HAL vs Celebrity

[Cruise a holic]

Hello,

My DH and I sail mostly on Celebrity-but also RC. We aren't fans of Princess or Carnival. We are interested in perhaps sailing on HAL. I have a few questions and concerns:

 

We like a sky (mini suite) What type of cabin on the HAL ships compare?

We enjoy specialty restaurants. Does HAL ships have some and what is the cost?

We like the all included beverage packages- does HAL offer them?

We like newer ships- Which HAL ships are the newest?

We enjoy sailing out of FL in the winter for about two weeks to the Caribbean. Can I assume that HAL has ships that sail to East, West and or Southern Caribbean?

We enjoy good Wifi service- Free on Celebrity.

How is HAL's entertainment?

Anything else special or great on HAL ships?

 

Thanks for the information.

[Hlitner]

Read your post and gave it a few minutes thought (we can easily answer all your questions). We routinely cruise on X (Elite Plus for several years) and also cruise on HAL (450 days on the line). But it was your last question (Anything else special or great on HAL ships) that got my attention. After some thought our one word answer is NO!

 

Now we could took about lousy WiFi which is never free (unless you have about 10,000 days on HAL) or HAL entertainment (on our most recent HAL cruise the dance band primarily played music from pre-1970. We still enjoy HAL, primarily for itineraries (just did a 55 day cruise in April and will be on a 24 day in a few weeks). But other then itinerary, there is no reason why we would consider HAL...unless it was almost free :).

 

And here is a question for our fellow 4-5 Star Mariners. Do you think most HAL cruisers go back to their cabins by 9:30pm...because there is little to keep them awake....of do you think that nothing could keep HAL cruisers awake after 9:30? We actually posed this question to a HAL Cruise Director...who after some thought admitted it was an interesting question.

Hank

P.S.

[Cruise a holic]

We are also Elite plus- Thank you for your informative response- guess we will continue to make Celebrity and RC our home. We are anxious to hear about the new Celebrity Edge Ships, and when we can, will book a cruise on them. On RC we really enjoy the Oasis class ships- lots going on and the best entertainment at Sea- cannot say the same for the Quantum class- never again.

Edited June 20, 2016 by Cruise a holic

[mef_57]

There was a thread of HAL vs Celebrity just last week - go back a page or so - you might find others' perspectives. Also, Cruise Critic compares cruise lines....http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2238

[blizzardboy]

Hello,

My DH and I sail mostly on Celebrity-but also RC. We aren't fans of Princess or Carnival. We are interested in perhaps sailing on HAL. I have a few questions and concerns:

 

We like a sky (mini suite) What type of cabin on the HAL ships compare?

We enjoy specialty restaurants. Does HAL ships have some and what is the cost?

We like the all included beverage packages- does HAL offer them?

We like newer ships- Which HAL ships are the newest?

We enjoy sailing out of FL in the winter for about two weeks to the Caribbean. Can I assume that HAL has ships that sail to East, West and or Southern Caribbean?

We enjoy good Wifi service- Free on Celebrity.

How is HAL's entertainment?

Anything else special or great on HAL ships?

 

Thanks for the information.

I wouldn't eliminate a cruise line on one person's opinion. I'd give HAL a try and make up your own mind. If you read the X Board posts, you might get scared away from them too. My wife and I have had great service and have really enjoyed our HAL cruises. We are Neptune Suite cruisers which is comparable to a Celebrity Suite. You are probably looking at a Signature Suite on HAL from your description, unless you like a private lounge, then Neptune Suites are what you want. No butlers on HAL.

HAL has several beverage packages - "all inclusive" might be a bit strong. Explore 4 Promo that will be along in the next month or so will include the Signature Bev Pkg.

Yes on specialty dining - Pinnacle Grill is awesome at $29 each, and depending on ship, there are others, all very good. Go to HAL site and click 'Onboard" for description and price of all.

If you haven't seen the Panama Canal, the partial transit cruises are really enjoyable. Eastern med has some interesting itineraries and some of the 14-day Collector cruises are pretty interesting. @108 itineraries will be out shortly.

Wifi not free, but who knows what's down the road as more people demand it. I think all cruise ship wifi is a throw back to dial-up days.

HAL entertainment is average. The BB King Blues Review bands that we've seen have been world class.

HAL has super crews. We always come away very pleased in that regard. The passenger demographic is a little older, but still fun loving. HAL tends to attract a little more traditional cruiser.

