Once you find what You Like ........

[sail7seas]

Once you have found a cruiseline (HAL ?) that suits you in almost all ways, almost all the time, are you more apt to stay with HAL (or other line) and sail them pretty much exclusively

or

Would you continue to sail on other lines as well. ....even if you cruised them before and found them to be "lesser" in your opinion to your favorite?

[elmorejj]

Well, we definitely prefer HAL, but I would not rule out another cruise line if I found an Itinerary that I liked and HAL didn`t provide it. Of course, there are cruise lines that I wouldn`t sail on, even if they were free!!!.....jean

[Orcrone]

So far I've only sailed with RCI (14 years ago) and Carnival. Nothing about either of those lines would stop me from going back, or cause me to stop looking elsewhere. After spring break with Carnival (read crowded) I'm looking forward to more elbow room with HAL. That is one thing that could have me coming back. But there are too many cruise lines I have not tried to even consider sticking with a single line.

I do have to admit I'd love to try one of the large (138000 ton) RCI ships during an off-peak time of year.

[Orcrone]

Well, we definitely prefer HAL, but I would not rule out another cruise line if I found an Itinerary that I liked and HAL didn`t provide it. Of course, there are cruise lines that I wouldn`t sail on, even if they were free!!!.....jeanJean,

If you ever get one of those free cruises, I'll be happy to suffer through it for you.:D

[bombero]

We have pretty much narrowed the field down to Carnival, HAL, and Princess. The deciding factors would be: price, itinerary, ship.. We've cruised all three and they are all very good cruise lines. We are on the Oosterdam on Oct 24, Eastern and are looking forward to it. We are also on the Valor in April, 05.. All 3 lines are great to cruise, it pretty much depends on Value... Bombero

[ekerr19]

We have only cruised HAL and have no immediate plans to change.

That said, we'll see how HAL holds up in 2005...

[tomc]

Have cruised only HAL (13x, with two more booked) and have no desire to go elsewhere.

[doone]

I do prefer HAL, but would never say I wouldn't sail another line. When I am on HAL, I just feel like I am home, but if a deal came along on another line, I wouldn't not consider it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

We had tried HAL a few years ago, did some other cruise lines, then when the other cruise lines went to Personel Choice dining and Free Style junk, we went back to HAL. Have been exclusively with HAL for 3 or 4 years and at the present time do not have any intentions of going on one of those above mentioned lines.

:)

[lindacat]

I have cruised on HAL, Carnival, Celebrity, RCCL, Disney and NCL. I loved them all. Each of them has had advantages and disadvantages over the other lines. When we choose our next vacation it is always predicated on destination, ship, and value.

If we had to choose... my favorite line is Celebrity, my parents love RCCL. They however do hot always have intinerary's that fit our schedule and desires.

Linda

[Vicar]

I am always looking to try something new and as long as the price was right and the itinerary was good, I would try any line.

[tomc]

Vicar...

Too bad that you aren't old enough to have taken a ride on the Catalina that's practically in your backyard (if they haven't moved it by now). Going trans-Pacific on a Flying Boat must have been some experience.

[Charlie2na]

Well, we've only done one other cruise [Hal] and would consider only one or two other lines, but I don't want to take a chance on being dissapointed so we just booked our second with Hal. Just a note, we're mid forties, on the younger side of the spectrum !

[Tatka]

My DH was a reason we booked HAL.

After my first cruise on Celebrity last year(LOVED IT) and Med cruise with RCI this year I wanted:

1) Sail on Celebrity for it's service and food.
2) Sail on Voyager Class RCI to see what it is and entertain my 13 years old.

My husband said that we should try different lines and found this deal.

I will be returning on Celebrity for next year Pacific Coastal...but if I like HAL I would definately sail it in the future.


