Regular HAL cruisers tried Celebrity

[CNSJ]

Wanted to compare Celebrity and HAL.  

 

We have sailed Holland America (HAL)  and Royal Caribbean (RCI) over the past 15 years, with 80% of our trips on HAL. Stopped sailing with RCI after what DW described as "Inedible Food" in the Windjammer Buffet.  Since COVID ended, we have sailed Transatlantic on EURODAM (FALL 2021), West Carib on ROTTERDAM(WINTER 2022), Alaska on NOORDAM (SUMMER 2022), Transpacific on WESTERDAM (FALL 2022), and Southern Carib on ROTTERDAM (DEC 2022).   That’s a good mix of HAL ship classes and ages.  We normally sail in a V or VA but have on occasion taken the upsell to a suite. 

Having heard so much great things about CELEBRITY (X), on this forum, we decided to give them a try, with the post-COVID standard in our mind.  Granted we selected a short 5 day cruise (fit schedule nicely), on one of their older ships (about same age as Noordam)  and not a long journey, but hoped to get a feel for their service, food, and approach to cruising. Sailed last week on CELEBRITY SUMMIT.  These are my observations, and yes we entered with an open mind.  We found a few things we liked, and too many things we did not to want to book again.  

CABIN:  We had a deluxe verandah on X (7111) which was not in Concierge or Aqua class.  That meant we could not use their exclusive restaurants Luminae or Blu (did eat in Tuscan Grill).  Cabin seemed smaller by about 10% and the balcony was noticeably smaller.  Bathroom was good, but shower was much smaller than we have had on HAL.  CABIN Issues:

-       Thick sticky dust on some light fixtures, bathroom fan, vent, and on upper shelves

-       Mold in shower corners

-       Bad rust on balcony and window coated with salt 

-       Queen bed did not have a strip that helps minimize the two twin gap.

-       Bed was not made up as well as we are used to, mattress pad untucked etc.

-       Mini-Bar was warm, called maintenance to have them change it out (didn't stockers notice this???)

-       One light burned out

-       No varnished wood balcony railing…fake wood product of some kind.  

-       In Cabin TV movie choices were much less than HAL as was Live TV Channels 

SHIP CONDITION:  I have posted before that a safe, well maintained ship matters to me.  (I spent 26 years in the Navy  on Submarines).  I have never seen anywhere near the amount of dirt, rust, corrosion, pitting of surfaces, dirty glass, and other indications of poor maintenance.  On HAL cruises I see maintenance people all the time working on the ship exterior.  Saw one or two and I am out and about a lot.  Makes me wonder if safety equipment such as lifeboats is being maintained properly.   

SHIP DESIGN:  

-       Fewer elevators per person than on HAL ships.  

-       I am a deck walker.  This class of ship NOT set up to walk.  Promenade only extends 70% on each side.  No wrap.  The deck 11 “jogging path” is short – 9 laps+ per mile and a mix or runners and walkers, with deck chairs at edge of red painted area.  

-       Access to Deck 12 Rooftop Lounge was terrible.  Very steep ladders from Deck 10 aft or an exterior lift for wheelchairs (we didn't need this lift). 

 

CREW:  Crew did not have same professional polish that we are used to.  Wide range of home nations here.  They were friendly, but a great deal of joking around with each other.   Service at the Pool was almost non-existent, and they did not come by often to clean up drink cups etc.  

 

PUBLIC AREAS:  Focus was on very loud music.  I could hear the Deck 10 pool band and music from my balcony on Deck 7 very clearly.  It was so loud we could not sit near pool on Deck 10 or 11.  No area to read, play cards, or do anything else that wasn't loud.  Exception was indoor pool (Solarium) – Too shallow to swim as it's a big warm tub, but no area around it with tables. 

 

GOOD:  More hot tubs.  But more kids in them. 

 

OCEANVIEW CAFÉ (BUFFET):  

-       Large number of stations, but only at breakfast and lunch.  They shut more than half down at dinner.  

