Who's sailed Royal Caribbean & HAL?

[Atomica]

Kim and I are looking at possibly doing Alaska next year on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas - as much as we love HAL, we're interested in trying some other cruise lines.

 

But now we're feeling guilty (and rightfully so!) that we've 'cheated' on HAL so we're second-guessing our decision. We're looking for some insight from anyone of you who's sailed RCI and HAL about what some of the pros and cons are (understanding that this is the HAL board of course)

 

We like the Vista Class ships on HAL, and the crews are great, but the idea of some of the things on the Serenade attracts us as well, and its one of the few lines to offer Sitka and Hubbard Glacier on a roundtrip Vancouver itinerary.

 

Thanks in advance for the help!

[AAAAmerican]

We just got off a RCL:NYSE Ship and sorry to say we were sorely very disappointed.

 

HAL in Alaska owns the Buses..the Train Cars etc.. they started this market.. and by buying Westtours extended that lead dramatically then the family was almost in CH 11 and/or 7 so CCL:NYSE bought them a very low price and gained IMHO a phenominal asset.

 

We have been on a few RCL ship before this last one and thought is was so much better then..now we think even Carnival has better food and everything except we did appreciate the Ice Shows Parade and Theatre productions...

 

SO it is actaully your choice which line will suit you needs most.

 

One thing in any Alaska tour visit the YT (Yukon Territory and its Aboriginal Peoples too (First Nations Bands and Tribes )

 

Your life visions will be so much the wiser and nicer...doing that.:cool:

 

 

 

Kim and I are looking at possibly doing Alaska next year on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas - as much as we love HAL, we're interested in trying some other cruise lines.

 

But now we're feeling guilty (and rightfully so!) that we've 'cheated' on HAL so we're second-guessing our decision. We're looking for some insight from anyone of you who's sailed RCI and HAL about what some of the pros and cons are (understanding that this is the HAL board of course)

 

We like the Vista Class ships on HAL, and the crews are great, but the idea of some of the things on the Serenade attracts us as well, and its one of the few lines to offer Sitka and Hubbard Glacier on a roundtrip Vancouver itinerary.

 

Thanks in advance for the help!

[Schplinky]

I thought RCL/Celebrity ownded a train line in Alaska? I coudl eb wrong.

 

Brilliance class ships are among the most beautiful on the sea. I'm sure you'll have a great time, although we are still 75 days out from our first HAL cruise so I'm afradi I cannot make a fair comparison.

[whogo]

Don't be ridiculous. There is no such thing as 'cheating' on HAL. HAL is a cruise line, not a spouse. Cruise line loyalty is a marketing ploy. Don't fall for it. The lines would love to have you think that you must stay with them, but that is all to the lines' benefit, not the cruisers'. We have taken a couple of cruises on HAL and a couple on RCL and had a great time every cruise. There is no reason you wouldn't have a great time on RCL.

 

The differences between HAL and RCL is like the difference between McDonald's and Burger King. If you like one, you will like the other. You don't get your bread pudding on RCL and you don't get your Big Mac at Burger King. You don't get mini-golf on HAL and you don't get a Whopper at McDonald's. You will find things you like better about RCL and there will be things you miss about HAL. You'll still have a great cruise.

[SandyMc]

I absolutely agree with Whogo - we have cruised both lines and have upcoming cruises scheduled on both lines. HAL is a little more sedate while RCL is a little more active. Facilities and crew on both lines are wonderful so, whichever you decide to book - you will have a great cruise! :D

[LolaWiz]

The very first cruise i went on was on RCCL Mariner of the Seas.

It was to the Caribbean, on presidents week. Because of the holiday, there were more kids than i could have imagined. and those kids were awful.

I know RCCL is geared more towards kids and young folks more-so than HAL, but i will admit that the ship took my breath away. The food in the dining room was quite tasty with a nice varitation.

The Lido buffet was not nearly as good as HAL.

 

I cannot comment on sailing to Alaska, but just comparing ships... RCCL was very nice. Almost too big for me. The dining room staff was so friendly and attentive. The rest of the staff was only ok.

 

HALs ships (Vista class) are a wonderful size. not too large and not too small. The staff and crew are the most amazing group of people we have ever met. So kind and caring. The food has been consistantly good.

The one thing i love about HAL is their attention to detail. Fresh flowers everywhere. The beautiful trim work around the ship. The leather, brass, etc really make you feel comfortable while on board, yet you still feel like you are on a ship (which is why we love cruising!)

