20-somethings and HAL?

[WannaBNSun]

I've read so many posts and reviews but still can't seem to get a decent grip on activities (nightlife in particular) aboard HAL. Looking into Westerdam, Zuiderdam, or Osterdam for Thanksgiving 2005.

There will be 3 couples in their early-late 20s, and one couple in their 40s. All of these folks like to dance the night away and have been known to exit the bar as the sun rises on RCI. We are not loud or rowdy, merely night owls.

We've always cruised with RCI and recently tried Celebrity. Loved RCI, but are looking for maybe a step above. Celebrity's food and service was a true shock - poor in quality of food, quantity of service, and the entertainment offerings slim, at best. (We sailed when the nightclub and disco were closed in prep. for Cirque de Soleil but were not informed of either closing until after we boarded. Anyway, nightlife may be better now that the Bar at the end of the Earth or World or whatever is now open.) The dining room RAN OUT of main courses one night. Second seating diners were still waiting for main courses when baked alaska was paraded around. We don't consider a cool towel on re-embarkation "service". We consider getting food while it's still at least warm, friendly smiles from crew members other than bartenders, and clean, working public restrooms. They did the tiny things well, but had no clue on the big things. We paid quite a bit more for that cruise than we had for a like stateroom on RCI and got less than half the service. (Sorry, didn't mean to rant. We had a good time but only thanks to our fellow cruisers and a fantastic bartender - not the ship or the rest of its crew.)

So, we are looking into trying another line that will have good service, good food, and some nightlife for mixed ages. BTW, if it matters, one minister, one corporate VP, one law enforcement officer, one school teacher, one hotel manager, two will have just graduated university, and one domestic ungoddess make up the group.

Will these HAL ships fit the bill for us?

Just
Wanna B N Sun

[doone]

If you are looking to dance the night away, you will be disappointed on a HAL ship. If you are looking for a quiet, refined cruise experience, then HAL is for you. You won't find party animals onboard HAL ships, sorry.

Don't get me wrong, I love HAL and I find HAL is a great cruiseline for me, but if you are looking for alot of activities, HAL won't fit what your looking for. You may want to look into Princess or even Carnival.

Hope this helps.

[dot73]

At least you will have the dance floor in the disco all to yourselves after 11:00 p.m. I love strolling around the ship after everyone has gone to sleep. You feel like you have the ship all to yourself. I am in my forties and am usually the youngest one at my dinner table. However, if you are travelling in a group and will hang out together, you will have company in your own age group and be able to create your own fun. You may find the entertainment a bit "lame". It is geared towards older people. Of course, around Thanksgiving, there may be a lot of younger people travelling with their families. It's hard to predict but from experience (4 HAL cruises), the crowd on HAL tends to be a bit older and more subdued. Don't let these comments stop you from trying HAL. You may find you really like the atmosphere.

[uncialman]

I've read so many posts and reviews but still can't seem to get a decent grip on activities (nightlife in particular) aboard HAL. Looking into Westerdam, Zuiderdam, or Osterdam for Thanksgiving 2005.

There will be 3 couples in their early-late 20s, and one couple in their 40s. All of these folks like to dance the night away and have been known to exit the bar as the sun rises on RCI. We are not loud or rowdy, merely night owls.

We've always cruised with RCI and recently tried Celebrity. Loved RCI, but are looking for maybe a step above. Celebrity's food and service was a true shock - poor in quality of food, quantity of service, and the entertainment offerings slim, at best. (We sailed when the nightclub and disco were closed in prep. for Cirque de Soleil but were not informed of either closing until after we boarded. Anyway, nightlife may be better now that the Bar at the end of the Earth or World or whatever is now open.) The dining room RAN OUT of main courses one night. Second seating diners were still waiting for main courses when baked alaska was paraded around. We don't consider a cool towel on re-embarkation "service". We consider getting food while it's still at least warm, friendly smiles from crew members other than bartenders, and clean, working public restrooms. They did the tiny things well, but had no clue on the big things. We paid quite a bit more for that cruise than we had for a like stateroom on RCI and got less than half the service. (Sorry, didn't mean to rant. We had a good time but only thanks to our fellow cruisers and a fantastic bartender - not the ship or the rest of its crew.)

