Cruise Lines comparable to HAL & Oceania

[Princess Jessie]

Hi All,

I recently asked the question of HAL vs Oceania, and everyone was great in offering me their views...

 

I am now in a situation, that I cannot find a cruise on either line that fits in with dates / places that I want.

 

Is there any other line that someone can recommend that could compare with them?

 

I have been on NCL, 6 years ago, Princess 4 years ago, and this year on the Celebrity Constellation.

 

I was very disappointed with Celebrity.. I had heard such amazing things and found it inferior to HAL in almost every way but the entertainment.

 

However, as we hardly go to the shows that is not a priority for me.

 

Any recommendations gratefully received.

[LHT28]

I think you are comparing apples to oranges

 

Maybe the question should be what cruise lines offer then list your requirements

What ports you want to go to and when

No cruise line will go to all the place you may want on a particular sailing so you may have to make some choices of what ports are more important than others

 

Enjoy whatever cruise you choose

 

Lyn

[JimandStan]

Hi All,

I recently asked the question of HAL vs Oceania, and everyone was great in offering me their views...

 

I am now in a situation, that I cannot find a cruise on either line that fits in with dates / places that I want.

 

Is there any other line that someone can recommend that could compare with them?

 

I have been on NCL, 6 years ago, Princess 4 years ago, and this year on the Celebrity Constellation.

 

I was very disappointed with Celebrity.. I had heard such amazing things and found it inferior to HAL in almost every way but the entertainment.

 

However, as we hardly go to the shows that is not a priority for me.

 

Any recommendations gratefully received.

If I were in your shoes, I would first go to one of the giant travel company Websites (Google Cruises, and you will find them), which have search engines which will allow you to compile a list of ALL of the Cruise Lines which are sailing where you want to go, when you want to go, and then ask a Travel Agent to guide you in selecting which of those choices will suit you best.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I wouldn't use HAL and Oceania in the same sentence. HAL and Celebrity are very similar. I personally give Celebrity the edge, but clearly you didn't.

 

Oceania is like gliding halfway to heaven in comparison.

[hondorner]

...Is there any other line that someone can recommend that could compare with them?

As has been pointed out, lots of cruise lines compare to HAL -- pick any one of the mass market cruise lines which nickle-dime you to death.

 

As for Oceania, some people say Azamara if you are comparing to the smaller Oceania ships (Regatta and Nautica, and Insignia when it rejoins the fleet in 2014) but frankly, nothing compares with Riviera amd Marina. As for service and food, Regent comes closest but at a significant premium to cover its all-inclusive nature.

[Marebear]

I answered your other post and there is no way I would put Hal in the same catagory as Oceania. Hal belongs in the mass market lines and Oceania is way above it!!!

[CintiPam]

As Don alluded to, Azamara Club cruiseline often is considered comparable to Oceania because its two ships are the same refitted Renaissance ships that Regatta and Nautica are. We went on our first Azamara cruise in October after four on Oceania, and indeed found it very comparable and love that small ship size (just a bit under 700 passengers). Also, both lines provide excellent service and port intensive itineraries.

[MightyQuinn]

HAL and Oceania are in different leagues and not comparable. HAL is mass market and Oceania is premium.

 

Azamara is another premium cruise line that is several notches above HAL, almost equal to Oceania on the R class ships (Regatta and Nautica) and a few notches below Oceania on the new O class ships (Marina and Riviera). Azamara only has a 2-ship fleet so itineraries can be somewhat limiting, but you may strike it lucky.

[Riana]

As others have stated, Oceania is definitely premium, while HAL is definitely mass market. I would never sail with HAL again, given our experiences & ongoing passenger reports of the line's continued issues with A/C, plumbing, & deteriorating food quality. This is a shame because HAL does have wonderful itineraries.

 

Comparing HAL & Celebrity: Food-wise, on our last cruise with HAL (albeit 2 1/2 yrs ago) we very much enjoyed the Lido restaurant, but found that the MDR had far less fresh items & poor service. Although most lines have made cut backs since then, we really preferred the MDR food & excellent service on our recent Celebrity cruise. However, their Lido equivalent was just mediocre. (Of course, nothing can currently compare with Oceania! jmho)

 

As for entertainment, we usually only attend a few shows on each cruise, but neither HAL nor Celebrity have impressed us with their entertainment.

 

So, if we were to consider a line other than Oceania? Maybe Crystal for the food & service......Regent for its All Inclusiveness & itineraries......Azamara for its smart casual dress code & intimacy......