I don't think you'll be disappointed in HAL. We all find our comfort zones. I never let someone else pick mine. HAL has some of the most loyal customers around for a reason.

Edited June 20, 2016 by blizzardboy

[Cruise a holic]

Thanks for your information.

[Aquahound]

Hello,

My DH and I sail mostly on Celebrity-but also RC. We aren't fans of Princess or Carnival. We are interested in perhaps sailing on HAL. I have a few questions and concerns:

 

We like a sky (mini suite) What type of cabin on the HAL ships compare?

We enjoy specialty restaurants. Does HAL ships have some and what is the cost?

We like the all included beverage packages- does HAL offer them?

We like newer ships- Which HAL ships are the newest?

We enjoy sailing out of FL in the winter for about two weeks to the Caribbean. Can I assume that HAL has ships that sail to East, West and or Southern Caribbean?

We enjoy good Wifi service- Free on Celebrity.

How is HAL's entertainment?

Anything else special or great on HAL ships?

 

Thanks for the information.

 

I'll answer what I can based on my experiences. To compare with a Sky Suite, I'm pretty sure HAL's Signature Suite is the way to go. This is actually one area I like on HAL over Celebrity. I stayed in a Signature Suite on Nieuw Amsterdam and loved it.

 

HAL does have specialty restaurants. I don't remember the cost, but they are less than what Celebrity charges. I think Celebrity's restaurants are better. The only HAL specialty restaurant I thought was great was Tamarind.

 

I don't know much about HAL's beverage packages. I remember having a separate card that was pre-loaded with a beverage credit. I didn't really like that method because it forces you to carry a second card.

 

Koningsdam is newest. Hal's next newest ships are the Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam.

 

In my experience, HAL has the worst entertainment of the 5 lines I've sailed. I think this is one area you'll be disappointed. Some people will rave about the BB King band. I thought it was good, but not up to the Cruise Critic hype. I just found them to be a glorified cover band.

 

One area HAL greatly differs from Celebrity is the smoking policy. HAL still allows balcony smoking, cigars included, and on most ships, they still allow active gamblers to smoke in a portion of the casino.

 

All in all, I have enjoyed my HAL cruises. My most recent was a 10 nighter on Oosterdam. It was what it was. It was one of the most relaxing cruises I've taken, but that's mostly because entertainment was not their strong suit.

 

I recommend trying HAL. You might like it. Personally, I don't think they measure up to Celebrity but you never know, you might feel different.

Edited June 20, 2016 by Aquahound

[avian777]

Hello,

... We are interested in perhaps sailing on HAL. I have a few questions and concerns:

... Anything else special or great on HAL ships?

 

Absolutely, yes!!! For my spouse and me, the choice of a cruise line is easy: HAL wins hands-down, because only HAL has a Roman Catholic priest (who celebrates daily Mass) on every one of its cruises. So if spiritual renewal is an important component of your vacation experience, HAL would be a good choice for you as well. Smooth sailing ...

[blizzardboy]

Beverage Package is now handled on your room card.

[Fouremco]

DW and I have more days on HAL but overall prefer Celebrity. That apparent contradiction is because they both score well overall, Celebrity getting the nod by the slimmest of margins, but HAL has offered some itineraries that better suited our schedule. Just a small example: last year we decided to take a Canada/New England cruise. HAL offered a great 7-day Boston-Montreal itinerary, which was perfect for us, while Celebrity offered nothing under 14 days.

 

In March, we spent two weeks on the Eclipse in the Southern Caribbean, and in November will enjoy a similar 10-day Southern Caribbean aboard the Koningsdam. It will be interesting to see which we prefer.

 

As someone else has mentioned, give HAL a try and see for yourself.

[Minoushka]

I prefer HAL for service a deeelicious food throughout .My lastexperience with Celebrity was Aqua class ....i enjoyed theincludedhot beds inSpa ..loved the T pool ..but food in Aqua was hohum at best .I prefer the food on EurodM a few weeks ago

Both ships are dead at night ...IMO ......roomsare comparable ...service too .butI doenjoy Celebritysno smoking indoors orbanned on balconies ...only 😝 Mon HAl smoking still allowed ...yuck

Itinerariesdeterminemy choices ..and price of course

Both are fine

[grayjay]

We have cruised both lines and will continue to do so.

What we like about Celebrity: the nicer cabins on the S-class ships, the colour scheme, Café al Bacio and Aqua Class. We don't cruise above balcony cabins, so can't compare with suites. As we're Elite Plus we enjoy the much better loyalty perks like free coffees,capuccinos, hours of internet etc.