So, we are looking into trying another line that will have good service, good food, and some nightlife for mixed ages. BTW, if it matters, one minister, one corporate VP, one law enforcement officer, one school teacher, one hotel manager, two will have just graduated university, and one domestic ungoddess make up the group.

Will these HAL ships fit the bill for us?

Just
Wanna B N Sun


Hey WBNS!

As someone who is in his mid-thirties, I would really suggest that your group take a serious look at the Grand Class series of ships of Princess (NOT the Caribbean or new Crow though -way to crowded), the Voyager series of RCI or the Spirit Class of Carnival (In truth, really nice ships and a step above their other offerings, IMHO). That is, if dancing the night away is your main concern is chosing a cruiseline.

If dining is your main concern, then I really would rank Celebrity and HAL as the tops. I don't know what happened aboard your trip, but it isn't something that I have experienced in 4 cruises on Celebrity. HAL does a good job in dining as well, with a lot of variety offered in the Lido. And, to tell you the truth, Carnival does a pretty good job in making sure their entrees are well prepared and delivered fresh and hot (not to mention David's Supper Club was one of the best alternative dining epxeriences I have ever had).

However, if it's nightlife you are looking for I would rank them:

1. RCI Voyager Series
2. Carnival Spirit Class
3. Celebrity Millenium Class
4. HAL whatever you chose class

HAL is my kinda line: they shut down real early so my wife and I can go out for romantic,quiet strolls. However, a lot of the large groups that I escort love to stay out all night and party - I put those groups on RCI and Carnivore.

So, for what it's worth...

[RaffinOrganGrinders]

The only crowds on the HAl disco floor will be using canes, walkers, and wheelchairs.

[CDRMark]

WannaB:

One of the CCers on our recent Maasdam cruise was a 21 yo honeymooner (mickysminnie) who has promised a review soon. Keep your eyes peeled for it; her experience should be a good indicator for you.
Cheers
MarkB

[Cally]

I just got off the Amsterdam and will tell you that HAL is definately not the place for a fun party atmosphere. I don't think you need to go to a Carnival cruise to find fun and excitement but you will not find a lively atmosphere on HAL. My husband and I are in our early 50s and we were by far the youngest on the ship. Most of the bars and night spots were empty by 9:00pm.

[Charlie2na]

My 2 cents. We are mid forties and early fifties. We love Hal. Yes , most people on board are a bit older , but thats not a bad thing ! The older folks are usually polite, quiet and don't usually take advantage of the things that we love to do. Therefore one can always get a lounge by the pool, a seat at our favorite game in the casino, hot tubs etc. Also , the crows nest in the evening, has some pretty good action for a disco. The last cruise, there was a guy that did an amazing Elton John tribute . We had a blast. Now if bingo's your thing.... watch out..... those folks mean business.
Quiet elegance is very appealing , given the chance! We still talk about the evening we stole a waltz as we were passing through a lounge, dressed to the nines......hmmmm.... very romantic!

[CMHF]

I would try Princess, the demographics are varied. I am 42 and been on 48 cruises, 6 RCL, 13 HAL & more recently 16 Princess. I have always had a fun time on all, but usally with HAL by midnight the ships is bascially asleep. Princess depending on the cruise 1am & 3am. In my opinon of food, (I am in the foodservice business), Princess & HAL are a cut above RCI, with HAL being blander. Service has been excellent on Princess & HAL, so-so on RCL. I have had one cruise on Celebrity, I was not impressed, but it was about 6 years ago. I would stick to a 7 day, younger PAX. However I have always had a good time on every cruise, including several 22+ day cruises when I was in my late 20's and there were only a handfull of "younger" PAX.
Harvey

[lissa6626]

I am in my mid 20's and will be on the Veendam Dec.11. I usually cruise X and this will be my 1st HAL. I find Celebrity to be quiet at night, but my DH and I always socialize at a bar or spend a few hours playing blackjack. I usually hate the disco club music anyway, too cheezy. I did Carnival once for the nightlife factor and found it to be not my cup of tea. I would prefer a more subdued, refined class of pax. I will post a review when I return to compare the two lines.
2 days and counting.........

