HAL first timer question

[lightsleeper]

Have sailed over a dozen times on Princess and several times on Celebrity.

Thinking of sailing on the Oosterdam in September 2016 for a European cruise.

 

Just wondering what similarities/differences we can expect in general.

Has the Oosterdam been updated since its inception and if not, is there a scheduled dry dock prior to the Sept. cruise?

[PathfinderEss]

Yes the Oosterdam has been updated (in dry dock) as all Hal ships are about every 2-3 years.

[bjarrett7]

I have cruised Disney, Celebrity and most recently HAL Nieuw Amesterdam. While I am no means and expert on any cruise line ( since we have only cruised 3 times) I think they are all close to being comparable but also very different. Our next cruise will be on HAL because we simply liked it better than the other two...but that's subjective. celebrity definitely has a wow factor to its public spaces. But I would suggest that HAL ships are beautiful too but on the whole more comfortable. I would say that HAL is similar to Disney minus kids and Mickey Mouse, it has a very traditional feel with excellent service and food. It has an elegant but subdued mood. I like that it costs less than Disney cruises. We are both 51 and we found lots of fun things to do. I also thought it was amazing how friendly and talkative the other cruisers were. Yes, there are older persons on the cruise... But not too much different from celebrity.... But definitely different from Disney. I think that has more to do with retired persons having the time to do more cruising than someone like me who is still working and needs to take off time for vacation. I think that dynamic would change in the summer or over holidays.

Hope that helps. 😎

 

 

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[xlxo]

Differences I found on my trips....

• HAL offers photo packages... I go poor on Princess paying for all those great photos.
  
• Princess offers more rooms with quad occupancy
  
• To clarify... where are looking at cruising? Some cruise lines offer different excursion opportunities depending on where you go.
  

[Gerko]

Have sailed Oosty a number of times, most recently over Xmas. You will find her passengers older and quieter than most other lines, one of the things I like most about HAL. No rowdy drunks around the pool bar, and fewer children than most, but watch out for the zimmer frames and motorised scooters. The evening entertainment is probably less than others, limited mainly to the show in the main lounge, plus live music in the piano bar and a soloist up in the Crows Nest. Food is good quality, and the Pinnacle Grill and Canaleto definitely both worth a visit. The staff are generally very pleasant, except for a few lazy ones around the pool areas. Unless you're into late nights at the disco and water slides and such, you should enjoy Oosterdam.