HAL or X?

[startpacking]

Thinking of a Panama Canal cruise and the only two cruiselines that have an itinerary I am interested in are X and HAL. I have been on X, only once a few years ago and I have never sailed on HAL. How do the two brands compare? I am particularly interested in hearing from people who have sailed on both cruiselines recently.

 

Thanks.

[Globaliser]

Might there be some views in one of the following threads?Celebrity V. HALHAL vs. Celebrity -- Concrete differencesHappy and Sad at the same time...trying Celebrity, hope i don't miss HAL too much!!!!Mediterranean HAL or Celebrity for familyHolland America vs Celebrity/Princess for Mexican cruiseCelebrity vs. HALCelebrity Cruisers do HAL - Long!To those who've also cruised with CelebrityComparison Cruises - HAL versus CelebrityHAL vs Celebrity?holland america vs celebrity

[blueboro]

Never been on a Panama Canal cruise but we sailed the Caribbean in April 2010 on the Celebrity and on HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam in March 2011. Here are a few of my "personal" observations...yours may vary:

 

 

 

What I like better on Celebrity (X)

• X ships to me seem a little more open and less crowded...even though the Solstice actually had 700 more pax than the N.A.
  
• I like the casual buffet area on X much better than on HAL...a better layout that seems to spread out the crowd
  
• Up until today the restrictive smoking policy on X was a huge difference. They still have a more restrictive policy than HAL and do not allow smoking on balconies or in the casino which is wonderful for us
  
• Interactive TV to check bill, order photos and much more
  
• More shopping on X if that is of interest
  

What I like better on HAL:

• All HAL ships have a wrap around promenade deck which is a huge plus
  
• Balconies on HAL Signature class are larger than most balconies on X
  
• More elevators on HAL Signature class vs. X Solstice class
  
• Even though X is known for their extra cost dining options, we liked the Tamarind and Pinnacle on HAL better than Tuscan on X
  
• Most HAL ships now allow you to immediately go to your cabin when boarding which spreads the crowd around
  

Similar things:

• Service was excellent on both...a tie
  
• Food was very good on both...some items better on X and some better on HAL. Loved that I could get escargot every night on X and loved that I can get cappucino free on HAL in dining room
  
• Entertainment is subjective but did not find it significantly better or worse on either line
  

Hope this helps some.

[kazu]

I am guessing the cruise you are looking at is on the zuiderdam, am I correct?

 

If so, I will tell you right now it's a nice ship - does the itinerary well, food is good, staff great.

 

I don't know where the previous poster felt that X was less crowded as i found it more crowded, probably the wrong ship:confused:

 

each to his own. I found Hal's buffet and meals far better JMO though;)

 

Hal has some nice touches that I didn't see on X. I didn't have the best cruise on X - I know ship happens - but, I've never had it to that extent on HAL and besides I like their fresh squeezed oj.

 

Overall, they are both good lines, we just happen to prefer HAL. Happy sailing on whatever ship:D

[blueboro]

The places I noticed the NA being more crowded than the Solstice were at lido pool (very closed in on the NA), the Lido buffet, and even some of the public rooms. HAL likes to have a lot of smaller, more intimate, public rooms but in some cases "intimate" to me just seems smaller and it does not take many people to make it feel crowded. Also, the Sunset Bar aft on the Solstice is one of the best places I have ever experienced on any of our 14 cruises. But both were great ships and would not hesitate to go on either one again.

[startpacking]

Thanks for the helpful replies.

 

kazu, the HAL cruise I am considering in on the Westerdam.

[fleckle]

Thinking of a Panama Canal cruise and the only two cruiselines that have an itinerary I am interested in are X and HAL. I have been on X, only once a few years ago and I have never sailed on HAL. How do the two brands compare? I am particularly interested in hearing from people who have sailed on both cruiselines recently.

 

Thanks.

Overall they are quite similar and we enjoy both, so we usually decide based on itinerary and price. We find the food somewhat better on X, but food preference is very subjective.

 

If the ship's smoking policy matters to you, HAL is better for smokers and X is better for non-smokers. For many people that can be the deciding factor.

[kazu]

Thanks for the helpful replies.

 

kazu, the HAL cruise I am considering in on the Westerdam.

 

the Westerdam is a very nice ship. It has a lot of fans.

 

As to the other comment regarding the crowded Lido that was on the NA (the Nieuw amsterdam) although a lot of people like it, I too found the Lido crowded on that ship, more so than the other HAL ships. to me it's not comparable.

 

If you do a search you should be able to find a lot reviews by people having sailed on the Westerdam and some reviews on the cruise critic board.

 

I haven't been on the board that long, but most reviews that I have seen on the Westerdam have been raving reviews.

 

Good to mention the ship as I am sure others will come on to help.

 

Myself, I'd do the Westerdam, but I am prejudiced. Just a matter of what's important to you. It's a very nice ship with a great crew:D