 

Best of luck to the OP--hope you find a line you really enjoy.

[hypercafe]

In the mass market world I would be very careful using HAL as I feel they are really slipping. Their fleet is old and not well maintained IMO. They do have very good itineraries so for the right price with open eyes I would use them. The two mass market lines I really like is Celebrity and NCL. You didn't like them however they have some really great ships, modern, very well maintained and new or totally redone. NCL is like a poor mans Oceania in that they are resort casual with many restaurants and food types to choose from. If you book a suite you get the heaven area which is very upscale. I feel service is the same on all mass market lines, they all want you to have a great time but are stretched thin to keep the fares low. The food is really outstanding in some of the extra cost rest while the MDR and lido are wedding food. I can not speak for Oceania as my first trip is in March however at their price point I expect a lot more and I feel I will be happy. However if you have a itinerary in mind you can only choose from ships that go there, as all of life it's a trade off.

[candbgirl]

I wouldn't use HAL and Oceania in the same sentence. HAL and Celebrity are very similar. I personally give Celebrity the edge, but clearly you didn't.

 

Oceania is like gliding halfway to heaven in comparison.

 

 

This is exactly how I feel. I'm surprised you have such negative feelings about Celebrity. I think they are much better than HAL but it is what it is. I think Jim and Stan have the right idea. Search for all cruises going where you want to go when you want to go and then check with your personal TA. I'd suggest Azamara but since they are part of the Celebrity/RCCL family you might not be interested.

[Bruin Steve]

Agree with everyone else...HAL is not comparable to Oceania...

And I really like Celebrity...

But, if I couldn't find what I wanted on Oceania and didn't want to go with Celebrity, I would look at Azamara...

 

Another avenue to go would be to jump to Regent...a luxury line owned by the same entity as Oceania... alot of similarities...

[HeatherInFlorida]

This is exactly how I feel. I'm surprised you have such negative feelings about Celebrity. I think they are much better than HAL but it is what it is. I think Jim and Stan have the right idea. Search for all cruises going where you want to go when you want to go and then check with your personal TA. I'd suggest Azamara but since they are part of the Celebrity/RCCL family you might not be interested.

 

I may have given the wrong impression. I'm not completely negative about Celebrity and until 2012 I literally raved about every cruise we took with Celebrity. I was over the moon about our October 2010 cruise on Solstice. Maybe our January 2012 cruise was a fluke and I'd love it again, but I don't think so. I felt changes in the food and the service. Still, I definitely give Celebrity the edge over HAL (by a wide margin) for mass market cruise lines. I'm just at a point in my life where I'm not going to go skimp.

 

So when we decided to throw caution to the winds ands spend a bit of the children's inheritance and try Oceania, we just found Oceania too wonderful not to return. The kids are fine, better off than we are; we worked for years to indulge ourselves like this so we will:). Sounds a little harsh to some, but these days we're not sure what the dollar will be worth in a few year's anyway.

 

As for Azamara I would never rule it out if we couldn't find itineraries we like on Oceania. Since we don't drink alcohol it's unlikely we'd go on an all inclusive since Oceania already is for us. We don't cruise as often as many here do, there are so many things we enjoy doing besides cruising so for now we found a very nice home for us on Oceania.

[candbgirl]

^^ I knew you weren't disappointed in Celebrity. It was the OP that is. I'm sort of in the same situation as you are I have always loved Celebrity and right up until last June when I cruised Oceania, it was my cruise line of choice. Now I am having a hard time even considering anything other than Oceania. I'm sure I'll eventually get over that but no way will I return to HAL. I've read too many reports of issues with the ships etc.

[HeatherInFlorida]

^^ I knew you weren't disappointed in Celebrity. It was the OP that is. I'm sort of in the same situation as you are I have always loved Celebrity and right up until last June when I cruised Oceania, it was my cruise line of choice. Now I am having a hard time even considering anything other than Oceania. I'm sure I'll eventually get over that but no way will I return to HAL. I've read too many reports of issues with the ships etc.

 

We're on the same exact page :)! I doubt very much we'll every go back to Celebrity although we would consider Azamara. But as long as there are itineraries we like on Oceania, that's where we'll be. In fact, I'd be fine doing the same itinerary. It's really not about where the ship goes anymore; the ship is our destination :).

