differences in coral princess and nordam HAL

[creel5857]

I need some help from those who have traveled BOTH the coral princess and Nordam on HAL this past year. I have read reviews and looked at both cruise line sites but really need a little more help if possible. Before I finalize my booking with TA can anyone advise of specific pros and cons between the 2 ships on the typical verandah with balcony on HAL vs the mini suite on Princess including the comfort level of mattresses, bath rooms and food in main dining room? Thanks

[xlxo]

To clarify... where are you interested in sailing too?

[Crew News]

I need some help from those who have traveled BOTH the coral princess and Nordam on HAL this past year. I have read reviews and looked at both cruise line sites but really need a little more help if possible. Before I finalize my booking with TA can anyone advise of specific pros and cons between the 2 ships on the typical verandah with balcony on HAL vs the mini suite on Princess including the comfort level of mattresses, bath rooms and food in main dining room? Thanks

 

I have not been on a Princess ship but I can provide you my photographic tour of the Ms Noordam:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/travel-2/ms-noordam-on-board-images/

 

We like the Noordam subdued ambiance. Food descriptions are very subjective. We think the HAL food is good and there is plenty of variety. Love the mattresses!!

[creel5857]

we are doing southbound in Alaska (have been twice before) but primarily need to know pros and cons between ships besides the fact that they leave out of different ports.

[Roz]

Have sailed both. Both are fine ships. I prefer the Noordam because it has a better layout. Coral has those "dead" spaces where the decks don't go all the way thru. I had to map out a route from my cabin to the dining room, using a crumbled dinner roll to mark the path. :D

 

Roz

Edited September 14, 2015 by Roz

[creel5857]

thanks as these are some of the comments I need to hear......been 7 years since we took our last cruise on either cruise line and just need a few comments to help me balance some things out.....again, thanks

[KruzPrincess]

I have not been on the Noordam, but I am a fan of the Coral Princess....so I thought I'd make some comments. The Coral is not new and is not a big Princess ship. The Coral and Island were specifically built for Panama Canal sailings which makes it longer and narrow. It has nice viewing areas and nice quiet passenger space. I've never felt like these ships are crowded. Princess has taken a lot of heat for their hard mattresses on CC and a lot of that came from me. ;) Some people loved the firm mattresses. I did not. In the past couple years, Princess has upgraded their mattresses. Like any ship, you could still get a worn down mattress, but usually you will find a decent mattress on a Princess ship, especially if you're in a mini or above. Food is very subjective as we all know and much depends on who is in charge of food services. Some are better than others. Overall, I don't find much difference in the food in the MDR. I got spectacular service in the steak house on the Coral two years ago. It was so good that we went back for a second time. The Coral remodeled their buffet a couple years ago and it's a much better layout. The big difference between HAL and Princess buffets is that you serve yourself hot food on Princess and they serve you hot food on HAL. There are some things I like better about the Princess buffet and some things I like better about the HAL buffet. It's a toss up. In my recent experience, I get better wait service in the buffet on Princess. Again, I haven't been on the Noordam, but I'd happily sail on the Coral again. Also, want to mention that the Island has had a remodel that is not so popular, so it make the Coral more appealing.

Edited September 14, 2015 by KruzPrincess

[regnig]

Been on both.... I would recommend a balcony stateroom on the Noordam, Deck 4. The balcony is 7.5 ft in depth, mostly covered, which will make it larger than the mini-suite balconies on the Coral. Plus the cabin sizes are almost identical since on the Noordam the regular balcony staterooms have a love seat and the bathrooms have a bathtub. No need to pay extra for those things as you would for a Coral mini-suite. The HAL mattresses are the best ever!

One other thing HAL has going for it is the ability to order a room-service breakfast on disembarkation day and then to stay in your stateroom until your color/number is called. A really civil way to end a wonderful cruise.

 

While I liked the Coral very much I'd choose the Noordam in a heart beat!

Edited September 14, 2015 by larsen

[avian777]

Because HAL ius the only cruise ship line that has a Roman Catholic priest (who offers daily Mass) on every cruise, the Noordam is my hands down choice. For me, vacations are as much about spiritual renewal as they are about bodily renewal.

