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We left Athens from the Cruise Ship Terminal at Piraeus, aboard the MS Oosterdam a Vista class cruise ship of the Holland America Line.  This was our fifth such cruise and I was asked, via Facebook, how she compares with the previous ships and their operators.

As we had previously sailed on a newer Vista class ship, the MS Queen Elizabeth, operated by Cunard, we were expecting her to be similar. She's not!  The fit-out and decor are quite different. And the staff management and systems, for example dining entertainment, service etc, also differ.  On the positive side, while the 'staterooms' (cabins) are similar in size, the bathrooms are larger. Possibly as a consequence, there are fewer guest cabins on the older ship and she carries less passengers, when fully booked.

Our Oosterdam 'stateroom' and the afterdeck pool - there is another pool midships with a sliding cover

None of the cruise ships we have been on has been terrible (we have been told that some, catering for a younger crowd, are).

So, comparing those we have travelled on comes down to nit-picking.

All the Ships are comfortable and employ similar technology: modern diesel-electric propulsion, employing electric stern azipods and bow thrusters (rudderless), making them very manoeuvrable, stable and capable of speeds in excess of 20 knots.  But age is a factor. A steady improvement in fit-out is evident and the two oldest ships are now just a little dated.  On-board management; entertainment; and dining experiences and options (number of bars and dining areas); differ between ships and their operators. 

So this was our ranking at the time when asked (ship only - not the cruise destinations):

1. Celebrity Apex: This is a very nice ship, with multiple dining areas and bars (in different styles) the most spectacular theatre and first class entertainment. For images See Here...
2. Queen Elizabeth: Beautiful decor; lots of quiet areas; upmarket dining room; several bars, including an English Pub; quality entertainment.
3. Celebrity Equinox: Very nice; good entertainment and food
4. Celebrity Solstice: Very nice - very similar; sister ship to Equinox; a bit less polished
5. Oosterdam:  It's still OK but the ship is older and the food and drink is not as well organised. The entertainment is no where near as good or as varied as on the other ships.

The overall cruise ranking would be different, comparing apples and oranges. Our top two locales would be The Greek Islands (warm) and the Baltic (cold). Big plusses included: interesting history and culture; and ports or moorings adjacent to the points of interest (minimal bussing). That was a big down-side, particularly in Vietnam and Thailand Read More...