 

so, i am sure you will have a wonderful time with RCCL or HAL :)

[happy cruzer]

My experiences on RCI have been good. They put alot into their ships and activities and less into food and service in my opinion. they tend to attract action oriented and family cruisers.

 

HAL is more sedate and formal which to me is a better general environment. I enjoy the cruisers that I have met on HAL much more than RCI, my experience again.

 

If I wanted to branch out from HAL in Alaska, I think I would try Princess. My experience on Princess has been very itenirary oriented and Alaska will be port intensive vs. ship intensive.

 

my two cents.

[AAAAmerican]

No sorry RCL:NYSE as well its Celebrity Line do not Own the Train Cars and/or Lines..

 

HAL does and has. The other C Lines do a Private Label on HALS Buses and Train Cars but HAL has first dibs or choice.

The added revenues from renting there train cars as well buses and lodges helps immensely also. Another reason why CCL:NYSE Bought them.....for a very low price and cost basis...

 

Being on both Cruise Lines before and another HAL coming in less than 20 days ..I do think and know your will be amazed at how well HAL is crewed and the foods..

 

IMHO it is now Steps ahead of RCL. ,Celebrity, the upper step of RCL does have better trained Professional wait staffs and food..but you pay a much higher premuim for it too.

 

I guess the bottom line is the one word

C H O I C E

 

--------------------------------

___________________________is best...

 

:cool:

 

I thought RCL/Celebrity ownded a train line in Alaska? I coudl eb wrong.

 

Brilliance class ships are among the most beautiful on the sea. I'm sure you'll have a great time, although we are still 75 days out from our first HAL cruise so I'm afradi I cannot make a fair comparison.

[riz]

LolaWiz - You pretty much just said everything I wanted to.

 

Cruising I think is great regardless....you are on vacation and away from "real life". What makes your vacation ideal is a matter of taste. Choosing your cruiseline based on that is the key.

 

Do you want to be around lots of kids or families ? Do you want to party all night ? Are you a foodie ? Do you care about the decor on the ship so much so that it will affect your experience ?

 

I have been on RCCL ship. The cruise was ok...we cruised July 4 so it was full of families. We found some kids to be out of control and it certainly affected our experience. The food was good...the ports were great but I agree with LolaWiz we found the ship to be a bit big for us.

 

Out of the cruise lines we have chosen it's our personal preference to continue with HAL. Our decision is based on our stateroom. We love the aft suites...and have tried suites on other lines - owner's suites with butlers and hot tubs and all of the bells and whistles and still prefer HAL. Again...it's just our personal preference.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Aaron, I am far from an expert and have only been on RCL two time and both times it was the Monarch of the Seas. She was our very first cruise. From what I observed and what I have read these are some of the differences.

1. the ships on RCL are more in the WOW factor and look more land based resort style, large atriums, not ship style more brass, glass and mirrors.

2. cabins are much smaller especially the bathrooms. This is not always bad our last RCL 4 days Tom and I had a lot of fun giggling at having to climb over each other to get in and out of bed. We had booked this cruise just 4 days before it sailed and got the very last cabin for a cruise the day after Christmas. We actually had a lot of fun.

 

3. This is just my personal opinion but the quality of the food is lower. I know some may disagree and I have heard it is better on RCL's longer cruises but both times we thought the food was just fair at best. The buffet in my opinion is very bad. It rates just below a bad day at the Circus Circus buffet in Las Vegas. I thought the service over all was really pretty good. Both times the dining staff was great and our cabin steward was also very good.

5. Tends to be a bit more of a circus atmosphere, it seems that constantly someone is trying to sell you the expensive drink of the day in the plastic RCL hurricane glass. The same goes in the Dining Room with someone at your table selling you the bright multi colored shot glasses with after dinner drinks. Personally I find this tacky as well as they are constantly trying to take you picture. (far more than HAL)

6. If you want constant activity and night life you do not have to look far on RCL. It seems they are constantly wanting people to get out and party. Not sure if it would be the same for Alaska, since we took the Caribbean and Mexican Riviera.

