HAL ships vs Celebrity

[Ipeeinthepools]

34 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

I’d sail on HAL’s newer ships. The older girls, not so much.  IMO they have better itineraries than X 

 

Part of the reason many never sailed HAL was the smoking policy.  Now that HAL has improved their smoking policy, it's probably time to give HAL a try.

[julia]

6 hours ago, Nashna said:

There was a huge difference between Holland America and Celebrity as far as I am concerned.  We were so disappointed in Holland America.  The dining room was crowded, noisy and disorganized.  In spite of having dining reservations each night, we had to wait ten to fifteen minutes in line to be assigned to our table.  The food was not up to par and the dining room staff was the worst we have experienced at sea.  Our main entre was served before a wine steward came to our table.   Dining poolside was almost impossible as groups of people played cards in the dining area at noontime.  Our grilled hamburgers were cold before we found a spot to sit.  We missed several shows as most cruisers got to the theatre 45 minutes before the show to get a seat.  The only bright spot was amazing night club type shows for rock and jazz.  

Oh thank goodness I don't have to deal with you on my next HAL cruise!  We've had wonderful MDR's, excellent food, great service, and great entertainment EVERY TIME on HAL.

[Ipeeinthepools]

35 minutes ago, julia said:

Oh thank goodness I don't have to deal with you on my next HAL cruise!  We've had wonderful MDR's, excellent food, great service, and great entertainment EVERY TIME on HAL.

 

When are you sailing HAL?  Maybe I can cruise with you?

[crusinthrough]

7 hours ago, Nashna said:

 Dining poolside was almost impossible as groups of people played cards in the dining area at noontime.  Our grilled hamburgers were cold before we found a spot to sit.  We missed several shows as most cruisers got to the theatre 45 minutes before the show to get a seat.  The only bright spot was amazing night club type shows for rock and jazz.  

It's hard to imagine you searched so long for a seat that your food got cold.  Were you looking for a seat in a particular area?

People made seeing a show a priority in their schedule and arrived early for a seat.  You arrived later and I guess couldn't find a seat to your liking.  As a result, this somehow becomes a negative cruise experience and fault of HA even though you chose when to arrive.

[Nashna]

7 hours ago, crusinthrough said:

It's hard to imagine you searched so long for a seat that your food got cold.  Were you looking for a seat in a particular area?

People made seeing a show a priority in their schedule and arrived early for a seat.  You arrived later and I guess couldn't find a seat to your liking.  As a result, this somehow becomes a negative cruise experience and fault of HA even though you chose when to arrive.

 

 

We were not alone in our complaints about this sailing.  Many longtime HAL passengers we spoke to were also unhappy.   We always try to arrive at least 15 minutes before the show begins. My complaint is that one shouldn't need to rush through dinner to arrive 45 minutes in advance to see a one-hour show.  The food did get cold.  We grabbed a burger at the outdoor grill as we were in our bathing suits.  The tables by the grill and alongside the windows were all mostly taken by folks playing cards and not eating.  We have been on sailings where a note on the table requests that the tables be used for dining during the lunch hours...especially on sea days. If I recall correctly, we ended up walking to the aft pool area and sat at a couch to eat.  Our main complaint was the service and food quality in the MDR.  For this reason, we no longer sail on HAL.  Our next two cruises are on Celebrity where we have enjoyed the food, service and the shows.  Obviously, HAL is the cruise line of choice for many people...it's just not our cup of tea.

[Nashna]

15 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

Our only HAL cruise too when she was brand new in 2018. We walked to her berth immediately from the EDGE. I felt like I was a time traveler back to the 1950s on the “new” Nieuw Statendam. One and done!

Couldn't agree with you more. HAL seemed very dated.   Loved the Edge and the beautiful entertainment spaces.  We dined in Blu and it was so refined compared to the MDR noise and rushed service on HAL.  We are taking our 58th & 59th. cruise on the Apex & Edge n January.  We have sailed on everything from Seabourn to Carnival.  HAL is just not for us.  

[bebe08]

We are Elite with Celebrity (have not yet sailed E class ) and have sailed with HAL 3 times.  Our most recent cruise with HAL was last month on the Nieuw Statendam.  We have also cruised once with NCL on the Escape.  DH and I like to joke about creating our ideal cruise line and picking the best from each of the 3.  Would look something like this:

 

Thermal Suite  from NCL . HAL is a close 2nd, X a distant 3rd as there is no Thalassotherapy pool

 Theatre from NCL re show quality, however X is close, HAL is third.   For the actual venue we preferred HAL.  On X there are too many obstructed views re the giant pillars.

