Celebrity and Holland America

[Mekka]

I would appreciate some advice about the possibility of switching from Holland America to Celebrity. My wife and I are active cruisers and have nearly 500 days on Holland America (plus more on other lines).

 

Holland America is going through the same cost cutting process as everyone else and it has really begun to get serious. Food, service, crowding, etc. are greatly diminished from what they used to be. We've cruised on some very high end lines, but have used Holland because of their (formerly) good value proposition. I'm starting to look around and I've heard some positive things about Celebrity. I've also read some of the comments on this board about Celebrity going downhill fast, so I realize they aren't perfect either.

 

How would you compare the two lines? We are low maintenance cruisers. We work out in the gym every day-- how crowded is it? Holland usually isn't too bad. We hate to wait to use equipment.

 

I've heard Celebrity has better food and entertainment- is that true?

 

We also are put off by the lack of active excursions on Holland. We like to do very active tours that involve exercise and excitement. That's not usually possible on Holland excursions. Is Celebrity any better?

 

I thank you in advance for your help.

[fleckle]

We cruise on both lines. As non-smokers, we greatly prefer Celebrity's smoking policy.

 

The libraries on HAL are far superior to Celebrity's.

We liked HAL's free computer classes and their unlimited laundry service for a reasonable fee.

 

HAL has much better organized, orderly and efficient procedures for disembarkation on the last day including room service breakfast, which Celebrity does not offer on the last day.

 

We liked HAL's fruit basket that had the form to let you pick the types of fruit you want,

the fresh-squeezed orange juice available to everybody at no charge, and also free cappuccino and espresso in the dining room (although we heard that those were going to be discontinued).

 

HAL has better and more varied itineraries.

 

Celebrity has better entertainment, better enrichment speakers, better pizza, better ice-cream.

In general, we prefer the food on Celebrity.

 

If you like Holland America, I think you will like Celebrity.

 

How crowded the gym will be depends on when you go there.

 

As for excursions, pick your own. You can do independent excursions and certainly are not limited only to excursions provided by the cruise line.

Check out the port of call forums for the various ports you will be visiting to get recommendations.

TripAdvisor is another good source.

Many people like to join the roll calls and arrange excursions with others who will be on the same cruise.

Edited January 24, 2014 by fleckle

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

HAL has better beds. Better itineraries (more varied because they have more ships). Celebrity has better food, much better service, better ships. Also much better frequent cruiser program. WAY better smoking situation--no smoking indoors, in cabins, on balconies. I tried HAL once--prefer Celebrity. Might do HAL for an itinerary Celebrity doesn't offer. Only thing to do is try Celebrity out and make your own decision.

[pris993]

We cruise both lines too.

 

I prefer the food on HAL to Celebrity. We generally special order meals off menu, HAL and most lines do special orders off menu, a lot better than Celebrity.

 

On the newer Celebrity ships, the MDR, is noisy and crowded, so much so we skip it. We do find the Lido is very good on Celebrity, we opt for it instead.

 

Entertainment on Celebrity is hit and miss for us. I give Celebrity points for creativity but don't always feel they pull it off.

 

We don't do organized tours, so can't comment on that on either line.

 

We are booked on the New Amsterdam for April, TA and the Celebrity Silhouette out of Rome in October. Book primarily based on itinerary.

 

We cruise regularly Princess, HAL, Celebrity, Cunard and NCL.

 

Of these lines, we feel Cunard, is the most consistent in terms of food, service, entertainment. Cunard is more formal, we like that, not everyone does. Cunard's idea of smart casual is a jacket without a tie and smart casual is only allowed the first and last night of a cruise in the MDR.

 

I don't see a lot of difference between HAL, Celebrity and Princess.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Holland America ships are noticeably smaller than Celebrity and that aspect you might miss. I loved the Explorer's Lounge on Zuiderdam but wasn't as crazy about Maasdam. The Pinnacle Grill is excellent on Holland and the buffet is great. I wasn't a fan of the MDR. The service was great but the food was not always the right temperature and I abandoned the MDR. Maybe I'm just tired of MDR's in general.

 

I loved our deluxe verandah suite! LOVED it!!! was fantastic on Zuiderdam. I had a balcony stateroom on Maasdam and that was very nice too. Large bathrooms on both.

 

If you switch to Celebrity, I think you will be happier on the M-class ships size wise and they are my personal favorite because they are cozier than the S-class. But if you are looking for a big change- do the newer s-class ships which have more dining options and a better spa. The cabins are newer and better appointed than on M-class.

