Another great time on a HAL cruise. HAL fits us very well, we enjoy the quiet, few kids, smaller ship style of cruising. That is not to say it is for everyone, but we can not fault the line for anything. Staff are ALL friendly and go out of their way to ensure that you have a great cruise, I can only say do your research before you book, ensure that the line you book with is appropriate for you and your tastes but once aboard enjoy whatever comes.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Seamless and oh so easy is the only way to describe embarkation. Once the cab got to the drop off area (it's always busy and lined up) we handed the luggage off to a porter and didn't see it again until it was delivered to our room that afternoon. Everything went smoothly from US Customs to getting the keycard and getting on the ship. we spent probably less that 30 minutes from cab to first drink on board.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
HAL has great food. Main dining where the meals were always different and interesting. Many selections that were tempting every night. The worst thing I can say is that they made making a selection difficult because there were so many good options, but hey, order more than one, not an issue. The Ldo was our breakfast spot every morning with lots of choices but my favorite was the omelette station. Custom, fresh and with a side of entertainment from the staff behind the counter it was always a treat, then a short hope outside to the Aft Pool Deck to enjoy the meal in the fresh air. Pinnacle is our favorite and we splurged for 3 meals there in the 17 days on board, worth every penny. Drinks were good too not to forget the very hardworking Beverage Att. and Barmen.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Always lots to see and do on sea days. You can be as busy or as quiet as you like with no shortage of activities. This is HAL so no silly rock climbing or go-cart tracks, but it's not a kids line anyway. The only negative comment would be that some of the activities started too early after all this is a vacation, I don't want to have to be somewhere at 9am when you have the whole sea day to relax...
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Always a friendly smile and greeting from EVERYBODY, whether they are your cabin attendant, the bar staff, or just a random sailor passing in the hallway. I am always blown away by how happy everyone seems considering the hours and conditions they work under. The people are what make the line and I would give them a 7 star if I could
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Great size of ship for us. Easy to get around and well laid out. She just recently came out of a refit so things are looking good. Love the new bathroom with LED nightlight and the upgraded decor in the rooms. Overall new carpeting and signage are a welcome change. Love the new Gallery Bar (old Northern Lights Disco) and the other changes to the entertainment venues. Miss the ship from the atrium and not yet sure how I feel about the new Crow's Nest but on the upside it was a quiet place to relax at the end of the day now. Ship over all was very clean, staff were always polishing the brass and down on their hands and knees combing, yes combing the carpets.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Ship tip
Don't miss the Lido omelette station, take the mid ship glass elevators (way faster and a view too), explore the ship to find your own favorite place, there are many.
Small port makes it easy to get off and back on the ship. Close to the airport to grab a rental car or many free shopping shuttles. Do yourself a favour and head up to the top end of the island, it is a beautiful place.
Another tender port, fun to walk around. We did glass bottom boat tour. Can't give a high rating, water was a bit rough and a lot of people were turning green looking down through the glass to the coral that was bouncing pretty good. The staff on the boat were excellent, so maybe another day things would be different.
Industrial port so an excursion is almost a must. We went to the volcano and thought is was interesting. We got off the island about a week before the current large eruptions started so not certain what will await us on our next trip.
@ladyleadfoot Do you mean Vancouver? How much time do you have here? When you get on board look for and say Hi to Bernie (Beverage Attendant). He was working Gallery Bar for our trip, not sure where he will be for yours. If you enjoy adult beverages ask for a "Wang Wang".
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