HAL compared to Celebrity

[DENIE]

Hi!  We are cruisers who have most recently sailed on Celebrity (3 cruises completed).  A couple more cancelled due to Covid.  We are also scheduled to do our first Oceania cruise in June 2022 in the Mediterranean.  

 

I did a search, but wasn't able to find any prior threads, though I suspect there are some out there.  We are invited to cruise on the Koningsdam with a group of friends (Round trip from San Diego in December 2022, Mexican Riviera).  Our last HAL experience was in @ 2010 on the Oosterdam, also a Mexican Riviera.  We truly had a fun experience.  For those who have sailed both HAL and Celebrity in recent years, I am interested in hearing about the similarities and differences.  We are looking at regular veranda stateroom - no suite, etc.

 

Looking for recent cruisers with experience on both, and thoughts on food, staterooms, etc.

 

Much appreciated!  🙂

[WesternBroncoCruiser]

I'll be able to answer you in two weeks.  The wife and I a big Celebrity fans, but haven't sailed on HAL in 29 years.  We are booked to do 6 nights on the Rotterdam starting next Sunday.   I will come back and answer for you when we return.   I hope that is soon enough. 

 

[HALrunner]

I am curious, too. We are in the opposite situation: loyal HAL cruisers trying Celebrity for the first time. We typically sail in verandah cabins on HAL, but will be in a Sky suite on Celebrity Apex. From what I can tell, it appears Apex cabins/suites are smaller than similar HAL cabins/suites. That is just a guess, though. 

8 minutes ago, WesternBroncoCruiser said:

I'll be able to answer you in two weeks...

 

Can I guess from your profile pic you are WMU alumni? I am also a Bronco:)

[ken4556]

I personal prefer Celebrity over HAL.  Celebrity has much more entertainment options than a HAL with music going in multiple places and past 10 pm.  The last couple HAL cruises I was on, the ship went quiet at 10 pm.  The Celebrity Reflection Christmas cruise we were on last month had great production shows (mostly eliminated on HAL) and great guest performers.

 

If you need internet, we have found Celebrity much faster and more consistent.  The included internet on the Reflection was better than the high speed package we had to pay for on our last HAL boat.

 

I found the food and service about equal, except Celebrity has items like Shrimp Cocktail and Escargot available every night on the main dinner menu.  The newest HAL boats have smaller passenger to space ratio; meaning more people in less space.

 

If you like a quiet cruise, HAL is a great choice and usually a less expensive option.  If you like entertainment and lots of activities, Celebrity is a better choice.

[Cruiz'nBaers]

We cruise both lines and feel that Celebrity offers a better experience, depending on what you are looking for.  Celebrity is a lot more social, with more and better entertainment, and the bars are definitely more lively.  The food seems pretty equal,  but, with shrimp cocktail and escargot available every evening on Celebrity.  The pool area on Celebrity is definitely more crowded.  Holland America has poorer choices in entertainment, BB King is fun, but, night after night can wear a bit thin.  Before dinner, the bars on HAL are busy but almost empty after dinner.  It’s true, that after the last show in the evening, everyone seems to head to bed.  We like HAL for longer, more port intensive cruises they offer and Celebrity for shorter cruises because of the social and fun atmosphere.   Traveling with friends, you are sure to enjoy yourselves whichever cruise line you are on.   I hope this is helpful.

[DE Solo]

35 minutes ago, ken4556 said:

I personal prefer Celebrity over HAL.  Celebrity has much more entertainment options than a HAL with music going in multiple places and past 10 pm.  The last couple HAL cruises I was on, the ship went quiet at 10 pm.  The Celebrity Reflection Christmas cruise we were on last month had great production shows (mostly eliminated on HAL) and great guest performers.

 

If you need internet, we have found Celebrity much faster and more consistent.  The included internet on the Reflection was better than the high speed package we had to pay for on our last HAL boat.

 

I found the food and service about equal, except Celebrity has items like Shrimp Cocktail and Escargot available every night on the main dinner menu.  The newest HAL boats have smaller passenger to space ratio; meaning more people in less space.

 

If you like a quiet cruise, HAL is a great choice and usually a less expensive option.  If you like entertainment and lots of activities, Celebrity is a better choice.

