Carnival/ HAL comparison

[misssea]

HAL would like you to stay in your elegant attire even after dinner but there are some people who don't go to the MDR so they are dressed casually all night. In that regard, it really doesn't matter if you change after dinner. We did. Also, I am sure other HAL ships are better than the Zaandam. That ship has a reputation for attracting an old crowd. I am 50 years old and the vibe was still way too old for me!

[sjn911]

Yes Misssea..I am 50 (cough cough) 4...the REAL MAGICAL deals start next birthday right??? LOL.

 

Probably the newer ships with the modern and traditional mixed called out to the younger and (cough)..middle aged folks. What cracks me up is the too "old" for any ship thing...when a "very few" folks say Carnival now for only for 20-30 somethings..leave their music alone!!

Edited March 4, 2014 by sjn911

[Shmoo here]

At least HAL doesn't have Hairy Chest contests. With female judges pulled from the audience running their fingers through those hairy chests. :eek:

 

We just did our first Carnival cruise and witnessed this at the pool stage. I was waiting for the wet t-shirt contest to follow, but it didn't happen, thankfully.

 

Really not our kind of entertainment.

Edited March 4, 2014 by Shmoo here

[Purvis1231]

We sailed on Holland American once in Alaska. We had a great time. Overall it is very similar to Carnival with some important differences. First the crew on HAL is not a diverse. Most are Asian- we did not see any Eastern Europeans. The entertainment was more conservative. We were fine with this. Most evening before or after diner we would enjoy listing to piano and violin music. Our 6 year daughter was enthralled with this and she is now taking lessons. We have taken three Carnival cruise since the HAL and the entertainment has become somewhat offensive. There was music poolside that contained profanity and on one voyage the cruise director used repeatedly on stage even during the family shows. Overall we still love Carnival but we also what to protect the innocence of our child.

[sjn911]

Everyday current pop music and 'comic' entertainment has many songs/acts that are simply too vulgar..and the music is often not music....IMHO and that of many musicians and songwriters and comedians of the 8o's and 90's too. Loved Ellen's humor at Oscars..tho old style and current topic fun/silly..ordering pizza..twitter photo..now the good witch of Oz's outfit was funny on her...etc.

[ejatczak]

I really would like to try HAL.

 

Maybe I'm outgrowing Carnival? I don't need all the pool side shenanigans.

 

When we first started cruising, we went to the shows, contests, etc. Nowadays, we just like to relax on our balcony, maybe take in a show if there's something that interests us.

 

This is the one thing that holds me back...I don't mind dressing up for dinner. But from what I've read, HAL wants the pax to stay in formal attire for the evening while in public spaces. I prefer to change after dinner. Can any HAL cruisers confirm if this is the case?

 

We have cruised HAL twice. They have no problem with you changing after dinner. There is an older crowd on board and I found that on elegant night many people went all out but on regular nights most women wore pants, or casual dress. I like HAL for an adults cruise, CCL RCC with kids

[VM_Mom]

Really appreciate all of this insight since DH and I are empty nesters now and considering a more mature experience. We love Carnival though, just wanting to try something different.

 

One thing that I think is great about Carnival is the friendliness of everyone - staff and fellow passengers. How does HAL compare?

 

One HAL feature that I found intriguing is the personal development classes offered (cooking, art, etc.). Anyone willing to share experiences with the classes? Thanks.

[OCruisers]

We enjoy HAL for very port intensive cruises when we want to return to a quiet peaceful ship and get to bed early in the evenings.

Having many sea days on HAL would bore us silly. :rolleyes:

