HAL Noordam vs. Crown Princess differences?

[partyboy]

Hi,

 

I'm so torn between the two ships and making a final decision for a 10 night Caribbean cruise in December of 2007.

 

For all of you that have experienced both ships, could you please give me a little bit of your experience and list the differences.

 

Some of the areas I'm interested in are the comparison between daily activities, dinner hours for the buffet, Caribbean band by the pool(island music), passenger demographic, evening entertainment and any other point of comparison you might feel is important.

 

I've previously cruised on the Crown Princess twice and have really enjoyed myself. I want to spread my wings and try HAL. Can you say my experience choosing either ship would be similar?

 

Thank you so much for all the help you're giving me!:)

Jonathan

[bepsf]

As my pal Scotty described it to me over the phone when he boarded Caribbean Princess with his sister immediately after two weeks on Zaandam and a week aboard Westerdam:

 

"Those are Real Ships.* This is a floating City."

 

I think he prefers ships...

:cool:

[kh6275]

Hi,

 

I'm so torn between the two ships and making a final decision for a 10 night Caribbean cruise in December of 2007.

 

For all of you that have experienced both ships, could you please give me a little bit of your experience and list the differences.

 

Some of the areas I'm interested in are the comparison between daily activities, dinner hours for the buffet, Caribbean band by the pool(island music), passenger demographic, evening entertainment and any other point of comparison you might feel is important.

 

I've previously cruised on the Crown Princess twice and have really enjoyed myself. I want to spread my wings and try HAL. Can you say my experience choosing either ship would be similar?

 

Thank you so much for all the help you're giving me!:)

Jonathan

 

I just got off the Noordam and the band only played poolside for 1 hour on most days.

[Vic The Parrot]

I just got off the Noordam and the band only played poolside for 1 hour on most days.

 

 

 

And 1 hour of over-amplified music is enough .....

:rolleyes:

[RuthC]

And 1 hour of over-amplified music is enough .....

:rolleyes:

You got that right, Vic. More than enough, even.

[C 2 C]

You mean that there is no live music for dancing in the evenings on HAL ships?

[Old As Dirt Mom]

You mean that there is no live music for dancing in the evenings on HAL ships?

 

 

Never fear, there is plenty of live music for dancing in the evenings on HAL ships; just not a lot of pool-side live entertainment.:)

[scaaty]

Hi,

 

I'm so torn between the two ships and making a final decision for a 10 night Caribbean cruise in December of 2007.

 

For all of you that have experienced both ships, could you please give me a little bit of your experience and list the differences.

 

Some of the areas I'm interested in are the comparison between daily activities, dinner hours for the buffet, Caribbean band by the pool(island music), passenger demographic, evening entertainment and any other point of comparison you might feel is important.

 

I've previously cruised on the Crown Princess twice and have really enjoyed myself. I want to spread my wings and try HAL. Can you say my experience choosing either ship would be similar?

 

Thank you so much for all the help you're giving me!:)

Jonathan

 

Jonathan,

I was on the Crown this past October and on the Noordam a few weeks ago. I would happily sail both out of NY again. Here are some of the comparisons you asked for.

 

Daily activities

They are about equal, more on sea days, less on shore days. Not as many pool activities on HAL. That includes not alot of music at the pool. If you want a band playing all day, stick with Princess. On Princess, I preferred the aft pool with no music and no MUTS. Also, the Noordam had a covered pool so we were at the pool the first sea day out of NYC:D

 

Passenger demographic. For both of my cruises they ranged from 3 to 93! Both cruises average was in the 50s and 60s, but I tend to travel when school is in session and expect an older crowd.

 

Evening entertainment - Both ships had a variety and I found that the different lounges would close at different hours again dependent upon the number of passengers participating. We noticed that evenings tended to end earlier when the next day was a port day versus a sea day. We were usually up past midnight on both ships and there was always others around and something to do.

 

Buffet hours - Princess has 24 hour buffets , HAL does not. Hal has full breakfast and full lunch until 2:30pm between lunch and dinner you could get sandwiches, pizza and pasta, and ice cream at the buffet, plus hamburgers and hotdogs, and tacos at the pool side grill. There was dinner service which I belived ended at 8 or so, we never went to the buffet for dinner. This was also a themed late night snack from 11 - 12:30. We never went to that since we had late sitting and had only finished dinner by 10:30pm. Two HAL pluses, Ice cream was FREE and available until 12:30am, and room service breakfast included hot choices, not just the continental breakfast you get on Princess.

 

The only other major difference for us was the food. This is very subjective, but we did not enjoy the seasonings in many of the dishes. Don't get me wrong, we always found something to eat and did not starve, we just prefer more Italian influence and less Asian and hot spices.

 

If you go to the review section for both ships, you can read my full reviews of both cruises.

 

Enjoy your cruise, whichever you choose.

[bepsf]

You mean that there is no live music for dancing in the evenings on HAL ships?

 

You'll want to find yourself in the Ocean Bar when you're aboard HAL for cocktails and dancing to live music.

[IKE]

I personally vote for "Crown Princess". I was on Her last Sept. and enjoyed a beautiful ship, great itinerary, choice of Traditional or Anytime dining,and it felt more like a Caribbean Cruise.Definitely more to do. I was on "Noordam" in Late February, a few weeks ago and was very disappointed. Didnot care for the food and it was a very "Quiet Ship" at night after dinner and no Caribbean Band. I am not a late nighter but felt the atmosphere was not what I have been use to in the past. It was not for me. To each his own as the saying goes. Just my opinion.

