Celebrity vs HAL for South America

[bebe08]

A little background on our cruising experience:

Our very first cruise ever was on HAL Eurodam in 2012.  We had a great time but decided we wanted to try out other lines since we were new to cruising.  First Celebrity cruise was in 2014, and we got hooked mostly by booking future cruises on board. We also really like the perk of having a beverage package to avoid a big bill at the end of the cruise, which HAL wasn't offering back then.   We have done a total of 8 X cruises and have 3 more booked.  We have loved all of our cruises, always book a balcony, and are typically not hard to please. 

 

Fast forward to a few weeks ago....we booked a HAL cruise on the Zaandam for later this month...it is a unique itinerary Ft Lauderdale to Montreal which is why we chose it.   

 

If we enjoy this cruise and the HAL experience, we may be looking to book another HAL cruise onboard.  I've been looking at options for South America for Feb 2021 and see there is a big difference in price between very similar 14 night SA cruises on HAL and X as follows:

 

HAL Westerdam 14 nights Feb 19 2021 Buenos Aires - Santiago .  Balcony starts at 3119 CDN, and includes EBB of signature beverage package and one specialty dinner.

 

X Silhouette 14 nights Feb 14 2021 Buenos Aires - Santiago.  Balcony 2 perks (which I think is close to same value as HAL EBB, we like to get the beverage package), cost is 4589 CDN.

 

I was really surprised by the big price difference. Honestly it is the first time I've actually compared similar cruises on different lines.  I know there has been a lot of talk on the X boards about increased fares, and alternatives so maybe this is a good example.  Just wondering if anyone has thoughts on this and whether X is worth the extra $$$ in this case. 

 

 

[George C]

I think lines are pretty equal , for the cost I would do hal, I like westerdam . Not crazy about entertainment on either. 

[bEwAbG]

I think this is just another example of Celebrity overcharging for their product.  Silhouette is a nice S-Class ship but it carries 1,000 more passengers.  Westerdam is smaller but also a little older.  For that differential in price and for that port-heavy itinerary, I'd probably go with HAL.  I'd also compare ports as well as time in ports. 

[FlorenceItaly]

Westerdam will have BB Kings, which we love.  We are frequent Celebrity cruisers that have recently cruised on HAL, and have more coming up.  I would choose Westerdam, especially since it offers the drink package.

[Hlitner]

We have also done more then our share of cruises on both HAL and X.  The situation with Celebrity has really gotten sad over the past 3 years.  Prices have continued to increase (sometimes in a big way) while overall quality has declined as the line implements various cut-backs.  HAL has also been implementing cut-backs (such as discontinuing production shows) but their pricing has been relatively stable.  We have also seen quite a few terrific deals on HAL (perhaps their cut-backs have started to cause a backlash in bookings) so we are not surprised at the OP's post.  Unless nightlife is very important we would suggest booking the HAL cruise and saving the money.  As to nightlife on HAL, on longer cruises the ship often dies with the setting sun :(.  Suffice it so say that HAL cruises are generally not active places after 10pm.

 

Hank

[Quo Vadis?]

11 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

(.  Suffice it so say that HAL cruises are generally not active places after 10pm.

 

Hank

My name is not HAL but my body has the same lights out policy.

[Hlitner]

11 minutes ago, Quo Vadis? said:

My name is not HAL but my body has the same lights out policy.

When we did the Voyage of the Vikings cruise, my later evening hangout was the piano bar where Barry from Boston played until around midnight.  On quite a few evenings Barry would do the appropriate number song from Sesame Street equal to the number of passengers in the bar.  6 or 7 was pretty typical.  There were nearly 1400 passengers on that cruise.  One evening as I headed off to the cabin around 11:30, I counted fewer then 20 passengers between the piano bar and the casino.  I mentioned to Barry (piano player) that we have been on other cruise lines (i.e. Celebrity, Princess, etc) where it is standing room only for late night comedy shows that usually start around 11:30.  We have been on Celebrity cruises where the popular Martini bar was really jumping until around mid night.  The folks on those cruises were in the same age range as what we get on HAL cruises.  But they had a reason to stay up late...because there was fun socialization.   There was a post, today, on the HAL board from a passenger on their first HAL cruise (Westerdam in Japan).  He complained that the ship was totally dead by 11 and this was not something he had experienced on other lines.  So true.  And even on the ships that have the BB King group (about half the ships) their last set usually ends by 10:45.

 

Hank

[Ken the cruiser]

We are in our mid 60s and cruised on both HAL and X in balcony cabins. Unless HAL has changed their policy, they only offer professional lectures on cruises 15 days or longer. On shorter cruises they offer EXC port briefings which are not the same. On every X cruise we've been on they have had 2-3 professional lectures on different topics each sea day. 

 

As far as shows go, HAL has definitely mellowed on their evening shows over the past few years while X continues to produce a quality evening show on most evenings in their beautiful theaters. They also have an interactive game show between evening performances and also have very engaging cruise directors. On HAL their CDs where gray uniforms and aren't allowed to tell jokes. 

 

As far as hygiene goes remembering this is still flu season, X makes an extra effort to give everyone "a squirt" when they go into a dining area whereas on a HAL cruise it's totally up to the passenger.

