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A couple of things you left out. Holland America offers included breakfast in the main dining room that is white glove plus. On sea days they also include lunch in the main dining room with occasional gourmet dishes. Most importantly, even when the ship is sold out it never seems overly crowded. They offer the most public spaces, widest and most spacious hallways and largest amount of quiet space I have seen on modern boats. Also, the Lido buffet usually has a few Asian offerings at dinner that are native to crew members. WARNING. This is not the boat for hyper-active teens and pre-teens.
After watching this video, and and reading your post, I definitely want to go on one of these cruises Do they normally have painting classes on there? Because I keep seeing that B roll,And I love to paint.
I did not see this in the video, the pool area looked really crowded, deck chairs were very close together people looked like they could barely move without bumping into someone and the pool is completely surrounded by 2 story walls. It's hardly like being outside at all.
@@Commonsenseisnotcommon8Beats me. They seem to be more food and music oriented. The only painting I've ever seen are the guys hanging on lines doing the outside of the ship.
Holland America is a more civilized way to travel. The journey is the adventure, with ports and places other lines don't go. Cultural enrichment left us feeling like we understood our stops better. The smaller ships are more intimate with fewer total passengers it does have a more familiar setting. The longer itereraries didn't have many families with small children, which I do appreciate. I've been on those lines that cater to families and have seen too many over caffinated, unsupervised kids running amuck. The Music Walk in the evening offers great entertainment.
I would agree with this description. If you and your travelling party appreciate a more laid back experience focused on the journey and don't need to be constantly on the move, Holland America can be great. I loved the Music Walk venues on Koningsdam, especially the band at Rolling Stone Rock Room.
Went on our 20th Wedding Anniversary/Wife's 50th Birthday with HAL on the Nieuw Amsterdam to Alaska. A lot of the Hotel Staff are Indonesian and I introduced myself to our Cabin Attendant in Indonesian. He was beaming as a lot of people don't know is that staff are not to speak their native language on the ships, especially around passengers unless the passengers spoke to them in Indonesian first. My wife is fluent and they had an interesting conversation. We went to the Pinnacle Grill which was pre booked for dinner. The Crew Grapevine was working overtime and, BOOM, we were escorted to a table by a window to watch the sunset by the Maitre'd who spoke to us in Bahasa, (Indonesian). We ended up with a personal waiter, what seemed to be larger portions, little delicacies and all the conversations were in Bahasa. This reoccurred in the MDR, Lido Buffet etc. Amazing time. The crew were happy they could speak their native language.
I appreciate that HAL's newest ships are built more like classic older ships where there are a ton of ocean views from pretty much every public space. On many of the other lines new mega ships you can go days without ever seeing water.
The views are great but everything is inside. I guess if you're in a cold climate this is a good thing but if you're in the Caribbean wouldn't you like to be outside? I want to fee that salt air and smell the ocean not be stuck in a pretty viewing room.
@@lennybuttz2162 I did just say public spaces which I guess could imply just indoor. On Nieuw Statendam last month I was very impressed with all the outdoor space. There was a full promenade, the adult pool, most of deck 10, all of deck 11, half of deck 12 (although that was The Retreat) and the little known deck 14. And the roof opens on nice days for the Lido pool. And, not a Go-Kart occupying any of it. 😄 Also, they opened the bow up for especially scenic cruising out of Stockholm. Give it a look, you may be impressed!
@@_echobravo From the video all I saw was indoor space so that's all I had to go by. I've also noticed on a lot of the new ships even on the open decks they have walls of glass going up quite a ways. It makes me if it's really windy or if they're just worried about jumpers?
I've traveled on HAL for over 20 years, and for me , it's the only way to go! Leaving in October for a 40-day cruise to Antarctica. 😅 I did learn a couple of new items. Especially the AARP benefit. Many thanks. 😊
We have over 250 cruise days with HAL over the last 12 years. As with anything, occasionally one experiences the odd problem however the service and cuisine are generally exceptional. The one thing to note, is that the staff really want to please you so if your service or food is not satisfactory, nicely mention it to the server or Asst. Maître D. They will quickly resolve it. I hate hearing people who complain after the fact instead of discussing it politely with someone who can help them at the time. We think the staff attitudes and training are the best of any cruise line. We don’t book Club Orange because the dining room on the Pinnacle class reminds us of a fish bowl as everyone walks by the windows on their way to the MDR and because of our Mariner status we get several of the other benefits included already.
