Please Holland America! Stay a more focused adult oriented cruise line! I want a quiet swim, a relaxing hot tub retreat, a children-free environment. Sorry if that offends people, but it's why I choose this line in the first place. There is nothing wrong with having a cruise line dedicated to adults. And I love those chocolate eclairs!
I’ve been on two Disney cruises, they do a wonderful job of keeping adults and children separated. Even on their private island, there was an adult only area. I guess that’s why people need to cruise when kids are in school. Side note: Viking is 18+; I went on a Viking cruise last year with my dad and I think the typical age was 75+.
@@HollyPlakeyou still have areas where they don’t separate them. Like shows, dinners etc. And you can hear them screaming. I can’t cruise outside of holidays. Love HAL.
You’ve given given very useful information that other TH-cam cruise channels haven’t, such as not having enough seats at the music venues, HAL doesn’t have “shows” in the main theatre , and no adult area/pool. Thank you so much!!
In our short cruising career, HAL has quickly become our favorite for all the reasons you mention! Even doing the Have It All package and adding Club Orange, we feel like the value on HAL is still far beyond what we find on other lines. We hesitate to say that too loudly, though, because we don’t want to see a rush on HAL cruises! We love how generally calm they are. I guess we know we’ve found our cruise line, because we really love what they do on the World Stage, too. We’re personally not too big on cruise line production shows, and we really enjoy the EXC talks, the BBC Planet Earth show, and the dance company. So it works for us, but we can see where if you like the big shows it might not have as much appeal. Enjoyed hearing your perspectives!
We found the bed in our balcony cabin was a bit too hard for us. When leaving our cabin for breakfast on day 2, we didn't see our cabin stewards, but we saw one halfway down the hallway. We asked if he could ask our stewards to put a topper on our mattress and were happily surprised later when we realized it had been done! The service on board was excellent, so we tipped extra to the stewards and bar crew.😊
Very helpful I’m actually glad in a way they don’t cater to children it’s nice to have a cruise line without a million children in a pool and not getting out to use the restroom, working adults need a stress free vacation this is a big yes for me I will definitely book with this cruise line THANK YOU
We totally agree with you. When we first cruised with Holland America there was hardly ever any children on board but we are seeing many more lately especially in the summer months and school holidays.
Good job on the analysis and the pros and cons. Here are two more things we wish HAL would consider changing… 1) They include water bottles in their count toward max beverages for their drink package. That doesn’t work for my wife - she would hit the max with water and not have any left for a glass of wine in the evening. 2) They don’t honor the beverage package on their private island - not a problem cruising to Alaska, but kind of an issue when cruising to the Caribbean and you pay per day for the package and really miss most of the day when visiting their private island. All of this is kind of petty, but we prefer Princess and these are just two of the reasons. Thanks again for sharing your HAL Alaska experience - we really enjoyed it.
I travelled once with Holland America on the Alaska 7 Day cruise which I really enjoyed. I’m not completely sure of the name of the ship but I think it was the Amsterdam. My friend and I were really impressed with the size and layout of the stateroom, which was not a more upscale stateroom, but did have a large porthole. What we both loved was the extra sitting area, the good sized bathroom with a tub/shower combination (really perfect for us), the plentiful storage, and the fact that we could move around the stateroom without bumping in to each other. We never felt cramped in our cabin. Also, our travel agent had advised us to get a stateroom situated amidships and on a lower deck, a very wise and quieter choice for us as first time cruisers. I enjoyed the food, the movies, the shows and the afternoon presentations. Compare this experience to Princess where another friend (who always cruised with this line) and I ended up in a very small, cramped, inside cabin, with an extremely small bathroom, no tub just a shower, the minimum of storage. Oh man, such a disappointment. Also my fault to a degree because I left the stateroom choice up to her. Big mistake. When I told about how spacious our stateroom on Holland America was, she was disbelieving until I showed her some photos from their website, then she was shocked. On Princess, the food was fine, the entertainment was very enjoyable, the trips were okay. My next cruise will definitely be Holland America because I also don’t like being on massive ships like the Princess ship we were on and I felt that Holland America, like you stated, is a little classier, a little more elegant, and I felt more comfortable on that cruise. It’s so nice to hear information and perspectives from my fellow Canadians! Thank you! 🇨🇦🥰👍🏻
That is what we love about cruising. There are many options and we have enjoyed seeing what each cruise line offers. We love the size of Holland America cabins.
My first impression of Eurodam was sailing away from Seattle and the aft pool area was labeled as adults only. The hottubs were full of children eating pizza. I spoke to a crewman and got a shoulder shrug. This is obviously a problem HAL needs to address as I’m thinking they just gave up trying. I always say it’s not the children I have a problem with, it’s their parents!
Everyone reported it's the same issue with all the other cruise lines except Disney (surprised!!!). Of all the cruise lines, you'd think Disney would be the most lenient?!
The art of complaining on a cruise ship means that you complain to an officer as opposed to an employee. You will generally get a quick response one way or another.
We just got off the Koningsdam September 2 2023. Our favorite cruise line is Celebrity but thought it has been awhile since we cruised on HAL and we thoroughly loved it. Your comments were spot on. We also enjoyed the presentations by the cruise director and the naturalist onboard regarding Alaska and HAL. Have to disagree with you about having an inside cabin though, especially for first time Alaska cruisers. Waking up in the morning and seeing your first iceberg or just waking up to the magnificent scenery is worth the price of a balcony; the sunrises can be spectacular too. Great for watching the Glaciers in Glacier Bay without the crowds (just remember to go on deck for the pea soup and the Alaskan Gluhwein at the Crows Nest).
Enjoy your blogs as Holland America is our preferred cruise line, having done 4 cruises(our 5th cancelled through Covid). We are an Australian couple, Sailing to Alaska on Koningsdam in April and found your opinions very informative. Think HAL dropping many features that made it memorable. Hope they listen to your very valid opinions.
There are plenty of cruise lines that offer the amusement park and water park atmospheres. We’ve actually asked several couples with children how they decided on Holland America. Many want their children to learn to relax and still have fun on a cruise vacation. They also, mentioned that they want their children close by and not running around the ship unattended. Some have mentioned that they want their children to spend time with them creating family memories, playing board games and having meals together in the atmosphere of a “nice restaurant.” Some have been on other cruise lines with the things you have mentioned and said they felt like it was a hectic, a non relaxing atmosphere.
Our experience with children being ‘close at hand’ isn't as wholesome as you describe. We raised children with some assumptions that some adult environments aren't suitable for children. We’ve seen people with their children belly up on a bar stool while their parents and others around are doing shots - not a world we'd want our youngster in. Then there's the children in the dancefloor at midnight in a bar where many adults have had lots to drink and trying to use the same dance floor. The childrens club allows for a more appropriate safe space. Let kids be kids and not expose them to the adult side of cruising.
We agree with your thoughts on HAL! The first thing I think about is they should choose a larger space for the Orange Party. HAL has been offering incentives for 3rd and 4th person in room for more than 15 years. We took our teen son as 3rd person in room which at that time was $99 at the time. He was not bored but he was good at entertaining himself, like reading. On our 9 HAL cruises with Hal, there were 20 youth at the most. I agree a designated space for kids/teens would be beneficial, especially now that more families are choosing to cruise with HAL. Also, as with other ships having issues with the adult only pools being invaded by kids, it should NOT be tolerated!
I honestly think it depends on the child or children. When my little sister and I were little we were happy with reading or playing in a corner with Barbie dolls (we didn’t go on a cruise until we were both adults).
I'm a 4 Star HAL cruiser and we have a 39 day cruise coming up in March. I agree with your review of the shows. Smoke, blinding lights, and canned music doesn't cut it. They have really changed since 2015. On our last sailing the HAL dancers performed with only 5 dancers. 2 couples and a single who just kinda stood around. Book for the destinations, not evening entertainment.
We are sailing on Nieuw Statendam this coming Sunday to the Eastern Caribbean! We have previously cruised several times on RCL so this will be our first time on Holland America. Have to admit, we're slightly worried about the fact that the entertainment might be quite a bit different than what we experienced on Royal. Me and my wife love music, so looking forward to that. Hopefully we don't have the same problem of finding seats like you did! We are ready for a more laid-back cruise so I believe we will enjoy the ship. Hopefully the timing of this sailing won't be a problem with lots of kids. I do know many schools are going to be on break this time of year. Am also looking forward to the food options! From what I've seen on other videos, the food looks great! The itinerary is good as well. Three of the four stops will be new to us! Only 5 days to go. We're ready!
Very exciting. Hope you have a wonderful time on your first HAL cruise. It sounds like you have done your research and have a clear idea of what to expect.🛳
Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences with Holland America. I have been cruising with other cruise lines, but I want to go back to Holland America. Your information helped me a lot. Thanks again. God bless you more as you continue to cruise and share your great ideas. Happy Cruising!!!😊🎉🙏🏻🥰💖
Thank you for this information. We are going on our first cruise. We did book Holland America after researching and picked them for many of the reasons that you state you like Holland America.
Thank you for your helpful video. I just booked my first HAL cruise and can't wait. I've cruise Princess, RCCL and Carnival and all were good, but HAL seems to align with me and my lifestyle. Would love to know about their fitness center and spa!
So exciting to try a new cruise. HAL offers a great cruise experience in our opinion. Depending on what ship you booked the workout and spa area very well done. They are more elaborate on the Pinnacle class ship with a great thermal suite.
