Great video. Completely agree with this assessment. Loves the classic vibe, the crow's nest and the promenade. We a huge Disney cruise fans but took our first HAL cruise last year and really enjoyed it. We are booked for Alaska in 2025 on the Nieuw Amsterdam.
Thank you so much! We love Nieuw Amsterdam and it will be a fantastic ship to explore Alaska, hope you enjoy it! (But then again, it's Alaska, you'll have a fantastic time. 😀)
We traveled on Nieuw Amsterdam in its inaugural year for Christmas. It was fabulous! The decor blew me away. Lots of pictures of New York City in black and white and Big Apple decor, skyline photo. The food was great and they did so many special touches for Christmas. You will love it. I've never been to Alaska in my 28 cruises. Definitely need to go.
I love this, HAL is my favorite cruise line and has been since I was 30 years old, their old slogan was gracious and comfortable, and it still applies. For me the food and the crew are the best part of the experience. I think HAL gets mislabeled as being for older people instead of being labeled as for people of a certain mindset. Thank you for this update!
We think you state it perfectly, HAL is definitely for people of a certain mindset! Thank you so much for watching and commenting on our vid - we're glad to know that we're not the only ones who love HAL!
Well done! One aspect that I think you failed to note is that the “super ships” such as Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas or Wonder of the Seas is totally oriented to FAMILIES particularly if you have - young children. Our grandchildren are aged 3, 5 and 10 and I was amazed at how the focus was on the young. The staff dote on them ensuring that the kids / adults are “happy!”. At the end, we had to give the whole experience a 10/10 for the whole experience on the ship! We never got off the ship for two weeks. The kids just wanted to be in the kiddy pool or on the slides. Meanwhile, it is not a cruise for couples WITHOUT - kids! As such, My wife and I without grandkids would use a cruise line such as Holland America or Oceania for example.
Yes, you are right. Royal Caribbean and the other super ships are great at catering to families. But there were a number of families onboard Nieuw Amsterdam for our Spring Break cruise, and plenty on for our Alaska sailing. They all seemed to have a great time. Based on recent advertising, Holland America seems to want to get more families sailing with them, so I'm sure we'll see a lot more kids in the future. (We have also seen a lot more families on Oceania, as well.) With that said, we really wanted to focus on what we enjoyed about Holland America, not so much where they are lacking in comparison to other ships. So that's why we didn't really discuss the family element of the larger ships.
I love HAL. I started cruising in the late 1990's. I've sailed on Royal, Celebrity, Carnival, Norwegian, Princess. Once I took a cruise on Holland,I never cruised with anyone else. The destinations, the smaller ships, food, service,entertainment... the best!! My husband and I are embarking on a 45 day cruise in April on the Statendam. Can't wait!!
Love, love, love the music walk. We are hoping they don’t make any more changes that take away from the offerings- losing BBs on Nieuw Amsterdam was too much!
I like your videos. I am curouis HAL/Celebrity and Oceania. Been 6X on Princess but wife and I feel for something different. HAL has always been on my list. Thanks
The BB kings band was fantastic, but I personally enjoyed the Rollings Stone band and billboard online more. I was sad that Lincoln Center Stage was no more, I was really looking forward to it. Holland America fits my style well, but I would love to try other lines too.
Thank you so much for your comment! Hopefully HAL will bring back Lincoln Center State more consistently across the fleet, it's nice to have a wide variety of music options while sailing.
I'm not a five star mariner .. yet, but I do love HAL. I love the size of the ships, and I hope they don't get bigger than the current pinnacle class. The crew is fantastic, the food is great. Service is outstanding.
Fifteen HAL cruises so far. It is our preferred line. We love them and based on the way we are treated they love us too. I agree fully with your Promenade deck comments. Niew Amsterdamn has that wide unobstructed experience we love but Koningsdamn does have the Royal Dutch cafe and the larger venue rooms. Thanks for this video, I will refer it to newbies needing more information on all HAL has to offer.
Fifteen cruises, how lovely! Frankly, if Nieuw Amsterdam had a Grand Dutch, we'd have our new favorite ship! Small size, great eating options.... Thank you so much for watching and commenting! (And also passing our video along to others!)
Great video. HAL is by far our favorite line. I always feel like I'm a VIP. wonderful food, Music and we love the Crow's Nest. Don't forget the Afternoon Tea.
I agree with everything you said but you left out my number one - the destinations! Holland America goes to many different places around the world. Yes they started the cruising to Alaska and they go the Caribbean but they have unique itineraries. In January of 2025 our Holland America cruise will focus on volcanoes and the Great Barrier Reef with ports in the Philippines,Papua New Guinea, Bali,Komodo, Australia, Indonesia and Singapore. Another of my booked cruises will spend10 days on the Amazon.
You are absolutely right - Holland America is wonderful for destinations. I guess that is why we have five future cruises booked with them. Although we are quite envious of your cruise in January - what a fantastic voyage!
I took two HAL cruises. Alaska and Mediterranean 10 day round trip balcony Rome. Both fantastic! I have ADHD high functioning autism (hard to detect in women sometimes) and a smaller ship like HAL isn’t stressful! There’s always a nook to get away by yourself and rest, and I never felt like I was in a crowd of people. Don’t get me wrong though, there’s louder music and quieter music to my ear, brighter and dimmer places too. However, other options are available and I can have a good time. Cruiser like me can consult ahead of time to avoid a noisy room location or scented shampoos and soaps in the cabin (these are migraine triggers). Cruise lines are aware of special needs.
Thank you so much for your insight, we really appreciate you sharing your experience on Holland America as a passenger with ADHD high functioning autism. We know your tips will help others who require quieter places or need to avoid migraine triggers. If you think of anything else, please do not hesitate to comment again - your information is invaluable!
Yes. People with invisible disabilities can purchase a special lanyard on Amazon to wear at the Airport. Many airports are trained to recognize the lanyard symbol so you don’t stand in lines and can receive assistance. Some airports have sensitivity rooms that are quiet and are not so bright.) (Google invisible disability trained airports for a long international list)
Peasoup on Fridays is a very old tradition in Sweden! As a dessert you eat thin Swedish pancakes with whipped cream and jam. Its believed that the Vikings brought the peasoup to Sweden.
Did the midship’s organ work? We did 14 days on her through the Panama Canal and it was not work. We did not care for this ship and we were in a Neptune suite. Old, no entertainment and only 1 main store. It’s the only HAL ship we would not sail on again. Thanks for sharing
We were all set to book yet another HAL cruise, full Panama Canal, but are now reconsidering with the news of BB King leaving HAL. Two of our favorites, Lincoln Center and the Culinary Arts center were already gone, now this. Pretty soon, only Trivia will be left. I think it is time for us to look for another cruise line. It hurts to walk away from three star status and shareholder credit but they have just taken too much away!
I hadn't heard about BBQ King theater leaving. I don't know anything about the other two. We have top Elite on Princess but love Holland America so much that we might do more with them. I like a Rolling Stones theme. We will find out in two weeks. Third HAL cruise. Best wishes!
We're very disappointed about many of the changes made to HAL ships, but we still love them overall. One reason why I would still book HAL for the Panama Canal is the access to the bow. We sailed on a luxury ship through the Panama Canal and were so disappointed we had to watch the locks through glass windows. We decided that after that cruise, the next time we would sail on Holland America.
Really disappointed if BB Kings (or equivalent) disappears from the ship. On our March 2023 voyage we were there every night and the band was phenomenal. Not so concerned specifically about the affiliation with BB King - just want to see bands that talented with incredible range in that space. Losing that could be a dealbreaker for us (although we too love the vibe and the food - so much Asian food onboard and Dutch night in the buffet is spectacular!)
Thank you so much for your watching and your comment! We do think the affiliation is what made that March 2023 Nieuw Amsterdam band so absolutely phenomenal. We know that BB Kings has a rigorous audition process and it is quite difficult to get a gig. And the setlist BB King's provides is truly second to none. If they steer away from BB's, we do hope they keep their standards high. We're looking forward to our May cruise for many reasons, but primarily for the music walk - and the changes they are making with it.
We sailed on the Koningsdam last August to Alaska an loved it. We're sailing again the first of September this year to Alaska, An we have booked another sailing the end of September next year. We love Holland America Cruise Line
We really hope they keep some element of classical music onboard. As we suggested in the video, a music walk needs more than two types of music on offer.
So far in our cruise "life" we choose by itinerary & really found HAL to be great in Alaska, so we will be going on our third HAL cruise to AK in July.
We've done ten HAL cruises with a 24-day cruise later this summer on the Volendam. We keep coming back, so they must be doing a lot of things right. We have been with several other lines, but feel they are the best fit for us. I like the personalized attention and the quieter environment.
As of now, which ship is your favorite? The more we sail on HAL, the higher it ranks on our list. We’re just hoping they don’t make too many changes that affect their all-around vibe.
@@callingallports I can't say I have ONE favorite ship. My last trip was on the Zaandam, and the next on the Volendam. These are the two smallest ships in the HAL fleet. - I enjoy the enrichment lectures and a quieter atmosphere. On the Koningsdam their "Music walk" was our go to place at night.
