Why oh why didn't we sail HAL?

[Seago2]

Sail put her review of Dawn on here so here is my review of Breakaway. The whole way home (7 hours) we promised ourselves we would only sail HAL from now on- regardless of the annoying fact that we have to fly to the ship and the obvious price differential. It's either HAL or DH won't sail again. I'll still sail Carnival with my son but will make sure it's a smaller ship.

 

Here you go. It was everything you all clutch your pearls about ;)- only worse. I will say it was nice to not have to pack "formal wear" (I have to put it in quotes because it's the farthest thing from actual formal wear- I'm talking a blazer, a couple of ties, two nice dresses). And boy did we miss an assigned seating time with table mates we could get to know. Honestly, going forward - it's HAL or he won't sail it.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=48051353&posted=1#post48051353

[kazu]

A very interesting thread indeed.

 

Thanks for sharing your review with us.

 

We used to sail NCL a LOT and after freestyle, we stopped.

 

I think it is a totally different experience if you are in a Suite with the Haven (which we were not) and in a regular cabin, sadly.

 

Like you, that ship is just too big for us.

 

Sorry to hear you did not enjoy your cruise and glad that Berumda was beautiful.

[Lis2065]

Every time I suggest a different cruise line I get the silent treatment.... We've only done four cruises - all on HAL.

[sapper1]

Thanks for posting the link to your review. I sympathize with you on all the noise and overcrowding. I'm sure you were looking forward to a relaxing time and you were disappointed. I somehow suspect you will have better luck next time. ;)

[3rdGenCunarder]

Thanks for posting the link to your review. I haven't sailed with NCL since the early days of freestyle. The more I hear, the more certain I am that I will never sail with them again. I was particularly amused by your description of the pool. ONE pool for that huge ship? (Not counting the special Haven area). People on this board complain about Veendam having only one pool, and she has far fewer passengers than Breakaway does.

 

It's getting more and more difficult to find a cruise with a comfortable small ship. The closest to mega for me is QM2. I'll forgive her for being large because she does not have as many passengers for her size as similar size ships on other lines, so it never seems crowded. Plus, she's wonderful crossing the North Atlantic and I love the Cunard ambiance.

 

And that leaves HAL, the only line other than luxury/expensive lines that has small ships. I don't mind the Vistas, but I don't want something larger.

[Hlitner]

ARGH! Sounds like a less then stellar experience. It it comes to Norwegian, Carnival or HAL we would choose HAL every time unless booking a Haven Suite on Norwegian. But when you toss in other lines (Celebrity, RCI, Princess, Oceania, Azamara, etc.) then HAL now falls way down our list. Lots of choices out there and cruise lines are always reinventing their product...which means sometimes one needs to go with the flow :).

 

Hank

[TiogaCruiser]

Oh my. Sounds dreadful. Sounds like our local mall, which I avoid like the plague. (It's a very bad day in our household when I have to go to Apple, because I have to violate my "no mall policy").

 

Your description is what I feared cruising was- and why I thought we would do it once just to see Alaska. And what my non-cruising colleagues think it is (if you add "germ factory" to the description.

 

So glad it doesn't have to be so. Am sticking with HAL.

[Seago2]

Every time I suggest a different cruise line I get the silent treatment.... We've only done four cruises - all on HAL.

 

 

Oh he'll refuse anything but HAL now

[WeLoveCruising]

Thanks for sharing. It confirms what I fear is happening to most of the mainstream cruise industry. For us, HAL still presents a good value for the money. While we always talk about considering moving to a luxury line, the price jump doesn't seem worth it because there is still so much we enjoy about HAL.

 

That being said, if HAL becomes more and more like NCL and follows the megaship, freestyle trend, we will make a move - probably to Oceania, Azamara or even Seabourn. We have enjoyed Windstar many times, but most itineraries are 7 (or 14 days), which doesn't work well for us. We much prefer 10 night vacations.

[sail7seas]

Seago,

 

Thank you for providing the link to your review. I'm so sorry you and DH didn't enjoy your cruise but I can see why. Had I encountered what you experienced, I also would not have been happy.

 

I have to say I'm particularly happy it was the night I (and my friend) both had some mal de mer that were booked to dine in Teppenyaki. Sounds like it was good we missed it. I don't like a lot of salt on my food. :eek: I do agree with you about what a good job NCL is doing with their buffet. So much variety, tasty, hot/cold as appropriate and many more service hours.

