Anyone sailed HAL and Carnival?

[CoastalCounseling]

I have only sailed HAL. My husband thinks we should try one of the less expensive lines "just to compare".

 

For those of you who have done both, please give me some input.

 

THANKS!

 

Kelly

[dakrewser]

I had a terible experience on (I believe) the Carnival Fascination some years ago. No particular problem, just an overall bad experience.

 

Since then we've sailed on Norwegian (the Sky) and - while it wasn't the same level of service we expect on HAL - it was a generally enjoyable time. A lot would depend on the itinerary, I'd think.

[doone]

Some people love Carnival, others don't care for it. It depends upon what you are looking for out of your cruise experience. Go to the Carnival board and ask some questions over there. That may help you to decide.

[anngie]

I have sailed on Carnival 8 times and on HAL twice. I sailed on the Carnival Glory in March of this year. The Carnival ships are very nice. We have always excellent food and service on Carnival. We will not sail on Glory again because it is so large. It takes too long to get everyone on and off the ship in ports. I do like the new self assisted luggage de-embarkation plan. If you can take your own luggage you get off as soon as the ship is cleared.

We have not had any bad experiences with Carnival or HAL. We are booked on the Westerdam for December 5.

If you decide to sail on Carnival I would recommend one of the newer ships.

The rooms are very spacious.

[Orcrone]

I've haven't sailed HAL yet, but sailed Carnival on the Inspiration last year. I would agree with Coastal Counseling that the food and service were excellent. Shows were very good also.

 

A found a few negatives.

1. Upper level of show lounge had poor visibility, thereby eliminating a large number of seats. Additionally, there was a bingo game about 15 minutes before the show. They started selling the cards about 1/2 hour before that. So to get a good seat for the show you had to be there 1/2 hour to 45 minutes early and put up with them hawking bingo cards.
   
2. Chair hogs. People would go out in the morning, put a towel, book, etc. on a group of chairs and think that reserved the chairs for them. There would often be lots of chairs empty for extended periods (1 to 2 hours) like that.
   
3. We went during spring break and there must have been about 600 - 800 kids on board. I don't know if one pool was supposed to be adult only. If it was it was not enforced. Went down the slide once, and that was my only time in the pool.
   

Aside from that you would have the complaints that are probably true of many cruise lines; constant announcements for bingo, sales in the ship stores, art auctions, etc.

 

I don't want you to think we did not enjoy it. We certainly did. Just wanted to let you know some of the downsides. We all had a great time and would have no problem sailing with them again. Of course, I can't compare it with HAL as my first HAL cruise is coming up in 3 months.

[Gsel]

We sailed the Carnival Celebration last December and then the HAL Rotterdam last March. Carnival beat HAL with the food in the dining room and the entertainment. BUT, was far behind HAL with the cleanliness of the ship and the service. The size of the cabins was a big difference also. Our HAL cat. A cabin was fantastic, but the Carnival cabin was very small and we found ourselves constantly having to ask each other to move over. The bathroom on the Celebration cabin was very small. I would choose HAL over Carnival any day. Carnival does a great job with children and young people but HAL is a better choice if you want a taste of what cruising should be.

[Orcrone]

Our HAL cat. A cabin was fantastic, but the Carnival cabin was very small and we found ourselves constantly having to ask each other to move over. The bathroom on the Celebration cabin was very small.

gsel,

 

It's interesting that you say that. Our oceanview cabin was 195 square feet on the Inspiration. That's about as large as you're going to find for a standard cabin. Perhaps the Celebration has smaller rooms.

[Roz]

I've sailed HAL twice and Carnival once. Enjoyed all 3 cruises. I use a car analogy when comparing cruise lines. Ford and GM make a variety of models, and people purchase them based on a variety of factors. My budget allowed me to purchase a Focus, while my girlfriend went for a Lincoln Navigator. The Navigator has more amenities than my Focus, but cost 3 times as much.

 

I thought Carnival's food was as good, or in some instances, better than HAL's, and Carnival's evening shows were better. I've enjoyed all my cruises, but the HAL experience was different than Carnival. Not better or worse, just different.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to sail either line, and would recommend both, but for different reasons.

