Signature Suites, HAL VS Celebrity?

[bobpell]

Anyone stayed in this room type in the past year?

Curious Bob

[AncientWanderer]

If you mean Aqua Class on Celebrity, then yes, we have experienced that as well as the HAL Signature Suite within the past year.  Do you have any specific questions?  

[bobpell]

Does Celebrity offer a hot in room breakfast menu?

Does that room have double sinks in washroom?

We are only familiar to the signature suites on HAL?

Thanks

curious Bob

[AncientWanderer]

3 hours ago, bobpell said:

Does Celebrity offer a hot in room breakfast menu?

Does that room have double sinks in washroom?

We are only familiar to the signature suites on HAL?

Thanks

curious Bob

 

Yes and yes...on the Eclipse anyway.  I don't recall what the room service breakfast offerings were, as we always chose to have breakfast in the Blu restaurant.  Breakfast in Blu was good, but don't ask me what they offered.  I don't remember a darn thing.

 

You didn't ask, but for us, we really prefer the HAL ships and like the Signature Suites a lot.  I seem to recall feeling that the room and balcony felt a bit tighter on Eclipse, although the stateroom seemed more modern and up-to-date.  And we were toward the aft on Celebrity Eclipse and really missed the aft elevators a lot.  It was weird walking a long way forward on a large ship to get to midships elevators and then to walk far aft again to get to dining.  Something to think about when you select a stateroom.  Elevators are a factor on Celebrity ships.  

[kazu]

My sailing on Celebrity was a while ago, but I did upgrade to what was supposed to be the equivalent of a signature suite on HAL.

The room was a LOT smaller to me than on HAL and there was little done at the time.

I had just gotten off HAL 2 weeks earlier so the previous room was fresh in my mind and I was shocked when I saw what I paid for an “upgrade”.  I’ve discovered we were on an older ship and unlike HAL where older ships have larger rooms - this one was to the contrary.

[bobpell]

Thanks for the info

not too curious now...Bob

[terrydtx]

We did a SS on the Noordam last July in Alaska. I would guess that Celebrity Aqua Class is the equivalent. The SS cabin is larger with dual sinks in bathroom but other than that not many other added benefits like Celebrity's priority boarding, free use of Persian Garden thermal suites or a private exclusive dining room, Blu.  We are booked next year on the Celebrity Infinity with AQ Class aft facing cabin with a huge balcony. Both offer hot breakfasts on room service at no extra charge. We like both HAL and Celebrity and our decisions come down to the itinerary in choosing which line to use, the Infinity Spain and Portugal cruise next year is not offered on HAL.

Edited January 16, 2020 by terrydtx

[SeaWatch12]

Just to clarify, Aqua Class on Celebrity is not a suite class cabin.

The Aqua Class cabins are generally the same size as balcony staterooms with a separate restaurant and access to the Persian Gardens.

The suite class on Celebrity starts with Sky Suites and goes up.

I have never been in a Holland America Signature Suite so I won't dare to compare.

You may want to post your question on the Celebrity board (if you haven't yet) as there are Celebrity Cruisers who have also sailed HAL.

[terrydtx]

19 minutes ago, SeaWatch12 said:

Just to clarify, Aqua Class on Celebrity is not a suite class cabin.

The Aqua Class cabins are generally the same size as balcony staterooms with a separate restaurant and access to the Persian Gardens.

The suite class on Celebrity starts with Sky Suites and goes up.

I have never been in a Holland America Signature Suite so I won't dare to compare.

You may want to post your question on the Celebrity board (if you haven't yet) as there are Celebrity Cruisers who have also sailed HAL.

Having been in HAL Signature Suites, it is a suite in name only other than the bigger cabin and balcony there are no other real benefits close to the HAL true higher category suites. A SS is more like the Mini-Suites on NCL and RCCL, which are not really any type of suites either.

[Hlitner]

We do not think you can even compare HAL Signature Suites to Celebrity Aqua Class (we have been in both).  For one thing, as has been posted, the Aqua Class cabins on most Celebrity ships are identical to regular balcony cabins.  Yes, on a few ships they are slightly larger.  But these are regular cabins with a few added perks.

 

The Signature Suites on HAL are quite nice although they do vary by class of ship.  In fact, when we had a SS cabin on the old Prinsendam we had a large sectional sofa, a 2 room bathroom, and tons of space.   On our upcoming HAL cruise where we have booked a Signature suite we will have a larger bathroom, with double sinks, shower, bathtub, and a large cabin.  However, on HAL the Signature Suites do not qualify for any of suite amenities given the even larger suites.  In a sense you are paying for a much larger cabin and not much else.

 

Hank

[terrydtx]

37 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We do not think you can even compare HAL Signature Suites to Celebrity Aqua Class (we have been in both).  For one thing, as has been posted, the Aqua Class cabins on most Celebrity ships are identical to regular balcony cabins.  Yes, on a few ships they are slightly larger.  But these are regular cabins with a few added perks.