Great video and i agree with all of your list! We sail HAL in November (7 day Tropical Caribbean) and looking forward to it. This will be our 2nd time sailing with HAL (Alaskan Cruise that was awesome!!). I was truly looking forward to the BB King Blues Club and sad to hear that they may have gotten rid of it. I agree with you it is THE BEST music venue, and hope they bring it back.
Thanks so much! Fortunately BB Kings is not 100% gone from all HAL ships, but any removal of the venue/band is a bad move in our opinion! That 7 day Tropical Caribbean looks fantastic - hits two ports we haven't gotten to yet. Enjoy it! Thanks so much for watching and your lovely comment - we really appreciate it!
Thanks for such a great video. HAL is our favorite cruise line too. We'll share this video for sure. We're headed on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 3 weeks and so looking forward to it. It will be our 3rd time on this ship. Soooo disappointed to hear that BB King's is no longer, that was our favourite! Such amazing musicians. The music walk is the AMAZING part of the cruise line, all portions of it, classical, rock, r & b, jazz and it will be such a loss if this diversity is not part of the HAL cruising experience. The talent on the ships were second to none. Hopefully, the talent is still there and 'rebranding' will showcase them even better 😊
Thank you so much! When we were on Eurodam in August, we felt a big difference in the music offerings. BB Kings is now Rolling Stone and it just didn't feel the same. The talent was still there, but we missed the music focus - the set lists were all over the place. We'll be on Nieuw Statendam in March and are looking forward to the separate venues once again. But we'll keep sailing the older HAL ships too, there are just too many positives on HAL's Signature class ships!
We just purchased Club Orange for the first time. When we were booking a cruise on Eurodam last month, the future cruise consultant urged us to do it - and it actually saved us money in the long run. We are looking forward to checking it out as the benefits on the Pinnacle class ship will likely outweigh the minimal costs.
@@callingallports I am curious to know how it saved you money in the long run. I am not being sarcastic but genuinely asking. My husband and I are booked on the Nieuw Amsterdam in April 2025 and want the best experience possible. Thank you
We saved $20, but ended with a higher grade cabin. Not sure what that difference in price would have been, but I’m guessing a few hundred dollars. I think you’ll appreciate the perks, though. Would love to hear about your experience once you’ve completed your cruise. Nieuw Amsterdam is one of our favorite ships!
@@callingallports Holland America hits all 5. I think they come up short with show entertainment, activities, and beverage supply chain when in Asia, Europe, and South America. Still, these are not big issues for me personally. I used to like Celebrity food until 2019, when the buffet was terrible, and they had major shortages, including vegetables. Carnival hits the price target, and our first cruise in 2011 was great for the money, but they've really let their dining and maintenance go. You wouldn't believe how bad some 70 year olds can act on a fun ship, when they're not used to 14 night sailings, and they get bored and irritable. We look forward to trying the ultra premium market too, when prices make sense.
thanks for the info! We just did our first cruise, it was Celebrity to Alaska. The Edge is very trendy and beautiful adult oriented cruise ship but they took the form over function aspect too far with the seating. We found only 1/3 of the seats comfortable and I mean we are avid backpackers and mtn bikers into fitness. HA looks to have their priorities more aligned with us, and I noticed HA had much better port locations than Celebrity did, with us having to schlep a couple km from the ship into town in driving rain and sleet lol.
Holland America has priority in Alaska due to their history sailing there, so it’s our top line in Alaska. What are your main priorities you feel Holland America most aligns with?
Thanks for teaching us some more about HAL cruises. We are excited to go on the Rotterdam in 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to the Dutch specialty food. So the Dutch cafe is on my radar daily. I have only recently learned about Orange Day and we have been on two Holland cruises. The formal dinners with beautiful dishes and table settings are pretty. I loved Eggs Benedict 6 ways in the buffet. I'm glad the hot dogs are Nathan brand even though I usually eat one or none on a cruise. Do they have movies under the stars at night? I haven't noticed that. I love live concerts on Princess along with movies so I'm guessing no. Is ice cream or gelato free on the ship, besides at meals? Thanks for the note about lectures on rhe country of Holland, or Netherlands. Which is correct? I love dressing up and formal nights are my favorite.
Thanks so much for your comment! Seems like you are getting ready to soon sail on Rotterdam! I'm not 100% certain about the movies, but I think there were a couple of screenings on our Alaska cruise. Unfortunately, I am not near my daily schedules to double check. As far as ice cream/gelato, there are only pay options at non-meal times. Not sure what nationality you are, but in the US, we tend to say Holland. But Holland is one region - so the Netherlands is technically correct. Have a great cruise!
I've sailed on Holland America on 11 of my 16 cruises thus far, mostly as part of the JoCo Cruise but also few non-JoCo cruises. I just cruised on Norwegian for the first and likely last time. What I hated about Norwegian is what I love about HAL: the food. It's the quality and the variety, especially at breakfast. I like the buffet on HAL, but also the Main Dining Room at dinner. HAL is my choice for cruises. I just wish they had a solo cabin option at a better price. That's what got me on Norwegian, but it wasn't enough to make up for the awful dining experience.
Just returned from a Westerdam Alaska cruise. We share your music concerns (and all your positives in other topics). Billboard was a MEH experience, with no true team piano material. Rock was good. Zero classical. A FINE jazz trio played in Ocean Bar on third level - but very early in the evening and with next to ZERO promotion. Tragic! HA really needs to make solid decisions here and PUBLICIZE them pronto
We just disembarked Volendam. Sadly the music options were seriously lackluster. One piano player, a solo guitarist, and a band we’d rather not publicly comment on. Wish there was a classic jazz trio on board. And it was sad to see the former Lincoln Center stage used for talks. Looking forward to our Eurodam cruise in August to have more music variety.
@@callingallports Yes, Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas. I slurged for Club Orange, Have it all, and Thermal Spa. Can't wait since I have always been on RCL.
According to an online article by The Points Guy back in early 2023, HAL is only getting rid of BB King’s Blues Club on the smaller ships and BB’s remains on the Pinnacle class ships. Is that still correct or am I missing something?
We think that may be the case, but with all the changes HAL is making right now, we're not sure if the club will be solely BB Kings, or if they'll be mixing it up with Rolling Stone. We have Volendam in a few weeks, Eurodam in August. We should have a better sense after that - unless they make more changes!
True. You can see all the current entertainment and dining options for each HAL ship on this “Ships at a Glance” chart. www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/inventory-assets/ships/at-a-glance/hal-ships-at-a-glance.pdf
Our experience is that BB Kings has been eliminated on smaller ships and was no longer present on the Eurodam back in January 2024 even though there was still signage. It made the Music Walk much less exciting. It is still present on the Pinnacle ships.
Thanks for the comprehensive review. You've basically answered all my questions and sadly finished by expressing some of my concerns. I know your academic calendar makes it difficult to sail out of school holidays but I wonder if you have had the opportunity to compare HA across high/low seasons?
Thanks, Lesley! We're hoping our Canada cruise in early May will be a better example at low season cruising. But with cruising's popularity these days, we wonder - will there ever be a low season?
We were on Nieuw Statendam for three weeks in August, sailing to Iceland and Greenland, et al. BB King's was still very much happening at that time (August 2024).
Glad to hear BB King's still has a strong presence on the Pinnacle class ships. We'll be on Nieuw Statendam in March, although our itinerary isn't has fantastic as your Iceland and Greenland cruise. What was your favorite port?
@@callingallports While Iceland and Greenland were interesting, those were places my husband really wanted to see. I really enjoyed the Shetland Islands, Inverness and Edinburgh!
We sailed on the Koningsdam last fall, our first HAL cruise. We loved it! The food was top-notch, and we like how they serve you at the buffet. We're vegan, and we always had plenty of options. Chef Eric even promised to make us a vegan cheesecake. We thought it was a nice gesture, but we didn't expect him to personally walk right up and deliver it to our table in the Club Orange dining room! The service was excellent and the crew seemed genuinely happy. A few weeks ago, we sailed on the brand new Sun Princess in the Mediterranean. It was a bit too big for our taste. The food was repetitive but tasty. Good, but not great. Also, the crew seemed stressed and overwhelmed. We're going to try the Majestic Princess for a 5 day Los Angeles to Cabo cruise to burn a Casino comp, and then 10 days later we're sailing on the Niew Statendam, for a 2 week cruise of the Adriatic, Greece and Italy, Athens to Rome. We can't wait!
We have always been impressed with HAL’s vegetarian options, great to know they cater to vegans as well! And we also like the size of HAL’s ships, but have been tempted to try Sun Princess - but based on your comments, it definitely won’t be a priority cruise. With HAL’s excellent service, we’re looking forward to getting on Eurodam in August. We hope you enjoy your next cruises, both great itineraries. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Nice video. Booked on Volendam November/December 2024 for 42 day cruise. Just our 2nd cruise. Trip of a lifetime. Learning a lot from all the videos about HAL and Volendam.
Thanks so much! A grand voyage for your 2nd cruise - how fantastic! What is your itinerary? Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it top our 7-day Canada New England voyage next month! We'll be on Volendam in just a few weeks. Looking forward to trying out a new ship. Thanks for watching and your comment!
