As a cruiser, I LOVE HAL. I have been cruising with them since my 20's. I go for relaxation, interesting ports and the service. Impeccable Service. NO nickle and diming. I want a ship that is NOT an amusement park, a shopping mall, a herd service. I enjoy class, more mature crowd and NOT a huge partying and craziness atmosphere. I have met amazing people and we are booked again to go to Alaska in May. Also, my daughter , who is 22 CHOSE HAL to cruise on for the exact same reasons I mentioned. We adore the Indonesian and Filipino crew. As far as price, I found an incredible deal and it is 1/2 the price of some of the lines you mentioned. Happy Cruising!
I don't understand how these guys say HAL is so expensive. In my experience HAL consistently is MUCH less expensive than RCCL, Celebrity, NCL, and Princess. The most comparable pricing with HAL I've found is with CCL.
5 star on HAL, my favorite cruise line. I'm not a senior citizen. However I don't need an amusement park on the top deck to enjoy a cruise. HAL's music walk is unmatched at sea. Yes the 3 new ships have more entertainment & activities. Food, Music, Itineraries & staff are the strengths on HAL!
HAL is a much more traditional line than some of the others. They're primarily a more relaxed ship and don't have as much to do as some others. We're 4 stars on HAL and we've been moving toward Princess for shorter (7-14 days) cruises.
I’m a Four Star Mariner because I prefer a laid back cruise experience with great staff and decent food. If I do cruise with another line it would probably be to try luxury and ultra-luxury lines. But for now, HAL hits the sweet spot. BTW, I’m in my early 50s.
HAL isn't a cruise line that I would normally try but they had a great itinerary last June that I could not pass up which was a back to back Mediterranean sailing. Aside from the ports (which was the major draw for me), I enjoyed the main dining room, attentive staff (cruise director was cute) and even liked the entertainment on the ship. I would be willing to sail with them ONLY if the itinerary is right as I'm more of a RCL person and prefer their older ships vs HAL's. I did find out that several people did experience major plumbing issues and saw evidence of it during my sailing (fortunately, I was spared).
My favorite lines are Princess and HAL. We are starting to sail more on HAL because they offer itineraries that are different - and we prefer the smaller ships.
HAL has some beautiful newer ships, like the Koningsdam. The food is generally pretty good, the staff are exceptional, and the vibe is pretty relaxed. Its a traditional type of cruise that offers more enriching itineraries than your usual caribbean booze cruise. They cater to audiophiles and music lovers. I love its absence of younger, rude people, screaming kids, water slides, etc. At 50, I did all that when my kids were younger. We want peace now. HAL delivers. Im with you on NCL. Embarking and disembarking are a nightmare, service wasn't great... It's basically for people who like to drink. I want more out of a vaca.
Couldn’t agree more! We did an Hawaiian circle cruise on the Koningsdam. Absolutely gorgeous ship. Top notch food and service. There were people up dancing and having a great time every single night. We were so impressed that we booked another cruise with HAL before we got off the ship.
I was one of many passengers on the Koningsdam during the last week of August 2023 who contracted Covid. The soap dispensers were frequently empty and public areas were frequently neglected: dishes and dirty linens left to pile up. Very disappointing for my first (and possibly last) HAL cruise.
@@barbiedoll2447 sorry that was your experience. You certainly deserved better than that for your dollar, but it was anecdotal, and only one trip. The question in all of this is "is it the exception or the rule"?...and how often does the exception occur? I've had some very good experiences on HAL and only one bad one myself. Meanwhile, I've NEVER had a good experience on NCL. I've also never had a BAD one on Oceania. NCL is cheaper than HAL. Oceania costs MORE than HAL. So the lesson is.....less of a risk of a bad trip when you spend more money. Seems the old adage does apply. You get what you pay for.
I agree that NCL Embarking and disembarking is an absolute nightmare. The worst experience we ever had with any cruse line's process, every time, beginning with getting onto the ship for the first time and getting off. Not enough staff to do an efficient job, and disorganized, especially if you are doing an international cruse. They even lost our luggage for a day when I spent a good amount of valuable time trying to find it, missing some events because of that. NCL used to be a favorite cruse line. Changes need to be made!
We sailed HAL last year through the Panama Canal from Ft. Lauderdale. The problem I had with it was the endless upselling. I think the person at the spa would have sold me the table I was lying on if I had made an offer. She also made future appointments for me for acupuncture without asking me! On a shore excursion we went kayaking and since we were slow the guide left us behind!! The guide seemed to think it was a race and wanted everyone to go as fast as they could, like he was late for something. And the photographers following you every place you went got old. Overall we did have a good time, and the specialty dining was very good, but I wouldn't book on HAL again. Next week we're on Viking for the first time, but my favorite line by far is Regent Seven Seas.
@@ericbedenbaugh7085 I agree @luvtravel6207 I am also 53 and went on my first HAL cruise on the Pinnacle Class ship, Rotterdam. It was amazing! Top-notch service and food. Although I did have the Orange Club privileges, I still felt I would have received an amazing experience without it. But, again, the Food!!! Yes, they really get it right with the food everywhere you eat on the ship. No upselling going on on the line I was on. NONE!!!!
HAL is one of my favorites after over 60 cruises, 7 continents and 80 countries. Besides destinations, longer cruisers, great food with the fresh fruit at sea they have superior lectures and talks. The music walk on the newer ships has something for everyone and the similar venues on older ships are catching up. If you like music and dancing ballroom and Latin it is the line to go with.
I'm a 4-star Mariner on Holland America, so I obviously like what they offer. Older, smaller ships can be a plus for travellers like me who don't want to be part of a small city, providing the cruise line maintains and updates them regularly (which HAL does). Also HAL's itineraries are much better than most, offering ports-of-call that are interesting and give varied travel experiences. Their superb Music Walk venues keep me happy and entertained, so I'm fine with paying a bit of a premium on the cruise fare. I'm sailing on a big Princess ship in a few week's time, so we'll see how my first time on this cruise line goes!
Four star also and HAL is one of the best! We have over 55 cruises, 4 star on HAL, Elite on Princess, Diamond on RCCL and Elite on Celebrity. We’ve had one bad cruise on all except Princess. These people are nuts!😂😂
I think you might be slightly disappointed with Princess because they don’t have have those smaller beautiful “tucked away” lounges where you can actually sit down with a cocktail and have a conversation with someone. That was my experience anyway.
We just got off our 2nd Holland cruise. We were on the Rotterdam for a 9 day Caribbean cruise and everything was wonderful. The food from the MDR to the buffet to the specialty restaurants was amazing!!! We had a fabulous time every night dancing in their Music walk! Please do another review because you are way way off!!!!
My husband and I love HAL. When we cruise, its the destination thats are important to us, not all the other bells and whistles like the other cruises have. HAL cruises are port heavy so the cruise ship is not the real star. We do love the food and the staff. You are actually able to relax on the ship however I do agree that the entertainment is pretty hokey.
I disagree with you about HAL. I LOVE HAL! Food is great, staff is great, music onboard is great, and the ports are fabulous. I cruise for the travel, for the ports, NOT for the ship. Other than being well-fed and entertained at night, I want to get off the ship and see the world. HAL's smaller ships can get into ports that the mega-ships can't.
@fogsmart my husband and I cruised last year on half, and met others from a princess ship and the wished they had chose HAL. They said the food was awful.
@@tanyarobinson1146 interesting. There used to be a lot of consistency with respect to expectations being met for certain ships. It seems to vary these days as I hear differing opinions. We just cancelled our Alaska cruise next summer with Norwegian. My wife and I are going to pick a small ship with curated itinerary, dinning, and excursions. We will have to save up more.
We sailed in Holland Konnsigdam in 2023 and we had a blast . We are not in the age demographic you described and we still had a great time. The live music in the music walkway is awesome. Live rock music and when that's done , then live party/hip hop music in the BB Kings hall plays ... everyone was on the dance floor! Once that is done then duelling pianos starts on another stage for aing along fun. Good was also delicious, great service , friendly workers and probably the happiest cruisers I've ever met...and we've sailed princess, ncl , celebrity, regent, carnival and royal.
After 6 years I am giving NCL a try again. Also Platinum with them. Like an itinerary coming up. But will see ... prices are always higher. Especially excursions. Not going on a huge ship, not keen on more people.
I sailed on the Konnsigdam in its inagural season and it was a great experience. I liked the layout and amnenities it offered. I also like HAL because it tends to not have lots of children onboard.
I love NCL. I’ve never felt pressured to spend extra money on the ship. I guess o just ignore all that. Their prices certainly have risen, but I still find them better Royal, and comparable to Princess. Additionally, I appreciate their at (least nominal) value for solo cruisers. Plus, they sail from NYC and Boston which is much appreciated. I’ve never had a bad time on an NCL cruise.
HAL is my favorite cruise line. The staff are always wonderful, the food is great, I like their music options, and I am now handicapped and they were very helpful and considerate. You see fewer kids, and I don't need all the slides, race tracks, climbing walls, etc. I go to relax and visit unique ports.
We love Holland and will be boarding shortly for a 9 day cruise. We are almost 4 star, so they are doing everything right for us. I love that the buffet crew serve you your choices in the line. It’s nice that 500 people haven’t touched that serving spoon before we did! Thanks for your reviews of your worst lines!
Wow, because you are 4 stars. So, maybe only people who are high stars should cruise with HAL. People with low or non star should not cruise with Hal, I wonder. 😅😂
@@CL-mp4vnyou missed the point. They are almost 4 star because HAL did so well they kept going back enough over and over enough to get almost to 4 star. She wasn’t saying only 4 star gets the good service, etc.
HAL is amazing for folks who want a more traditional cruise experience. Interesting ports around the globe, smaller ships with more intimate venues, great service and well travelled, friendly passengers. I’ve travelled on all the major cruise lines multiple times and once I found HAL I’ve never gone back. Btw I started sailing in my 40s which is not the normal demographic but would rather be with interesting world travelers than listen to parents constantly talking about or yelling at their kids which was common on RCL, Carnival, NCL etc
I agree on 5 of your 6 - not so much with Holland America. We were on the brand-new Rotterdam last year and the Maasdam in 2017. The food and service are top notch, and the new Music Walk has some fine entertainment.
I went on the NCL Joy for a New England & Canada cruise last fall. I didn't feel nickle & dimed at all. We elected to upgrade our WIFI after we boarded, and gave an additional tip to our room steward due to excellent service, but other than that, didn't spend anything once on board. I don't recall any announcements at all about events they wanted to us attend. I loved it!
NCL was a one and done for us. Definitely felt nickle and dimed. Service was terrible. Food was OK. I think they really struggle with good captains also as our cruise skipped 2 ports because of weather/wind but the other cruise ships going to the same exact ports had no issues at all. In all of our cruises, NCL was the worst experience.
NCL is my preferred line and I agree with not having an issue with the additional fee venues. There are so many included venues and activities that I've decided it's possible an issue of spending too much time looking at other cruisers experiences rather than enjoying your own vacation. I don't chase gifts on land so those events on the ship didn't even cross my radar.
Our most recent NCL was probably ourlst. Ports skipped, visiting islands that were closed on a Sunday, beingdisemarked at a commercial port rather than the cruise terminal in Cape Town, (no joke if one's wife is in a wheelchair) and, worst of all, docking in the mineral terminal in Richards Bay rathe than a passenger terminal and getting covered in mineral dust in the full sun with only a half hour bus service to the nearest town, being charged 20dollars for a bus that was not accessible. We're using Celebrity this time and Cunardnext.
