HAL For Thirty-Somethings?

[WillWorkForCruise121]

Hey everyone,

 

My wife and I are pretty experienced cruisers having taken about a dozen different cruises on various cruise lines including:  Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, NCL and Royal Caribbean.   We have never taken a HAL cruise because we have heard it's not well-suited to people under 55 but wonder if that is an outdated viewpoint of this cruise line.  

 

For some context...I am 39 and my wife is 33, we are not into rock climbing walls and waterslides but enjoy the bars and fun activities on RCCL.   Celebrity up to now is probably our favorite cruise line just edging out Royal.  We enjoy the unique bars, specialty restaurants and entertainment on board.  We don't have kids and don't typically enjoy the craziness of the main pool on lines like Royal and Carnival.  We tend to gravitate to the adults only areas for relaxation.  We are both into dining and appreciate good food and trying new things.  We aren't big into the party/dance type of thing but do enjoy listening to musical acts in lounges on ships while sipping cocktails.  I am admittedly a big fan of Karaoke and we typically do it at least 1 or 2 times per cruise. 

 

I recently looked at some ship tours on YouTube of the Koningsdam and was impressed with what I saw.   The ships amenities look very appealing to us and we are considering a cruise to Alaska next year on this ship.   To those that have been on HAL...Do we sound like people that would enjoy HAL?  Are there any others in a similar situation to us that either enjoyed HAL or didn't?   Just curious what the feedback is from those that have sailed on this cruise line.   Many thanks in advance for responses 😃

[Charlies Aunt]

HAL does have great music for most tastes. Some of the larger ships also have the Tamarind Asian restaurant which is a great change from the French or grills of most cruise lines.

 

Another line I would consider is Azamara there is a great deal of fun to be had on those somewhat smaller ships and they have great country intensive itineraries and an overall great atmosphere on board.

[roxybear135]

My fiancé and I are both 35.  We went on an Alaska cruise in August on HAL (on the Nieuw Amsterdam).  I've done about 5-6 cruises (including doing the same cruise about 6 years ago) but my fiancé had never been on a cruise before.  He absolutely loved it and I had a good time but thought there was less to do than other cruise lines I've been on (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Disney).  

 

I thought the ship was nice and the service was great.  The menus lacked options which was disappointing but overall the food was good and some nights it was great.  We loved Tamarind and Nami sushi so I definitely recommend those.  

 

I thought that there wasn't as much to do on board from what I could remember on past cruises (I last cruised the Mediterranean on Celebrity in 2018).  Some things that I remember enjoying from past cruises that were not on this one were art auctions, cooking demonstrations, and improv class.  The music was great on HAL and I really enjoyed the piano bar and the blues club.  I thought the shows and entertainers were good but I remember the ones on Celebrity were fantastic.

 

Overall, I liked my HAL cruise and we're going down to Mexico on the Koningsdam for NYE (we got a free cruise offer thanks to my fiance's gambling in the casino) but I don't know if HAL would be my first choice if I were to pay for another cruise.  If you're looking for a quiet and relaxing cruise where your days aren't packed with things to do, then it's a great cruise line for you.  But I think other lines offer more in the way of activities if that's what you're looking for.

[OlsSalt]

Maybe one of the larger newer HAL ships might work, but bar and party scenes have never been part of the HAL cruise experience in the past. Probably not a good fit for you. HAL will tend to be more sedate, but with an older, well-traveled interesting group of passengers - not known to be up late or even that active unless it is a special occasion or a good aft-deck sail away party.

 

 They tried a dedicated "disco" room (Northern Lights) which was typically empty and converted them to a lounge area for board games, card tables, puzzles etc. and the space  became much more popular. 

 

HAL at one time was best known for its large dedicated library space and their on-board librarian who organized activities of a quieter nature. Newer HAL ships did away with this large dedicated library tradition, but the affection for type to quiet onboard activity still lingers.   There are people who really do prefer a quieter ship and not one that tries to be all things to all people.  Choice is all; nice to have choices. 

[stickey_mouse]

I'm a 30-something and about to go on my 4th HAL cruise. I enjoy HAL very much, though I also love Celebrity and Disney. As I get older, I appreciate the finer things in life a bit more (relaxation, good service, and good food), and HAL delivers on that front. I'll be honest- based on your original post, I can't guarantee you will have as much "fun" as on the other lines or even like it as much, but I doubt you'll have a rotten time. I think it's definitely worth a try, especially if you find a price and itinerary to your liking. 

