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what are the major differences between Holland American and other cruise lines that make them more attractive to sail?

 

I'll let someone who has sailed all those other cruise lines be the first to comment. Otherwise, welcome to HAL. Which cruise and ship are you taking and what made it an attractive choice for you?

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We have cruised four other cruise lines and just found HAL a better fit for what we enjoy. Not to take away anything from the other lines. You would have to try the other lines to see what you like or don't about them. Things like price, age group, ship seize, itinerary, night life, I find food is hit or miss with any cruise. Read the different reviews & take them all with a grain of salt.

Allan

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what are the major differences between Holland American and other cruise lines that make them more attractive to sail?

 

 

There are many differences between HAL and the other cruise lines but IMHO only one significant factual difference - only HAL has a Roman Catholic priest (who celebrates daily Mass) on board every one of its cruises. Since spiritual renewal is an important component of our vacation experience, HAL is the hands-down choice for us. FWIW HAL also provides very enjoyable cruises (accommodations, food, service, etc.) and thus is a good value for the money.

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The unique itineraries.

Just did my first HAL cruise in November/December all because of the itinerary and I don't regret it despite the lack of nightlife even in the casino:)

Please keep in mind that nightlife depends on the itinerary and demographic. This was on the Maasdam 22 day rountrip from New Zeland. Guests have already been on the cruise for weeks before I boarded in Auckland. Definitely and older retiree crowd.

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I'll let someone who has sailed all those other cruise lines be the first to comment.
This is a good point, worthy of underscoring. The question in the OP is a question that cannot be answered except by those who have sailed all the other cruise lines.

 

Even then, most of those answers will still be only partially reliable: The subjective differences that people tend to mention as strengths or weaknesses of cruise lines are, in reality, very often strengths or weaknesses of individual ships and/or strengths or weaknesses of individual crew members. You can as readily find glorious reviews of the MDR staff service on a specific ship on a specific cruise line as you can find horror stories about the same thing on the same ship.

 

Don't get me wrong: There almost surely are differences, but it takes a lot more work to analyze available data to reach reliable conclusions, and even if you do that research what you end up with are probabilities not definitive answers.

 

In addition to subjective differences, there are objective differences, and thanks to ski ww and Georgie562, we see two of them above: The inclusion of Catholic clergy on the crew, and having a subset of its itineraries that are relatively unique among the seven biggest cruise lines aimed at the US market. Of course, if you're not Catholic and you are not taking one of those unique itineraries, those objective differences won't matter to you.

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This is so subjective...and I'll say right away that I have enjoyed every cruise I've done. However, HAL is a bit classier, service is just a notch above the others, there isn't so much a party atmosphere, food is better.

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I've been on the Eurodam once....the experience was nice enough to do it again just a different itinerary.

 

1. Less passengers. This of course carried over into several areas....the shows, buffet, MDR, getting on and off ship, getting an elevator, etc. Basically I found anything one can do on a ship I was able to do it faster/easier. I also found I could turn my deck lounger at the aft pool 360 degrees. I don't know if I've ever been able to do that before. I don't know if I've ever been on a ship more elevator friendly either.

 

2. Room service. I don't know if others realize it but I'm pretty sure HAL has the best room service available without being in a suite. I stayed in a suite BUT it's my understanding one can basically have anything off the MDR menu delivered during dining times. Carnival, this doesn't happen whatsoever regardless of cabin category. NCL and Royal only if staying in a suite. Celebrity may be the only other one doing this. Also room service is included any time of day or night. I'm pretty sure they are the only ones doing that out of Carnival, NCL, Royal. Celebrity may do this as well.

 

3. Huge balconies. I know my neptune suite had a balcony that over-shadowed anything I've ever had and my understanding is that carries over to basically any balcony cabin. This won't matter to you unless you are a balcony person which I am!

 

4. On board spending translate to points. Pretty unique. For each $300 you spend onboard, excursions, etc(even booking ahead of time) you get a Mariner point.

 

I'm sure there are a lot of things that I didn't mention but that's a few to go on!

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This is so subjective...and I'll say right away that I have enjoyed every cruise I've done. However, HAL is a bit classier, service is just a notch above the others, there isn't so much a party atmosphere, food is better.
Just to be clear: You're comparing Holland America to Celebrity - yes?
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Being 3 star with HAL and Elite + with Celebrity the perks are substantially different. Celebrity has at least 90 min. free Internet and at least one free bag of laundry. More than doubles with Elite +. HAL give a 25% discount on restaurants but not anything to retain loyalty.

Otherwise service and food are similar. Both good. We choose by itinerary and/or price. Never been disappointed. These are subjective opinions. Perhaps HAL might have an edge in specialty restaurants.

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# 1 difference is they always have a Catholic priest on board for daily mass.

HAL does not have crew constantly trying to take and sell you pictures.

