last. The Ships are not as new as some others but it was clean, the Food was excellent and we loved the initary...

So for this year we booked ....

Two HAL cruises 😄😄

What were the things you liked about the Carnival Victory?

[qsuzi]

Good thread. Interesting reading.

 

 

Thanks Sail. I thought of you on our recent Veendam cruise when I overheard a lady in the Crows Nest tell someone she had been on 111 cruises!!!!!! Later I wondered how many times a year (on average) you sail to reach your milestone of more than 80 cruises. Did you start sailing early in life? Even at our 4 cruises per year we started later in life and had gaps in the past so we have a lot of catching up to do.

Edited March 17, 2015 by qsuzi

[chrispb]

This thread is very interesting to me. Having only sailed HAL, it's good to see all the perceived pros and cons of all the competing lines collected in one place.

 

Just don't believe everything you read here. :cool:

 

We found NCL to be brilliant which others have hated so probably best to try for yourself.

[galensgrl]

Our rating of the lines we have been on:

#1 HAL, a hundred times better than

 

#2 RCCL, good crew, comfortable beds, lousy food, tiny cabin, had to pay extra for decent size veranda, and far to loud. still much, much better than

 

#3 Norwegian, terrible food, terrible beds, tiny cabin, tiny veranda and a crew that would only speak to you if absolutely necessary.

 

First, we have never tried RCI, so we have no opinion about that CL. I do agree with your assessment of NCL. We've had four cruises with NCL, two on the Spirit which were wonderful, and two on the Dawn, which were less than stellar. That ship lacks elegance, for one thing. And on our last cruise with NCL on the Dawn in 2013 the food was dismal, even in the upcharge restaurants. The only food we enjoyed was the Lido for breakfast and lunch. But the dinner choices were not good at any venue, and that was so disappointing. We decided to go with HAL for our cruise in May. We know our ship the Veendam isn't a new vessel, but we look forward to something a bit smaller and laid back, something more traditional. And hopefully edible food lol

 

Lorie

[JanDom]

What were the things you liked about the Carnival Victory?

 

We had Great Food and the cabin was older but very clean.

We sailed out of Puerto rico and it was nice to have so many Different passengers on this cruise 😄

[Tripper10]

For me its:

 

1. Celebrity

2. HAL by the smallest margin over Princess

3. Princess

4. RCCL

5. Costa

[user8]

I just got off RCL's Navigator and was slightly disappointed, mainly because of its size and lack of activities. It seemed to me that the nearly all the activities involved something physical like rock climbing or that you had to pay extra for like spa treatments. There was no classes of any kind, afternoon movies, tours, etc. I'm not a big loud music fan and I go to bed early so I don't care for the late, late shows.

 

After this cruise I would rate as follows.

 

HAL

Princess

Carnival

RCL

Costa

 

 

It is nice though that we all have choices for whatever our likes and dislikes.

Edited March 17, 2015 by user8

[JanDom]

Just don't believe everything you read here. :cool:

 

We found NCL to be brilliant which others have hated so probably best to try for yourself.

 

This is what i think also. We have Friends whi Love AIDA... We tried it but it is not the Right Concept for us.

On X the new Ships are nice but two times the Food was not good, we had Beef some Time we Could not Chew because it was so hard and one Time we had really good food and because X is getting more and more expensive and so we tried HAL.... And we will See what we will say about them After the next two cruises 😄

[qsuzi]

First, we have never tried RCI, so we have no opinion about that CL. I do agree with your assessment of NCL. We've had four cruises with NCL, two on the Spirit which were wonderful, and two on the Dawn, which were less than stellar. That ship lacks elegance, for one thing. And on our last cruise with NCL on the Dawn in 2013 the food was dismal, even in the upcharge restaurants. The only food we enjoyed was the Lido for breakfast and lunch. But the dinner choices were not good at any venue, and that was so disappointing. We decided to go with HAL for our cruise in May. We know our ship the Veendam isn't a new vessel, but we look forward to something a bit smaller and laid back, something more traditional. And hopefully edible food lol

 

Lorie

 

Hi Lorie. We were on the Veendam March 7-14 and found many things to like. For us it was a very comfortable and relaxing cruise with a great public space to passenger ratio. The furniture was especially comfortable with great views in the Crows Nest, great vibe and venues on Deck 8 to name two. The food, both in the Lido, the Dive-in Grill, and the MDR was the best overall of any cruise we have been on.