BTW...i love X...I have NEVER had a problem with the food. It has been like a five star restaurant.The food and the service have always been exceptional. On Carnival, there were nights that I could not stomach the food. I had pizza.

[DFD1]

We just returned from10 days on the Volendam. In almost 40 years of cruising, since I was just a lad, this was the oldest passenger component we have ever seen on any cruise. We sailed the day after Thanksgiving, about the same time you indicate that you will be cruising.

The late night dancing on this cruise consisted of only three four couples in their 60's up in the Crow's Nest.

Some on this message board will not appreciate this, but Carnival rocks big time compared to HAL and I agree with the poster who recommended the Spirit Class Carnival ship. I believe it would be a good bet for you. Carnival continues to improve the quality and civility of its cruises across the board in my opinion.

[dakrewser]

Some on this message board will not appreciate this, but Carnival rocks big time compared to HAL
I doubt there's anyone here who would disagree. Whether or not that's a plus for Carnival, well, that's open to debate!

:rolleyes: -dave

[iluvcruzin]

If nightlife is a criteria, I would not suggest HAL. However.. if the price is good on the sailing you are looking at, then you can always make your own party on whatever ship you sail.

[x lindsay x]

As a 22 year old just back from a trip on the Zuiderdam I can tell you that while night life on the ship is not fantastic it can be very fun. Things tend to wind down around 2am most nights, though they will keep the disco open really late if they have a good crowd. You just have to make the most of it and know what to expect, for example the disco is not that large, I am assuming the disco on the Vista Class Ships is probably half the size if not smaller than a disco on a RCI ship. The crowd in the disco was quite varied. A lot of 20-30 somethings, as well as a few middle aged couples who were mainly watching. One night an older gentleman, maybe in his 60's, was the king of the dance floor while another night an older couple came in, maybe in the 70 year old range and they danced the night away.

If there are a group of you going to the disco together who love to dance I am sure that many of the wallflowers that usually hang around the outskirts of the dance floor will be more willing to get up and dance if they see your group having a good time. Plus you can get the DJ to play just about any song you want which is always fun.

I went with my parents and my 25 year old brother on our cruise in October and we all had a great time even though we have very different tastes and ideas of fun. I wouldn't write off HAL, especially the Vista Class ships, if I were you.

[Orcrone]

Just got back from teh Maasdam a month ago. One night, after DW retired I was sitting out on the aft Lido deck. Along came a couple of friends and we sat and talked for a while. Finally, went inside to return to my cabin just after midnight. I was amazed how empty the ship was.

I would not recommend HAL for people that like to dance the night away.

[GirlInADaydream]

i know i didnt start this thread, but i also wanted to thank all those that gave an explanation of a "true" HAL experience.

I am getting ready for our first HAL cruise (FI and i are both early 20's) and we chose HAL because of the older crowd and that we like a relaxing elegant cruise.

We tried RCI this past Feb and it was waaaay to crazy for us. to many pool games, loud kids, etc.

Now i am REALLY lookinf forward to a relaxing HAL cruise!

[DFD1]

One of the nice things about our Volendam cruise was the lack of loud speaker announcements during the day. There were one or two, mericfully short, otherwise the loudspeaker was pretty wuiet.

On some of the other cruise lines, we have been bombarded with high-volume loudspeaker noise all day.

[WannaBNSun]

Friendly board you have here!! Thanks for so many replies to my 20-something question.

I think we may end up trying HAL. As I said before we've all sailed Celebrity and RCI. While Celebrity may have the reputation of being a premium line, our experiences with them are quite different. Maybe we had "lemon" cruises, but we're not willing to be burned again. Not yet anyway. As for RCI, there's loads to do but not quite the scale we like. Were it not for the younger people in our group, we'd be on an RSSC ship, but price is an issue with this group.

It sounds to me that as long as we make friends with the DJ in the disco, the 8 of us just may be able to keep it open until 2AM or so. And I imagine the casino will be open as long as people are placing their bets. If all that fails, I suppose one of us can get a suite and play charades until dawn. (We're MAD about charades. Try doing Funk & Wagnalls Dictionary sometime :eek: )

We appreciate a good sommelier, fellow passengers with manners, and good overall service and it sounds to me like HAL just might be the line for us this time around.