Clearly Holland America is for people who have a more laid back personality but still like the option of having some party fun without having it be the primary vibe of the vacation. I would really enjoy doing paintings and crafts by day and some live music and dancing at night. I may book them for my next cruise.
I absolutely love Holland America! My husband and I went on 10 Cruises including an Inaugural Cruise in the Penthouse. But then my dear husband died so I haven’t cruised in about 15 years. Am looking forward to taking my cousin with me and start cruising again!
Not sure about the other ships but Nieuw Amsterdam has a new lending library with a great variety of recently published hardcover books. Based on the stacks of books returned last day of cruise it was a well loved perk. I read two on my cruise.
We loved the library on our cruise, too. Some of the books I'd had on hold from our local library for months, so was excited to read them. As a former librarian I was especially impressed with their library on the Nieuw Amsterdam.
We made Holland America our cruise line at least 10 years ago. We cruised on a few other lines and we just like the vibe of Holland America much better as it seems to be a more relaxed atmosphere. The food is outstanding on board and service is the same. Like you advised if you like to party late, Holland America may not be the best choice. We have done about 19 cruises total and have 2 more coming up in Nov and Dec and look forward to the adventures !
What do you think of the public furniture? The cabins look lovely and very comfortable but the seating in public areas does not look comfortable at all. It looks more like they want to discourage people from settling down with a good book. Some of the furniture look really uncomfortable and not well suited for a senior person who may have more difficulties. It also looks like they just cater to fit people, no big butt seating.
In two weeks, we are sailing with HAL for the second time and prefer their smaller ships. They never seem crowded, and we appreciate the demographic as we are seniors.
Club Orange! There was not a cabin upgrade on our cruise so it was only $15. It was worth it for only the special dining room as my husband doesn't like crowds. Also the fast lane for getting off at ports. There is also a Club Orange special line at guest services. There was an airline strike while we were in Europe and the Club Orange Guest Services line saved us HOURS trying to find a way home.
I have travelled with HAL many times. I have a mobility issue and I find the staff are more courteous to me then other other cruise lines. I could stay and listen to the piano players all night. Their worth the price of admission. If your looking for night entertainment due check out what’s available first as I notice some of their older smaller ships don’t have a lot going for it. Good video Ilana.
I give HAL customer service 2 thumbs up. We had to delay our cruise due to illness. We were told we would lose about $900 in fees but our cruise coordinator callled us back she got the fees applied to our future cruise.
Thank you Llana for the sweet reminder of why we love HAL. Heading on a Transatlantic cruise on our favorite Rotterdam in October, we are so excited. We loved it when it we sailed 2021 and can’t wait to do it again. We have been on several Carnival ships, and giving Celebrity Beyond a try April 2024. We love the simplicity, quietness, attentiveness of staff, and the “just chill” vibe on the Rotterdam. By the way, my husband and I are celebrating our 65th birthday in Paris… yeahhhh. Great job on the HAL recap!
We have been to Alaska twice and we are returning in '24. I would recommend it for anyone. It is very relaxing, you can do as little or as much as you want☘
I think that all of your information on Holland America was spot on accurate and we are booked on them in January 2024 on the Eurodam. I think that one thing that you did NOT emphasize was that the MDR breakfasts had the BEST and most varied selections of any cruise ships. As for the evening activities, I would say that while the main shows end around Midnight, there was always something going on until 1:30 am for the few looking for something to do. We were on the Konigsdam in December 2022 and did find some shortcomings which were as a result of short staffing, especially in the MDR. One other thing to mention is that most HAL cruises offer Catholic Masses and Interdenominational Sunday services, which is uncommon on most other lines.
