Holland America Line Vs. Carnival Cruises?

Question

I admit it (as some have mailed me asking...) I work for Holland America Line (HAL) as a Deck Officer.
Although we are all part of the same organisation, Carnival Corp, I have to admit, those of us that work on HAL ships often 'look down' on our Carnival Cruises collegues as our...erm.. poorer cousins.

But the thing is, other than lending some much needed spare navigation equipment to a Carnival vessel one day, ive never actually been around their ships.

For those that have sailed with both Companies a question - we in HAL think we provide a more professional, initmate if not exclusive service than Carnival, but the thing is, do we have a right to think that? Are we any different/better?, or have we too been sucked into the mass market, cost saving, few frills cruising that has made Carnival so popular with the masses?

Answer 1

Carnival all the way. I have cruised with them twice, and have had a great time every time. The food was always great, the activites were well planned and enjoyable. I don't care what anyone says, I will not go anywhere else. And to be totally honest, I am really getting tired of reading everywhere that Carnival is not good by people who self-admittedly have never even been on a Carnival cruise. They offer expert advice about something they have no knowledge about. I have actually stopped reading cruise ship reviews at several sites because of this very reason. I have never been on an RCCL cruise, so I don't tell people they are not good. I truly believe it is the pinnacle of arrogancy for someone to down a company that they have never even dealt with based on second hand information.

Answer 2

Holland America Vs Carnival

Answer 3

I have been on many cruises but never on either of these two. Chances are I will do a Holland America cruise one day, when I find the right itinerary and price. Chances are also I will NEVER do a Carnival cruise.

The first cruise that I booked back in the late 1980's I was told by a travel agent that Carnival is the cruise line for young folks (20's), first timers and folks looking for a budget cruise. Nothing has changed since then in information I have seen and heard that changes that.

On the other hand I have heard that Holland America is a great line with great ships and service but it caters primarily to older folks (like those my age and older (63)). Last year we went on a cruise out of Boston and some folks were on our shuttle to the pier who were going on HA and they were joking that they wanted/needed to know if anyone was a MD because they would probably need one before the cruise was over.

So in my mind HAL is a better ship for service and accommodations. Whether that is true I will just have to wait and find out when I go on a HAL cruise.

Answer 4

I have been on a lot of Carnival cruises and also Holland America. On the Carnival cruises, since they're typically less expensive, I have noticed tons more children. That is OK if you like a lot of kids and teenagers running around everywhere and don't mind the noise. On Holland America, we noticed that the average age is much older, (less children, even though, of course there are still children on board.) The Holland America ships are not as large as some of the larger Carnival ships and this can be a "two-edged sword". The amenities on the larger ships are more extensive and naturally the larger ships are usually the newer ships and it's always nice to be on a newer ship. The food has improved dramatically on Carnival so I wouldn't rate either cruise line as better in regards to the food.
What I would suggest is getting a book from both cruise lines and compare the ships and amenities offered, as well as the price. For me, I like the Holland America cruises better when it comes to the fact that there are less children running and screaming but other than that, I prefer the Carnival ships for the amenities. Either way, you'll have a wonderful time!

Answer 5

Norwegian is my favorite cruise line. They have a thing called freestyle cruising which allows you to eat where you want, with whom you want, when you want, do what you want. Basically they set you loose on the ship and you can do whatever your heart desires. They also have a homey feel to their ships. On Royal Caribbean/Princess, I always felt like it was a place that you couldn't have fun because that would be considered unfancy. On Carnival, there was too much fun and you get to see a lot of people throwing up all over themselves. Norwegian lets you feel like you can have fun with a luxurious and classy environment. And by the way, the Norwegian cruise to the Mexican Riviera is on the Norwegian Star. I was on that ship this summer in Alaska and it is by far the funnest ship I've ever been on. They make the passengers feel at home with all of their games, prizes, fun events, etc. You will love the Mexican Riviera on that ship. And a lot of people say that the service is terrible but I always was helped very quickly and efficiently. And they also say the food is bad but on the Bon Voyage party, they had a huge barbeque with everything from grilled corn to steak and ribs. The normal days always have something impressive too. One day, they had a whole roasted pig and the chefs would carve it for you to eat. They also had wild salmon, sushi, shrimp. Almost everything you could think of. And only a couple of restaurants make you pay. There's 10 restaurants and only about 4 have prices. Other than that you can eat as much as you want. But I would book your cruise quickly. The cruise lines you mentioned are the leading companies and will probably sell out fast.

