I am looking at two cruises which would you pick and why?

[momofmeg]

I am looking at the HAL Zuiderdam and Celebrity Millennium-they do similiar ports. the Millie is a little higher but not much. I am wondering of those of you who have done these 2 ships-which did you prefer and why did you prefer one ship over the other?

 

It would be just my hubby and I going on this cruise.

[fann1sh]

IMHO, it depends on what category you plan on booking.

 

Z'dam deluxe suites have the edge over Millie royal suites, despite the lack of butlers, because the Neptune Lounge and other perks are amazing. Z'dam SZ, SY and SS superior suites have more room than CC class, and an extra sink and a separate shower stall. Millie has a lot more categories of balcony cabins, which means you may be able to squeeze into the lowest balcony category for cheaper than Z'dam. I think the Millie is more elegant at the lower end of cabin categories, at this moment. Color scheme in public rooms on Z'dam is ugly.

 

However, Z'dam is going in for a refit in April, so if your cruise is after that, the ship may be "fresher". However, if you had an eye on an stern cabin over the wake, that refit includes an "aft lift" that will make some/most aft balconies smaller.

[momofmeg]

IMHO, it depends on what category you plan on booking.

 

Z'dam deluxe suites have the edge over Millie royal suites, despite the lack of butlers, because the Neptune Lounge and other perks are amazing. Z'dam SZ, SY and SS superior suites have more room than CC class, and an extra sink and a separate shower stall. Millie has a lot more categories of balcony cabins, which means you may be able to squeeze into the lowest balcony category for cheaper than Z'dam. I think the Millie is more elegant at the lower end of cabin categories, at this moment. Color scheme in public rooms on Z'dam is ugly.

 

However, Z'dam is going in for a refit in April, so if your cruise is after that, the ship may be "fresher". However, if you had an eye on an stern cabin over the wake, that refit includes an "aft lift" that will make some/most aft balconies smaller.

 

 

You told me about staterooms, I am interested more in entertainment, how the spa pool on the Zuiderdam compares to the Millie's, how good the food in the speciality restuarants are etc.

 

I have been on both lines, differant ships, and I actually feel HAL's staterooms are better, at least in the lower priced staterooms, no suites for me. I am thrilled when I get a balcony. But thanks, if I ever book a suite I will keep your info. in mind

[momofmeg]

No one can help?

 

I want to know about the spa pool on the zuiderdam. We loved the spa pool on the Connie, almost like a jacuzzi but warm instead of hot-which is the main reason we would pick the Millie.

 

Is the spa pool on the Zuiderdam anything like that?

 

caviergal, Help! I know you would know.

[caviargal]

Janie, the spa pool on ZUI is enclosed and smaller than on the M class ships, much like the T pool on Mercury and Century pre-refit. I enjoyed it and it was never crowded. The jets are powerful and the area is very nice.

 

We had dinner every night but one at the Pinnacle on ZUI. It started as me just wanting a place to get away from the 210 people I was escorting:) but we liked it so much we returned every night. It was $20pp back then (2 years) so worth it for us.

 

We had lunch in the dining room every day when not in port and breakfast in the Neptune Lounge.

 

ZUI was my first HAL cruise since the late 80s and it was terrific. The ship is a bit overdecorated for my taste but we soon got used to it and the drydock really does not change much as the aft cabins are still very nice with great balconies (just off the Noordam recently who has the same aft). I imagine she will be very nice after the update. We also like HALs policy far better than X's and that makes a difference when we make our choices.

 

The piano bar was hopping on our cruise and we had fun there on several occasions.

 

Of my three recent HAL cruises, service on ZUI was the best of them all and food was better IMO (and DHs) than on the Century recently. I have never been on Millie so can't speak from experience there. I really enjoy the service level on HAL as well as the food and the cabins cannot be beat. I love taking baths at night and almost all cabins have them.

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

I vote for Celebrity. HAl is a very fine cruise line, and you get a lot for your money. However, to me the entertainment on Celebrity is more to my liking (classical music played by violinists, pianists) than HAL's.

 

Celebrity also has an international crew whereas HAl is Indonesian and Filipino(who are extremely hardworking and friendly). I enjoy meeting crew memebrs from all over the world and especially the Greeks who run the Celebrity ships.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

Fred

[momofmeg]

Caviergal the pool sounds very nice and almost as good as the one on the Connie. we really like the ports of the zuiderdam cruise as it goes to San Juan, ) St. Thomas, (both ships do those two) their private island and Turk and Caicos. I have not been to Turk and Caicos but Tony flew there for a long weekend to snorkle about 10 years back-this was before he was ceritified to dive-and every since he has been certified to dive, he has wanted to go back there to scuba dive.