I disagree with the evaluation of HAL's entertainment options, as well as the characterization that HAL ships have little going on after 10 pm. On my cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam to Alaska in September/October 2021, the various lounges and bars were crowded in the evening hours, and the various music venues provided top notch entertainment. Several comedians also performed in the venues during the cruise and their shows were well attended. Which cruise line appeals to you will depend largely on what your preferences are, as well as which ship you decide to travel on.

One topic we do agree on is internet service, which on HAL is unreliable and slow.

[Kirsten T]

I think we give a slight edge to HAL - although we love both lines - for a few reasons, very specific to us:

-Classical music nightly on HAL, none on Celebrity (DH's a classical musician)

-Vista or Signature suites on HAL often cost the same as a standard veranda on Celebrity and are far nicer

-we generally like HAL's recent dancing-heavy production shows better than Celebrity's, and love HAL's BBC Earth shows and movies

-HAL's standard drink package offers more choices than Celebrity's in the beer and wine categories

 

The service and food quality are equally excellent. Celebrity's passengers trend a little younger, particularly on the new Edge class ships. I think the itinerary/length of the cruise has a lot to do with how lively the night life is; we typically do 10-11 nights and I'd say they're quieter than the 7 night or shorter cruises. We're fine with quiet and either line provides a great experience, so it usually comes down to price and travel dates. We did Reflection in January and truly loved it. But we're looking at HAL for next January based on both line's price points and trip dates, leaning towards HAL based on price.

[HAL4NOW]

1 hour ago, ken4556 said:

I found the food and service about equal, except Celebrity has items like Shrimp Cocktail and Escargot available every night on the main dinner menu. 

I have found that with HAL you can often order items that are not on the menu. One of our tablemates successfully ordered escargot every night.

[silversneakers]

I find Celebrity to be a bit more "stuffY" as relates to passengers. H/A seems to have a more down-to-earth crowd, but just my opinion. However,  I choose my cruises by itinerary and ship, passengers are not really part of my deciding process.

[Cruising-along]

We like both lines, but sail more often on HAL.  We do have a booking on the Apex next summer.  The reason we sail more with HAL is their itineraries (longer European cruises) and their laundry program.  No matter what loyalty level you are, everyone on HAL can do a bag of laundry for $20 ($30 in Europe).  And the bags are cloth, easy to stuff a lot in.  Celebrity has flimsy paper bags and charge WAY more. Now we're 5 Star and get free laundry -- I don't know if we'll ever sail Celebrity enough to reach their (one) free bag. Because of that, we won't take longer than 12 day cruises on Celebrity.

 

Other than that, we like both for service.  I give Celebrity the edge for variety of restaurants.  The food can be hit or miss on both lines.  I've found the stage shows on Celebrity to be better, but love the HAL ships with BB King, etc.  

[Fouremco]

DW and I have more or less alternated between HAL and Celebrity, with slightly more cruises with HAL. We tend to book based on itinerary, but given two identical cruises, would probably opt for HAL over Celebrity. We've sailed on both the Koningsdam and her sister ship Nieuw Statendam and enjoyed both.

 

Food and entertainment are very subjective. While neither line is quite as good as they were a decade ago, we can still eat very well and be entertained on either line.

 

Our last cruise was on HAL, and our next was to be on Celebrity until we cancelled a few weeks ago. When considering our next cruise, two HAL itineraries are at the top of our list.

 

 

Edited January 17, 2022 by Fouremco

[Ken the cruiser]

We've sailed over 160 days on 11 different HAL cruises with our last being in 2019 on the Maasdam, which was a fantastic In-depth EXC cruise around Australia. Unfortunately, that very enriching In-depth EXC program with its 4-6 nature-based lectures on sea days, came and went with the Maasdam, and from what I'm hearing in this thread, it's back to business as usual.

 

However, since HAL only has a CD with usually one assistant, their cruises overall just got too "relaxing" for us. We're in our late 60s and like to have the entertainment options to go to upbeat evening shows in the main theater, play multiple games of trivia and watch interactive game shows. Celebrity with the team of 4-6 assistant CDs and high impact production show team(s), have mastered that art while HAL with their CD and usually only 1 assistant, continue to fall way short in that area. I've even heard on CC recently that they show movies in the evenings in the main theater.

