First HAL Cruise-Underwhelmed by Nieuw Amsterdam

[localady]

While Aquahound wrote a great review.......and..........I don't doubt anything he said.......I would like to share our experience.

 

We have sailed 41 days this past year on the Nieuw Amsterdam. We had "anytime dining" and not only had good food but WONDERFUL service!

 

So........for those of you with an up and coming cruise on the Nieuw Amesterdam..........take heart! Hopefully your experience will be as good as ours. Not trying to be a "cheerleader" here......just stating the facts as they were for us.

 

Thank you for your feedback, because Aquahounds' review has even frightened this cheerleader....

No one wants to be told that your dining experience for your upcoming 24 day cruise is going to suck! :eek:

We all know that there have been dining room cuts that have really impacted service for many, glad to hear that you had "any time" dining and didn't have the problems described here.

I have now requested early dining but am waitlisted. I didn't want to have to be at a fixed seating because of port-intensive nature of this cruise, but had a change of heart after reading this.

[BugsyCruiser]

Aquahound, a very professional and honest review. I've only sailed HAL once and that was on the Eurodam. I think National Review(the group I was part of) always chooses HAL for their cruises. HAL is definitely geared towards a much older crowd(no knock on those people of course) and while I enjoyed the cruise for the most part I don't think I would sail on them again simply because as you put it, there isn't a lot to do on there. I noticed things closed up very early on the Eurodam at nights.

 

And National Review this year will be using the NA for their cruise. They had mentioned checking out Celebrity, but I guess they decided to stick with HAL

 

Thanks again for your review

[cruising cockroach]

Sounds ugly. Decided to request 2nd seating for our upcoming TATL cruise on the NA. Hope the maitre d'hotel has sorted out service issues by then.

[cruz chic]

That's ok, because other than the mention of Celebrity, your words perfectly describe the Nieuw Amsterdam. ;)

Fair enough, but trust me when I say the issues I encountered were quite a bit worse than what you have mentioned here. If I'd encountered any of the same issues that I had on Celebrity on HAL, Hal would not be seeing me again. Celebrity or RC might work better for you since it's sure to be more lively. I really like HAL because I feel respected. Something I didn't feel on Celebrity. I hope your next cruise on which ever line you choose is a better fit.

[sammiedawg]

Fair enough, but trust me when I say the issues I encountered were quite a bit worse than what you have mentioned here. If I'd encountered any of the same issues that I had on Celebrity on HAL, Hal would not be seeing me again. Celebrity or RC might work better for you since it's sure to be more lively. I really like HAL because I feel respected. Something I didn't feel on Celebrity. I hope your next cruise on which ever line you choose is a better fit.

 

Ditto to lorekauf's comments, we were on Celebrity 8 years ago. I vote with my feet, have not gone back. Our issues were more significant than lack of followup in the main dining room but I won't go into the details so as not to detour the discussion. I know cruiselines read CC and threads like this are good for them to read.

I'm getting emails, mailings from all the main cruiselines, advertised prices are shockingly low or they are throwing in free air. Revenue has to be down, fuel costs are very high, cost cutting moves are to be expected.

[lilybob]

We have sailed HAL more than any other line but have to say the open dining experience Paul had on NA was identical to ours on NA last summer in the Med. We found the servers to be doing their best with under-staffed circumstances.

We sailed on RCI for the first time during the Dec. holidays and found their approach to arranging open seating and having the waiter being able to serve your wine a win-win combination. No chaos at all and easy to convert 2-4-6 top tables and smaller oval tables instead of the large round tables seemed to satisfy the wishes of all diners.

 

For us it comes down to itinerary, price, dining options, and a balance of family friendly activities. A little more nightlife and technology is what will attract their future cruisers too:D

 

Swissmyst-great Naples info. Will bookmark for future Naples stop. We did Capri when we were there last and enjoyed it very much, too.

[GeriatricNurse]

Fair enough, but trust me when I say the issues I encountered were quite a bit worse than what you have mentioned here. If I'd encountered any of the same issues that I had on Celebrity on HAL, Hal would not be seeing me again. Celebrity or RC might work better for you since it's sure to be more lively. I really like HAL because I feel respected. Something I didn't feel on Celebrity. I hope your next cruise on which ever line you choose is a better fit.

