Please Help Me Decide

[oskarNZ]

Hello Aus/NZ cruisers,

 

My family are returning to cruising after about a 4 year hiatus and I am trying to convince some friends to come along with us.  They have never cruised before and as such, I feel a bit of pressure to make sure their first experience is a good one.  
We will be a group of 4 adults and 3 teenagers who will be travelling in peak school holiday season. Our budget is not limitless and I am more keen to show our friends how cruising can be good value for money than ultra luxurious.  
 

I have narrowed our selection down to 3 main options and I would be keen to hear people’s thoughts (good or bad) on any three.  I would also be keen to hear if people agree or diasgree with any of my pre-assumptions.

 

1) Holland America Noordam to Sth Australia.

This is the longest and most appealing itinerary to me of the 3. Mostly because it visits  cities and islands we haven’t had the chance to explore and can do so without too much extra cost.  Plus it’s the only one that sails out of Sydney which I think is a special experience in itself. 
However, I’ve never travelled with HA before and I’m worried about it feeling a bit sleepy, especially for the kids.  Is it like Celebrity (which I’ve been on twice) in that a lot of the so called ‘activities’ are things like spa talks and art auctions.  
The main thing that would keep the adults happy is a wide variety of trivia, live music and entertaining shows and comedians.  The BBC stuff also interests me.  
Am I correct to assume that the food on Holland America might be a slight cut above the other two options? Also, is it fair to assume that we are less likely to feel like we have to fight for seats in public spaces on the Noordam?  
 

2) Carnival Luminosa to North Queensland.  I like this itinerary, but the excursions I would be keen to do are super expensive.  
We went on the Splendor about 4 years ago and we really enjoyed it.  The food was better than we expected and we enjoyed the lively vibe of the ship. There was always trivia to attend or fun events such as the 80s party and we never struggled to find seats other than sometimes near the pool.  Is the Luminosa the same?  It’s a shame they haven’t yet added the likes of water slides as I do worry that like the HA ship the only real kid offerings are the kids club.  
 

3) P&O Encounter also to North Queensland.

To be honest, I have steered clear of P&O over the years as I cruised with them a long time ago and found the ship too busy for my liking.  We couldn’t even get seats for trivia half the time which irritated me.  The food was better than I was expecting though.  
Many years have passed though and I am wondering how the company has held up over the years and if it’s worth trying again.  I watched a video of the ship and decor-wise it looks the nicest of the 3.  It has by far the most teenage friendly activities and it’s the cheapest meaning we could afford a balcony cabin instead of a window one.  
How does the food and entertainment compare on P&O these days? What are the crowds like on the Encounter?  Are we going to struggle to get seats in public spaces and reservations at places like the main restaurants and Edge activities for the kids?  I ask as I feel like this is the sort of thing that could make or break this holiday for us.  
I do understand that there is more nickle and diming on P&O and having to pay more for things like burgers by the pool is annoying, but on the flipside, I do like that everything is in Australian dollars and gratuities are not something to worry about.  Plus I like that it has 3 different main included restaurants offering 3 different styles of food (assuming the food is good).  We liked this about Disney. 
 

4) Lastly, I was considering the Quantum of the Seas, but scratched it after it increased in price a few days ago. Also, I worry about the reviews saying how crowded it is.  But if anyone can convince me why this ship would be worth spending as much as $100 more per person per night over the other 3, I am happy to listen.  
 

Thanks heaps for any thoughts. 

[lyndarra]

My pick would be Noordam, which I have been on, due to the itinerary which always comes first for me. It's also a nice size, not too big, not too small (cue Goldilocks). My favourite two cruise lines are Celebrity and Holland America. The food on a HAL in January cruise was excellent but, I suspect  much like other cruise lines, there is a little less variety but still has good options. Serving portions seem to be not as generous (if they ever were) as pre COVID, IMO, but that's not a bad thing if you're thinking about your waistline. You can always ask for more - no problem.

HAL has very well attended trivia sessions and had a BBC  nature themed films accompanied by live, string, music which I found to be entertaining. No more big shows nowadays which I don't miss. Comedians can be hit and miss some great some terrible. They have several well attended music venues. Lido food is great too. Food quality is close to Celebrity buy I haven't tried Celebrity since Covid. Service is on par i.e. excellent.

Go for the itinerary.

[oskarNZ]

32 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

My pick would be Noordam,

Thanks so much lyndarra for taking the time to respond - I really appreciate your thoughts.

