HAL vs Princess

DW and I love HAL and have totally enjoyed all our cruises with them. We have not been on Princess yet but because of what we think is a great itinerary we are now considering a British Isles cruise on the Caribbean Princess in May, 2013. Would greatly appreciate any comparisons of HAL vs Princess and insight on this particular cruise. Many thanks.

DW and I love HAL and have totally enjoyed all our cruises with them. We have not been on Princess yet but because of what we think is a great itinerary we are now considering a British Isles cruise on the Caribbean Princess in May, 2013. Would greatly appreciate any comparisons of HAL vs Princess and insight on this particular cruise. Many thanks.

I like HAL better. We were very disappointed in the service and attitude of the front desk on Princess. it was like Liar's Club. I swear, they were having a contest to see who could get a passenger to accept the biggest lie. Wifi was unreliable, which can happen, but there was nobody who could help--and when i went to the front desk, I was always told that the computer guy was "on break."

Shorex people were incredibly rude to a woman in line in front of me.

Open seating breakfast in the MDR was a disorganized mess, as was afternoon tea. AFter one MDR breakfast, we went to the buffet every morning. The buffet food was good, but some things, like omelets, were pre-made in the kitchen downstairs and brought up to the buffet. (I think the omelets served in the MDR were all pre-made, too) HAL has made-to-order omeletes at the buffet and MDR. We had assigned dining for dinner, and the service was much better then. I don't know what open seating was like, but every night when we left early sitting dinner there was a line waiting to get into the open seating dining room.

There was no place quiet to sit on deck unless you paid the extra fee for the retreat or whatever they called it. Piped in music everywhere. It was hard to read because the music was distractingly loud. Lots of announcements, especially hawking Bingo.

Check out the sizes of the ships you have been on on HAL, and the Princess ship you are proposing to cruise on.

I like the size of HAL ships, with the teak wood promenade deck that encircles the whole ship. Fresh flowers (not plastic or silk), real wash clothes in the restrooms, friendliest crew (whether your steward or not), lots of wood and brass (let's you know you are on a sailing vessel) and the blue & white hull (simple but elegant).

We did the Grand Princess in the Med and thought we wouldn't mind the difference in size, but it was a GIGANTIC difference. We found the desk folks to either not know the answer to questions, or out and out lie to just get rid of you. Tour desk wasn't much better. And no information for independent travellers at all (of course they want you to sign up for the ship tours).

The itinerary would have TO BE EXCEPTIONAL for me to cruise with Princess again. I'd take a not so great HAL itinerary over exceptional Princess itinerary anyday. JMHO!

We cruised Princess once, that was enough. We learned to stick with HAL.

I like Princess but their food quality is not as good as Hal. Their service is great but just not the same standard of Hal's either. Saying all that I would not hesitate to go on Princess if they have an itinerary I like.

I'm not expert having done only 2 Princess cruises and one HAL on Noordam...no way I'd go back to Princess, and I too was very interested in that British Isles cruise. Not any more after our last Princess cruise to Alaska.

The Alaska trip was awesome...the ship portion left some to be desired. I too had issues with the front desk people....not the most helpful. Food in the main dining room we thought, was merely average at best and several times just plain unappealing. The Lido was a notch up quite honestly and we found, after attempting Anytime Dining that it was anything but! We were turned off after our first night in Alaska and from that point ate all but one dinner in the Lido watching the amazing scenery pass by the huge windows.

Beds on Princess are lie sleeping on the floor.......one trip it was a floor with springs. We asked for a foam topper and that helped a bit. The HAL mattresses were beyond comfy and a huge step up from Princess.

Service on HAL went well beyond expectations. Service on Princess was adequate...pleasant most of the time but nothing stood out as exceptional. Exceptional seemed to be the norm on HAL no matter where we went or who we interacted with. We have been accustomed to Queen Mary 2 for most of our cruising....HAL's service was better, as was the food.

We are hooked on HAL for now. They provide great value for your money and we left feeling totally pampered......and booked again!

