To those who've also cruised with Celebrity

How did your experience compare with HAL? I'm looking at their 7-day Caribbean itineraries -- mostly on the Solstice-class ships.

Are the daytime activities similar to HAL's? And how was the nighttime entertainment? I'm a fan of piano bars and know that Celebrity doesn't specifically have those. Are there other venues that offer a similar experience?

I have heard that the ships are gorgeous and the food is about on the same level as HAL's. What else can you tell me about your experiences?

I figured I'd post specifically on this board so I don't get Princess, NCL, etc. thrown into the mix.

I have only sailed once on Holland in the past few years. I find that the vibe is similar on both Celebrity and Holland though.

I haven't sailed Solstice but sailed Equinox in 2009 and I had a wonderful time. The Solstice is going to be huge in relation to Holland America's fleet.

I think you will be happy with Celebrity. They have different lounges but there is something for everyone. The food is very good but I think there is more variety on Holland America. The desserts on Holland were better for sure. The buffets were tastier too on Holland.

But Celebrity is still my favorite. I prefer the Millenium Class ships to the Solstice class ships though. And I am sailing on Holland America's Maasdam in June and Celebrity Summit in August. So both lines have a lot to offer. Kids program is so good on Celebrity and I think the decor is nicer on Celebrity. But for service, food and overall cruise experience the lines are similar.

We usually cruise with HAL but took two Celebrity cruises last year. One was with their oldest ship, Century, and one with their newest, Eclipse. Both were excellent.

Eclipse/Solstice class ships are gorgeous. But, they are totally different than HAL. There is no wrap around promenade deck. The ships are very modern and bright with modern art. Think MOMA where HAL is more like the MET. The entertainment on both ships last year was better than our HAL cruises overall. And the food was better than our cruise on Maasdam. We still prefer the smaller HAL ships with wonderful cabins and crew.

There is an Adults Only Solarium on the Solstice class ships, and we would cruise on one of these ships again in the Caribbean.

I have sailed on the Constellation, and the Century of Celebrity. Sailed on the Noordam, the Westerdam, and scheduled for Baltics cruise on the Eurodam in May 2011.

My all time favourite ship is the Century. The service on the Celebrity ships is outstanding also the entertainment. The food is in my opinion superior on the Holland America ships.

Holland America by far has the nicest cabins. Have been in suites on both lines as well as verandah and ocean view cabins. The SA suites on the Holland America lines are fabulous including the use of the Neptune Lounge and the services provided.

Whichever line you choose you will have a great time!

I had cruised with HAL on the Zaandam, Noordam and Oosterdam and with Celebrity on Infinity, Constellation and Equinox. I find that Celebrity is much better than HAL (especially Soltise class). The food and the entertainment is very good and the service is outstanding. More activities are on the Celebrity than on HAL.

We have sailed on Millenium and Constellation. On HAL, we have sailed on Prinsendam and Amsterdam, probably rated the best of the HAL ships.

We found HAL superior to the Celebrity ships we have sailed on. The food is much, much better. I believe the cabins are larger, too.

I don't think all HAL ships are created equal, though. Some get better reports than others.

In retrospect, I was not impressed with Celebrity. I have heard the Solstice class is better. And, there are some HAL ships I wouldn't sail on, either. I think you need to look at the ship itself.

My favorite thing on Holland America was the library. Love it. I spent no time in the library on any of my Celebrity sailings.

We were on the Solstice April 2010 and just returned from the Nieuw Amsterdam on March 20th. You can't go wrong with either in my opinion. Observations:

- If you like one you will probably like the other line. Very similar experience.

- Food on both was very good. We LOVED the Tamarind on NA and thought it was better than the Tuscan Grill on Solstice. MDR food similar although we found the service friendlier on Solstice. I think this was because we had anytime dining on NA and did not have the same waiters.

