Some suggested improvements

[oceanbear]

We just returned from our first cruise on a HAL ship. We are CC “Elite” cruisers on Celebrity, so we did a lot of comparisons while onboard. I didn’t want to cross post, so if you are interested in my whole review, please check it out here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1402713

 

IMO, 2 areas where Cerebrity really excels is dining, especially the specialty restaurants and in restricting smoking. HAL allows smoking in the casino and in any stateroom or balcony.

I did enjoy a few HAL innovations that I would like to see adopted on Celebrity ships.

1. A daily “Happy Hour” when any passenger can buy a 2nd cocktail for an additional $1.00

2. Free espresso drinks with dessert at dinner time

3. Reduce the prices of hot espresso drinks to $2.50 - $3.00 each

4. Allow free Internet access to a news site like the NY Times

5. Offer a small Internet package at a reduced rate towards the end of a cruise so passengers can make or confirm bookings.

6. Allow more wine to be brought on board both at embarkation and in port.

7. Reduce corkage to $20 or less

8. Include the lifeboat number, dining seating and table number on the "Sea Pass" card.

[eandj]

I like your list. Or should I call it your "wish list".;)

 

Not sure about 2 and 3 as we don't drink it. And I always figure anything that's "free" just means soemthing else will have an added cost. ;)

 

The free internet for a news site would indeed be nice. But again, would probably make internet packages even higher. And for those that are just using the internet for emailing home and back, the rates are already too high.

 

On our Equinox cruise in Jan. we WERE given an opportunity on the last sea day to buy a discounted package of minutes with the explanation that passengers could work on their flights, emailing hotels or home etc. Not sure if that was a trial run on that "perk". Many DID take advantage from what I could tell by the waiting lines outside the computer center.

 

The happy hour sure would be nice. :D But with the new drink packages, unlikely. And yes 2 bottles of wine per passenger would be nice.

 

All cruiselines aren't created equal. So, as many pluses we find on one line, will also unvariably unveil a few negatives when comparing to another line. Thanks for the comparisons !:)

[jerseygirl3]

When we were onboard Eclipse, they had a Happy Hour in the evenings from 5-6 and again later in the evening (maybe 10-11?) in the martini bar and it was BOGO. We didn't take advantage of it since we had the premium alcohol beverage package, but I know a lot of folks who did.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Regarding #5-- I have no personal experience, but I thought Celebrity already allows free access at all times to their website in the Internet Cafe.

[Esprit]

Burgers cooked to order at the outside grill instead of being pre cooked and left to become mildy warm in a tray.

 

Fresh water in the under the roof pool rather than sea water.

 

Not too much to ask for surely?

[dkjretired]

Do not like #8 for security purposes in the event the card is lost...

[jagoffee]

Regarding #5-- I have no personal experience, but I thought Celebrity already allows free access at all times to their website in the Internet Cafe.

 

Yes, they do offer free access to the Celebrity website including wireless users. But that would only include Celebrity news.

[mafig]

Burgers cooked to order at the outside grill instead of being pre cooked and left to become mildy warm in a tray.

 

Fresh water in the under the roof pool rather than sea water.

 

Not too much to ask for surely?

 

 

Actually, I asked for a freshly-cooked burger on Eclipse (rather than from the tray) and was accommodated.;)

[cruisestitch]

when you see the long lines of people on embarkation day who are changing their dining time and/or table location, you will see why they don't print that information on your sea pass card.

[cruise kitty]

Like your list! these are things we love about HAL:

 

Laundry prices are far, far more reasonable; they have an unlimited laundry by the week price of about $45

 

all the wine/champagne you wish to carry on

 

drink prices are lower

 

loved the free specialty coffees with dessert in the MDR

 

We still prefer X's service staff (a bit more formal, not so familiar) to HAL's

as well as X's ships & good passenger to crew ratio, but we enjoyed HAL's food more. Wish that all the ships would ban all indoor smoking but allow it on the balconies when the ship is moving. (or perhaps designate some balconies smoking...as our neighbors smoked day & night despite the ban)

[ChrisJH]

Allowing smoking on balconies would be a disaster for non-smokers even more so when the ship is moving. Before X changed their policy, the only way to be sure you could enjoy a balcony was to book the cabin having the first balcony from the front of the ship! We learned that lesson the hard way!

[BBsails]

Thanks a bunch, PADT and jagoffee. I had no idea that access to the =X= website is free while aboard.

 

Betsy