 

 

The Millie goes to Labadee (another sort of private island I guess, but Tony likes the beach days) and I forget, somewhere in the DR so the same island as Labadee, (Labadee is in Haiti right?) just the other side.

 

As the ports are similar on both cruises, we saw Turk and Caicos as a plus for HAL as Tony wanted to go back-I told you I wanted to try HAL again so I guess it is time to take the plunge. Thanks

[momofmeg]

Hello,

 

I vote for Celebrity. HAl is a very fine cruise line, and you get a lot for your money. However, to me the entertainment on Celebrity is more to my liking (classical music played by violinists, pianists) than HAL's.

 

Celebrity also has an international crew whereas HAl is Indonesian and Filipino(who are extremely hardworking and friendly). I enjoy meeting crew memebrs from all over the world and especially the Greeks who run the Celebrity ships.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

Fred

 

Fred, Tony loves classicial music, I don't hate it, but I see it more as "background" music.

 

We recently got back from doing a transatlantic on the Connie and we LOVED the spa pool and we had originally thought of taking our daughter on the Millie this spring, but she being in her early twenties, turned us down flat, even though we were paying. I doubt we could get her on Celebrity or HAL as she sees them as "old people" cruiselines.

 

Okay by me! Tony and I will just enjoy the time to ourselves! As I said, I think HAL will win out as Tony wants to go back to Turk and Caicos!

 

But don't worry, I am sure we will be back on Celebrity again some time in the future.

[fann1sh]

Sorry - been away today so didn't respond, but glad CaviarGal (and Fred) answered your call for help. Hope you enjoy Zuiderdam.

 

Try the thermal suite in the spa! Heated ceramic lounging beds, with aromatherapy showers.

[Sundagger]

Hello,

 

I vote for Celebrity. HAl is a very fine cruise line, and you get a lot for your money. However, to me the entertainment on Celebrity is more to my liking (classical music played by violinists, pianists) than HAL's.

 

Celebrity also has an international crew whereas HAl is Indonesian and Filipino(who are extremely hardworking and friendly). I enjoy meeting crew memebrs from all over the world and especially the Greeks who run the Celebrity ships.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

Fred

 

 

Fortunately, all HAL ships have chamber groups - 2 or 3 strings & piano. They play for afternoon tea, occasionally at dinner and every evening in the Explorer's Lounge. One of the treats I look forward to.

[momofmeg]

Fortunately, all HAL ships have chamber groups - 2 or 3 strings & piano. They play for afternoon tea, occasionally at dinner and every evening in the Explorer's Lounge. One of the treats I look forward to.

 

I figured they did. I did enjoy the nice classical music that was played at dinner in the dinningroom on the Connie.

 

Well I thought things werre decided but now my hubby is looking at Costa, which also does Turk and Caicos.

 

we have never cruised Costa and I am not sure I want to. Does anyone know anything good about Costa? I guess probally it is too much to expect a nice spa pool?

[caviargal]

Janie, NOOOOOOOO! Not Costa! If you thought Voyager class felt crowded, the new Costa ships are built on the same design as Carnival Conquest, the MOST overcrowded, badly designed I have ever cruised!

 

Please stick to HAL or even X but I know you would not be happy with Costa.

[momofmeg]

Janie, NOOOOOOOO! Not Costa! If you thought Voyager class felt crowded, the new Costa ships are built on the same design as Carnival Conquest, the MOST overcrowded, badly designed I have ever cruised!

 

Please stick to HAL or even X but I know you would not be happy with Costa.

 

Thanks, I will let Tony know, this cruise is a "peace offering" to me as I really do not want to go on the Glory in the fall with Meg and our friends; we did not spend what we budgeted for our transatlanitic, so this is just a bonus for us, an unplanned extra treat we did not expect to have this year. I will make sure Tony knows this if he wants to make me happy.

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

Much of the fun of these boards, is that you get corrected by other respondents, and in turn you get to respond.

 

A HAL ship does have classical music, which is played chamber style before and after dinner, and sometimes into the evening. This is very pleasant. To me, however, it is not the same as hearing a very talented classical musician play in the main showroom. These musicians generally are excellent entertainers as well, not stuffy sorts with hair in their eyes.

 

As for a something 20s on a Celebrity ship, I have seen passengers have a great time with some of the ship's crew when we visit ports. Also, officers on Celebrity ships seem to intermingle more with passengers than I have seen on other cruise lines. The young officers who are in their 20s seem to find passengers their own age. I know that cruise lines try to discourage this but this is futile. Also, there are always some younger people on board a Celebrity ship though not in large numbers.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

Fred

[NCTribeFan]

Not all Costa ships are Conquest-class. The Mediterranea is a Spirit-class ship.

