Celebrity vs Holland - 7 day Caribbean April-May

[news_watch]

Cross-posting on Holland also.

 

My wife and I went on our first Celebrity cruise last year and had a great time. Price was better than prices for current 2018 equivalent cruises. It may have been a promotional rate, less than 800 with no extras, obstructed balcony.

 

We are looking again and see higher prices for Celebrity around 1200, occasionally with a room credit.......however Holland has pricing in the same range as our previous Celebrity cruise. Having been on Holland years ago, I consider them comparable, provided Holland has not slipped backwards since 2007 or so.

 

What am I overlooking that could account for the difference in prices? Hidden charges, reduced level of service, something else?

[Sandtrap328]

Personally, I prefer Celebrity over HAL. I believe the food is A LOT better on Celebrity. Drinks are better on Celebrity. Crew is better on Celebrity.

[killsport]

Really depends on what you're looking for on your cruise. Holland is more sedate than Celebrity. I like the HAL piano bar and music better. I like the layout of the S-class cabins and the ships better on Celebrity. Food is about the same in my book (especially based on my Celebrity cruise last xmas). The specialty restaurants on HAL are more reasonably priced (although you can often pay a similar amount on Celebrity if you are willing to negotiate and take odd time slots). The drinks on HAL are MUCH more reasonable if you are buying them individually. Both have good service. I'd save the money and enjoy the change :)

[hcat]

Are the Celeb and Holland ships comparable in age, size and style?

 

Are the staterooms you are pricing similar in terms of size, location, gen amenities?

 

Are the itins same length, ports the same?

 

We have never sailed on Holland but think you can't go wrong on X, with modest expectations.

[Jade13]

We think the food, the crew, and itineraries are much better on HAL, but besides the Koningsdam prefer the Celebrity ships which we feel have better maintenance. We also overall have more fun on Celebrity and find HAL overall sedate and boring. With all of that said we start by looking at the itineraries.

 

Both mass market lines have gone down hill over the past 10 years, but Celebrity is becoming more difficult if you are not in a suite. You no longer have lobster for example unless you go to a specialty restaurant and pay extra. On our last HAL cruise both lobster and king crab legs were available at some point.

 

 

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[uncle-b]

We have had lobster on every celebrity cruise in the MDR. 2 cruises last year and lobster both times. Usually on an evening chic night.

[Toofarfromthesea]

We have had lobster on every celebrity cruise in the MDR. 2 cruises last year and lobster both times. Usually on an evening chic night.

 

I just got off Equinox a week ago and lobster was on the menu at the MDR one evening. I didn't get it but one of my table mates did.

[NordicPrince]

Celebrity is becoming more difficult if you are not in a suite.

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We stay in insides on Celebrity (3x on Equinox, 1x on Eclipse 3\18\18). The only difficulty we have is what to do with all that extra money we haven;t spent and still have a good time.

 

We;ve been on HAL (2x on Veendam in 2013-14). We thought the food was very good and the crew excellent. But the HAL ships do not compare to the S-Class Celebrity ships.

 

Enjoy your cruising days.