We have cruised 18 times in the past nine years. 10 times with NCL, 3 times with Celebrity, 3 times with RCCL and 2 times with Holland America and enjoyed every single cruise and have a late May 11 day Norwegian Fjords on the Nieuw Statendam. We are firm believers in the “you make your own fun” club and we usually travel with other friends and family. Don’t listen to the BS and go discover for yourself how enjoyable a HAL cruise can be.
We're with you on that. You have as good a time as you create. Having said that, there are certain things that can make an experience even more enjoyable and we think HAL does a pretty good job with food, music, and the crew! We'll be on the Nieuw Statendam for the month of July. You're hitting the fjords early!
My wife and I cruised to Alaska on the MS Westerdam four months ago, and we found that the bedsheets were beyond dirty. They were discolored to a light brownish, gray color, indicating to me the sheets had not been changed for several months. Tip to the wise: Immediately check your pillows and bedsheets. We had our room attendant, replace the dirty sheets with new pillowcases, sheets, and comforter.
I WANT to be the youngest person on the ship. I want to be called "kid" all week! 😄 HAL is the best if you like a relaxing, traditional kind of cruise experience.
My wife and I cruise mostly with RCL/Celebrity but have cruised 4 or 5 times with Holland America and found HAL's cruising style very similar to both Royal and Celebrity. Of course we are fairly easy to please as we don't drink, gamble, or use the spas. So bottom line, if you like Royal and Celebrity you should like HAL. Also, if you haven't cruised before I would definitely recommend HAL for your first time.
I went on a Holland America 15 day cruise in March/April around New Zealand and Australia. Admittedly, it was not school holidays in Australia or New Zealand. But EVERYONE on that cruise was 70 plus. They were young at heart, civilized, well to do, wealthy retirees.
IMHO, men dressing in jeans and polo on formal night is just plain ignorant, disrespecting yourselves as well as all other guests. Not necessarily suit & tux, but at least shirt, pants & jacket.
HAL cruises before covid had a slightly more dressed up vibe for gala nights especially at the later seatings. One cruise there was a group of Japanese women wearing beautiful kimono. You would see the older couples in tuxes and formal dresses. It was great to see but at the same time you didn’t feel uncomfortable when you weren’t as dressed up! I love HAL!
We love Holland America for the itineraries and the quiet. We often are joking congratulated for being the youngest couple on the ship. Our only issue with HAL is sometimes a certain age demographic acts extraordinarily entitled and often complains about things that should be taken in stride but meh, it’s a small irritant. Otherwise, HAL for the itinerary win.
One of the things I love most about HAL is the classic exterior design of their ships. Love your channel! Would like to see a segment on Wi-Fi comparisons especially ship Wi-Fi vs. cellular company service.
Thanks Craig! We must say that this spring break season has been rough on the two different Wi-Fi’s onboard our past few cruise ships. Even Starlink failed this past week onboard RCCL 😅
My husband and I LOVE HAL! We are addicted to the Neptune Suite and benefits that come with it. We went on a cruise in Feb 2023 and already have another booked!
I had the same concerns and we went on the Koningsdam in 2016 with our son and were pleasantly surprised. I never understood why their price point is less than most of the others. The other thing I noticed is the specialty dining is less in price with quality much better than Royal Cariibean and NCL. We enjoyed it so that we are booked on the Rotterdam this June and happy to see the standards have remained.
We cruised through the North Sea on the Rotterdam last fall and loved it. We spent every evening at the BB King’s Jazz Club. Fabulous! Also the food and service were excellent as is always true on Holland America.
I booked a HAL cruisetour of Alaska for 2024 and I can not wait! Could not resist that Have It All - Early Booking promotion during shoulder season ;) I'm excited for the Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali National Park my buddy is amped to see College Fjord in Prince William Sound. And we're both amp'd over experiencing TWO National Parks in one trip, Glacier Bay National Park and Denali National Park. Here's hoping we come back with two thumbs up.
We've done the HAL Alaska cruisetour, it is our favorite of 20 cruises. The land portion is a busy pace, but seeing the interior of Alaska was so worth the early morning wake ups.
Yep, and the pricing beat out Princess, RC, NCL , DCL and even Carnival( which we didn't really want but compared) for Alaska! All we've heard is how there's no activities and no families etc and so on. It was more affordable and offered covered swimming which actually was a want list for our group. The ports were top selection too.
We did the Alaska cruisetour several years ago - our first cruise. In addition to flying over Denali, our ferry cruise across Prince William Sound from Valdez to Whittier was our favorite part of the land tour. Then we boarded the Nieuw Amsterdam in Whittier for the inside passage to Vancouver and we were hooked on crusing and hooked on Holland America. In less than 2 weeks, we will board the Rotterdam for the Panama Canal - our 4th Holland America cruise. We love HAL & you will too!
Ever since we discovered the Neptune suite, we have booked it ever since. The perks are good and access to the Neptune lounge and Pinnacle Grill for breakfast is awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Now almost only go on HAL. Love them the best by far. They have “tea time” free every afternoon and the Orange party they have is awesome! Hope you went
The deck plans for any of the HAL ships do not show the men's and women's saunas, but they all have them nearby the spa. Only the Pinnacle class ships have the windows in the sauna however. There is also a relaxation room just down the hall with loungers and teas, juices, etc. Also don't forget to ask for the bread pudding with warm vanilla sauce at the dessert station in the buffet. So yummy. Newbies might not know that they have it since it is behind the server.
We've traveled HAL many times & our 1st choice of ships. I believe free drinks in the casino are at the discretion of the manager I didn't gamble 3k at the slots & did receive free drinks. I also do know while at the tables drinks were not always comp & believe it was due to the behavior of a particular guest, once he left drinks complimentary. I was given a bottle of champagne for my B-day at the table from the pit-boss.
OMG thank you for the tip about the app on apple devices. It’s been driving me nuts. I even called HAL for support. Just did an uninstall/reinstall and it works. Thank you!
Good points, especially about the app. Looking forward to our first HAL cruise in late May through the fjords. (Interestingly, our travel agent is a former HAL cruise director.)
We just got off a 35 day cruise with HAL to Tahiti on board the Koningsdam. Great trip, but a lot of sea days. Agree about the Navigator App. One of the best finds is the fries from the Dive In Burger bar, which is located by the main pool. They have a coating that makes them crisp.
My husband will hate those fries. We will be doing our first with HAL this fall in the Med. we chose it for the itinerary and the fact that most cruise reviews were positive. I unfortunately have an Apple phone
Hello, my wife and I are loyal to Holland America Cruise Line. We have 20 cruises with them and are very close to becoming 5 star Mariners with them. We have done 10 Transatlantic crosses and 2 Transpacific crosses. We always try to only sail on the ships that have the B.B. King All Star Band be cause we are couple dancers. We enjoy the fitness area. The service on Holland America has always been supreme for us. The ages of cruisers does vary depending on where and how long the cruise. I heard the saying once that " The longer the Cruise the older the passenger" and makes sense, who else can cruise on long sailings. And the dress code has relax a lot. We like to dress stylish and usually better than most other cruisers but that's just us. I enjoyed this blog and agree with every thing that was said. Keep up the great work !