 

Bistro on Five is on all M-class and S-class and I love this place. They offer made to order crepes and other things. It's a great deal ($5pp surcharge)

 

The staterooms are well appointed but you won't get any great deals on the larger suites on Celebrity. The concierge and Aqua cabins are smaller than standard balcony cabins on Holland.

 

I think you will enjoy Celebrity because the service, food and the decor is better on Celebrity.

Edited January 24, 2014 by rebeccalouiseagain

[alcpa1]

What cabin class do you generally book? That makes a huge difference. On HAL you have the dedicated lounge for suite passengers, Celebrity does not.

HAL has a tub in every cabin, Celebrity only has tubs in suites.

HAL has a self service laundry, Celebrity does not.

On our last HAL cruise our cabin steward had 28 suites and cabins. On our last Celebrity cruise our cabin steward had 22. Needless to say our cabin was much cleaner on Celebrity, as was our cabin service.

HAL has had more issues with plumbing than Celebrity.

Celebrity offers a class of service with a dedicated restaurant. The Aqua class cabin passengers dine in Blu. These Aqua class cabins are balcony cabins. On the M class ships they are marginally larger than the standard balcony cabins. On the S class ships they are the same size. The Blu restaurant philosophy is more healthful cuisine. This can be debated but the food is much better than the MDR and prepared to order where applicable. Suite passengers can dine in Blu if space is available. That's almost never a problem for breakfast.

Other than the aging Century the Celebrity ships are larger with more venues. Crowding is rarely a problem. The only noticeable crowds are at the door of the MDR prior to dinner.

There are times when the exercise equipment is fully engaged on Celebrity but the treadmills seem to get the most use. If you use other equipment you may never have to wait. While the age demographic can change from cruise to cruise it is generally younger on Celebrity thus more activity in the fitness center.

Celebrity has expanded its itineraries. It does not do as many beach day on the Caribbean itineraries as HAL.

As far as shore excursions, you should really investigate independently booked excursions. There are so many options on the X Roll Calls for you to join.

Another option that you may not have considered is Azamara. It is one of the RCL lines. There are only two R class ships but they are itinerary driven with many overnights. It's a terrific alternative,

You have a lot of time accrued in your Mariner status with the perks it brings but perhaps it is time to try something different. After all, how many of those tiles do you need anyway?

If you decide to try the X please return to the X board and we will arm you with much more information to enhance your cruise.

[cruisetrail]

I would appreciate some advice about the possibility of switching from Holland America to Celebrity. My wife and I are active cruisers and have nearly 500 days on Holland America (plus more on other lines).

 

Holland America is going through the same cost cutting process as everyone else and it has really begun to get serious. Food, service, crowding, etc. are greatly diminished from what they used to be. We've cruised on some very high end lines, but have used Holland because of their (formerly) good value proposition. I'm starting to look around and I've heard some positive things about Celebrity. I've also read some of the comments on this board about Celebrity going downhill fast, so I realize they aren't perfect either.

 

How would you compare the two lines? We are low maintenance cruisers. We work out in the gym every day-- how crowded is it? Holland usually isn't too bad. We hate to wait to use equipment.

 

I've heard Celebrity has better food and entertainment- is that true?

 

We also are put off by the lack of active excursions on Holland. We like to do very active tours that involve exercise and excitement. That's not usually possible on Holland excursions. Is Celebrity any better?

 

I thank you in advance for your help.

 

Both lines have different ships: newer, larger, more sophisticated and smaller, older, less interesting.

I can compare top products: Celebrity S-class (except the Reflection) and HAL Signature class.

 

1. Design.

HAL wins hands down. Just to mention what Celebrity is lacking: promenade deck, hydropool, separate open pool area for adults, spacious private feel sun decks, third elevators/stairs bank. Sports court on HAL is twice as large.

Celebrity has soaring atrium and a grass lawn.

Gym load - same as HAL.

 

2. Food

Buffet - HAL is head and shoulders above.

MDR - somewhat equal.

Specialty dining - Celebrity has more options

 

3. Entertainment

Similar programs in the theatre.

A smaller stage on HAL (Queens Lounge) offers much more intensive live performances than Celebrity (Celebrity Central).

Hot Glass show on Celebrity is unique.

 

4. Itineraries

HAL wins traditionally. A new interesting itinerary from celebrity: 14 days Southern Caribbean.

 

5. Forget about cutbacks and "going downhill". Both lines are where they have been. Enjoy whatever you prefer.

Edited January 24, 2014 by cruisetrail

[MaisonRose]

I loved reading these comments and agree with just about every one of them.

So I will say a few more (I have only done the two, and just got off a GREAT TA on the Ryndam, a ship I loved because I felt like I knew everyone when we got to Tampa). I will go back for that simple reason..well there are many reasons.