[WillWorkForCruise121]

We aren't really into dancing and the partying crowd at all.  So I am not so worried about missing out on that aspect.   If everything shuts down at 10pm though, that might be a bit of a bummer,  sometimes we like sitting in a lounge and listening to a solo act and things like that into the later hours but if there's no dance-club or themed parties, we will be just fine with that.   

 

Do the bars on board of HAL have interesting drink menus and themes?  Do they have lounge acts and things of that nature?  Any late night comedian acts?   I saw the dueling pianos bar in the ship tour that was on YouTube and things like that are definitely up our alley.  I am just trying to confirm if the whole ship shuts down at 930 or 10pm... We would be fine with something closer to midnight, but we typically enjoy some later evening activities that go on past the evening theater shows. 

[WillWorkForCruise121]

Thank you to everyone for the replies BTW.   This is all helpful,  I am leaning strongly toward giving them a try and seeing how it goes.  😃

[roxybear135]

On our Alaska cruise, each of the bars had a few special drinks unique to those bars.  I tried a bunch of them and wasn't disappointed with any of them.  As for late night things, I think live music went until around 11 or so.  There were comedians on two of the nights, but I don't think those went past around 10-10:30.  Other than the comedians and the live music, there weren't any other lounge acts.  As for doing things past around 10:30-11, it seemed that mainly the casino was where the action was at that time of night and there wasn't much else to do.  We usually stayed there until around midnight and it was fairly crowded, so we enjoyed our time there.  I know on the Koningsdam they have an outdoor movie screen and movie snacks at the pizza place, so there's likely more to do at night on the newer ships.

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, WillWorkForCruise121 said:

I am just trying to confirm if the whole ship shuts down at 930 or 10pm...

Although there is one poster who frequently says that the ship closes down early every night, and passengers are in bed by 9:00 PM, that is flat out not true. 
If you want to stay up until midnight and listen to music, you will have that option, especially on the larger ships. 

Be aware, though, that in Alaska the days are full with scenery to watch, wildlife to look for, fresh air (which can make one sleepy) to breathe, and lots of new things to see and do, so a body can be tired at the end of a day. You may not want to stay up until midnight every night. 

[CafeBruno]

We just got off the Koningsdam on 10/24. I checked our daily programs, and the ship had live music in either the Rolling Stone Rock Room, BB King's, or Billboard Onboard until 11:45 or midnight every night. After that time, there was recorded music played (called "Dance to the Hits") in BB Kings, but no idea how late. As Roxybear said, the casino stayed hopping late (at least until 11:30 or so, which was the latest I stayed). 

 

It sounds to me like you are the type of people HAL is now trying to attract to the Pinnacle class ships, and I think you would like the experience. Great live music, interesting restaurants like Pinnacle, Rudi's, and Tamarind. Few or no kids onboard, so a quieter, relaxing adults only type of ambiance. Interesting and unique cocktails at several of the bars. But no karaoke. 

[Heartgrove]

We are anxiously anticipating our upcoming cruise on the Koningsdam to the Mexican Riviera. Back in 2016 we sailed aboard the Westerdam on this same itinerary and it was probably the most fun on a HAL cruise. @RuthC is correct about the days being full on cruises to Alaska. 

 

I will say that we sailed on Viking Ocean this past summer. It was very sedate. HAL would be a party ship compared to VO!

[MisterBill99]

10 hours ago, roxybear135 said:

I thought the ship was nice and the service was great.  The menus lacked options which was disappointing but overall the food was good and some nights it was great.  We loved Tamarind and Nami sushi so I definitely recommend those.  

 

I thought that there wasn't as much to do on board from what I could remember on past cruises (I last cruised the Mediterranean on Celebrity in 2018).  Some things that I remember enjoying from past cruises that were not on this one were art auctions, cooking demonstrations, and improv class.  The music was great on HAL and I really enjoyed the piano bar and the blues club.  I thought the shows and entertainers were good but I remember the ones on Celebrity were fantastic.