My wife and I (mid 60's) took our first HAL cruise earlier this year (31 days) and absolutely fell is love with this cruise line. Formerly we mostly cruised on Princess. The nightly music was fantastic. The food as you stated was consistently good, and the ship size was very manageable. We are sailing on HAL in a few weeks and will book another HAL cruise around Australia and New Zealand while we are on board the ship to take advantage of the extra on board credit offered.
The Laundry Pkg was a best kept secret for a long time. It is a bargain, especially on longer cruises. I love returning home with all my clothes clean and pressed! I love HAL and have been sailing them for more than 25 years.
Your HAL scenes feature a lot of people dancing. That's what I like about HAL. Lots of dancing. And yes, the ship kind of turns in early but it is pretty active evenings until about 11 pm. And you offer such useful info. Great job by HAL to have an app to keep people connected to what's going on on the ship and with fellow passengers.
Hi Ms Ilana, enjoyed the HAL review. One other money saving tip that we did was to dine at the pinnacle specialty during lunch. The price was a bit less than half of what you pay at dinner time and the food is just as good. Also, it is very quiet, less crowded.
@@MeowMeow-vo9cj Maybe. I say that because I had something they serve in the evening. However, they might include same items on both. I just came off the celebrity edge and had lunch to celebrate a friend’s birthday at the roof top grill and was disappointed to see they had a completely different menu, but it was decent, though. For the edge cruise I had looked at the evening menu before making my reservations thinking it would be the same.
Westerdam moved the puzzle areas to a dark place therefore killing puzzling. I was sick for the first time this Jan . 2024 Same tv programming & movies ? When does Holland update movies?
Hi - we just did our first cruise on the HAL Koningsdam, 7 day Alaskan inside passage - loved it !!! - hydro bath & spa / sauna was well worth it & great after late nights !!! - all staff / food / room etc were great - ship was full but didnt seem crowded except the buffet at peak times but we still didnt wait long - only issues were with their billing system as we prepaid the gratutities but then they credited them back to us & took them off daily ??? - also one of our shore excursions was cancelled & our money refunded to us quickly but we lost $$ again on the exchange rate & then again when we chose another excursion - advised on the HAL survey that for me it would have been better to keep it as onboard credit until the end & then balance it out.- For us we prepaid the gratutities & also gave cash tips - really enjoyed the cruise & now we're already looking for another cruise with HAL !!!! 🇦🇺
Note that the Carnival stock holder benefit for on-board credit on Carnival, Cunard and HAL is approved (or not) each year by Carnival Corp. It is NOT guaranteed. There are very specific guidelines/timelines you must follow to get it too.
Even tho this video posted 4 mos ago, and the comments were by seasoned, as well as, first timers, there is something to add. If possible, book your next cruise while on a cruise with HAL. Your place on that next cruise can be held with a $100/person deposit, AND that deposit can be transferred. As I write this, it is early January, 2024. For example, you are on a HAL cruise in February in the Caribbean. There is always a desk set up close to Guest Services that will book future cruises. So you book a HAL cruise to Alaska for August 2024, and pay your deposit. 90 days before August when your cruise has to be paid for, you realize you can’t make that schedule. You can transfer your deposit to a different cruise in a future year, up to four years away (tho HAL only publishes cruises 2 years in advance.) The point is that your deposit is a fraction of what a first-timer has to pay, and it is transferable for up to 4 years. Also, if you are new or newish to cruising, try several different lines to find the one you like best and do so as quickly as possible. All cruise lines have reward points or programs, and the sooner you find your favorite, the sooner you will get more perks for cruising with your favorite,e.g., free laundry, free drinks, discounts, and upgrades, etc.
We’re leaving in late Jan. For our 3rd HAL cruise. We love the size of the ships. This time,we’re going to the Caribbean. We’ve been to Alaska and a Spain, Portugal France cruise. We preferred the dining room and walk in dining. We shared tables on many nights and enjoyed meeting new people. We found out about the Dutch Tea room on our last cruise(get the gigantic cream puff!) and can’t wait to visit it again! We were so happy with our stewards, waiters, and all the staff. We also found out if you buy a bottle of wine for dinner, they will label it and store any unfinished wine for the next day’s dinner. It’s great for someone who only drinks one or two glasses per night. You need to book shore excursions early! We love Holland America!
