HAL versus Carnival

[kingoftheicedragons]

I'm on my phone and can't find the search forum feature. I am looking at an itenary on HAL that includes the Guatemala stop. I normally cruise Carnival and Norwegian a couple of times. What type of differences can I expect to find between these lines and HAL?

 

We are in our 40s and my dw is concerned there may not be much to do on the ship.

[OCruisers]

HAL is much more laid back than Carnival & NCL ... but a nice cruise line.

No wild & crazy pool games/activities and that sort of thing.

HAL is great for port intensive itineries when you'll appreciate returning to a quiet ship and getting to bed early. ;)

[iancal]

We actually like both but for different reasons. Both offer good value, great service, and good food.

 

They have one thing in common for us We are very careful when selecting ships and dates on both cruise lines since both have ships that we prefer not to sail on.

[PoolSlider]

On HAL, there are far fewer children and young adults. The HAL crowd is older. There are no pool games trying to find out which male can produce the biggest belly flop. No loud music. No screaming TV screens. Not near the level of drunkenness. The buffet is non competitive and the plates are normal sized. In general it is quiet. Some people will say it is too quiet, but others will find it peaceful.

[iancal]

Our experience, albeit on only two Carnival cruises, is that if you select the ship, the itinerary, and the date carefully the demographic will be more in line with Princess and Celebtity. We do the same on HAL in order to avoid their older vessels.

 

We have never experienced the drunken or uncouth cruisers that some on this board are fond of mentioning. We found the food on both Carnival cruises to be very good, the service comparable to what we get on HAL, Princess, and Celebrity. Our opinion may differ because we never cruise during vacation periods, don't do the seven day trips. We also avoid the more glitzy ships in favor of the usual Carnival Corp standard Spirit class ship that HAL also sails.

 

Carnival is a different product. Don't expect it to be a carbon copy of HAL because it is not. If you love HAL then stick with the line. Don't be disappointed when other cruise line experiences are not the exact same as HAL because they are not meant to be. We were very apprehensive when we took our first Carnival cruise. It was very good. The environment was not anything like some of the descriptors on this forum.

Edited March 4, 2018 by iancal

[JT1962]

I'm on my phone and can't find the search forum feature. I am looking at an itenary on HAL that includes the Guatemala stop. I normally cruise Carnival and Norwegian a couple of times. What type of differences can I expect to find between these lines and HAL?

 

 

 

We are in our 40s and my dw is concerned there may not be much to do on the ship.

 

 

 

We were on the Rotterdam in January for our first HAL cruise. It will probably be our last HAL cruise, at least in the Caribbean. We chose it for the itinerary and it fit the time we could go. We have primarily cruised on Royal Caribbean and Carnival in the last 10 years and found HAL to be lacking in the quality and variety of food and entertainment options compared to those lines. We also thought the service on HAL, especially in the dining room, was below our experience on the other lines as well.

 

The ship itself was fine and the room was actually a little larger than the typical room on RCI. Nothing was horrible, and we enjoyed the ports, but we prefer more entertainment options than were offered. There was no live music on deck or at sail away and we heard very little music played that was newer than the late 1940s. This may vary based the average age of the cruisers on board, which I would say was 70+ in our cruise.

 

Many HAL cruisers say they make their own entertainment, which is fine, but many people also like to have other options as well. If entertainment is not a priority for you, and little, if any entertainment options after 9:00 pm aren’t an issue for you, then you will be fine. If you are used to and enjoy the entertainment offerings on Carnival and Norwegian, then you may be disappointed.

 

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[DAllenTCY]

If Guatemala is your point of interest, why not book a tour there?

Any ship will only spend a few hours in port.

 

David

[Tapi]

I’m a Platinum Carnival cruiser who took his first HAL cruise on the Westerdam to Alaska with 14 family members.

 

I had read so much about HAL’s “Signature of Excellence” and how much better the experience would be, that when I boarded the ship, I was a bit underwhelmed. First, I found the ship to be a bit dark and decor to be on the gloomy side. As the cruise progressed, I couldn’t quite pinpoint what was so much better about them.

 

And then, my mother pointed out what made HAL a much better cruise line. And they were mostly things that I had overlooked. She mentioned the attention to detail, like the white gloved service, the fresh flowers daily throughout the ship and in the stateroom, the room service delivered in real china, the laundry delivered in a wicker basket wrapped in tissue paper with a gold foil seal, the quality of linens and toiletries, the thick throw blankets for balcony use, the lack of unnecessary loudspeaker announcements, the more intellectually stimulating activities including lecturers, the culinary center, the multi million dollar art collection throughout the ship, the extended specialty restaurant hours, the upgraded dining experiences like Le Cirque, the more proper and deliberate use of etiquette by crew members, the daily mass service, and even the brand of dinnerware at the main dining room.