 

Just about everything I've read about my upcoming cruise on the Miracle (Spirit class) is that the flow is better and feels more spacious than the larger ships (she's 88,500 ton)).

 

Costa Fortuna and Magica are Destiny-class ships.

[caviargal]

My experience with HAL has been very good in terms of the Captain and Hotel Directors interaction with passengers. I do not even remember meeting either of these two officers on my last two X cruises.

 

I have also had good experiences with senior staff and the Captains on RCI as they are very approachable.

 

The crew is always discouraged, if not downright prohibited, from personal socializing with the guests these days. Some lines have definite consequences for such intermingling. I personally have witnesses a huge decline over the years.

 

Two of my three recent HAL cruises have had a good number of 20 and 30 somethings aboard, especially the Oosterdam this past April. Noordam to Alaska was quieter but we expected this as we cruised early in the season. Also, her prices were higher so that often discourages the younger set. On Century last November, it was a very mixed crowd, representative of what one can expect from a short party cruise. Otherwise, my experience on both lines has been similar when itineraries are longer.

 

Another edge to HAL these days is the As You Wish dining which X does not offer.

 

I cannot comment on classical music and the venues where it is offered as we do not see any of the shows on ships (except the ice shows on RCI) and prefer dance music most of the time.

[momofmeg]

Hello,

 

Much of the fun of these boards, is that you get corrected by other respondents, and in turn you get to respond.

 

A HAL ship does have classical music, which is played chamber style before and after dinner, and sometimes into the evening. This is very pleasant. To me, however, it is not the same as hearing a very talented classical musician play in the main showroom. These musicians generally are excellent entertainers as well, not stuffy sorts with hair in their eyes.

 

As for a something 20s on a Celebrity ship, I have seen passengers have a great time with some of the ship's crew when we visit ports. Also, officers on Celebrity ships seem to intermingle more with passengers than I have seen on other cruise lines. The young officers who are in their 20s seem to find passengers their own age. I know that cruise lines try to discourage this but this is futile. Also, there are always some younger people on board a Celebrity ship though not in large numbers.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

Fred

 

 

Fred, we had a classicial concert one afteroon of one of the sea days on our Connie cruise. It was very enjoyable and I forget the guy's name - as I am not a classical fan-but he is well known in the classicial. Maybe someone on that was the Connie TA will post here can tell you what it is.

 

We took Meg on HAL years ago, she was miserable and she made us miserable. I have always felt her attitude colored my enjoyment of that cruise, that maybe I would have liked HAL better, minus her. I thought I could tempt her with the spa pool to do the Millie, but she said she would rather go on Enchantment of the Seas instead.

 

Tony and I do NOT want to go all the way to Ft. Lauderdale just for a mini cruise to please her-(we live in Atlanta) so instead we compromised-we will go with her on the Glory next fall (Meg is paying her way on that) and the weekend between Christmas and New years we are going to Kiawah Island (close to Charleston, SC) and we are taking her and paying for her.

 

You know, compromise is the name of the game when you try to make others happy. When others are happy, I am happy also, just because I made them happy.

[Sundagger]

You know, compromise is the name of the game when you try to make others happy. When others are happy, I am happy also, just because I made them happy.

 

That's a great attitude - one I strive for.

[momofmeg]

That's a great attitude - one I strive for.

 

yes, but sometimes it is very hard! but we still want to vacation with our daughter some!

 

I have never been on Carnival Destiny, so I have no idea how the "flow" is on it. I did like carnival Miracle, a spirit class ship, and if it had been my choice I would have picked Carnival Legend, as it is just as close to us, but the others did not want to do that as it was the same ports we took on Carnival Inspiration in 03.

 

So we will go on Carnival Glory and do the same ports we did on Mariner of the Seas in 05-they weren't with us on that cruise. I dread the Glory becuase I was on the Mariner of the Seas when the ship was VERY full and congested, 3600 people, and I understand the conquest class is even worse then voyager class.

 

Last year we took a cruise on the Caribbean Princess with our daughter, yes the ship was big, but the flow of the ship was much better then MOS, it was not the perfect choice but a good compromise for the three of us.

 

I would love to do the Ruby Princess, 4 ports instead of 3, and no Nassau! but as this trip everyone is driving, others do not want to drive 2 and a half hours further. So we go on the Glory.

 

but Tony has promised me this HAL cruise so I will survive much better on the Glory since that won't be my only cruise in 08!

[momofmeg]

I looked up the two Costa ships that have the cruise we were interested in. costa Fortuna is 102,000 tons and cares 2700 PAX at double occupancy. the Medeterriana is 89,000 tons and carries 2100 PAX at double occupancy-so neither of theser ships hold as many as Carribean Princess did-on which I was fine-and way less then Mariner of the Seas which I found overcrowded.

