X cruiser tries HAL.

[Muushka]

18 hours ago, podsnel said:

We are booked on our first HAL (also on NS) this December and I will be on my 5th Celebrity when I board Edge 1 week from today!  Thank you so much for the comparison- we really love Celebrity, but are looking forward to all of that amazing music (and the wine blending) in addition to new ports on HAL. 😊

 

While we didn't do the blending, the venue was very nice and we had a couple glasses of wine there.  Each evening between 9-10 they have their Chateau St. Michelle wines half price.  While checking it out we saw several couples who had done the blend and seemed to enjoy it.  The wine there was delicious.

3 hours ago, 4774Papa said:

We never booked HAL, since until a couple of years ago it had the worst smoking policy of all the cruise lines.

I think it must have attracted smokers.  We did a cruise to Alaska (on NCL-it went to Glacier Bay) and found our own post-cruise land trip that went to Denali.   We were the first on the bus that goes all the way through Denali and before entering the park stopped at another hotel to pickup about 40 HAL passengers.  The smoke odor was awful.  There was no smoking on the bus, but many of the HAL people must have had it on their clothes.  We had to put up with that odor all day.

 

Have read positive reviews of HAL, so it seems they provide a good product, but I wonder if they still attract the smokers?

 

We thought that the smoking interfered with our nostrils about as much as it does on X.  We could usually avoid cutting through the casino but if we did, we just walked quickly and it really was not that bad.  There was also smoking on the pool deck aft just on one side.  Again, not that bad.  And we detest the smell of cigarette smoke.  I did not see any more smokers on HAL than I do on X.  But then again this was a big holiday cruise so the pax mix may have been a bit skewed.

2 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

We just cancelled a cruise on the brand new Nieuw Statendam due to smoking concerns.  I know it’s only in the casino...some say there are non smoking nights periodically, but enough recent posts re smoke coming out of the casino into the common areas and stairwells that we decided to give it a pass.  (Both on the Koningsdam and the new sister ship, the NS).  We work too hard for our money to put it into something with a high probability of being aggravating or intrusive.  We like HAL but for that one thing.  They’ve come a long way in FINALLY doing away with smoking on balconies but not far enough to meet our expectations.

It sounds like you are pretty much against even trying HAL, your prerogative.  But as I said above, I found the smoke no worse than X. 

44 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

Thanks for the post...very helpful

Can you give us an idea on age range on each ship.

TYIA

Again, we were on a holiday cruise so the age mix I'm sure was not the normal mix.  Perhaps someone else can chime in. 

29 minutes ago, Eloise4Ever said:

Thanks for your review Muushka. We are keen to try out HALs newest ships. In fact we did have Nieuw Statendam booked for this coming October but cancelled it when we came across a really good deal on X. I was also concerned about smoking on NS. Can you tell me if the Casino on NS is open to other public spaces via a staircase? A lot of people complained that smoke from the casino on Koningsdam came down the staircase to the music lounges. The hope was that HAL would change the design on NS and take out the staircase. I am hoping you can tell me that they did.

We did not notice cigarette smoke odor other than in the casino, not in any stairwells or common areas.  I remember that they did not have it closed off, you didn't enter through a door, but that is a great idea!  They have a large glass door between music venues, why couldn't they do it for the casino?  But really, smoke was not an issue for us.

[mafig]

21 hours ago, mafig said:

We've only done two cruises on HAL but both of those we liked very much.

 

How was the Meet & Mingle.?  On our two cruises, they included cocktails and names were taken and those in attendance were also invited to HAL's VIP Party.  Probably not still doing that, but it was nice.

 

Ice cream in the buffet?  There was a large variety and they had liquors for toppings.  Still?

 

 

 

[TeaBag]

Great comparison, Muushka.  Thank You.  We may have to try HAL some day.

[Palms2Pines2Sea]

Interesting thread, and great comparisons. We have always liked HAL, and have consistently found the standard of service to be superior to Celebrity. But all things considered, we have gravitated mostly towards Celebrity.