 

With regards to longer 3-5 week voyages, Princess gets our vote as they also offer a lot of entertainment with their 4-5 assistant CDs on their longer cruises which usually include quite a few sea days. But, if you like a more relaxing cruise where you can enjoy fine music in a wide variety of smaller venues, good food to include great cookies, laundry at a very reasonable price, then HAL is definitely a cruise line you need to try. 

 

But, the bottom line is this. That's our opinion of HAL versus Celebrity, with a little Princess thrown in. You need to try HAL and judge them for yourself. There are a lot of good qualities about a HAL cruise. As they say, variety is the spice of life! 😎

 

[HALrunner]

29 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We've sailed over 160 days on 11 different HAL cruises with our last being in 2019 on the Maasdam, which was a fantastic In-depth EXC cruise around Australia. Unfortunately, that very enriching In-depth EXC program with its 4-6 nature-based lectures on sea days, came and went with the Maasdam, and from what I'm hearing in this thread, it's back to business as usual.

 

However, since HAL only has a CD with usually one assistant, their cruises overall just got too "relaxing" for us. We're in our late 60s and like to have the entertainment options to go to upbeat evening shows in the main theater, play multiple games of trivia and watch interactive game shows. Celebrity with the team of 4-6 assistant CDs and high impact production show team(s), have mastered that art while HAL with their CD and usually only 1 assistant, continue to fall way short in that area. I've even heard on CC recently that they show movies in the evenings in the main theater.

 

With regards to longer 3-5 week voyages, Princess gets our vote as they also offer a lot of entertainment with their 4-5 assistant CDs on their longer cruises which usually include quite a few sea days. But, if you like a more relaxing cruise where you can enjoy fine music in a wide variety of smaller venues, good food to include great cookies, laundry at a very reasonable price, then HAL is definitely a cruise line you need to try. 

 

But, the bottom line is this. That's our opinion of HAL versus Celebrity, with a little Princess thrown in. You need to try HAL and judge them for yourself. There are a lot of good qualities about a HAL cruise. As they say, variety is the spice of life! 😎

 

HAL's CD is now titled "Cruise & Travel Director". On the Eurodam in NOV/DEC there were also 4 "Entertainment Hosts" which did everything from run the teen program to trivia, game shows etc. On the NS earlier this month there was one Cruise & Travel Director, four Entertainment hosts and one Club HAL counselor. I think there will variation depending on all the current variables, but it seems like HAL is moving in the direction of Entertainment Teams similar to what you are describing on Celebrity and PCL.

[Ken the cruiser]

7 minutes ago, HALrunner said:

HAL's CD is now titled "Cruise & Travel Director". On the Eurodam in NOV/DEC there were also 4 "Entertainment Hosts" which did everything from run the teen program to trivia, game shows etc. On the NS earlier this month there was one Cruise & Travel Director, four Entertainment hosts and one Club HAL counselor. I think there will variation depending on all the current variables, but it seems like HAL is moving in the direction of Entertainment Teams similar to what you are describing on Celebrity and PCL.

That is good news to hear! 

[MISTER 67]

Both are fine cruise experiences. Because we are in our mid 70s we prefer the more sedate HAL. Our last 2 cruises on Celebrity were very good except someone felt the need to pump Electronic Dance Music just about everywhere on the ship and at ear shattering levels. We complained many times but we hardly noticed the difference, it was definitely louder on our cruise in June of 2019 than it was on our Sept 2019 cruise, both were on the Equinox, a beautiful ship. Entertainment was about equal, we walked out of one of the Production shows on the Equinox. HAL needs to bring back Production shows, we love BB Kings and Billboard and of course Lincoln Center. I would say the food is about equal, HAL service is the best among the Mainstream cruise lines. I would say cabin accommodations are also about equal. One other thing, you will probably never have a better Captain than Celebrity's Captain Kate, simply an amazing lady with a great personality who is always somewhere on the ship conversing or taking pictures or even signing autographs for the passengers. She greets passengers boarding the ship and says goodbye to all as you dis-embark.

