Princess or HAL for Alaska??

[MaiTaiMary]

DH and I have only sailed on Carnival. Since we are going without kids this time, we're looking for something more "elegant" for Alaska.

 

We're looking at HAL and Princess. I'm trying to find out what the main differences are. Any insight? More specially I'm trying to compare:

 

~Food (both in MDR and speciality restaurants). This is a big one.

 

~how formal is Princess? Again... we are used to the casualness of Carnival, so we want to be prepared whichever line we choose.

 

~What is entertainment like? We're not big night owls, but would like something to do in the evening after dinner. I noticed Princess has comedy acts. What else?

 

~How are the cabins? We will have a balcony.

 

~What makes Princess stand out from other cruise lines?

 

 

Thanks so much! :D

[Alaskanb]

The main difference between HAL and Princess for us is that HAL allows smoking on the balconies. As non-smokers who enjoy being out on the balcony HAL is a non-contender in our cruise decisions.

[Kamloops50]

For most people there isn't much difference between Princess and HAL.

Alaska cruises are more for the scenery and ports than the ship itself.

Alaska tends to attract multi generational family cruises.

Family groups of grandparents to young grand kids.

[MCC retired]

Both good choices for a move up from CCL.

Since your set on a Balcony , if Smoking bothers you , go with Princess.

If not , go with $$ , ship features and itinerary.

[VioletHorse]

HAL opens the bow to passengers for glacier viewing - it's fantastic.

 

We've found that Alaska cruises are very port intensive. Coupled with late dining and an after dinner drink, we're usually in bed by midnight. Entertainment is much less a factor for us on those cruises.

 

I'd make a decision based on departure port (we prefer Vancouver over Seattle), and time spent in ports. Both Princess and HAL have great itineraries, and if balcony smoking is a concern for you, choose Princess. We have had a balcony on HAL in Alaska, and smelling smoke on that cruise was a non issue.

 

We've found that food in the Princess and HAL MDRs are both good, and better than Carnival.

 

Alaska cruises in general have a tendency to be much more casual - not overly formal.

 

HAL does have some smaller ships in Alaska (1500 passengers and less) so it makes for a less crowded ship experience. They also have fantastic room service including hot items for breakfast, which can be ordered by anyone in any room category. Their staterooms and bathrooms tend to be larger than Princess which makes it a bit more comfortable, but in Alaska you shouldn't be hanging out in your room too much or you'll miss the best part of your trip.

 

We always choose our cruises based on price and itinerary, and not by any particular loyalty to any cruise line.

 

I don't like the coffee or beds on Princess, but it hasn't stopped me from cruising with them.

 

Have a great time in Alaska no matter what cruise line you choose.

[Pam in CA]

You can't go wrong with either. There are differences but for me, they aren't big enough to say one is better than the other.

 

I much prefer the Princess pillowtop beds over HAL's super soft (no support and I always wind up with sciatica) and that the Princess buffet is open continuously from 5:30am-11pm vs. 2-3 hours each for breakfast, lunch and dinner, closing up for good at 8pm. However, you can order a full hot meal via room service on HAL whereas on Princess, the room service menu is more limited.

 

Most Princess ships now have the International Cafe which is open 24/7; HAL has nothing like it. IMHO, the best Princess ship for Alaska would be the Coral. Big ship with all the amenities but far fewer passengers plus both forward and aft decks are opened for scenic viewing v

[capriccio]

Whichever you chose, make sure the itinerary includes Glacier Bay! No Glacier Bay would be a deal breaker for us.

[MaiTaiMary]

Thanks for the tips!

 

The two cruises we are looking at are almost IDENTICAL.

~leaving the same dates

~departure city the same

~exact same itinerary (times vary slightly)

~price is almost the same (not a big enough amount to make a difference)

 

I just don't know how else to decide, besides comparing the cruise lines in general. :confused:

 

I didn't check the size (passenger count) of the two ships. Should I? :confused:

 

Interesting about the smoking issue. I did not know that. We are non-smokers and (like most people) don't care for the smell of second hand smoke. Do you really think that would be a major issue? Are there *that* many smokers out on the balconies on HAL? If so, that could be a deciding factor.

 

Thanks!

