HAL vs NCL (No contest)

[Sequim88]

Interesting views. We had been booked on Star for a TA (Miami to Copenhagen) and had to cancel just before final payment due to a job change and no vacation time. We mostly selected NCL for the itinerary (wife's roots are in Sweden) but also on recommendation of a fellow cruiser on our prior RCCL TA. That guy was a huge fan of NCL but like us had selected the cruise based on itinerary. He was a very active (in to everything) and outgoing cruiser and was finding RCCL a little tame (heaven forbid trying HAL :rolleyes:). Polar opposite to us. Now I am thinking we maybe lucked out with the job change and canceling.

 

One reason we came back to HAL for Alaska was the high/forward Cows Nest lounge - a favorite hangout on last Alaska cruise. We really missed that on RCCL.

[albingirl]

Personally, we've sailed quite a bit with both lines. We recently went with the Epic and I found her too large for my taste. Food, service and entertainment were wonderful, but I like the quiet ambiance of Holland America. It's a bit disconcerting to make restaurant and entertainment reservations in advance on NCL, and we did have a bit of difficulty getting reservations when we wanted them. I'm pretty much done with the Caribbean; been there so much, so it's off to places we haven't seen, therefore HAL. They have the best ports of call. Bar none.

[RJ2002]

...so it's off to places we haven't seen, therefore HAL. They have the best ports of call. Bar none.

 

This is exactly why we continue to sail HAL. Very unique itineraries on medium size ships.

[doublebzz]

I'm curious, what were the ports on your cruise, and did you suffer from the catastrophic azipod failure?

 

No mechanical issues and the weather was perfect.

 

Singapore, Port Klang(Kuala Lampur), Puhket, Penang, Columbo, Cochin, Mangalore, Goa, Mumbai, Fujairah, Muscat, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. All clean, safe and remarkably interesting places to visit. I would recommend this itinerary to anyone who has an interest in the out of the ordinary.

 

By way of background, we are not HAL loyalists. We have 4 star equivalent status with RCL and Carnival as well as HAL so we are open to any cruise adventure. Prior to NCL, our other cruises the past 8 months were on Oceania Nautica and Celebrity Eclipse. For those who are "foodies", Oceania is really something special and for those where decor is a factor, Celebrity Solstice ships are stunning.

[suznjune]

I had not heard there was no walk-around promenade on the Konigsdam, only that was narrower with a few pinch points, with no deck chairs. But I thought it was still a full wrap.

It is still a full wrap with some narrow spots near aft. I walked it every day last November/December cruise.:D

[OlsSalt]

It is still a full wrap with some narrow spots near aft. I walked it every day last November/December cruise.:D

 

Thank you for this fact check. I have now seen several posters make the claim HAL was doing away with the 360 promenade deck - which is one of their beloved signatures.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Thank you for this fact check. I have now seen several posters make the claim HAL was doing away with the 360 promenade deck - which is one of their beloved signatures.

 

I think what's gone are the loungers because the walkway is narrower. So it isn't the traditional wide HAL promenade.

[richstowe]

NCL isn't changing HAL prices and they have to make up the difference somewhere. The beverage charges on NCL are out of control, but they're pretty much always running the "free" beverage package promo, so I don't see it as much of an issue (for me personally).

.

I'm glad you put free in "quotes" as 250 a week in gratuities for a couple ain't exactly free . Plus their "Ultimate Drink Package" doesn't include bottled water , specialty coffees , canned soda or fruit juices . Not really ultimate anything .

As others have said , the "free" food on NCL was just fine . It was much better then I was expecting and similar to HAL .

[Turtles06]

I agree very much with your statement about NCL's Dawn-class sisters. They are the only two midsize ships in the NCL fleet that have neither forward observation lounges nor outdoor cafes aft of the Lido buffet, and as a result they are very unpopular. If on your forthcoming cruise you're sailing on a HAL Vista or Signature class ship, you will be surprised by the similarity in layout to NCL's Jewel class. The forward observation lounge, gym, spa, MDR, theater, main pool and buffet are all in the same relative location.

 

Happy sailing!

 

Yes, we'll be on the Zuiderdam (Vista class). Thanks for that interesting comparison.

[lb0456]

My step-daughter just returned a week ago from a Bahamas Booze Cruise on the NCL Sky - open bar included. Told me about seeing people yakking up into the pool and hot tubs.