We have sailed on HAL for 9 years. We love it. We are in our 60s and enjoy the demographics on HAL!!! Thank you for mentioning the AARP on board credit. We are 4 star mariners and have never heard that before! You didn’t mention the outdoor movies in the evening. I believe that is only on the largest ships, but we really enjoy that.
Hi Ilana,my wife and I have more or less the same tastes as you, concerning cruise lines, princess and celebrity, your video will certainly convince us to test holland America, since we have confidence in your choices
My Husband and I are both retired physicians in our 70’s and are scheduled to go on a 10 day cruise to Alaska on HAL in August 2024. Would we also qualify for this onboard credit?
I'd love to see a video which advises people with low vision, or total blindness what the cruise line's rules, and accessibility considerations are. I saw the bit about Club Orange. LOL ;) Thanks.
Your comments are right on. I've often said the main difference between HAL and other lines we've sailed (RCCL for example) is that while they are about the journey, with forced frivolity and lots of things to do or not to do, HAL is about the destinations. The itineraries are excellent and the journey to get there is very good but less frenetic. We've found that we enjoy the smaller ships. Even on the cruise lines that have the megaships, we prefer the smaller ships. We have also noticed the demographics seem to change with the length of the cruise and time of year. In March, on a 14-night Caribbean, there were 3 (yes, three!) children and an overall older demographic. On our 7-night Adriatic cruise in June, there were lots of families and a much younger crowd. The service on HAL is very good as well. While we are Diamond members with RCCL, we see ourselves moving over to HAL for future cruises. Our next cruise is already booked. Since it is 22 nights in January, we don't expect any children and should also be an older crowd since most younger people don't have the leave at work to take a 3-week cruise, nor can the children miss that much school. We love the orange party!
Everything is relative because the famous Statendam class ships were 55,000 tons and were considered midsized while ships the size of the newest HAL ships were considered "mega"ships. Now they're "smaller" ships. But even at the larger size, the new ships design some intimacy in them.
Last time I went was in the late 1990s as a teen and it was most definitely older age 40 and up so I thought they were ancient lol 😂but I’m 49 now and want to try as food is great there - that I remember well!!
We heard that you either love or hate HAL. We hated it. We had over 500 cruise days before trying HAL for the first time. We missed having "shows" that are typical on just about every other cruise line. On HAL's 16 day cruise that we went on, there were no comedians, no production shows, no jugglers, no magicians. They built a large,, beautiful show room on the new Rotterdam but it was wasted on weak entertainment in our opinion. One show was a barbershop quartet and another was some modern dance by about 8 dancers. These were the type and quality of shows we have seen in the small rooms (like the lounge) on most other ships. We were disappointed there was nothing that we would consider a "show" in a mode of most other cruise lines. There were several music areas on HAL with formats ranging from classical to blues but we found them less than scintillating. If you are used to having dinner and a "show" on a cruise ship, you may be disappointed on HAL. We also found the casual buffet on HAL to be disjointed with numerous "stations" which made it difficult to just go get a plate of food. They wanted to give us a separate plate at every station so after I had a plate of salad in one hand and a plate of bread/rolls in my other hand, I couldn't carry any more food. I had to go back several times to many different stations and stand in line each time before commencing eating. Some of my food was cold by the time I gathered all my food. Also, there was not enough room at the tables for 4-5 plates for each of us.. We did a back-to-back on a Princess ship and we had just ended 14 days on Princess so we had a good comparison when we boarded the HAL (new) Rotterdam. On Princess, we simply took a plate and the servers filled up ONE plate with the foods that we requested while we were in the same station. The experience and the food was better on Princess than HAL and the entertainment on Princess was far superior. Like I said, people either love or hate HAL and it was not our style. We prefer the entertainment and food on Princess, Celebrity, RCCL and others. On Windstar, where there are only 220 passengers, there were no "shows" either, but that is expected on such a small ship. We were disappointed on HAL, a big ship with small entertainment.