[MaiTaiMary]

 

I didn't check the size (passenger count) of the two ships. Should I? :confused:

 

 

the Crown Princess holds 3,080 passengers

the Westerdam (HAL) holds 1,916 passengers

 

 

Should that mean something to me?? LOL It's a big difference.

[Alaskanb]

 

Interesting about the smoking issue. I did not know that. We are non-smokers and (like most people) don't care for the smell of second hand smoke. Do you really think that would be a major issue? Are there *that* many smokers out on the balconies on HAL? If so, that could be a deciding factor.

 

Thanks!

Would you be happy-- if by chance-- you had a smoker in the next balcony with the smoke drifting your way. I'm not willing to risk that.

[Festerooni]

I've done Alaska on both HAL and Princess, the amount of smoking on the balconies on HAL was definatley bothersome IMHO.

 

The food as well, I found to be better on Princess over HAL, Princess like an above poster mentioned you could get food at anytime in public areas and not have to order room service. HAL I also found to be limited on the selection of food as well as the times that the buffet was open.

 

The entertainment I found to also be better on Princess, similar to that of Carnival actually there is a good selection each night.

 

If the pricing and the ports are fairly equal, I would go Princess hands down.

[MSMcDuffy]

Tough decision...

 

This is one case where you might have to look a little more closely at the ship then -

 

IMO

Pros for HAL: smaller ship, larger stateroom, bathroom includes a tub, sofa, covered pool, bed way more comfy (Princess has very hard beds but some people like/need that), more classical looking (darker wood).

 

Pros for Princess: newer ships, buffet open later, better non-smoking policy (that's a big one for me, too), the International Café :p

 

I've found food & entertainment the same on both. I've been on Crown and Westerdam's sister, Oosterdam.

 

If it weren't for the smoking, I'd say HAL. However, I was on a HAL balcony once in AK and didn't smell any smoke but you never know who your neighbors will be.

 

If it makes you feel better, at least you have the 2 best cruise lines for AK in the running, IMHO :D

[LoriPhil]

Don't know about HAL, but Princess has both Park Service rangers providing programs and narration in Glacier Bay, and on-board Naturalist providing programs throughout the cruise. Hopefully they still have Libby Riddles come on-board in Juneau for a presentation on her Iditerod experience. These really add to our ejoyment of the Alaska experience. Either way Alaska is wonderful so have a terrific cruise!

[mek]

Libby was on the Star in Juneau last September. She is a wonderful speaker.

[ginabab]

I am very sorry to learn about the balcony smoking on HAL

[geoherb]

I like both. With the price the same, we'd go with Princess but only because we get better past-passenger perks with them. Otherwise, I might go with the smaller HAL ship. We've taken cruises to Alaska only on Princess and have enjoyed all of them.

[Cindy]

I've done both, and would choose Princess with no hesitation. Our HAL cruise to Alaska was on the Westerdam, and we thought it was the most non-descript ship and least memorable on-board experience we've had. Maybe it was just the luck of the draw, but the ship was like a ghost town in the evenings except for the ridiculously smoky casino, and the entertainment was practically non-existent. Even my (at the time) 81 year-old mother thought the ship was boring!

 

I was really disappointed...we had a fantastic first HAL cruise (on a sister ship to the Westerdam), and they have some fantastic itineraries so we were hoping to permanently add HAL to the list. However, the really blah Alaska cruise and the liberal smoking policy are enough to make me pass.

[LuvtheBeach10]

I have a question for those who might have sailed on both. A coworker said that in the suite on HAL that binoculars and an umbrella were provided. We have a suite on the Crown going to Alaska, does anyone know if binoculars will be provided? I don't want to buy something to pack that will already be waiting for us in the suite.

[srpilo]

The main difference between HAL and Princess for us is that HAL allows smoking on the balconies. As non-smokers who enjoy being out on the balcony HAL is a non-contender in our cruise decisions.

 

Sorry, that is very dated information.. HAL like Princess no longer allows smoking in their cabins or balcony's

 

 

I feel if your going post and answer questions you should be able to give correct information, and not old and out dated incorrect information swayed by your personal prejudices

Srpilo

Edited April 24, 2015 by srpilo

[thinfool]

Sorry, that is very dated information.. HAL like Princess no longer allows smoking in their cabins or balcony's

 

 

I feel if your going post and answer questions you should be able to give correct information, and not old and out dated incorrect information swayed by your personal prejudices

Srpilo

 

You might want to check your facts before posting. HAL restricts smoking but not on balconies (verandahs).

