Recommended for...

Overall, Holland America Line is BEST FOR people who appreciate ...

• Gracious, personalized service. This is a cruise line where you will frequently be addressed by name and with a warm smile. The crew are kind, attentive and respectful.
• Great beds. The Mariner's Dream Beds are perhaps the best at sea.
• Intellectual fun. On longer cruises (and on all Alaska cruises) there are knowledgeable and entertaining enrichment lecturers. On all cruises there are cooking classes and demonstrations, a daily team trivia challenge, an engaging "behind the scenes" tour of the galley, and fine wine tastings. That said, if you prefer to play tennis or lay in the sun with a cocktail, you will be in good company.
• Fine dining. Although the line was not historically known for its cuisine, innovations in the past few years have vastly improved the quality of the dining experience. With award-winning recipes by Master Chef Rudi Sodamin and enhancements to the ingredients and presentation, the food is generally excellent.
• "Little touches" like fruit in your stateroom, spa-quality bathroom amenities, fresh flowers throughout the public areas, and fine china and silverware. HAL also the only cruise line in its price tier where waiters consistently crumb the table correctly (i.e., not off the side of the table).
• Groups and charters appreciate HAL's specialized and accommodating group booking department

Some groups should look for SPECIFIC SHIPS / SAILINGS...

• Families enjoy 7-day cruises during the school holidays, when there are plenty of kids and organized activities for them. Alaska, where HAL is a leader, is especially popular with families. Outside of summer, Easter and Holiday sailings, there are relatively few children on HAL cruises
• Mature travelers who do not wish to sail with children will enjoy the 10-day and longer sailings, and almost any sailing outside the school holidays
• Small-ship aficionados will delight in Prinsendam, HAL's "Elegant Explorer" which specializes in longer, exotic cruises and holds just 794 guests. Most of HAL's ships are mid-size, carrying around 1,300 guests. Even the newest ships rarely carry over 2,000, which is small in comparison with Princess' 3,000+ guest vessels

And then there are people who probably would NOT be happy on Holland America Line...

• Late-night clubbers or those looking for on-deck conga lines are probably better off elsewhere (unless you go as part of a charter or large group - HAL has the facilities, but generally not a lot of guests interested in this sort of thing).
• People uncomfortable with an older demographic . In general, the longer and more expensive the cruise, the more likely most guests will be retired. Holland America Line cruises are no exception.
• People who want mega-ship amenities, such as rock-climbing walls and ice-skating rinks.