 

The Signature Suites on HAL are quite nice although they do vary by class of ship.  In fact, when we had a SS cabin on the old Prinsendam we had a large sectional sofa, a 2 room bathroom, and tons of space.   On our upcoming HAL cruise where we have booked a Signature suite we will have a larger bathroom, with double sinks, shower, bathtub, and a large cabin.  However, on HAL the Signature Suites do not qualify for any of suite amenities given the even larger suites.  In a sense you are paying for a much larger cabin and not much else.

 

Hank

On the M Class Celebrity ships AQ class cabins are about 40 or 50sq feet larger than the regular verandah cabins. Our SS on the Noordam was maybe 50 sq feet larger than the AQ on M class ships, but most of that extra size is in the much larger bathroom. The two sinks were nice but we never used the bathtub which took up wasted space. We only used the separate shower. I have seen on similar itineraries the HAL SS and the Celebrity AQ class cabins are very close in price but you get so many more perks like the Blu Restaurant with AQ. For us the AQ perks wins over a few extra sq ft of space in the cabin. But as I said before, we choose the itinerary over the cruise line. We would not book on HAL anything less than a SS or a AQ on Celebrity so on an equal itinerary we want to do, Celebrity would win out.

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

However, on HAL the Signature Suites do not qualify for any of suite amenities given the even larger suites.  In a sense you are paying for a much larger cabin and not much else.

The other thing that is laughable, in HAL advertisements they use the SS pricing to say things like "Upgrade to a suite starting at $xxxxxx"  That starting suite price is for a SS which is hardly a suite. I just got an email from HAL doing this for this year's cruises in Europe. When I clicked on the link to book it was a SS that was quoted.

[cruisin_ppl]

You can't compare Celebrity Aqua class & HAL Signature suites.  I've stayed in both. Totally different animals. 

Signature Suites are comparable to Sky Suites, both are junior type suites. 

Aqua class is a balcony cabin with a dedicated dining room and access to the spa.  

Edited January 16, 2020 by cruisin_ppl

[terrydtx]

11 minutes ago, cruisin_ppl said:

You can't compare Celebrity Aqua class & HAL Signature suites.  I've stayed in both. Totally different animals. 

Signature Suites are comparable to Sky Suites, both are junior type suites. 

Aqua class is a balcony cabin with a dedicated dining room and access to the spa.  

I have to disagree respectfully, I have also been in both SS and AQ cabins. With a Sky Suite you get access to the  Luminae exclusive dinning for all meals and all the other Celebrity suite perks. With the HAL SS no exclusive dining or  free access to Club Orange or breakfast in the PG like Neptune Suites get. Other than a larger cabin with SS you get nothing more other than double cruise nights for Mariner Club. I would take a AQ class cabin over a HAL SS anytime because of the added perks and exclusive dining. Suite perks in my opinion by HAL are totally lacking compared to Celebrity. 

[cruisin_ppl]

 

10 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

I have to disagree respectfully, I have also been in both SS and AQ cabins. With a Sky Suite you get access to the  Luminae exclusive dinning for all meals and all the other Celebrity suite perks. With the HAL SS no exclusive dining or  free access to Club Orange or breakfast in the PG like Neptune Suites get. Other than a larger cabin with SS you get nothing more other than double cruise nights for Mariner Club. I would take a AQ class cabin over a HAL SS anytime because of the added perks and exclusive dining. Suite perks in my opinion by HAL are totally lacking compared to Celebrity. 

 

I was only thinking of cabin real estate.  

 

With Celebrity we only stay in Sky suits or above because of the superior amenities.

We stay in verandah cabins with HAL because you don't get much more than the real estate in a Signature Suite.  But we love HAL for their itineraries.

Edited January 16, 2020 by cruisin_ppl

[Hlitner]

2 hours ago, terrydtx said:

The other thing that is laughable, in HAL advertisements they use the SS pricing to say things like "Upgrade to a suite starting at $xxxxxx"  That starting suite price is for a SS which is hardly a suite. I just got an email from HAL doing this for this year's cruises in Europe. When I clicked on the link to book it was a SS that was quoted.

To be honest we never pay much attention to advertising for any line.   But I will say that many long time HAL fans consider their Signature Suites to be the best value"for the buck" on their ships.  The cabins are very comfy and have pretty decent bathrooms.  While you do not get suite amenities (which some would argue is not worth much) you are getting a nice sized cabin for a much cheaper price then their Neptune Suites which do come with some additional amenities.  We have some HAL cruising friends that always book SS cabins and will sometimes snag a decent upsell deal to Neptune or Pinnacle Suite.  

