First cruise with HAL

[hues of blue]

We are seasoned cruisers with Carnival and Celebrity and just booked our first Holland America cruise on the Zuiderdan for this November. Please tell me about this cruiseline and what to expect (or not expect).

 

Thanks

Sherri

[HELENPSL]

We are seasoned cruisers with Carnival and Celebrity and just booked our first Holland America cruise on the Zuiderdan for this November. Please tell me about this cruiseline and what to expect (or not expect).

 

Thanks

Sherri

 

Hi Sherri,

We are booked on the Zuiderdam leaving Nov. 15 for a partial transit of the Panama Canal. We did this same trip on the same ship back in Jan. 2016. I've never cruised on Celebrity but can tell you the HAL is nothing like Carnival. We just did a 6 day cruise on Carnival in June and would only cruise them again if they gave us a free cruise. HAL is much more low key. No hairy chest contests nor belly flop contests. The ship is probably smaller than the other cruiseline ships you've experienced. I think the Zuiderdam is about 1900 people. After cruising Carnival and Royal Caribbean I was afraid that the HAL ships would be too small. I found this size ship to be perfect. Not too much...just enough. We have found that the food is good in the dining room and excellent in the Pinnacle Grill which is the steak house. Of course, that is an additional per person charge but, for us, well worth it. The entertainment runs the gamut - some good, some bad. We love the BB King blues group while others have found them to be too loud. We have also found the port lectures to be good but usually pass on the sales pitches for jewelry. There is trivia around the ship and a piano bar. We tend to spend more time than we should in the casino so we are easily entertained.

 

Do you have other specific questions? Cruise Critic can provide a wealth of information. Just yell if there's anything else. I'm sure someone will know the answer.

 

Helen

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have sailed several times on the Zuiderdam and have done your itinerary.

You will find the crew very friendly and willing to help you with anything.

[hues of blue]

Hi Sherri,

We are booked on the Zuiderdam leaving Nov. 15 for a partial transit of the Panama Canal. We did this same trip on the same ship back in Jan. 2016. I've never cruised on Celebrity but can tell you the HAL is nothing like Carnival. We just did a 6 day cruise on Carnival in June and would only cruise them again if they gave us a free cruise. HAL is much more low key. No hairy chest contests nor belly flop contests. The ship is probably smaller than the other cruiseline ships you've experienced. I think the Zuiderdam is about 1900 people. After cruising Carnival and Royal Caribbean I was afraid that the HAL ships would be too small. I found this size ship to be perfect. Not too much...just enough. We have found that the food is good in the dining room and excellent in the Pinnacle Grill which is the steak house. Of course, that is an additional per person charge but, for us, well worth it. The entertainment runs the gamut - some good, some bad. We love the BB King blues group while others have found them to be too loud. We have also found the port lectures to be good but usually pass on the sales pitches for jewelry. There is trivia around the ship and a piano bar. We tend to spend more time than we should in the casino so we are easily entertained.

 

Do you have other specific questions? Cruise Critic can provide a wealth of information. Just yell if there's anything else. I'm sure someone will know the answer.

 

Helen

 

Helen,

Thank you for your reply. I also like the smaller ships better and have no desire to go on any of the 3000+ ones. We usually plan our trips about a year out so doing one this close to sailing and on a line that we know nothing about is exciting and a little nerve racking.

 

 

Sherri

[dundeene]

We are first timers on HAL sailing Zuiderdam Nov 26th. Is this the sailing you just booked?

Christine

[1ANGELCAT]

We are seasoned cruisers with Carnival and Celebrity and just booked our first Holland America cruise on the Zuiderdan for this November. Please tell me about this cruiseline and what to expect (or not expect).

 

 

 

Thanks

 

Sherri

 

 

 

Welcome to HAL. Since you have sailed on Carnival you can contact HAL Mariner society and register for a membership number with them.

You will be a 1 star mariner, which will provide you with an invite to the Mariner brunch during the voyage.

Mariner Society 800 5479139.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[hues of blue]

Welcome to HAL. Since you have sailed on Carnival you can contact HAL Mariner society and register for a membership number with them.

You will be a 1 star mariner, which will provide you with an invite to the Mariner brunch during the voyage.

Mariner Society 800 5479139.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

Thank you , I had no idea:)

 

Sherri

[hues of blue]

We are first timers on HAL sailing Zuiderdam Nov 26th. Is this the sailing you just booked?

Christine

 

Christine,

We are on the November 5th sailing, the first week after drydock:)

 

 

Sherri

[Aquahound]

We are seasoned cruisers with Carnival and Celebrity and just booked our first Holland America cruise on the Zuiderdan for this November. Please tell me about this cruiseline and what to expect (or not expect).

 

Imagine the gaudy decorated Carnival ships you've sailed, but with the service and clientele of Celebrity. There you have HAL and the Zuiderdam.

 

Yeah, I jest a little, but you get the point.

 

Typically what people find lacking on HAL is the entertainment. On the other hand, friendly service is usually their strong point. I'm not a cruise line loyalist, so I have specific likes for each line. As for HAL, I look to this line when I just want to get away and relax.

