Cunard v Holland America

[Almost Virgin Cruiser]

Hi.

 

We have recently returned from a Canaries cruise on the QM2 and despite some reservations due to travelling with a 9-month old, we have a fantastic time. The staff were amazing and the vast majority of passengers were great. We would not hesitate to repeat a Cunard 'voyage'.

 

Anyway, we have been looking into cruises for this summer and noticed HAL (Rydam ship) go out of Harwich around the Fjords on a 7 nighter.

 

Have any Cunarders experienced this cruise line? Would be really interested in hearing your thoughts regards standards on board, food,cabins, the ships.

 

Many thanks.

 

P.s QM2 - simply superb!

[3rdGenCunarder]

Whether you'll like HAL depends on what you liked about QM2. For us, Cunard excels in onboard activities and formal nights.

 

No cruise I've been on has compared to Cunard in terms of daily programme activities. On HAL, you have to be able to entertain yourself. HAL does not have lecturers the QM2 does. They do have trivia (the cruise world is over-run with trivia events), and some ships do cooking demos. Sometimes there are cooking classes in which you can participate. HAL ships have pretty good libraries, but nothing like QM2's library. One nice thing on HAL is that you can surf the NY Times website on their computers without paying a fee. I think it's a limited range of what's in the paper each day, but it's something.

 

No cruise I've been on recently has compared to Cunard on formal nights. HAL does have formal nights, but in the past few years, enforcement has become spotty. On some ships, men who do not wear a jacket and tie on formal night are sent to the buffet. On other ships, the podium staff let everyone through, regardless of the "dress code" for the evening. You see far fewer tuxes on formal nights on HAL.

 

Food is very subjective, but IMO HAL's food is good. Desserts are their weak point--the pastry chef seems to be unaware of such items as vanilla or lemons. But main courses are good. The buffet on HAL does not have food available 24/7, but room service is always available. The layout of the buffets we've seen on HAL beat King's Court by a mile. (KC is a mess, so that's an easy win for HAL) HAL does offer set seatings at dinner or open seating--you request this when booking, but you don't always get what you want.

 

If you take ship's tours, I'd say HAL and Cunard have comparable tours. They probably use the same agents and providers.

 

Entertainment is another subjective area. Shows in the showroom are probably equal in quality, although Cunard has live music and some of HAL's is pre-recorded. Individual entertainers are the luck of the draw. Cunard gets an advantage if you like dancing. HAL doesn't offer much opportunity to dance. HAL gets points for the Neptunes, a jazz combo that I enjoy very much. For one set, they do play music for dancing. Nobody has a dance floor like QM2.

 

Don't know if this helps. Think about what you loved on QM2 and ask some specific question.

 

I should add that HAL is our second choice for cruises. NCL lost our business when they went freestyle, and I did not like Princess.

Edited January 8, 2013 by 3rdGenCunarder

[rafinmd]

Kathy summed things up rather well. I have not yet been on the Ryndam or any of her sisters (Will be on Veendam this summer) but I have been on Rotterdam and Zaandam which are fairly similar. For a cruse I tend to prefer HAL to Cunard, mainly because their ships are smaller and feel more personal (Their largest ships are twins of QV/QE while Ryndam is somewhere around 1200 passengers). One other thing I like is that they all have wrap around promenade decks, something that's becoming a bit of a rarity in the cruise industry these days.

 

If you do book HAL, let them know you've previously sailed on Cunard. They are affiliated, and you will be considered a one-star mariner (Roughly equivalent to World Club Silver). Not great benefits but you do get invited to an MDR lunch on embarkation day and a welcome back brunch.

