Best of HAL

Is there a best things of HAL that I am missing. The Princess site has a large one. I always found it informative. Please point me in the right direction.

Did you read the "HAL for Dummies" sticky at the top of this page? That may have some info for you.

For me, the best of HAL has Always been the People.

That is their biggest asset then comes gorgeous ships etc

The CREW is the VERY best! You will be "making friends!" Most are from Indonesia and many from Phillippines. DELIGHTFUL young people! The Officers are very professional but are KINDLY/friendly too! MAKES cruising with them all a lovely experience.

You can also check HALfacts.com - good resource and photos provided by CC members on this forum.

Yes I checked HAL facts, and it was very good, what I was hoping was foods you have to try, special drinks,hidden areas or secrets of HAL.

Try this thread from a question I asked a few months back.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1994829

What's the one cool thing you would recommend to a new HAL cruiser?

Please try the Speciality restaurants.

If they have a Master Chef Dinner - go to it.

Drinks - Wang-Wang - Expresso Martini

Thanks that was what I was looking for!

The specialty restaurants on HAL are great.

If you go on the Eurodam or the Nieuw Amsterdam, the Tamarind is excellent.

We love the Beef Wellington on the first formal night in the main dining room.

I like the apricot glazed stuffed quail on second formal night. :)

If I had to describe the best of HAL in one word, it would be the crew. Right now, I work in a stressful job, live in a stressful city, and have a stressful commute twice a day. From the moment my feet touch a HAL ship, I feel the stress and tension leaving my body. Since Princess no longer employs a lot of Europeans and is hiring more Indonesian and Filipinos, their service has improved slightly, but still not up to par with HAL. This spring, I did a btb cruise on RCI from Venice. I found the service to be subpar, especially in the dining room, and even though I spent a lot of time off the ship exploring the amazing ports, the service did affect my enjoyment of the cruise.

If I had to describe the best of HAL in one word, it would be the crew. Right now, I work in a stressful job, live in a stressful city, and have a stressful commute twice a day. From the moment my feet touch a HAL ship, I feel the stress and tension leaving my body. Since Princess no longer employs a lot of Europeans and is hiring more Indonesian and Filipinos, their service has improved slightly, but still not up to par with HAL. This spring, I did a btb cruise on RCI from Venice. I found the service to be subpar, especially in the dining room, and even though I spent a lot of time off the ship exploring the amazing ports, the service did affect my enjoyment of the cruise.

I think you have identified one of HAL's key elements: the service crew. The Filipino and Indonesian staff have regularly seemed much warmer, and happier, than the Eastern European staff experienced on NCL and Princess - not to say that the service was not good, it simply seemed somewhat stiff and aloof.

The afternoon teas. The Crew. Dutch Pea Soup at Hubbard Glacier. Specialty coffees (with Baileys!). Unlimited laundry for ONLY $7 per day!!

If I had to describe the best of HAL in one word, it would be the crew. Right now, I work in a stressful job, live in a stressful city, and have a stressful commute twice a day. From the moment my feet touch a HAL ship, I feel the stress and tension leaving my body. Since Princess no longer employs a lot of Europeans and is hiring more Indonesian and Filipinos, their service has improved slightly, but still not up to par with HAL. This spring, I did a btb cruise on RCI from Venice. I found the service to be subpar, especially in the dining room, and even though I spent a lot of time off the ship exploring the amazing ports, the service did affect my enjoyment of the cruise.

I hear you on the stressful city, job and commute. With the exception on my last cruise on Princess my room stewards have been great. The MDR service has been much better than Hal. I'm sorry to hear you haven't experienced the same on Princess.