Holland America Loyalist Thinking About Celebrity - HELP!

[godawgs2012]

When I cruise, I almost exclusively try to cruise HAL. I love their ships and the level of service. However, they almost exclusively do 7+ night cruises. Having been recently married, my wife has never guided and wants to go on a shorter cruise (such as the 5 day out of FLL on the Constellation in Feb. 2015). What are the big differences between the two lines? How comparable are they in terms of food, entertainment, cabin size (we are thinking concierge class balcony)? Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

[cle-guy]

When I cruise, I almost exclusively try to cruise HAL. I love their ships and the level of service. However, they almost exclusively do 7+ night cruises. Having been recently married, my wife has never guided and wants to go on a shorter cruise (such as the 5 day out of FLL on the Constellation in Feb. 2015). What are the big differences between the two lines? How comparable are they in terms of food, entertainment, cabin size (we are thinking concierge class balcony)? Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

 

I can't comment on HAL, but will say many feel the shorter 5 day and less Connie cruses aren't a great representation of Celebrity as a whole. The vibe on that short cruise doesn't give the time for staff to interact as much as they are focused on getting going then getting ready for the end and repeating. I've sailed Connie 2 times on a 4 and a 5 and enjoyed it, so don't get me wrong, but many find it to also be a more "party" vibe as its ports are KeyWest and Cozumel.

 

Connie was my first ever cruise, and got me hooked, so sure the new misses will get the bug as well!

[woody14h]

When I cruise, I almost exclusively try to cruise HAL. I love their ships and the level of service. However, they almost exclusively do 7+ night cruises. Having been recently married, my wife has never guided and wants to go on a shorter cruise (such as the 5 day out of FLL on the Constellation in Feb. 2015). What are the big differences between the two lines? How comparable are they in terms of food, entertainment, cabin size (we are thinking concierge class balcony)? Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

 

We interchange depending on price. location and time of year. You cannot go wrong with either. Just finished 5 day on Constellation. Our 3rd on the Connie. Great. Last HAL cruise was transatlantic. Great. No complaints. HAL might have a slight edge in cabin size. Service (table and room) excellent on both. Food subjective taste. Both very good. Depends on the chef aboard. I always thought Celebrity couldn't do fish. On the Connie it was very good. So you never know. You will like the Connie. Happy cruising and welcome to the CC board.

[RickT]

I agree with Curt that a 5 day Celebrity cruise will be tough to compare to a 7 day cruise. That being said we've cruised both lines and definitely prefer Celebrity and their ships. The M-Class (Connie) ship compares well to the HAL ships but you'll find the Connie has a much more open feel to it and makes much better use of it's decks and pool areas. Both are nice ships.

 

My overall comparison between Celebrity and HAL is as follows:

 

-Food - HAL is slightly better. We were impressed with the food and food choices available on HAL. No complaints about Celebrity but if we had to choose HAL would win.

 

-Service - Equal. We found both lines provide excellent service and although some individual employees may be better/worse than the others they are similar.

 

-Bars - We like the variety and location of the bars on Celebrity. There are more choices.

 

-Vibe - Not bashing the HAL idea of them having an older crowd, but we certainly notice that Celebrity appears more lively during the day and night. You'll probably find the demographics of a 5 day cruise younger still.

 

My thoughts would be to try it and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. If you want the "best" that Celebrity has to offer I'd look at a 7 day cruise and perhaps try an S-Class ship.

[Solon]

We have never sailed on HAL because of their smoking policy. We sailed on the Constellation last April and it was great fun with a younger crowd. However, the Constellation lacks the best Celebrity bar, Molecular! We also find 5 day cruises too short. By the time you are nicely settled in you then have to leave! :(

[jgreenwo17]

I agree with Curt that a 5 day Celebrity cruise will be tough to compare to a 7 day cruise. That being said we've cruised both lines and definitely prefer Celebrity and their ships. The M-Class (Connie) ship compares well to the HAL ships but you'll find the Connie has a much more open feel to it and makes much better use of it's decks and pool areas. Both are nice ships.

