Is Holland worth the extra price?

Good afternoon everyone, I have sailed Carnival for the last 10 years and will be on the Dream in 15 days, but the kids are in college now and I have been saying for at least the last seven years that I want to try a more upscale line. I am looking for a more formal atmosphere (we love tux and gown), nicer shows, better food and maybe some ballroom dancing in the evening. I am experiencing a little sticker shock though as a balcony on Holland is going to run me $3500 for the two of us on about the same itinerary as a $1600 balcony on Carnival Vista in January.

I know you all Love Holland, but is paying twice the price worth it?

Greetings and welcome

To start, you didn't mention which HAL ship you were looking at which can make a difference right up front. The smaller ones will cost more than the larger number passenger ones. That can be one of the biggest factor when you compare fares. There has been a recent thread comparing HAL to Carnival, which found many favorable things to say about Carnival so you may not find that much differences using your list of current wishes.

However one aspect seems consistent in these reports, HAL ships will be much quieter than Carnival ships over all. Older passengers, a little more formal and traditional. Maybe more destination and itinerary driven on HAL ships, than just the ship board experience on its own that Carnival "fun ships" might provide.

One thing we like about HAL ships are the range of public rooms, open vistas and lots of outdoor lounging spaces. So to control costs you may want to consider an ocean view room instead of a verandah cabin. On the smaller HAL ships you are only a short distance way from enjoying the outdoors, in sheltered and quiet spots.

Glad you found this forum to ask your questions. Keep them coming and tell us more about the HAL ship your are considering and where you are going.

You might be better off with Cunard. More formal and lots of ballroom dancing when we did their 2 week Baltic cruise 2 years ago. Last minute deal only $1250 each (plus we had airfare to London). We found the food and service excellent. Lots of pleasant Brits.

While you can still see tuxes and gowns on the formal nights, they're becoming more the exception than the standard ever since HAL went to "Gala" Nights. HAL doesn't really offer ballroom dancing either since this past year. Cunard may be a better fit for you for a January 2018 cruise. I did a quick check and a Queen Mary transatlantic balcony is about the same price as the HAL price you gave. I also did see a lot of 7-day Jan 18 HAL cruises that were more like the mid $2000s for two, though. HAL does offer superior service and dining to Carnival based on what a lot of HAL fans who traveled both lines have said.

I want to try a more upscale line. I am looking for a more formal atmosphere (we love tux and gown), nicer shows, better food and maybe some ballroom dancing in the evening. I am experiencing a little sticker shock though as a balcony on Holland is going to run me $3500 for the two of us on about the same itinerary as a $1600 balcony on Carnival Vista in January. Is Holland worth it?

Vista is new and has all the bells and whistles. Compare HAL prices with the Magic or Sunshine or one like that.

We really enjoy HAL ... BUT .... it you want the level of upscale you talk about you may want to go celebrity or that caliber.

Which HAL ship?

Which HAL ship?

ms Eurodam

HAL used to worth going on. Last summer we where on the Noordam for 14 days to Alaska . We decided never again because the overall service has gone down. The Wine stwart didn't know their wines. Asked for a Dry Sherry for a pre meal drink. He didn't even know what it was. He keep trying to tell us that you can't buy it. We buy at home all the time. They also ran out of pickled ginger (for sushi) , bran in the MDR at breakfast and lemons in te MDR.

The waiter service n the MDR was poor. Two friends of ours had the same experience on HAL.

Try Celebrity or Princess instead of Holland .

ms Eurodam

Very recently off Carnival Liberty and 2 cruises aboard Nieuw Amsterdam; previous Carnival cruises were aboard Freedom, Pride, and Miracle. (I provide this information to give you a perspective of my opinions.

Entertainment: Carnival is hard to beat. Good, live music throughout the ship and cast shows that, while splashy, are entertaining. I saw people dancing in the Atrium and in the area of the Casino Bar. I did not visit the disco or nightclub so I can't speak to those venues. On HAL, at least on Nieuw Amsterdam, lots of dancing in the Ocean Bar and in the Queen's Lounge during the BB King sets. Is it formal ballroom-type of dancing? No.

Cuisine: I was pleased with the food on my previous Carnival cruises, Liberty's disappointed somewhat. MDR dinners: one was good, one was OK, one was fair (tough, stringy beef). Their Steakhouse is superior to HAL's Pinnacle Grill in ambiance and service; food presentation and quality is the same. Guy's Burgers and Fries are over-hyped; Dine-in's is superior.

Crew: HAL's crew is hard to beat. They easily make eye-contact when passing and often provide a greeting. I recall only one Liberty crew member who did so. (This was also different from my previous Carnival cruises. I was impressed with the crew on Freedom, Pride, and Miracle.)

Cruise Director: On Liberty: an A+ fellow. On Nieuw Amsterdam, CD's changed between the 2 cruises. The first one, a gentleman: A+; the second, a young woman: D, maybe a D-.

