Leaving on Tuesday for my very first HAL cruise.

Can anyone tell me what they have inn the way of cabin amenities? Are they pretty good or better to bring my own? For instance bars of soap for the shower (not a liquid soap fan), hand cream, shampoo, conditioner?

Oh, and are hairdryers provided and are they fairly efficient.

I usually cruise Princess and that is one place that they really fall short.

Thanks for your help.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Just a little reading around the board, or perhaps a search, will find many threads about the Elemis products, the large containers in the showers, etc. DW and I think they are fine, pretty high quality, but that is as subjective as food questions.

They do have liquid soap (body gel is the more common phrase, and recommended by many dermatologists as superior to bars of soap), so you may be bringing bars of soap on board.

Again, commonly discussed, they have blow dryers. Not high powered, but they have them.

If you prefer bar soap, I'd bring it. I do, because I'm not a fan of body wash.

Thx POA, so they only have the small hand wash ones for the sink or none at all? Looking to packing very light for this four day cruise, so anything I don’t have to bring is a bonus.

As for searching, I did find out that hairdryers were not good about 8+ years ago, so was hoping that someone with recent experience on HAL would want to help me out with that information as well as anything else that would be helpful.

That is what these boards are for afaik.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

The hair dryers on the Oosterdam and Nieuw Amsterdam in 2018 worked well for my long hair.

The soap, shampoo, and conditioner in the shower are all liquid and in dispensers. The hair dryer is of average power and works adequately.

Just got off the Zaandam (ok it's going on a month), and we had a nice large bar of soap in a soapdish attached to the wall by the sink. It lasted all 14-days of the cruise with frequent hand-washing. I assume it was Elemis.

There was a small bottle of lotion we did not use, but I assume if we had used it up, more would have appeared courtesy of our amazing stewards.

I believe there was a dispenser of all-purpose 'wash' on the wall in the shower, but it could have been three dispensers: shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I used my own and the basket for them was in the other corner. Or maybe I'm just not very observant. I do know that whatever was there, was what my DH used, because he does that! and no complaints.

This was just an oceanview room on the Lower Promenade, and yes, I was surprised at the big bar of soap!

We bring our own bars of soap and shampoo.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

We are not fans of the Elemis products. So we bring our own bar soap and shampoo and hand lotion.

I have long hair and have found the air dryers are just fine.

On our last HAL cruise, the soaps were the small hotel size. They were fine, but I prefer a full size bar. That may have changed since then, but a bar of soap is on my packing list.

My wife likes the Elemis body wash, but she brings her own puff. (We're going to Disney World this weekend. Taking a bar of soap and a puff. Kind of our routine. Even though it's a very nice hotel, we always travel with our "standard load." )

I find the Elemis shampoo a little drying. I take a small bottle of conditioning shampoo and use it every third day or so.

By the way... Have a great cruise! (Should have led with that....) We took our first cruise with HAL when we were in our 20s and twenty five plus years later, we still enjoy them.

.

Can anyone tell me what they have inn the way of cabin amenities? Are they pretty good or better to bring my own? For instance bars of soap for the shower (not a liquid soap fan), hand cream, shampoo, conditioner?

Oh, and are hairdryers provided and are they fairly efficient.

I usually cruise Princess and that is one place that they really fall short.

Thanks for your help.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I like bar soap too for the shower I just kindly ask room steward for a bar of soap for the shower. Regarding the shampoo I find it very drying for the hair and I always bring my own travel sized shampoo and conditioner. I think the hand cream is very oiley, again I bring my own. With regards to the hair dryer if your hair is not too thick should be okay. Otherwise bring your own.

We are just back from our first HAL cruise, on the Zuiderdam. There were large bottles of Elemis shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner in the shower/tub, and bars of soap on the sink. (Not huge bars, but they lasted forever.) I suspect your cabin attendant can give you more for the shower. I found the hair dryer to be sufficiently powerful, and the only one so far on any ship I've been on that worked without my having to hold the button down as I used it, a big plus!

Enjoy your cruise!

Hair dryers on HAL are far superior to ones on Princess. When on Princess, I bring my own but find HAL ones to be fine. Room stewards will replace soap whenever you find them getting too small. On a short cruise, it should be fine. You'll find a magnifying mirror in one of the drawers.

In the shower, you'll find three dispensers--shampoo, conditioner and body wash. I like the body wash but find the shampoo too drying for longer trips than 7 days and bring my own.

Wow, thanks all of you for your thoughtful replies to my questions.

My friend and I are doing this four day trip with just a carryon each, so from your replies it looks like we should be fine without carrying additional soap, hairdryer, shampoo, etc. for this short cruise.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

POA1, thank you for the warm welcome to HAL.

Sent from my iPad using Forums