How does Celebrity compare to Holland America?

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, Lady Chew said:

When we feel like exploring, we pick HAL.  When we just want to relax in the Caribbean we love Celebrity.

Excellent summary, particularly this final paragraph.

[81Zoomie]

We are Select on Celebrity and 3* on Holland.  We sailed on the Zuiderdam in January 2020 to the Caribbean.  We had just moved and needed total relaxation.  HAL was the obvious choice.  However, we felt the dining room service and the entertainment have really declined.  The HAL vibe is more classic and the Celebrity vibe is more contemporary.  There is definitely more cabin storage on HAL.  There are not as many chair hogs on HAL.  We could always find a lounge chair by one of the pools  Several folks have mentioned smoking on HAL.  There was no smoking in the casino on the Zdam in January.  This was a new and positive change.  Yes, HAL “rolls up” early.  You can’t even find any ice cream anywhere but room service after 8pm on HAL.  The ships officers are more visible on Celebrity, but the HAL crew is more friendly and accommodative.  We select based on price, timing, and itinerary.  Each has its positives.  After being stuck at home this spring and summer you can’t go wrong with either 😀

Edited June 9, 2020 by 81Zoomie

[Germancruiser]

I have sailed HAL only twice- X many many times ( Elite Plus) ! They are very similar when it comes to food- I really can´t say which i liked more. The buffet food ( seldom used though) on HAL was a touch better in my opinion.

Service- even though very friendly and efficent  I missed the table service on baord HAL ships in the Dutch Cafe. I really really missed Al Bacio as X ´s Speziality Cofebar is called.

I sailed Zuiderdam- which I liked and the almost brand new Nieuw Statendam. I did not at all like the Nieuw Statendam- it seemed to me a very dark ship- many lounges and bars without a view.

So for me - us- we are done with HAL. For us it is either X or Cunard.

[Beeline Cruiser]

11 hours ago, K&RCurt said:

 

Nightlife:  Celebrity.  It will be hard to find many people out and about on HAL after 11:00pm or so.

 

 

 

Oh my goodness, EXACTLY!!! We like being active on Celebrity but even better on RCCL!!!!! I don't want a sleepy ship but one that feels like a "Welcome Home"!

[barneyboy]

I would like to try Holland America but I’m afraid the buffet closing at 8pm and bars deserted after 11pm would be a deal breaker for me. Although we are aged early 60’s we like to eat after 8pm then either relax with a drink or go to some venue to dance. 

[hcat]

We are not that happy with X right now over the way it handled refunds, requiring final payments knowing cruises would be cancelled  and other  Covid related issues.. but seems many cruise lines  had similar  issues. We have one booking left with X and will see how that goes.  It will be on the now unrefurbished Connie.but hoping for the best. M Class is a nice size ship for relaxing.

 

Our last 2 cruises were on EDGE  and both were excellent .as were our past experiences on other X ship over the years. We did find Reflection more crowded and did not like some aspects of the layout compared to other S Class ships.

 

We have been averse to HAL since  we stayed pre cruise at a motel in FLL awhile ago which had many HAL cruisers.  Although we qualify as  seniors ourselves, many of these folks could be described as super seniors... Just did not seem like a good demographic  fit for us...Maybe things have changed????

 

We enjoy good healthy dining, live music, shows, indoor pool/ solarium, spa and gym....and a relaxing atmosophere during the day but more lively in the evenings,,,

Edited June 9, 2020 by hcat

[Cruise a holic]

My DH and I usually sail on Celebrity elite plus members, or Royal, Diamond members.  We typically are in a suite.  Never tried HAL but were interested in it- when the world is in a better place.  We are in our 60's but a young active 60's couple.  We despise smoking- and while it is allowed on both other lines- seems very contained.  We do not use the casinos- Sounds like we should stay with Celebrity.

 

While the ports are important- I view the ship as my destination also.  So we enjoy, excellent service, a comfortable suite and good food.  Didn't like NCL , Carnival or Princess.  Sound like all around, we should stick to Celebrity and Royal.  The luxury lines seem to small for us- as we enjoy choice.    One other great thing about Celebrity is the minimal announcement policy- typically once a day.  

