Antartic Cruise: HAL or Princess?
 

Has anyone taken the Antartic cruise with either Holland America or Princess? We're seriously considering booking this for January 2007 which means we need to make a reservation this summer. Holland America has a newer ship and a better reputation. However, we're leaning toward Princess because it has a couple extra ports of call and we can get a balcony. Any comments?

Though I wouldn't reccommend one over the other for Antarctica, I do not think either cruise line offers any landings there. If you wanted to land and explore you may have to find another cruise line.

I was wondering this also. I thought Princesses and Hal's ships were to large to dock here. If this is a once in a life time cruise there - book with a smaller cruise line that allows you to stop there and get off the ship.

We're aware that neither dock there. When I referred to the ports, I was referring the the South American ports -- I should have been clearer in my original post.

We did consider a smaller ship but the price difference is too much...even for a possible once in a lifetime trip.

Thanks for your comments.

Choosing a cruise of this type (exotic), you have to balance the cruise experience with the ports.

As a choice of cruiseonly - I pick HAL.
If addt'l ports are important - then you have to go w/ P'cess.

Here's the BUT - do some research and see what is so good about the addt'l ports - I would not be interested if it's one more poverty area-it would have to have something I'm interested in.

We have had 23 days on P'cess (last one 13 days) and 80 days on HAL (last - 28 days) so we are no stranger to long cruises, my choice overall would have to be HAL. We like port intensive cruises but they have to have something to offer. but alot of seadays can be had a lot cheaper on other initerarys.

Have fun.

We went to Antarctica in 1992 with a 110 passenger ship. There were no ports on the islands or the Antarctic peninsula. We went ashore on zodiacs, small motorized rubber boats. Some were "wet landings", with wading to shore. The Princess cruise is "scenic cruising" in that area.

Try Discovery Worl Cruises for Antarctica. They have VERY reasonable prices, small ship, zodiac landings and often compare to HAL and PCL when it comes to this area.

Thanks for the info on Discovery World Cruises. We've requested their brochure....hopefully, they'll send it to Canada. Their website seems really designed for the Brits.

For anyone else looking, the website is http://www.discoverycruises-uk.com/ We had a little difficulty finding it.

Here is their US website. I don't think they cater to UK passengers specifically but their website was hard to locate.

http://www.discoveryworldcruises.com/index.htm

Thanks for the U.S. site. I haven't check it out yet but atleast it won't include airfare from England, I'm sure...LOL