Question for HAL Experts that have cruised Celebrity

[travelnap]

The one comment I might make on the differences is the libraries. I was very disappointed with the libraries on Celebrity, but with HAL starting to downsize some of them when they go in for dry dock and refurbishment, they may soon be more similar. Both are fine cruise lines and I am sure that you will enjoy your trip. I've done the southern Caribbean a few times and it has always been enjoyable.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

The one comment I might make on the differences is the libraries. I was very disappointed with the libraries on Celebrity, but with HAL starting to downsize some of them when they go in for dry dock and refurbishment, they may soon be more similar. Both are fine cruise lines and I am sure that you will enjoy your trip. I've done the southern Caribbean a few times and it has always been enjoyable.

 

Thanks! I am waiting for my TA to get back off vacation (probably a cruise!) so we can go see her and see about pricing.

I have done southern Caribbean before back on one of my earliest cruises, but DH has not. So it will be all new to him.

I have never seen St. Lucia and that is one place I would really like to see!

[joanna111]

I'm a regular HAL cruiser but did a Baltic cruise on the Celebrity Solstice last year because of the itinerary. While I think Celebrity is a little better than HAL in many ways I found that that ship didn't have the expansive views that I'm used to on the HAL ships. I mean on the decks where you have big windows on both sides so you can sit in front of windows in a bar and see out the windows on the other side of the ship. The Solstice used that space for shops and fining venues. I loved the bars on the Celebrity but for the most part I could have been inside a building on land. It's more important to me to see lots of water.

[MVPinBoynton]

I'm a regular HAL cruiser but did a Baltic cruise on the Celebrity Solstice last year because of the itinerary. While I think Celebrity is a little better than HAL in many ways I found that that ship didn't have the expansive views that I'm used to on the HAL ships. I mean on the decks where you have big windows on both sides so you can sit in front of windows in a bar and see out the windows on the other side of the ship. The Solstice used that space for shops and fining venues. I loved the bars on the Celebrity but for the most part I could have been inside a building on land. It's more important to me to see lots of water.

 

That is an excellent point that I hadn't thought about as being a difference. I do enjoy being able to look out at the see as much as possible.

[Mrs. Nic]

Thanks! I am waiting for my TA to get back off vacation (probably a cruise!) so we can go see her and see about pricing.

I have done southern Caribbean before back on one of my earliest cruises, but DH has not. So it will be all new to him.

I have never seen St. Lucia and that is one place I would really like to see!

 

We just did the Celebrity Summit Southern Caribbean cruise and it was really great! All but one day was a port day and we opted to enjoy the ship on several of those days. So many options with five ports. Long time Celebrity, trying HAL in Feb. for the 1st time.

[navybankerteacher]

While there are great similarities in most aspects, the fact is that HAL ships have a traditional look: dark blue hull, teak promenade deck, lots of brass and wood, while Celebrity ships have a steel promenade deck, more enclosed - which makes you feel like you are in some industrial space, they have that slanted blue streak on them and the big "X" on the stack , that just look ugly.

 

Minor and perhaps superficial - but unmistakeable - esthetic differences.

[kenevenpar]

That's because most scooters have a terrible time trying to clear the lip to get out through the doorway, and an even harder time getting back in; the outer side of the lip is slightly higher than the inside. The bottom of most scooters won't clear it.

Add in that one person can't hold the door and drive the scooter at the same time, and it's pretty much impossible for a scooter rider to get out on that deck.

 

I helped more than a few with that issue last week on KDam. There are a couple of automatic doors, but you would still need to deal with the lips and inclines.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

We just did the Celebrity Summit Southern Caribbean cruise and it was really great! All but one day was a port day and we opted to enjoy the ship on several of those days. So many options with five ports. Long time Celebrity, trying HAL in Feb. for the 1st time.

 

Glad you had a great time! Good to hear! I know you will enjoy HAL as well. We have always had great times on HAL and looking forward to seeing what X-Lines has to offer.....just for fun!

[Aquahound]

While there are great similarities in most aspects, the fact is that HAL ships have a traditional look: dark blue hull, teak promenade deck, lots of brass and wood, while Celebrity ships have a steel promenade deck.

 

I agree that HAL's promenades are generally better than Celebrity's (excluding Koningsdam), but Celebrity's decking is also teak....or at least some sort of faux wood. This pic is on Solstice. Millennium Class is also wood.

 

[iancal]

Celebrity's Solstice class ships won us over from our very first Equinox cruise. We cruise on many lines but when it comes to the ship iteself, design, layout, interiors, we find that for our tastes we have not yet experienced anything that comes close.

 

We think RCI, Celebrity and RC are far more creative with their ships. Canrival Corp cruise lines have had a tendency to use the same old design just tarted up a little differently for each cookie cutter ship.

[Aquahound]

We think RCI, Celebrity and RC are far more creative with their ships. Canrival Corp cruise lines have had a tendency to use the same old design just tarted up a little differently for each cookie cutter ship.

 

I totally agree. RCCL is much more imaginative at ship design than Carnival Corp.

[iancal]

I think that HAL really needs to bite the bullet and make a hard decision on some of their older ships. Either put them in drydock for a good long time, make a hard investment to upgrade the engineering systems, make changes to add optional customer amenities, refresh and bring the interiors, including cabin, up to snuff or just sell them.

 

At the moment it seems to be band-aids all the way with a bit of fresh paint and carpet so to speak.