I myself would be interested in trying their "R" class, we came close to trying it for Alaska in 2004 when we booked the Oosterdam in 2003 it was between the two. At the time we had only taken 1 RCL and 1 HAL and ended up choosing the Oosterdam and I was glad we did:)

Aaron, I think what ever you and Kim choose you will have a great time. I think before you do rack up a whole bunch of days on HAL it would be good to try other lines. We are so close to our 100 days that we do not want to wonder far. Plus we now spend our money on the suites so I would hate to get their suite spend lots of money and most importantly our precious vacation time only to wish the whole week we were on HAL. But that is just us, go try RCL, have fun and let us know what you think.:)

[Seago2]

I agree that cruise line loyalty programs are more gimmick than anything else. Just go with the itinerary, port of departure, and PRICE that fits you best. A cruise ship is a cruise ship- there are many differences in the overall experience, but it is still a CRUISE- more similar than not. My Elation cruise was only marginally different than my QE2 cruises, and they are supposedly two polar opposites. When you are talking RCCL and HAL you are talking Hilton vs. Hyatt. There may have been a greater scale back in the day, but now cruising is right at the midline- so you can book a 5 or a 6 out of 10- that's IT unless you are talking Seabourn vs. EasyCruise.

 

Bring more cash with you and some exciting travel compainions if you want to get above a 7.

[mammamoy]

Sailed on Serenade last year although we did the Caribbean run. Loved the ship. Everything was very nice. No complaints. Do utilize the cafe near the aft at the upper decks. It's beyond the children's slide. I forgot the name.

Not too many passengers ventured there. Good Luck.

[Oceanwench]

Don't be ridiculous. There is no such thing as 'cheating' on HAL. HAL is a cruise line, not a spouse. Cruise line loyalty is a marketing ploy. Don't fall for it. The lines would love to have you think that you must stay with them, but that is all to the lines' benefit, not the cruisers'. We have taken a couple of cruises on HAL and a couple on RCL and had a great time every cruise. There is no reason you wouldn't have a great time on RCL.

 

The differences between HAL and RCL is like the difference between McDonald's and Burger King. If you like one, you will like the other. You don't get your bread pudding on RCL and you don't get your Big Mac at Burger King. You don't get mini-golf on HAL and you don't get a Whopper at McDonald's. You will find things you like better about RCL and there will be things you miss about HAL. You'll still have a great cruise.

 

I cruised both lines, and I found big differences.

I have to agree with LolaWiz -- I had much the same experience.

I sailed on Enchantment of the Seas. It was so chaotic everywhere -- lines, crowds, etc.

We never even sat by a pool, because of the noise, the crowds, the chaos of chairs every which way.

I have to say, lazing by the pool with a book is one of my favorite activities on a HAL ship!

 

The dining room service on the RCCL ship was good. The food was average. I have nothing good to say about the Windjammer buffet area. It was always crowded and noisy, and the tables were all full.

Even the elevators were packed, and since my DH uses a wheelchair, being able to access an elevator is important.

 

I guess people become concerned when they are happy with one line, and are thinking of trying another line. Maybe they have limited vacation time or money, and they don't want to leave a cruise line they enjoy to risk spending the time and money on one they might not enjoy.

 

By the way, my daughter and her husband just returned from an 8-night cruise on the Mexican Riviera -- on NCL.

They had sailed with us on the Zuiderdam in 2005.

 

The verdict? They thought that the ship itself was pretty cool.

But they said the food was WAY better on HAL. They disliked the freestyle dining.

Her husband said it best: "On Holland America I felt pampered. On Norwegian, I never did."

 

They can't wait until their next cruise -- and they both said it will be HAL. Although they are willing to try Celebrity!

[xpcdoojk]

I have sailed RCI 6 times and HAL 1 along with a couple of X and a single CCL.

 

IMHO, the differences in the main the dining room are slight between all of them. Service on X in the dining room is better than the others. The others service is more dependant on who your server is and how well they do their job than any real differences between the lines. The buffet is better in the Lido on HAL than the Windjammer on RCI. Other than that, I really don't think you will notice that much difference other than personal favorites that won't be available on the other line. In the main dining room the server knows which entrees are good and which are not as good. I never on any cruise or hardly any land restaurant, pick my meal based on reading the menu. Ask your server and trust his guideance. If you don't like what he brings you, order something else. I have yet to have a meal on a cruise on anyline that I couldn't find at least one more than good entree.

 

RCI is a much more active ship than HAL. On the 7 day cruises in the summer will have a lot of kids and younger couples on RCI. I know that everyone says HAL owns Alaska, and yet they account for less than 1/4 of the ships sailing in Alaska.... something about that statement about ownership doesn't make sense to me. JMHO.

