Loyal X cruisers try HAL

[lysolqn]

When our 12/10 Millennium cruise was cancalled due to pod problems we booked that week on Westerdam instead. It was our second HAL cruise, the first having been on Statendam some ten years ago. As loyal Celebrity cruisers (25 X cruises) we were curious to see how HAL would stack up against our favorite cruise line. To cut to the chase, we enjoyed our Westerdam cruise and would probably sail HAL again if price, itinerary and ship were to our liking but...Celebrity still comes out ahead and remains our favorite.

 

Westerdam is a beautiful ship but lacks the elegance and spaciousness of X ships. It's three-story atrium is unremarkable and it's art collection which is touted as spectacular on the HAL board (HAL even offers an onboard IPOD tour of the collection) is, IMHO, unimpressive. The art collections on X are far more interesting, although admittedly, far more eclectic too.

 

Westerdam was designed with many smaller lounges and public spaces to avoid feeling like a mega-liner; however, we found the design offered public spaces that felt more closed-in than intimate as intended. The theater and dining rooms are lovely but don't compare to those on the C-class or M-class ships. Cabins are comparable to those on X, perhaps a bit larger, but the bedding on Westerdam is superior - even to the new bedding on X. Also, bathrooms on the Westerdam are considerably larger than those on X.

Westerdam has two pools as do the M-class ships. Unlike X, however, the main pool on Westerdam is the indoor pool area which, like the indoor pool area on the M-class ships has a sliding roof. There's lots of space around the pool but unfortunately, there is limited seating in that pool area. The outdoor pool is small and is located aft.

 

Food on Westerdam was quite good. Breakfast and lunch buffets were more extensive than on X and the food was presented nicely. HAL tops X by serving fresh squeezed orange juice. After being on so many X cruises, it was nice to have a real change of menus for dinner. The dinner menu always offered a nice selection but the plating and presentation on X, including desserts, is IMHO, far nicer. Shrimp cocktail is available every night, provided you arrange for it in advance with your waiter. Unlike on X, salads arrive at the table already dressed and sauces which are offered tableside on X, are already on your plate when served. Mints, ginger, nuts, dates and figs are offered from a cart when you leave the dining room after dinner.

 

Entertainment on Westerdam was better than we had on Statendam years ago, but it was just ok. The production shows were good but not quite as good as those we’ve seen on X ships (and even those don’t always make the cut). Like X, Westerdam has gone to mostly pre-dinner shows for late seating passengers – something we disliked on HAL as much as we do on X.

 

Service on Westerdam was good. We hardly saw our cabin steward but he did a good job, as did our waiter and assitant waiter. We found, however, that staff and crew on Westerdam weren’t quite as friendly and outgoing as we find staff and crew on X ships to be. They were efficient and did their jobs well but, in general, they seemed a bit aloof.

There were a lot more announcements on Westerdam than on X and that tends to get old really fast. We much prefer the once-a-day announcement from the bridge on X ships to the constant reminder of bingo or art auctions on HAL.

 

Unlike X which still has informal nights, HAL has gone to two formal and five casual nights on its seven night sailings. If you’re one of those X cruisers who thinks the dress code on X has gone with the wind, don’t sail HAL. We were amazed by the vast number of people on our cruise (and I can only speak from our experience) who totally ignored the suggested dress on Westerdam. So much so that my husband opted not to wear his tuxedo on the second formal night because he felt so out of place in a tuxedo the first formal night. Jeans were common in the dining room at dinner and shorts, sneakers and tee shirts were NOT a rarity.

 

As I mentioned at the outset, we enjoyed sailing on Westerdam. HAL offers a good product but one which, in our opinion, falls a bit short of that offered by Celebrity. Each line has its own special touches, its own strengths and its own weaknesses. We’re glad we tried HAL again but after having done so, now appreciate the Celebrity product even more.

[slotaddict]

Thank for the review, it is always good to hear about another line and its comparison to X. X is my cruise line of choice, but I have also sailed RCL and NCL, so I would not call myself an X loyalist.

I believe that the dress code of very formal, is somehow going to be a thing of the past. I know that will bother alot of X loyalists but to each his own. I have heard that HAL is considered stuffy, I take it that you did not find that to be the case.

You are absolutely correct that each line has their own strengths and weaknesses, I would sail RCL and NCL for I enjoyed them both for different reasons.

Glad that you enjoyed your cruise.

[greeneg]

Thank you, no. Been there, done that, bad experience.

[lysolqn]

Slotaddict, we didn't find HAL stuffy but it was, shall we say, sedate. That's not a bad thing and it didn't bother us at all because we're not party animals on a cruise - or elsewhere for that matter. There are lots of folks who say Celebrity is stuffy but they probably confuse stuffy with the more formal, more traditional cruise experience offered by X. Our cruise definitely had an older crowd. I think every retirement community in south Florida had a contingent on board but I'm not sure if that's the norm or if pre-holiday rates were so good that week that locals just took advantage of them. HAL offers a good product which we would place on par with Princess, a couple of notches below X. In spite of many nice amenities and special touches - an abundance of fresh flowers around the ship, free shoe shine service, great beds, fresh squeezed OJ, etc. - it seems to lack the elegance and class of an X cruise which is why, among other things, X remains our cruise line of choice.

