Holland America - Premium or Mainstream cruiseline?

[KirkNC]

I would say mainstream with some unique itineraries.

[sppunk]

I see Oceania and Azamara as "Premium". Then comes the luxury lines like SilverSea and Regent.

 

All the rest from NCL to HAL and everything in between are "mainstream". HAL doesn't do anything that Celebrity doesn't. And the fact that X has all the new S class ships with interesting categories of rooms and services puts it above the traditional HAL for many people.

Others like the older smaller ships of HAL. Just a matter of taste. And for many frequent travelers, the matter of itinerary choices becomes real important when comparing different ships.

This.

 

Every line has it's pluses. HAL's is understated sophistication which he's confused with luxury.

 

Nothing wrong with that, either.

[serendipity1499]

I don't know what the premium definition is exactly.

 

And, to me HAL is a mainstream cruise line - still up ahead a lot of the others.

 

The one exception to me is the P'dam. She may not be premium, but I would say she is pretty close (if I figure out what premium is).

 

I see Oceania and Azamara as "Premium". Then comes the luxury lines like SilverSea and Regent.

 

All the rest from NCL to HAL and everything in between are "mainstream". HAL doesn't do anything that Celebrity doesn't. And the fact that X has all the new S class ships with interesting categories of rooms and services puts it above the traditional HAL for many people.

Others like the older smaller ships of HAL. Just a matter of taste. And for many frequent travelers, the matter of itinerary choices becomes real important when comparing different ships.

 

In 1970, when I was single, I sailed on a small ship owned by Hellenic Cruise Lines, which is now out of business...For me it was a premium cruise....

 

Since then, DH & I have only cruised on HAL, Oceania & NCL, so can only compare those three..

 

IMO HAL is in the upper end of Mainstream.. Agree with Kazu who considers the service on the Prinsendam to be close to premium.. For me, Oceania beats the Prinsendam, only because the alternative restaurants are free but the service is exceptional.. IMO NCL is mainstream..

 

P.S. Never had a bad cruise!!!

Edited August 18, 2014 by serendipity1499

[iancal]

The thing is.....what a cruise line is considered plays no part in our selection. Being referred to as mass market or premium MAY imply something or set an expectation about the cruise line or ship but this is set by the cruise line's marketing bumph and people's own egos. Marketing bumph and egos are a poor way to judge what a cruise ship experience will deliver. We prefer solid, unbiased reviews.

 

Some people seem to get wrapped around the axle when someone refers to HAL as mainstream. It does not denigrate the product, just puts it in a category.

 

We do not shop for mainline, premium, or luxury ships cruise lines. We shop for itineraries, ships, prices-not cruise line. I guess that is why we have been on so many from Crystal to Celebrity, Hal, Princess, RCI, NCL, Carnival but NEVER a bad cruise. We want to avoid the dud cruise product on any cruise line.

Edited August 19, 2014 by iancal

[jtl513]

Still "Upper Mainstream" IMO.

[innlady1]

In today's economy, HAL is a mainstream cruise line...at the head of the list probably...but still, mainstream.

 

In my mind, premium lines are Crystal, Serenity, Regent, Oceania, etc.

[Tatka]

We sailed long time ago. In 2004 on Zuiderdam. I think HAL is mainstream with some nice features like a good selection of fresh juices. Service otoh was not great.

[Germancruiser]

That is exactly what I am curious to find out in october, my first HAL Cruise- on board Zuiderdam!!! I usually cruise with X. I expect mainstream with some nice touches- Douglas Ward wrote about HAL: You may run into people in unsuitable clothing- nothing to do with premium, or some such phrase!

So I can´t wait to see for myself!

X has still some nice touches, which are all described in this thread already. I am one cruise from elite plus but still choose HAL for change. Constand blaring or tuned down background music made " run away" . LOL!

[kjw869]

Interesting to read. Also Douglas Ward and many other media see HAL as a standard line.

Celebrity is a premium line - what are they doing better/other than HAL?

Apart from drinks you get on embarkation day and when returning to the ship...?

 

That's not exactly true about Douglas Ward. If you notice he lists the ships of HAL as Premium, as he has for many years. in the Belitz Cruising and Cruise Ship series. (Just page through his newest book, all the HAL ships are listed "Premium").

 

NCL , RCCL and Carnival are "standard", while Celebrity is also "Premium". Luxury lines include Seabourn, Crystal, etc.

 

He also states in his latest guide, regarding Celebrity, "Although it advertises itself as a 'premium' line, some aspects are no longer premium".

 

But, I do not have 6,000 sea days on 1,000 cruises and been on nearly every one of the 285 cruise ships the book lists, so I just use the book for reference as many travel agents do. Saw one in the local AAA office a few months ago.

