Comparing Celebrity to HAL

[keithm]

My husband and I just returned from a very enjoyable 11 day Italy and Croatia cruise on the Celebrity Constellation. We are 3 Star Mariners on Holland America but chose Celebrity because we had heard many good things about Celebrity and really liked this itinerary. There are many similarities between the two cruise lines and in short, we now have two cruise lines from which to choose from. I will give you my perspective of HAL versus Celebrity.

Embark/Disembark – Organized and fairly quick on both lines. Upon entry to the Celebrity ship we were greeted by loud rock music that surprised us, but we found a quiet venue to wait for the cabins to be ready. On HAL we could have gone directly to our cabin.

Ship – The Constellation has a nice decor and well cared for. Very inviting as are the HAL ships we have been on. The ships are laid out very similarly.

Staterooms - We had an Oceanview cabin on Deck 2 on this cruise. Size and Layout of the cabin was much like similar rooms on HAL. Oceanview cabins on HAL have a smallish window above the bed. I preferred the large round window we had on Celebrity. The small settee was next to the window, so you could enjoy the view sitting on the bed or the settee. Bathroom size essentially the same and room stewards excellent on both lines. HAL beds are more comfortable than Celebrity.

Buffet – Food good on both lines, though I would give an edge to HAL for variety, fresh orange juice (had to use your beverage card for fresh squeezed on Celebrity), and number of servers around to clean tables and replenish coffee, water, etc. Overall we noticed a lack of servers in all venues on Celebrity. On HAL ships, there is always someone nearby to take an order or assist you without hovering. Pop music played rather loudly all the time in the Celebrity buffet. I would have preferred quieter, mellower music. Celebrity seating seemed less crowded than HAL, maybe due to the fact that there are other dining rooms for Aqua staterooms. I ate Eggs Benedict most every morning and on Celebrity there was just one guy prepping, cooking and serving which made for long lines. HAL generally has several servers at this station.

Dining Room – Dining Rooms nice on both lines. Food choices on Celebrity are not as varied as HAL and I believe the food on HAL is a little better. Servers are attentive on both lines.

Specialty Restaurants – Ate at both Tuscan Grille and Ocean Liners on Constellation. Food was good but price was higher on Celebrity and I don’t think the quality was any better than Pinnacle Grill or Canelletto. Odd that Tuscan Grille windows look out at a deck and railings rather than nice floor to ceiling ocean view you have at the Pinnacle.

Poolside Grill – HAL’s is much better, especially with the newer menu. HAL also has the taco bar with salads that are available throughout the day. Again, we were frustrated by lack of help at Poolside grill on Celebrity. There was just one guy taking orders and cooking, whereas HAL has a group of folks and gets the orders out quickly.

Café Bacio – (Specialty coffees) – Celebrity has the pastries/desserts and coffee options like at Explorers Lounge on HAL. However on Celebrity you can actually sit down and be waited on and coffee is served with biscotti. Very relaxing for a late morning or afternoon snack. Both lines charge for coffees but not pastries or desserts there. You can use your beverage card to pay for the specialty coffees.

Bars – In almost every bar, we had to look for a server or go place the order at the bar. Celebrity had no real drink menus to tell you what was in any of the drinks. The menus on the table listed what drinks were available for each beverage plan, but didn’t explain the drinks. We never saw a drink of the day advertised like on HAL, nor did Celebrity have any bar snacks in any of the bars we were in. The Reflections lounge (similar to HAL Crow’s Nest) was a nice place to relax during the day. There was a bar there, but only open at night, so you couldn’t get a soft drink or glass of wine while relaxing.

Activities – This is where HAL could take note of the way Celebrity does things. When you won one of the various trivia or other games, you got a signature (or maybe 2!) on a signature card that you kept throughout the cruise. At the end of the cruise you “cashed” your signatures in for Celebrity merchandise – a pen for 1 signature, caps, tote bags, lanyards, tshirts, etc for more signatures. Was so much better than playing for a silly HAL pin!! Some of the evening games were Port vs Starboard games that encouraged you to get to know some other people in order to win for your side.

Entertainment – No piano bar or Adagio Strings on Celebrity, but did have many good entertainers scattered around the ship. The guest entertainers in the Showroom were good, as are HAL’s usually. The Celebrity cast productions – singers and dancers – were, in my opinion, better on Celebrity than on HAL.

