Holland America VS Any other Cruise Line

[PegIra]

Hi,

I am considering surprising my husband with a Holland America Panama Canal Cruise. We have cruised on Disney 5 times, but never any other cruise line. I really don't know which line to pick. We would want to do a round trip from Florida (whatever port) and have it about a 10 day or so cruise. Can anyone give me any help. From some cruises I have priced, HA is about $1000 more expensive for the same cruise as other lines. Is it worth it? We would be getting a handicapped accessible room with a verandah. The more websites I go on, the more confused I get.

Any help would really be appreciated,

Peg

[LindaM]

I am confused as to why HAL prices are higher. They are usually in the same ballpark as the other lines. I would recommend you actually sail through the Panama Canal. Check all the cruiselines to see if they offer this.

To me, sailing Disney then jumping to HAL would be vastly different experiences. I guess I think of Disney as child oriented, but that may not be true. If you have kids, you may want to consider RCCL. Other lines that are similarly priced are Princess,and NCL. I like Celebrity and HAL because they don't attract as many families. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. The most important aspect is the itinerary. I have heard if you just sail to the locks, you don't have the same experience. Also, you might want to consider the size of the ship.

Hope this helps!

[Roz]

Peg,

Make sure you're comparing the same type of PC cruise. For instance, a full transit is more expensive than a partial transit, because of the additional fees to go all the way thru, plus full transits are usually a few days longer. I've found HAL's fare for the Canal to be in line with other cruise lines. Is it possibly the category of cabin you're looking at that accounts for the difference?

Roz

[gregdude]

I have sailed on Disney Magic (2002) and HAL this past year and again have planned a HAL cruise this year. This is not to your point, but you will find, unless it has changed, the food much better on HAL. The thing Disney does better is entertainment and cabin/bathroom sizes. HAL is more refined and I like going to one main dinning room better than changing every night as on Disney.

Enjoy your planning!

[middle-aged mom]

Hi,

I am considering surprising my husband with a Holland America Panama Canal Cruise.............

Any help would really be appreciated,

Peg

Hello, Peg:

Here's my advice as one who has (finally) learned through experience. Please consider including your husband in the decision process. Some husbands do not like to be surprised in this way.:)

You've received some excellent input from the previous posters.

[SwissMyst]

Yes, one does need to look at the size of the ships you are comparing. This will make a huge difference on many levels. You may have seen quotes for the HAL Prinsendam which is more expensive because it is their smallest ship with unique itineraries compared to all the other HAL ships of varying sizes.

I would decide first if you have any feelings about the size of the ship you want before you make your final decision. Then level of amenities that are important to you because there are a lot of ships priced together right in the middle price range, HAL included. (Except for their smaller Prinsendam which is more $$$.)

I personally like the smaller ships, particularly in the HAL fleet (1200 or so passengers) mainly because I like being able to walk up and down the ship by the stairs to different activities and not have to take an elevator to get around the ship.

With something like the Panama Canal you will want to have some open nice deck viewing opportunities throughout the day so being able to walk between your cabin, lido, dining room and upper viewing decks and even the glassed in Crows Nest with ease *may* matter, or it may not.

I just personally don't like using elevators but they are very much a part of life on the larger ships unless 6-7 floors of stairs has some appeal. No more than 3 or 4 flights of stairs is my max. Thus, I like the smaller ships.

We feel HAL is the best value, even if it is not the very lowest price ship. We love the decor, the formality, the historic appeal, the staff, the more mature ages and quietness of the passengers, the lectures and the quality port excursions. They have lovely cabins, generously sized and wonderful beds and a nice variety of food and dining opportunities. We find HAL "comfortable", kind of "old shoe" comfortable so that works for us.

[AirGorilla]

Please do not take this as a personal criticism, but you sound like someone in need of a good travel agent who specializes in cruises.

Enjoy your trip, regardless of which line you pick.

AG

[Verity]

I think it would depend on how you view your cruise experience. If you are just using it as transportation, then you would view it differently than someone who is not. We have always liked Celebrity because we like the age group of the passengers. We find the older ships very comfortable. We also are not looking for skating rinks, walls to climb or slides in the pools. We like to sit by the pool, take a nap or read a book.

On the other hand, when we traveled with our grandchildren, we were glad we booked on Royal Caribbean. It was much more child friendly and we weren't worried about eating in the dining room with a toddler.