 

Either this, or sell the ships. Not list them for sale at prices buyers won't pay but list them for sale at a market price that will lead to a sale. Otherwise why on earth list them. Where we live there are still homes for sale that we looked at four years ago. Why.. because they are not priced to the market.

 

Then get some new, updated product that will attract the next generations of cruisers.

 

When it comes to ships, other than the size, we feel that the competition is 'eating HALs lunch" so to speak.

[navybankerteacher]

I think that HAL really needs to bite the bullet and make a hard decision on some of their older ships.

 

...

 

Then get some new, updated product that will attract the next generations of cruisers.

 

When it comes to ships, other than the size, we feel that the competition is 'eating HALs lunch" so to speak.

 

For some reason HAL ships still seem to sail full, at fares that are comparable to what other lines charge.

 

Perhaps many of the current "generation of cruisers" likes HAL - and not just the size of their ships. And, perhaps, when some of the "next generation of cruisers" grow up, they might replace the "nearly dead" current HAL cruisers as they die off.

 

Why do some people seem to feel that all lines need to be the same to survive?

[iancal]

Not suggesting they should all be the same.

 

What I am suggesting is that at some point they all get updated and their engineering systems replaced. Who wants to increase their chances of a moldy cabin, or one with plumbing or HVAC issues.

 

Filling ships is not that difficult. You simply have to keep lowering prices until they fill. We should know, we primarily do last minute discounted bookings while on land based vacations.

 

Who really knows what the cabin revenue is. I certainly don't. Never heard them announce the average fare either in total or by cabin class either.

 

One thing for certain, today's cruisers want verandah/balcony cabins. You only have to look at the cruise blowout prices to see that or take a look at the percentage of balcony cabins on new builds compared the older ships. We always watch the last minute Alaska offers. Over the past few years it was possible to score an inside, sometimes obstructed outside 7 day on an older HAL ship for anywhere from $299 to $499. Middle of the season to boot. That is how they can fill a ship.

[iancal]

If you want to see just how innovative a cruise line can be look up the Celebrity Flora. They are taking bookings for 2019.

 

Purpose built small passenger ship designed and being built expressly for the Galapagos market. No re-purposing of a tired, old ship but something completely state of the art and environmentally friendly,

 

I think that ships like this, like the current and future Viking ships, and Oceania are going to eat HAL`s lunch in the small ship category. HAL appears to be doing nothing in this space other than trying to cosmetically extend the life of current aging product.

 

Doing nothing has never been a good strategy in a dynamic and growing market niche.

Edited December 2, 2017 by iancal

[MVPinBoynton]

If you want to see just how innovative a cruise line can be look up the Celebrity Flora. They are taking bookings for 2019.

 

Purpose built small passenger ship designed and being built expressly for the Galapagos market. No re-purposing of a tired, old ship but something completely state of the art, environmentally friendly, and purpose built.

 

I think that ships like this, like the current and future Viking ships, and Oceania are going to eat HAL`s lunch in the small ship category. HAL appears to be doing nothing in this space other than trying to extend the life of current product.

 

Doing nothing has never been a good strategy in a dynamic and growing market niche.

 

The Flra looks amazing; but at $1,400 p/day pp, I will have to enjoy it through photos.

[navybankerteacher]

If you want to see just how innovative a cruise line can be look up the Celebrity Flora. They are taking bookings for 2019.

 

Purpose built small passenger ship designed and being built expressly for the Galapagos market. No re-purposing of a tired, old ship but something completely state of the art and environmentally friendly,

 

I think that ships like this, like the current and future Viking ships, and Oceania are going to eat HAL`s lunch in the small ship category. HAL appears to be doing nothing in this space other than trying to cosmetically extend the life of current aging product.

 

Doing nothing has never been a good strategy in a dynamic and growing market niche.

 

Do you understand the meaning of the term "market niche"? A 100 passenger ship charging well over $1,000 per person per day is a lovely concept - but it is in no way relevant to HAL's offerings of medium size ships (not offered by anyone else in the mainstream market) with superior service at competitive cost.

 

HAL is simply not a player in the "small ship category". So the "lunch" to which you refer does not appear to be even on the table - much less getting eaten by comparable competition.

[iancal]

I was actually referring to the Viking and to the Oceania ships. Both are building new fleets at the approximate size of some of HALs older tubs. What does HAL do? Paint the walls, replace some chairs. Same OLD plumbing systems, same old HVAC engineering systems, same old lack of real choice when it comes to amenities.

 

HAL reminds me of someone who buys an old house, renovates but does not bother renewing the electical, plumbing or HVAC systems.. Then the owners wonder why the breakers keep tripping, why the electrical box cannot accomodate the new soaker tub, and there is water leaking through the new drywall.

 

My reference to Celebrity Flora was to illustrate the difference between an innovative cruise line bringing new products to market vs. one that appears solidly stuck in neutral-or worse.

 

This is what I mean when I imply that HAL is being passed by.

Edited December 2, 2017 by iancal

[Pstreet12]

A major difference between HAL and Celebrity is in the suite class. On Celebrity, any suite (even their smallest, cheapest ones) have full suite privelidges: free drinks all day, no limits on kind or price) in Michael’s Club, butler Service, priority seating for shows, priority disembarkation, tender Service, special suite dining room for all meals with a totally different menu (and generally Celebrity has a sale going so you get free internet, free grat., free delux drink package, and quite a bit of on/board credit. We have not experienced that kind of treatment on any other line in a small suite. They often have sales that put the small suites in a very competitive position on price—pretty close to balcony pricing.