@@ginnyzuckero5351I agree. Moreover, we did back to back cruises on Norwegian Dawn and the entertainment was identical on both parts and poor. Only two production shows in 17 nights, under researched quizzes, cheap bought in acts and films in the theatre two of the first three nights. Made me pine for Fred Olsen.
My wife and I have been Cruising a long time. We decided that it was time to give NCL a try. In the end it was a disaster. Cancelled ports of call for no reason at all, shore excursions were not well put together and didn’t fit the description. In the end we will never be booking another one. Not to mention the service we received was the worst we had ever received from any cruise line. Never again. In fact it got so bad that in 30 years of cruising we felt we had no choice but to pull the gratuities. We have never done that in the past and hope that we are not in the position of ever having to consider doing it again as the people who provide the service work hard and deserve it. The service however was really bad. We did tip the ones who we felt deserved it but We weren’t the only ones in line at the customer service desk pulling them unfortunately. I would never recommend NCL to anyone. The worst seven day cruise we have ever taken. Stay far away as there are much better Cruise lines out there to enjoy and make you want to pay the gratuities with a smile every time. Just our experience and opinion.
As a cruiser who just did his 80th cruise I have to say HAL is excellent. I last sailed on them March of last year on the Nieuw Statendam. The ship was gorgeous, the entertainment great, the staff was amazing and the food outstanding. I would absolutely recommend them unless you have children that must be constantly entertained. No water slides or other exciting rides. HAL is really for those who want to relax, have some good entertainment and food and sail to some wonderful ports.
I am getting ready to embark on my 9th Disney cruise next week. I will say, the parks and the cruise line are completely different things- you can't really compare them. If you want a theme park at see, you for sure have to go with Icon of the Seas. I think HAL had great service, but my service on Disney has ALWAYS been far superior. Of course, my last 2 trips were on the Wish and Fantasy, and the Wonder before that... so I can't speak to the Dream as I haven't sailed on her in years. I took my family on Harmony of the Seas in November for our family vacay... I asked each of them, ages 12 to 77- what has been their favorite cruise... the 13 year old said Royal's Navigator of the Seas- everyone else chose the Disney Wonder.
My wife and I went on our first cruise in January, on Holland America Nieuw Statendam, we were not sure we would even like cruising, on the 7th morning before leaving we were both so incredibly sad it was over, loved the ship (if I want an amusement park I will go to 6 flags), loved the music, loved the food. Found a good deal on a Princess cruise in April and are we giving it a try, if Holland is near the bottom of the barrel as you suggest then we are in for a ton of great times in the future.
You certainly hit a nerve with HAL fans. With almost 400 nights on HAL ships, I agree that it is far and away one of the best ways for me to spend my time and travel dollars. Great service and such a wide variety of venues offering outstanding food tops my list of what makes a good cruise for me. However, I did enjoy watching your discussion on this topic because I am always interested in what others find important. Thank you.
I’ve been on Princess, Carnival, NCL, Royal Caribbean and most recently Celebrity and feel everyone is in the nickel and dime business. Beyond the cruise fare, onboard spending is a primary revenue stream. The cruise lines have all lost a ton of money over the pandemic and are clamoring to get you to spend, spend, spend. Pushing excursions, specialty dining, drink packages, spa services, art auctions, you name it your hard earned vacation dollars are the target 🎯
@@jojojack4975 sure lol Viking is best value for money in the industry. It’s honestly not that much more expensive then Norwegian/Royal and you have a smaller ship every room has a balcony, all meals are included. Gratuities as well.
@double_joseph327 I have friends that have been all over Europe on Viking cruises. I checked on going with them, really expensive. I personally don't care for the smaller ships. Although they may appear to be less crowded. Many of the smaller ships have less room per person than the larger ships. Plus, there is much less to do while on board. I know Viking is a good line, but I'll stick to the ships I cruise on. I know how to spend just what I want to and not get caught up in the hype of all the junk they try to sell.
@@jojojack4975 not sure what cruise you line you go on but I just looked online to compare like a Greek isles cruise Viking to the big 3 and it’s literally the same price but you get an inside cabin not a balcony and they nickle and dime you onboard lol
You need to go on a new HAL ship. It will change your opinion. I was on the Nieuw Statendam last year and it was excellent. The food, Music walk, and theatre entertainment were all top notch. It’s not a Cruise Line for young families but if your kids are teenagers or older, it’s a great family experience. HAL is an even better fit for adult couples and Solo cruisers.
I love NCL for various reasons. I love the fact that as a solo traveler, I can travel to unique destinations without breaking my bank. Where else can I take a 21-day cruise up the coast of Western Africa for less than $3K as a solo traveler? And I love the smaller ships, even if the food can be mediocre. It's the destination for me. And about the "nickel and diming"? I ignore the sales pitches and don't let them phase me. I generally don't attend the events that come with a sales pitch and only buy the things I want, like the thermal spa. I know that many other ships include some amenities like Wi-Fi... but for me, I still come out cheaper traveling as a solo on NCL. I really appreciate your review!
My wife and I have sailed with P&O 3 times and each time have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We've sailed on their older ships and on their brand new ship and both have been equally enjoyable for different reasons. They are pitched very much at the UK market and their pricing is exceptionally keen. They don't pretend to offer a super high-end luxury experience but we've found the food to be good, the on-board entertainment to be excellent, the prices for drinks, etc. to be very reasonable and the service to be friendly and attentive. For the price I think what they offer is excellent value.
I have just returned from a P&O cruise and had a great time was my first cruise, I agree it’s targeted at the uk market. MSC seems a solid option as well if you are comfortable with Mediterranean food.
Wow! I have sailed on NCL four times out of my 20 cruises. I did a transatlantic with them in 2023 and I did not have no pickpocketing feeling whatsoever. There was nothing that I attended where they wanted me to buy something I was on the ship for 15 days
AGREED. I have been on 17 cruises, nine were on NCL. I choose NCL mostly because of the free style. I like to do what I want when I want. NCL is not perfect, but they don't nickel and dime any more than other lines. There is extreme pressure to buy junk at every port when you get off the ship. Does that keep you from enjoying the rest of the port? Making the choice to spend money is up to you.
Love Holland America for taking a sea journey. Wonderful staff, quality cuisine, interesting destinations complete with entertainment often tied with were you are. I do prefer the newer ships for the upgraded music experience and specialty restaurants. I guess it really depends if one wants a ship with an amusement park attached or a ship experience. I am 4 Star with HAL though enjoy Princess and Celebrity as well.
My husband and I prefer HAL, we have been on 10 cruises with them. The service is impeccable and the food is excellent. I think their ships are beautiful, I love the gorgeous fresh flowers everywhere, and the lovely art work and sculptures. There were people of all ages on all of the cruises.I do not want to cruise with thousands of other people. We were on a Royal Caribbean ship and I felt like I was being herded. There were terrible delays in getting off the ship in port, backed up on the stairways and impossible to get an elevator, and we were nickel and dimed for everything. NCL was ok, the food and drinks were good, but shows filled quickly unless you had reservations, and there was 1 tiny pool. The ship was huge and way too much walking to get anywhere, you had to pass all the shops. Celebrity didn't even leave an impression. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and each cruise can be entirely different.
Uh oh we just booked a 10 night cruise on NCL. Sailing on NCL for the first time. Can we just say NO to the "nickel and diming".... Oh well we will see.... Now I'm picturing people jumping out at us like they do from the kiosks at the mall.... Trying to sell us anti-wrinkle creams and other things. Lol Do they follow you around? Lol, well I guess we know and then are prepared.
NCL was our first cruise ever last year. Fantastic experience… so much that we booked another this year. I do not feel like we were nickel & dimed at all! And no… no one chases you down. Lol
HAL ships “not as good”? I beg to differ. I love their teak wraparound decks, great itineraries, above and beyond service, and second to none food. Good value for the money! You can keep your malls, water parks, and ice rinks. I want my ocean views from public spaces, good music venues, and attentive and cheerful service.
I’ve always been loyal to NCL. The sales pitches are there all the time but it doesn’t matter if you just let it roll off your back and ignore it. The food is the best of all the lines that we’ve been on.
Yeah. I don't really understand why some people are so bothered by that. Especially since NCL is almost always the cheapest option if you want a drinks package. Thanks to the drinks package, I have frequently taken NCL cruises without spending a single extra dollar onboard.
We were on Holland America's Koningsdam in Alaska this summer and had a GREAT experience! The food, entertainment, and enrichment talks were all first rate. I don't know what the "certain demographic" is they they are referring to - we saw cruisers of all ages and our teenage kids had a great time. On Holland America, you really feel like you're on a ship - not the shopping mall that most new cruise ships are turning out to be.
We just got off a celebrity cruise and having previously cruised with MSC, we hated the value of Celebrity and personally prefer the value of MSC (including the yacht club) over the insane nickel and diming that Celebrity offered us. It was extra money around every corner. The all inclusive drink package wasn't even all inclusive 😂
I don't understand the "Nickle and Dime" you to death statement. I just got off of Encore and it was my very first NCL cruise and there was no "surprise charges" or anything of that sort. Yes they charge for the extra items (specialty dining, go carts, arcade games and such) but so does Royal Caribbean (they even charge for the water slide at Perfect Day. And when you compare the price for the cruise that includes Free at Sea, its a great deal. Just my $0.02 worth.
We are avid HAL cruisers for exactly the downsides that u mentioned. They cater to older more discerning clientele, they don’t go for flash and superficial effects, they cruise the whole world on most ships and don’t back to the same ports very often, other than Alaska and Caribbean, they bring awesome speakers and educators on board, they bring in local talent and chefs from different ports, and their loyalty program is second to none. We have tried all the others lines and keep coming back to HAL. We have seen over 100 countries on HAL, and plan on a world cruise in January.
I like Msc. Their price fits my budget, their itineraries match the competitors, they have new beautiful ships, they are very adequately staffed, and the food and entertainment are what I would expect. I have no complaints after sailing a few times on the Seascape and Seashore. Most TH-cam bloggers on cruise and air travel present their views based on their ability to afford high level cabins. So their reviews are biased towards what people with a lot of money can afford. That caters to only a small audience. The majority of cruisers are not high-end customers that are used to these perks. As a budget customer, I would personally to see a realistic review of what is available to me on cruise for a standard cabin, etc. Think about families with kids who are not rich. Or a couple who is not week to do, but have put some money aside to do a cruise without the premium booking. How can these people keep cruising for a decent price and acceptable expectations? Don't tell us about balconies, suites, yacht club, specialty dining, etc. that most people cannot afford.
Personally I just didn’t like the people who were on the ship, the other passengers. The clientele this cruise line attracts. The rudeness and disrespect towards the hardworking crew was astonishing and frankly disgusting and at times derogatory and racist. We sailed out of Southampton. The continuous moaning and complaining, the entitlement from people who paid peanuts and demanding everything, the pushing and shoving, the disregard of smoking areas, the unenforced pool chair hoarding rule, the foul language, the complete selfishness and greed at the buffet, the aggression from drunk abusive men, the sleazy drunk women, the lazy disinterested staff (who can blame them after all they have to put up with). It was a terrible experience from day one. Nice ship (Virtuosa) but crowded beyond belief and had a Cruise Director who obviously has sailed too many times on this ship and was missing in action more times than not and appeared very over it. Maybe I got unlucky but after reading review after review about this cruise line I it might be the norm.