We changed allegiance, though and mostly cruise Azamara instead of Celebrity now because of the great friendly crews, better itineraries, lovely food and drinks and gratuities included - if the price is right and you like small ships, that's a wonderful choice. Loyalty perks are the same.

We're on our way up - creeping up slowly the loyalty ranks - ;), *** stars currently because we came to love Holland America as well: we like the friendly crews, a bit more "European" touch in regard to service and food, quite often the itineraries are better or even much better, the lower-grade cabins are quite often roomier. We don't like their smoking policy and find the shows generally much worse than on Celebrity or even Azamara. But there's popcorn during films :rolleyes: and I like the cooking shows . Lecturers in my opinion quite often give better talks, but that may depend on the itinerary.

[Cruise a holic]

My husband and I are jewish. Do they have a rabbi on board?

[Hlitner]

My husband and I are jewish. Do they have a rabbi on board?

 

Our experience with either line is that there is normally a Rabbi if there is a major Jewish Holiday during the cruise. And HAL has always had a Rabbi on our long Grand Cruises....but we did have Passover during those cruises. Otherwise, Rabbis are hit or miss.

 

Hank

[Cruise a holic]

Based on all responses especially the lacks smoking restrictions, we will continue sailing on Celebrity and Royal

 

Thanks all for your kind responses

[iancal]

We like them both. We will select any Celebrity ship whereas we are very careful when selecting a HAL ship since there are a few older ones that we have no desire to take a chance with. We find the service and service attitudes very similar on both lines. No real difference there...both very good.

 

Food on both can be hit and miss, in our opinion. Plus it is subject to personal tastes and preferences. We tend to favour Celebrity because they have more optional dining venues on their ships and their buffet does not, like HAL, start closing up at 7:30PM for an 8PM shutdown. Hate that early closure and could never understand the reason for it. No other mass market cruise line that we have been on appears to do this. Have not seen the 'new' entertainment lineup on HAL though posters rave about it. The production shows on both lines are poor. We find them tedious. If we go, it is for about the first ten minutes. High school production quality but once in a while some very good vocalists on both lines.

 

Entertainment is hit and miss on both lines. Though if it is movie night on HAL, chances are you have either seen the flick a half dozen times (ie old) or you did not want to see it in the first place. Can't claim to have seen any near first runs on Celebrity either..just fewer oldies but goodies.

 

One thing that we especially like on Celebrity is the in room interactive IT system. You can access your account, book dining venues, etc on the interactive terminal in your stateroom. HAL is in a different era when it comes to customer IT.

 

We prefer the smoking policy on HAL but it is not a deal breaker for us. However, if all things are about equal between two ships we will never select the HAL ship. If you are a wine drinker, HAL has a rather poor and a rather limited choice of mid priced reds compared to Celebrity. Cannot comment on the whites.

 

We would choose either depending on the ship, the itinerary, and the price.

Edited June 20, 2016 by iancal

[cl.klink]

Hello,

My DH and I sail mostly on Celebrity-but also RC. We aren't fans of Princess or Carnival. We are interested in perhaps sailing on HAL. I have a few questions and concerns:

 

We like a sky (mini suite) What type of cabin on the HAL ships compare?

We enjoy specialty restaurants. Does HAL ships have some and what is the cost?

We like the all included beverage packages- does HAL offer them?

We like newer ships- Which HAL ships are the newest?

We enjoy sailing out of FL in the winter for about two weeks to the Caribbean. Can I assume that HAL has ships that sail to East, West and or Southern Caribbean?

We enjoy good Wifi service- Free on Celebrity.

How is HAL's entertainment?

Anything else special or great on HAL ships?

 

Thanks for the information.

 

I wrote out an extensive HAL vs Celebrity comparison on post 147 at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2212647&page=8

 

I've been on Celebrity for my first three cruises, HAL the last two. I have liked both but X better.

 

"We like a sky (mini suite) What type of cabin on the HAL ships compare?"

I think the lower end suites are comparable on HAL, higher end are larger/nicer/better laid out on Celebrity

 

"We enjoy specialty restaurants. Does HAL ships have some and what is the cost?"

I think Murano's on Celebrity was slightly better than Pinnacle Grill on HAL, their main specialty restaurant, even when they have their once on a cruise "Le Cirque" night, costing $49. Tamarind is an asian option I have not sampled. Caneloto is a section of the buffet that has waiter service only and Italian options and is ~$10/per person. I found the MDR mostly ok and similar on both lines, buffet better on X but mostly ok on both lines.