I agree with everything you have said but I feel the positives far outweigh the negatives. Also I have never seen very many children on HAL but that may be just the time of year we are sailing. Great video 😊
Well done video. I have cruised on many cruise lines and even worked on cruise ships right now Holland America is my favorite cruise line. I do enjoy the size of their ships and where they go.
First time view what this, it has been a very informative review on Holland America. I am currently trying to decide whether or not. This would be something for me and I really needed AA good understanding as sue. What can one expect with this cruise line? So thank you
New to your channel. Thank you for this information. We are longtime Carnival cruisers and are ready to go try some other lines to see what else is out there.
We cruised over 20 Carnival cruises before trying Holland America. We wanted to see what else was out there and we were pleasantly surprised. Good luck.
@@CruisingCanucks Check out videos of the Edge class ships. They seriously do not have music/dance lounges. The Solstice ships have one and an elegant one without a dance floor. The Edge ships are restaurant ships. The Millennium ships also have two lounges, Rendezvous and the top observation lounge. I love Celebrity and HAL but Celbrity is doing more and more Retreat perks, taking away spaces from the regular pax. Good if you like suites but not great if you don't sail in them. They're also nickle and dime and have done things like charge for room service. Some tacky elements are beginning to creep into Celebrity and their food isn't always up to their own standard.
Our last cruise on HAL was a repositioning/ Trans Atlantic where the ship had just come from dry dock. Since we have sail that particular ship more than once, I was dismayed that part of Music walk was taken away, but the Casino was expanded. Across the way was a Library, but it wasn't open. The hours of the Lido were shortened and the "Chocolate Treats" were gone. The 'Entertainment Venues" were crowded, but there was always room at the Casino!!! I don't gamble or zipline and as other's have mentioned, The Orange Party can not be enjoyed by all. Over all, we enjoyed and signed up for another cruise.
Thanks for your insights on HAL, it was really interesting watching your update after your more recent experiences. We enjoyed our previous cruise on HAL and will be sailing on the Koningsdam in April 2025. First time on a Pinnacle class ship and we're really looking forward to it!
Thanks for watching. Sure you will enjoy the Pinnacle class ship. We really missed the Dutch Cafe and New York Deli when we were on Hal’s other class of ships.
Great Vlog! We have the same list of likes and dislikes with Holland America. Big things like food, decor and music, but little things like the makeup mirror and the motion sensor night light by the bathroom! When I got to the section about venue sizes, I actually screamed YES at the screen. 🤣 we have only been on Holland America once so far and it was last March during spring break. We were shocked at the number of children on the ship. I came home and made a note to never cruise during spring break again. Certainly not what we expected on board Holland America. But everybody we talk to who had cruised with HAL before was just as shocked as we were. so clearly, that was not the norm. There was one more thing that I didn’t love, and I wanted to ask you if this is something they always do. Niles and I like to start the day in the hot tub first thing in the morning. We were surprised to find that the hot tubs did not open until 9 AM. Is that standard operating procedure for HAL?
We love Holland and really like that it's an adult cruise line. We just got back from a week on the Koningsdam. We didn't see more than a dozen kids the entire week, so hopefully, for now, the kids will still be limited despite the push for families.
In our experience the amount of children depends greatly on the school holiday schedule. Summer, Christmas holidays and Spring Break there tends to be a lot of children. 🛳
@@CruisingCanucks We're going on a Holland cruise in April (Spring Break :O) So we'll get a taste of that, but normally we avoid holidays, weekend cruises, etc.
I am a 4 star mariner with HAL and have enjoyed many long and short cruises. I basically agree with everything you've talked about in this video. I do miss the smaller ships which they sold off to Fred Olsen. My next voyage will be Noordam in January 2025, 4 weeks, an unusual itinerary out of Singapore. I wish they would offer better options for solo cruisers and I see that a few single cabins are now included on the latest ships.
Great info as we were thinking about Holland America and always a chance one takes when trying something new. We have cruised Princess many times and Norweigan once. A person needs to give different cruise lines a chance as all depends on itinerary time of year and of course class of ship.
We have to agree about the main theater, we’ve been on 3 long cruises, total 54 days, and we are tired of the same stage shows over and over. We have a 21 day and a 48 day booked but are hoping the shows change by then,
We agree. We spent 28 days on Eurodam to Hawaii Tahiti. Just loved it. But you're right about the entertainment. They had the Lincoln theatre which we enjoyed as the theatre only had comedians and solo performances. We loved the food and aren't into swimming. No children on that long cruise. We have cruised on princess and celebrity and HAL.
we sailed with HAL on the rotterdam for a baltic cruise in june. it was amazing. as you describe, their itineraries and their history drew us in. we wanted a relaxing time while onboard since our days were filled with so much activity/excursions. the service was incredible. absolutely agree with you on the entertainment/music, but we were happy on the aft pool deck where we rarely saw kids. we loved it so much we booked a southern caribbean cruise on the same ship for our anniversary next year! should be a good comparison.
Going on HAL in the spring. That's valuable info about the entertainment venues. We usually go early for seats but more than an hour is ridiculous. Was on Celebrity last year and they also didn't utilize areas and had people crammed into the lobby to watch bands. They just don't think these things out.
Well, as a Celebrity cruiser, we are trying our 2nd HAL ship in a couple of months. From what I have learned is that the two lines are quite similar. Let's hope so.?
Thank you for the review. Not having sailed HAL (Celebrity is our go to) we are interested, although we were very surprised that there is no adult pool, this gives us pause. Maybe only cruise with them when school is in session. :)
We were on HAL in December 2022 and Celebrity in February 2023 and there were about 25 children on each cruise. You might see them a couple times a day at the most.
Since watching ur vlogs I have checked out Holland America, didn’t realize that the price point is pretty well the same as Princess . We have done a number of Princess cruises . We may try Holland America thanks to watching ur vlogs.
The Zaandam also has bathtubs, however they are slowly redoing the bathrooms to be walk in showers just like the Pinnacle ships. Also, newer TV's - the walk-in shower is wonderful
Thank you. Agree with your opinions When we started cruising with Holland America they had the big Broadway shows in the main theater, not dining rooms. Very disappointed this has changed..
Thanks again for another great review! I love watching your videos. You always are informative and give thoughtful,balanced reviews! I am going with HAL for the first time on a 12 day Panama cruise in March of 2025. My husband is a teacher so we have to go in during typical Canadian school breaks. I am hoping that by choosing a longer cruise there will be less kids on board. Teachers need a break too! We got the HAL 35 year anniversary deal that was Have it All but this one did not include staff appreciation. How do you know when their cruises include this? I feel especially pre warned now about the music walk and to make sure to get there early for seats. does being an Orange club member help with this or not? Thanks again!
We totally relate to only being able to travel during school holidays. That is one of the main reasons Mrs.Canuck retired early from the school board. Staff appreciation is usually on include on special promotions that HAL has and also on some cruise when you book well in advance like over a year prior to the cruising date. It is a challenge at times to find out but we have received emails from HAL telling us sometimes. Orange club does not assist in seat reservation at music venues. Thanks for watching our channel. Have a fabulous cruise.🛳
They do have bathtubs on the Zaandam as well. We have cruised 2x on HAL and are going to Norway with them next year. We believe that HAL has one of the best buffets at sea. We agree with almost all of your points. Our issue is the slow pace of service in MDR, the charges for 1st lobster tail and we wanted more enrichment talks. Minor quibbles we admit. HAL is our preferred line
We just returned from our first MSC and lobster tails were served on formal night without any charge which surprised us because of recent experiences on other ships. Mrs.Canuck is a big fan of the bathtubs on a cruise ship. 🚢
Nice video-good to know about “Have it all.” Having water and specialty coffee be “add-on” costs is ridiculous! Music walk would be a draw for me, but what good is it if you can’t get a seat, especially an hour ahead of time! They should use the Main Stage! I like small ships only. They should have an adult-only areas. May just be an issue in summer and especially in Alaska. You should try Oceania-usually no kids!
Thank you for your thoughts on the kid situation. We are looking to go on an Alaskan cruise with my family and in-laws. Although our son (who is 5) is used to being around adults, the lack of children activities does concern me with a 7 day cruise. We are trying to decide if we should save the money and go with Holland, knowing we will be able to afford more excursions. Or pay more for a Disney cruise for on ship entertainment but have to forego the excursions. I would love to know your thoughts!
Maybe a compromise would be best. We would recommend Royal Caribbean. They are great for families but are more affordable than Disney. We would definitely advise against HAL. They offer less to keep children entertained.
I agree with you on the too-small music venues. The music was too loud and it was so crowded, it wasn't very enjoyable. There was a big family wedding on board and the little kids running around and trying to dance took up most of the dance floor. Some passengers tried dancing, but gave up, leaving just the littles up there.
We've been on maybe 20 cruises. Most on HAL. I like their smaller sized ships, and the fact that there are fewer children. Recently we've been on longer trips which limits families with a short vacation option. I usually chose itinerary over cruise line. We did an Alaska land cruise / sea tour, and it was by far our favorite adventure. We have a 15-day Panama cruise this winter and a 24 day North Atlantic adventure this summer. I'm okay without the elaborate stage shows, I do like the enrichment and educational talks. Agree with you, their food is the best at sea.
I agree that it can be difficult to get a seat at f.e. BB King or Rolling Stone Rock room. I did not mind standing, was dancing most of the time😁 To avoid children I used the sun deck at the aft pool, adults only. This was enforced, no children to be seen (or heard😉) Downside was that next to the bar at the aft pool, is a smoking area. Not so nice waiting for your drink with a lot of smokers around you. I suggested they move the smoking section to the other side, where there’s no bar. For solo-cruisers they organize a drink and/or a lunch to meet other solo-cruisers.