Cabin comfort and upkeep was excellent on both with maybe Carnival having the edge on pillows that I found more comfortable. Both ships were in excellent repair and clean.

I hope this information is useful to you.

Only you can decide if the price differential is worth it.

HAL used to worth going on. Last summer we where on the Noordam for 14 days to Alaska . We decided never again because the overall service has gone down. The Wine stwart didn't know their wines. Asked for a Dry Sherry for a pre meal drink. He didn't even know what it was. He keep trying to tell us that you can't buy it. We buy at home all the time. They also ran out of pickled ginger (for sushi) , bran in the MDR at breakfast and lemons in te MDR.

The waiter service n the MDR was poor. Two friends of ours had the same experience on HAL.

Try Celebrity or Princess instead of Holland .

You had a bad experience on the Noordam. We had a wonderful experience on the Oosterdam in November, so perhaps you may not want to tarnish the entire fleet with the same brush.

ms Eurodam

Please see my post in response to your question that I posted on the Carnival Message Board.

As an additional comment after reading the above posts, my most recent MDR service on the Nieuw Amsterdam fully met my expectations. If anything, the service in the Lounges and the Lido Restaurant has improved.

Haven't been on Carnival, but have been on Royal Caribbean a lot, and I hear they're comparable.

HAL is a huge step up from Royal Caribbean. But we were on the Voyage of the Vikings. And that's one of their premier voyages.

They still offer prunes for Breakfast, which Royal Caribbean has discontinued.

Short waits at the elevators is a plus on HAL. On Royal Caribbean, we'd have to leave 30 minutes early so we wouldn't have that forever wait at the elevator. HAL had more elevators on their little 1,400 passenger ship than Royal Caribbean did on their 2,000 passenger ship.

We took our first HAL cruise last August. It exceeded our expectations in every way. After cruising on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Princess, we were looking for something a little more "upscale" to celebrate our anniversary last year and we found it in our 14 day HAL cruise to Alaska.

It was elegant, refined, and relaxing. The crew is the friendliest we've ever met. The food is fantastic! We appreciated the small ship size and beautiful décor.

The CD walked through the MDR every evening and stopped at our table and others to chat for a few minutes. Never saw that happen on any of our other cruises.

Our room was very comfortable and kept very clean. This was the only time my wife didn't complain about the bed being as hard as a cement slab! The balcony was awesome!

Although we had selected Any Time Dining when I booked this cruise, after we boarded the ship, we went to the MDR and asked for a table for 2 for second seating in a quiet area. We were able look at it's location and then to reserve it for the entire cruise!

We are planning another HAL next year to the Caribbean and really looking forward to it.

You won't know whether it's "worth it" until you try it. Pictures are worth a thousand words so if you have time, you might want to view the ones my wife took of that cruise and uploaded to her website at the link below in my signature.

Have a great cruise wherever you go.

They still offer prunes for Breakfast, which Royal Caribbean has discontinued.

 

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This will not help HAL appeal to a younger demographic!:o

We think it's worth the extra price. If you shop around, you can get some great deals.

It's a more serene line, with smaller ships, and fantastic ports. For the money, I think it's the best without breaking the bank.

While you can still see tuxes and gowns on the formal nights, they're becoming more the exception than the standard ever since HAL went to "Gala" Nights. HAL doesn't really offer ballroom dancing either since this past year. Cunard may be a better fit for you for a January 2018 cruise. I did a quick check and a Queen Mary transatlantic balcony is about the same price as the HAL price you gave. I also did see a lot of 7-day Jan 18 HAL cruises that were more like the mid $2000s for two, though. HAL does offer superior service and dining to Carnival based on what a lot of HAL fans who traveled both lines have said.

I agree. If you are looking for a more upscale and formal experience, I would look to Cunard also.

HAL doesn't even use the term "formal" anymore when describing its dress. While the shows on the new K'dam are receiving some great reviews, HAL is not known for its wonderful shows. They are typical cruise ship quality. Ballroom dancing would be hard to find and as to food - well, that is subjective. But, a quick google search on the best restaurants on the high seas and HAL's restaurants rarely show up.

All of that is to not say that HAL is a bad choice - I just don't know that it would meet your current needs. I would suggest you look for a better deal before you try it out.

We cruised on Holland America Zuiderdam for 10 days in 2015. We are going on the Eurodam in 2018. We like the laid back attitude of Holland America, and you do not get the constant announcements. We enjoyed the entertainment and really liked the crows nest. Great service and crew. The buffet was superior to Carnival. We tried any time dining, and will not do that again. The service was slow, so we only did it 3 times. We usually had dinner at the buffet, and never had a bad meal. Not as many activities on Holland, so if you like to be on the go I think Carnival may be better. The spa area is nice and we used it daily. We are Grandparents and felt right at home on Holland. YMMV

We found Holland very BORING. The ship was nice, food good and service was excellent. Entertainment is lacking. We enjoy the casino and their casino was totally dead every time we went there. Could not even get a decent table to play cards. I think they rolled the sidewalks up by 10 pm. We did not attend any shows. My mother-in-law was wheelchair bound. The only place in the lounge for wheelchairs was the very back and she could not even see the stage so, we did not watch a single show.