Edited September 14, 2015 by avian777

[sammiedawg]

We are huge Coral Princess fans, just sailed on her for the fourth time in May. We were on Noordam six years ago and it was a great ship.

 

IMO Princess has significantly upped its food and service levels compared to Holland America.

We had excellent service on Coral, as someone else said especially in the Horizon Court with full beverage teams in every section. They are happy to get soft drinks on the beverage cards and as many refills as you want. The Coral buffet layout has improved quite a bit. The Coral was on borderline code orange and we were served all food, even salad. Normally it is self serve which I don't care for. Coral has the Terrific international cafe and better pizza.

Mini suites are great on Coral and have bathroom tubs. Mattresses are comfortable, recently replaced on most ships. Medium firm with some pillow top, not luxury by any means,

There is slightly more of a fun quotient on Princess, it has more of a pulse.

I think Coral has the best layout of any ship we've ever sailed and it has not been torn up like the Island Princess was. The four story atrium is just about perfect.

Princess has a much better smoking policy, it is not allowed on balconies and we find fewer smokers on board, at least we don't see as many.

Coral has self service laundries on every deck.,

 

Our last time on HAL beverages were serve yourself in the Lido. Hot food was served to us. Their balcony cabin will have a tub and almost as much room as a Princess minisuite. Holland America mattresses are less firm with a narrow pillow top, not a luxury mattress by any means.

If you book a HAL balcony beware of smoking, we don't book them anymore as we've been chased off them by adjacent smoke.

Noordam does not have a self service laundry but you can send out laundry for twenty five dollars a bag.

 

We don't do room service on any cruise line, we travel to get out of the house and away from the office.

[joanna111]

I was very disappointed in an Alaska cruise on Coral Princess after doing the same cruise on the Veendam. I was with a friend and I had been telling her how wonderful it was to sale out of Vancouver under the bridge. Well, they kept us sitting in a lounge waiting to hear the safety lecture until after the ship had started moving. So as soon as we could we raced out and up to the top deck only to find sheets of blue glass or plastic impeding the view almost everywhere.

 

That was not the only place with a poor view. In the MDR where Hal ships have so many windows, the Coral Princess has drapes. I asked about this and was told that people expect drapes to suggest a more formal dinner. In the Lido where HAL ships have as much glass as possible the Coral Princess has great big plants in all of the windows. I finally lifted one out of its pot to applause from people sitting nearby.

 

I have sailed transatlantic on the Noordam and I loved it. I would never sail with Princess again.

[Murray's Pop]

Have sailed both. Both are fine ships. I prefer the Noordam because it has a better layout. Coral has those "dead" spaces where the decks don't go all the way thru. I had to map out a route from my cabin to the dining room, using a crumbled dinner roll to mark the path. :D

 

Roz

 

Have to agree. Several Princess ships and NCL ships have "you cant get there from here" places that requires you to go up/down, walk for a while, then up/down again. Have not really found that on HAL ships.

[OlsSalt]

I was very disappointed in an Alaska cruise on Coral Princess after doing the same cruise on the Veendam. I was with a friend and I had been telling her how wonderful it was to sale out of Vancouver under the bridge. Well, they kept us sitting in a lounge waiting to hear the safety lecture until after the ship had started moving. So as soon as we could we raced out and up to the top deck only to find sheets of blue glass or plastic impeding the view almost everywhere.

 

That was not the only place with a poor view. In the MDR where Hal ships have so many windows, the Coral Princess has drapes. I asked about this and was told that people expect drapes to suggest a more formal dinner. In the Lido where HAL ships have as much glass as possible the Coral Princess has great big plants in all of the windows. I finally lifted one out of its pot to applause from people sitting nearby.

 

I have sailed transatlantic on the Noordam and I loved it. I would never sail with Princess again.

 

Interesting observations. Never sailed Princess but looking at their websites that was exactly the impression I got from their public venue shots - dark and clubby feeling with no sense of open water views.

 

Decor seemed more elegant and traditional on Princess than HAL which can have some real oddities and jarring color impacts, but when HAL offer so many ways to enjoy the open water views, who cares about their dated color schemes.