Is Cunard better than Holland America?

[firsttimewithcunard]

We have just finished our first cruise on the Queen Victoria, 32 days of the World Cruise. It was fantastic. We are booked for 20 days next February on the Noordam. It is certainly cheaper than the QV, but is that because it won't be quite as good?

[southwestie]

We have just finished our first cruise on the Queen Victoria, 32 days of the World Cruise. It was fantastic. We are booked for 20 days next February on the Noordam. It is certainly cheaper than the QV, but is that because it won't be quite as good?

 

I have not use HAL, but I know many who havem some say it is as good as Cunard and some even better.

 

Hope you enjoyed the QV she is a beautiful ship

[Lurker1]

I've only done five cruises, 4 on HAL, one on the QM2. So here is my un-expert opinion. I found HAL's service to be more consistent, but the QM2 is my favorite ship.

I think personal preferences depend on many things; itinerary, price, size of ship, time of year of sailing, etc.

Good sailing in the future, no matter whom you choose.

[carlmm]

In my limited experience of one HAL cruise compared to many QE2, QM2 etc. Cunard cruises I found Cunard to be better in many regards.

 

If I would have to single out one major factor it would be the service. The service I experienced on Cunard was much more formal, precise, correct and friendly. On HAL I heard to often "No", did not get the eg. the drinks I wanted, got wrong information, was adressed by staff in an overly intimate way (well, some might regard this as friendly, I do not), while it lacked the personal attention of Cunard stewards etc.

 

Further advantages of Cunard include the better musicians in the bars, the ballroom dancing in the Queen's Room and of course the overall formality vs the rustic clothing and behaviour of many on HAL.

 

Advantages of HAL included the slightly better production shows and the bath tubs in almost all cabins.

 

The food on HAL was of course no comparison to the food in the Grill restaurants on board of the QE2 which I used most often. Compared to QM2's Britannia restaurant the selection of HAL was narrower (only a few different kinds of fish and meat over the course of 16 days) and the preperation bland. Yet the selection included more often some more valuable items esp. at lunch but also at dinner with for example more often scallops.

 

Overall I had a nice cruise on HAL because I wanted to have one. Yet, if I had paid the same price as I did on Cunard it would not have been a fair value. For the price paid, and you say, firsttimewithcunard, that your cruise will be cheaper, too, it was absolutely okay. (Regarding the "harder" factors. The improvement of some "soft" factors like dress code and attitude of staff would not cost HAL anything.)

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Bramcruiser]

To our OP, the only way you are going to know is to experience both yourself and compare what is important to you. All I can offer is my experience.

 

Overall, you might be more surprised to find out how similar both are than you are lead to believe. Yet, I found Cunard more formal but surprisingly not with a snobby attitude - unlike the people who don't like formal wanting to paint Cunard as being. Still, as HAL might have elegant casual for dining its not exactly speedos and jeans. HAL just doesn't dress up as often that is all. Many of the HAL crowd enjoy the very things that are rather the norm on Cunard.

 

I first did HAL in 2005 and thought I found my favourite cruise line at that time. Then a year later I had the opportunity to cruise on the QM2 and try out Cunard for the first time. I think I was far too overwhelmed with my previous experience on HAL that I compared everything and thus any minor flaw stood out. I must admit I didn't fall in love with Cunard outright but enjoyed it nevertheless. Strangely, I booked Cunard again for the next year and being more used to the atmosphere I liked the experience much better the second time around....and then the third time......LOL!

 

Both lines have fairly good food (although Cunard is better), both have nicely decorated cabins (HAL has the best beds), both have bad entertainment (I swear one has to sail on Carnival or RCL to get good entertainment but Cunard was slightly better I am afraid to say), both lines have wraparound promenades that one can enjoy a nice outside walk and both have classy decor. Cunard though tends to overly sell its history and thus you sometimes feel you are in a living museum.

 

The Grills are a different level altogether and beyond my experience. The Grills are definitely a more intimate experience based on the amount one is willing to pay for more exclusivity similar to business class cabins with the airlines or business class floors in nice hotels. However, all passengers are allowed access to any public space on Cunard ships so its not the same as the old days as when decks were off limits to certain people.