[SetAnOpenCourse]

If you like to see and hear the water, or like to take a walk, you can expect a great space for doing so (the promenade).

[High Flyer]

The Zuiderdam was our first HAL cruise along with 8 more on Signature Class ships with 3 more in the hopper. Love the Vista & Signature Ships along with their Glass Elevators. The Konningsdam has 12 elevators (no glass) for 732 more people than the Zuiderdam's 14 elevators (little fact).

We tried the Regal Princess last winter and although it's a lovely resort we never felt the connection to the sea as we do on HAL ships.

But for us, it's all about the crew. For the life of me, I can not remember what color the carpet, bedspread, drapes or wall were but I do remember our cabin steward, wait staff even the Chief Engineer.

You made a good choice. Don't forget to go online a make a reservation for the Pinnacle Grill............Enjoy

[hues of blue]

So many great answers.....exactly what I was looking for, thank you:)

 

Sherri

[Cruising-along]

We like both Celebrity and HAL (just got off a Celebrity cruise a couple days ago and are leaving on a HAL cruise in 10 days). We find the food and service to be very similar, very good on both. Celebrity has more restaurant choices and better guest performers IMO. We love BB King on the HAL ships that have them. We like HAL's itineraries and wrap around promenade deck. Now that HAL has changed their smoking policy and bottles of wine policy (bringing onboard) the two lines are more equal than ever in our eyes. :)

[yvonneh]

We like both Celebrity and HAL (just got off a Celebrity cruise a couple days ago and are leaving on a HAL cruise in 10 days). We find the food and service to be very similar, very good on both. Celebrity has more restaurant choices and better guest performers IMO. We love BB King on the HAL ships that have them. We like HAL's itineraries and wrap around promenade deck. Now that HAL has changed their smoking policy and bottles of wine policy (bringing onboard) the two lines are more equal than ever in our eyes. :)

 

I so appreciate this tread and this response! We typically book Celebrity but wanted to try another line like HAL or Princess, so I just booked a HAL cruise today for Thanksgiving. :)

[Cruising-along]

I so appreciate this tread and this response! We typically book Celebrity but wanted to try another line like HAL or Princess, so I just booked a HAL cruise today for Thanksgiving. :)

 

Glad to hear this! Another thing you will like about HAL (and many Celebrity cruisers are surprised to learn) their laundry prices are way better than Celebrity's. We have taken only 4 cruises with Celebrity so we don't have enough loyalty to get laundry deals and must pay by the piece. :eek: I think our next cruise we'll have moved up to get a couple of bags for $20 apiece.

 

You can go on your first HAL cruise and choose either the "unlimited plan" which is $7/day per cabin (charged every day of the cruise but you can send out as many bags as you wish), or by the bag (unlimited too, $20/bag, usually more in Europe), and some of the older ships even have self-laundries.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[High Flyer]

Just remembered I did a review of that first HAL cruise on the Zuiderdam. https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=36051

[avian777]

We are seasoned cruisers with Carnival and Celebrity and just booked our first Holland America cruise on the Zuiderdan for this November. Please tell me about this cruiseline and what to expect (or not expect).

 

Thanks

Sherri

In addition to the other differences noted above, you will discover that HAL has a Roman Catholic priest (who offers daily Mass) on every one of its cruises. So if spiritual renewal is an important component of your travel experience, you will be pleased by this difference.

Smooth sailing t t t

[hues of blue]

Just remembered I did a review of that first HAL cruise on the Zuiderdam. https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=36051

 

 

Thanks.....I did read it,great review

 

 

Sherri

[cccole]

My first cruise on HAL was also on the Zuiderdam. We had previously cruised on Celebritiy, Carnival, Disney, and RCL. I have not had a bad cruise and the Zuiderdam did not disappoint. I had heard that more senior HAL cruisers would possibly give the "stink eye" to younger cruisers and prepared the 3 18 years olds I was traveling with for this eventuality. This cruise was in 2008 and we continue to be good friends with people we met on that cruise. The "kids" still also keep in touch with some of the staff. The ship and the staff were wonderful and I hope that you enjoy the Zuiderdam as much as we did. Cherie

[hues of blue]

My first cruise on HAL was also on the Zuiderdam. We had previously cruised on Celebritiy, Carnival, Disney, and RCL. I have not had a bad cruise and the Zuiderdam did not disappoint. I had heard that more senior HAL cruisers would possibly give the "stink eye" to younger cruisers and prepared the 3 18 years olds I was traveling with for this eventuality. This cruise was in 2008 and we continue to be good friends with people we met on that cruise. The "kids" still also keep in touch with some of the staff. The ship and the staff were wonderful and I hope that you enjoy the Zuiderdam as much as we did. Cherie

 

Cherie,I love the "older "people on the ships and have made many friends over the years. Our last cruise on Celebrity we met a group of 16 from a retirement complex in Florida,the guys were just like the Oceans 11 guys in that movie, each one a character and all so much fun .

Sherri:)