 

The RCI fleet is updating the beds on all of it ships and this will be complete before the next Alaska season. This was an area of advantage for HAL that I believe no longer exists. The rooms on RCI on the newer ships are very similar to HAL. Comparing the Monarch or Majesty to the rooms on the Serenade or other Radiance class is not a good comparison.

 

I think both lines offer a great value and would not hesitate to book a cruise on either one.

 

jc

[Atomica]

Thanks very much to everyone for all the fantastic responses!

 

I think we'll probably test out the Serenade this year. It looks like a beautiful ship, and we have a D1 Balcony reserved in a good location, which looks pretty comparable to HAL's cabins, sans the bathtub which I never really use anyway :) I did hear about the new bedding on RCL, and am excited about that.

 

We'll be sure to let everyone know how it goes!

[fann1sh]

(sorry - you posted while I was S L O W typing again)

 

Go, and have a blast. I've only done a 4 day on RCI and it was fun. There isn't THAT huge a cabin size difference if you're in a balcony: SOS 226 ft sq vs. Oosterdam 240. I agree with xpcdoojk: I enjoy the dining room experience on ALL ships more than the actual food. Being able to sail from your home city is a big plus. You'd have to cruise Oosterdam out of Seattle to get both Sitka and Hubbard Glacier on a 7 day return. So, try to pack away your HAL pre-conceptions when you board (along with concealed/well bubble packed wine :eek: in your checked luggage ;))

[caviargal]

I have cruised on HAL (Vista class and the old Noordam and Nieuw Amsterdam) and also on RCI many times, including Serenade of the Seas.

 

IMO, SER is a beautiful ship, elegant and well appointed. The fitness facility, sauna, etc. is excellent and the onboard entertainment varied and active. HAL IME is much more sedate in the evenings.

 

The D1 cabins are great, especially those on the stern. The old bedding is awful, the new a huge improvement. Bathrooms are much smaller.

 

I prefer the two alternative restaurants on SER to the PG on HAL, especially Portofino. We often opt for the ala carte restaurants as the main dining rooms are noisy and large and, on RCI, can be pretty casual as well. I do not care for the musical antics on RCI at dinner at dinner, especially on the large ships that have Pirates Parade.

 

RCI is very family oriented and I have had several cruises negatively affected by unsupervised and ill behaved kids; for me this is a deal breaker and one of the reasons I no longer consider RCI when cruising for pleasure.

 

There are no sommeliers on RCI these days and the waiters poorly trained in how to recommend and serve wines. One cannot bring wine aboard and pay a corkage any longer on RCI, not so on HAL. Another aspect of cruising which is important to me and not to all.

 

The dress code is widely ignored on RCI, not so on HAL.

 

There are a ton of announcements, "garage sales" in the shops and hallways and a lot more nickel and diming these days on RCI, a real shame IMO.

 

Serenade is a far prettier ship IMO but there are a lot of compromises. If none of these affects you, then you should be just fine.

 

The positives for RCI are the high energy, the Solarium, the fitness activities, the entertainment. The service is warm and cheery, versus being more low key on HAL.

 

JMHO.

[Copper10-8]

RCI and HAL are both good lines and they each have their pros and cons. Been on about twelve RCI cruises. RCI, and especially the Brilliance-class ships, are beautiful vessels. RCI ships have more the "Hyatt-Regency" type look, especially with their atriums. HAL is sticking more with the classic and elegant look (except on the Vista's). RCI has been going with an international staff for years which results in a little more different (direct) pax-staff interaction. HAL has always had the Indonesian-Filipino staff which provides for a more "we aim to please" gracious type of interaction. Food and entertainment are about the same. Dutch captains are way better than their Scandinavian counterparts on RCI;)

[Atomica]

Being able to sail from your home city is a big plus. You'd have to cruise Oosterdam out of Seattle to get both Sitka and Hubbard Glacier on a 7 day return. So, try to pack away your HAL pre-conceptions when you board (along with concealed/well bubble packed wine :eek: in your checked luggage ;))

 

That's just it - even though Seattle's not that far away, it's the idea of being able to just 'hop on' right from here that's so appealing. Plus, we get to Victoria a few times a year, so stopping there on the way back to Seattle doesn't appeal to us that much.

 

We're looking at going in mid-September, so that should take care of most of the kid-factor, although it certainly looks like they have more than enough facilities onboard to keep them busy (wish I was still a kid! :D)

[Little Feet]

Holland America and Royal Caribbean are different venues! I guess I would compare Holland America and Celebrity as having more in common than with Royal Caribbean....but they are different experiences and we enjoy them all....for different reasons.