Many people believe that the aft pool is adults only on HAL (and maybe it used to be), but if you watch our vlogs closely you can see the sign that says that children under 16 are allowed as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Also those vlogs (embarkation day) will show an aft pool full of children (without supervision). We really wish is was (or would return) to being adult only.
@@CruisingCanucks I guess I got lucky. Destination Norway might have made a difference, not so many kids on board in the first place. I forgot to mention Crow’s Nest on dek 12: cruising through the fjord while you put your feet up and enjoy the view with a drink 🥰
I agree with everything you guys had to say. HAL is our favorite cruise line, but oh man, we do wish they had at least ONE production show per cruise!! I hope you shared your thoughts with management in the survey they send out after every cruise.
LOL, I did not type my comments fast enough that it was posted on Paul and Carole Love to travel. Definitely agree that the food is really good. Side note: We ordered room service every morning for our 10 Day Baltic cruise. It was way more relaxing than going to the buffet, and included, so no additional fees. We were on the Niew Statendam and there was an adults only pool, but in the smoking section😫.
Thanks for this! I’ve been looking into HAL for our next cruise. We have been on 2 Disney cruises with family (Alaska and Eastern Caribbean). We enjoyed them very much, but we are seniors and might like something a bit more relaxing for just the 2 of us. 🙂 By the way way, DCL has bathtubs.
We prefer the quiet approach to the Lido. Other lines do the noisy main pools and the relaxing classy Lido area is a nice change from those other lines.
I am planning to book a Koningsdam Alaska cruise next year, and especially looking forward to the music walk. But, I would be so disappointed if the venues were too crowded to get in. Do you think the New Amsterdam would be a better choice as far as venue size?
The Koningsdam is bigger and has one extra music venue. However, the NA is 25% smaller - so fewer people but has one less venue. Both ships are busy in all venues early in the evening. The Koningsdam would get the nod from us only because it has the extra venue.
HAL is our favorite cruise line but it's true they are not without faults. This review sounds completely accurate based on our experiences. Also, we started trying to book cruises with them that happen during the school year to avoid the children. This has been working so far.
HAL used to have the big shows... pre-covid. But for some reason they haven't went back to them. I really wish they would. But they used to have the singing and shows big-time!!
We have heard that from fellow passengers. We did our first HAL New Years 19/20 just prior to the cruising pause. They did have shows in the theatre then either.
I like Holland America also. The 2 things I don't like is the waste of bread in the restaurant. I suggested they serve it to the customer vs putting a basket on the table. I do not like the fact you have to pay for a specialty coffee or gelato. I think if they did an average cost. It wouldn't be much to add onto the cruise cost. Staff are wonderful. We enjoyed getting to know them.
Funny how we all have the little things that we like or dislike. One of the pro’s with HAL in our opinion is that you don’t have to find a already busy server for a piece of bread.
I completely agree with your dislikes! So disappointed in shows as one even cancelled because of rough seas so definitely not much! We got to listen 2x at BB Kings!
We recently came off a fully-booked 14 day Rotterdam cruise to Amsterdam, Norway, Iceland and Scotland. We spent several evenings listening to great music in the Music Walk. But it was nothing like the crowded Music Walk you've described. There were always plenty of empty seats in the venues. In fact, I was concerned that the audiences were so thin that the Music Walk concept could be under threat.
Thankyou! I'm anxious to try them BUT, don't discount 7000 people like Wonder of the Seas. TRY IT. You won't be disappointed. You will feel less crowded on that ship than a small ship. It's because there is so much room, newer ideas of doing things.😊
Thanks for the tips! We are going to try the other direction like Azamara and Oceana and maybe a Euro river cruise. Although, given the right situation and timing -we might give a mega ship a try.
On April 27, 2024, My husband and I STOOD IN LINE at the Port of Vancouver embarkation terminal for 2 HOURS and 15 MINUTES. A lighted sign said that 2 ships, the Zaandam and the Koningsdam, were boarding at the same time in the same terminal. We dropped off our baggage at 12:25 PM for the 3 PM sailing. At 2:40 PM we needed to be pulled out of the line to go through customs in time to board the ship. Our issues: 1. There was NO announcement during our entire time in line from any port or Holland America staff member as to the delay. 2. There were NO chairs or benches to offer a resting spot. Some people sat on their suitcases or on the floor. 3. The one fan was inadequate to keep the warm air circulating. I felt faint. 4. There was clearly an inadequate number of customs officials. 5. We missed the Muster protocol on board and kept receiving messages from HAL. The port's responsibility for the boarding process was so mismanaged as to make it a health issue for many passengers. No one should board a cruise in Vancouver, Canada.
One thing we've learned over the years from experience and discussed with staff is that the US Customs office takes no direction from the cruise lines (or passengers) and makes its own decisions about timing, staffing, and process. The trickle-down impact on guests is huge, but unfortunately, it's the cruise lines and ports that take the black eye. The use of facial recognition and programs like Nexus has improved some ports and the process for some people. We'd advise you to try a cruise in Europe - we found the border services protocols there much more seamless and efficient.
What I did NOT like about the HAL buffet: 1) Since the crew has to serve the food, the buffet moves about half as quickly as those in Princess and Celebrity. 2) I am a person who likes to try dabs of many foods, I have found this to be impossible when HAL employees serve me. They want to give me FULL portions of everything meaning that I cannot try the various ethnic foods. 3) I was a little surprised in the lack of variety of desserts available on the Konigsdam in December 2022 but that could be a COVID issue. I would agree that the fares are quite reasonable on HAL. However, I will not book an itinerary that far in advance as the lowest rates seem to be available 30-90 days out. If you think that the HAL entertainment spots are too small, do NOT book on many of the NCL larger ships as the venues are smaller on ships with 40-50% more capacity.
Mr. Canuck feels he same in regards to sampling and trying a bit of everything he can on a buffet. We also would have to agree about some small venues on NCL. We found it challenging to get a seat in the Cavern club while on the Epic.
They were out of Blue Moon at the New York Pizza and deli, so the bartender went to another bar on another deck to find me a Blue Moon! That's service!
Love HAL . Having recently cruised on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth and before that Princess , we really like all three Carnival Inc's half step up brands . All three give excellent value compared with RC and NCL. You won't get amusement park facilities and that's fine with me . I will miss the Lincoln Center classical quartet on Holland . We went to every show .
Did you watch Sharon at Sea Travel video of their review of Hal - same ship? Very different experience. They even got a surprise hair in their burger. It's interesting hearing different opinions. Good video!
Wow, I love the idea of the Music walk and it's unfortunate that the venues are too small. Did you know the Edge Celebrity ships don't have any music lounge venues? Well maybe one but it is more a nightclub atmosphere than nice lounge atmosphere. That makes them undesirable for me. Hopefully HAL fixes this at some point in a newer class of ships. But I'm one that thinks too many new ships are built too often. I think on some ships the same issue of small venues is happening and they're resorting to using their atriums or foyers to do the activities (such as the Club Orange event type of things). What about the Crow's Nest? On some ships the observation lounge on top is large enough to hold events. And you had to stay in your seat or lose it? What's the point of these lounges if you can't get up and dance at times? Your video is very, very helpful. Thanks much.
Finding a chair in popular music venues seems to be an issue on many of the ships that we have been on. More than once people have mistakenly taken ur chairs while we were up dancing. We have only seen the Crows nest used for small activities during the day like trivia.
Last year we sailed on Royal Caribbean. We vowed never to sail with RC again. There were thousands of children on that ship. That ship did NOT have an adult only pool. We prefer Holland America. We took a three-week cruise during the summer, and there were only 80 children on that ship.
Doesn’t sound like you sailed on the very dated eurodam in Alaska because you wouldn’t be making those comments about clean and modern decor… Or great artwork… Or great pool area, furniture… Holland America line is indeed for an older demographic who really wants to experience the sites and activities of their port of calls. Thanks for the information and sounds like we should try a different Holland America ship perhaps. Completely agree with you regarding the subpar shows at world stage and the tiny venues for the very nice music on the music walk. They should switch them out somehow or divide up space in the world stage area.
We cruised on the Koningsdam to Alaska last year. We do love the Pinnacle class ships. They are modern but not gigantic like some other newer cruise lines ships.
I have to share a funny hilarious story about my neighbours who recently cruised to Alaska in April 2023. Mrs. Canuck can really relate to this story as she is from Newfoundland. My neighbours from Bonavista, Newfoundland on their way to St. John's to catch their flight to Vancouver couldn't get out of their driveway because of the tourists lined up to see the whales, icebergs, puffins, 4 eagles flying over, etc. etc. On their way to St. John's they almost hit a moose. Meanwhile, on their Alaska cruise. they didn't see any whales, marine life, moose nor eagles which didn't bother them but the Americans were fuming, spending all that money and seeing nothing. They should have gone to Newfoundland. Smooth sailing folks.
Lol, definitely can relate. We return home to seeing deer eating apples from the apple tree in our front yard. We tell everyone we can, go to Newfoundland if you want an authentic natural experience.