-       Tables were not set up with dinnerware, napkins, and cups.  You had to get your own. 

-       On HAL, we usually had a server come by within a minute of being seated to offer us water, tea, etc.  on X we had to get our own after five-ten min of nothing.

-       GOOD THING is they have  to go cups for coffee.

-       BAD THING is the coffee was bitter in the MDR.

-       Food quality in Buffet was on par with HAL at lunch and breakfast, but you serve yourself on everything but some deserts, which seemed odd in a post COVID world.

-       Dinner food (from the stations open) had few entrees to pick from, too many things laden in sauce or gravy.  No carvery.  Not same food as MDR.  

-       GOOD:  Much better ice-cream shop than HAL.

-       Outside dining area aft of the Oceanview too small and people camped out there all day as some chairs were really lounge chairs not dining. 

 

MAIN DINING:  Service and food here on par with HAL.  One good thing is that the MDR is quieter as they have carved out part of the MDR for Blueu and Luninae restaurants.  Our waiter was Indonesian, and did a great job.  Coffee in MDR was not great. 

 

CAFÉ BACIAO (Coffee Shop):  Coffee more bitter than same experience with HAL.  Smaller sizes of cups and if you order a pastry (including Black Forest Cake) it was given to you in a paper sleeve with a small wooden ice-cream spoon.  They don't want you to take a plate to your cabin. 

 

TUSCAN GRILLE:  Prices higher than Pinnacle ($40 for lunch) .  NOT A HIGH-END EXPERIENCE.  We had lunch on a sea day.  Slow to take orders, and then they mixed up entrees and sides.  DW had Prime Rib that was small and about 1/3 inch thick at best.    My Filet was about 3 oz and very good.  One Entrée was  Crab and Mac/Cheese.  We ordered this as an extra entrée to share – to find out it was small for a side dish, let alone an entrée.  Desert order also mixed up and the coffee was same as the MDR Coffee (I asked waiter and he said same coffee).  

 

OTHER:  

-       No small tables mixed with loungers on pool and sun decks.  Drinks go on the deck.  

-       Anything but most basic breakfast items (pastry, fruit, coffee) was an upcharge.  All lunch and dinner (menu for room service poor selection) was a charge.

 

Perhaps we had a bad pull of the straw with SUMMIT.  It seems that CELEBRITY may be  focusing on their exclusive restaurants (BLU, LUMINAE) and Retreat areas, but we booked a standard cabin.  The average age on board was probably 40.  Loud music in most public spaces.  Granted there was more entertainment, but some of it was not very good.   

 

Not ready to try them again for a while. 

[Benh]

Thanks for that detailed review! Wow. I'm glad we're booked on Holland America instead.

[Mary229]

Thanks for the review.  I hope to sail Celebrity one day.  I agree that 5 day cruises are not the best measure of a mid scale cruise line like HAL and Celebrity.  

[GlennG]

Thanks for your very detailed comparison of similar cruise lines.  Like many travelers, we are searching for possible alternatives in cruising.  More specifically, we are seriously considering to book a Caribbean cruise on Celebrity.  Your review provides us with additional and relevant information.  Maybe Holland America Line has not declined to the degree of other cruise lines.

[hmorrow]

We’re approaching 4 star on HAL, and elite plus on celebrity. So we’ve cruised both, a LOT.

once on HAL since Covid, with another one coming up next month. 
Once on celebrity.

Since January, celebrity had had all kinds of food cutbacks. Many regulars have been very unhappy. Our one cruise since Covid, was prior to the cutbacks, and all was good.

looking forward to our HAL cruise next month on the Rotterdam.

im not surprised with the issues with the food, but am surprised about the condition  of the ship.

Used to be such a nice line.🥲🥲🥲

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by hmorrow

[CNSJ]

As OP:  I want to clarify one comment I made about breakfast upcharges.  That bullet was specific to room service.  All lunch and dinner room service had a charge. 

 

Also, they did not serves deserts (Sahara, Mobi, etc.) they served desserts!