 

 

Why not post your concerns related to your recent cruise with X for all of us to read (or should I provide you with my e-mail so that I may receive a personal reply, as have a few others)! :confused:

[kazu]

Why not post your concerns related to your recent cruise with X for all of us to read (or should I provide you with my e-mail so that I may receive a personal reply, as have a few others)! :confused:

 

I think Lorene is trying not to derail the thread;) but I confess I also have to add my 'ditto' to her comments. We voted with our feet too

[Aquahound]

Aquahound, a very professional and honest review. I've only sailed HAL once and that was on the Eurodam. I think National Review(the group I was part of) always chooses HAL for their cruises. HAL is definitely geared towards a much older crowd(no knock on those people of course) and while I enjoyed the cruise for the most part I don't think I would sail on them again simply because as you put it, there isn't a lot to do on there. I noticed things closed up very early on the Eurodam at nights.

 

And National Review this year will be using the NA for their cruise. They had mentioned checking out Celebrity, but I guess they decided to stick with HAL

 

Thanks again for your review

 

Thank you Chris. :)

 

I would like to comment on the older crowd thing. I knew very well HAL attracted older cruisers and like I said earlier, I had no problem with it. However, when researching these boards in the months preceding my cruise, I came across at least one thread where seemingly HAL regulars were saying that is a myth. I didn't care much, but I hoped the myth was pertaining to the reports of HAL entertainment shutting down so early. I now know all the HAL stereotypes absolutely are true. Granted, 12 night cruises don't attract many younger folks, but that doesn't mean entertainment should suffer.

 

Now, I don't expect or really want to be dancing in a conga line around the pool deck every night, and I prefer to enjoy a martini at night, not guzzle a case of beer, but it sure would have been nice to have some sort of lively entertainment. As I said earlier, all of my dozens of previous cruises on 3 other lines had at least 1 cover band playing every night in one of the lounges. I have come to just sorta expect it. For HAL not to have it left an empty feeling in the evenings.

[cruz chic]

I think Lorene is trying not to derail the thread;) but I confess I also have to add my 'ditto' to her comments. We voted with our feet too

Exactly!

[Aquahound]

I think Lorene is trying not to derail the thread;) but I confess I also have to add my 'ditto' to her comments. We voted with our feet too

 

Thank you for that. I never intended this to be a HAL vs Celebrity thing. When someone asked me early in the thread what cruise lines I preferred, I should have known that by answering it would spark these responses. Mention HAL on the Celebrity board, RCI on the Carnival board, etc, the same thing happens. This thread is about the May 12 sailing of NA, not about Celebrity.

[cruz chic]

Thank you Chris. :)

 

I would like to comment on the older crowd thing. I knew very well HAL attracted older cruisers and like I said earlier, I had no problem with it. However, when researching these boards in the months preceding my cruise, I came across at least one thread where seemingly HAL regulars were saying that is a myth. I didn't care much, but I hoped the myth was pertaining to the reports of HAL entertainment shutting down so early. I now know all the HAL stereotypes absolutely are true. Granted, 12 night cruises don't attract many younger folks, but that doesn't mean entertainment should suffer.

 

Now, I don't expect or really want to be dancing in a conga line around the pool deck every night, and I prefer to enjoy a martini at night, not guzzle a case of beer, but it sure would have been nice to have some sort of lively entertainment. As I said earlier, all of my dozens of previous cruises on 3 other lines had at least 1 cover band playing every night in one of the lounges. I have come to just sorta expect it. For HAL not to have it left an empty feeling in the evenings.

I'm sorry to hear that posters weren't honest about the crowd. I can tell you that after 250+ days on HAL for sure it's an older crowd. 7 day cruises and cruises where school is out may be different. I've also noticed an older crowd on Princess and Celebrity too but HAL seems more so. The saying goes that old people cruise on Princess, their parents cruise on HAL:D. I'm an early bird but I can see someone that looks for nightlife having a different take. I recall staying up until midnight on one of my cruises and the ship was pretty dead. Usually I'm long asleep by that time. I think HAL is very good for people who are self entertaining.

