Holland America vs. Celebrity Cruises
Both Celebrity Cruises and Holland America Line offer cruisers a sophisticated at-sea experience, but they differ wildly when it comes to the onboard vibe. While Holland America attracts an older demographic who prefer a night in the lounge listening to live music to late-night parties, Celebrity appeals to a younger, more urbane set who are more likely to be on top of the latest food, wine and cocktail trends. To help you pick the cruise line that is right for you, Cruise Critic pits Holland America vs. Celebrity in a head-to-head comparison. There is no winner -- except you, who will have a better idea of which cruise line suits your needs.
Compare by: Fleet | Pricing | Demographics | Itineraries | Cabins | Dining | Pool Deck Fun | Sports Deck Fun | Indoor Fun | Nightlife | Family Focus | Tradition vs Innovation
Fleet size, ship sizes and ages
Holland America
13 ships (14 by mid-2016), four built before 2000
Largest: Koningsdam (2,650 passengers, launching April 2016), Nieuw Amsterdam (2,106 passengers), Eurodam (2,104 passengers)
Smallest: Prinsendam (835 passengers)
Oldest: Maasdam (1993)
Celebrity Cruises
10 ships, all built in 2000 or later
Largest: Celebrity Reflection (3,030 passengers)
Smallest: Celebrity Xpedition (92 passengers), Celebrity Constellation (2,038 passengers)
Oldest: Celebrity Millennium (2000)
All ships, except Celebrity Xpedition, fit into one of two classes: Millennium or Solstice Class
Pricing
Holland AmericaView Holland America Deals
Pricing is very dependent on the ship, destination and length of cruise; when compared to Celebrity cruise prices, Holland America prices tend to be lower, except in Alaska where they are fairly comparable
Pricing, in general, is higher than for lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, except on those lines' newest ships
Prices include meals in the main dining room and a handful of casual venues, but all alternative restaurants cost extra
All nightly entertainment is included
Show Prices
Celebrity CruisesView Celebrity Cruise Deals
Tiered pricing model for all cabins (except inside rooms) gives cruisers a choice of up to four inclusions (free Internet , beverage package, included gratuities or onboard credit)
When compared with Holland America, prices are generally higher, except in Alaska
Pricing, in general, is a tad higher than for lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, and does not vary greatly across the fleet
Prices include dining in several main dining room venues, but specialty restaurants incur an extra fee
All nightly entertainment is included, with the exception of the occasional reservation-only theme party
Show Prices
Demographics
Holland AmericaView Holland America Roll Calls
Typical passenger age: mid-50s to mid-70s
All ships draw couples, solo cruisers and groups of friends ages 40 to 80s
Alaska cruises draw families, particularly multigenerational groups; few families on other sailings
Celebrity CruisesView Celebrity Roll Calls
Average passenger age: mid 40s to early 50s
All ships draw couples and groups of friends ages 35 to 70s
Passenger mix includes families during holidays and peak travel times
Itineraries/Destinations/Homeports
Holland AmericaView Holland America Itineraries
Sails from nine North American mainland ports, varying by season, with no ships stationed at any port year-round
Offers seasonal sailings to Bermuda, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Canada and New England, Europe and Mexico, as well as through the Panama Canal and along the Pacific Coast
One of the strongest Alaska programs in the industry with a wide range of cruise itineraries and cruise tours
Exotic itineraries include Asia, Australia, the South Pacific, South America, Antarctica and world cruises
Celebrity CruisesView Celebrity Itineraries
Sails from seven North American mainland ports, varying by season, with no ships stationed at a single port year-round
Offers seasonal cruises to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Bahamas, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada and New England, and Europe
Exotic itineraries visit Australia, Asia, South America, South Pacific and the Middle East
Offers soft adventure sailings to the Galapagos Islands on Celebrity Xpedition
Cabins
Holland America
Between 23 cabin categories on the smallest ship to 38 on the largest; all divided among six basic categories
Higher-level suite perks (Neptune and Pinnacle Suites only) include priority tendering, free laundry and pressing services, access to the Neptune Lounge, canapes served nightly, free mimosas with ensuite breakfast, free bottled water on embarkation and more
Spa cabins (on select ships only) do not come with priority access to the spa or thermal suite; spa cabin amenities include a loofah mitt and bath salts, yoga mat, two pedometers and a countertop water feature for a relaxed ambiance
Unique cabin design includes Lanai rooms, which are technically ocean-view cabins but have sliding glass doors that open directly onto the public Lower Promenade Deck with deck chairs just outside the door
Newest ship (Koningsdam, which launches April 2016) will have cabins specifically designed and priced for solo travelers, as well as a selection of family-specific cabins (the only ones in the fleet)
Celebrity Cruises
Between 23 cabin categories on Millennium-class ships and 24 to 27 on Solstice-class vessels, all divided between 10 basic categories; Celebrity Xpedition has seven room category choices
Suite benefits include priority boarding and disembarking, access to a suites-only dining room, reserved theater seating on formal nights and access to Michael's Club Lounge; cruisers in the highest suite categories also receive free Internet, unlimited dining in all specialty restaurants for lunch and dinner, a free premium beverage package for everyone in the suite and complimentary mini-bar stocked with water, soda and beer
Spa-inspired AquaClass cabins (on all ships except Xpedition) come with priority check-in and disembarkation, limitless access to the Relaxation Room (Solstice Class only) and Persian Garden thermal suite, as well as exclusive access to Blu, a health-centric eatery; other amenities include a pillow menu and upgraded bath toiletries
Limited family room options including connecting cabins and family-sized ocean-view cabins with two bedrooms
Dining
Holland America
Main dining room options include traditional (same time and tablemates every night) and the flexible As You Wish program (choose when you want to eat and sit at different tables each time)