 

The dinner menus do seem to have less choice than they used to. There is definitely less in the way of daytime activities, directly related to HAL cutting most of the activities staff. Even the "cruise director" is now a combined position with the EXC travel guide. I really enjoyed the America's Test Kitchen cooking demonstrations they used to have, and they were always full, but for some reason HAL discontinued the relationship a couple of years ago (pre-Covid), and did not put anything else in its place. They also got rid of their production shows and cast, and their big entertainment thing is the Music Walk, which is excellent. But they don't have music around the ship as lines like Celebrity or even Royal do. Basically the entertainment is the guest entertainers in the theater, the Step One dance company (if on your ship), and the Music Walk venues. We love Billboard Onboard, it's the one ship activity after the theater show that I can get my wife to stay up late for 🙂 but they really should add more. 

 

The lack of art auctions could be seen as a positive by some, although they were always good for entertainment and free cheap champagne.

[510picker]

My wife and I took our first HAL cruise when we were 37 (me) and 35 (her). We have our 17th HAL cruise coming up in a couple of weeks. Your description of your wife closely matches ours at your age. The population does tend to be older, but I would say I have seen the general age come down since our first HAL cruise in 2008. One thing I haven't seen on a HAL cruise in recent years is Karaoke.

 

I definitely think HAL is worth trying to see how you both like it.

[Evilmuffin]

I had my first cruise when I was in my early 40s.  I have only been on MSC for two cruises and HAL for six.   I obviously prefer HAL over MSC.   I enjoy HAL over MSC because of the fact the average age of the HAL cruiser is higher than other cruiselines.    I do not like children so I find the atmosphere to be much better for me overall.   I have looked at other cruiselines, but as soon as I see a waterslide, I know it’s not for me. I like to go on cruises to relax.   Last thing I want to do is sit around a pool with screaming kids, or drunk 20 somethings.    

 

However, everyone has their own likes and dislikes.   You can never know until you actually experience it.   You can always book a short one and see if it’s a good fit.  

[HAL4NOW]

13 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

I really enjoyed the America's Test Kitchen cooking demonstrations they used to have, and they were always full, but for some reason HAL discontinued the relationship a couple of years ago (pre-Covid), and did not put anything else in its place.

There were a couple of cooking demonstrations in BB Kings Lounge during our recent Alaska cruise. My DW and SIL enjoyed them, but DW missed the America's Test Kitchen experience. Some of those were better than others depending on the person doing the demonstrations.

[darstamp]

Our group sailed to Alaska two years ago on the Nieuw Amsterdam - my first time on HAL.  We ranged in age from 13 to 75.  The young one loved the covered pool and it was definitely not crowded or full of kiddies.  We all loved the educational aspect of talks and videos related to Alaska.  Hal does a great job with bringing on board locals who are very informative.  Given that I was the 75 year old I did tend to retire around 10:00 pm but the younger ones stayed up.  We all really liked the BB King Blues club and my daughter and I loved the Lincoln Centre stage classical performances.  There were also cooking demonstrations during the daytime and we had loads of fun playing trivia.  The food was really good, I especially enjoyed breakfast in the dining room.  We had a lovely group dinner in the Italian restaurant and I went for lunch by myself to Tamarind.   It was great.  I discovered my favourite drink on this cruise, The Vodka Mule made with ginger beer and I'm looking forward to having another on my next trip.

[kapitch]

I found the cooking demonstration on the NA very unprofessional even though a HAL chef was the cook.  The topic was tortillas, but he made recipes that only used  tortillas as a garnish, never discussed how to make them.  America's Test Kitchen was by far more professional in nature, but likely more costly as well.

 

[vicd1969]

HAL and Princess are the preferred choices for Alaska due to better itineraries, excursion support, and more convenient docking locations.  You may want to sail on the Koningsdam, which has the most entertainment options. But still far fewer than Princess ships. However, HAL has the nicest spa for adults to relax versus Celebrity and Princess (extra cost). Alaska is more about the scenery and shore experience, so ship amenities and activities aren’t as important than say a Caribbean sailing. FYI For the OP, HAL’s HQ is based in Seattle and it would their hometown line.

[iceman93]

Honestly, I think Disney is the right choice for you!

[BobbiSox]

We took our first HAL cruise when we were mid-forties. It was our honeymoon. We both noticed the 'sea of white heads' in the theater. Now we ARE some of those white heads, twenty-five years later and approaching 5-stars, so it didn't deter us form returning! I do feel bad though,  for anyone younger than 50 who hasn't done their homework and isn't aware that the average passenger IS going to be over 50.