I think it's fascinating to look at HAL's latest ship (Nieuw Statendam) and Celebrity's Edge. I've always said that Celebrity has a great deal of allegiance from the baby boomers, but the boomers' parents sail on HAL. And in looking at these two new ships, it seems that HAL, with the NS, is making a STRONG stride towards courting the boomers. I'm not sure who Celebrity is going after with the Edge...(I will find out myself when the prices come down!).

For anyone looking for some livelier entertainment options, particularly live musical performances, I would encourage a look at HAL's Nieuw Statendam.

😎

 

[4774Papa]

1 hour ago, Muushka said:

 

While we didn't do the blending, the venue was very nice and we had a couple glasses of wine there.  Each evening between 9-10 they have their Chateau St. Michelle wines half price.  While checking it out we saw several couples who had done the blend and seemed to enjoy it.  The wine there was delicious.

 

We thought that the smoking interfered with our nostrils about as much as it does on X.  We could usually avoid cutting through the casino but if we did, we just walked quickly and it really was not that bad.  There was also smoking on the pool deck aft just on one side.  Again, not that bad.  And we detest the smell of cigarette smoke.  I did not see any more smokers on HAL than I do on X.  But then again this was a big holiday cruise so the pax mix may have been a bit skewed.

It sounds like you are pretty much against even trying HAL, your prerogative.  But as I said above, I found the smoke no worse than X. 

Again, we were on a holiday cruise so the age mix I'm sure was not the normal mix.  Perhaps someone else can chime in. 

We did not notice cigarette smoke odor other than in the casino, not in any stairwells or common areas.  I remember that they did not have it closed off, you didn't enter through a door, but that is a great idea!  They have a large glass door between music venues, why couldn't they do it for the casino?  But really, smoke was not an issue for us.

Since we have loyalty benefits on Celebrity, Royal C. and NCL, HAL would have to exceed in some tangible way over one of the others, such as price or itinerary.   We tend to book early and we have noticed that HAL tends to offer more bargains close to the cruise, which is too late for us.  Also, we check Princess and just haven't see HAL or Princess offer a better deal than one of our three favorites.

[GeorgiaPeach51]

1 hour ago, Muushka said:

 

While we didn't do the blending, the venue was very nice and we had a couple glasses of wine there.  Each evening between 9-10 they have their Chateau St. Michelle wines half price.  While checking it out we saw several couples who had done the blend and seemed to enjoy it.  The wine there was delicious.

 

We thought that the smoking interfered with our nostrils about as much as it does on X.  We could usually avoid cutting through the casino but if we did, we just walked quickly and it really was not that bad.  There was also smoking on the pool deck aft just on one side.  Again, not that bad.  And we detest the smell of cigarette smoke.  I did not see any more smokers on HAL than I do on X.  But then again this was a big holiday cruise so the pax mix may have been a bit skewed.

It sounds like you are pretty much against even trying HAL, your prerogative.  But as I said above, I found the smoke no worse than X. 

Again, we were on a holiday cruise so the age mix I'm sure was not the normal mix.  Perhaps someone else can chime in. 

We did not notice cigarette smoke odor other than in the casino, not in any stairwells or common areas.  I remember that they did not have it closed off, you didn't enter through a door, but that is a great idea!  They have a large glass door between music venues, why couldn't they do it for the casino?  But really, smoke was not an issue for us.

 

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Muushka,  we actually tried two different HAL cruises previously, one on the Nieuw Amsterdam, and one on the Oosterdam....not willing to say three would be a charm.  So, we DID give it a shot and that is how we knew it would be a waste of our money to try the Nieuw Statendam.  As long as there is smoking in the casino it is buyer beware for us.

 

One issue that we know for a fact is that supposedly only active players can smoke in the smoking section (as if there can be such a thing in an open casino).  However, that is not enforced and lots of sneaky smokers would come in and grab a quick smoke then leave...so that just increased the smoke issues for non smokers.  No, thank you.  YUK.