Edited January 29, 2023 by CNSJ
typo

[CNSJ]

2 minutes ago, hmorrow said:

We’re approaching 4 star on HAL, and elite plus on celebrity. So we’ve cruised both, a LOT.

once on HAL since Covid, with another one coming up next month. 
Once on celebrity.

Since January, celebrity had had all kinds of food cutbacks. Many regulars have been very unhappy. Our one cruise since Covid, was prior to the cutbacks, and all was good.

looking forward to our HAL cruise next month on the Rotterdam.

im not surprised with the issues with the food, but am surprised about the condition  of the ship.

Used to be such a nice line.🥲🥲🥲

 

They may be too focused on the EDGE class ships..... At least HAL keeps up the older ships IMHO.

[PROCRUISE]

Thank you for your observations. Have cruised with X and HAL almost equally and slightly favor X. My only experience with the Summit was 12 night cruise of S.E. Asia out of Singapore. The ship was outstanding in every way. Have never taken a 5 day cruise.

Unfortunately, all the cruise lines have had to make changes/cuts. Had a wonderful time on the Statendam the first part of December but heard fellow passengers complaining over things I didn't even notice. Will be on the Rotterdam at the end of February and perhaps will hear the same thing.

The nice thing about cruising is the fact that there are many cruise lines from which to make a choice. I am happy with both HAL and X.

[CNSJ]

ProCruise you are correct that everyone has their own opinion.  I will agree with that on all but one area:  Ship's Maintenance.  Significant deterioration due to corrosion is not up for debate if you ask me.  Before inspecting a Naval ship I learned that Cleanliness and Preservation observations tell us a great deal before you run damage control drills on the crew....Perhaps that's the old Navy Submarine Chief of The Boat showing through.....

 

As for music loudness..... I didn't bring a decibel meter.

 

We were on Rotterdam in December - had ZERO Complaints other than how they handled a cancelled shore excursion due to weather.  🙂

[skatelady]

We are 2 star on HAL and Elite on X.  I think the captain and his management team have much to do with what you experience.  We sailed 7 night Alaska on Nieuw Amsterdam in September.  Crew was great but several times I was left waiting to order a coffee while they chatted among themselves, ship was clean, food was OK but the buffet was not as good as I remembered from several years ago.  The entertainment was awful - 3 nights of the ship dancers, 3 nights of Alaska documentaries and 1 comedian, not very good from all the comments I heard.  We saw the cruise director once.  The last day we spent quite a bit of time in the observation lounge and heard many people saying there was nothing to do.  We sailed 10 nights on the Constellation over Christmas and New Year.  She is the same class as Summit.  Ship was very clean, cabin was spotless.  Crew was friendly and attentive.  We did see a few around the pool that had to be directed to work but most were self starters.  We had no issues with any of the restaurants, but I do agree the Oceanview Buffet was limited in the evenings.  If we didn't feel like MDR the pizza in the buffet was excellent, pasta bar was good.  We always sail in a partially obstructed balcony so no special treatment because we were Aqua or Concierge class or in a suite.  Sounds like the management of Summit isn't enforcing the Celebrity standards.  My thoughts over the years were they were comparable in almost everything but HAL might have been a touch above for entertainment.  Now I think X wins in the entertainment category.

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, CNSJ said:

They may be too focused on the EDGE class ships..... At least HAL keeps up the older ships IMHO.

 

Thanks for your review. It reminds me that people really do look for different ships onboard ships.

 

I do have to say that X is well known for offering scaled-back experiences on their shorter cruises, so please keep that in mind.  And yes, they did roll out significant cutbacks in their dining experience as of January 1 including the decimated evening buffet in their Ocean View cafe, and charges for room service -- both of which have been overwhelmingly unpopular on the Celebrity board here. Perhaps they will roll some of these changes back; remains to be seen.

