How Does HAL Compare?

[FredZiffle]

We're long-time NCL cruisers (with an occasional Princess or Celebrity thrown in), but we're considering a 28 day B2B on the Nieuw Statendam.  My wife is especially concerned about trying a new line for the first time on such a long voyage.  We're in our late 60's and have just gotten tired of NCL with the lack of entertainment (seems like it's 90% game shows now), the bad food, and the lack of daytime activities that interest us.  Is HAL any different?  My wife is looking for more, for lack of a better word, educational presentations on ports and culture during the day instead of all trivia and sales presentations like on NCL.  Decent food is also a priority.  It obviously doesn't have to be Michelin quality, but we'd like it to be edible (unlike NCL).  

 

How does Holland America compare?

[Mehroswitha]

Have you considered Viking? We love it for exactly the reasons you mention--their enrichment lecturers are especially outstanding. Food quality is subjective, but we think theirs is excellent.

 

Viking is, admittedly, somewhat more expensive, but in addition to the great lecturers, having no casinos, kids, art auctions, obnoxious sales presentations, or omnipresent photographers makes it worthwhile to us. In comparing costs, also consider that at least one of the shore excursions in each port is offered at no extra charge; nor is there any extra charge for specialty dining or use of the really lovely thermal suite.

 

With that being said, we also thoroughly enjoy cruising on HAL--it just depends on what we're looking for on a particular trip. Next cruise we have booked is with HAL in the Mediterranean, and we expect to enjoy it thoroughly.

[FredZiffle]

5 minutes ago, Mehroswitha said:

Have you considered Viking?

 

Actually, we've been looking at the higher end cruise lines for just the reasons you mention.  We have cruises booked on Regent and Oceania in 2025, but we like the itinerary on this HAL sailing coming up in November.  It's good to know that you have sailed on Viking and still enjoy HAL.

[Essiesmom]

You might also consider MSC in the Yacht Club.  You won’t find enrichment lectures due to the international mix of guests, but there is plenty to do.  EM

[jhannah]

We have been on 18 HAL cruises, and find the food and service to be excellent. Entertainment has dwindled in the past year or so. Enrichment can be hit or miss, but they do have some presentations. The top draw for us is their crew. They work hard to make your cruise experience as good as possible. 

[julia]

You will absolutely never, ever, ever know a cruise line until you actually sail with them.  Opinions are just that, opinions.  Yes, your wife's concern (that 28 days might be too long for an initial sailing) is valid... so perhaps try a shorter HAL cruise first. Keep an open mind about everything, and absorb what HAL has to offer.  Either you will like it, or you won't, it's that simple.

[YourWorldWithBill]

5 hours ago, FredZiffle said:

Actually, we've been looking at the higher end cruise lines for just the reasons you mention.  We have cruises booked on Regent and Oceania in 2025, but we like the itinerary on this HAL sailing coming up in November.  It's good to know that you have sailed on Viking and still enjoy HAL.

We've cruised Viking and Oceania, and have now settled on HAL, mainly for the itineraries and the staff (and price). Viking has the best enrichment talks, and Oceania has great food, different restaurants and we liked the daily trivia; but for us the additional cost wasn't justified. We also noticed a discernable difference in staff between Oceania and HAL: the HAL staff just seemed to be genuinely happier. We loved the staff on Viking, but HAL has such a variety of itineraries, and I like the casinos (none on Viking).

 

Another point: a Neptune suite on HAL is about the same price, or maybe cheaper, than a regular stateroom on Viking or Oceania, and you get much more personalized attention by the concierge in the Neptune Lounge. We were in a concierge cabin on Oceania and wished we had just paid for a regular cabin. 

 

I've heard from others that the food on HAL is noticeably better than NCL. I hope you try HAL first, because the food, thought sometimes really excellent, might not be quite like Viking or Oceania (although my wife preferred the food on our HAL cruises). For some other subtle, hard to identify reason, in addition to what I've said, we just like HAL!