Edited August 19, 2014 by kjw869

[toledo_cruiser]

Well I told DW we were going to have a much more refined experience than we've had on Carnival and Princess. Not that we've had a bad cruise on the other lines, but we wanted to branch out. I had long looked at HAL because I had read it was an upgrade from Carnival, Princess, and RC. Actually I was leaning more towards Celebrity for our next cruise as it seemed to have a newer fleet. I guess pricing out a cruise on HAL (so much easier before the recent booking engine upgrade) prompted a call from one of its cruise planners and I decided to book. Normally I do much more research before I book, but I decided to make it a B2B with an upcoming Carnival cruise.

 

I'm going to go into it thinking HAL is a step up and I hope I'm not disappointed. Never having been on a "premium" line I don't know what to expect, or what I'm missing.

 

I haven't been cruising that long so I don't have memories of the "glory days." I do know I can see the cutbacks that have impacted the lines I have cruised on. It appears that HAL has been impacted as well as it tries to keep its ships full and turn a profit.

Jim

[avalon1025]

Interesting analysis. We also had not cruised on Princess for nearly 4 years because we were unhappy with some quality issues. But in April we were on the Ruby Princess for 28 days and it was an excellent experience with food, entertainment, and service far better then what we have recently experienced on HAL. We were surprised...but it was a pleasant surprise. We have a long (38 day) HAL cruise coming up next month and we will be able to make a good mental comparison.

 

Your comparison (above) really depends on one's personal definition of "premium." We consider Crystal, Regent and Azamara Premium products. But there is just no way we could include Celebrity (which we like a lot) or HAL in that same category. To us, being in a suite or a regular cabin does not change how we rate ships. Even the worst cruise lines can have some wonderful suites...but once you leave the cabin you have the same public areas, entertainment, and service as everyone else. The Queen is somewhat different because of their unique dining areas and special deck for the Grill Suites.

 

But our problem with booking suites on mainstream lines is that one is paying top dollar to eat the same food as those in the lowest cost inside cabins, getting the same entertainment, etc. We would rather be in the lowest cost cabin on a Regent ship then in the highest cost suites on HAL. If we want to pay "luxury" prices we do it on "luxury" lines. DW and I spend so little time in our cabins on cruises..so we have never been able to justify the high cost of suites. In fact, we once calculated that we average less then 3 waking hours (per cruise day) in our cabin. So if we divide the incremental cost of a suite by a factor of 3....it is just not the way we choose to spend our money.

 

Hank

 

I think you are confusing premium with luxury, crystal, regent, Silversea and Seabourn are luxury and many times all inclusive, premium is Oceania, azamara esque, when I sail celebrity or even HAL I don't eat the same food as the non suite cabins. Celebrity suites eat in Blu with aqua or in alternative restaurants and soon their own suite restaurant. On HAL I eat in pinnacle every night so that might skew my perception. Princess offered a very bland experience even eating in Sabatinis and crown each night.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

I consider HAL the most traditional of mainstream lines. I have not sailed Cunard, but I suspect they may fall into that category as well.

[visagrunt]

I think this is a somewhat ridiculous distinction.

 

Different HAL passengers have different experiences. The person who buys an inside cabin, and charges absolutely nothing to the room is going to have a very different cruise than the person who books a Neptune Suite, a shore excursion at every port, dinner in the Pinnacle every night, and doesn't look at the numbers on the right side of the wine list.

 

That's not to suggest that one cruise is better than another--just different. And each person is going to have a different perception of value for money.

 

I suggest that all cruise lines are mainstream, because all cruise lines are fishing for the same passengers, and all cruise lines are offering a range of prices in the hopes that someone will find the sweet spot of price for service that will attract them.

[POA1]

The market segments are First Class / Mainstream, Premium, Luxury, and Specialty / Adventure.

 

Each of the four segments has specific characteristics. The luxes, for instance, are all inclusive. It's a key characteristic of the segment. If you look at the what makes a Premium line a Premium line, or what makes a Mainstream line a Mainstream line, there's not a whole lot of room for subjective opinion.

[UPNYGuy]

The market segments are First Class / Mainstream, Premium, Luxury, and Specialty / Adventure.

 

Each of the four segments has specific characteristics. The luxes, for instance, are all inclusive. It's a key characteristic of the segment. If you look at the what makes a Premium line a Premium line, or what makes a Mainstream line a Mainstream line, there's not a whole lot of room for subjective opinion.

 

 

Exactly... I myself prefer NCL (I know LOL) to HAL and feel that they are several steps ahead in several areas (Haven), but most people here would disagree

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Randyk47]

Twenty years ago we thought of Holland America as a premium line but then again we'd only been on one Carnival cruise so what did we know. I'm pretty sure it was marketed/sold to us as at least a step above the mainstream lines. Today I'm not convinced HAL is a premium line, maybe it never was, and would more likely would say it's at the upper end of the mainstream lines.

