Princess vs. HAL 10 Day Panama Canal

[chill6x6]

Good morning,

Hope each of you had a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Quick question...(kinda).  I've had the 10 day Panama Canal Sunfarer aboard Zuiderdam booked for several months in a NS.  Kinda been watching for a price drop as I knew it was priced too much when I booked.  Princess has a very similar cruise, 10 day Panama Canal with Costa Rica and Caribbean aboard Crown Princess for a good bit less.  It was less when I booked but I kinda wanted to stick with HAL.  Now Princess has added some nice perks.  Of course HAL, not much change...  Here's what we are looking at:

 

HAL NS- $9428, no perks.

Princess VS- $8238, PLUS $300 OBC, included wifi, 2 free wine bottle vouchers, and one night specialty dining(what would be two total)

 

Any WAY the HAL cruise is worth $1200 more with no perks?

 

THANKS!

[CruiserBruce]

"Worth" is something only you can determine. But you might wonder why Princess needs to incentivize sales...and HAL doesn't. 

[deliver42]

To me it's a no brainer. Princess.

[Roz]

I did a 10-day cruise on the Coral Princess for this very reason.  The price difference was enough to pay for my airfare and pre-cruise hotel.  The Zuiderdam was right behind us going in and out of the Canal.  Can't explain the price difference, but don't hesitate to book Princess.

[pete_coach]

We cancelled out Panama Canal cruise on HAL based on comments on this forum abut lack of things to do onboard. Entertainment is lacking, and repetitive and lectures all but eliminated. With so many sea days on the cruise, it just did not fit our idea of a good vacation.

Just going on a cruise to "relax" is one thing but, it should also be more than sitting in a chair and raeding.

[GrammieK]

Question:  how does princess vs compare to a Neptune suite?  We did a top suite on princess years ago (one and done) and the balcony was tiny!  

And don’t forget the Neptune lounge!

[Stateroom_Sailor]

I would be tempted to go with Princess to save $1,200.  Though there's a free gratuity promo at the moment on HAL, which may offset the difference a bit.

 

 

[RocketMan275]

Dilemma.  I can save (once OBC and TA discounts) are factored in about $1000 from switching from HAL to Princess.  However, the HAL cruise is a 11 day cruise and the Princess cruise is a 10 day cruise.  Just about a toss up.

 

Edited November 29, 2019 by RocketMan275

[RocketMan275]

23 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Dilemma.  I can save (once OBC and TA discounts) are factored in about $1000 from switching from HAL to Princess.  However, the HAL cruise is a 11 day cruise and the Princess cruise is a 10 day cruise.  Just about a toss up.

 

Forgot to mention.  Wife is trying to get her son and his wife to join us on this cruise.  They won a 'free cruise' on their last Holland cruise which they could credit to this cruise.  Very doubtful wife would approve switch.

 

FWIW, son and wife have been on four cruises.  They've won several hundred at bingo on each cruise plus winning the free cruise lottery on their last one.

[Vict0riann]

Do check with HAL and see what they will do for you on the cyber sale through Monday.  I believe there are free gratuities and a drinks package for a suite.  

[Floridiana]

2 hours ago, pete_coach said:

We cancelled out Panama Canal cruise on HAL based on comments on this forum abut lack of things to do onboard. Entertainment is lacking, and repetitive and lectures all but eliminated.

 

 

Amazing. I would never cancel or book a  cruise based on a forum. On our recent Koningsdam cruise, there were 2 lecturers on a variety of topics; we had BBKings, a rock band, piano, classical music, interviews with artists and crew members, magicians, comics, singers, trivia. Complaints about the lack of entertainment mean that none of it was to their taste. Your taste may be different. 

[RuthC]

10 minutes ago, Floridiana said:

Complaints about the lack of entertainment mean that none of it was to their taste.

Or, it could mean they were booked on a ship that doesn't have those venues. BB King, the Rock Band, and a few other things to do in the evening are not available on all ships. 

[iancal]

No brainer.  We would bail on HAL and book the Princess.   That delta is enought for another short cruise!

 

And keep monitoring the prices.

 

[pete_coach]

4 hours ago, Floridiana said:

 

 

Amazing. I would never cancel or book a  cruise based on a forum. On our recent Koningsdam cruise, there were 2 lecturers on a variety of topics; we had BBKings, a rock band, piano, classical music, interviews with artists and crew members, magicians, comics, singers, trivia. Complaints about the lack of entertainment mean that none of it was to their taste. Your taste may be different. 

Well, if there is enough constant negativity, like on this thread alone and this forum for HAL is full of negative issues and complaints, it makes you reconsider before you spent $12K plus air fare and hotels. Cruise Critic is not the only place I have read bad reviews and issues.

