Quick review of Holland America Koningsdam vs Celebrity vs Oceania

[reposado]

Just finished my first HA cruise to Alaska (8/19/23 sailing) and would like to do a quick review vs other cruise lines I've sailed. I understand celebrity cost a bit more and Oceania significantly more than HA so please do take that into account. I've been on several celebrity and Oceania cruises from upgraded suites to regulars balconies; on HA I was in the corner aft Neptune suite 8th deck. 

 

- Staterooms: The Neptune suite offered beautiful views with a large deck, I travelled with a large group and visited their regular balcony rooms and it seemed about average as far as cruise ship goes. Koningsdam is a ship in good maintenance, clean, and overall decent shape; overall comparable to celebrity/oceania. 

 

- Entertainment: Celebrity had the best shows followed by HA and lastly Oceania.

 

- Embarkation: We arrived at 1:30pm which is late for Vancouver port and the "famously slow" customs line took about 30min. Not too bad. By then the suite priority lines had no impact as there were no lines in the HA check in section.

 

- Family: Surprisingly tons of younger kids playing/splashing around in the main "indoor" pool/jacuzzi which made the space unpleasant for adults. Less so the case in Celebrity and definitely not the case in Oceania. 

 

My main complains with HA is the crowds(which also caused the service to suffer) and dining:

 

- Crowds: Hard to find a public space as the ship was packed(it was a full sailing); it would have been a terrible cruise if we didn't have our balcony to enjoy as the public spaces were either hard to come by or chaotic due to crowds. Several times it was hard to find a table in the lido buffet. Overall the service was mediocre at best especially compared to the excellent service on Oceania. Service at the main dining room was very slow and poor(took about 10 min of waiting for any acknowledgement, waiter forgot drink orders, etc). Room stewards were great. 

 

- Dining: The food was a step below Celebrity and way below Oceania. Food can be subjective but objectively the ingredients were vastly superior in Oceania(USDA prime meat, unlimited lobsters at the buffets, croissants with an actual crispy shell, etc). Even ordering the caviar and tomahawk at the pinnacle or the fruits de mer(seafood was unfresh) in Rudis we'd prefer the regular daily buffet at Oceania in terms of food quality and taste. Celebrities Murano restaurant can match Oceania but sadly nothing in HA can. 

 

I must add however the dive in burger and fries when freshly made is great and IMO better than in-and-out. 

 

Edited August 27, 2023 by reposado

[OlsSalt]

Just did a price comparison, and surcharge food items ordered every day on HAL are actually way cheaper than full prices on Oceania. So comparing MDR selections is a poor starting point.  When you compare the $230 vs $650 daily costs per verandah cabins. 

[Sea42]

Thanks for sharing you thoughts. We haven't cruised with Celebrity but we did enjoy our Oceania cruise very much. I agree that the food on O was much better than HAL. I do prefer the service on HAL though. Oceania is the only cruise where I had a very poor experience with a cabin steward and the wait staff was very hit or miss on our cruise.

We would sail with O again for the right itinerary and price. I do check when I'm looking to book a cruise and I haven't found a price/itinerary on O that I prefer over what HAL offers. I'm also not a fan of the new Simply More concept so we may just be a one and done with Oceania.

[rodndonna]

Thanks for your comparison.

 

Only comment I would add is regarding kids. We are far from expect HAL cruisers (just 5) but the only one we saw a lot of kids was out Alaska cruise, so perhaps that is a factor. We have only done 1 Celebrity (Millennium class ship_ and my "impression" was that generally for similar itineraries  at the same time of year, X and HAL would attract the same number of kids. 

[cruisemom42]

I’m on my first Oceania cruise now and many HAL and Celebrity cruises in the past and have to say your comments track very closely to my own impressions.

 

For those who fixate on per diem costs, one must account for the fact that Oceania ships are smaller ( some considerably so) which always ups the ante. Also the fare quoted for O often include airfare and a package akin to HAL’s HIA, both of which can be removed if not desired.

 

Other things O offers vs HAL or Celebrity:

— Fine upholstery & finishes throughout

— Free internet and specialty dining

— Classical string quartet plays daily

— Large libraries

— Sommeliers in dining room

— Almost no food upcharges

— No crowds and virtually no children

— included soft drinks & specialty coffees

— No “ship within a ship” concept

— Menus still include four full courses

 

and more. I suspect if one looks at what HAL once offered and at the pricing then, and calculated that into current day figures, the numbers would probably be comparable to what O charges now. I am almost certain there is a better crew to passenger rating on O.