I know everything is subjective, but what luxury cruise line would you recommend for a couple that’s in their early 50’s and mid 40's that are a more of a causal couple? Thanks.
Great question! Although we love Holland America, we really love Oceania. It’s a luxury, or premium plus, line. It’s laid back, the food is absolutely fantastic, and it’s a great small ship experience. The entertainment isn’t awesome, but everything else is top notch. We’re mid-, late-40s and it’s probably our favorite cruise line out there. We have a few Oceania videos on our channel, with more to come. Check them out if you are interested.
Have never sailed on Holland America, but we are about to book a Caribbean cruise on the Nieux Statendam. Have sailed on Celebrity 27 times and other cruise lines as well, including Viking. Have you sailed in an inside cabin on this ship?
We’ve never sailed in an inside cabin, but only because we’ve been able to get decent balcony prices. 27 cruises on Celebrity is impressive. What is your favorite ship of theirs?
Which itinerary are you looking at? And what do you like to do when on board a ship? I may be able to provide a bit more perspective if I know just a bit more.
No one is mentioning the Oosterdam? We are cruising on it this September so I am hoping it is as good as the other HAL Ships that are being mentioned here :)😅
Oosterdam is part of the Vista class, the one Holland America class we've yet to sail on. Please update us after you take your cruise - we're sure it will be a great one! BTW: What is your itinerary?
I was on the Eurodam 27th Dec 2023 to 13th Jan 2024 and it changed half way through from BB King to Rolling Stone and the new band were horrible apparently they had only met when getting onboard the ship, I am going on a Japan cruise in October on Noordam, so am hoping the band is better, but there was no Lincoln Center at all on that cruise, I think there was some classical music in the main theatre but am unsure as not my jam.
Changed the venue mid-cruise?! Although we enjoy a good Rolling Stone band, BBs is top notch and would not sit well with us if they switched it out in the middle of our voyage. Hopefully the band will be better when we’re on Eurodam in August. Think Lincoln Center is long gone though, which is a shame. We’re not huge classical fans, but a lot of people enjoyed it. Sad to see the Music Walk venues disappearing.
@@callingallports we did 2 cruises back to back, which is another reason I like sailing with HAL, as they don’t just go to the same ports each cruise so you can do 2 back to back, my Japan cruise is 2 cruises and even though is not until October is already sold out
I agree with you. That band was really subpar compared to the music at any of the venues in the Konigsdam Music Walk. And the dueling pianos were only slightly better. Having a high tenor trying to bely out Johnny Cash is the equivalent of having Barry White sing Tiny Tim's songs.
We’re taking the Noordam from Vancouver to Yokohama (arrive in mid-October). I guess we’ll be getting off and you'll be boarding on the same day. We did an upgrade to a Neptune Suite, so we're excited.
I really enjoyed your video!! We are going to Alaska next month. Sad the Lincoln center stage is gone but your video has me excited for the other music too!!
@@callingallports Thank you for your quick response. So great to hear. On some of the ship tours I've watched, I didn't see any decorated. Looking forward to an awesome cruise!
A question! We’re sailing on the Noordam for the first cruise with HAL ( my wife and I). If we brought on a future cruise with HAL our kids and grandkids, is there a good kids program that you know of? Thanks Vern H
Love that you’re bringing the family on Noordam! We don’t have any kids, so we can’t vouch for the program onboard. But the space looks great. The kids will likely have fun with or without the program - they’ll just love traveling with you! Thanks for watching and commenting! Diana
HAL is great. And yes, sadly the Lincoln Center contract wasn’t renewed. And there was talk about the partnership either BB’s ending. But who knows what will happen now with the change in leadership.
I plan to try Holland again, but if they dont continue some type of classical I'm switching to Oceania. I was not impressed with the dueling pianists which i understand they're keeping
We love Oceania for many reasons and yes, it's nice to have the string quartet play each night of the sailing. And there's a cocktail pianist, which we also prefer to the dueling pianists.
Thank you - a great video. We're sailing on the Koningsdam to Alaska in September. Our second ever cruise, our first with HAL. Your 5 reasons are our 5 reasons. We're really looking forward to it. We like good food, quality entertainment but also to be able to just relax, read a book, and enjoy the views. We don't need or want the go karts and waterslides.
Thanks so much. We are curious. What cruise was your very first? While the go karts and waterslides have their place in the world, they're not really for us. Glad you agree. And we hope you like HAL as much as we do. Koningsdam in Alaska - fantastic ship, great itinerary! We loved our Koningsdam cruise to Alaska last year.
@@callingallports we’re in 🇬🇧 so our first cruise was last September with P&O Cruises - on Iona - to the Norwegian Fjords. It was a great cruise, we loved the fjords. Iona was a megaship (5,000 +). I’m not sure we’d cruise again with P&O again for various reasons - the included food was poor quality (we pretty much did speciality dining every evening) and the entertainment was a bit like Britain’s Got Talent so we passed on all of that. The “enrichment” talks on offer were thinly disguised sales presentations - be it whisky, jewellery or second hand designer handbags. Definitely not our thing! We had already booked flights to Vancouver in September this year to visit our daughter who lives there. I was in Vancouver last September and saw the Koningsdam down at Canada Place, which planted the idea of doing a future cruise to Alaska. We were mulling over what to do by way of a trip during the second half of our stay when I remembered my original idea of a cruise to Alaska! We were very lucky to find a cruise with dates that fitting very nearly into that second week. So that was that and we booked a balcony cabin. I did note that the cruise was considerably more expensive than our Norwegian fjord cruise (we paid £2,000 more for HAL - both week-long cruises in balcony cabins). So I’m hoping we get what we paid for!
@@petshopgirl39 Alaska is a pricey itinerary overall, but we think you'll love Alaska on Koningsdam. Holland America has been sailing Alaska for a really long time, so they have it down pat. Make sure to go out on the bow during Glacier Bay day - can't beat the views!
@@callingallports the room is huge. Veranda has two lounge chairs and a table with 4 chairs so can eat outside. Have a lounge just for Neptune folks with a concierge, snacks, coffee, juices. Can eat in one of the paid restaurants( forgot the name) for breakfast every morning free. Free laundry.
We love this comment, thank you! We’re on Eurodam next month and are sad that BBs has changed over to Rolling Stone. But we’ll take HAL entertainment over so many other lines’ offerings!
We've been to the Panama Canal, but not with Holland America. We have talked about going back and sailing with HAL as they allow people on the bow. Thanks for your comment!
I just completed HAL 7 day Alaska cruise. Enjoyed The Crows nest vibe and excellent service. The food variety was great. The quality was unimpressive. I think most opf the meats were frozen. The best fish meal was fish and chips which were fresh caught Pacific Cod.
Shame about the quality of the meats, yet it seems like they are doing a great job with their fresh fish program. Thanks for your input, really appreciate it!
Here are my comments based on two cruises on HAL in the past two years. For the record, we will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam for two weeks in the next month. The issues that we have are: 1) HAL is like the "Tale of Two Cruiselines." If you are on the Pinnacle Class, you get BB King, The Grand Dutch Cafe and other perks. On the small ships, you do not. 2) The entertainment in the Grand Theatre is underwhelming and repetitive, especially on longer and B2B cruises. 3) The enrichment talks other than Alaska, are just Powerpoint presentations delivered by the cruise director. 4) When the buffet closes at 11:30 pm, all entertainment is over and the ship is a ghost town. 5) The "served" buffet is OK but does not allow you to select tasting portions no matter how swet you talk to the staff. The positives that we see: 1) We walk a mile on the promenade deck every day and its is great that it wraps all the way around the ship. 2) We liked the library that has been brought back to some of the ships. 3) The MDR is generally excellent as long as you skip the first night's dinner which is always frustratingly disorganized. The food has always been great and the service efficient. 4) Service is professional and top notch, second to only Celebrity among the seven lines we have cruised. 5) You can always sit with people at dinner which allows you to make a lot of new friends unlike a lot of the mass market cruise lines. 6) If you are budget cruisers with very flexible schedules like we are, there are some great deals available on HAL (not even including the standby program).
Our sincere apologies for not replying sooner, not sure how we missed your comment the first time around! And you are right, HAL is very much a "Tale of Two Cruise Lines," but we definitely see the merits of each type. And we absolutely agree with you, the promenade deck is one of the best things HAL has to offer, we never get tired of our daily walks. And ditto about the library. Your comments are great - thanks for sharing!