MSC is our favorite line of ones we have been on. We have only been on NCL, Royal, Carnival and MSC. We have always had fantastic service, best shows, best chocolate goodies, and we think their food choice and quality is above the others. Always good pizza. We have cruised 3 of their ships on 5 cruises. The Divina, Seascape, Seashore.
These bloggers can’t understand MSC and its purpose. It isn’t a cruise line but rather a huge ferry or sea bus. Ppl get on and off at every port on a Mediterranean cruise. It’s just a good way to avoid airports. The entertainment was better than Regent anyway
I feel msc is great cruise line Over the years I found the staff very helpful I would recommend msc over carnival I like the way they think outside the box
Our Panama Canal cruise on the NCL Jewel was absolute perfection. Free at Sea airfare was a phenomenal deal. Our invoice when we left the ship was $10!
Have done one HAL to Alaska. was in my early 50 when I went. I do not need car races, water slides, etc.. The food and staff was great. I enjoyed the simple layouts of the ship.
I am also a big fan of HAL. We are in our late 50s and love the Music Walk, food, service and all around relaxing cruise. We don't want the mass market cruise experience and HAL now caters to our demographic. Try a Pinnacle Class ship and I bet you'll change your mind.
Viking Ocean!!! For budget cruising with interesting itineraries: HAL. Celebrity is often overlooked, but offer an excellent product, too. I don't want a crowded loud floating amusement park. Cruiselines I avoid 100%: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney (I'm not 7 years old), NCL, Princess, MSC, Costa. I haven’t cruised Virgin, but it seems too weird & noisy to be a pleasant experience. I cruise for the ports, not the ship & not long lines/crowds.
We've been on numerous Holland America cruises - they are our favorite for sure. As slightly older folks, we are not interested in waterslides, etc. In fact it's great to have few (if any) kids aboard. If we wanted to take the grandkids, we'd definitely choose a different cruise line. Conversely, if you want a less kid-oriented experience, HAL is fabulous. We were recently on their newest ship, The Rotterdam and it was fantastic - the food, service, music, cabins....I could go on and on. We have been on their older ships as well, and they are still lovely. It all depends on what sort of a cruise experience you are looking for. We prefer more laid back.
You guys are spot on. What happened to NCL? We just cruised with them with their inflated prices and the constant nickel and dimming expecting more and got nothing. Good staff but really bad customer service and management. It was like they went out of their way to make things miserable. Got an MSC cruise coming up only because it was in the Mediterranean when we I wanted. I think I’ll have to use the same game plan as I did for my last MSC cruise, look forward to the port arrivals just to get the hell off that thing. Keep em coming guys! Great videos! Happy travels!
I have had great experiences on MSC. On my last cruise the pizza was always excellent. Even at midnight there were lines for their pizza. Gelato is extra special too. All of my service experiences were excellent. Staff went above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable and my needs were met. Because I have a bad knee, the expedition agent made sure I always had the first seat on the bus for my excursions. She did this without me asking. I appreciate her thoughtfulness. I had à wonderful host in the dining room. It was always a treat to see his bright smilimg face when I went to eat. If I showed up for breakfast or lunch he always made sure I had English speaking guests to talk to. The man that cleaned my room was always asking me about my needs and wanting to give me more. I can't recommend the staff more highly. I cruise on the MSC Magnifica out of Spain.
We really enjoyed MSC. As you stated, the ships are beautiful. Also, the food was in my on par with Carnival. I felt the atmosphere and passengers were a little more laid back in conparison to the Carnival crowd. We sailed on the "Seashore " out of Cape Canaveral. Will sail with MSC again.
We love HAL. It's quiet and calm. The Music Walk is wonderful. Love that the pool area can be covered during inclement weather. Service is top notch. Their ships are wonderful. They don't have carnival rides and water slides, but that's not what we cruise for. Food is excellent.
We have cruised on everything from Crystal, Regent, Seabourn, Queen Mary to Royal Caribbean and we are now 4 star on HAL. I guess that lets you know which cruise line we have decided is our favorite. We only cruise on the newer HAL ships though. Try a newer HAL ship. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
I cruise them all and enjoy each one in its own areas of excellence. I cruise MSC (only the Sea"type" named ships) as these are excellent and at their prices only book a cruise with everything upscaled as then it is equal to the prices of the Royals, Carnival Xl's, NCL Prima prices but I am in a suite or Yatch Club with everything included and it beats the other lines then.
Is price reasonable for upscale ? I go on carnival only balcony spa level and it has gone up in price and buffet quality went down . I am exploring other ships with great music no rocks and country music please .
Regarding HAL = they are old elegance and not cheap sparkle. Thank goodness for HAL and Celebrity to give people a place to cruise with without feeling that I am in a Chuck E Cheese or 6 Flags Amusement Park. HAL provides excellent enrichment talks by people for people, who want to learn and understand. The odds are low that we will be sharing a cabin wall with a family with a young child or teenager and won't have to listen to all of the drama and melt-downs that come with youth. Thank you very much to HAL and Celebrity, that I board your ship feeling confident that I will have a good and uninterrupted sleep. NCL = I agree with you but with another reason, but your reason and my reasons end up being the same thing - money. Now we avoid NCL because they outright "lie" in the manner of advertising an itinerary and then after we boarded the ship, they inform us that they cannot go to the port stop or area (such as Antarctica) due to reasons that turns out, NCL knew of those reasons *prior* to advertising that itinerary. NCL has a deep history of "Bait and Switch" and outright lying on their advertised itinerary vs what they actually provide.
You are on point with HAL in regards to entertainment and their older ships (you wouldn’t know they are old tho because they keep them up so well) but their great itineraries, food and service more than make up for it!
Have only done HAL & NCL. Food & service so much better on HAL. I like the smaller HAL ships, can go to more interesting ports. HAL more sophisticated, gives wonderful port talks in main theater especially panama canal history. Recent NCL cruise gave me zero port info except for shopping. HAL is more about the ports than the ship, their excursions are certainly more affordable than NCLs. Found HAL ships & staterooms much nicer than my recent NCL Gem experience.
@@Joe-lk6ocAll cruise lines nickel and dime the minute you board. It is up to you whether to spend extra money on things you don't need or want. No one forces you to ride a race car, buy a ridiculous art piece, eat at a specialty restaurant, etc.
I agree that I haven’t felt bombarded. The staff was amazing! When we ate dinner at LeBistro the director of all the food was talking to the guests and he sent up a tray of treats with a personal note and his card. Very nice!
I was shocked to hear that HAL is on your list!! Perhaps you have not sailed on their newer ships. I sailed on the Koningsdam last august to Alaska and absolutely LOVED it. The enrichment programs were unbeatable, the wildlife expert was truly amazing, the food was good, the room was so beautiful with incredibly beautiful bathroom and Elemis toiletries. Their prices are very competitive, too. I find their prices to often be lower than NCL. I’m doing a transatlantic with them in April. Agree about NCL. I felt very nickel and dimed. Embarkation was excruciating! Disembarkation was better but I HATED what they said they would do to your luggage if you don’t pick it up by a certain time … they say they’ll throw it out! Absolutely no respect for their customers who have paid thousands to sail with them!
You are right on about HAL. I’ve cruised for 35 yers, I’m finished with dodge cars and roller coasters. I want a quieter, longer cruise cruise and HAL fits the bill.
Chacun a son gout -- everyone to their own taste. As a Certified Fuddy-Duddy I like HAL best. I don't need great shows. In fact, if I never hear "Tomorrow! Tomorrow! It's Onlee a dayyyyy awaaaaaay!" again I will be happy. I don't need waterslides, ice skating rinks, roller coasters, etc. etc. I want my money to go to attentive service, pleasant surroundings, good food, and good shore excursions. Oddly, we had a good experience on Costa. We had talked and talked about a Mediterranean Cruise, so our kids gave us one for Christmas one year. Of course they chose the one they could afford, which was Costa. It had all the faults you mention, but it had two virtues that made the experience enjoyable. First, the personnel were very pleasant. I was sick for the first couple of days due to something I ate in Atlanta. I know they were checking on me in case it was contagious, but they were so nice! They insisted I not worry about the mess in the bathroom and brought me water and tried to be sure I drank it. Friendly care makes good feelings. Second, the shore excursions, which were what we were on the cruise for, were excellent! And speaking of going the extra mile, when I got sick my husband went to the shore excursion desk and explained and they cancelled my reservation for the first shore excursion and refunded the cost! That was amazing! Oh, and Norwegian -- we have never been on them, but our daughter had a terrible experience with the kids' program. Very badly run.
I have not been on a cruise (yet) but I'm right there with you that the description of the HAL sounds right up my alley 🙂. Of course, I too fall into that age category. lol!
@@Lynn-kh5rs I think it's great that different cruise lines cater to different tastes! I would never mark down a cruise ship because it is really essentially a floating amusement park, but I'm not going to buy a ticket. In defense of HAL and children, our daughter took us on an Alaska cruise a few years ago. At the time her twins were 8 years old. They spent most of the day at Club Hal and had a wonderful time. The hours for Club Hal didn't include mealtimes, so all the kids were in the general population then and they all behaved themselves well. I didn't see running and screaming, by the pool or anywhere else.
I was shocked to see HAL on this list. It’s the only cruise line we travel with. The staff and the food are exceptional. Also, we love the smaller older ships. I’m sorry, but you’re out to lunch on this one.
I agree with you on everything except Disney. My first cruise was on Disney, I've cruised on Disney more than any other cruise line, and I still have more fun on Disney than on any other cruise line. I don't think there is anything wrong with Disney; it's just a matter of whether or not it suits your personality. We went on a multi-generational cruise on Holland America, and to my surprise, my 81 year old father liked it the least of all of us! So again, I don't think it's a demographic thing; we had a lot of genuine complaints about a variety of issues on that cruise, from bad food, service issues, a messy dining room, and very disappointing entertainment. We were impressed at first glance, but the longer we were on it, the more problems we saw.
But there are 2 P&O cruise lines, the one from the UK and the one from Australia. They are seperate lines and different to each other. So which one is the one to be avoided?
Hey guys. Kevin from “30 and a wake up” talked about you guys and your channel today on his livestream. I love following both your channels. Thanks for the info.
Whew! I booked my first cruise ever last week with Virgin Voyages so I was holding my breath til the end of your video. I respect your viewpoints and considerations so I'm very happy to know Virgin is not on your list. I am excited about starting this new phase of my life with cruising so I am enjoying your cruise videos. Thanks so much for your reviews. 🙂
I have done 50 cruises since 2003 On many different lines from Luxury to basic - some as long as 56 days on Holland America Line. HAL is the best for me. I have 330 Cruise days on the Holland America Line and love all their ships, from the oldest to the newest, and the great food and crew. Also the prices and the worldwide coverage of their itineraries.
We like NCL because it fits are very laid back style of cruising. That being said, we certainly notice the constant sales pitches and avoid a few activities that sound fun because they are really just sales presentations in disguise.
I got off a 15-day cruise with NCL on the Bliss in December. I didn't experience anything you talked about. Sure, some of the game shows required purchasing a ticket. But other than that it was great. Loved the quiz events, loved the entertainment. I got the all-inclusive package and there were no extras on my final invoice. I paid $2000 for a balcony cabin on my own on a 15-day cruise. I think that's great value.
