Celebrity VS Holland America

OK, so after 30 cruises on Celebrity we are going to try someone else. Leaving next week on the MS Amersterdam through the canal to SFO. I am looking for some insight regarding the difference between the two lines. We are not going to invest a lot of money since this is an experiment, so we booked an inside cabin. I have already discovered that this HAL class does not have a mini-bar in the cabin. Not a big deal, but I think I may miss it. Always liked to store my late night snacks along with milk in the fridge. The ship a smaller which no doubt will be adjustment. We love the size of all classes with Celebrity. So fellow Celebrity lovers, who had tried HAL and what did you think?

OK, so after 30 cruises on Celebrity we are going to try someone else. Leaving next week on the MS Amersterdam through the canal to SFO. I am looking for some insight regarding the difference between the two lines. We are not going to invest a lot of money since this is an experiment, so we booked an inside cabin. I have already discovered that this HAL class does not have a mini-bar in the cabin. Not a big deal, but I think I may miss it. Always liked to store my late night snacks along with milk in the fridge. The ship a smaller which no doubt will be adjustment. We love the size of all classes with Celebrity. So fellow Celebrity lovers, who had tried HAL and what did you think?

You'll find HAL a totally different type of line. Much of what your used to Celebrity doesn't exist on HAL. They are a good line for di[oing the canal. The full outside promenade deck with steaner chairs. They serve coffee and Panama buns on the Canal transit. There are more open spaces to see the canal transit from.

We did Panama Canal with Celebrity (Infinity) and it was absolutely fantastic. We did Alaska with HAL and it was not.....,but in the interest of fair play, we were on the Statendam and heard rumors that it was their last season.

We prefer Celebrity as well but tried a Holland America cruise last year for the itinerary. We found the food a little below Celebrity, the waits for HAL's version of "Select Dining" were awful, and there were no sommeliers that we saw in the dining room. The entertainment was similar, just a little different emphasis from Celebrity.

I think the biggest difference that you will find is the average age, especially on a 14-21 day trip through the canal such as yours. Things will likely shutdown about 9PM.

OK, I have already discovered that this HAL class does not have a mini-bar in the cabin. Not a big deal, but I think I may miss it. Always liked to store my late night snacks along with milk in the fridge.

Last time I was on the Amsterdam, we ordered a fridge for the cabin for a small fee. Check that out.

We prefer Celebrity as well but tried a Holland America cruise last year for the itinerary. We found the food a little below Celebrity, the waits for HAL's version of "Select Dining" were awful, and there were no sommeliers that we saw in the dining room. The entertainment was similar, just a little different emphasis from Celebrity.

 

 

 

I think the biggest difference that you will find is the average age, especially on a 14-21 day trip through the canal such as yours. Things will likely shutdown about 9PM.

There are sommeliers in the Traditional fixed dining. Last year we they didn't even know what Dry Sherry was.

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We went on N Amsterdam a few years ago , liked the food, found cooked to,order salmon delicious in their buffet. They make a good strong drink too. They had a movie theatre with free popcorn which we liked, fun with leather sets. Cabin attendants were great. We liked the food and would go on this ship again.i think the drinks were cheaper too.

We've done 8 or so HAL cruises and have enjoyed all of them. We've sailed their oldest, smallest, newest and largest members of the fleet and many in between, so we've experienced a good variety. I think that it's fair to say that we give Celebrity the overall nod, but our vote for best single cruise goes to HAL. As is so often the case, though, the particular crew members you interact with can have a major influence on your rating, even with the identical ship and itinerary.

We typically decide on a destination/itinerary then look a what each line has to offer. Next we book whichever seems to be the best fit. More frequently of late, that means Celebrity.

We have done both and enjoy both. There is definitely a different vibe. There tends to be an older demographic on HAL but we may be considered being in an older demographic. This can vary with season and itinerary. I think HAL is trying to change this with the Konigsdam and some of it's features. We do like the varied dining options on Celebrity but alcohol is pricier. Quality of food is comparable. Just keep in mind that when comparing ships, try looking at ships of the same relative size and age.