Answer 6

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RE:
Holland America Line Vs. Carnival Cruises?
I admit it (as some have mailed me asking...) I work for Holland America Line (HAL) as a Deck Officer.
Although we are all part of the same organisation, Carnival Corp, I have to admit, those of us that work on HAL ships often 'look down' on our Carnival Cruises collegues as our...erm.....

Answer 7

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If these are your choices then I would rank them as follows: 1. Princess - Premium cruise line. You might also want to consider Celebrity or Holland-America. All these provide nice accommodations, great food, good service and nice itineraries) 2. Royal Caribbean - Mass market cruise line - my favorite in this category as they are right on the edge of being a premium line. They have great ships, nice service, good food and are especially great for families as they have something on board that will appeal to every age group. 3. NCL - Mass market line - Looks nice from the outside - all ships do, but service has been a big issue on NCL, and some people like the food while others don't. 4. Carnival - Unless you're 20-something, are on a low budget and just want to party 24/7, this is not the line for you. Please make a decision and book your cruise as soon as possible. These cruises fill up fast and are usually booked a year in advance. Prices for cruises over the holidays will be higher than usual too. Then find a very good travel agent to put all your cruise plans together - there are a lot of details to handle with any cruise to make sure its perfect. How do you know if you have a good agent? If you give them you're info and they don't ask you any questions before making recommendations say "thank you" and keep looking. Besides, if you are a princess, you want someone who will take very good care of you and handle the details for you. You might want to look for an agent affilliated with Virtuoso. Ask if they are and ask them to explain what this affiliation will mean for you. Give the agent your options of where you'd like to go, your travel budget, and what you'd like to get out of the cruise (interested in history, music, food & wine, relaxing in the sun, etc) then ask for suggestions. If the price is too high, and you like an itinerary, try asking for a cruise with fewer days - 7 days vs. 10 days. Another thing to remember is whatever cruise you choose, you'll still have expenses once you book the cruise and air. Have the agent check if they can find air cheaper than the air from the cruise line. Spend your money in the right places - if you can afford it, fly into the port so you arrive the day before the ship sails and overnight in a hotel (even if its a Motel 6), especially if you're flying to the port. If there's a weather delay or you miss a connection the day of the sailing, you might not make the sailing. Make sure you book travel insurance - it cheaper booking independently vs. insurance thru the cruise ship offers - try Travelex or Travel Guard. If you have to cancel your trip or if you miss the sailing, loose your luggage, are injured during the cruise, etc. you're covered and can usually recover most or all of your expenses. Plan a budget for gratuities, shore excursions, alcoholic & soft drinks, restaurants fees (if you want to eat in the specialty restaurants vs. the dining rooms), shopping on board and in ports, spa/salon treatments, gambling, etc. These are expenses you'll incur besides the cost of the cruise. . This is about as much info as I think anyone will give you. Know its alot, but, if you follow my advice, you'll have a great trip. Bon Voyage!

Answer 8

I have been on Carnival and Have heard all the stories as it being a party ship and full of children, the party ship days have been long gone from what I can tell seeing if you are 20 or under you need to be with someone 25 that is standard I know but dose discourage partier, as for the children that may be more timing we Cruise between Sept and Dec and there are only a few children and the only reason we see them is because 2 of them (one a teen) are ours. we home school so we make our on time to go and it is when the others are in school.
I have found that the service is very good, I can not go to my state room and come back and I know it has been clean again, as they tease that the room stewards live under the beds, with as quick as they are you do have to wonder.
and the dinning room is no less attentive it is not long before they can have what we want before we ask like cappuccino every night, or in the interacting with us to make the hole thing great, my sons still talk about our servers

So pick what you want but please don't judge by the past other wise no one would ever be going on Cunard, after all they owned the Titanic ;)

Answer 9

My mother and father just got returning from the Eurodam and they liked it. They are in their 50's, but very effective. The factors they said they skipped about Circus were a awesome atrium, and a little more nightlife. Obviously they didn't discover too much to do after about 11:00 on HAL. They did say the deliver was very awesome, although a little moderate if you are used to Carnival's designing.

Answer 10

if your still young and loveto party carnival is the way but a classier trip more spoiling ect. is holland i cruse as much as we can 2 times a year or more and they both hve there pluses food on holland a lil better not so much youd notice people are a lil stooty on holland. carnival is a floting party and is for the younger drinkers.