I have cruised many times but only once with HAL for 5 days and thought it was great. I am looking at the 21 day Panama Canal cruise next year. Only hesitant as it is a long time and would be going solo. Anyone done something similar and would there be an extra charge for solo? Yvonne
Jared, my 1st cruise was on HAL, and we love it. Another tip on the app, once on board you might need to redo the app to get the messaging to work, so make sure you know that password!!
I am a budget cruiser who aims for less then $100 pppd (fares+ fees+grats-obc). I have done that on the Konigsdam, the Eurodam, and the Nieuw Amsterdam over the past two years. I find it far more reasonable than RCCL and Celebrity and a little pricier than Princess As for age, there were more walkers on the Celebrity Millennium than the HAL ships I have been on. i think that wvery comedian on Celebrity is required under contract to joke about HAL ships.
GHASTLY commentary! So much gush and waffle! Even by American standards. I have not learned a single useful thing from this video. Except perhaps about the app problem. Please look at the videos made by Gary Bembridge. Such admirably restrained presentation yet full of useful cruising information.
Dress codes barely exist anymore in the industry - Most require some kind of slacks - ie Dockers and a Polo even on 'formal' nights - no shorts/jeans nor T-shirts.
The only way to beat the cruise ship is to use it for what it is! A hotel room with free food and juice Prepay the tips! Leave nothing as a tip, because guess what the crew gets a small per average of the paid tips! Give the tip to the individual !!!
Thank you for all the good tips. Excited to be going on HAL:s newest ship Rotterdam next month. I had no problem with the HAL app on my (slightly older) IPhone. Also, regarding cost -- my veranda cabin was about $4 more than an oceanview cabin on Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas, similar Norwegian fjords itinerary. Surprising, so always compare.
8we have travelled many lines Royal, Celebrity, Princess and HAL. We find that the Holland ships are just as exciting as the others. The only negative is that some of the entertainment post covid is not as good or not as often. We loved the BB King, and the Hall of Fame music areas we love the crew and if we were to not use a line again, it might beRoyal which is way to crowded.
We were on the Niuew Statendam the week after you for our first Holland America cruise. We weren't sure what to expect but really loved it. The food was very good and we thought our cabin was great too. The bed was more comfortable than most and the shower is large with great water pressure. The music venues are wonderful! We enjoyed the exc talks they do also. There was a wide variety of ages on our cruise. Their head entertainment person was a lot of fun! Really the only negative we had was the size of the hot tubs. Most only hold 2 people comfortably so it can be difficult to get one.
Looking forward to my first cruise ever and we booked HAL for Alaska this year. I am a little nervous about it but I am feeling even more confident that we will enjoy it after watching your video. My 25yr old nephew thinks we need something like NCL or Celebrity, that I'm not old like other older people and we will be bored. lol! He's the sweetest. :) but he's never been on HAL. I told him that Glacier Bay is a must and HAL does it, so HAL to Alaska it is. My husband will love finding the dry sauna! That's a great tip! Also, there is 24 hour room service and that sounds lovely. Did you take advantage of the room service?
Hi Darlene! We did not do room service but we did enjoy the Main Dining Room food a lot! Celebrity would be a younger demographic, but you are correct in noting that Glacier Bay is only available through certain cruise lines (not including Celebrity). You will have a wonderful time in Alaska! Enjoy!
We will be sailing for the first time on HAL Eurodam next April (2024) with Gary B. and the members' cruise. Being Disney Platinum (12 cruises), I was surprised at how "remarkably low" the cost was compared to DCL. When we received the quote from the TA at $3470, I thought that was the same as DCL per person 7-night verandah But, oh no, that was for both of us! Thanks for the tips.
@@JJCruise We could have a signature suite on HAL for the price we pay for family verandah on DCL. Pinnacle suite is cheaper than the Walt Disney suite on Dream. Crazy! QUESTION: is there a blog site for HAL like DISboards has for DCL?
Casino perk programs are a joke. Doesn’t matter which casino or type of casino that are all a ripoff. 3000 bucks in a machine to get a few free drinks. Not really much of an incentive is it?
We have been cruising with HAL since 2004 and we love it! We started in our 40’s and have watched HAL evolve. We have sailed with other cruise lines but keep coming back to them because of the overall experience has always been positive.
Late to the video, but thank you Jared. There was good information here I haven't gotten from other TH-camrs. We are actually some of those older foolk that will be cruising on HAL to New England/Canada. We've been through the party years, and are now looking for a more relaxing cruise. But, I'm gald to hear there are activities for the younger cruisers as I want them to have the fun we had when we were their age.
Going on a trip soon, the ship is beautiful but HAL call center has dropped my calls when they don't have a solution or else put you on hold and forget about you. Very disappointed that they believe how their guests should be treated. Also notice their website is not particularly helpful. Also the Navigator app does work on some android phones.🤷🏽♀️
TIP 1:: book your cruise excursions early because they all sell out. TIP 2: You can step outside the ship and there are a multitude of places waiting for you to book an excursion with them on the spot and they are less than half the price of booking through the cruise line.
@@carolinebrown208 Yes, please learn from my ignorance. 1. It was my first cruise at 64. We went to Sydney Australia and one of the biggest icons is the Sydney opera house. One of the excursions was a tour of the Sydney Opera House. I knew nothing about shore excursions. About day 10 I remembered that I saw a big counter with shore excursions written above it. So, I went to enquire what this was all about. Then I tried to book myself and my travelling companion on a tour of the Opera house. And it had booked out right at the beginning of the cruise with 200 people on the waiting list. And I was on the Holland America cruise line which only had around 2000 people on it. So I went to Sydney, Australia and never saw the Opera House. And I'll probably never go again. Similarly, we travelled to Hobart Australia. The most famous thing about Hobart is this prison where 37 people were shot dead quite a few years ago. It had similarly booked out. So no shore excursion. 2. Toward the end of the cruise when I was a bit more educated, I stepped outside the ship, and this time I took notice of the line of men standing outside the ship, with their big boards, offering excursions for the day, and listing all the tourist places they will take you to. They have their mini buses there ready to go. I chose one and waiting 20 minutes until he had collected 12 people or whatever who had also walked off the cruise and filled up his bus, then off we went. They know when the cruise ship leaves so they make sure they get you back on time. It cost $80 for a 4 hour tour. By contrast, having missed out on the opera house tour, I booked an alternative CRUISE SHIP excursion. It was also 4 hours. A train trip to some country town. We got off and could look at a cafe, some art shop and something else that I dont remember. Then get back on the train and drive back. We were each given a sandwich and piece of fruit on the train. Like I said, it was also a 4 hour trip, but this SHORE EXCURSION cost $200. Moral of the story - if its something you really want to see that you dont think will be offered by a mini bus outside the ship, then book the cruise ship excursion early. If its general tourist attractions you want to see - then you can potentially get it a whole lot cheaper by choosing one on offer outside the ship when it docks. Plus I thought it was nicer travelling with a small group. There was a whole line of them lined up outside the ship at each port we stopped at. One last thing - bring some string or a portable clothes line and a bit of washing powder/liquid. There are no washing machines on a cruise ship. Instead we were given a tiny laundry bag that you put outside your door. And the BEST laundry deal was to pay $230 for a week's washing to be done. This is extra - not included in the price of the cruise. I would hang underwear on my make-shift clothes line and hang dresses on a coat hanger and hang it on hooks - there is probably at least one in your cabin. 4. Also, something I didnt know as a first timer, is that you will be billed around $15 per day extra for tips to the staff (its called gratuities). Its also not included in the price of the cruise. You suddenly just find its been taken out of your bank account. 5. If you get covid on board the ship (and cruise ships are a petri dish for covid, get to the doctor straight away. My partner got covid. They give you anti virals that will make you feel better very quickly, but you will be forced to isolate for 5 days. My partner then got 5 days credit off his next trip. And I was offered a separate cabin free of charge so I didnt catch his covid. I never got it. Better still, I had a covid shot about 12 days before sailing. Although I was in the room with him coughing all over me for a good 3 days before he went to the doctor, I never got it. A doctors visit, interestingly, isnt hugely over-inflated. I think my partner paid $70. 6. Oh, one more thing, I treated myself to a facial which cost more than if I wasnt on a cruise ship. $140. Then unexpectedly found there was a 20% sur charge that I never knew about. Also, I thought I would take advantage of a special offer that I found left on my bed. Then after I had the facial, I found out that the special offer only existed on port days (days where everyone is off the ship). 7. And one last thing - there will be lots of people wanting to take your photo. DONT LET THEM. You get charged just for letting them take your photo as you exit the ship to explore the port. You will also find this fee suddenly deducted from your credit card as well. So that was my education on cruising which, unfortunately, I learnt form all the mistakes I made.
