Princess vrs. Holland america

[KelliKevin]

New HUGE Difference

Check out OCEAN MEDALLION Cruising. Princess has video on you tube...very cool

[innlady1]

I book for itinerary first. If it were me, I’d be asking, which do I want to visit more? Russia or Hawaii.

 

 

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[Tina G]

We have sailed to Hawaii twice in Princess, and once on HAL. The reason for the Hal sailing was itinerary, as it stopped in Kona. All three trips were enjoyable. Love those quiet sea days!

Entertainment and food is slightly better on HAL, but if you are a chocolate lover, Princess has fabulous chocolate desserts on Gala night. The "Loveboat Dream" is their signature chocolate mousse dessert, and not to be missed.

HAL has better cabins, with a tub in cabins above the inside grade and a sofa. On Princess, be prepared for the Mini-me shower unless you book a mini-suite or above. Service is better. I think Princess has cut back and given their staff too many cabins to work. The Lido buffet is better on HAL, with more hot food selections.

I do enjoy the Crows Nest retreat on HAL for reading. Entertainment is better on Princess bar far. HAL has cut back, substituting a piano-violin duo for the string quartet. The canned production shows on both ships come from the same outfit, but the HAL shows seem to be geared for a much older audience, and the Princess shows seem to have more energy. I am a retired musician, so I am picky. Princess also features interesting entertainment in the atrium lobby. Nice, while you are drinking coffee and munching a pastry from the International Cafe.

Princess is pushier about seller you things on board. The "art" auctions are a joke, and a waste of time. The cheap merchandise (chains by the inch, costume jewelry, etc) hawked while the ship is at sea are not worth your time, and they look tacky. If you want to buy Swarovski, try Ebay for better prices.

Edited October 28, 2017 by Tina G

[shipfriend_max]

Considering a cruise with friends to Hawaii on Princess and would like someone who has recently been on that line to compare it to HAL. Thanks in advance.

 

I have been on HAL this year for my first time (Koningsdam, Norway 2017), and my third time on Princess, also this year (Star Princess, after Emerald P. in 2013 and Crown P. in 2009) - although Star Princess is built in 2002 and far older than 2016's Koningsdam, but regarding the CRUISE LINES, and the software, the two lines are more alike than different, and actually it's not easy for me to decide.

 

If with both lines the conditions are well for me (ship, date, price, itinerary), I think I would slightly tend to HAL, but actually you cannot do anything wrong with either line.

 

What did I prefer/like with HAL?

-porcelain plates @buffet restaurant

-many fresh food stations cooked to order á la minute (more with Princess)

-different drinks @gangway with lemonade, water, and hot chocolate or tea

-little fingerfood in some bars

-chocoalte parade at second gala dinner

-destination guide with consultations for gests going ashore INDIVIDUALLY!

-little brochure with al port information, regarding berth location, distance to center, sights and trip recommendations

-dried food at the exit of main dining room

-very nice, bow-facing observation lounge @all ships

-sophisticated entertainment, a lot of very good live musucians throughout the bars, but a little more quiet after 11 pm, with very few nightlife

 

What did I prefer/like with Princess?

-very great open air cinema on nearly all ships (with complimentary snacks like pocorn and grill) - bur HAL's new Koningsdam features it as well

-some themed dinners like Italian or American dinner

-petit fours after dinner @formal nights

-nearly perfect hardware of "Grand Class ships" (e. g. Grand Princess, Star Princess, Sapphire Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess)

-main dining rooms with just one level and less noise

-very good destination info with good recommendations for ashore

-LOVE the coffee card, or the ultimated soda package (just 8$/day and featuring ALL mocktails, and alcohol-free sodas like coke, ginger ale, different juices @all time)

-sophisticated entertainment

 

And the onboard beverage prices on both lines are very reasonable, and both still feature cabin food/beverage service for free!

 

So you see, in my poit of view you cannot totally make a wrong choice with one of thw two lines.

If you like a sophisticated board life with very good food and professional service, you should relly like both.

[Sea girl 23]

We have sailed to Hawaii twice in Princess, and once on HAL. The reason for the Hal sailing was itinerary, as it stopped in Kona. All three trips were enjoyable. Love those quiet sea days!

Entertainment and food is slightly better on HAL, but if you are a chocolate lover, Princess has fabulous chocolate desserts on Gala night. The "Loveboat Dream" is their signature chocolate mousse dessert, and not to be missed.