We like both lines and are generally on both (and others) for several weeks every year. For us, the differences are a real plus since we love variety in our cuisine, entertainment, atmosphere, etc. We could probably write a long essay of the differences between cruise lines, specific ships, and the changes found on longer cruises (over 14 days) versus short cruises. But the best judge is going to be the OP who will form his/her own opinion.

One issue is that both lines have been undergoing quite a few changes over the past 2-4 years. There are things to like and some things not to like. So if I tried to compare our most recent Celebrity cruise (14 days on the Eclipse last Dec) to our most recent HAL cruise (24 days on the Zuiderdam last August) it would no longer be valid. Its one more reason we look forward to our cruises (on both those lines) later this year.

Hank

We like both lines and are generally on both (and others) for several weeks every year. For us, the differences are a real plus since we love variety in our cuisine, entertainment, atmosphere, etc. We could probably write a long essay of the differences between cruise lines, specific ships, and the changes found on longer cruises (over 14 days) versus short cruises. But the best judge is going to be the OP who will form his/her own opinion.

 

One issue is that both lines have been undergoing quite a few changes over the past 2-4 years. There are things to like and some things not to like. So if I tried to compare our most recent Celebrity cruise (14 days on the Eclipse last Dec) to our most recent HAL cruise (24 days on the Zuiderdam last August) it would no longer be valid. Its one more reason we look forward to our cruises (on both those lines) later this year.

 

Hank

I would love to read that essay should you ever write it. Cruise history (even recent), the ships, ship comparisons, it all completely fascinates me.

OK, so after 30 cruises on Celebrity we are going to try someone else. Leaving next week on the MS Amersterdam through the canal to SFO. I am looking for some insight regarding the difference between the two lines. We are not going to invest a lot of money since this is an experiment, so we booked an inside cabin. I have already discovered that this HAL class does not have a mini-bar in the cabin. Not a big deal, but I think I may miss it. Always liked to store my late night snacks along with milk in the fridge. The ship a smaller which no doubt will be adjustment. We love the size of all classes with Celebrity. So fellow Celebrity lovers, who had tried HAL and what did you think?

If you have an inside cabin near the back of the ship close to one of the open rear public decks, you will be only a few steps away from the loungers back there with great views of the wake.

At the back of deck 6 on the Amsterdam you have essentially the same view that people who book a penthouse suite get from the back of deck 6 on Celebrity's M-class ships, but in a way even better because the Amsterdam's deck goes all the way across the back of the ship, not only half way.

Unfortunately though, you will need to share it with other passengers (although there were times when we went out there and had the entire rear deck all to ourselves).

Also, you don't have the butler to bring you drinks and snacks out there. :D

We did not care for the auditorium on the Amsterdam as the sight lines are not as good as on Celebrity ships.

We thought the food and service were fine.

The biggest complaint about HAL in the past was their lenient smoking policy, but we hear that they made it somewhat more restrictive recently.

If you are an MDR person then I would say there isn't much difference. However, if you depend on a higher quality of dining then don't go HAL.

Facilities-wise they are very similar. Crew/service-wise I would give Celebrity the edge based on my own experience but it varies too much to definitively say one over the other (non-suite that is)

I always avoided HAL due to its liberal smoking policy. Also, I usually book early and HAL's pricing always seemed higher, early, than Celebrity, NCL or RCI. HAL does come through with bargains, but usually late.

On our Alaska trip last September, we were in Denali, had booked the Tundra Wilderness tour, which involves a long day on a schoolbus. When the bus stopped at a hotel to pickup about 40 or more people and people were getting on the bus, I could smell the strong odor of tobacco. It was not pretty.

Sorry, left out that the group was from a HAL cruise.

Was on the Celebrity Summit in May 2016 and on the HAL Veendam in 2014 and Nordam in 2015. Enjoyed all three cruises but preferred HAL. The Celebrity ship had excellent food, perhaps better than HAL. But the HAL ships had better libraries - large attractive rooms with access to a coffee bar. The library in the Summit was a small room in an obscure location. Also the HAL ships had more varied and interesting daily activities, including movies with free popcorn.

