How does Celebrity compare to Holland America?

[Oville]

HAL’s suites’ benefits are lacking.  You do get use of an interior lounge with free snacks, tea and coffee, a Concierge and well read newspapers daily.  Compared to Celebrity perks (butler service, free premium beverage package, high speed internet, included gratuities, $150 OBC per person, Luminae, Michaels Club/Retreat Lounge, Suites Concierge, The Retreat area and upper suites free Specialty Restaurants) HAL offers very little.

 

The MDRs are probably on par, service a big edge to Celebrity as staff and officers go out of their way to be friendly and helpful.  Entertainment and activities I don’t think either outshines the other.

 

Last year we were on Koningsdam, our third and last HAL cruise.

[bigbenboys]

5 hours ago, Presto2 said:

 

Uggghhhh, that's put us off a bit now ….. we are not looking for this year so we can ask the rep. when we go to the Cruise Fayre. Seems like it is very far behind as smoking indoors is really restricted in the UK and I think that is the same for the rest of Europe.

 

P.S. Just noticed that I am now on 5,999 posts. Do I get a fanfare of trumpets when I hit 6,000

E-cigarettes and vaping devices are permitted in designated smoking areas, as well as inside passenger staterooms (but not on balconies). For cruisers still looking to smoke tobacco products onboard a Holland America ship, there are select areas where it's still permitted:

 

[BSinPNS]

We have done both over the years and far prefer X.  With that said our next three cruises are on HAL as they offer more itineraries as they have more ships.  Last year was two HAL and one X.  Food and crew are very similar.  As others have discussed, there are more indoor smoking areas on HAL and the smell spreads.  HAL has gone all in on musical entertainment in multiple venues.  Mainstage shows are generally far better (IMO) on X.  Officers on X (both Nav and Hotel) are visible throughout the ship and seem to want to engage with the passengers.  Even to guest vs officers pool volleyball.  HAL officers for the most part seem to want to avoid contact with pax.  I think all of HAL's ships have had upgrades over the past two years.  X ships are currently undergoing the Revolution or Edgification.  X loyalty program is far better than HAL pl;us on X your level transfers to RCCL and Azamara.  

Edited February 24, 2019 by BSinPNS

[Stateroom_Sailor]

Overall we prefer X's Solstice era decor, but prefer HAL over much of the Revolution.  The food on HAL is overall better IMO, especially if you consider buffet freshly cooked options, extensive breakfast menu, and even junk food.  The MDR is comparable to Blu.  Service is exceptional.  The cabins are comfy, superior bedding, with endless movies and shows on demand.  Hands down, HAL has moved into better Entertainment with shows, workshops, and live music.  Extensive itineraries, and open next cruise program.  Suites are more affordable.

 

X has a better loyalty program as far as benefits, better promotional perks, and stands out as more modern.  I like that I can book RCCL and Amazara onboard.

 

We smelt no smoke on Nieuw Amsterdam last Summer.  Good to know that Westerdam is clear too.

 

Edited February 24, 2019 by Stateroom_Sailor

[Oville]

26 minutes ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

The MDR is comparable to Blu.  

 

Suites are more affordable.

 

 

 

Please explains what you mean “The MDR is comparable to Blu”.  The MDR on HAL seats a thousand plus people vs significantly fewer people in Blu.  Menus and atmosphere are day and night.  Of course food itself is subjective but a 1,000 people vs 300 is not.  We obviously had different experience but MDR vs Blu I don’t get.

 

Of course suites on HAL are more affordable, they do not have suite perks worth mentioning.  On Celebrity you pay more and get a lot for the premium.

 

Just curious, since you are obviously a Celebrity fan,  what was it you didn’t like about the Revolutionized ships?

Edited February 24, 2019 by Oville

[DebInAntigua]

9 hours ago, yorky said:

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=7263

 

Gross. I’ll never sail on Holland then! Thank you, X, for being (almost completely) smoke-free. 