I enjoy music and was looking forward to doing each venue of the Music Walk. But due to cost cutting measures it has turned into just the Rolling Stones room + 2 pianos on most of their ships has left me very disappointed. I hope saving money is worth it to them
I'm glad I watched this. I think you're the demographic HAL should go after (and Celebrity and Princess) and not what especially the latter two are going after. I agree about the size of the ship and also I think HAL tends not to expand their ship fleet as fast as others so you don't end up with as many of your best crew going to the newest vessels and taken away from the established (using this word because I hate the word "older") vessels. I agree with all points except that I don't think HAL's ships are that subdued in terms of decor color. Most new ships are "greige" or really taupe with subdued colors used in many public areas. HAL still has deeper colors on the Pinnacle class ships. And I see the Statendam class ships (of 1993) in the newest ships which keeps them current. The biggest point I agree with is the Music walk and Crow's nest. In fact, lounges. I live in the lounges, not in restaurants, not on my balcony (I don't even book them), not in the casino or spa or in pool areas, but in lounges. HAL has nice lounges. I actually like jazz and the American song book standards and that's in the Ocean Bar, a smaller venue to go to but still has a dance floor I believe. HAL still has some of that. I don't love all the specialty restaurants popping up on ships and HAL has just about the right amount at the right cost. I do believe that not all of the "younger" generation wants to eschew HAL's qualities. I used to love Celebrity but I absolutely don't like their Edge class ships. Princess was nice too and I don't like the direction of their Sphere ships. Why noisy lobbies (atria, foyers, plazas, whatever they all them)? I hope HAL can keep their qualities and the Music walk is a must to keep, especially BB King's, the best IMO venue in the walk. btw, my first cruise was on the Rotterdam V of 1959 and I was a boy.
Thanks so much for your comment, we really loved reading your insights. And we especially loved your framing of older ships as "established." (We may start using that term, if you do not mind.) We have 5 HAL cruises booked through 2026 and are curious about how much the line will change over the next 18 months. Hopefully, they will hold on to the remaining Music Walk venues they have and do not change/cut too dramatically - the switch from BB King's to Rolling Stone on Eurodam was extremely disappointing. Even though it was the same space, it didn't have the same vibe (and the music selections were often less than ideal). Just took a look at some photos of Rotterdam V,. Must have been an amazing ship to sail on, although we can't imagine you remember too much of that trip. Thanks again for taking time to comment, we really appreciate it!
@@callingallports Sure, by all means use the term "established" ships. The Rotterdam V lived as a Premier ship (renamed Rembrandt) for many years and I did at least get to tour it when it docked in NYC in the 1990s. Not much was changed, thankfully. I remembered some things and also I still have pictures from the sailing. I won't be surprised if the HAL ships start to change as well. The cruise industry execs run a business and businesses aren't that interested in tradition vs. maximizing revenue.
Lots of outdated information. Lincoln Center Stage was discontinued on ALL Holland ships last year. BB King's was removed from all ships except the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam. World Stage entertainment is VERY slowly changing, but on 3 of my last 4 HAL cruises in 2024, the entertainment was pretty much the exact same shows. We loved HAL too, but paying passengers expect more than just repeat mainstage shows, bad Billboard Onboard dueling pianos, and Rolling Stone Lounge bands who excel in playing, but hindered by horrible vocalists.
Agreed. We make these very same points in the video, that these are things that we’ve loved about HAL, though in this case (entertainment and the Music Walk, in particular) the line is making changes that are actually pulling away from what we - and many our loyal HAL cruisers like yourself - have most enjoyed. Some of these changes like Lincoln Center were “unofficial” at the time this video was produced, though there have been some public announcements in just the past few weeks that have confirmed HAL’s future direction. We may actually make another video soon to update all the recent changes.
I do enjoy Holland America as well. Another aspect that I really love is the Afternoon tea. HAL serves the delicacies in a beautiful tiered display which was totally missing from the Majestic Princess’ afternoon tea. I love the barista made specialty coffees in the explorations cafe as you mention in your video. As well as the evening movies by the pool. HAL is my favorite cruise line as compared to Royal Carribean; carnival; Princess and NCL which I have also sailed. Thank you for your channel!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment and the insight you provided. Although our Volendam afternoon tea left us wanting more, we're looking forward to experiencing it on Eurodam in August. And your comment makes us want to watch an evening movie in Alaska, too! Thanks for all that great info!
That’s unfortunate. Although we feel staff is consistently strong on all of Holland America’s ships, we realize that is not the same experience for all. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
I sadly no longer love HAL. Been on Oosterdam and Nordam for 7 cruises. Last couple of cruises the "entertainment" was abysmal. So much so that it turned me completely off my beloved HAL. One night the "entertainment" in the main showroom was the staff talking about their jobs. !!!!!!! There were no production show nights by the singers and dancers putting on a wonderful show. They no longer put on those shows. Just boring dancers, magicians and not too good comedians. I feel quite sad about it as I did love and was loyal to HAL. Im a solo traveller, so quality night time entertainment is essential for me. Last cruise I only went to 3 nights in the main showroom and they were not even very exciting. Boo hoo. Also I noticed that the food and presentation in the dining room had gone way down as compared to previous 6 cruises.
I TOTALLY AGREE ref LINCOLN STAGE CENTER CLASSICAL ENTRN sooo extremely disappointed 👎 BEEN a Holland American cruiser many, many years in general LOVE the product 🛳️
Great video. Completely agree with this assessment. Loves the classic vibe, the crow's nest and the promenade. We a huge Disney cruise fans but took our first HAL cruise last year and really enjoyed it. We are booked for Alaska in 2025 on the Nieuw Amsterdam.
Thank you so much! We love Nieuw Amsterdam and it will be a fantastic ship to explore Alaska, hope you enjoy it! (But then again, it's Alaska, you'll have a fantastic time. 😀)
We traveled on Nieuw Amsterdam in its inaugural year for Christmas. It was fabulous! The decor blew me away. Lots of pictures of New York City in black and white and Big Apple decor, skyline photo. The food was great and they did so many special touches for Christmas. You will love it. I've never been to Alaska in my 28 cruises. Definitely need to go.
I love this, HAL is my favorite cruise line and has been since I was 30 years old, their old slogan was gracious and comfortable, and it still applies. For me the food and the crew are the best part of the experience. I think HAL gets mislabeled as being for older people instead of being labeled as for people of a certain mindset. Thank you for this update!
We think you state it perfectly, HAL is definitely for people of a certain mindset! Thank you so much for watching and commenting on our vid - we're glad to know that we're not the only ones who love HAL!
Well done!
One aspect that I think you failed to note is that the “super ships” such as Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas or Wonder of the Seas is totally oriented to FAMILIES particularly if you have - young children. Our grandchildren are aged 3, 5 and 10 and I was amazed at how the focus was on the young. The staff dote on them ensuring that the kids / adults are “happy!”. At the end, we had to give the whole experience a 10/10 for the whole experience on the ship! We never got off the ship for two weeks. The kids just wanted to be in the kiddy pool or on the slides.
Meanwhile, it is not a cruise for couples WITHOUT - kids! As such, My wife and I without grandkids would use a cruise line such as Holland America or Oceania for example.
Yes, you are right. Royal Caribbean and the other super ships are great at catering to families. But there were a number of families onboard Nieuw Amsterdam for our Spring Break cruise, and plenty on for our Alaska sailing. They all seemed to have a great time. Based on recent advertising, Holland America seems to want to get more families sailing with them, so I'm sure we'll see a lot more kids in the future. (We have also seen a lot more families on Oceania, as well.)
With that said, we really wanted to focus on what we enjoyed about Holland America, not so much where they are lacking in comparison to other ships. So that's why we didn't really discuss the family element of the larger ships.
I love HAL. I started cruising in the late 1990's. I've sailed on Royal, Celebrity, Carnival, Norwegian, Princess. Once I took a cruise on Holland,I never cruised with anyone else. The destinations, the smaller ships, food, service,entertainment... the best!! My husband and I are embarking on a 45 day cruise in April on the Statendam. Can't wait!!
Love HAL met my wife on the ship while working as a Bartender for five years . I recommend to people who are going on a cruise ❤ ❤
I love that story! What ship were you on?
HAL is my favorite line. Music walk is the main reason I sail HAL.
Love, love, love the music walk. We are hoping they don’t make any more changes that take away from the offerings- losing BBs on Nieuw Amsterdam was too much!
I like your videos. I am curouis HAL/Celebrity and Oceania. Been 6X on Princess but wife and I feel for something different. HAL has always been on my list. Thanks
The BB kings band was fantastic, but I personally enjoyed the Rollings Stone band and billboard online more. I was sad that Lincoln Center Stage was no more, I was really looking forward to it. Holland America fits my style well, but I would love to try other lines too.
Thank you so much for your comment! Hopefully HAL will bring back Lincoln Center State more consistently across the fleet, it's nice to have a wide variety of music options while sailing.
I'm not a five star mariner .. yet, but I do love HAL. I love the size of the ships, and I hope they don't get bigger than the current pinnacle class. The crew is fantastic, the food is great. Service is outstanding.
We agree, they need to stop at Pinnacle class ships. They are just big enough.
How long until you make it til 5 Stars?
Fifteen HAL cruises so far. It is our preferred line. We love them and based on the way we are treated they love us too. I agree fully with your Promenade deck comments. Niew Amsterdamn has that wide unobstructed experience we love but Koningsdamn does have the Royal Dutch cafe and the larger venue rooms. Thanks for this video, I will refer it to newbies needing more information on all HAL has to offer.
Fifteen cruises, how lovely! Frankly, if Nieuw Amsterdam had a Grand Dutch, we'd have our new favorite ship! Small size, great eating options....
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! (And also passing our video along to others!)