I went on Holland America's Koningsdam for a 7-night Alaska inside passage cruise at the end of May/beginning of June. While there were some families and younger couples the vast majority of the passengers were 50+ and a majority or very close to it were 65+. And there were few activities and services oriented toward younger adults and children. That's not to say they can't have a great time on Holland America. If you and those you're travelling with are fine with a more laid back experience without fancy hi-tech attractions and elaborate stage shows (though the music at Koningsdam's Music Walk venues was terrific), then Holland America is great. But if you want a more lively experience with more attractions, then you're probably better going with another cruise line.
In 2016 we went on an Alaska cruise on Holland America with our daughter and her family including her 7-year-old twins. The children had a wonderful time. They especially enjoyed Club Hal and the pool. No one seemed annoyed by them and I don't think they got in anyone's way.
Every line caters to a slightly different demographic population. Just as Carnival guests wouldn't be happy on HAL, I don't want to be on a Carnival ship.
We cruised Alaska with Neiuw Amsterdam in June. For most shore excursions we generally did not need to show the e-ticket, they had clipboards with our names and wanted to see our room key (we did need the e-ticket for the Lumberjack show), but definitely good advice to screenshot it. Be sure to find out where the ramp will be for shore excursions and look at the ship map, they assured us there would be signs, but we found them to not always be changed from the day before, and we had to guess which deck to start from. We got some extra steps in a couple of days. The Crow's Nest is well worth the trip, one of our favorite places on board. Where else can you sit in a $6000 leather chair (the ones overlooking the bow)? It was surprisingly quiet even when it was packed for a talk with the naturalists. There were many games to play, and many types of seating....tables, different types of comfy chairs, the leather chairs with ottomans, and even a couple sectional sofas. They added additional nicer folding chairs for during popular talks. The coffee there was quite good (I love the iced), and they keep the line moving quickly. (They also have a bar there.) The menus work on the app before your trip, and it's fun to watch them the week before yours to get an idea of what will be served....we did some Googling to be prepared regarding dishes we weren't familiar with. The Dive In burgers and fries and the NY Pizza and salads were amazing if you want something hot and quick. While the Lido stations did have the dishes listed on a displayed menu, the individual dishes are not labeled, so you need to ask if you want something specific, otherwise there was a lot of pointing (and I often just asked for a small sample of everything 'not spicy' at the Asian station). Be sure to watch, there are some custom things you can have, especially for breakfast there are fresh crepes and you can have eggs made your way. The buffet is mostly staff served, but there are bowls of fruit (our favorite....perfectly ripe melons and pineapple all week, plus often grapes, papaya, and mango), plus desserts, breads, and a few other things were self-serve. Beverages could be self-serve, the servers have water, coffee, and lemonade....and can run out to the bar to get you a soda or other beverage....we got that ourselves before we came in, the Lido servers work hard enough. If you see a dessert you want on the Lido, be sure to grab it right away. We never saw the 'famous bread pudding', and a few times I had planned to go back for something and it was gone, or we went to dinner later and something on the dessert menu wasn't there at all. Many of the items that were to be served in the main dining room were also available on the Lido, so we ended up eating there the most since we could try more things and rush or linger as we wished. We also very much enjoyed the fruit smoothies....available pretty much at any bar. Ironically, we found the volume level at the Lido to be less than the main dining room, and we enjoyed the views from the large windows, there's seating on both sides of the ship, and even if you can't grab a popular window table, you can see plenty, and benefit from many many eyes looking for whales! ;) For Alaska, while we did very much enjoy having our own balcony, if you need to save money you will still have a wonderful experience with even an inside cabin. They open the bow for certain viewing times, the aft pool deck is open all the time, and there's the promenade deck to be outside. Inside, there are many opportunities to snag a window seat in the many public areas, which we did at times as the ship turned, making the action on the other side of the ship from our cabin. We saw more wildlife on our way to a show, walking the public areas of the ship, than from our balcony.
You’re just full of good tidbits. 😊 I’ve sailed HAL many times - but never stumbled across being able to see the daily menus during the week-before cruise on the app. Will try that the week before my next HAL cruise in DEC. Tks!