 

Another reinforcement that those mega ships are not for me.

 

Edited October 19, 2015 by sail7seas

[Seago2]

The reason that HAL appeals to us even more than Cunard (assuming for a magical moment that the price point is the same) is that we both work and as I said, a crossing is a major deal (English relatives, no way can I get out of a trip to Devon, etc etc) and there just are not many other offerings that aren't too long for us.

 

We have friends who swear by Oceania, and keep sending me emails re: deals, but it's still too expensive for us. If we cruised once every two years then it would be an option. But I have one cruise a year with my youngest, which is Carnival due to the teen programming- although he'll be 18 in June so who knows what will happen- and we try to get a cruise in for just DH and me. But you know what? HAL might end up being $1500 more when you consider cruise fare, air fare, and a hotel- but at least it's not a waste of $2500, as this last cruise was. I was googling all inclusives in the Caribbean on the ride home. I don't even want to get anywhere near a cruise ship right now and I have never felt this way.

 

HAL wins for the artwork, the interesting people at dinner- people who have actually led lives and have something to offer, the captain and officers eating in the lido and chatting away with you, the peace and quiet, the extras (yes I know there are less of those), the PG, the beauty of the ships, and the overall feeling of being at sea rather than being at a floating mall or circus.

 

I wish we could do some of the sailings you all talk about- world cruises, South American trips, Asian sailings- but we're limited to ten days or less and an east coast departure.

[ski ww]

Thanks for the review. We don't like the mega ships either, and I never was a great fan of NCL. I know why we like the smaller ships, we enjoy fixed late dining, still enjoy getting dressed for dinner, no line ups, can get into the shows, room around the pool, the Lido doesn't turn into a zoo at meal times. Sorry you had such a bad experience, hard way to learn and it leaves bad memories. Better luck in the future.

Allan

[rafinmd]

This comes at an interesting time as I board the Allure of the Seas in 3 days and am also booked on the Breakaway. I'm hoping for the best, and feel confident I'll find something I like on each. I prefer smaller ships, but still every cruise is unique and I've had some surprising results. I've enjoyed every cruise I've been on but a couple have been "learning experiences", including, to my surprise, Silversea.

 

Roy

[iancal]

As a cruise line, HAL has definitely dropped down our list. Below Celebrity and Princess, perhaps RCI.

 

But, we tend to choose ships first. Some of HAL's ships are much higher on our list. There are some HAL ships that we would not consider, just as we would not consider some Carnival, RCI, NCL, or Princess ships. It is all about preferences. It includes older poorly maintained ships, ships that are more amusement park than anything else, and ships that are targeted at a specific demographic group(s) of which we do not belong.

 

Likewise all those cruise line survey results are meaningless to us because they are either based on the cruise line itself or they are not based on our personal preferences.

[3rdGenCunarder]

The reason that HAL appeals to us even more than Cunard (assuming for a magical moment that the price point is the same) is that we both work and as I said, a crossing is a major deal (English relatives, no way can I get out of a trip to Devon, etc etc) and there just are not many other offerings that aren't too long for us.

 

I'm waiting for that magical moment, too. The corner afts that I love on HAL Vistas are Princess Grill on Cunard and cost much more.

 

Devon is lovely, but I know what you mean. I've got relatives in Yorkshire, so we do a land trip, trying to keep it to about a week, then a TA home.

 

We have friends who swear by Oceania, and keep sending me emails re: deals, but it's still too expensive for us. If we cruised once every two years then it would be an option. But I have one cruise a year with my youngest, which is Carnival due to the teen programming- although he'll be 18 in June so who knows what will happen- and we try to get a cruise in for just DH and me. But you know what? HAL might end up being $1500 more when you consider cruise fare, air fare, and a hotel- but at least it's not a waste of $2500, as this last cruise was. I was googling all inclusives in the Caribbean on the ride home. I don't even want to get anywhere near a cruise ship right now and I have never felt this way.

 

You're feeling burned out now, and I completely understand. But you can put it behind you and "recover."

 

HAL wins for the artwork, the interesting people at dinner- people who have actually led lives and have something to offer, the captain and officers eating in the lido and chatting away with you, the peace and quiet, the extras (yes I know there are less of those), the PG, the beauty of the ships, and the overall feeling of being at sea rather than being at a floating mall or circus.