[Andy]

Hi Lysolqn !

 

Thanks for the very informative comparison. It was very much appreciated. While we have been 100% loyal to Celebrity the past several years, we fear that if Celebrity does not update & improve their Caribbean itineraries, we may need to look elsewhere in 2007/2008. We are seriously looking at booking Emerald Princess in early '08. She is a brand new ship doing some wonderful 10 night itineraries. In particular, we arent happy with Millennium's boring itinerary (boy, does that itinerary need an overhaul), and we wish that Century were doing at least a few longer sailings.

 

I know Celebrity does not have enough ships to do what all of us would like, but why not have Century do a few 9 night sailings, mixed in with the 4 and 5 night sailings, in 2007/2008 ? I know you might say, "why not do a back to back", but it's just not the same thing. The menus & shows are repeated on 4/5 night B2B's, and a 9 night itinerary would allow Century to go longer distances, and to different ports. I cannot figure out why Celebrity insists on doing the same itineraries for an entire season. Why not make better use of the ships, and have them do a few different itineraries, to try to keep everyone happy. It makes a lot of sense. Too bad Celebrity cannot make it happen.... at least for now. Let's hope they work on improving the Caribbean itineraries.

[XatSea]

it seems to lack the elegance and class of an X cruise which is why, among other things, X remains our cruise line of choice.

 

Great comparison.. but then we've drawn the same conclusion. Birds of a feather sail together and all that...

We love Celebrity but we always look at what HAL has to offer for a similar experience... but a different menu.

[Drew B]

it seems to lack the elegance and class of an X cruise which is why, among other things, X remains our cruise line of choice.

 

I've only done one X cruise, but I fail to see that this line is so much more elegant or classy from others (even Carnival). Dining was somewhat more so, with the full complement of flatware laid out and removed at appropriate times. The specialty restaurants certainly were, but I imagine specialty restaurants are elegant on most lines. Outside of these two areas, it was very mixed. There were elegant people dressed nicely with impeccable manners drinking champagne, but they were the exception. There were also regular folks in sweat pants drinking beer.

 

This is not a complaint -- I prefer the variety, and a cruise that was TOO "elegant" would probably feel uppity to me. I would just like some clarification as to what you guys are seeing that I'm not that makes it so much more "elegant"...

[C 2 C]

We just finished a 15 day Mercury sailing through the canal. It was the most casual X cruise that we have ever experienced. On informal night fewer than 20 % were wearing jackets and less than half of those had a tie as well. One guest was even wearing shorts but he was requested to go change. The next informal he was just wearing a T-shirt... We will continue to adhere to the code but I strongly suggest X-cruisers to accept the trend... arguments and opinions always get heated until the LOCK is applied.

Here is one example of a front seat lover of rendezvous dancing on formal night:

[lysolqn]

Andy, you hit the proverbial nail on the head. Over the last several years we've felt that while X has done a superb job boosting its European, Alaska and South American itineraries - it has done so at the expense of its Caribbean sailings. It's a cruise line that has been ship-short, especially when compared to its sister company RCCL. Not only can't you find an X ship in the Caribbean between March and December, but the ships that do ply those water during the winter months have itineraries that are a) too short and, b) sorely in need of an overhaul. Why X is "wasting" the new Century on four- and five-night cruises is a mystery to me (although someone in the cruise industry recently told us that industry-wide, four- and five-nighters are the most profitable). As you said, a nine-night cruise is a lot different that a four- and five-night B2B. Can't imagine why Celebrity didn't throw some nine-night Century cruises into their lineup this winter. Anyway, we're hopeful that with the addition of the two new Renaissance ships this spring, and the new Soltice-class ships over the next couple of years things will improve in the Caribbean. Stay tuned.

[cabo de hornos]

Reminds of the two gents I saw in the Theatre on Millie during formal night shorts and tee shirts..at least they had "sleeves").

 

I haven't brought a tux with me on our sailings - I stick with the dark suit. But I do prefer the ability to go either way on that and not look out of place.

 

See you on Journey, C2C!!

 

Cabo

[BettyInToronto]

Andy, your comments about the lack of itineraries in the Caribbean prompted me to respond. My DH & I sailed the new Century Dec 11-16 and it converted by DH who was an anti-cruiser before it. He says we can now do another one but only if it is on Celebrity. I've been researching the internet and just picked up the 2007/2008 Celebrity brochure and boy am I totally surprised at the lack of choices I have. Your posting makes me understand this now.

 

Thanks!

[cabo de hornos]

The latest X-tineraries are showing signs of life in that regard. There's a little bit of Carib in the early and latter parts of your window next year.