(Same applies to our All Inclusive Vacations...For now we only tried several Iberostar and LOVED them but I heard that Melia, Riu are all great AI resorts. I am not sure though I will go back to AI again)

[HeatherInFlorida]

Once you have found a cruiseline (HAL ?) that suits you in almost all ways, almost all the time, are you more apt to stay with HAL (or other line) and sail them pretty much exclusively.... "Once you have found her, never let her go ...
once you have found her
Nev-ver let her gooooooooooooooooooo" :D

Seriously, after many years trying different cruiselines, we prefer HAL and Celebrity. But for the right price, timing and itinerary we would cruise on almost any line with the one exception of Carnival.

[elmorejj]

Orcrone, you got it!! and one of them that I wouldn`t sail on is not Carnival..I`ve enjoyed a couple of good cruises on that line with some of the best food I`ve ever had aboard ship....jean

[jhannah]

We've only sailed HAL and Princess. We like them both for what they offer. They're different products ... sure. Which we choose depends on itinerary, ship, and price. Sometimes a good ol' hamburger tastes wonderful. Other times, you want a steak. Just depends on what you're hungry for at the time.

[Giorgi-one]

I like to try different ships. Even on the same cruise line different ships can be a totally different experience (e.g. Vista class versus HAL smaller ships). Have sailed Celebrity, HAL, NCL, Costa, Princess and Royal Caribbean. Right now I would put Celebrity first. Had some really great cruises on Costa about 3 years ago, but I have heard bad reports lately.

[Vicar]

TomC


Yea that has been long gone for a long time, but it must have been something to experience back then.


Mr. Sikorsky's little shack has definately expanded though *LOL*

[RevNeal]

I do prefer HAL, however I have cruised other lines and would still consider cruising on other lines in the future. For example, I really want to try Celebrity and may end up doing so in about 2 or 3 years. When I do cruise another line I always like having another HAL cruise booked on the horizon to look forward to. HAL feels like "home" to me.

[RevNeal]

Tom,

You say you have two future cruises booked on HAL. Mind sharing when/where/what ship? :)

[tomc]

Two or three, depending on how you count them (one's a B2B), both NE/C.

Oct 20 '04, Rotterdarn, NYC-Sydney-NYC ten days.
2005: June 25-July 2 and July 2-9, Maasdarn, Boston-Montreal-Boston fourteen days.

[lipoppop]

We have only cruised HAL. If we go to Tahiti we will probably use Princess.

But I don't like the idea of the 3000 passenger vessels that are the vogue now. So I will stick to HAL. The DW would like to try something else. But since I browse the net and the TA's e-mail comes to me I haven't had problems yet.

Now if HAL would let me take our small dog on board I could book more and more!!!

[lddam]

My wife and I have taken 12 cruises on 8 different lines. We tend to choose an itinerary first and then a cruiseline to take us there. Variety seems to be the spice of life for us.

[Druke I]

Like the responder immediately above - itinerary is my 1st consideration, then ship & price.

I've been on HAL 3 times, and enjoy it, but find Princess has itineraries more to my liking.

Michael

[HeatherInFlorida]

Now if HAL would let me take our small dog on board I could book more and more!!!We're sure with you on this one!!! Molly has been begging us to take her along. I think "pets at sea" is a great idea:D. But we'd have to train them to use the bathroom!

Jean, to each his own. I recommend Carnival to lots of people. I just know it's not for us. Doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it:D !

[iluvcruzin]

I'm no longer a loyalist. I like the variety of trying different cruiselines and there's not one I would say I wouldn't sail again (except Premier because it's out of business). I've got too many years ahead of me to experience all there is out there as far as iteneraries and ships. Repetition would bore me after a while.