Hi Ilana! i'm new to your channel and have been binge watching your videos, really enjoying my time, it makes me daydream! I'm considering surprising my Mom with a first time, once in a lifetime type cruise after the passing of my dad but the problem is that we're not wealthy, at all. I'd like to surprise her with a Caribbean cruise in February, what cruise line would you suggest? Also i'm from Montreal like you, what travel agency would you recommend? Thanks for taking the time!
Welcome! There are a couple of great options (you don’t need to be wealthy & there are ways to get the value you’re looking for). Please send me an email lifewellcruised@gmail.com for a local recommendation
Holland America is based in Seattle, and has a reputation for generosity. At one agency that serves abused women and children, every year they would consult with agency staff ahead of time, then arrive before Christmas in a full size tour bus loaded to the gills with carefully-chosen presents.
Yes! We loved it! Going again October 2023. There aren’t many African Americans on HAL but we enjoyed it. It’s a Premium Cruise line a little more pricier than others.
We always book Neptune Suites, which include Club Orange Membership. 🧡 our Club Orange benefits, as well as the Neptune Suite benefits. Highly recommend! (We're ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Mariners.)
Tell me all about coffee! Is it free? What do I have to do to get a cup of coffee first thing in the morning? Can I bring my own insulated coffee mug? Can I get a carafe of coffee? Room service-and does it cost extra? Thanks to all who reply!
We had room service coffee every morning on our Boston to Montreal cruise on board the MS Volendam last month. And it was free, as was the one evening meal we had delivered.
I leave (with my sister) on my third Holland America cruise…my sister’s maybe twelfth or more cruise with HAL going on the 18 day cruise to Alaska leaving in about three weeks. I am very excited for this trip. It was a wish of my late husband to do an Alaskan trip…and although he won’t be with me physically he will be with me in spirit. Thank you for your helpful tips.
Question…we are taking the HAL South America/panama canal 31 day cruise in November. We have the laundry package. Can I request that my clothes be hung dry? BTW I love your videos. So informative and your personality is perfectly suited for cruise vlogging.
I am on the HAL Rotterdam now and things are getting on my nerves. Most cocktails used to be included in the Signature Beverage Package. Now popular choices are a surcharge. Not by much but you can reckon between 1 and 2 dollar. No, the milkshakes from Gelato are NOT included. Asked twice just to make sure (different people of course). Moreover, the Fresh orange juice during breakfast in the Main Dining room is OUTSIDE your package. Any! I have Elite at the moment and was charged for it two times. “This was changed last month” or some BS like that. Your “have it all” is more like HIA* (additional charges required). People - check your onboard statement often. HAL pulls a lot of this kind of crap!
I am on the HAL Rotterdam now and things are getting on my nerves. Most cocktails used to be included in the Signature Beverage Package. Now popular choices are a surcharge. Not by much but you can reckon between 1 and 2 dollar. No, the milkshakes from Gelato are NOT included. Asked twice just to make sure (different people of course). Moreover, the Fresh orange juice during breakfast in the Main Dining room is OUTSIDE your package. Any! I have Elite at the moment and was charged for it two times. “This was changed last month” or some BS like that. Your “have it all” is more like HIA* (additional charges required). People - check your onboard statement often. HAL pulls a lot of this kind of crap!
We love HAL. Lately it is our preferred cruise line as other lines have regressed in quality and are nickel and diming people. Princess was our go to only because we are Elite with Princess and their loyalty program blows HAL away. Princess also gives me a Military Credit. Yet, Hal is better. We are 60 but young at heart and we youngsters own the ship after 9pm. Out last Pinnacle Grill meal is the best meal we have ever had on a cruise (32 of them). They have the best itineraries and still have cloth towels in the bathrooms. Book early to get gratuities, upgraded drink pkg, and low price guarantee included in Have It All.
We are taking our first HAL cruise next June on the Koningsdam for Inside Passage. Your video was very helpful. I got the Have It All Book Early upgrade as well as AARP onboard credit. My question is does HAL offer specials on excursions? When we sailed on Royal Caribbean, they kept sending us emails with discounts on pre booked excursions. Haven’t been able to find out if HAL does this as well.