 

Does Oceania have weaknesses? Certainly would have to say evening entertainment. Cabins and bathrooms can be small - but that’s a known and a hardware issue: can’t really increase the shower size post- market!

[Ken the cruiser]

You mentioned service in the MDR was slow. Are you referring the Club Orange dining area or did you actually eat in the MDR area? I’m guessing you meant the CO area as you were in a Neptune Suite, which I would have thought would have offered faster service with more menu items than in the MDR.

[Ken the cruiser]

I think this is funny. We will NEVER cruise with Oceania again for a variety of reasons, and we are Silver with them. We have just moved on from Celebrity, and we are Elite+ with them, mostly due to their continued nickel and dime approach after the restart, and their lack of imagination when creating their itineraries.
 

But yesterday we decided to make HAL once again our #2 goto cruise line if Princess doesn’t offer an extended 3-5 week itinerary in a timeframe we’re trying to book a cruise. 😂

[Sea42]

59 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

Also the fare quoted for O often include airfare and a package akin to HAL’s HIA, both of which can be removed if not desired.

With Oceania switching over to Simply More you can no longer opt out the package of items included.

Price and itinerary have not been comparable for the the cruises we've looked at. Recent example being South America/Antarctica. O came in at almost $3000 pp more. Both without air. Both included WiFi, beverage pkg., excursion credits. HAL price also included crew incentive and 3 specialty reservations. O specialties are always included. While we did enjoy Oceania very much, we didn't like it that much more!

BTW the HAL price was for 2025, O for 2024. It doesn't look like O is sailing there in 2025.

[cruisemom42]

11 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

With Oceania switching over to Simply More you can no longer opt out the package of items included.

Price and itinerary have not been comparable for the the cruises we've looked at. Recent example being South America/Antarctica. O came in at almost $3000 pp more. Both without air. Both included WiFi, beverage pkg., excursion credits. HAL price also included crew incentive and 3 specialty reservations. O specialties are always included. While we did enjoy Oceania very much, we didn't like it that much more!

BTW the HAL price was for 2025, O for 2024. It doesn't look like O is sailing there in 2025.

I don’t disagree. Oceania prices are never going to match HAL prices. But much of the kvetching I read on this board amounts to those saying they would pay more for better experience, more like HAL once offered.

 

Having tried Oceania, I found it to be true that paying more definitely provides a higher quality experience that is similar to what I used to expect 20 to 30 years ago on ships.

 

Whether the value is there for everyone is highly individual. But you gets what you pays for. I like O but wouldn’t sail them for every cruise. Deals do exist however, especially when lower solo supplements can be found.

[Sea42]

8 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

Deals do exist however, especially when lower solo supplements can be found.

For the one cruise we did do on Oceania, their price was very competitive with HAL. They also offered overnights at Easter Island and Bora Bora, which the HAL cruise  did not. It was a great cruise and I wouldn't hesitate to sail with them again under the right circumstances.

[reposado]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

You mentioned service in the MDR was slow. Are you referring the Club Orange dining area or did you actually eat in the MDR area? I’m guessing you meant the CO area as you were in a Neptune Suite, which I would have thought would have offered faster service with more menu items than in the MDR.

We tried all the specialties and had dining room twice(no club orange as we wanted to sit with the rest of our party who had no access). 

[FlaMariner]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Other things O offers vs HAL or Celebrity:

— Fine upholstery & finishes throughout

We are fine w/HAL's beautiful and clean ships

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

— Free internet and specialty dining

We have no use for internet when on vacation and the MDR is perfect for us

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

— Classical string quartet plays daily

We are fans of HAL's live music venues

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

— Large libraries

HAL has brought back the library (on some ships and soon to be more) and we've enjoyed the new library and find us good books

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

— Sommeliers in dining room

The MDR waiter does fine fetching my bottle of wine from the Sommelier package #1

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

— Almost no food upcharges

Never paid a food up-charge on HAL and have enjoyed the meals

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

— No crowds and virtually no children

Never felt crowded on a HAL mid-sized ship except for last Thanksgiving and we knew/expected that going into it....Lido can get busy but we've learned how to maneuver 

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

— included soft drinks & specialty coffees

Don't drink soft drinks and the lido/MDR coffee is fine for us

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

— No “ship within a ship” concept

Not bothered by those that pay $$ for CO, hydro pool, retreat.....Don't feel like we are missing out...and if we want any of those special areas, we know we can pay the man and get in.