[Cruising Divers]

4 hours ago, Muushka said:

We thought that the smoking interfered with our nostrils about as much as it does on X.  We could usually avoid cutting through the casino but if we did, we just walked quickly and it really was not that bad.  There was also smoking on the pool deck aft just on one side.  Again, not that bad.  And we detest the smell of cigarette smoke.  I did not see any more smokers on HAL than I do on X.  But then again this was a big holiday cruise so the pax mix may have been a bit skewed.

It sounds like you are pretty much against even trying HAL, your prerogative.  But as I said above, I found the smoke no worse than X. 

 

We had the exact same experiences as well. In fact it probably bothered us more on X than it did on HAL (which was minimal-no at all) because the top-side smoking area on our X cruise was at the seating at a bar we would sometimes frequent and have to wait at for 5-10 minutes to be served at. Basically on X we were “standing in the smoke” vs on HAL where we “walked past the smoke”.

 

Regardless, on both lines it was minimal at most and both lines provided us an amazing experience that we’d be thrilled to repeat. We’ve been looking for another X cruise to take after our next cruise (which departs in 55+/- days from now) but haven’t found anything so I think we’ll look into one of the two new HAL ships! I also really like the thought of a reduced single supplement fee on HAL to possibly take my DM on her first trip... Thank you!

 

 

[chemmo]

What a great review to read! So easy to see the positives and negatives, a real factual report.

 

Whilst X loyalists we are struggling with the really expensive cruise prices in the Mediterranean (and the lack of S class ships) to the point of beginning to browse other lines...

 

We usually book RS on X and do love the fact that when we board we have unlimited speciality dining, in suite bar set up, premium drinks package and laundry. You mentioned you can pay daily for laundry, are there drinks packages and speciality dining packages available or do you just buy as you go?

 

Also we love a suite with a real separate bedroom and living area, are there any suites like this on HAL?

[ricka47]

21 hours ago, Fogfog said:

Thanks for the post...very helpful

Can you give us an idea on age range on each ship.

TYIA

For this cruise (and maybe because it was a holiday cruise - Thanksgiving) the ages were about the same as on X.  

[woody14h]

21 hours ago, Eloise4Ever said:

Thanks for your review Muushka. We are keen to try out HALs newest ships. In fact we did have Nieuw Statendam booked for this coming October but cancelled it when we came across a really good deal on X. I was also concerned about smoking on NS. Can you tell me if the Casino on NS is open to other public spaces via a staircase? A lot of people complained that smoke from the casino on Koningsdam came down the staircase to the music lounges. The hope was that HAL would change the design on NS and take out the staircase. I am hoping you can tell me that they did.

We did the K last year TA. Problem was you had to go through the casino to access forward or aft. We are 3 star with HAL. HAL was our first 10 years of cruising. Always happy with the service and food.  Smoking policies were similar across the board at that time. Tried X and found very similar service with decent food. Became  Elite plus with X.  Perks and smoking are a deciding factor.  I had written to HAL that we would never cruise on the K if they continue with their smoking policy. Totally offensive. Still won't discount HAL other ships as they have a great line in many areas.  Music, shows, aesthetics.

[The Odd Couple]

We are taking our first cruise with Celebrity on 18 February.  We are 4-star mariners on HAL, so of course have quite a few perks like free laundry, welcome aboard fizz and nibbles, free wine tasting, complimentary night at the Pinnacle Grill and 50% off speciality coffees etc.  We sometimes get a free drinks package too.  We do love HAL, so will be very interested in trying out Reflection for the first time.

[miched]

The problem with allowing smoking inside an enclosed area like the casino is the smoke that drifts out into other areas.  If it is an area you have to walk thru the smoke odor sticks to your clothing.   The clothing issue is really bad when you are seated somewhere else a a smoker sits next to you.  

 

It is as bad as that smelly perfume store that stinks up the surrounding areas or those that douse themselves with that crap so everyone on the ship can smell it and leave a trail of where they were.  

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Oceangoer2]

On 1/30/2019 at 1:33 PM, Cruise Junky said:

 

LOL  I so read that as Nightlife 🙂

I read it as night light in the bathroom so you're not walking around in the dark...I like that feature also.  Great comparisons, thank you!