We loved our HAL cruises because they had great itineraries. We also loved the crew on each of the ships. But that was before they started to cater to children more, so I don't know if the service has suffered.
We have mostly used HAL and stay in the Neptune suites. We were on their first sailing after Covid (from Athens) which was limited to 950 passengers! We love not dealing with all the kids. We have nine of our own grandkids. We travel for the excursions not the entertainment. The staff is what makes HAL so special.
Great video. I agreed with you about NCL. We used to be loyal to NCL and its freestyle dining. But same here that we will no longer cruising with them if we can help it because of their "nickle and dime" strategy and how we were treated when our cruise was canceled due to COVID. We love RCL and have booked our first Virgin and Carnival Celebration. Hope to try Celebrity one day. We have watched other TH-cam video rating MSC, Costa, and P&O very low as well. Have fun traveling.
Just as an FYI to this from talking to several crew members on MSC and taking many wonderful cruises on them the crew members prefer to work on MSC, I spoke to two crew members and the pay on MSC is 2.5 times better than Carnival or RCL and that is pretty much across most postions and better hours as well , we all like to talk about how the people on cruise ships should make better wages and be treated better let’s put our money where our mouths are, MSC is decently priced provides a good product and service and actually pays their crew members in some instances many times more than other lines so I am supporting MSC as their mission in marine conservation and treating of staff makes them the one I give most of my money too
You are spot on about NCL! We were in a new ship, the Prima, in September. It was so disappointing. Nickled and dimed and dollared every day! Plus, we were in a colder climate and could never find a decent place to sit! The buffet missed the boat big time-not near enough tables or food. Never again.
Disagree on MSC. So far only two Cruises, Seaside and Seashore, out of Florida. The staff is not as good as Royal Caribbean, but the prices are about half and on our last cruise they went above and beyond for my birthday, even the entertainment staff had things sent to my room free of charge. They are beautiful ships, and I don’t base my cruising on the food as heavily as you seem to. I’m yoga teacher and a careful eater and always find things on MSC that work for me with no problem. They even have a good sugar-free dessert every meal. Different strokes for different folks, but I’m not on a cruise for seven days just to eat. The food is certainly good enough, especially in the specialty restaurants, but we stick with the buffet and dining room, and there are no real issues to speak of. They have very good excursions. I recommend this cruise line.
We prefer Celebrity and Royal. We have cruised on Carnival and NCL. We recently did a Viking river and it was really nice. If this is how the ocean cruises are then we would try them. We are going on an Oceania trip next year and are excited with the added options if we do like Oceania. In the future we plan to use the cruises that are repositioning, transatlantic, and transpacific as a way to skip the flights in retirement. We do prefer a childfree experience so the longer trips will continue to be our go to. Happy travels!
We agree with your video. Thanks for this video, it's very well done and very right to the point. What are your comments on Oceania? Can you will do a video with the best top cruise? Thanks Ramon & Zoe
This video is five stars. You're wonderful. Thanks for the video. I've decided to cruise only Carnival. I absolutely love the party atmosphere. My children really enjoyed their first experience on the Carnival Mardi-Gras for Christmas 2023. I'm booked for their winter break February 2025. I also love Carnival because they have cruises out in 2026. I can book my children winter break and spring break. By the way, it is six of us. Once again, thanks for the video.
Chiming in to agree with all the HAL fans. It's our preferred line by a long shot. Not interested in a floating amusement park with 5,000 other people! I want a well-appointed room, good food, attentive service, and interesting ports.
I took a HAL cruise (smaller, older ship) for the first time last summer. The staff and food were both excellent, but definitely got bored with a limited selection of activities. I understood that it could be the case and enjoyed walking or relaxing. I'm torn whether I will go with them again, but maybe on a newer, bigger ship with ax little bit more to do.
I actually love MSC, as an agent, I have sent clients on three different ships, and they all have enjoyed their time, which is why I keep going on them and promoting them. Understandably, they are new to the American market and I would agree that they are getting better and trying to improve. I was on the SeasScape and actually, I will be on it again shortly. I am not going to say that they don't need improvements, but I would not say avoid them. I think in a year or two, you may change your mind. Loved your video.
5 star Mariner with HAL - I have to disagree with your rationale for not sailing with Holland America. The ships are immaculate, the food is very good and staff is superior. Try one of the Pinnacle Class ships (like the new Rotterdam) before you judge. I do not think I can trust your research if you think HAL is a poor choice for cruising.
We’ve been on 2 Disney cruises with no kids and absolutely loved it. The food, entertainment and service was outstanding. The service for us was standout and lived up to the Disney standard. Your experiences seem to be different than many others from the comments on other cruise lines too.
We've only done Disney's and we like it. The staff is always good, but entertainment for adults is limited and how much trivia do you really need. The best food is at the walk up windows, which makes no sense.
We enjoyed our HAL cruise on Niuex Amsterdam, but if you are 30, it may seem like a nursing home at times. Like food, music & port choices and look forward to other HAL cruises
My wife and I just did a cruise for the first time on NCL Bliss. I was terribly disappointed in the food the service and the upkeep of the ship. Bliss was only in service for a few years and in most of the common areas, the furniture was dirty and worn out. I could go on and on but the bottom line I will never go on another NCL if a new ship looks like that what does the older one look like.
Sad to hear that. We went in it's maiden year and it was excellent food, good service and reasonable entertainment. Oh, and the quiz prizes were better than 'ship' ones from Princess!
Love Love MSC, The europeon vibe and we always do the yachet club. Also notice when MSC sails in Europe the food does change for the area. Getting away from mega ships and going back to the smaller ships. Going to do trans atlantic on MSC. It really depends on one preference. Our favorite ship is Divina
From all I've heard, I wouldnt go on MSC, but I was surprised by the criticism that tailoring the experience to their different markets is bad--you called it "inconsistency." To me, it makes sense to tailor food and entertainment to the taste of the audience. Do you disagree? Or is the problem that they do it badly?
MSC is an Italian cruise line that just recently entered the US market. The ships are beautiful, I have sailed with them five times since 2020. I find their entertainment to be better than Royal
I have done Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises and the MSC Cruises have been about half the price, definitely worth the value. The staff is 95% lovely, a few were just not very helpful. I love MSC, we’re in Florida and we will be cruising with them when we cannot afford Royal Caribbean, which is often.
Holland America has one if the best staff to client ratio in the business and they run smaller ships, so it isnsuper chill. Although, there is a lack if ship entertainment. The midnight meal was awesome...i think they were the last to do it...hope they still have it.
We are Sapphire on NCL. We don’t feel nickel and dimed. We have done 20 cruises with them. We have gotten a 7 night cruise for $100pp. We only book their shore excursions about 15% of the time, never gotten a drink package, never paid for specialty dining, usually our bill is just tips and pictures. We have been on Holland American. Their service and food was good, but their entertainment was BBC specials. We were totally bored. We also like to dress casual and HAL had too many people in formals so we felt out of place. Our worst was Royal Caribbean. It was dirty, staff was horrible, not enough food, we had a horrible cabin. We were hounded by the staff to give them a good review every day. It was absolutely horrible. Dirty plates and dishes all over. Customer service couldn’t care less. We went on Carnival twice and they were fine. We went on Princess. I got food poisoning from the food, but other than that, it was nice
I find that HAL caters to the destination and the education surrounding it. I enjoyed the entertainment and the food was and service was very good. I agree NCL nickel and dimes you and I was shocked by the amount of alcohol that was consumed. Even my party hard 31 year old daughter was shocked. Bottles were being cracked at 8-9am. It was also extremely crowded, which was more a me problem than a them problem. It was a much larger ship than I am used to so that would be a reason for the crowds. I LOVE Disney ships. It can be as much or as little Disney as you want. We enjoy the adult only spaces and the entertainment and bars. Our staff has always been amazing and they go out of their way to make our trip the best! Thanks for your reviews! It's nice to hear different perspectives.
Have sailed on 7 different lines. We won’t sail on NCL, Costa, MSC or Carnival. Sail primarily on Celebrity. Would try HAL’s newest ships; heard they have good food and service. Do like like ships that are amusement parks.
I have been on over 140 cruises and 2070 days on 23 different cruise lines over 47 years. 12:18 You guys are nuts. Agree only with you on MSC and Costa. HAL is one of my favorites.
Like a lot of other people commenting, I really like HAL. In all fairness, I've only been on 1 cruise, though. Haha! From what I saw on that Alaskan cruise, though, I wouldn't take any other line to Alaska. We always had great spots in the ports and were able to go into Glacier Bay and spend some time there without any problems. I've heard this is not the case with other lines. Also, being vegan was VERY easy on HAL. That was a pretty big concern for me prior to sailing. I do look forward to checking out Virgin, though. As we do not have small kids, this line appeals to me.
As a cruiser, I LOVE HAL. I have been cruising with them since my 20's. I go for relaxation, interesting ports and the service. Impeccable Service. NO nickle and diming. I want a ship that is NOT an amusement park, a shopping mall, a herd service. I enjoy class, more mature crowd and NOT a huge partying and craziness atmosphere. I have met amazing people and we are booked again to go to Alaska in May. Also, my daughter , who is 22 CHOSE HAL to cruise on for the exact same reasons I mentioned. We adore the Indonesian and Filipino crew. As far as price, I found an incredible deal and it is 1/2 the price of some of the lines you mentioned. Happy Cruising!
I agree!
Going on HAL next month for the first time and looking forward to it!
I agree completely!!! I love HAL!
I don't understand how these guys say HAL is so expensive. In my experience HAL consistently is MUCH less expensive than RCCL, Celebrity, NCL, and Princess. The most comparable pricing with HAL I've found is with CCL.
@kens805 my daughter chose the Zaandam out of Vancouver. Have an amazing time!
5 star on HAL, my favorite cruise line. I'm not a senior citizen. However I don't need an amusement park on the top deck to enjoy a cruise. HAL's music walk is unmatched at sea. Yes the 3 new ships have more entertainment & activities. Food, Music, Itineraries & staff are the strengths on HAL!
💯💯💯
I love the Rolling Stone Lounge!
HAL is a much more traditional line than some of the others. They're primarily a more relaxed ship and don't have as much to do as some others. We're 4 stars on HAL and we've been moving toward Princess for shorter (7-14 days) cruises.
I’m a Four Star Mariner because I prefer a laid back cruise experience with great staff and decent food. If I do cruise with another line it would probably be to try luxury and ultra-luxury lines. But for now, HAL hits the sweet spot. BTW, I’m in my early 50s.
HAL isn't a cruise line that I would normally try but they had a great itinerary last June that I could not pass up which was a back to back Mediterranean sailing. Aside from the ports (which was the major draw for me), I enjoyed the main dining room, attentive staff (cruise director was cute) and even liked the entertainment on the ship. I would be willing to sail with them ONLY if the itinerary is right as I'm more of a RCL person and prefer their older ships vs HAL's. I did find out that several people did experience major plumbing issues and saw evidence of it during my sailing (fortunately, I was spared).
My favorite lines are Princess and HAL. We are starting to sail more on HAL because they offer itineraries that are different - and we prefer the smaller ships.