Thanks for the app advice. I just booked on MSC yesterday and had the same issue. After watching this video I deleted it and downloaded it again and it worked!! I was stressed and this really helped. Thank you so much.
I went on holland America last November and was so disappointed. There was not entertainment, never a steak at dinner. At regular lunch and dinner you had to pay extra for several entrees. I hVE DONE MAMY MANY Cruises and never experienced this. Covid was just over but still. This was intolerable.
Have sailed over 90 cruises all over the word on most lines. I find the crew on there ships the most friendly and helpful of any line. Have done 6 long cruises with them in the last 2 years. I Like the ships are smaller and not thousands and thousands of other passengers.
Thank you! We will be on HAL in July doing Norway, looking very much forward to it. We are in our late 60's, travelling with our mid 30aged daughter and her partner.
Appreciate the insights Jared! All booked for our first cruise ever this July on Nieuw Statendam. Some of the tips you provided are definitely not promoted by the line and knowing them can only help us out. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing we booked our first Holland America cruise for December and my husband is teasing me constantly about the "demographic". It's nice to hear that a 7 day Caribbean cruise is going to be a larger demographic. Thanks again for the tips!
We are frequent cruisers and have just booked our first Holland America trip on the Rotterdam 12-Day Panama Canal Sunfarer for 25th of February 2024 sailing.
We never recommend gambling for free drinks, but if you are already gambling and reach that point level - it’s important you know what you get. (Also, playing through $3k doesn’t mean you lose $3k… some people may be down, some may be up and others will be close to even) ☺️
Heading out on Saturday for another 2 weeks in the Caribbean on Nieuw Amsterdam. Neptune suite my favorite home away from home. Love HAL! Thanks for showing the positive side of this line so other folks may want to try it.
Am I missing something for those who seem to brag about how many times they've cruised or what level they are in the food chain? Nobody really cares about your status. Keep to yourself, you'll show more CLASS!
I have sailed with Holland America Line 10-times and are sailing again with them in 50-days. I have an iPhone and have had few issues with the Navigator app itself. When there has been an issue, it was onboard the ship and there was a ship wide tech issue. There are some hiccups from time to time, but that is to be expected and are usually corrected quickly.
I cruised last year on Koningsdam, and between the Rolling Stones Rock room and the BB Kings Blues club, the entertainment was better than most of the other cruise lines. I've cruised plenty in the past 20 years with different cruise lines, and I don't have a bad word to say about any of them.
Thanks for show. Which cruise line do you like better Princess or Holland America Line? I see that swimming pool was crowds. I know Princess have more swimming pools. I was thinking about taking HAL because I was on HAL's Maasdam in 2003. Now I am thinking about take Princess ship next time because they have more swimming pools and hot tubs. They have beautiful Italian decoration inside. I never seen Princess before.I like your video of your trip on Princess. I was surprised that you telling me that many guests were soak in hot tubs at night. I never soak in hot tub at night.
I have to disagree with you about the last item, apple products and the Nav app. I have found over many cruises on HAL that the app works much better on an iPhone and iPad than any android product. My sister, who uses an android phone, is constantly complaining about being kicked off, having to reinstall and reconnect. I don’t have these issues
We love HAL and find their food is better than RC and Celebrity. I cruised with Celebrity to the Eastern Caribbean on the Reflection and hated the food. Can you imagine not liking cruise food??? When we sailed they had a lot of curry and sushi options and I dislike both, so it is a preference, however I expected a greater variety at the buffet. Same thing in the main dining room, the menu varied very little from each evening. I ended up picking at the buffet for dinner because they had more options and eating a bigger lunch because mostly I didn’t like the dinners. We traveled with another couple and she was in heaven with the sushi and curries. I was disappointed. I have gone back to HAL because their food is consistently excellent and their programs about the destinations are very helpful. We are in our high 40s so not really old. I find the average age is 50 - 60 and we are all blessed if we have made it to the senior stage so I am always happy to see them have so much fun. BTW, these folks can dance.
My wife and I have 15 HAL cruises under our belt and 8 on Celebrity and P&O. We enjoy the more refined atmosphere of the older ships. Prior to Covid and while still in the Navy I would wear my mess dress (Naval Officers tuxedo for those who do not know) on formal nights and since retirement always take a tuxedo. It is a nice feeling to dress for supper on the rare occasion we get to do so. I believe that the dress code for gala nights should have at minimum dress slacks and dress shirts for men, jeans can be worn in the Lido or working in your yard at home, but do not belong in a more formal setting. Just my two cents worth or two pence worth for our British cousins.
Tell me you haven't done any research before this cruise without telling me you've done no research. Unless this really was an incredibly unnecessary fluff piece of a video, with nothing of substance, every single segment was useless information.
My wife and I cruised on 2 Holland America Line ships in Nov-Dec of 2022. First, the Nieuw Statendam for a week, then later the MS Volendam for 17 days. We loved both, but the Nieuw Statendam was state-of-the-art, while the Volendam was an older and much smaller ship (think 1300 passengers vs 2600). Food was excellent on both ships. The entertainment was more diverse on the newer ship (which had the Music Walk) vs the Volendam. We would sail again on either ship.