 

Roy

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I have sailed multiple times with both lines (13 times with Cunard and five times with Holland America). I like both lines and think they are fairly comparable in terms of food and dining room service. They both offer a high-quality shipboard experience. However, the atmosphere on the ships is different. Cunard is much more formal in the evening and has better daily activities. Also, be advised that the Ryndam is one of Holland America's older and smaller ships and does not have some of the features that are available on the QM2. Because the QM2 is a unique and very impressive ship, it is possible that you might be a little disappointed with the Ryndam. I cruised aboard the Veendam (the Ryndam's sister) back in 1996 when it was brand new. I liked the ship, but it is much smaller (and less grand) than the QM2.

 

Chuck

Edited January 8, 2013 by seacruise9

[Dancer Bob]

I too have been on both cruise lines. The ambiance on HAL- think "Florida funeral home". Cunard passengers are wild n' crazy party animals in comparison. I've been in Yacht Club (QE) and Hemispheres (QV)- still packed at 1 AM, unthinkable on HAL.

I also agree HAL's dress code is pretty much non-existent.

HAL is a great choice if you want huge portions of bland American comfort food. Cunard caters more to British tastes- a subjective assessment, but I prefer Cunard. I've heard comments that HAL has cut back on dining room staff, more than Cunard.

[Calliope]

HAL is attempting to bring more families onboard to fill all of their berths, but I don't think HAL would have the support services onboard for a nine month old that Cunard does. My suggestion is to post the same question on the HAL board and see if anyone can answer if HAL has babysitting, food prep, bedding, etc for an infant in arms.

[moniquet]

Overall I would prefer HAL although you can't beat the QM2 as a wonderful ship. Service is better on HAL, as is food. Formal wasn't so formal on out last QM2 trip, quite a few did not even wear a tie and a german guy on the next table wore a black leather jacket every evening...things aint what they used to be:)

[foodsvcmgr]

Having sailed HAL & Cunard about 7X each, agree with most of the prior responses.

 

Other than the formality on Cunard, to me far more similarities than differences of any real significance.

 

I can't imagine how someone who enjoyed and was satisfied with either line would have much of a problem with the other.

[Classiccruiser777]

Having been on both I like the interiors of the Cunard ships. The HAL ships have lots of shiny metal surfaces throughout a la Las Vegas hotel style. Also, the Cunard ships seem better maintained inside and out.

 

HAL also has more announcements, "free style" dining in part of the MDR, seems like fewer cabin stewards as several days our room wasn't made up until after dinner, and, in my opinion, the food wasn't as good as Cunard.

 

We are taking another HAL cruise to Alaska this summer but, for any lengthy cruise, we stick with Cunard. Just a nicer, more refined experience for us.

[rgaudet]

I've now done both and can simply say, if you like the itinerary, timing, price etc, you should go and try HAL! There are differences for sure but they are at a similar level overall.

 

Rob

[rgaudet]

 

HAL also has more announcements,

 

Definitely true.

[gentlemancruiser]

I'm a 3 star mariner and Platinum world club member, so I've done several Cunard and HAL cruises. I've sailed on QM2 & the Ryndam. Both are nice ships and comfortable. I do have a slight preference for Cunard over HAL , especially for ocean voyages, if I had a voyage with several sea days I would definitely choose Cunard, however if you are cruising with many port days I'd say HAL is just fine. There is also a difference in passenger demographics to consider as well.

 

As others have mentioned, Cunard has a very good daily program of activities which are quite varied and they usually have some very good lectures.

 

The decor on Cunard ships is much richer looking then most HAL ships. The corridors on HAL's newer ships are really very cheap looking.

[Dancer Bob]

I jusr spoke to another gentleman who's been on HAL and is a dancer. He said he was disappointed by the dance environment, and volunteered the information that the ship had pretty well shut down by 10 PM,before I asked.

[Bramcruiser]

Having sailed HAL & Cunard about 7X each, agree with most of the prior responses.

 

Other than the formality on Cunard, to me far more similarities than differences of any real significance.

 

I can't imagine how someone who enjoyed and was satisfied with either line would have much of a problem with the other.