[qsuzi]

For me its:

 

1. Celebrity

2. HAL by the smallest margin over Princess

3. Princess

4. RCCL

5. Costa

 

Thank you for your comments. You are the second one to mention Costa - gotta check it out.

[qsuzi]

I just got off RCL's Navigator and was slightly disappointed, mainly because of its size and lack of activities. It seemed to me that the nearly all the activities involved something physical like rock climbing or that you had to pay extra for like spa treatments. There was no classes of any kind, afternoon movies, tours, etc. I'm not a big loud music fan and I go to bed early so I don't care for the late, late shows.

 

After this cruise I would rate as follows.

 

HAL

Princess

Carnival

RCL

Costa

 

 

It is nice though that we all have choices for whatever our likes and dislikes.

We were on the Navigator 1 year before her refurbishment in 2014 and she definitely needed some love. The flowrider and rock climbing wall are also not our interest. We do enjoy watching the ice skating shows, the parades in the promenade, and the cafe promenade to name a few.

Edited March 17, 2015 by qsuzi

[ANSalberg]

Did you return to your favorite/other cruise line after sailing HAL and did your view of that line change? Is HAL your new favorite cruise line or is that still to be determined? We will be looking at RCL (Jewel of the Seas) and Princess (Crown) with fresh eyes when we sail them in June and December respectively. We know we will sail HAL again (Westerdam in September).

 

HAL IS our favorite line; on one other line we saw abuses of crew thaty made us crazy; we've NEVER seen that on HAL. on another line the ships are WAY too big for us-HAL ships are easier for us. We don't "HATE" other lines we just think HAL is the BEST for us! ;)

[qsuzi]

HAL IS our favorite line; on one other line we saw abuses of crew thaty made us crazy; we've NEVER seen that on HAL. on another line the ships are WAY too big for us-HAL ships are easier for us. We don't "HATE" other lines we just think HAL is the BEST for us! ;)

 

That is sickening to hear about crew abuse ANSalberg. Lots of reasons for you to feel so great about sailing HAL. Happy to hear it!

[brentp]

Interesting comments. For us, it all comes down to the right combination of itinerary, ship, weather and crew for a particular sailing. Some things in our control, some not. Interestingly, our absolute best cruise and one of the bottom cruise experiences were on the same line, so there are other factors involved. I am also wondering if some people get accustomed to the nuances of a particular line and then miss that when they try others, perceiving that as a negative versus a simple difference.

 

If we had to pick a cruise just to cruise (which we rarely do), we would likely go with Celebrity on one of her new ships, mainly because we feel the MDR food is a bit better than the others and the shows are OK. For the record, we are far from the walker/scooter stage of our life yet, so this might be a bit odd of a choice. :)

 

Next would be RCCL or HAL, . . . and then possibly Princess (have not yet sailed). One thing we like about RCCL is the entertainment, both the main theater shows and the shows done in the center of the ship from time to time. On HAL, it is the size of the rooms and we feel the MDR food is slightly better than RCCL. Pretty positive we would never even consider NCL or CCL.

 

That said, our best cruise ever was on RCCL's Brilliance of the Seas doing an Italian Med out of Barcelona to Venice and back. It was the best combination of itinerary, ship, weather & crew we have ever had. The Captain was very active that cruise (he was a corporate captain out for a cruise to maintain his license and skills). He was young and energetic, had is family on board, and it was the first time I actually met a Captain just out and about on numerous occasions. Entertainers from his homeland (Argentina) were on board that were just awesome. Not sure if that was a coincidence or planned for his cruise. Anyway, everything just clicked.

 

Anyway, here's to hoping all stars are aligned on the Zaandam the first week of June. :D

[Wakepatrol]

We went on the Breeze this summer and were totally wowed. We then went on the Amsterdam for Xmas and New Years

I was afraid I would be let down after experiencing the Breeze.

I wasn't HAL was like slipping on your favorite comfortable shoe.

