HAL comparison-advice please

[bbfgator]

Hello - I am seeking opinions.  My husband & I (late 60's) are frequent cruisers (before covid) with RCCL and Celebrity.  I have been looking at South America/Antarctica cruises and HAL has a really nice itinerary for 22nights.  We would have no "status" and don't know if that really matters.  We do enjoy production shows and such but have no need for surfing machines or rock climbing walls :).  We can entertain ourselves if need be.  Having said all of that, it's the fear of the unknown and the ship being too calm/quiet for our liking for 22 days.  So if you've cruised Hal and the others, I'd appreciate your thoughts.  And if you've done South America/Antarctica I'd gladly take input on that as well.  (The small ships are out of our comfort zone for pricing.)  Thank you in advance!

[BobbiSox]

HAL doesn't cater to the party-all-night crowd. Your age group seems to enjoy it. I'm 72 and have been sailing with HAL for 25 years and just received 5-star status. After having tried other lines occasionally, I decided HAL was the best fit for my comfort level. I enjoy the peace and quiet of it, the good-sized cabins, lots of dining options, attentive staff, many port options and reasonable prices. You are in the right place to your research; this board offers a wealth of information. Welcome aboard!

[bbfgator]

Thank you BobbiSox - We do enjoy RCCL/Celebrity but we are not the party-all-night crowd.  Oh my no.  We are snoozing usually by 11pm and up early.  Walk the track/gym and then let the day unfold.  We aren't big drinkers, in fact we are almost non-drinkers :).  I see you're just up the road from me 🙂 - thanks for your input.

[trixiee]

That South American Itinerary is amazing!  Hal brings on enrichment speakers who present once or twice a  day - helps to break up the day.  The scenery is spectacular.  We spent hours upon hours with our binoculars and cameras glued to our faces. The days went past quickly, and we often skipped any evening entertainment in favour of early to bed and early to rise, so as not to miss the sights.  We were in our 50's when we did that cruise...

[Boatdrill]

One of the best things about a South American itineraries is that often your ship will be the only one in port. This makes for a relaxing day ashore, where local shops and restaurants aren't overwhelmed by cruise ship crowds. The same goes for taxis, tour busses, etc.   

 

As for sailing on HAL, keep in mind that when you choose a cruise (no matter which cruise line) you're also choosing, to some extent, your fellow passengers. Consider what kind of "neighborhood" you enjoy and go from there.   

 

Also,  HAL doesn't really differentiate between passenger status, so please don't be concerned if that would affect your enjoyment onboard. 

Edited March 31, 2022 by Boatdrill

[CruisinShips]

We are in our early 60s, and are Diamond status on RCCL.  Our past several cruises were mostly on Oasis class ships...mainly because we enjoyed the Crown Loft suites and the access to the suite lounge/restaurant and sundeck areas so as to avoid the crowd.  Then the epiphany came to us that we really didn't care for ships full of kids and with amenities that primarily seemed to be designed to appeal to younger families...we tried HAL and did their Panama Canal trip on the Zuiderdam.

 

It's obviously not fair to compare the difference in activities and venues between an Oasis and a Zuiderdam...it's like going from NYC to the Catskills.  The crowd was significantly older (which was fine by me).  The food in the specialty restaurants was comparable to what we had on RCCL.  The food in the MDR was much better (RCCL's food quality went way downhill IMO).  

 

Bottom line for me is that some trips are more destination oriented, whereas others are more ship oriented.  I would be hesitant personally to do one of the smaller/older HAL ships on an itinerary with lots of sea days, but I wouldn't hesitate at all with good ports on most days.

 

Our next cruise is going to be on the NS, and we are are excited to experience one of HAL's newer ships.

Edited March 31, 2022 by CruisinShips

[bbfgator]

Oosterdam is the ship that does the 22 day - you are all so helpful and I am feeling better about booking this!

 

[CruisinShips]

4 minutes ago, bbfgator said:

Oosterdam is the ship that does the 22 day - you are all so helpful and I am feeling better about booking this!

 

and Go Gators!   ~~;==;<

[bbfgator]

Just now, CruisinShips said:

and Go Gators!   ~~;==;<

Go Gators!  🐊

[OlsSalt]

I fell in love with the large libraries on the smaller older HAL ships - never realized what a bonus this was until they started taking them away, along with the full time librarian who kept things in order and handled reader directed activities.

 

I found myself reading (and listening to) multiple books when on HAL cruises, many of them serendipitously picked up by random from the library shelves. Others I downloaded from my home public library and would go through them voraciously while idling in a lounger on deck. 

 

This led me to my own conclusion about HAL ships - they work really well for the self-contained traveler -who enjoys more self-directed onboard activities. This is changing now with their larger ships and loss of the library and quiet reading nook areas one could find all over HAL ships. 

 

That is how I would answer your question about cruise line  comparisons. More likely HAL ships appeal to those who are more set-contained. Other lines appeal to those who like more organized onboard  group activity. Not 100% at all, just a tendency to appeal to one's preference  more than others.

 

Second the comment about excellent onboard enrichment lectures which are now primarily limited to the longer cruises. The South America itinerary is one of the best - to our surprise - we had not paid that much attention to this area as a travel destination but have now done it several times an would eagerly do it again and again.  Best part is the ports are low-key and not over developed for tourism and the layers and layers or history in this destination are rich and varied.