Great video. HAL is by far our favorite line. I always feel like I'm a VIP. wonderful food, Music and we love the Crow's Nest. Don't forget the Afternoon Tea.
Thank you so much! And yes, you are right - Afternoon Tea is great on Holland America. But then again, a lot of things are great on HAL!
My husband and I are taking our very first cruise ever on HAL in June 2025. Zuiderdam. This video was very helpful. Thank you!
That’s wonderful, thanks!
We love HAL too … I agree … lovely ship ….
Thanks for sharing your love for HAL!
I agree with everything you said but you left out my number one - the destinations! Holland America goes to many different places around the world. Yes they started the cruising to Alaska and they go the Caribbean but they have unique itineraries. In January of 2025 our Holland America cruise will focus on volcanoes and the Great Barrier Reef with ports in the Philippines,Papua New Guinea, Bali,Komodo, Australia, Indonesia and Singapore. Another of my booked cruises will spend10 days on the Amazon.
You are absolutely right - Holland America is wonderful for destinations. I guess that is why we have five future cruises booked with them. Although we are quite envious of your cruise in January - what a fantastic voyage!
Hey Andrew & Diane
Thanks for the detailed video on Holland America. We have been on the fence on giving them a try..
Cheers 🍻🥃🍻
Thanks
Tim
Thanks so much for watching! HAL is definitely worth a try. Report back if you ever sail with them!
Great video, glad I happened upon it, we are booked on HAL for the Alaskan land cruise next year!
Thank you so much! We’re glad you found our video, too. 😀 We’ve been wanting to do a land cruise trip to Alaska, yours sounds wonderful!
I took two HAL cruises. Alaska and Mediterranean 10 day round trip balcony Rome.
Both fantastic!
I have ADHD high functioning autism (hard to detect in women sometimes) and a smaller ship like HAL isn’t stressful!
There’s always a nook to get away by yourself and rest, and I never felt like I was in a crowd of people.
Don’t get me wrong though, there’s louder music and quieter music to my ear, brighter and dimmer places too. However, other options are available and I can have a good time.
Cruiser like me can consult ahead of time to avoid a noisy room location or scented shampoos and soaps in the cabin (these are migraine triggers).
Cruise lines are aware of special needs.
Thank you so much for your insight, we really appreciate you sharing your experience on Holland America as a passenger with ADHD high functioning autism. We know your tips will help others who require quieter places or need to avoid migraine triggers. If you think of anything else, please do not hesitate to comment again - your information is invaluable!
Yes.
People with invisible disabilities can purchase a special lanyard on Amazon to wear at the Airport. Many airports are trained to recognize the lanyard symbol so you don’t stand in lines and can receive assistance. Some airports have sensitivity rooms that are quiet and are not so bright.)
(Google invisible disability trained airports for a long international list)
They also often have a jazz trio which is excellent!!
Great tip! We didn’t notice the jazz trio until our recent Eurodam cruise. They were a nice addition.
Jazz and standards is essential for me. I also like a Latin salsa type of band.
Peasoup on Fridays is a very old tradition in Sweden! As a dessert you eat thin Swedish pancakes with whipped cream and jam. Its believed that the Vikings brought the peasoup to Sweden.
My family are Swedish American. I remember Friday night pea soup dinners fondly. 😊
Holland fans here! Nice video!!!
Thank you! ❤️ HAL!
I was on the Zaandam in August which had a classical duo who were wonderful so i hope they retain some classical music.
We're sailing on Volendam in mid-May - hoping to see a classical music presence onboard.
@@callingallports I am booked on the Eurodam next March. Me too !
Did the midship’s organ work? We did 14 days on her through the Panama Canal and it was not work. We did not care for this ship and we were in a Neptune suite. Old, no entertainment and only 1 main store. It’s the only HAL ship we would not sail on again. Thanks for sharing
@jhollie8196 The organ was not working. I likedcthe Zaandam but I am disappointed that classical music on Holland is going away.
We were all set to book yet another HAL cruise, full Panama Canal, but are now reconsidering with the news of BB King leaving HAL. Two of our favorites, Lincoln Center and the Culinary Arts center were already gone, now this. Pretty soon, only Trivia will be left. I think it is time for us to look for another cruise line. It hurts to walk away from three star status and shareholder credit but they have just taken too much away!
I hadn't heard about BBQ King theater leaving. I don't know anything about the other two. We have top Elite on Princess but love Holland America so much that we might do more with them. I like a Rolling Stones theme. We will find out in two weeks. Third HAL cruise. Best wishes!
We're very disappointed about many of the changes made to HAL ships, but we still love them overall. One reason why I would still book HAL for the Panama Canal is the access to the bow. We sailed on a luxury ship through the Panama Canal and were so disappointed we had to watch the locks through glass windows. We decided that after that cruise, the next time we would sail on Holland America.
They have the dive-in. Great fries!
We love Dive-In, it’s great. What we would like to see onboard is a dedicated Dutch-style snack bar like Grand Dutch-but all savory-on all ships.
Really disappointed if BB Kings (or equivalent) disappears from the ship. On our March 2023 voyage we were there every night and the band was phenomenal. Not so concerned specifically about the affiliation with BB King - just want to see bands that talented with incredible range in that space. Losing that could be a dealbreaker for us (although we too love the vibe and the food - so much Asian food onboard and Dutch night in the buffet is spectacular!)
Thank you so much for your watching and your comment! We do think the affiliation is what made that March 2023 Nieuw Amsterdam band so absolutely phenomenal. We know that BB Kings has a rigorous audition process and it is quite difficult to get a gig. And the setlist BB King's provides is truly second to none. If they steer away from BB's, we do hope they keep their standards high. We're looking forward to our May cruise for many reasons, but primarily for the music walk - and the changes they are making with it.
We sailed on the Koningsdam last August to Alaska an loved it. We're sailing again the first of September this year to Alaska, An we have booked another sailing the end of September next year. We love Holland America Cruise Line
It's hard to beat Holland America for an Alaska cruise!
@@callingallports we love cruising with them
Does HAL provide gatherings for solo cruisers? I am considering a transatlantic cruise for April 2025.
Will have to go back and check our daily schedules, but we think there were solo gatherings. Will get back to you!
I've been on Holland cruises three times. I love them too but I'm very disappointed they dropped Lincoln Center Stage which I loved.
We really hope they keep some element of classical music onboard. As we suggested in the video, a music walk needs more than two types of music on offer.
So far in our cruise "life" we choose by itinerary & really found HAL to be great in Alaska, so we will be going on our third HAL cruise to AK in July.
Agreed! We’re talking our third Alaska cruise this August, our second with HAL. We love how they do Alaska cruising - they’re the best there.
We may need to try them again. We had family along on our first go that were an irritant to my wife 😅
Yeah, it seems like you need to take an irritant-free cruise on HAL. 😂
Thanks for watching!
We've done ten HAL cruises with a 24-day cruise later this summer on the Volendam. We keep coming back, so they must be doing a lot of things right. We have been with several other lines, but feel they are the best fit for us. I like the personalized attention and the quieter environment.
As of now, which ship is your favorite? The more we sail on HAL, the higher it ranks on our list. We’re just hoping they don’t make too many changes that affect their all-around vibe.
@@callingallports I can't say I have ONE favorite ship. My last trip was on the Zaandam, and the next on the Volendam. These are the two smallest ships in the HAL fleet. - I enjoy the enrichment lectures and a quieter atmosphere. On the Koningsdam their "Music walk" was our go to place at night.
Just booked an Alaska cruise tour on Nieuw Amsterdam in August 2025.. thanks for the video, it will be our first HAL cruise.
What a great itinerary for Nieuw Amsterdam! Alaska on HAL is second to none. We hope you love it!
A really great video. Going on our first Holland cruise 2025
Thank you so much, we really appreciate it! When and where are you going? And on what ship?
Great video and i agree with all of your list! We sail HAL in November (7 day Tropical Caribbean) and looking forward to it. This will be our 2nd time sailing with HAL (Alaskan Cruise that was awesome!!). I was truly looking forward to the BB King Blues Club and sad to hear that they may have gotten rid of it. I agree with you it is THE BEST music venue, and hope they bring it back.
Thanks so much! Fortunately BB Kings is not 100% gone from all HAL ships, but any removal of the venue/band is a bad move in our opinion!
That 7 day Tropical Caribbean looks fantastic - hits two ports we haven't gotten to yet. Enjoy it! Thanks so much for watching and your lovely comment - we really appreciate it!
Love this video, so glad I found it. Going on my first HAL cruise soon. This was very helpful
Thank you so much! What ship will you be on? What is your itinerary?
@@callingallports I’ll be on the Volendam
@@brookwithnoe97 we’re on Volendam in a few weeks - can’t wait!
great video thanks ❤ we've just booked our first HAL cruise a 28 day Far East on Westerdam January 2026 and super excited 🎉 we're from the UK 🇬🇧
Thanks so much! 28 days in the Far East on a HAL cruise? Sounds fantastic! The hardest part is the wait, but it will be here soon enough!