[Aquahound]

I think HAL is very good for people who are self entertaining.

 

I hadn't thought about that, but now that you say it, I remember DW and I getting a good chuckle when walking past the card room. Never had we seen a card room so packed. :D

[SwissMyst]

Thank you Chris. :)

 

I would like to comment on the older crowd thing. I knew very well HAL attracted older cruisers and like I said earlier, I had no problem with it. However, when researching these boards in the months preceding my cruise, I came across at least one thread where seemingly HAL regulars were saying that is a myth..........

 

From the web:Orbitz

 

What is the average age group?

 

While the demographic will potentially vary with each sailing, there are some general patterns.

 

Carnival Cruise Line - 0-35 years of age

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line - 25-54 years of age

Celebrity Cruise Line - 35-64 years of age

Crystal Cruise Line - 60+ years of age.

Holland America Line- Mixed, 40-60 generally, with some younger guests.

Norwegian Cruise Line- 25-54 years of age

Princess Cruise Line- 35-64 years of age

Windstar Cruise Line- 40-50 years of age, with some honeymooners as well.

 

Keep in mind that the above information involves rough averages. Typically, on any cruise, you will find a mix of all age groups.

[innlady1]

Ditto!

 

Double ditto! :D

[mamaofami]

Thank you for your review. I've stayed away from open seating because of all the negative things I've read about the service and sometimes the wait for a table.

[cruz chic]

From the web:Orbitz

 

What is the average age group?

 

While the demographic will potentially vary with each sailing, there are some general patterns.

 

Carnival Cruise Line - 0-35 years of age

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line - 25-54 years of age

Celebrity Cruise Line - 35-64 years of age

Crystal Cruise Line - 60+ years of age.

Holland America Line- Mixed, 40-60 generally, with some younger guests.

Norwegian Cruise Line- 25-54 years of age

Princess Cruise Line- 35-64 years of age

Windstar Cruise Line- 40-50 years of age, with some honeymooners as well.

 

Keep in mind that the above information involves rough averages. Typically, on any cruise, you will find a mix of all age groups.

Surprised to see that about HAL. At 51 I'm usually the baby on most cruises. I rarely meet anyone under 60.

[localady]

Surprised to see that about HAL. At 51 I'm usually the baby on most cruises. I rarely meet anyone under 60.

 

I have to agree with you, at 53 I am generally one of the young ones. :eek:

It does depend on the length of the cruise though, the longer the cruise the older the passengers.

I far prefer that to a Disney cruise where 1/3 of the passengers were under 5!:eek: You learned quickly to look down as you walked in the Lido on the Disney cruise as to not run over a small child! ;)

[centuryguy]

I'm sorry to hear that posters weren't honest about the crowd. I can tell you that after 250+ days on HAL for sure it's an older crowd. 7 day cruises and cruises where school is out may be different. I've also noticed an older crowd on Princess and Celebrity too but HAL seems more so. The saying goes that old people cruise on Princess, their parents cruise on HAL:D. I'm an early bird but I can see someone that looks for nightlife having a different take. I recall staying up until midnight on one of my cruises and the ship was pretty dead. Usually I'm long asleep by that time. I think HAL is very good for people who are self entertaining.

 

The last line of your post about being self entertaining rings very true to me. DW and I did our first HAL cruise on the Eurodam last year. We booked another cruise on the Eurodam for November of this year. We were a bit surprised by the general lack of nightlife on HAL as compared to our Princess cruises; however, relaxation and an understated atmosphere were exactly what we were looking for.

 

I was very surprised by the broad demographics represented on the Eurodam last October. I had heard the reputation that HAL was generally frequented by people over 65 and someone told me that I, being 49, would probably be one of the youngest people aboard. There were numerous people in their 30s on the cruise and a few small children, so age may be cruise dependent.