HAL has better cabins, with a tub in cabins above the inside grade and a sofa. On Princess, be prepared for the Mini-me shower unless you book a mini-suite or above. Service is better. I think Princess has cut back and given their staff too many cabins to work. The Lido buffet is better on HAL, with more hot food selections.

I do enjoy the Crows Nest retreat on HAL for reading. Entertainment is better on Princess bar far. HAL has cut back, substituting a piano-violin duo for the string quartet. The canned production shows on both ships come from the same outfit, but the HAL shows seem to be geared for a much older audience, and the Princess shows seem to have more energy. I am a retired musician, so I am picky. Princess also features interesting entertainment in the atrium lobby. Nice, while you are drinking coffee and munching a pastry from the International Cafe.

Princess is pushier about seller you things on board. The "art" auctions are a joke, and a waste of time. The cheap merchandise (chains by the inch, costume jewelry, etc) hawked while the ship is at sea are not worth your time, and they look tacky. If you want to buy Swarovski, try Ebay for better prices.

 

One thing that annoys me: Princess doesn't have a separate part of the in -room trash can to put recyclable paper in. You have to go elsewhere and it's a PITA.

[ellbelle]

Most of HAL's ships have the retractable roof over the pool where Princess ships do not (at least the ones sailing to Hawaii in 2018) if that is of any importance to you. Even if the weather is not great it's nice to sit "outside".

 

 

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[Sea girl 23]

Most of HAL's ships have the retractable roof over the pool where Princess ships do not (at least the ones sailing to Hawaii in 2018) if that is of any importance to you. Even if the weather is not great it's nice to sit "outside".

 

 

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Sometimes(on the HAL ships) they don't open the retractable roof and it can get stiflingly hot.

[SetAnOpenCourse]

What did I prefer/like with Princess?

 

-nearly perfect hardware of "Grand Class ships" (e. g. Grand Princess, Star Princess, Sapphire Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess)

 

-LOVE the coffee card, or the ultimated soda package (just 8$/day and featuring ALL mocktails, and alcohol-free sodas like coke, ginger ale, different juices @all time)

.

 

Please explain what "hardware" you are referring to (just curious).

 

p.s. your use of the "@" symbol confuses me. Sometimes it seems you use it in place of the word "on" but not always. (Just curious- excuse me if this comment is persnickety.)

[mcrcruiser]

We have sailed 80 cruises & many on both HAL & Princess .

 

HAL has great itineraries:D

 

We prefer HAL's Balcony state rooms over Princess because HAL has the tub shower & Princess shower you need soap on a rope or soap the walls & spin :cool: Just far too confining .

 

Princess entertainment has more life than HALs in general .

 

Food quality & taste & service is about the same on both lines :).

 

The main reason we would select HAL is because they sail from our home port of San Diego ;which is a 30 minute car ride vs Princess in San Pedro ;which is much further away & more costly to get to :D

[Caribensun]

My opininion on HAL and Princess, only travelled in SS on Eurodam & NS on Oosterdam & Westerdam, Elite on Princess mainly in Full Suites, but have stayed in all rooms.HAL wins;

for best non-smoking now on ships where non-smoking Casinos are.

Non smoking promenade deck, can walk without smelling smoke from smokers.

All rooms & balconies now non smoking.

Cabanas, worth the cost for entire cruise.

Rooms, SS = to a Princess mini, double sinks in bath, seperate tub & shower & large closet space.

NS = to Princess Full Suite. double sinks in bath, better balcony furniture & everything else. Only lack is 2 seperate areas with 2 tv's, rather be in a HAL room over Princess.

for balcony and below, personally I like Princess layout better and closet space.

Jigsaw puzzle area can use 24 hrs.

Covered pool.

Pickleball court.

Tholassapy pool, loved Eurodam had a dry sauna.

Only one area for smoking!!!

Large spaces and dueling piano bar.

Taco bar at lunch & sushi.

Great build your own salad bar.

 

 

Prefer HAL Hawaii itinerary with overnight in Honolulu and covered pool over Princess.

 

 

Princess- food & entertainment.

24 hr good food.

Movies under the stars.

Gym.

Better outdoor deck space for lounging.

Better shore excursions to & pricing to me.

Thermal suite.

 

 

Both lines excel in service.

 

 

Sandipalms

[jtdlmc]

Please explain what "hardware" you are referring to (just curious).

 

 

 

p.s. your use of the "@" symbol confuses me. Sometimes it seems you use it in place of the word "on" but not always. (Just curious- excuse me if this comment is persnickety.)

 

 

 

@ typically stands for "at"

 

 

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[SetAnOpenCourse]

@ typically stands for "at"

Forums

That's why I was confused, but thanks anyway.