[CintiPam]

After four Oceania cruises in four years, we took an Azamara cruise in mid-October because we needed a getaway after our daughter's wedding at the end of September, and the itinerary offered was just too fantastic: four ports in Sicily, a day in Valletta and a day in Salerno (so we finally could visit Paestum). Certainly a great opportunity for lovers of Greek temples; do not miss Paestum if you ever get the opportunity.

 

Anyway, it was interesting to contrast sailing on the same R ship on two different lines. Azamara was much less formal, with a lot of interaction with the ship's officers, and a very friendly atmosphere. The food was just a shade below Oceania, the tips were included, as well as the wine, the extensive coffee area was a great place to relax and play trivia, and the shore excursions were much less costly. On the other hand, no afternoon tea, extra costs for the specialty restaurants, beds not as luxurious and no fresh breakfast berries.

[roothy123]

Glad to hear reasonably good things about Celebrity as in March I am jumping ship and giving them a try. I know it won't be as nice as Oceania, especially in the food department but at least the cruise was a tiny bit cheaper and the Caribbean itinerary I found was decent. After doing two O Caribbean cruises already I was finding not much of interest on the O website for that area. It is hard to find the port intensive cruises I like.

 

I personally feel that itinerary is very important. That is why I'm taking a chance on Celebrity.

I know it won't be as nice as Oceania but it will certainly be nicer than staying at home!!!!

 

By the way, we did Mayan Mystique last year and loved it. Just be prepared for some very poor ports. That however (going where most other lines don't go) is one reason we love Oceania.

 

Just out of curiosity, princess jessie, what didn't you like about Celebrity? Was it mostly that the food was hyped a lot before you went and then you didn't find it anything special?

[Bruin Steve]

Glad to hear reasonably good things about Celebrity as in March I am jumping ship and giving them a try. I know it won't be as nice as Oceania, especially in the food department but at least the cruise was a tiny bit cheaper and the Caribbean itinerary I found was decent. After doing two O Caribbean cruises already I was finding not much of interest on the O website for that area. It is hard to find the port intensive cruises I like.

 

I personally feel that itinerary is very important. That is why I'm taking a chance on Celebrity.

I know it won't be as nice as Oceania but it will certainly be nicer than staying at home!!!!

 

By the way, we did Mayan Mystique last year and loved it. Just be prepared for some very poor ports. That however (going where most other lines don't go) is one reason we love Oceania.

 

Roothy,

It all makes sense to me...

We generally cruise by itinerary...and, after so many cruises, we've just been to a lot of ports in a lot of the areas we cruise often...

So, I will always look for the most unusual or interesting itinerary (except that it won't be on Carnival or NCL or even Princess if I can help it)...

 

But I have no problem with Celebrity--in fact I really like them...I do think the food is a little better on Oceania...and the no charge for specialty restaurants is a nice plus...As is the no formal nights...But, Celebrity is a very good product as well...

 

So, for me, it often comes down to itinerary...or timing (it has to fit into some narrowly defined vacation schedules for us)...

 

This coming summer, surprisingly, Celebrity had the more unique and unusual itinerary for the area we wanted to visit...Typically, Oceania has some of the most unique and interesting itineraries, so this surprised us a bit...But our final comparison came down to two cruises--Celebrity Silhouette and Oceania Riviera both had somewhat similar itineraries for our timeframe--both going Venice to Rome--or Rome to Venice, both visiting the Amalfi area, Sicily, Corfu, Kotor and Dubrovnik...But the Celebrity cruise is 3 nights longer and also visits Koper, Split, Bari and Ravenna...while the Riviera only adds Livorno (where we've already been several times)...

 

Usually, one would expect the imaginitiveness to be the other way around! In this case, it made the decision for us...

 

We'll be back on Oceania on a future cruise, but, it doesn't always work out to stick to one cruise line...

[Paulchili]

Steve,

Did you see FDR's post about O summer 2014 itineraries with emphasis on new Adriatic-intensive itineraries?

Paul

[Bruin Steve]

Steve,

Did you see FDR's post about O summer 2014 itineraries with emphasis on new Adriatic-intensive itineraries?

Paul

 

Yeah...but, of course, it's always a matter of timing...next summer we'll want to go somewhere else...Black Sea?

[CintiPam]

Steve,

Did you see FDR's post about O summer 2014 itineraries with emphasis on new Adriatic-intensive itineraries?

Paul

 

I look forward to this reveal; right now we are booked on a mid-September 2013 Adriatic cruise on Azamara Quest RT Venice, but it is only seven nights, and I would so like to visit these ports on Riviera.