[navybankerteacher]

I agree, mainstream all the way. My disappointment with HAL is that it used to be closer to a premium line. I still think Celebrity is a cut above. Be careful with positive posts on this board-- many are written by HAL under pseudonyms.

 

So now you are claiming that HAL's propagandists are sneakily trying to protect HAL's reputation? What can we expect from you next?

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I don't know what the premium definition is exactly.

 

And, to me HAL is a mainstream cruise line - still up ahead a lot of the others.

 

The one exception to me is the P'dam. She may not be premium, but I would say she is pretty close (if I figure out what premium is).

 

I am not exactly sure what the definition of premium is either. As I have said before, all cruise lines have their strengths and weaknesses. Many of us have favorite ships - I like the Amsterdam, Kazu likes the Prinsendam, many prefer the Vista class ships of HAL, and others prefer other lines. The common thread is we all like to cruise and "viva la difference".

[POA1]

The market segments are First Class / Mainstream, Premium, Luxury, and Specialty / Adventure.

 

Each of the four segments has specific characteristics. The luxes, for instance, are all inclusive. It's a key characteristic of the segment. If you look at the what makes a Premium line a Premium line, or what makes a Mainstream line a Mainstream line, there's not a whole lot of room for subjective opinion.

I should add that the segments are defined by groups like the CLIA and industry analysts.

[jaguarstyper]

It's definitely a mainstream cruise line, in my opinion. However, I would categorize it as somewhat of a boutique mainstream line. Smaller ships than most mainstream competitors, arguably nicer accommodations, slightly better service and an air of elegance not found on most others. Kind of along the lines of Starwood's "W" brand or Marriott's "Renaissance" and "AC" brands.

[LMaxwell]

I liken HAL to mainsteam such as Lincoln is to a Ford. The Lincoln is ever so slightly more expensive, and you get a few premium trim features and perhaps better service at the dealer, but it really is not fundamentally different from a more mainstream Ford Taurus that it is completely based on and when you option them similarly the price difference is almost nil in the real world.

 

Premium "badge", mainstream "guts".

[iancal]

I had a new Lincoln a few years ago-company car.

 

Lets see-front end problems, transmission very, very noisy, and after about 1500 miles, in the winter, I discovered that I was leaking antifreeze because all of the hoses were loose! The only good thing was the A/C in the front seats! Lemon from day one and dealer service/attitude, compared our Toyota or Honda experience, was poor at best. I was glad to see the back of it after 12 months. Our real estate agent told us last month that his 4 month old Lincoln SUV was back in the shop and he was asking for a new one. They replaced the engine, now they say the transmission has to be replaced.

 

Not such a believer in the 'badge' as I am with what others experience.

 

Our 18 year old Camry is running just fine.

Edited August 19, 2014 by iancal

[toledo_cruiser]

It's definitely a mainstream cruise line, in my opinion. However, I would categorize it as somewhat of a boutique mainstream line. Smaller ships than most mainstream competitors, arguably nicer accommodations, slightly better service and an air of elegance not found on most others. Kind of along the lines of Starwood's "W" brand or Marriott's "Renaissance" and "AC" brands.

 

This thread has given me a better understanding of what to expect from HAL. I think initially my expectations may have been too high, but Tim's post, and others, helped put my feet back on the ground. As I have owned both a Ford Taurus and a Lincoln Continental, I can appreciate that minor touches can have a big impact on the overall experience.

Jim

[RJ2002]

I would say that HAL is probably mainstream. We've only sailed on HAL, Princess, Celebrity and NCL, but are seriously looking at Oceania. Once we experience that, I'm sure the distinction between Premium and Mainstream will be much more clear to us. ;)

[ANSalberg]

I had not given the issue much thought, but found Holland America listed as a mainstream cruise line in a cruise article. I thought the common perception was that HAL was a premium line. Your thoughts?

 

ForME[???] PREMIUM; Of course I live in a mountainous state no-where NEAR an ocean. That said -Maybe EVERYTHING is perception. HAL takes us to Asia/Europe/Australia [ one of my BEST friends lives in Australia -I MET her 10 years ago -ON a HAL ship!] to "see the world!" and reality I surely never got from Newspapers/TV......I've learned so much [are they a SCHOOL? You might say that] Our cruises are months long [ usually 70 days or so -PLENTY of 'school' time. TIME to LEARN

I never worry if my coffee is cold - OR there are smokers in the smoking section - or if I can carry wine on board - or if my dress is OK [ I'm 74-its not fancy-scmancy BUT it's compliant and I look OK/decent] THAT is a "premium" feeling or emotion as far as I go......

IS HAL a PREMIUM line? - You bet your sweet.........it is!;) Anne