 

And they say Carnival is bad......

 

That could happen on any cruise. We went on a "booze cruise" and never saw anything like that but if there had been, I'm sure the staff would have been right on it. We have been on 6 NCL cruises and the only one we weren't impressed with was Pride If America. We went to Alaska on HAL a couple years ago. Food was great but activities and entertainment was boring. I love the casualness of NCL.

[Herfnerd]

That could happen on any cruise. We went on a "booze cruise" and never saw anything like that but if there had been, I'm sure the staff would have been right on it. We have been on 6 NCL cruises and the only one we weren't impressed with was Pride If America. We went to Alaska on HAL a couple years ago. Food was great but activities and entertainment was boring. I love the casualness of NCL.

 

 

I know it can happen on any cruise but with the open bar included with the price of the cruise, she said it was non- stop drinking and puking and she won't be sailing NCL again with an open bar

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[ExpatBride]

I'm glad you put free in "quotes" as 250 a week in gratuities for a couple ain't exactly free . Plus their "Ultimate Drink Package" doesn't include bottled water , specialty coffees , canned soda or fruit juices . Not really ultimate anything .

As others have said , the "free" food on NCL was just fine . It was much better then I was expecting and similar to HAL .

 

I've lived in Denmark long enough to know that "free" is rarely free :D

 

I agree about the UBP, HAL definitely has the edge there. I loved that premium coffee and sparkling water were included, and took full advantage. The constant money grab on NCL gets tiresome. We've made a sport of seeing how little we can spend onboard outside of gratuities and extra tips. So far, they've taken us for $0.

[navybankerteacher]

This is exactly why we continue to sail HAL. Very unique itineraries on medium size ships.

 

I think the itineraries are generally comparable--- but the overall experience on board the two lines: service, food, general ambience, entertainment, passenger mix, etc. are so very different.

[Aquahound]

I know it can happen on any cruise but with the open bar included with the price of the cruise, she said it was non- stop drinking and puking and she won't be sailing NCL again with an open bar

 

I saw the same thing on Sky...excessive drunkenness, belligerent behavior...even throwing things at the pilot boat in Nassau. And this was before they went to the open bar.

[debsjc]

It seems like maybe the Caribbean experience on NCL is different to the European one?

We sailed round trip from Barcelona for a week, and I didn't see anyone who was drunk or noisy.

[richstowe]

My step-daughter just returned a week ago from a Bahamas Booze Cruise on the NCL Sky - open bar included. Told me about seeing people yakking up into the pool and hot tubs.

 

And they say Carnival is bad......

Pretty much all 5 day and less cruises may be drunkfests . This is not reserved to NCL or Carnival .

If HAL offered short cruises , they would get some of this behavior . The choice of drinks may be different though .

http://www.barnonedrinks.com/drinks/by_ingredient/p/prune-juice-733.html

[ExpatBride]

It seems like maybe the Caribbean experience on NCL is different to the European one?

We sailed round trip from Barcelona for a week, and I didn't see anyone who was drunk or noisy.

 

I've never seen it on NCL, either. But I've only sailed in Europe. It might come down to the fact that Europeans start drinking at an earlier age than American and generally know how to handle themselves, and the cost of getting to Europe coupled with the cost of transatlantic airfare prices out the riff-raff.

Edited April 28, 2017 by ExpatBride

[Herfnerd]

Been on my fair share of 4/5 day Carnival cruises and have never seen people puking in pools and hot tubs, though. She said they were constantly closed for cleaning .

 

Free booze for everyone on the ship vs paying for it - I can see it being more of an issue on cruises with the former

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[igraf]

On the other hand, my wife had such a favorable impression of the Norwegian Jewel that our next cruise will be on a NCL Jewel-class ship instead of HAL. I should mention that the Cruise Critic approval ratings for NCL appear to maximize for the Jewel-class ships.

 

Advantages for NCL include a wide variety of dining venues with ample private seating for couples or small parties. I guess that we have a different preference than you on this point. NCL also offers livelier entertainment. I was told that NCL is much less obtrusive with regard to the professional photographers (speaking of nickel and diming!). I can't tell you how tired I am of the high-powered flash guns on HAL set up around the atrium on formal night. There was also a much younger crowd on the shorter NCL 7-day cruises (we still work full time) as compared to similar HAL cruise.