[srlafleur]

I like both lines. All things being equal, I would choose by itinerary. (that's how I choose even if all things are unequal!) I, personally, would chose the Baltic cruise for the following reasons:

 

Baltic/Russia - How likely are you to be able to visit those ports in a such compact time frame? Will you ever be able to go again? How many ways might you be able to visit? How tough might it be to go independent of a cruise?

Hawaii? Easy enough to visit on your own - language, currency, car rental, passport, visa, etc. Year-round nice weather (vs. limited months via cruise line to Russia), so there is the opportunity to visit year-round.

But that's just me.

[holacanada]

My opininion on HAL and Princess … but have stayed in all rooms.HAL wins;

… for best non-smoking now on ships where non-smoking Casinos are.

Non smoking promenade deck, can walk without smelling smoke from smokers.

All rooms & balconies now non smoking.

 

I see your point as a mark of you're Great Tolerance towards smokers who are just looking to take a seven minutes advantage/break to smoke ! (after a good meal, in the casino (on certain nights), on our balcony where the wind is so strong so that if you smell anything, you are considered as a anti-smoke freak ...

 

 

... Very Fortunately, you are not among the people who seek or try to control our lives.

 

LAST : Are U a former smoker ?

 

Holacanada from Quebec City

Edited October 30, 2017 by holacanada

[innlady1]

Thanks all. it seems I can't go wrong on either line. Now I have to decide between Hawaii on Princess with friends or a HAL Russia cruise I have a deposit on. Both are the same time frame.:)

 

 

Aren't you're ancestors from Russia, Carol? That would seem like a "no brainer"! :*

[bennybear]

My two cents and we are platinum on princess and three star on HAL. We like them both, some things on one some on the other.

 

IMO I would do Russia! We loved st Petersburg and have visited twice. We love Hawaii too and have visited dozens of times, but believe it is best experienced on land.

[twodjs]

Question for those Princess cruisers: We have both been vegetarians for 25 years. We took Princess a couple of times about 10 years ago and swore never again because of their lack of vegetarian options. My wife lost 5 pounds on a 7 day Mexican cruise. At the time, all they had at the Mexican specialty restaurant for us was guacamole and chips! It is so easy to provide so many vegetarian options in Mexican quisine! Where was their brain? They even had a big banner in their buffet about the % of vegetarians in California - but put meat(without labeling it) in their "vegetarian" section because they "ran out of room"! We only found out because we stopped the chef to thank him for offering meatless options. We were beyond upset! So have there been true changes? Probably best to hear from other vegetarians, since they will fully understand our frustration with that cruise line. Keep in mind that Holland America has offered a complete seperate vegetarian menu for years.

[shipfriend_max]

Please explain what "hardware" you are referring to (just curious).

 

 

 

p.s. your use of the "@" symbol confuses me. Sometimes it seems you use it in place of the word "on" but not always. (Just curious- excuse me if this comment is persnickety.)

 

 

Hardware stands for the ship itself, excluding service or food aspects.

I mainly refer to the layout, size, and the equipment/attractions of the ships.

 

 

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[Hlitner]

We just returned from 10 days on the Regal Princess (our 3rd cruise on this newest Princess vessel). We have long been Elite with Princess and are also 5 Star Mariners (our most recent HAL cruise was the 38 day VOV cruise in August). So here is my capsule comparison. The Regal Princess is gorgeous, sparkling, etc. etc....with what one expects from a newer vessel. The Rotterdam (this past August) was drab, had numerous leaks, many plumbing issues, leaky windows (in the MDR and Crows Nest), etc. (we think some of these issues were rectified during its recent dry dock) The Regal Princess had 3 independent bands, a solo guitarist/folk singer, piano bar player. 7 piece ships orchestra (including trumpet, sax and trombone (not seen on HAL)). On a 10 day cruise Princess had 4 production shows (including one excellent new production). On most evenings there was constant entertainment (by the bands, piano player, guitarist, etc) in the Atrium area from about 6 - midnight. The piano bar player usually worked to about 12:30am and still had a small crowd, the casino was often packed (at all tables) and all the shows (at 8 and 10) were well attended.