HAL has The Dive. Great hamburgers.

Super personnel in all areas.

Most cabins have bathtubs with shower. You don't have a postage size square with floating shower curtain.

I had sailed on RC and Carnival in the past. Took one more Carnival cruise for convenience and never again. Just wish more cruises out of San Diego.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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Being 3 star with HAL and Elite + with Celebrity the perks are substantially different. Celebrity has at least 90 min. free Internet and at least one free bag of laundry. More than doubles with Elite +. HAL give a 25% discount on restaurants but not anything to retain loyalty.

Otherwise service and food are similar. Both good. We choose by itinerary and/or price. Never been disappointed. These are subjective opinions. Perhaps HAL might have an edge in specialty restaurants.

 

True, but only HAL irons the laundry regularly. Celebrity's coupons are for "ironed" or "folded", as listed on the coupons given. Fine, except when you enclosed an "iron" coupon and your dress shirts are returned stuffed in a bag with other "folded" items by mistake:(...And you couldn't use the "fold" coupon as replacement for "iron". Disappointed, since we love the laundry perk on HAL.

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True, but only HAL irons the laundry regularly. Celebrity's coupons are for "ironed" or "folded", as listed on the coupons given. Fine, except when you enclosed an "iron" coupon and your dress shirts are returned stuffed in a bag with other "folded" items by mistake:(...And you couldn't use the "fold" coupon as replacement for "iron". Disappointed, since we love the laundry perk on HAL.

 

Unfortunately that perk is only for 4 star and above.

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I love the friendliness of the staff - doesn't matter who they are or what jobs they are doing, if you smile and say hello, you will get a smile and a hello back. Of course, most times you aren't the first one to greet the staff - they greet you first. I love the teak deck - including on the balconies! IMO, food is great, entertainment is "meh" most of the time. But it's the "atmosphere" on board. That lovely first impression tends to last throughout the cruise.

I'm in my fifties, so am younger than many onboard, but I'm done with rock climbing, loud outdoor movie screens, and I rarely party into the wee hours.

We like the smaller, more intimate ships too.

I'm just happier on a HAL ship.

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OP wanted to know what made HAL more "attractive" - meaning subjective aspects are what count: an individual's preferences determine what attracts him.

 

That said, I enjoy HAL's smaller ships with less crowded public areas. I find their level of service and MDR food quality to be superior to that on Royal Caribbean, Princess and Carnival, far superior to that on NCL, and on a par with that on Celebrity and Cunard.

 

They are somewhat lacking in the area of entertainment, so there is something of a trade-off.

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Just to be clear: You're comparing Holland America to Celebrity - yes?

 

Not only Celebrity....their food is a cut above also. From least party to most party, I would rate them as follows: HAL, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Carnival. Haven't been on Costa for loo long to judge any more, but would love to do what was then a wonderful Italian experience. It's also been awhile since I've been on Norwegian, but will be on one in May. Disney is something else entirely. For food: HAL, Celebrity, then the others. Entertainment varies from ship to ship. HAL used to do (don't know if they still do) a night where they featured Indonesian food and entertainment by the Filipino and Indonesian staff...loved that. Love the tea time on HAL. Service: HAL, Celebrity, then the others, though on our recent cruise on the Carnival Dream, we were treated like royalty.

Again, all this is subjective. We love to cruise, we have our own tastes, and we enjoy it tremendously regardless of the ship we are on.

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what are the major differences between Holland American and other cruise lines that make them more attractive to sail?

 

IMHO it really isn't a question of which cruise line is more attractive. It's more a question of which cruise lines best fit one's individual needs and preferences. Each cruise line has strengths and weaknesses based on one's personal preferences. It's important to consider which ports of call and which embarkation ports are more appealing to you. The answer to that may depend on your preferred airport/airline and which time of year you wish to cruise. Some cruise lines are more lively and some are more subdued, and it isn't really a question of which is better, but is more a question of which best suits your preferences.

 

I've cruised many different cruise lines, and I prefer to choose a cruise line with an embarkation port that's available to me via direct flight with good flight times.

 

Consider what type of room service is available. Some cruise lines don't offer much in the way of hot food for room service while others may allow you to order hot food from the dining room during dining hours. HAL has great room service options.

 

If you're fairly new to cruising, compare each cruise line's loyalty program perks to decide which best matches your preferences because sticking with primarily one line can offer more perks. Some offer extra points for onboard spending and certain cabin categories while other lines don't.

 

All that being said, HAL tends to appeal to an older crowd that enjoys more enriching onboard experiences and subdued surroundings. If you seek more lively experiences onboard, another cruise line may be a better fit for you.

 

There really aren't bad cruise lines and good cruise lines. It's more about finding the cruise line that aligns with your preferences and needs.

 

What particular things are most important to you on vacation? Sharing that may help others make meaningful suggestions to you.

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