 

My overall comparison between Celebrity and HAL is as follows:

 

-Food - HAL is slightly better. We were impressed with the food and food choices available on HAL. No complaints about Celebrity but if we had to choose HAL would win.

 

-Service - Equal. We found both lines provide excellent service and although some individual employees may be better/worse than the others they are similar.

 

-Bars - We like the variety and location of the bars on Celebrity. There are more choices.

 

-Vibe - Not bashing the HAL idea of them having an older crowd, but we certainly notice that Celebrity appears more lively during the day and night. You'll probably find the demographics of a 5 day cruise younger still.

 

My thoughts would be to try it and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. If you want the "best" that Celebrity has to offer I'd look at a 7 day cruise and perhaps try an S-Class ship.

 

Well stated!

 

HAL's Oosterdam gave me the cruise bug, since then I have been comparing all of my subsequent cruises to that HAL cruise. I am happy to report that X combines the same kind of service that HAL does, food is comparable, vibe and enviroment is the best on X.

 

I would take your wife on a 7 night cruise. (Unless you like the party vibe)

[wwcruisers]

When I cruise, I almost exclusively try to cruise HAL. I love their ships and the level of service. However, they almost exclusively do 7+ night cruises. Having been recently married, my wife has never guided and wants to go on a shorter cruise (such as the 5 day out of FLL on the Constellation in Feb. 2015). What are the big differences between the two lines? How comparable are they in terms of food, entertainment, cabin size (we are thinking concierge class balcony)? Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

 

All the replies I've read so far are very good. But, one thing missing is the difference in smoking policies. Celebrity has no indoor or balcony smoking -- even the casino is smoke free. This may be a big plus or a big minus for you, depending on how you and your new wife (congratulations, BTW) feel about the subject.

[tangerinebunny]

Would your wife be interested in a seven day port intensive cruise? That way if she doesn't enjoy the sailing part, she'll have plenty of land days.

 

btw, we're HAL mariners who are making the switch this coming December. Shopping around can be fun.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I'm a big fan of the M-class ships. The standard cabins are smaller on Celebrity but they aren't tiny. Personally on M-class I'd go for one of the new outside cabins on deck # 3. These were just installed in the past year and are brand new with brand new bathrooms. They were installed during the retrofit. These cabins have huge portholes (like 5 feet round)These are cabins 3112- 3144 even. I love this location on the ship. You are a short walk up to Bistro on Five, which is a great place to go for breakfast crepes instead of the crowded buffet ($7 surcharge).

 

Deck three is also awesome for sleeping- especially if you are in one of the cabins closest to the atrium. 3112 and 3114 would be my first choice. These are midship and you will hardly feel an motion. For me that is a huge plus because while I don't get seasick- the motion makes it hard to get ready and basically takes a lot out of me. Do NOT book a connecting cabin in any category because you will hear your neighbor and vice versa.

 

Things that are better on Holland are the library and the indoor pool. I don't care for the pool on the M-class. It's a therapy pool but not good for swimming. It's like a big hot tub with lots of people in it.

 

I love the M-class ships because there is lots of glass. The food and service is very good and "formal". The ships are laid back. There are activities but they aren't announced and the ambiance is relaxed.

Edited May 24, 2014 by rebeccalouiseagain

[mamamzee]

With my limited experience, I kinda prefer Celebrity over HAL. When we did HAL last year, we were even in a Neptune Suite. We liked the breakfast in Pinnacle Grille, the Neptune lounge, but could take or leave the rest. We did love that whole library on HAL with the comfy chairs overlooking the ocean, etc.

 

We think X has better food overall and better activities.

 

Pretty much 6 of one and 6 of the other. Enjoy either way!

[JEDIKNIGHT]

When I cruise, I almost exclusively try to cruise HAL. I love their ships and the level of service. However, they almost exclusively do 7+ night cruises. Having been recently married, my wife has never guided and wants to go on a shorter cruise (such as the 5 day out of FLL on the Constellation in Feb. 2015). What are the big differences between the two lines? How comparable are they in terms of food, entertainment, cabin size (we are thinking concierge class balcony)? Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

 

I’ve never done HAL. BUT on my Bermuda Cruise last week, we were chatting with a family who were rather discerning travelers.