 

What I'm trying to say is you get what you pay for. If you're looking to save a few dollars, then book the HAL cruise. If you want a more energetic cruise with a variety of things to do on sea days and don't mind paying a few extra bucks, then X may be more to your liking.

 

But since you'll be on a HAL cruise shortly, see how you like their presentation. If it fits your cruising style, then book the SA cruise onboard to get the extra OBC rather than booking it now.

Edited April 18, 2019 by Ken the cruiser

[bebe08]

Thanks for the excellent feedback.  Night life is not important...on our most recent 12 night cruise we were lights out by 10 pm all nights except one.  We do enjoy the entertainment in the theatre, but never been a fan of the big production shows.  We tend to prefer the guest entertainers, ie stand up comedy, singers etc.  We also like live music at the various venues to sit and listen to while we enjoy a drink and conversation. 

 

Good point re comparing itineraries - the HAL ship has more "scenic cruising" days, while X has more actual ports.  

 

We do enjoy the CDs on X...(love Rich Spacey) didn't realize that HAL does this differently. Not a deal breaker though.

 

Re: getting what you pay for - I would expect there to be differences between HAL and X but see them both as higher end mass market cruise lines and expect a quality product.   

 

Hopefully we enjoy our upcoming HAL cruise enough that we want to book another HAL cruise while onboard and save some $$.

 

 

[FlorenceItaly]

10 hours ago, Hlitner said:

 And even on the ships that have the BB King group (about half the ships) their last set usually ends by 10:45.

 

Hank

This is true.  On the Oosterdam in November we were ready to continue the party, but there was no action.  The Club turns into the disco after the last set, but, we were the only ones there, lol.  Honestly, we found similar on Celebrity.  Princess was a little better.

[villauk]

12 hours ago, Hlitner said:

HAL has also been implementing cut-backs (such as discontinuing production shows) 

 

 

I wish X would discontinue their in-house production shows 🤣. Nothing against their performers, but they definitely went downhill after they started producing them themselves.

 

 

10 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We are in our mid 60s and cruised on both HAL and X in balcony cabins. Unless HAL has changed their policy, they only offer professional lectures on cruises 15 days or longer. On shorter cruises they offer EXC port briefings which are not the same. On every X cruise we've been on they have had 2-3 professional lectures on different topics each sea day. 

 

 If you're looking to save a few dollars, then book the HAL cruise. 

 

 

I wouldn’t call $1400pp saving a few dollars 😮! We’ve also never had 2 or 3 different professional lecturers on a sea day (I do not count the port shopping talks as professional lecturers, unsure if you are referring to these?).

[FlorenceItaly]

OP - just a reminder that I believe the HAL drink package promotion ends May 1.  Double check so you don't miss it.

[villauk]

7 minutes ago, FlorenceItaly said:

Honestly, we found similar on Celebrity.  Princess was a little better.

 

Can’t comment on HAL as I’ve never sailed with them, but have to agree with your last statement when comparing against Royal and Princess.

[Turtles06]

I just wanted to offer a comparison between the two ships, as we love Celebrity -- and the Silhouette is our favorite ship of all the ships we've sailed.   

 

Last summer we took our first HAL cruise on the Zuiderdam, which is a sister ship of the Westerdam.  We chose that HAL cruise for the itinerary (the Viking Passage), and we had a great time, but we found the ship very limited in a few ways.  One was dining -- the food in the MDR was quite good, but we always need a break from that sort of sit-down dining every now and then, and the buffet at dinner time was pretty limited.  In terms of the entertainment (which is not why we sail, but I wanted to mention it), we found that limited as well in that the non-main-stage performers (Lincoln Center Stage and the Billboard Onboard pianists) had limited programs and songs that they performed over and over again.  We weren't fans of BB Kings, but I do know some folks love them. We rarely got to a show in the main theatre since we had "late" fixed dining at 8pm and the show for that seating was at 10pm.  This was a fairly port-intensive cruise, so a show that late was a no-go for us.  (Celebrity does it in reverse, with shows at 7pm and 9pm, which we much prefer.)

 

Things we did love about the Zuiderdam included a true promenade deck, and the fact that the bow was opened to everyone for every sailaway (weather permitting).   (I imagine this was at the Captain's discretion, I can't say whether that happens all the time on every HAL ship.)   Also, there is an indoor forward-facing observation lounge (the Crow's Nest).  I'm not sure when the Silhouette is going to be "revolutionized" (you can find that here on CC), but I believe Celebrity is going to carve up some of the Sky Lounge to make new suites.  And, post-"Revolution," non-suite passengers will no longer have access to the forward-facing sun deck.   (So a few negatives for the post-"Revolution" Silhouette, which really sadden me.)

 

The price difference the OP has quoted is quite significant.  I'm not sure what I'd do in that situation, but I would be looking carefully at the itinerary, which the OP has not posted.

Edited April 18, 2019 by Turtles06

[FlorenceItaly]

My notes reflect that the Silhouette Revolution will be completed Jan 30, 2020.

