NCL or HAL?

[haggis_10000]

My DW wants to take our daughter aged 24 and son and 22 on a cruise so that we can celebrate her 50th Birthday. We have been on one celebrity cruise to date and and booked for July 2012.

 

We believe that X would be too formal for them and does not offer sufficient activities on sea days or in the evenings.

 

As we haven't sailed with HAL or NCL would appreciate you Honest opinions

 

Thanks

 

Steve

[Sauer-kraut]

You might find these previous threads helpful:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1295029&highlight=ncl+vs+hal

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1386400&highlight=ncl+vs+hal

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1395290&highlight=ncl+vs+hal

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1276814&highlight=ncl+vs+hal

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1199297&highlight=ncl+vs+hal

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1194531&highlight=ncl+vs+hal

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1115866&highlight=ncl+vs+hal

 

The search function is a wonderful tool.....:p

[Davechipp74]

in short NCL would in most likelihood be enjoyed more by youre 20something y/olds. HAL is a great cruiseline but i feel it tends to lean a bit more traditional much like X. jmho

[retired rascal]

HAL is more 'dress up,' has a stricter dress code particularly evening in public areas. NCL is kick back....we're too old to care about getting all gussied up in our penquin or sequin attire....love being able to dine in exofficio travel clothes....we are neat and well dressed, but NO jackets for men in our familly.

[ourfamilylovescruising]

We have cruised a few times with Hal from all different ages. not knowing your 20 year olds, but if they are into things like yoga or other fitness stuff they would love Hal because every day they have things going on. our 25 year old loved it and did most of them and it was included in the fare so that was nice but if that is not their thing they will probably like NCl better because of the pool and rock claiming wall and Etc. plus on most 7 days with Hal you only have 2 sea days so being at a port 4 other days cuts your time down being on the ship. good luck I am sure which ever cruise you pick they will have a blast.

[Richpontone]

More diverse cruise population (age wise) on NCL. I thought the HAL crowd was more in their fifties and sixties in age

[STARFISH*4]

altho i havent cruised HAL my MIL who is in her 70s says its stuffy and boring..i would think for the 20s set i would choose NCL or another line.

[Richpontone]

There are dj hosted dance parties every night starting at 10:30 pm for those who are in their twenties and those "who are young at heart" on NCL.

[gagal10]

altho i havent cruised HAL my MIL who is in her 70s says its stuffy and boring..i would think for the 20s set i would choose NCL or another line.

 

 

I think I'd like your MIL.. :)

 

My dad is 1 of 11 and they did a Sibling Cruise on HAL a few years back to Alaska and the older ones definately liked it more than the younger ones. Even my Mom, who was 61 at the time, said she thought it was full of Old Fogies..

[STARFISH*4]

I think I'd like your MIL.. :)

 

, said she thought it was full of Old Fogies..

 

that was sorta what my MIL said but i didnt want to post that:D

[Starry Eyes]

well, I tend to think NCL would appeal to more twenty somethings. more people their age, more casual, bigger ships with more active options.

 

on the other hand, a couple weeks ago, a young man told me he and his GF like HAL because they do different things than the other (older) passengers. for instance, he says they seem to have the pool all to themselves.

[family cruisers]

We sailed HAL/ Veendam last summer NYC to Bermuda.

Because it was summer vacation in this area there were all ages on that ship. We personally (in our late 40's) LOVED the ship. One of the most personable staff we've ever come across. Captain had us up in the bridge as we entered bermuda . It was truly amazing ! We also got the invite back up entering NYC coming back. The staff would always greet you , take time out to chat etc.

We found it so relazing by the pools as it wasn't over run with smaller kids. There were some but nothing crazy. Dress code wasn't as strict as someone else posted. It was a mix and I found the elderly crowd dressed a bit more but I find that on all lines.

The food however I thought would have been better honestly was no different than NCL . NCL"S specialty restaurants I found to be excellent. Food on HAL was good / not great.

I love to cook, its my passion so when I get great food on a ship I will rave about it. the Veendam is good don't get me wrong but NCL's main dining rooms to us aren't even good but specialty restaurants are exceptional. You just have to pay extra for them ! We have the Gem booked for Oct. this year . Never been on Gem , just the Crown 2x and the Dawn .

 

We only did a few shows on HAL and their comedians were not really funny. I watched a broadway musical review on HAL and it was top notch.

While we enjoy the smaller ship getting into St.George (not this year) we were in between 2 hurricanes sailing last year and couldn't do the cut even though we had perfect weather !!! (go figure) .. We did dock at hamilton the entire 4 days and we don't mind that at all.

 

I'd look at price , the extra day in bermuda with HAL is a big plus. and the smaller size ship is so personalized. More to do in Hamilton then dockyards BUT transportation is every where on the island so you'll always be doing something. Hamilton is more cosmopolitan in feel , lots of shops everywhere.