 

Funny that you mentioned the service, carlmm. All I ever hear from the HAL boards is the excellent service provided by the Indonesian crew (not sure if its even politically correct to point out the ethnicity of the crew but they seem to swear by them over there). I just wasn't WOW'd by my experience on the Oosterdam - it was okay but there were definite service flaws that I hadn't had with Cunard. Yet to be fair the best cabin steward I ever had in my limited cruising life has been on HAL. So its hard to say which has the better.

 

This being all said, I am returning to HAL for a cruise in two months (the Maasdam to New England and Canada) and already understand that far many changes have been made to the line since my last experience with them. I was lucky to obtain confirmed second seating (which we always do) but I hear that the As You Wish Dining is very popular. I just haven't wrapped my head around this concept yet. There is no similar product on Cunard other than the Grills and Britannia Club being single seating. Still, I am willing to walk on board with an open mind in regards to HAL and try to take the experience as it is rather than trying to expect it to be something it isn't. It'll be interesting to see how I react to my return to HAL.

 

But to be fair to Cunard, I am back on Cunard next year!:rolleyes:

 

I guess what I am really saying - after being long winded - is that I like both lines in their own way but I give a slight edge to Cunard at this time.

 

David

[moniquet]

I think they a very close. As a ship I prefer QM2. Including other criteria, staterooms/price ratio/service, I think HAL has the edge.

[Atomica]

The two lines are more similar than not.

 

The biggest difference, in my opinion, is the ship itself - no ship is like QM2. The QV is really a modified HAL Vista-class ship, with a different interior. However, HAL's ships are well designed for the most part, well kept, and nicely decorated. The staterooms are tough to beat - all rooms except for a few insides have a full bathtub, and the beds are fantastic. All staterooms also have flat panel tv's and dvd players. Cabin stewards really are 'the best'.

 

As someone earlier pointed out, the weak spot is entertainment (Cunard was definitely better!). HAL has a main show in the evenings, and there's usually some music/dancing to be found, but be prepared to entertain yourself some evenings. (longer voyages will have more entertainment than a 7-day).

 

All things considered, if you enjoy yourself on Cunard, you should enjoy yourself on HAL

[tiller]

It's really enlightening to read this thread because my mom and I took the Maasdam last year on the Canada/New England itinerary (and FWIW, bramcruiser, As You Wish Dining worked well for us--we had no trouble making reservations for the same time each night, and that had been a concern). I thought the service was excellent and the food very good, especially at dinner.

 

So if Cunard is like that, but a notch above, then I think we'll be very pleased. We'll be eating in Britannia, so the comparison will be easier to make than in the Grills.

 

As for entertainment, I'll keep my expectations low : ). I'd rather have a leisurely dinner than rush to see the usual song-and-dance extravaganza.

[firsttimewithcunard]

thank you all for these very encouraging replies. I am very grateful.

[SueOverend]

We have sailed on the Westerdam, Oosterdam and Eurodam on HAL and once on the QM2, but I can only give our comparison with Suites as we have been lucky enough to experience these on the both lines. We love HAL, but our one cruise on the QM2 in a Grill Suite was the best cruise ever. My comparisons would be as follows:-

 

Suites on HAL (either SA or SB) - Lovely Suite, plenty of storage, nice dressing room, lovely bathroom with shower over the bath plus a separate shower. Beds are fantastically comfortable. Balcony deeper than on Cunard, plus also had a small table and chairs. Neptune lounge is great - food items all day are fantastic to graze on. Breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill was nice, apart from that dinner was in the main restaurant and was pretty good most of the time, with no problem in having second helpings should you feel the need. Major perk which we loved was the free laundry and dry cleaning - used daily, so were able to come home with nearly all clean clothes on each of our trips. All the ships were nice with a very friendly crew - room stewards have always been good and have looked after us well. Entertainment, not as glitzy as RCI, but enjoyable all the same. Found all the ships a bit crowded, particularly the Eurodam. Would not hesitate to cruise HAL again.