I cruised with them twice - i prefer Celebrity. The passengers are very nice, but i am in my mid 60's and most passengers appear much older - at least much older than Celebrity.
So many people talking about if HAL is only for older people. Why the hell do you guys keep on about it? We all know the type of passengers who go on Hal. Its hads been the same for many years so why are you simply repeating this once again.
I went on a Viking cruise with my dad last year; my dad is 62 and I was 33 at the time of the sailing…I think most of the boat were ages 75+. We had a good time but I doubt we would ever do another Viking cruise because of what was available to do on the ship wasn’t stuff we wanted to do. A lot of drinking wine/beer and socializing…that’s great if you want to do that but that wasn’t our cup of tea.
i have cruised only with HAL....they do like ppl to dress appropriately....however, they are not great at enforcing those rules cos alot of ppl just ignore them.....my biggest buggaboo is if you arent going to make the effort to dress properly then dont expect to go to the diningroom....go to the lido buffet instead. if you want the food then dress
We just got off our cruise on the Nieuw Statendam and we had a great time! It was our 3rd cruise with HAL and booked a Mediterranean cruise in 2025 while on board. I saw Jose in this video and have to say he was the most entertaining part of the cruise. We went to music trivia almost every night and Game Night is a blast. We had lots of fun all over the ship. The lido was the worst though. We were disappointed every day with the options and quality of the food. Definitely take advantage of the main dining room and the specialty restaurants on board. The food is exceptional in those venues. The ports were fantastic as well. Looking forward to our next cruise with HAL. ❤ 🛳
Excellent. Holland America is my favorite cruise line. I am older, and do appreciate a quieter, less crowded ship, with good food, service and staterooms. And I do avoid their biggest ships and times when kids are out of school. My favorite cabin is a Signature Suite, which is only slightly smaller than a Neptune Suite, but is big and comfortable. I also love not waiting in lines, which has been my experience over many cruises. For years I drug alone formal attire, then a suite and tie, but finally decided I didn't want to cope with all the luggage. Ten years ago I got a peevish look from the maître d' at dinner on formal nights, but now people wear what they want. I have never had a problem with their app on my iPhone or iPad, but will certainly remember your advice to delete it and redownload if I do. I think your review was very accurate.
wow im surprised 57 was the avg age even with 300 kids.. as for gambling.. know your limit, play with in it. I'm glad the formal night was more relaxed.. your on vacation.. Keep up the great work JJ.
Liked the video. Good info. Going on my first cruise ever in April! Glad it’s not all formal lol. Didn’t know what to expect. Going on the Eurodam. Anyone have any experience on that one? Thank you.
Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts and impressions about HAL. I had cruised with Celebrity, Princess, Royal, and HAL. I plan to go back to HAL so your video is very helpful. God richly bless you more and more.
Like your posts, but do not exaggerate too much. A non working app might ruine your Cruise in advance? Come on! Besides the Navigator app worked fine on my iPhone.
I see this is about 5 months old but I thought to get a good experience with HAL on a longer cruise you may want to try the Koningsdam Hawaiian cruises in November, December & January. Longer enjoyable sea day's with the beautiful islands to tour & a relaxing return. Never better sunsets on the return viewing the west sunset in the MDR 😮 during dinner. 😮 Hay Happy Cruising ⛴️ 🙏 ❤️
Great video Jared. I've only sailed with Celebrity so far (and have really enjoyed it), but would like to consider other options and Holland America has been at the top of the list of other possible cruise lines for me. Everyone seems to enjoy the music and food onboard and they have some great itineraries. That said, some of the perceptions/misperceptions you discussed - especially re the dress code - were on my mind. (Spent many years wearing suits and uniforms and am pretty much done with that.) Glad to hear that your experience was a positive one! Thanks for sharing the tips and keep up the excellent work on the channel.
Thanks Matt for watching and sharing your thoughts! We completely understand regarding the formal dress code and were so pleasantly surprised! We have our final full review coming soon 😉
Hey, great videos. I am a new subscriber. Can you recommend a overnight hotel in Fort Laudsrdale that offers airport and cruise ship shuttles. Also what is he earliest you can get on HAL cruises. Thanks
Weird that Apple device doesn't work right. Oh well. What did you think about the new Have It All package? It seems if you like higher end wine, for instance, you may have to add another package? Curious how it works.
I'm about to go on my first HOL cruise and found their website and app very glitchy and frustrating. I am happy to hear it doesn't reflect the experience onboard.
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I'm a HAL fan, because I cruise for the ports. I want to see the world, and I love how HAL emphasizes learning about the ports.
I agree. I can be happy on any line, but the HAL goes above and beyond to make sure you get the most out of your port stops.
We have cruised 18 times in the past nine years. 10 times with NCL, 3 times with Celebrity, 3 times with RCCL and 2 times with Holland America and enjoyed every single cruise and have a late May 11 day Norwegian Fjords on the Nieuw Statendam. We are firm believers in the “you make your own fun” club and we usually travel with other friends and family. Don’t listen to the BS and go discover for yourself how enjoyable a HAL cruise can be.
Thanks Matt for watching and sharing your cruise experiences! 🤗🥳
We're with you on that. You have as good a time as you create. Having said that, there are certain things that can make an experience even more enjoyable and we think HAL does a pretty good job with food, music, and the crew! We'll be on the Nieuw Statendam for the month of July. You're hitting the fjords early!
You gotta try Carnival. Always an amazing time
My wife and I cruised to Alaska on the MS Westerdam four months ago, and we found that the bedsheets were beyond dirty. They were discolored to a light brownish, gray color, indicating to me the sheets had not been changed for several months. Tip to the wise: Immediately check your pillows and bedsheets. We had our room attendant, replace the dirty sheets with new pillowcases, sheets, and comforter.
We love HAL! However, it is the only cruise line that we have cruised. This is our 5th cruise and love the calmness of HAL.
Great timing as we are going on our first Holland America cruise next month.
Enjoy! 👍🏽
I WANT to be the youngest person on the ship. I want to be called "kid" all week! 😄
HAL is the best if you like a relaxing, traditional kind of cruise experience.
My wife and I cruise mostly with RCL/Celebrity but have cruised 4 or 5 times with Holland America and found HAL's cruising style very similar to both Royal and Celebrity. Of course we are fairly easy to please as we don't drink, gamble, or use the spas. So bottom line, if you like Royal and Celebrity you should like HAL. Also, if you haven't cruised before I would definitely recommend HAL for your first time.
Thanks Greg for watching and sharing your thoughts! 🤗
I just booked my 3rd cruise with HAL and it never dissapppointment. Great food , entretainment and specially destinations
I went on a Holland America 15 day cruise in March/April around New Zealand and Australia. Admittedly, it was not school holidays in Australia or New Zealand. But EVERYONE on that cruise was 70 plus. They were young at heart, civilized, well to do, wealthy retirees.
We are looking at cruising New Zealand and Australia and one of the lines we are looking at is HAL. How did you like it?
IMHO, men dressing in jeans and polo on formal night is just plain ignorant, disrespecting yourselves as well as all other guests. Not necessarily suit & tux, but at least shirt, pants & jacket.