Thanks for such a great video. HAL is our favorite cruise line too. We'll share this video for sure. We're headed on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 3 weeks and so looking forward to it. It will be our 3rd time on this ship. Soooo disappointed to hear that BB King's is no longer, that was our favourite! Such amazing musicians. The music walk is the AMAZING part of the cruise line, all portions of it, classical, rock, r & b, jazz and it will be such a loss if this diversity is not part of the HAL cruising experience. The talent on the ships were second to none. Hopefully, the talent is still there and 'rebranding' will showcase them even better 😊
Thank you so much! When we were on Eurodam in August, we felt a big difference in the music offerings. BB Kings is now Rolling Stone and it just didn't feel the same. The talent was still there, but we missed the music focus - the set lists were all over the place. We'll be on Nieuw Statendam in March and are looking forward to the separate venues once again. But we'll keep sailing the older HAL ships too, there are just too many positives on HAL's Signature class ships!
The Crow's Nest is my favorite area of the HAL ships.
The Crow's Nest is fantastic, great place to sit and relax.
Have you purchased the Club Orange on any of your cruises? If you have was it worth it?
We just purchased Club Orange for the first time. When we were booking a cruise on Eurodam last month, the future cruise consultant urged us to do it - and it actually saved us money in the long run. We are looking forward to checking it out as the benefits on the Pinnacle class ship will likely outweigh the minimal costs.
@@callingallports I am curious to know how it saved you money in the long run. I am not being sarcastic but genuinely asking. My husband and I are booked on the Nieuw Amsterdam in April 2025 and want the best experience possible. Thank you
We saved $20, but ended with a higher grade cabin. Not sure what that difference in price would have been, but I’m guessing a few hundred dollars. I think you’ll appreciate the perks, though. Would love to hear about your experience once you’ve completed your cruise.
Nieuw Amsterdam is one of our favorite ships!
My top 5:
1. Food
2. Cabin and mattress quality
3. Itineraries
4. Price
5. Low key passengers and atmosphere.
That’s a great top 5! Which lines have the best ratings for your top 5 items?
@@callingallports Holland America hits all 5. I think they come up short with show entertainment, activities, and beverage supply chain when in Asia, Europe, and South America. Still, these are not big issues for me personally.
I used to like Celebrity food until 2019, when the buffet was terrible, and they had major shortages, including vegetables. Carnival hits the price target, and our first cruise in 2011 was great for the money, but they've really let their dining and maintenance go. You wouldn't believe how bad some 70 year olds can act on a fun ship, when they're not used to 14 night sailings, and they get bored and irritable.
We look forward to trying the ultra premium market too, when prices make sense.
thanks for the info! We just did our first cruise, it was Celebrity to Alaska. The Edge is very trendy and beautiful adult oriented cruise ship but they took the form over function aspect too far with the seating. We found only 1/3 of the seats comfortable and I mean we are avid backpackers and mtn bikers into fitness. HA looks to have their priorities more aligned with us, and I noticed HA had much better port locations than Celebrity did, with us having to schlep a couple km from the ship into town in driving rain and sleet lol.
Holland America has priority in Alaska due to their history sailing there, so it’s our top line in Alaska. What are your main priorities you feel Holland America most aligns with?
This is so great for us to hear as we have our first HAL coming up very soon. Cheers guys.
Thank you so much, we really appreciate it! Just curious, when and where is your first HAL cruise?
@@callingallports Noordam in September in Alaska, we can’t wait! We booked Morimoto by Sea as well.
@@debbiegibbssmith Fantastic, enjoy! And hopefully you will love Morimoto as much as we did!
Thanks for teaching us some more about HAL cruises. We are excited to go on the Rotterdam in 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to the Dutch specialty food. So the Dutch cafe is on my radar daily. I have only recently learned about Orange Day and we have been on two Holland cruises. The formal dinners with beautiful dishes and table settings are pretty. I loved Eggs Benedict 6 ways in the buffet. I'm glad the hot dogs are Nathan brand even though I usually eat one or none on a cruise. Do they have movies under the stars at night? I haven't noticed that. I love live concerts on Princess along with movies so I'm guessing no. Is ice cream or gelato free on the ship, besides at meals? Thanks for the note about lectures on rhe country of Holland, or Netherlands. Which is correct? I love dressing up and formal nights are my favorite.
Thanks so much for your comment! Seems like you are getting ready to soon sail on Rotterdam! I'm not 100% certain about the movies, but I think there were a couple of screenings on our Alaska cruise. Unfortunately, I am not near my daily schedules to double check. As far as ice cream/gelato, there are only pay options at non-meal times. Not sure what nationality you are, but in the US, we tend to say Holland. But Holland is one region - so the Netherlands is technically correct. Have a great cruise!
I've sailed on Holland America on 11 of my 16 cruises thus far, mostly as part of the JoCo Cruise but also few non-JoCo cruises. I just cruised on Norwegian for the first and likely last time. What I hated about Norwegian is what I love about HAL: the food. It's the quality and the variety, especially at breakfast. I like the buffet on HAL, but also the Main Dining Room at dinner. HAL is my choice for cruises. I just wish they had a solo cabin option at a better price. That's what got me on Norwegian, but it wasn't enough to make up for the awful dining experience.
Love HAL, particularly the Pinnacle class ships and private Club Orange dining areas on those three vessels.
We have yet to try Club Orange - on any class. What do you love about those dining areas?
Just returned from a Westerdam Alaska cruise. We share your music concerns (and all your positives in other topics). Billboard was a MEH experience, with no true team piano material. Rock was good. Zero classical. A FINE jazz trio played in Ocean Bar on third level - but very early in the evening and with next to ZERO promotion. Tragic! HA really needs to make solid decisions here and PUBLICIZE them pronto
We just disembarked Volendam. Sadly the music options were seriously lackluster. One piano player, a solo guitarist, and a band we’d rather not publicly comment on. Wish there was a classic jazz trio on board. And it was sad to see the former Lincoln Center stage used for talks. Looking forward to our Eurodam cruise in August to have more music variety.
Fries = fritjes Order them at the Dutch Cafe.
First cruise on Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam in November. Can't wait!
Fantastic! We hope you enjoy it! Caribbean itinerary?
@@callingallports Yes, Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas. I slurged for Club Orange, Have it all, and Thermal Spa. Can't wait since I have always been on RCL.
According to an online article by The Points Guy back in early 2023, HAL is only getting rid of BB King’s Blues Club on the smaller ships and BB’s remains on the Pinnacle class ships. Is that still correct or am I missing something?
We think that may be the case, but with all the changes HAL is making right now, we're not sure if the club will be solely BB Kings, or if they'll be mixing it up with Rolling Stone. We have Volendam in a few weeks, Eurodam in August. We should have a better sense after that - unless they make more changes!
True. You can see all the current entertainment and dining options for each HAL ship on this “Ships at a Glance” chart. www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/inventory-assets/ships/at-a-glance/hal-ships-at-a-glance.pdf
Our experience is that BB Kings has been eliminated on smaller ships and was no longer present on the Eurodam back in January 2024 even though there was still signage. It made the Music Walk much less exciting. It is still present on the Pinnacle ships.
Thanks for the comprehensive review. You've basically answered all my questions and sadly finished by expressing some of my concerns. I know your academic calendar makes it difficult to sail out of school holidays but I wonder if you have had the opportunity to compare HA across high/low seasons?
Thanks, Lesley! We're hoping our Canada cruise in early May will be a better example at low season cruising. But with cruising's popularity these days, we wonder - will there ever be a low season?
Sailing to Alaska with HAL May 2025 on the Koningsdam and videos like this will help a lot -very informative-thank you.😊
Thank you so much! We LOVED our Alaska cruise on Koningsdam. Be sure to wake up early and visit the bow on Glacier Bay day!
We were on Nieuw Statendam for three weeks in August, sailing to Iceland and Greenland, et al. BB King's was still very much happening at that time (August 2024).
Glad to hear BB King's still has a strong presence on the Pinnacle class ships. We'll be on Nieuw Statendam in March, although our itinerary isn't has fantastic as your Iceland and Greenland cruise. What was your favorite port?
@@callingallports While Iceland and Greenland were interesting, those were places my husband really wanted to see. I really enjoyed the Shetland Islands, Inverness and Edinburgh!
What dates are you doing the New England cruise? I’m going in sept on the 16th
We just got off Volendam only a few weeks ago. Should be a lovely sailing in September.
Sailed on the Westerdam last year to Alaska. Did I like it> Well, I'm sailing the same ship back to Alaska again next month for my 75th birthday,😊
Happy early birthday!
Enjoy your Alaska cruise next month!
Is there an app? How is the customer service?
There is an app (Navigator) that we quite enjoy. And our customer service experiences have been lovely.
i will be doing koningsdam in sept of next year and i cant wait
Hope your cruise is a great one! We ❤️ Koningsdam!
We have cruised HA and love it as well. We take a 45-day cruise out of NY to the Mediterranean and back next fall. We excited to be back with them!
The Ultimate Med on Volendam? That is a fantastic itinerary!
Thanks so much for watching and commenting - we really do appreciate it!