[Stateroom_Sailor]

5 hours ago, Oville said:

Please explains what you mean “The MDR is comparable to Blu”.  The MDR on HAL seats a thousand plus people vs significantly fewer people in Blu.  Menus and atmosphere are day and night.  Of course food itself is subjective but a 1,000 people vs 300 is not.  We obviously had different experience but MDR vs Blu I don’t get.

 

Of course suites on HAL are more affordable, they do not have suite perks worth mentioning.  On Celebrity you pay more and get a lot for the premium.

 

Just curious, since you are obviously a Celebrity fan,  what was it you didn’t like about the Revolutionized ships?

 

I agree that the atmosphere and service in Blu is night and day different to HAL's MDR.  Subjective, but I thought the food itself was every bit as good as Blu.  The breakfast even superior,  with an almost ridiculous number of options.  Japanese breakfast is a big win!

 

With The Retreat, yes we're talking about two different products.  Perhaps more comparable to a Concierge Cabin as far as perks and loyalty points, but the size is 100 sq. ft larger, veranda larger as well.  An upgrade option similar to a hotel, is more in line with what I'm willing to spend.

 

We booked a Signature Suite on Nieuw Amsterdam for $739, 5 night coastal, 1 port stop, no perks.  The Eclipse Coastal is 7 nights with 3 ports.  Concierge is going for $1,350, Sky Suite $2,799, currently including 3 and 4 perks.  Apples and Oranges comparison, but it was a fair deal for a larger sized cabin.

 

Things I don't like about the Revolution:

- Bleak Grays that could use tasteful browns or blues, more like Viking Ocean or Ritz Carlton

- Areas with clashing colors, nods to the 80's, or even 60's, opposite of Kelly Hoppen's designs

- White furniture and carpet that can easily stain.

- The removal of amenities, to make room for new cabins.

- High end and out of touch shops.

- The removal of activities in place of sales pitch events (assuming they're copying Edge)

- The lack of time given for the refit, leading to rush finishing issues, and mechanical problems.

 

Things I like about the Revolution:

- The Retreat helps X stay competitive with Haven and the Yacht Club.

- The Retreat itself, very inviting and modern.

- Seating in the OVC, facing the ocean.

- Reduction in size of the Tuscan Grill

- MDR ceilings and suite lighting fixtures, this is an area where I think Hoppen has unique talent.

- Blue Hull looks great.

 

 

Edited February 24, 2019 by Stateroom_Sailor

[yorky]

2 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

I agree that the atmosphere and service in Blu is night and day different to HAL's MDR.  Subjective, but I thought the food itself was every bit as good as Blu.  The breakfast even superior,  with an almost ridiculous number of options.  Japanese breakfast is a big win!

 

With The Retreat, yes we're talking about two different products.  Perhaps more comparable to a Concierge Cabin as far as perks and loyalty points, but the size is 100 sq. ft larger, veranda larger as well.  An upgrade option similar to a hotel, is more in line with what I'm willing to spend.

 

We booked a Signature Suite on Nieuw Amsterdam for $739, 5 night coastal, 1 port stop, no perks.  The Eclipse Coastal is 7 nights with 3 ports.  Concierge is going for $1,350, Sky Suite $2,799, currently including 3 and 4 perks.  Apples and Oranges comparison, but it was a fair deal for a larger sized cabin.

 

Things I don't like about the Revolution:

- Bleak Grays that could use tasteful browns or blues, more like Viking Ocean or Ritz Carlton

- Areas with clashing colors, nods to the 80's, or even 60's, opposite of Kelly Hoppen's designs

- White furniture and carpet that can easily stain.

- The removal of amenities, to make room for new cabins.

- High end and out of touch shops.

- The removal of activities in place of sales pitch events (assuming they're copying Edge)

- The lack of time given for the refit, leading to rush finishing issues, and mechanical problems.

 

Things I like about the Revolution:

- The Retreat helps X stay competitive with Haven and the Yacht Club.

- The Retreat itself, very inviting and modern.

