Elite Princess Cruisers try HAL

[Bemidji Ty]

Elite Princess Cruisers try HAL

 

First, a bit of background. We have taken about 60 cruises over the past 30-35 years. Mostly on Princess with some on Celebrity, RCCL, Carnival and Norwegian in the early days, and a couple of lines that are no longer around. We saw a great deal on HAL out of San Diego to the MR and decided to take it.

 

Ship: Nieuw Amsterdam is a medium sized vessel. It came out of dry dock about a year ago. It is well-maintained and has more subdued décor than Princess. It never felt crowded. We could always find a seat on deck, by the pool, in the buffet, in the dining room and in the theaters.

 

Cabin: We had a veranda cabin. It had plenty of storage, a bath shower combo, a sitting area with a sofa bed that converted to a single bed. Comparable to a Princess mini-suite.

 

Staff: Our cabin stewards were some of the best we've had – helpful, friendly and got things done. All staff around the ship were friendly. Some provided exceptional service. Some not so much. In the dining room, the coffee usually didn't come until we were done with our desserts and were ready to leave. The maitre d' quickly knew our names, cabin number and always had a smile for us.

 

Food: The food ranged from good to very good. A few dishes were some of the best we've had on cruises. We ate in the dining room and the buffet. As on Princess, we were directed to the buffet upon embarkation. However, we went to the dining room and had a nice sit down lunch. The pizza station was terrible. Coffee was hit or miss. Never great, sometimes undrinkable. They have a coffee bar that is similar to IC but you are unable to get a cup of fresh brewed coffee there.

 

Buffet: They have the buffet concept figured out. There are different stations for different foods. There is a menu outside the buffet where you can see what is available at each station. And you are mostly served. I'm sure this cuts down on Noro infections and makes lines move much faster than the free-for-all that is common on Princess.

 

Entertainment: We loved the BB King All Star Band. They played R&B, blues and Motown. They are exceptionally talented musicians and entertainers. We were there when they played. We walked thru the two pianos but it didn't really appeal to us. If you want to sing along to American Pie or John Denver, go for it. The classical musicians were excellent. We didn't go to any of the other shows but heard they were good.

 

Classes: My DW went to the America's test kitchen several times and I attended several computer classes that were very informative.

 

Passengers: There was a nice mix of passengers of all ages. We had the equivalent of anytime dining and never had to wait. Sometimes we shared a table and sometimes opted for a two top. Their dress standards were enforced. I witness two men turned away on Gala night. The requirements are: long pants, collared shirt, shoes and no hats. Not too hard to pull off.

 

Ports: We've taken the MR cruises at least once a year from San Pedro. We've done all the tourist tours and now have places we like to visit. Capt Tony's in CSL, Molokai's on Stone Island in Mazatlan and we got a day pass at the Marriot Magna Carta in PV.

 

All in all and great cruise. We would definitely sail HAL again.

[chief elk]

Thanks for the review.

 

[Tak8]

I prefer Princess but have done 2 HAL cruises and enjoyed both.  Enjoyed reading your comparison.

[geocruiser]

Thanks for the review.  I have not sail HAL in a while.  I am 3 stars with HAL, but then went over to Princess.  We are looking to return to HAL this winter because HAL has a sitting area in the Balcony cabins.  (yes, I am a barrel chair person) Most of the time we do Caribbean cruising and it looks like, I like HAL's itinerary  better.

[akeasley]

My two HAL cruises were great! I thought the food was really good and liked how regular rooms have a sofa instead of needing to sit on the bed. Also enjoyed watching movies in the inside theatre.

Edited April 15, 2019 by akeasley

[MishelleMcc]

We too are HAL Loyalists and will be sailing Princess for the first time this coming December. 
We love the HAL Balconies and are not sure how we will like the smaller - no sofa - Princess balconies, but we will see! 

Thank you for the review!!!