Note this just taken from the HAL website:

 

"For the comfort of all of our guests, all staterooms (cabins), showrooms and most other indoor areas are designated non-smoking. While smoking is not permitted in staterooms, guests are allowed to smoke on stateroom verandahs. Smoking is also permitted on certain other designated, outside decks. The designated smoking areas for all ships are as follows unless otherwise noted."

Edited April 24, 2015 by thinfool

[Alaskanb]

You might want to check your facts before posting. HAL restricts smoking but not on balconies (verandahs).

Note this just taken from the HAL website:

 

"For the comfort of all of our guests, all staterooms (cabins), showrooms and most other indoor areas are designated non-smoking. While smoking is not permitted in staterooms, guests are allowed to smoke on stateroom verandahs. Smoking is also permitted on certain other designated, outside decks. The designated smoking areas for all ships are as follows unless otherwise noted."

 

Thank you for the citation.

[Alaskanb]

Sorry, that is very dated information.. HAL like Princess no longer allows smoking in their cabins or balcony's

 

 

I feel if your going post and answer questions you should be able to give correct information, and not old and out dated incorrect information swayed by your personal prejudices

Srpilo

My information is correct. The HAL policy changed in about 2012 but I cannot find an official citation to support that. Here is one from a travel site https://stellartravel.com/holland-america-smoking-policy-change-takes-effect-january-15-2012/

https://www.hollandamerica.com/assets/cruise-vacation-onboard/KBYG.pdf

For the comfort of all of our guests, all staterooms (cabins), showrooms and most other indoor areas are designated non- smoking. While smoking is not permitted in staterooms, guests are allowed to smoke on stateroom verandahs. Smoking is also permitted on certain other designated, outside decks. The designated smoking areas for all ships are as follows unless otherwise noted.

• Stateroom verandahs

• Casino (Active players only)

• Seaview Bar

• Outside Decks

o Sports Deck

o Observation Deck (ms Prinsendam, ms Eurodam,

ms Nieuw Amsterdam, ms Noordam, ms Oosterdam, ms Westerdam, and ms Zuiderdam only)

Cigar and pipe smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the ship; it is only permitted on the outside decks where smoking is otherwise allowed and on stateroom verandahs. Electronic cigarettes are permitted in staterooms but not in other public areas of the ship other than on outside decks designated as smoking areas.

Any guest who smokes inside staterooms in violation of

our policy will be charged a US$250 cleaning fee per day of violation.

Edited April 24, 2015 by Alaskanb

[sammiedawg]

Sorry, that is very dated information.. HAL like Princess no longer allows smoking in their cabins or balcony's

 

 

I feel if your going post and answer questions you should be able to give correct information, and not old and out dated incorrect information swayed by your personal prejudices

Srpilo

 

HAL definitely allows balcony smoking and there is anecdotal information that smokers are migrating to HAL, the so called ashtray of the seas.

 

I would choose Princess for many reasons including a brand new Alaska enrichment program. We are booked on the Coral in May.

[Hawaiidan]

Alaska Is a view intensive trip

 

Having a smaller ship by 1200 people is a BIG plus and second The Holland ships will have way more deck viewing space than Princess. And far better and less crowded viewing spots.

 

This to me is the critical factor in going to Alaska...being able to see stuff. So design and size become VERY important. Bigger is NOT BETTER

 

Remember, ALL Alaska ports are small insize the smaller ships can allow passengers a faster on and off time to enjoy the port intensive trip

 

Both ships go to Glacier bay, The NPS will put a team of Naturalists on board both.

[capriccio]

Both ships go to Glacier bay, The NPS will put a team of Naturalists on board both.

 

Does HAL have naturalists on board for the entire cruise (in addition to the National Park Service rangers who board for Glacier Bay day)? On our two Princess Alaska cruises the on board Princess naturalists were a great addition to the experience - I wish all cruises everywhere had the equivalent!