 

You are certainly correct that the itinerary is important, as ultimately that is what I remember most about the cruises we have been on.  I have never sailed out of Brisbane, but I’ve sailed out of Sydney twice and there is something so special about watching the Sydney skyline at sail away. I would love my friends to experience this.  
In saying all that, the Great Barrier Reef is on the bucket list, so either itinerary would be great.  

While this will be a hard question to quantify, is there a relaxed, fun feeling to Holland America when it comes to the activities? I ask as my potential travel companions and I go back a long time and I keep thinking how the likes of the music, quiz and party themes (eg 80’s) on the Carnival cruise we did would be a fun friendship journey for us down memory lane. 
I never quite got that same feeling from the 2 celebrity cruises I did, which were lovely but also decidedly more sophisticated and serious.    I also thought that paid activities like spa talks, auctions and wine tastings dominated the Celebrity daily planner over activities like trivia, games and art and dance classes that would be more fun to do as a group. 

 

Also, I don’t suppose you have any recent experience with P&O that you can compare with HAL?  
 

Thanks again!

Edited May 6, 2023 by oskarNZ

[MMDown Under]

I enjoyed Luminosa to GBR as a Senior Solo last year, so don't have comments relevant to family cruising.  However, You mentioned a negative was the excursions were super expensive.  You can travel independently less expensively. 

 

My favourite place from Airlie Beach is Gloucester Resort.  You might like to consider hiring a vehicle (for 7) like I did (for 1) to have a delicious beachfront seafood lunch at Gloucester Resort and a cold drink at Dingo Beach hotel on the way back.  They will pick you up at ship and return you to ship in time. ( I walked to the Markets prior to my car trip.)  There are paid beach activities at Dingo Beach which teenagers might enjoy. 

 

In Cairns, you can get  a day bus pass cash only ($4 for Senior) and travel all day.  I went to beautiful Palm Cove  in the Northern Beaches (signs no swimming due to stingers, but swimming in two beaches south of there).  There were activities to rent on the beach, when there are no stingers.

 

In Port Douglas you can just walk to town and beach.  There was swimming there in swimming enclosure because a worker was skimming for stingers.  Just stay away from the edge of the enclosure.  There was a small boat tour available from the wharf. 

 

Luminosa is a beautiful ship. Food was good.  Loved hand made fresh pizzas until 4 am.

 

[oskarNZ]

4 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Luminosa is a beautiful ship. Food was good.  

 

Thank you so much for your response MMDown Under.  It’s very useful.  
 

It’s great to hear you enjoyed the food on Luminosa. We were pleasantly surprised by the food on Splendor as we weren’t expecting much.
Out of interest do you have any experience with the food and activities on P&O that you can compare it to?  

 

Also, thanks for the activity suggestions.  I will certainly check them out.  Part of the problem I have with that itinerary is that the activities at the top of the bucket list are the ones that cost a lot (eg Great Barrier Reef, river tubing, possibly visiting Whitehaven Beach etc).  I would struggle a bit knowing beautiful locations and fun activities like that are within our reach and we didn’t try them.  
Alternatively, in the likes of Hobart and Adelaide we would be more than happy self-guiding ourselves around the cities and seeing the buildings, parks etc what make these cities special and unique.  Also, being cooler places, we wouldn’t feel as much need to do water activities (which admittedly would probably be more fun for the kids…).   
It’s so much easier making these decisions when I’m only thinking about my own family.  
 

 

[MMDown Under]

4 minutes ago, oskarNZ said:

Thank you so much for your response MMDown Under.  It’s very useful.  
 

It’s great to hear you enjoyed the food on Luminosa. We were pleasantly surprised by the food on Splendor as we weren’t expecting much.
Out of interest do you have any experience with the food and activities on P&O that you can compare it to?  

 

Also, thanks for the activity suggestions.  I will certainly check them out.  Part of the problem I have with that itinerary is that the activities at the top of the bucket list are the ones that cost a lot (eg Great Barrier Reef, river tubing, possibly visiting Whitehaven Beach etc).  I would struggle a bit knowing beautiful locations and fun activities like that are within our reach and we didn’t try them.  
Alternatively, in the likes of Hobart and Adelaide we would be more than happy self-guiding ourselves around the cities and seeing the buildings, parks etc what make these cities special and unique.  Also, being cooler places, we wouldn’t feel as much need to do water activities (which admittedly would probably be more fun for the kids…).   
It’s so much easier making these decisions when I’m only thinking about my own family.  
 