It's not only the cruise experience, its the geography, culture, traditions, spectacular fjords, midnight sun, and Northern Lights. Yes, its natural beauty is a global head-turner, but dive a little deeper and you'll uncover a treasure trove of cultural richness, pioneering innovation, and historical marvels that have left their mark on the world. Scandinavian architecture makes up for what is otherwise quite bland building style of Alaska. Norway has its natural wonders, along with population centres you can explore in-depth, go visit and wonder. Just a word of warning, it is much like Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland. Fair winds and following seas.
That's so weird. We've never done that ship, but the four other HAL ships we've done (inside, OV and balcony) all had umbrellas in the closet of the staterooms. I'd be curious to know about other ships now - we have friends on one of those smaller/older HAL ships now - we'll reach out and see if they had one.
Just did an Alaska cruise, first cruise in about 20 years. I did NCL was on them before, and liked the 'Free style' dinning/clothing. I was super disappoint in the food, I had low expectations ( past NCL cruise) and didn't meet that. Also, they have the same problems, with the small venues and under utilization of main theater for entertainment. That music walk speaks to me way more than a Broadway show. NCL was good but I am tempted to give Holland a shot as I just retired and want to travel. I have a few questions: Are there enriching talk about each port you are about to go to? All I got were shopping sales prep talks, waste of time! What and how is dress code enforced? kinda causally here Is there any singles program? solo traverse here Do they have a loyalty program and how good is it? How is the people controlling getting on and off ports....? NCL was good, but the constant 'sell and upgrade' attitude grates after a while. Kids are a problem, they're as well, disappointing. I' be doing longer ones and during school to help reduce kids. Debating where I will go next year, but plan on doing 1 a year on out till I get bored of it. thanks
There is a variety of enrichment talks but they may not be specific to your next port of call however sometimes they are. There are two formal nights per a 7 day cruise and we have seen everything from a tuxedo to a collar shirt in the main dining room. There is singles events in the program. They have a loyalty program. Details can be found on their website. Getting on and off depends on the port but generally we haven’t had an issue due to the fact that they don’t have huge capacity on their ship.
We have cruised with HAL more than anyone else so far. We have cruised 6 times with them the same as you guys. We think the service is great, the food is very good, and the entertainment in the EVENINGS is very good but it tends to be pretty quiet during the day. Of the cruise lines we have been on we would say they are our second favorite but it is close. Our biggest criticism is their interior cabins tend to be small but we tend to not spend much time in the cabin anyway. We have had a couple of weird experiences on HAL though for sure. On our last one they were playing "hide the bacon" at breakfast time. Never understood why. Now please stop spreading the word about HAL. Dont want them to become too popular!
Fantastic video, just about all my likes and dislikes were there. I like HAL's pricing, and the seating in the MDR. I will not book a ship that has a waterslide on the top deck. Speaking of children, when I used to be on the road for work, I would often eat alone. I always knew when a party of adults and children were probably Canadian, as the children were unbelievably well behaved! So much so, that I would complement the parents on their skills. They were very polite and well mannered. I was thinking of getting a Tee shirt that says "I love kids...just not yours! Think I'll get banned on the Lido deck? Thanks again for a great vlog. P.S. Yes, every cruise line needs at least one show stopping production show. That is what cruising was built on.
As a 25 year retired elementary teacher I can identify with your comment. It got harder and harder to teach each year because of unruly and non-compliant kids. I love quiet, kid free cruises. True rest and relaxation.
Holland America is wonderful….one big thing for me was age. I am 62, very young at heart. Far too many old people on board. Even the casino closed early due to lack of people. Everyone was in bed. Yet waking up, passengers were up by 6am…. Too stuffy for me. Princess was much better, I think I will try Carnival too. Also, lack of children….
We like that various cruises offer various types of experiences. When we want a quieter relaxed vacation then off we go to HAL, we want something more upbeat then we go Princess and if we want to party like we’re 21 then we book Carnival. It’s quite a brilliant strategy for Carnival Corp to span many demographics. We love those quiet 6am mornings when it’s quiet around the ship but have also shut down the dance club at 3am. That’s what makes cruising great - there’s something for everyone out there.
Ive been on the Noordam 3 times and going again in January. The entertainment in the main showroom has been very hit and miss the last few cruises. Im disappointed to hear that it seems to have gotten even worse from what you are saying. Looks like it will just be the Rolling Stone room for me for 11 nights. They did used to put on some very good "shows" previously.
We saw someone posted the Orange party on Nieuw Statendam last night and it was still in the cramped BB King space inside. We wish it was in a bigger area.
Loved the Zuiderdam, loved the Nieuw Amsterdam, not a fan of the Koningsdam. The entertainment venues are not set up well on the Koningsdam. The staff are amazing, but the venues are not great. Hate that the venues alternated between the piano bar and the rolling stones lounge, the bb king lounge wasn’t used like it could be at night. The food is the best in the lido buffet, the dinning room disappointed us, same offerings daily for 22 days so we just dined in the buffet. The have it all needs tweaking. Charging us for water was very frustrating. Cans with pop tops were free but with screw tops not. Taking a pop top on an excursion doesn’t work. Agree the staff on HAL is the best. Agree that the main theatre was a bit lacking. Two of the three comedians were good, the musical guests were ok. The seats are so uncomfortable. Our orange party was on the lido pool deck, still was crowded. Club HAL has a whole area on deck 10 on the Koningsdam
Thanks for sharing! We have never seen the Orange party outside before. We always thought it would help with the congestion. Just it is so popular that it will always be that busy.
We thought the quartet was not very good. Comedian was awful. This was on Amsterdam Alaska in August. Your correct, music venues are too small. It’s not a line for kids. Thanks.
Please Holland America! Stay a more focused adult oriented cruise line! I want a quiet swim, a relaxing hot tub retreat, a children-free environment. Sorry if that offends people, but it's why I choose this line in the first place. There is nothing wrong with having a cruise line dedicated to adults. And I love those chocolate eclairs!
Exactly why we started cruising HAL.
Agreed!!!
I’ve been on two Disney cruises, they do a wonderful job of keeping adults and children separated. Even on their private island, there was an adult only area. I guess that’s why people need to cruise when kids are in school. Side note: Viking is 18+; I went on a Viking cruise last year with my dad and I think the typical age was 75+.
That’s why I choose HAL for mu first cruise this year. And that’s why I now will only cruise with them. Loved it.
@@HollyPlakeyou still have areas where they don’t separate them. Like shows, dinners etc. And you can hear them screaming. I can’t cruise outside of holidays. Love HAL.
You’ve given given very useful information that other TH-cam cruise channels haven’t, such as not having enough seats at the music venues, HAL doesn’t have “shows” in the main theatre , and no adult area/pool. Thank you so much!!
Thank you. Glad you found it helpful.
In our short cruising career, HAL has quickly become our favorite for all the reasons you mention! Even doing the Have It All package and adding Club Orange, we feel like the value on HAL is still far beyond what we find on other lines. We hesitate to say that too loudly, though, because we don’t want to see a rush on HAL cruises! We love how generally calm they are.
I guess we know we’ve found our cruise line, because we really love what they do on the World Stage, too. We’re personally not too big on cruise line production shows, and we really enjoy the EXC talks, the BBC Planet Earth show, and the dance company. So it works for us, but we can see where if you like the big shows it might not have as much appeal.
Enjoyed hearing your perspectives!
Thanks. We love so much about HAL.
The big ships= lines, noise & rude passengers for me. I’m gladly researching HAL for our next voyage! Thanks for sharing!
Yes we prefer the smaller size of HAL ships.
It’s so refreshing to see a cruise staff that is so friendly and helpful. Such a departure from what we experience at home in our everyday lives.
We found the bed in our balcony cabin was a bit too hard for us. When leaving our cabin for breakfast on day 2, we didn't see our cabin stewards, but we saw one halfway down the hallway. We asked if he could ask our stewards to put a topper on our mattress and were happily surprised later when we realized it had been done! The service on board was excellent, so we tipped extra to the stewards and bar crew.😊
We have found the service on HAL to also be top notch!🛳
Very helpful I’m actually glad in a way they don’t cater to children it’s nice to have a cruise line without a million children in a pool and not getting out to use the restroom, working adults need a stress free vacation this is a big yes for me I will definitely book with this cruise line THANK YOU
We totally agree with you. When we first cruised with Holland America there was hardly ever any children on board but we are seeing many more lately especially in the summer months and school holidays.
Great review. We would agree with your comments. Both positive and other.
4 star Hal mariners.
Thanks, we try are best to be honest about our experiences. We love cruising with HAL. The countdown is on for our next one.🛳
My wife and I are 4-star on HAL and I agree with everything you said. Good job
Thanks for watching and your comment.
Good job on the analysis and the pros and cons. Here are two more things we wish HAL would consider changing… 1) They include water bottles in their count toward max beverages for their drink package. That doesn’t work for my wife - she would hit the max with water and not have any left for a glass of wine in the evening. 2) They don’t honor the beverage package on their private island - not a problem cruising to Alaska, but kind of an issue when cruising to the Caribbean and you pay per day for the package and really miss most of the day when visiting their private island. All of this is kind of petty, but we prefer Princess and these are just two of the reasons. Thanks again for sharing your HAL Alaska experience - we really enjoyed it.
We totally agree. We forgot to mention the drink package doesn’t work on the private island. Great point.🛳
I just wish that they would sell you a 12 pack of water at a reasonable price like they do on Carnival.