My husband and I will be first time HAL cruisers on Monday. We are definitely looking forward to trying out HAL because we have always heard good things about it.

Good luck, PegIra. No matter what the ship, it's still a cruise:)

[fireofficer5]

Take HAL.
You won't regret it.
The good thing now is, most cruise lines are unique in their own way.
But, some lines are becoming copy cats of others.
Thats a bad sign for the future of cruising.

[gentlemancruiser]

Hi,

I am considering surprising my husband with a Holland America Panama Canal Cruise. We have cruised on Disney 5 times, but never any other cruise line. I really don't know which line to pick. We would want to do a round trip from Florida (whatever port) and have it about a 10 day or so cruise. Can anyone give me any help. From some cruises I have priced, HA is about $1000 more expensive for the same cruise as other lines. Is it worth it? We would be getting a handicapped accessible room with a verandah. The more websites I go on, the more confused I get.

Any help would really be appreciated,

Peg
Hi Peg,
I have sailed with a couple of different lines. One of the difference I've notice with HAL and Cunard over others lines are the smaller details. For example on Celebrity in the DR you have individually wrapped butters at the table, on HAL you have butter balls on a cool butter dish. On HAL there are teak steamer chairs along the teak wrap around promenade deck, on Celebrity you have more of a plastic like sun cots on a rubber deck that doesn't go all the way around the ship. Another example is on Royal Caribbean during announcements passengers are usually referred to as 'folks' and they are much more casual, on Cunard passengers are ALWAYS referred to as Ladies and Gentleman and the use a more formal approach.

My point is that overall on most cruise lines the food/service will be somewhat similar, the BIG difference between NCL, Celebrity, Princess vs HAL, Cunard, Oceania is the space per passengers and some of the smaller details I've mentioned.
Bruce

[ldoc31]

We took our first HAL cruise on the Noordam this November. It was 10 days and went to Aruba, Curacao, St. Thomas & Dominica. The cruise was very nice and relaxing. At times it almost seemed too quiet. We thought it was about the same quality as Celebrity and Princess. I don't think I would pay a higher price to sail HAL on a Caribbean itinerary.

[PegIra]

Thank you all for the great advice. I appreciate you all taking time to answer me. I just booked the Zuiderdam for the 10 day round trip Ft. Lauderdale in April. We will be driving to Florida so we want to end the cruise where we left our car.

We have been married almost 51 years so I know I can surprise him and he won't be upset, but thanks for the advice. About a year and a half ago, we moved out of our home to my father's home to care for him. My husband never once complained about having to move out of our home (which his great-grandfather built in 1875) and move in with Dad. My Dad passed away in September and this is my Thank You to him for being so great. He really doesn't need me to say Thanks, but he has often said that someday when we can come and go as we please, he would like to do this, so now is the time.

Thank You all for taking the time and being so nice.

Peg

[lorekauf]

Thank you all for the great advice. I appreciate you all taking time to answer me. I just booked the Zuiderdam for the 10 day round trip Ft. Lauderdale in April. We will be driving to Florida so we want to end the cruise where we left our car.

We have been married almost 51 years so I know I can surprise him and he won't be upset, but thanks for the advice. About a year and a half ago, we moved out of our home to my father's home to care for him. My husband never once complained about having to move out of our home (which his great-grandfather built in 1875) and move in with Dad. My Dad passed away in September and this is my Thank You to him for being so great. He really doesn't need me to say Thanks, but he has often said that someday when we can come and go as we please, he would like to do this, so now is the time.

Thank You all for taking the time and being so nice.

Peg
Well you certainly deserve a cruise. You sound like you have a special husband. The Panama Canal in one of my favorite places. Have an awesome cruise.

[gentlemancruiser]

Thank you all for the great advice. I appreciate you all taking time to answer me. I just booked the Zuiderdam for the 10 day round trip Ft. Lauderdale in April. We will be driving to Florida so we want to end the cruise where we left our car.

We have been married almost 51 years so I know I can surprise him and he won't be upset, but thanks for the advice. About a year and a half ago, we moved out of our home to my father's home to care for him. My husband never once complained about having to move out of our home (which his great-grandfather built in 1875) and move in with Dad. My Dad passed away in September and this is my Thank You to him for being so great. He really doesn't need me to say Thanks, but he has often said that someday when we can come and go as we please, he would like to do this, so now is the time.

