Difficult decision between Celebrity and Hal!

[gprentice]

We liked our HAL cruise through the Panama Canal very much last Christmas.

However, HAL was the first cruise line we saw with scooter rentals just before boarding.

 

Celebrity is our favourite, but it sounds like all cruise lines these days are going through cut backs and this changes the game a bit....

 

Graham

[bickee]

Thanks all. We are leaning towards Celebrity only because we are really into the non smoking and the idea of Aqua Class and Blu!

[Eliger]

Thanks all. We are leaning towards Celebrity only because we are really into the non smoking and the idea of Aqua Class and Blu!

Those are really good points, and also the Solstice is a much better ship than Eurodam. Hope you enjoy it. :)

 

Gerry

[SwissMyst]

Celebrity Solstice: 2850 passengers

HAL Eurodam: 2104 passengers

[gillianrose]

I don't think the age difference on a 7 night cruise is so great between X & HAL.

IMO, the food in the main dining on Celebrity is a bit better, and the specialty restaurants on Celebrity are much better, while HAL's lido food is better.

Service on both lines is very good, but Celebrity's is more polished.

HAL's service is still very warm & friendly.

As far as cabins, HAL's are a little bigger, with most cabins having a tub, which I like. I also like the beds better than Celebrity's.

What I don't like about HAL is that they permit smoking in cabins & on passenger balconies. ICK:p

If your neighbor wants to sit & burn one cigar after another, that's just too bad for you.

The money you spent on your balcony could well go up in smoke on HAL.

There are only a very few specific areas where smoking is allowed on Celebrity,

and cabins & balconies are completely smoke-free.:)

If for no other reason, this is why I would pick Celebrity.

 

The horrific smoking problem on HAL is why we choose Celebrity over HAL. There are several great itineraries on HAL and we would love to do them, but until HAL forbids smoking on balconies, we won't cruise on that line again. Not ever. It was AWFUL!

[myr seashell]

I was on the Eurodam in February 2009, and on the Summit in March 2008. Both lines have their strengths, but for me Celebrity is a better choice. The service on HAL may have been even better than on X, but I found the food was better on X. Yes, the Tamarind is very, very nice, but nothing beats the specialty restaurants on the Millenium class ships. But for me, what tips the scale, is age. I'm in my late 40's and don't usually have a problem with, or even notice the age of my fellow passengers, but on the Eurodam, I was surprised. I thought I knew what to expect when I booked my cruise but, with all due respect, we're not simply talking about an older crowd, we're talking about the generation before the older crowd. Just getting from point A to point B was a process, as it always seemed that there was someone in front of you, moving much slower. Of course, I can only hope to one day be able to travel like this at an advanced age, and have plenty of admiration for the travelling seniors, but I'm booked on the Celebrity Millenium in February...

[usha]

Celebrity Solstice: 2850 passengers

HAL Eurodam: 2104 passengers

Celebrity Solstice: 120000 grt

HAL Eurodam : 86273 grt

Do the math; Celebrity Solstice has a higher passenger/space ratio than Eurodam.

[YYC F/A]

I am going to post this on both the HAL and Celebrity boards! Hoping to even get a review from someone who has sailed on both!

 

I've sailed on both lines, and actually - on both those same ships as well.

 

I will preface by saying that I am a cruise only TA, but have no particular bias to either line and enjoy both.

 

My thoughts for what it's worth:

 

Solstice is more a 'younger persons ship'. She's stunning beautiful in a very cutting edge modernistic way - like a 'W' hotel at sea. Of close on 30 cruises, I've yet to sail on a ship that wowed me more from a design and hardware perspective - give me the Solstice and her amazing beauty over flowriders, promenade 'malls' or ice rinks any day!

 

Eurodam is a pretty ship, and I instantly felt 'at home' upon boarding - calm, zen like, and immediately comfortable. What I lacked in the jaw drop department, I felt was made up for somewhat by the nice warm fuzzy feeling I got on Eurodam.

 

Here's a few thoughts:

 

 

• Solstice wins for cutting edge design, and offers more dining choice than Eurodam
  
• Eurodam had more 'inclusive' dining options than Solstice. Tamarind is FREE for lunch, Canalletto is free for dinner - unlike X whom are even charging for crepes at the casual bistro!
  
• Tamarind rated as one of my all time best dining experiences at sea along with the 'old style' Celebrity Oceanliners from when Connie was a brand new ship. I know there have been cut backs on X of late even in specialty restaurants - so perhaps Tamarind might even take the lead these days?
  