 

They had been on HAL and their comment was “Food is better on Celebrity”

 

 

They usually book suites.

[bigbenboys]

We have done 65 nights on HAL and stopped cruising 2009 on HAL. 158 nights on Celebrity so far. Celebrity M-Class (ie Connie) ships are more like HAL ships. Our favorite HAL ship is the Maasdam.

We started to get perks with RCL and Celebrity. We looked all the perks over and found that Celebrity and RCL perks were better than HAL or Princess perks. We sailed on Celebrity Solstice in 2009 and love the openness of the ship and glassblowing. We have not looked back.

 

So I think Connie would be a good 1st cruise with Celebrity. For us 5 nights just to short of time. We tend to do 12 to 14 nights, since I'll still working.

 

We looked this month at cruising on Azamara again. Also looked at Regent and Crystal. In the end we decided on Celebrity for Northern Europe Aug 2015. Richard

[godawgs2012]

Thanks for all of the help guys! My wife and I are both 23, but I've been cruising since I was 8. I've been on 13 cruises, and the last 4/5 have been on HAL. She's never been and I wanted to push for a 7 night, but she wants to go on a shorter cruise (3-4 day) to see if she likes the experience - so we've compromised to meet in the middle on a 5 night. We don't particularly care for the party scene, as we've graduated from college so I didn't want to introduce her to cruising on a 3 or 4 day RCL or CCL cruise, as everything I hear about those tend to be they are nothing but party ships. I personally have always wanted to try Celebrity, and thought it was a good alternative to the 3 night party cruises. Do these cruises fill up fast? I know with HAL you can book one-two months out and get pretty good deals, but I'm not sure with Celebrity as I haven't monitored it as much as HAL. This has all been extremely helpful - I think this will be a good cruise to see if she enjoys cruising or not. I'm hoping she gets the big like I did over a decade ago!

[OCruisers]

We sometimes cruise on both Celebrity and HAL.

Really feel if you like HAL, you'll like Celebrity. :)

LuLu

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Thanks for all of the help guys! My wife and I are both 23, but I've been cruising since I was 8. I've been on 13 cruises, and the last 4/5 have been on HAL. She's never been and I wanted to push for a 7 night, but she wants to go on a shorter cruise (3-4 day) to see if she likes the experience - so we've compromised to meet in the middle on a 5 night. We don't particularly care for the party scene, as we've graduated from college so I didn't want to introduce her to cruising on a 3 or 4 day RCL or CCL cruise, as everything I hear about those tend to be they are nothing but party ships. I personally have always wanted to try Celebrity, and thought it was a good alternative to the 3 night party cruises. Do these cruises fill up fast? I know with HAL you can book one-two months out and get pretty good deals, but I'm not sure with Celebrity as I haven't monitored it as much as HAL. This has all been extremely helpful - I think this will be a good cruise to see if she enjoys cruising or not. I'm hoping she gets the big like I did over a decade ago!

 

You can wait to book as long as you aren't smitten on a specific cabin. The Constellation has had incredibly low prices on many of their sailings last minute.

[richard1s]

We have tried 6 cruise lines multiple times and concluded that there can be huge variation within the same cruise line and - from restaurant to restaurant on the same ship. Our absolute best overall experience in almost every category was on the HAL Nieuw Amsterdam. This ship and everything on it (except the smoking policy) was truly amazing.

 

While the absolute worst MDR food we ever experienced was on the Summit - but, visits to Blu were extraordinary. The only way to answer this type of question is to experience it for yourself.

[summer slope]

I was on the Connie in April. Needed a 5 night cruise with DD. Booked 2 weeks out and got upgraded to Aqua. Loved the Connie. But, as was stated, the Library is much better on HAL...get a coffee, grab your book, and sit and watch the ocean go by. I did like the adult only pool, very warm water with jets. And the Persian Garden if you were Aqua class. I will be back to HAL next year, just prefer the vibe of their ships. We are in our late 60's and enjoy not having the "party" feel.

[rkacruiser]

As you can tell by my signature, I do like HAL. My sole Celebrity cruise has been on Eclipse: 14 day Caribbean cruise. Enjoyed it and would consider another one if the itinerary and pricing are acceptable.

