HAL fan trying Celebrity

[foodgirl]

We are booked on Celebrity Reflection April 5th. We feel a little naughty not being on one our our beloved HAL boats but we could not go until April and that left us no option for the Caribbean this year unless we looked at another line. We have been curious to try the Solstice class having seen them in ports over the years. If any of you have sailed this ship I would love to hear from a HAL cruiser for their thoughts. We are really excited to see the ship as it looks amazing in the pictures. I will be sure to share my thoughts here when we return. The lonely real concern I have is the size. It will be the biggest ship I have ever been on but the reviews are great so we shall see. :)

[rkacruiser]

As you can see by my signature, I am a Celebrity newbie with lots of HAL experience.

 

I sailed last year on the Eclipse: it was a very good cruise. Service was equal to HAL except at Happy Hour. Trying to find a seat in some of the lounges at that time was "trying". Food and menu selections in the MDR were not as good as HAL, in my opinion. (Baked Apples were availble for breakfast in the MDR on Eclipse and I wish HAL would also offer this delight.) But, the Tuscan Grille and Murano specialty restaurants were far superior to Pinnacle Grill and, most certainly, Canaletto.

 

Music and individual entertainment were very good. One of the indivdual entertainers has performed on 2 HAL ships that I have sailed. Main stage shows: 2 out of 3 were wierd.

 

The veranda cabin door to the balcony is one that slides and I found that to be better than the door to the verandas on HAL ships.

 

The decor of Eclipse was very modern and beautiful. I am sure that Reflection will be just as lovely.

 

Please enjoy your cruise!

[Cruising-along]

We haven't sailed on the Reflection, but were on the Silhouette, and it was great. I was worried too that it would feel big, but it really didn't. I do think you'll enjoy your cruise.

 

I agree with rkacruiser's points, and will add that we found the service to be equal and in some instances better than HAL.

[foodgirl]

Thanks for the responses. I asked this on the celebrity board but no answer so far. DH likes to wear shorts. Will that be okay in lounges or bars after dinner or not? I was told that nice jeans are okay any night in the specialty restaurants and we don't do the dining room ever as DH says it takes too long. We will dine there or the buffet although we were told it is not as extensive as the lido on HAL any thoughts??

[OCruisers]

On mass market cruise lines which HAL & Celebrity both are ... Celebrity is the closest fit for HAL cruisers.

On dress ... Whatever your DH has worn on HAL will also be fine on Celebrity. :)