Cheers, Penny

Penny’s “Affair to Remember” QM2 Review Dec. 2006

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

November 10,2007...QM2 to the Caribbean again

October 16,2008...QM2 transatlantic in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage.

December 9, 2008...QM2...back to the Caribbean

July 30, 2009....QM2....transatlantic again...

August 7, 2009....QM2... “home” to Norway

Feb. 7, 2010....Emerald Princess to the Caribbean

Aug 14, 2010...QM2... return to Norway, all the way to the top!

Aug 22, 2011...Diamond Princess....North to Alaska!!

Dec 2,2011...Noordam to the Caribbean...outstanding! Review..../boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1544173

2012...Assorted trips

2012...Booked on the lovely Noordam again

I've only been on two cruises so far: New England/Canada on the Maasdam (2011) and the exact Princess cruise you are asking about on the Crown Princess (2010). The ships were roughly equal. There were things I liked and disliked about both. The crew service and the food were better on HAL, much better in fact. That doesn't mean it's not acceptable on Princess, HAL is just much better. The upside for Princess in this case is that their British Isles itinerary is absolutely wonderful. I would do it again without hesitation and hope to do so some day. Every single port had multiple excursions that I wanted badly to do, the hard part was choosing which ones NOT to do. This summer is HAL in the Baltic on the Eurodam.

We have done one Princess and one HAL cruise and we would choose HAL again. But I agree, that British Isles cruise is tempting but our experience on the Golden Princess has more negatives than pluses.

Plus:

• we were upgraded to a mini suite and it was amazing
  
• we were on vacation and it was our anniversary and I found out 4 weeks before sailing I was pregnant
  
• The entertainment on board was good if you didn't mind lines, pushing and saving seats and rude neighbours
   
  

neagives:

• The lido lunch on embarkation day was a zoo with pushing and yelling; even had a senior citizen yelling at me when we had out food that we had sat at (the just vacated) table and it was HER table! She was in the door to the lido waiting in line for food
  
• we were supposed to have early fixed dinner but ended up with open seating which was a mess. We tried it 3 nights and were going to give up due to long waits, poor service (like being outright ignored) then our upstairs neighbours (balcony's are stepped so they looked down on us) invited us to their table of 10 that had 2 seats vacant
  
• no control over kids (and I have kids)! Loud, running (even over the lounge sofas), screaming, water guns pointed at elevators when they opened, splashing in the pool and no supervision; staff did nothing
  
• Constant announcements over the PA system
  
• Poor front desk service
  
• Very large ship with lots of walking and sometimes having to take stairs only to get to certain dining rooms
  

So I will not say we will never said Princess again, but it would be the itinerary that would do it, not the line itself. We liked HAL but did not go to any shows. We chose HAL because we were bringing our two kids and we didn't want them to act (or be influenced) by what we remembered the kids of Princess acting like. If/when we do, we would have to get a mini suite as it was even a joke on board Princess that the bathrooms showers are so small that the curtain sticks to you and the mini suite is the first category with a bath tub. I don't remember the food not being good so I guess I am fine with anything as long as it does not contain cream and I am not cooking it or cleaning up after it...LOL!

All things to consider. Whichever way you choose have a fantastic trip!!

We cruised Princess once, that was enough. We learned to stick with HAL.

Ditto for us. No more Princess, it's HAL for us going forward. :)

Our on board experience with Princess was OK, but way below HAL standards. On Princess we were simply two of too many passengers, while on HAL we have always been treated wonderfully and had plenty of "elbow" room regardless of the on board venue.

Caribbean Princess is a beautifull ship however it is too crowded, Princess increased the ## of cabins but left the showrooms the same size, could not get into the showroom most nights. Did not have this problem with Grand Princess, but it is a very nice ship with good food. ( I think they are trying to have 3 shows a night instead of 2 to make up for this), I have been on bigger ships on RCCL and Celeberity and they did not have this problem.

Interesting, we have done both and while we prefer HAL we will sail Princess for the right itinerary at the right price. We are doing that this June where the price difference was huge on our British Isle sailing.