[MISTER 67]

10 minutes ago, MISTER 67 said:

Both are fine cruise experiences. Because we are in our mid 70s we prefer the more sedate HAL. Our last 2 cruises on Celebrity were very good except someone felt the need to pump Electronic Dance Music just about everywhere on the ship and at ear shattering levels. We complained many times but we hardly noticed the difference, it was definitely louder on our cruise in June of 2019 than it was on our Sept 2019 cruise, both were on the Equinox, a beautiful ship. Entertainment was about equal, we walked out of one of the Production shows on the Equinox. HAL needs to bring back Production shows, we love BB Kings and Billboard and of course Lincoln Center. I would say the food is about equal, HAL service is the best among the Mainstream cruise lines. I would say cabin accommodations are also about equal. One other thing, you will probably never have a better Captain than Celebrity's Captain Kate, simply an amazing lady with a great personality who is always somewhere on the ship conversing or taking pictures or even signing autographs for the passengers. She greets passengers boarding the ship and says goodbye to all as you dis-embark. I believe Captain Kate is now on the Apex.

 

Edited January 17, 2022 by MISTER 67

[cruisemom42]

Celebrity and HAL are (at the moment) the two lines I cruise most often. Azamara would probably be my most preferred brand, but due to sailing as a solo I do not cruise that line as often (as I would like).

 

There are more similarities than differences between comparable ships of the two lines. Now that HAL has shed her smaller ships the differences are fewer. 

 

Often preferences are subjective depending on what one values and likes. I prefer dining options on Celebrity (with the exception of Tamarind on HAL), I find the preparation and plating of food in the MDR to be better on Celebrity, on average.  I like that Celebrity ships tend to have more of a buzz (but nothing too wild). HAL has always seemed more laid back. One time I posited that Celebrity seems more for those with extrovert tendencies while HAL is more appealing to introverts. I'm not completely convinced that's true, but it does give a sense of some of the differences. Even the officers and staff on HAL seem more introverted, rarely making themselves visible to most "average" passengers while on Celebrity officers are usually out roaming the ship, stopping in visible places (like Cafe al Bacio) and talking with passengers.

 

I don't care much about cabin sizes and amenities, so I'm not going to weigh in. As a solo, I've traveled in accommodations ranging from insides to mini-suites and all have been sufficient for my needs. One thing I dislike about Celebrity vs HAL, however, is their focus on suite amenities including suite-only dining room and suite-only spaces on the ship. I dislike this trend in the extreme and wish Celebrity would re-think it. It makes for a class system onboard that I find bothersome.

 

Neither line offers as much in the way of enrichment as I would like. Celebrity has a variety of live music around their ships. HAL tends to concentrate their live music on their Music Walk venues. Celebrity will offer some late night shows that are not to be found on HAL.

 

For me, service appears about the same on both lines. HAL devotees claim HAL has the best service, but I've not had any better (or worse) service than on other lines. Perhaps I'm very self-sufficient but I don't tend to have that many interactions with service providers other than my steward and various waiters, and in general most do a perfectly fine job of meeting my needs.

 

Regarding the OP's specific situation, the Koningsdam is more like the newer Celebrity ships than the Oosterdam, which you previously sailed. You should find it a comparable experience.

 

 

[SueMo]

We sailed on the Edge in October and the Nieuw Amsterdam’s New Years Eve cruise in December.  Our experience on the Edge was fantastic, and on the Nieuw Amsterdam not so much.  Let me start by saying it may not be a fair comparison as in October covid cases were lower and masks weren’t required, while Omicron was peaking just as we embarked on our HAL cruise.

 

Service generally was good on both ships.  However, HAL only services rooms once a day with no turn down service while X still tidies up twice a day.