BTW, is there a cigar bar onboard any of the new ships?

Again, great group of folks here. Thanks!
WannaBNSun

[Tatka]

We've always cruised with RCI and recently tried Celebrity. Loved RCI, but are looking for maybe a step above. Celebrity's food and service was a true shock - poor in quality of food, quantity of service, and the entertainment offerings slim, at best. (We sailed when the nightclub and disco were closed in prep. for Cirque de Soleil but were not informed of either closing until after we boarded. Anyway, nightlife may be better now that the Bar at the end of the Earth or World or whatever is now open.) The dining room RAN OUT of main courses one night. Second seating diners were still waiting for main courses when baked alaska was paraded around. We don't consider a cool towel on re-embarkation "service". We consider getting food while it's still at least warm, friendly smiles from crew members other than bartenders, and clean, working public restrooms. They did the tiny things well, but had no clue on the big things. We paid quite a bit more for that cruise than we had for a like stateroom on RCI and got less than half the service. (Sorry, didn't mean to rant. We had a good time but only thanks to our fellow cruisers and a fantastic bartender - not the ship or the rest of its crew.)

Yeah....you can see the results of RCI buying Celebrity.. I still think it was unfortunate experience (and not a standard) as many passangers rave about Celebrity's service and food. (food is 2 steps above RCI's)

Just like on any other line if you want younger crowd on HAL go during the summer, Thanksgiving or any other holidays , and pick 7 dayers. We are both 32 and saw a lot of people of our age and younger... (We even had 400+ kids)

About age..One of the highlights of our cruise for us were our tablemates. (Both 80+ );) Wonderful people, even though they were older than my grandparents.

[WannaBNSun]

Tatka,

I wondered about our Celebrity experience and the RCI corporation, too. However, I do think we just had rotten weeks - ship on its first Caribbean of the season, first cruise out of dry dock, Cirque de Soleil causing venue closures, etc. Will give them another year and then see if we might be interested again. I will be alert for scheduled dry docks and itinerary shifts on that one, though.

We LOVE people of all ages, particularly the "60 with experience types". (My Aunt's nice way of saying she's waay over 60!) Some of the most active people on our last cruise were 70+ and we had a hard time keeping up with them sometimes, especially in the morning. Yikes. We think that's one of the greatest things about cruising - meeting people of all ages from all over the world, from all different walks of life, and with all kinds of amazing experiences to share. That's why when my DH and I cruise alone we always request the largest table available. We've become friends with the nicest people that way.

I really appreciate the time and suggestions from everyone. Will be sharing all this with the other 6 this weekend and maybe we can book a cruise on Monday!

Wanna B N Sun

[DFD1]

Sounds like you've sorted thru it very well. Hope you have a great time. We are not quite as old as dirt yet, like a good time, and we keep coming back to HAL.

Tatka is right about the crowd being younger on the 7 day cruises than on the l0day and longer ones. Have fun.

[rex523]

My own experience of the Zuiderdam seems to be at odds with some of the other posters, but it was way back in June, 2003. The average age of the passengers seemed to me to be in the late 40's, and there were lots of college age people on board, and twenty and thirty somethings. The disco was packed every night and the music was much better than standard cruise ship - they even played some sets of fairly deep house.

Of course, much depends on things you have no control over, namely who your fellow passengers will be. Of other lines I have traveled in the last five years, Carnival was too frat party (mainly due to a group of rowdy dudes on board) and my NCL cruise last May was probably 70% people under 40, but they all went to bed immediately after dinner. I have never seen a ship so dead at midnight.

I would not hesitate to recommend a 7 day Vista class cruise to a group such as yours.

[Brandis]

Me and my friend are 30 and were on Prinsendam some weeks ago and while we were by far the youngest (with exception of two about 10 year old boys) we had a great time.

I heard the bars closed quite early, but enjoyed more the piano bar and the classic strings trio. We didn't mind that Prinsendam didn't have a disco...

Marc