HAL cruises before covid had a slightly more dressed up vibe for gala nights especially at the later seatings. One cruise there was a group of Japanese women wearing beautiful kimono. You would see the older couples in tuxes and formal dresses. It was great to see but at the same time you didn’t feel uncomfortable when you weren’t as dressed up! I love HAL!
HAL cruiser here. Free room service, free films in cabin, super food, and music, music, music. Utterly loyal.
This definitely makes me want to try Holland America more! Thanks for this. 😀👏🏼
Thanks for watching, Emma! We are certain @Holland America Line would be more than happy to have you onboard ☺️🥳
@@JJCruise The last cruise I was on was on a ex HAL ship and I thought the ship was so cute, so that makes me interested too! :)
We love Holland America for the itineraries and the quiet. We often are joking congratulated for being the youngest couple on the ship. Our only issue with HAL is sometimes a certain age demographic acts extraordinarily entitled and often complains about things that should be taken in stride but meh, it’s a small irritant. Otherwise, HAL for the itinerary win.
One of the things I love most about HAL is the classic exterior design of their ships.
Love your channel!
Would like to see a segment on Wi-Fi comparisons especially ship Wi-Fi vs. cellular company service.
Thanks Craig! We must say that this spring break season has been rough on the two different Wi-Fi’s onboard our past few cruise ships. Even Starlink failed this past week onboard RCCL 😅
My husband and I LOVE HAL! We are addicted to the Neptune Suite and benefits that come with it. We went on a cruise in Feb 2023 and already have another booked!
What is special about Neptune Suite? Our first cruise, does it have balcony? Thanks
I had the same concerns and we went on the Koningsdam in 2016 with our son and were pleasantly surprised. I never understood why their price point is less than most of the others. The other thing I noticed is the specialty dining is less in price with quality much better than Royal Cariibean and NCL. We enjoyed it so that we are booked on the Rotterdam this June and happy to see the standards have remained.
We cruised through the North Sea on the Rotterdam last fall and loved it. We spent every evening at the BB King’s Jazz Club. Fabulous! Also the food and service were excellent as is always true on Holland America.
I have never had a problem with the app on my iPhone or iPad! I was just on for 74 days with no problems. I am glad you enjoyed HAL! I love them.
I booked a HAL cruisetour of Alaska for 2024 and I can not wait! Could not resist that Have It All - Early Booking promotion during shoulder season ;) I'm excited for the Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali National Park my buddy is amped to see College Fjord in Prince William Sound. And we're both amp'd over experiencing TWO National Parks in one trip, Glacier Bay National Park and Denali National Park. Here's hoping we come back with two thumbs up.
Have a wonderful cruise tour Douglas!! Sounds like one epic adventure! 🥳
We've done the HAL Alaska cruisetour, it is our favorite of 20 cruises. The land portion is a busy pace, but seeing the interior of Alaska was so worth the early morning wake ups.
My wife and I are doing the Double Denali cruise tour in June. First cruise and first trip to Alaska!
Yep, and the pricing beat out Princess, RC, NCL , DCL and even Carnival( which we didn't really want but compared) for Alaska! All we've heard is how there's no activities and no families etc and so on. It was more affordable and offered covered swimming which actually was a want list for our group. The ports were top selection too.
We did the Alaska cruisetour several years ago - our first cruise. In addition to flying over Denali, our ferry cruise across Prince William Sound from Valdez to Whittier was our favorite part of the land tour. Then we boarded the Nieuw Amsterdam in Whittier for the inside passage to Vancouver and we were hooked on crusing and hooked on Holland America. In less than 2 weeks, we will board the Rotterdam for the Panama Canal - our 4th Holland America cruise. We love HAL & you will too!
Ever since we discovered the Neptune suite, we have booked it ever since. The perks are good and access to the Neptune lounge and Pinnacle Grill for breakfast is awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing your experience in the Neptune Suite! 🤗
Now almost only go on HAL. Love them the best by far. They have “tea time” free every afternoon and the Orange party they have is awesome! Hope you went
We definitely went to both and plan to chat through both in our full review coming soon! 🥳
The deck plans for any of the HAL ships do not show the men's and women's saunas, but they all have them nearby the spa. Only the Pinnacle class ships have the windows in the sauna however. There is also a relaxation room just down the hall with loungers and teas, juices, etc. Also don't forget to ask for the bread pudding with warm vanilla sauce at the dessert station in the buffet. So yummy. Newbies might not know that they have it since it is behind the server.
Thanks Bob for sharing the extra tips from your HAL Experiences!! 🤗
Shhhhhhh, it’s a nice secret. They aren’t crowded and it’s lovely lol
We've traveled HAL many times & our 1st choice of ships. I believe free drinks in the casino are at the discretion of the manager I didn't gamble 3k at the slots & did receive free drinks. I also do know while at the tables drinks were not always comp & believe it was due to the behavior of a particular guest, once he left drinks complimentary. I was given a bottle of champagne for my B-day at the table from the pit-boss.
OMG thank you for the tip about the app on apple devices. It’s been driving me nuts. I even called HAL for support. Just did an uninstall/reinstall and it works. Thank you!
Good points, especially about the app. Looking forward to our first HAL cruise in late May through the fjords. (Interestingly, our travel agent is a former HAL cruise director.)
We just got off a 35 day cruise with HAL to Tahiti on board the Koningsdam. Great trip, but a lot of sea days. Agree about the Navigator App. One of the best finds is the fries from the Dive In Burger bar, which is located by the main pool. They have a coating that makes them crisp.
Thanks for watching and sharing your epic 35 day Tahiti Cruise Experience/Tips with us!
We did love those fries 🍟
We were on the Hawaii Cruise just before the Tahiti cruise. The RollingStone Rock Room band was one of the absolute highlights of our trip.
My husband will hate those fries. We will be doing our first with HAL this fall in the Med. we chose it for the itinerary and the fact that most cruise reviews were positive. I unfortunately have an Apple phone
Hello, my wife and I are loyal to Holland America Cruise Line. We have 20 cruises with them and are very close to becoming 5 star Mariners with them. We have done 10 Transatlantic crosses and 2 Transpacific crosses. We always try to only sail on the ships that have the B.B. King All Star Band be cause we are couple dancers. We enjoy the fitness area. The service on Holland America has always been supreme for us. The ages of cruisers does vary depending on where and how long the cruise. I heard the saying once that " The longer the Cruise the older the passenger" and makes sense, who else can cruise on long sailings. And the dress code has relax a lot. We like to dress stylish and usually better than most other cruisers but that's just us. I enjoyed this blog and agree with every thing that was said. Keep up the great work !
? If I play $3000 through the casino are the watered down drinks really free?
Good information. I was surprised when I set up the app after booking & my sailing showed up. PS I have iPhone.
I have cruised many times but only once with HAL for 5 days and thought it was great. I am looking at the 21 day Panama Canal cruise next year. Only hesitant as it is a long time and would be going solo. Anyone done something similar and would there be an extra charge for solo?
Yvonne
Is the hairdo like his mandatory on a cruise?