• MDR on X has traditionally been superior to HAL - certainly the wait staff have been amazing on X and on HAL it can be a real mixed bag. I am leaving to go on my next X cruise imminently and hope that the MDR is still up to par - my Solstice cruise was disappointing and I hope a 'one off'.
  
• While X wins on the MDR in my opinion, HAL wins on the Lido. The food quality is excellent, and the ethnic choices featured throughout the cruise are fabulous
  
• X has the Spa Cafe/Sushi which I love - and no extra charge which is great
  
• Service onboard HAL and Celebrity from frontline staff is equally good
  
• 'Service' from officers and shipboard management on HAL far exceeds X. A 'how are we doing' card filled out with a few suggestions when on Eurodam resulted in a personal response from the Hotel Director within just a few hour, a personal meeting with the Executive Chef, and a very nice 'thank you' bottle of wine for taking the time for the comments. Celebrity officers can be borderline brusque/rude at times, and not nearly as engaging in my experience.
  
• Cabins on both ships are great and incorporate new enhancements. The standard balconies on Eurodam (I had a VA) are significantly larger than a lot of standard balconies on Solstice, and have nice rattan-type balcony furniture.
  
• Solstice has some really cool funky venues like Quasar and everything onboard just flows together - whereas Eurodam has a bit of a schizophrenic mix of modern and very traditional and it can catch you off guard walking from one part of the ship to another.
  
• HAL lets you bring as much wine and champagne onboard as you want with no 'naughty lines' and no restrictions like X. I enjoy wine, so this is a huge plus for me. In Europe - imagine visiting a great vineyard, picking up some great local bottles, and not being able to enjoy them on your balcony. If you enjoy wine, and like to bring your own to sample on your balcony or to take a glass out on deck - then this is where X really falls down.
  
• Others have mentioned the smoking policies which will either be good or bad on either line depending on personal situation. I should correct other posters though - HAL does not permit cigar smoking on balconies. Only cigarettes. There are designated pipe and cigar smoking venues and this is pointed out in the daily newsletter. If someone is repeatedly smoking cigars on the balcony and it is impacting you, I would have a polite chat, and if that fails, call guest relations.
  

All in all, I do enjoy both lines. I wish I could have the look and feel of X, with the consistency of HAL, the shipboard management and officers of HAL, and the stateroom attendants of X. :D

 

Both ships are super ships, but as others have posted, for a 30-something, you may feel more at home on Solstice. There again, as a 30-something myself, I go not to party with other guests, but to have some R&R and fun time with friends with whom I'm travelling - so I don't need a late night party atmosphere.

 

Whichever option you pick - enjoy!

[Eliger]

I've sailed on both lines, and actually - on both those same ships as well.

 

I will preface by saying that I am a cruise only TA, but have no particular bias to either line and enjoy both.

 

My thoughts for what it's worth:

 

Solstice is more a 'younger persons ship'. She's stunning beautiful in a very cutting edge modernistic way - like a 'W' hotel at sea. Of close on 30 cruises, I've yet to sail on a ship that wowed me more from a design and hardware perspective - give me the Solstice and her amazing beauty over flowriders, promenade 'malls' or ice rinks any day!

 

Eurodam is a pretty ship, and I instantly felt 'at home' upon boarding - calm, zen like, and immediately comfortable. What I lacked in the jaw drop department, I felt was made up for somewhat by the nice warm fuzzy feeling I got on Eurodam.

 

Here's a few thoughts:

 

 

• Solstice wins for cutting edge design, and offers more dining choice than Eurodam
  
• Eurodam had more 'inclusive' dining options than Solstice. Tamarind is FREE for lunch, Canalletto is free for dinner - unlike X whom are even charging for crepes at the casual bistro!
  
• Tamarind rated as one of my all time best dining experiences at sea along with the 'old style' Celebrity Oceanliners from when Connie was a brand new ship. I know there have been cut backs on X of late even in specialty restaurants - so perhaps Tamarind might even take the lead these days?
  
• MDR on X has traditionally been superior to HAL - certainly the wait staff have been amazing on X and on HAL it can be a real mixed bag. I am leaving to go on my next X cruise imminently and hope that the MDR is still up to par - my Solstice cruise was disappointing and I hope a 'one off'.
  