Overall – We thoroughly enjoyed our Celebrity cruise. My husband and I preferred the diversity of age groups on the Celebrity cruise – seemed to have more active seniors than “older” seniors. We also enjoyed the mix of nationalities – I don’t know whether that is due to the European cruise or the cruise line. We booked another Celebrity cruise on board and will now compare Celebrity and HAL for itinerary and price before booking.

Try one of the "S" class Celebrity ships. Far better than anything on HAL. Perhaps the Konigsdam will prove to be a match.

[socreader]

Living in Seattle, HAL is our "Hometown" cruise line and we have sailed with them three times but the smoking stops us from booking again. We have also been invited on board for lunch a few times as part of a group we support while the ship (Oosterdam, Westerdam) is moored in Seattle for their Alaska season. Both times, smoke.

 

I am highly allergic to cigarette smoke. Any whiff of it causes an immediate debilitating sinus headache. One where I have to go and take something and lie down in a dark room for hours. I didn't pay as much as we pay for a cruise to do that onboard.

 

If they were to adopt an X-like smoking policy, we might be interested. I love the size of their ships and when we have been on board for lunch, the B.B. King lounge was outstanding--what a venue and band.

 

Jim

 

Hi Jim,

 

We will be going to Japan and Korea then the Transpacific down to Vancouver in April next year on HAL Volendam. I have no trouble reporting folks who break the rules when my sensitivity for smoke is at risk. We love Celebrity but their itinerary for this cruise was not to our liking.

 

 

We can discuss HAL more when we see you in August.

Edited June 1, 2016 by socreader

[DrKoob]

Hi Jim,

 

We will be going to Japan and Korea then the Transpacific down to Vancouver in April next year on HAL Volendam. I have no trouble reporting folks who break the rules when my sensitivity for smoke is at risk. We love Celebrity but their itinerary for this cruise was not to our liking.

 

 

We can discuss HAL more when we see you in August.

 

I certainly understand better itineraries. To me the problem isn't the enforcement of the smoking rules, it is that there are no rules that are even close to what X has. You can still smoke on all balconys on HAL and in many bars and the casino while X only allows it in designated areas (2 per ship). I can avoid two areas on a ship but I can't avoid my verandah and almost every bar.

 

But I would love to talk HAL this August. There are some things I love.

[Ken the cruiser]

We are so looking forward to going on the Eclipse in October, first around the Med and then back across the pond to Miami. Even though we have only been on 2 Celebrity cruises, we will hit Elite status after our Med cruise thanks to an upgrade to the Royal Suite on a 10 day Galapagos cruise last year. The best part of that deal was it only cost $750 for both of us to upgrade from an OV to the RS! That's when we decided to take another look at Celebrity as we usually have cruised with HAL over the past 4 years except on a few occasions.

 

But even though HAL has some great itineraries, I hate to say it but we're tired of hearing slow, easy going music to appease their much older crowd. I also understand why HAL has to do the things they do on their smaller ships, cost-wise, as 80% of their R class ships are either Inside or Ocean View rooms. Not a lot of cash flow there which means their entertainment budget is somewhat limited. But don't get me wrong, we love HAL and they have great food and wonderful promenade decks. It's just that their entertainment is a little too mellow for us.

 

However, when I checked out the Eclipse's room ratios, inside and OV rooms definitely appear to be in the minority, which I'm guessing means a lot more cash flow and a lot bigger entertainment budget. I remember when we were on our Alaskan cruise on the Solstice a couple of summers ago, the entertainment was awesome! Their was a xylophone player that just blew the house away and there is no way he would ever be allowed to play on a HAL ship. They also had great lecturers and extra shows in the Celebrity Central. Please tell me, in general, this still the case on Solstice class ships?

 

I'm sure the food is great and we have an aft-facing veranda, so I'm sure the views at sea, especially leaving the ports will be great. I'm just hoping the music and entertainment around the ship, especially on sea days, is more targeted at folks between 40 - 60 rather than 70+?

 

I don't mean to step on anyone's toes as I will be there in another 6 years or so, but our music tastes are more associated with the late 60's and beyond rather than the late 40's and I am so much hoping this is still the case on the larger Celebrity ships.

 

As a side note starting next month on most HAL ships, smoking on the verandas is no longer allowed. Just thought I'd pass that along in case some of you haven't heard.

[tnfcruise]

You can do either or both. Cabins are ready when you board, so you can hang out in your cabin or just drop your bags off and go explore. HAL usually boards at 10:30 to 11, at least the last time I used them (March 2015).