LuLu

~~~

[PROCRUISE]

We sailed on our 1st Holland America cruise last summer. We are in our 30's and I can tell you that it was one of the best cruises of our lives. HAL is not for old people, but it is for cruisers that are just a bit more discerning. You don't need to be old to appreciate the finer things in life.

 

Absolutely right on the money!! Thanks for the great insight. :)

[winddawn]

Im sailing on the Breeze next Sunday so have been reading Carnival posts. I have detected an ongoing theme in some posts about Holland America line that aren't very complimentary. One poster said the cure for cruise addiction is Holland america. The reason Im curious is that I have sailed on HAL several times and had great experiences. Are Caarnival and HAL really that different? Thanks for your imput.

It is like asking which is better: chocolate or strawberry. It is a matter of personal preference. Both lines have strengths and weaknesses. The important thing is to find a cruise line that you enjoy based on your preferences. I don't think there are any bad cruise lines, but rather it is a matter of matching your likes with a line. Both lines will have a wide age range of passengers, but overall, I think HAL caters to an older more subdued crowd. For example instead of a hairy chest contest, you might be offered a cooking demonstration as a shipboard activity. Carnival offers more short cruises where HAL tends to offer longer cruises. Carnival operates largely in the Bahamas and Caribbean while HAL offers many other destinations.

[EAB123]

Really appreciate all of this insight since DH and I are empty nesters now and considering a more mature experience. We love Carnival though, just wanting to try something different.

 

One thing that I think is great about Carnival is the friendliness of everyone - staff and fellow passengers. How does HAL compare?

 

One HAL feature that I found intriguing is the personal development classes offered (cooking, art, etc.). Anyone willing to share experiences with the classes? Thanks.

I took a cooking class on one HAL cruise. It was fun. The class is taught in the culinary art center just off the Queens Lounge. It is set up like a kitchen one would see on a TV cooking show. It was taught by the chef ftom the Pinnacle Grill steakhouse. We were divided into groups to prepare each course for an Italian dinner. I was assigned to the appetizer course so did mostly chopping for the bruchetta. When we finished cooking we ate our meal at tables set in the lounge. The fee for the class was $40. I also enjoyed the cooking demonstrations given throughout the cruise. There is no cost to attend these. Topics such as easy appetizers, stir fry and cupcake creations . Lots of tasty samples!

[swscruiser]

Time of year also plays a part of the demographic while on board. During the summer months there will be many more multi generational families, and younger people on board. As far as the staff, they are mainly from Indonesia, as HAL has a training school located there. We have found the staff to be very professional but not always as personable.

[drenee73]

My opinion:

 

DH is early 50s and I'm early 40's.

 

HAL is older typically. We felt like kids.

 

Definitely more "refined" and less busy. I did enjoy the extra enrichment activities (cooking class, lectures, etc) on HAL. I LOVED the cooking class. Now they have dancing with the stars.... We could go put that Arthur Murray work to the test, eh?

 

We cruised HAL in March a few years ago. There weren't many kids. My daughter was in my belly. We didn't have kids with us. We didn't see many. In fact, I don't even remember seeing teens.

 

HAL has a cool upgrade - the "suite amenities" package - you can stay in a balcony but buy suite perks. We did it - cool. Except - now I hate truffles. They came by the plateful EVERY NIGHT with turn down. We couldn't even give them away by the end of our 10 day cruise.

 

Thermal suite and spa experience is the same Carnival to HAL. Food was the same - except Carnival has 24 hr ice cream. Casino on HAL ship we were on didn't pay AT ALL. Lots of trivia in the Crows Nest and it was fun - great location. Grandma doesn't have ANYTHING on me with 80's slang!

 

We don't do a lot of Lido Pool time for hairy chest on Carnival so I didn't see a difference there.

 

Costs? Well - Carnival is a lot cheaper.

 

My parents are like whatever the 5 star mariner or whatever it is on HAL. They have done 200+ days or whatever on HAL and do Carnival to go last minute or on the cheap out of Charleston. They hate Carnival every time because "it's not HAL." But they keep doing it to feed the addiction.

 

Hey, any day on a boat is better than a day on land! :)

[thistimeplease]

Carnival= suntan lotion

HAL= Ben Gay rub

 

 

Just curious how many HAL cruises you've been on?

[ccruisequeen]

Ships are more elegant. Clientele a little older, more sophisticated. Trivia game questions more challenging and intellectual. Food not as good.

 

 

[Purvis1231]

Ships are more elegant. Clientele a little older, more sophisticated. Trivia game questions more challenging and intellectual. Food not as good.

 

 

[/quote

 

Your majesty, I agree with all of your comments but the food. I found the food on Holland America better than Carnival, especially on the Lido Deck buffet.

[YubaSutter]

Just curious how many HAL cruises you've been on?

 

9 on HAL.

[dkay1211]

Im sailing on the Breeze next Sunday so have been reading Carnival posts. I have detected an ongoing theme in some posts about Holland America line that aren't very complimentary. One poster said the cure for cruise addiction is Holland america. The reason Im curious is that I have sailed on HAL several times and had great experiences. Are Caarnival and HAL really that different? Thanks for your imput.

 

My hubby and I sailed for first time on HAL this past December after only sailing Carnival. We really like both for different reasons. HAL feels a little more upscale and the service was awesome. However, we have had good service on Carnival and feel that Carnival has a bit more activities, especially in the evening, to choose from. We are going on Carnival again in May, but would happily sail HAL again too. However, we are not hard to please and truly believe a cruise is what you make of it....we will have fun regardless and don't sweat the small stuff! Have a great cruise! :)