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Awesome family bonding time!! by
Lynne L from Richmond, IN Sailing date: Dec 2012Pros: Service, Food, Magician, Spa Cons: Comedian Ship accommodations were nice. We were most impressed with the friendliness of the ship staff. Everyone worked hard to make this a most pleasant experience. We especially enjoyed the spa package we purchased that allowed our whole family access anytime to the thermal suite the entire week. Ship QualityYou would see crew working throughout the day cleaning the ship. Also, they really emphasized the use of sanitizer to keep everyone healthy. The ship's layout was easy to navigate around. Dining/FoodTop notch quality food in the dining room. My teenage boys are not fond of dressing up, but found the dining room food to be worth the effort. Also, we had open seating and only made reservations one night. The other nights we didn't and only had to wait to be seated one night which was on New Year's Eve. Open seating was not a problem. Stateroom QualitySize was small, but to be expected. It did not affect our overall comfort. There was plenty of closet and drawer space and we didn't spend much time in the room. Ship Staff QualityAbsolutely wonderful!! They were great with keeping our room cleaned and providing fresh linens. Always enjoyed the chocolate mint at the end of the evening along with a special towel sculpture. Entertainment & ActivitiesOver the top delivered with the Magician, James Celian!! He was magnificent!! Can't say the same for the comedian. He was awful and that seemed to be the overwhelming response from the audience. The magician however was quite funny and should be getting the comedian's pay.  1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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  A Wonderful Cruise by
Julie G from Queensland, Australia Sailing date: Apr 2012Pros: Friendly Crew, spotless ship Cons: Smoking is still allowed in the casino and on deck, should be totally non smoking or at least provide a small lounge for the smokers We found the crew to be exceptionally friendly and always had a greeting and a smile. They looked as though they were enjoyig themselves as much as the passengers, even if perhaps they weren't. The stateroom was clean and very comfortable. Captain Christopher Turner gave very clear and precise reports each day on our position, weather and sea conditions and what to expect over the follwing 24 hours. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom QualityThe ship is getting a little tired and needs an upgrade fairly soon Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Pensioners Cruise by
Fran T from Israel Sailing date: Jan 2009Pros: The Food Cons: Everyone went to bed early no night fun The ship is great for 60 plus.....it is a bit drab and needs a goog clean and polish...the cabins are tired and drab
The food and service is superb
The entertainment is very good
It lacks a 24 hour snack bar and room services takes orever Ship QualityThe ship is a little bit drab, needs a face lift in cabins and a good clean up and polish around the buffet restaurant....sheets and towels tired need replacing....our balcony cabin was much smaller than promised Dining/FoodThe staff in the Pinacle Grill were not very nice and the menue was almost like the main dining room starters and desserts...just the various steaks made the difference...noi big deal Stateroom Qualityfound our balcony room very small, very drap, bedding tired needs face lift and pillows a nightmare...they brought us around 10 and they were all lumpy and old..... Ship Staff Qualityfabulous staff everywhere on the ship ....except the private dining room .....they were rude and unhelpful Entertainment & Activitiesno activities after 12pm....no cosey place to have a late night snack....no 24 hour restaurant only room service and that takes almost one hour!!!!! 
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Oranjestad, Aruba
Cristobal, Panama
Cruise Panama Canal And Gatun Lake
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Cruiseline Private Island)
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
Curacao
7 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Ship's crew, leaves much to be desired by
Melissa A from San Francisco, CA Sailing date: Dec 2010Pros: Cabin size was huge Cons: The level of customer service and professionalism of the crew The ship itself was beautiful and the perfect size. The cabin rooms were great and the cabin stewards were very helpful and attentive. The ship was generally clean, particularly in the common areas, and everything was very accessible.
The food wasn't fantastic in the general dining options - including nightly dinners, but there is were enough options to somewhat satisfy most customers. The hours for the buffet were a bit odd, as food wasn't always available when you were ready to eat. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodFood options weren't as plentiful as I've seen on other cruises; the dining hours were very odd and food wasn't always available; quality was average. Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityYou do not get a sense of anyone going "above and beyond" but rather, doing just enough to get through the cruise. Entertainment & ActivitiesShip entertainment was definitely NOT something I would recommend, however some of the external acts were decent and entertaining.
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Oranjestad, ArubaThe Sea and See Tour was very interesting and gave you the chance to see a lot of the island. Aruba has many different cultures and histories across the island which were great to see.
Don't Miss: Underwater coral reef Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Cruiseline Private Island)Very small island, and we experienced poor weather at this port, so all excursions/activities were cancelled. It looked like a beautiful beach that would have been a must see in warm weather.
Don't Miss: Relaxing at the beach Colon, PanamaMake sure you get the true Panama Canal experience. Being able to actually go through all three lock systems from the Atlantic to the Pacific, cannot be missed.
Don't Miss: Going through the entire canal in a smaller vessel Puerto Limon, Costa RicaBe sure to check out the rainforest while here. There are several different options, but I would recommend ensuring that you get to the other side of Costa Rica (out of Limon) to see the sights. Limon itself has little to nothing to offer, so be sure to sign up for a tour or excursion when docked here.
Don't Miss: Get on a bus to the rainforest! CuracaoMake sure you give yourself enough time to see everything and walk around Willemstad. Within a short walking distance, you have tourist shopping, local shopping, and historical sites such as the museums and the swing bridge.
Don't Miss: Swing bridge, the colors around town 8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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It was a nice cruise. by
Laura C. from KY Sailing date: Jul 2010Pros: Alaska was beautiful Cons: The ship was boring for us, no one worned us about the damm boats joke. We are 50 in 20 years it would have been perfect. The ship is lovely, the staff was excellent. It is just better suited older people. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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great time to panama canal by
wayne m. from moncks corner,sc Sailing date: Mar 2010Pros: the different islands we visited Cons: several days of rough seas the zuiterdam , holland america lines. a clean ship with a very friendly crew. it didn't take long for them to be calling you by your first name. with all the people aboard you wonder how they do it. 10 days is a long time to be at sea,but the schedules of events try to keep you busy.. Ship Quality
Dining/Foodthe food was as good as any fine rfstaurant. no complaints here. Stateroom Qualitywell kept,clean could be bigger though Ship Staff Qualitythey go out of there way to make you happy Entertainment & Activitiesseveral great shows 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Not what it used to be. by
A Traveler from Illinois Sailing date: Mar 2007Pros: We liked HAL because they cater more to an older crowd, not as many small childern and teenagers. Having sailed several times on HAL, it appears to be downgrading service. We felt with the change to tips added to the final bill staff seems not to work as hard to please their guest. In the past they were much more friendly and helpful, as this would hopefully increase their tip at the end of the cruise. We certainly did not mind at all rewarding good service with a good tip. Our overall experiance was somewhat displeasing. Entertainment & Activities
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Road Town, Tortola, B.V.I.
Grand Turk IslandLiked the beach.
At Grand Turk there is a beach right at the port. The chairs and clam shells were free to use. This was a very good feature. There is also a good size pool with a good amount of shade for those that do not care for to much sun.
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Cruiseline Private Island)Beautiful beach at Half Moon Cay.
We love this port. The beach at Half Moon Cay is very beautiful. The ship provides a good cook-out for lunch.
Don't Miss: Don't miss a day at the beach. But beware, you have to pay if you want shade on the beach. HAL charges for clam shells on there own island. Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.Good shopping.
St. Thomas has alot to offer. Good shopping, nice beaches, and local history. One of the better ports of call.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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