[Lois R]

Hi:) Well, I have been very loyal (over the last 16 months) to Celebrity...and I feel like I am "home" on their ships.
As most of you know, I am sailing HAL for the first time next month. I still feel abit odd about it, (just being honest)......but I am hoping to have a wonderful week.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Both DH and I are creatures of HABIT. Once we find something we like we really do not change much. We really feel "At Home" on HAL. Like Orcrone if we were offered a free cruise we certainly would not pass it up. Maybe some day we might try Celebrity. Of course Radisson or Crystal might not be bad either:p but for right now we are concentrating our money for cruises toward HAL:D

[kryos]

Once you have found a cruiseline (HAL ?) that suits you in almost all ways, almost all the time, are you more apt to stay with HAL (or other line) and sail them pretty much exclusively?
So far, I've only sailed the Rotterdam, but am leaving in a few weeks for a b2b on the Zuiderdam.

I am hoping I like the Zuiderdam since it is a much bigger ship, but I would not be adverse to trying out some other lines as well.

I am not a big party person ... in fact, I like to be tucked in bed by no later than 11:00, so I think I'm always going to prefer those ships that have an older group of passengers (read NO spring break crowd) ... :)

I'm happy with good food, interesting activities such as lectures and neat shore excursions. I'm not big on wacky pool games, or the loud, blaring disco crowd. But that certainly doesn't rule out other lines besides HAL. In fact, I have two more cruises booked ... one for January on Princess (which I will probably have to change due to a scheduling problem that has cropped up), and another on the Statendam next October to Hawaii.

I guess it's gonna takes years for me to see if there is one line I prefer to sail with. I just don't have enough cruises under my belt to say that I will never sail on any other line but HAL.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[HeatherInFlorida]

Hi:) Well, I have been very loyal (over the last 16 months) to Celebrity...and I feel like I am "home" on their ships.
As most of you know, I am sailing HAL for the first time next month. I still feel abit odd about it, (just being honest)......but I am hoping to have a wonderful week.Lois, I can almost guarantee you that once onboard a HAL ship, you won't feel odd at all. If you love Celebrity, you'll love HAL. Personally (and many disagree with me) the only place Celebrity stands above HAL is the food. My cruise in November on the Oosterdam could change that; we'll have to see.

But for me, getting on a Holland America ship is like coming home even if you've never sailed HAL before. Let us know when you get back!!!:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

Having sailed on Princess and NCL, we have chosen HAL not because of itineraries in recent years (been there - done that) - but because we love the larger suites and the amenities that HAL has to offer.

:)

[Lois R]

Heather, thanks for the encouraging words......I would love to sail with you one day:) :D

[localady]

I agree that most of my choices have been Itinerary-based. I have previously cruised with Disney, RCCL, and Celebrity as well as HAL.

Fact is we keep coming back to HAL as we prefer the size of the S-class ships, and like the classic cruising experience with HAL!:cool: If HAL doesn't sometime do an Australia/NZ itinerary under 30 days though, we may be looking at Princess or others for a cruise "Down Under" in 2006!

[cactuslady]

I've been sticking with HAL so far because I've learned that I like the lap of luxury, dressing up (no snob flames, please -- I never even owned a long black dress before booking my first cruise), shipboard traditions, and smaller ships (although still larger than that 24-foot sailboat with the pump faucet and toilet). Will continue to love HAL as long as those characteristics remain.

However, giving those "likes," DH and I are mulling over the possibility of Radisson and doing the calculations on how much more it really costs if we get one of their 2 for 1 deals, knowing that tips and wine, etc. are included. So far, I've noticed that, unlike the HAL board, it seems that nobody on the Radisson board ever complains.

[ASM]

Plan to stick with HAL but not unwilling to try another line. NOT Carnival ( don't like carnivals!) unless it's free, of course!

[iluvcruzin]

Sorry this is off topic.. Localady.. I really like your avatar. I love Nemo.:D

[Orcrone]

Orcrone, you got it!! and one of them that I wouldn`t sail on is not Carnival..I`ve enjoyed a couple of good cruises on that line with some of the best food I`ve ever had aboard ship....jeanJean,

Which cruise lines won't you sail, even for free? You know I had to ask.:D

[Tricia724]

After sailing HAL exclusively the last five years, we sailed Celebrity in Alaska this summer. HAL had a sailing we liked, but I just couldn't justify the cost. For us, Celebrity was the best value overall, and I thought it was time to try another line. I enjoyed the cruise and would have no hesitation booking another Celebrity cruise. I would also like to try Princess at some time and maybe even RCI.