 

We love HAL for fine service , a spectacular crew, and a classy, comfortable ambiance. Their suites are fabulous....and we have never been treated poorly by any staff member on HAL, EVER!

 

Royal Caribbean: We have sailed with them becasue of itinerary and options of activities. We will dance late into the night if we can.....they do have ports in some "fun" places (we have just booked a cruise out of New Orleans during Mardi Gras), and it is a "busier" atmosphere. We were most recently on the "Freedom of the Seas", and it is a very lovely ship....I have no complaints with it at all....it was not the relaxing and pampering cruise that we will have next month in HAL.

 

Celebrity: Ahh! I do like this line almost as much as HAL....they are just a bit different. It is the crew. We had everything on Celebrity that HAL offers...the food was probably a bit better...the crew is more formal....not the always happy & smiling crew you see on HAL....but they did everything to the best of their ability.

 

Each line has fine points....but I don't really have any "negatives" about HAL, RCI, or Celebrity. We have had 26 cruises...but we only admit to 25 (one of them was THAT BAD!)

[OceanLiner]

Please forgive me if I have this wrong. I thought that RCI was the direct competitor of Carnival Cruise; and that RCI's sister, Celebrity, was the direct competitor to Carnival's sister, Holland America.

 

So when I read the posts it make sense to me that when people keep mentioning that the X food was as good as HAL, but that the RCI food was not as good as HAL.

[Little Feet]

Please forgive me if I have this wrong. I thought that RCI was the direct competitor of Carnival Cruise; and that RCI's sister, Celebrity, was the direct competitor to Carnival's sister, Holland America.

 

So when I read the posts it make sense to me that when people keep mentioning that the X food was as good as HAL, but that the RCI food was not as good as HAL.

 

 

I guess I don't know what is meant by 'direct competitor". RCCL owns Celebrity & it is their "upscale" line.

 

Carnival owns HAL, Princess, Cunard, Costa......along with other lines. Some of them are more upscale than others...there are more variations in the Carnival cruise line famly.

[cruisnfool]

Atomica........I agree with many of the above posts.

 

I have cruised 26 times on CCL, Admiral, NCL, Costa, Princess, RCI and Celebrity.

 

I have enjoyed all of them and can tell you positives and negatives about all of them.

 

I am anxiously awaiting my upcoming HAL cruise because that will round out the major lines for me. I believe people need to try as many lines as possible to make up their own minds. Many of what people tell you is subjective.

 

You can encounter children on any line but we know to stay away from summer, spring break and holiday sailings.

 

I also believe all cruise lines are cutting costs because cruising has changed since my first cruise in 1986.

 

We just returned from our first Alaska in August 2006. We were told by people that Princess was the pioneers in Alaska and did it best. The price was $1000 higher than RCI. We were very pleased, everything was well organized. It was a Radiance class ship which is by far the best size. I like everything the Voyager class ships have to offer but you do have to deal with more people,

 

RCI has always been known for the WOW they put in their ships.

 

I say go and have a great time. Next cruise try Princess.

 

Currently the only lines that I would not sail again with are Carnival and NCL.

 

I am also hoping that HAL will not be too sedate.

[Atomica]

Currently the only lines that I would not sail again with are Carnival and NCL.

 

I am also hoping that HAL will not be too sedate.

 

Thanks for the great info :) I'm not so crazy about NCL either, though I am curious about some of their newer ships like the Pearl.

 

You should have a great time on HAL - we've never been bored, and there always seems to be plenty of things to do. The ship does tend to quiet down around 10pm, but if you're looking for the night life, head up to the Crows Nest - there's people that were still up there at 1am dancing circles around us.

[San Diego Cruzer]

We have cruised both RCCL and HAL on several occasions. Agree with other posts that they are quite different. I do think it is fun to try different cruise lines and see what you like. The itinerary and the original port also have greatly influenced our decisions.

 

RCCL IMO has smaller cabins, but is more lively, younger passenger average age and more activities on board (think of pool activities such as "hairy leg contest" etc). Depends if you like this or want a more low key experience.

 

I have found the food to be pretty comparable - perhaps the food was slightly better on HAL - but that is very subjective. We took several RCCL cruises back to back, so got a little tired of their menu, so welcomed the change w/HAL.

 

The entertainment was good on both. I think I might prefer HAL a little over RCCL, but it is hard to say and I would book with either again - no problem. I am looking into Princess and Celebrity since we haven't sailed them yet.