HAL after RCCL?

[ORB]

My partner talked me into taking my first cruise in January of 2008. He had not been cruising for some 20 years, so we looked at all the catalogs, had a grand time comparing itineraries and chose a Royal Caribbean cruise which looked like a lot of fun. We weren't disappointed and--as my signature shows--we have taken up cruising in earnest.

 

At the time the loyalty program for Royal was quite good--and there was plenty of incentive to stay with them. We like the ships, have found the service to be pretty good, and really appreciate the "adult only" pool. We aren't especially active on a cruise--we have active lives and our vacations are mostly for relaxing. We tend to prefer excursions which reveal history and architecture to those which are more activity-oriented. Royal does quite well with "active", but isn't quite as good with the local history. We enjoy the shows and the entertainment--it's not Broadway quality, but we aren't paying Broadway ticket prices, either. There are no children involved, so the quality of children's programs is of no concern to us. We recognize that many of the things for which Royal gets its highest marks don't really concern us.

 

Now, getting to the point (did I hear someone say "finally"?)--the loyalty program at Royal has been revised. It's still pretty good, but not so good we aren't ready to try someone else. When we pulled into port at the end of our last cruise, we saw the Eurodam. It was a handsome ship from the outside, and we were intrigued.

 

Our next cruise will probably be in the late Spring. It will probably be on either HAL or Princess. We've heard good things and quibbles about both lines, and find the itineraries more interesting and creative on HAL.

 

I'm interesting in hearing from seasoned HAL cruisers--especially those who've also sailed on Royal--about what we could expect. Any recommendations for particular ships will be welcome as well.

[GmaPajama]

Our first cruise was on RCCL (Grandeur of the Seas). Our second was with HAL, and we have stuck to this line faithfully ever since. It's not that we didn't have a good time on the Grandeur, it's more that we prefer the atmosphere of elegance on HAL. A little less party and a little more of the "refined" things to do. I think you'll be pleased.

[T739]

We were loyal RCCL cruisers for years, enjoying 10 cruises plus 2 more with Celebrity. I continue to believe that they have some of the best "hardware" in the business with plenty of bells and whistles.

HAL is now our preference due primarily to a more upscale experience. Granted, it is not as cutting edge, but the food quality, service, and in general an atmosphere more conducive to relaxing, make the difference in our vacation experience. During the last several cruises with RCCL, we were disappointed in the food, service levels, and were frequently annoyed with large crowds and waiting in lines. That has not been the case with HAL. Furthemore, we have found the lectures, enrichment opportunities, and cooking classes to be real positives. We also particularly prefer the design and decor of the HAL ships, as well as the onboard art. I would say in general that the entertainment is not as good as RCCL, but unless entertainment is the most important feature of your vacation, it is certainly entertaining enough. While it may be insignificant to some, one of the most important features for us is a forward facing lounge at the front of the ship. The Crow's Nest on all HAL ships is our favorite place at sea.

[gregdude]

Previous poster hit it right on the head, HAL is a much more refined and sedate experience. I also agree that there is a significant difference in the food. HAL food is better throughout the ship: Lido, Dinning Room, Pool, room service, all provide more options and higher quality.

 

The other thing that has not been mentioned is itinerary. HAL offers a lot of cruises in excess of 7/10 days to a much wider variety of ports around the world. You don't need rock climbing walls when you are on a 45 day South America cruise!

 

Finally the cabins have more storage, better amenities, and every cabin has a flat screen TV and a DVR.

 

RCCL is more of a cattle car experience while HAL is more personal, right down to being able to stay in your cabin prior to disembarking the ship.

 

The other side of the coin is that HAL is not a good choice for small children or grandchildren. RCCL has many more family oriented things to do on board and you don't feel out of place with kids. On most HAL cruises, that I have been on, there are few children and far fewer activities.

[T739]

I must respond to previous poster that my current 13 year old son prefers HAL over RCCL. Of course we travel as a family during the summer, spring break, or the holidays when other kids are traveling. He thinks there are too many kids on RCCL during those times.

[Steelboat]

Don't forget the wonderful beds on HAL!

[SwissMyst]

The beds on HAL are the most comfortable I have ever slept in. Thank you for the reminder. The room decor is restrained and lovely and the cabins are larger than a lot of other lines. To upgrade to a HAL balcony for the cost of a smaller, limited view, noisy Brand X (luxury cruise line) cabin is a far, far better bargain than anywhere on the high seas.

 

Agree, the quality of the enrichment lectures and port excurions on HAL have been the best we have found so far. Again comparing to the relatively trivial offerings on Brand X that were more insulting, than enlightening.

 

Bottomline: there is a lot of value on HAL. They are not perfect and they are not deluxe luxury but they are an excellent travel bargain for what they do offer and they have the best itineraries of any larger cruise line. And love their smaller ships - they are a lost art when cruising. We hope they keep them forever.

[ORB]

Thanks to all who have responded so far--the brochures and the DVD that HAL sent us look wonderful, but then they would, wouldn't they? Hearing from from people who actually use the product--and hearing what they enjoy about the product--is a lot more helpful.

 

We are just on either side of 50 years old, so while we can drool over the thought of 45 day cruises it will be a few years before we can manage the time away to take one. We both work, so we are usually looking at the 7-14 day range. Ft. Lauderdale is an easy port for us to get to from Atlanta (quick flight followed by quick taxi ride...) so we will probably look at a Caribbean cruise for our first HAL voyage. Part of what attracted us to HAL in the first place was the list of ports that Royal doesn't visit.

 

Cruise ship entertainment at the best of times is a show of talented young people learning their craft. The only thing that will make me walk out is a singer who can't hold the pitch or a soundman who thinks everything has to be ear-splittingly loud. We don't expect it to be Broadway, so I'm sure we will be happy with the offerings.

 

The food sounds wonderful--we always managed to gain weight on Royal, but we were seeing the same menus and the quality was inconsistent. We are ready for something new.

 

There is one thing we aren't so sure about, and I would love to hear your recommendations. We know how to work the Royal system for the cheapest fares, and haven't paid book price since our first cruise. How does one go about finding the best bargains on HAL? I suspect being able to book at the last minute probably helps, but we have to plan our cruises well in advance to make vacation requests work.

[Jade13]

 

There is one thing we aren't so sure about, and I would love to hear your recommendations. We know how to work the Royal system for the cheapest fares, and haven't paid book price since our first cruise. How does one go about finding the best bargains on HAL? I suspect being able to book at the last minute probably helps, but we have to plan our cruises well in advance to make vacation requests work.

 

Michael,

 

HAL allows discounting. Your best best it to book directly with HAL to make sure you get the stateroom that you want, and than transfer to a travel agent prior to final booking. The savings can be huge depending on the price of your cruise. There are good online agents that have toll free numbers.

 

Also, just wanted to mention that my DH is a Chef and overall we find HAL's food the best at sea, better than SilverSeas. There is no extra charge for ice cream either. The beds are great, wrap around promenade deck and wonderful gym. We are the same ages as you. Try a Spa stateroom on the Eurodam. We loved the green/brown color scheme and proximity to top deck and Crows Nest and gym.