 

Long story short, HAL is a far superior product than Carnival. But only if you have an eye for things like what I mentioned above, and only if you care about attention to the small details, will you notice.

 

As mentioned by another poster, it’s a much more sedate and quiet experience, where you’ll be hard pressed to find activities that invite the lively behavior that can sometimes be found on Carnival. No hairy chest contests, no loud music at the pool (or anywhere), no big screen blaring movies or music videos, no silly pool games, no bartending competitions, and no incessant announcements encouraging people to attend the next gold by the chain, $10 watch sale, or free liquor tasting. The overall experience feels much more traditional, like what cruising used to be like decades ago. The experience at the main dining room feels more like true dining, and people take dress codes more seriously. On formal nights, you don’t see as many people rushing back to their staterooms to change into their casual wear as you do on Carnival, and overall fellow passengers are a bit older and more traveled.

 

We had an absolutely fantastic time on the Westerdam, and do consider them to be a great cruise line. But we are not rushing to book another HAL cruise soon simply because we are a family raising young and very energetic kids and HAL quite doesn’t match where we are in our lives.

 

Hope this information is helpful!

 

 

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Edited March 4, 2018 by Tapi

[*Miss G*]

[Nang]

This link should take you to a few cruises that include Guatemala https://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-search?destinations=T&months=4_2018&durations=17_200&skip=0

We are on Nieuw Amsterdam in April for a Panama Canal Cruise that includes on stop in Guatemala

[Lady Arwen]

We've sailed on Carnival four times and HAL many, many more. We haven't been on Carnival in three years and it just seemed to be less enjoyable each time. Our friends recently decided to give Carnival a try. They sail primarily with HAL and Celebrity.

 

The were not impressed at all and said that although every cruise is enjoyable, this is no longer a cruiseline that they would consider. There are no tablecloths in the MDR, unless it's formal night. Used silverware goes back onto the table between bites! People were actually using their napkins as placemats. They watched as tables were cleaned using the same cloth for every table. They felt like they were having dinner at a fast food restaurant. They thought the food was not bad, but didn't enjoy the "dining" experience.

 

I'm sorry, but this level of service is just a deal breaker for us. We don't want to feel forced to eat in a specialty restaurant, because the MDR is equivalent to the buffet. Carnival does have a very loyal following and I doubt if this is an issue for the majority of Carnival's customers. They enjoy Carnival for things that we really don't appreciate any more. Cruising provides a product for everyone, thank goodness.

[kingoftheicedragons]

Thank you all for your input. I have enjoyed all of your opinions. I think we are currently leaning more towards our other option (a RC cruise that includes Cuba) currently. I don't care about pool parties that much, or late night entertainment...we usually are in bed by 10 or 11 anyway. But maybe I should say more of what we enjoy on the cruises thus far and if they would be available to us on HAL...

 

Nightly main theatre shows

Comedy club

karaoke

piano bar

finding a small band performing music from the 60s to the 90s

movies on deck (and if so, what type of movies are they)

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

I asked my DH the question, "What is the difference between HAL and Carnival?". He jokingly shot an answer back: "About $4,000". I got a good laugh for the day on that one.

[Aquahound]

Thank you all for your input. I have enjoyed all of your opinions. I think we are currently leaning more towards our other option (a RC cruise that includes Cuba) currently. I don't care about pool parties that much, or late night entertainment...we usually are in bed by 10 or 11 anyway. But maybe I should say more of what we enjoy on the cruises thus far and if they would be available to us on HAL...

 

Nightly main theatre shows

Comedy club

karaoke

piano bar

finding a small band performing music from the 60s to the 90s

movies on deck (and if so, what type of movies are they)

 

HAL has nightly main theater shows but in my experience, they are the worst at sea. Although Carnival's aren't that great either, so it might not be too much of a difference.

You might have a comedian on board who does 1 or 2 shows, but there is no comedy club.

If HAL does karaoke, I haven't seen it.

HAL does have a piano bar and some on this board love it. Me? The only talented piano bar entertainer I've seen on HAL was on Koningsdam. Only other 3 HAL cruises, it was awful.