- Ship: While we loved both, I really like the open and classy feel of the Solstice. Yes it carries 700 more passengers but is larger than the NA and you never are crowded. We also loved the Sunset Bar aft on Solstice and the Lawn Club. On the NA, we loved the wrap around promenade which they do NOT have on Solstice. While the NA was elegant and classy, it was just a little more closed in than the Solstice. Cabins very similar...probably more storage on the NA and a much larger balcony.

- Smoking: There is no smoking in any public room, including the casino, on the Solstice which was wonderful. The casino on NA was very smoky and hard to stomach.

- Lido: Solstice set up was much better and succeeded in keeping the lines very short with their multiple stations.

- Entertainment: Very similar...some excellent on both and some so-so on both. CAntare was excellent on NA as was the Cirque type show on Solstice.

- Service overall: You can't go wrong with either. Service excellent. I would said on either one tomorrow.

..have to agree with blueboro about both lines being very good. We are tipping to X as of late because of their new ships and because of the no smoking policy in the staterooms.

I have done both and I liked the food & nightime entertainment better on Celebrity however I think the basic rooms are nicer/larger on Holland. For me $$$ is my final decision and Holland always seems to have better deals when I am looking for a cruise (least in the last couple years for me they have )

I have only sailed on the Century with Celebrity. Unfortunately, our experience was not as good as on HAL and we found ourselves comparing.

Food is subjective and changes from week to week and ship to ship but seriously, our food in no way compared to HAL. Room was smaller and I just felt some things were missing. I might have caught a bad week as X gets a lot of good reviews so who knows?

Right now, we prefer HAL. JMO though and my dh's. :)

both have great features and some not so great. Cabins are as bit bigger on HAL, but verandas are more affordable on X. MDR food is similar...some wins and some losers on each. Pinnacle Grill is much better than any specialty dining we've had on X. (But Azamara is better than both).

My main issue is the smoking issue.....our up coming trip will be in a 'ocean-view' on HAL (price issue)...and we fear for a smoked-in cabin. Almost a deal killer....but this itinerary is the deciding factor.

HAL also does Asia cruises that X does does not.

Bottom line though...itinerary and price the same...it's a real toss-up.

(but Azamara is better than either...pricier though)

We enjoy Celebrity a lot, we found the Solstice to be magnificent, more modern, maybe less elegant than HAL. The food was top notch, the service is maybe a tad less than HAL.

Kirk

We're elite on X and have sailed the three S-class ships so far on their Caribbean itineraries, and have sailed two HAL ships so far (Eurodam and Westerdam). Celebrity easily has more daytime activities than HAL. They divide activities into categories and they tend to focus on enrichment. You'll find language classes, fitness activities, lectures, lots of trivia games, and other games (lawn bowling and pool volleyball games versus the officers were on our last cruise, both were very entertaining). The best activity on the S-class is probably the Hot Glass shows. There's usually two each sea day and one each port day at varying times. During each show, they'll make three pieces, narrating the glassmaking process as you watch the piece come alive. Very neat. Each show is completely different, I could watch them all day long.

Entertainment is better than HAL's, especially the Cirque de Soleil style shows on each S-class ship. Sets and costumes are more impressive. While HAL's shows and entertainers aren't bad by any means (in fact, I think HAL has some of the best comedians and guest entertainers I've seen), I feel the dance team don't have much to work with technically.

While there is no traditional piano bar, Celebrity does emphasize live music in the evenings. The S-class ships have a string quartet, acapella group, a couple of solo artists (I've seen guitar players and even a steel drum player), a party band that will play by the pool during the day and in the atrium for dancing at night, and a piano player in the Ensemble lounge.

Food and service are comparable. My daughter prefers HAL's food, I prefer X's, so you can see how subjective it is. The staff aims to please on both lines. You'll notice X has a more multi-national crew, mainly European, compared to HAL's Asian staff.