 

Entertainment was great on the Edge.  We had several very good live bands performing in areas around the ship, shows in the main theater featuring a live orchestra (including production shows which are not our thing, but some people love them), acoustic guitar players up in Eden, and tons of trivia and games throughout the day and evening hours.  The Martini Bar is the place to be pre dinner.  The Nieuw Amsterdam had lovely classical music in the Lincoln Center, one piano player (the other was sick leaving one truly awful performer) in Billboard, no BB King band (the drummer was sick), one very unfunny comedian and one comedian who was decent but performed only once as he also got sick.  Three nights in the main theater there was a guy who sang Neil Diamond and was decent, but without live backup music it seemed like karaoke to me.  Two other nights were dancers, again with no live music, and BBC documentaries which we enjoyed.  I understand that sickness played a big part in the lack of entertainment on board, but the lack of a live band on New Years Eve was a bummer.

 

I agree with the previous poster that X plays annoying electronic music in the lounges while HAL plays original artists, which I prefer.

 

Food and service in the main dining rooms was comparable for us.  It is hit or miss.  But I have to give a huge edge to X for offerings in the Ocean View as compared to the Lido Market on HAL.  There is more variety and tastes better to me.  But the dining area and service up there is better on HAL.  Al Bacio on the Edge was much better than the specialty coffee offerings in the Explorers cafe.  However, I like HAL’s pizza better than that offered on X.

 

I get free laundry and internet on X but not HAL, but I can’t understand why anybody spends thousands of dollars on a cruise and lets a $20 bag of laundry be the deciding factor as to which line to frequent.

 

I found Celebrity’s captains and officers to be very visible and friendly throughout the cruise.  HAL’s are invisible and not very approachable.

 

I enjoy both X and HAL, but post covid I must say my most recent experience, mostly because of entertainment, was much better on X.

[DENIE]

Thank you everyone for your prompt answers and opinions.  This is why I love Cruise Critic!  🙂

 

We had found a "home" and comfort with Celebrity (for many of the reasons stated in the comments above), but looks like HAL will be a very good option as well.  Looks like there is a lot to like! We did enjoy our 2010 HAL cruise, but that was a long time ago.  

Edited January 17, 2022 by DENIE

[Himself]

I went to this thread with an open mind after reading through it, I will stick with HAL.

[Cruising-along]

31 minutes ago, SueMo said:

I can’t understand why anybody spends thousands of dollars on a cruise and lets a $20 bag of laundry be the deciding factor as to which line to frequent.

Since I think I'm the only one who mentioned laundry, I'll answer.  On a one-week cruise or even a 2-week cruise, paying $50/bag (which I think is closer to what Celebrity charges when offered than $20) would be absolutely no big deal.  But we prefer much, much longer cruises. 

Even more important, in the 5 times we have cruised Celebrity we have never been offered the choice of by-the-bag laundry  -- only by the piece.  Let me tell you, that adds up fast on a long cruise.  It isn't a deciding factor, but for me it's a big point in HAL's favor.

[doone]

27 minutes ago, Himself said:

I went to this thread with an open mind after reading through it, I will stick with HAL.

Me too, I feel “at home” on HAL.👍

[Ken the cruiser]

2 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

Since I think I'm the only one who mentioned laundry, I'll answer.  On a one-week cruise or even a 2-week cruise, paying $50/bag (which I think is closer to what Celebrity charges when offered than $20) would be absolutely no big deal.  But we prefer much, much longer cruises. 

Even more important, in the 5 times we have cruised Celebrity we have never been offered the choice of by-the-bag laundry  -- only by the piece.  Let me tell you, that adds up fast on a long cruise.  It isn't a deciding factor, but for me it's a big point in HAL's favor.

You're so right. I remember when we finally made 4 star! The free laundry perk had been the big carrot we had been chasing for awhile which was quite tasty once we finally got to use it. 😎

[Bostonjetset]

1 hour ago, SueMo said:

 

 

Service generally was good on both ships.  However, HAL only services rooms once a day with no turn down service while X still tidies up twice a day. 

I’ve never sailed with Celebrity but am considering a Bermuda trip on the Summit this summer so clicked on this thread. I wanted to mention though that HAL does indeed do turndown service. I’m not sure why it wasn’t offered on your NA trip but on the Rotterdam this month I specifically told our steward we wanted twice daily service and it was provided. 

Edited January 17, 2022 by Bostonjetset

[Ken the cruiser]

7 minutes ago, Bostonjetset said:

 I specifically told our steward we wanted twice daily service and it was provided. 

Why did you have to tell your steward that?