HAL has some beautiful newer ships, like the Koningsdam. The food is generally pretty good, the staff are exceptional, and the vibe is pretty relaxed. Its a traditional type of cruise that offers more enriching itineraries than your usual caribbean booze cruise. They cater to audiophiles and music lovers. I love its absence of younger, rude people, screaming kids, water slides, etc. At 50, I did all that when my kids were younger. We want peace now. HAL delivers. Im with you on NCL. Embarking and disembarking are a nightmare, service wasn't great... It's basically for people who like to drink. I want more out of a vaca.
Exactly! I totally agree about HAL. We want to avoid kids running around, noise, fights...etc.
Couldn’t agree more! We did an Hawaiian circle cruise on the Koningsdam. Absolutely gorgeous ship. Top notch food and service. There were people up dancing and having a great time every single night. We were so impressed that we booked another cruise with HAL before we got off the ship.
I was one of many passengers on the Koningsdam during the last week of August 2023 who contracted Covid. The soap dispensers were frequently empty and public areas were frequently neglected: dishes and dirty linens left to pile up. Very disappointing for my first (and possibly last) HAL cruise.
@@barbiedoll2447 sorry that was your experience. You certainly deserved better than that for your dollar, but it was anecdotal, and only one trip. The question in all of this is "is it the exception or the rule"?...and how often does the exception occur? I've had some very good experiences on HAL and only one bad one myself. Meanwhile, I've NEVER had a good experience on NCL. I've also never had a BAD one on Oceania. NCL is cheaper than HAL. Oceania costs MORE than HAL. So the lesson is.....less of a risk of a bad trip when you spend more money. Seems the old adage does apply. You get what you pay for.
I agree that NCL Embarking and disembarking is an absolute nightmare. The worst experience we ever had with any cruse line's process, every time, beginning with getting onto the ship for the first time and getting off. Not enough staff to do an efficient job, and disorganized, especially if you are doing an international cruse. They even lost our luggage for a day when I spent a good amount of valuable time trying to find it, missing some events because of that. NCL used to be a favorite cruse line. Changes need to be made!
I love HAL and I’m only 53, I think Pinnacle class ships (newer) are wonderful. The quality of the food on HAL is amazing.
It was before Covid, but post covid DEFINITELY NOT!
We sailed HAL last year through the Panama Canal from Ft. Lauderdale. The problem I had with it was the endless upselling. I think the person at the spa would have sold me the table I was lying on if I had made an offer. She also made future appointments for me for acupuncture without asking me! On a shore excursion we went kayaking and since we were slow the guide left us behind!! The guide seemed to think it was a race and wanted everyone to go as fast as they could, like he was late for something. And the photographers following you every place you went got old. Overall we did have a good time, and the specialty dining was very good, but I wouldn't book on HAL again. Next week we're on Viking for the first time, but my favorite line by far is Regent Seven Seas.
@@ericbedenbaugh7085 I agree @luvtravel6207 I am also 53 and went on my first HAL cruise on the Pinnacle Class ship, Rotterdam. It was amazing! Top-notch service and food. Although I did have the Orange Club privileges, I still felt I would have received an amazing experience without it. But, again, the Food!!! Yes, they really get it right with the food everywhere you eat on the ship. No upselling going on on the line I was on. NONE!!!!
HAL is one of my favorites after over 60 cruises, 7 continents and 80 countries. Besides destinations, longer cruisers, great food with the fresh fruit at sea they have superior lectures and talks. The music walk on the newer ships has something for everyone and the similar venues on older ships are catching up. If you like music and dancing ballroom and Latin it is the line to go with.
I'm a 4-star Mariner on Holland America, so I obviously like what they offer. Older, smaller ships can be a plus for travellers like me who don't want to be part of a small city, providing the cruise line maintains and updates them regularly (which HAL does). Also HAL's itineraries are much better than most, offering ports-of-call that are interesting and give varied travel experiences. Their superb Music Walk venues keep me happy and entertained, so I'm fine with paying a bit of a premium on the cruise fare. I'm sailing on a big Princess ship in a few week's time, so we'll see how my first time on this cruise line goes!
All passenger cruise ships are small cities, every last one of them. Some just have more restaurants and entertainment than others.
You are right. I'm also 4 star Mariner. Love the unusual ports of call and the superb service. As for NCL, yes they're greedy.
Four star also and HAL is one of the best! We have over 55 cruises, 4 star on HAL, Elite on Princess, Diamond on RCCL and Elite on Celebrity. We’ve had one bad cruise on all except Princess. These people are nuts!😂😂
I think you might be slightly disappointed with Princess because they don’t have have those smaller beautiful “tucked away” lounges where you can actually sit down with a cocktail and have a conversation with someone. That was my experience anyway.
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We just got off our 2nd Holland cruise. We were on the Rotterdam for a 9 day Caribbean cruise and everything was wonderful. The food from the MDR to the buffet to the specialty restaurants was amazing!!! We had a fabulous time every night dancing in their Music walk! Please do another review because you are way way off!!!!
My husband and I love HAL. When we cruise, its the destination thats are important to us, not all the other bells and whistles like the other cruises have. HAL cruises are port heavy so the cruise ship is not the real star. We do love the food and the staff. You are actually able to relax on the ship however I do agree that the entertainment is pretty hokey.
I disagree with you about HAL. I LOVE HAL! Food is great, staff is great, music onboard is great, and the ports are fabulous. I cruise for the travel, for the ports, NOT for the ship. Other than being well-fed and entertained at night, I want to get off the ship and see the world. HAL's smaller ships can get into ports that the mega-ships can't.
If you cant afford it don't go
I agree! HAL sucks.
Food has slipped on HAL. For Alaska, Princess seems to be currently well reviewed.
@fogsmart my husband and I cruised last year on half, and met others from a princess ship and the wished they had chose HAL. They said the food was awful.
@@tanyarobinson1146 interesting. There used to be a lot of consistency with respect to expectations being met for certain ships. It seems to vary these days as I hear differing opinions. We just cancelled our Alaska cruise next summer with Norwegian. My wife and I are going to pick a small ship with curated itinerary, dinning, and excursions. We will have to save up more.
We sailed in Holland Konnsigdam in 2023 and we had a blast . We are not in the age demographic you described and we still had a great time. The live music in the music walkway is awesome. Live rock music and when that's done , then live party/hip hop music in the BB Kings hall plays ... everyone was on the dance floor! Once that is done then duelling pianos starts on another stage for aing along fun. Good was also delicious, great service , friendly workers and probably the happiest cruisers I've ever met...and we've sailed princess, ncl , celebrity, regent, carnival and royal.
We haven't been on Norwegian Cruise line in years
Especially since Norwegian Cruise line keeps raising their prices. Even though we are Platinum
After 6 years I am giving NCL a try again. Also Platinum with them. Like an itinerary coming up. But will see ... prices are always higher. Especially excursions. Not going on a huge ship, not keen on more people.
I sailed on the Konnsigdam in its inagural season and it was a great experience. I liked the layout and amnenities it offered. I also like HAL because it tends to not have lots of children onboard.
Love that ship. Best cruise ever. The food, the service, and the entertainment were fabulous
I love NCL. I’ve never felt pressured to spend extra money on the ship. I guess o just ignore all that. Their prices certainly have risen, but I still find them better Royal, and comparable to Princess. Additionally, I appreciate their at (least nominal) value for solo cruisers. Plus, they sail from NYC and Boston which is much appreciated. I’ve never had a bad time on an NCL cruise.
HAL is my favorite cruise line. The staff are always wonderful, the food is great, I like their music options, and I am now handicapped and they were very helpful and considerate. You see fewer kids, and I don't need all the slides, race tracks, climbing walls, etc. I go to relax and visit unique ports.
We love Holland and will be boarding shortly for a 9 day cruise. We are almost 4 star, so they are doing everything right for us. I love that the buffet crew serve you your choices in the line. It’s nice that 500 people haven’t touched that serving spoon before we did! Thanks for your reviews of your worst lines!
Wow, because you are 4 stars.
So, maybe only people who are high stars should cruise with HAL. People with low or non star should not cruise with Hal, I wonder.
😅😂
@@CL-mp4vnyou missed the point. They are almost 4 star because HAL did so well they kept going back enough over and over enough to get almost to 4 star. She wasn’t saying only 4 star gets the good service, etc.
HAL is amazing for folks who want a more traditional cruise experience. Interesting ports around the globe, smaller ships with more intimate venues, great service and well travelled, friendly passengers.
I’ve travelled on all the major cruise lines multiple times and once I found HAL I’ve never gone back.
Btw I started sailing in my 40s which is not the normal demographic but would rather be with interesting world travelers than listen to parents constantly talking about or yelling at their kids which was common on RCL, Carnival, NCL etc
Have you ever sailed on Regent?
I agree on 5 of your 6 - not so much with Holland America. We were on the brand-new Rotterdam last year and the Maasdam in 2017. The food and service are top notch, and the new Music Walk has some fine entertainment.
I went on the NCL Joy for a New England & Canada cruise last fall. I didn't feel nickle & dimed at all. We elected to upgrade our WIFI after we boarded, and gave an additional tip to our room steward due to excellent service, but other than that, didn't spend anything once on board. I don't recall any announcements at all about events they wanted to us attend. I loved it!
NCL was a one and done for us. Definitely felt nickle and dimed. Service was terrible. Food was OK. I think they really struggle with good captains also as our cruise skipped 2 ports because of weather/wind but the other cruise ships going to the same exact ports had no issues at all. In all of our cruises, NCL was the worst experience.
NCL is my preferred line and I agree with not having an issue with the additional fee venues. There are so many included venues and activities that I've decided it's possible an issue of spending too much time looking at other cruisers experiences rather than enjoying your own vacation. I don't chase gifts on land so those events on the ship didn't even cross my radar.
Our most recent NCL was probably ourlst. Ports skipped, visiting islands that were closed on a Sunday, beingdisemarked at a commercial port rather than the cruise terminal in Cape Town, (no joke if one's wife is in a wheelchair) and, worst of all, docking in the mineral terminal in Richards Bay rathe than a passenger terminal and getting covered in mineral dust in the full sun with only a half hour bus service to the nearest town, being charged 20dollars for a bus that was not accessible. We're using Celebrity this time and Cunardnext.
@@ginnyzuckero5351I agree. Moreover, we did back to back cruises on Norwegian Dawn and the entertainment was identical on both parts and poor. Only two production shows in 17 nights, under researched quizzes, cheap bought in acts and films in the theatre two of the first three nights. Made me pine for Fred Olsen.
My wife and I have been Cruising a long time. We decided that it was time to give NCL a try. In the end it was a disaster. Cancelled ports of call for no reason at all, shore excursions were not well put together and didn’t fit the description. In the end we will never be booking another one. Not to mention the service we received was the worst we had ever received from any cruise line. Never again. In fact it got so bad that in 30 years of cruising we felt we had no choice but to pull the gratuities. We have never done that in the past and hope that we are not in the position of ever having to consider doing it again as the people who provide the service work hard and deserve it. The service however was really bad. We did tip the ones who we felt deserved it but We weren’t the only ones in line at the customer service desk pulling them unfortunately. I would never recommend NCL to anyone. The worst seven day cruise we have ever taken. Stay far away as there are much better Cruise lines out there to enjoy and make you want to pay the gratuities with a smile every time. Just our experience and opinion.
As a cruiser who just did his 80th cruise I have to say HAL is excellent. I last sailed on them March of last year on the Nieuw Statendam. The ship was gorgeous, the entertainment great, the staff was amazing and the food outstanding. I would absolutely recommend them unless you have children that must be constantly entertained. No water slides or other exciting rides. HAL is really for those who want to relax, have some good entertainment and food and sail to some wonderful ports.