 

I personally don't care about loyalty status as I prefer to shop brands against each other. One thing that was clearly inferior on the NCL Jewel was the buffet, but then they made up for that with all the other dining venues.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

 

I recently completed an 18 day cruise on Norwegian Star. Although I'm a veteran of 50+ cruises, it had been over 10 years since my last cruise on NCL. Although the previous cruises on NCL were not memorable, the recent cruise had an ideal itinerary so we decided to give it a second chance. The cruise was great from an itinerary standpoint but my overall impression of NCL remains negative for the following reasons. Firstly, the ship was a floating "informercial" bombarding us with announcements regarding art sales, lotteries, bingo games, etc. throughout the day. Secondly, the interior of the ship was poorly laid out and as luxurious as the Staten Island ferry. Besides the low quality furnishings, the public rooms and dining rooms were generally furnished with 4 chairs set around a table providing no opportunity for larger parties to convene together. "Nickle-Diming" was far more extensive than other lines and costs of drinks was excessive in my view - $12+ for martinis; $5 for a liter of water to name a few. One of our traveling partners had mobility issues and the ship was totally indifferent to his handicap especially during each port's embarkation and debarkation process. Finally, there was absolutely no recognition of one's loyalty status.

In fairness, not everything was negative. The staff was very accommodating and professional, except for the aforementioned handicap issue, the entertainment was excellent and the food quality was better than expected. So given these pluses and the great itinerary, we did come away enjoying the cruise. Nonetheless, we do feel HAL offers a much superior cruising experience.

[richstowe]

I've never seen it on NCL, either. But I've only sailed in Europe. It might come down to the fact that Europeans start drinking at an earlier age than American and generally know how to handle themselves, and the cost of getting to Europe coupled with the cost of transatlantic airfare prices out the riff-raff.

I've heard some real horror stories about serious drinking onFred Olsen, P&O Cruises and other British dominated cruises . Nobody beats the English when it comes to binge drinking . Again this isn't about NCL vs HAL .

[ExpatBride]

I've heard some real horror stories about serious drinking onFred Olsen, P&O Cruises and other British dominated cruises . Nobody beats the English when it comes to binge drinking . Again this isn't about NCL vs HAL .

 

I'm married to an Englishman and have had my share of pub nights.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

It seems like maybe the Caribbean experience on NCL is different to the European one?

We sailed round trip from Barcelona for a week, and I didn't see anyone who was drunk or noisy.

That's true for most lines. The main factor with Norwegian Sky is that it only sails 3 and 4 night sailings to the Bahamas. It's also the only ship in the NCL fleet that has an open bar for all passengers. Hence booze cruise.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

[debsjc]

I've heard some real horror stories about serious drinking onFred Olsen, P&O Cruises and other British dominated cruises . Nobody beats the English when it comes to binge drinking . Again this isn't about NCL vs HAL .

 

That's quite a sweeping statement. If there are British (not English, because the Welsh, Scots & Irish also drink!) binge drinking they likely wouldn't be doing it on a cruise. If you go to Daytona Beach, or Punta Cana around Spring Break, you will probably see some binge drinking there too!

[richstowe]

That's quite a sweeping statement. If there are British (not English, because the Welsh, Scots & Irish also drink!) binge drinking they likely wouldn't be doing it on a cruise. If you go to Daytona Beach, or Punta Cana around Spring Break, you will probably see some binge drinking there too!

I'm confused . Are you upset because I didn't include the Welsh, Scots and the Irish ? Regardless I wrote nobody beats the English . Perhaps there are many groups that tie them . And yes some people do binge drink when on vacation ,even a cruising vacation . And yes some drink on spring break too . So ? :rolleyes:

[3rdGenCunarder]

It seems like maybe the Caribbean experience on NCL is different to the European one?

We sailed round trip from Barcelona for a week, and I didn't see anyone who was drunk or noisy.

 

I think the Caribbean experience is different to the European one on many lines. (Probably not HAL, because of the demographic. :rolleyes:) The image of a Caribbean cruise is PARTY! I've seen it on Cunard. When they did the short July 4 "getaway cruise" on QM2 to the Caribbean, it was a mad house. They changed it to a Canada cruise, same length, and the vibe is much closer to a typical Cunard cruise.