Our reason for staying with HAL is the excellent service and experience that we encounter on each cruise that we sail.
Since our first cruise to Hawaii in 2008, we have never been disappointed with HAL. If we do encounter any problem(s), when brought to the attention of the proper personnel, the matter is resolved generally without any further discussion or need to go to a higher authority.
The ships are well-maintained and the staterooms are some of the nicest we have enjoyed since beginning cruising in 1987.
Having been on numerous Princess and their take over of Sitmar cruise line and 11o days on Holland will have to give the overwhelming edge to Holland where the service of the entire crew is far above that of princess and not to say that it is bad on Princess and our total experience is like comparing a Chevy to Cadillac with both being good choices. There is no doubt that the age group will be younger on Princess however Holland has lowered their cruisers by 10 years over the past several years One of the nice benefits of Holland are the hot appetizers in all bars in the evening. One of the best ideas in the industry and sure to be copied is that your room is available for immediate occupancy at 11:30 and also remaining in your room until your number is called upon departing.Class act and will receive future cruises from my family.
Well, we are not dedicated HAL cruisers, being Platinum on both Princess and RCI, but we also have 75 days on HAL and love it.
What are the things we like especially about HAL?
The overall ambiance of the ship, and the wonderful art works.
The fact that they have many smaller ships, and even their big ones are not that BIG!
The wonderful Indonesian crew, the Bami Goreng at dinner, the Indonesian afternoon tea, and the Indonesian Crew Show. (I got a few good pictures of that at Australia and Indonesia Cruise.)
We cruised with HAL in 2008 ,2010 and will cruise with them in 2011 .We enjoy the ships ,the people we've met on the ships and the activities ,geared toward people our age .
I started cruising more than 20 years ago, first with Carnival than RCL.
My first HAL cruise was on the Volendam, 10 day cruise in the Caribbean
there was almost no waiting time to board . the moment I was on board the service was excellent. I am now a 3 star . and we are cruising on Sunday aboard the Veendam to Bermuda for 7 days . It can't get any better!!
We just did our first HAL cruise this past February, and we were blown away! We have done both Carnival and Disney in the past. The quick embarkation, not having to fight for a seat at the buffet, outstanding service and overall ambiance convinced us to book again while still on this cruise. We also were pleased with the quality of the entertainment and the fact that the comedians were not raunchy, but still extremely funny! We also kept our final bill down by winning free beverages at some of the different activities, as well as some other HAL merchandise. Much more appreciated than a solid gold plastic ship on a stick!!!
We did one Princess Cruise many years back. We left that cruise thinking we had no desire to ever do another Princess Cruise again. Now, don't get me wrong, if the price was right we would consider it. But we didnt leave wtih an overwhelming feeling of .... we must sail Princess again.
I had mixed feelings when we got off Eurodam earlier this year. You can read my review in the member reviews section.
The only "negatives" for me, was that we felt the rocking of the ship (Eurodam was much smaller than what we were used to) and we felt considerably younger than most people on board. I think in aother 10 to 15 years, HAL will be our line of choice.
For now, I think Royal (although more expensive?????) is more suited to us and our lifestyle.
That being said .....to answer the question ..... the best thing about HAL is the SERVICE. It is without a doubt the best service I've EVER encountered on a cruise ship. I will also say that CLUB HAL was incredible and our kids loved it. I'm amazed that a cruiseline not targetting young families had such an oustanding kid's program.
Our next cruises are on Royal, and then Disney. To qualify my review, I am 42 years old, married, with two young children 5 and 3.
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Disney Fantasy - 2013 [pending]
Disney Dream - 2012
Royal Freedom of the Seas - 2011
HAL Eurodam - 2011
Royal Grandeur of the Seas - 2010
Carnival Dream - 2010
Grand Princess - 2002
Royal Voyageur of the Seas - 2000
Royal Sovereign of the Seas - 1999
Carnival Ecstacy - 1991
I am cruising on the veendam this Sunday first time on this ship anything I should know re the ship? did you eat at any of the specialty restaurants and if so any review?
I just booked my very first HAL cruise yesterday. It's really more of an Alaska tour than a cruise though. Still it will be interesting to get a little perspective.
__________________ Snoozeman Moderator
My Personal Cruise Blog: Ray's Cruise Blog
Booked Cruises: Carnival Legend 9/1/2013, Carnival Sunshine 11/1/2013, Carnival Sunshine 2/16/2014, Navigator of the Seas 3/23/2014.
I just booked my very first HAL cruise yesterday. It's really more of an Alaska tour than a cruise though. Still it will be interesting to get a little perspective.
Well, then Snoozman! Time to update the list of booked cruises in your siggy! I hope you have a great time on your HAL cruise.
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Disney Fantasy - 2013 [pending]
Disney Dream - 2012
Royal Freedom of the Seas - 2011
HAL Eurodam - 2011
Royal Grandeur of the Seas - 2010
Carnival Dream - 2010
Grand Princess - 2002
Royal Voyageur of the Seas - 2000
Royal Sovereign of the Seas - 1999
Carnival Ecstacy - 1991
Heading on our 2nd HAL cruise this Sept to the Greek Islands - can't wait.
Did HAL to Alaska and it was wonderful. I loved the fact that the ships don't have too many people and you can do what you want. No partying in the halls - just peaceful, but with a lot of very nice and enthusiastic travellers.
I am relatively younger, but that also made it nice for getting off the ship and doing excursions. I wasn't there looking to meet people, we had a group of 14. So it depends on what you are looking for. We made our own nightlife in the disco - and had a great time.
Our experience with HAL was priceless! We were going to do a Meditteranean cruise with the Nieuw Amsterdam last year. Just arriving and going out of the Venice airport I tripped, fell and broke my arm. We went through a nightmare at a Venice hospital for 6 hours, we couldn't communicate in English nor Spanish. We had to go onboard to use the Medical Center. The medical staff was out of this world. The care they gave us going through a medical disembarkation was so personal, even the Captain got involved to ensure that we will not be left stranded in Venice. They made arrangements for hotel and transportation from ship to hotel and from there to airport. They started a network of medical staff, the ground operator, their headquarters and our insurance. They were in contact with us all the time until we arrived at the hospital in the USA for immediate surgery and even after that by headquarters. The customer service staff helped us pack our luggage, they requested room service before we left the ship. They were so sweet and supportive.
I fell elsewhere, it was not their responsibility but they went out of their way to help us.
Service, friendship, caring, quality, heart - that is what draws me to HAL! Priceless!!
With 200+ days behind us and 112 coming up (world cruise) it's like a 2nd home.
The service, ambiance, food all combine to make for a wonderful experience.
We enjoy the older crowd, not interested in a party ship. The crew has been amazing on every ship we have sailed.
I would not consider another ship even if the price was right. My time and enjoyment are to valuable to waste.
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