I am getting ready to embark on my 9th Disney cruise next week. I will say, the parks and the cruise line are completely different things- you can't really compare them. If you want a theme park at see, you for sure have to go with Icon of the Seas. I think HAL had great service, but my service on Disney has ALWAYS been far superior. Of course, my last 2 trips were on the Wish and Fantasy, and the Wonder before that... so I can't speak to the Dream as I haven't sailed on her in years. I took my family on Harmony of the Seas in November for our family vacay... I asked each of them, ages 12 to 77- what has been their favorite cruise... the 13 year old said Royal's Navigator of the Seas- everyone else chose the Disney Wonder.
My wife and I went on our first cruise in January, on Holland America Nieuw Statendam, we were not sure we would even like cruising, on the 7th morning before leaving we were both so incredibly sad it was over, loved the ship (if I want an amusement park I will go to 6 flags), loved the music, loved the food. Found a good deal on a Princess cruise in April and are we giving it a try, if Holland is near the bottom of the barrel as you suggest then we are in for a ton of great times in the future.
You will love Princess. It's my go-to cruiseline! Enjoy!!
You certainly hit a nerve with HAL fans. With almost 400 nights on HAL ships, I agree that it is far and away one of the best ways for me to spend my time and travel dollars. Great service and such a wide variety of venues offering outstanding food tops my list of what makes a good cruise for me. However, I did enjoy watching your discussion on this topic because I am always interested in what others find important. Thank you.
I’ve been on Princess, Carnival, NCL, Royal Caribbean and most recently Celebrity and feel everyone is in the nickel and dime business. Beyond the cruise fare, onboard spending is a primary revenue stream. The cruise lines have all lost a ton of money over the pandemic and are clamoring to get you to spend, spend, spend. Pushing excursions, specialty dining, drink packages, spa services, art auctions, you name it your hard earned vacation dollars are the target 🎯
That’s why everyone goes on Viking now. No more nickle and diming
@double_joseph327 Vikings doesn't have to nickle & dime you during your cruise. They have already ripped you off with the cruise pricing.
@@jojojack4975 sure lol Viking is best value for money in the industry. It’s honestly not that much more expensive then Norwegian/Royal and you have a smaller ship every room has a balcony, all meals are included. Gratuities as well.
@double_joseph327 I have friends that have been all over Europe on Viking cruises. I checked on going with them, really expensive. I personally don't care for the smaller ships. Although they may appear to be less crowded. Many of the smaller ships have less room per person than the larger ships. Plus, there is much less to do while on board. I know Viking is a good line, but I'll stick to the ships I cruise on. I know how to spend just what I want to and not get caught up in the hype of all the junk they try to sell.
@@jojojack4975 not sure what cruise you line you go on but I just looked online to compare like a Greek isles cruise Viking to the big 3 and it’s literally the same price but you get an inside cabin not a balcony and they nickle and dime you onboard lol
You need to go on a new HAL ship. It will change your opinion. I was on the Nieuw Statendam last year and it was excellent. The food, Music walk, and theatre entertainment were all top notch. It’s not a Cruise Line for young families but if your kids are teenagers or older, it’s a great family experience. HAL is an even better fit for adult couples and Solo cruisers.
Thanks for this! We are wanting to take our family on an Alaskan cruise and our kids are 20 and 16 now. Will definitely look at HAL.
I love NCL for various reasons. I love the fact that as a solo traveler, I can travel to unique destinations without breaking my bank. Where else can I take a 21-day cruise up the coast of Western Africa for less than $3K as a solo traveler? And I love the smaller ships, even if the food can be mediocre. It's the destination for me. And about the "nickel and diming"? I ignore the sales pitches and don't let them phase me. I generally don't attend the events that come with a sales pitch and only buy the things I want, like the thermal spa. I know that many other ships include some amenities like Wi-Fi... but for me, I still come out cheaper traveling as a solo on NCL. I really appreciate your review!
My wife and I have sailed with P&O 3 times and each time have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We've sailed on their older ships and on their brand new ship and both have been equally enjoyable for different reasons. They are pitched very much at the UK market and their pricing is exceptionally keen. They don't pretend to offer a super high-end luxury experience but we've found the food to be good, the on-board entertainment to be excellent, the prices for drinks, etc. to be very reasonable and the service to be friendly and attentive. For the price I think what they offer is excellent value.
I have just returned from a P&O cruise and had a great time was my first cruise, I agree it’s targeted at the uk market. MSC seems a solid option as well if you are comfortable with Mediterranean food.
Wow! I have sailed on NCL four times out of my 20 cruises. I did a transatlantic with them in 2023 and I did not have no pickpocketing feeling whatsoever. There was nothing that I attended where they wanted me to buy something I was on the ship for 15 days
AGREED. I have been on 17 cruises, nine were on NCL. I choose NCL mostly because of the free style. I like to do what I want when I want. NCL is not perfect, but they don't nickel and dime any more than other lines. There is extreme pressure to buy junk at every port when you get off the ship. Does that keep you from enjoying the rest of the port? Making the choice to spend money is up to you.
Completely agree!
Love Holland America for taking a sea journey. Wonderful staff, quality cuisine, interesting destinations complete with entertainment often tied with were you are. I do prefer the newer ships for the upgraded music experience and specialty restaurants. I guess it really depends if one wants a ship with an amusement park attached or a ship experience. I am 4 Star with HAL though enjoy Princess and Celebrity as well.
We loved Holland America .
We have had great cruises with HAL. I like the Eurodam and also the newer ships. Most of all I love the food and their staff is terrific.
MSC is priced that it makes sense to get the Specialty Dinning, and to consider an exclusive cabin area.
How much is the special cafes per day?
My husband and I prefer HAL, we have been on 10 cruises with them. The service is impeccable and the food is excellent. I think their ships are beautiful, I love the gorgeous fresh flowers everywhere, and the lovely art work and sculptures. There were people of all ages on all of the cruises.I do not want to cruise with thousands of other people. We were on a Royal Caribbean ship and I felt like I was being herded. There were terrible delays in getting off the ship in port, backed up on the stairways and impossible to get an elevator, and we were nickel and dimed for everything. NCL was ok, the food and drinks were good, but shows filled quickly unless you had reservations, and there was 1 tiny pool. The ship was huge and way too much walking to get anywhere, you had to pass all the shops. Celebrity didn't even leave an impression. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and each cruise can be entirely different.
NCL is my favorite cruiseline. I find that it's pretty clear about what is extra. They're great for solos, which is me.
Me too!
Not ours terrible time
@@timelesscollecting9930 😄😆🤣 Good one! I try to see things with a positive perspective.
Uh oh we just booked a 10 night cruise on NCL. Sailing on NCL for the first time. Can we just say NO to the "nickel and diming".... Oh well we will see.... Now I'm picturing people jumping out at us like they do from the kiosks at the mall.... Trying to sell us anti-wrinkle creams and other things. Lol Do they follow you around? Lol, well I guess we know and then are prepared.
NCL was our first cruise ever last year. Fantastic experience… so much that we booked another this year. I do not feel like we were nickel & dimed at all! And no… no one chases you down. Lol
HAL ships “not as good”? I beg to differ. I love their teak wraparound decks, great itineraries, above and beyond service, and second to none food. Good value for the money! You can keep your malls, water parks, and ice rinks. I want my ocean views from public spaces, good music venues, and attentive and cheerful service.
Hal is never inconsistent
Agreed
I’ve always been loyal to NCL. The sales pitches are there all the time but it doesn’t matter if you just let it roll off your back and ignore it. The food is the best of all the lines that we’ve been on.
Yeah. I don't really understand why some people are so bothered by that. Especially since NCL is almost always the cheapest option if you want a drinks package. Thanks to the drinks package, I have frequently taken NCL cruises without spending a single extra dollar onboard.
Totally agree. Been on several and Royal wanted to nickel and dime you.
We were on Holland America's Koningsdam in Alaska this summer and had a GREAT experience! The food, entertainment, and enrichment talks were all first rate. I don't know what the "certain demographic" is they they are referring to - we saw cruisers of all ages and our teenage kids had a great time. On Holland America, you really feel like you're on a ship - not the shopping mall that most new cruise ships are turning out to be.
We just got off a celebrity cruise and having previously cruised with MSC, we hated the value of Celebrity and personally prefer the value of MSC (including the yacht club) over the insane nickel and diming that Celebrity offered us. It was extra money around every corner. The all inclusive drink package wasn't even all inclusive 😂
I don't understand the "Nickle and Dime" you to death statement. I just got off of Encore and it was my very first NCL cruise and there was no "surprise charges" or anything of that sort. Yes they charge for the extra items (specialty dining, go carts, arcade games and such) but so does Royal Caribbean (they even charge for the water slide at Perfect Day. And when you compare the price for the cruise that includes Free at Sea, its a great deal. Just my $0.02 worth.
Exactly! It's ridiculous all this "nickel and dime" crap. We're platinum and have never once felt harassed or pressured to buy, spend anything.
We are avid HAL cruisers for exactly the downsides that u mentioned. They cater to older more discerning clientele, they don’t go for flash and superficial effects, they cruise the whole world on most ships and don’t back to the same ports very often, other than Alaska and Caribbean, they bring awesome speakers and educators on board, they bring in local talent and chefs from different ports, and their loyalty program is second to none. We have tried all the others lines and keep coming back to HAL. We have seen over 100 countries on HAL, and plan on a world cruise in January.
I like Msc. Their price fits my budget, their itineraries match the competitors, they have new beautiful ships, they are very adequately staffed, and the food and entertainment are what I would expect. I have no complaints after sailing a few times on the Seascape and Seashore. Most TH-cam bloggers on cruise and air travel present their views based on their ability to afford high level cabins. So their reviews are biased towards what people with a lot of money can afford. That caters to only a small audience. The majority of cruisers are not high-end customers that are used to these perks. As a budget customer, I would personally to see a realistic review of what is available to me on cruise for a standard cabin, etc. Think about families with kids who are not rich. Or a couple who is not week to do, but have put some money aside to do a cruise without the premium booking. How can these people keep cruising for a decent price and acceptable expectations? Don't tell us about balconies, suites, yacht club, specialty dining, etc. that most people cannot afford.
Personally I just didn’t like the people who were on the ship, the other passengers. The clientele this cruise line attracts. The rudeness and disrespect towards the hardworking crew was astonishing and frankly disgusting and at times derogatory and racist. We sailed out of Southampton. The continuous moaning and complaining, the entitlement from people who paid peanuts and demanding everything, the pushing and shoving, the disregard of smoking areas, the unenforced pool chair hoarding rule, the foul language, the complete selfishness and greed at the buffet, the aggression from drunk abusive men, the sleazy drunk women, the lazy disinterested staff (who can blame them after all they have to put up with). It was a terrible experience from day one. Nice ship (Virtuosa) but crowded beyond belief and had a Cruise Director who obviously has sailed too many times on this ship and was missing in action more times than not and appeared very over it. Maybe I got unlucky but after reading review after review about this cruise line I it might be the norm.
Went on to the MSC World Europa last Summer in the Mediterranean, that was a great trip, difinitely will do MSC again.
Been on the Meraviglia and Divina and loved them both. The staff was amazing, the food was great, and the entertainment was good.
