When was your 1st hal cruise??

[George C]

I did the Rotterdam in 1977 7 day cruise out of NYC to both Bermuda and Nassau, great great cruise, cost was 600 for a single room, have cruised every year since, Heinekens were 75 cents.

[RuthC]

Statendam, June 1978, NYC to Bermuda and return.

Most fun I had ever had in my life up to that point. That cruise started something fantastic. :D

[Zeno]

Zaandam - 2014 -Alaska

[1ANGELCAT]

Statendam 1976. NYC to Bermuda and return. My girlfriend and I had the cheapest cabin on the ship. It was an inside with an upper and lower bunk.

I think the price was around $400.00.

[Cruising-along]

2004, 7-day Alaska on the Amsterdam. Never thought I'd ever want to take a cruise, but I was hooked immediately.

[summer slope]

Westerdam, Land Cruise to Alaska 2011

[InTheWASide]

Volendam in 2006

[Krazy Kruizers]

1996 -- Maasdam -- 12 or 14 day (I can't remember the exact days and don't fell like looking it up) -- Baltic.

[Randyk47]

January 1995 on the then still very new Ryndam. It was a 10-day Caribbean cruise.

Edited August 13, 2015 by Randyk47

[bonvoyagebites]

I'm a new kid for HAL. My first was 27-30MAY 2015... I rather enjoyed it. (review below)

[cruisemom42]

My grandparents took several trans-Atlantic cruises on the 1938 Nieuw Amsterdam and the 1958 Rotterdam. My mother joined my grandmother on one of these trips (to shop for her upcoming wedding); since then she and my father have cruised with HAL often.

 

I had the opportunity to visit the old Nieuw Amsterdam in Fort Lauderdale as a child (went with my grandmother for tea onboard) shortly before she went to the breakers in 1974 ... She was a beautiful old grande dame.

 

My first actual cruise was on the Zuiderdam in her inaugural year (2002). My son was on that cruise as well, so we are a 4-generation HAL family.

[rafinmd]

August 1997, Alaska cruise tour on the SS Rotterdam.

 

Roy

[sail7seas]

Noordam III in either 1991 or 1992.

My grandmother did either a Grand Voyage or World Cruise in late 50's or early 60's.

My parents sailed Rotterdam V 1962.

Edited August 13, 2015 by sail7seas

[RetiredMustang]

March 1996, 7-day Western Caribbean on Noordam III. Enjoyed it immensely, and have taken many more HAL cruises since then.

 

Dave

[Okie1946]

Our first cruise: September 13, 2009 sailing date

ms Westerdam

Verandah Suite 7001

Alaska for 7 days

 

Fell in love with everything about cruising.

 

Upcoming cruise to ALASKA on ms Statendam to help DH

fulfill bucket list of sailing on every "DAM" ship there is. 6

down:D, 10 to go.:eek:

 

Okie1946

[Dave in NJ]

Well, technically it wasn't a cruise, but my first HAL voyage was transatlantic from Rotterdam to NYC on the ss Nieuw Amsterdam (1938) in 1966 or '67. With the exception of the Zuiderdam, Westerdam and Nieuw Amsterdam of today, been on just about every HAL ship since that first crossing. Never sailed on the ss Nieuw Amsterdam again but those that I've sailed on most often are Rotterdam (V), Prinsendam, and the current Ryndam. Never had a cruise I was disappointed in, some more memorable than others of course.

Edited August 13, 2015 by Dave in NJ

[3rdGenCunarder]

Statendam, June 1978, NYC to Bermuda and return.

Most fun I had ever had in my life up to that point. That cruise started something fantastic. :D

 

We may have been right behind you. Our first was Statendam to Bermuda, July 1978. And it started an addiction for us, too.

 

I don't remember the cost, but it was a tiny inside upper/lower.

[BJane]

Westerdam, Vancouver round trip July 1991. Ship was originally Home Lines Homeric.

[TBcruisers]

As is the case with several others, our first HAL cruise was on the Noordam III. It was a Western Caribbean itinerary out of Tampa in 1995. We loved HAL from the beginning due to the quality of the staff, both in service and in character - wonderful and cheerful people who seemed to enjoy their jobs. I especially loved the personalized painting on the ladies' Dutch hat - still one of my favorite souvenirs from our many cruises.

[cruisemom42]

My grandparents took several trans-Atlantic cruises on the 1938 Nieuw Amsterdam and the 1958 Rotterdam. My mother joined my grandmother on one of these trips (to shop for her upcoming wedding); since then she and my father have cruised with HAL often.

 

I had the opportunity to visit the old Nieuw Amsterdam in Fort Lauderdale as a child (went with my grandmother for tea onboard) shortly before she went to the breakers in 1974 ... She was a beautiful old grande dame.

 

My first actual cruise was on the Zuiderdam in her inaugural year (2002). My son was on that cruise as well, so we are a 4-generation HAL family.

 

Sorry, should clarify that to say "My first actual HAL cruise" as we went on many terrific cruises on Sitmar lines' Fairwind and Fairsea when I was younger, as well as some others.

[Bramcruiser]

Oosterdam - September 2005 - 4 day repositioning cruise from Vancouver to San Diego.

 

It was only our second cruise. The first time was 11 years prior on another line and for which we didn't immediately rush back to do cruising. Our short HAL experience turned me around on the whole cruise experience and I got a very bad case of PCD (post-cruise depression) when we got off the ship. Been cruising almost every year since and have ventured onto other lines. But I always consider HAL to be my real "first".

[POA1]

1994 on the previous Noordam - 7 day Big Band cruise out of New Orleans.

[sofietucker]

December 2006 on the Prinsendam. It was a just-added eastern Caribbean cruise; we chose it because it went to St Barts (and Tortola). We had no idea at the time how special the P-dam is/was but loved every minute. Spoiled us--our top preference has been for HAL ever since!

[Topsham]

First HAL in the old VEENDAM.... 1982.

 

Funny... a lot of 'first time' cruises were on the New York/Bermuda run.

[3rdGenCunarder]

First HAL in the old VEENDAM.... 1982.

 

Funny... a lot of 'first time' cruises were on the New York/Bermuda run.

 

We sailed the old Volendam to Bermuda in 1982. IIRC, that was the year one ship did Sat-Sat and the other did Wed-Wed.

 

It broke my heart when HAL gave up the NYC berth. We sailed to Bermuda on NCL and Cunard several times after that. We were so happy when HAL brought back the NY/Bermuda run. Now it's Boston, which is still easily doable for us. But no early morning sail past the Statue of Liberty.

Edited August 13, 2015 by 3rdGenCunarder