 

 

My thoughts exactly. Both Cunard and HAL are the two favourites at the moment. Cunard is slightly ahead on food and entertainment but not by much. We've had nothing but good experience on both lines. We don't go on cruises for entertainment and nightlife (only 48 here) but rather for food and cabin comfort. That's why we're completely satisfied with both lines.

 

As for the reputation of HAL being a floating retirement home - its all dependent on destination and time of year. In fact the first QM2 sailing I was on I saw more walkers than on my first HAL cruise. So I don't bother to listen to perceived reputations anymore.

 

David

 

Who admits to going luxury in 2013 with Silversea!

Edited January 13, 2013 by Bramcruiser

[seavoyager6]

Both great

[redhydra]

i never sailed on holland america but tried qm2 and trying out QE in two weeks, i am considering either a cruise on QV next year vs eurodam from barcelona, both solo cruise, i haven't decided yet

[Host Hattie]

This thread is over 2 years old, there have been changes on both lines since then.

[jimmybean]

I've now done both and can simply say, if you like the itinerary, timing, price etc, you should go and try HAL! There are differences for sure but they are at a similar level overall.

 

Rob

 

I agree with Rob's summary. Different but similar. I think destination is a key factor in choosing a voyage as is price and convenience. With a young chid, you want to have a relaxing holiday and a refreshing get-a-way. There is no reason this can't happen on a HAL ship….

 

All said, though, when you compare the two voyages, I think the QM2 will outshine any HAL ship.

[navybankerteacher]

I believe that the food is comparable; the HAL service and stateroom comfort somewhat superior; the Cunard programs: music and lectures, particularly, are superior; the "traditional" experience on Cunard is superior; the service on HAL is a bit warmer; the smaller HAL ships are preferable for me. Overall, there is great similarity -- do not pay attention to those posters (often simply repeating overheard clichés) that HAL ships are like nursing homes for the physically impaired.

[Scrapnana]

I believe that the food is comparable; the HAL service and stateroom comfort somewhat superior; the Cunard programs: music and lectures, particularly, are superior; the "traditional" experience on Cunard is superior; the service on HAL is a bit warmer; the smaller HAL ships are preferable for me. Overall, there is great similarity -- do not pay attention to those posters (often simply repeating overheard clichés) that HAL ships are like nursing homes for the physically impaired.

 

I agree with this (except for the stateroom comfort - I found them equally good). Age was very similar on the two in my experience. Cunard far outshines HAL for variety and frequency of lectures and afternoon tea. The one thing that I really miss on HAL is the evening dress code that I love on Cunard.

[caroltovt]

but HAL can serve almost anything on the evening menu in your stateroom. And offers many more choices in the evening buffet than Cunard.

Both of these might not be important to you, but worth noting.

[david,Mississauga]

We recently had a one-week cruise to Alaska on HAL, our first cruise with them in 41 years. While HAL does some things very well, we couldn’t help but look forward to our next voyage on Cunard. We were on the Noordam which has many similarities to the Queen Elizabeth such as the length, breadth, basic layout of major public rooms and identical benches on the promenade deck. The deck on the Noordam was teak rather than the imitation wood on Cunard’s two smaller Queens – a definite plus.

 

Boarding commences at 11:30 and staterooms were available. There was only one steward – at the entrance of the ship - to point passengers in the direction of their staterooms. From our experience, Cunard provides staff at every elevator/lift and stairway on all decks to guide passengers to their accommodation. We saw a lot of people wandering around trying to find their destination.

 

Previous passengers (and those with cruises on other Carnival-owned lines) are Mariners and are invited to take lunch in the dining room. Although service throughout was invariably polite, there were some inefficiencies which started at this first meal. The food was not very good at this and the two other lunches we attended, even the last one: the Mariners Brunch. Dinners, taken at the second-sitting, were much better - in both quality of food and efficiency of service.

