Intersting comment from RCL cruiser

[gelo7]

There are differences, some of them subtle, and some of them not so subtle. Some you learn that you don't belong there, and some fit like a glove.

[Minoushka]

I have travelled on most cruiselines sailing out of Florida ...or New york ........Carnival, NCL ,Celebrity ,Cunard ,MSC, HAL! . RCI Costa..Princess

I agree they are more similar then different

However the snottiest nouveaux riches type people unfortunately were on Celebrity ...not my favorite ....very hotty snotty ....no reason for that ...but maybe that wasmy bad luck

i love ships ...yes certain cruise lines appealto me more than. Others ...Princess comes to mind as does Ncl esp Epic crew but all ships can be great fun ifyou set your mind onit

[sail7seas]

 

 

<snip>

 

 

At any rate, we are excited to try HAL this summer (though there have been several jokes between us about racing the walker/scooter set to dinner) ;)

 

 

 

Don't joke too much........

 

You'll be old before you know it. ;) :D

 

All of us were once young and most were hale and hearty.

My main point is you likely will be very pleased to find there is usually a very good mix of demographics on European cruises and you'll be so busy with port intensive itineraries. Most of the seniors will be happy to have the young 'uns around to enjoy. :)

 

[Travelbug 2]

My first cruise was with HAL and as with most things in life first impressions stick with you. Needless to say HAL is #1 with me. I have sailed with other cruise lines but am always happy to come home to HAL. NCL was a disaster from bow to stern ---- never again :eek:

 

Looking forward to being on Amsterdam in May :)

[smokinmike]

Different strokes . . . .

 

We've had one HAL sailing and were very impressed with the experience. We've booked an Eastern Caribbean aboard Nieuw Amsterdam for this April with family members and I'm sure we'll sail HAL again.

 

We've also had several cruises aboard the Star Clippers and have a Rome to Venice trip booked in the late summer. Those ships are beautiful in their own way and are a delightful way to cruise.

 

We've never been on a river cruise and Viking just initiated a Bordeaux Wine and Chateaux itinerary for 2014 so we booked that for the grape harvest. Did I mention we like wine?

 

Variety is the spice of life!

 

Happy cruising to all!

[rafinmd]

I very well remember the days when a coat and tie were the dress code for every night. The first cruise we took on NCL was the first time I didn't need to wear a coat and tie every night. We had already been cruising for 10 years when that happened. If HAL still did the informal nights we would be sailing with someone else.

 

We like trying different cruise lines and enjoying their particular approach to the cruise vacation. Since we are retired it isn't as if we are gambling our limited vacation days on an untried product. Our play time is only limited by God and our accountant. In the last year we have sailed HAL, Disney, and RCI. We sail HAL next month and Crystal in the fall. Crystal is changing their dress requirements next month or we would never give them a try. They still have a stuffier dress code than we would like but its relaxed enough to take a chance on their approach to cruising.

 

So glad to hear that. I think we may be on the same cruise this fall.

 

Roy

[DeepWaterMariner]

So glad to hear that. I think we may be on the same cruise this fall.

 

Roy

 

I believe we are Roy. We recently booked our air for that trip. I assume you'll be riding the rails.

[George C]

My first cruise was with HAL and as with most things in life first impressions stick with you. Needless to say HAL is #1 with me. I have sailed with other cruise lines but am always happy to come home to HAL. NCL was a disaster from bow to stern ---- never again :eek:

 

Looking forward to being on Amsterdam in May :)

 

Agree 100 percent on NCL , only line I will not consder for a cruise ( and it was one of my favorires an 1980's and 90's), other than that we like to switch lines evry once in a while

[rafinmd]

I believe we are Roy. We recently booked our air for that trip. I assume you'll be riding the rails.

 

You just jogged me into action. Got the train to New York. Since I'll be on the Symphony/Prinsendam until December 22 I'm not sure what I'll do afterwards. My family will likely get together for Christmas in either Orlando or San Diego so post-cruise plans will have to wait.

 

Roy

[world~citizen]

I think people have misconceptions about all cruise lines until they actually try them.

 

That works for life in general I think.:)

[Beejay4016]

A lady who sails Celebrity gave me grief for booking another cruise on HAL. She said she does not like the riff raff that sail it and likes to be with people in her income bracket--thinking HAL has poorer people. She is a retired teacher:(

I know better than to reason with her because she can't be reasoned with.

 

Phew, what a ghastly woman. Unbelievable. A teacher, for God's sake? A teacher? And she thinks she is something special. She isn't royalty; she just thinks she is. Mental note: do not sail Celebrity; you may bump into stupid people like that woman. I think she needs counselling, actually, for her delusions of grandeur.