Prefer holland america or celebrity, norwegian was a disappointment
Jared, my 1st cruise was on HAL, and we love it. Another tip on the app, once on board you might need to redo the app to get the messaging to work, so make sure you know that password!!
What are your thoughts about “Club Orange”? Is it worthwhile? Also, are there any LGBT events or get-togethers on HAL or other cruise ships?
We've gone on multiple HAL cruises with our Apple devices and have had absolutely no problems using our devices.
I am a budget cruiser who aims for less then $100 pppd (fares+ fees+grats-obc). I have done that on the Konigsdam, the Eurodam, and the Nieuw Amsterdam over the past two years. I find it far more reasonable than RCCL and Celebrity and a little pricier than Princess
As for age, there were more walkers on the Celebrity Millennium than the HAL ships I have been on. i think that wvery comedian on Celebrity is required under contract to joke about HAL ships.
GHASTLY commentary! So much gush and waffle! Even by American standards. I have not learned a single useful thing from this video. Except perhaps about the app problem. Please look at the videos made by Gary Bembridge. Such admirably restrained presentation yet full of useful cruising information.
Dress codes barely exist anymore in the industry - Most require some kind of slacks - ie Dockers and a Polo even on 'formal' nights - no shorts/jeans nor T-shirts.
The only way to beat the cruise ship is to use it for what it is!
A hotel room with free food and juice
Prepay the tips! Leave nothing as a tip, because guess what the crew gets a small per average of the paid tips! Give the tip to the individual !!!
I love cruising on HAL and I have been on a lot of different cruise lines.
Thank you for all the good tips. Excited to be going on HAL:s newest ship Rotterdam next month. I had no problem with the HAL app on my (slightly older) IPhone. Also, regarding cost -- my veranda cabin was about $4 more than an oceanview cabin on Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas, similar Norwegian fjords itinerary. Surprising, so always compare.
Thanks Juanita for sharing your thoughts and booking experience! Have a wonderful cruise! 🥳
My first cruise was on the original Rotterdam, HALs flagship - very old school. I was in my 30’s. I am now 70. I hope you love the new Rotterdam.
@@naturalPaths Thank you -- I am excited!
8we have travelled many lines Royal, Celebrity, Princess and HAL. We find that the Holland ships are just as exciting as the others. The only negative is that some of the entertainment post covid is not as good or not as often. We loved the BB King, and the Hall of Fame music areas we love the crew and if we were to not use a line again, it might beRoyal which is way to crowded.
We were on the Niuew Statendam the week after you for our first Holland America cruise. We weren't sure what to expect but really loved it. The food was very good and we thought our cabin was great too. The bed was more comfortable than most and the shower is large with great water pressure. The music venues are wonderful! We enjoyed the exc talks they do also. There was a wide variety of ages on our cruise. Their head entertainment person was a lot of fun! Really the only negative we had was the size of the hot tubs. Most only hold 2 people comfortably so it can be difficult to get one.
Looking forward to my first cruise ever and we booked HAL for Alaska this year. I am a little nervous about it but I am feeling even more confident that we will enjoy it after watching your video. My 25yr old nephew thinks we need something like NCL or Celebrity, that I'm not old like other older people and we will be bored. lol! He's the sweetest. :) but he's never been on HAL. I told him that Glacier Bay is a must and HAL does it, so HAL to Alaska it is. My husband will love finding the dry sauna! That's a great tip! Also, there is 24 hour room service and that sounds lovely. Did you take advantage of the room service?
Hi Darlene! We did not do room service but we did enjoy the Main Dining Room food a lot!
Celebrity would be a younger demographic, but you are correct in noting that Glacier Bay is only available through certain cruise lines (not including Celebrity).
You will have a wonderful time in Alaska! Enjoy!
We will be sailing for the first time on HAL Eurodam next April (2024) with Gary B. and the members' cruise. Being Disney Platinum (12 cruises), I was surprised at how "remarkably low" the cost was compared to DCL. When we received the quote from the TA at $3470, I thought that was the same as DCL per person 7-night verandah But, oh no, that was for both of us! Thanks for the tips.
We have been shocked by HAL rates many times as well! Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts! 🤗
@@JJCruise We could have a signature suite on HAL for the price we pay for family verandah on DCL. Pinnacle suite is cheaper than the Walt Disney suite on Dream. Crazy! QUESTION: is there a blog site for HAL like DISboards has for DCL?
Handing them 3k at the casino to get a few free drinks? Brilliant hack 😂
Casino perk programs are a joke. Doesn’t matter which casino or type of casino that are all a ripoff. 3000 bucks in a machine to get a few free drinks. Not really much of an incentive is it?
We have been cruising with HAL since 2004 and we love it! We started in our 40’s and have watched HAL evolve. We have sailed with other cruise lines but keep coming back to them because of the overall experience has always been positive.
I have never got an issue with HAL app and I have an iPhone
we took one holland america cruise and it was the STRANGEST cruise ever. i felt like i was in the twilight zone.
Late to the video, but thank you Jared. There was good information here I haven't gotten from other TH-camrs. We are actually some of those older foolk that will be cruising on HAL to New England/Canada. We've been through the party years, and are now looking for a more relaxing cruise. But, I'm gald to hear there are activities for the younger cruisers as I want them to have the fun we had when we were their age.
I was looking for a solo getaway and found HAL. I want a nice thermal suite and it sounds like a good one.
Going on a trip soon, the ship is beautiful but HAL call center has dropped my calls when they don't have a solution or else put you on hold and forget about you. Very disappointed that they believe how their guests should be treated. Also notice their website is not particularly helpful.
Also the Navigator app does work on some android phones.🤷🏽♀️
TIP 1:: book your cruise excursions early because they all sell out. TIP 2: You can step outside the ship and there are a multitude of places waiting for you to book an excursion with them on the spot and they are less than half the price of booking through the cruise line.
Thank you so much for this. We booked late in the game for Copenhagen to Norway early August and haven't booked any excursions yet.