 

I have sailed on two of Summit's sister ships since the COVID restart, and I love that class of ship. Both Millennium and Constellation were well maintained when I was on them last (spent 19 days on Connie in the Med in October....)  I find this size ship very comfortable, and I like Celebrity's design aesthetic. I'm not a "big bucks" suite customer either, but I find Celebrity's cabins, which include a loveseat even OV rooms, very comfortable.

 

Entertainment is a preference, but I really like how Celebrity deploys musicians all around the ship (e.g., sometimes a guitarist in Al Bacio, a couple of bands that offer music for dancing pre-dinner, the Celebrity orchestra that accompanies all shows), rather than concentrating all musical acts in a narrow time frame in the evenings as HAL is wont to do. "Loud music" is debatable -- I guess if one wants total silence, any music is too loud. 😉😎

 

I also have to say I enjoyed Tuscan Grille -- dined there twice for dinner on my October cruieses. Excellent service, delicious filet mignon and great appetizers. I found the portions overlarge. They brought me a half-entree of the lobster rigatoni alfredo to try, it was delicious and even half was the size of a normal entree.  Are you saying they have gone to making it with crab and not with lobster?

 

 

 

[MISTER 67]

We are loyal 4 Star HAL Mariners and we are not happy with HAL right now, our cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam in December was terrible with lousy food and bad entertainment. When we did get something decent in the MDR the portion was ridiculously small, I had sole one night and ate the whole thing in 3 bites.  One morning in the Lido buffet I was served frozen scrambled eggs that obviously someone forgot to heat up. The Lox were not fresh and were grey. Pre-made sandwiches in the Lido for lunch were a joke with one slice of meat and wilted lettuce. Dessert left a lot to be desired, HAL's famous bread pudding a couple days were bread soup. The best thing in the LIdo for lunch was the salad bar as everything was fresh and was able to get what I wanted except there was no bacon for a Cobb Salad, there was plenty of bacon for breakfast and I couldn't figure why there was never any bacon for lunch for a salad, left me scratching my head. HAL is also rationing out butter and other condiments, in the Lido you had to ask for butter as it was out of reach as was cream cheese, in the MDR they gave you a nice selection of rolls but with 3 small slivers of butter, we had to constantly ask for more butter.

We only had morning cabin service with no turn down service and of course no chocolate mints on the pillow, first time in 69 cruises that has happened. 

Since the start up in late 2021 we have cruised 7 times 3 on Celebrity, 2 on Princess and 2 on HAL, Celebrity was the best, a bit better than Princess and a lot better than HAL. We sailed on the Equinox twice last summer and the Infinity in October which is the sister ship of the Summit, truthfully it was one of our best cruises ever with great food and super entertainment, the ship was clean and spotless and remarked to my wife how beautiful the Infinity was, perfect sized ship as are the HAL Signature class ships which are still our favorite ships along now with the Infinity.  We are booked on the Reflection in a few weeks and I have also been reading about the cutbacks on Celebrity that started on January 1st,  so to say I'm concerned is putting it mildly, if things on X turn out to be as bad as HAL I guess we will give Princess another try but I'm reading about cutbacks with Princess also. It looks like we are in a new era in cruising with all these cutbacks and extra charges which borders on gouging, we will either have to bite the bullet or find somewhere else to spend our vacation dollars.

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by MISTER 67

[CNSJ]

6 hours ago, MISTER 67 said:

We are loyal 4 Star HAL Mariners and we are not happy with HAL right now, our cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam in December was terrible with lousy food and bad entertainment. When we did get something decent in the MDR the portion was ridiculously small, I had sole one night and ate the whole thing in 3 bites.  One morning in the Lido buffet I was served frozen scrambled eggs that obviously someone forgot to heat up. The Lox were not fresh and were grey. Pre-made sandwiches in the Lido for lunch were a joke with one slice of meat and wilted lettuce. Dessert left a lot to be desired, HAL's famous bread pudding a couple days were bread soup. The best thing in the LIdo for lunch was the salad bar as everything was fresh and was able to get what I wanted except there was no bacon for a Cobb Salad, there was plenty of bacon for breakfast and I couldn't figure why there was never any bacon for lunch for a salad, left me scratching my head. HAL is also rationing out butter and other condiments, in the Lido you had to ask for butter as it was out of reach as was cream cheese, in the MDR they gave you a nice selection of rolls but with 3 small slivers of butter, we had to constantly ask for more butter.