 

A very brief comparison to the two:

 

Cuisine: edge to HAL (My last two dinners on Eclipse were the worst I have ever had on any ship and that includes a TA on QE2 in Tourist Class which was the most disappointing ship experience I have ever had.)

 

Service: Equal

 

Decor of Ship: edge to Celebrity: modern, colorful ship design

 

Stateroom comfort: equal; don't waste your money on CC class on Celebrity. I may be wrong, but I think all of the verandas are the same size.

 

Door to veranda: On Celebrity it slides. I liked that. HAL opens like a regular door. (Heavy)

 

Entertainment: Two of the three cast shows on Eclipse, I thought were weird. Individual performers were good. HAL's is mixed. On the Westerdam this past January, I thought the cast shows were quite improved from what they had been.

 

Availability of seating in a lounge at Happy Hour time: HAL, usually not an issue. Eclipse, the seating seemed to be tight.

 

In cabin TV: Celebrity; HAL cannot compare.

 

Disembarkation at Pier 25 in Fort Lauderdale: Celebrity--the worst I have ever experienced. (And I am not alone in my experience.) Piers 19, 21, 26, which are usually used by HAL: OK, good as it can be, I suppose.

 

Specialty Restaurants: Murano and Tuscan Grill on Eclipse were worth every penny paid. Excellent cuisine and service. Pinnacle Grill on HAL; I have yet to have a positively memorable dinner other than the "specials", i.e. Chef's Table.

 

It is good to try different lines. (And, I would not rule out Carnival. All of my Carnival cruises met or exceeded my expectations. Their ships are the "Fun Ships", but I did not find them to be party ships, unless one wanted to attend the events that might be so considered.)

[summer slope]

I forgot about the balcony door. I really like the ones on HAL, the one on Celebrity I had to leave it open an inch or two to be able to pull with all my might to get it open. :)

[rkacruiser]

I forgot about the balcony door. I really like the ones on HAL, the one on Celebrity I had to leave it open an inch or two to be able to pull with all my might to get it open. :)

 

I found the veranda door on Eclipse easier to open than on HAL. But, in closing the door, it had to be closed and locked or there would be a "wind whistle".

[cruisead]

We've been on Prinsendam, which we loved, and Eurodam, which we disliked beyond belief. We found the MDR food to be poor, and the service to be surly. My DH is in a wheelchair and we found the public hallways (ie the hallways near the casino and leading to the MDR) to be insanely narrow. In reality, the layout of the ship is poor, IMHO. Who puts a coffee bistro right near the passenger computer center? People would get their coffee and tidbits and sit at the computer tables. That's silly. Plus, the smoking policy is becoming outdated.

 

We would choose Celebrity every time over HAL, unless the ship is Prinsendam.

[twentyknots]

We have cruised 75 nights on HAL, including Maasdam, Zuiderdam, and Oosterdam. We love HAL's service, food, passenger demographics, fewer children, and the promenade deck around the entire ship. We have never been disappointed on any HAL ship. We've sailed on 2 Celebrity ships: Mercury, and Solstice. We are booked on the Reflection for December 2014. We loved the Solstice, especially the no smoking casino. I'm sure the Reflection will be equal or better than the Solstice.

[20pluscruises]

We prefer Celebrity.

 

Food is better on Celebrity and smoke free casino and balconies. A bit younger age group.

 

Hal had bigger rooms, better storage and an adult only area at the back of the ship. Older crowd, less children, casino is dead after 10:00

Edited May 25, 2014 by 20pluscruises

[iancal]

Give it a try.

 

It isn't as though you will turn into a pumpkin at midnight.

 

There are so many great ships and cruise lines to try. I cannot imagine sticking to one cruise line all the time.

[FOXYROXY]

Any day on any ship is better than a day in the office. I like every cruise I have ever been on. Every cruiseline and ship has it's own personality. What one may like another may not. My husband and I last minute wanted to go to Alaska. I only had a set time frame to do this in. Our normal cruiseline the dates wouldn't work so we tried another. The ship was fantastic. We had never considered it before but now we do. But mainly, I think where do I want to go?