Comparing celbrity to HAL

[KIWI74]

Hi I am new to Cruise Critic, I have cruised with Celebrity 4 years ago and am planning a cruise next year East med how does HAL Eurodam compare with C Reflection ?

[Keith1010]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

If I could give you a piece of advice it would be two things:

 

Study the diagrams of each ship using their own web sites and read the information provided on the web site so you get a nice idea about each ship and amenities.

 

Go to the member review section and read the review on the ships. Reviews can range so I go with the 80/20 rule and that is if 80% of the people say something is positive or something is negative I accept that as fact until we experience it for ourselves.

 

Keith

[jody75]

The Eurodam is an old ship when compared to the Reflection, that normaly means less to go wrong, better toilets, better aircon in fact everthing. The food is better on Celebrity and the age profile is 50 + whilst HAL is 65+ and they all go to bed early, so the entertainment ends at 10.30pm maybe 11.00pm latest. Otherwise everything else is equal ..................

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE SMOKING POLICY OF EACH CRUISELINE - it is a deal changer for most !!!!!!

Edited August 12, 2015 by jody75

[grayjay]

We have sailed on both ships. "Reflection" definitely is more modern in regard to furniture, décor, general lay-out. Even if after many cruises with Celebrity we have come to like HAl ships very much, we personally found the "Eurodam" a bit drab ( cabins for example) and a bit gaudy in some of the public areas."Reflection" is simply a beautiful ship.

Food on both ships comparable. We loved the choices during breakfast ( juices for example) on the Eurodam, the food stations in the buffet area were the better choice on "Reflection". Café al Bacio is much preferable to the Explorations Café: coffees, teas and snacks are much better in my opinion.Regular food in the mDR is comparable, Aqua class is a great choice if you can afford it. We haven't sailed in suites yet, so don't know anything about the sweet suite life.

We also preferred the shows in the theatre on "Reflection" but liked the bar entertainment on Eurodam, esp. the classical duo.

Service on both ships was great with HAL being a notch better - cabin crew, Lido buffet for example.

Our personal choice between THESE two ships would be "Reflection". But in order to not compare apples and oranges I'd consider some more important things first:

- Where does the cruise start and end? It's much easier to cruise out of Barcelona, for example, than out of Rome. Perhaps you can add a few days in the city of your choice, too. I saw that the ships you mention start out of Barcelona, Venice, Rome - all of these are beautiful and well worth a visit by themselves.

- Which airport is easy for you to reach - thinking of airfares!

- Itinerary is important. Personally I'd love to do the Med cruise on Eurodam - great itinerary and ports! So even if I'd prefer a ship in general I'd still choose the other one because the ports visited would interest me more.

- Prices for the cabin you'd choose - I'd compare cabin categories and prices to see where there is the best deal.

Both cruise lines offer beverage packages now as a special deal and have rather stiff prices at the moment. If price is something important for you: Consider to ask for a price without the package, look at senior or resident rates or play the waiting game. This year prices for Med cruises fell quite a lot during the season.

Good hunting! And enjoy the cruise you choose!

[mickey89]

HAL is the smoker's line of choice, everywhere reeks of the stuff. They allow smoking on Balconies (the ONLY line that does) and don't think of using or passing thru' the Casino unless you have a mask. Disgraceful in this modern age !

Edited August 12, 2015 by mickey89

[bjarrett7]

We have sailed on both ships. "Reflection" definitely is more modern in regard to furniture, décor, general lay-out. Even if after many cruises with Celebrity we have come to like HAl ships very much, we personally found the "Eurodam" a bit drab ( cabins for example) and a bit gaudy in some of the public areas."Reflection" is simply a beautiful ship.

Food on both ships comparable. We loved the choices during breakfast ( juices for example) on the Eurodam, the food stations in the buffet area were the better choice on "Reflection". Café al Bacio is much preferable to the Explorations Café: coffees, teas and snacks are much better in my opinion.Regular food in the mDR is comparable, Aqua class is a great choice if you can afford it. We haven't sailed in suites yet, so don't know anything about the sweet suite life.