 

On Cunard we had a Q5 Queens Grill Suite - Lovely glass display case and granite work top with a big selection of lovely glasses for drinks and plenty of space for the fruit bowl, bottle of liquor etc. I didn't think the cabin design was quite as good as the HAL suites, but was perfectly acceptable. Bed was good, but again not quite as comfortable as the HAL bed. The balcony was also not quite as deep and did not have the table the chairs of the HAL suite. Where it was better was the dressing room and walk in wardrobe which I loved - so much space for your clothes, shoes and cases. My husband used the wardrobes in the main cabin, so I had this whole area to myself. The bathroom was good, but with no separate shower. I think where Cunard won hands down was the Butler and dining in the Queens Grill. The mini bar was fully stocked and we were able to choose two bottles of spirits, which were replaced as soon as they were emptied. We had several cocktail parties and our Butler brought in a fantastic selection of hot and cold canapies on each occasion. He was in the room at the press of a button and looked after us like royalty. The food and service in the Queens Grill was top notch and we loved the opportunity to order off the a la carte menu - on our last night we requested Steak Diane and they cooked this tableside for us. Every meal was sensational. The Grills bar was also good, as well as the private deck. We thought the Concierge lounge was not nearly as good as HAL. The ship is spacious and elegant with great service and it was certainly the best cruise ever for us. We're booked again this year in a Q6 - if we have half as good a time as we did two years ago, it will be amazing.

 

Having said all this, I would not hesitate in cruising HAL again and I think you will enjoy it tremendously. I think the most important thing is not to compare too much until after your trip - just enjoy all that the ship has to offer.

 

Sue

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I agree that the quality of the lines is fairly similar. I have sailed with Cunard 11 times (QM2 twice, QE2 seven times, and Sagafjord and Vistafjord) and Holland America four times (Eurodam, Westerdam, Veendam, and the previous Rotterdam). I like both lines and the traditional atmosphere on the ships. In fact, I currently have cruises booked on the Zuiderdam and the Queen Victoria. Overall, I think Cunard is more formal and slightly more elegant.

 

Chuck

[PunkiC]

Our QM2 cruise was our best cruise ever. We loved it.

 

We actually like Princess better than HAL, mostly because it has much better dancing. The last time we sailed on Princess, the food was the best ship food we have ever had, that has not alway, however, been the case on Princess.

 

So out ranking would be.

 

1. QM2

2. Princess

3. HAL

 

I think that the only other cruise line we have sailed is NCL and it was not in the same class as the others.

[SeaMatesNYC]

My husband prefers HAL to Cunard. I rate them just about equal with the following differences (where the delta is really small):

 

HAL over Cunard:

Beds

Main Dining Room food and service

Lido (over KC)

Cabin Stewards

Pools

Bar service

Specialty restaurants

 

Cunard over HAL:

Joy in formal nights

QM2, the ship, over all Vistas (have not tried QV yet)

Less commercial onboard

Entertainment (bars and lounges - main shows equal(ly) mediocre)

Overall Decor (by a squeeker)

Chance to splurge on higher end dining (Grills)

No pressure for photos

Speaker series

[Oslo Dutch]

Having cruised several times on both lines I definitely prefer Cunard over HAL.

 

Cunard ships have a more exclusive and luxurious feeling. They are more formal and interior wise far more nicer and better furnished than the HAL Ships.

HAL ships can be rather kitschy and the furnishings of Eurodam reminded me of a European car ferry at times, not luxurious at all. I had a very small inside cabin in a very high level cheap Ikea setting.

Especially food on the QM2 was far more better than the rather bland HAL food. Mind you last time, on Eurodam it was far more better than in the past.

 

Crew on Cunard is a bit more personal than the oriental staff on HAL who can be quite irritable robotic without any personality. They behave, say and do what they are trained for. I have been on two gay charters on HAL and it was nice to see them relax after a couple of days and showing their own personality.

 

I've only been on one regular HAL cruise but it seems that fellow passengers on Cunard are more interesting.

 

Despite saying all of this HAL is not a bad cruiseline, just not my taste. I now only book them because of the RSVP charters.

[greenp]

Hi

Cunard Cunard Cunard, Ho dear HAL.

 

Well, we sailed on QM2 Feb 08 and had a wonderful time. We have just got back from a HAL cruise on the Westerdam and we had a good time.

 

With Cunard you know exactly the standard of dress expected i.e. Formal, semi formal and smart casual. with HAL its Formal and Casual.