We sail both although now HAL more than Princess. IMO generally they are comparable except in ship size and service. I believe the Caribbean Princess carries around 3100 passengers while HAL's largest ship is about 2100. 1000 extra folks is a lot. Service is better on HAL. That being said, if you like the itinerary on the Princess, go for it. Itinerary is usually the deciding factor for us. Barbara

Caribbean Princess is a beautifull ship however it is too crowded, Princess increased the ## of cabins but left the showrooms the same size, could not get into the showroom most nights. Did not have this problem with Grand Princess, but it is a very nice ship with good food. ( I think they are trying to have 3 shows a night instead of 2 to make up for this), I have been on bigger ships on RCCL and Celeberity and they did not have this problem.

Interesting comment. When we were on the Crown, we met a few couples who were longtime Princess cruisers. They said they had noticed how Princess was finding ways to add cabins without adding public space. They were not happy with how Pricess was changing.

We wouldn't hesitate to go with Princess if the itinerary was appealing. I think the food is about equal with HAL and we've never had a problem with anytime dinning. We've also never had a problem with the front desk. If you try a cruise line different than what you are use you can't expect things to be exactly the same. We just go with the flow and don't dwell on what we miss from another line.

Interesting comment. When we were on the Crown, we met a few couples who were longtime Princess cruisers. They said they had noticed how Princess was finding ways to add cabins without adding public space. They were not happy with how Pricess was changing.

We were also on the Crown and Doug Flutie had a table a few feet from ours, got picture of him with my wife ( they were almost the same hight) , he seemed like a nice guy, loved watching him with the Buffalo Bills

We were also on the Crown and Doug Flutie had a table a few feet from ours, got picture of him with my wife ( they were almost the same hight) , he seemed like a nice guy, loved watching him with the Buffalo Bills

Me too! Loved my Flutie Flakes!

I love HAL but I was very impressed with Princess (CB). We did sail off into a hurricane (Irene, last August) and I kow a lot of people did not sail. I can't remember the number who were missing but I think it was about 700- but I don't know how fully booked the cruise was to begin with (NYC in August- must have been fully booked, plus kids). So obviously there was no crowding!

The food was comparable, the cabin crew was fine, the balcony was certainly a heck of a lot cleaner, the public spaces were beautiful, the lido buffet was comparable to a Vista HAL ship. The specialty coffees were much better than they just were on Westerdam, and as a non-drinker, coffee is important to me ;). I didn't go to any shows but I almost never do.

Keep in mind, this was just one ship on Princess and two on HAL.

I will say.... I much prefer an English speaking captain and British officers are a huge plus for me. I just have more faith in British officers. I know that sounds awful, but when the emergency muster call comes, I want to be able to understand it. I also like to be able to understand the announcements from the bridge. I will never forget Captain Morty Hehir on QE2 and how he let me hang out on the bridge when I sailed her as an 11 year old! Cap. John Scott (Scotty!) sailed with him when he was with Cunard. So- this is my preference and I have a few other reasons.

I officially digress.

I would sail Princess in a heartbeat if it had an itinerary, price, or departure port that suited me. I would sail it equally with HAL. Princess just doesn't have many east coast departures.

thumbs up for hal,I've been on princess once, the food did not compare with hal. I too have noticed rudeness in regard to the shorex crew.

the cabin and ding room staff are much more pleasant on HAL especially the dining room supervisors. The balcony cabins are larger on HAL unless you book a mini suite. The ships are smaller but offer better bathrooms with tub/showers. The food is better. We look at their itineraries but don't find mush difference from HAL>

We have sailed on both numerous times, but probably a couple of times more on Princess than on HAL. I think the food was a touch tastier on HAL,and I enjoyed the culinary Arts Centre on HAL. Our last time on HAL was 2007 and just last fall on Princess. Shows are better on Princess and I found front desk staff on both lines to be polite and helpful. Always eat in MDR for late traditional dining and seldom use the buffet for any meals on either line. Rooms seemed to be equal but as we usually book inside rooms in order to take more cruises, can't comment on balcony or suites. Staff, IMHO, is equally well-trained on both lines and we always enjoy talking to them. No problems with language on HAL as all speak English very well. Main difference seem to be better pricing from Princess and some itineraries are more to my liking on Princess. I would sail on either line again in a heartbeat, but next 2 cruises are booked with RCL and Celebrity again.