- Seating in the OVC, facing the ocean.

- Reduction in size of the Tuscan Grill

- MDR ceilings and suite lighting fixtures, this is an area where I think Hoppen has unique talent.

- Blue Hull looks great.

 

 

More than one of those things are great if you are a suite guest and this appears to be where Celebrity are putting in the effort. 

[4774Papa]

We avoided HAL primarily due to its smoking policies prior to 2016.   We did Alaska with NCL and while in Denali, we were on the bus doing the all day tundra tour.  Stopped at a hotel to pick up about 40 HAL people (they all had lanyards with HAL IDs).  There was so much of a smoke odor on their clothes that we had to cope with all day (I wanted to open a window, but it was a bit chilly).   I suspect that HAL attracted smokers.

They still allow smoking in the casinos, which escapes that area.

I have compares some of HALs cruises and the itineraries look good, but I book early and their prices are high.  I noticed that HAL does tend to discount a lot if you book late.  We don't book late.

[mahi mahi]

Our preferred lines are Celebrity and HAL with a bit of an edge to HAL.  Our very first cruise was with HAL but we avoided it for a few years until they changed the smoking policy to disallow balcony smoking.  We find no difference in that regard compared with Celebrity now.  Passenger demographics are much the same, contrary to what a lot of people think.

 

HAL has more enjoyable entertainment for us, we love the music walk.  Having free on demand movies is a big plus for us.

 

I know food is subjective however I give the edge to HAL.  Celebrity dining rooms are very noisy and tables too close.  We prefer HAL's dining rooms with lower ceilings and more privacy.....we can have a conversation and actually hear each other.

 

We have had great service on both lines and choose between them based on price and itinerary.  We did 2 cruises in 2018, one on Nieuw Amsterdam which was great and a transatlantic on NCL - not a good fit for us.  We are very much looking forward to our next one coming up in May on Celebrity.

[Tillylovesseabourn]

Mmm, Having sailed the penthouse on Eurodam a few times and had a dedicated suite restaurant, the pinaccle grill for breakfast,lunch and chioce of free specialty restaurants at all times in the evening i think it depends on cabin level. On Hal we experienced excellent service and were treated like royalty, and never used the mdr once. The other suite guests dined in pinnacle too. Yes, others could pay extra in the evening to eat there but the rest of the time it was suite guests only and excellent food too. 

[Stateroom_Sailor]

1 hour ago, 4774Papa said:

We avoided HAL primarily due to its smoking policies prior to 2016.   We did Alaska with NCL and while in Denali, we were on the bus doing the all day tundra tour.  Stopped at a hotel to pick up about 40 HAL people (they all had lanyards with HAL IDs).  There was so much of a smoke odor on their clothes that we had to cope with all day (I wanted to open a window, but it was a bit chilly).   I suspect that HAL attracted smokers.

They still allow smoking in the casinos, which escapes that area.

I have compares some of HALs cruises and the itineraries look good, but I book early and their prices are high.  I noticed that HAL does tend to discount a lot if you book late.  We don't book late.

 

Yikes! 

 

We did a 7 day cruise tour through the Yukon and Alaska, and I don't remember anyone smoking.  Then again, very few people had cruised on HAL before, or cruised at all for that matter.  There may be more regulars doing the shorter cruise tours, Triple Denali, or Fairbanks to Anchorage.  

[Maya_C]

1 hour ago, mahi mahi said:

I know food is subjective however I give the edge to HAL.  Celebrity dining rooms are very noisy and tables too close.  We prefer HAL's dining rooms with lower ceilings and more privacy.....we can have a conversation and actually hear each other.

I totally agree with this assessment of the dining rooms. After three X cruises, I was amazed to actually be able to hear someone across a table for 8 on HAL. On a recent X cruise, I couldn't hear anyone except the people on either side of me in the MDR. Also the ambiance was hectic with waiters rushing as they tried to thread their way around the closely-spaced tables. For all that rushing, dinner still took 2+ hours at a table for six. The wait staff appear less harried on HAL. Food is comparable on the lines, with desserts better on HAL and the specialty dining less expensive. 