 

Roz

[lknick]

The main difference between Carnival and HAL is the crew and the cruisers [although that is rapidly changing.]

 

Carnival's crew don't seem to provide personal service and are not as well trained as HAL's crew.

 

Food is similar...some wonderful...some terrible.

 

Cabin sizes within class are similar.

 

Entertainment on Carnival is more geared to the spectacular.

 

Decore on Carnival is more glitzy.

 

Slots are tighter on Carnival.

 

More opportunities to buy things on Carnival.

 

Many ships are virtually identicle...Vista and Spirit classes are based on almost identical hulls.

[doone]

Ocrone, category A on the Rotterdam that Gsel is talking about, I believe, is a verandah cabin and larger than the standard outside cabins. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

[Orcrone]

Ocrone, category A on the Rotterdam that Gsel is talking about, I believe, is a verandah cabin and larger than the standard outside cabins. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

I'm not sure about that, but I'm sailing on the Zuiderdam next March and noticed that the A verandah rooms are rather small, only about 175 square feet plus verandah. I'm probably upgrading to the SS, hopefully today.

[doone]

The Vista Style ships are different than the R and S style ships. Maybe someone who knows the difference can chime in here.

[mcduck]

We sailed on the Paradise over Christmas 2001 as we thought our two kids (13&18 then) would prefer Carnival over HAL as it was their first cruise. Christmas of 2002 we sailed with them on the Amsterdam. Both prefered the Amsterdam as being "more classy". Neither of them have ever been ones to participate in any "kids clubs" and prefer to lazy around on a deck chair reading.

 

We found the food to be better, and entertainment to be significantly better on the Paradise. Service was always efficient, and the cabins well maintained. The Paradise also offered FREE (a word HAL seems to have forgotten) unlimited flutes of champagne and snacks from strolling crew prior to sailing - a very nice touch to the start of your cruise. The ship was well maintained, but was showing its age a bit. Getting a deck chair was always a problem and people were tanning on the deck simply because there was no where else. And that folks is why we always book a balcany cabin.

 

The Amsterdam crew were outstanding, always friendly and looking for opportunities to make your cruise experience that much better. There were tons of deck chairs available (again on a sold out ship), especially on the Promanade deck. the ship was immaculate, but was also brand new at the time, so unfair to make a comparison.

 

Bottom line is to go through the brochures carefully, gather up a bunch of sound advice from this board, and decide what type of cruise experience you are looking for, and what is important to you. Whatever you pick, you will not be disappointed.

 

Finally, we are sailing on the Westerdam this Christmas, as the HAL ships offer the type of cruise experience that we are looking for (third HAL cruise, with previous sailings on Carnival, Princess and the Royal Viking).

[tejmar]

I haven't taken my HAL cruise yet, but I agree with Roz. We sailed the Carnival Sensation in 2000 with our daughters (their first cruise) and we all had a great time. That was the first and only time with Carnival, but we would cruise with them again. We have been on 4 cruises so far (Norway, Sovereign of the Seas, Sensation, and Enchantment of the Seas) and all had pluses and minuses. We liked each one for different reasons most likely because we took them over a 20 year period and the cruise experience was different and we were also different people over that time period. We found the Sensation staff to be very efficient and curteous. My family thought that the food was excellent both in the dining room and in the Lido. The portions were just the right size to give you a chance to try your entree and sample another if you wished. I would definitely say that the food on the Sensation was much better than any I've had on RCL.

 

One thing I didn't like on our Carnival cruise was the constant attempts to suck additional money from you with lotterys and the like. Also, the photographers were always under foot. But, we had a good time in spite of that and as mentioned above the people saving chairs on the pool deck.

[Hondu]

We have sailed Carnival 4 times and HAL 6. We prefer HAL because it is more laid back and by 10pm the ship is pretty dead. We like the quiet ambience.

 

We would sail Carnival anytime. Over the past couple of years, the food on Carnival has improved substantially and I would say it is now equal or even better than on HAL. The evening entertainment surpasses HAL. The pizza is better.