 

As we like dressing to comply with the dress code we expect every body else will also comply. NOT so with HAL, formal nights the restaurant staff allowing people to dine without ties and some with no jackets. On Casual nights shorts and jeans alowed !! I took this up with the Restaurant manager and they then stopped the shorts. To eat in a 5* restaurant without a jacket is not on !! So this summed up the different standards.

Also the ships, QM2 and Westerdam are the same age, you would not think so ! the Westerdam has had a hard life and is not being looked after.

I would not choose HAL above Cunard, we have not tried Celebrity but I also would choose this line infront of Hal.

 

Looking forward to the 10th of June, sailing on the QV around the Med.

 

Pity about HAL I did expect them to be the same standard as Cunard, but clearly not.

 

Paul

[moniquet]

Depends which sail you are on. There were quite a few on QM2 formal nights in just a plain suit, one Man even wore a leather jacket without a tie. As for the dress in the ballroom for afternoon tea..yuk. They all seemed to have wandered in from around the pool!

[wripro]

To the OP.

 

There is no such thing as better. There is only the one you prefer.

[Bramcruiser]

To the OP.

 

There is no such thing as better. There is only the one you prefer.

 

Well said. I would never expect to force my likes and dislikes on others and vice versa.

 

David

[Bramcruiser]

On Casual nights shorts and jeans alowed !!

Paul

 

What makes you say this about HAL. HAL has formal and smart casual nights in the dining room but never plain casual where jeans and shorts are allowed in the evening. At least not from my experiences.

 

Then again I find each cruise totally different. I found the QM2 in the Caribbean to be more casual than a transatlantic crossing.

 

Personally I prefer a tranatlantic but after 5 nights I found I was tiring of the formalwear even if I prefer the formality of Cunard. Boy was that last sixth night hard. However, the good company and excellent service makes it worthwhile to go through it just one last time.:D

 

David

[tmcauban]

The biggest difference between Cunard and HAL is the clientele, which is much cheaper and less well traveled than on Cunard, creating a cheaper general ambiance.

You should see the sloppiness of women on a HAL cruise, pretty depressing display of lower class taste!

 

Food is bland on HAL, whether you are eating fish, steak or ice cream, it is all the same taste: None whatsoever.

(A positive to that is that it never feels bad, just totally bland and tasteless).

 

Crew is nice on HAL but more scarce.

 

Finally HAL ships are all the same, with not enought open decks and no forward observation deck.

 

I will neve cruise again with HAL.

[moniquet]

Well said. I would never expect to force my likes and dislikes on others and vice versa.

 

David

 

They are just opinions...isn't that what the OP asked for:confused:

[wripro]

The OP asked which was better. There is no answer to that and opinions are just that. They will not answer the question.

[SeaMatesNYC]

The OP asked which was better. There is no answer to that and opinions are just that. They will not answer the question.

 

Yes, you are literally correct, sir/madam. But I would suggest that most readers would recognize that the OP was seeking opinions, as quite obviously, there is no precise measurement to determine "better" in this instance.

 

So, let us all agree that an opinion as to which one prefers and why was the aim of this query.:) Pointless discussion? Perhaps.

 

Obviously, no one should choose a holiday based solely upon the opinions of strangers on a message board. But then again, you never know what you might learn by asking for the opinions of others. And sometimes you might even regret asking!:D

[wripro]

Of course, everyone has an opinion and I understand that is the reason the OP posted here. But the question posted still remains which one is better and all anyone can say is which line they prefer, not which one is better. Is Paris better than London? Is a Mercedes better than a BMW? Is broccoli better than asparagus?

[sillysailor 1955]

The biggest difference between Cunard and HAL is the clientele, which is much cheaper and less well traveled than on Cunard, creating a cheaper general ambiance.

You should see the sloppiness of women on a HAL cruise, pretty depressing display of lower class taste!

 

Food is bland on HAL, whether you are eating fish, steak or ice cream, it is all the same taste: None whatsoever.

(A positive to that is that it never feels bad, just totally bland and tasteless).

 

Crew is nice on HAL but more scarce.

 

Finally HAL ships are all the same, with not enought open decks and no forward observation deck.

 

I will neve cruise again with HAL.

 

Thank goodness!!:rolleyes: