Input Needed: Alternatives to HAL. Please help!

[bob1973]

Hi all,
I would like to try a new cruise line but do not want to be disappointed--so I'd like other travelers' input.

By far, HAL is my personal best out of the lines I've sailed on (HAL, NCL and RCCL). Of course, food, service, itineraries, etc. are important, but to me what puts HAL over the top is:

1. MATTRESSES!!! most cruise reviews I read neglect to even mention this and I have found that on NCL and RCCL they are hard and lumpy--and I am unable to sleep. On HAL, I was beyond comfortable....great sleep...this is important to me!
2. service
3. quality, i.e. plentiful teak chairs as opposed to worn out, dirty plastic chairs that you have to fight for because there are not enough.

other examples would be the ease with which you can check out beach towels (if its for going on land, you pick it up on your way out and drop it off when you re-board and if its for use at the pool, etc. on the ship, there are numerous stations where you pick one up) vs. RCCL where there is one place on the ENTIRE ship where you have to use your keycard to pick up and, if they aren't returned to this one spot, you will be charged....

free video rentals at library vs. $5 and up charges for watching movies....


3. atmosphere/options: a heated deck with a pool that has a glass (or plastic?) covering that can be lowered when it is cold...so you can be "outside" and enjoy warmth AND the pool and ocean view when it is cold out....also, all ships have spas but HAL has beautifully tiled steam rooms and special heated pools that you can get passes for for a small fee.

so, hopefully you get my drift. i'd welcome all input. Thanks!!!!!

[MercedMike]

Originally Posted by bob1973

Hi all,
I would like to try a new cruise line but do not want to be disappointed--so I'd like other travelers' input.

By far, HAL is my personal best out of the lines I've sailed on (HAL, NCL and RCCL).

Princess is our co-favorite with HAL.

1. MATTRESSES!!! most cruise reviews I read neglect to even mention this and I have found that on NCL and RCCL they are hard and lumpy--and I am unable to sleep. On HAL, I was beyond comfortable....great sleep...this is important to me!

On Princess we have our TA ask for an egg crate in advance.

2. service

We love those Indonesians and Filipinos on HAL. But I have to give Princess a bit of the edge in the service department. Training on HAL has been slacking off slightly lately, IMAO. Our last HAL cruise was one of the very very few times I gave the dining staff less than EXCELLENT rating.

3. quality, i.e. plentiful teak chairs as opposed to worn out, dirty plastic chairs that you have to fight for because there are not enough.

Well, not sure where you found all those teak chairs on HAL. Do you mean around the pool? No line that I know of ever has enough front row pool chairs.

other examples would be the ease with which you can check out beach towels (if its for going on land, you pick it up on your way out and drop it off when you re-board and if its for use at the pool, etc. on the ship, there are numerous stations where you pick one up) vs. RCCL where there is one place on the ENTIRE ship where you have to use your keycard to pick up and, if they aren't returned to this one spot, you will be charged....

free video rentals at library vs. $5 and up charges for watching movies....

Well, each to their own. I certainly wouldn't choose a cruise line based on tiny things like this. But if it is important to you, then it is important to you!

3. atmosphere/options: a heated deck with a pool that has a glass (or plastic?) covering that can be lowered when it is cold...so you can be "outside" and enjoy warmth AND the pool and ocean view when it is cold out....

Well, actually, the pool on the Radiance class ships of RCI takes the prize here.

also, all ships have spas but HAL has beautifully tiled steam rooms and special heated pools that you can get passes for for a small fee.

Although Princess has Thermal Suites on some ships, most of them are NOT ocean view. Again, the Radiance Class ships of RCI are outstanding in Thermal Suites. BUT -- on all lines that "small fee" is getting bigger and bigger.

so, hopefully you get my drift. i'd welcome all input. Thanks!!!!!

you ask, I will answer! I am full of opinions ...

[Queen of Oakville]

hmmmm, I can't comment on HAL because this will be our first HAL cruise.

I didn't much care for Princess; probably because we were in our early thirties and there was about a 50 year age gap between us and every one else we sailed with.

I LOVE RCI. Moreso, I love what RCI used to be. Earlier this year we sailed Carnival, because they are priced better for families and we wanted to introduce our children to cruising. We sailed the Carnival Dream, and to be quite honest, I wasted away much of my cruise comparing it to RCI.

We decided it was time to sail RCI again to find out if she lived up to our memories. She didn't. To be fair, we probably should have sailed Allure or Oasis to compare it to Dream. Instead we sailed Grandeur which is an older ship and only a 5 day itinerary.

It's not a fair comparison, but here are my thoughts on RCI and Carnival
-Carnival won out on food. The "everyday" menu was not that good, but the daily selections were pretty good.
-RCI won out on service. The DREAM was supposedly staffed with the best from everyship. I found this to be a sad statement given that the service on Carnival was horrible. The waitstaff was okay, but the all of the front-line were less than enthusiastic, cheerful etc.

We are looking forward to sailing HAL and finding out what she has to offer.

[edrosado1]

I know what you are saying when you want to compare anything with HAL.
Me and DW have cruised with just about every cruise line. We have come to the conclusion that is hard to compare because everything is realtive and we all have different tastes. But I can tell you that for the money you can't go wrong with HAL. The only line that comes close is Celebrity
Cruises. In todays cruising atmosphere the large ships are offering more options and venues that appeal to a different breed of cruisers. But for those of us that enjoy the refine, and nostalgic part of cruising for the money there is no comparison to HAL.

[Queen of Oakville]

I missed this part the first time I read your post .... they charge for steam rooms on HAL?

[MercedMike]

Originally Posted by Queen of Oakville

I missed this part the first time I read your post .... they charge for steam rooms on HAL?

Most HAL ships have the usual free steam rooms and the usual hot tubs.

However, on most of them, especially the Oosterdam class, they have the amazing Thermal Suite and Hydropool which go way way beyond steam rooms and hot tubs. There is a charge for these which is working up towards $125 a week now.

Check Thermal Suites Aboard for our pictures.

[Henry43]

Even though we had a lot of problems on last months HAL cruise we still will only sail with HAL.