Thank You all for taking the time and being so nice.

Peg
51 years congratulations!
What a nice way of saying Thank You. I'm sure you are going to create some nice memories on the trip. I've never really been disappointed on a HAL cruise.

[iancal]

HAL have a great product but it is not worth an extra $1000. IMHO. Others such as Princess and Celebrity also have very good, and very comparable products (granted, there are differences). All three should normally be in the same general price range unless there is a problem or glitch with the pricing algorithms or policy. Try the cruise before or after, or just book on another line and save the $1000. towards another cruise.

[SwissMyst]

You picked the right cruise line. If you value historic traditions and it sounds like you do, HAL ambiance and decor is just going to be perfect. I think you will have a wonderful time.

And if you like to dress up but don't want to spoil the surprise or feel you have to get a black tie outfit for your husband, you can rent one on the ship and it works out perfectly without all the extra hassle of packing one along.

[TN Cruise Traveler]

HAL is great. We are some of the younger on it and enjoy the heck out of it. They are definitely the best for people with any kind of disability.

Try pricing the cruise at different sites without specifying dates. The same cruise can be $500 one week and $1500 another. Prices are almost always lower when school is in session.

HAL is great if you bring a 3rd person because they often have very reduced 3rd person rates.

[middle-aged mom]

Thank you all for the great advice. I appreciate you all taking time to answer me. I just booked the Zuiderdam for the 10 day round trip Ft. Lauderdale in April. We will be driving to Florida so we want to end the cruise where we left our car.

We have been married almost 51 years so I know I can surprise him and he won't be upset, but thanks for the advice. About a year and a half ago, we moved out of our home to my father's home to care for him. My husband never once complained about having to move out of our home (which his great-grandfather built in 1875) and move in with Dad. My Dad passed away in September and this is my Thank You to him for being so great. He really doesn't need me to say Thanks, but he has often said that someday when we can come and go as we please, he would like to do this, so now is the time.

Thank You all for taking the time and being so nice.

Peg

Well you certainly deserve a cruise. You sound like you have a special husband. The Panama Canal in one of my favorite places. Have an awesome cruise.

51 years congratulations!
What a nice way of saying Thank You. I'm sure you are going to create some nice memories on the trip. I've never really been disappointed on a HAL cruise.

Hear, hear! PegIra, I extend my congratulations and good wishes to the both of you, too. Considering you've been married more than twice as long as my husband and I have, I feel somewhat embarrassed about my previous advice to you:o. You sound like a very special and loving couple, and I wish you a most wonderful cruise on the Zuiderdam. Please tell us about your trip when you return, if you are so inclined.

[momofmeg]

I am confused as to why HAL prices are higher. They are usually in the same ballpark as the other lines. I would recommend you actually sail through the Panama Canal. Check all the cruiselines to see if they offer this.

To me, sailing Disney then jumping to HAL would be vastly different experiences. I guess I think of Disney as child oriented, but that may not be true. If you have kids, you may want to consider RCCL. Other lines that are similarly priced are Princess,and NCL. I like Celebrity and HAL because they don't attract as many families. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. The most important aspect is the itinerary. I have heard if you just sail to the locks, you don't have the same experience. Also, you might want to consider the size of the ship.

Hope this helps!

I am thinking she wants to book in the next couple of months. The HAL Zuiderdam has about sold out for all her cruises this winter/spring, and the other lines haven't, so of course the other lines' cruises are cheaper. They are not selling as well. But, if she looks at prices for next year, she will find the lines have simliar prices.


To the OP-

RCI Jewel of the Seas does NOT go into the Canal. (Big extra tax for that you pay-like $150 per PAX) The Princess ships go to Cartagena instead of Curacao. We like Princess and we like RCI,( as long as it is not one of the monster ships) but we picked HAL Zuiderdam for these reasons.

There is another plus about HAL I believe you will appreciate as a Disney crusier. Like Disney, she has beautiful elegant ships. If you ever crusie RCI, Princess, or one of the other mass lines, you will notice that. Both HAL and Disney ships are designed to have to look of ocean liners of yesteryear.

[momofmeg]

Thank you all for the great advice. I appreciate you all taking time to answer me. I just booked the Zuiderdam for the 10 day round trip Ft. Lauderdale in April. We will be driving to Florida so we want to end the cruise where we left our car.