[lvz2cruz]

Comments like this (from the Celebrity sailing lady) really upset me. Just because someone apparantly has less money than you, it does not mean that they are "riff raff". In fact, I have found that most folks I meet on HAL are very nice, pleasant and friendly. Yes, there are a few (always are) that are unpleasant and nasty, but just as often as not they are the ones that THINK they have more money than the rest of us (many times they are just putting on a "show" and really are not that affluent).

 

Sorry for my rant of the day.

 

DaveOKC

 

Phew, what a ghastly woman. Unbelievable. A teacher, for God's sake? A teacher? And she thinks she is something special. She isn't royalty; she just thinks she is. Mental note: do not sail Celebrity; you may bump into stupid people like that woman. I think she needs counselling, actually, for her delusions of grandeur.

 

 

Please note I said she is someone I know. I do not claim her as a friend.;)

[sammygoose]

Don't joke too much........

 

You'll be old before you know it. ;) :D

 

All of us were once young and most were hale and hearty.

My main point is you likely will be very pleased to find there is usually a very good mix of demographics on European cruises and you'll be so busy with port intensive itineraries. Most of the seniors will be happy to have the young 'uns around to enjoy. :)

 

 

Ha! You said it Sail! Except I might add.....I think I am the lucky one. People at work who cruise look at me strange when I say I am cruising HAL. Whaaa??? they say. Not Norwegian, RCL, Carnival? Nope I say, I'm home. It has nothing to do with income bracket. A guy I work with who just got back from Pride of America around Hawaii and spent a boatload to do it ( wife hated the ship, he thought it was ok, they both loved Hawaii)I told him I was leaving for the eastern caribbean(his home turf) he whispered to me 'do you mind if I ask what you paid?" When I told him he was shocked- he's been paying the same thing or more for less when we compared notes and he is not a party guy. He just ASSUMED it was out of his budget.

I like the HAL clientele, I don't need a hairy legs contest and there are MANY more like me. Good ships, good food good pax.

Can't we keep this a secret? Please............

[Beejay4016]

Please note I said she is someone I know. I do not claim her as a friend.;)

 

I imagine that not too many others would either, ha ha.

[Beejay4016]

Ha! You said it Sail! Except I might add.....I think I am the lucky one. People at work who cruise look at me strange when I say I am cruising HAL. Whaaa??? they say. Not Norwegian, RCL, Carnival? Nope I say, I'm home. It has nothing to do with income bracket. A guy I work with who just got back from Pride of America around Hawaii and spent a boatload to do it ( wife hated the ship, he thought it was ok, they both loved Hawaii)I told him I was leaving for the eastern caribbean(his home turf) he whispered to me 'do you mind if I ask what you paid?" When I told him he was shocked- he's been paying the same thing or more for less when we compared notes and he is not a party guy. He just ASSUMED it was out of his budget.

I like the HAL clientele, I don't need a hairy legs contest and there are MANY more like me. Good ships, good food good pax.

Can't we keep this a secret? Please............

 

We did our first ever cruise together in January, on the Volendam. Perhaps because it was a Far Eastern cruise, from Singapore to Hong Kong, and thus there were a LOT of Australians on board, it being our summer holiday time, it was certainly not a shipload of oldies. We did the cruise to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday, and we both came away feeling that far and away the majority of cruisers fell into the Baby Boomer category, with also plenty of Gen Xers and folks with young kiddies. In think I saw two "scooters" in the whole time.

 

I think that cruise lines, like people, can have reputations which bear little resemblance to the reality. We would happily cruise on HAL again, and are thinking of doing just that next year.

[RissaRN04]

DH and I are excited to try HAL this May for our Alaska cruise. We never looked before at HAL because we thought it would be out of our price range AND were told by others that it was an older crowd (DH is 37, I am 30) and that we wouldn't have any fun. We booked anyway because HAL had the itinerary we wanted, the dates we needed, and actually was less expensive than Carnival. I'm sure we'll meet great people here, just like we have on other cruises, and will have a great time. I think some people get stuck in their ways, or have heard bad things from ONE person about a line, and never give other lines a chance. We'll try a line if it has an itinerary we want...why not? :)

[sstepson]

We just returned from the Allure, and we had a great time! With that said, we just booked our first HAL cruise on the Amsterdam to Alaska this summer. While we booked it for the itinerary, we're really excited to sail with HAL! The Allure was incredible, but we're really looking forward to the intimacy of a ship 1/4 its size...!