• While X wins on the MDR in my opinion, HAL wins on the Lido. The food quality is excellent, and the ethnic choices featured throughout the cruise are fabulous
  
• X has the Spa Cafe/Sushi which I love - and no extra charge which is great
  
• Service onboard HAL and Celebrity from frontline staff is equally good
  
• 'Service' from officers and shipboard management on HAL far exceeds X. A 'how are we doing' card filled out with a few suggestions when on Eurodam resulted in a personal response from the Hotel Director within just a few hour, a personal meeting with the Executive Chef, and a very nice 'thank you' bottle of wine for taking the time for the comments. Celebrity officers can be borderline brusque/rude at times, and not nearly as engaging in my experience.
  
• Cabins on both ships are great and incorporate new enhancements. The standard balconies on Eurodam (I had a VA) are significantly larger than a lot of standard balconies on Solstice, and have nice rattan-type balcony furniture.
  
• Solstice has some really cool funky venues like Quasar and everything onboard just flows together - whereas Eurodam has a bit of a schizophrenic mix of modern and very traditional and it can catch you off guard walking from one part of the ship to another.
  
• HAL lets you bring as much wine and champagne onboard as you want with no 'naughty lines' and no restrictions like X. I enjoy wine, so this is a huge plus for me. In Europe - imagine visiting a great vineyard, picking up some great local bottles, and not being able to enjoy them on your balcony. If you enjoy wine, and like to bring your own to sample on your balcony or to take a glass out on deck - then this is where X really falls down.
  
• Others have mentioned the smoking policies which will either be good or bad on either line depending on personal situation. I should correct other posters though - HAL does not permit cigar smoking on balconies. Only cigarettes. There are designated pipe and cigar smoking venues and this is pointed out in the daily newsletter. If someone is repeatedly smoking cigars on the balcony and it is impacting you, I would have a polite chat, and if that fails, call guest relations.
  

All in all, I do enjoy both lines. I wish I could have the look and feel of X, with the consistency of HAL, the shipboard management and officers of HAL, and the stateroom attendants of X. :D

 

Both ships are super ships, but as others have posted, for a 30-something, you may feel more at home on Solstice. There again, as a 30-something myself, I go not to party with other guests, but to have some R&R and fun time with friends with whom I'm travelling - so I don't need a late night party atmosphere.

 

Whichever option you pick - enjoy!

Having been on both HAL and Celebrity, I like your analysis very much. You brought out the most important points in your comparison. In my view, if HAL had the same non smoking policy as Celebrity, I would probably chose HAL if the itinerary was similar to Celebrity.

 

Gerry

[bickee]

AMAZING analysis, thank you!

[usha]

Others have mentioned the smoking policies which will either be good or bad on either line depending on personal situation. I should correct other posters though - HAL does not permit cigar smoking on balconies. Only cigarettes. There are designated pipe and cigar smoking venues and this is pointed out in the daily newsletter. If someone is repeatedly smoking cigars on the balcony and it is impacting you, I would have a polite chat, and if that fails, call guest relations.

Oh, yeah? I thought cigar smoking was only permitted in designated areas on HAL, too, but try convincing anybody with a stogie dangling from his mouth on a neighboring HAL balcony, much less anybody on the HAL boards here on CC...:rolleyes:

[red knight]

I was on the Eurodam last March with a free upgrade to a Balcony cabin. I have 6 X cruises under my belt, but the price was good on HAL. I found the cabin to be very nice, the bathtub unneeded, (Ditto the towel animals, why oh why are they there?) the Balcony unuasble in San Juan due to the hot sun pouring onto it! I liked the Tamarind for lunch, very pleasent, good waitress and not in any sense rushed. I did not like the Pinnacle Grill. I felt the dinner was rushed more than a bit, and it did not measure up to the alternate restaurants on the M class ships. The Cruise staff were excellent, and the dining room waiter likewise. The wait staff in the Pinnacle Grill I felt should have been given better uniforms, as they were wearing basically Butcher Aprons and Jackets, the venue was superb but the meal and the ambiance created by the outfits did not match. After having tried RCCL, HAL, and Princess for my last 3 cruises, I am going back to X through the Canal in March. X may not be perfect but they seem to do most everything just a bit better than the others.

[E-500]

I've sailed on both lines, and actually - on both those same ships as well.

 

I will preface by saying that I am a cruise only TA, but have no particular bias to either line and enjoy both.

 

My thoughts for what it's worth:

 

Solstice is more a 'younger persons ship'. She's stunning beautiful in a very cutting edge modernistic way - like a 'W' hotel at sea. Of close on 30 cruises, I've yet to sail on a ship that wowed me more from a design and hardware perspective - give me the Solstice and her amazing beauty over flowriders, promenade 'malls' or ice rinks any day!