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

— Menus still include four full courses

We enjoy 5 courses nightly in the HAL MDR....appetizer, soup, salad, main, dessert

 

This list is a good example of why we would never pay the O prices...and affirms why we continue to cruise HAL because of the value we get for our $$$$.....I realize for some, these extra things are important but for us, we are "cruise only" fare customers and we enjoy HAL.......I cannot make the business case for the daily rate on Oceania (or other luxury cruise lines).

 

I'm glad we have choices.....and hope that continues.....

 

Savor the journey......

Edited August 27, 2023 by FlaMariner

[kazu]

thanks for the review OP.

 

Yes it’s summer and that means children - especially on a cruise like this.  The aft pools used to be adult only but i noted that children were allowed if they were under 16 with a parent.  That was also on the Koningsdam.

 

I understand about wanting to sit with your group in the MDR but it’s a shame you didn’t experience Club Orange.   I did find the service good there when I was on board.  I’m sorry to hear you were disappointed in the food.  I found the CO food and service well above  the MDR.

 

I’ve only done one O cruise and sadly for me, it didn’t live up to the hype.  3 out of 4 specialty restaurants were disappointments.  Jacques was fabulous.  There were a multitude of issues on that cruise which left us (when we were a we) hesitant to ever book with them again. In fact, DD DH who was pretty easy going, made it clear no O.  It was the first time we were anxious to get off a ship.

 

I’m glad you at least enjoyed the Dive In and sorry in your disappointment.  

[cruisemom42]

4 hours ago, Sea42 said:

For the one cruise we did do on Oceania, their price was very competitive with HAL. They also offered overnights at Easter Island and Bora Bora, which the HAL cruise  did not. It was a great cruise and I wouldn't hesitate to sail with them again under the right circumstances.

These are reasons why I always look at options before booking. When an itinerary is better and the price difference is less significant, I’d choose O. Also, as a solo I’m paying double the per diem on HAL in many cases, so that quoted $230 per person upthread becomes $460 per person for me…. If I could pay half that, I too might see more value in what HAL currently offers.

[ExArkie]

I’ll be the contrarian and state that our one cruise ( transatlantic ) on Oceania was seriously underwhelming. This was Spring of 2022, so a lot may be attributed to the continuing learning curve after the extended shutdown, but the food quality was mediocre at best, except for the Asian restaurant Red Ginger and the grilled lobster tail/prawns in the buffet. The meal service was never “excellent” - we were happy when it rose to “adequate.” Dining room sommeliers, except for one, were seriously uninformed about their own wine list and generally just recommended whatever the most popular selling wine happened to be. 

 

Add to that the incredibly poor communications and customer service before sailing, largely related to entry requirements for the Bermuda stop…that they ended up skipping anyway (long story, I can track down the Roll Call if you want the “as-it-happened” version).
 

The ship itself was lovely, our cabin was great (penthouse), the room steward and butler did a wonderful job, and we really enjoyed the string quartet, as well as the trip overall, but very little they did convinced me they are worth their current pricing, particularly when the area they tout the most (food) was much weaker than what we had in the Celebrity suite restaurant.

 

My experience with HAL is several years old - we generally only board ships to cross oceans, but we did HAL to Alaska about a decade ago - so I would not offer a direct comparison. I can do so after our transpacific in 2025 (why would you want to wait that long for me?)

 

Our two Celebrity crossings were wonderful experiences, both pre-pandemic so possibly not a direct comparison to today, either. Since the restart, we have not found any of theirs to be at a price we are willing to pay.

 

 

 

[mexico8]

I hope I am not "off topic" here to mention Azamara cruise line.   We did take one cruise with them a month ago and we were disappointed.   We had heard they were a step up from HAL but did not find that at all because of the food.   We were very disappointed with the food in their buffet  - it was always overcooked and dry because the heat to keep it warm meant it also kept cooking.   

 

The choices in the dining room were limited and the quality was just not there.   I found bones in both fish dishes I had and there was hardly any taste to anything.  

 

I will add that the service on Azamara was wonderful.   You had waiters constantly filling up your wine glass and offering to get something for you.  The ship was not too big and there were only about 600 passengers on a ship that would hold 750.  The itinerary was excellent and the price was not bad but we much prefer the food venues and the choices etc. with HAL over Azamara.

[cruisemom42]

52 minutes ago, ExArkie said:

I’ll be the contrarian and state that our one cruise ( transatlantic ) on Oceania was seriously underwhelming. This was Spring of 2022, so a lot may be attributed to the continuing learning curve after the extended shutdown, but the food quality was mediocre at best, except for the Asian restaurant Red Ginger and the grilled lobster tail/prawns in the buffet. The meal service was never “excellent” - we were happy when it rose to “adequate.” Dining room sommeliers, except for one, were seriously uninformed about their own wine list and generally just recommended whatever the most popular selling wine happened to be. 