We only had morning cabin service with no turn down service and of course no chocolate mints on the pillow, first time in 69 cruises that has happened. 

Since the start up in late 2021 we have cruised 7 times 3 on Celebrity, 2 on Princess and 2 on HAL, Celebrity was the best, a bit better than Princess and a lot better than HAL. We sailed on the Equinox twice last summer and the Infinity in October which is the sister ship of the Summit, truthfully it was one of our best cruises ever with great food and super entertainment, the ship was clean and spotless and remarked to my wife how beautiful the Infinity was, perfect sized ship as are the HAL Signature class ships which are still our favorite ships along now with the Infinity.  We are booked on the Reflection in a few weeks and I have also been reading about the cutbacks on Celebrity that started on January 1st,  so to say I'm concerned is putting it mildly, if things on X turn out to be as bad as HAL I guess we will give Princess another try but I'm reading about cutbacks with Princess also. It looks like we are in a new era in cruising with all these cutbacks and extra charges which borders on gouging, we will either have to bite the bullet or find somewhere else to spend our vacation dollars.

 

Mister 67 I wish you a great cruise on the REFLECTION!

[Nang]

I have to agree with you about Celebrity staff. On my only X cruise about 4 years ago on the Solstice the outside and pool bar staff were just lazy. Very friendly but way too focussed on talking and joking around with their work mates to clear tables or empty ashtrays. On one boozy afternoon at the aft outside bar I had 6 beers. I had to to order every one personally from the bar and take it back to my table. After 2 1/2 hours when I left there were 6 empty beer bottles on the table.

 

Other than that I quite liked the cruise. Food/cabin/ship was good (on a par with HAL) while the entertainment and Captain Alex were really great - way better than HAL at the time. Previously I had not cared whether I saw or heard from the captain but after being on board with Captain Alex I now know and really appreciate that a passenger focussed captain can add immensely to my cruise experience.

[Sir PMP]

23 hours ago, CNSJ said:

Wanted to compare Celebrity and HAL.  

 

 

We have sailed Holland America (HAL)  and Royal Caribbean (RCI) over the past 15 years, with 80% of our trips on HAL. Stopped sailing with RCI after what DW described as "Inedible Food" in the Windjammer Buffet.  Since COVID ended, we have sailed Transatlantic on EURODAM (FALL 2021), West Carib on ROTTERDAM(WINTER 2022), Alaska on NOORDAM (SUMMER 2022), Transpacific on WESTERDAM (FALL 2022), and Southern Carib on ROTTERDAM (DEC 2022).   That’s a good mix of HAL ship classes and ages.  We normally sail in a V or VA but have on occasion taken the upsell to a suite. 

Having heard so much great things about CELEBRITY (X), on this forum, we decided to give them a try, with the post-COVID standard in our mind.  Granted we selected a short 5 day cruise (fit schedule nicely), on one of their older ships (about same age as Noordam)  and not a long journey, but hoped to get a feel for their service, food, and approach to cruising. Sailed last week on CELEBRITY SUMMIT.  These are my observations, and yes we entered with an open mind.  We found a few things we liked, and too many things we did not to want to book again.  

CABIN:  We had a deluxe verandah on X (7111) which was not in Concierge or Aqua class.  That meant we could not use their exclusive restaurants Luminae or Blu (did eat in Tuscan Grill).  Cabin seemed smaller by about 10% and the balcony was noticeably smaller.  Bathroom was good, but shower was much smaller than we have had on HAL.  CABIN Issues:

-       Thick sticky dust on some light fixtures, bathroom fan, vent, and on upper shelves

-       Mold in shower corners

-       Bad rust on balcony and window coated with salt 

-       Queen bed did not have a strip that helps minimize the two twin gap.