 

Our favorites are

 

Hal

Celebrity

Carnival (newer ships only)

Princess

 

RCL never sailed with them (too many people)

[qsuzi]

Interesting comments. For us, it all comes down to the right combination of itinerary, ship, weather and crew for a particular sailing. Some things in our control, some not. Interestingly, our absolute best cruise and one of the bottom cruise experiences were on the same line, so there are other factors involved. I am also wondering if some people get accustomed to the nuances of a particular line and then miss that when they try others, perceiving that as a negative versus a simple difference.

 

If we had to pick a cruise just to cruise (which we rarely do), we would likely go with Celebrity on one of her new ships, mainly because we feel the MDR food is a bit better than the others and the shows are OK. For the record, we are far from the walker/scooter stage of our life yet, so this might be a bit odd of a choice. :)

 

Next would be RCCL or HAL, . . . and then possibly Princess (have not yet sailed). One thing we like about RCCL is the entertainment, both the main theater shows and the shows done in the center of the ship from time to time. On HAL, it is the size of the rooms and we feel the MDR food is slightly better than RCCL. Pretty positive we would never even consider NCL or CCL.

 

That said, our best cruise ever was on RCCL's Brilliance of the Seas doing an Italian Med out of Barcelona to Venice and back. It was the best combination of itinerary, ship, weather & crew we have ever had. The Captain was very active that cruise (he was a corporate captain out for a cruise to maintain his license and skills). He was young and energetic, had is family on board, and it was the first time I actually met a Captain just out and about on numerous occasions. Entertainers from his homeland (Argentina) were on board that were just awesome. Not sure if that was a coincidence or planned for his cruise. Anyway, everything just clicked.

 

Anyway, here's to hoping all stars are aligned on the Zaandam the first week of June. :D

What insightful and interesting comments! It is a combination of things and finding things that are meaningful to us for our own reasons. I related to your comments about getting accustomed to a line. Hope you let us know about your Zaandam cruise when you return.

[qsuzi]

We went on the Breeze this summer and were totally wowed. We then went on the Amsterdam for Xmas and New Years

I was afraid I would be let down after experiencing the Breeze.

I wasn't HAL was like slipping on your favorite comfortable shoe.

 

Our favorites are

 

Hal

Celebrity

Carnival (newer ships only)

Princess

 

RCL never sailed with them (too many people)

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. Another cruiser with great things to say about the Breeze and with some love for HAL.

Edited March 17, 2015 by qsuzi

[RMLincoln]

Glad to see at least a few folks think NCL is still ok. We're likely to use them twice during a complex European tour of 3 months in the fall. We cruised on them 10 years ago and have avoided them since, but they fit our itinerary and price range so we'll give it a go again. Plus we'll be travelling very light so no suit and dress shoes, just the basics.

 

HAL is always like coming home for me. I like the older ships with a couch in the cheaper rooms (Insides and OV) and the food, although it's not as good as it used to be, it is dependable.

 

DH says he can't tell the difference between HAL, Princess and Celebrity except for the pizza! We like them all but I dislike the small rooms on Princess and will have to put up with that also on NCL this year. Oh well.

 

We miss the classical music on most lines now even though HAL still has a remnant of it with their duos. The entertainment on HAL has become marginal even for me and I'm easily entertained. I always give the shows a try and usually enjoy the singers and dancers on any line.

 

We've had good and not so good experiences on Carnival including the 48 night repositioning of Splendor around South America; very much a HAL-type clientele due to the length of the cruise. But on any Carnival cruise there is a lot to be desired for enrichment, it's pretty much DIY. Loved the movies on the top deck. The crew was great, very much like HAL but I don't think they were as overworked - room stewards didn't have as many rooms to do and had a third helper in the mornings - and the food on Carnival was better than expected; the room was very good too, much larger than anything comparable on Princess, and I guess NCL.

 

For us now it's about what fits our schedule and price range. My bottom line: It's hard to have a bad day on a cruise ship! m--

[PatsyAnne]

River cruises also interest us. Have you done much research and have a recommendation of companies you are considering for a river cruise? I briefly looked at Oceania and won't say never. Have you compared size and price of mini suites and suites on other lines to HAL. We found the Princess mini suite comparable size and less price to our HAL Vista suite. We have not been to Half Moon Cay but heard very good things.