Love HAL! Smaller ships, room service and more traditional. Do not feel like cattle! So nice not nickel and dime every place you turn. Celebrity is our other line of choice. Princess never again!
Hi! I just booked my 1st cruise ever, which is also a 7 day Alaskan adventure venture on the Eurodam. I joined a facebook group regarding Holland America. I asked a question that was denied because apparently other people have asked it before but I don't feel like scrolling through all of the comments and questions. Can anyone tell me what the tipping processes is? I did get a package which includes gratuities, but do you still do some tipping to your room attendant, dining room servers & bar servers? If so, what percentage? Thank you.
We took our first HAL Alaska cruise out of Seattle on the Westerdam and we had an awesome time, both on the ship and on the excursions. The food was so delicious and we really enjoyed the main dining room the best. The Crow's Nest was our fave spot on sea days as were able to have a great time playing cards with our friends while watching the beautiful scenery. We also loved the Navigator app for checking in with those friends, looking at menus and checking activity/show schedules. We had more fun in the Rolling Stone Lounge nearly every night as the live band was the best. Your cruise videos really prepared us for our trip and send you a huge "thank you." Your information was invaluable. Now planning our next adventure with Holland America.
@LifeWellCruised we are scheduled for our first Holland America cruise in July 2024. We have cruised Carnival several times and we do own100 shares of stock. Your video is the first time I have heard about getting onboard credit for my Carnival stock. How do I go about applying for that credit? Thank you!
CLUB ORANGE!!! We love it :) The $25 a day fee is for shorter cruises, with longer cruises having a $15 a day fee. Definitely worth it! You also get priority boarding for tenders. This really came in handy on our Med cruise. While others had to go pick up a ticket for a specific time, we were able to go directly to the tender when we were ready to go. Another option for cruise credit is for active military & veterans. Love HAL :)
I am sailing on the Volendam next summer for 24 days - Boston- NE, Canada, Greenland, Iceland ( returns to Boston). So looking forward to this trip from our home port!
Sorry to say but Self-service Lido buffets are the source of many Norovirus infections on board all cruise lines. I used to love them as well. These served buffets are wonderful and much more sanitary. It will take time to adjust to the change. Alas, after COVID, many cruise lines went back to self-service. It is cheaper for them with fewer servers costing them profits.
We’re a week and a half away from going on our first cruise. I need to watch this at least one more time before going on the Holland American Eurodam to Alaska. You mentioned that AARP members can get a $200 on board credit- how? Thanks.
CLUB ORANGE I am not a big fan of Club Orange. I spent $100,000.00 and 7 years to get 5 Star benefits and now somebody on their very 1st cruise can get even better perks for $25 a day. Can anyone explain that to me. The other thing that I am not a fan of is these free casino cruises. Why am I paying $2,500.00 and some people who tell me that they do not gamble are going for just the port costs?
Hubby and I are going on an 8 day Caribbean cruise for New Year’s. We will be on the Eurodam. I’ve seen a lot of info in regard to purchasing Wi-Fi packages. Is there basic internet available? Is there any advantage to purchasing the package?
Don't know much about HAL, but appreciate the updates. I did notice in your video the Comedian's name Warren Hall pop up. I had to laugh literally and figuratively. I just saw him twice on The Escape my first cruise. He was hysterically dirty. Good dirty. I just learned from one of my cruise limo passengers why i got charged tax on my prepaid drink package a few times. It looks like because i had two drinks before the ship left the Port of Miami they charge the tax. Oh well. It wasn't much.
I have been watching a LOT of you videos on cruising. There are plenty of people doing this but I like the way you explain things. We are heading to Alaska and cannot make up our mind if we want to do holland America, Princess or celebrity. What are your thoughts?
12:09 - That in app communication is only so-so. Your phone will not make any noise when there is a new message so you have to constantly check the messages to see if there is anything new (as of our last cruise in August of 2023). It would be great if they would fix that.