So, while it may be amazing to you, it is prudent research for me and left me with enough doubts, I made my decision based on that.

I suppose you do not believe what you read and go and it turns out exactly as they said,...I would then be reading your comments and complaints.  🙂

I saved a lot of money and will find something else. As so many say, I speak with my money.

[chill6x6]

Thanks for the replies!  Very useful replies!

 

I posted on THIS forum because I knew I would get a straightforward unbiased answer.  That's not so on some boards..

 

I don't know the exact "perks" of what Princess offers with a suite other than basically what I read on line.  I know some ships DO  have a "suite lounge" but don't really know if the Crown does or not.  I don't THINK it does.  

 

I've been on Ruby Princess....If I were guessing I'd prob say entertainment as a whole MIGHT be slightly better on Princess.  Cabins and balconies....both aft facing...probably pretty equal.

 

I like the idea of giving HAL a call and see what the best they can do is.  Prices above are just the best online.

[Granny DI]

We cruise all the lines. We used to prefer Princess. I cancelled our Jan 2020 Princess Cruise and booked a Jan 2020 HAL cruise after our last Princess Cruise.  Don’t think we’ll go back to Princess but who knows. We have 3 future cruises booked....HAL, NCL and RCCL.

 

[RocketMan275]

14 hours ago, pete_coach said:

Well, if there is enough constant negativity, like on this thread alone and this forum for HAL is full of negative issues and complaints, it makes you reconsider before you spent $12K plus air fare and hotels. Cruise Critic is not the only place I have read bad reviews and issues.

So, while it may be amazing to you, it is prudent research for me and left me with enough doubts, I made my decision based on that.

I suppose you do not believe what you read and go and it turns out exactly as they said,...I would then be reading your comments and complaints.  🙂

I saved a lot of money and will find something else. As so many say, I speak with my money.

If  you're basing  your choice of cruises on negative comments on CC threads, you will never cruise again.  Every forum on cruise critic (doesn't matter which cruise line) is includes the same negative comments you find on the Holland forums, ie, declining services, increased costs, etc.  

Things are changing in the world of cruising and many of the 'experienced' cruisers don't like it so they come to cruise critic to lament the passing of the long past golden days of yore.

Edited November 30, 2019 by RocketMan275

[pete_coach]

14 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

If  you're basing  your choice of cruises on negative comments on CC threads, you will never cruise again.  Every forum on cruise critic (doesn't matter which cruise line) is includes the same negative comments you find on the Holland forums, ie, declining services, increased costs, etc.  

Things are changing in the world of cruising and many of the 'experienced' cruisers don't like it so they come to cruise critic to lament the passing of the long past golden days of yore.

As I said, I made a decision after reading this and other forums as well as reviews from many sources.

I am quite aware of the changes in cruising. I am a seasoned cruiser, just not a HAL cruiser. I chose HAL for an itinerary, which is how we always choose our cruises. It is not a matter of not liking change as I do like change. It is a matter of reduction and elimination of activities.

Those of you that think "the golden days of yore" were so great, stop imagining, they were not. The old ships were not much more than steamers, cabins were very basic, food was so so and, there was no entertainment unless there was a piano player onboard. We had passengers play piano as much as the paid people so, there were no real "golden days" unless you were on trans Atlantic on Cunard first class. Today's ships are far better, as is the food and service and the entertainment on most is excellent.

Also, as I have mentioned, the ship we were booked on has been getting negative reviews not only for the condition of the ship but the crew  as well, not just from one source but too many.

Lastly, for the amount of money we were about to spend, I was not going to gamble and take the chance of all the negativity being untrue.

[Walfam]

23 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Dilemma.  I can save (once OBC and TA discounts) are factored in about $1000 from switching from HAL to Princess.  However, the HAL cruise is a 11 day cruise and the Princess cruise is a 10 day cruise.  Just about a toss up.

 

Some of the price difference is because  the 10-day cruise (whether HAL or Princess) does not stop in Cartagena, Colombia, so less port fees in the fare.  

 

We did the 11-day HAL Panama Canal cruise earlier this year and if I could do it over again, I would do the 10-day instead.  Cartagena was not worth it to us, after stopping there.  JMO  The half-day stop there was not enough time,   we sat in traffic 50% of the time, and barely made it back to the ship from our non-HAL shore excursion.  With a day at sea after that port, I was sweating bullets until safely back on the ship.