[RedIguana]

1 hour ago, bbfgator said:

Hello - I am seeking opinions.  My husband & I (late 60's) are frequent cruisers (before covid) with RCCL and Celebrity.  I have been looking at South America/Antarctica cruises and HAL has a really nice itinerary for 22nights.  We would have no "status" and don't know if that really matters.  We do enjoy production shows and such but have no need for surfing machines or rock climbing walls :).  We can entertain ourselves if need be.  Having said all of that, it's the fear of the unknown and the ship being too calm/quiet for our liking for 22 days.  So if you've cruised Hal and the others, I'd appreciate your thoughts.  And if you've done South America/Antarctica I'd gladly take input on that as well.  (The small ships are out of our comfort zone for pricing.)  Thank you in advance!

Mostly RCCI cruiser here also. Just took the 21 YO daughter (I'm 54) on a 7 night Rotterdam. She loved it, and her last cruise with me was Harmony. I found the food a little better on HAL, although I have not had room service on either. If you want food on HAL after midnight, this may be important. The ship partied pretty hard, and then shut down by midnight, with most of the bars shutting down around 11:30. I found RCCI shows on the oasis class better, but HAL was comparable to the radiance class in my opinion as far as ship staff production. The age bracket did not seem to far off from the comparable size RCCI ships, although I would expect a 22 night to skew older. It was also my first HAL cruise, so no status (might have been 1 star from a previous Carnival cruise), but having no status did not seem to matter a bit (booked with the Have-it-all promo, so the status discounts would have been irrelevant for me).  I would not hesitate to book HAL again, and might even come to prefer it over RCCl. At least on the Rotterdam, the strength of their entertainment was the live music in my opinion. 

[cruisinteach2]

Having done the Antarctica cruise 3 times with HAL, I believe you will have an amazing time! Be sure to see the penguins in the Falklands. Enjoy the visit to the village of Boca de Valeria and see the huge water lilies! Hope you do this cruise and have a wonderful time!!

[lcand1923]

I’ve never sailed RCCL and have only been on one Celebrity cruise, so cannot do much of a comparison for you.  I have done the South America/Antartica cruise with HAL and have to say it is one of the most amazing cruises I’ve ever taken.  If your time and money allow, consider booking the Iguazu Falls extension.  I did it as a post-cruise and found it to be the Icing on the Cake!

[craftygrandma]

Agree with the falls, booked it thru Expedia before the cruise.  Worth it to stay in the hotel in the park.  We also booked a trip to Easter Island at the end.  If you are already flying that far it makes sense to add these in.  Cheaper to do on your own, and not too difficult.  

[Modern_Viking]

I'd say the demographic of people sailing HAL is somewhat similar to the demographic on Celebrity cruises. A major difference in the lines is the style of the ships, however.  HAL embraces old-world charm, decor, and style. Celebrity aims for the modern, now, chic.  The inside of HAL ships tends to be darker, with more wood, and public rooms tend to be smaller (to fell more intimate or just because they are on smaller ships with fewer passengers, usually). Celebrity goes for light colors (i.e. whites and creams), lots of glass, larger spaces, etc. 

On a 22-night cruise, on likely any line, the demographic is likely to skew older and quieter as well. 

On the Oosterdam, the extra cost restaurants, in my opinion, aren't worth it. That seems to be something emphasized more on Celebrity and RCCL. I'm not sure that you would care.

 

Past-cruiser status on HAL isn't a huge deal, and the big perks don't kick in until 4 star status (200 nights/points).  And then other than faster embarkation the main perks are some discounted wine packages, mini-bar purchases, and laundry.  Not really big deals.  Also, on HAL even if you are not in a suite, you can pay extra for "Club Orange" status which gives you most (maybe all) of the suite and loyalty perks. That said, the value of "Club Orange" seems to have been diluted a bit since the 2021 restart, so even that doesn't seem all that special to me.

HAL passengers, to me seem largely interested in the destination, tend to be well traveled, are often friendly and social, and may enjoy letting loose in a bar/lounge at night, but otherwise tend to be pretty relaxed and quiet.  The ships are normally pretty quiet by 11:30 / midnight.  In fact, the midnight buffet of years past in the Lido has been replaced by a late night supper from 10:30 - 11:30 pm.  After that, room service is the only food service until breakfast. 

 

I have only tried one Celebrity cruise, back around 2007. At the time I found the style of HAL more to my liking and haven't gone back to Celebrity.  At the time, I also found food service on Celebrity overrated for what it was. (To be honest, I think HAL food service has declined, on average, over the past 15 years so I don't know which line is better "today."  Although "better" is often a matter of personal choice.)

I visited a RCCL ship long ago, but have not sailed on one.  I expect the passengers on HAL are much closer in personality to those on Celebrity than RCCL.  Also, the level and type of activities on HAL would be much closer to Celebrity than RCCL. 

One note: recently HAL has replaced their main production shows with dance focused shows.  They are well done, but different in style that old-fashioned reviews. Recently they have also had a pair of comedians on-board, at least for shorter cruises. So I don't know if that type of entertainment appeals to you or not. HAL also has been adding more live music venues open in the evening. On Oosterdam the main choices at night will be B.B. King's Blues Club and a dueling piano bar. There is also likely to be a chamber music type group on board, but their concerts tend to be earlier in the evenings. 

[bbfgator]

Thank you all so very much for your input and time.  It certainly is a hard decision but I don't believe there is a wrong one at this point - and that is a relief!