[hrhdhd]

2 hours ago, Tillylovesseabourn said:

Mmm, Having sailed the penthouse on Eurodam a few times and had a dedicated suite restaurant, the pinaccle grill for breakfast,lunch and chioce of free specialty restaurants at all times in the evening i think it depends on cabin level. On Hal we experienced excellent service and were treated like royalty, and never used the mdr once. The other suite guests dined in pinnacle too. Yes, others could pay extra in the evening to eat there but the rest of the time it was suite guests only and excellent food too. 

 

The Pinnacle Grill is dedicated to suites only for breakfast. Anyone can pay the charge for lunch or dinner. And the PG is not open for lunch every day.

 

We are three-star Mariners on HAL, but switched to Princess and then to Celebrity (with some Azamara cruises sprinkled in) for the last few years. We never had a problem with the smoking on HAL, even when we first started sailing with them and smoking was allowed in many more places. But we just like the atmosphere on Princess and Celebrity better, although HAL does have some interesting itineraries.

 

We would sail HAL again for the right itinerary and price, although we would avoid some of their ships. That includes the older, smaller ones as well as the newest ones.

[deeb312]

My partner and I have done 9 Celebrity cruises in the past 9 years.  Last year, because we were able to get a suite for a reasonable price, we did two Caribbean Cruises with Holland America.  Their signature and Neptune suites are way better than Celebrity's sky suite.  We're a little young for their demographic (55 and very active) but to our surprise, the advantages of HAL outweigh the feeling sometimes that it's a floating retirement community.  

 

Celebrity ships, in our opinion are nicer.  Better decorated.  More original art work.  Celebrity entertainment is a little better too.  Ships are a little livelier.  

 

But I would hands down say the food and the service on Holland America is better.  Dining room food on Nieuw Amersterdam and Eurodam was excellent.  And we loved our servers, server assistant, and sommelier.  I teach service training classes and frequently cite specific HAL crew members who went above and beyond.  They're very gracious on Holland America.  Celebrity crew members seem like they're under huge pressure.  

 

The other advantage Holland America has in the Caribbean - their Private Island, Half Moon Cay.  Beyond a doubt, the most beautiful beach I've ever experienced.  When you get away from the crowds (easy to do as the beach is huge and has hammocks and lounge chairs all along it), it is heaven.  Both cruises last year went to it.  And each time, the friends we were with were speechless when we got there

 

Our last Celebrity cruise was on Summit.  Food in the dining room was mediocre and hasn't changed in 6 years.  They serve the same menu on the same night of the cruise.  We were raving to our family to try the french onion soup.  On the Summit, even that was mediocre.   

 

We sail them both.  In fact, we have friends that wanted to do Infinity so we're booked for that in two months.  I'm hoping we have a better experience.  

 

I think you're OK on either.  But my experiences over the past 3 years mean I'll search Holland America first.

[Presto2]

18 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

What is it that you like to do on a cruise, especially on sea days? What did you enjoy most about your first (real) HAL cruise?

 

When doing your research, make sure you also look at the benefits of booking the different types of X cabin categories, depending on your budget, what type of category amenities interest you the most and how fast you want to move up the ladder in their loyalty program.

 

Hi, on sea days we just love to relax on our balcony, have a nice meal out there, read a good book and sip a cocktail or 2. Basically, we are not 'entertainment' cruisers and our idea of a lovely evening is pre dinner cocktails, a lovely relaxed meal, then after dinner drinks / cocktails and a stroll around the ship / on the prom. deck if there is one. Our holiday is a complete chill out amidst all of the exciting exploring we do on land.

 

Re the loyalty ladder, we aren't really too bothered about that as it has taken us a while on P&O and Celebrity and the perks are not that amazing after all.