LuLu

~~~

[Himself]

Enjoy the cruise and please give us a scouting report when you return.

[foodgirl]

Enjoy the cruise and please give us a scouting report when you return.

 

Will do. We are most curious. Have read that Celebrity is most like HAL. We shall see!!!

[erewhon]

Will be interested to read your report when you return.

Wishing you a great cruise.

[Cruising-along]

Thanks for the responses. I asked this on the celebrity board but no answer so far. DH likes to wear shorts. Will that be okay in lounges or bars after dinner or not? I was told that nice jeans are okay any night in the specialty restaurants and we don't do the dining room ever as DH says it takes too long. We will dine there or the buffet although we were told it is not as extensive as the lido on HAL any thoughts??

 

When we sailed the Silhouette we had many dinners at the buffet and found it to be just as extensive, IMO, as the buffet on HAL. At least we didn't notice much difference, we were very content. :p

[foodgirl]

When we sailed the Silhouette we had many dinners at the buffet and found it to be just as extensive, IMO, as the buffet on HAL. At least we didn't notice much difference, we were very content. :p

 

That is good to hear. As we never eat in the dining room that will be nice. We may do a couple of the specialty restaurant as they are smart casual every night

[cruisetrail]

Will do. We are most curious. Have read that Celebrity is most like HAL. We shall see!!!

 

There is a HUGE difference between Celebrity Solstice class ships and Holland America Signature class ships. I mean HUGE.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I will be looking forward to your review when you get back.

I know what you mean -- HAL is cutting their Caribbean season so much that we find ourselves starting to look at other cruise lines.

[SeaWatch12]

We are booked on Celebrity Reflection April 5th. We feel a little naughty not being on one our our beloved HAL boats but we could not go until April and that left us no option for the Caribbean this year unless we looked at another line. We have been curious to try the Solstice class having seen them in ports over the years. If any of you have sailed this ship I would love to hear from a HAL cruiser for their thoughts. We are really excited to see the ship as it looks amazing in the pictures. I will be sure to share my thoughts here when we return. The lonely real concern I have is the size. It will be the biggest ship I have ever been on but the reviews are great so we shall see. :)

 

Foodgirl,

Thank you for starting this thread.

I am in the opposite situation. Most of our cruises have been on Celebrity and I have book HAL for the first time.

The Nieuw Amsterdam, late 2014.

We have always enjoyed Celebrity, both the Solstice and the smaller ships.

I am hoping the Nieuw Amsterdam provides us with as good an experience.

The reason I am anxious to try HAL is that I found an old family photo of a relative boarding the Nieuw Amsterdam.

I figured it was around 1969 or 1970 so that would of made it the second ship with that name. Booking this ship to continue a family tradition!

My only concern with HAL is that they allow smoking on the balconies. I am hoping I can enjoy mine with out having to smell someone else's smoke.

I am sure you will love the Reflection and all Celebrity has to offer.

Mark

Edited March 15, 2014 by SeaWatch12

[Hlitner]

We would not agree that Celebrity and HAL are very much alike! We routinely cruise both lines (and like them both) because they are NOT alike. We do enjoy some variety in our cruising (which is why we have cruised on 14 different cruise lines) because it keeps things fresh and interesting. We do think that a majority of HAL fans will enjoy cruising on Celebrity...but of course, they will be making the normal comparisons (food, entertainment, staff, ship design, etc). There are pros and cons to both lines and their ship designs. We actually find HAL ship designs to be very unique (when compared to nearly all their competitors) and the Solstice Class ships are a great example of the different philosophy in design and onboard amenities. Personally, we prefer the Solstice Class design....but that is just a very subjective judgment.

 

Hank

[POA1]

Here's a thread which might be helpful. Shrimp was just on Celebrity.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1996340

 

Hello from Celebrity Century!

[foodgirl]

