Straying to Holland America due to itinerary how does it compare to Celebrity?

[Coolcruise02]

We have only sailed on one X ship (Century) and found the Zuiderdam to be far better. The beds on HAL are wonderful. On X we didn't even have a spread or duvet on our bed. The room never looked made-up. The food and presentation were far superior on the Zuiderdam.

 

And, as far as service, X is highly overrated on this board!

 

Did we have a great cruise on both...YES, and we are giving X another try.

[mountainmare]

George, I'm really short and you haven't lived until you turn on the jets and take a bath during rough seas. I love baths at home and after a long day in port love to soak--but then I'm short and fit just fine. DH is over 6 foot and not flexable enough to take a bath on HAL either.

For once being short is a good thing!!!

[Eve]

Took our first cruise on HAL this past March and sailed on the Z. Overall, she is a beautiful ship...well-appointed in a contemporary decorating scheme, beautiful public areas and very nice shops.

 

We were in a Deluxe Verandah Suite and I can't say enough about how beautiful the room was or how absolutely comfortable the beds were. There is more than ample room in the cabin, and the Neptune Lounge is a great place to book a shore excursion, arrange a special occasion or just relax and meet your fellow suite passengers.

 

DO NOT MISS THE PINNACAL GRILL! This is the best food on the ship! The filet mignon was better than most steaks I've had on land. IMHO, the Pinnacal Grill food is on par with the food in Celebrity's main dining rooms.

 

Having said all of that, I would not take another cruise on HAL if they gave it to me for free. The service was some of the worst I've ever encountered, with the exception of our Cabin Steward--Evan. I encountered more crew with English-language barriers than on any other line. Most of the crew didn't speak English well enough to answer basic questions about what was in a particular dish.

 

Our balcony recieved "routine balcony maintenance" while in St. Thomas and the workers neglected to lock the partition between our balcony and the balcony next door. This was not an issue until 3 a.m. when we hit rough seas and the partition door began to slam open and closed. At 3 a.m. I went to the Purser's Desk and asked that someone be sent to lock the partition door. I was told that the crew was "sleeping" and that it would be taken care of in the morning. It took 20 minutes and three phone calls at the Purser's desk to have this issue resolved.

 

On day two of the cruise my sister became seriously ill. I called 911 and asked for a wheel chair to take her to the infirmary because I thought she was having a heart attack. The nurse on the other end of the line told me she didn't have a wheelchair and that I should bring my sister directly to the infirmary. When I told the nurse that I didn't think my sister could walk that far, she replied "have her try". We got about halfway down the hallway before she collapsed and we had to summon help...in the form of a wheelchair to the infirmary.

 

On day four, the ship lost power from midnight until 4:00 a.m. and we drifted in the Carribean Sea. During the entire time, we had exactly two announcements from the bridge...both telling us that the engines were out. No sh**. Again, IMHO, HAL did not do an adequate job of keeping passengers informed during the crisis. Adding insult to the whole situation was the fact that the next day, the crew refused to acknowledge that their had been a power failure. When asked about it, most crew just gave a confused look and said nothing.

 

I've had better food in a high school cafeteria than I had on HAL. The salad dressings in particular were awful. Now, this may not sound like such a big deal, but when the rest of the food is terrible and you think that a salad is a safe bet, you kind of expect the dressing to be good. Not so on HAL. The fresh pizza in the grill was very good. After sampling the rest of the menu options, by day 3 that's what we were eating for lunch every day.

 

Food and service in the dining room was horrible. Our waiter leaned across the table to serve a plate to the person sitting opposite of me and I got a nose full of bad body odor. That same evening, I watched in horror as our waiter licked some type of sauce off of his thumb and then picked up a plate and served it to my tablemate.

 

I will never, EVER, sail HAL again. I couldn't wait to get off that ship. I feel like I cheated on Celebrity and got exactly what I deserved.

[KenM]

WE seem to go back and forth between HAL and CELEBRITY for many years.

 

The food is superior on Celebrity while the rooms(suites) are much nicer on HAL.

The service seems to be comparable on both( that is OUTSTANDING.). Entertainment is a draw( nothing to write home about)..

 

I must admit that I like the AQUA SPA pool on Celebrity - heated - no children. very relaxing..

 

Both lines have great people who really make you feel comfortable..

 

 

You cannot go wrong on either line..Have a great cruise.