MSC is our favorite line of ones we have been on. We have only been on NCL, Royal, Carnival and MSC. We have always had fantastic service, best shows, best chocolate goodies, and we think their food choice and quality is above the others. Always good pizza. We have cruised 3 of their ships on 5 cruises. The Divina, Seascape, Seashore.
These bloggers can’t understand MSC and its purpose. It isn’t a cruise line but rather a huge ferry or sea bus. Ppl get on and off at every port on a Mediterranean cruise. It’s just a good way to avoid airports. The entertainment was better than Regent anyway
I feel msc is great cruise line
Over the years I found the staff very helpful
I would recommend msc over carnival
I like the way they think outside the box
Amen to that! Lol
Our Panama Canal cruise on the NCL Jewel was absolute perfection. Free at Sea airfare was a phenomenal deal. Our invoice when we left the ship was $10!
Have done one HAL to Alaska. was in my early 50 when I went. I do not need car races, water slides, etc.. The food and staff was great. I enjoyed the simple layouts of the ship.
I am also a big fan of HAL. We are in our late 50s and love the Music Walk, food, service and all around relaxing cruise. We don't want the mass market cruise experience and HAL now caters to our demographic. Try a Pinnacle Class ship and I bet you'll change your mind.
Viking Ocean!!! For budget cruising with interesting itineraries: HAL. Celebrity is often overlooked, but offer an excellent product, too. I don't want a crowded loud floating amusement park. Cruiselines I avoid 100%: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney (I'm not 7 years old), NCL, Princess, MSC, Costa. I haven’t cruised Virgin, but it seems too weird & noisy to be a pleasant experience. I cruise for the ports, not the ship & not long lines/crowds.
We've been on numerous Holland America cruises - they are our favorite for sure. As slightly older folks, we are not interested in waterslides, etc. In fact it's great to have few (if any) kids aboard. If we wanted to take the grandkids, we'd definitely choose a different cruise line. Conversely, if you want a less kid-oriented experience, HAL is fabulous. We were recently on their newest ship, The Rotterdam and it was fantastic - the food, service, music, cabins....I could go on and on. We have been on their older ships as well, and they are still lovely. It all depends on what sort of a cruise experience you are looking for. We prefer more laid back.
You guys are spot on. What happened to NCL? We just cruised with them with their inflated prices and the constant nickel and dimming expecting more and got nothing. Good staff but really bad customer service and management. It was like they went out of their way to make things miserable.
Got an MSC cruise coming up only because it was in the Mediterranean when we I wanted. I think I’ll have to use the same game plan as I did for my last MSC cruise, look forward to the port arrivals just to get the hell off that thing.
Keep em coming guys! Great videos! Happy travels!
I have had great experiences on MSC. On my last cruise the pizza was always excellent. Even at midnight there were lines for their pizza. Gelato is extra special too.
All of my service experiences were excellent. Staff went above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable and my needs were met. Because I have a bad knee, the expedition agent made sure I always had the first seat on the bus for my excursions. She did this without me asking. I appreciate her thoughtfulness. I had à wonderful host in the dining room. It was always a treat to see his bright smilimg face when I went to eat. If I showed up for breakfast or lunch he always made sure I had English speaking guests to talk to. The man that cleaned my room was always asking me about my needs and wanting to give me more. I can't recommend the staff more highly. I cruise on the MSC Magnifica out of Spain.
We really enjoyed MSC. As you stated, the ships are beautiful. Also, the food was in my on par with Carnival. I felt the atmosphere and passengers were
a little more laid back in conparison to the Carnival crowd. We sailed on the "Seashore " out of Cape Canaveral. Will sail with MSC again.
We love HAL. It's quiet and calm. The Music Walk is wonderful. Love that the pool area can be covered during inclement weather. Service is top notch. Their ships are wonderful. They don't have carnival rides and water slides, but that's not what we cruise for. Food is excellent.
We have cruised on everything from Crystal, Regent, Seabourn, Queen Mary to Royal Caribbean and we are now 4 star on HAL. I guess that lets you know which cruise line we have decided is our favorite. We only cruise on the newer HAL ships though. Try a newer HAL ship. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
I cruise them all and enjoy each one in its own areas of excellence. I cruise MSC (only the Sea"type" named ships) as these are excellent and at their prices only book a cruise with everything upscaled as then it is equal to the prices of the Royals, Carnival Xl's, NCL Prima prices but I am in a suite or Yatch Club with everything included and it beats the other lines then.
Is price reasonable for upscale ?
I go on carnival only balcony spa level and it has gone up in price and buffet quality went down . I am exploring other ships with great music no rocks and country music please .
Just got back from cruising with HAL. We love everything about our cruise! We booked early through Costco Travel and received great discounts!
The capt on Costa was one of the first ones off the ship when it sank...enough said!
Agreed, only once on Costa, never again. Rude officers, barely service in dining areas. Room steward was lovely but everything else barely Meh
Regarding HAL = they are old elegance and not cheap sparkle. Thank goodness for HAL and Celebrity to give people a place to cruise with without feeling that I am in a Chuck E Cheese or 6 Flags Amusement Park. HAL provides excellent enrichment talks by people for people, who want to learn and understand. The odds are low that we will be sharing a cabin wall with a family with a young child or teenager and won't have to listen to all of the drama and melt-downs that come with youth. Thank you very much to HAL and Celebrity, that I board your ship feeling confident that I will have a good and uninterrupted sleep. NCL = I agree with you but with another reason, but your reason and my reasons end up being the same thing - money. Now we avoid NCL because they outright "lie" in the manner of advertising an itinerary and then after we boarded the ship, they inform us that they cannot go to the port stop or area (such as Antarctica) due to reasons that turns out, NCL knew of those reasons *prior* to advertising that itinerary. NCL has a deep history of "Bait and Switch" and outright lying on their advertised itinerary vs what they actually provide.
You are on point with HAL in regards to entertainment and their older ships (you wouldn’t know they are old tho because they keep them up so well) but their great itineraries, food and service more than make up for it!
Have only done HAL & NCL. Food & service so much better on HAL. I like the smaller HAL ships, can go to more interesting ports. HAL more sophisticated, gives wonderful port talks in main theater especially panama canal history. Recent NCL cruise gave me zero port info except for shopping. HAL is more about the ports than the ship, their excursions are certainly more affordable than NCLs. Found HAL ships & staterooms much nicer than my recent NCL Gem experience.
I ve been on 16 NCL Cruises and NEVER EVER Felt like I had to guard my wallet!
NCL is sadly very well known by many dissatisfied cruisers because of their nickel and diming.
I think it’s worse on their Prima class ships
@@Joe-lk6ocAll cruise lines nickel and dime the minute you board. It is up to you whether to spend extra money on things you don't need or want. No one forces you to ride a race car, buy a ridiculous art piece, eat at a specialty restaurant, etc.
I agree that I haven’t felt bombarded. The staff was amazing! When we ate dinner at LeBistro the director of all the food was talking to the guests and he sent up a tray of treats with a personal note and his card. Very nice!
I hated the art auction, photos, other than that I ignored the rest.
I was shocked to hear that HAL is on your list!! Perhaps you have not sailed on their newer ships. I sailed on the Koningsdam last august to Alaska and absolutely LOVED it. The enrichment programs were unbeatable, the wildlife expert was truly amazing, the food was good, the room was so beautiful with incredibly beautiful bathroom and Elemis toiletries. Their prices are very competitive, too. I find their prices to often be lower than NCL. I’m doing a transatlantic with them in April.
Agree about NCL. I felt very nickel and dimed. Embarkation was excruciating! Disembarkation was better but I HATED what they said they would do to your luggage if you don’t pick it up by a certain time … they say they’ll throw it out! Absolutely no respect for their customers who have paid thousands to sail with them!
You are right on about HAL. I’ve cruised for 35 yers, I’m finished with dodge cars and roller coasters. I want a quieter, longer cruise cruise and HAL fits the bill.
This is a cruise that they said to AVOID were you paying ANY attention to this video, it looks like you LIKE HAL.
Chacun a son gout -- everyone to their own taste. As a Certified Fuddy-Duddy I like HAL best. I don't need great shows. In fact, if I never hear "Tomorrow! Tomorrow! It's Onlee a dayyyyy awaaaaaay!" again I will be happy. I don't need waterslides, ice skating rinks, roller coasters, etc. etc. I want my money to go to attentive service, pleasant surroundings, good food, and good shore excursions.
Oddly, we had a good experience on Costa. We had talked and talked about a Mediterranean Cruise, so our kids gave us one for Christmas one year. Of course they chose the one they could afford, which was Costa. It had all the faults you mention, but it had two virtues that made the experience enjoyable. First, the personnel were very pleasant. I was sick for the first couple of days due to something I ate in Atlanta. I know they were checking on me in case it was contagious, but they were so nice! They insisted I not worry about the mess in the bathroom and brought me water and tried to be sure I drank it. Friendly care makes good feelings. Second, the shore excursions, which were what we were on the cruise for, were excellent! And speaking of going the extra mile, when I got sick my husband went to the shore excursion desk and explained and they cancelled my reservation for the first shore excursion and refunded the cost! That was amazing!
Oh, and Norwegian -- we have never been on them, but our daughter had a terrible experience with the kids' program. Very badly run.
I have not been on a cruise (yet) but I'm right there with you that the description of the HAL sounds right up my alley 🙂. Of course, I too fall into that age category. lol!
@@Lynn-kh5rs I think it's great that different cruise lines cater to different tastes! I would never mark down a cruise ship because it is really essentially a floating amusement park, but I'm not going to buy a ticket.
In defense of HAL and children, our daughter took us on an Alaska cruise a few years ago. At the time her twins were 8 years old. They spent most of the day at Club Hal and had a wonderful time. The hours for Club Hal didn't include mealtimes, so all the kids were in the general population then and they all behaved themselves well. I didn't see running and screaming, by the pool or anywhere else.
Totally concur with opinion of MSC, I will never go back on one of these understaffed overbooked ships, EVER. ( Out of Southampton UK.)
I was shocked to see HAL on this list. It’s the only cruise line we travel with. The staff and the food are exceptional. Also, we love the smaller older ships. I’m sorry, but you’re out to lunch on this one.
I agree with you on everything except Disney. My first cruise was on Disney, I've cruised on Disney more than any other cruise line, and I still have more fun on Disney than on any other cruise line. I don't think there is anything wrong with Disney; it's just a matter of whether or not it suits your personality. We went on a multi-generational cruise on Holland America, and to my surprise, my 81 year old father liked it the least of all of us! So again, I don't think it's a demographic thing; we had a lot of genuine complaints about a variety of issues on that cruise, from bad food, service issues, a messy dining room, and very disappointing entertainment. We were impressed at first glance, but the longer we were on it, the more problems we saw.
When I go on HAL it is for the itinerary. I like the longer trips to out of the way places. When I want a great ship experience I go Celebrity.
Only been once and it's celebrity solstice. Loved it!! ❤
1. MSC
2. Holland America
3. Norwegian
4. Disney
5. Costa
6. P&O
P&O seems to cater to the British market primarily.
But there are 2 P&O cruise lines, the one from the UK and the one from Australia. They are seperate lines and different to each other. So which one is the one to be avoided?
These are the six were supposed to avoid? He talked too much and I didn’t want to listen to more of the video.