We also preferred the shows in the theatre on "Reflection" but liked the bar entertainment on Eurodam, esp. the classical duo.

Service on both ships was great with HAL being a notch better - cabin crew, Lido buffet for example.

Our personal choice between THESE two ships would be "Reflection". But in order to not compare apples and oranges I'd consider some more important things first:

- Where does the cruise start and end? It's much easier to cruise out of Barcelona, for example, than out of Rome. Perhaps you can add a few days in the city of your choice, too. I saw that the ships you mention start out of Barcelona, Venice, Rome - all of these are beautiful and well worth a visit by themselves.

- Which airport is easy for you to reach - thinking of airfares!

- Itinerary is important. Personally I'd love to do the Med cruise on Eurodam - great itinerary and ports! So even if I'd prefer a ship in general I'd still choose the other one because the ports visited would interest me more.

- Prices for the cabin you'd choose - I'd compare cabin categories and prices to see where there is the best deal.

Both cruise lines offer beverage packages now as a special deal and have rather stiff prices at the moment. If price is something important for you: Consider to ask for a price without the package, look at senior or resident rates or play the waiting game. This year prices for Med cruises fell quite a lot during the season.

Good hunting! And enjoy the cruise you choose!

 

 

I agree with much of what is said here. I haven't cruised the Eurodam but I have been in the Reflection as well as Nieuw Amsterdam.

I do offer a few different perspectives:

I thought the food was better on HAL.

I think that one major difference is the style of the ships: one is modern and one is very traditional. Both are wonderful. Though, I think HAL ship's have a classy feel to them.

I VERY much appreciated the smaller ship. Eurodam as well as her sister ship Nieuw Amsterdam have 1,000 less people.

Another OP said that the Eurodam was much older... I would hardly call 4 years much older!

The median age was about the same on both lines when we cruised.

Yes, HAL's smoking policy is different, but for whatever reason, I was never around smokers on my cruise.

I love the fact that specialty dining on HAL is a LOT less expensive!

I agree with this OP, go for your preferred Itinerary! You can't go wrong with either of these lines. But for me, I prefer the smaller and more intimate feeling of a HAL ship.

[Daisyloo]

HAL is the smoker's line of choice, everywhere reeks of the stuff. They allow smoking on Balconies (the ONLY line that does) and don't think of using or passing thru' the Casino unless you have a mask. Disgraceful in this modern age !

 

I'm an ex-smoker and quite sensitive to the smell of smoke, and other than the designated smoking areas I have never had an issue with smoke. To say the entire ship reeks is a huge exaggeration.

[Fouremco]

I'm an ex-smoker and quite sensitive to the smell of smoke, and other than the designated smoking areas I have never had an issue with smoke. To say the entire ship reeks is a huge exaggeration.

I've long encouraged HAL to change its balcony smoking policy, but I agree that mickey89's post is a gross exaggeration.

[Roz]

Non-smoker here, and have never been on a HAL ship that "reeked" of smoke. Wouldn't make this my prime consideration unless I was allergic to smoke or had severe breathing issues.

 

Roz

[xlxo]

Another non-smoker.... did not notice an issue in my cabin.

[Beejay4016]

Non-smoker here, and have never been on a HAL ship that "reeked" of smoke. Wouldn't make this my prime consideration unless I was allergic to smoke or had severe breathing issues.

 

Roz

 

Like, from another non-smoker. Simply not an issue. I'd rather have a smoker than an obnoxious drunk anyway. :)

[Aquahound]

Hi I am new to Cruise Critic, I have cruised with Celebrity 4 years ago and am planning a cruise next year East med how does HAL Eurodam compare with C Reflection ?