If you like a lively ambience and a ship that will have sometime going on after 10pm, then Carnival will work out just fine. Carnival's cabins are also very large compared to RCI and Princess.

 

On my last cruises on HAL, the waiter never de-crumbed the table and I had to keep asking for more water. I had to brush the crumbs to the side and raise my hand after waiting and waiting to see if my glass would be refilled. Service is just not the same as it use to be.

*******************************************

 

....When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said "Let us pray." We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land...Archbishop Tutu.

[anngie]

When we sailed on the Glory this year we were pretty impressed with the quality of the food. It was so good that we ate in the dining room every night and every morning. The dining room service was outstanding.

Also they had wings and things in the late afternoon with special drink prices.

That was a nice touch.

The Glory is a beautiful ship and the rooms were so nice. Our balcony was about the same size as we had on HAL but the room was larger. The bed was queen but it seemed like a king and was very comfortable.

We were allowed to buy liquor at very good prices in the ship's liquor store on Friday morning. We could take it back to our room at that time. We were also allowed to buy liqueurs in port and take them to our room. I bought several liqueurs in Progreso and took them onboard with no problem. They went right through the scanners.

I still prefer the HAL ships. I think they are classier but will not hesitate to go on a smaller Carnival ship.

[Gsel]

Yes, the Celebration is an older ship and the cabins are very small. I can't remember what category it was, but was an outside. There are very few verandahs on the Celebration. Perhaps my comparison was not a good one, but did hear others complaining about the small size of even the "suites". Our cabin was a Cat. A on the Rotterdam and it was not huge, but we didn't find ourselves saying excuse me all the time.

[yarlenna]

I have had 5 HAL cruises and 6 Carnival cruises

IMHO the main differences between HAL and Carnival are

1. The different populations they attract

2. The number of cruisers packed onto the ship.

I have met crew from one line on the other more than once. We have had crew recognize us from HAL on Carnival.

The cabins are about the same size.

The decoration is a little more over the top on Carnival.

Now to the differences:

1. HAL is known for attracting senior citizens. This is not so much the case any more, but you will see see plenty of blue hair especially on longer cruises.

Carnival is known for attracting rowdies. This is not so much the case any more, but you will see plenty of teens and kids.

2. Because there are both more people and younger people on Carnival, the nightlife tends to go into the night. On HAL, this was not the case on any of our cruises.

I am in my late 50s and do enjoy both lines. We found the food to be slightly better on Carnival. We enjoyed the 24 hour pizza and the greater variety especially at the luncheon buffets on their larger ships. We found the service to be slightly better on HAL.

Carnival has undergone some major changes in the past 3 years. Their menu was upgraded and many of the dining choices are simply wonderful. Service continues to be an issue. There are times when the service is wonderful. There are times when I wonder if Carnival trains their employees. I find this surprising because, as I have mentioned, we have run into service staff from Carnival on HAL and from HAL on Carnival. Perhaps our experience of uneven service on one line was just a matter of luck of the draw.

If you go expecting the illusion of a refined experience, you may be dissapointed. However, I have enjoyed some real surprises on Carnival. On all of my recent cruises, they have had classical musicians providing light classics and showtunes at various times and places including high tea. (Yes, the WAS Carnival!) But overall, the product feels less polished and a little more mass market. All in all, however, I enjoy the variety of passengers and the variety of entertainment and the variety of food that Carnival provides.

[catlib55]

We have sailed the older ships on Carnival: Jubilee, Fantasy, and Tropicale.

Each one was a very nice cruise. The Tropicale was very tired and old, but we still had a wonderful time.

I think for us, the big difference was in the announcements for art auctions, etc. that we didn't hear as often on the Statendam.

We did one cruise on the Grandeur of the Seas, and it was a huge ship. I like the smaller ships much better.

My favorite Carnival ship was the Jubilee. It was a beautiful ship, we had a fantastic cabin, and it was a wonderful vacation.

We have only been on one HAL ship: the Statendam. It was our favorite cruise. We loved the atmosphere, the crew, the food, the service, and our favorite spot on that ship was the Piano bar. I also enjoyed sitting in the leather chairs in the library looking at books about the older cruise ships and ocean liners.