[4774Papa]

We always compare cruise lines prior to picking a cruise.  We have loyalty benefits on Celebrity, Royal C. and NCL.

 

However, I check Princess and HAL as well.

 

Princess usually has a competitive price, but if the price is close between Princess and one with loyalty, we pick one with loyalty benefits.

HALs prices are usually a bit higher.  We tend to book very early and I have been told that HAL tends to lower rates closer to the cruise.  That is another reason we don't go with them.

 

 

NCL price bundles with promos that we don't want, so their prices are always non-competitive.

 

[George C]

4 hours ago, barneyboy said:

I would like to try Holland America but I’m afraid the buffet closing at 8pm and bars deserted after 11pm would be a deal breaker for me. Although we are aged early 60’s we like to eat after 8pm then either relax with a drink or go to some venue to dance. 

That is one of the reasons we have not cruised Hal recently, we do always eat late but we do dinning room. Only thing open at midnight is the casino. 

[BP99]

4 hours ago, hcat said:

We are not that happy with X right now over the way it handled refunds, requiring final payments knowing cruises would be cancelled  and other  Covid related issues.. but seems many cruise lines  had similar  issues. We have one booking left with X and will see how that goes.  It will be on the now unrefurbished Connie.but hoping for the best. M Class is a nice size ship for relaxing.

 

Our last 2 cruises were on EDGE  and both were excellent .as were our past experiences on other X ship over the years. We did find Reflection more crowded and did not like some aspects of the layout compared to other S Class ships.

 

We have been averse to HAL since  we stayed pre cruise at a motel in FLL awhile ago which had many HAL cruisers.  Although we qualify as  seniors ourselves, many of these folks could be described as super seniors... Just did not seem like a good demographic  fit for us...Maybe things have changed????

 

We enjoy good healthy dining, live music, shows, indoor pool/ solarium, spa and gym....and a relaxing atmosophere during the day but more lively in the evenings,,,

Hi,

Yes, I agree with your comments but didn't initially want to dwell on the ages

of Holland America cruisers because we are also seniors and aging rapidly.

However, on a recent Holland America cruise (2 week Alaska cruise) I haven't 

seen as many scouters (been run down a few times), walkers, canes, oxygen

lines etc in all my cruises. I commend them for going on a cruise!! Hopefully

when I reach their age, I'll will still want to enjoy a cruise. Yes, after 9/10 pm

(as mentioned by others) you can have the whole ship to yourselves!

We had a GREAT cruise and I STRONGLY recommend a Holland America

Alaska cruise. The killer whales swimming next to the ship, the salmon runs,

the baby bear, and the ports of call were awesome and I'll always remember

this one.

by others) 

you can can the whole ship to yourse

 

I

[DENIE]

Have sailed on the HAL Oosterdam, and 3 Celebrity ships (Infinity, Constellation, and Silhouette).  You really cannot go wrong with either.  That said, we feel we have found a home with Celebrity.  It just feels comfortable, and we love the mix of dining options, especially on the S-Class ships.  Our next cruise is on the Reflection.  If a HAL offered the right itinerary, we would sail them again.  As others have said, HAL does skew a bit older, and bars/lounges shut down earlier.

[TeeRick]

On 6/9/2020 at 6:44 AM, hcat said:

We are not that happy with X right now over the way it handled refunds, requiring final payments knowing cruises would be cancelled  and other  Covid related issues.. but seems many cruise lines  had similar  issues. We have one booking left with X and will see how that goes.  It will be on the now unrefurbished Connie.but hoping for the best. M Class is a nice size ship for relaxing.

 

Our last 2 cruises were on EDGE  and both were excellent .as were our past experiences on other X ship over the years. We did find Reflection more crowded and did not like some aspects of the layout compared to other S Class ships.

 

We have been averse to HAL since  we stayed pre cruise at a motel in FLL awhile ago which had many HAL cruisers.  Although we qualify as  seniors ourselves, many of these folks could be described as super seniors... Just did not seem like a good demographic  fit for us...Maybe things have changed????