-       Bed was not made up as well as we are used to, mattress pad untucked etc.

-       Mini-Bar was warm, called maintenance to have them change it out (didn't stockers notice this???)

-       One light burned out

-       No varnished wood balcony railing…fake wood product of some kind.  

-       In Cabin TV movie choices were much less than HAL as was Live TV Channels 

SHIP CONDITION:  I have posted before that a safe, well maintained ship matters to me.  (I spent 26 years in the Navy  on Submarines).  I have never seen anywhere near the amount of dirt, rust, corrosion, pitting of surfaces, dirty glass, and other indications of poor maintenance.  On HAL cruises I see maintenance people all the time working on the ship exterior.  Saw one or two and I am out and about a lot.  Makes me wonder if safety equipment such as lifeboats is being maintained properly.   

SHIP DESIGN:  

-       Fewer elevators per person than on HAL ships.  

-       I am a deck walker.  This class of ship NOT set up to walk.  Promenade only extends 70% on each side.  No wrap.  The deck 11 “jogging path” is short – 9 laps+ per mile and a mix or runners and walkers, with deck chairs at edge of red painted area.  

-       Access to Deck 12 Rooftop Lounge was terrible.  Very steep ladders from Deck 10 aft or an exterior lift for wheelchairs (we didn't need this lift). 

 

CREW:  Crew did not have same professional polish that we are used to.  Wide range of home nations here.  They were friendly, but a great deal of joking around with each other.   Service at the Pool was almost non-existent, and they did not come by often to clean up drink cups etc.  

 

PUBLIC AREAS:  Focus was on very loud music.  I could hear the Deck 10 pool band and music from my balcony on Deck 7 very clearly.  It was so loud we could not sit near pool on Deck 10 or 11.  No area to read, play cards, or do anything else that wasn't loud.  Exception was indoor pool (Solarium) – Too shallow to swim as it's a big warm tub, but no area around it with tables. 

 

GOOD:  More hot tubs.  But more kids in them. 

 

OCEANVIEW CAFÉ (BUFFET):  

-       Large number of stations, but only at breakfast and lunch.  They shut more than half down at dinner.  

-       Tables were not set up with dinnerware, napkins, and cups.  You had to get your own. 

-       On HAL, we usually had a server come by within a minute of being seated to offer us water, tea, etc.  on X we had to get our own after five-ten min of nothing.

-       GOOD THING is they have  to go cups for coffee.

-       BAD THING is the coffee was bitter in the MDR.

-       Food quality in Buffet was on par with HAL at lunch and breakfast, but you serve yourself on everything but some deserts, which seemed odd in a post COVID world.

-       Dinner food (from the stations open) had few entrees to pick from, too many things laden in sauce or gravy.  No carvery.  Not same food as MDR.  

-       GOOD:  Much better ice-cream shop than HAL.

-       Outside dining area aft of the Oceanview too small and people camped out there all day as some chairs were really lounge chairs not dining. 

 

MAIN DINING:  Service and food here on par with HAL.  One good thing is that the MDR is quieter as they have carved out part of the MDR for Blueu and Luninae restaurants.  Our waiter was Indonesian, and did a great job.  Coffee in MDR was not great. 

 

CAFÉ BACIAO (Coffee Shop):  Coffee more bitter than same experience with HAL.  Smaller sizes of cups and if you order a pastry (including Black Forest Cake) it was given to you in a paper sleeve with a small wooden ice-cream spoon.  They don't want you to take a plate to your cabin. 

 

TUSCAN GRILLE:  Prices higher than Pinnacle ($40 for lunch) .  NOT A HIGH-END EXPERIENCE.  We had lunch on a sea day.  Slow to take orders, and then they mixed up entrees and sides.  DW had Prime Rib that was small and about 1/3 inch thick at best.    My Filet was about 3 oz and very good.  One Entrée was  Crab and Mac/Cheese.  We ordered this as an extra entrée to share – to find out it was small for a side dish, let alone an entrée.  Desert order also mixed up and the coffee was same as the MDR Coffee (I asked waiter and he said same coffee).  

