Celebrity vs. HAL

I am a huge fan of Celebrity who is interested in trying HAL (probably either a Vista class ship or the Eurodam or Niew Amsterdam), and was wondering what some of the similarities are and some differences?

One thing that is very appealing to me is that each stateroom appears to have a full bathtub vs. just a shower on Celebrity (unless you book a suite). And one thing that concerns me is the smoking policy on HAL not being as restrictive as on Celebrity. But anyway, I'd love to hear some feedback from experienced HAL cruisers!

Thanks in advance!

Inside cabins on the Vista & Signature ships do not have tubs, nor do any marked with an * on the deck plans, such as VB 6146 to VB 6173 on the Eurodam. I've never sailed X, so can't help there.

Our first cruise was on =X= Summit. Both lines are nice but...

Advantages of HAL:

1. Overall service throughout the ship is more warm and genuine. Outstanding crew-Indonesian and Filipino crew are warm and friendly.

2. The exterior decks are in pristine condition. Nautical tradition.

3. The main dining room food has better variety and overall quality.

4. The deluxe suite product is a better value for money.

5. Liberal stateroom liquor purchase policy.

6. Better beds and bedding.

7. Ships are more manageable in size.

Advantages of =X=:

1. Grand foyer is more elegant and spacious.

2. Specialty dining is superior.

3. Solarium/spa pool is beautiful and free of charge.

4. The welcom aboard champagne and escort to your cabin is a nice touch.

I am a huge fan of Celebrity who is interested in trying HAL (probably either a Vista class ship or the Eurodam or Niew Amsterdam), and was wondering what some of the similarities are and some differences?

 

One thing that is very appealing to me is that each stateroom appears to have a full bathtub vs. just a shower on Celebrity (unless you book a suite). And one thing that concerns me is the smoking policy on HAL not being as restrictive as on Celebrity. But anyway, I'd love to hear some feedback from experienced HAL cruisers!

 

Thanks in advance!

We have cruised both and enjoy both but HAL has the edge which is personal taste.

The verandah rooms I think are a little larger on HAL and more drawers and storage space. Celebrity has the glass of champagne when you board and thats a nice way to start your cruise, HAL has not.

Smoking can be more of a problem on HAL, the only really smoky place is the Casino, if you walk through there it is awful. But you can avoid walking through the Casino, the Bars have non smoking areas and that usually works. The only problem that would be really annoying is if your neighbour smoked on the verandah...(touch wood) we have not had that happen.

Food is good on both ships although I think HAL has the edge, but again that is a personal opinion. I think Celebrity's special dining room is better (food and service) than HAL's although we enjoy the Pinnacle whenever we are there it's just not as good as Celebritys.

Service Staff on HAL again has a slight edge over Celebrity.

Last thing the beds on HAL are wonderful.

We have cruised both and enjoy both but HAL has the edge which is personal taste.

 

The verandah rooms I think are a little larger on HAL and more drawers and storage space. Celebrity has the glass of champagne when you board and thats a nice way to start your cruise' date=' HAL has not.

 

Smoking can be more of a problem on HAL, the only really smoky place is the Casino, if you walk through there it is awful. But you can avoid walking through the Casino, the Bars have non smoking areas and that usually works. The only problem that would be really annoying is if your neighbour smoked on the verandah...(touch wood) we have not had that happen.

 

Food is good on both ships although I think HAL has the edge, but again that is a personal opinion. I think Celebrity's special dining room is better (food and service) than HAL's although we enjoy the Pinnacle whenever we are there it's just not as good as Celebritys.

 

Service Staff on HAL again has a slight edge over Celebrity.

 

 

Last thing the beds on HAL are wonderful.[/quote']

 

This sums it up quite well for us as well. We have sailed Celebrity too and for us, HAL is the winner. Especially when it comes to the rooms and the suites especially.

 

Food is subjective, but we really preferred Hal's food, but that's just us. Hal also has the strings performing before and after dinner. if you enjoy that type of music it is a really nice touch.

 

We enjoy the line and hope you do too. Wherever and whichever line you choose to cruise on have a great time

...and just in case I didn't make it clear...HAL has the edge for us too for those reasons I listed above.

We're non-smokers and the smoking on HAL ships has not really been an issue for us. We consider it a part of casino life wherever you go. But we would not argue if the ships went smoke free. And if you use the casino, you will find it to be a bit more compact on HAL due to the size of the ship. But you still have the standard mix of games.

But both lines do offer a quality product. :-)

Thank you all for your insight. One other big plus for me (that I forgot to mention earlier) would be the wraparound promenade that unfortunately Celebrity does not have.

Post this question on Celebrity's page and I bet it will be skewed towards X. Either way, you can't go wrong. We've done 8 cruises on HAL and 7 on X and rate them almost even, with the slightest edge to Celebrity. We have a cruise on X next week and one on HAL in November.