Edited March 29 by YourWorldWithBill

[Riversedge]

We haven’t sailed NCL in years so can’t do a recent comparison.  But if you’re looking for great entertainment then you will be disappointed in HAL I think.  We love the staff and the food is good (not excellent in our opinion).  But typical entertainment during the day is jewelry presentations, spa sales, jewelry sales, foot analysis and trivia.  If you’re lucky (depending on the area of the world you’re sailing) you’ll get a port presentation or lecture.   Agree that 28 days might be too long for your first try.  We sail HAL for the itineraries and the crew.  They are top of the class there.  

[00649]

We are fresh off a b2b Hal -Ncl.  Both same size ship. Food IMHO was equal with more selection on Ncl. Also on Ncl having the sports bar open all night was great for a late snack . Entertainment was also equal with more music venues on Ncl. Staff were slightly better on Hal although we were told the Ncl ship we were on was a training ship and it showed mostly in the mdr.Hal drink package is much better although Ncl had a much better beer selection. Internet worked great on Hal, terribable on Ncl although they didn’t have starlink yet on this ship. On Hal we seen the officers including out and about a lot , never once on Ncl. So in summary I really believe it’s hard to compare as different ships within a line will give a different experience. As well crew from one cruise to the next can also vary in its service. I will close with there was more younger folks on Ncl although we are noticing this also on Hal as the free, 49$, stand buy and other Hal gimmicks is attracting a somewhat different crowd than folks who pay full fair. 

[sciencewonk]

I've not cruised on NCL, but here's my take on HAL given your priorities.  (These are all my opinion, your mileage may vary.)  Entertainment is probably the weakest part of the HAL experience but they don't have many game shows.  I love the food in the MDR and have rarely had a bad meal there.  The daytime activities can be hit and miss.  Check your roll call and there might be some passenger-organized games like Mexican Train Dominoes or bridge.  I think the education talks on HAL are great, especially the nature ones (As a retired biologist, I might be biased here.)

 

I was on a 34-day HAL cruise (transpacific) and it actually felt too short when we reached the end.

[Nodakboiler]

Once you book the cruise, you can join the roll call where many people organize card games, knitting groups, etc for interested cruisers. you might check now to see if one is active and post your concerns.

Edited March 29 by Nodakboiler

[Mary229]

For enrichment you will need to sail HAL’s longer cruises, not B2B. That is when they shine.  The longer voyages attract a unique type of cruisers who are indeed travelers for the most part giving the social interactions a special flavor. Their ships are overall smaller and more mature and sedate than NCL.

 

HAL’s  entertainment is so so, the food is good, the service is outstanding.  The ships are clean and well run.  It has been a while since I sailed on NCL which was formerly my favorite line.  I left them only because they sold their smaller ships and did not replace them and because they don’t offer many unique itineraries 

 

I repeat it is all about the itinerary 

[ellieanne]

If you want activities, HAL is probably not the line for you. There are things planned, trivia contests, deck games, and beer tastings, etc. but it's not a full schedule. My experience is that HAL is a sedate line, with plenty of time and opportunity for chatting with friends/family, reading, and relaxing. And that's what I want in a vacation...just time in a relatively quiet environment. But I know that's not for everyone.

My husband enjoys the music venues, but there again, what we want is quiet enjoyment of the music, rather than huge productions.

I find the food good. I'm not a foodie by any means. I want well prepared food, but I'm okay with mid-range chain restaurants. I would much rather well prepared basic food than art projects on a plate with trendy ingredients and preparations. Given my choice, I am picking peasant-style dishes over fancy ones every time. (I grew up in New Orleans, with South Louisiana soups, stews, and casseroles...well flavored and prepared food, but not fancy to New York palates.)

Basically, it depends on what you want from the cruise. HAL is perfect for us in ways that Norwegian, Carnival, Princess & Royal Caribbean are not.