We have been married almost 51 years so I know I can surprise him and he won't be upset, but thanks for the advice. About a year and a half ago, we moved out of our home to my father's home to care for him. My husband never once complained about having to move out of our home (which his great-grandfather built in 1875) and move in with Dad. My Dad passed away in September and this is my Thank You to him for being so great. He really doesn't need me to say Thanks, but he has often said that someday when we can come and go as we please, he would like to do this, so now is the time.

Thank You all for taking the time and being so nice.

Peg


Congrats peg, I should have read all the posts before I posted-but you will see from my above post you made the best choice!

[PegIra]

Middle Aged Mom,

Your advice to me was very good advice and for many it still is. Your suggestion not to surprise him is normally great advice. For us after all these year, I must admit I sometimes still worry when I do this, but he always is happy when I do. Thanks again for your help.
I will let you know how the trip goes.

My husband is having knee replacement surgery on the 15th, so hopefully some of his problems will be relieved before the trip. He still will have some problems walking because of the spinal stenosis, but with the pain relief of the knee he should be in pretty good shape for the cruise.

Thanks again,

Peg

[usha]

Thank you all for the great advice. I appreciate you all taking time to answer me. I just booked the Zuiderdam for the 10 day round trip Ft. Lauderdale in April. We will be driving to Florida so we want to end the cruise where we left our car.

We have been married almost 51 years so I know I can surprise him and he won't be upset, but thanks for the advice. About a year and a half ago, we moved out of our home to my father's home to care for him. My husband never once complained about having to move out of our home (which his great-grandfather built in 1875) and move in with Dad. My Dad passed away in September and this is my Thank You to him for being so great. He really doesn't need me to say Thanks, but he has often said that someday when we can come and go as we please, he would like to do this, so now is the time.

Thank You all for taking the time and being so nice.

Peg
Hi, Peg:)
I know you've already booked your cruise after getting lots of good advice here, but I just spotted this thread, and your post above is one of the sweetest things I've ever read. Congratulations to you and your wonderful husband, and may you have many, many years of coming & going as you please (often by cruise ship) ahead of you!:D

[Copper10-8]

Hey Peg; have a grrrrreat cruise on Zuiderdam! You and DH deserve it! Above everything else, relax and enjoy yourselves!:)

[mamaofami]

Congratulations on 51 years of marriage. We've been married just one year less, and we love HAL. I bet you will too. I've been watching people recovering from knee surgery (recently had hip replacement and was in a rehab hospital and am still going to PT) and three months should do it for him, especially if he does all the exercises he's supposed to. Sounds like you have an extra special husband. If you haven't already done so, why not go to the roll call for your cruise and meet the other people who will be onboard. It's fun.

[DFD1]

H, Peg: People cruise for many reasons. I think your reason may be the best!

Congratulations on your long and successful marriage. I'm sure we could all learn much from you and your beloved.

Have a wonderful cruise.

[Pam in CA]

Peg, congratulations on 51 years... and your choice of HAL. You will have a wonderful cruise. I'm on the Zuiderdam from March 31 through April 10 and am really looking forward to it.

[HWY 101]

I have been married over 40 years and it ain't always pretty.. Happy Sailings...:)

[Sanlin]

We were on the Z last year for the canal trip and it was wonderful. My DH has spinal stenosis, also. We rented a 3 wheeled scooter for the 10 days and it made his whole trip so much more comfortable. He wasn't in any pain and could get everywhere easily. At night our cabin steward took it away to be charged and placed it in front of the cabin in the morning. Just a thought for your trip. HAL has provider although we used another provider. The cost for the 10 days was $275 - and money well spent.

[PegIra]

You mentioned your husband had spinal stenosis also. Did you do any excursions? If so what ones and could you use the small scooter on any?

We will be bringing a small scooter with us. It works well for him and like you say he can do so much more without the pain of walking. My husband is having his knee replacement on the 15th, and that should help a lot of his pain, but the spinal stenosis will still be there to deal with.

Thanks for taking the time to contact me.

Peg

I do appreciate everyone's input and good wishes. Thanks so much everyone

[PegIra]

Mamaofami, Thanks for the advice, I will go to the roll call for our cruise. This is all new to us as we have only cruised 5 times and all of our cruises were on the Disney Magic. Still trying to figure out all the differences.

Thanks again and congrats on your 50 years of marriage !!!!!!!!!!!

Peg