 

With the rarest of exceptions, we do not eat in lidos, so we were glad we had booked a Neptune Suite. We called this “Grills light.” The Neptune was almost identical to a basic Queen’s Grill suite on the QM2. Although there is no restaurant for “suite” passengers, they are permitted to have breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill – the extra-charge restaurant. There is a Neptune Lounge, similar to the Concierge Lounge on the QM2. Given the lack of a "suite" restaurant, we were pleased that the edibles are more substantial on this HAL lounge than on Cunard – a much appreciated amenity that provided us with a light lunch and the occasional tea. The fare for this voyage was substantially cheaper than the Grills for a one-week voyage, but this is not always the case. Some cruises, notably the Quebec-Boston one-week voyages which we considered, can cost the same or even more than the Cunard Grills. One perk not offered on Cunard is free laundry and dry cleaning. There are no laundrettes on HAL’s newer ships.

 

If you are not a fan of over-amplified pop/blues/“big shows” you may find the entertainment dire, at least on a short cruise. There was an excellent piano/violin duo and that was the only entertainment we could enjoy. We heard rumours of a “piano man” but he was never in the piano lounge when we looked and it was often closed for a private function. Lectures/talks were mostly about shopping and there was one interesting talk by a park ranger in Glacier Bay. When leaving the ships at ports, instead of a port guide we were handed a shopping guide.

 

Formal nights were not enforced. A minority of us gents wore tuxedos and most wore a suit or jacket and tie. But many wore neither jacket nor tie and on the first formal night two young men were admitted to the main dining room wearing T-shirts and baseball caps. Since this cruise, “formal nights” have been re-branded as “gala nights.” Men are encouraged to wear a jacket and tie, but the minimum standard for these nights is a collared shirt and trousers. One can only hope that shoes are also required.

 

Getting a decent cup of tea is difficult. We were glad we brought our own Tetley tea. Some of our table-mates said there were PG Tips in the lido but I had no need to venture there. Tea-pots are in short supply and getting boiling or even really hot water is not easy. The best water for tea we found was in the Neptune Lounge. Afternoon tea was laughable. The scones were the size of a Canadian two-dollar coin. The majority of passengers on this ship were British, Australian and Canadian – about 70% in total - so there was much conversation about the quality of tea. Our friends who are five-star Mariners on HAL said we must not miss the Royal Dutch Tea. We should have missed it and gone to the Neptune Lounge which we did most afternoons.

 

I would take another cruise on HAL, but it would have to be short like this one, preferably in an area of fabulous scenery and in a Neptune Suite. The first thing we did on our return was to book a Cunard voyage for next year.

[Scrapnana]

I had the same experience with baseball caps in the MDR.:eek:

 

The tea bags that HAL switched to are horrid! You cannot get a decent cup of tea from them. Being handed a tea bag in the MDR after a buffet line can never compete with afternoon tea in the Queens Room.

[rsquare]

Quote:

Originally Posted by

navybankerteacher

I believe that the food is comparable; the HAL service and stateroom comfort somewhat superior; the Cunard programs: music and lectures, particularly, are superior; the "traditional" experience on Cunard is superior; the service on HAL is a bit warmer; the smaller HAL ships are preferable for me. Overall, there is great similarity -- do not pay attention to those posters (often simply repeating overheard clichés) that HAL ships are like nursing homes for the physically impaired

.

 

I think that you pretty much nailed it, although my experience has been more on HAL's larger ships. I found Eurodam to be, on the whole, a more enjoyable ship than the directly-comparable Queen Victoria. In the dining room, I particularly liked having a separate dessert menu as well as the availability of sugar-free ice cream each night.

 

I also enjoy the Indonesian and/or Filipino crew shows; their pride and native talent make up for any lack of polish (although the shows are, to some extent, scripted by HAL), and gave us a subject of conversation with our MDR servers who were both in the crew show. In fact, I would contrast the warmth of HAL's passenger-facing crew with the correctness of Cunard's; on the whole, I prefer HAL's way of doing it.