 

 

 

They also let you have room service the last day for breakfast and you wait in your cabin to disembark. Nice features to have, wouldn't keep me from cruising another line. We tried Princess this year, and will be going on our first Celebrity and RCI next year for Australia and NZ.

 

 

 

Looking forward to doing my own comparisons but I am a bit nervous about both Celebrity and RCI. The destination is the actual key but it's nice to enjoy the ships as well.

 

 

 

ML

 

 

 

ML

 

 

I don't quite understand...if, on HAL, you can have room service breakfast and stay in your cabin until disembarking, how in the world can incoming passengers get to go straight to their cabin upon boarding at 10:30? When do attendants clean the rooms?

 

 

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[Ken the cruiser]

I don't quite understand...if, on HAL, you can have room service breakfast and stay in your cabin until disembarking, how in the world can incoming passengers get to go straight to their cabin upon boarding at 10:30? When do attendants clean the rooms?

 

 

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We just got back from a 17 day HAL cruise, but had a different experience. We were not allowed to board until all the rooms were ready which was around Noon. At the end of the cruise, we were allowed to stay in our room, but our stewards were in changing the sheets and doing other applicable things for the next passengers while we waited for our number to be called. We finally disembarked around 9 am as we had an afternoon flight back home.

Edited December 25, 2016 by Ken the cruiser

[SPacificbound]

We have friends who have cruised on RC, X, NCL, and Hal, when I asked which was their favorite they said Hal.

 

They are over 10 years younger than we are, and don't smoke. The smoking issue is why I won't book Hal.

[Ken the cruiser]

We have friends who have cruised on RC, X, NCL, and Hal, when I asked which was their favorite they said Hal.

 

They are over 10 years younger than we are, and don't smoke. The smoking issue is why I won't book Hal.

 

HAL is a wonderful cruise line and if you find an itinerary that looks interesting to you, then I would definitely consider booking it. As you can see from my signature, we've got quite a few future cruises booked with them. For us I think we just need a change to see how life is on other cruise lines and we're hoping X still has some of the excitement we saw on the Solstice a couple of summers ago.

[Hgwells01]

We are also three star Mariners on HAL, we always book balconys or suites, last cruise we had our favorite cabin an aft wrap 6166, smokers below and above and to our left, they chain smoked the whole cruise and ruined it for us. We went RCI next, problems with our suite bathroom pipes meant it stunk badly all the time, the steward would pour disenfectant down it every day and the smell would be right back. We are on Solstice in a Consierge cabin 4 Jan, I'm hoping it's going to be great :)

[bigbeergut]

Same for us - will not consider HAL until they change their balcony smoking policy (which probably won't happen anytime soon, as there seem to be enough people who like it). Before other lines restricted smoking on balconies, we had 2 cruises where our balcony was completely unusable due to smoke at all hours of the day and night.

 

I agree 100%. It was interesting to read the comparison of HAL and Celebrity and HAL seems to compare well in many of the areas that are important to us. However, we will never sail HAL until smoking on the balconies is prohibited. I don't see that happening any time soon.

[Ember56]

My quick opinion, we went from Neptune Suite on HAL to Sky Suite on Celebrity, prefer Celebrity overall..

 

 

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[TravelerThom]

...we will never sail HAL until smoking on the balconies is prohibited. I don't see that happening any time soon.

Actually HAL has announced major smoking restrictions on all sailings commencing in 2017 (8 days from now, which is soon IMO). Policy is on p.17 of http://www.hollandamerica.com/assets/cruise-vacation-onboard/KBYG.pdf No Balcony smoking allowed, reduced indoor smoking.

[cruise47]

Actually HAL has announced major smoking restrictions on all sailings commencing in 2017 (8 days from now, which is soon IMO). Policy is on p.17 of http://www.hollandamerica.com/assets/cruise-vacation-onboard/KBYG.pdf No Balcony smoking allowed, reduced indoor smoking.

 

please turn to page 17 to read HAL new smoking policy

Edited December 25, 2016 by cruise47

[bigbeergut]

Actually HAL has announced major smoking restrictions on all sailings commencing in 2017 (8 days from now, which is soon IMO). Policy is on p.17 of http://www.hollandamerica.com/assets/cruise-vacation-onboard/KBYG.pdf No Balcony smoking allowed, reduced indoor smoking.