To me, the main difference is in the smoking policies of the two lines. We have had HAL cruises where we could not enjoy sitting on our balcony because of smokers on upwind balconies. We also have to hold our breath when walking down the corridor to breakfast as we pass through the smell of smoke from the staterooms of smokers lighting up their morning cigarette.

Celebrity's more restrictive policy (no smoking in the stateroom or on balconies) suits us better. We have a future cruise booked on board HAL that we are agonizing over, due to HAL's smoking policy. We may choose to let it go if HAL does not restrict smoking.

I realize that others may have different sensitivity toward tobacco smoke, but that is where we stand.

After 33 days on Celebrity (3 cruises) and 43 days on HAL (4 cruises), I agree with most of what's been said.

While the service on HAL can be FRIENDLIER, it is no more efficient or thorough than that on X, and can have lapses. I would prefer to see more women at all levels of service on HAL, which hires predominantly men. HAL's friendliness policy sometimes hides the fact that the person simply does not understand what you have said in English, and this can produce some odd outcomes. I have not experienced this on X.

Food: HAL seems to have better meat, cooked to order - except when it's not. (leg of lamb one week was superb and medium rare, the following week dry and well-done, with no options). HAL pretty much never offers creme brulee, and when it does, it has odd consistency. X has great creme brulee available every day. The fish selection and quality varies on both lines.

Both offer ice cream counters, but X uses a better quality of ice cream, and on some ships has a to-die-for caramel sauce that you can add.

Regarding ship size, Celebrity S class feels a little less crowded than the smaller HAL ships, and you get more exercise walking around the larger ship. (This would work in reverse if you have mobility issues.)

And, a dining issue that I have come to appreciate recently: HAL offers FULL dinner service in the buffet each evening, while X has, or had last year on the Infinity, only a stir-fry bar and a pasta bar in the evening in the buffet. Sometimes it's nice to have a faster dinner.

And, yes, HAL generally serves an older clientele, but kids I met on a recent cruise loved the kids' program.

I expect to continue cruising on both lines VERY HAPPILY.

The above posts are pretty much my comments.

=X=, We had fixed (Traditional) Dining with waiter and assistant waiter I would hire in an instant if I owned a restaurant. :) On Hal, we were asssigned open dining, and found it to be nowhere as good as the buffet.:( However they have made changes in the buffet that I think make it less desireable, plus we had a bar waiter that was very good. Points to =X=.

Room =.On =X=, I got a new mattress, but could still feel the hard plastic frame. :eek: I later learned you could request 2 mattresses or an eggcrate over the matress, nobody told me. HAL has great beds, full BRs (OV and up), not the "Soap the shower walls and turn around" showers. Points to HAL.

Shows. Too D--- loud on both! :eek: Couldn't stay in the same room. I have one ear but if you are more deaf than I, enjoy the show!

Decor, HAL wins hands down. We were on the Rotterdam, more than $1,000,000 worth of art. I don't enjoy art like many people, but I loved it and was impressed!

Food, both are good. =X= had a pasta station at lunch that was super. If you like pasta, check to see if it's on your cruise! HAL has a very good burger made for you by the pool.

Size, we like smaller ships, as long as they have a casino (DW). HAL wins this, but we never felt crowded nor had any problems on either.

Both of these cruises were TAs so itinerary had little to do with the evaluation.

We like smaller ships, so HAL wins there, but they have some front-office problems that may tip the scales to =X=.

Pick the itinerary you prefer and have a great cruise! :D

We're big Celebrity fans who have taken two HAL cruises so far, the first on a Vista-class (Westerdam) and the second last month on the Eurodam. We enjoyed both HAL cruises and now always consider HAL in our cruise planning.

Service on both lines is excellent. HAL's Indonesian crews tend to be a little more warm (greet you by name, more casual and friendly), whereas X's European crews are more professional and polished in their service. Not saying one style is better than the other - both are efficient and pleasant - but that's what we found. Food is subjective. My daughter prefers HAL's food, I prefer Celebrity's. Both lines' cuisine ranges from good to excellent.

One thing I noticed on our Eurodam cruise was that the ship felt crowded at times. The design is essentially a Vista class with added cabins and no additional public space. The Lido pool felt crowded with additional cabanas and the showroom filled up quickly. I had no complaints about the Westerdam's size, and this wasn't enough to ruin my cruise by any means, but I did notice the difference after having sailed a Vista class. Eurodam is still a nice size, and has the wraparound promenade as well. On the other hand, Celebrity's ships, even (and especially) the S-class, are well-designed and you rarely feel the amount of passengers onboard. HAL ships have more traditional and dark interiors, X's are more modern and open feeling.

If you try the Eurodam or Nieuw Amsterdam, be sure to visit the Tamarind, the Asian-fusion specialty restaurant. The food was unique and service was excellent.

I think you'll find HAL and Celebrity to be very comparable. Both lines emphasize food and service, and tend to be a little more low key activities and entertainment-wise. Choose an itinerary you're interested in and go for it. You might discover a new cruiseline to enjoy. :)