@@carolinebrown208 Yes, please learn from my ignorance. 1. It was my first cruise at 64. We went to Sydney Australia and one of the biggest icons is the Sydney opera house. One of the excursions was a tour of the Sydney Opera House. I knew nothing about shore excursions. About day 10 I remembered that I saw a big counter with shore excursions written above it. So, I went to enquire what this was all about. Then I tried to book myself and my travelling companion on a tour of the Opera house. And it had booked out right at the beginning of the cruise with 200 people on the waiting list. And I was on the Holland America cruise line which only had around 2000 people on it. So I went to Sydney, Australia and never saw the Opera House. And I'll probably never go again. Similarly, we travelled to Hobart Australia. The most famous thing about Hobart is this prison where 37 people were shot dead quite a few years ago. It had similarly booked out. So no shore excursion. 2. Toward the end of the cruise when I was a bit more educated, I stepped outside the ship, and this time I took notice of the line of men standing outside the ship, with their big boards, offering excursions for the day, and listing all the tourist places they will take you to. They have their mini buses there ready to go. I chose one and waiting 20 minutes until he had collected 12 people or whatever who had also walked off the cruise and filled up his bus, then off we went. They know when the cruise ship leaves so they make sure they get you back on time. It cost $80 for a 4 hour tour. By contrast, having missed out on the opera house tour, I booked an alternative CRUISE SHIP excursion. It was also 4 hours. A train trip to some country town. We got off and could look at a cafe, some art shop and something else that I dont remember. Then get back on the train and drive back. We were each given a sandwich and piece of fruit on the train. Like I said, it was also a 4 hour trip, but this SHORE EXCURSION cost $200. Moral of the story - if its something you really want to see that you dont think will be offered by a mini bus outside the ship, then book the cruise ship excursion early. If its general tourist attractions you want to see - then you can potentially get it a whole lot cheaper by choosing one on offer outside the ship when it docks. Plus I thought it was nicer travelling with a small group. There was a whole line of them lined up outside the ship at each port we stopped at. One last thing - bring some string or a portable clothes line and a bit of washing powder/liquid. There are no washing machines on a cruise ship. Instead we were given a tiny laundry bag that you put outside your door. And the BEST laundry deal was to pay $230 for a week's washing to be done. This is extra - not included in the price of the cruise. I would hang underwear on my make-shift clothes line and hang dresses on a coat hanger and hang it on hooks - there is probably at least one in your cabin. 4. Also, something I didnt know as a first timer, is that you will be billed around $15 per day extra for tips to the staff (its called gratuities). Its also not included in the price of the cruise. You suddenly just find its been taken out of your bank account. 5. If you get covid on board the ship (and cruise ships are a petri dish for covid, get to the doctor straight away. My partner got covid. They give you anti virals that will make you feel better very quickly, but you will be forced to isolate for 5 days. My partner then got 5 days credit off his next trip. And I was offered a separate cabin free of charge so I didnt catch his covid. I never got it. Better still, I had a covid shot about 12 days before sailing. Although I was in the room with him coughing all over me for a good 3 days before he went to the doctor, I never got it. A doctors visit, interestingly, isnt hugely over-inflated. I think my partner paid $70. 6. Oh, one more thing, I treated myself to a facial which cost more than if I wasnt on a cruise ship. $140. Then unexpectedly found there was a 20% sur charge that I never knew about. Also, I thought I would take advantage of a special offer that I found left on my bed. Then after I had the facial, I found out that the special offer only existed on port days (days where everyone is off the ship). 7. And one last thing - there will be lots of people wanting to take your photo. DONT LET THEM. You get charged just for letting them take your photo as you exit the ship to explore the port. You will also find this fee suddenly deducted from your credit card as well. So that was my education on cruising which, unfortunately, I learnt form all the mistakes I made.
Why not disclose that you got a FReebie? To do a positive review
We do in the description of this video.
Thanks for the app advice. I just booked on MSC yesterday and had the same issue. After watching this video I deleted it and downloaded it again and it worked!! I was stressed and this really helped. Thank you so much.
January 2024 going on Oosterdam from Santiago (San Antonio) to Buenos Aires, via Cape Horn and Drake Passage/Antarctic Peninsula
That’s one awesome itinerary! Enjoy! 🥳
I went on holland America last November and was so disappointed. There was not entertainment, never a steak at dinner. At regular lunch and dinner you had to pay extra for several entrees. I hVE DONE MAMY MANY Cruises and never experienced this. Covid was just over but still. This was intolerable.
Forgot to mention it was 1 week cruise in California
My wife are celebrating our 25th anniversary in June by taking our first cruise - Double Denali on the Nieux Amsterdam. Can't wait!
Have sailed over 90 cruises all over the word on most lines. I find the crew on there ships the most friendly and helpful of any line. Have done 6 long cruises with them in the last 2 years. I
Like the ships are smaller and not thousands and thousands of other passengers.
Thank you!
We will be on HAL in July doing Norway, looking very much forward to it.
We are in our late 60's, travelling with our mid 30aged daughter and her partner.
As always I like your videos
Appreciate the insights Jared! All booked for our first cruise ever this July on Nieuw Statendam. Some of the tips you provided are definitely not promoted by the line and knowing them can only help us out. Thanks!
Good content. Never been on Holland America. Love Royal
Thanks Danette! We have our full HAL Review coming soon! 🥳
Thank you for sharing we booked our first Holland America cruise for December and my husband is teasing me constantly about the "demographic". It's nice to hear that a 7 day Caribbean cruise is going to be a larger demographic. Thanks again for the tips!
Thanks. First HAL cruise this year. Looking forward to it.
We are frequent cruisers and have just booked our first Holland America trip on the Rotterdam 12-Day Panama Canal Sunfarer for 25th of February 2024 sailing.
Enjoy your cruise!! 🥳
Ohh, you spend 3000 dollars on gambling and get a few drinks for “free”, great deal…
We never recommend gambling for free drinks, but if you are already gambling and reach that point level - it’s important you know what you get. (Also, playing through $3k doesn’t mean you lose $3k… some people may be down, some may be up and others will be close to even) ☺️
Wow, didn’t know that about the app. I have an iPhone and it worked great the 3 times I cruised on the Rotterdam.
That’s great to hear!
We are 5 star mariners on HAL but recently fell in love with Celebrity. HAL has great food! They also do Alaska very well.
Thanks for sharing Angie! ☺️
Heading out on Saturday for another 2 weeks in the Caribbean on Nieuw Amsterdam. Neptune suite my favorite home away from home. Love HAL! Thanks for showing the positive side of this line so other folks may want to try it.
Thanks Hermina for watching! Have a blast in your Neptune Suite! 🥳
Am I missing something for those who seem to brag about how many times they've cruised or what level they are in the food chain? Nobody really cares about your status. Keep to yourself, you'll show more CLASS!
I have sailed with Holland America Line 10-times and are sailing again with them in 50-days. I have an iPhone and have had few issues with the Navigator app itself. When there has been an issue, it was onboard the ship and there was a ship wide tech issue. There are some hiccups from time to time, but that is to be expected and are usually corrected quickly.
Man I should have watched your video. I booked yesterday and I’m a first time cruiser. I got a veranda class V and I’m going solo
I cruised last year on Koningsdam, and between the Rolling Stones Rock room and the BB Kings Blues club, the entertainment was better than most of the other cruise lines. I've cruised plenty in the past 20 years with different cruise lines, and I don't have a bad word to say about any of them.
Thanks for show. Which cruise line do you like better Princess or Holland America Line? I see that swimming pool was crowds. I know Princess have more swimming pools. I was thinking about taking HAL because I was on HAL's Maasdam in 2003. Now I am thinking about take Princess ship next time because they have more swimming pools and hot tubs. They have beautiful Italian decoration inside. I never seen Princess before.I like your video of your trip on Princess. I was surprised that you telling me that many guests were soak in hot tubs at night. I never soak in hot tub at night.
