Give Holland America a try??

[Chrisfromco]

Hello everyone,

 

I have a Celebrity cruise booked for October that I'm going to have to let go of for financial reasons... I still want to try and fit a cruise in this year and there is a Holland American cruise to the Mexican Riviera in December that looks interesting. It's on the MS Eurodam. Celebrity is always our first choice, but it's not going to work this year. The Eurodam cruise is significantly cheaper and leaves from San Diego, which is also a much cheaper flight for me. The style of the ship and balcony cabins look similar to Celebrity. My wife and I are primarily interested in relaxing. Any thoughts if this is worth giving a try? We tried Norwegian this past January for the first time (Escape) and really enjoyed the ship. If we don't do this one, we may end up waiting until 2020 to try and get something on the Edge. Thanks for any input! Much appreciated!

 

Chris

[twincheryl]

Hello everyone,

 

I have a Celebrity cruise booked for October that I'm going to have to let go of for financial reasons... I still want to try and fit a cruise in this year and there is a Holland American cruise to the Mexican Riviera in December that looks interesting. It's on the MS Eurodam. Celebrity is always our first choice, but it's not going to work this year. The Eurodam cruise is significantly cheaper and leaves from San Diego, which is also a much cheaper flight for me. The style of the ship and balcony cabins look similar to Celebrity. My wife and I are primarily interested in relaxing. Any thoughts if this is worth giving a try? We tried Norwegian this past January for the first time (Escape) and really enjoyed the ship. If we don't do this one, we may end up waiting until 2020 to try and get something on the Edge. Thanks for any input! Much appreciated!

 

Chris

 

We tried our first HAL cruise on Eurodam a couple of months ago and were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed it... even though it was just a short 4 nighter from Seattle. Was it any better than Celebrity? No... there were things we really liked and things that were just ok, so I say give it a go and see what you think. I'm convinced that there is no perfect cruise line, but with the prices on X lately we decided to try. We've now booked a Mexico trip next April on Eurodam's sister ship, Nieux Amsterdam.

[Chrisfromco]

We tried our first HAL cruise on Eurodam a couple of months ago and were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed it... even though it was just a short 4 nighter from Seattle. Was it any better than Celebrity? No... there were things we really liked and things that were just ok, so I say give it a go and see what you think. I'm convinced that there is no perfect cruise line, but with the prices on X lately we decided to try. We've now booked a Mexico trip next April on Eurodam's sister ship, Nieux Amsterdam.

Glad to hear! Thanks for the feedback!

 

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[RickT]

We sailed the Eurodam at New Years. It confirmed to us that we prefer Celebrity for both the ships and the full package. Hal was nice in some areas but all things being equal we’d choose Celebrity first. If the price or itinerary were better on Hal we would again consider them.

[Chrisfromco]

We sailed the Eurodam at New Years. It confirmed to us that we prefer Celebrity for both the ships and the full package. Hal was nice in some areas but all things being equal we’d choose Celebrity first. If the price or itinerary were better on Hal we would again consider them.

That's kinda what I figured. The price is more than $1000 less, so for this time it might be worth a try

 

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[81Zoomie]

That's kinda what I figured. The price is more than $1000 less, so for this time it might be worth a try

 

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HAL is excellent, just different than Celebrity. It is more classic then modern. Last Thanksgiving we sailed HAL in a balcony for half the price of Celebrity. That sealed the deal for us 😀. It was a very relaxing cruise 💕

[kelmac]

Hello everyone,

 

I have a Celebrity cruise booked for October that I'm going to have to let go of for financial reasons... I still want to try and fit a cruise in this year and there is a Holland American cruise to the Mexican Riviera in December that looks interesting. It's on the MS Eurodam. Celebrity is always our first choice, but it's not going to work this year. The Eurodam cruise is significantly cheaper and leaves from San Diego, which is also a much cheaper flight for me. The style of the ship and balcony cabins look similar to Celebrity. My wife and I are primarily interested in relaxing. Any thoughts if this is worth giving a try? We tried Norwegian this past January for the first time (Escape) and really enjoyed the ship. If we don't do this one, we may end up waiting until 2020 to try and get something on the Edge. Thanks for any input! Much appreciated!