 

Eurodam is a pretty ship, and I instantly felt 'at home' upon boarding - calm, zen like, and immediately comfortable. What I lacked in the jaw drop department, I felt was made up for somewhat by the nice warm fuzzy feeling I got on Eurodam.

 

Here's a few thoughts:

 

 

• Solstice wins for cutting edge design, and offers more dining choice than Eurodam
  
• Eurodam had more 'inclusive' dining options than Solstice. Tamarind is FREE for lunch, Canalletto is free for dinner - unlike X whom are even charging for crepes at the casual bistro!
  
• Tamarind rated as one of my all time best dining experiences at sea along with the 'old style' Celebrity Oceanliners from when Connie was a brand new ship. I know there have been cut backs on X of late even in specialty restaurants - so perhaps Tamarind might even take the lead these days?
  
• MDR on X has traditionally been superior to HAL - certainly the wait staff have been amazing on X and on HAL it can be a real mixed bag. I am leaving to go on my next X cruise imminently and hope that the MDR is still up to par - my Solstice cruise was disappointing and I hope a 'one off'.
  
• While X wins on the MDR in my opinion, HAL wins on the Lido. The food quality is excellent, and the ethnic choices featured throughout the cruise are fabulous
  
• X has the Spa Cafe/Sushi which I love - and no extra charge which is great
  
• Service onboard HAL and Celebrity from frontline staff is equally good
  
• 'Service' from officers and shipboard management on HAL far exceeds X. A 'how are we doing' card filled out with a few suggestions when on Eurodam resulted in a personal response from the Hotel Director within just a few hour, a personal meeting with the Executive Chef, and a very nice 'thank you' bottle of wine for taking the time for the comments. Celebrity officers can be borderline brusque/rude at times, and not nearly as engaging in my experience.
  
• Cabins on both ships are great and incorporate new enhancements. The standard balconies on Eurodam (I had a VA) are significantly larger than a lot of standard balconies on Solstice, and have nice rattan-type balcony furniture.
  
• Solstice has some really cool funky venues like Quasar and everything onboard just flows together - whereas Eurodam has a bit of a schizophrenic mix of modern and very traditional and it can catch you off guard walking from one part of the ship to another.
  
• HAL lets you bring as much wine and champagne onboard as you want with no 'naughty lines' and no restrictions like X. I enjoy wine, so this is a huge plus for me. In Europe - imagine visiting a great vineyard, picking up some great local bottles, and not being able to enjoy them on your balcony. If you enjoy wine, and like to bring your own to sample on your balcony or to take a glass out on deck - then this is where X really falls down.
  
• Others have mentioned the smoking policies which will either be good or bad on either line depending on personal situation. I should correct other posters though - HAL does not permit cigar smoking on balconies. Only cigarettes. There are designated pipe and cigar smoking venues and this is pointed out in the daily newsletter. If someone is repeatedly smoking cigars on the balcony and it is impacting you, I would have a polite chat, and if that fails, call guest relations.
  

All in all, I do enjoy both lines. I wish I could have the look and feel of X, with the consistency of HAL, the shipboard management and officers of HAL, and the stateroom attendants of X. :D

 

Both ships are super ships, but as others have posted, for a 30-something, you may feel more at home on Solstice. There again, as a 30-something myself, I go not to party with other guests, but to have some R&R and fun time with friends with whom I'm travelling - so I don't need a late night party atmosphere.

 

Whichever option you pick - enjoy!

 

Your comparo is well done and balanced.

 

At the risk of being flamed by USHA, HAL permits cigar smoking on the verandas. I confirmed with both the cabin attendent and the pursers office. We don't cruise X anymore because of their smoking policy. Everyone has a choice of ships and I support whichever option you choose.

[IRL_Joanie]

Except for french toast, pancakes or waffles. They will not bring them to your state room. Other than that it is great!:)

 

You can order the above mentioned items for room service, but the waffles have to be ordered when the Lido is open for breakfast, or so I've been told on the HAL boards by people who order them all the time.

 

Pre-order your breakfast room service the night before and write in menu items that are not listed (that you know are available in the Lido Breakfast) and hang it on your door the night before. The morning you decide you want waffles etc., call room service and order them. You will have your phoned in food usually within 30 minutes.

 

Joanie

[IRL_Joanie]

Plus the average age of a cruiser on HAL is around 92 :D

 

 

I am 57, hubby is 64. We are NEITHER anywhere near 92. And there were more people under the age of 45-50 than older folks on my 2 HAL cruises to Alaska in May 08 and 09.

 

Your comment would be like me making a FALSE statement that the average age of Celebrity cruisers is 20 and the average age of Disney cruisers is 5 years old.