We sailed on the Koningsdam last fall, our first HAL cruise. We loved it! The food was top-notch, and we like how they serve you at the buffet. We're vegan, and we always had plenty of options. Chef Eric even promised to make us a vegan cheesecake. We thought it was a nice gesture, but we didn't expect him to personally walk right up and deliver it to our table in the Club Orange dining room!
The service was excellent and the crew seemed genuinely happy.
A few weeks ago, we sailed on the brand new Sun Princess in the Mediterranean. It was a bit too big for our taste. The food was repetitive but tasty. Good, but not great. Also, the crew seemed stressed and overwhelmed.
We're going to try the Majestic Princess for a 5 day Los Angeles to Cabo cruise to burn a Casino comp, and then 10 days later we're sailing on the Niew Statendam, for a 2 week cruise of the Adriatic, Greece and Italy, Athens to Rome.
We can't wait!
We have always been impressed with HAL’s vegetarian options, great to know they cater to vegans as well! And we also like the size of HAL’s ships, but have been tempted to try Sun Princess - but based on your comments, it definitely won’t be a priority cruise. With HAL’s excellent service, we’re looking forward to getting on Eurodam in August.
We hope you enjoy your next cruises, both great itineraries. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Nice video. Booked on Volendam November/December 2024 for 42 day cruise. Just our 2nd cruise. Trip of a lifetime. Learning a lot from all the videos about HAL and Volendam.
Thanks so much! A grand voyage for your 2nd cruise - how fantastic! What is your itinerary? Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it top our 7-day Canada New England voyage next month! We'll be on Volendam in just a few weeks. Looking forward to trying out a new ship. Thanks for watching and your comment!
I know everything is subjective, but what luxury cruise line would you recommend for a couple that’s in their early 50’s and mid 40's that are a more of a causal couple? Thanks.
Great question! Although we love Holland America, we really love Oceania. It’s a luxury, or premium plus, line. It’s laid back, the food is absolutely fantastic, and it’s a great small ship experience. The entertainment isn’t awesome, but everything else is top notch. We’re mid-, late-40s and it’s probably our favorite cruise line out there. We have a few Oceania videos on our channel, with more to come. Check them out if you are interested.
Have never sailed on Holland America, but we are about to book a Caribbean cruise on the Nieux Statendam. Have sailed on Celebrity 27 times and other cruise lines as well, including Viking. Have you sailed in an inside cabin on this ship?
Do they have Mah Jong sets on board?
We’re on Eurodam now and they have a number of sets available in the Crow’s Nest.
We’ve never sailed in an inside cabin, but only because we’ve been able to get decent balcony prices.
27 cruises on Celebrity is impressive. What is your favorite ship of theirs?
Thinking of taking a Hollander America cruise in 2026. We’ve only been on Carnival, but the itinerary is better.
Which itinerary are you looking at? And what do you like to do when on board a ship? I may be able to provide a bit more perspective if I know just a bit more.
No one is mentioning the Oosterdam? We are cruising on it this September so I am hoping it is as good as the other HAL Ships that are being mentioned here :)😅
Oosterdam is part of the Vista class, the one Holland America class we've yet to sail on. Please update us after you take your cruise - we're sure it will be a great one! BTW: What is your itinerary?
First HAL cruise this July, and I think it’s going to be a great fit for me.
First cruises are exciting! What are you looking most forward to experiencing?
I was on the Eurodam 27th Dec 2023 to 13th Jan 2024 and it changed half way through from BB King to Rolling Stone and the new band were horrible apparently they had only met when getting onboard the ship, I am going on a Japan cruise in October on Noordam, so am hoping the band is better, but there was no Lincoln Center at all on that cruise, I think there was some classical music in the main theatre but am unsure as not my jam.
Changed the venue mid-cruise?! Although we enjoy a good Rolling Stone band, BBs is top notch and would not sit well with us if they switched it out in the middle of our voyage. Hopefully the band will be better when we’re on Eurodam in August. Think Lincoln Center is long gone though, which is a shame. We’re not huge classical fans, but a lot of people enjoyed it. Sad to see the Music Walk venues disappearing.
@@callingallports we did 2 cruises back to back, which is another reason I like sailing with HAL, as they don’t just go to the same ports each cruise so you can do 2 back to back, my Japan cruise is 2 cruises and even though is not until October is already sold out
I agree with you. That band was really subpar compared to the music at any of the venues in the Konigsdam Music Walk. And the dueling pianos were only slightly better. Having a high tenor trying to bely out Johnny Cash is the equivalent of having Barry White sing Tiny Tim's songs.
@@jlawrence0181 enjoyed that description of the dueling pianos. 😂 We never visit Billboard, just not our thing.
We’re taking the Noordam from Vancouver to Yokohama (arrive in mid-October). I guess we’ll be getting off and you'll be boarding on the same day. We did an upgrade to a Neptune Suite, so we're excited.
I really enjoyed your video!! We are going to Alaska next month. Sad the Lincoln center stage is gone but your video has me excited for the other music too!!
Thanks so much! What ship are you on for your fantastic Alaskan voyage?
Great reporting. Food is so important. Thank you.
Thanks! Would love to know how many people consider food when booking a cruise - it’s a critical factor!
Thank you for sharing. Do you know if you can decorate the cabin door? ⚓🚢
We’ve seen lots of doors decorated on all of our HAL ships!
@@callingallports Thank you for your quick response. So great to hear. On some of the ship tours I've watched, I didn't see any decorated. Looking forward to an awesome cruise!
@@kellykellykelly8744 when is your cruise? And to where are you sailing?
@@callingallports Mid June. Flying to our port in Denmark, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Isle of Man and back to Denmark. 14 days.
@@kellykellykelly8744 that will be a fabulous cruise! Enjoy the ports and have fun decorating your cabin door!
A question! We’re sailing on the Noordam for the first cruise with HAL ( my wife and I). If we brought on a future cruise with HAL our kids and grandkids, is there a good kids program that you know of? Thanks Vern H
Love that you’re bringing the family on Noordam! We don’t have any kids, so we can’t vouch for the program onboard. But the space looks great. The kids will likely have fun with or without the program - they’ll just love traveling with you!
Thanks for watching and commenting! Diana
Love HAL. It’s the Lincoln Center contract that wasn’t renewed.
HAL is great. And yes, sadly the Lincoln Center contract wasn’t renewed. And there was talk about the partnership either BB’s ending. But who knows what will happen now with the change in leadership.
I plan to try Holland again, but if they dont continue some type of classical I'm switching to Oceania. I was not impressed with the dueling pianists which i understand they're keeping
We love Oceania for many reasons and yes, it's nice to have the string quartet play each night of the sailing. And there's a cocktail pianist, which we also prefer to the dueling pianists.
Thank you - a great video. We're sailing on the Koningsdam to Alaska in September. Our second ever cruise, our first with HAL. Your 5 reasons are our 5 reasons. We're really looking forward to it. We like good food, quality entertainment but also to be able to just relax, read a book, and enjoy the views. We don't need or want the go karts and waterslides.
Thanks so much. We are curious. What cruise was your very first? While the go karts and waterslides have their place in the world, they're not really for us. Glad you agree. And we hope you like HAL as much as we do. Koningsdam in Alaska - fantastic ship, great itinerary! We loved our Koningsdam cruise to Alaska last year.
@@callingallports we’re in 🇬🇧 so our first cruise was last September with P&O Cruises - on Iona - to the Norwegian Fjords. It was a great cruise, we loved the fjords. Iona was a megaship (5,000 +). I’m not sure we’d cruise again with P&O again for various reasons - the included food was poor quality (we pretty much did speciality dining every evening) and the entertainment was a bit like Britain’s Got Talent so we passed on all of that. The “enrichment” talks on offer were thinly disguised sales presentations - be it whisky, jewellery or second hand designer handbags. Definitely not our thing! We had already booked flights to Vancouver in September this year to visit our daughter who lives there. I was in Vancouver last September and saw the Koningsdam down at Canada Place, which planted the idea of doing a future cruise to Alaska. We were mulling over what to do by way of a trip during the second half of our stay when I remembered my original idea of a cruise to Alaska! We were very lucky to find a cruise with dates that fitting very nearly into that second week. So that was that and we booked a balcony cabin. I did note that the cruise was considerably more expensive than our Norwegian fjord cruise (we paid £2,000 more for HAL - both week-long cruises in balcony cabins). So I’m hoping we get what we paid for!
@@petshopgirl39 Alaska is a pricey itinerary overall, but we think you'll love Alaska on Koningsdam. Holland America has been sailing Alaska for a really long time, so they have it down pat. Make sure to go out on the bow during Glacier Bay day - can't beat the views!
How much baggage can you take
There is no limit on baggage. You can take as much as you can handle/carry. FWIW, two suitcases per person fit fine under the bed.
HAL is my only line now. Love the Neptune suite!
We almost upgraded to a Neptune for our last cruise. Why do you love it?
@@callingallports the room is huge. Veranda has two lounge chairs and a table with 4 chairs so can eat outside. Have a lounge just for Neptune folks with a concierge, snacks, coffee, juices. Can eat in one of the paid restaurants( forgot the name) for breakfast every morning free. Free laundry.