 

I've been on sister ships of both and given this choice, I would pick Reflection. The newer HAL ships are nice, but Celebrity Solstice Class ships are beautiful.

[George C]

I've been on sister ships of both and given this choice, I would pick Reflection. The newer HAL ships are nice, but Celebrity Solstice Class ships are beautiful.

 

Same here, totally agree, Celebrity ships are amazing to look at.

[iancal]

Our preference would be for Celebrity. We especially like the Reflection, a Solstice class ship. It is our favourite class of ship. Well designed

 

BUT, this will probably be a port intensive cruise so the ship will be less important. We would base our decision on (as we have in the past):

 

-your preferred port itinerary

 

-pay close attention to actual time in port...longer is better

 

-go for the best value in the cabin category of your choice

 

-if you are opting for cruise line air the one that gives you the best flight connections/best price (and if you do this check also for one way fares on cruise air since 2 one ways can sometimes be less expensive than a return flight)

 

-the major difference for us would be HAL's smoking policy that permits smoking in the casino and your balcony (if you opt for one). All things being equal, this is a tie breaker for us.

 

Keep in mind that some ports are misrepresented by the cruise line. For instance when you stop in Barcelona you are in town. When you stop in Florence (Livorno) or Rome (Civit.) you are an hour away from town.

Edited August 12, 2015 by iancal

[travelnap]

I would agree that your preferred itinerary should be the major guiding factor for you, as both Celebrity and HAL are good cruise lines. Usually the MED cruises are very port intensive so the ships aren't as important as they might be on other cruises. Food quality will be similar in my experience, so that should not be a factor. HAL is a little cheaper than Celebrity for the specialty dining venues.

 

If I were to pick a line for a less port intensive cruise I would probably go with HAL, as they have very nice libraries aboard their ships, while the Celebrity libraries leave a lot to be desired. A lot will depend on what is important to you, so I would compare the two ships and see which one is the most compatible with your preferences, Good luck and enjoy your cruise. I am sure you will enjoy your trip on either line.

[Cruizer Bill]

You will get a better price on HAL. Celebrity goes for 25 to 50% more per day than HAL. Also, check the itineraries, that is what many people go for. Pick the one with the ports you want.

[RuthC]

...on Celebrity and the age profile is 50 + whilst HAL is 65+ and they all go to bed early, so the entertainment ends at 10.30pm maybe 11.00pm latest. Otherwise everything else is equal ..................

This information, as it pertains to HAL, is seriously incorrect.

[RuthC]

HAL is the smoker's line of choice, everywhere reeks of the stuff.

Everywhere? No need to make things up.

It's a huge ship with one indoor smoking area. Everywhere? Really now. :rolleyes:

[blueboro]

You will get a better price on HAL. Celebrity goes for 25 to 50% more per day than HAL. Also, check the itineraries, that is what many people go for. Pick the one with the ports you want.

 

In pricing a comparable W. Carribean on Eurodam and Celebrity Silhouette I found that Celebrity was about $250pp less than HAL. Both included the free drink packge and OBC was about $50 more on X.

Edited August 12, 2015 by blueboro

[OCruisers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :D

 

Both HAL and Celebrity are very good cruise lines so pick the ship with the best itinerary for you! :)

 

LuLu

[George C]

On my last few Hal cruises music end between 11:30 and midnight which is way to early for me, that is reason I switched back to RCCL.

[rguy123]

The Blues club music on Hal was the best music I have heard on a ship

[bjarrett7]

The Blues club music on Hal was the best music I have heard on a ship

 

 

That. [emoji41]

[POA1]

The Blues club music on Hal was the best music I have heard on a ship

Not only that, but it'd beat much of what we've heard on land. :cool: [emoji448] [emoji449] [emoji450] [emoji443]

Edited August 12, 2015 by POA1
I know I should have led with the treble clef. My bad

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Same here, totally agree, Celebrity ships are amazing to look at.

I agree very good looking ships on Celebrity Holland Great service ..