 

As to food, it was a mixed bag. The Regal's Horizon Court (its lIdo) is the best buffet (in terms of layout and food) we have experienced in many years. Our only criticism is it did not have an Eggs Benedict Station). The MDR was pretty good and did some things better than on HAL....but HAL often does some things better then Princess (i.e. Prime Rib is better on HAL). The Regal has a two pizza places...one being Alfredo which is a real indoor restaurant (off the atrium) with excellent pizza (all handmade to order) and some other Italian offerings....all at no charge. There is also a pizza by the slice place at the main pool area. They also have a Seafood bar (off the Atrium) where they serve fresh Sushi, Oysters on the half shell, etc....all for a price per item. Princess also has a poolside grill (compare to the Dive-In on HAL) which has a larger menu then you get at the Dive-In. I would rate the Dive-In Burgers better than Princess...but Princess also had other things (such as knockwurst, Bratwurst, etc. which were quite good. And the french fries on Princess are some of the best we have experienced on a ship (real fried potatoes without a silly batter like on HAL).

 

The wine list on Princess simply blows HAL's out of the water. It is not even close...in any price range. We ordered 6 different wines during our cruise, and they were all available. On our most recent HAL cruise many wines (including quite a few on the packages) were out of stock (or never in stock). Cocktails on both lines are pretty darn good so we would call it a draw.

 

The Regal Princess cabins do seem smaller then the normal HAL balcony cabins. The Balcony cabins (which is what we had) have showers (with curtains) that seem more cramped then on Princess. The balconies are smaller then the previous Grand Class balconies....but a large majority of cabins do have balconies which are generally priced less then an outside (no balcony) cabin on HAL.

 

One huge difference is onboard activities. Princess has a large cruise staff (HAL only had 2 staff on the Rotterdam) and there are activities all day and night....and we are not just talking about trivia! There are games, culinary demos, lectures, many participation games (often held in a venue created for this type of use). There were 3 major atrium parties (Halloween, Octoberfest, and a farewell party) on the 10 day cruise...which included plenty of live music, dancing, balloon drops, etc. There was also a well attended (at least 1000 cruisers) on deck Holloween party (live music, dancing, costume parade (and awards), etc.

 

Where on our Rotterdam cruise the ship was normally a ghost ship by 10.....the Regal was pretty lively until around 11:30...after which things quickly started to die.

 

One interesting tidbit about the food. The Regal has two alternative restaurants (Crown Grill (steak house) and Sabbatinis (Italian) that charge $29). DW and I had decided we would check the daily menus (always posted early in the mornng) and go to the Crown Grill on a night when we were not thrilled with the MDR menu. We never made it to the Crown Grill...because all the dinner menus were pretty good. I think that HAL has better "everyday options" while Princess generally had better overall menus. And Princess has much better dessert offerings....although we thought that the desserts were not as good as in years past.

 

And there are some other interesting differences with food service. The Princess Horizon Court is open from 6am through midnight....with no closures. And their International Cafe (speciality coffees, teas, donuts, sandwiches, quiches, etc) is open 24/7! Alfredo's (the pizza/Italian place that is free) is open from about 11am until 11pm. Bottom line is that on Prncess if you are hungry there are multiple options all the time. The selection in the Horizon Court (breakfast, lunch, dinner +) simply blows away anything we have experienced on HAL. Part of this can probably be attributed to the large size of the ship.....but its still great. And the area is so large that we could alway find seats.

 

By the way, I should also mention some differences in perks. Elites on Princess (easier to get then 4 Star Mariner on HAL) offers unlimited laundry and dry cleaning...although the turn around time can take 3 days (compared to HAL's usual 1 day turn around time). On the 10 day cruise Princess gave DW and I 500 free internet minutes (on a longer cruise we get 1,000 minutes) where HAL gives no free internet. HAL does have the nice discount on the wine packages and alternative restaurants. But consider that 500 free minutes of internet is worth over $200 on most cruise lines. Princess also gives Elites a free stocked mini-bar (once per cruise). They have a daily cocktail party for elites, but its nothing to shout about as they only offer a tiny discount on a drink of the day...and a few snacks. Elites also get the typical priority for embarkation, tenders...etc....similar to what we get on HAL at the 4 Star Level.

 

Hank

[Sea girl 23]

They did the balloon drop on the Princess cruise I went on a few years ago-I think some of them had prizes in(this was around the time of their 50th anniversary)

 

I loved going to the late shows at Billboard Live when I was on the Westerdam(was only able to do that on days when it was a sea day the following day or I didn't need to get an early start!)

[SetAnOpenCourse]

We just returned from 10 days on the Regal Princess (our 3rd cruise on this newest Princess vessel). We have long been Elite with Princess and are also 5 Star Mariners (our most recent HAL cruise was the 38 day VOV cruise in August). So here is my capsule comparison.

...