@@1974hurtYes, these were the ones they listed. Interesting, isn’t it? NCL and Disney are the only cruise lines I’ve sailed. 😅
I'm surprised Carnival isn't on this list???
Hey guys. Kevin from “30 and a wake up” talked about you guys and your channel today on his livestream. I love following both your channels. Thanks for the info.
I enjoy Kevin too!!!
Whew! I booked my first cruise ever last week with Virgin Voyages so I was holding my breath til the end of your video. I respect your viewpoints and considerations so I'm very happy to know Virgin is not on your list. I am excited about starting this new phase of my life with cruising so I am enjoying your cruise videos. Thanks so much for your reviews. 🙂
You will not be disappointed. Virgin is a cut above.
I have done 50 cruises since 2003 On many different lines from Luxury to basic - some as long as 56 days on Holland America Line. HAL is the best for me. I have 330 Cruise days on the Holland America Line and love all their ships, from the oldest to the newest, and the great food and crew. Also the prices and the worldwide coverage of their itineraries.
We like NCL because it fits are very laid back style of cruising. That being said, we certainly notice the constant sales pitches and avoid a few activities that sound fun because they are really just sales presentations in disguise.
I got off a 15-day cruise with NCL on the Bliss in December. I didn't experience anything you talked about. Sure, some of the game shows required purchasing a ticket. But other than that it was great. Loved the quiz events, loved the entertainment. I got the all-inclusive package and there were no extras on my final invoice. I paid $2000 for a balcony cabin on my own on a 15-day cruise. I think that's great value.
We loved our HAL cruises because they had great itineraries. We also loved the crew on each of the ships. But that was before they started to cater to children more, so I don't know if the service has suffered.
I had very good experience with Holland America in 2019 before COVID, nice staff, great food.
We have mostly used HAL and stay in the Neptune suites. We were on their first sailing after Covid (from Athens) which was limited to 950 passengers! We love not dealing with all the kids. We have nine of our own grandkids. We travel for the excursions not the entertainment. The staff is what makes HAL so special.
Great video. I agreed with you about NCL. We used to be loyal to NCL and its freestyle dining. But same here that we will no longer cruising with them if we can help it because of their "nickle and dime" strategy and how we were treated when our cruise was canceled due to COVID. We love RCL and have booked our first Virgin and Carnival Celebration. Hope to try Celebrity one day. We have watched other TH-cam video rating MSC, Costa, and P&O very low as well. Have fun traveling.
Just as an FYI to this from talking to several crew members on MSC and taking many wonderful cruises on them the crew members prefer to work on MSC, I spoke to two crew members and the pay on MSC is 2.5 times better than Carnival or RCL and that is pretty much across most postions and better hours as well , we all like to talk about how the people on cruise ships should make better wages and be treated better let’s put our money where our mouths are, MSC is decently priced provides a good product and service and actually pays their crew members in some instances many times more than other lines so I am supporting MSC as their mission in marine conservation and treating of staff makes them the one I give most of my money too
I agree! This video is pure Bull…
.
@@andreiaoliveira7782lmfao You're pure bull. Cry more.
Lmfao found the MSC sheep.
ThAnk for your great advise. What is your opinion of Princess Cruises please ??
You have an amazing job. 😊
It is only their opinion of NCL. We did 6 cruises on NCL and very happy
On MSC, it has to be the Yacht Club. It rally makes a difference.
You are spot on about NCL! We were in a new ship, the Prima, in September. It was so disappointing. Nickled and dimed and dollared every day! Plus, we were in a colder climate and could never find a decent place to sit! The buffet missed the boat big time-not near enough tables or food. Never again.
Disagree on MSC. So far only two Cruises, Seaside and Seashore, out of Florida. The staff is not as good as Royal Caribbean, but the prices are about half and on our last cruise they went above and beyond for my birthday, even the entertainment staff had things sent to my room free of charge. They are beautiful ships, and I don’t base my cruising on the food as heavily as you seem to. I’m yoga teacher and a careful eater and always find things on MSC that work for me with no problem. They even have a good sugar-free dessert every meal. Different strokes for different folks, but I’m not on a cruise for seven days just to eat. The food is certainly good enough, especially in the specialty restaurants, but we stick with the buffet and dining room, and there are no real issues to speak of. They have very good excursions. I recommend this cruise line.
We prefer Celebrity and Royal. We have cruised on Carnival and NCL. We recently did a Viking river and it was really nice. If this is how the ocean cruises are then we would try them. We are going on an Oceania trip next year and are excited with the added options if we do like Oceania. In the future we plan to use the cruises that are repositioning, transatlantic, and transpacific as a way to skip the flights in retirement. We do prefer a childfree experience so the longer trips will continue to be our go to. Happy travels!
We agree with your video. Thanks for this video, it's very well done and very right to the point. What are your comments on Oceania? Can you will do a video with the best top cruise? Thanks Ramon & Zoe
This video is five stars. You're wonderful. Thanks for the video. I've decided to cruise only Carnival. I absolutely love the party atmosphere. My children really enjoyed their first experience on the Carnival Mardi-Gras for Christmas 2023. I'm booked for their winter break February 2025. I also love Carnival because they have cruises out in 2026. I can book my children winter break and spring break. By the way, it is six of us. Once again, thanks for the video.
Chiming in to agree with all the HAL fans. It's our preferred line by a long shot. Not interested in a floating amusement park with 5,000 other people! I want a well-appointed room, good food, attentive service, and interesting ports.
I took a HAL cruise (smaller, older ship) for the first time last summer. The staff and food were both excellent, but definitely got bored with a limited selection of activities. I understood that it could be the case and enjoyed walking or relaxing. I'm torn whether I will go with them again, but maybe on a newer, bigger ship with ax little bit more to do.
I actually love MSC, as an agent, I have sent clients on three different ships, and they all have enjoyed their time, which is why I keep going on them and promoting them. Understandably, they are new to the American market and I would agree that they are getting better and trying to improve. I was on the SeasScape and actually, I will be on it again shortly. I am not going to say that they don't need improvements, but I would not say avoid them. I think in a year or two, you may change your mind. Loved your video.
5 star Mariner with HAL - I have to disagree with your rationale for not sailing with Holland America. The ships are immaculate, the food is very good and staff is superior. Try one of the Pinnacle Class ships (like the new Rotterdam) before you judge. I do not think I can trust your research if you think HAL is a poor choice for cruising.
We’ve been on 2 Disney cruises with no kids and absolutely loved it. The food, entertainment and service was outstanding. The service for us was standout and lived up to the Disney standard. Your experiences seem to be different than many others from the comments on other cruise lines too.
We've only done Disney's and we like it. The staff is always good, but entertainment for adults is limited and how much trivia do you really need. The best food is at the walk up windows, which makes no sense.
Disney was awesome
Overpriced for slightly better food and the Disney name and characters/stories. If you are a Disney fan, go for it. If not, there are better lines.
We’re scheduled on a HAL Alaska cruise next year. We’ve only sailed on Disney 10+ times. We’re looking forward to comparing the two lines.
I like MSC I am a Gold Star member. I plan to do Amtrak from NYC to Orlando and do a three-day cruise and return to NYC by train.
We enjoyed our HAL cruise on Niuex Amsterdam, but if you are 30, it may seem like a nursing home at times. Like food, music & port choices and look forward to other HAL cruises
My wife and I just did a cruise for the first time on NCL Bliss. I was terribly disappointed in the food the service and the upkeep of the ship. Bliss was only in service for a few years and in most of the common areas, the furniture was dirty and worn out. I could go on and on but the bottom line I will never go on another NCL if a new ship looks like that what does the older one look like.
Sad to hear that. We went in it's maiden year and it was excellent food, good service and reasonable entertainment. Oh, and the quiz prizes were better than 'ship' ones from Princess!
Love Love MSC, The europeon vibe and we always do the yachet club. Also notice when MSC sails in Europe the food does change for the area. Getting away from mega ships and going back to the smaller ships. Going to do trans atlantic on MSC. It really depends on one preference. Our favorite ship is Divina
From all I've heard, I wouldnt go on MSC, but I was surprised by the criticism that tailoring the experience to their different markets is bad--you called it "inconsistency." To me, it makes sense to tailor food and entertainment to the taste of the audience. Do you disagree? Or is the problem that they do it badly?
MSC is an Italian cruise line that just recently entered the US market. The ships are beautiful, I have sailed with them five times since 2020. I find their entertainment to be better than Royal
I have done Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises and the MSC Cruises have been about half the price, definitely worth the value. The staff is 95% lovely, a few were just not very helpful. I love MSC, we’re in Florida and we will be cruising with them when we cannot afford Royal Caribbean, which is often.
Holland America has one if the best staff to client ratio in the business and they run smaller ships, so it isnsuper chill. Although, there is a lack if ship entertainment. The midnight meal was awesome...i think they were the last to do it...hope they still have it.
We are Sapphire on NCL. We don’t feel nickel and dimed. We have done 20 cruises with them. We have gotten a 7 night cruise for $100pp. We only book their shore excursions about 15% of the time, never gotten a drink package, never paid for specialty dining, usually our bill is just tips and pictures. We have been on Holland American. Their service and food was good, but their entertainment was BBC specials. We were totally bored. We also like to dress casual and HAL had too many people in formals so we felt out of place. Our worst was Royal Caribbean. It was dirty, staff was horrible, not enough food, we had a horrible cabin. We were hounded by the staff to give them a good review every day. It was absolutely horrible. Dirty plates and dishes all over. Customer service couldn’t care less. We went on Carnival twice and they were fine. We went on Princess. I got food poisoning from the food, but other than that, it was nice
I find that HAL caters to the destination and the education surrounding it. I enjoyed the entertainment and the food was and service was very good. I agree NCL nickel and dimes you and I was shocked by the amount of alcohol that was consumed. Even my party hard 31 year old daughter was shocked. Bottles were being cracked at 8-9am. It was also extremely crowded, which was more a me problem than a them problem. It was a much larger ship than I am used to so that would be a reason for the crowds. I LOVE Disney ships. It can be as much or as little Disney as you want. We enjoy the adult only spaces and the entertainment and bars. Our staff has always been amazing and they go out of their way to make our trip the best! Thanks for your reviews! It's nice to hear different perspectives.
Have sailed on 7 different lines. We won’t sail on NCL, Costa, MSC or Carnival. Sail primarily on Celebrity. Would try HAL’s newest ships; heard they have good food and service. Do like like ships that are amusement parks.
Again, proof your comment, it sounds you do NOT like ships that are like amusement parks rather than that you DO (your repeated like twice.)
Have you tried MSC Yacht Club? Costs more, but nothing is better. I’ve tried all the lines. MSC YC only for us now.
LOL. There was a HAL advert right in the middle of your comments about Holland America.
I have been on over 140 cruises and 2070 days on 23 different cruise lines over 47 years. 12:18 You guys are nuts. Agree only with you on MSC and Costa. HAL is one of my favorites.
Like a lot of other people commenting, I really like HAL. In all fairness, I've only been on 1 cruise, though. Haha! From what I saw on that Alaskan cruise, though, I wouldn't take any other line to Alaska. We always had great spots in the ports and were able to go into Glacier Bay and spend some time there without any problems. I've heard this is not the case with other lines. Also, being vegan was VERY easy on HAL. That was a pretty big concern for me prior to sailing.
I do look forward to checking out Virgin, though. As we do not have small kids, this line appeals to me.