 

But I noticed these main things:

The ice cream on Celebrity is much better.

The energy level (this should appeal to you especially) is more than double what you see on a relatively sedate HAL ship..the demographic is younger on Celebrity. I fondly remember the atrium band on the Reflection that had everyone dancing on the many levels of the tower and in the elevators going up and down.

The service in the MDR on HAL is perfection (well, as close as it can be) whilst on Celebrity I felt like I was in a Chinese fire drill. My take on this is that the HAL crews are mostly from the same region of the world and they work together well (let's say, on the same page) whilst on Celebrity I got the feeling that the waiters couldn't even speak to each other (your drinks can arrive in Croat two minutes before the same drink arrives in Spanish)

.No one has mentioned Tea Time on HAL.

And ditto to the HAL library--really really good.

 

HAL does Microsoft, Celebrity does Mac.

 

Anyway, I would happily go on either line again...for different reasons (listed by other CCers above).

Bon Voyage...

Susan

[MaisonRose]

I loved reading these comments and agree with just about every one of them.

So I will say a few more (I have only done the two, and just got off a GREAT TA on the Ryndam, a ship I loved because I felt like I knew everyone when we got to Tampa). I will go back for that simple reason..well there are many reasons.

 

But I noticed three main things:

The ice cream on Celebrity is much better.

The energy level (this should appeal to you especially) is more than double what you see on a relatively sedate HAL ship..the demographic is younger on Celebrity.

The service in the MDR on HAL is perfection (well, as close as it can be) whilst on Celebrity I felt like I was in a Chinese fire drill. My take on this is that the HAL crews are mostly from the same region of the world and they work together well (let's say, on the same page) whilst on Celebrity I got the feeling that the waiters couldn't even speak to each other (your drinks can arrive in Croat two minutes before the same drink arrives in Spanish.

 

Anyway, I would happily go on either line again...for different reasons (listed by other CCers above).

Bon Voyage...

Susan

[Eboracum_d]

Like others I have cruised on both. I prefer both to Princess and P and O.

 

At least when I was on Celebrity ( the practice may have changed) cabin stewards and waiting staff were not actually employed by the Cruise Kine but worked for an Agency. I thought it was a mistake for Celebrity nit themselves to employ the people who had the most direct contact with passengers.

 

The MDR service ion HAL is by far the best I have experience -- the head waiters move staff around to cope with needs as they arise in different parts if the room. There is a feeling if genuine teamwork.

 

In my view neither line has the edge on the entertainment front although Celebrity gas been better so far as lecturers are concerned.

 

The main difference to my mind us the ambience if the ships. HAL, at least in their S class ships have a more relaxed feel. Celebrity have a more glitzy feel.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Eboracum_d

[gsb]

If you go to bed at 9pm--HAL--that's when the activites end.;)

[jackdiamond]

We are elite on Celebrity; and, we have only cruised once on HAL Z. We were underwhelmed by the latter.

[turning46]

I was surprised by how crowded the gym was on Celebrity. Also, sadly, there are people who refuse to comply with the time limits, even when the gym is very crowded and others are obviously waiting. I saw people actually cover their machines' screens with a towel to hide how long they'd been on the machine!

 

It's a problem: 20 or 25 minutes on a cardio machine really isn't much of a workout for many people, but that's the limit when the gym is crowded. I think if you go during an off time (mid to late afternoon maybe? Dinner time?) you can get in a full cardio workout on a machine.

 

My best solution for this is to do a "body weight" style workout in the studio, with jumps, burpies, mountain climbers, etc., to avoid having to use the machines.

[Darrell6t]

Based on my recent Celebrity Solstice experience, you should stick with Holland America. At least as far as food is concerned. The Solstice is a wonderful ship and the service was great in all areas, but the food left a lot to be desired, especially in the upstairs buffet (Lido on HAL), where things were repetitious and mostly not very good.

 

On the New Zealand & Australia cruise there were plenty of active excursions though.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Instead of going to the gym- just do what a lot of people do. Don't ever use the elevators. I'm in pretty good shape and going up five flights of steps really made my heart pound! There are lots of ways to get a workout without using the gym. Just walk or jog on the open deck for an hour each day.

[blueboro]

Everyones has an opinion but the lines are more similar than different IMO. To me, Celebrity ships have a much more open feel and not as dark as HAL. I know HAL likes to tout small spaces as "intimate" but to me they are just dark and closed in. I will disagree strongly with a previous poster on the buffet...X S-class have the best designed buffet at sea with a large selection of food. This was proven again to me after being on Princess Grand class and HAL signature class. Some other thoughts:

 

• Love the wrap-around promenade deck on HAL and the aft pool. However, the flooring they used around this pool on the Nieuw Amsterdam got so hot you would literally burn your feet if they were not covered so we rarely went for this reason.
  