Dinner Theatre from NCL is only one that has this and it was great.

Comedy Club from NCL - only one that has this and we loved it

Live Music - absolutely loved the Music Walk on HAL...hands down the winner.

Celebrity 2nd as we liked the smaller venues with live music ie Ensemble lounge.  NCL found venues crowded and noisy

Coffee/pastry venue:  Loved the Dutch Cafe on HAL, much better variety of food (ie could get soups, sandwiches etc) than on X Cafe Al Bacio.  However no table service at the Dutch Cafe and lines could be long at the counter to order.  On NCL this venue was in a really crowded noisy area didn't care for it at all.  Our ideal would be the Dutch Cafe on HAL combined with table service from X. 

MDR: Celebrity for the win here  for food quality  and service.  Also like ability to reserve in advance (for any and all nights) even with anytime dining a huge plus.  Our wine glasses were never empty on X in MDR, whereas on HAL we had to ask for refills. We did find the HAL MDR to be chaotic and loud at times.  On NCL there were a few MDR so they were smaller, and they had live entertainment which was great.  Also had a pub style restaurant that we enjoyed and no upcharge.    Our ideal would be smaller MDRs (we have an Edge cruise coming up so will get to experience that on X) with live entertainment like on NCL  as well as a pub style venue like on NCL,  but with the food quality and service of X.

Specialty restaurants:  Our favourite was Qsine on X which sadly is no more.   Also loved Bistro on Five  and the Gastro Pub on X which also are no more. Petit Chef is one and done on X.  Murano on X I think is overrated.  We do enjoy the Rooftop Grill on Celebrity and Tuscan grill although not sure they are worth the money as we really the MDR.  On HAL we enjoyed Pinnacle. Tamarind was a bit of a disappointment.  We did not get to experience speciality dining on NCL other than dinner theater, as we booked last minute and couldn't get reservations. No clear winner here. Our ideal cruise ship would have Qsine and Bistro on Five as well as a dinner theatre.

Bars/drinks: HAL seems to have more bars that offer a wide variety of drinks within the standard drink package.  Don't feel the need for expensive drinks at world class bar or Martini Bar on X.  NCL we enjoyed the Margaritaville, although food was an upcharge from what I remember.  Also enjoyed the Waterfront on NCL which offers options for outdoor seating for bars and restaurants.  Our ideal would be Waterfront bars like on NCL as well as indoor bars without overpriced drinks like on HAL.  

Cabins: we always book a veranda, never had a suite.  Both HAL and X cabins are great.  HAL does provide footstools on the balcony which is nice and our ideal cruise ship would always offer that.  

Pools:  Love both the Solarium on X and the main pool on HAL with the retractable roof.  The main pool on X can be noisy/busy and on NCL extremely so.  Our ideal would be both a Solarium pool and a second outdoor pool (or retractable roof) that is quiet and offers both shade and sun (ie no loud music/pool games)

 

Overall Vibe:  We really like both HAL and X for this.  We found the NCL Escape was too big for us making the common venues crowded and loud.

 

For us it comes down to itinerary and price at this point.  Would sail on all 3 again, however would only sail on NCL with the addition of the Spa Thermal Suite as the main pool areas are too crowded.  

 

[bigbenboys]

We have sailed 7 times with HAL. The last time was 2008 on Eurodam. I remember having a nice suite on HAL. I dont remember a assigned dining restaurant. Has HAL improved things for their guest in Suites. As Celebrity has over the years. The last time I cruised with HAL you could still smoke in your cabin and I had a wine card that they punched holes in.

[julia]

12 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

When are you sailing HAL?  Maybe I can cruise with you?

😄🤣 Koningsdam, 35 nights from San Diego in Feb.... join us!

[CruisinShips]

We cruised HAL once, in 2018, in a Neptune suite on the Zuiderdam.  The itinerary was the key for us...it was the "partial" Panama Canal and Southern Caribbean.  The ship itself was kind of "blah".  Old school cruise ship with an older crowd and not much going on during the days especially.  The crew was very pleasant, the food in the specialty restaurants was good.  The MDR was a bit rough by cruise standards...if you did anytime dining (or whatever they call it) you normally have to wait and the experience was a little impersonal feeling...lacking that little extra warmth we used to see on cruises.