 

I understand your problems.  If your group has your heart set on GBR your only choice is a

ship excursion because of timing.  I would research to see if some of other required activities are on elsewhere independently.

 

No, I haven’t cruised on P&O.

 

The Indian meals were so good I ordered them often.  The Asian food in buffet was very good.

I only discovered the food was different on

each side of the ship in the buffet half way through cruise.  I had an omelette made to order fresh every day.  You just need to be selective and visit buffets before they have been messed up by passengers.

[sciencewonk]

I can address your Noordam questions.  I was on Noordam for a 34-day cruise from San Diego to Sydney.  Arrival in Sydney Harbour was a memorable experience!

 

As you might expect, the long cruise had very few children and most passengers were retired.  There were lots of adult activities during the sea days.  Trivia, enrichment talks, and art activities (my wife (an artist) did two paintings while onboard).  I thought the music was great in the evening.

 

In the past, I took a HAL Alaska cruise with my two nephews, ages 8 and 11 at the time.  They loved the children's activities.

 

The food on Noordam was great and the crew were outstanding.  I don't think any cruise line has better crew than HAL.

 

Noordam is a smaller ship (< 2000 passengers), so you are right about there being plenty of public spaces and seats available.

 

If you want an active nightlife, Noordam may not be the ship for you.  It was pretty much dead after 9 or 10 pm.  Also, the entertainment on the World Stage was a little hit and miss.  We loved it when we went, but most nights did not appeal to us.

 

Whichever option you choose, I hope you have a great cruise.

[lyndarra]

I have not cruised on P & O. My cruising experience so far has been, in order of preference, kinda, Celebrity, HAL, RCI, Princess, Carnival and MSC. I have never had a bad cruise, all are good but some cruise lines do some things a bit better than others and IMO is where they gain their followers.

On my last HAL cruise, in one music trivia, I could not answer any of the questions - they were all too modern, about 80s and 90s artists.

If you're looking for fun activities Carnival would cover that. Rock climbing, flow riders, water slides skating, dodgem cars. HAL and Celebrity have none of that and, unless they had music venues during the day are fairly staid. I'm not into art shows or auctions or dancing which seem to have lost their appeal although many cruisers long for some music and ballroom dancing (which was never my thing). I recall either Celebrity or RCI having silent disco which is fun to do and watch.

MSC have dance classes but we're not seeing them in Oz atm but I think they are coming.

HAL usually has a veterans meet. On my last HAL cruise this was well attended, so much so that at the request of participants another two were scheduled - I attended them all. Participants  came fom US, Oz, NZ and UK and IIRC included one or two still serving attendees.

[OzKiwiJJ]

We're regular Princess cruises but have also cruised on Celebrity, Carnival and Holland America.

 

We were very disappointed in the Westerdam cruise we did last Christmas. The food was decidedly below Princess and Celebrity and the entertainment mostly didn't appeal to us - we dined late and by the time we finished dinner there wasn't much happening.

 

Our Carnival cruise was some years ago, on Carnival Legend, and we were pleasantly surprised. Very good food, good entertainment, and a great piano bar. 

[MMDown Under]

I love a good piano bar.  One where the talented pianist knows tastes of his/her passengers.  

[dazadelaide]

Have been on HAL and P&O.

HAL ships are nicer inside, better quality furniture and fit outs.

HAL don't seem to have as much for kids as P&O

 Getting a seat in restaurants is about the same on HAL as P&O, both have sold outs sometimes.

Food on P&O can best be described as having a good meal down at your local pub, tasty, enough options (especially for kids depending on their age) and good sized portions.

Food on HAL is a better quality but not as much for kids but you can always ask for off menu choices.

Entertainment on our last P&O cruise was the best we have ever had on any cruise anywhere in the world we have cruised.

The entertainment on HAL was still very good but had a bit more Jazz and "string quartet" type of music that doesn't really appeal to us, we prefer a more pub band vibe that P&O offer.

We live in Adelaide and being on P&O was like going to the fringe every night for 14 nights straight, out for dinner at the pub seeing a show and then ending up at a pub to watch a band or a muso playing a guitar and singing.

We had no problems getting a seat in any public places on either lines.

Prices on P&O are better for the cruise and for drinks (soft as we don't drink alcohol) than HAL. 

The free coffee is rubbish on both but with the soft drink package including the coffee option on P&O was good for us.

Nickle and diming on both lines is about the same.