In December we sail on the Rotterdam to the Panama Canal, and from what I have read on these boards, it is going to be a fabulous experience!!

I can't wait!!

Mary Ellen

[Gsel]

Our first cruise was on the Carnival's Mardi Gras (that should give you some idea how old we are!) and we loved it! From that point on we were hooked on cruises. We did the Rotterdam Panama Canal last March, it is great. The Rotterdam continues that wonderful tradition of cruises that we found on the Mardi Gras. Have Fun!

[lb0103]

My daughter and I were on the Carnival Jubliee in April on a 7 day port intensive cruise. Not a LOT of kids, great food, great entertainment, excellent service in the dining room, and great cabin steward.

 

My husband and I got of HAL's Westerdam on July 18, the newest ship. Not a LOT of kids, good food, OK entertainment(better than last HAL cruise in 02), excellent service in the dining room and good cabin steward.

 

Both cruises had the $10 per day service charge, fine with us.

 

Carnival's open seating for breakfast and lunch was much better than HAL. On both we ate in the dining room every night.

 

The only real difference for me was the size of the bathroom. Even on the older ships, HAL has a REAL tub and Carnival has a locker size shower that you can not move in. It does give the comics a lot of material for the evening entertainment.

 

Entertainment on both of our Carnival cruises was fine. The Westerdam's was OK, but the Maasdam in 02 was horrible.

 

We choose a cruise for the ports it visits and don't worry about the gray or party crowds. We always make our own good time and have always found wonderful people on the ship. The ones we don't like we make sure we are not around them.

 

If we were deciding strictly on price, I think you get the better "deal" on Carnival, but you just need to know what to expect.

 

If you like to dress up even on casual nights and like a quieter time HAL is a better fit.

 

We go with the flow so it doesn't bother us either way.

 

We prefer Royal Carribean, but to us any cruise is better than not cruising.

 

Know what is important to you and choose a cruise that goes where you want and JUST ENJOY IT!

[Santa Fe Jim]

I'm not sure about that, but I'm sailing on the Zuiderdam next March and noticed that the A verandah rooms are rather small, only about 175 square feet plus verandah. I'm probably upgrading to the SS, hopefully today.

According to the HAL website and Cruisestateroom.com, the A verandahs are 254 square feet including verandah - would the verandah be 79 sf? Of course the A cabins on the stern are somewhat variable in size, generally being smaller inside, with a larger verandah to compensate, but there aren't many of them.

 

SFJ

[Orcrone]

According to the HAL website and Cruisestateroom.com, the A verandahs are 254 square feet including verandah - would the verandah be 79 sf? Of course the A cabins on the stern are somewhat variable in size, generally being smaller inside, with a larger verandah to compensate, but there aren't many of them.

 

SFJ

Santa Fe,

 

I noticed that too, but I'm guessing that's a generic number for all A category cabins throughout the fleet. I went on the HAL website and went through the motions of booking a room. After you select your room there is a link for 'stateroom details'. That will give you, among other things, the square footage. I also called HAL and got the same numbers. I doubt the verandah is close to 80 square feet. But maybe it is.

[idiebabe]

I"ve been on Carnival 9 times plus several other cruise lines. I have not sailed HAL yet and I am booked on the Zui next Spring. I would not go NCL again but always found Carnival to be very good especially the newer ships.

 

I have one question: One poster said that HAL ships are dead at 10:00 p.m. Is that really true? I've read some mixed posts on this. We're in our early 50's but like to have a good time and I know dead at 10 p.m. is for us. Although we're not in the Disco till dawn everynight we do enjoy the Casino and lounges with music and a late night Adult Comedy show.

 

I'd appreciate any feedback on this because if that's true I'll stick with the "Fun Ships" on Carnival and cancel HAL.

[RaffinOrganGrinders]

We sailed on the Carnival Fascination last Fall (03) solely to be able to visit the Atlantis casino in the Bahamas. It was much cheaper than flying and staying in a hotel there. Even with a veranda suite it was much more afforable. Although the public areas on the pool deck were much like a Sunday trip to Ryan's Steakhouse, we found the dining room and shows to be very upscale. We would go again.