[Turtles06]

2 minutes ago, FlorenceItaly said:

My notes reflect that the Silhouette Revolution will be completed Jan 30, 2020.

 

Thanks, what a shame. (I'm all for cosmetic upgrades and refurbs, but not for the rest of what is going on.)  I think she'll still be a great ship, just not as great as she is now.  My personal opinion of course. 

[TeeRick]

The HAL Westerdam and its Vista class of ships are significantly smaller and older than Celebrity Solstice class ships such as Silhouette.  If that is fine with you or even a preference then go with the better deal if price is the most important factor.

[buggins0402]

There are significant itinerary differences. I would keep in mind that Arenas and Falklands can be hit or miss depending on weather.  If King penguins are important, Falklands is the only port where you will see them. Madryn is a sure fire penguin port, but only has Magellan penguins. 

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, buggins0402 said:

There are significant itinerary differences. I would keep in mind that Arenas and Falklands can be hit or miss depending on weather.  If King penguins are important, Falklands is the only port where you will see them. Madryn is a sure fire penguin port, but only has Magellan penguins. 

 

 

Good catch! I change my vote. You should definitely go on the cheaper HAL cruise if it goes to the Falklands and the X cruise doesn't. We went in Jan 2018 on a 21 day HAL cruise on the Zaandam and booked a morning as well as an afternoon excursion to see different types of penguins. Since X's cruise doesn't go to the Falklands, HAL definitely gets my nod. 😉

[Ken the cruiser]

2 hours ago, villauk said:

I wouldn’t call $1400pp saving a few dollars 😮! We’ve also never had 2 or 3 different professional lecturers on a sea day (I do not count the port shopping talks as professional lecturers, unsure if you are referring to these?).

We had 3 every sea day on the Eclipse on a 21 day b2b Canary Island/TA cruise in Oct 2017 and we had 2 a day on a 21 day Caribbean b2b on the Reflection this past January. We also had 3 every sea day when we were on an Alaska cruise on the Solstice a few years ago. But we enjoy lecturers, so we go to them if available.

 

As far as price goes, yes, $100 pp/day is more than a few $$$. But the itinerary is also key. Now that I've learned that a visit to the Falklands is not on the X itinerary, I've change my vote to HAL.

[buggins0402]

4 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We had 3 every sea day on the Eclipse on a 21 day b2b Canary Island/TA cruise in Oct 2017 and we had 2 a day on a 21 day Caribbean b2b on the Reflection this past January. We also had 3 every sea day when we were on an Alaska cruise on the Solstice a few years ago. But we enjoy lecturers, so we go to them if available.

 

As far as price goes, yes, $100 pp/day is more than a few $$$. But the itinerary is also key. Now that I've learned that a visit to the Falklands is not on the X itinerary, I've change my vote to HAL.

Falklands is a risk though.  I was on NCL this past year and we had to skip.  I know a Viking ship had to miss also.  That said, one woman who has done the itinerary 13 times was on our cruise and this was the first time she missed the Falklands. Madryn is the least likely port to be missed and has Punta Tombo.

[Turtles06]

Yes, it's a risk that the Falklands might be missed by HAL.  But it's a known certainty that Celebrity won't be stopping there.  So with this new info, I would vote for HAL as well, unless there's something really special about Celebrity's itinerary (which I haven't checked), or if the rest of the HAL itinerary is somehow lacking (again, I haven't looked at it).

[grayjay]

We have cruised extensively on both lines. The HAL ships might be older, but the service and crew are still a notch better, in my opinion. The deciding factor for me would be the itinerary and the choice of cabins. On Westerdam , which was renovated last year or so, the Junior suites (Signature suites) are newly done and quite lovely with lots of space as well as being in the same price category as a regular balcony cabin on the Silhouette.

As the Westerdam is the smaller ship it definitely is more closely sailing to the coast i.e. more scenic cruising especially in the Chilean fjords which are absolutely stunning. And watching the penguins in the Falkland Isles is something which isn't to be missed. We have done this exact cruise from Buenos Aires to Santiago ( and vice versa one of them going to Antarctica, as well), twice on HAL's "Zaandam" and once on a Celebrity M-class ship. Perhaps we were lucky but we were able to land on the Falklands each time even though on one occasion it was a close thing because of high winds and waves.

Two really exceptional ports on the Chilean side are Puerto Montt and the tiny Puerto Chacabuco with absolutely lovely scenery.

Whatever you decide - have a wonderful cruise!

[bebe08]

Thanks all, this is great information.  The HAL cruise sounds like the way to go (assuming we like our upcoming cruise).

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I was just re-checking prices and made a rookie mistake in providing HAL pricing- I didn't notice HAL had 2 types of fares.  So here are the corrected fares in Canadian $:

 

HAL restricted fare non refundable/no perks balcony $3249

HAL with EBB (beverage pkg and 1 specialty dining) $3639

 

X no perks balcony 3743

X 2 perks balcony 4589

 

As we would book with beverage package, difference is $950 pp, which is still a considerable difference.

[TMLAalum]

If you can wait, the pricing for the Celebrity cruise is likely to go way down closer to sail date. That's what happened with our B2B around the horn and up to San Diego.