 

Add to that the incredibly poor communications and customer service before sailing, largely related to entry requirements for the Bermuda stop…that they ended up skipping anyway (long story, I can track down the Roll Call if you want the “as-it-happened” version).
 

The ship itself was lovely, our cabin was great (penthouse), the room steward and butler did a wonderful job, and we really enjoyed the string quartet, as well as the trip overall, but very little they did convinced me they are worth their current pricing, particularly when the area they tout the most (food) was much weaker than what we had in the Celebrity suite restaurant.

 

My experience with HAL is several years old - we generally only board ships to cross oceans, but we did HAL to Alaska about a decade ago - so I would not offer a direct comparison. I can do so after our transpacific in 2025 (why would you want to wait that long for me?)

 

Our two Celebrity crossings were wonderful experiences, both pre-pandemic so possibly not a direct comparison to today, either. Since the restart, we have not found any of theirs to be at a price we are willing to pay.

 

 

 

I can understand your experience given that you are comparing food on Oceania with the Celebrity suite restaurant experience. My own experience is based on the normal main dining rooms and buffet areas for each. Murano is still my favorite specialty restaurant at sea.
 

That said, I’ll also suggest that Celebrity has seen a precipitous decline in food quality since January 2023 as a well as very aggressive suite pricing, which may cause some to re-evaluate Celebrity’s overall value for suite cruisers going forward…

[CurlerRob]

On 8/27/2023 at 5:48 PM, cruisemom42 said:

... more like HAL once offered.

 

Agreed. We sailed Oceania for the first time in November/22. Our reaction was "Good cruise -  reminded us of HAL a dozen years ago". 🍺🥌

[ExArkie]

22 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I can understand your experience given that you are comparing food on Oceania with the Celebrity suite restaurant experience. My own experience is based on the normal main dining rooms and buffet areas for each. Murano is still my favorite specialty restaurant at sea.
 

That said, I’ll also suggest that Celebrity has seen a precipitous decline in food quality since January 2023 as a well as very aggressive suite pricing, which may cause some to re-evaluate Celebrity’s overall value for suite cruisers going forward…

 Point taken. We were in suites on our two Celebrity trips, so did not experience their main dining room. I was comparing Celebrity Luminae to the specialty restaurants on Oceania, since that seemed to be the applicable level, according to both lines’ marketing. We only had breakfast in the Celebrity buffet, so no direct comparison there.

 

We ate once in the main dining room on Oceania and found it to be totally untenable from a food quality perspective. I would not try to compare it to any other experience we have at dining at sea. Their buffet was much better than their main dining room.

 

I have also heard of a drop in Celebrity food quality in the past year or so. Since our last trip on them was pre-pandemic (I think I mentioned that?), I did not mean to suggest that our experience is comparable to their post-shutdown performance. Sorry if I gave that impression. 

[billydog]

Have 6 Celebrity (X) cruises before and now just returned from first HAL on the New Statendam.

 

Cabin  - largely similar. Large showers were a big plus for HAL.

MDR  - Celebrity wins here,  Service and food better. More of a sense of occasion on Celebrity. Also dedicated sommelier/wine on X.  Hard to get wine topped on HAL and never saw the bottle. On X bottle is left somewhere adjacent to the table. Lay out of table better on X. 

Lido/Oceanview. We preferred Lido.  Better selection.  Nicer seating area. HAL has the huge plus of the burger place and pizza place.

Theatre - HAL very poor here. No live band in theatre and mainly just dancers. No real stage show.

Overall Entertainment - HAL beats Celebrity. Loved the music mall.  BB King was best music I have seen on cruises. Trivia and other games like activities better on HAL.

Coffee Shop - Dutch Cafe beats Cafe Baccio hands down.

Staff- Both great. Maybe HAL shades it.

Speciality restaurents - HAL. Tamarind is terrific. I've had eaten in all X specialities and all under whelming.  

Visibility of captain/ officers. HAL wins here. Captain always about in evenings.  

 

General comments;

 

We have cruises in different classes on X up to suite. I liked the democratic nature on HAL with little class distinction where it comes to dining and access to areas. Except Club Orange which all can go to for a price.

 

Laundry on HAL was great value and provided great service.

 

I would be delighted to cruise with either line again. 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by billydog