 

Thanks for the update, I think I'll give it a year and check the reviews on the new smoking policy. Celebrity sometimes struggles to enforce their smoking policy and I'm sure it will take a while to re-educate the HAL passengers. HAL prices tend to be lower than Celebrity and their at a number of interesting itineraries.

[TravelerThom]

Thanks for the update, I think I'll give it a year and check the reviews on the new smoking policy...

Yes, rules are one thing, enforcement is another:rolleyes: I do have a few HAL itineraries I'm interested in; that will mean giving up my E+ benefits and being the new kid on the ship, but I think I'll survive:)

 

Thom

[Hlitner]

I don't quite understand...if, on HAL, you can have room service breakfast and stay in your cabin until disembarking, how in the world can incoming passengers get to go straight to their cabin upon boarding at 10:30? When do attendants clean the rooms?

 

 

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With about 470 days of HAL cruising (and several hundred Celebrity( we can assure you that it is still true, that you can have room service breakfast and wait in your cabin on disembarkation day. But the bad news is that HAL recently (last few months) revamped their room service menu and cut it down to only a few options (although you can still get a hot breakfast). Most of the time you will not be able to embark on HAL at 10:30. The normal boarding time is usually closer to 11:30. How the cabin stewards have the cabins ready is a minor miracle...and they simply work their butts off on turn-around days and use a lot of common sense. Many passengers do not stay in their cabins on that last morning, so the stewards focus on cleaning the cabins as soon as they are vacated. But they do get it done.

 

It is true that HAL has recently changed their smoking policy with balcony smoking disappearing in January. However, HAL does still allow smoking in the Casino (on most vessels) which we find somewhat annoying. The Vista Class ships have their piano bars located right off the casino area...and we sometimes smell smoke which drifts in from the casino. HAL has tried to limit casino smoking by having a rule that only those gambling can smoke...and its often limited to certain sections of the casino. This helps, but is not a perfect solution for those of us who detest the stink of cigarette smoke.

 

Our recent Celebrity cruises (most recently 2 weeks ago on the Eclipse) have been somewhat disappointing....because of many small cut-backs which add up to a lesser quality product. Its still a darn good cruise line, but we now would give an edge to HAL when it comes to MDR cuisine. There are some major issues with both lines in their Lido buffets....where we think that Princess shines above both Celebrity and HAL.

 

We agree with the negative comments about HAL music. Most of it is dated, the bands are dated, and the lack of brass/woodwinds often make the music remind me of what we used to hear in roller rinks. One big exception are the BB King groups (only on some ships) which can be among the best music at sea. And we love that HAL still has piano bars. Production shows are close to equal on both lines and hit or miss depending on the quality of the young singers/dancers that happen to be assigned to the ship. On both lines it varies from excellent to awful....with the norm being somewhere between.

 

Hank

[DrKoob]

Actually HAL has announced major smoking restrictions on all sailings commencing in 2017 (8 days from now, which is soon IMO). Policy is on p.17 of http://www.hollandamerica.com/assets/cruise-vacation-onboard/KBYG.pdf No Balcony smoking allowed, reduced indoor smoking.

 

This is awesome news. Our last HAL cruise was in 2011 and we decided we just could not take the smoke (I get horrible sinus headaches) but we may go back now...at least this opens it up for us. We still are much bigger X fans but HAL (being based here in Seattle) often has some nice repositioning pre and post Alaska cruises we have thought about as a quick get-a-way and they are usually well priced. This gives us that option! Superb news.

[iancal]

At one time we considered HAL on a par with Celebrity and Princess. Not so much any more.

 

Their ships are older and the decor tends to be rather dark. Some would say elegant, that may be the case but it is not to our taste. What we do not like is the lack of a variety of dining options and the fact that their buffet, Lido, has extremely limited dining hours.

 

Food is subjective. And these days it seems to be hit and miss on most mass market cruise lines. We do, however, find Celebrity MDR offering to be more to our taste.

[HokiePoq]

I appreciate your review and thought I would chime in. I've wanted to do a comparison for a long time. We were loyal HAL customers always traveling in a Neptune suite. For a long time, I was complaining that we were not getting enough for our money. Two years ago our TA suggested we give Celebrity a try. Since then we have completed three Celebrity cruises and have four future cruises booked. Our first two cruises were in a concierge level, our last was in a celebrity suite. In January after just four cruises we will be elite status. After over 100 days on HAL we received no special benefits. Not even a drink for being in a suite. The benefits for a suite class on Celebrity are amazing. Special dinning room for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Michaels Club, far superior to Neptune Lounge. I do believe the food quality on HAL was slightly better than Celebrity and the beds on HAL can't be beat. The room attendants on both lines work extremely hard and deserve every tip they get. We enjoyed every HAL cruise and would do it again, if something came up. But, for now we are hooked on Celebrity because I believe we are getting more for the money.