 

Princess has the MUTS and it might be a nightly thing?  IDK  My sister and her hubby only cruise on  Princess, and they  like the MUTS.  We like to sit out on our balcony at night.   Having a movie blaring on the top deck would not appeal to us, so we stay with HAL.  We could hear the Princess movie/music two docks over in FLL port, the morning we returned.  Ugh.

  That's not to say we will never cruise on Princess (never say never)  but just for now, we prefer a quiet balcony in the evening.

[cruzn single]

Have not sailed on Princess, so I will only give my perspective on Zuiderdam.  I sailed for 21 days in October starting in Quebec City to Fort Lauderdale, and then Sunfarer (10 days) r/t FLL.  Ship was in nice condition, crew I encountered were friendly and so very willing to serve in any possible, and food was quite good.  I would not hesitate for a minute booking another PC on Zuiderdam but I want to discover other itineraries. 
 

And, by the way, Zuiderdam goes into dry dock soon after first of December.  Captain told us in Q&A that “only” $10,000,000 will be spent on interior!

[RocketMan275]

30 minutes ago, Walfam said:

Some of the price difference is because  the 10-day cruise (whether HAL or Princess) does not stop in Cartagena, Colombia, so less port fees in the fare.  

 

We did the 11-day HAL Panama Canal cruise earlier this year and if I could do it over again, I would do the 10-day instead.  Cartagena was not worth it to us, after stopping there.  JMO  The half-day stop there was not enough time,   we sat in traffic 50% of the time, and barely made it back to the ship from our non-HAL shore excursion.  With a day at sea after that port, I was sweating bullets until safely back on the ship.

 

Princess has the MUTS and it might be a nightly thing?  IDK  My sister and her hubby only cruise on  Princess, and they  like the MUTS.  We like to sit out on our balcony at night.   Having a movie blaring on the top deck would not appeal to us, so we stay with HAL.  We could hear the Princess movie/music two docks over in FLL port, the morning we returned.  Ugh.

  That's not to say we will never cruise on Princess (never say never)  but just for now, we prefer a quiet balcony in the evening.

Funny, but I choose the 11 day just because I wanted to visit Cartagena.  I'm retired military and I like to visit forts.

Not only does Princess play the MUTS, they play it continuously.  Daylight and night.  We too like our quiet balconies which is a big plus for HAL.  We've reserved one of those huge deck five aft wraps for our Panama cruise.  We also have a Princess scheduled but it also is in an aft suite.  We've been on aft balconies before and were never able to hear the MUTS.

[iancal]

We are not in the least hung up on the cruise line.  We shop itineraries, specific ship,  and price.  Don't really care if it is Celebrity, Princess, HAL, whatever as long as we feel the ships, service, products are comparable.    We would, and have, switched to HAL from a Princess cruise.  Everything was comparable based on our preferences except the 20 percent price advantage from HAL over the competition.  

 

Forget about the notion that if one cruise line ship is priced higher that another on the same itinerary/date, the higher priced must be better.  Often this is  simply not the case.  Pricing is dynamic and based on a vendor's demand/supply algorithm.   Look how often pricing can change on an itinerary.  Up, down, up again....  In our case we always want a verandah.  Typically the newer ships have a much higher percentage of verandah cabins and this often shows up in the pricing matrix  when comparing ships with a few percentage of verandah cabins.

Edited November 30, 2019 by iancal

[creel5857]

We sail HAL and Princess.......for entertainment we would give Princess the edge up.  We choose first based on itinerary, then secondly on cost and how recent ship has been refurbished.  But if all things were even, we would go princess due to night time shows.  HAL lacks a bit on night time entertainment to us

[RocketMan275]

We're one of those couples who couldn't care less about entertainment provided by the cruise line.  If the cruise lines cancelled the entertainment to lower fares, that's fine with us.

[Stateroom_Sailor]

2 hours ago, cruzn single said:

Have not sailed on Princess, so I will only give my perspective on Zuiderdam.  I sailed for 21 days in October starting in Quebec City to Fort Lauderdale, and then Sunfarer (10 days) r/t FLL.  Ship was in nice condition, crew I encountered were friendly and so very willing to serve in any possible, and food was quite good.  I would not hesitate for a minute booking another PC on Zuiderdam but I want to discover other itineraries. 
 

And, by the way, Zuiderdam goes into dry dock soon after first of December.  Captain told us in Q&A that “only” $10,000,000 will be spent on interior!

 

Great to hear, we chose Rotterdam 14 night from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale in a Vista Suite for $2,600 in the Fall of 2021.  A very similar itinerary on Princess, suites start at $3,600.  I have not sailed Princess yet, prefer sticking to HAL, and so far that choice has been easy.  Eventually, price and itinerary may lean the other way.