 

As far as the ship shutting down at 10, not an issue for me. On a port-intensive cruise, I need to be in bed not far after 10 in order to get up early, breakfast, and leave the ship at a reasonable time. Entertainment is not what draws me to cruise ships.

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

 

Previous passengers (and those with cruises on other Carnival-owned lines) are Mariners and are invited to take lunch in the dining room. Although service throughout was invariably polite, there were some inefficiencies which started at this first meal. The food was not very good at this and the two other lunches we attended, even the last one: the Mariners Brunch. Dinners, taken at the second-sitting, were much better - in both quality of food and efficiency of service.

 

(I've trimmed the quoted post to save space.) The embarkation day lunch is now open to everyone IF the MDR is open at all. Sometimes it's closed for a special function, like a travel agent tour. Sometimes it's simply closed. On our recent cruise on Veendam, it was listed in the daily program, so open to everyone. Our Mariners Brunch was Lunch, not brunch, and the menu had changed from what we'd had before. NOT for the better, alas.

 

With the rarest of exceptions, we do not eat in lidos, so we were glad we had booked a Neptune Suite. We called this “Grills light.” The Neptune was almost identical to a basic Queen’s Grill suite on the QM2. Although there is no restaurant for “suite” passengers, they are permitted to have breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill – the extra-charge restaurant. There is a Neptune Lounge, similar to the Concierge Lounge on the QM2. Given the lack of a "suite" restaurant, we were pleased that the edibles are more substantial on this HAL lounge than on Cunard – a much appreciated amenity that provided us with a light lunch and the occasional tea. The fare for this voyage was substantially cheaper than the Grills for a one-week voyage, but this is not always the case. Some cruises, notably the Quebec-Boston one-week voyages which we considered, can cost the same or even more than the Cunard Grills. One perk not offered on Cunard is free laundry and dry cleaning. There are no laundrettes on HAL’s newer ships.

 

I love the Neptune lounge! When we're on a HAL Vista (Alaska and Caribbean), we book one of the corner afts to get the huge balcony to enjoy the scenery. Your comment about pricing is something I've noticed, too. The cruises out of Boston and Quebec are on smaller ships (this past year Veendam and Maasdam). This class of ship has fewer balcony cabins, and I think that drives up the price. We book the next grade down from a Neptune on these ships, especially if it's a port-intensive cruise.

 

Getting a decent cup of tea is difficult. We were glad we brought our own Tetley tea. Some of our table-mates said there were PG Tips in the lido but I had no need to venture there. Tea-pots are in short supply and getting boiling or even really hot water is not easy. The best water for tea we found was in the Neptune Lounge. Afternoon tea was laughable. The scones were the size of a Canadian two-dollar coin. The majority of passengers on this ship were British, Australian and Canadian – about 70% in total - so there was much conversation about the quality of tea. Our friends who are five-star Mariners on HAL said we must not miss the Royal Dutch Tea. We should have missed it and gone to the Neptune Lounge which we did most afternoons.

 

We were able to get PG Tips in the Lido and after dinner. Thank goodness we could, because the "fresh fields" or whatever they've got now is awful. There are stories of a return to Bigelow. I guess that's good if you like the herbals, but if you like black tea, Bigelow is poor. I went to the Royal Dutch Tea on our recent cruise. Sweets were nice. The scone was good, but it was served with whipped cream and orange marmalade. I love marmalade, but not for this. Yes, the scone was small, but I can forgive this since there was so much else to eat. (And it wasn't the record for small scones. That goes to the overpriced tea at The Grand on Mackinac Island--it was the size of a quarter!!)

 

I had the same experience with baseball caps in the MDR.:eek:

 

The tea bags that HAL switched to are horrid! You cannot get a decent cup of tea from them. Being handed a tea bag in the MDR after a buffet line can never compete with afternoon tea in the Queens Room.

 

NOTHING can compete with afternoon tea in the Queens Room!