The BB King band, if your ship has them, might satisfy your cover band desire.

Not sure about deck movies.

[JT1962]

I am not sure which ship you are considering, but I can only speak to our recent trip on the Rotterdam.

 

Nightly main theatre shows - Our experience:

 

No welcome show the first night

Comedian / Musician - Ok

Magician - Not too entertaining

Variety show with same Comedian and Magician - Did Not Attend

Showing of BBC Planet Earth

Game show featuring questions from BBC Planet Earth

Rotterdam Singers and Dancers

Tom Jones / Neil Diamond Tribute singer

 

Comedy club - No separate club

 

karaoke - None on Rotterdam

 

piano bar - There was one but nothing like the sing-alongs on other lines

 

finding a small band performing music from the 60s to the 90s - Nothing in the Rotterdam; B B King’s on other ships may satisfy you

 

movies on deck (and if so, what type of movies are they)- Not on most HAL ships. Rotterdam did have a small theater that showed fairly current films

 

 

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[kingoftheicedragons]

I am not sure which ship you are considering, but I can only speak to our recent trip on the Rotterdam.

 

 

Thanks, this helps. I hadn't paid attention to the ship when I was looking at the itinerary, because honestly, I'm still at the point where I consider itinerary, price, and schedule before the ship. I went back and looked, and it looks like it is the Rotterdam that does the itinerary that we're considering.

[JT1962]

Thanks, this helps. I hadn't paid attention to the ship when I was looking at the itinerary, because honestly, I'm still at the point where I consider itinerary, price, and schedule before the ship. I went back and looked, and it looks like it is the Rotterdam that does the itinerary that we're considering.

 

 

 

We also look at itinerary, price and schedule prior to the ship when making our decisions. We chose the Rotterdam because it fit the time we needed and the itinerary included 2 stops we had not been to - Key West and Santo Tomas de Castillo. We enjoyed the ports, but would probably not choose this specific ship again. Other HAL ships may offer more that would interest us, but we probably will stick to RCI or Carnival in the future, all other things being equal.

 

 

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[Tapi]

I asked my DH the question, "What is the difference between HAL and Carnival?". He jokingly shot an answer back: "About $4,000". I got a good laugh for the day on that one.

 

 

 

Interestingly, one of the reasons why we chose HAL over Carnival for our cruise to Alaska was because HAL was considerably cheaper and the itinerary was better. Part of it had to do with the fact that they were offering a kids sail free promo, so our 2 kids only paid taxes. And even though the initial price was already lower than Carnival, as our sailing approached, we took advantage of several price drops, a complimentary upgrade, and boarded the ship with OBC in our account! [emoji3]

 

 

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[philbob84]

we actually like both but for different reasons. Both offer good value, great service, and good food.

 

they have one thing in common for us we are very careful when selecting ships and dates on both cruise lines since both have ships that we prefer not to sail on.

 

 

this

[albingirl]

We sailed with Carnival a few times when we were younger. Last time, we made the mistake of going during a school vacation. Too many kids running wild. Never again.

[compdo]

I’m a Platinum Carnival cruiser who took his first HAL cruise on the Westerdam to Alaska with 14 family members.

 

I had read so much about HAL’s “Signature of Excellence” and how much better the experience would be, that when I boarded the ship, I was a bit underwhelmed. First, I found the ship to be a bit dark and decor to be on the gloomy side. As the cruise progressed, I couldn’t quite pinpoint what was so much better about them.

 

And then, my mother pointed out what made HAL a much better cruise line. And they were mostly things that I had overlooked. She mentioned the attention to detail, like the white gloved service, the fresh flowers daily throughout the ship and in the stateroom, the room service delivered in real china, the laundry delivered in a wicker basket wrapped in tissue paper with a gold foil seal, the quality of linens and toiletries, the thick throw blankets for balcony use, the lack of unnecessary loudspeaker announcements, the more intellectually stimulating activities including lecturers, the culinary center, the multi million dollar art collection throughout the ship, the extended specialty restaurant hours, the upgraded dining experiences like Le Cirque, the more proper and deliberate use of etiquette by crew members, the daily mass service, and even the brand of dinnerware at the main dining room.

 

Long story short, HAL is a far superior product than Carnival. But only if you have an eye for things like what I mentioned above, and only if you care about attention to the small details, will you notice.