 

(bold is mine) This is exactly how we feel about Cunard and HAL. It's a cruise for grownups.

[Seago2]

As a cruise line, HAL has definitely dropped down our list. Below Celebrity and Princess, perhaps RCI.

 

But, we tend to choose ships first. Some of HAL's ships are much higher on our list. There are some HAL ships that we would not consider, just as we would not consider some Carnival, RCI, NCL, or Princess ships. It is all about preferences. It includes older poorly maintained ships, ships that are more amusement park than anything else, and ships that are targeted at a specific demographic group(s) of which we do not belong.

 

Likewise all those cruise line survey results are meaningless to us because they are either based on the cruise line itself or they are not based on our personal preferences.

 

Yes, notice I skipped Veendam in my quest to get to Bermuda. I could have moved the cruise up a bit and taken her. Believe me I was wishing I had done so. Who cares about an aft wading pool or whatever the heck it is.

[Cruise_More_Often]

Seago2, if we hadn't already canceled a Breakaway cruise, your terrific review would have done it for us!

 

We met a couple on the Eurodam in 2014 and decided we wanted to cruise together again. She wanted to try the Breakaway, so we booked a Bermuda cruise for next May. This August we cruised with them on the beautiful little Maasdam. We loved it. DH and I came home and canceled the Breakaway cruise. We feel awful letting our friends down, but we just could not face a cruise on that behemoth.

[richstowe]

Yes, notice I skipped Veendam in my quest to get to Bermuda. I could have moved the cruise up a bit and taken her. Believe me I was wishing I had done so. Who cares about an aft wading pool or whatever the heck it is.

Interesting thread (plus the link to your Breakaway review) . I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed this summer's cruise on the Veendam . Didn't think I would like such an older smaller ship with similar passengers. :D Still enjoy the newer larger ships but certainly was surprised by the quality of the food and entertainment .

 

In your other thread you wrote "sailing NCL really brings home to me how bad Carnival has become with the cost cutting measures " . I've sailed with 3 other cruise lines since last sailing with Carnival but always enjoyed those cruises. I see cost cutting everywhere . Why you are so annoyed with Carnival ? Are their cuts more extreme ?

[kalliekae]

This comes at an interesting time as I board the Allure of the Seas in 3 days and am also booked on the Breakaway. I'm hoping for the best, and feel confident I'll find something I like on each. I prefer smaller ships, but still every cruise is unique and I've had some surprising results. I've enjoyed every cruise I've been on but a couple have been "learning experiences", including, to my surprise, Silversea.

 

Roy

 

We've enjoyed several cruises on HAL, but we also love Royal's Oasis and we are looking forward to our upcoming cruise aboard the Allure. Yes, they are mega ships, but we honestly have never felt crowded on these ships and have enjoyed all the amenities. HAL and Royal obviously offer two very different cruising experiences and one has to realize that before booking. I'm sorry the op was unhappy with her cruising experience aboard the NCL mega ship, but now she knows that type of cruise is not for her. However, others need to experience what a mega ship has to offer before writing it off. It all depends upon what you are looking for in a cruise. For us, we like both.

[WeLoveCruising]

Everyone has different priorities, which is why I think most all cruise lines have their own loyal followings. The more the mainstream lines blend together, I feel it becoming more of a commodity than ever, which makes me a bit sad. It also makes me sad to hear people who have a cruise on Holland America Line that somehow didn't meet their expectation, and their expectation was off the mark for what it is. When less informed people looking at fares and itineraries only, they might think choosing, for example, the Maasdam over the Allure of the Seas is simply about price or itinerary. It's apples and oranges. Heck, in that example it's apples and bicycles. Not even close.

 

It also makes me sad when people uniformly label HAL as "catering to seniors". I'm in my 50's now, but had my first HAL cruise before my 30th birthday and was hooked. What I like about HAL is some of the same things others have quoted here. The artwork, the intimate size of the ships that encourages socializing with interesting people, the personalized smiling service, the traditions. When I was 30 I was much happier singing in the piano bar on the old Noordam than in the dance club of the old Norway. But that's just me. Others might have different priorities.