 

Chris

 

Hi Chris,

 

My wife and I have cruised Celebrity 29 times and HAL 10 times. Celebrity wins in most categories, but HAL does offer some great itineraries. We will also be on the Eurodam this December (12/16/2018) as we are stopping in San Diego on our way back from Hawaii. San Diego is a short non-stop flight for us compared to that long haul to south Florida.

 

We too have tried NCL as of late, but only if we pick up their UDP (ultimate dining package) and eat every evening meal in one of their excellent alternative restaurants. Too bad their prices are climbing and it's not as easy to score their "free" beverage package.

 

Good luck,

Kel:D

[George C]

We normally do rccl but have done several Hal cruises, I perfer celebrity but Hal is preety similar, considering price I would take Hal, not crazy on entertainment on either line. But either is good for a relaxing cruise, ship will be dead at midnight.

[Chrisfromco]

Hi Chris,

 

My wife and I have cruised Celebrity 29 times and HAL 10 times. Celebrity wins in most categories, but HAL does offer some great itineraries. We will also be on the Eurodam this December (12/16/2018) as we are stopping in San Diego on our way back from Hawaii. San Diego is a short non-stop flight for us compared to that long haul to south Florida.

 

We too have tried NCL as of late, but only if we pick up their UDP (ultimate dining package) and eat every evening meal in one of their excellent alternative restaurants. Too bad their prices are climbing and it's not as easy to score their "free" beverage package.

 

Good luck,

Kel:D

Those were my thoughts exactly! I felt like the specialty restaurants on NCL were a similar experience to Celebrity. We're looking at the same itinerary as you're doing in December, just the week before. Thanks for your input!

 

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[PROCRUISE]

Was on the Eurodam in 2009 on the Baltic Sea itinerary. Wonderful ship and staff. Atmosphere on HAL is a little more quiet than X but that can also be a good thing. If you're one who enjoys the holiday spirit, NO ONE decorates their ships for Christmas better than HAL.

I think you'll enjoy HAL.

[Cruzinram]

You will enjoy it. We found the MDR food much better on the Pacific Princess than the recent Celebrity Eclipse sailing.

[Miaminice]

From all my research I got that HAL and Celebrity are not that much different in general - at least in terms of quality.

 

The main differences seem to be in entertainment (which we don´t care about) and an older clientele (which does not make a difference to us either). So we booked a HAL cruise to Japan for 2019 because of the better itinerary and the way better price.

 

We will see what we think about it - however, we are sure we will enjoy the cruise.

Edited June 27, 2018 by Miaminice

[fleckle]

HAL is excellent, just different than Celebrity. It is more classic then modern. Last Thanksgiving we sailed HAL in a balcony for half the price of Celebrity. That sealed the deal for us 😀. It was a very relaxing cruise 💕

From time to time, HAL has some very good deals.

We were able to pick up a suite on HAL's Amsterdam at half-price on a last minute closeout sale.

 

It is a smaller ship, which we really liked. We don't want or need a lot of glitz and glitter on cruise ships.

 

Although we still prefer Celebrity to HAL, we would certainly book with HAL again when the right cruise comes along.

The biggest turnoff about HAL for us used to be their permissive smoking policy, but lately they have really tightened up on their smoking restrictions.

HAL offers some very attractive itineraries that are not available on Celebrity.

[travellovers2]

Hello everyone,

 

I have a Celebrity cruise booked for October that I'm going to have to let go of for financial reasons... I still want to try and fit a cruise in this year and there is a Holland American cruise to the Mexican Riviera in December that looks interesting. It's on the MS Eurodam. Celebrity is always our first choice, but it's not going to work this year. The Eurodam cruise is significantly cheaper and leaves from San Diego, which is also a much cheaper flight for me. The style of the ship and balcony cabins look similar to Celebrity. My wife and I are primarily interested in relaxing. Any thoughts if this is worth giving a try? We tried Norwegian this past January for the first time (Escape) and really enjoyed the ship. If we don't do this one, we may end up waiting until 2020 to try and get something on the Edge. Thanks for any input! Much appreciated!