I travelled once with Holland America on the Alaska 7 Day cruise which I really enjoyed. I’m not completely sure of the name of the ship but I think it was the Amsterdam. My friend and I were really impressed with the size and layout of the stateroom, which was not a more upscale stateroom, but did have a large porthole. What we both loved was the extra sitting area, the good sized bathroom with a tub/shower combination (really perfect for us), the plentiful storage, and the fact that we could move around the stateroom without bumping in to each other. We never felt cramped in our cabin. Also, our travel agent had advised us to get a stateroom situated amidships and on a lower deck, a very wise and quieter choice for us as first time cruisers. I enjoyed the food, the movies, the shows and the afternoon presentations. Compare this experience to Princess where another friend (who always cruised with this line) and I ended up in a very small, cramped, inside cabin, with an extremely small bathroom, no tub just a shower, the minimum of storage. Oh man, such a disappointment. Also my fault to a degree because I left the stateroom choice up to her. Big mistake. When I told about how spacious our stateroom on Holland America was, she was disbelieving until I showed her some photos from their website, then she was shocked. On Princess, the food was fine, the entertainment was very enjoyable, the trips were okay. My next cruise will definitely be Holland America because I also don’t like being on massive ships like the Princess ship we were on and I felt that Holland America, like you stated, is a little classier, a little more elegant, and I felt more comfortable on that cruise. It’s so nice to hear information and perspectives from my fellow Canadians! Thank you! 🇨🇦🥰👍🏻
That is what we love about cruising. There are many options and we have enjoyed seeing what each cruise line offers.
We love the size of Holland America cabins.
My first impression of Eurodam was sailing away from Seattle and the aft pool area was labeled as adults only. The hottubs were full of children eating pizza. I spoke to a crewman and got a shoulder shrug. This is obviously a problem HAL needs to address as I’m thinking they just gave up trying. I always say it’s not the children I have a problem with, it’s their parents!
We have witnessed the same thing on our cruises lately. Well said.
Everyone reported it's the same issue with all the other cruise lines except Disney (surprised!!!). Of all the cruise lines, you'd think Disney would be the most lenient?!
@@KK-tr8tf Disney has the least amount of issues, because the kids are always occupied.
same happened to me at the oosterdam and it was writed no diving and saw at list 10 kids diving and hot tubes with 6 kids inside.
The art of complaining on a cruise ship means that you complain to an officer as opposed to an employee. You will generally get a quick response one way or another.
Really looking forward to the Lincoln Center. Please bring back a Classical Music option.
Princess has a classical music group performing nightly on our current Enchanted Princess cruise.
Thank you for the review. My wife and I are going to create a drinking game for each time you say for sure.
Lol 😂 Love it!
Tomhart6962 oh no, you ruined it for me! I couldn't stop hearing it 😂. Still a great video lol.
So Canadian ❤️🇨🇦
Their accent was easy to pick up. I have Canadian relatives. I swear Canadians cruise more than anybody else.
For sure
Thank you for your time in letting us know more about this line!!
You are so welcome! Thanks for watching.🛳
We just got off the Koningsdam September 2 2023. Our favorite cruise line is Celebrity but thought it has been awhile since we cruised on HAL and we thoroughly loved it. Your comments were spot on. We also enjoyed the presentations by the cruise director and the naturalist onboard regarding Alaska and HAL. Have to disagree with you about having an inside cabin though, especially for first time Alaska cruisers. Waking up in the morning and seeing your first iceberg or just waking up to the magnificent scenery is worth the price of a balcony; the sunrises can be spectacular too. Great for watching the Glaciers in Glacier Bay without the crowds (just remember to go on deck for the pea soup and the Alaskan Gluhwein at the Crows Nest).
Glad you had a wonderful, cruise.
Enjoy your blogs as Holland America is our preferred cruise line, having done 4 cruises(our 5th cancelled through Covid). We are an Australian couple, Sailing to Alaska on Koningsdam in April and found your opinions very informative. Think HAL dropping many features that made it memorable. Hope they listen to your very valid opinions.
Thank you. Have a wonderful cruise on the Koningsdam!🛳
There are plenty of cruise lines that offer the amusement park and water park atmospheres. We’ve actually asked several
couples with children how they decided on Holland America. Many want their children to learn to relax and still have fun on a cruise vacation. They also, mentioned that they want their children close by and not running around the ship unattended. Some have mentioned that they want their children to spend time with them creating family memories, playing board games and having meals together in the atmosphere of a “nice restaurant.” Some have been on other cruise lines with the things you have mentioned and said they felt like it was a hectic, a non relaxing atmosphere.
Our experience with children being ‘close at hand’ isn't as wholesome as you describe. We raised children with some assumptions that some adult environments aren't suitable for children. We’ve seen people with their children belly up on a bar stool while their parents and others around are doing shots - not a world we'd want our youngster in. Then there's the children in the dancefloor at midnight in a bar where many adults have had lots to drink and trying to use the same dance floor. The childrens club allows for a more appropriate safe space. Let kids be kids and not expose them to the adult side of cruising.
We agree with your thoughts on HAL! The first thing I think about is they should choose a larger space for the Orange Party. HAL has been offering incentives for 3rd and 4th person in room for more than 15 years. We took our teen son as 3rd person in room which at that time was $99 at the time. He was not bored but he was good at entertaining himself, like reading. On our 9 HAL cruises with Hal, there were 20 youth at the most. I agree a designated space for kids/teens would be beneficial, especially now that more families are choosing to cruise with HAL. Also, as with other ships having issues with the adult only pools being invaded by kids, it should NOT be tolerated!
Agreed. Adults only pools should be only for adults. Signs are not enough.
I honestly think it depends on the child or children. When my little sister and I were little we were happy with reading or playing in a corner with Barbie dolls (we didn’t go on a cruise until we were both adults).
I'm a 4 Star HAL cruiser and we have a 39 day cruise coming up in March. I agree with your review of the shows. Smoke, blinding lights, and canned music doesn't cut it. They have really changed since 2015. On our last sailing the HAL dancers performed with only 5 dancers. 2 couples and a single who just kinda stood around. Book for the destinations, not evening entertainment.
Totally agree with your comment. We love HAL just not their main theatre shows.
We are sailing on Nieuw Statendam this coming Sunday to the Eastern Caribbean! We have previously cruised several times on RCL so this will be our first time on Holland America. Have to admit, we're slightly worried about the fact that the entertainment might be quite a bit different than what we experienced on Royal. Me and my wife love music, so looking forward to that. Hopefully we don't have the same problem of finding seats like you did! We are ready for a more laid-back cruise so I believe we will enjoy the ship. Hopefully the timing of this sailing won't be a problem with lots of kids. I do know many schools are going to be on break this time of year. Am also looking forward to the food options! From what I've seen on other videos, the food looks great! The itinerary is good as well. Three of the four stops will be new to us! Only 5 days to go. We're ready!
Very exciting. Hope you have a wonderful time on your first HAL cruise. It sounds like you have done your research and have a clear idea of what to expect.🛳
Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences with Holland America. I have been cruising with other cruise lines, but I want to go back to Holland America. Your information helped me a lot. Thanks again. God bless you more as you continue to cruise and share your great ideas. Happy Cruising!!!😊🎉🙏🏻🥰💖
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this information. We are going on our first cruise. We did book Holland America after researching and picked them for many of the reasons that you state you like Holland America.
Very exciting going on your first cruise. Hope you have an amazing experience.🛳
Thank you for your helpful video. I just booked my first HAL cruise and can't wait. I've cruise Princess, RCCL and Carnival and all were good, but HAL seems to align with me and my lifestyle. Would love to know about their fitness center and spa!
So exciting to try a new cruise. HAL offers a great cruise experience in our opinion. Depending on what ship you booked the workout and spa area very well done. They are more elaborate on the Pinnacle class ship with a great thermal suite.
I agree with everything you have said but I feel the positives far outweigh the negatives. Also I have never seen very many children on HAL but that may be just the time of year we are sailing. Great video 😊
We totally agree. We look forward to many more voyages with HAL.
Well done video. I have cruised on many cruise lines and even worked on cruise ships right now Holland America is my favorite cruise line. I do enjoy the size of their ships and where they go.
We agree with you. HAL offers some get destinations and we like that their ships are not mega size!🛳
First time view what this, it has been a very informative review on Holland America. I am currently trying to decide whether or not. This would be something for me and I really needed AA good understanding as sue. What can one expect with this cruise line? So thank you
Your welcome. Glad it was helpful.
I love Holandamerica Ships. I agree with you about everything what you say. ❤
Thanks for watching.
love the princess banner behind Jerrys head . i was looking for the secret letter in this vlog
New to your channel. Thank you for this information. We are longtime Carnival cruisers and are ready to go try some other lines to see what else is out there.
We cruised over 20 Carnival cruises before trying Holland America. We wanted to see what else was out there and we were pleasantly surprised. Good luck.
Agreed with everything you said, HAL is our second favorite cruise line after Celebrity. We love the service and the food is pretty good.
We have definitely got to get on a Celebrity ship. Hopefully we will find a deal tomorrow.😉
@@CruisingCanucks Check out videos of the Edge class ships. They seriously do not have music/dance lounges. The Solstice ships have one and an elegant one without a dance floor. The Edge ships are restaurant ships. The Millennium ships also have two lounges, Rendezvous and the top observation lounge.
I love Celebrity and HAL but Celbrity is doing more and more Retreat perks, taking away spaces from the regular pax. Good if you like suites but not great if you don't sail in them. They're also nickle and dime and have done things like charge for room service. Some tacky elements are beginning to creep into Celebrity and their food isn't always up to their own standard.