Hope this helps you out a little ??? Just our thoughts on Veendam vs. NCL to BDA. Good luck and either way you'll be on a cruise #1 and to Bermuda which is the best anywhere. Our favorite . Have a great cruise !

Forgot to mention this... Remember HAL will dock 3 days at hamilton which is loaded with nightlife right across the street from the ship. You can get on and off the ship all hours so there is lots for them to do. Hamilton is fun day and night !

[dach]

We just finished NCL Gem to BDA. We took HAL Veendam last year. So many of my impressions of NCL Gem are based on comparing it to what I remember from HAL Veendam.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=85291

 

They are quite different in on ship "entertainment" from NCL emphasis on freestyle cruising to HAL strong Broadway quality show. I forgot to add (since I don't gamble) that NCL Gem has the much larger and complete casino, with every standard Vegas/Atlantic City table game, fully staffed.

[newmexicoNita]

My DW wants to take our daughter aged 24 and son and 22 on a cruise so that we can celebrate her 50th Birthday. We have been on one celebrity cruise to date and and booked for July 2012.

 

We believe that X would be too formal for them and does not offer sufficient activities on sea days or in the evenings.

 

As we haven't sailed with HAL or NCL would appreciate you Honest opinions

 

Thanks

 

Steve

 

Steve, we have sailed both lines and each has pros and cons with their own personalities. HAL is every bit as formal as Celebrity (I would put them on an even field thiere) I think the people on Celebrity are a little more into themselves (I can't think of a nice way to say it and I really am generalizing) HAL is an older crowd, very subdued and not much night life at all. The shows are geared to the past 60 crowd (again generalizing) The shorter cruises are a little less formal and a little younger cliantele.

 

Here is my comparison of the two lines:

 

HAL: pros: very good food

Large cabins

excellant crew and service

Outstanding library

formal and very pretty public areas. You almost feel like you are in a 4 or 5 star hotel at all times.

 

Negatives: though the service is outstanding, the crew is a little stand offish.(almost too formal)

not much night life

not active casinos

entertainment geared to the older generation. HAL is trying to change their image, but it is taking awhile. Actually there is a market for this type of cruise line, I hope they don't change.

 

NCL:

Pros: great buffets for starters

dining choices, both free and sur charge restaurants

relaxed

lots of energy, both the crew and the people, as it is geared to the sliightly younger cruiser

good night time activities, but not quite as busy as a couple other lines

active and fun casinos

more freedom to plan your time on and off the ship.

 

negatives:

food, although subjective, overall isn't quite as good on NCL (not everyone feels this way)

cabins are smaller

open dining means you do not get quite the personalized attention you get from traditional, assigned dining. You give some things off for the enjoyment of free style.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

We have cruised a few times with Hal from all different ages. not knowing your 20 year olds, but if they are into things like yoga or other fitness stuff they would love Hal because every day they have things going on. our 25 year old loved it and did most of them and it was included in the fare so that was nice but if that is not their thing they will probably like NCl better because of the pool and rock claiming wall and Etc. plus on most 7 days with Hal you only have 2 sea days so being at a port 4 other days cuts your time down being on the ship. good luck I am sure which ever cruise you pick they will have a blast.

 

Depending on the ship, NCL almsot always has only 2 sea days as well. I think this is about the same on NCL, Celebrity and HAL.

[MAMAFIX]

We have sailed on NCL and HAL to BDA - on HAL the ship is pretty quiet at night - probably due to the older crowd (both times we sailed in May, so few school aged kids). One good thing about HAL, you could always find a seat in the bars after 7:00 PM - I think most people were at a show or in for the night:D.

[wack001]

My DW wants to take our daughter aged 24 and son and 22 on a cruise so that we can celebrate her 50th Birthday. We have been on one celebrity cruise to date and and booked for July 2012.

 

We believe that X would be too formal for them and does not offer sufficient activities on sea days or in the evenings.

 

As we haven't sailed with HAL or NCL would appreciate you Honest opinions

 

Thanks

 

Steve

 

Select a cruise based on the ship and not the line, everyone has their opinion but if you at each ship, then itinerary and fun factor you can make a better selection based on your facts. If you go to my blog, look at my tips.

cruisinbob

[newmexicoNita]

Select a cruise based on the ship and not the line, everyone has their opinion but if you at each ship, then itinerary and fun factor you can make a better selection based on your facts. If you go to my blog, look at my tips.

cruisinbob

 

This is true, but only to a point. Yes, itinerary and price are usually the two things most of us check first, but even though most lines are more alike than different each does have its own personality and what works for someone 80 would not be the same as someone 25, the line the night life partier likes isn't going to be the same as the line the refined 75 year old is going to find suitable. Someone who prefers the pampering of traditional dining isn't going to be happy with totally free style dining. so, I think you are only partically correct. This is where a good travel agent often comes in. If he/she is doing thier job they know how to ask the questions that will help a person decide what will work for them.

 

Nita