I have been getting some good info from the Celebrity board..although it took a few posts to get some response...as we are sailing so soon I am quickly doing my research....specialty dining...menu's look great....cant wait to try the Lawn Club Grill....looks really fun and outdoors...how nice! Looking over the beverage package options....DH really loves his coffees in the morning and he could have as many as he wants with the package so really considering. The ship itself looks so great in the pictures though very different from HAL. I will keep a log while on board to try to answer as many questions as possible when I come back....I am extremely curious about everything...DH says to the point of annoyance at times....:D I will learn all I can and share back with all of you....many on this board have provided help to me over the years and while I don't get to post as much as I would like I really appreciate it and hope to return the favor.

[PROCRUISE]

You're going to be VERY amazed and pleased with Celebrity. HAL and X are both well run and very classy. You'll find X to be a little more lively in the evenings but the same type of pleasant and interesting fellow passengers that you're use to on HAL. Enjoy your cruise.

[foodgirl]

You're going to be VERY amazed and pleased with Celebrity. HAL and X are both well run and very classy. You'll find X to be a little more lively in the evenings but the same type of pleasant and interesting fellow passengers that you're use to on HAL. Enjoy your cruise.

Thanks for all the well wishes.....we are really looking forward to this cruise. Work has been very stressful as of late and there is nothing more relaxing to me than being at sea. I will report back to all of you what we thought.

[pris993]

We cruise on Celebrity, we are actually elite on Princess, eilite on Celebrity and 2 star on HAL, plus we have cruised NCL recently.

 

We are booked on HAL this year the Nieuw Amsterdam in April and the Silhoutte in the eastern Mediterranean in October.

 

To respond to your questions, really think HAL MDR is better than X. When we cruise X we enjoy the Lido, X has the most a wide variety of selection in the Lido.

 

X is more modern, HAL more classic. Each has its pluses and minues.

 

I am sure you will enjoy your cruise.

[cashmeremypuppydog]

First of all, let me tell you that we only book inside room, pick our ship first for the itinerary and then the Cruise Line/star level of the ship. I don't think we would go under 5* and would only go 4.5* if we could not find the itinerary we want with a 5* ship.

 

I have only cruised 3 times: Queen Mary II 5* 2008, HAL Eurodam 5* 2012 (someone jumped off the ship so we never made it to HAL private island!), Celebrity Eclipse 5.5* 2013 and an upcoming cruise with Celebrity Equinox 5.5*

The reason we didn't cruise from 2008 to 2012 is because we were afraid not to find a cruise that would match our first cruise with QM II. As we loved cruising, we decided to try it again. The 1st day on HAL Eurodam was disappointing but we told ourselves that we would have a good time. After the cruise, we were happy with our holiday but not blown away as we had been in 2008... About 4 months later, we cruised with Celebrity Equinox and were blown away.

Pros of Celebrity: Lawn on the top deck and glass blowing demonstration!

No smoking around the pool (extremely annoying with HAL)

Food was outstanding

Water/lemonade/ice tea waiting for you just outside the ship at your return from your excursion...

Evening entertainments were excellent to outstanding.

Very fancy but not snobby

Lots of room per person comparing to HAL

Premium ice cream at lunch as well as M&M, jujubes ... endless toppings

Made us feel we were on a very luxurious ship

Since then my DH has purchased a tuxedo shirt, bow and a new blk fitted suit...

Cons of Celebrity: Limited itinerary if you want a longer cruise (over 14 nights)

 

Pros of HAL: employees are outstanding. I felt we were family.

no waiting to get back on the ship

water/ice tea/lemonade AND cold face cloth waiting for you outside the ship at your return.

Great itinerary if you want longer cruises

Cons of HAL: Smoking policy

Night shows are good to ok.

Food at the dining room was good but not outstanding.

Some cruisers were sloppily dressed and brought the standard of the cruise down

QM II was outstanding but it spends way too many days at sea and we are not into this.

 

But all that to say that we will be cruising next with Celebrity Equinox 5.5* (11 nights), HAL Nieuw Amsterdam 5* (24 days Greek/Mediterranean) in Oct and HAL Volendam 4.5* (28 days Asia in 2015).

Again, it's all about the itinerary and then a balance between cruise line/the rating of the ship. What is great for us might not be what you are looking for which is great as everyone would want to board the same ship!!! Think of what you want and research each cruise line. There is one out there for you.

Good luck choosing your next cruise.

[GeriatricNurse]