The S-class ships are gorgeous and well-designed. Though they carry more people than HAL's, you won't feel crowded and the ship flows well. The passenger space ratio is comparable. It drove me nuts a few weeks ago on the Eurodam when the CD kept making snarky comments about Celebrity's crowded 4,000 passenger ships whenever we were in port with the Solstice, because it's simply not true. I agree with the comparison upthread about S-class being like the MOMA and HAL like the MET. S-class feels very modern, like a boutique hotel.

Honestly, the lines are very similar in their strengths and demographic. I think if you like one, you'll probably like the other. As long as you go into it with an open mind, I don't see how a HAL fan couldn't enjoy a Celebrity cruise. Hope that helps.

I agree very much with Infi, just above. We have taken 3 HAL cruises (Amsterdam, Ryndam, and Westerdam) and 3 Celebrity cruises (Century, Summit, and Infinity). I like the food better on HAL, DW likes food better on Celebrity.

Entertainment? The entertainment on our Infinity Panama canal cruise was the best we've ever had on a ship. But the guest artists on the Amsterdam and Westerdam were absolutely fabulous. "X" entertainment (ship's cast) is a bit more contemporary than Hal. That's not good or bad, just a matter of taste.

We like to dance, and we love the Ocean bar on HAL. DW loves the "Spa cafe" on X for breakfast and lunch - it helps hold down the calories! We haven't done a Solstice class ship yet, but chose X for our first European adventure. Why? Itinerary and price.

Oh, if you do the "Guarantee cabin" route, X assigns your cabin pretty quickly, but there is little chance in our experience of an upgrade. HAL waits until 10 - 20 days before sailing but you may have a better chance of getting upgraded (of course - no guarantees!)

IMO, HAL has a better price adjustment program if the rates drop before final payment, so if you're booking "Early" check out the fine print. We were able to get upgraded from an inside to an outside on our Panama cruise when the rates dropped, but when they dropped further (after final payment) even for more $$$ they would not let us upgrade to a balcony.

Either line, I think you would have a great time!

On HAL I've cruised the Massdam (3 times), the Zuiderdam, the Westerdam (2), the Veendam, and the Volendam. On Celebrity I've cruised the Horizon, the Zenith, the Galaxy (2), the Mercury, the Century (2), the Millennium (2), the Summit, the Constellation (3), the Solstice (2) and the Eclipse.

Here is my summary of each line's strengths:

Holland America

--good food

--great service

--excellent itineraries

--variety of sizes of ships

--wide wrap around teak wood promenade decks

--good entertainment

--good chance of upgrade with guarantee bookings

--nice beds

--traditional feel

--great cold weather ships

Celebrity

--outstanding food, alternative restaurants are the best at sea

--great service

--bright, modern and clean ships

--excellent cabin designs and large showers

--interesting spaces and great upper deck areas

--nice beds

--best designed large ships at sea

--superior smoking policy (no smoking in cabins/balconies/most areas of the ship)

--Captain's Club is one of the best

--Innovative cruise line

--less intrusive open dining program

Can't make a mistake cruising either one of these great cruise lines.

Enjoy!

Kel

We were on the Solstice April 2010 and just returned from the Nieuw Amsterdam on March 20th. You can't go wrong with either in my opinion. Observations:

 

- If you like one you will probably like the other line. Very similar experience.

 

- Food on both was very good. We LOVED the Tamarind on NA and thought it was better than the Tuscan Grill on Solstice. MDR food similar although we found the service friendlier on Solstice. I think this was because we had anytime dining on NA and did not have the same waiters.

 

- Ship: While we loved both, I really like the open and classy feel of the Solstice. Yes it carries 700 more passengers but is larger than the NA and you never are crowded. We also loved the Sunset Bar aft on Solstice and the Lawn Club. On the NA, we loved the wrap around promenade which they do NOT have on Solstice. While the NA was elegant and classy, it was just a little more closed in than the Solstice. Cabins very similar...probably more storage on the NA and a much larger balcony.