[FloaterGirl]

We are Platinim Plus on NCL (or whatever they changed that to now). My mom has done 30+ cruises with them. Pre-COVID we had several poor experiences on cruises. We were so loyal to that line and loved it so much but were consistently disappointed in all you listed (and more). I came on Cruise Critic and asked questions and learned as much as I could and we tried HAL before COVID struck. It was amazing! Great food, great service, clean, and decent enough entertainment. We loved that staff served food at the buffet and the buffet food was very good! We never felt it was crowded or a free for all. No children running amok. Polite fellow cruisers. No craziness in making dining reservations.  Orderly on/off at ports. I definitely recommend you try. We are leaving tomorrow on another one. 😊

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Holland American Crew is by far one of the best.

[jlawrence01]

18 hours ago, FredZiffle said:

We're long-time NCL cruisers (with an occasional Princess or Celebrity thrown in), but we're considering a 28 day B2B on the Nieuw Statendam.  My wife is especially concerned about trying a new line for the first time on such a long voyage.  We're in our late 60's and have just gotten tired of NCL with the lack of entertainment (seems like it's 90% game shows now), the bad food, and the lack of daytime activities that interest us.  Is HAL any different?  My wife is looking for more, for lack of a better word, educational presentations on ports and culture during the day instead of all trivia and sales presentations like on NCL.  Decent food is also a priority.  It obviously doesn't have to be Michelin quality, but we'd like it to be edible (unlike NCL).  

 

How does Holland America compare?

 

 

I was on the Norwegian Epic last year for a seven day cruise.  While the ship was satisfactory, we found the service to be very lacking, the food to be very limited in selection and that MOST employees appeared to be unhappy.  That is right after they cut their entertainment and housekeeping staff.

 

We have been on two HAL cruises in the past 18 months on the Konigsdam and the Eurodam.  We thought that the entertainment was very good on the Konigsdam but very average on the Eurodam. The major difference is that BB King is NOT on the Eurodam.

 

I am a foodie and have run commercial kitchens for 15 years.  I have found the HAL food in the MDR to be above average and very consistent between ships.  I have never felt the need to use specialty dining as I have been very happy with the food and its presentation. The services in all food venues have been very good.

 

Overall, the entire ship crew has been very good and service is very attentive and the morale is excellent.  I have come to believe that we can ask for anything and the staff will do their best to make it happen.  The officers are out and around the ship interacting with the guests.

 

I just purchased a 14 day cruise to Alaska on the HAL Nieuw Amsterdam to Alaska.  That cruise will be sandwiches between two week long cruises on the Celebrity Solstice which will end in Hawaii.

 

I know that some will disagree BUT if you are comfortable with Princess and Celebrity,  I do not think that you will be displeased with HAL.  They are all very similar, each with their strong points.

 

I will say that I really like a lot of the itineraries that HAL has and some of their prices are a great value, especially if you are retired and can travel during the off-seasons.

 

 

[jay888]

I sail on NCL last May after a long break and hated it.  Bad food and service and no where to sit.  This ship on of the older ship and did not have a crows nest and only smaller venues where you could try and sit.  We had an over night in Dublin which turned out to be a tender port, 45 minutes on tender plus a train journey.  Every other time I have docked in Dublin with Cunard .NCL, now lack everything I cherish with HAL.  Good food and service, relaxing venues to sit and eat and drink and great music to listen to . Plus amazing itineraries 

[VMax1700]

16 minutes ago, jay888 said:

We had an over night in Dublin which turned out to be a tender port, 45 minutes on tender plus a train journey.

Not NCL's fault, but required by the Dublin Port Authority. Very few cruise ships now dock in Dublin Port but tender at Dun Laoghaire.   Believe it or not, caused by Brexit and the DPA requiring more space for import/export procedures.