First of all, let me tell you that we only book inside room, pick our ship first for the itinerary and then the Cruise Line/star level of the ship. I don't think we would go under 5* and would only go 4.5* if we could not find the itinerary we want with a 5* ship.

 

I have only cruised 3 times: Queen Mary II 5* 2008, HAL Eurodam 5* 2012 (someone jumped off the ship so we never made it to HAL private island!), Celebrity Eclipse 5.5* 2013 and an upcoming cruise with Celebrity Equinox 5.5*

The reason we didn't cruise from 2008 to 2012 is because we were afraid not to find a cruise that would match our first cruise with QM II. As we loved cruising, we decided to try it again. The 1st day on HAL Eurodam was disappointing but we told ourselves that we would have a good time. After the cruise, we were happy with our holiday but not blown away as we had been in 2008... About 4 months later, we cruised with Celebrity Equinox and were blown away.

Pros of Celebrity: Lawn on the top deck and glass blowing demonstration!

No smoking around the pool (extremely annoying with HAL)

Food was outstanding

Water/lemonade/ice tea waiting for you just outside the ship at your return from your excursion...

Evening entertainments were excellent to outstanding.

Very fancy but not snobby

Lots of room per person comparing to HAL

Premium ice cream at lunch as well as M&M, jujubes ... endless toppings

Made us feel we were on a very luxurious ship

Since then my DH has purchased a tuxedo shirt, bow and a new blk fitted suit...

Cons of Celebrity: Limited itinerary if you want a longer cruise (over 14 nights)

 

Pros of HAL: employees are outstanding. I felt we were family.

no waiting to get back on the ship

water/ice tea/lemonade AND cold face cloth waiting for you outside the ship at your return.

Great itinerary if you want longer cruises

Cons of HAL: Smoking policy

Night shows are good to ok.

Food at the dining room was good but not outstanding.

Some cruisers were sloppily dressed and brought the standard of the cruise down

QM II was outstanding but it spends way too many days at sea and we are not into this.

 

But all that to say that we will be cruising next with Celebrity Equinox 5.5* (11 nights), HAL Nieuw Amsterdam 5* (24 days Greek/Mediterranean) in Oct and HAL Volendam 4.5* (28 days Asia in 2015).

Again, it's all about the itinerary and then a balance between cruise line/the rating of the ship. What is great for us might not be what you are looking for which is great as everyone would want to board the same ship!!! Think of what you want and research each cruise line. There is one out there for you.

Good luck choosing your next cruise.

 

I am a HAL cruiser & I was unaware that smoking was permitted around any pool on HAL ships; certainly not on the Lido Deck or anywhere around the Lido Pool! :confused: Please be more specific where smoking was allowed "around the pool" onboard HAL ships? :confused:

[SeaWatch12]

Please, please tell me that they do not allow smoking on the pool deck of the Nieuw Amsterdam. If so, I may have to cancel my reservation and stay with Celebrity. Can someone please clarify where on the Nieuw Amsterdam they do allow smoking?

Thanks,

Mark

[Sam.Seattle]

First of all, let me tell you that we only book inside room, pick our ship first for the itinerary and then the Cruise Line/star level of the ship. I don't think we would go under 5* and would only go 4.5* if we could not find the itinerary we want with a 5* ship.

 

I have only cruised 3 times: Queen Mary II 5* 2008, HAL Eurodam 5* 2012 (someone jumped off the ship so we never made it to HAL private island!), Celebrity Eclipse 5.5* 2013 and an upcoming cruise with Celebrity Equinox 5.5*

The reason we didn't cruise from 2008 to 2012 is because we were afraid not to find a cruise that would match our first cruise with QM II. As we loved cruising, we decided to try it again. The 1st day on HAL Eurodam was disappointing but we told ourselves that we would have a good time. After the cruise, we were happy with our holiday but not blown away as we had been in 2008... About 4 months later, we cruised with Celebrity Equinox and were blown away.

Pros of Celebrity: Lawn on the top deck and glass blowing demonstration!

No smoking around the pool (extremely annoying with HAL)

Food was outstanding

Water/lemonade/ice tea waiting for you just outside the ship at your return from your excursion...

Evening entertainments were excellent to outstanding.

Very fancy but not snobby

Lots of room per person comparing to HAL

Premium ice cream at lunch as well as M&M, jujubes ... endless toppings

Made us feel we were on a very luxurious ship

Since then my DH has purchased a tuxedo shirt, bow and a new blk fitted suit...