We love HAL and love your reviews. Hope BB Kings stays . We will be on the Statendam in November so we will let you know about the BBs.
We love this comment, thank you!
We’re on Eurodam next month and are sad that BBs has changed over to Rolling Stone. But we’ll take HAL entertainment over so many other lines’ offerings!
Have you been to the Panama canal with Holland?
We've been to the Panama Canal, but not with Holland America. We have talked about going back and sailing with HAL as they allow people on the bow.
Thanks for your comment!
I was on HA zieuderdam several years ago to Panama Canal. It was wonderful!
Concordo com tudo que disseram. A minha companhia favorita.
Thank you so much for watching our video and your comment - we appreciate it!
I just completed HAL 7 day Alaska cruise. Enjoyed The Crows nest vibe and excellent service. The food variety was great. The quality was unimpressive. I think most opf the meats were frozen. The best fish meal was fish and chips which were fresh caught Pacific Cod.
Shame about the quality of the meats, yet it seems like they are doing a great job with their fresh fish program. Thanks for your input, really appreciate it!
Here are my comments based on two cruises on HAL in the past two years. For the record, we will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam for two weeks in the next month. The issues that we have are:
1) HAL is like the "Tale of Two Cruiselines." If you are on the Pinnacle Class, you get BB King, The Grand Dutch Cafe and other perks. On the small ships, you do not.
2) The entertainment in the Grand Theatre is underwhelming and repetitive, especially on longer and B2B cruises.
3) The enrichment talks other than Alaska, are just Powerpoint presentations delivered by the cruise director.
4) When the buffet closes at 11:30 pm, all entertainment is over and the ship is a ghost town.
5) The "served" buffet is OK but does not allow you to select tasting portions no matter how swet you talk to the staff.
The positives that we see:
1) We walk a mile on the promenade deck every day and its is great that it wraps all the way around the ship.
2) We liked the library that has been brought back to some of the ships.
3) The MDR is generally excellent as long as you skip the first night's dinner which is always frustratingly disorganized. The food has always been great and the service efficient.
4) Service is professional and top notch, second to only Celebrity among the seven lines we have cruised.
5) You can always sit with people at dinner which allows you to make a lot of new friends unlike a lot of the mass market cruise lines.
6) If you are budget cruisers with very flexible schedules like we are, there are some great deals available on HAL (not even including the standby program).
Our sincere apologies for not replying sooner, not sure how we missed your comment the first time around! And you are right, HAL is very much a "Tale of Two Cruise Lines," but we definitely see the merits of each type. And we absolutely agree with you, the promenade deck is one of the best things HAL has to offer, we never get tired of our daily walks. And ditto about the library. Your comments are great - thanks for sharing!
Great video!
Thanks so much!
We were sad about dropping Lincoln Center Stage classical-ish music.
Really is disappointing!
How is Eurdam
We’re not on until mid-August. Will update once we’ve sailed on Eurodam!
ty for your content
Thank you! And thanks for watching and commenting!
I like your content. Thank you so.
Thank you! We have a lot more coming, so stay tuned! 😀
I enjoy music and was looking forward to doing each venue of the Music Walk. But due to cost cutting measures it has turned into just the Rolling Stones room + 2 pianos on most of their ships has left me very disappointed. I hope saving money is worth it to them
We agree with you. The Music Walk made them unique and that’s one reason why we loved sailing with HAL.
I'm glad I watched this. I think you're the demographic HAL should go after (and Celebrity and Princess) and not what especially the latter two are going after. I agree about the size of the ship and also I think HAL tends not to expand their ship fleet as fast as others so you don't end up with as many of your best crew going to the newest vessels and taken away from the established (using this word because I hate the word "older") vessels. I agree with all points except that I don't think HAL's ships are that subdued in terms of decor color. Most new ships are "greige" or really taupe with subdued colors used in many public areas. HAL still has deeper colors on the Pinnacle class ships. And I see the Statendam class ships (of 1993) in the newest ships which keeps them current. The biggest point I agree with is the Music walk and Crow's nest. In fact, lounges. I live in the lounges, not in restaurants, not on my balcony (I don't even book them), not in the casino or spa or in pool areas, but in lounges. HAL has nice lounges. I actually like jazz and the American song book standards and that's in the Ocean Bar, a smaller venue to go to but still has a dance floor I believe. HAL still has some of that. I don't love all the specialty restaurants popping up on ships and HAL has just about the right amount at the right cost. I do believe that not all of the "younger" generation wants to eschew HAL's qualities. I used to love Celebrity but I absolutely don't like their Edge class ships. Princess was nice too and I don't like the direction of their Sphere ships. Why noisy lobbies (atria, foyers, plazas, whatever they all them)? I hope HAL can keep their qualities and the Music walk is a must to keep, especially BB King's, the best IMO venue in the walk.
btw, my first cruise was on the Rotterdam V of 1959 and I was a boy.
Thanks so much for your comment, we really loved reading your insights. And we especially loved your framing of older ships as "established." (We may start using that term, if you do not mind.)
We have 5 HAL cruises booked through 2026 and are curious about how much the line will change over the next 18 months. Hopefully, they will hold on to the remaining Music Walk venues they have and do not change/cut too dramatically - the switch from BB King's to Rolling Stone on Eurodam was extremely disappointing. Even though it was the same space, it didn't have the same vibe (and the music selections were often less than ideal).
Just took a look at some photos of Rotterdam V,. Must have been an amazing ship to sail on, although we can't imagine you remember too much of that trip.
Thanks again for taking time to comment, we really appreciate it!
@@callingallports Sure, by all means use the term "established" ships. The Rotterdam V lived as a Premier ship (renamed Rembrandt) for many years and I did at least get to tour it when it docked in NYC in the 1990s. Not much was changed, thankfully. I remembered some things and also I still have pictures from the sailing.
I won't be surprised if the HAL ships start to change as well. The cruise industry execs run a business and businesses aren't that interested in tradition vs. maximizing revenue.
Removing Lincoln Center was a TERRIBLE move on the part of HAL even with a big negative response directed toward HAL via Cruise Critic.
It really is unfortunate. Can't have a proper music walk if multiple types of music aren't represented.
Lots of outdated information. Lincoln Center Stage was discontinued on ALL Holland ships last year. BB King's was removed from all ships except the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam. World Stage entertainment is VERY slowly changing, but on 3 of my last 4 HAL cruises in 2024, the entertainment was pretty much the exact same shows. We loved HAL too, but paying passengers expect more than just repeat mainstage shows, bad Billboard Onboard dueling pianos, and Rolling Stone Lounge bands who excel in playing, but hindered by horrible vocalists.
Agreed. We make these very same points in the video, that these are things that we’ve loved about HAL, though in this case (entertainment and the Music Walk, in particular) the line is making changes that are actually pulling away from what we - and many our loyal HAL cruisers like yourself - have most enjoyed. Some of these changes like Lincoln Center were “unofficial” at the time this video was produced, though there have been some public announcements in just the past few weeks that have confirmed HAL’s future direction. We may actually make another video soon to update all the recent changes.
I do enjoy Holland America as well. Another aspect that I really love is the Afternoon tea. HAL serves the delicacies in a beautiful tiered display which was totally missing from the Majestic Princess’ afternoon tea. I love the barista made specialty coffees in the explorations cafe as you mention in your video. As well as the evening movies by the pool. HAL is my favorite cruise line as compared to Royal Carribean; carnival; Princess and NCL which I have also sailed. Thank you for your channel!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment and the insight you provided. Although our Volendam afternoon tea left us wanting more, we're looking forward to experiencing it on Eurodam in August. And your comment makes us want to watch an evening movie in Alaska, too! Thanks for all that great info!
While I agree with much of what you said, I strongly disagree on the service. Many of the staff didn't seem to care or were almost borderline rude.
That’s unfortunate. Although we feel staff is consistently strong on all of Holland America’s ships, we realize that is not the same experience for all. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Lincoln center stage is completely gone.
Yes. We disembarked Eurodam today and were saddened to see the Lincoln Center Stage turned into the art gallery auction spot.
I sadly no longer love HAL. Been on Oosterdam and Nordam for 7 cruises. Last couple of cruises the "entertainment" was abysmal. So much so that it turned me completely off my beloved HAL. One night the "entertainment" in the main showroom was the staff talking about their jobs. !!!!!!! There were no production show nights by the singers and dancers putting on a wonderful show. They no longer put on those shows. Just boring dancers, magicians and not too good comedians. I feel quite sad about it as I did love and was loyal to HAL. Im a solo traveller, so quality night time entertainment is essential for me. Last cruise I only went to 3 nights in the main showroom and they were not even very exciting. Boo hoo. Also I noticed that the food and presentation in the dining room had gone way down as compared to previous 6 cruises.
Holland is awful. Choose someone else. Food awful. Entertainment awful. Service bad.
I TOTALLY AGREE
ref LINCOLN
STAGE CENTER
CLASSICAL ENTRN
sooo extremely
disappointed 👎
BEEN a Holland
American cruiser
many, many years
in general LOVE
the product 🛳️
Would love to see a Lincoln Center comeback but sadly that is unlikely