colliece

We enjoyed Rose here and Al were a great team, she is very new but we did not enjoy the Billboard singers, did not think they were great, they they did try very hard. They did switch the Cruise Director as Claire departed with us, she was fantastic. The BB Kings band was really good and as very fun every night. Was a very fun cruise.

We just got off this ship after a week. And will agree with most of what you have have experienced. BB Kings is way to small, the Billboard singers are not good singers but they do try very hard. Or ship had the most small children I have ever seen on a HAL cruise, and they seemed to invade the Crows Nest as there personal play ground so it was not very enjoyable. However the cruise was great the staff is amazing and really liked the ship and the vibe. Had a great time and would sail again, even though the entertainment was not great. the BB King band and singers were great, the theater shows were noting new, but Al the host for trivia and game nights was great.

I would agree with most of what has been posted. After 9 of our last 12 cruises on Celebrity we have made the decision to explore other options. The main issue we have had is the new pricing. It used to be a value to slot between the more main stream lines of Royal, Celebrity, and Norwegian, and the higher end lines of Azamara, Viking etc. But now they are defiantly priced more in line with the smaller luxury lines. The ships are beautiful, but they are understaffed and over worked, and the food cutbacks have been very noticeable. I understand every one in the industry is hurting, but the value proposition is not the same and people will look to other options. We used to cruise 2 or 3 times a year, but now it is once. I don't think these changes are exclusive to just Celebrity, as we have found HAL and Princess to be dealing with similar issues. I hate to complain as the defenders of the industry do seem to attack anyone who does, but deep down everyone knows it is not the same, prices had already started going up before Covid, but they had to reduce fares to entice folks back. These are tough economic headwinds to navigate (no pun intended) for executive team but so far we would not give them a passing grade on the results so far.

We split our cruises about 50/50 with Celebrity. I will say honestly we prefer Celebrity if price was equal. However HAL is usually significantly more affordable. Like you we typically only sail Interior or Veranda class only so can’t speak about higher level cabins. here are some minor difference and some very major differences. Celebrity Edge class ships are much more sophisticated and “fresher”, while HAL are much more traditional, but classy. Celebrity has interesting art and a more modern color scheme especially in the cabins. HAL is more muted and neutral and the cabins are not as “pleasing”. The Celebrity Solstice class ships are much more similar to HALs ships. The biggest difference is entertainment, and after many cruises we find the traditional main theater shows to be somewhat boring on most chips. Dancing and B/C grade singing with shows with no real story. The music is better on HAL, but the nightlife is better on Celebrity. Pool and outdoor areas are miles ahead on Celebrity with resort style pool decks, HAL is adequate but been the same for 20 years. No live music on the pool deck like Celebrity. Food is similar on both, Celebrity does have more extra cost eateries, HALs burgers/dogs and pizza is better in our opinion. The buffet is better on Celebrity, but neither are great. The Celebrity Martini Bar and World Class Bar are exceptional, HAL really does not have a great memorable bar. We are not party people but prefer a more quiet laid back experience so HALs atmosphere suits us better, and why we sail both for a change of pace. I like music and reading on the deck, or sipping a in the Crows Nest. The service on both has always been great and have not had in issue on any cruise. We always feel a cruise is what we make of it and is better than working any day.