I have to disagree with you about the last item, apple products and the Nav app. I have found over many cruises on HAL that the app works much better on an iPhone and iPad than any android product. My sister, who uses an android phone, is constantly complaining about being kicked off, having to reinstall and reconnect. I don’t have these issues
We love HAL and find their food is better than RC and Celebrity. I cruised with Celebrity to the Eastern Caribbean on the Reflection and hated the food. Can you imagine not liking cruise food??? When we sailed they had a lot of curry and sushi options and I dislike both, so it is a preference, however I expected a greater variety at the buffet. Same thing in the main dining room, the menu varied very little from each evening. I ended up picking at the buffet for dinner because they had more options and eating a bigger lunch because mostly I didn’t like the dinners. We traveled with another couple and she was in heaven with the sushi and curries. I was disappointed. I have gone back to HAL because their food is consistently excellent and their programs about the destinations are very helpful. We are in our high 40s so not really old. I find the average age is 50 - 60 and we are all blessed if we have made it to the senior stage so I am always happy to see them have so much fun. BTW, these folks can dance.
My wife and I have 15 HAL cruises under our belt and 8 on Celebrity and P&O. We enjoy the more refined atmosphere of the older ships. Prior to Covid and while still in the Navy I would wear my mess dress (Naval Officers tuxedo for those who do not know) on formal nights and since retirement always take a tuxedo. It is a nice feeling to dress for supper on the rare occasion we get to do so. I believe that the dress code for gala nights should have at minimum dress slacks and dress shirts for men, jeans can be worn in the Lido or working in your yard at home, but do not belong in a more formal setting. Just my two cents worth or two pence worth for our British cousins.
Tell me you haven't done any research before this cruise without telling me you've done no research. Unless this really was an incredibly unnecessary fluff piece of a video, with nothing of substance, every single segment was useless information.
My wife and I cruised on 2 Holland America Line ships in Nov-Dec of 2022. First, the Nieuw Statendam for a week, then later the MS Volendam for 17 days. We loved both, but the Nieuw Statendam was state-of-the-art, while the Volendam was an older and much smaller ship (think 1300 passengers vs 2600). Food was excellent on both ships. The entertainment was more diverse on the newer ship (which had the Music Walk) vs the Volendam. We would sail again on either ship.
Thanks Steve for watching and sharing yo ur experience with us! 🤗
@@JJCruise Love your videos!
I cruised with them twice - i prefer Celebrity. The passengers are very nice, but i am in my mid 60's and most passengers appear much older - at least much older than Celebrity.
So many people talking about if HAL is only for older people. Why the hell do you guys keep on about it? We all know the type of passengers who go on Hal. Its hads been the same for many years so why are you simply repeating this once again.
Don‘t know how old your video is. We have Apple devices exclusively. No problem with the Navigator App.
I went on a Viking cruise with my dad last year; my dad is 62 and I was 33 at the time of the sailing…I think most of the boat were ages 75+. We had a good time but I doubt we would ever do another Viking cruise because of what was available to do on the ship wasn’t stuff we wanted to do. A lot of drinking wine/beer and socializing…that’s great if you want to do that but that wasn’t our cup of tea.
Hello JJ, I have done cruises with the Holland America and their App runs very well in my mobile and my wife mobile, both Apple brand.
Jared you did a great job! Sure miss you guys, hope all is well.
Thanks Jamie! Miss you too! 🤗
i have cruised only with HAL....they do like ppl to dress appropriately....however, they are not great at enforcing those rules cos alot of ppl just ignore them.....my biggest buggaboo is if you arent going to make the effort to dress properly then dont expect to go to the diningroom....go to the lido buffet instead. if you want the food then dress
We just got off our cruise on the Nieuw Statendam and we had a great time! It was our 3rd cruise with HAL and booked a Mediterranean cruise in 2025 while on board. I saw Jose in this video and have to say he was the most entertaining part of the cruise. We went to music trivia almost every night and Game Night is a blast. We had lots of fun all over the ship. The lido was the worst though. We were disappointed every day with the options and quality of the food. Definitely take advantage of the main dining room and the specialty restaurants on board. The food is exceptional in those venues. The ports were fantastic as well. Looking forward to our next cruise with HAL. ❤ 🛳
Excellent. Holland America is my favorite cruise line. I am older, and do appreciate a quieter, less crowded ship, with good food, service and staterooms. And I do avoid their biggest ships and times when kids are out of school. My favorite cabin is a Signature Suite, which is only slightly smaller than a Neptune Suite, but is big and comfortable. I also love not waiting in lines, which has been my experience over many cruises. For years I drug alone formal attire, then a suite and tie, but finally decided I didn't want to cope with all the luggage. Ten years ago I got a peevish look from the maître d' at dinner on formal nights, but now people wear what they want. I have never had a problem with their app on my iPhone or iPad, but will certainly remember your advice to delete it and redownload if I do. I think your review was very accurate.
wow im surprised 57 was the avg age even with 300 kids.. as for gambling.. know your limit, play with in it. I'm glad the formal night was more relaxed.. your on vacation.. Keep up the great work JJ.
Liked the video. Good info. Going on my first cruise ever in April! Glad it’s not all formal lol. Didn’t know what to expect. Going on the Eurodam. Anyone have any experience on that one? Thank you.
Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts and impressions about HAL. I had cruised with Celebrity, Princess, Royal, and HAL. I plan to go back to HAL so your video is very helpful. God richly bless you more and more.
Like your posts, but do not exaggerate too much. A non working app might ruine your Cruise in advance? Come on! Besides the Navigator app worked fine on my iPhone.
I see this is about 5 months old but I thought to get a good experience with HAL on a longer cruise you may want to try the Koningsdam Hawaiian cruises in November, December & January.
Longer enjoyable sea day's with the beautiful islands to tour & a relaxing return. Never better sunsets on the return viewing the west sunset in the MDR 😮 during dinner. 😮 Hay
Happy Cruising ⛴️ 🙏 ❤️
Did you really just say an app can "ruin your cruise experience???" Let that comment soak in awhile.
Great video Jared. I've only sailed with Celebrity so far (and have really enjoyed it), but would like to consider other options and Holland America has been at the top of the list of other possible cruise lines for me. Everyone seems to enjoy the music and food onboard and they have some great itineraries. That said, some of the perceptions/misperceptions you discussed - especially re the dress code - were on my mind. (Spent many years wearing suits and uniforms and am pretty much done with that.) Glad to hear that your experience was a positive one! Thanks for sharing the tips and keep up the excellent work on the channel.
Thanks Matt for watching and sharing your thoughts! We completely understand regarding the formal dress code and were so pleasantly surprised! We have our final full review coming soon 😉
Hey, great videos. I am a new subscriber. Can you recommend a overnight hotel in Fort Laudsrdale that offers airport and cruise ship shuttles. Also what is he earliest you can get on HAL cruises. Thanks
Weird that Apple device doesn't work right. Oh well. What did you think about the new Have It All package? It seems if you like higher end wine, for instance, you may have to add another package? Curious how it works.
I'm about to go on my first HOL cruise and found their website and app very glitchy and frustrating. I am happy to hear it doesn't reflect the experience onboard.
Love Club Orange when sailing on the Pinnacle Class ships due to the private dining area!