 

My take is always that the ship is more important on Caribbean itineraries and cruises with lots of sea days, and it's less important on those itineraries where you are off the boat early nearly every day (like a Mediterranean itinerary). 

[Ipeeinthepools]

3 hours ago, julia said:

😄🤣 Koningsdam, 35 nights from San Diego in Feb.... join us!

 

That would certainly be a great way to try HAL

[ShelleyQT]

18 hours ago, julia said:

Oh thank goodness I don't have to deal with you on my next HAL cruise!  We've had wonderful MDR's, excellent food, great service, and great entertainment EVERY TIME on HAL.

 

It's always a bummer when someone gives their opinion, especially when the OP has asked for opinions, and other people tear them apart for their views.  😞 

[morpheusofthesea]

20 hours ago, dogsdogs said:

If loyalty benefits interest you, HAL doesn't have very good ones.  You don't even get priority boarding until you have 200 cruise days.

First cruise here on Hal in 40 years. Do we get priority boarding if we book the top suite?

[morpheusofthesea]

On 10/23/2022 at 5:05 PM, Nashna said:

We missed several shows as most cruisers got to the theatre 45 minutes before the show to get a seat.

I recall you have had other experiences with MSC as well. If we were to book the top suite on a Hal ship can we get reserved seat in the theatre? Do they have butlers for these suites that we can use to get reserved seats like MSC?

[SueMo]

Nobody should have a cold burger on HAL.  Find a seat first and order a drink.  Then get on the Navigator app and order your burgers & fries.  You get a notification when it's ready--hot and delicious!  (Also, I have found that it isn't exclusive to HAL that seats by the pool area are hard to come by at lunchtime.  I'm Elite+ on Celebrity, and it happens there, too!)

 

It's true that the theater fills up for the early show.  So we went to the 2nd show.  

 

And bebe08 was absolutely correct!  Every cruise line has its positives and negatives.  I'll add a couple positives in HAL's column:  The background music in the lounges is a variety of hits from classic rock and pop.  It is so much better than the horrible electronic "music" played on some other lines.  Secondly, the service in the Lido Market is really quite good.  The tables are set with napkins, cups or glasses, and utensils.  Wait staff are immediately there to bring you your drink.  It's not necessary to collect your place settings and drinks prior to sitting down.

[dogsdogs]

I have no idea about suites--have never booked one.  We have more days with HAL than with RCCL and yet we have almost no useful benefits because we are under the 200 day requirement.  We keep coming back to RCCL and X because we like their loyalty benefits better.  I imagine you would get better treatment booking a suite no matter which line you decide on.

[Ken the cruiser]

We would very much enjoy cruising with HAL again, as we are 4 star mariners, on their longer 3-5 week itineraries, especially if someone could share what fun things there are to do on sea days and during the evening (besides hanging out in one of the music venues on the Music Walk). 

[Ken the cruiser]

21 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We would very much enjoy cruising with HAL again, as we are 4 star mariners, on their longer 3-5 week itineraries, especially if someone could share what fun things there are to do on sea days and during the evening (besides hanging out in one of the music venues on the Music Walk). 

Celebrity as well as Princess offer a variety of fun things to do at night and on sea days. We just don’t know what fun things there are to do on a longer HAL cruise. 

[Mimiya11]

So many different opinions.  Here is another one.   We sailed on the Eurodam pre Covid on a 10-day Mexican Riviera itinerary which suited our needs .   

 

Food - we found the dining room food, service and ambiance so below par that we ended up paying for somewhat better specialty restaurants.   Celebrity wins 

 

Service -  while staff were all friendly, it always appeared they were not happy, feigned friendliness and never went that extra mile.  Celebrity wins

 

Entertainment - we loved it!  So many options each night, we were never bored.  From the blues/motown venue (which was always packed), to the Lincoln Centre performances (which were always packed) to the dueling pianists.   For us, Celebrity could learn from HA in this regard.  HA wins 

 

Themed Activities -  HA does a great job of including on ship themed activities based on itinerary.  This included Mexican food, mariachi bands, dancers etc.  In all our years sailing Celebrity, I don't recall anything similar.   HA wins 

 

Cabanas - we booked private cabanas for the week on HA.  Was the best thing we did as they are on their own deck   Each cabana had two loungers, two chairs and a table.   There was an assigned attendant who brought morning drinks, served lunch from a cabana menu and we were happy to hang out all day.  The only downside we found was once again, the level of service. 