Our last cruise on HAL was a repositioning/ Trans Atlantic where the ship had just come from dry dock. Since we have sail that particular ship more than once, I was dismayed that part of Music walk was taken away, but the Casino was expanded. Across the way was a Library, but it wasn't open. The hours of the Lido were shortened and the "Chocolate Treats" were gone. The 'Entertainment Venues" were crowded, but there was always room at the Casino!!! I don't gamble or zipline and as other's have mentioned, The Orange Party can not be enjoyed by all. Over all, we enjoyed and signed up for another cruise.
Some oof the changes that HAL has been making leaves us scratching our heads!🛳
Sailing HAL on the Eurodam in Alaska in September. First time with HAL so this video is very helpful! Thanks and continued safe travels!
Glad it was helpful! Have a wonderful cruise. 🛳
Thanks for your insights on HAL, it was really interesting watching your update after your more recent experiences. We enjoyed our previous cruise on HAL and will be sailing on the Koningsdam in April 2025. First time on a Pinnacle class ship and we're really looking forward to it!
Thanks for watching. Sure you will enjoy the Pinnacle class ship. We really missed the Dutch Cafe and New York Deli when we were on Hal’s other class of ships.
Great Vlog! We have the same list of likes and dislikes with Holland America. Big things like food, decor and music, but little things like the makeup mirror and the motion sensor night light by the bathroom! When I got to the section about venue sizes, I actually screamed YES at the screen. 🤣 we have only been on Holland America once so far and it was last March during spring break. We were shocked at the number of children on the ship. I came home and made a note to never cruise during spring break again. Certainly not what we expected on board Holland America. But everybody we talk to who had cruised with HAL before was just as shocked as we were. so clearly, that was not the norm. There was one more thing that I didn’t love, and I wanted to ask you if this is something they always do. Niles and I like to start the day in the hot tub first thing in the morning. We were surprised to find that the hot tubs did not open until 9 AM. Is that standard operating procedure for HAL?
Yes.We have noticed that the hot tubs are not open first thing in the morning.
We love Holland and really like that it's an adult cruise line. We just got back from a week on the Koningsdam. We didn't see more than a dozen kids the entire week, so hopefully, for now, the kids will still be limited despite the push for families.
In our experience the amount of children depends greatly on the school holiday schedule. Summer, Christmas holidays and Spring Break there tends to be a lot of children. 🛳
@@CruisingCanucks We're going on a Holland cruise in April (Spring Break :O) So we'll get a taste of that, but normally we avoid holidays, weekend cruises, etc.
I am a 4 star mariner with HAL and have enjoyed many long and short cruises. I basically agree with everything you've talked about in this video. I do miss the smaller ships which they sold off to Fred Olsen. My next voyage will be Noordam in January 2025, 4 weeks, an unusual itinerary out of Singapore. I wish they would offer better options for solo cruisers and I see that a few single cabins are now included on the latest ships.
We are booked on our smallest ship ever with any cruise on HAL for a Canada and New England cruise.Very much looking forward to it.
These are fair assessments.
Thanks🚢
Great info as we were thinking about Holland America and always a chance one takes when trying something new. We have cruised Princess many times and Norweigan once. A person needs to give different cruise lines a chance as all depends on itinerary time of year and of course class of ship.
Glad the video was helpful. We enjoy trying different cruise lines. We enjoy seeing all the new things that a different cruise line can offer.
We have taken seven cruises on seven cruise lines. Our next two cruises will finally be repeats - HAL and Celebrity.
With HIA do you wear a wrist band or what do you show ?
It is on your cruise card. You have to give your ship card when ordering drinks.
We have to agree about the main theater, we’ve been on 3 long cruises, total 54 days, and we are tired of the same stage shows over and over. We have a 21 day and a 48 day booked but are hoping the shows change by then,
Hopefully they do have some updated show for you.🛳
We agree. We spent 28 days on Eurodam to Hawaii Tahiti. Just loved it. But you're right about the entertainment. They had the Lincoln theatre which we enjoyed as the theatre only had comedians and solo performances.
We loved the food and aren't into swimming. No children on that long cruise. We have cruised on princess and celebrity and HAL.
Sounds like you had an amazing cruise.
we sailed with HAL on the rotterdam for a baltic cruise in june. it was amazing. as you describe, their itineraries and their history drew us in. we wanted a relaxing time while onboard since our days were filled with so much activity/excursions. the service was incredible. absolutely agree with you on the entertainment/music, but we were happy on the aft pool deck where we rarely saw kids. we loved it so much we booked a southern caribbean cruise on the same ship for our anniversary next year! should be a good comparison.
Great to hear that you liked it and rebooked!
Going on HAL in the spring. That's valuable info about the entertainment venues. We usually go early for seats but more than an hour is ridiculous. Was on Celebrity last year and they also didn't utilize areas and had people crammed into the lobby to watch bands. They just don't think these things out.
We are finding this to be true with all the different cruise lines unfortunately.
Well, as a Celebrity cruiser, we are trying our 2nd HAL ship in a couple of months. From what I have learned is that the two lines are quite similar. Let's hope so.?
We have yet to cruise with Celebrity,however we have heard the same thing.🛳 Have a wonderful cruise.
Thank you for the review. Not having sailed HAL (Celebrity is our go to) we are interested, although we were very surprised that there is no adult pool, this gives us pause. Maybe only cruise with them when school is in session. :)
Yes, that is the strategy that we plan on taking.
We were on HAL in December 2022 and Celebrity in February 2023 and there were about 25 children on each cruise. You might see them a couple times a day at the most.
Since watching ur vlogs I have checked out Holland America, didn’t realize that the price point is pretty well the same as Princess . We have done a number of Princess cruises . We may try Holland America thanks to watching ur vlogs.
We have often found that to be the case. HAL is a great cruise line and we have had lots of fun with them.
The Zaandam also has bathtubs, however they are slowly redoing the bathrooms to be walk in showers just like the Pinnacle ships. Also, newer TV's - the walk-in shower is wonderful
Thank you. Agree with your opinions
When we started cruising with Holland America they had the big Broadway shows in the main theater, not dining rooms. Very disappointed this has changed..
We hope they will return to them.🤞
Hey Guys
Great show. Thanks for the info.
Cheers ❤🍺🥃🍺
Thanks for watching!
Thanks again for another great review! I love watching your videos. You always are informative and give thoughtful,balanced reviews! I am going with HAL for the first time on a 12 day Panama cruise in March of 2025. My husband is a teacher so we have to go in during typical Canadian school breaks. I am hoping that by choosing a longer cruise there will be less kids on board. Teachers need a break too! We got the HAL 35 year anniversary deal that was Have it All but this one did not include staff appreciation. How do you know when their cruises include this? I feel especially pre warned now about the music walk and to make sure to get there early for seats. does being an Orange club member help with this or not? Thanks again!
We totally relate to only being able to travel during school holidays. That is one of the main reasons Mrs.Canuck retired early from the school board.
Staff appreciation is usually on include on special promotions that HAL has and also on some cruise when you book well in advance like over a year prior to the cruising date. It is a challenge at times to find out but we have received emails from HAL telling us sometimes.
Orange club does not assist in seat reservation at music venues.
Thanks for watching our channel. Have a fabulous cruise.🛳
@@CruisingCanucks thank you for answering my questions. Are you thinking of planning another group cruise? If so I would love to know.
We have a group cruise on Nieuw Statendam on Feb 1, 2025. We are in the planning stage of trying to get one organized for 2026.
They do have bathtubs on the Zaandam as well. We have cruised 2x on HAL and are going to Norway with them next year. We believe that HAL has one of the best buffets at sea. We agree with almost all of your points. Our issue is the slow pace of service in MDR, the charges for 1st lobster tail and we wanted more enrichment talks. Minor quibbles we admit. HAL is our preferred line
We just returned from our first MSC and lobster tails were served on formal night without any charge which surprised us because of recent experiences on other ships.
Mrs.Canuck is a big fan of the bathtubs on a cruise ship. 🚢
Nice video-good to know about “Have it all.” Having water and specialty coffee be “add-on” costs is ridiculous! Music walk would be a draw for me, but what good is it if you can’t get a seat, especially an hour ahead of time! They should use the Main Stage! I like small ships only. They should have an adult-only areas. May just be an issue in summer and especially in Alaska. You should try Oceania-usually no kids!
We hope to try Oceania. We were actually on their website this week seeing if it would be possible.
been thinking about going on HAL by myself
@@autobotdiva9268 I would try it! We have met many singles and our experience was that they loved it!
Thank you for your thoughts on the kid situation. We are looking to go on an Alaskan cruise with my family and in-laws. Although our son (who is 5) is used to being around adults, the lack of children activities does concern me with a 7 day cruise. We are trying to decide if we should save the money and go with Holland, knowing we will be able to afford more excursions. Or pay more for a Disney cruise for on ship entertainment but have to forego the excursions. I would love to know your thoughts!
Maybe a compromise would be best. We would recommend Royal Caribbean. They are great for families but are more affordable than Disney. We would definitely advise against HAL. They offer less to keep children entertained.
The Westerdam also has bathtubs.
Love a cabin with a bathtub.
I agree with you on the too-small music venues. The music was too loud and it was so crowded, it wasn't very enjoyable. There was a big family wedding on board and the little kids running around and trying to dance took up most of the dance floor. Some passengers tried dancing, but gave up, leaving just the littles up there.
That is disappointing. We have had similar experiences.
I think the umbrella is going away the last two HAL ships have not umbrellas.