Edited February 6, 2019 by oceangoer2

[The Odd Couple]

20 hours ago, oceangoer2 said:

I read it as night light in the bathroom so you're not walking around in the dark...I like that feature also.  Great comparisons, thank you!

We had a nightlight in our cabin and in the bathroom in our Signature suite on HAL.

[puppycanducruise]

Interesting comparisons.

Thanks.

[Muushka]

On 2/5/2019 at 4:21 AM, chemmo said:

What a great review to read! So easy to see the positives and negatives, a real factual report.

 

Whilst X loyalists we are struggling with the really expensive cruise prices in the Mediterranean (and the lack of S class ships) to the point of beginning to browse other lines...

 

We usually book RS on X and do love the fact that when we board we have unlimited speciality dining, in suite bar set up, premium drinks package and laundry. You mentioned you can pay daily for laundry, are there drinks packages and speciality dining packages available or do you just buy as you go?

 

Also we love a suite with a real separate bedroom and living area, are there any suites like this on HAL?

 

Hi Chemmo,

HAL does have a specialty dining package and drinks package, but we didn't do either so I can't comment.  Since it was a brand new cruise line for us we wanted to give the MDR our undivided attention.

We love those suites with a separate bedroom too and I believe HAL has them also.

 

If you ever do a HAL cruise, try that unlimited laundry.  I just went to my closet and found a cotton blouse and black jeans that were so nicely ironed, I knew I hadn't done that great a job.  I must have brought them home clean.  Thanks HAL!

[chemmo]

2 hours ago, Muushka said:

 

Hi Chemmo,

HAL does have a specialty dining package and drinks package, but we didn't do either so I can't comment.  Since it was a brand new cruise line for us we wanted to give the MDR our undivided attention.

We love those suites with a separate bedroom too and I believe HAL has them also.

 

If you ever do a HAL cruise, try that unlimited laundry.  I just went to my closet and found a cotton blouse and black jeans that were so nicely ironed, I knew I hadn't done that great a job.  I must have brought them home clean.  Thanks HAL!

Thanks Muushka...We are now looking at HAL as well as MSC and Princess as possible alternative cruise lines. Just looked at Edge prices with new discounts, I could still buy a new family car and have change rather than book a top suite! We will continue to ‘browse’ hence our real appreciation of those of you are willing to evaluate in such a constructive manner cruise comparisons.

[Muushka]

I appreciate that.  And I always appreciate your posts and reports.  So helpful.  Check out the suite prices on Reflection longer cruises, Nov, Dec (oops, Caribbean).  We didn't get a RS (one of these days on an S class we will try one) but there were some good prices.  We got an S1 for a very reasonable price.

We were very interested in MSC Yacht Club but lately I have been reading some negative reviews on their food.  Princess has their Club level but I am afraid it won't be as good as Luminae. Let us hear what you decide.  Enjoy the hunt!

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, Muushka said:

I appreciate that.  And I always appreciate your posts and reports.  So helpful.  Check out the suite prices on Reflection longer cruises, Nov, Dec (oops, Caribbean).  We didn't get a RS (one of these days on an S class we will try one) but there were some good prices.  We got an S1 for a very reasonable price.

We were very interested in MSC Yacht Club but lately I have been reading some negative reviews on their food.  Princess has their Club level but I am afraid it won't be as good as Luminae. Let us hear what you decide.  Enjoy the hunt!

 

Muushka, we may decide to buy the new family car!

 

We are on the Equinox in September post Revolution and back on the Eclipse pre Revolution next October....so we aren’t without choices.

 

What our real dilemma is we don’t want to leave X, no issues, it is just that the prices and choices in the Med this summer are not for us....No S class option, a very expensive Edge and two M class ships in need of upgrading...Our cash is likely to go to in another direction be it an alternative cruise line, a Med villa break or perhaps just enjoying our wonderful green and pleasant land...

 

Once again thanks for your review.