 

 

Grand Circle is the only river cruise company I have sailed (so I can't compare with Viking or any others), and I really enjoyed the experience. A river cruise is a different experience from an ocean cruise, at least for me. The emphasis is definitely on the countries and cities you travel through, and GCT provided a lot of background on the history and culture. The rooms are generally much smaller than those on ocean ships. The food, especially on the Elbe cruise, was excellent. They are able to provide cuisine from the region. Entertainment is much different than ocean cruises, and I enjoy it. On the Elbe trip, the captain sang and played guitar one night.

 

On the down side, river cruises often have to be rearranged due to water levels, so you can end up spending some nights in hotels and sent by bus for part of the trip.

[qsuzi]

Glad to see at least a few folks think NCL is still ok. We're likely to use them twice during a complex European tour of 3 months in the fall. We cruised on them 10 years ago and have avoided them since, but they fit our itinerary and price range so we'll give it a go again. Plus we'll be travelling very light so no suit and dress shoes, just the basics.

 

HAL is always like coming home for me. I like the older ships with a couch in the cheaper rooms (Insides and OV) and the food, although it's not as good as it used to be, it is dependable.

 

DH says he can't tell the difference between HAL, Princess and Celebrity except for the pizza! We like them all but I dislike the small rooms on Princess and will have to put up with that also on NCL this year. Oh well.

 

We miss the classical music on most lines now even though HAL still has a remnant of it with their duos. The entertainment on HAL has become marginal even for me and I'm easily entertained. I always give the shows a try and usually enjoy the singers and dancers on any line.

 

We've had good and not so good experiences on Carnival including the 48 night repositioning of Splendor around South America; very much a HAL-type clientele due to the length of the cruise. But on any Carnival cruise there is a lot to be desired for enrichment, it's pretty much DIY. Loved the movies on the top deck. The crew was great, very much like HAL but I don't think they were as overworked - room stewards didn't have as many rooms to do and had a third helper in the mornings - and the food on Carnival was better than expected; the room was very good too, much larger than anything comparable on Princess, and I guess NCL.

 

For us now it's about what fits our schedule and price range. My bottom line: It's hard to have a bad day on a cruise ship! m--

Thanks for commenting. For me it's just that I don't know much about NCL and haven't heard many positive comments about the type of things that we like. The one area IMHO that HAL is the worst at compared to Princess, RCI, and Carnival is their pizza. The other lines use fresh dough,make it thin crust, and the sauce is tastier. My hubby always gets pizza at least several days each cruise so he noticed the difference.

Edited March 17, 2015 by qsuzi

[qsuzi]

Grand Circle is the only river cruise company I have sailed (so I can't compare with Viking or any others), and I really enjoyed the experience. A river cruise is a different experience from an ocean cruise, at least for me. The emphasis is definitely on the countries and cities you travel through, and GCT provided a lot of background on the history and culture. The rooms are generally much smaller than those on ocean ships. The food, especially on the Elbe cruise, was excellent. They are able to provide cuisine from the region. Entertainment is much different than ocean cruises, and I enjoy it. On the Elbe trip, the captain sang and played guitar one night.

 

On the down side, river cruises often have to be rearranged due to water levels, so you can end up spending some nights in hotels and sent by bus for part of the trip.

 

Grand Circle -okay I will make a note of that. For us it's a trade off of not wanting/needing all inclusive plus price vs getting more time in ports to really explore. In Europe sites can be at least 1 hour from port on cruise ships and you don't get to see and experience as much.

[budisal]