 

We enjoy good healthy dining, live music, shows, indoor pool/ solarium, spa and gym....and a relaxing atmosophere during the day but more lively in the evenings,,,

This is one consistent thing that a lot here have stated about HAL.  We have never sailed HAL.  Does anybody have any thoughts on why it attracts an even older crowd than Celebrity?  

[Fouremco]

There is no doubt that HAL passengers are on average older than those on Celebrity, but the difference today is highly exaggerated. Based on our many cruises with HAL, this passenger profile from Frommer's is quite accurate. With an average age of 57, HAL is not significantly older than Celebrity at just over 50.

 

Passenger Profile

For years, HAL was known for catering to an almost exclusively older crowd, with most passengers in their 70s on up. Today, following intense efforts to attract younger passengers, about 25% of the line's guests are under age 55 (with the average age being 57), with a few young families peppering the mix, especially in summers and during holiday weeks.

https://www.frommers.com/macrosite/cruises/holland-america-line 

[Ken the cruiser]

I think another factor might be the length of a particular HAL cruise. If it’s a 7-10 day cruise, you might see a younger crowd. However, if it’s a 3 week or longer cruise, you may experience a much older crowd. 

[Ray in NH]

This has been an interesting thread-.

 

We have cruised both lines (HAL 20 times ~300 days; and Celebrity 15 times ~ 150 days), most times in some sort of "suite" (various "definitions").  We have enjoyed both lines (most of the times).

Smoking in the casino is not an issue with us -- we avoid casinos.  We have always found some sort of entertainment (to our enjoyment) on both lines.  However, we do not go looking for additional entertainment after midnight.  Also Michael's Club (Retreat Lounge) is a nice "perk".  We have had many enjoyable evenings there, with new-found friends.

We find that Celebrity offers somewhat more "suites amenities" than HAL.  For the most part, we have found suite services more consistently "excellent" on HAL than Celebrity -- both have always been, at least, :Very Good".

As to every-day dining, we find Celebrity ( with Luminae) a cut above, but comparing Main Dining Rooms, HAL would get the nod.  Specialty restaurants are a "tie" in our estimation -- it often depends upon the individual servers, and chefs.

 

Hope this helps.

 

NRayH

[Tedferg]

On 6/9/2020 at 3:44 AM, hcat said:

We did find Reflection more crowded and did not like some aspects of the layout compared to other S Class ships.

We are Princess cruisers and enjoyed our one cruise on Celebrity Reflection. However, compared to Princess Atrium which feels like a 'hub' Reflection felt a bit chopped up. Deck 3 with Passport bar and Guest services seemed to share one area, other bars were 'specialty bars', Martini, Crush etc.

 

[RedneckBob]

3 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I think another factor might be the length of a particular HAL cruise. If it’s a 7-10 day cruise, you might see a younger crowd. However, if it’s a 3 week or longer cruise, you may experience a much older crowd. 

Agree. Prefer HAL on longer cruises on exotic destinations like South Pacific and Voyage of the Vikings and 14 day Alaska cruises with no repeat ports. Like Celebrity for 10-14 day cruises with all inclusive packages. Entertainment on Celebrity much better.

 

Since 1982 sailed HAL +50 times and since 2014 sailed Celebrity 11 times.

[Lady Chew]

Our experience with HAL (and we have lots of experience with them!) is that the longer the cruise, the older the crowd.  

 

I don't know what the statistics are, but it always seems like an older crowd.  We started cruising with HAL in our 50s, and even though there have always been cruisers younger than us, and even children, on the longer cruises, we felt like the youngsters on board.  Now we're fitting into the older crowd ourselves!

 

 

[Larwos]

On 6/8/2020 at 8:23 AM, Fouremco said:

Yes, you should definitely enjoy it. We more or less alternate between HAL and Celebrity and have never been able to decide which one is our favourite. We tend to book based on itinerary and look at what each is offering, as you have for Antartica.

I agree that you should love Celebrity.  We've also had only one cruise - through the Baltic - with HL, on Koningsdam and we loved the modern feeling of that ship as it reminded me a bit of the lovely light and bright decor and feel of Celebrity.

We did the Antarctic cruise from Buenos Aires on Eclipse, which is our favorite ship, in February this year.  A wonderful experience and the naturalist on board gave us a wonderful insight into the birds, animals and sea life of the region.