I’m on the Volendam for the holidays. I’m a bit worried about the small ship. This will be our 4 th cruise on HAL and our first Christmas cruise. I’m looking forward to the food which never disappoints on HAL. I love the Dive In!
Sally, I’m a pinnacle class ship FAN - and so was likewise hesitant to try a small HAL ship. But the itinerary I wanted was only available on a small ship. So - I found myself on the Zaandam a couple months ago - and really enjoyed it! It did take a bit of getting used to as the layout is a bit different plus I found it hard to believe I could walk from one end of the ship to the other so quickly 😂. But I will never be reluctant to sail on a HAL smaller ship going forward. Hope you enjoy your time as much as I did. Happy holidays!
I’m strongly considering an October cruise in Holland America from Vancouver San Diego and I need to check into this club orange so thank you for sharing
Holland is the worst ever….hate it. Stuck there for 2 weeks. No one out at night. Grumpy old people….I was travelling with very well to do people but the old people dared bullied us when we got seated at “their”;table…..no myth….Holland is for old grumps
Thanks, Ilana. As someone who has been interested in HAL, but never sailed, this was excellent information. I have sailed on Princess and Viking, and I get the impression it might be a bit of a cross between them. The enrichment focus is a good thing, and I think we would appreciate it. The screenshot of the ticket thing does seem strange to me, given that I would find it annoying and I suspect I am well-below the average HAL passenger age. BTW, we just came back from a (great) Princess cruise to Canada/NE and while there are some things I could do without (or perhaps pay for when previously complimentary), not having the twice daily housekeeping is a deal breaker for us (Princess had it, to be clear, and our cabin steward was great). Having an active shore day (e.g., hiking 5 miles, walking through cities, etc.), coming back, getting ready for dinner in such a tight space, having it cleaned and fresh towels really makes it so much better. I know some mass market ships have started once a day, and that's definitely something I would avoid.
We're boring....we go on cruises to relax, hang by the pool, and listen to good music. Don't need go-karts, water slides, towel animals, and escape rooms. Would prefer a bit more Broadway style entertainment, but not a deal breaker for us. My only complaint was the folks who "reserved" pool chairs and disappeared for hours at a time....which really isn't HAL's fault. Great crew, good food, and just a relaxing vibe for us. Second HAL cruise set for Jan 21 2024 on the Nieuw Statendam.
Ilana, I really enjoy your videos, they are really informative and inspiring. I’m taking my first cruise in January (Princess) and planning on taking many more. This overview of HA really has me thinking about Cruise no 2. I will be seriously considering HA, and if there is a departure/destination I like at a time that works for me, I think HA may well be my first choice.
She prefers to self-serve at the buffet???? Seriously? Not the say that people grab, or put it on their plate, then return the food. Yuk. The lines are pretty short, and it keeps all of the food in good condition. It’s not messy, there’s no cross-contamination of food, and best of all, no one inadvertently spitting on the food while they sneeze, talk, or whatever.
We love HAL, it is our go to cruiseline. We have tried others but always seem to go back to HAL. Love the smaller ships, food is excellent and the staff is amazing. It’s a classy cruiseline and very relaxing. We always book the spa package and I think that is my favourite part of the cruise.
Ilana, hello from Colombia. I totally loved you vid, thanks! Im planning to travel with my mom for her very first time (she´s 70) I think this would be the best option for her. I already had the experience with Holland America and it was great for me. Once again, thank you very much for all the details! Hugs, Camilo
My first HAL cruise is in December and I can't wait! This video just reiterates why I think HAL will be one of my favorite cruise lines going forward. Q1: Can the discounts be combined - AARP, CCL Stockholder and any Mariner level savings? Thanks for mentioning these! As a solo cruiser going forward, I need to save $$ wherever I can. (I don't like the solo cabins though, so I find other ways to save - lol)
@LifeWellCruised This Video was quite a help. I have booked my 1st ever cruise and will be going on the Eurodam next year to Alaska. I am also a solo traveler and I am hoping I can still use my AARP to get onboard credit even though I have already booked the cruise......What is your experience with this? Thank you.