Oh no. That is disappointing.🛳
@@CruisingCanucks they can be had if asked for
Thanks for the tip.
Went to Alaska in July on NCL. Too big and crowded. Still had a nice time, but ended up wishing I had done HAL.
We had a fabulous time on the Koningsdam. It was however, the busiest most crowded HAL ship we have ever been on.
We've been on maybe 20 cruises. Most on HAL. I like their smaller sized ships, and the fact that there are fewer children. Recently we've been on longer trips which limits families with a short vacation option. I usually chose itinerary over cruise line. We did an Alaska land cruise / sea tour, and it was by far our favorite adventure. We have a 15-day Panama cruise this winter and a 24 day North Atlantic adventure this summer. I'm okay without the elaborate stage shows, I do like the enrichment and educational talks. Agree with you, their food is the best at sea.
Sounds like you have some exciting trips up in 2024. Enjoy 😊🛳
I agree that it can be difficult to get a seat at f.e. BB King or Rolling Stone Rock room. I did not mind standing, was dancing most of the time😁
To avoid children I used the sun deck at the aft pool, adults only. This was enforced, no children to be seen (or heard😉) Downside was that next to the bar at the aft pool, is a smoking area. Not so nice waiting for your drink with a lot of smokers around you. I suggested they move the smoking section to the other side, where there’s no bar.
For solo-cruisers they organize a drink and/or a lunch to meet other solo-cruisers.
Many people believe that the aft pool is adults only on HAL (and maybe it used to be), but if you watch our vlogs closely you can see the sign that says that children under 16 are allowed as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Also those vlogs (embarkation day) will show an aft pool full of children (without supervision). We really wish is was (or would return) to being adult only.
@@CruisingCanucks I guess I got lucky. Destination Norway might have made a difference, not so many kids on board in the first place.
I forgot to mention Crow’s Nest on dek 12: cruising through the fjord while you put your feet up and enjoy the view with a drink 🥰
I agree with everything you guys had to say. HAL is our favorite cruise line, but oh man, we do wish they had at least ONE production show per cruise!! I hope you shared your thoughts with management in the survey they send out after every cruise.
We have responded in the survey about production shows after ever cruise we have taken with HAL.
We love HAL!!
Us too!
LOL, I did not type my comments fast enough that it was posted on Paul and Carole Love to travel. Definitely agree that the food is really good. Side note: We ordered room service every morning for our 10 Day Baltic cruise. It was way more relaxing than going to the buffet, and included, so no additional fees. We were on the Niew Statendam and there was an adults only pool, but in the smoking section😫.
Thanks for this! I’ve been looking into HAL for our next cruise. We have been on 2 Disney cruises with family (Alaska and Eastern Caribbean). We enjoyed them very much, but we are seniors and might like something a bit more relaxing for just the 2 of us. 🙂 By the way way, DCL has bathtubs.
Our pleasure! Thanks for watching.
I agree with you on all of Holland American Ships. It’s my Favourite Donna From Hfx NS🥃❤️
We have had wonderful experiences with HAL.
There needs to be entertainment at the pool on the Lido deck.
We prefer the quiet approach to the Lido. Other lines do the noisy main pools and the relaxing classy Lido area is a nice change from those other lines.
I am planning to book a Koningsdam Alaska cruise next year, and especially looking forward to the music walk. But,
I would be so disappointed if the venues were too crowded to get in. Do you think the New Amsterdam would be a better choice as far as venue size?
The Koningsdam is bigger and has one extra music venue. However, the NA is 25% smaller - so fewer people but has one less venue. Both ships are busy in all venues early in the evening. The Koningsdam would get the nod from us only because it has the extra venue.
HAL is our favorite cruise line but it's true they are not without faults. This review sounds completely accurate based on our experiences. Also, we started trying to book cruises with them that happen during the school year to avoid the children. This has been working so far.
We plan on doing the same as you now that Mrs.Canuck can travel will anytime of the year.
HAL used to have the big shows... pre-covid. But for some reason they haven't went back to them. I really wish they would. But they used to have the singing and shows big-time!!
We have heard that from fellow passengers. We did our first HAL New Years 19/20 just prior to the cruising pause. They did have shows in the theatre then either.
Do they let you know ahead of time about the Orange party
The Orange Party will appear on your Holland America app. We believe every voyage as one night where it will happen.
I like Holland America also. The 2 things I don't like is the waste of bread in the restaurant. I suggested they serve it to the customer vs putting a basket on the table. I do not like the fact you have to pay for a specialty coffee or gelato. I think if they did an average cost. It wouldn't be much to add onto the cruise cost. Staff are wonderful. We enjoyed getting to know them.
Funny how we all have the little things that we like or dislike. One of the pro’s with HAL in our opinion is that you don’t have to find a already busy server for a piece of bread.
I completely agree with your dislikes! So disappointed in shows as one even cancelled because of rough seas so definitely not much! We got to listen 2x at BB Kings!
We recently came off a fully-booked 14 day Rotterdam cruise to Amsterdam, Norway, Iceland and Scotland. We spent several evenings listening to great music in the Music Walk. But it was nothing like the crowded Music Walk you've described. There were always plenty of empty seats in the venues. In fact, I was concerned that the audiences were so thin that the Music Walk concept could be under threat.
We also love the HAL cruises, where Music Walk was just as you described. We need to find a few quieter itineraries to get back to that.
I was on that cruise!
Thankyou! I'm anxious to try them BUT, don't discount 7000 people like Wonder of the Seas. TRY IT. You won't be disappointed. You will feel less crowded on that ship than a small ship. It's because there is so much room, newer ideas of doing things.😊
Thanks for the tips! We are going to try the other direction like Azamara and Oceana and maybe a Euro river cruise. Although, given the right situation and timing -we might give a mega ship a try.
On April 27, 2024, My husband and I STOOD IN LINE at the Port of Vancouver embarkation terminal for 2 HOURS and 15 MINUTES. A lighted sign said that 2 ships, the Zaandam and the Koningsdam, were boarding at the same time in the same terminal. We dropped off our baggage at 12:25 PM for the 3 PM sailing.
At 2:40 PM we needed to be pulled out of the line to go through customs in time to board the ship. Our issues:
1. There was NO announcement during our entire time in line from any port or Holland America staff member as to the delay.
2. There were NO chairs or benches to offer a resting spot. Some people sat on their suitcases or on the floor.
3. The one fan was inadequate to keep the warm air circulating. I felt faint.
4. There was clearly an inadequate number of customs officials.
5. We missed the Muster protocol on board and kept receiving messages from HAL.
The port's responsibility for the boarding process was so mismanaged as to make it a health issue for many passengers. No one should board a cruise in Vancouver, Canada.
One thing we've learned over the years from experience and discussed with staff is that the US Customs office takes no direction from the cruise lines (or passengers) and makes its own decisions about timing, staffing, and process. The trickle-down impact on guests is huge, but unfortunately, it's the cruise lines and ports that take the black eye. The use of facial recognition and programs like Nexus has improved some ports and the process for some people. We'd advise you to try a cruise in Europe - we found the border services protocols there much more seamless and efficient.
@@CruisingCanucks 🤔
Thanks for this info! We appreciate your perspective.
What I did NOT like about the HAL buffet:
1) Since the crew has to serve the food, the buffet moves about half as quickly as those in Princess and Celebrity.
2) I am a person who likes to try dabs of many foods, I have found this to be impossible when HAL employees serve me. They want to give me FULL portions of everything meaning that I cannot try the various ethnic foods.
3) I was a little surprised in the lack of variety of desserts available on the Konigsdam in December 2022 but that could be a COVID issue.
I would agree that the fares are quite reasonable on HAL. However, I will not book an itinerary that far in advance as the lowest rates seem to be available 30-90 days out.
If you think that the HAL entertainment spots are too small, do NOT book on many of the NCL larger ships as the venues are smaller on ships with 40-50% more capacity.
Mr. Canuck feels he same in regards to sampling and trying a bit of everything he can on a buffet.
We also would have to agree about some small venues on NCL. We found it challenging to get a seat in the Cavern club while on the Epic.
They were out of Blue Moon at the New York Pizza and deli, so the bartender went to another bar on another deck to find me a Blue Moon! That's service!
We have been fortunate to have such wonderful service like that throughout our experiences with HAL.
Love HAL . Having recently cruised on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth and before that Princess , we really like all three Carnival Inc's half step up brands . All three give excellent value compared with RC and NCL. You won't get amusement park facilities and that's fine with me . I will miss the Lincoln Center classical quartet on Holland . We went to every show .
Yes we were shocked they removed that - since it was very popular on all of our HAL cruises.
Did you watch Sharon at Sea Travel video of their review of Hal - same ship? Very different experience. They even got a surprise hair in their burger. It's interesting hearing different opinions. Good video!
We've always had great experiences with HAL, and food continues to be a highlight. Thanks for watching.
Wow, I love the idea of the Music walk and it's unfortunate that the venues are too small. Did you know the Edge Celebrity ships don't have any music lounge venues? Well maybe one but it is more a nightclub atmosphere than nice lounge atmosphere. That makes them undesirable for me. Hopefully HAL fixes this at some point in a newer class of ships. But I'm one that thinks too many new ships are built too often.
I think on some ships the same issue of small venues is happening and they're resorting to using their atriums or foyers to do the activities (such as the Club Orange event type of things). What about the Crow's Nest? On some ships the observation lounge on top is large enough to hold events. And you had to stay in your seat or lose it? What's the point of these lounges if you can't get up and dance at times?