 

Joanie

[IRL_Joanie]

I've sailed Solstice several times and we're booked on Equinox (her sister) next year. We are sailing Eurodam in two weeks. If you can wait a couple of weeks, I'll share a comparison. Have only sailed HAL once before (on Veendam) and enjoyed it very much. Sail Celebrity quite a bit and always enjoy our cruises. Solstice has become my favorite ship. I'm interested to see how Eurodam compares. I'll let you know!

 

 

Can you post your findings/comparisons on the HAL Board also please??

 

Joanie

[IRL_Joanie]

Except for french toast, pancakes or waffles. They will not bring them to your state room. Other than that it is great!:)[/quot

 

Sorry, but french toast, pancakes, waffles & eggs benedict are always available on HAL's room service. If you want something and it's not on the menu they will do everything they can to accomodate you. To my knowlege they are they only cruiseline serving FRESH OJ.

 

Last time I sailed on X there were many, many walkers and wheelchairs including an airlift to the hospital for a passenger in distress. So, while it is positively a quiter atmosphere some of us take a cruise to relax and enjoy the ship, the food and not having to argue with someone over a pool lounger or be forced to leave a public area due to loud music and noisy kids. Every cabin on HAL's ships have a bathtub, flat screen tv's and if you checkout the sizes of thecabins and verandas you will see that HAL's are considerably larger.

 

For me, it's a no brainer - HAL is superior in all aspects.

 

 

3 things:

 

1. I am a HAL Lover and will defend HAL where necessary.

 

That said it brings me to:

 

2. Not ALL staterooms have bathtubs. Some have showers only (very few, but some) Mmany and I do mean Many have both a whirlpool bathtub and a separate shower.

 

3. I agree, In MY opinion, HAL is superior. But JMO.

 

Joanie

[usha]

At the risk of being flamed by USHA, HAL permits cigar smoking on the verandas. I confirmed with both the cabin attendent and the pursers office. We don't cruise X anymore because of their smoking policy. Everyone has a choice of ships and I support whichever option you choose.

I wouldn't flame you, but thank you for proving my point.:cool:

[Cruise Junky]

 

 

 

2. Not ALL staterooms have bathtubs. Some have showers only (very few, but some) Mmany and I do mean Many have both a whirlpool bathtub and a separate shower.

 

3. I agree, In MY opinion, HAL is superior. But JMO.

 

Joanie

 

Yeah, it was awesome having a bathtub on HAL in a standard balcony cabin. To bad we only had hot water 2 out of 7 days..BATHTUB = USELESS!!

[HoneyGV]

Much, much too young!!!

 

Our last cruise with HAL was on their newest ship, the Geritolendam. The average age was 128.5 on that cruise.:D

 

Hmmmm, apparently if you sail exclusively on HAL, you live longer! I like that.:D

[HWY 101]

Itinerary and price is always first for us. But, just the name Celebrity smacks of Hollywood to us. So does Lindsey Lohan cruise on your ships too? We like the older generation, as they lose their train of thought easily, so you don't have to listen much and they go to sleep early.:p

[Cruise Junky]

Itinerary and price is always first for us. But, just the name Celebrity smacks of Hollywood to us. So does Lindsey Lohan cruise on your ships too? We like the older generation, as they lose their train of thought easily, so you don't have to listen much and they go to sleep early.:p

 

Well they don't call HAL God's little waiting room for nothing :)

[JL]

We are also in the 30's, ex-Princess cruisers, and also looking at Eurodam and Solstice. That was for the Christmas cruise this December. I ended up booking Eurodam. I liked the itinerary. My little one will enjoy the bathtub in the cabin. I hope to bring down the average of HAL cruisers somewhat. :) Nothing against Celebrity, and I hope to try their ships some day.

[HWY 101]

We also chose the Eurodam for a cruise this coming December, and it looks like fun. We are are also booked on the Nieuw Amsterdam next year for the Venice to Barcelona cruise. Enjoy your cruise no matter what you all choose.

[SwissMyst]

(From http://cruises.affordabletours.com/Info/FAQs.html)

 

What is the average age of passengers by cruise line?

 

Passenger ages vary somewhat by sailing, but usually they are as follows:

Carnival Cruise Line: 0 - 45 years of age

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line: 25 - 55 years of age

Crystal Cruise Line: 55+ years of age

Celebrity Cruise Line: 35 - 64 years of age

Norwegian Cruise Line: 27 - 56 years of age

Holland America Cruises: 30 - 60 years of age

Princess Cruise Line: 35 to 65 years of age