If it came to a choice we would always go with the itinerary.

While we like the ship being part of the destination if there is a cruise with ports we want to see over ports we have been to before we would go for the itinerary.

Have fun on whatever line you choose if you go with an open mind and go with the flow you will enjoy yourselves I'm sure.

Daz

 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

I love a good piano bar.  One where the talented pianist knows tastes of his/her passengers.  

Ditto, especially when they engage with the passengers and have a sense of humour - I'm thinking of Paul McD on Princess last year who was not only a very talented pianist but also kept us in fits of laughter with some of his medleys.

[jazdax]

my experience with HAl.  is that they are generally not designed for teenagers.

 

Carnival and P&o more designed for kids.  I would suggested either of these.  My last experience on Carnival was the service was not the same as pre covid.  I havent done p&o since covid but my daughter has and has enjoyed it.  I love the p&o comedy cruises.  A great intro to those that have never cruises before.  The punchline club on Carnival has comedy shows each day.  some AO others not. 

 

If you can check out Royal Caribbean they are in Australia oct to apr.  they are very family friendly and so many activities for all no one would be board.

 

Most cruise ships will be extremely busy during school holidays.  and will have a lot more kids on board than those not in school holidays.  for example:  i recently did carnival over Easter with more kids than adults on board (1500 kids).  then did one of Royal a few days later and only 200 kids on board.

Edited May 7, 2023 by jazdax
need to add

[oskarNZ]

1 hour ago, MMDown Under said:

I love a good piano bar.  One where the talented pianist knows tastes of his/her passengers.  

Same.  The guy on Carnival Splendor was awesome and I loved that each evening he followed a theme (eg an Elton John night, a Beatles night etc).  It was extremely hot in there though as there was no air-con.  Hopefully they have fixed that.  

[oskarNZ]

2 hours ago, sciencewonk said:

I can address your Noordam questions.

Thanks so much Sciencewonk.  
I really appreciate your input.  
We don’t mind too much if the ship is a bit sleepy later in the evening as we aren’t a family that stay awake until the early morning hours.  We do like a good show, comedy act or live band until around 10ish in the evening and to be honest, most cruiselines have offered something along those lines to keep us happy.  It’s during the daytime on sea days that I have noticed the biggest discrepancies between lines.  

 

 

[oskarNZ]

3 hours ago, lyndarra said:

I have not cruised on P & O. My cruising experience so far has been, in order of preference, kinda, Celebrity, HAL, RCI, Princess, Carnival and MSC. I have never had a bad cruise, all are good but some cruise lines do some things a bit better than others and IMO is where they gain their followers.

On my last HAL cruise, in one music trivia, I could not answer any of the questions - they were all too modern, about 80s and 90s artists.

If you're looking for fun activities Carnival would cover that. Rock climbing, flow riders, water slides skating, dodgem cars. HAL and Celebrity have none of that and, unless they had music venues during the day are fairly staid. I'm not into art shows or auctions or dancing which seem to have lost their appeal although many cruisers long for some music and ballroom dancing (which was never my thing). I recall either Celebrity or RCI having silent disco which is fun to do and watch.

MSC have dance classes but we're not seeing them in Oz atm but I think they are coming.

HAL usually has a veterans meet. On my last HAL cruise this was well attended, so much so that at the request of participants another two were scheduled - I attended them all. Participants  came fom US, Oz, NZ and UK and IIRC included one or two still serving attendees.

Thanks again lyndarra.  All good advice. 
 

I think it’s a shame that cruise lines are moving away from the arts as all dance and craft style activities I have attended in the past have always been well attended.  Dance wise, I would be happy with anything from Zumba to Salsa. In fact, I even really enjoyed the Michael Jackson’s thriller dance lessons on the Carnival.  It sent me back to my childhood.  
I have not long returned from an all inclusive resort in Mexico called Hotel Xcaret Arte that was completely themed around the Mexican Arts.  It’s the nicest resort I have ever stayed in.  I so wish there was an equivalent on the ocean.  

[MMDown Under]

21 minutes ago, oskarNZ said:

Same.  The guy on Carnival Splendor was awesome and I loved that each evening he followed a theme (eg an Elton John night, a Beatles night etc).  It was extremely hot in there though as there was no air-con.  Hopefully they have fixed that.  

 

[MMDown Under]

Just now, MMDown Under said:

 

Luminosa’s piano bar was on a through corridor which I didn’t like, not intimate but not hot either.