[cruisemom42]

This question gets asked a lot and I always find it very difficult to answer. One person's "relaxing" is another person's "sedated". 

 

In truth, I find the only way that I can really make a decision about whether or not a line is "for me" is to book a cruise on it, maybe just a short one (but at least a week to get the full picture). Look on it as an exploration, and don't expect everything to be exactly the same as it has been on other ships. 

 

In general I feel HAL has a quieter atmosphere than most other mass market lines. They have invested in MUSIC as entertainment but you won't find a lot of other entertainment options and especially not during the day. Recently I find their MDR menus less appealing than some other lines (Celebrity, Princess) but I would overlook that for an excellent itinerary.

 

HAL has gotten rid of some of their older, smaller ships since the start of COVID. For newbies I suppose that's probably to the good, as there will be more consistency in how things are done and what is available on board any given ship. However, there are still ships without the popular Tamarind restaurant (a shame) or the Grand Dutch cafe (Pinnacle ships only); and some other entertainment venues are different. 

 

However, from the point of view of someone who looks for unusual itineraries, the change is less positive... 😢  Smaller ships can go to more places.

Edited November 3, 2021 by cruisemom42

[Florida_gal_50]

I'm far from a newbie.  I would be happy only sailing on the Pinnacle ships but right now it's not working out for me in the near term.  Signature ships are a close second for sure.  I'm quite pleased with Hal selection of ships right now.  I'm speaking for myself only.

[mrspeck]

My wife and I were 30 when we first sailed on the Eurodam.  It was our very first cruise and started a love of cruising.  We continue to enjoy the relaxed, somewhat quieter atmosphere where we find we can truly relax.  Some things have changed over the years…I miss not having the karaoke contests, food has changed a bit (but we continue to enjoy all of the specialty restaurants…we’ve never been fans of the MDR on any of the three lines we frequent).  Some changes (ie music walk) have been positive too. I say give it a shot.  We enjoy the Neptune suites and sail on a lot of casino offers which keep us pretty loyal, but we do enjoy a change once in a while and sail NCL and MSC Yacht Club.

[Aquahound]

On 11/1/2021 at 12:42 PM, WillWorkForCruise121 said:

 

For some context...I am 39 and my wife is 33, we are not into rock climbing walls and waterslides but enjoy the bars and fun activities on RCCL.   Celebrity up to now is probably our favorite cruise line just edging out Royal.  We enjoy the unique bars, specialty restaurants and entertainment on board.  

 

So, DW and I were in our 30s when we first tried HAL.  I wouldn't say we loved it, but we did enjoy it very much.  However, a lot has changed since then.

 

We are a lot like you.  We love Celebrity and RCCL.  We don't need rock walls, but we do enjoy fun activities, bars, and entertainment.  

 

For these reasons, I would not recommend HAL for you.  Like I said, a lot has changed.  They eliminated a lot of entertainment including nightly game shows, theme parties, and fun activities like karaoke or silent disco.  There is very little choice when it comes to activities, and do not expect to find any live music anywhere on the ship during a sea day.  

 

To the contrast, I just returned from a cruise on Ovation of the Seas.  I haven't cruised RCCL in 7 years.  I was blown away at not only the plethora of entertainment, but also the quality of it.  HAL can't even dream of entertainment that good.  Even so simple and so cost-free shows to put on, like the Love & Marriage game show does not exist on HAL.  The karaoke on RCCL was with a live band.  It was amazing.  I'm serious when I say this...on some nights, the main theater entertainment on HAL will be a movie or port lecture.  Seriously. That is not a joke.  

 

However, like others pointed out HAL does tend to have better itineraries, and Glacier Bay is a highlight of Alaska.  But you can also go there with Princess, which is a little more in line with the other lines regarding entertainment.  

 

Sorry if this isn't what you were hoping to hear.  Just being honest.  🙂

Edited November 4, 2021 by Aquahound

[neuronbob]

We started on HAL in our 40's.  Now in early 50's with some gray.  We don't drink and we aren't into the fancy rock climbing and waterslides, etc.  HAL offers a quiet, relaxing, traditional cruise, and you don't have to be "old" to enjoy that.  If we were party people, we'd be on Carnival.