 

so now I would like to know of any good things or bad for that matter about entertainment, food, pools, size of stateroom etc. Thanks for any help.

 

we are still leaning toward the Zuiderdam but we are considering these 2 ships also.

[jerseygirl3]

You told me about staterooms, I am interested more in entertainment, how the spa pool on the Zuiderdam compares to the Millie's, how good the food in the speciality restuarants are etc.

 

I have been on both lines, differant ships, and I actually feel HAL's staterooms are better, at least in the lower priced staterooms, no suites for me. I am thrilled when I get a balcony. But thanks, if I ever book a suite I will keep your info. in mind

 

 

Just keep in mind, HAL charges to use their spa pool. Celebrity does not. We have been on Westerdam (sister ship to Zuiderdam) and we loved that cruise. But we've also been on Infinity (sister ship to Millie) and also loved that cruise just as much.

 

If the spa pool and specialty restaurants are figuring into your equation, the advantage has to go to Celebrity. The spa pool is free and their specialty restaurant is far and away better than HAL's.

 

If you are looking for something similar to the caliber of Celebrity of HAL, I wouldn't be considering Costa.

[momofmeg]

Just keep in mind, HAL charges to use their spa pool. Celebrity does not. We have been on Westerdam (sister ship to Zuiderdam) and we loved that cruise. But we've also been on Infinity (sister ship to Millie) and also loved that cruise just as much.

 

If the spa pool and specialty restaurants are figuring into your equation, the advantage has to go to Celebrity. The spa pool is free and their specialty restaurant is far and away better than HAL's.

 

If you are looking for something similar to the caliber of Celebrity of HAL, I wouldn't be considering Costa.

 

 

So the spa pool is extra? How much? Celebrity costs about $100 a person extra, so it is not going to break the bank for us-so now I am wondering how much is it for the spa pool on HAL? If we went 4 times during the week would it be more then $200?

 

I was considering Costa for the ports- but caviergal said the ships are crowded then I saw the thread here of the woman who had taken 2 Costa cruises and had done a cruise on sovereign of the Seas and she said her mother liked Costa better then Sovereign of the Seas. She was wanting to try a new line and most suggested Princess.

 

I like Princess, but I do not consider it "special"-it is just a nice line and a good compromise for us and our daughter. We feel we are not compromising as much as we do when we go on Carnival or RCI with her. But when she is not with us, as she will not be for this particular cruise, we do like to feel a little more pampered, that is more important to us then a lot of "nightlife"-I guess that is our age now-late forties and early fifties. When we first starting cruising we loved Carnival and RCI, I guess though with our bodies aging and slowing down, we want something that is more as I said, that we are more pampered then lots of nightlife.

 

So Costa is more a "Carnival" experieince then a "HAL" experience or is it middle of the road like Princess?

[fann1sh]

Hi again - access to HAL Hydro Pool includes the Thermal Suite I mentioned.

 

If you want a week long pass, make it your first priority once aboard. To make sure it's never crowded, a limited number are sold. Latest price I found was $250 per couple here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=647786

 

BTW.... for Costa, there seem to be no "middle of the road" opinions. People either love it and consider it a "premium" line, or hate it, and consider it bottom of the barrel. However, don't listen to me - no first hand knowledge. Though they have non-smoking policies, even Costa lovers acknowledge they aren't enforced. Not for me.

[momofmeg]

Hi again - access to HAL Hydro Pool includes the Thermal Suite I mentioned.

 

If you want a week long pass, make it your first priority once aboard. To make sure it's never crowded, a limited number are sold. Latest price I found was $250 per couple here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=647786

 

BTW.... for Costa, there seem to be no "middle of the road" opinions. People either love it and consider it a "premium" line, or hate it, and consider it bottom of the barrel. However, don't listen to me - no first hand knowledge. Though they have non-smoking policies, even Costa lovers acknowledge they aren't enforced. Not for me.

 

That is what I keep getting about Costa either good or bad fronm thsoe who have cruise that line.

 

I found some real deals for MSC cruises-soem 10 days priced like the 7 days-but I have never heard anything, good or bad about that line, so I am afraid to try that.

 

So basially, with the spa pool, the Zuiderdam will cost the same as the Millie, but there are more spas stuff extras, not just the pool and Tony would still get his Turk and Caicos. I guess the zuiderdam is still the best choice for us.

[caviargal]

 

I found some real deals for MSC cruises-soem 10 days priced like the 7 days-but I have never heard anything, good or bad about that line, so I am afraid to try that.

 

 

I very much enjoyed my MSC cruise in the Med. Great food and service, lovely ship. Food better than X by a wide margin, IMO, but very Italian. I would not hesitate as long it is not a cruise where kids sail free.