 

Cabo

[lysolqn]

C2C, you're too funny. Unfortunately, that GQ/Men's Wear Daily centerfold you photographed in the Rendezvous Lounge is becoming all too common on X ships. I think it's just a matter of time before Celebrity caves in to the pressure and eliminates informal nights since only a handful of us die-hards continue to respect the dress code. We started cruising in the 80s and have watched a gradual decline in the formality of cruising - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But formal has now evolved into informal, informal has become casual and casual - well, casual has been dumbed down to downright sloppy. As you suggest, it looks like we'll have no choice but to accept the trend but we don't have to like it!

[BettyInToronto]

Technical difficulties. Double posting

[MAXWEBSTER]

We recently returned from our first Celebrity cruise and our first cruise in over 5 years (too busy working). Prior, we were quite loyal to HAL and always felt they were well above most all the other lines we’ve been on. This Celebrity cruise was a last minute booking as I found a hole in my schedule and HAL had nothing interesting in that tight time frame.

 

While we did find a couple of important things that we felt were better on Celebrity than HAL, the rest we felt was below the HAL experience. Granted, it’s been over 5 years since we’ve sailed HAL so my comparisons are probably out of date. I’m interested to hear from anyone who remembers HAL from the “old days” if they’ve really nose-dived that much. I know that bigger fleets of bigger ships always mark a downturn in line quality and HAL has certainly done their fair share of building in the last few years. It looks like Celebrity is planning the same. Thanks in advance for any input.

[lysolqn]

Some differences we noticed between our Statendam cruise ten years ago and our recent Westerdam cruise involved the level of service and attentiveness, the presentation and quality of food, and (forgive me, I know I'm going to be blasted for this one) the socio-economic demographics of the passenger load - something which we've seen change over the years and is certainly not limited to HAL. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to head for the hills and hide before the big guns come after me.

[blackbird71]

Andy,

 

During the winter months Seabourn has two ships in the Caribbean one out of Barbados and one out of St. Thomas. Both do 7 day (for the most part) cruises but have different itineraries every other week. In the end between 30-40 percent of the paxs do a two week cruise.

 

While stopped on my Nov cruise at Isle del Margarita I saw the Blue Moon (r-ship) which soon will be rebranded X. So X will have a smaller ship that has done the southern ports most ships do not go to.

 

On my Nov cruise I became friends with the Hotel Manager Rick. Long story short he was a Cunard Countess crew member in the 80s and I did two cruises on the Countess. When we stopped at Grenada both of us were scratching our head because this was not Grenada we knew. LOL they have built a new dock in Grenada.

 

But for many years out of San Juan the Countess did two itineraries with the only common island being St. Thomas. I did one B2B on it.

 

IMHO there is no reason X could not come up with new itineraries or ppl will start looking at other lines.

[Richard Stein]

Have a red pin on HAL and elite status on Celebrity. My last cruise was Alaska on the Oosterdam in May and it was good. Even had waffles for breakfast. Between the two I go with the best price for where I want to go. I am doing the Mercury in 2/08 to Australia-NZ because Celebrity gave me a better balcony price.

[hcat]

Could last poster describe the spa area on the Oosterdam & compare to the M class indoor pool? very sad celeb removed the T pool from Century..

As to the sleeveless T shirt in the photo attachment above-no class at all! many places shore side would not let that outfit in at all ...

[goouchjac]

Hi Lysolqn !

 

Thanks for the very informative comparison. It was very much appreciated. While we have been 100% loyal to Celebrity the past several years, we fear that if Celebrity does not update & improve their Caribbean itineraries, we may need to look elsewhere in 2007/2008. We are seriously looking at booking Emerald Princess in early '08. She is a brand new ship doing some wonderful 10 night itineraries. In particular, we arent happy with Millennium's boring itinerary (boy, does that itinerary need an overhaul), and we wish that Century were doing at least a few longer sailings.

 

I know Celebrity does not have enough ships to do what all of us would like, but why not have Century do a few 9 night sailings, mixed in with the 4 and 5 night sailings, in 2007/2008 ? I know you might say, "why not do a back to back", but it's just not the same thing. The menus & shows are repeated on 4/5 night B2B's, and a 9 night itinerary would allow Century to go longer distances, and to different ports. I cannot figure out why Celebrity insists on doing the same itineraries for an entire season. Why not make better use of the ships, and have them do a few different itineraries, to try to keep everyone happy. It makes a lot of sense. Too bad Celebrity cannot make it happen.... at least for now. Let's hope they work on improving the Caribbean itineraries.

Hi Andy,,,,You have said all that we are feeling,,we love the Millie but the iternary is so boring and so the same,,we have been on her for five sailings and was thinking about doing it again,,don't think we can stand it tho...Celebrity has to listen to all of us who have been saying this over and over:o ...we are thinking of maybe trying Princess for our next cruise...As for the Century, l4 and 5 night cruises just don't do it for us,,love the Century and would love to see it all refurbished,,,let's hope the powers that be are paying attention to the boards:rolleyes: ....Ann