 

- Smoking: There is no smoking in any public room, including the casino, on the Solstice which was wonderful. The casino on NA was very smoky and hard to stomach.

 

- Lido: Solstice set up was much better and succeeded in keeping the lines very short with their multiple stations.

 

- Entertainment: Very similar...some excellent on both and some so-so on both. CAntare was excellent on NA as was the Cirque type show on Solstice.

 

- Service overall: You can't go wrong with either. Service excellent. I would said on either one tomorrow.

We are 3 star HAL and Elite on X. Itinerary and/or price are the only factors we choose. You will love both.

As an X fan who just completed his first HAL cruise I'd have to say it comes down to personal feelings as to which is best for you. While we enjoyed our cruise on the Westerdam we think we'll go back to X for our next cruise.

We found the food comparable (with X getting a slight nod for better service).

We found the Westerdam a little quiet after dinner compared to X.

We find the X ships a little nicer than the Westerdam.

To the HAL lovers... don't flame me... I'll cruise HAL again but personal preference is going to bring me back to Celebrity.

I think both lines have good solid reputations so it comes down to personal preference IMO.

Sailed the Eclipse in feb and found the concierge balcony to be cramped lacking storage but great bathroom. Found the entertainment loud in theater and late nite also very loud. Have learned that often the destination of a ship determines the activities and entertainment. We find that on our HAL TA there was constant activity not so much on the X in the Caribbean.

After a couple of days on the Eclipse the lido food became boring. Find that HAL is more accommodating in the MDR - they do not have problems with special requests- X did. I asked to change the vegetable and the other vegetable came on a separte plate and I was still served the original vegetable. I needed my steak without the rub ( makes me sick ) and it could not be done.

OTOH - they served escargot every night - hmmmm IMO - that should be a rule on all ships!:)

I believe that the food is alsondetermined by the chef- same ship different chef and world of difference in food.

Although the Eclipse is very pretty it was also a turning point for us and in the future we will be more focused on HAL based on our experience and what we like. I think the only way is to try different ships in different places cause we consistently find that we any of them better when they are some place besides the Caribbean - it is more of a shuttle kind of experience regardless of the cruise line.

On HAL I've cruised the Massdam (3 times), the Zuiderdam, the Westerdam (2), the Veendam, and the Volendam. On Celebrity I've cruised the Horizon, the Zenith, the Galaxy (2), the Mercury, the Century (2), the Millennium (2), the Summit, the Constellation (3), the Solstice (2) and the Eclipse.

 

Here is my summary of each line's strengths:

 

Holland America

--good food

--great service

--excellent itineraries

--variety of sizes of ships

--wide wrap around teak wood promenade decks

--good entertainment

--good chance of upgrade with guarantee bookings

--nice beds

--traditional feel

--great cold weather ships

 

Celebrity

--outstanding food, alternative restaurants are the best at sea

--great service

--bright, modern and clean ships

--excellent cabin designs and large showers

--interesting spaces and great upper deck areas

--nice beds

--best designed large ships at sea

--superior smoking policy (no smoking in cabins/balconies/most areas of the ship)

--Captain's Club is one of the best

--Innovative cruise line

--less intrusive open dining program

 

Can't make a mistake cruising either one of these great cruise lines.

 

Enjoy!

Kel

You got that right! ;) The alternative restaurants beat the PG hands down! :)

You got that right! ;) The alternative restaurants beat the PG hands down! :)

Hi GN,

We usually only do lunch in the Pinnacle Grill -- this is not a strong area for HAL. Even Frommers rates the alternative restaurants of Celebrity as "the best at sea", and that includes the Luxury lines.

Enjoy!

Kel:)

Yeah- I am not a "foodie" but did experience the specialty dining on Celebrity and Pinnacle Grill on Holland- and the Pinnacle Grill was awesome- five star dining. Loved it. So worth the surcharge. Better than Celebrity in this regard. but Celebrity was good too.