We went on a last minute Panama Canal partial transit in November. (Couldn't resist the price!) Got off Infinity and walked across the pier to Zuiderdam. Loved it. Thought crew and service were excellent. Thought the ship was not as elegant as Celebrity, but overall experience made up for it. Great music in BB Kings club, went almost every night. Enjoyed burgers at poolside ("Dive In"), happy hour before dinner, mixology class every afternoon. Would definitely go again.

We have been on 21 Celebrity cruises and just one HAL cruise. I thoroughly enjoyed the HAL cruise; but just haven't done others. Before I retired, the longer itineraries just didn't fit into my vacation schedule. Now they do and I have booked their Antarctica 22 day itinerary. I originally looked at the Infinity for it; but that 14 day cruise only spent 2 days in Antarctica, where the Zaandam spends 4, plus they spend a couple days cruising through the Chilean fjords. To top it off, the HAL cruise was slightly cheaper with 8 extra days.

I found the food and service on HAL to be as good as X's. The Pinnacle Grill was much better than Tuscan, for us, and a lot cheaper. The Westerdam's interior was not as modern as X's; but it is an older ship. We are looking forward to trying out a few different lines in the future, since it is enjoyable to experience the differences. It also helps us to appreciate X after being on other ships. Having the same food menus and shows does get old after a while.

As far as age group on HAL, the one we were on actually seemed younger than many of the X cruises we have been on. Perhaps, that was because it was a one week Caribbean cruise, and we take a lot of longer X cruises. From our experience, Oceania had the oldest average age of any of the lines we have cruised. I do have a feeling that this upcoming 22 day HAL cruise will take over first place in the passenger age category. But since we are retired old folks now, we will feel right at home. :)

Glad to see this thread. we have been doing Celebrity cruises recently, previously all disney cruises. I want to try HA koningsdam at New years this year because it fits our schedule. We are in our late 30s and early 40s and have been worried about the age group based on what we've seen in reviews.

Following with interest. We have HAL cruise booked for next September on the Koningsdam. I really wanted to do the itinerary on X but it was an inferior itinerary and almost twice the price.

OK, so after 30 cruises on Celebrity we are going to try someone else. Leaving next week on the MS Amersterdam through the canal to SFO. I am looking for some insight regarding the difference between the two lines. We are not going to invest a lot of money since this is an experiment, so we booked an inside cabin. I have already discovered that this HAL class does not have a mini-bar in the cabin. Not a big deal, but I think I may miss it. Always liked to store my late night snacks along with milk in the fridge. The ship a smaller which no doubt will be adjustment. We love the size of all classes with Celebrity. So fellow Celebrity lovers, who had tried HAL and what did you think?

My TA said the demographics are different. HAL caters to old people, like 70's - 80's+.

Enjoy your cruise, and if God wills, grant you continued good health to live and not die before your cruise.

Was on the Celebrity Summit in May 2016 and on the HAL Veendam in 2014 and Nordam in 2015. Enjoyed all three cruises but preferred HAL. The Celebrity ship had excellent food, perhaps better than HAL. But the HAL ships had better libraries - large attractive rooms with access to a coffee bar. The library in the Summit was a small room in an obscure location. Also the HAL ships had more varied and interesting daily activities, including movies with free popcorn.

I agree the library on HAL was fantastic.....my biggest complaints on the Statendam were the vibration of our balcony cabin (had to hold onto the wall in the shower); the lack of service (45 minutes for bathroom towels that should have been in the bathroom in the first place) and the food poisoning from the shrimp (MDR) on our last night was a BIG problem.

My TA said the demographics are different. HAL caters to old people, like 70's - 80's+.

Enjoy your cruise, and if God wills, grant you continued good health to live and not die before your cruise.

They used to but I think Princess and Oceania has overtaken them in that age demographic.

Following with much interest also......

I am worried about the carryover smoking attraction of HAL. As each line tightened its smoking policies, some smokers left in a huff [puff?] and went where they still felt welcome. HAL was the last such refuge, so there is nowhere for them to go. Therefore my guess is they will stay and [hopefully] live by the new rules -- but that will make the smoking areas on HAL very smoky and the post-smoke breath issue more apparent. I am waiting for more recent reviews to either confirm or disprove this hypothesis.