 

The Mariner program is a real weakness on HAL compared to Celebrity's Captain's Club. We are elite on X and only 3 stars on HAL even though we likely have more days on HAL. We booked spa and consierge cabins to rise pretty quickly in the Captains Club. The only benefit from being 4 stars that we would benefit from is the free laundry.

Agree that HAL's food is better, although Celebrity's is good, too.

Entertainment is pretty the same IMO. HAL used to have very nice prizes for games(used to love the dam dollars) but that has been scaled down to those annoying pins.

Like OP, we compare itineraries and price and would not hesitate to sail either line.

[Straughn]

The Mariner program is a real weakness on HAL compared to Celebrity's Captain's Club. We are elite on X and only 3 stars on HAL even though we likely have more days on HAL. We booked spa and consierge cabins to rise pretty quickly in the Captains Club. The only benefit from being 4 stars that we would benefit from is the free laundry.

Agree that HAL's food is better, although Celebrity's is good, too.

Entertainment is pretty the same IMO. HAL used to have very nice prizes for games(used to love the dam dollars) but that has been scaled down to those annoying pins.

Like OP, we compare itineraries and price and would not hesitate to sail either line.

 

I have cruised HAL twice, both times in a Neptune suite. Comparing the HAL suite lounge to Celebrity's Michael's Club is apples and oranges. The benefits of having access to Michael's Club far outway anything HAL offers in its suite program.

[Hlitner]

I have cruised HAL twice, both times in a Neptune suite. Comparing the HAL suite lounge to Celebrity's Michael's Club is apples and oranges. The benefits of having access to Michael's Club far outway anything HAL offers in its suite program.

 

So here are some thoughts (and we hope you comment). When I think in terms of Neptune Suites (or comparable on Celebrity) it seems to me its like booking the most expensive Suite in a Holiday Inn. You pay a lot of extra money (when compared to a normal balcony cabin) for a very nice large cabin. But you are still on the same ship as somebody in a regular cabin, get the same entertainment, similar food, etc. If we want to spend $400+ per passenger day we tend to look towards the more upscale lines where everything (not just the cabin) is substantially upgraded. We would rather be in a normal cabin (or small suite) on Crystal or perhaps Regent then in the largest cabin on a mass market line. Whats even crazier on HAL is that if you have a Neptune Suite you will always have a decent balcony (and ocean view). Why would I leave that view and cabin for an inside lounge (Neptune Lounge) where they do not even give me free drinks? Even RCI has free cocktail hours in their Concierge Lounge.

 

Hank

[Ken the cruiser]

So here are some thoughts (and we hope you comment). When I think in terms of Neptune Suites (or comparable on Celebrity) it seems to me its like booking the most expensive Suite in a Holiday Inn. You pay a lot of extra money (when compared to a normal balcony cabin) for a very nice large cabin. But you are still on the same ship as somebody in a regular cabin, get the same entertainment, similar food, etc. If we want to spend $400+ per passenger day we tend to look towards the more upscale lines where everything (not just the cabin) is substantially upgraded. We would rather be in a normal cabin (or small suite) on Crystal or perhaps Regent then in the largest cabin on a mass market line. Whats even crazier on HAL is that if you have a Neptune Suite you will always have a decent balcony (and ocean view). Why would I leave that view and cabin for an inside lounge (Neptune Lounge) where they do not even give me free drinks? Even RCI has free cocktail hours in their Concierge Lounge.

 

Hank

 

I agree with you Hank. Our last 2 cruises with HAL have been in Neptune Suites and we probably will never do it again. We usually book Vista Suites and are quite happy. As for the additional benefit of the Neptune Lounge, we can pretty much do what a concierge does, but the cookies and chocolate were always tasty. And, eating breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill was always nice too. However, not for an additional $2,800 upsell charge, let alone the full price of a Neptune Suite.