 

"We like the all included beverage packages- does HAL offer them?"

HAL has a version of this.

 

"We like newer ships- Which HAL ships are the newest?"

Koningsdam is what you want.

 

"We enjoy sailing out of FL in the winter for about two weeks to the Caribbean. Can I assume that HAL has ships that sail to East, West and or Southern Caribbean?"

Yes

 

"We enjoy good Wifi service- Free on Celebrity."

Not free, slow at times, but seemed similar to X to me

 

"How is HAL's entertainment?"

Shows were fine and similar I felt on both lines, music in clubs/bars seemed better to me on HAL though

 

"Anything else special or great on HAL ships?"

The staff on HAL treated me in a way that made me feel more like being taken care than on X, though both are good.

 

- Joel

Edited June 21, 2016 by cl.klink

[Mynki]

Anything else special or great on HAL ships?

 

Thanks for the information.

 

In a word, no. HAL's main selling point for me is the very impressive list of itineraries available. They are simply light years ahead of Celebrity and most other lines in that respect.

 

Sadly that's really the only reason we sail with them. They are a very average mass market line.

 

If you are used to sailing Celebrity I think there is a very real chance that you will feel disappointed with HAL. Particularly if you are a suite class guest. It's personal opinion but I honestly believe that in order to experience the 'modern luxury' touted by Celebrity that you really do need to sail in a suite, otherwise Celebrity is also just another mass market line these days.

 

The Sky Suites you refer to are comparable to the smaller suites on HAL as already mentioned. That said, the Celebrity suites offer much better value. For example, dining wise the dedicated suite guest restaurant Luminae is better in terms of service and food (I appreciate the latter can be subjective) than the main dining rooms on both ships.

 

HAL suites do not come with butler service either whereas Celebrity do. I'm sure you know that any vacation is what you make of it, but having a butler can and often will make a much bigger difference to your customer service experience. Just tell him what you want and it's all taken care of.

 

Then you now have access to Michael's Club etc. What I will say here is that it's very important not to compare apples with oranges when comparing lines as many people do. So what I would suggest is to compare a similar two week Caribbean cruise as an example between the two lines using 'mini suites' to ensure you get a fair comparison. Many TA'a add free internet, free drinks packages, gratuities and OBC when booking Celebrity suites but the offers are much less generous when looking at cruises with HAL.

 

So, overall I think when it comes to mini suites Celebrity offer a much better value for money package. I haven't sailed on the latest HAL ship, but the S class X ships are nicer and more modern than the rest of the HAL fleet, many of which look tired.

 

Another important consideration is the demographics. HAL passengers will be noticeably older than those on Celebrity. As Celebrity are now deliberately targeting a younger crowd I suspect this will become even more noticeable in time. This may or may not be a good thing as far as you are concerned personally.

 

Bear in mind the above is a HAL suite vs Celebrity suite comparison. If you were sailing in a regular balcony room on both I don't believe the differences would be as great. In short, the Celebrity suite experience is on a different level to regular cabins these days because of what's included, and it should be as the prices certainly reflect this. HAL suites are priced similarly but without the added value of Celebrity, so look overpriced and outdated to me.

 

I strongly suggest you find comparable cruises between the two lines and examine the detail and offers from TA's etc to see first hand what the differences are to make sure you're comparing apples to apples though.

 

Hope that helps.

[Cruzaholic41]

Based on all responses especially the lacks smoking restrictions, we will continue sailing on Celebrity and Royal

 

Thanks all for your kind responses

 

You're probably making the right choice. Until HAL modernizes its smoking policy and entertainment, they'll be several steps behind the rest of the industry. Stick with Celebrity for now. HAL can't touch Celebrity, especially Solstice Class.

 

Nice name, by the way. ;)

Edited June 21, 2016 by Cruzaholic41

[Mynki]

I concur. HAL is in desperate need in order to compete these days.

 

One thing I don't think has been pointed out is that Celebrity's loyalty club is also light years ahead of HAL's. This isn't a big consideration when deciding who to sail with, but HAL could certainly make big improvements here for the benefit of their loyal customers!

[KirkNC]

Read your post and gave it a few minutes thought (we can easily answer all your questions). We routinely cruise on X (Elite Plus for several years) and also cruise on HAL (450 days on the line). But it was your last question (Anything else special or great on HAL ships) that got my attention. After some thought our one word answer is NO!

