Gem vs Veerdham - HAL comparison with NCL

Smaller ship? (Gem vs Veerdham) ... less entertainment?

Both have kids programs ... has swimming pool but no slide for children?

Dress up compared to dress down - make your own time for dinner compared to a set reservation time?

Anything else different from you experienced cruisers?

I've never been on HAL or NCL and I'm looking to book this morning to Bermuda...

Any thoughts or suggestions please, they will be appreciated

Anything that you feel relevant!

Smaller ship? (Gem vs Veerdham) ... less entertainment?

Both have kids programs ... has swimming pool but no slide for children?

 

Dress up compared to dress down - make your own time for dinner compared to a set reservation time?

 

Anything else different from you experienced cruisers?

 

I've never been on HAL or NCL and I'm looking to book this morning to Bermuda...

 

Any thoughts or suggestions please, they will be appreciated

Anything that you feel relevant!

I have not been on either of these ships however I have sailed with both NCL and HAL. I had a great time and experience on both. DH likes to tell people is was spoiled on HAL and had more fun on NCL. I'm sure you have a great time on either.

BTW my experience smaller ship DOES NOT equal less entertainment.

We chose HAL over NCL because the Veendam spends an extra day in Bermuda and she docks in Hamilton instead of the dockyard which is more central. HAL also offers St Georges as a tender port.

Since we haven't sailed yet I cant compare the ships..

I was on the Veendam in April to Bermuda and the Dawn in July.

Re: ship size and entertainment. Smaller ships tend to have fewer entertainment options, and that was the case here. Plus the entertainment on the Veendam was targeted to a much older crowd than on the Dawn. There was little diversity in music selection throughout ship, mainly fifties and sixties stuff. On the Dawn, there was music from the sixties thru the present in various locations throughout the ship.

Re: kids pool. HAL has a dedicated outdoor section for teens, with a hot tub and lounge chair, but no outdoor pool for kids only. Some Veendam reviewers complained about having to share the one pool with kids that were splashing everybody. The Dawn has the dinosaur pools for younger kids. A great area, and a great idea to have a seperate kids pool area, bc kids splash and make noise and I think it's better that they act like kids by the pool than anywhere else on the ship. I think most kids under the age of 12 would like the Dawn better, but I'd bet for teens, both ships would tie.

Re: Dress up compared to dress down - make your own time for dinner compared to a set reservation time?

There were two formal nights on the Veendam and they were generally enforced by HAL and observed by passengers, except that there were few tuxedos and many blazers and light suits. People didn't wear jeans, but they are allowed on elegant casual nights. On the Dawn, it was freestyle each night, but they did try to enforce no shorts at dinner.

I was wait listed for assigned seating on HAL, so I had open seating. Making reservations each day was a hassle and we didn't always get the time we wanted, even though we tried very early in the morning. That said, we never had to wait once we showed up at the reserved time. The Dawn has gotten open seating down to a science. No reservations and no wait times for us on my last two Dawn cruises.

Re: Anything else different from you experienced cruisers?

I love Bermuda so the extra day in Bermuda and docking in Hamilton was huge for me. I enjoyed both cruises, but they were very different. The HAL cruise was very relaxing and I felt pampered. The Dawn cruise wad flat out fun. I did post two detailed reviews on both cruises if you are interested. Just click on my name, my stats, and then find threads by me.

My experience is, although both lines have programs for children, there are many more children on NCL than on HAL cruises. I went on an NCL cruise out of New York in January a couple of years ago. I figured as it was between Winter Vacation and the MLK weekend, there wouldn't be many children on board. Wrong! There were hundreds of children!!

On the other hand, on my 2 HAL cruises, there were very few children.

You didn't say when you will be cruising to Bermuda, but if you are not cruising during a school break, you will find more children on NCL.

Also, as you read the various boards, you'll see that HAL is considered more "upscale", more sedate, has a dress code with formal nights, has an overall older group of cruisers, etc.

HAL does have an "anytime" type of dining in addition to traditional dining.

Activities and entertainment were very good, IMO.

We enjoyed our HAL cruises very much - please understand we are Grandparents, and did not have children with us.

This Nov. we will be traveling with our children and grandchildren, and will be on the Norwegian Gem. I expect it to be quite full and that there will be many children. Different cruises and diferent cruise lines for different situations.

Hope you enjoy your cruise, which ever line you choose.

Thanks Ralph.

Your review was great .. thank you!

I'm going to lean today towards the NCL --

Any idea how far the golf courses are from Kings Wharf and if my kids and I can go to Horseshoe Bay and hubb can play golf at the same time and meet us there when done...

He'll want to play golf while there.. guaranteed, that's a given! LOL

You enjoyed Hamilton better, i'll have to look that up.

Thanks again!

Georgette

Hi ;)

We will be traveling in May --- around the 22nd.

NYC Kids aren't off then - so unless their parents pull them out, there might be a few.

I'm leaning towards NCL, I just honestly wish they were a tad bigger rooms and the price for a balcony would be more reasonable. I'm not used to spending for a balcony with 4 in a room.. normally just 2, even thought my son has cruised before but we did oceanviews.. My daughter has never cruised before.

Thanks SailGirl!! Appreciate the comments.

My experience is, although both lines have programs for children, there are many more children on NCL than on HAL cruises. I went on an NCL cruise out of New York in January a couple of years ago. I figured as it was between Winter Vacation and the MLK weekend, there wouldn't be many children on board. Wrong! There were hundreds of children!!

On the other hand, on my 2 HAL cruises, there were very few children.

 

You didn't say when you will be cruising to Bermuda, but if you are not cruising during a school break, you will find more children on NCL.

 

Also, as you read the various boards, you'll see that HAL is considered more "upscale", more sedate, has a dress code with formal nights, has an overall older group of cruisers, etc.

HAL does have an "anytime" type of dining in addition to traditional dining.

Activities and entertainment were very good, IMO.

We enjoyed our HAL cruises very much - please understand we are Grandparents, and did not have children with us.

 

This Nov. we will be traveling with our children and grandchildren, and will be on the Norwegian Gem. I expect it to be quite full and that there will be many children. Different cruises and diferent cruise lines for different situations.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise, which ever line you choose.

Thanks Ralph.

 

Your review was great .. thank you!

 

I'm going to lean today towards the NCL --

 

Any idea how far the golf courses are from Kings Wharf and if my kids and I can go to Horseshoe Bay and hubb can play golf at the same time and meet us there when done...

 

He'll want to play golf while there.. guaranteed, that's a given! LOL

 

You enjoyed Hamilton better, i'll have to look that up.

 

Thanks again!

Georgette

I much prefer Hamilton to Kings Wharf. I like observing the hustle and bustle of city life in an island location. I did like Kings Wharf though. There is stuff to do there plus busses and ferries nearby to take you wherever else you want to go.

I don't know about golf. (I just spent yesterday at my company's golf for charity outing. Liked everything but the actual golf part!). Post your question on the Bermuda board, and I know you'll get lots of feedback.

Also, don't know if you plan on taking your kids to the production shows, but I think most kids would prefer the Dawn shows to the Veendam shows, except kids who really appreciate vocal ability above and beyond anything else, which is not many kids.