Will we enjoy HAL

[ksat]

My DH and I are in our early 50's. We have taken 5 cruises with CCL. I have been exploring HAL and really like some of the destinations offered. I would appreciate any and all views regarding the differences. I will say that we just returned from our most recent cruise and there were several areas that fell below our expectations from the previous cruises. Thank you in advance for your responses.

[maxout]

It would be helpful to know more specifically what areas fell below your expectations. Also what type of experience you want from a cruise. This would make it easier to determine whether HAL may be a good match for you :)

[hammybee]

It would be helpful to know more specifically what areas fell below your expectations. Also what type of experience you want from a cruise. This would make it easier to determine whether HAL may be a good match for you :)

 

Also, can you tell us what you liked most about your 5 cruises with Carnival.

[maxout]

Excellent point Hammy. :D

[ksat]

I apologize for the vagueness. We felt that the food in the main dining room was below par. The beef dishes were extremely tough as was the lobster. When dessert came with ice cream, the ice cream was melted. I know these are small things but a definite change from previous cruises. My husband is in the food industry and we often dine out. Food quality is very important to him. We have enjoyed the ports and shore excursions. The onboard activities during sea days seem to be aimed at the younger set. We were next to a HAL ship in Costa Rica. During the sailaway, music was playing and everyone seemed to be having a great time. During our sail away's, there was

never music playing but instead there were movies or old concerts playing on the big screen. I know that is picky but to me leaving a port is something special. Also, it seemed that the cruise director was constantly making announcements that were pushing either the art auction, the latest sale in the onboard shops, or the Supper Club. I know these trivial items but from reading the HAL brochures it appears that there is more offered that would fit our interest. Hopefully this has clarified some of what I am searching for in responses.

[ksat]

I also wanted to add that the ship smelled of cigarette smoke in the stairways especially in the areas around the casino. It was a very heavy odor that permeated onto the floors below. I had not noticed this on the other cruises. The staff on the ship was great and all were very friendly.

[leoandhugh]

Whether or not you will "enjoy" a cruise on another line other than the one you are accustomed to, is not so much what you learn from the opinions of other posters on these threads as it is your attitude. If you go at it comparing one with another, there are certainly differences, but whether or not you let them bother you, is within your control and your outlook. If you go with a positive attitude, that will overcome most of the problem areas you may encounter. After all, cruises vary within the ships of one cruise line based on crew, itinerary, size of the ship, etc. It is always pertinent to remember what is posted here are the opinions of others, subject to the same likes and dislikes as you have.

[maxout]

Food is a very subjective thing, IMO the overall quality of the food and service on HAL is better than what I have experienced on Carnival ymmv.

 

I know you will find that there are far less announcements and hard sell push. With a smaller ship with far less pax the experience is somehow more personal and less intense.

[DFD1]

IMO, the differences between CCL and HAL are like daylight and dark. HAL is much more subued, but not dull. Ships are elegant and beautifully furnished, not loud and over done. Atmosphere is quiet quality, few PA announcements, beautiful library and coffee cafe, upscale Lido dining area. Absolutely gorgeous dining rooms, spacious staterooms.

 

Service is light years ahead of CCL.

 

No loud games and little or no chair-hogging around the pool.

 

HAL is not a "Fun Ship" by any means. However, HAL cruises are great fun. HAL's typical customer is probably a slightly older, more affluent, more experienced traveler that a CCL customer.

 

PS: I personally think the food is generally near top notch from a kitchen that serves 3,000 meals a day!

 

Hope you sail HAL and have a great time.

[gillianrose]

I also wanted to add that the ship smelled of cigarette smoke in the stairways especially in the areas around the casino. It was a very heavy odor that permeated onto the floors below. I had not noticed this on the other cruises. The staff on the ship was great and all were very friendly.

 

We took two cruises to Alaska this summer, one right after the other, on two different lines. We were bothered very much by smoke on both cruises, but moreso on HAL. On the other hand, if you enjoy casinos (we never got into the habit, since casinos were always so smoky), HAL had one non-smoking night in the casino during the cruise. I don't know what Carnival does in this regard.

[smj]

Have you looked into Celebrity? I think it might be a good fit for you. Oceania and Azmara limit smoking. Oceania is my first choice.

[Copper10-8]

Nobody on this here board can tell you if you are going to enjoy HAL, only you can after experiencing HAL. Leo (or Hugh;) ) said it perfectly! Go with an open and positive attitude and plan on having a great time. There are differences between Carnival and HAL, some subtle and some not so subtle. Here's hoping you have one great cruise! :)

[richnorto]

I do not have a good idea of the Carnival line currently. We took a 7 day 12 years ago (his 1st) and had bad food and bad service. My husband has refused to take another on that line since! 2 years ago I finally convinced him to try cruising again. We took a 7 day Zaandam with kids (preteen/teen) and have been sold since! We did Princess for 10 days last Christmas and enjoyed that as well although the dining service was not as nice. We are currently booked on Maasdam for Christmas this year and hope for as great an experience! HAL used to have a reputation for bland food (my parents can vouch for that, still carry that opinion and don't take HAL because of...), but we did not have that sort of experience. The service we had on Zaandam was spectacular although week to week, ship to ship, evidently service can vary.