 

This is not meant to be critical of any other posters, but whether one prefers HAL is just like purchasing any other product. If you're looking for nightlife, HAL might not be your cruiseline. If you're looking for relaxation and a more quiet understated atmosphere, then you will probably like HAL.

[cruz chic]

I have to agree with you, at 53 I am generally one of the young ones. :eek:

It does depend on the length of the cruise though, the longer the cruise the older the passengers.

I far prefer that to a Disney cruise where 1/3 of the passengers were under 5!:eek: You learned quickly to look down as you walked in the Lido on the Disney cruise as to not run over a small child! ;)

I prefer an older crowd too. I'm very noise sensitive and being around chatty, crying children doesn't do it for me. I agree that the length does change the age range greatly.

[Lady Chew]

From the web:Orbitz

 

What is the average age group?

 

While the demographic will potentially vary with each sailing, there are some general patterns.

 

Carnival Cruise Line - 0-35 years of age

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line - 25-54 years of age

Celebrity Cruise Line - 35-64 years of age

Crystal Cruise Line - 60+ years of age.

Holland America Line- Mixed, 40-60 generally, with some younger guests.

Norwegian Cruise Line- 25-54 years of age

Princess Cruise Line- 35-64 years of age

Windstar Cruise Line- 40-50 years of age, with some honeymooners as well.

 

Keep in mind that the above information involves rough averages. Typically, on any cruise, you will find a mix of all age groups.

 

Our experience on HAL points to the above being a really "rough" average. I'd say, more like 45-65 generally, with many older guests.

 

I have to agree with you, at 53 I am generally one of the young ones. :eek:

It does depend on the length of the cruise though, the longer the cruise the older the passengers.

I far prefer that to a Disney cruise where 1/3 of the passengers were under 5!:eek: You learned quickly to look down as you walked in the Lido on the Disney cruise as to not run over a small child! ;)

 

Heck, I'm several years older than you, Mr Chew is over 60, and we feel like WE have been the babies on our two long HAL cruises! On our shorter 10-day Caribbean cruise this Feb on the Noordam, the average age was probably much younger than noted above, lots of 20/30-something couples, but I guess the longer itineraries skew the average upwards.

[Aquahound]

Ref age, we were definitely the babies in our upper 30s. On the first day, there was a teen meet and greet on the daily planner. We made the joke it was for us. :D

 

Truth is, I'm all about relaxing, especially on a port intensive cruise, but sheesh, at least give an option on board.

[canadarocks]

Truth is, I'm all about relaxing, especially on a port intensive cruise, but sheesh, at least give an option on board.

 

Wow, as the first person who responded to your review I'm pleasantly surprised by the number of people who have posted and by the "tone" of all of the posts! :cool:

 

Hopefully someone from HAL is reading... because as much as DH & I love their port intensive itineraries there is no way we would consider HAL for a cruise with a lot of "sea days"(ie. a TransAtlantic) which is unfortunate. With the price of airfares, a cruise to Europe for example would be wonderful.

[cruz chic]

Ref age, we were definitely the babies in our upper 30s. On the first day, there was a teen meet and greet on the daily planner. We made the joke it was for us. :D

 

Truth is, I'm all about relaxing, especially on a port intensive cruise, but sheesh, at least give an option on board.

I think you could have gone to the teen m&g:D. With regard to the activites I think you will be disappointed if you look to HAL to entertain you. In the last several years, I think there has been one activity that I've gone to. I go to the gym quite often but other than that I don't really look for much else. I think that many people get the idea that every cruise line should be everything to everyone. It doesn't really work that way. I was talking to my hairdresser yesterday who may do a cruise in the near future. She knows I like HAL and I told her it's generally pretty low key and quiet. She said she thinks that she would like something with more action. Kudos to her recognizing that. We all enjoy something different and it's good that every cruise line isn't cookie cutter.

[Aquahound]

I did mention the piano bar earlier as an upbeat alternative. Unfortunately, I think they chose a poor venue for the piano. See this picture below. It is a small venue that got packed. See that wall on the right? That's not see-through. It's a mirror. This made a lot of seats that couldn't even see the piano. This was a poor design in my opinion. The Explorers Lounge would have made a much better piano bar.