 

We can't afford a suite so to give some idea, on Celebrity we tend to book a SV cabin or on P&O a balcony cabin. We are pretty easy going and will go with the flow re a cruise line's dress code. Would hate it too informal though and quite like the 2 formal nights per week on P&O.

 

Just us 2 - mid 50s - no children and have to sail at peak times in the school holidays.

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, Presto2 said:

 

Hi, on sea days we just love to relax on our balcony, have a nice meal out there, read a good book and sip a cocktail or 2. Basically, we are not 'entertainment' cruisers and our idea of a lovely evening is pre dinner cocktails, a lovely relaxed meal, then after dinner drinks / cocktails and a stroll around the ship / on the prom. deck if there is one. Our holiday is a complete chill out amidst all of the exciting exploring we do on land.

 

Re the loyalty ladder, we aren't really too bothered about that as it has taken us a while on P&O and Celebrity and the perks are not that amazing after all.

 

We can't afford a suite so to give some idea, on Celebrity we tend to book a SV cabin or on P&O a balcony cabin. We are pretty easy going and will go with the flow re a cruise line's dress code. Would hate it too informal though and quite like the 2 formal nights per week on P&O.

 

Just us 2 - mid 50s - no children and have to sail at peak times in the school holidays.

 

 

Then I would recommend you try a HAL cruise just to see how you like it as many of the things you like to do on a cruise fit well with HAL. As you can see from my signature, we have tried a variety of cruise lines and enjoy each line for different reasons.

[Presto2]

1 minute ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Then I would recommend you try a HAL cruise just to see how you like it as many of the things you like to do on a cruise fit well with HAL. As you can see from my signature, we have tried a variety of cruise lines and enjoy each line for different reasons.

 

Well, my dad was called Ken and I was used to taking his advice ;-)

Thanks for the help

[Ken the cruiser]

5 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

 

Well, my dad was called Ken and I was used to taking his advice 😉

Thanks for the help

LOL!! The main thing to remember is to always go on a cruise with a positive attitude with someone you truly want to be with and you'll have a great time!!

[Presto2]

1 minute ago, Ken the cruiser said:

LOL!! The main thing to remember is to always go on a cruise with a positive attitude with someone you truly want to be with and you'll have a great time!!

 

That's about the BEST advice I've read on CC . If I were you I'd sell it as a vision statement for a cruise line ! 

 

Hope to meet you one day Ken the Cruiser

 

P.S. Notice you haven't done P&O -- give it a go -------- ha ha

 

 

[Mimiya11]

We were just on the Eurodam last month.  Our first Holland America cruise as there were no other options out of San  Diego when we were visiting there.  We went with an open mind.   What we liked - the Lido Market was great in that it had glass to ensure no cruisers were touching food or utensils; the food variety was fine.   The entertainment was very good, and so were some of the theatre performances.  We booked a retreat cabana which we loved (except we found service was a bit lacking)  What we thought did not compare to Celebrity which doesn't align with a previous poster (this is all subjective right?)  was that we personally found the meal options in the MDR very average (except for Gala Nights) and ended up eating in their specialty dining rooms three times in one week, breads delish, desserts not so much.  But we tend to go AQ on Celebrity and never had a meal we did not love.  On HA, we found the staff all extremely friendly (nicest than any we have ever met on a cruise) but they never seemed to go that extra mile in customer service.   We also personally didn't like the layout of the Eurodam but that is one ship in a large fleet.  

As previous posters have stated, so much depends on what you are looking for.   HA has a very loyal following.   We are in our early 60's and on this particular cruise we were youngsters.   While we prefer Celebrity, we just booked  Princess for next year as they have the itinerary we want to Panama.   Try it, you might like it.  

[Stateroom_Sailor]

14 hours ago, yorky said:

More than one of those things are great if you are a suite guest and this appears to be where Celebrity are putting in the effort. 

 

It seems so.  

 

I forgot to mention the cut storage space in the standard cabins, also the Chef partnership in Luminae.  The suite life on X is looking bright.