I didn't expect to like the Vista ships, but I enjoyed the Oosterdam this year and would like to try the Westerdam. I expect to enjoy more HAL cruises in the future, but I'm open to anything interesting.

[Peggy Sue]

we don't have enough cruise experience to say we will only sail xxx line...

we really enjoyed our HAL experience on the zuiderdam. looking ahead, we're considering the panama canal .. HAL may not work for us due to limited number of offerings and cruise length being greater than 14 days due to work schedules etc.

I don't think we want to try Carnival..but, who knows. For now, we really research the line to see if it will fit our likes/dislikes..our vacation time is too limited to risk a bad experience! But, some day when we retire, we can be more adventuresome and give cruise lines a try that we wouldn't even consider right now.

Peggy Sue

[xsnowman99]

DH and I have sailed Wind Surf (2 x's) and Maasdam. Prefer the Wind Surf due to size. Size is what we look at first (we like the smaller size ships), then itinerary, then price. We did, however, enjoy our Maasdam cruise and would probably go on her again. But, I DO miss the quaintness of Wind Surf.

[jazzsea]

Given my choice I would sail all the time on Wind Star. Not that I don't love Holland America Line, but I really, really love Wind Star.

I love the Rotterdam, Zaandam and Maasdam and really enjoyed Oosterdam last March.

I like long cruises with lots of sea days so a transatlantic is great for me. If I wasn't so afraid of getting sea sick I would book a transatlantic on Wind Star.

I liked sailing on Radisson, but didn't like sailing on Princess, RCCL or Celebrity. I don't like the really big ships.

Radisson was nice but we thought it was a little stuffy for us.

So, when I can't book Wind Star I book Holland America.

[jazzsea]

Localady...... Holland America has 4 - 14 day Sydney to Auckland cruises scheduled for 2006. The first one is January 7, 2006 the last is ends in Sydney on March 4, 2006 on the Statendam.

The March 4, 2006 cruise is a 15 day Sydney to Hong Kong. (3/4 - 3/20)

[xpcdoojk]

I am a platinum member of RCI, and yet I booked a cruise for next year on HAL. Why? Because of the itinerary. I go on vacations to go to places I haven't been before or places I want to go to. I don't take a cruise vacation to be on a particular ship. HAL had the superior South America itinerary and price appeared to be a good value. If I had a bad or great experience the cruiseline will move up or down in the list and at the margin all things being equal that is why I would pick one cruiseline over another. I have enjoyed Celebrity so far the most, but I really like the activities on the RCI ships. Carnival was an average experience and due to their limited itinerary destinations I have felt no need to return to them. We had a good time on our Carnival cruise, but it didn't compare at the time to either RCI or Celebrity. Still I cruise to go places not to be on a ship.

jc

[HeatherInFlorida]

Given my choice I would sail all the time on Wind Star. Not that I don't love Holland America Line, but I really, really love Wind Star..........

So, when I can't book Wind Star I book Holland America.
My favorite line as well. But in actuality, Windstar Cruises is Holland America. In fact when you call Ship Services, it's the same number for both.

[BADBUOY]

Some people like to stay put with a cruiseline if they feel most of the line's criteria and value for the dollar meet their needs.

On occasion one must take a step back and re-evaluate what you may have once believed to be the best value. I personally think it's a great benchmarking tool to cruise with a variety of lines and ships to compare what is most important to you as a ticket buyer.

Cruiselines do change with time...both good and bad. I've read reviews from people who have stated that the food quality, service and entertainment on certain lines have deteriorated over time.

Also, surcharges for products or services that were once included in your ticket price are apparently now commonplace.


Buddy