 

Chris

 

We were on the Eurodam last year and really liked the ship. It was our second HAL cruise after the Oosterdam in 2016. We just cruised with them this month for the 3rd time and loved the Koningsdam and really enjoyed our cruise to Norway. One thing we like about HAL is that some of their cruises tend to have more ports than others. We're not retired yet, we're late 40's and early 50's, so we really appreciate being able to make the most of the time we have, so cruising with Holland America is giving us that port intensive experience that we need. They also have a really nice touch. On every cruise, you get a keepsake tile of the ship you're on. We also love Celebrity, but for the past few years we have found better itinerary on other lines, not only HAL, but also Princess and RCI. We are not married to one line, we prefer to choose for the itinerary, but we do try to stay within these 3 lines. Give it a try. It's the only way to know. Happy Travels! :cool:

[jkgourmet]

We've sailed multiple times on HAL and X. We would absolutely sail again in HAL except that, for us, they are MORE expensive.

 

I'm pretty sure this is because of certain factors:

 

a). We always sail with an all inclusive alcohol package.

b) We buy the cheapest cabin required to get the perks (on X, that's usually an OV GTY). On HAL, we do insides (but have often been upgraded).

c) The incentives offered by our TA are ALWAYS better on X. Plus, the TA frequently has 'group' pricing on X, making it even cheaper.

 

I'm an ex-accountant and assure you that I CAN do the math. I've tried to return to HAL - in many ways, we preferred it. The significant price difference keeps us on X. And we're happy about that but, Unfortunately, the itineraries are becoming an issue.

 

(We agree with others about NCL. Overall, we enjoyed it very much. But never again without a dining package - and that statement comes from two people who are very happy in Celebrity MDR. On X, We only go to specialities when we have OBC to burn )

[Stateroom_Sailor]

We're 39 and 41, recently off a 3 day cruise (+land tour), and were pleasantly surprised with HAL. The clientele is a bit older and more international. The rooms are very comfortable, similar to Celebrity. Decor is beautiful, more classic. Service is impeccable, a bit less personalized. HAL gets some flack on entertainment, but there's plenty of partnerships such as with BBC Earth and America's Test Kitchen, plus live music in the evening, which kept us occupied. Overall we prefer Celebrity, but HAL is a close 2nd.

 

Here's area's I believe HAL exceeds:

 

1. Better buffet, with more cook-to-order stations. Fresh flowers, even tablecloths in the evening!

2. Classic perks such as robes and chocolate on your pillow.

3. Open Next Cruise options with OBC, 4 year window, available to your TA throughout.

4. Shareholder perks more accessible.

5. You earn 1 loyalty point for every $300 of spending

6. Better itinerary options.

7. Explorer's Club in the Crows Nest

8. Extensive movies on demand and wide range of networks.

9. Superior room service menu.

[G&G]

We're 39 and 41, recently off a 3 day cruise (+land tour), and were pleasantly surprised with HAL. The clientele is a bit older and more international. The rooms are very comfortable, similar to Celebrity. Decor is beautiful, more classic. Service is impeccable, a bit less personalized. HAL gets some flack on entertainment, but there's plenty of partnerships such as with BBC Earth and America's Test Kitchen, plus live music in the evening, which kept us occupied. Overall we prefer Celebrity, but HAL is a close 2nd.

 

Here's area's I believe HAL exceeds:

 

1. Better buffet, with more cook-to-order stations. Fresh flowers, even tablecloths in the evening!

2. Classic perks such as robes and chocolate on your pillow.

3. Open Next Cruise options with OBC, 4 year window, available to your TA throughout.

4. Shareholder perks more accessible.

5. You earn 1 loyalty point for every $300 of spending

6. Better itinerary options.

7. Explorer's Club in the Crows Nest

8. Extensive movies on demand and wide range of networks.

9. Superior room service menu.

 

Great observations. Also agree with a prior post about suites; can get signature suites on Eurodam for less than $200 pp/pd. Also great Asian Restaurant.

 

Been sailing with HAL for 40 years, Celebrity past 6 years. Like HAL for their great schedules but now prefer Celebrity for their packages and entertainment

[woody14h]

We are Elite + on celebrity and 3 star on HAL. Just off a recent TA on HAL's Koningsdam. We have had terrific experience with the Dining room staff and cabin stewards. Beautiful ship. Th only drawback for me is the smoking policy. We are hypersensitive. HAL allows smoking in the Casino which has kept us out mostly. The smoke permeates up and down the floors. Difficult to avoid when walking from bow to stern. Almost have to skip that floor. Every other aspect was equal to Celebrity. Price and destination would be the only key factors in choosing either.

[Stateroom_Sailor]

We've sailed multiple times on HAL and X. We would absolutely sail again in HAL except that, for us, they are MORE expensive.