Cons of Celebrity: Limited itinerary if you want a longer cruise (over 14 nights)

 

Pros of HAL: employees are outstanding. I felt we were family.

no waiting to get back on the ship

water/ice tea/lemonade AND cold face cloth waiting for you outside the ship at your return.

Great itinerary if you want longer cruises

Cons of HAL: Smoking policy

Night shows are good to ok.

Food at the dining room was good but not outstanding.

Some cruisers were sloppily dressed and brought the standard of the cruise down

QM II was outstanding but it spends way too many days at sea and we are not into this.

 

But all that to say that we will be cruising next with Celebrity Equinox 5.5* (11 nights), HAL Nieuw Amsterdam 5* (24 days Greek/Mediterranean) in Oct and HAL Volendam 4.5* (28 days Asia in 2015).

Again, it's all about the itinerary and then a balance between cruise line/the rating of the ship. What is great for us might not be what you are looking for which is great as everyone would want to board the same ship!!! Think of what you want and research each cruise line. There is one out there for you.

Good luck choosing your next cruise.

Where are you getting the ratings? 4*, 4.5*, 5*????

 

I think you are referencing some 1 to 5 Star rating system?

 

I appreciate you stating that you only stay in inside rooms. For me the room location, size and balcony will have an enormous amount of weight when I select a cruise.

[ScriptOhio]

Please, please tell me that they do not allow smoking on the pool deck of the Nieuw Amsterdam. If so, I may have to cancel my reservation and stay with Celebrity. Can someone please clarify where on the Nieuw Amsterdam they do allow smoking?

Thanks,

Mark

 

I was on the ship last month;

 

there was no smoking by the main pool; however, there was on the starboard side of the rear pool area. Other smoking areas included:

 

anybody's veranda

both sides (outside of) deck 3 (i.e. lower promenade)

starboard side of the (open) top deck

casino

[Tarpeian Rock]

First of all, let me tell you that we only book inside room, pick our ship first for the itinerary and then the Cruise Line/star level of the ship. I don't think we would go under 5* and would only go 4.5* if we could not find the itinerary we want with a 5* ship.

 

I have only cruised 3 times: Queen Mary II 5* 2008, HAL Eurodam 5* 2012 (someone jumped off the ship so we never made it to HAL private island!), Celebrity Eclipse 5.5* 2013 and an upcoming cruise with Celebrity Equinox 5.5*

The reason we didn't cruise from 2008 to 2012 is because we were afraid not to find a cruise that would match our first cruise with QM II. As we loved cruising, we decided to try it again. The 1st day on HAL Eurodam was disappointing but we told ourselves that we would have a good time. After the cruise, we were happy with our holiday but not blown away as we had been in 2008... About 4 months later, we cruised with Celebrity Equinox and were blown away.

Pros of Celebrity: Lawn on the top deck and glass blowing demonstration!

No smoking around the pool (extremely annoying with HAL)

Food was outstanding

Water/lemonade/ice tea waiting for you just outside the ship at your return from your excursion...

Evening entertainments were excellent to outstanding.

Very fancy but not snobby

Lots of room per person comparing to HAL

Premium ice cream at lunch as well as M&M, jujubes ... endless toppings

Made us feel we were on a very luxurious ship

Since then my DH has purchased a tuxedo shirt, bow and a new blk fitted suit...

Cons of Celebrity: Limited itinerary if you want a longer cruise (over 14 nights)

 

Pros of HAL: employees are outstanding. I felt we were family.

no waiting to get back on the ship

water/ice tea/lemonade AND cold face cloth waiting for you outside the ship at your return.

Great itinerary if you want longer cruises

Cons of HAL: Smoking policy

Night shows are good to ok.

Food at the dining room was good but not outstanding.

Some cruisers were sloppily dressed and brought the standard of the cruise down

QM II was outstanding but it spends way too many days at sea and we are not into this.

 

But all that to say that we will be cruising next with Celebrity Equinox 5.5* (11 nights), HAL Nieuw Amsterdam 5* (24 days Greek/Mediterranean) in Oct and HAL Volendam 4.5* (28 days Asia in 2015).

Again, it's all about the itinerary and then a balance between cruise line/the rating of the ship. What is great for us might not be what you are looking for which is great as everyone would want to board the same ship!!! Think of what you want and research each cruise line. There is one out there for you.

Good luck choosing your next cruise.

 

 

 

Who does a 6-star rating system? All the guides I'm familiar with top out at 5 stars.