 

OTHER:  

-       No small tables mixed with loungers on pool and sun decks.  Drinks go on the deck.  

-       Anything but most basic breakfast items (pastry, fruit, coffee) was an upcharge.  All lunch and dinner (menu for room service poor selection) was a charge.

 

Perhaps we had a bad pull of the straw with SUMMIT.  It seems that CELEBRITY may be  focusing on their exclusive restaurants (BLU, LUMINAE) and Retreat areas, but we booked a standard cabin.  The average age on board was probably 40.  Loud music in most public spaces.  Granted there was more entertainment, but some of it was not very good.   

 

Not ready to try them again for a while. 

Thanks for not creating any interest in Celebrity by me.

 

 

[Cruiz'nBaers]

We have primarily cruised on HAL,but decided to try Crlebrity a few years ago.  We have been on the Equinox 3 times and 1time on the Silhouette, in a standard veranda stateroom 3 times and an Oceanview once.  The ships were well maintained, the cabins nice and clean .  The Martini Bar is a lot of fun and the shows in the theater were definitely a cut above HAL.  The food in the main dining room was on par with HAL, the food in the buffet restaurant was much better.  Toward the end of the cruise, they have a grand buffet in the lido that is fabulous.  Their pools are much more crowded, their drinks and drink packages are more expensive.  The specialty restaurants, we tried Tuscan Grill and Murano were ok, but we probably wouldn’t buy them again.  Each time we were on a 10 or 11 day cruise.  The staff was very friendly, our room steward on our cruise last February was outstanding.  I believe that Celebrity is a bit more expensive.  We love the longer itineraries on HAL, especially when they are round trip from the US.  We were on this past summer’s VOV on the Zaandam, while the itinerary was great, the ship seemed tired, shabby and a bit dirty if you looked in the corners (and yes, I look in the corners).  My opinion.

Edited January 30, 2023 by Cruiz'nBaers

[Riversedge]

We are 5* mariners, only sticking with HAL because we enjoy the longer cruise itineraries.  There’s a level of comfort to what we are used to (and it’s hard to give up that free laundry!) so we have continued to cruise with them.  As with most lines, the cut backs have taken away some of the special things we used to enjoy.   
 

When friends asked us to join them on the Celebrity Apex for 12 days last fall we were thrilled to try Celebrity again.  We had been on the Summit a few years ago and loved it.  This is one of their newest ships so I was expecting to be wowed and I was.  I’ve been on HAL’s newest ships as well and was not that impressed.  The common areas were beautiful, there were  many areas to get away from the crowds and lots to do.   We were not happy with the food but we are not happy with Hal’s food anymore (same old, same old only smaller portions).  Celebrity was understaffed and so wait time was long at most restaurants.   We LOVE the crew on HAL.  The Phillipinos and Indonesians know how to wait on you make make you love them.   Celebrity hires other walks of life and I agree that they talk amongst themselves, tend to ignore you and look down their nose at you.  BUT, the entertainment on Celebrity was phenomenal.  We don’t enjoy the music walk on HAL and there was so much to do on the Apex and the shows were outstanding.  
 

We will sail both lines again.  HAL for the service and Celebrity for entertainment and the beauty of the ships.  We did not find Celebrity to have loud music.  The clientele was an average of about 62-65.  I think shorter cruises tend to have more of a party feeling.  
 

 

[thecruiserman]

My recent experience is Celebrity Beyond (Edge class) November 2022 and HAL Rotterdam January 2023.

Edge class ships are strange - the “Infinite Veranda” is not a veranda/balcony but just a picture window that you can open sometimes, but is closed by the captain whenever the weather is bad. The is no fixed dinner seating, just wait for a table, unless you want to go to the specialty restaurants at $60 per person (plus service charge).  No wraparound walking deck, not much outdoor space unless you want to pay for it. The whole atmosphere is geared to the suite class passengers, not the regular passengers. I am Elite on Celebrity but I am not planning to return to Celebrity.