 

I'm pretty sure this is because of certain factors:

 

a). We always sail with an all inclusive alcohol package.

b) We buy the cheapest cabin required to get the perks (on X, that's usually an OV GTY). On HAL, we do insides (but have often been upgraded).

c) The incentives offered by our TA are ALWAYS better on X. Plus, the TA frequently has 'group' pricing on X, making it even cheaper.

 

I'm an ex-accountant and assure you that I CAN do the math. I've tried to return to HAL - in many ways, we preferred it. The significant price difference keeps us on X. And we're happy about that but, Unfortunately, the itineraries are becoming an issue.

 

(We agree with others about NCL. Overall, we enjoyed it very much. But never again without a dining package - and that statement comes from two people who are very happy in Celebrity MDR. On X, We only go to specialities when we have OBC to burn )

 

I see where you are coming from with the math.

 

We prefer reposition cruises, so the cost comparisons are a bit more transparent. Since a one way to Hawaii isn't considered a repo, we're doing much better on X than anything HAL has to offer (perks and itinerary both).

 

One thing I really like about HAL that I forgot to mention, are the combo discounts of some of their B2B options. If you look up the Maasdam for the July 2019 transpacific, adding an extra 3 days, starting in San Francisco, is practically free. You better believe Victoria and Vancouver as a port day, is worth $50!

[Turtles06]

The biggest turnoff about HAL for us used to be their permissive smoking policy, but lately they have really tightened up on their smoking restrictions.

HAL offers some very attractive itineraries that are not available on Celebrity.

 

Agreed. We love Celebrity. But we've been wanting to try HAL exactly because of those interesting itineraries. However, prior to 2017, HAL allowed smoking on balconies, which was a deal breaker for us.

 

Starting in 2017, HAL banned smoking on balconies (and in the casinos on a number of ships) and that did it for us. We booked our first HAL cruise, one of those very interesting itineraries we've had our eyes on, the Viking Passage (a westbound TA: Copenhagen, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, the Canadian Maritimes, NY). We sail this summer, so I can't yet speak about HAL from personal experience, but we are quite excited.

 

BTW, as folks are here, the folks on the HAL board are very helpful, and there's an entire sticky thread for HAL newbies to ask questions and receive prompt replies.

[Homestyle]

I've not managed to read all the replies as just finishing get packed for the Celebrity Reflection trip this Friday. We've sailed HAL of four occasions and highlighta for me are the unlimited laundry package USA79 for for entire 12 night trip, brilliant as travelling get with husband and two teenagers. Speciality dining, loved the Pinnicle Grill USD29 for dinner USA 10 for lunch and others, a fraction of the Celebrity up charges. The beverage charges are a lot less, albeit it capped at 15 drinks pppd, which is certainly enough for most people. Free kids/teenagers club. IMO, better quality ingredients in the main dining room ie, prawns and scallops were twice the size of Celebrity. We are cruising on the Reflection this time because of the itinerary and dates fit for a three generation trip. I would cruise HAL again anytime. Loved the Nieuw Amsterdam. On our last trip we got a free upgrade to outside with the booking offer and then two weeks out was offered an balcony upgrade for $99 each and snatched their hands off, upgrading ours and the in laws cabins. Brilliant cabins, superb locations. Have a great trip.

[George C]

Agree on pinnacle restaurant , might be the most elegant pay restaurants on any ship, breakfast there is my favorite suite perk.

[bigbenboys]

We have done 7 cruises with HAL. Our last cruise with HAL was 2008 or 2009 on the Eurodam. In 2000 we cruised with Celebrity on the new ship Millennium. Millie was a non-smoking ship when it 1st came out. We just loved the no smoking. At some point we realized we were going to be Elite and get free drinks. Today I did some looking at HAL cruises for Alaska in suites. The cost of suites on HAL did not seem any cheaper. Also I dont think Neptune Lounge offer what Celebrity Michael's Club offers.

[bEwAbG]

Those Neptune Suites can sometimes be had for a steal after the final payment date, so keep your eye on them, especially since you're close to Seattle or Vancouver.

Edited June 27, 2018 by bEwAbG

[George C]

Suite perks are way better on celebrity , no drinks in Neptune lounge, but we have gotten several good deals for upsells to Neptune suites which are about size of celebrity suites about 500 sq ft