My wife and I just returned from a two week southern caribbean cruise on Celebrity's Eclipse. We had heard that Celebrity was equal to or slightly above HAL. I'm here to tell you....... it ain't so!!! The ship was beautiful, the itinerary was good (too many islands in too few days though - we wouldn't do that again). Generally, the crew was available and friendly. Our cabin Stewart was OK, but not friendly like on our past two HAL cruises where they called us by name after the first day and couldn't do enough for us. We sailed the Eurodam two winters in a row and the cabin Stewart even remember our names. Unless the food quality has slipped very recently, the food on HAL was far superior. I never had a problem in the MDR on HAL finding something great to eat. How did Celebrity compare.. Well, out of 14 nights, we only had dinner in the MDR five times. Looked at the evening menues in the afternoon and couldn't find one item that appealed, so ate at the buffet all the other evenings. Room service meals are very restrictive in what they offer. However, Celebrity entertainment is FAR superior to that on HAL. We even had karaoke five times during the 14 days and the winner appeared on stage at the final show Saturday. Slightly younger crowd on Celebrity 50s thru 70s. HAL appears to be more 60s thru 80s. Only took two ship shore excursions. Both were good, but costly. I think that's the same with all the cruise lines though. Loved being able to track my account on the tv in our room. Cruise director was fabulous and involved and even did a one-woman show one night. My view is that HAL Is more traditional on both style and on-board finishes whereas Celebrity is more plastic, glass, Chrome and flash ----- European style vs American style.

Would I return to Celebrity? Maybe. Will I sail again with HAL? Definitely!

[qsuzi]

My wife and I just returned from a two week southern caribbean cruise on Celebrity's Eclipse. We had heard that Celebrity was equal to or slightly above HAL. I'm here to tell you....... it ain't so!!! The ship was beautiful, the itinerary was good (too many islands in too few days though - we wouldn't do that again). Generally, the crew was available and friendly. Our cabin Stewart was OK, but not friendly like on our past two HAL cruises where they called us by name after the first day and couldn't do enough for us. We sailed the Eurodam two winters in a row and the cabin Stewart even remember our names. Unless the food quality has slipped very recently, the food on HAL was far superior. I never had a problem in the MDR on HAL finding something great to eat. How did Celebrity compare.. Well, out of 14 nights, we only had dinner in the MDR five times. Looked at the evening menues in the afternoon and couldn't find one item that appealed, so ate at the buffet all the other evenings. Room service meals are very restrictive in what they offer. However, Celebrity entertainment is FAR superior to that on HAL. We even had karaoke five times during the 14 days and the winner appeared on stage at the final show Saturday. Slightly younger crowd on Celebrity 50s thru 70s. HAL appears to be more 60s thru 80s. Only took two ship shore excursions. Both were good, but costly. I think that's the same with all the cruise lines though. Loved being able to track my account on the tv in our room. Cruise director was fabulous and involved and even did a one-woman show one night. My view is that HAL Is more traditional on both style and on-board finishes whereas Celebrity is more plastic, glass, Chrome and flash ----- European style vs American style.

Would I return to Celebrity? Maybe. Will I sail again with HAL? Definitely!

 

Glad we tried HAL before Celebrity based on your comments. We have only been on an older HAL ship it is stuck in the old days, .e.,g not having kiosks for cash and account print outs, not having information including account information on TV. It's just easier and saves time to be able to get the information yourself even if it is nice that the Front Office staff remembers your name.

Edited March 17, 2015 by qsuzi

[cruisemom42]

As a solo cruiser and one who cruises mainly for itinerary, my list is probably not the norm, but:

 

1. Voyages to Antiquity -- great itineraries, great lecturers, great crew, solo-friendly. On the minus side, little entertainment onboard, ship definitely not glitzy.

 

(the above is my cruise line of choice; all others are far below in terms of my readiness to sail with them)

 

2. Tie: If I want the Caribbean (rather rare) I'd pick Celebrity's newer ships. I like the decor, the food (I enjoy sophisticated dining, not a basic chop for dinner), and the entertainment. Cabins are smaller but I don't spend most of my time there anyway.

 

2. Tie: If I want something itinerary-based, I'd pick HAL. Has been relatively solo-friendly, good itineraries, good cabins. On the minus side: not as happy with the food choice (see above); not much entertainment in the later evening; no good lecturers on shorter cruises, apparently....

 

4. Princess -- All things being equal I would swap this with #3 (HAL) if I could count on getting a comfy bed on Princess. Alas, I can't.... I like Princess' food and entertainment better than HAL's but not as much as Celebrity's. However Celebrity itineraries are often, how shall I say it, unadventurous.

 

5. Swan Hellenic -- Small ship, great itineraries & lecturers, very British. Love the itineraries, not so fond of some of the entitlement onboard....

 

 

Only one line I've sailed with that I would never sail with again: NCL.