 

As HAL continues to evolve my list of wishes gets longer. Personally, I would rather pay a bit more and have the experience I used to have. I know I'm not alone in people here that feel that way, but also sadly think we are the minority as compared to the general public. So far I haven't found the extra charge items onboard to be intrustive or inconvenient, I just resign myself to knowing my onboard account will reflect some of the difference. I do wonder, though, at what ceiling some of those things top out. For example, if I choose to purchase an S cabin, a cabana, dine at the Pinnacle, use the thermal suite, have wine every night....have I approached what I would pay for Seabourn.....where I could have consistently better food and service? (Honestly wondering, I haven't compared that closely). On the other hand, HAL will always carry a certain nostalgia for me, a place in my heart. I feel at home on a HAL ship. Not just because we are creatures of habit and know what to expect, but there is just a certain feeling of coming home, a love for the ships and staff that I just cant quite explain. That feeling transcends price for me.

 

But back to the NCL review, I know so many people who love NCL. Clearly this wasn't a good fit here, but I also don't think HAL is a good fit for everyone, either. I really enjoyed reading the review, and appreciate the perspective.

Edited October 19, 2015 by WeLoveCruising

[Seago2]

In your other thread you wrote "sailing NCL really brings home to me how bad Carnival has become with the cost cutting measures " . I've sailed with 3 other cruise lines since last sailing with Carnival but always enjoyed those cruises. I see cost cutting everywhere . Why you are so annoyed with Carnival ? Are their cuts more extreme ?

 

We were on the same Carnival cruise together a couple of years ago! I actually like Carnival and make no apologies for it. Doing the Wobble on the Lido Deck, waiters dancing to Get Low, towel animals by the pool, lower prices... But I have sailed Carnival once or twice a year, usually a B2B, every year since 2005. I've seen things change. The menu options got worse about five years ago and now the quality and portion size of those exact same offerings changes every time I cruise, and not for the better. Less wait staff and thereby a chaotic dinner experience at times (and that's when they're NOT dancing :rolleyes:). Sloppy looking uniforms on cabin crew and wait staff. Cabin stewards with many more rooms to clean. Not that it matters, but strangely it does: no chocolates. It was so nice on BA to get those Andes mints at night. It's just a nice touch. Lido buffet options are about half of what they were. And face it- they can be pathetic, just really bad. My point: they would have a Carnival cruiser for life- it has its place for sure in my life- if they weren't constantly reducing the quality of the product. My oldest child is 32 and I have five kids. I know I'll be taking grandkids cruising and it would be nice if Carnival is still an option by then... I'm thinking specifically of the smell of the Penne Mariscos on Pride last summer. You could smell it from three tables away. Yuck. And the steaks- Rich, tell me you haven't noticed that they're now a slow cooked small piece of meat that is essentially a piece of pot roast?

[Seago2]

Seago2, if we hadn't already canceled a Breakaway cruise, your terrific review would have done it for us!

 

We met a couple on the Eurodam in 2014 and decided we wanted to cruise together again. She wanted to try the Breakaway, so we booked a Bermuda cruise for next May. This August we cruised with them on the beautiful little Maasdam. We loved it. DH and I came home and canceled the Breakaway cruise. We feel awful letting our friends down, but we just could not face a cruise on that behemoth.

 

You made the right choice. I just unloaded the dishwasher and put a chicken in the oven and I feel like I'm on cloud nine. When does that ever happen- the day after you leave a cruise? I couldn't be happier to be home. This has never happened to me before.

[Stakeout]

just hope HAL doesn't ruin a good thing with their 'disposing' of their smaller ships.. for me any ship Vista class and larger is way too big ..these days they are considered small compared to the mega-ships.. last we were on one was the Zuiderdam back in January as part of a back to back getting off the Maasdam and walking across the street to another terminal in Ft Lauderdale.. you can have it.. not for moi

Edited October 19, 2015 by Stakeout

[Vict0riann]

I just unloaded the dishwasher and put a chicken in the oven and I feel like I'm on cloud nine. When does that ever happen- the day after you leave a cruise? I couldn't be happier to be home. This has never happened to me before.

 

How sad for you! :D I haven't been on a ship since June, and I'm still having recurrent twinges of cruise withdrawal.

[CowPrincess]

Thank you for sharing the link to your thread on the NCL board. I'm sorry you found the cruise disappointing.