 

As mentioned by another poster, it’s a much more sedate and quiet experience, where you’ll be hard pressed to find activities that invite the lively behavior that can sometimes be found on Carnival. No hairy chest contests, no loud music at the pool (or anywhere), no big screen blaring movies or music videos, no silly pool games, no bartending competitions, and no incessant announcements encouraging people to attend the next gold by the chain, $10 watch sale, or free liquor tasting. The overall experience feels much more traditional, like what cruising used to be like decades ago. The experience at the main dining room feels more like true dining, and people take dress codes more seriously. On formal nights, you don’t see as many people rushing back to their staterooms to change into their casual wear as you do on Carnival, and overall fellow passengers are a bit older and more traveled.

 

We had an absolutely fantastic time on the Westerdam, and do consider them to be a great cruise line. But we are not rushing to book another HAL cruise soon simply because we are a family raising young and very energetic kids and HAL quite doesn’t match where we are in our lives.

 

Hope this information is helpful!

 

 

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I would say HAL is “old, traditional “. Whether you like that or not is personal preference. IE. On formal night on HAL there was maybe 2-3 men NOT wearing tuxedos. On NCL(never done Carnival) there was maybe 2-3 WITH tuxedos. I’d call HAL stodgy and old school. I like the little touches. String quartet playing, quiet. But that isn’t for everyone.

 

 

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[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Interestingly, one of the reasons why we chose HAL over Carnival for our cruise to Alaska was because HAL was considerably cheaper and the itinerary was better. Part of it had to do with the fact that they were offering a kids sail free promo, so our 2 kids only paid taxes. And even though the initial price was already lower than Carnival, as our sailing approached, we took advantage of several price drops, a complimentary upgrade, and boarded the ship with OBC in our account! [emoji3]

 

 

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I am happy you got great deals. I don't think I've been as lucky. Maybe it was where I sailed or when I was sailing but I have always found HAL more expensive by far over Carnival. Of course, I have no kids in tow...just us.

I have gotten a fabulous deal on pricing on Celebrity next November. When I heard the price I thought it was for one passenger but it was for two...and a 10 day cruise at that. I guess I was numb from HAL pricing and was shocked when I actally scored a great deal. That's why my DH made the comment he did and I had a good chuckle for the day!

[jilly08]

I am also a Platinum Carnival Cruiser. I will be sailing on HAL for the first time at the end of the month. One of the main reasons I started looking at different lines was because of the dining room changes. I love to be a bit pampered when I am on vacation. I look forward to the more formal dining experiences--napkin in your lap, table clothes, charger plates--just a more upscale experience. The other reason is ship size. I loathe the mega-ships and prefer the smaller cruise ships.

 

For several years, I chose Carnival ships that had not yet been converted to the "American Table" experience.... until that was no longer a choice for the Caribbean. Last year, we chose the Sunshine and while the dining experience--among other things---was not the best, it didn't spoil my cruise either. I just know now that I prefer the more formal experience of what I would now call an equivalent to eating at Chili's or Applebee's. In addition, I felt the new menu was rather underwhelming overall.

(there is a link in my signature for my travel blog if you would like more information. We sailed last year over spring break)

 

The last time I was on the Carnival Legend, it was moving from Alaska to Australia for the season and that ship still had the old dining--and I loved it. I'm not sure how it operates now though.

 

It will be interesting to see how this cruise, dining - wise, will stack up to my expectations. I will be posting a review.

 

I've only been on 1 Princess cruise--and I thought it was the best cruise I've ever been on. Although, it sailed around Tahiti and it was only 640 passengers--so that may be part of it. But the other thing was the service. I've never felt so special and pampered in my life. It was 10 days of heaven.

[bennybear]

I would say HAL is “old, traditional “. Whether you like that or not is personal preference. IE. On formal night on HAL there was maybe 2-3 men NOT wearing tuxedos. On NCL(never done Carnival) there was maybe 2-3 WITH tuxedos. I’d call HAL stodgy and old school. I like the little touches. String quartet playing, quiet. But that isn’t for everyone.

 

 

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Haven’t been tuxes on HAL for awhile, Gala nights a collared shirt and pants works for many.

[Herfnerd]

Sailed HAL for the first time last September to Alaska - up until then, Carnival, RCCL an NCL. Enjoyed the Eurodam immensely

 

Made the mistake of sailing NCL on the Sky to Bahamas with its unlimited drinks include in the price of the cruise - young adults trashed all over and getting sick in public places. We've sailed on Carnival Booze Cruises before but nothing compared to this. Our own fault but sorta turned us off to NCL .