[sail7seas]

Ha! You said it Sail! Except I might add.....I think I am the lucky one. People at work who cruise look at me strange when I say I am cruising HAL. Whaaa??? they say. Not Norwegian, RCL, Carnival? Nope I say, I'm home. It has nothing to do with income bracket. A guy I work with who just got back from Pride of America around Hawaii and spent a boatload to do it ( wife hated the ship, he thought it was ok, they both loved Hawaii)I told him I was leaving for the eastern caribbean(his home turf) he whispered to me 'do you mind if I ask what you paid?" When I told him he was shocked- he's been paying the same thing or more for less when we compared notes and he is not a party guy. He just ASSUMED it was out of his budget.

I like the HAL clientele, I don't need a hairy legs contest and there are MANY more like me. Good ships, good food good pax.

Can't we keep this a secret? Please............

 

 

Great post. :)

There is a lesson in there somewhere.

[sail7seas]

DH and I are excited to try HAL this May for our Alaska cruise. We never looked before at HAL because we thought it would be out of our price range AND were told by others that it was an older crowd (DH is 37, I am 30) and that we wouldn't have any fun. We booked anyway because HAL had the itinerary we wanted, the dates we needed, and actually was less expensive than Carnival. I'm sure we'll meet great people here, just like we have on other cruises, and will have a great time. I think some people get stuck in their ways, or have heard bad things from ONE person about a line, and never give other lines a chance. We'll try a line if it has an itinerary we want...why not? :)

 

 

The irony is very often those who spout all the incorrect descriptions have never sailed with the company. They spread all the nonesense they 'heard'. It starts to get old after a while (pun intended :D )

 

[RissaRN04]

The irony is very often those who spout all the incorrect descriptions have never sailed with the company. They spread all the nonesense they 'heard'. It starts to get old after a while (pun intended :D )

 

 

My mom is one of these people! She will ONLY sail Disney or RCI, and actually prefers Disney over RCI. They live in Tampa, so they "know" all the terrible things the other cruise lines do:rolleyes:. We invited them to go on the Conquest with us in November (repositioning cruise from San Juan to Miami), as it may be one of the last times we could all cruise together (little sister is 21 and little brother is 16), and she said she wouldn't be caught cruising on the Wal-Mart of cruise lines. I pointed out that she shops at Wal-Mart weekly :D:D:D Needless to say, she was not impressed at my pointing out of that fact! ;)

[BearInStPete]

I agree variety is the spice of life, but I'm also a value-concious consumer, and like many have certain things that are pet peeves that could rise up to wreck my cruise experience to the point of non-enjoyment.

 

I would also recommend that within reason everyone should do some due-diligence in reading a few reviews on CC to familiarize yourself with issues about cruise lines you are about to try for the sake of variety and a possible new experience. Weigh your research against cost (if important to you). Also, be skeptic about the reviews you read - be very cautious about salacious tag lines and strong absolutes in their language (e.g., "never again", and "disaster", "only cruise line for me" etc.) read the good and the bad, and zero in on reviews where the reviewer explains their personal demographic and travel experience - as that will help you relate the review to your personal situation.

 

Lastly, we have all read reviews where someone will blast a particular line about an issue where we have been on the same or recent sailing on the line and find their observation totally unwarranted. Examples of extreme or unwarranted comments that I have chuckled about personally:

 

I didn't like the food! - coming from a reviewer that was a meat and potatoes person who was petrified by a menu that they did not recognize any of the descriptive phrases or the foods.

 

Could you believe that they served poultry medium rare! - in response to a perfectly prepared duck Ala 'Orange (spelling?).

 

Overhear a nearby table mate who ordered every meat selection well-done complain some were tough - especially when I ordered the same dish MR to medium and it was perfectly tender.

 

Or complain that their veggies still had "crunch" to them - potatoes I concur - all others I generally like veggies that have a bit of form and substance.

 

The buffet was the best as they always had peel 'n' eat shrimp and snow crab legs! - raw materials are more costly - but little preparation costs or finesse in presentation.

 

Complaints about coffee - too strong, too weak, tasted burnt, not well roasted, etc. on the same cruise - lots of interpretations of what constitutes good coffee among us.

 

All the discussion about Formal Dress Codes - some want Black Tie only on formal evenings - others run away and hide in their cabins, or hide on another line that does not have Formal Nights!

 

Some who won't dine in the MDR because the cadence of the service is too slow, some who complain it is too fast.

 

Some who run screaming from the Adagio Strings - because they play classical string music - some who Scream For Them (thats me).

 

So I would encourage everyone to experiment and research within their comfort zones - but read your reviews and comments carefully.

[Ready 4 the next 1]

That works for life in general I think.:)

 

So true!