Thoughts on Celebrity vs. HAL after first Celebrity Cruise

[Shepsue]

We have been very loyal Celebrity Cruisers, but the food and service cutbacks that we experienced on our recently ended Eclipse Christmas cruise has me searching for alternatives like the Konigsdam when it comes on line. I know nothing stays the same in life and that applies to cruising as well and I can accept that, but don't tell or try to sell me on Celebrity becoming an even more "premiere high end" mass market line, when the product is so obviously being cheapened at the same time that daily cruise rates are increasing significantly.

 

 

 

Since 2008, we have cruised mostly on HAL over Christmas. We looked at the Celebrity Eclipse this year as we were less than impressed with our last two HAL cruise. We could have taken the Oosterdam for an almost identical itinerary with an extra day for a little less money. But we thought the value we got with 1-2-3 promotion on Celebrity was better (drink package, pre-paid tips, and OBC) and were we also eager to try Celebrity. The perks we received with our Diamond status from Royal Caribbean were also very nice. As a 3-star on HAL, you do not get free internet minutes, special check-in line, drink coupons, and free laundry coupons as compared to the perks we received with the cross company status between Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.

 

For the biggest thing I liked about Celebrity over HAL was the ship was alive and had a great vibe. From the music to the activities to the vibe on the ship, the ship had life. The Eclipse, in my humble opinion, is much nicer than the HAL ships as it had more entertainment and bar options then the Vista style ships. I also thought the entertainment on Celebrity was of higher quality. One great addition was they had a speaker on the sea days. His name was Jim Kennedy, former director of the NASA Kennedy Space Center. He was a great speaker and was a great addition to the cruise experience. This type of speaker was not offered on any of the HAL cruises I have been on.

 

Dining room service was excellent from a waiter, he did not seem to be overloaded like HAL has done recently to the wait staff. The food is pretty comparable, but on Celebrity we had the option from the menu for shrimp cocktails and escargot each night. The meat seemed to be higher quality as the prime rib we had two nights was fantastic. Bar service was better than we had on HAL the last couple of cruises, especially in the show lounge and the dining room.

 

Our room was pretty similar to HAL, but with a better 3rd bed. The pullout out sofa we have had on the last HAL cruises was almost unusable with out extra pillows to keep the bars from digging into ones back. The technology through the TV to check our account and see our pictures was also a nice feature.

 

I am not sure how HAL is going to attract the generations of cruisers when the ships are not set-up for a younger crowd. In addition, why would one want to go on the new Koningsdam when it holds the same number of people as the Celebrity Solstice class ships, yet it is going to be 20% smaller? Not sure what HAL is thinking here...

 

I am not sure HAL is for me anymore. With the changes they have made and direction they are heading, I would choose Celebrity next time even if the HAL cruise was cheaper. I would rather pay extra for a better cruise vacation.

 

Again, these are my thought from someone who almost 50 years old. Maybe I am too young to be happy on HAL, but I would think HAL would want to attract cruisers my age to build loyalty in the years to come.

[vespertino]

We have been very loyal Celebrity Cruisers, but the food and service cutbacks that we experienced on our recently ended Eclipse Christmas cruise has me searching for alternatives like the Konigsdam when it comes on line. I know nothing stays the same in life and that applies to cruising as well and I can accept that, but don't tell or try to sell me on Celebrity becoming an even more "premiere high end" mass market line, when the product is so obviously being cheapened at the same time that daily cruise rates are increasing significantly.

 

Would you be willing to elaborate on the food and service cutbacks, it has been a few years since I cruised and I'm wondering what may have changed or soured over the last couple of years.

 

I've only been on RCL and Celebrity ships so far but was considering a solo cruise on HAL, but I'm somewhat reluctant to pull the trigger since I've always been pleased with Celebrity. I don't gravitate towards entertainment venues, not much a party person here just seeking good dining and relaxation. I really enjoyed the food on Celebrity and the friendly service, I would go to specialty dining half of the nights and always found them to be worth the money in terms of quality (although I found the portions to be far too large). I loved the coffee/tea/soda drink package, I'm not much of a booze drinker but I loved going to the on-board cafe, getting a high-quality tea or cappuccino coffee and nibble on the complimentary tea-sized sandwiches while listening to a little quartet performance. The show entertainment in the theater were much better than I would have ever expected, but it's not something I personally enjoy and I don't seek it out. However your post about the downgrading/cutbacks of the food and service certainly grabs my curiosity since I'd consider that to be essential to my ideal cruise experience.

Edited January 5, 2016 by vespertino
typos galore, oy vey!

[iancal]

We have had good and not so good cruises on all of the mass market lines....HAL included.

 

One constant we see is inconsistency. Especially during these times when all of these cruise lines seem to be implementing cuts. HAL and Celebrity(and others) are certainly not immune to these even if their respective cheerleaders prefer to ignore the changes.

 

The only variance we see is how well a particular cruise line meets your individual cruise preferences. And the cutbacks may have placed this in a state of flux for some cruisers.

 

Next for us is how well the ship is maintained in terms of overall ship condition, cabin condition, and the basics like plumbing and A/C.

 

Then comes port time. Are port times on the cruise being reduced/compromised in order for the cruise line to save money-either on fuel or on port charges.

Edited January 5, 2016 by iancal

[Aquahound]

It is not perfect but our preference would be for a combo of Celebrity ships (and on board vibe), the Celebrity cruiser rewards program, and HAL itineraries.

 

For what it's worth (I have yet to sail HAL), I cruised on the Celebrity Silhouette in 2014 and loved it. The Solstice class ships are stunning. A cool vibe throughout- like a Vegas hotel (in the good sense).

 

I totally agree with these 2 comments. I've become an equal opportunity cruiser and no longer consider myself any one brand cruiser. But I think Solstice Class ships are the most beautiful at sea and HAL has nothing that can touch them. Given the same itinerary, I'd pick a Solstice Class ship anyway over any HAL ship.