[MikeKool]

Like IKE....I was on Crown in September and Noordam in March. I'll take Princess and ditto IKE's remarks.

[partyboy]

I am so greatful for the opinions expressed so far. Thank you!

Please keep your thoughts coming!:)

Both cruises are very close in price as well.

Jonathan

[FIRELT5]

Princess unveils culinary changes

2/4/2007

New dining room fare with a modern presentation, redesigned cuisine in the alternative restaurants and signature snacks are being rolled out aboard the Princess Cruises fleet in a major culinary initiative.

Emerald Princess and Royal Princess, debuting this month in the Mediterranean, will be the first vessels to feature these enhancements.

 

‘We always strive to keep our culinary program fresh and up-to-date, reflecting both changing trends and what our passengers tell us they enjoy,’ said Peter Tobler, vp food and beverage operations for Princess.

 

The most noticeable change will be the new menus and presentation in the main dining rooms. Dishes will include non-traditional combinations, more sophisticated flavors and ethnic influences, such as Pan-Asian and Latin American. Passengers will also find a wider selection of lighter fare, designated with the ‘Lotus Spa’ insignia. Oversized white-on-white crockery and leather-bound menus will showcase the cuisine.

 

More than 1,350 new lunch and dinner dishes will be introduced, said Princess corporate executive chef Alfredo Marzi. Instead of many specified courses, diners may now choose from a greater variety of starters, main plates and desserts. A ‘Late-Late Riser’ breakfast will be offered at lunch on sea days.

 

The effort extends beyond the main dining rooms to the alternative restaurants where, for example, the menu in Sabatini’s trattoria is being updated with a lighter twist in the same number of courses. Also, the buffet service will get new touches such tables pre-set with cutlery and napkins. In addition, passengers can have pizza delivered to their cabin for a $3 charge, and fresh-baked cookies and milk will be available each afternoon, a treat that debuted with last year’s Crown Princess.

[partyboy]

Oh Boy!:d

[caviargal]

Just food for thought:

 

Take the GRT for both ships and divide by the number of passengers and you will get a good sense of the space per passenger, key IMO.

 

On HAL, you can order a full breakfast and lunch from Room service no matter what the category; only in suites on Princess. Since we do this more days than not, it a big plus for HAL.

 

Crown has the stacked balconies, HAL does not. I prefer privacy so the Crown would not work for me.

 

HAL is old school cruising and I prefer that; I like the look of the ships themselves and the feel of being on an ocean liner. Just this weekend I was looking at the Zuiderdam and the Caribbean Princess while on Enchantment in Fort Lauderdale and again realized how unappealling the newer, larger Princess ships are to me aesthically.

 

Fixed dining is not a problem for me so not a deal breaker.

 

MUTS versus a real cinema on HAL that serves popcorn at movie time is a personal preference.

 

For those who prefer lots of activities and entertainment I think there are perhaps better choices than HAL. For those like me looking for elegance, a well stocked library and some dancing after dinner before retiring to my spacious and well appointed cabin, HAL is a better choice.

[partyboy]

Thank you.;)

 

All of this information is very helpful! My wife and I are taking great care to evaluate all of these valuable opinions.:)

Jonathan

[C 2 C]

I think the only solution is to try both.

[partyboy]

C 2 C,

 

Great suggestion!

 

I only wish my pockets were deeper and stuffed with the extra cash to be able to do so.:D

[Guest LoveMyBoxer]

I think the only solution is to try both.

 

Funny you should say that! We sailed on Noordam this past New Year's and are already booked for the X-Mas/New Year's on Noordam. Yesterday my sister "twisted" my arm and we will be sailing on the Princess Crown in July. Will let you know after how they compare.

[RuthC]

I suggest asking yourself how much your board name reflects what you're looking for in a cruise.

 

If you're looking for a party, then you won't find much of one on HAL. If you're looking for quite times with some fun involved, then maybe you've come to the right place.

[cruisinbulldog]

 

If you're looking for a party, then you won't find much of one on HAL.

 

I had no problem finding a party on the Noordam.. Of course I have no problem making my own party!!:D

 

Bulldog

[IKE]

I suggest asking yourself how much your board name reflects what you're looking for in a cruise. [/color][/size][/font]

 

I think this comment was uncalled for by Ruth C. People come on this board for information not to be insulted. I love Cruise Critic. Over the years have received so much information. Insulting people is not the way to go. IKE

[partyboy]

Hi IKE,

 

Thank you for your earlier information regarding my post, it was very helpful!

 

Hey, don't let Ruth's comment trouble you. I took it very constructively and did not offend at all.:) I'm looking forward to some more help here though. Jeez, I never thought this decision would be so tough.

 

Beautiful ships, good food, nice itinerary, great crews, embarkation easy at either port.....kind of makes you dizzy!LOL

 

FIRELT5,

 

Very nice info too, as well as so many others have provided!

 

I am now concentrating on the EMERALD along with the Noordam.

 

I actually am working my way toward a conclusion thanks to all of the helpful posts. I just need a few more comments to convince me for sure.

 

Thank you everyone, you've been great!

Jonathan

[Vettebuf]

Excuse me, everyone on this thread. I'm just here trying to contact partyboy.

 

Jonathan, Frank and I are joining you on the Crown Princess repo in October. I sent you email but, since I got no response, I figured you're not using that address anymore. How have you and Patty been?

[partyboy]

Hi Elaine,

 

I'll email you tonight with info. Gotta run! xo