 

Keep in mind that the most expensive HAL Suites such as Neptunes get you access to their dedicated Neptune Lounge.  While lounges for suites can be special and pretty decent on some ships, one could question what its worth on HAL.  Their Neptune Lounges do have some snacks but adult beverages are not free.  So lets assume one can get a Signature Suite for about $200 per person/day and a Neptune for $600.  Yes, the Neptune is a true suite, larger, nicer, and gets you some amenities.  But that could cost a couple $800 per day which does not even include adult drinks in the lounge.  

 

My personal issue with the larger suites and amenities is that I can usually cruise on upscale lines such as Seabourn for less money then the big suites on Celebrity or HAL.  The luxury lines are a whole different ball game in terms of what you get.  For those of us who love variety and are not wedded to one particular line it can be more an issue of value.  Another way of looking at it is would you want to have a million dollar home in a neighborhood surrounded by cheap homes or would you want that home to be in a neighborhood with comparable expensive homes.  One can book the largest most expensive suite on Celebrity and tell themselves that most of their fellow passengers (enjoying the same shows, public spaces, etc) are paying a fraction of what they paid.  or,  a Holiday Inn is still a Holiday Inn even if you have the largest suite.

 

Hank

[AncientWanderer]

Nobody ever seems to mention that all these premium digs, no matter what they call them -- mini-suites, aqua class, signature suites -- they all are "plussed" a bit over regular verandah offerings.  The towels are a bit nicer; they are first to get modernizations like bigger televisions, things like that. Stocked refrigerators, nicer flowers, fruit bowls, etc.

Some people don't care and don't want to pay for the better cabin, which is fine, but the differences are there.  So in a sense it is fair to compare aqua class to signature suites.   They offer different things, but are each cruise line's upgraded offering.  Fair to compare.  

Edited January 16, 2020 by AncientWanderer

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, AncientWanderer said:

Nobody ever seems to mention that all these premium digs, no matter what they call them -- mini-suites, aqua class, signature suites -- they all are "plussed" a bit over regular verandah offerings.  The towels are a bit nicer; they are first to get modernizations like bigger televisions, things like that. Stocked refrigerators, nicer flowers, fruit bowls, etc.

Some people don't care and don't want to pay for the better cabin, which is fine, but the differences are there.  So in a sense it is fair to compare aqua class to signature suites.   They offer different things, but are each cruise line's upgraded offering.  Fair to compare.  

Guess you and I can disagree on Aqua Class where we have spent too many cruises.  Some of the amenities that used to come with AQ cabins have been "chopped" since LLP took over Celebrity.  Simple things like free bottled water and the little footstools on the balconies are history.  And we have been constantly underwhelmed by the cuisine in Blu.  And on the Solstice Class ships which is where we have taken the majority of our X cruises, many of the AQ cabins are actually in awful locations under the pool deck with their balconies in a large ugly shadow cast by the overhang.   We used to put a value on Aqua of about $25 per passenger day better then a regular balcony cabin.

 

Somebody once mentioned an interesting idea for HAL.  Folks that book SS cabins and who want more amenities might also be interested in Club Orange...especially if they could get that at a discounted rate.  It would still be a fraction of the cost of booking a Neptune Suite.

 

Hank

[AncientWanderer]

16 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Guess you and I can disagree on Aqua Class where we have spent too many cruises.  Some of the amenities that used to come with AQ cabins have been "chopped" since LLP took over Celebrity.  Simple things like free bottled water and the little footstools on the balconies are history.  And we have been constantly underwhelmed by the cuisine in Blu.  And on the Solstice Class ships which is where we have taken the majority of our X cruises, many of the AQ cabins are actually in awful locations under the pool deck with their balconies in a large ugly shadow cast by the overhang.   We used to put a value on Aqua of about $25 per passenger day better then a regular balcony cabin.

 

Somebody once mentioned an interesting idea for HAL.  Folks that book SS cabins and who want more amenities might also be interested in Club Orange...especially if they could get that at a discounted rate.  It would still be a fraction of the cost of booking a Neptune Suite.

 

Hank

 

I think we actually do agree.  My point is it is fair to compare, and the items you discuss here do enter into that comparison.  I think the SS comes out on top.  For our next two cruises, we are doing exactly what you mention here -- booking SS and adding CO.  And if that doesn't make us happy, we are probably just too cranky.

[Hlitner]

2 hours ago, AncientWanderer said:

 

I think we actually do agree.  My point is it is fair to compare, and the items you discuss here do enter into that comparison.  I think the SS comes out on top.  For our next two cruises, we are doing exactly what you mention here -- booking SS and adding CO.  And if that doesn't make us happy, we are probably just too cranky.

LOL.  We have a SS cabin on our next HAL cruise (30 days) but have not been lured (yet) into CO.  Why?  We are already 5 Star Mariners so get some the CO benefits.  And DW could care less about the breakfast.  So what would we get for our money?  And no, we are not cranky (for the record) but are just fun.

 

Hank