[oskarNZ]

3 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

We're regular Princess cruises but have also cruised on Celebrity, Carnival and Holland America.

 

We were very disappointed in the Westerdam cruise we did last Christmas. The food was decidedly below Princess and Celebrity and the entertainment mostly didn't appeal to us - we dined late and by the time we finished dinner there wasn't much happening.

 

Our Carnival cruise was some years ago, on Carnival Legend, and we were pleasantly surprised. Very good food, good entertainment, and a great piano bar. 

Thanks heaps for sharing your opinion of HAL.  It’s always good to hear a mix of opinions to help with our decision.  
 

Also, I agree about the Carnival food and piano bar.  

[oskarNZ]

1 minute ago, MMDown Under said:

Luminosa’s piano bar was on a through corridor which I didn’t like, not intimate but not hot either.

Interesting and very good to know.  

[oskarNZ]

1 hour ago, dazadelaide said:

Have been on HAL and P&O.

HAL ships are nicer inside, better quality furniture and fit outs.

HAL don't seem to have as much for kids as P&O

 Getting a seat in restaurants is about the same on HAL as P&O, both have sold outs sometimes.

Food on P&O can best be described as having a good meal down at your local pub, tasty, enough options (especially for kids depending on their age) and good sized portions.

Food on HAL is a better quality but not as much for kids but you can always ask for off menu choices.

Entertainment on our last P&O cruise was the best we have ever had on any cruise anywhere in the world we have cruised.

The entertainment on HAL was still very good but had a bit more Jazz and "string quartet" type of music that doesn't really appeal to us, we prefer a more pub band vibe that P&O offer.

We live in Adelaide and being on P&O was like going to the fringe every night for 14 nights straight, out for dinner at the pub seeing a show and then ending up at a pub to watch a band or a muso playing a guitar and singing.

We had no problems getting a seat in any public places on either lines.

Prices on P&O are better for the cruise and for drinks (soft as we don't drink alcohol) than HAL. 

The free coffee is rubbish on both but with the soft drink package including the coffee option on P&O was good for us.

Nickle and diming on both lines is about the same.

If it came to a choice we would always go with the itinerary.

While we like the ship being part of the destination if there is a cruise with ports we want to see over ports we have been to before we would go for the itinerary.

Have fun on whatever line you choose if you go with an open mind and go with the flow you will enjoy yourselves I'm sure.

Daz

 

 

Thanks Daz, I really appreciate the input and comparative insight into P&O.  
I’m completely fine with a good pub style meal and like you, we prefer a good pub band than a string quartet.  
 

Also, thanks for your thoughts about the drink package.  I am thinking of getting the same one for my family.  I don’t drink a lot on cruises (perhaps 2 cocktails a day) and my husband mostly drinks beer (which doesn’t quite add up enough in price to the justify the alcoholic drink package). 

Edited May 7, 2023 by oskarNZ

[oskarNZ]

34 minutes ago, jazdax said:

my experience with HAl.  is that they are generally not designed for teenagers.

 

Carnival and P&o more designed for kids.  I would suggested either of these.  My last experience on Carnival was the service was not the same as pre covid.  I havent done p&o since covid but my daughter has and has enjoyed it.  I love the p&o comedy cruises.  A great intro to those that have never cruises before.  The punchline club on Carnival has comedy shows each day.  some AO others not. 

 

If you can check out Royal Caribbean they are in Australia oct to apr.  they are very family friendly and so many activities for all no one would be board.

Thanks so much Jazdax for your thoughts.  
We didn’t think a comedy club was important to us until we went on Carnival Splendor.  The acts were mostly hilarious and a great way to end the evening.  
Do you know if P&O has good comedy acts outside the Comedy cruises?  

[jazdax]

2 minutes ago, oskarNZ said:

Thanks so much Jazdax for your thoughts.  
We didn’t think a comedy club was important to us until we went on Carnival Splendor.  The acts were mostly hilarious and a great way to end the evening.  
Do you know if P&O has good comedy acts outside the Comedy cruises?  

You may get one comedy act outside of comedy cruise.  but i must admit most of my p&o cruises have been comedy cruises.

[SinbadThePorter]

50 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Luminosa’s piano bar was on a through corridor which I didn’t like, not intimate but not hot either.

 

Almost everything on Luminosa was on a through corridor. 😁

[MMDown Under]

5 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

Almost everything on Luminosa was on a through corridor. 😁

First piano bar though!  😭😀