• On Nieuw Amsterdam, mid-ship pool area is now so crowded on one side with the cabanas that it is hard to walk on that side.
  
• MDR food good on both
  
• Specialty better on X
  
• Entertainment better on X although we have become so bored with the production shows on both lines
  
• And, as most have mentioned, the strict smoking policy on X is a reason we will continue to book X if possible.
  

[miched]

Instead of going to the gym- just do what a lot of people do. Don't ever use the elevators. I'm in pretty good shape and going up five flights of steps really made my heart pound! There are lots of ways to get a workout without using the gym. Just walk or jog on the open deck for an hour each day.

 

I exercise daily and when on a cruise I use that time to give my body a break/ rest. The only time I use a elevator is maybe on the first or last day but even then my carry on isn't that heavy so I carry it up or down the stairs. Using the stairs and walking around the ship and in port is enough and your body will appreciate the break. Plus you need to vary your routine with a little confusion.

 

 

.🌴🍸🍻🍺

[20pluscruises]

Celebrity has a great non smoking policy in most areas

 

Hal has the wonderful outside adult pool area

 

Celebrity has Blu as an Aqua Class option

 

Hal has less children

 

Celebrity has a techno rave music dj in the Martini Bar

 

Hal has a much quieter nightlife

 

MDR pretty much the same

 

Celebrity has gym machine rental for $15 an hour in a seperate room...long waits for machines after 7:30 am

 

Hal is much easier to find machines available most days and times...even

when busy

 

Hal has more bar staff...Celebrity has cut way back

[Aquahound]

I've heard Celebrity has better food and entertainment- is that true?

 

Based on my 1 HAL cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam, I'd say Celebrity's entertainmnet isn't only better...it's faaar better. Never have I walked out of so many shows as I did on my HAL cruise.

 

I'd say the food is equal...both in the MDR (good) and in the specialty restaurants (great). I do think Solstice Class has a much better buffet, layout and selection, than HAL Signature Class.

[Gracie115]

Celebrity has gym machine rental for $15 an hour in a seperate room...long waits for machines after 7:30 am

 

 

I've been on almost every Celebrity ship and have never seen a charge for any gym machines.....where/when did you encounter this???

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Not that I would never sail Holland America again (I would if they offered an itinerary that the others don't) but I have mixed feelings on the cruise line. Our summer 2008 cruise to Greece and Turkey was fantastic but on that cruise we were off the ship frequently and it attracted younger people.

 

On our 2010 New England/Canada cruise everyone was very old and some of the people were downright grumpy. They treated the entire ship like a library and if you dared to laugh or have conversations during the orchestra performance- OMG! You were given the evil eye. This never happens on Celebrity. The background music- is background music.

 

I have never had a bad cruise on Celebrity or felt that the passengers weren't pleasant.

[20pluscruises]

I've been on almost every Celebrity ship and have never seen a charge for any gym machines.....where/when did you encounter this???

 

three weeks ago on the Reflection...it's a new option for those who want a certain time / private (small) area

Edited January 24, 2014 by 20pluscruises

[zelker]

We sail and enjoy both HAL and X and find them pretty close in the product they offer. That said, I ran across this post on a Holland America Secrets thread the other day which, IMHO, sums HAL up perfectly -

 

These days most new build ships from other lines place an emphasis on what's going on within the ship. It almost seems that the ocean is an afterthought. With all Holland America ships, the focus is still on what's going on outside the ship.

 

Lots of open deck space (more so on ships that do not have cabanas), the Crows Nest lounge at the front of the ship that offers tremendous views of ocean and where your ship is headed, the wraparound promenade deck on every ship that goes all the way around the ship - here you can stretch your legs and feel the breeze, watch the ocean for sea life, or grab a deck chair in the shade and really feel like you are at sea.

 

To me, a cruise on Holland America is more of a journey on a ship as opposed to a vacation on a floating resort hotel - and that's something that keeps me coming back to Holland America.

[Gracie115]

three weeks ago on the Reflection...it's a new option for those who want a certain time / private (small) area

 

Interesting....Reflection is only "S" class we have not been on......don't like the idea of paying for gym equip at all....:(

[20pluscruises]

Interesting....Reflection is only "S" class we have not been on......don't like the idea of paying for gym equip at all....:(

 

You can also do the free machines...but they do get very busy...the $15 an hour is an option