 

Now we could took about lousy WiFi which is never free (unless you have about 10,000 days on HAL) or HAL entertainment (on our most recent HAL cruise the dance band primarily played music from pre-1970. We still enjoy HAL, primarily for itineraries (just did a 55 day cruise in April and will be on a 24 day in a few weeks). But other then itinerary, there is no reason why we would consider HAL...unless it was almost free :).

 

And here is a question for our fellow 4-5 Star Mariners. Do you think most HAL cruisers go back to their cabins by 9:30pm...because there is little to keep them awake....of do you think that nothing could keep HAL cruisers awake after 9:30? We actually posed this question to a HAL Cruise Director...who after some thought admitted it was an interesting question.

Hank

P.S.

 

I don't agree. To us the HAL ships do have some redeeming characteristics. I like the full promenade, the classic décor, dark wood, the crew to name a few. I find X's ships to be very sterile in design, almost like they are trying to not offend anyone. We have had some terrific cruises on X and would do so again but I think its hard to beat HAL's itineraries (non-Caribbean).

 

As to the 9:30 question, we are in that group, rarely up past 10:00 on a cruise or at home. I think most other HAL cruisers are the same way. Why do I want to stay up late just because I am on a cruise? I have stuff to do the next day.

Edited June 21, 2016 by KirkNC

[esimon]

We love HAL and what they offer -- that's why we sail them. My guess is you would come home and be upset with how they don't measure up. Stay on Celebrity

[KirkNC]

 

One thing I don't think has been pointed out is that Celebrity's loyalty club is also light years ahead of HAL's. This isn't a big consideration when deciding who to sail with, but HAL could certainly make big improvements here for the benefit of their loyal customers!

 

I do agree with this, the nightly happy hour makes this a win for X.

 

I also agree with the smoking comments.

Edited June 21, 2016 by KirkNC

[Hlitner]

I don't agree. To us the HAL ships do have some redeeming characteristics. I like the full promenade, the classic décor, dark wood, the crew to name a few. I find X's ships to be very sterile in design, almost like they are trying to not offend anyone. We have had some terrific cruises on X and would do so again but I think its hard to beat HAL's itineraries (non-Caribbean).

 

As to the 9:30 question, we are in that group, rarely up past 10:00 on a cruise or at home. I think most other HAL cruisers are the same way. Why do I want to stay up late just because I am on a cruise? I have stuff to do the next day.

 

LOL Kirk. So we can agree that HAL is perfect for those who go to bed at 9:30. But not so good for anyone who enjoys nightlife. That being said, we have had some good times in the Vista Class piano bars until the "wee hour" of about 11:30 :) But on the Prinsendam (last month) where the piano bar is the Crow's Nest, the piano player (my buddy Lee) often quite playing by 11...for lack of an audience.

 

We do confess that we also sometimes go to bed early (for us that would be about 11) on HAL if we must be up early the next day. But on cruises with over 20 sea days, there is usually no need to be up so early....so we would love to see some late night options! My goodness, on the Prinsendam the only late night snack (other then room service) were two trays of stuff they delivered to the Crows Nest and Ocean Bar around 10:30 pm. One tray was always ice cold sliders (great if you like cold burgers) and the other tray had one other item...which varied. Those snacks were so gross that few indulged. Our understanding was that when the crew closed the bar (usually around midnight) they would take the remaining trays to the crew bar! On X, if we want a late night snack we can simply go to the Lido where there is an OK selection. On Princess we can go to their neat International Cafe...which is open 24 hours a day...and has rotating snack selections and pizza.

 

DW and I were talking yesterday about HAL and agreed that if it were not for the Prinsendam (we simply love that ole vessel) and the terrific HAL itineraries...we would probably never cruise on HAL. That being said, we are soon heading to another HAL ship which will make 79 days on HAL since March! Those itineraries, coupled with amazing last minute prices (guess they cannot sell out the ships) keep us coming. But when it comes to Caribbean cruises (which is what the OP is all about) there is no way we would go back on HAL in those waters. After spending 2 weeks on the Westerdam in the Caribbean....DW and I agreed that even Carnival would be a much more desirable option.

 

Hank

Edited June 21, 2016 by Hlitner

[RuthC]

So we can agree that HAL is perfect for those who go to bed at 9:30. But not so good for anyone who enjoys nightlife.

This statement couldn't be further from the truth. You've repeated it so often that you believe it; the danger is others (not knowing any better) are likely to believe it, too.

 

True, there aren't any bars open 'til 2:00 AM anymore. But the joint does NOT shut down at 9:30, either.