No more than four alternative restaurants on any ship (all for a fee), except on Koningsdam, which has more
At least once per voyage in the for-fee Pinnacle Grill, passengers can dine on menu items taken directly from famed restaurant, Le Cirque -- for a price much less than what they'd pay on land
One formal Gala Night per seven-night cruise (two on cruises up to 13 nights and three on sailings up to 20 nights), requiring passengers to swap out casual wear for formal attire
Celebrity Cruises
Main dining room options include fixed (same time, same tablemates every night) and the flexible Celebrity Select program (choose when you want to dine, at different tables each night)
Up to six alternative restaurants are available on each ship (varies by vessel), with only a handful included in the cruise price
Through an agreement with Bravo and the TV show "Top Chef," onboard culinary activities include Quickfire Challenges and Top Chef Nights in the main dining room, as well as select Top Chef Signature Sailings on which prior contestants provide cooking demonstrations and mingle with passengers
Two Evening Chic (not formal) nights per weeklong sailing asking passengers to dress up a bit more than on another nights (think button-down shirts for men and cocktail dresses for women)
Pool Deck Fun
Holland America
Most ships have one main pool; 10 also have an aft pool, five have a for-fee indoor therapeutic pool and five have a top-deck, teen-only pool
Most ships have at least five whirlpools
Minimal pool games on warm-weather sailings
Celebrity Cruises
Two to three pools on all ships, with two on the main pool deck and a third typically in the adults-only Solarium; at least six whirlpools, with two always in the Solarium
Select Solstice-class ships have a Wet Zone splash area for kids
Minimal poolside games, with the pool deck used mostly for lounging
Sports Deck Fun
Holland America
Most ships have a jogging track and basketball court and either a volleyball or tennis court
Celebrity Cruises
All Solstice-class ships have The Lawn Club, a massive Central Park-style area with real grass, featuring lawn bowling and bocce
All ships have a half-ship jogging track and basketball courts
Three Solstice-class ships also offer daily Corning Museum of Glass hot glass demonstrations
Indoor Fun
Holland America
A partnership with BBC Earth brings classes on wildlife or photography, interactive quiz shows, big-screen viewings of BBC Earth programs and films onboard
The Digital Workshop Powered by Windows program offers classes on blogging, social media, picture editing and digital scrapbooking
Cooking demonstrations and interactive classes offered through the Culinary Arts Center
Other daily activities might include trivia, arts and crafts, dance classes, sea day chamber music recitals, bingo and wine tastings at the onboard Wine Tasting Bar (on most ships, but not all)
Koningsdam takes the wine-tasting experience to a new level with BLEND by Chateau Ste. Michelle, where up to 10 wine-lovers learn about and taste wine prior to mixing up to five wines to create their own blend
Celebrity Cruises
Daily activities might include trivia, themed lectures, dance classes, bingo and wine tastings
The iLounge (on all ships) offers up to 18 Apple classes on blogging, Photoshop, website creation and other computer skills
The Art Studio on the Lawn Club (on two Solstice-class ships) offers art classes like jewelry-making, sketching and painting
Nightlife
Holland America
Seven ships (including the soon-to-launch Koningsdam) offer the B.B. King's Blues Club, a nightly show in the Queen's Lounge, highlighting the Memphis music scene
By April 2016, three ships (Koningsdam, Eurodam and Oosterdam) will feature Lincoln Center Stage, which brings live chamber music to the high seas
The same ships will also feature Billboard Onboard, a live music stage where two pianists, a guitarist and a DJ play chart-topping hits from the past 50 years
Main-stage theater shows including musical revues, illusionists, comedians and concerts
Various lounges offer nightly live music, from classical quartets to duos offering light tunes
Celebrity Cruises
Theater shows include revue-style song-and-dance productions, Cirque du Soleil-inspired acrobatic shows and one-off comedy and magic acts
Nightly live music in several lounges, as well as DJ'd dance parties
Solstice-class ships feature a once-per-cruise, evening jazz concert on the lawn
Family Focus
Holland AmericaHolland America Family Cruise Reviews
Club HAL programming is divided by age group for 3- to 7-year-olds, 8- to 12-year-olds, and 13- to 17-year-olds
Five ships have a top-deck Oasis teen hangout spot with teen-only pool
Kids can take part in "Walking with Dinosaurs" activities through the line's partnership with BBC Earth, along with other BBC Earth-themed happenings
Club HAL After Hours babysitting is available from 10 p.m. until midnight for kids aged 3 to 12; at other times, and for children under 5, limited babysitting might be available on sea days
Family-specific cabins are only available on the soon-to-launch Koningsdam
Celebrity CruisesCelebrity Family Cruise Reviews
The Fun Factory kids' club offers three age-specific subgroups for kids aged 3 to 5, 6 to 8, and 9 to 11; teens have the X Club, a hangout spot featuring social activities, the newest gaming consoles, sports activities and teens-only late night dances
Offers extra fee, in-cabin babysitting for children ages 12 months and older (except on Celebrity Xpedition)
Very small selection of family-friendly cabin choices
Tradition vs Innovation
Holland America
As traditional as one can find among North American-based cruise lines with an emphasis on main dining rooms, upscale alternative restaurants, live music and an overall dignified vibe
Koningsdam, which launches April 2016, will be the first ship in the Holland America fleet to break its traditional mold, experimenting with new spaces onboard, including the World Stage, which features a 270-degree LED screen, high-tech lighting/sound systems and the ability to easily switch gears to different stage configurations. It also will host five new production shows
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity ships have fewer gimmicks than lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian (no sky diving or crazy water slides), but does experiment with the onboard experience through spaces like The Lawn Club (which features a half-acre of real grass) and the Qsine molecular restaurant
**
Holland America
**
Show Prices
**
Celebrity Cruises
**
Show Prices