Something no-one seems to have mentioned here is the fact of the very strong emphasis Celebrity puts on cleanliness on board the ships.  We cruised on Solstice around New Zealand in the beginning of March and were very impressed with the sanitizing that went on everywhere, all over the ship, all day long.  This ship landed in Sydney, on the next cruise, on the same day as the infamous Ruby Princess, and there were no Covid-19 cases on that cruise as far as I can find out.  For any people who don't know about the number of cases from on board Ruby Princess, please google it and find out, it was terrifying.

 

[TeeRick]

16 hours ago, Lady Chew said:

Our experience with HAL (and we have lots of experience with them!) is that the longer the cruise, the older the crowd.  

 

I don't know what the statistics are, but it always seems like an older crowd.  We started cruising with HAL in our 50s, and even though there have always been cruisers younger than us, and even children, on the longer cruises, we felt like the youngsters on board.  Now we're fitting into the older crowd ourselves!

 

 

Yes I think this applies to Celebrity as well in my experience.

[Pinboy]

We have been on both Lines-- All good regarding service , cleanliness and food.

The likelihood of being run over by a scooter is greater on HA.

The likelihood of getting into a fist fight in a bar is nil.

The likelihood of meeting people and hearing about " their " health ,  and " their " grandchildren's accomplishments , is equal.

( We prefer the larger " S " class ships on Celebrity ).

Hopefully, we can all cruise again soon.

 

[ericosmith]

On 6/11/2020 at 7:09 AM, Larwos said:

I  This ship landed in Sydney, on the next cruise, on the same day as the infamous Ruby Princess, and there were no Covid-19 cases on that cruise as far as I can find out.  For any people who don't know about the number of cases from on board Ruby Princess, please google it and find out, it was terrifying.

Unfortunately that was not the case.  One passenger who left the ship in Picton was diagnosed, as well as at least 11 Australians (including one death) later.  Since I was on the cruise and from the US, I know there was no effort made to track other than in Australia and New Zealand so I'm sure the total number of cases from that cruise was much higher.  

[hcat]

Never saw a fist fight on an X ship!

 

But if we try something else  it will likely be Viking..not HAL

[carlmm]

On 6/10/2020 at 4:38 PM, TeeRick said:

This is one consistent thing that a lot here have stated about HAL.  We have never sailed HAL.  Does anybody have any thoughts on why it attracts an even older crowd than Celebrity?  

 

Maybe part of the answer is given when you turn the question around: Why do younger (in real or at heart) people do turn away from HAL?

I am just one example who does not sail HAL anymore because of the ways the do the evenings nowadays: No formal nights and dead ships after 10 pm. Younger People tend to enjoy some night life.

On my first HAL cruise maybe ten years ago there was a large choice of live music before dinner and after late dinner, dance band, piano, classical … . The crow's nest had many passenger up to well after 1pm every night, often with live music first and a great DJ later. A couple of years ago on a much newer and bigger ship there was nothing like that at all. The whole Entertainment concept might be more modern but it does not induce people to stay up and socialize.

 

 

Edited June 13, 2020 by carlmm

[TeeRick]

1 hour ago, carlmm said:

 

Maybe part of the answer is given when you turn the question around: Why do younger (in real or at heart) people do turn away from HAL?

I am just one example who does not sail HAL anymore because of the ways the do the evenings nowadays: No formal nights and dead ships after 10 pm. Younger People tend to enjoy some night life.

On my first HAL cruise maybe ten years ago there was a large choice of live music before dinner and after late dinner, dance band, piano, classical … . The crow's nest had many passenger up to well after 1pm every night, often with live music first and a great DJ later. A couple of years ago on a much newer and bigger ship there was nothing like that at all. The whole Entertainment concept might be more modern but it does not induce people to stay up and socialize.

 

 

Thanks for your thoughts on my question.  I appreciate it.  I do think they are distinct but related questions.

1)  Why do much older people prefer HAL ?  over Celebrity?

2)  Why do younger people turn away from HAL ? or Celebrity?  You definitely answered this from your perspective.

Perhaps it is different for HAL on Alaska cruises where they dominate the market?  Younger and more family oriented?