 

Rotterdam is the newest HAL ship. It is very clean, cabins are good size, traditional balconies are available, food is excellent in the MDR with fixed dinner seating and walk up options, service is excellent, specialty restaurants are more reasonably priced, and there is lots of outdoor space including the traditional wraparound walking deck. The entertainment is more focused on different areas: BB Kings for jazz, Rolling Stone Rock Room, Lincoln Center Stage for classical music, and the Billboard Piano Bar. Mainstage entertainment is varied (but no production shows every night - if you want that go on MSC Cruises).

I am three star on HAL and I will be sailing on HAL exclusively in the future.

 

[kapitch]

We recently sailed the Noordam from San Diego to Sydney, Australia, then embarked on the Celebrity Eclipse to sail around NZ.  To us, there is no comparison, Celebrity is a line we are not likely to cruise again.  The atrium was quite elaborate, but that is not important to us.  The lack of a wrap around promenade deck, self-serving of buffet items, much fewer buffet choices, lack of seating in the buffet area, specialty coffees were pre-made and lukewarm at best, all contributed to a lackluster experience with X.  We found dining in the MDR no better than HAL, some entertainment was better than HAL, but there were singers and comedians who were not very good.  We did enjoy the Martini Bar, but their beverage package did not include the same drinks we enjoyed on the Noordam with the HIA, pricing was much higher on X.   Music was always way too loud in the bars to enjoy conversation with other cruisers.  Several occasions, we asked them to lower the volume, and they did.  In their version of the Crows Nest, Trivia contests were always being held, starting early in the morning, so no peaceful seating found there.  Several sofas in this area were occupied by passengers sleeping.  And last but not least...no mats in the elevators to remind us of the day 😀

[Ellencruise]

Okay so I guess I won’t be “jumping ship” to Celebrity 

[pirate cruiser]

Our last two ships have been the Eurodam and NS and have the Oosterdam booked for Sept. We love the BB King bands and like the Rolling Stones room. We are not foodies and are satisfied with all food venues. I think complimentary room service breakfast is awesome. Both of the last cruises have been a spring break and a holiday with lots of kids so it will be interesting to see how the Oosterdam demographics are in the Med. in sept. Even though a lot of people think HAL is a mainstream line it just feels elegant to us. Probably after the cruise in sept. we may try another line to get a real comparison and would consider Celebrity, Princess and even Carnival depending on price and itinerary-our holiday cruise was the first 11 day we have been on and it was so much better than the 7day ones.

[CNSJ]

On 1/30/2023 at 1:29 PM, kapitch said:

We recently sailed the Noordam from San Diego to Sydney, Australia, then embarked on the Celebrity Eclipse to sail around NZ.  To us, there is no comparison, Celebrity is a line we are not likely to cruise again.  The atrium was quite elaborate, but that is not important to us.  The lack of a wrap around promenade deck, self-serving of buffet items, much fewer buffet choices, lack of seating in the buffet area, specialty coffees were pre-made and lukewarm at best, all contributed to a lackluster experience with X.  We found dining in the MDR no better than HAL, some entertainment was better than HAL, but there were singers and comedians who were not very good.  We did enjoy the Martini Bar, but their beverage package did not include the same drinks we enjoyed on the Noordam with the HIA, pricing was much higher on X.   Music was always way too loud in the bars to enjoy conversation with other cruisers.  Several occasions, we asked them to lower the volume, and they did.  In their version of the Crows Nest, Trivia contests were always being held, starting early in the morning, so no peaceful seating found there.  Several sofas in this area were occupied by passengers sleeping.  And last but not least...no mats in the elevators to remind us of the day 😀

kapitch,

It seems we had similar comparisons.  How could I have forgotten the elevator floor mats!

When we crossed the dateline on Westerdam this past fall, I wondered if the day we were skipping was put out for a few songs or we just jumped ahead two days.  Has planned to wake up a midnight to watch....But didn't!