As we have never had a Cabana on a Celebrity ship, cannot compare.  

 

Ship - can only comment the Eurodam whose design seemed very dark and closed in with narrow halls even on the entertainment deck.  We missed the open central atrium of a Celebrity ship.  Celebrity wins 

 

Overall - Because of the overall food and service experience (on our one HA cruise) not sure we would try HA again.   

[Ipeeinthepools]

 

I'm really scratching my head about all of the comments about the inferior food on HAL.   I've been on a couple of post-Covid cruises on Celebrity and for me the food quality on Celebrity has dropped dramatically.  The food on Celebrity isn't anything special.  I'm not sure Celebrity can cut the steaks and the prime rib any thinner.  Portions sizes seem much smaller and there is less variety.  The food in the Ocean View Cafe is always cold, so if HAL can at least serve the food hot it would be an improvement.

 

I don't see how there can be a large dfference.

Edited October 25, 2022 by Ipeeinthepools

[davekathy]

4 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

I'm really scratching my head about all of the comments about the inferior food on HAL.   I've been on a couple of post-Covid cruises on Celebrity and for me the food quality of Celebrity has dropped dramatically on Celebrity.  The food on Celebrity isn't anything special.  I'm not sure Celebrity can cut the steaks and the prime rib any thinner.  Portions sizes seem much smaller and there is less variety.  The food in the Ocean View Cafe is always cold, so if HAL and at least serve the food hot it would be an improvement.

 

I don't see how there can be a large dfference.

This thread and many others like it are exactly why others opinions or experiences, positive or negative do not influence our decisions of a cruise line, ship, itinerary and etc. 

[caviargal]

On 10/23/2022 at 4:32 PM, C4HCG said:

Just didn’t look as classy that’s all

 

I sailed on the Nieuw Amsterdam to Alaska recently.  Beautiful, elegant, spacious with great entertainment.  Food was meh, even in the specialty venues ( and we did them all).

 

[Nashna]

18 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

I recall you have had other experiences with MSC as well. If we were to book the top suite on a Hal ship can we get reserved seat in the theatre? Do they have butlers for these suites that we can use to get reserved seats like MSC?

Sorry, can't help you with that information as we sailed in a mini-suite.  We have only sailed on MSC in the Yacht Club.  The seats are reserved in the theatre and the butlers are present to make sure only Yacht Club guests use the section.  The seats are in the front and second rows of the balcony.  We enjoyed the location.    Interestingly, we decided to try MSC after several passengers on HAL told us they were switching to the Yacht Club.  We are waiting for MSC's itineraries to become a bit more varied in the Caribbean to sail on them again.

[blueboro]

On 10/23/2022 at 9:20 PM, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Part of the reason many never sailed HAL was the smoking policy.  Now that HAL has improved their smoking policy, it's probably time to give HAL a try.

We were on Koningsdam when it was new (2019 I think) and they allowed smoking in the casino.  So I think some ships still allow smoking which is an issue for us.  We found the newer HAL ships very nice and I really like their pizza place, Dive IN Burgers, and other things situated around the pool.  I think mostly if you like one a good chance you will like the other even though we still would sail X if available and met our needs.

[bigbenboys]

7 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

I'm really scratching my head about all of the comments about the inferior food on HAL.   I've been on a couple of post-Covid cruises on Celebrity and for me the food quality on Celebrity has dropped dramatically.  The food on Celebrity isn't anything special.  I'm not sure Celebrity can cut the steaks and the prime rib any thinner.  Portions sizes seem much smaller and there is less variety.  The food in the Ocean View Cafe is always cold, so if HAL can at least serve the food hot it would be an improvement.

 

I don't see how there can be a large dfference.

I had prime rib from the MDR on Solstice last month. I was dining in Luminae and my prime rib was about a 1-1/2" thick. It was great and I ate the whole thing. If I would get a thin PR when served to me, I would request a 2nd PR.