Your video is very, very helpful. Thanks much.
Finding a chair in popular music venues seems to be an issue on many of the ships that we have been on. More than once people have mistakenly taken ur chairs while we were up dancing. We have only seen the Crows nest used for small activities during the day like trivia.
Last year we sailed on Royal Caribbean. We vowed never to sail with RC again. There were thousands of children on that ship. That ship did NOT have an adult only pool. We prefer Holland America. We took a three-week cruise during the summer, and there were only 80 children on that ship.
We totally get that. Holland America is a great option and generally has less children than most cruise lines.
Doesn’t sound like you sailed on the very dated eurodam in Alaska because you wouldn’t be making those comments about clean and modern decor… Or great artwork… Or great pool area, furniture… Holland America line is indeed for an older demographic who really wants to experience the sites and activities of their port of calls. Thanks for the information and sounds like we should try a different Holland America ship perhaps. Completely agree with you regarding the subpar shows at world stage and the tiny venues for the very nice music on the music walk. They should switch them out somehow or divide up space in the world stage area.
We cruised on the Koningsdam to Alaska last year. We do love the Pinnacle class ships. They are modern but not gigantic like some other newer cruise lines ships.
I have to share a funny hilarious story about my neighbours who recently cruised to Alaska in April 2023. Mrs. Canuck can really relate to this story as she is from Newfoundland. My neighbours from Bonavista, Newfoundland on their way to St. John's to catch their flight to Vancouver couldn't get out of their driveway because of the tourists lined up to see the whales, icebergs, puffins, 4 eagles flying over, etc. etc. On their way to St. John's they almost hit a moose. Meanwhile, on their Alaska cruise. they didn't see any whales, marine life, moose nor eagles which didn't bother them but the Americans were fuming, spending all that money and seeing nothing. They should have gone to Newfoundland. Smooth sailing folks.
Lol, definitely can relate. We return home to seeing deer eating apples from the apple tree in our front yard. We tell everyone we can, go to Newfoundland if you want an authentic natural experience.
Alaska cruises are really overrated. Just got back from a Norway cruise and equally beautiful if not better.
We have been wondering about Norway for a cruise experience.
It's not only the cruise experience, its the geography, culture, traditions, spectacular fjords, midnight sun, and Northern Lights. Yes, its natural beauty is a global head-turner, but dive a little deeper and you'll uncover a treasure trove of cultural richness, pioneering innovation, and historical marvels that have left their mark on the world. Scandinavian architecture makes up for what is otherwise quite bland building style of Alaska. Norway has its natural wonders, along with population centres you can explore in-depth, go visit and wonder. Just a word of warning, it is much like Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland. Fair winds and following seas.
@@lucypenney1170 I live in the US, why travel to Norway?!
I think umbrellas are only in suites.
We've had umbrellas in all our inside cabins as well - way to go HAL!
@@CruisingCanucks just on the Zaandam and did not have one in my ocean view cabin
That's so weird. We've never done that ship, but the four other HAL ships we've done (inside, OV and balcony) all had umbrellas in the closet of the staterooms. I'd be curious to know about other ships now - we have friends on one of those smaller/older HAL ships now - we'll reach out and see if they had one.
Just did an Alaska cruise, first cruise in about 20 years. I did NCL was on them before, and liked the 'Free style' dinning/clothing. I was super disappoint in the food, I had low expectations ( past NCL cruise) and didn't meet that. Also, they have the same problems, with the small venues and under utilization of main theater for entertainment. That music walk speaks to me way more than a Broadway show.
NCL was good but I am tempted to give Holland a shot as I just retired and want to travel.
I have a few questions:
Are there enriching talk about each port you are about to go to?
All I got were shopping sales prep talks, waste of time!
What and how is dress code enforced?
kinda causally here
Is there any singles program?
solo traverse here
Do they have a loyalty program and how good is it?
How is the people controlling getting on and off ports....?
NCL was good, but the constant 'sell and upgrade' attitude grates after a while. Kids are a problem, they're as well, disappointing. I' be doing longer ones and during school to help reduce kids.
Debating where I will go next year, but plan on doing 1 a year on out till I get bored of it.
thanks
There is a variety of enrichment talks but they may not be specific to your next port of call however sometimes they are. There are two formal nights per a 7 day cruise and we have seen everything from a tuxedo to a collar shirt in the main dining room. There is singles events in the program. They have a loyalty program. Details can be found on their website. Getting on and off depends on the port but generally we haven’t had an issue due to the fact that they don’t have huge capacity on their ship.
i didn't realize this channel was survey.
thanks@@CruisingCanucks
NCL is terrible!
jerry uses the magnified mirror to do his hair lol lol
We have cruised with HAL more than anyone else so far. We have cruised 6 times with them the same as you guys. We think the service is great, the food is very good, and the entertainment in the EVENINGS is very good but it tends to be pretty quiet during the day. Of the cruise lines we have been on we would say they are our second favorite but it is close. Our biggest criticism is their interior cabins tend to be small but we tend to not spend much time in the cabin anyway. We have had a couple of weird experiences on HAL though for sure. On our last one they were playing "hide the bacon" at breakfast time. Never understood why.
Now please stop spreading the word about HAL. Dont want them to become too popular!
I would add the children level is high on Alaska and noticeably low in Europe. Mix bag in Caribbean.
There weren't many children on the European 'Northern Isles' cruise we recently did on the Rotterdam. No problem at all.
That's good to hear!
LOTS of kids on Carribean cruise during Christmas.
Fantastic video, just about all my likes and dislikes were there. I like HAL's pricing, and the seating in the MDR. I will not book a ship that has a waterslide on the top deck. Speaking of children, when I used to be on the road for work, I would often eat alone. I always knew when a party of adults and children were probably Canadian, as the children were unbelievably well behaved! So much so, that I would complement the parents on their skills. They were very polite and well mannered. I was thinking of getting a Tee shirt that says "I love kids...just not yours! Think I'll get banned on the Lido deck? Thanks again for a great vlog. P.S. Yes, every cruise line needs at least one show stopping production show. That is what cruising was built on.
Lol. You would definitely generate some interesting looks if you wore that t-shirt.
As a 25 year retired elementary teacher I can identify with your comment. It got harder and harder to teach each year because of unruly and non-compliant kids. I love quiet, kid free cruises. True rest and relaxation.
your nativist comment on canadian children is...odd.
Holland America is wonderful….one big thing for me was age. I am 62, very young at heart. Far too many old people on board. Even the casino closed early due to lack of people. Everyone was in bed. Yet waking up, passengers were up by 6am….
Too stuffy for me. Princess was much better, I think I will try Carnival too.
Also, lack of children….
We like that various cruises offer various types of experiences. When we want a quieter relaxed vacation then off we go to HAL, we want something more upbeat then we go Princess and if we want to party like we’re 21 then we book Carnival. It’s quite a brilliant strategy for Carnival Corp to span many demographics. We love those quiet 6am mornings when it’s quiet around the ship but have also shut down the dance club at 3am. That’s what makes cruising great - there’s something for everyone out there.
Ive been on the Noordam 3 times and going again in January. The entertainment in the main showroom has been very hit and miss the last few cruises. Im disappointed to hear that it seems to have gotten even worse from what you are saying. Looks like it will just be the Rolling Stone room for me for 11 nights. They did used to put on some very good "shows" previously.
They did have a night where they had singers in the Main Stage which was very good. Hopefully they will do more like that.🛳 Have a wonderful cruise.
@@CruisingCanucks that's good news. Thank you. Im still looking forward to it. Haven't been for 3 years and a bit scared of getting Covid.
Maybe you should work at HA
We already have jobs we love - plus we get to travel. Its fun to try all kinds of different cruises.
The orange party has moved to the much bigger pool area. It is much better
We saw someone posted the Orange party on Nieuw Statendam last night and it was still in the cramped BB King space inside. We wish it was in a bigger area.
As a note we only cruise Holland America. Next cruise 11 days eastern caribbean . the little is?ends 12/9 to 12/20
Have a great cruise!
Loved the Zuiderdam, loved the Nieuw Amsterdam, not a fan of the Koningsdam. The entertainment venues are not set up well on the Koningsdam. The staff are amazing, but the venues are not great. Hate that the venues alternated between the piano bar and the rolling stones lounge, the bb king lounge wasn’t used like it could be at night. The food is the best in the lido buffet, the dinning room disappointed us, same offerings daily for 22 days so we just dined in the buffet. The have it all needs tweaking. Charging us for water was very frustrating. Cans with pop tops were free but with screw tops not. Taking a pop top on an excursion doesn’t work.
Agree the staff on HAL is the best.
Agree that the main theatre was a bit lacking. Two of the three comedians were good, the musical guests were ok. The seats are so uncomfortable.
Our orange party was on the lido pool deck, still was crowded.
Club HAL has a whole area on deck 10 on the Koningsdam
Thanks for sharing! We have never seen the Orange party outside before. We always thought it would help with the congestion. Just it is so popular that it will always be that busy.
We are leaving on our TWENTIETH Holland cruise this fall. Is this an addiction? We hope so
Lol…We know exactly how you feel!
I suspect more kids on HAL ships will hurt their key passenger bookings. Take the kids to RC or Carnival
There's certainly a lot more for the children to do on those lines.
I can easily trade off the Broadway shows
We thought the quartet was not very good. Comedian was awful. This was on Amsterdam Alaska in August. Your correct, music venues are too small. It’s not a line for kids. Thanks.