Good afternoon everyone, I have sailed Carnival for the last 10 years and will be on the Dream in 15 days, but the kids are in college now and I have been saying for at least the last seven years that I want to try a more upscale line. I am looking for a more formal atmosphere (we love tux and gown), nicer shows, better food and maybe some ballroom dancing in the evening. I am experiencing a little sticker shock though as a balcony on Holland is going to run me $3500 for the two of us on about the same itinerary as a $1600 balcony on Carnival Vista in January.

 

I know you all Love Holland, but is paying twice the price worth it?

We think you are overrating HAL. DW and I have spent nearly 500 days on HAL (have another 38 day HAL cruise booked) and primarily enjoy the line because of their longer cruises with great itineraries. But the quality of HAL is not what is was in years past, and while food can be very good (this varies a lot) it is not that good! As to entertainment, we have usually found the entertainment on Carnival to be as good or better than on HAL. And on Carnival, there is some night life after 10pm...while many HAL voyages become ghost ships before 10.

As to the "formal atmosphere"...HAL has abandoned that idea and now has no more formal nights. Although many passengers still dress up on the new "gala nights" many others do not bother...and there is little to no enforcement of any dress code. As others have mentioned, Cunard is now one of the last lines to try to maintain a formal atmosphere (on some nights).

Hank

I have sailed with Holland American, people are more sophisticated in part, usually older. There is less to do during the day and the shows are not as good as carnival. But we went to Europe with Holland America, loved it. Was on the eurodam, recently renovated. It's like comparing apples and oranges. I like both. My thirty year prefers Holland America, less craziness according to her. We will be trying princess and others because of the destinations.

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ms Eurodam

That is one of the larger HAL ships, so that takes away that cost differential factor. We were just on her sister ship, the Nieuw Amsterdam and thought she was the loveliest one so far in the HAL line-up. Though there are reports that the decor on the Eurodam is not a spot on as it is on the NA.

However, both have the additional Tamarind, pan-Asian restaurant which has a delightful menu and more formal service (for an extra fee). There was ballroom dancing at one of the music venues - the Ocean Bar and quite a few couples enjoying both dancing and listening to the music there.

Tough call, except I again suggest you might want to drop down to an ocean view cabin first, and give it a try for maybe a competitive price even though you will not be getting your balcony. These are very nice ships.

HAL used to worth going on. Last summer we where on the Noordam for 14 days to Alaska . We decided never again because the overall service has gone down. The Wine stwart didn't know their wines. Asked for a Dry Sherry for a pre meal drink. He didn't even know what it was. He keep trying to tell us that you can't buy it. We buy at home all the time. They also ran out of pickled ginger (for sushi) , bran in the MDR at breakfast and lemons in te MDR.

The waiter service n the MDR was poor. Two friends of ours had the same experience on HAL.

Try Celebrity or Princess instead of Holland .

At least they take the crusts off the club sandwich from room service. Kudos to HAL for that nice touch.

Nice cabin and great balcony on HAL.

Oosterdam food all tasted like water, horrible. No atrium. GS and excursions in a basement like area. Wild pool games though I must say. Didn't like HAL. Could not get waited on in MDR.

Good afternoon everyone, I have sailed Carnival for the last 10 years and will be on the Dream in 15 days, but the kids are in college now and I have been saying for at least the last seven years that I want to try a more upscale line. I am looking for a more formal atmosphere (we love tux and gown), nicer shows, better food and maybe some ballroom dancing in the evening. I am experiencing a little sticker shock though as a balcony on Holland is going to run me $3500 for the two of us on about the same itinerary as a $1600 balcony on Carnival Vista in January.

 

 

 

Is Holland worth it?

Hi there

We were on our first HAL cruise last summer, and really enjoyed ourselves.

I wouldn't say that I found it "more formal". I have to say that they did not permit men in shorts in the MDR at dinnertime. Generally the passengers were older, so that may have contributed to the neater appearance of the guests. If you are looking for a more formal or upscale atmosphere (more tuxes & and ballroom dancing), I would suggest Cunard.

I wouldn't say that the food or the shows were "better" that on Carnival. If that is what you are anticipating you may be disappointed. As I said we really enjoyed ourselves, it really is just a different presentation, to a different audience. The atmosphere is so different, the best word to describe it would be "quieter", others might use different adjectives. I am sure that if you went you would enjoy yourself, but if as you say you feel you are paying much more for something that you feel will be much better, I don't think that will be the case.

Our cruise was well priced compared to other cruises that we have taken. Typically prices are determined by supply and demand. I believe if you look around you might find a cruise on HAL which wouldn't too much more than a Carnival cruise. Don't forget that Carnival does try to maintain lower prices.

Remember what I initially said, if you are looking for as you said, a more formal upscale cruise line I would suggest Cunard.

hope this helps, happy hunting

have a great cruise