 

I think you would enjoy a vacation on HAL if you aren't looking for constant THRILLS! You won't find rock climbing walls, Ice rinks or surf board pools, but you will meet great people, listen to pretty good music and relax! The food will be good, the beds comfortable and the service caring!

[Desdemona01]

we are in the same age group as you and love HAL. We always take a few books with us, in hopes of extensive reading time, but we rarely get through any of them. We enjoy the ambiance, service, food, and smaller ships. We love our walks around the promenade deck and the numerous little nooks around the ship where you can sit to relax, talk or have a drink. There is as much or as little to do as you choose. For us, it is an excellent fit. Good luck with whatever you choose :)

[Desdemona01]

duplicate post

[Desdemona01]

ok, there are serious board issues happening here!--I only pressed *post* one time....

[sassyredhat]

As you can see, we have cruised both lines. DH is 59, I am 61, and we started cruising HAL in our early 50's.

We love HAL for all the posted reasons. If things get slow, we go to the movie theater.

However, we do take Carnival for DH's golf cruises.

We are not pool people, and we don't drink, so laid back HAL is a good fit for us.

The food and service is superb, and the cabins are big.

I think all casinos are smokey.

 

Try Hal. I think you will be happy.

 

Pat

[Frick_&_Frack]

We have cruised a variety of lines - with both HAL and CCL planned for 2008. We love the more "refined" feel of HAL; however, we loved the service and food this past September on CCL.

 

We sail in Cat SB on HAL and Cat 12 on CCL - room size is comparable and both are comfy (though the aft SB has a huge wrap veranda).

 

The lack of "hot" items for room service on CCL are a minor negative; the more extensive room service on HAL is a big plus.

 

Food is subjective; however in September on CCL, we had excellent meals, cooked perfectly (meat very rare and tender; ice cream/sorbets frozen), so it could be luck of the draw in that department.

 

Unfortunately, since HAL will no longer sail from NYC after Spring 2008 and has discontinued the golf-pro services (already - except for the Prinsendam), it looks like we will be moving away from them after this February since the NYC departure is major (or we have to drive and I'm against driving to Florida in the winter months) and the golf-pro is a huge issue for DH.

 

Happy Cruising! :)

[gillianrose]

...since HAL will no longer sail from NYC after Spring 2008 and has discontinued the golf-pro services (already - except for the Prinsendam), it looks like we will be moving away from them after this February since the NYC departure is major (or we have to drive and I'm against driving to Florida in the winter months) and the golf-pro is a huge issue for DH.

 

What port does HAL use for New England cruises then, Boston? Boston and New York are both OK for us for New England or Bermuda cruises (we live in California), but we'd never consider going south from such northern ports.

 

Personally, cruises to the Caribbean/Bahamas from New York during the colder months have a very limited appeal, limited to those who live near the port, and not even all of those people, many of whom want to have warmth from day one. I have seen snapshots of cruise ships with snow-built creatures onboard, and it looks very unattractive to me. (The snow is pretty, but, damn, it means COLD...brrr.) There's also the weather factor during the winter regarding flights to northern ports.

[RuthC]

What port does HAL use for New England cruises then, Boston? Boston and New York are both OK for us for New England ...

Both cities. The 7-day NE/Canada cruises are either one-way Boston-Montreal (or reverse), or are round-trip Boston.

The 10-day cruises are one-way NYC-Montreal (or, soon Quebec) or reverse.

[SarasMommy]

I have only sailed HAL, so you might want to take my opinions with a grain of salt; however, there are a few reasons I enjoy HAL:

 

- The destinations offered seem to be much broader than many other cruise lines (besides the likes of Cunard, etc., which I cannot afford!).

 

- The food is usually very good, with a variety of selections.

 

- I like the fact that the crowd is generally more mature and has less kids than other lines.

 

- The entertainment and onboard activities are eventful, but not overbearing and "in your face".

 

Of course the food factor is important to you, if that is the business your husband is in. I work for a company that maintains traffic signals, so when we were in Gambia, I was thrilled when we went through the only intersection in the country that had traffic signals. Everyone else on the tour bus couldn't understand what I was so excited about!

[RuthC]

Seems there's another hidden post. Let's see if we can get it to come out of hiding. :confused:

[Copper10-8]

Seems there's another hidden post. Let's see if we can get it to come out of hiding

 

Here's a hand!:)

[maxout]

I think we need to call Ghost Busters to rescue all the "Ghost Posts"

[SarasMommy]

I think it might have been mine, but looks like it's appeared.

 

I've noticed a few glitches lately. Must be a sign of a busy board!