Hank

Thanks for the comparison. Next month, I'll be on my first Princess (Crown) cruise. I'm not sure I'd ever choose Regal due to its not having a wraparound promenade, but your review is encouraging about things which I'd expect to be consistent on their various ships. I hope the pizza is as good as people say. Activities are not a big deal for me personally, but I will make it a point to review what's being offered each day.

 

I'm glad to hear someone mention fries. I'll never understand why so many places started using batter or seasoning, or curling them or making them puffy, etc. I can only guess it was all about using less potato.

[JR42]

Hank

 

You are comparing apples with oranges . The Princess Royal is a 3569 passenger ship the Rotterdam is only 1406 of course there will be big differences.We have been on 10 longer cruises with Princess but since they are adding larger and larger ships we will not be going with them. The Ocean Princess is great but priced higher than the Prinsendam . We are on the Rotterdam in January for 14 days hopefully they have corrected all the issue you have mentioned in the past.

 

Janet

[Hlitner]

Lets keep in mind that we were simply responding to a thread that ask for a comparison of the two cruise lines. You might also want to look at another recent thread comparing Celebrity to HAL. Even if we totally ignore the physical comparison of a gorgeous new ship against an old (badly maintained) small ship we have other issues. The fact that Princess has 24/7 food options (we are not talking about Room Service) and a Lido that operates 18 hours a day (during which it is never closed) does matter to many folks. And we think that the Production shows in the HAL main theaters are as tired as some of the older HAL ships. When we go out at 7pm for pre diner cocktails on HAL, there is often no live entertainment in any of the lounges. This does not happen on Princess where we could go out anytime (from around 5 or 6) until after midnight and find live entertainment.

 

And let me take issue with the comment about HAL being less expensive. While there can certainly be differences when comparing any two cruises, our experience is that Princess is often far cheaper (per passenger day) then HAL...when comparing balcony cabins to balcony cabin. Try booking a balcony cabin on the Prinsendam (the ship mentioned) to a balcony on the Crown :). Yes, we know that there are no regular balcony cabins on the Prinsendam....while there are more then 1000 on the Crown. We were recently on the Voyage of the Vikings cruise where we paid over $200 per passenger day for a basic outside cabin! Our recent Regal Princess cruise cost us less than $50 per passenger day (a story unto itself) for a high category (BD) balcony cabin. While what we paid on Princess is certainly not the norm, it is usually possible to get a Princess balcony cabin for about the same price (or less) then a basic outside (no balcony) cabin on HAL.

 

We have a future booking on the Golden Princess for a long cruise from Singapore to Vancouver. Our cost per day for that very popular (and sold out) itinerary is about $200 per passenger day.....and that is for a Princess Mini-Suite. This is far less then we would pay on any HAL ship.

 

Hank

[taxmantoo]

Thanks for the fair and honest review.

We were on the Regal once in 2015 and loved it. It is a gorgeous ship with so many entertainment options not available on HAL.

Alfredos Pizza is defintely top-notch and far superior to anything offered on HAL, although HAL keeps getting a bit better with pizza on every cruise. Sabatinis has evolved into a top notch Italian Restaurant - Canaletto is not even close. We do like the variety of MDR food offered by Princess but give a slight edge to HAL on preparation and taste. We found on Princess that, after a while, everything tasted the same.

We've only been on Princess 3 times and have booked a mini-suite each time. We prefer that layout to the layout of the Signature Suites on HAL.

We're not at the free laundry level yet on Princess (only 3 cruises LOL) and that partially explains our attachment to HAL but would very gladly sail on Princess any time again given a good itinerary we liked.

[iancal]

We are not loyal to any cruise line. But HAL is certainly not at the top of our list any more.

 

If we have a choice, on a similar itinerary, as we often do between HAL, Princess, and Celebrity we will typically place more focus on the latter two than HAL.

 

Why? Three reasons. First of of all we find them very similar. Certainly almost identical from a service perspective. Second issue is age and condition of ship. Our perception is that the latter two cruise line ship offerings tend to be in better condition and better maintained. We feel we have less chance in ending up in a cabin with plumbing or HVAC challenges. Others may disagree but this is our perception and one of our decision points. The third reason is amenities. Specifically the number of dining options AND the hours of operation. Not particularly interested in room service if we decide that we want to eat dinner at eight or later-as we sometimes do.

 

The itineraries are important but now we are retired we find that we prefer to do land trips to locations that we really want to see and explore. Our last cruise was South America. Zandaam ( I think it was) fell to the bottom of our list because of age, price, and amenities. We selected Princess. Celebrity pricing was out to lunch on that trip so it fell to second place.