[Rockit]

20 hours ago, FredZiffle said:

We're long-time NCL cruisers (with an occasional Princess or Celebrity thrown in), but we're considering a 28 day B2B on the Nieuw Statendam.  My wife is especially concerned about trying a new line for the first time on such a long voyage.  We're in our late 60's and have just gotten tired of NCL with the lack of entertainment (seems like it's 90% game shows now), the bad food, and the lack of daytime activities that interest us.  Is HAL any different?  My wife is looking for more, for lack of a better word, educational presentations on ports and culture during the day instead of all trivia and sales presentations like on NCL.  Decent food is also a priority.  It obviously doesn't have to be Michelin quality, but we'd like it to be edible (unlike NCL).  

 

How does Holland America compare?

There is no real easy answer. The thing is, it depends on what you look for in a cruise line or vacation experience. I can compare some of the differences from my experience with Celebrity and some others vs Holland. If you are looking for big production shows or lots of activities, rock climbing, water slides, Holland America is not it. I found that Holland vs Celebrity had the edge in service, food quality and a laid-back relaxing vibe. Celebrity had the edge in shows. Holland America ticks off all of the boxes for me, a very relaxed atmosphere and value. As a creature of habit, at this point the familiarity as big factor for me. I know what to expect each time I get on a Holland America ship and although there are the occasional glitches it is not enough to keep me away. The presentations, talks etc. are consistent with other cruise lines. The entertainment is ok, not spectacular but ok. The ships atmosphere, staff, service, food quality cabins is top notch. I know that every time my wife and I are disembarking from a Holland America cruise we always wish that we had booked a longer one. Here’s hoping that your cruise with Holland America ticks off all of your boxes and meets your expectations. Enjoy the Journey!
 

Cheers,

Rockit

[horseymike]

I think it may be worth your while to book a cruise on HAL.

That will be the true test how it works for you , if given the opportunity to bet on it , my guess is that you will like it.

In our experience cruising we have found different lines have strengths and weaknesses depending on what is most important to the individual  , food , entertainment, itinerary etc….

All the Best 👍🍀

Edited March 30 by horseymike

[rodndonna]

We did NCL Viva (our first since Covid) in January and based in that cruise would say you can expect better food on HAL.

Certainly more entertainment options on NCL.

 

As others have said, maybe try a  shorter cruise to test HAL out before committing to a 28 day cruise. You never really know until you try it, and HAL is definitely a different vibe which may or not be your cup of tea. 

[Sea42]

I recommend looking at some of the Live From threads here. Many of them post copies of the daily activities listings.This may help you see what's offered. Try finding one for a similar itinerary that you are interested in.

Grand, Legendary, and World cruises are going to have many more offerings than shorter cruises so don't use those for comparisons.

[jay888]

3 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Not NCL's fault, but required by the Dublin Port Authority. Very few cruise ships now dock in Dublin Port but tender at Dun Laoghaire.   Believe it or not, caused by Brexit and the DPA requiring more space for import/export procedures.

I can believe it, I didn’t know that was the reason we were tending there. However, Ireland is such a beautiful country to visit, we not to let the ship soil it for us.

 

[VMax1700]

@FredZiffle What is the itinerary?  Is that the 28 day Adriatic Dream and Passage to America?  If so, it is a different ball game.  You only have a couple of sea days in the first 3 weeks!  Some very interesting ports, so you hardly will have time to sleep never mind be entertained.  The TA section is different and I suggest you look at some of the 'live from' threads from last October/November for an indication of entertainment etc.

If it is a different itinerary, then I apologise for my ramblings!

[cruisemom42]

5 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Not NCL's fault, but required by the Dublin Port Authority. Very few cruise ships now dock in Dublin Port but tender at Dun Laoghaire.   Believe it or not, caused by Brexit and the DPA requiring more space for import/export procedures.

 

Do you happen to know how it is decided which ships will dock where in Dublin?  Are small ships prioritized for docking there vs. being tendered?

 

I'm disembarking there on upcoming Azamara cruise (700 pax) and hoping they wouldn't be tendering for disembarkation.