 

With regards to Celebrity, we're looking at booking two Concierge Suites in Jul 2019 to go around Great Britain for 12 days. When I compare the cost between a C1 Veranda ($321/day/pp) and a S2 Sky Suite ($800/day/pp), the price difference for 2 between the 2 categories is $11,700. For comparison the price on roughly the same Crystal cruise around GB for a B1 Veranda was $690/day/pp and $1,100/day/pp for a PH Penthouse.

 

I get why Crystal is so high, they are a luxury cruise line. But what does Celebrity offer on Solstice class ships that would be worth paying that additional $11,700 other than a bigger room? I'm asking this because I know what you get for Neptune Suite, but am curious what extra stuff you get when you book a Sky Suite for that much money other than a larger room?

[HokiePoq]

I have cruised HAL twice, both times in a Neptune suite. Comparing the HAL suite lounge to Celebrity's Michael's Club is apples and oranges. The benefits of having access to Michael's Club far outway anything HAL offers in its suite program.

 

Not a suite cruiser so could not comment on this...Tell me more about the benefits of Michael's Club. Have seen it only. Been in a suite once on NCL and the dining was awesome along with a lot of other things. Never had a suite on either HAL or X. Usually get the best cabin for the best price I can get at the time I book and it's never a suite. (was upgraded on NCL when they vacated our whole deck to make repairs on a TA)

Edited December 26, 2016 by HokiePoq

[Aquahound]

Actually HAL has announced major smoking restrictions on all sailings commencing in 2017.

 

This is true. In fact, the policy is even more strict than Celebrity on the ships that have been recently refurbished. The only smoking area is a section outside near the aft pool.

[Straughn]

So here are some thoughts (and we hope you comment). When I think in terms of Neptune Suites (or comparable on Celebrity) it seems to me its like booking the most expensive Suite in a Holiday Inn. You pay a lot of extra money (when compared to a normal balcony cabin) for a very nice large cabin. But you are still on the same ship as somebody in a regular cabin, get the same entertainment, similar food, etc. If we want to spend $400+ per passenger day we tend to look towards the more upscale lines where everything (not just the cabin) is substantially upgraded. We would rather be in a normal cabin (or small suite) on Crystal or perhaps Regent then in the largest cabin on a mass market line. Whats even crazier on HAL is that if you have a Neptune Suite you will always have a decent balcony (and ocean view). Why would I leave that view and cabin for an inside lounge (Neptune Lounge) where they do not even give me free drinks? Even RCI has free cocktail hours in their Concierge Lounge.

 

Hank

 

Not a suite cruiser so could not comment on this...Tell me more about the benefits of Michael's Club. Have seen it only. Been in a suite once on NCL and the dining was awesome along with a lot of other things. Never had a suite on either HAL or X. Usually get the best cabin for the best price I can get at the time I book and it's never a suite. (was upgraded on NCL when they vacated our whole deck to make repairs on a TA)

 

Hank, to address you thoughts about cabins and ships and mass market lines versus premium lines. We like the space- my SO likes to read on the balcony where it is quiet and he can nap on and off. He is not a fan of crowds and noise. (I know, why cruise?) The suite balconies are larger and can accommodate a lounge chair, which is his preference. I am out and about all day, both at sea and in port. We meet for meals.

 

We like Michael's Club and enjoy it's low key atmosphere. Unlike the Neptune suite lounge, they serve alcohol to the suite passengers. You do get to know other passengers well, as the same folks tend to be there every night. We have never found it overly crowded, dispite the number of suite passengers. Not all of them come into Michael's. Some don't because they prefer the Martini Bar, or the Suset Bar, etc. The reasons we like Michael's are the reasons they don't. Different strokes for different folks.

 

Secondly, in a suite, we have access to Luminae, the suite restaurant. Noise level is generally low, it is easy to converse, the service is far superior to the MDR. They serve breakfast every day and lunch on sea days. If we wish to dine with new friends, we can. If we want a table for two, no problem.

 

We rarely use the special services of our butler or our Concierge. On the few times we have, they have taken very good care of us.

 

I realize that the premium lines offer all of this and more. For whatever reason, we prefer the known quantity that is Celebrity. Yes, it falls into the mass market category of cruise lines, but having sailed on others, we feel that the bang for buck there is better than RCCL, HAL, NCL. I don't feel like Celebrity is the Holiday Inn of cruising. I would give that distinction to NCL. The cost to get a comparably sized suite on the premium lines is much more expensive. We prefer to spend our $$ in a suite and cruise, at most, twice a year. Others prefer lower category cabins with the ability to cruise more frequently. Again, different stokes for different folks.