Ciao,

Nikki

I have sailed HAL 4 times and Princess 3 times. We enjoy both lines. I would compare them as follows (in my personal opinion).

HAL advantages:

Softer beds and roomier cabins

Service tends to be a touch friendlier

Nicer promenade deck and dining room

MDR menu available for room service

Smaller MDR portion sizes (I actually have room for dessert!)

Better breakfast entrees and breakfast pastries

MDR tables for two with more privacy

Princess advantages:

Better shows, music, and nightlife

Better pizza, pasta, and desserts (in my opinion)

International Cafe with delicious salads, quiches, sweets

More interesting itineraries (for us)

Pub Lunch available on sea days

More flexible buffet / eatery hours

Movies Under the Stars

Basically, I would give HAL an advantage on cabin/ship comfort, enthusiastic service, and room service options. I think Princess has more interesting entertainment, especially at night, and slightly better food (based on my priorities; each line has their specialties). I wouldn't hesitate to book either line. In fact, we had booked a Princess British Isles cruise for July and had to cancel due to scheduling conflicts. We will be sailing HAL to Bermuda instead.

DW and I love HAL and have totally enjoyed all our cruises with them. We have not been on Princess yet but because of what we think is a great itinerary we are now considering a British Isles cruise on the Caribbean Princess in May, 2013. Would greatly appreciate any comparisons of HAL vs Princess and insight on this particular cruise. Many thanks.

Yes Princess does the British Isles cruise - we have been on Princess 9x - but will not do a Northern Europe Cruise with them because none of the Atlanic coast ships have a covered pool - which is a must for me and why we are now cruising HAL

We are 3 star on HAL and Platinum and like both really well. There are differences, but suspect they relate more ship-to-ship than line-to-line. Our decsions are made mostly on the basis of the itinerary and secondarily price. Can't go wrong with either.

We have sailed both HAL and Princess. I love the small Princess ships like the Pacific Princess. We sailed her on the Holy Land itinerary and it was great.

And we can't complain about the dining room service. We did a private overnight in Egypt and when when we got back on board in Alexandria, we went to the dining room thinking it was open seating. It wasn't and they were in the middle of changing over for the late seating. No matter that is was 7:30. We were welcome to two (there were 14 of us) set up tables and we had delightful service in an dining room empty except for us.

We've have sailed with Princess 3 times and once, most recently with HAL.

I would not hesitate to sail with either again.

I found that the food in the MDR was much better on Princess although it has been 2 years since we sailed with them and I understand cutbacks have been made on all lines. I preferred the LIDO on HAL for the variety of choices but thought that the hours were much better on Princess.

I thought the cabin layout was way better with Princess and thought the closet arrangement on HAL was very frustrating. Not enough light and a very inconvenient placement. HAL beds were much more comfortable. Our balcony on Princess (Caribe deck) was larger and had better furniture (a real table!) than our balcony (VD) on HAL.

Service on both was wonderful. While neither were perfect overall the crew and staff on both lines were helpful and competent.

I have not sailed on HAL yet but have sailed several times on Princess. As far as the front desk we have never had any problem with them. I think it is funny that so many people are slamming the front desk on Princess for not being helpful yet I have read several reviews on here about the HAL front desk being worthless :)

We absolutely loved the Caribbean Princess this last December on a B2B cruise. She is a larger ship but never once felt crowded. We loved the fact that there were 3 different pool areas to enjoy and plenty of lounge chairs to choose from. Entertainment was really good in fact it was one of the best cruises we were on for good entertainment. Never once had a problem with service or the food. I really love the closet set up on Princess. Bathrooms are a little smaller than HAL from what I understand. Personally I would chose the itinerary over the cruise line because from everything I have read HAL and Princess are pretty similar. That is why we are trying out HAL because we like the itinerary.